Chapter 5- This New World
Two hours. That's how long it's been since we began searching for Trent. Maria's youngest brother, our 'adopted' son. Connor, Maria, my Dad, and I are searching a mile and a half away from the house, walking up the river that runs through our county. At the other side of out search grid is Matt, Howard, and Aldon. I hope they are having better luck than us.
"How much farther do you want to go before we head back?" Connor asks.
"At least another half mile. We haven't seen a trace of him yet, but we also haven't seen any trace of any walkers either." I responded.
"That's a good thing."
"Your damn right, we need to look on the bright side ya kno-..."
'POWww!'
A gun shot from of in the distance. It must be the other search party.
"What was that? Was that them?" Maria asks.
"We should go back to the house and see if it was or not."
"Sounds like a plan Carson, lead the way." My Dad said.
Our fast-paced walk turned into a slow sprint. We kept that pace until arriving at the front door of the house.
"What was that gun shot?" My Mom said as we entered the house.
"It wasn't from us, it had to be Matt and the others."
"I hope they are okay." Aunt Cara said as she started to cry over the fact that my cousins may have had to shoot something.
By now we are mostly all standing on the back porch, facing the direction the gun shot came from.
"I hope they found Trent." Maria says as she too begins to cry.
As I walk over to comfort her, "Oh my God look!!" Maria screams as she takes off running toward the tree line. They were back, with Trent. He was riding on Matt's back.
"Thank the Lord." I exclaimed. Everyone grouped around Trent to give him hugs, tell him how worried they were, and that they loved him. Especially his brother Josh. I used this time to talk to Howard quickly.
"Did he say anything about why he ran off?"
"He said he was sad all the time, and didn't want to be anymore. He also said he doesn't
want to die. That's all. We followed the road for about a two miles, and then we saw him running toward us, and away from a roamer. I took it down and we brought him straight back."
"Thanks man, you guys are life savers."
"Do you want to talk now Carson?" Maria asked, holding both Trent and Josh's hands.
The four of us headed in to the garage turned play room turned our new home. I couldn't get what Howard said. About Trent saying he didn't want to be sad anymore. Could that mean the walker that was after Trent was meant to kill him? I never thought I'd be having thoughts of an eight year old wanting to commit suicide running through my mind. This new world, it brings out the worst in everything.
"Trent do want to say anything? We aren't mad, Carson and I love you and we want to help you." Maria calmly says.
"I did want to be gone. But I got scared before the monster could get me, and I ran." Tears and snot started to run down his face. " I'm so sorry, I don't want to die, I don't!"
Maria and I hugged the two of them with as much love as possible. How could this have happened. I didn't see it coming what so ever. He was going to do it. End it all. It was heart-breaking.
"Trent, Josh, you two don't have anything to worry about, we will keep you safe as long as we are able. But you two have got to make a promise to your sister and I. Promise you will not leave our site unless we give you permission to go with someone else. You are never to be alone. Got it?"
"We promise" They said in uni-some.
It was a little over an hour past mid-day, and we are all meeting in the living room. Since Adam's death and funeral, and Trent going missing, we haven't had time to go over the supplies we brought back from Charlotte.
"Okay, Carson and Matt are going to go over their lists covering everything they brought back from Charlotte. Connor and Howard are keeping watch on the front and back deck. Christy is with Maria, Chloe and they boys. I think the boys are getting hair cuts. The rest of us will trying to come up with ways to best utilize these new supplies. Matt do you want to start?"
"Sure Tim. Howard, Aldon, and I were very successful at our first stop, the CVS. The pharmacy had barely been touched, and we got alot of good stuff from there. Four brand new, very expensive first aid kits. A lot of bottles of alcohol and sterilizers. The backpack full of medication varies with everything from pain killers to no dose. We were able to get four cases of water, and a lot of noodles. So our first stop had everything on the list and more. Walgreen's was the complete opposite. We thought the more the better. We got mobbed before we could pull into the parking lot. That's when we ran in Carson."
"That's a lot of stuff. I'm sure Linda, Tina, Lindsay, and Cara would do best cataloging those items. Carson, your turn son."
"Alright, tool wise we we're able to get four - eighteen volt battery drill combo kits. Those come with two drills, two batteries, and a charger in each kit. Next we got two portable band saws. Six 100 foot drop cords. Several misc. bolts, screws, nails, and bits. We were able to load 200 feet of rolled up chain linked fence, and 300 feet of barbed wire. Two - 500 foot spools of one and a half inch thick rope. And six rolls of wire. That's all of it."
"Okay great. With the other fencing and similar material we can find at houses close by, we can have a decent fence up in a week. With a small front and back yard even."
"That sounds great Tim! My Grandma Joe exclaimed. "Then I can start teaching the young ones about growing food for themselves. Just like we had to do right Betty."
"That's right," Grannie Betty chimed in. "Us older ladies think ahead. And we all know ya' need food to survive."
"They're both right. We need to hit a produce market soon, like real soon. With all the farmers around here that might have been the first thing to go." I proposed.
"Okay that's all good, let's all meet again first thing in the morning. Carson you and some others get those trucks unloaded. We're starting on the fence today."
"Okay Dad. Good idea."
With all seven men working, and everyone else keeping watch around us outside, we made great progress with just four hours of sun light.
The next morning we all gathered in the living room once again. My Dad usually orchestrated these meetings. It was easy to see he was the leader here.
"Okay, so today we are sending Carson, Aldon, and Lindsay to two different produce markets. Both within twelve miles from here. The rest of us guys will work on the fence. Christy and Maria will take watch on the roof. The rest of you will keep watch on the front porch like yesterday. Christy go ahead and start your watch now and relieve Darren from his. And be careful. Carson make sure you all pack for an 'over nighter' just in case. And be careful."
My older sister Lindsay, her fiance Aldon, and I were loading the truck when the entire group comes out to say good bye. The end of the world has brought my family closer than it ever was before.
We got to the first produce market which is just off a small highway five minutes down the road from our house.
"We're in luck! I've got tomato seeds, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper, corn, and soy bean seeds. Hallelujah!" Aldon was ecstatic with his find, but careless with his excitement.
"AGAARAH.."
"Behind you!" I yelled to warn him.
Two walkers breathing down his neck. He leaped foward to the ground just to pit distance between them. "Ga..G..Help me!" He screamed.
I was borrowing Connor's machete. It was my silent weapon of choice. While Lindsay ran for Aldon, I gave the closer of the two a kick in the stomach, making him stumble into his partner. SWIPE. SLICE. Before the first zombie's body hit the ground the second one's head was on its way as well. I was a natural.
"Hero. You, I mean you saved my life!" he shouted.
"SHHHH!!" Your load mouth is what got us here in the first place." Lindsay said as she hit his arm.
"Okay, we need to get back. One close call is one too many for the day."
Before we could make it fully around the first corner in the road we were stopped by a very unwelcome sight. Thirty to Fifty roamers heading right toward us.
"Go around, go!" Lindsay yelled.
I had plenty of room off the left side of the road and we made it by fairly easily. But something else bothered me now.
"Whoa why are you going so fast Carson, slow down."
"Lindsay I have to get as far away from them as possible so the don't find out where we live. They are already following us now. Who knows how good they're scent of smell is. I have to!"
"We'll go faster!"
When we got back, I was so amazed at how much work they had done while we we're gone, I didn't even bring up the fifty or so roamers. We lost them anyways.
"Dad, what the hell man, how long we're we gone?"
"Oh I don't know. An hour maybe."
"We'll you guys make it look like its been days."
"Yeah, I think we can do this Carson, I think we can make it, survive."
"For the first time since all this started, I think your right, Dad.".......
Three weeks later. We had the fence complete with a working, swinging gate. We had two gardens, one with tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn. The other has soy beans, peppers, and some watermelon seeds we found. The fence was almost the size of a full football field, and is about 5 feet tall. We encounter three to five walkers a day. They are stopped by the fence, then whomever is on watch radios down to the person on watch on the ground and they take care of them. We found some old toy two way radios that run on AA batteries. They work for that purpose only. We've had to go on two more runs for food. The most recent being the more successful of the two. So we're good for now in those departments.
"Carson, you going to be out long?" Maria asked me.
"Yeah but not too late. Connor and I are telling Josh and Trent some stories about their Uncle Adam. We will be in before you fall asleep, I love you."
"I love yo-.."
"Don't take another step or I WILL shoot you!" Howard suddenly yells as he aims his rifle toward something behind me.
"Josh, Trent run to Maria now, GO!"
I draw my pistol and turn around to see a group of five...people..survivors. Standing just outside our gate...
CH. 6- NEIGHBORS FROM THE SOUTH....