by Weeks, Kris
Rue jumped into the van and picked up Linda. Linda’s long legs almost covered Rue’s petite frame.
“No, not my Linda!” Rue rocked her back and forth in her lap.
The crew heard the cries from Rue and joined Karlin at the van. Eric pushed his way through them all and stood staring at Rue and Linda as the others were.
Rue looked up at Eric. “She’s gone.”
Alex pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “Guess we need to get her off the property” Alex was surprised as everyone else that that is what came out of his mouth.
Eric spun and backhanded Alex. He fell backwards and Andrew caught him under the arms.
“I’m sorry, I am not sure why I would have said that, I know how it feels to lose a child. Guess, that is how we have been taught by Eric, isn’t that right?” Alex glared at Eric and turned to leave.
Andrew and Atora followed him.
“You okay?” Atora asked.
“Yeah, I didn’t mean to be rude to Rue, guess it looked as though Eric was affected by Linda being bit, that it felt like a good time to give him a bit of payback for Tyler and Ashley.” Alex explained.
Andrew and Atora both nodded in agreement with him. Nate leaned in and rubbed Rue on the back. Eric slapped his hand away and glared at him with a warning to move away. Nate, Thomas, Adrianna and Willy all walked away from the van. Eric pointed at Barker and then stuck his thumb out over his shoulder telling him to get out. Barker moved quickly and jumped out and then turned back to his sister and cried wishing her to be there to push his head or pull his ear. He turned away as Eric turned towards him and started walking towards the house.
“Why would you have let this happen to my Linda?” Rue asked.
Eric just stared at the two, but never said a word. He pried Rue’s hands from her daughter and took Linda from her.
“I have to tell you as I have the others. It is nothing we want to happen, but it does.”
Eric turned from Rue and headed to where Ashley had been buried. He laid Linda on the ground and began to dig.
The group had gathered back at the house, unsure if they should start dinner, as they had been told before that they are to let Rue cook. All of them knew that Rue would not be up to cooking. Nate had gone and checked in on Rowena, who was still sleeping. Atora and Adrianna decided that making dinner would be a good idea. They made a salad with the few vegetables from the garden and a sandwich for each person.
By the time Rue reached the house, the sun had already gone down. She entered into the living room and stopped and looked at everyone and broke down into tears again dropping to her knees. Nate ran to her, wrapped one arm around her waist and slid the other under her knees and walked her down the hall to her room. He placed her on her bed and sat down next to her. She buried her face into her pillow and sobbed. Nate rubbed her back.
“Nate, come on. Eric is coming up the path.” Thomas stuck his head in.
Nate turned to Thomas and quickly back to Rue.
“I’m sorry.” Nate said before rising and walking out of the room.
Eric passed by him in the hall and shoulder checked him. Nate put his head down and kept walking.
“She okay?” Atora asked.
“I guess.” Nate replied. “Everyone get some sleep and I will keep watch.” He walked out the front door without another word.
Nate followed the path by the light that was left in the sky from the moon. He climbed the ladder and sat down. He stared into the purplish sky and wondered why he was having any feelings for this woman.
“We are in the fucking apocalypse, what the hell am I thinking. She is not the one I need to fall in love with right now, especially with whatever she is to Eric.” Nate told himself.
He shook his head and dropped his head and raised it back up and shook his head hard, hoping that would get her off his mind.
The group back at the house, cleaned up from dinner and all headed to bed.
Eric tried to comfort Rue by sitting next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. Barker laid in the corner of the room and Rowena slept soundly in her small area that Rue had made for her.
Rue lifted her head to Eric. Her black hair wet from being in her face from crying and her eyes were blood shot. She pulled her glasses away from her face and wiped underneath.
“You promised you would keep us all safe, I thought you meant my children as well.” Rue muttered.
Eric wrinkled his forehead and looked away from her. He slowly removed his hand, removed himself from the bed and walked out of the room. He made himself comfortable in a corner of the living room that was not taken by Thomas or Willy.
“You guys know there is a whole other room down the hall where the guys stay?” Eric asked them.
“Yeah, Alex, Nate, and Andrew are usually in there, we try not to crowd each other.” Thomas stated.
Eric just nodded and turned toward the wall after grabbing an extra pillow that was in the middle of the floor.
Both wondered why he would be out there, since he made it well known that the back bedroom was for Rue and the kids and most of the time he would sleep back there, unless there was some possibility of danger. Thomas and Willy both shrugged their shoulders at each other and laid down.
Nate sat for the next few hours wondering what was between Rue and Eric. It could not be her husband, she didn’t wear a ring. Maybe it was part of her family or just someone that she had met before the apocalypse. What were they to each other he wondered as did everyone else.
Andrew rose and saw that it was three in the morning. He grabbed his jeans and slid them on and slipped on his brown military boots, without tying them he made his way out of the door without waking Alex. He walked quietly down the hall to the living room, stepping around Willy and over Thomas’s feet and headed for the front door when he saw Eric lying in the corner. Andrew raised his eyebrows and made his way outside.
“Hey bud!” Andrew stated as he climbed the ladder.
“Hey man, is it already time for someone to take over?” Nate asked.
“Hell I don’t know, I just woke up and figured whoever was out here needed a break.”
“I could use some sleep, it was a long day yesterday. Hey tell me something, what do you think Rue and Eric are to each other?” Nate asked.
“Oh, ummm. Guess I thought they were just friends. As time has gone on, they kind of seemed a little closer than friends. So I really don’t know.” Andrew pondered.
“Just curious.” Nate said as he began to climb down the ladder.
Andrew shrugged and grabbed the rifle leaned against the wall. Nate walked slowly to the house. He entered quietly closing the front door to see Eric lying on the floor in the corner. Thomas woke up when he heard the door squeak a bit. Nate pointed at Eric and threw up his hands, asking Thomas what he was doing there. Thomas just shook his head at Nate. Willy giggled from the corner at the two making hand gestures.
“Need a cuddle buddy?” Willy whispered to Nate.
Nate covered his mouth as he laughed and flipped him the bird. Nate made it down the hall and took Andrew’s place in the bedroom. He shut his eyes and listened to the creaking of the house around him when he heard Rowena let out a cry. He listened to Rue talk softly to her through the paper thin walls. He loved her soothing voice. Rue began to sing. Nate could imagine her holding Rowena close with her breast in her mouth and singing while bonding with her. Nate fell asleep to the sweet thought and sound.
CHAPTER FIVE
“MORNING.” ALEX stretched and accidently hit Nate on the top of his head with his hand. “Sorry man.”
“It’s all good, need to get up and get some work done anyway.” Nate responded before stretching as well. “That greenhouse is pretty much done except for a few odds and ends.”
Alex nodded as he sat up.
The two could smell the aroma of food that had managed to make its way down the hallway. Both of them quietly opened the door and tiptoed down the hall, in case anyone
was still sleeping. Atora and Adrianna stood in the kitchen loading plates. Thomas sat against the wall where he had slept reading a book. Eric was just waking up and turned when he heard them all whispering to each other.
“What the hell is going on here? Where in the hell is Rue?” Eric belted out.
“Probably taking care of her children and grieving!” Adrianna almost bent over in half towards Eric and shot back from the kitchen.
“I don’t give a shit. RUE!!!” He screamed.
Rue shot down the hallway with Rowena on her hip. “Why in the hell are you yelling?”
All of the group’s eyes got big and they looked from Rue to Eric. That is the first time any of them had heard her even speak to Eric, nonetheless with any kind of rudeness.
“Why are you not cooking?” Eric asked.
“I am going to need a little time to get back to normal. They are perfectly capable of cooking.”
Rue turned and walked back down the hallway. The group quickly turned their heads back to Eric and waited for the eruption of asshole to come out in him.
Eric calmly rose from the floor and scanned everyone in the room and walked out of the house.
“Well, I didn’t expect that.” Atora stated.
Eric paced the small porch for a few minutes, he could hear everyone inside going back to what they were doing.
Eric opened the door and stepped back in. The house stood still again as they turned towards him to wait for whatever it was that was going to happen.
“I think I have about had it!” He stated. “Shit is getting ready to change around here.”
Eric walked to the kitchen, grabbed the already made plate from Adrianna’s hand as well as the fork that she had just taken out of her mouth from her other hand.
“You all seem to think that WE are in control. I am letting you know now, there is nothing that any of YOU are in control over except if you want to be here or not. If you don’t like how this shit is going to go, you better get the hell out of here now.” He half explained.
He stuffed his mouth with a few bites of food from Adrianna’s plate and stuck it back in her hand. He turned and snatched his black t-shirt from the floor and pulled it over his tattooed arms, over his head and down his body. “Get your shit ate quick and get the hell outside.” He hollered before the door slammed shut.
Everyone looked at each other and shoveled a few more bites of food in their mouths. They all headed outside and scanned the land when each of them hit each other on the shoulder and drew attention to where Alex was pointing. Eric was in the barn throwing materials out of the door and allowing it all to fall to the ground. A few boards had broke and popped into the air as they slammed against some of the other materials. The group started to walk towards the barn, Alex stepped up onto a piece of board as a slab of plywood came flying out of the door and to the ground in front of him. Alex jumped back and over near the group.
Eric appeared from the inside of the barn. “Start getting this shit picked up, we are going to secure the gate better. Some of you will be placed outside the gate and some inside.”
Everyone looked at each other and then back at Eric.
“We will need someone to keep watch while some of us are outside of the fence.” Alex started making plans.
“Who in the hell do you think you are? You aren’t making any plans here.” Eric hurriedly walked up into Alex’s face.
Alex backed up and looked Eric up and down before breathing in deep before he spoke.
“Look, why in the hell would you send any of us out there without a lookout? To get eaten? Are you trying to get rid of us?” Alex stated calmly.
Eric shot him a look and took a step towards him. “No you stupid ass, because if you can’t take care of yourself out there, then what makes me believe that you are going to take care of the land if they get in here?”
Alex shook his head and stepped back from Eric again. “Your ideas are stupid!”
Nate shook his head. “I have to agree, having us go out there to stabilize the gate is ridiculous. We can stabilize from the inside and then all of us can go on the outside if it is clear and watch each other’s back and do any work that needs to be done out there, that way all the alcoholics on the outside of the gate will stay out there. Sending only a couple of us out there is stupid.”
Eric turned walking back into the barn. “You will do as I say or get the hell out of here, and someone needs to go get Barker and Rue. I want everyone out here to help.”
Everyone started picking up materials and hauling them to the gate. While they sorted materials into piles, they waited for further instruction from him.
“Where in the hell is Rue and the kids?” Eric shouted.
“Rowena is a baby, so she is probably in a crib where she should be and I think we all agree that Rue needs some time.” Atora let him know quickly.
“No, I said they are to be out here.” Eric began heading to the house.
“I am not letting anyone go on the outside of the fence on their own. There is no need for it.” Alex told the others.
The group wanted to agree with Alex, but knew ultimately it was up to Eric and they didn’t want to be kicked out of the group. They began to stack the plywood against the fence where they thought would be a good place to put it for stability. They spread out some two by fours at the bottom of the gate and other wood to help strengthen it and some extra locking mechanisms over by the opening of the gate to add to keep the locks stronger. Nate found a screwdriver to use and started attaching the locks to the gate. With two more locks installed, Nate began removing the pipes that were holding the gate closed. He threw the first one to the ground when he heard Andrew holler from the tower. “Two outside.”
Nate threw a half salute to Andrew, and removed another pole. Knowing that it would draw attention, Nate knocked on the gate with the last pole he removed and waited. The rest of them looked at him and then at the gate. The two that Andrew had mentioned made it to the gate and ran into it with a bang, sounding like a cannon going off. The tin of the gate bowed in a bit and made Nate jump, but the locks held firm.
“We are going to have to put something on the outside.” Nate told them with disappointment.
Willy agreed by shaking his head and pushed on the gate with his hand. “Yeah we are. But we can do it with someone in the tower watching, we should be good.”
“Let’s grab this wood and take it out and get this done quick. Andrew, anymore out there besides the two?” Alex looked up waiting for his answer watching him scan the area with the binoculars.
Andrew threw them a thumbs up and started climbing down the ladder. “You guys aren’t going out there are you?” He asked jumping to the ground.
Nate shook his head and Thomas threw a piece of plywood and some rebar over the gate. The two undead outside the gate apparently took a liking to the materials thrown over, Nate and Thomas jumped back when a clang sounded on the gate.
“What the fuck?” Nate hollered.
Andrew ran back to the ladder and hurried back up to look over. “He is kicking the rebar against the gate!”
Nate shook his head and threw another piece over, Thomas followed with some more materials. Another loud clang hit the gate and Andrew laughed as Nate jumped again. “Just drunks Nate, settle down bro.”
Willy, Alex, Nate and Thomas made their way to start opening the gate. “WAIT!” They all turned toward Eric’s voice to see Eric and Rue without the kids. “What the hell are you doing?”
“You are right, we have to go outside the gate to fix this better.” Alex told him.
“Good you came to that conclusion since that is what I told you that you were going to do anyways.” He shot back.
Alex reached up grabbed the last lock of the gate and unlatched it. He swung the gate open as he stared at Eric and listened as the tin hit against each other and the gate bounced forward and then rested against the fence.
“Are you crazy you stupid ass?” Eric ran to the
gate. He grabbed the gate and started to push it closed. Alex waited for the two zombies that were outside the gate to realize it was open and make their way in. Nate, Willy, Atora and Thomas all ran backwards expecting the rebar kicking zombies to come in. Alex didn’t move. Eric pushed the gate into Alex and tried to budge him out of the way.
“MOVE NOW!” Eric screamed pushing the gate with all that he had.
Alex grabbed Eric by the shirt and pulled him around to stand on the open side of the gate and pushed it back open.
The two from the outside stumbled around the fence and through the gate. A loud growl made Eric stand erect and he turned quickly to one that was close enough that he grabbed Eric by the shirt and pulled him close to him. Eric pushed the flowered shirt man away and fell backwards on his ass. Alex raised a cut piece of rebar and stabbed over Eric’s head and the man dropped to the ground with one last growl as he went down. Eric shot a look at Alex and stood up slowly.
“You stupid son of a bitch!” Eric pushed Alex.
Alex just smiled at Eric. Nate ran to the edge of the fence line and swung the two by four piece of wood he had ready to throw over the gate before Alex unlatched the gate. All Alex could see was Nate swing towards the outside of the fence and then a bang on the fence. But it wasn’t direct contact between board and tin. Willy and Atora charged towards Nate and disappeared and then Thomas took off in a sprint heading the same way. Alex and Eric looked at each other and ran to the outside and stopped as they rounded the corner to see a horde coming their way. The group was trying to keep them back from the entrance, but stragglers were getting through and making their way towards Eric and Alex. Both of them ran for the ones that were closing in on the gate. Eric began pushing them back and Alex started swinging the sharp piece of rebar. Andrew took aim and began firing from the tower and Rue grabbed a nearby piece of broken rebar and ran to help. They were making headway until the mass of the horde made it to where Alex and Eric could not even see the others anymore. Shots rang out and several of the undead became dead again and fell at Eric and Alex’s feet. Andrew shot enough that they were now able to see Thomas and Nate swinging their weapons violently trying to make their way through the crowd. Both headed to join the other two men and Alex searched as he took out as many as he could looking for Atora. There was no sign of her. Alex caught a glimpse of Rue, Karlin, and Adrianna at the gate doing what they could to keep some of them out. He continued stabbing his way through the hundreds of limping and stumbling assholes coming his way. Eric was still in the same spot he had left him and was at least taking out a few.