Charles Smith - The Zombie Chronicles 01, page 13
We left the main road, diverting onto a gravel path that eventually lead to an open area. David and Shane bounced around in the back hanging on for dear life, as I managed to hit every hole and pitch in the rough terrain there was. The truck came to a halt in a cloud of dust.
Amanda and I gathered the food and supplies while Shane and David made room in the back.
We all sat, one person to each corner of the bed so we could see anything that might walk up on us. Amanda found her calling as makeshift hostess, dispensing sandwiches, drinks and chips to the hungry gang. For the first time in a long while she seemed relaxed and most content.
We said little at first as we were all so hungry, our primary focus at first being nourishment. David scarfed down his sandwich in two or three bites and seemed to be in the most dire need of sustenance.
Finally after catching his breath David spoke. “DAMN that's good! Whew, really good! I couldn't tell you the last time I had anything good to eat. Ha ha ICE! Mm... That’s good! Been able to get my hands on soda, juice, even beer, but nothing cold! Feels good!”
“Well there's plenty more, so eat all you want!” Amanda said.
“Thank ya' much!” David replied, as he choked down a bag of stale chips.
We sat eating and chatting away, but keeping one eye on the surroundings. Those damned things always had a knack of popping up when you least expected it. Finally after a while we were able to relax and re-collect ourselves of the events that led us to this point. As everyone calmed the questions and answers started to flow, David shared what little information he had gathered and we did the same, nothing of what he said was particularly promising. For all intents and purposes most major cities were gone. Once again it came down to numbers, most areas were simply overrun. It became more and more apparent that our rural landscape was the only thing that had saved us from the fate that so many others had suffered.
Amanda spoke up first. “So, what brought you way out here David? Where you from?” she asked curiously of this stranger.
“Well pumpkin, I lived in Harketsville. Oh, probably several hundred miles from here I reckin'. That's been almost twenty years ago now, but she got the cancer and I figured it was time to settle in one spot so I could take care of her. She had some family down there in Harketsville, so that's where we ended up.”
“Can I ask what happened?” Shane cautiously asked.
“Well, she got sicker and sicker. We did all the usual stuff, chemo, radiation and all that, doctors said it would help; but in the end it didn't...just made her suffer longer.” David paused for a moment as he stared up at the sky. “She’s been gone nine years this November. Don't even seem hardly possible...”
David continued telling his story. “We didn't have any kids, it was just me and her, and when she passed, why hell, I didn't have anything to hang around for. Nobody but myself to take care of so when all THIS shit hit the fan, I just hit the road...”
David asked in return. “so what’s yur'alls story? How in the hell did you all manage to make it?”
Shane looked at Amanda and I. “Don't know really. Luck maybe? That's all it could be. Alex and I were in town when the reports started coming in, Amanda was at work. It all happened quick no one really knew what was going on.” Shane looked at me to fill in the gaps.
“Yeah we barely had time to get our shit and get back home before we found out what was really going on. We lived so far out in the country that those fucking things couldn't really get to us...” I was going to continue, but Amanda cut me off.
“Well, they almost did get us! Shane and I anyway, Alex had to come over and get us. If it hadn't been for him, we wouldn't be here now”, she said.
“We kept in touch with two-way radios and just kept quiet. They never knew we were there; but I was just lucky. They couldn’t get to me where I was.” I added.
“Well I'm glad to see that at least somebody besides me made it.”, David said.
As I sat there soaking up the mid-day sun, staring up at those big puffy clouds and flocks of birds flying overhead, it hit me; fall was coming, then winter. The birds were starting to migrate; even the changing hues of the leaves gave their tale-tale signs, a subtle yet solemn hint of the struggle that was to come, and yet winter could be a strange blessing if what our strange new friend suggested was true.
The day began to wind down; night time was not a safe time to be out and a bout. Everyone said what they wanted to say, we shared what information we had with David and he did likewise.
Shane posed the question. “So what are you going to do now, David?”
“Well I'm going to keep movin' till I get to where I'm going....God willing,” He told Shane.
“You’re welcome to come with us if you want, we could always use the help”, I told him.
“Yeah, why don't you come with us David!?” Amanda burst in.
David looked at Amanda. “Well now pumpkin that's right nice of you to ask, and I sure appreciate all the hospitality, but you all got yer thing to do and I have mine. But hell, if any of us make it through this maybe I will look you all up sometime.”
“You know you are more than welcome to come along”, I told him.
“Yeah, yeah I know, but I've done pretty good so far. I just got my own way of doing things.”
Shortly thereafter we started loading up and got ready to depart yet again. Stopping by the side of the road we helped our strange traveler unload his gear, giving him what supplies we could spare and wished David well. He got back onto his bike and started off, departing in the same fashion in which he had arrived. He waved back at us as he slowly faded into the distance.
We stood there for the longest time watching as his image disappeared in the haze of the afternoon sun. We were sad to see him go, but he was right. He had his thing to do and we had ours; take care of Amanda and find our friend.
We never knew what happened to David, I suppose we will never will; but we never saw or heard from him again. When his image had finally drifted beyond our sight it was Amanda who turned and said,
You guys ready to get moving? as she jumped back in the truck.
Shane and I looked at each other shrugging our shoulders, perplexed by Amanda's new found resilience.
“Yeah, let’s get going.” he said, smiling.
I was still mid-afternoon and nightfall was coming. I turned to my right looking at Amanda and Shane before staring out at the lonely highway looming before us.
Panatauk was still twenty miles or so ahead, and who knew what fate held in store for us there.
We set out into the unknown once more....
Survivors!, Charles Smith - The Zombie Chronicles 01
