New Comers

A bullet whizzed through the apartment and embedded its self in the wall in the hallway.

What. The. Fuck.

I'm so lucky that I was doing my crunches in the living room when it happened. I heard the pop and only knew where it ended up when the picture in hallway hit the floor. Glass everywhere. Up until that point I didn't even realize there was a picture in the hall. I crawled over to the picture, a loving couple and a baby. A family photo. I grabbed my weapons and left the apartment. I went around the corner of the building and could hear the yelling on the far side of the complex, near the 301. Shit.

I noticed the twins crouched behind a building on the inside of the courtyard. I join them and ask what's going on.

"New comer. Benny saw them and the dude shot at him. Lucky for Benny the dude is a shitty shot." Elliott said with big eyes.

"Yeah, well, it could've been me. The bullet is in the wall of the hallway." I replied.

We turned to listen more as Davis went to the gate. Luckily the new guy hadn't breached the gate. The men were discussing what the protocol of the new guy crossing the gate should be. I gripped my knife and cleared my throat. I got this.

I came across the parking lot and cuffed the knife against my arm. I approached the men and took note of the packed truck in the road behind the guy. I saw movement. He's not alone. I tab the shoulders of Benny and Davis to stop the arguing. I pull them a couple feet back after giving the "One moment." motion with my hand to the guy on the other side of the gate. We move far enough away from the guy so he can't hear us whisper.

"Look, we're mind fucking him right now. He shot at you and he is obviously looking for some form of comfort. We all have locks on our doors and we have walkies between us in case shit hits the fan with this guy. I say we let him in--"

Davis cuts me off, "But what if he jumps us as soon as we let him in?"

"Look-- that gun shot let some shamblers know we are here. Either we let him in and set him up at least temporarily or risk him trying to set up somewhere else and leading the fuckers even close to us, but en masse." I made sure to make eye contact with both men to gauge their reactions. They weren't opposed. "First, we assess their group and make them strip. We have to make sure they aren't bit. They should at least appreciate that. Once they are okay we make them leave the vehicle on the outside and allow them within the gate. What house would be better for everyone, Davis?" It's strange how they just let me take control. It must be my time on the outside.

"Uhhh, probably building seven. It's on the corner in between us all. Benny can see them from his place and you're on the backside so if they are trying to do anything funny out of sight you are more likely to catch it." Davis said, gripping his shovel.

"Hey, fellas. I don't like being so out in the open here. We deciding something?" The guy called, carefully, while glancing around.

"Right. We don't tell them where we are held up. Tonight we eat picnic style outside the pool gate at the tables there. We escort them to their apartment, ground level. Keep a copy of the keys. You guys watched me so I trust we can watch them the same. Integration starts once we gain that trust." I nodded to the guy, "You see anything?"

He shook his head no, "Sorry I shot at you, dude. You gotta understand why I'm jumpy."

"Davis, go get the keys to seven. Benny, come with me." Benny and I approached the guy on the outside of the gate. When we got up to him he seemed a lot calmer than before I joined the discussion. "Okay, this is how it's going to go. You're going to get everyone you have with you out and by the gate. Strip to your skivvies and once you're cleared you guys can come in here. We have plenty of space. No more than one melee weapon per person. Leave your firearms in your vehicle until we're sure you aren't here to take us over.  We won't bother them. You can park outside the gate to where you can keep watch to make sure. There is safety in numbers. We don't fuck with you, you don't fuck with us. Got it?"

The guy seemed visibly annoyed but willing. "Sure. Where do I need to park?" I motioned to the 'Exit Only' gate. It was the only gate they hadn't completely blocked off with a car. It was a gate we could unlatch a few chains to let people semi-comfortably squeeze through the opening and we could easily re-secure it. Easy, but time consuming.

When it was just me, I had jumped the fence and broke into my apartment through an unlocked window. I knew the chances of finding an unlocked window was better on a second level.

The guy re-parked outside the gate and showed up with with five others. He had been driving a diesel full sized truck so that many people wasn't so far fetched. Four men and two women, counting him. They each had large bags with them. Nothing too big though, everyone traveled very similar these days. Even the Benny's each had a duffel they would grab to go if need be. Without a word they all undressed, Benny and I had our quiet distance weapons at the ready in protective stance. The guy was so nervous I promised we'd watch their backs since they promised to do our song and dance to get in here. The sun was starting it's slow slink behind the horizon. I wanted them inside before true dusk. The group as a whole looked very underfed. Their lips parched with dehydration. No wonder the guy seemed so desperate for us to help. I could hear the twins, their mom and Randi setting up dinner in the courtyard. We all wanted to be in our homes before the curfew we had set up for each other. Even though we have been broken, now that there are new people our unit has become one again. Us against them. Maybe this is what we all needed. Fresh blood.

Davis rejoined us with keys and started un-threading the chains. The first guy undressed and passed inspection first. Davis checked their bags on the way in to make sure they weren't carrying. The whole process took maybe fifteen minutes but felt like hours. They grouped up behind Benny and I as they shuffled in. Just as the last person crossed the gate we noticed four shamblers coming down the road. Benny and I nodded to each other silently and climbed the car that had been rolled on it's side and jumped the fence. Davis hurriedly re-threaded the chains as Benny and I approached the zombies. We separated and coaxed two a piece in opposite directions.

I had dropped my distance weapon within the gate and was now holding my two go-to melee weapons: a miners shovel strapped to my back and a machete in my hand. Benny had an aluminum baseball bat and his large hunting knife. I had my knife on my thigh strap but that's too close for comfort for me to melee with. I teased my two with the machete and kept my distance. I saw my chance and kicked the kid shambler in the chest, landing him on his back. I then ran circles around the other shambler disorienting it and kicked it over as well. As it lay face down I put a foot in the middle of it's back and brought the machete down taking off the head. I glance up at the kid zombie who had now gotten back to his feet. I glance over to Benny who had also taken down one and was now working on his second. The kid shambler was an easy target. I used the shovel to keep the distance between us and swung my machete around to sever the head.

Benny was wiping off his bat using the shambler's jacket when I came over to him. We shook hands and nodded to each other. We headed back to the gate and used a ladder Davis and the new comers had launched over the side to aide us in getting back over. We climbed the ladder onto the roof of the storage units that line the outside fences and pulled the ladder back up to then get off the roof.

"Let's eat and then we'll show you to your temporary home, eh?" Benny said, propping the ladder on it's side away from the gate.

"You guys have enough food?" One of the women said, putting a hand on her stomach, "For all of us?"

"Yes. We have enough." I said with caution. They don't need to know the wealth of food here just yet.

We got to the rest of the group and they introduced themselves, starting with the dude who came to us first.

Jeremy.
Buffy.
Oliver.
Krista, with a K.
Kroger.
John.

And then there was 18.

Broken

They've added me to patrol. Davis and his family moved into a new apartment to be away from 301.

The twins have started crashing at my place at least once a week. It's a mess. The group is broken. Benny tries to keep watch but he mainly seems to be focusing on his house. I haven't heard the baby cry at all. I don't know if that means it didn't survive or the house is just excellent at hiding noise. They've had their windows closed.its been a hundred degrees. I don't know how they are dealing. I haven't been in there.

Group meals are now a thing of the past. Davis sneaks over to peek in on the Benny family to make sure no one has turned.. for our safety. He often jokes about going in and killing Benny, the sisterwives and the infant. The eldest child is almost a teenager and could be of use and the other two are old enough to adjust.

I told him I'd only kill them off once they join the ranks of the undead. Not before.

I keep waiting for the screams of despair and more death. We are less safe being broken. I realize now how much I need people. Being alone made me go crazy. I survived but to what avail? The twins and I made a pact. If their parents die or their parents and the Benny family start a war within themselves, we are booking it elsewhere.

I just hope the group can recover.

Howls

It's been raining pretty much nonstop all week.

Zombies aren't a fan of rain. They are like any other animal when a storm comes into town, they find a crevice and stay there. Well, most of the time.
When you live in a horror movie you plan on horrible things happening during a heavy rain.

The twins came over for coffee and board games since the rain wasn't allowing much else. After the board games and coffee we did some sit ups and crunches as well as push ups and jumping jacks. The rain still didn't let up.... then we heard a howl.

It was like a werewolf movie. Too human to be animal and too animal to be human. Charlie put a hand on her gun, "What the fuck was that?" I was trying to remember if wolves were even normal to Louisiana-- I had guessed not.

We covertly left my apartment and followed the howl.

We followed that grisly noise to the 301.

We saw candle light in the second level windows, a huge rule breaker for the group. Any notable kind of light at night would give us away to zombies or worse: other breathers.

Davis was already halfway up the stairs when we got there. Charlie opened her umbrella over us. "What? I'm not going to keep getting drenched if I don't have to." Was her response.

We followed Davis up the stairs but we were quite a few paces behind him so we ended up plowing into him at the top. Davis readied his weapon and nodded for us to do the same. Charlie sat the umbrella down to ready her weapon. When he was satisfied he slowly opened the door.

Benny and Randi were bent over a mattress in the middle of the livingroom, blood was everywhere at their knees. The three kids were huddled in a corner, the littlest ones were covering their eyes. The howl came again, much louder so up close.

We collectively took two steps forward and saw a very human Isabelle on her back, pulling her legs into her chest and howling as she pushed one last time and a baby was now being scooped up in a fresh towel by Benny while Randi cut the cord and brought over a small trashcan to plop the after birth in.

We all stood there, mouths hanging open, staring at this new life. The baby screamed tiny baby screams and was quickly places on Isabelle's bare chest. Benny finally glanced back at us and motioned for us to meet him down the hall, away from it all. Davis shook his head firmly.

"Alright, fine." Benny talked while he wiped his hands off with a towel, "Let me hear it."
"Are you fucking clinically insane?" Davis whispered in a hurried tone, a finger planted forcibly against Benny's chest.
"Now wait a minute. This is amazing! A new life! A new generation. Not a stillbirth or monster, but an infant." Benny's voice was steady and glowy. Like a new father.
"That screams and needs diapers and shouldn't be in climates that compare to the surface of the sun! What if that thing dies of SIDS and comes back as a ghoul? How will you handle that? How will your wives handle that? Your kids? For fucks sake, Ben. You never even told us. No warning, nothing." Davis ran a hand through his hair and took a long gaze at his feet.
"It's a risk we are willing to take. We lost so much in the early days, we have to replenish."
Davis cut him off, "Ben, don't give me that holistic bullshit, okay? You're not the only family dependant on those gates and these apartments. Got it? And if you want to pull 'We were here first' bullshits let me remind you who saved your ass two years ago and who mended the fences and set up a perimeter. Got it? Fuck this. My family will not be allowed in these walls, around that thing until it can walk and talk." Davis poked Benny one more time in the chest and pushed past us down the stairs. He headed towards the guard perch in the center building.

That left us.

Mouths still open.

Watching.

"Want to meet baby Imogen?" Isabelle asked us, now moved to a fresh mattress. That's when I realized they had covered her other mattress with a tarp. Benny and Randi were carefully taking the tarp out to wash it off in the rain. I hoped the human scent would be long deluded before the rain stops.
Charlie was the first to take a peek at the baby. The tiny baby couldn't have weighed more than seven pounds. Isabelle looked exhausted and pale. I wondered if she'd make it past tomorrow. I hung back. The entire situation mortified me.

Davis was right.

This was a terrible idea.

I know its not plausible for us to stay out of the 301 but I am definitely keeping my distance.

Coffee & Voo Doo

I made coffee today. I found coffee filters and these guys were smart enough to have rain barrels for water. Britta pitchers and water purification kits.
I heated the water over warm coals and used the coffee maker to slowly pour the water over the grounds. It is amazing. I'm even drinking it cold. The apartment smelled like coffee. Like home.

Elliott and Charlie are smitten by me. Maybe not romantically but they are loving that someone new, female, and not "old" (their words) is in the group. They came over today when they saw me on the balcony making coffee.
They are twins, both turn twenty this month and talk a lot.

Davis and his family were hardcore about an impending apocalypse. If you ask him, this is China's fault. They found the Benny family here and secured the area. There use to be another family here and the Benny's use to have a few more kids. I guess Avery also isn't their biological child either, but one they adopted after the parent died from the infected.

Elliott and Charlie were in school when the infection hit. Somewhere in Texas. According to Elliott, she got to beat her [infected] teacher with a desk and it was liberating. Charlie rescued a couple girls from her cheerleading squad and managed to get home safely where their parents were waiting for them. Davis had a bug out bag and they had an escape route. They have a boat in Florida. A fancy sail boat that has supplies in it already.

"I doubt its even there anymore." Elliott lamented, staring down into her coffee.
"We ended up staying here because Daddy saw the flaw in a boat escape. It's still our backup plan though for when the shit hits the fan here." Charlie said. She's got quite a bit of sass.

Her cheerleader friends either died trying to find their parents or died while they were scavenging the grocery store. "Dumb bitches." Elliot smirked. Elliott explained how all four cheerleaders had died by 'dumbass mistakes on their part'.

"We burned them in the pool and I have a couple of their skulls. It makes me feel batshit crazy, but I've painted them. Like Day of the Dead. That voo doo stuff, ya know? I even light incense and say a prayer for them. I'd want the same done for me." Charlie said, defending herself.

If this wasn't the apocalypse I would think these girls were severely demented.... With all things considered though, I'd say they are handling it all swimmingly.

They stuck around for my calisthenics and then showed me the apartment gym and a boxing gym they found in one of the storage units that line the complex.
We heard bells and found a zombie tangled in the barbed wire that had been added to the gaps between the gate and the ground. We walked over just in time to see Randi shoot an arrow into the infected's skull.

"Another one bites the dust. Cha-Cha." Sang Charlie as shook her hips with her arms raised above her head. "C'Mon, let's go help her drag that fucker to the pool."

I guess I could get use to living here after all.

Shadows

I awoke to knocks on my door. I peered through the peephole and saw Benny and the tomb raider dad and daughters. I opened the door and took a step back so they could enter.

"Hi. We weren't formally introduced the other day. I'm Davis and this is Elliott and Charlie. Lilly is my wife." The girls nodded as their names were called, his wife must be back with the sister wives.

He thrust his hand out in front of him for a handshake and retracted it after a few moments when he realized I was keeping my hands to myself.

"We were going to take care of them stragglers you talked about. Seems as though you've had the most hands on experience... and well, ya want to join us?" Benny asked, breaking the frigid akwardness.

"Erm. Sure. Let me get my shoes." I walked to the bedroom and retrieved my shoes; I joined them in the living room to put them on.

"How did you know about the herd? From my estimations they were an easy four miles away." Davis inquired, apologetically. "You have some Spiderman senses when it comes to ghouls or something?"

"I've been on my own since the second this shit reached the east coast. It's second nature to me. I haven't been stationary in quite a few months, I learned to pay attention to my surroundings." I responded without looking up from my shoe laces. The one thing I made sure to keep stock of was decent shoes. I have three fresh pairs with me at all times. This new location seemed like a good reason to break out a new pair. I'm going to have to find a way to replace these to keep me at three. "I'm sorry, what?" Apparently another question had been asked of me while I had drifted off in shoeland.

"I asked-- You got any weapons? You seem to only have a rather large hunters knife and a miners shovel. We've got some to spare for the trip if you don't, I'm just trying to keep an inventory." Davis tried to keep his voice level. Benny must have told him to play nice or he genuinely appreciated me saving our asses the other day.

"O yeah, I have an escape stash by the road. This will suffice for now, though. Don't you worry." I winked at him. Remember the rules? Don't ever let anyone know what you have.

We used a ladder to get over the wood fence farthest away from the main road. I haven't been stationary in a place so far away from the down town area. It's nice being able to relax. I stopped suiting up like a ninja too. After seeing Knox get a blood spray to the mouth and eyes and not becoming one of those things I loosened up my get up. Not to mention the farther south I went the more I felt like melting I keep my skin covered well enough though so I'm harder to bite. Mainly I wear running gear under my clothes now. It's breathable and clingy. Safe.

Davis took out the first walker with his machete, straight off the fence. We had all agreed no guns unless absolutely necessary and if we did use said gun, we were to cut our trip short and book it home. I had a small gun hidden in the small of my back. I wore a concealed weapon police strap under my shirt. It is what I call a purse gun. I had to alter the strap and I have to wear a running jacket to keep the lump concealed. I've lost so much weight everything sags at least a little on me. These people are skinny but plump, healthy skinny. Healthier, I guess.

We rounded the corner and Benny took out two in the road with his crossbow. The girls rounded out the back and double tapped and dragged the bodies to the center of the road, for clean up later.

"You guys going to bring them all back to the pool?" I ask Davis, who seemed to be keeping a close eye on me.

"Nah, those were bodies from ghouls that either managed to get within the gate or were in the apartments when we claimed the place." He spit out brown nastiness from his chewing tobacco. Barf.

"What will we do with these bodies?" I ask, without saying anything he did a hand motion to the four stop signs at the end of the road. A large black scorch mark and lumps of charred bone answered my question. "You round them up after a sweep and camp out to make sure it doesn't spread?"

"No reason. As long as we burn on a day that isn't windy it stays contained. We will pile up some fallen limbs and finish it off tomorrow. We only burn during the day so the light doesn't attract any at night. If we make a pile tonight and it gets dark before we can spark them, we'll come back in the A-M and finish the job. It takes longer but it's worth it." Davis jogged a few paces ahead of me and brought his blade down on the unsuspecting 'ghoul' as he calls them.

We spent a couple hours being super thorough. We managed to clean up the residence directly behind us, the main road is next. Apparently they had already cleaned up the gas station on the corner the day previous when I was sleeping. Elliott said she got something for me while they were there but for obvious reasons I'd have to wait until we got back to the 301. That's the apartment number for the shared dwelling they meet for lunch most days.

We didn't finish burning the bodies but we decided to head back before dusk kicked in. "Shadows play tricks on you." Charlie had said. I haven't decided if Charlie and Elliott are twins or just really close in age. They have the same tight hay colored buns on their heads like ballerinas and appear to be the same height. They both have hazel eyes and seem to communicate through telepathy. Davis seemed to have been born and bred in the military. From what I understood he has been in the military since he was seventeen and as far back as he understood there was at least one member of his family each generation in the military. Of course his only children would be brought up as such.

We knocked the ladder over once we had all jumped back over the fence. We all ate dinner together at 301 and the girls gave me my gift: a zippo with lighter fluid, a bottle of rum and assorted food items. It was a whole box of stuff, I noted the chocolate tucked away as if they weren't even suppose to know about it. There were a few random brain teasers in the box too. They both smiled at me as I thumbed through the box.

"Without those little nothings, life loses it's grasp and flies away into oblivion." Whispered Lilly as she hugged me on my way back out to my apartment.

Freedom

I think the herd is finally passed. It was strange to have so much silence between the largest group of breathers I've come across in years.

I warned them all about the stragglers. With a herd that large there are bound to be a dozen or so that broke off and are now left behind.

I quietly came back to the apartment, I couldn't sleep in that stuffy attic. We were up there for well over 12hrs. I had to make sure the zombies were out of ear shot a couldn't smell us disperse to our own dwellings.

I'm so tired.

I told them I may skip lunch today. Sleep, I need sleep.

Tomorrow, we hunt.

Lunch

I went.

I went to lunch.

It was....

interesting.


I took note of my appearance. My hair had grown out and was ratty. My clothes hadn't been washed in weeks. My shoes ragged. I looked homeless. My face was smeared with dirt. Lets not even talk about my nether regions...

I'm glad I didn't step closer when I met them earlier. They probably smelled me anyway. Whew.

By some miracle the water pump still worked here but was frigid cold. The cold would have almost bothered me if it wasn't sweltering hot outside. I took my cold shower and walked around the apartment naked. The place was pretty nice. Large leather couch to go with a large flat screen tv. What a brilliantly expensive paperweight. I chuckled to myself as I went into the master bedroom. Male and female clothes were strewn around. Whoever lived here either packed light or had way too much to begin with. The place was spotless, if they died it wasn't within these walls. I put on some leggings and a simple shirt. The clothes didn't fit me perfectly, but at least I wasn't a shambly corpse anymore.

I looked turned around to see the perfectly made bed. I ran my fingers along the edge of the mattress and imagined the couple intertwined, rolling around together. There were a small army of ties in the closet and a few abandoned suits. A straight laced type. Most of the walls were bare. This was either a temporary home or they had just moved in. There is unpacked boxes neatly places around edges of rooms. There wasn't any power on but the apartment was surprisingly tolerable with windows open. I had been sleeping on the floor in the living room and hadn't been in the rest of the place other than to secure it.

On the way over to the Benny people I walked through the courtyard and noticed they had used the drained pool as a burn pit. Clever.

"Welcome!" Benny greeted me at the door. Ten people were scattered around the living room and kitchen. The kids were playing cards in between scoops of something in a bowl. I gave a weak wave. "This is... uhhh, I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name."

I contemplated using my real name or just initial or -- "Beth. My name is Beth." I gave a long exhale, I hadn't realized I had been holding it for so long. So very long.

The entire room did various "Hi Beth"s and I some didn't even look up at me. In addition to the Benny family there were two teenagers and two adults. Three women and a male. They each had handguns strapped to their thighs and hunting knives to their calves. It was very tomb raider. Khaki shorts and all. I couldn't help but notice random skulls artfully placed around like trophies.

"I hope you like beans and pasta." Isabelle said, approaching me with a bowl and spoon. I took the bowl and utensil and took a seat on the floor. I looked down into the bowl: Spinach, maybe Navy beans and elbow noodles. I think there were chunks of tomatoes floating in the bean juice. It looked like a thanksgiving meal. I could smell the goals cooling off on the balcony. They also had all of their windows and doors open. "I made enough for seconds, everybody."

I  hesitated before digging in. Everyone else was eating theirs and quietly talking amongst themselves. The air was thick with negativity and anxiety. I could choke on it. "Look-- maybe I should go." I put my spoon back into the bowl and stood up.

"No, no, no. Now calm down. It's okay. Everybody relax." Benny moderated.

"Why should we relax, Ben? Tell me, how is this procedure, Ben?" The other man asked rather sternly.

"Dad, stop." One of the teenage girls chided.

"Listen. I'm sorry I'm invading whatever you guys have going here. I can leave within the hour." I felt the room relax instantly. "And you can keep your stash. I've done okay so far, I can do it again. I'm not anchored here. You guys are. I've traveled more than a thousand miles on my own, whats a few more?" As I turn towards the door I smell the stench. "Their coming." I say just above a whisper.

"What?" Randi asks, getting to her feet.

"I can smell them. It's got to be a herd." I say, taking it upon myself to close their windows and doors. "Do you guys have an escape route? Panic plan? Anything?"

"The attic. We should go to the attic." Benny said, gathering the children, even the tomb raider family followed their lead. There was a poorly ripped up hole in the ceiling that they put a ladder up to. We all crawled up single file until we were on the second level. The second level just had beds and bedding strewn around with piles of books. Obviously down stairs was the living area while up here was where all the slumber happened. It looked like the sister wives and children all slept with Benny in the living room area turned into a large bedroom. In the master bedroom we single file crawled up a folding ladder that was already pulled down in the empty closet. Randi and Isabelle closed the doors and windows as we all filed up into the attic. The smallest child was whimpering. The attic was big enough for maybe twenty people comfortably but wasn't tall enough for anyone but the children to stand completely upright. I notice an easy months worth of canned goods and yoga mats and pillows for sleeping for a dozen people.

Benny walked bent over to the window facing the road and moved peered out towards the main road. "Which way do you think they're coming from, Beth?"

"From behind us, it felt like." I felt silly saying my words out loud. I sound so much more sure of myself in my head.

"Behind us? Please." The tomb raider dad scoffed. "There is nothing behind us but houses that we've cleared ages ago."

"Haven't you guys ever seen a herd before?" I asked, astonished. In two years there is no way that they have escaped this phenomenon.

"Well, duh, lady." The Dad said, rolling his eyes. Well, it was dark, I assume he rolled his eyes.

We waited in complete silence for twenty minutes before the moans started. It was like an ambulance siren. You hear it before you see it. As the moans got exceptionally louder Benny peered out of the window again, but this time only his eyes peered over. By the look on his face there must have been a rather good sized herd. I rubbed the hilt of my knife nervously. Randi and Isabelle had rocked the kids and themselves to sleep and were quietly snoring in a clump.

Sister wives

I've made a break through. I woke up today and just listened. I could hear children playing. I followed the sound and came across actual children. Playing.
Soccer.

Within the gates of the apartment.

Soccer.

It was almost normal. Soccer. I kept my distance but I watched their happy little faces as they kicked the ball back and forth. I waited for them to scream as I approached but the older one simply called out, "She's here!" And they playfully scampered inside the bottom level apartment. No fear, just simple procedure. A women came out and kept her weapon visible but passive. She smiled at me and told me their names.

Their real names.
Isabelle.
Camron.
Zachary.
Little Avery.

Her husband Benny would be out to greet me shortly.

I kept blinking thinking her expression would fade into grubby, groaning, expressionless grayness. Her smile never wavered. I stammered out that I mean no harm to her or her family. She nodded approval as her husband emerged from the second level apartment, weapon in hand but without aggression.

"Welcome," he says. "We have pretty much secured the area. We've been here since the beginning. The garages have a lot of stable goods we have... Uhh... Acquired... From the surrounding areas. We can give you one garage, free and clear."

I watched him carefully as his mouth formed his words. I watched his wife waiting for a hint of apprehension. I spotted none. Entirely too clean. Something doesn't add up. I don't trust them and if they're really as smart as they say they are they wouldn't trust me either.

"To be honest," he clears his throat, "we need help clearing the neighborhoods and extra hands are always welcome."

Just then another woman emerged from the second level. She was obviously trying to tidy herself. I pursed my lips together in a smirk. I see what he's doing.

"That's Randi. She lives with us too." He said tightly.

I started glancing around their side of the complex.

"There are four more. They are in the apartment next door. They don't much like new people. I guess I'm the spokesman of the group."  He glanced at Randi who had now joined Isabella. Their comfort together just made me queasy. But who am I to judge? It's the end of the world, for fucks sake.

"We try to socialize once a day around noon. Even if its just to check in, get a meal and crawl back into our holes. It's still nice to know you got people, ya know?" He squinted at me, or maybe against the sun, it was a close call. Their apartment was closest to the main road and the main gate exit. Good place to keep an eye on things I guess.

"We've kept our space for a month now but we do have to make sure our people our safe. Okay? So.. uhh.. any day at noon you feel up for it come over so we know we can trust you. K? We all just want to feel safe. Fair?"

I nod. I give a thumbs up. I throw in a wave and double back to my claimed dwelling. Noon, eh? Food sounds so normal. Wait.. a month? I've been here a month???

A fucking month.

What day is it?

It's a roar in my head.

I'm cracking. I can't trust myself to go outside. Outside is death. Filled with death. Death walking. Death roaming.

I hear things. I see things. I swear there is someone in the apartment with me. I hear the cries of death in the echoes of existence. Just because I breathe I can witness life that once was.

No. No. No.

I'm crazy. I'm writing this trying to regain the clarity I once had. My bubble exploded and melted everything I thought I knew like lava.

I can't trust faces. I don't want to kill a breather. Not by mistake, anyway. It would truly break me to kill the friendly neighbors. I'm questioning if they aren't a figment of my imagination to begin with. I've taken to writing on the walls in a room I don't sleep it. I leave thoughts there. I close the door and go back to this echo of reality.

I woke up on the floor, curled up in the fetal position, wondering what day it is. I use to obsess over the Monday through Sunday. I'd pick a favorite day and celebrate with a piece of chocolate or a small glass of wine. It kept me balanced. I've lost the balance. I've started murmuring to myself like that weirdo at the bus stop three lifetimes away.

I need to reconnect with life. I've become a zombie by omission.

Down South

Didn't I say I was going north?

I lied.

Well, I didn't mean to. I mean-- I never I intended to.

It's been years-- right?

I have been carrying around this phone like a good luck charm. It died long ago. I managed to find a solar charger thing. The sun is plentiful here.

I keep getting glimpses from my past. The facts and fiction have blurred so heavily I don't know what is fantasy and real memory. I'm afraid I have lost myself. I just ran. I remember falling in love and then blood... Nothing but blood.

That's past me now. Past. Past.

How did I get here? Bike. Motorcycle. Little Geo looking car. Yes, many ways. Many ways.

I traveled over a thousand miles. I traveled super light and then found a fully stocked hummer. That helped me feel safe the nights I had to sleep parked on the road. It's nerve wracking to sleep under the stars at ground level with faint moans and grunts in the distance.

I got turned around somewhere... Took a wrong highway. I started seeing signs for New Orleans and knew to avoid such a large city but I kept finding the gravitational pull so strong. There is a voice in my head. It won't stop.

I've found a gated apartment complex. It's abandoned for the most part. There is another family trapt here. They don't trust me. That's fine. I don't trust them. I set up on the opposite side of the complex. It's a small complex. Direct doors and cheeky residentials behind it.

We still talk. The neighbors and I. They left a random can of beans and a note: "Plenty of room for all of us. Plenty of resources. No need to fight. Welcome."

I was confused because all I had done was avoid them, but I guess others have passed through wanting anything that wasn't theirs. I took the beans and ate graciously. I had found MREs in the hummer and had stretched them as far as possible but the supply was mighty slim. I had taken to looting gas stations because they were easy for one person and if I avoided the bathrooms and the coolers I sometimes wouldn't even come across a dormant corpse ready to pounce. The hummer saved me. Obviously he was on his way to New Orleans, or from New Orleans?

Like I said, I took a wrong highway somewhere. I have no idea how I ended up here. It's sweltering heat and it rains buckets. The stairs are concrete leading up to my level (of course I will take the second level) so I have to figure that out. I've tied it off about six steps up but that isn't good enough. Zombies can pile up and break the ties too easily or even flip over it. I'm going to have to see what the neighbors have done. I came in on the side they are not on and after cleaning out my area I haven't ventured out much.

The stench here isn't bad or maybe I'm numb to it. This is just a place. Solo is secure. No friends. No allys. Solo is secure. Solo is secure.

Solo is secure.