"Rebuild": A Zombie Survival RP

Lee Garner

Lee took a deep breath and looked at Ria. “No need to call any other doctors … Ria chill … It is not as hard as you think. Main thing is to clean the surfaces that people normally touch. Door knobs, railings, computer keyboard, etc. You can use 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water solution if you don’t have a disinfectant.

Cassandra piped up “We have some good cleaners down in Max’s place.”

Lee continued “Normal washing of dishes in hot water will take care of them. So will cleaning of the clothes in hot water. I think this whole building was cleaned at night with one janitor … If only half of us are still awake … that makes 14 people … should have the place pretty clean in 1 or 2 hours.”

Andrea came run down the stairs “Daniel is on the roof … when I asked him to come down … he got all crazy like …he pulled a knife on me.”

Cassandra

“SHIT” I said. “I’ll go talk to him … any advice Doc” I ask Lee. Doc was my new nickname for him.

“He is a big guy … strong too … take a bunch of people with you. With a bad fever and he might not recognize you.” Lee told me

“No … I think that will make him more crazy … I’m going to try to do this myself” I said and headed off to the roof. I did not know it at the time, but Lee turned to Derry and said “She needs backup; be Cassandra’s shadow … I don’t want any more injuries tonight!”

I made it to the roof and climbed up. There was Daniel sitting and waiting. He looked tried and thirsty. It was at this moment I realized how stupid this idea was. He was a big strong guy. If he wants to kill me he would have no trouble at all. I was committed at this point … so I moved toward him slowly.

“Daniel how is it going … are you ok? … Do you need some company … or maybe some water?” I asked.

Daniel

The heat only got worse. My clothes were soaked through, drenched in sweat. I was thirsty; I felt as if I would die if I didn't drink something. But if I went in, they would fine me, and I couldn't let that happen. But why? I had forgotten, all in knew was that it was imperative that I should stay outside. I was struggling to remain conscious, and I almost blacked out, until I heard someone climbing up onto the roof. I didn't bother to move, until it heard footsteps nearing me.

My eyes immediately snapped open, and I jumped to my feet, my eyes open, facing the intruder. Once I did, I couldn't believe my eyes. There, standing in front of me, was Julia. The woman who I had lost my virginity with the woman I had fallen for, the woman who had cheated on me with three other men. And here she was, looking at me, a concerned look on her face.

"Daniel how is it going ... are you ok? ... Do you need some company ... or maybe some water?" she asked me. Her voice was filled with worry, as if she cared for me. But she didn't! She was simply trying to use me again, to pleasure herself and then throw me away! I wouldn't let that happen! Not again! I snarled at her, hate filling my eyes.

"Julia, do you really think I would want your company?!?! After the way you treated me, I can't believe you have the nerve to even show yourself to me, let alone talk as if nothing had happened! You don't care about me, not at all! Why ask if I am ok or not if you don't give a shit whether I am?!?! Leave me alone!" I screamed, raising my knife above my head. I was about to charge, to plunge the knife into her flesh and rid the world of her, but my fever was too high, and I collapsed on the floor, my vision darkening. I saw Julia running towards me, and her face flickered, and I saw Cassandra instead.

And then I lost consciousness altogether.

Ria

"Only the surfaces people normally touch," Lee said. Wonderful, I thought. How should that help to lessen the risk of getting the infection if Peter himself had made sure he shook every hand available at dinner? I nodded in agreement though and went to the door to the basement with Andrea, TD and John, picking up Dan, Vince and Skip who were sitting at a table with Carla, discussing something.

Andrea explained why had to be done whole I checked my phone. Only a few minutes had passed since I messaged Kurt, and of course he hadn't replied yet. Shoving the phone back into my pocket I felt a paper. Bart's note!

"Ria, Frank called, got to go. See you soon. X B" A broad grin spread over my face. Somehow this reminded me of some 'letters' I got long ago. "Do you want to go with me Yes/No cross out and give back."

"I would like to help, but it hurts quite a bit when I walk around," said Carla a bit helpless, pointing at her cut open jeans and the bandage around her thigh. Norah came up to us with John.

"Made you a bed of sorts," John told Carla and Dan. "You still alright with your sleeping bag?" he asked Vince, who nodded.

"You go to bed, hon", Vince said to Carla, "And we better split up in teams of two or three to get on with the job ahead, if all take some extra rags you can hand them out to people still awake, that way it will be finished soonest."

"John, do you feel alright? Not hot or cold, not sick?" I asked him worried, laying my hand on his forehead. He shook his head. Told me he felt alright and wanted to know why I had sent him message telling him to get dirt in the scratch on his brow.

Quickly I told him what the CDC advised for zombie-wounds. He started to grin. Looked at Skip. Grinned some more. Skip turned bright red.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Skip hissed. We all looked from the one to the other.

"He just took a big swing," John explained. Now I smiled. And got sober at once.

"Put some dirt on it. Skip's club was in contact with zombies, and you threw some on the fires." He nodded. Swept his hand over the floor and rubbed it against the cut on his brow. Quickly we talked things over and decided Norah and Andrea would help Carla to bed, they would round up some more people then collect rags we would deposit beside the basement door and head to the fourth floor. Vince and I would do the media section, TD, John and Skip the ground floor and all would work up or down the floors until we would meet again.

The door to the basement was locked. Max had gone to his bed and closed down for the night, it seemed. Now what? We couldn't reach the kitchen either.

"The coffee-shop in the media section?" Skip offered and we headed that way. John got a stack of paper towels from a restroom and we douched them with dishwashing liquid. I grabbed a bottle of worktop cleaner and Vince and I headed fro the far end of the section.

Seeing a figure slumbered down against a door, we froze. I grabbed a chair. Carefully we proceeded towards him until I recognized Robert Riggs, the teacher. I called his name. Wearily he looked up.

"She has hung herself. I broke the door open. Hurt my shoulder."

"Seems only dislocated," Vince said, kneeling down beside him. "You get him to the MASH, I'll see what I can do here."

Robert leaned heavily on my shoulder, but soon enough I could hand him over to Lee.

"You got body bags?" I asked him.

"You want him in one?" he said, pointing at Robert. "A push and a jerk and he will be alright. No need to bag him." I explained what Susan had done. "Stupid bitch!" Lee cursed. "Nope, no bags. Roll her in a carpet."

Shaking my head I heard Lee tell Robert to bite on 'this' and some mumbled screams soon afterwards. The sacks we had packed the children's clothes in came to my mind, and I went into the classroom we stored them in to upturn three. With those and Skip and TD I headed back down to Vince.

TD gagged a few times while we wrapped Susan in the sacks. Strangely Skip, Vince and I only needed to look at each other, or whisper something to know what had to be done and how we needed to do it.

We deposited her behind the fire doors. Thankfully someone had put oil on the hinges. First thing tomorrow morning we would lay her on a pile.

A long time went by in which I half asleep wiped doorknobs, railings, computer keyboards. It was past midnight when I fell upon my bed.

Cassandra

I started to walk towards Daniel and he just freaked out. It was crazy! Like he did not even see me. He was shouting something about "Julia this and Julia that …” His ex-girlfriend he had told me about at the club one night … he really did not like that bitch.

Then he raised his knife above his head, it looked like he might want to stab me with it! But instead he collapsed. Lucky me. I went running to him just as his eyes closed and he was out. His temperature was really really high. He was burning up.

Derry was suddenly on the roof. Where she came from I have no idea … but she said we needed to get him to the first aid station right away. So she and I carried him to the ladder off the roof. We got Abe to help us take him down the ladder and carried him to the first aid station.

Doc Lee was all over it. He started to cuss like a sailor … and talked about a "pay check" … he asked for all the ice from the freezer we could bring up. It was weird … most of the time the guy is so calm … but he becomes ADHD … when he is under stress. But he is pretty amazing. He got Daniel’s fever down quickly. Then he told Derry and I to get the BLEEP out.

I help with some cleaning … but it was almost all done by the time I joined in. Then I headed for bed … thinking “What a day, from food shortage, to arrow shooting, to bike ride, to almost freezing to death, to shower sex, to peter's speech, to Daniel’s collapse. I almost died twice today! … but at least I had an orgasm between those two attempts! As I lay my head on my make shift pillow, I was wondering if tomorrow I could work in a second orgasm … between all the attempt to kill me as my life seemed out of balance right now. I did not remember anything after that thought as I was fast asleep.

The Nightmare.

Feeling the familiar touch of his dearly departed wife, Kaitlyn was beautiful as always. I would take her in my arms with a smile, as she spoke loving words in my ear. Our warm naked pressed together as she lay in my arms, quickly aroused we moved together as one making sweet gentle love.

As I reached up to cup her cheek caressing it with my thumb, the very flesh tears away and began to decay in my hand. Quickly drawing my hand away with a horrified expression, my Kaitlyn was a zombie with her dead as eyes on mine. She spoke in an disgustingly unrecognizable raspy bubbling voice asking ''what's wrong my love aren't I still beautiful?

I was paralyzed with terror unable to even twitch a single solitary muscle, as animated rotting corpse of my wife had sex with me. Half skeptical hands caressed my chest smearing gore over my skin, it was a hideous revolting nightmare I could not wake up from. Oh God she moaned with arousal calls my name while I choked on a scream. ''Oh Baby...I could just eat you alive!''

Suddenly the dead thing growls drawing back decaying lips, revealing black gums, yellow teeth as green slime drips from it mouth. It raked it's nails down my chest ripping my flesh open, before I could even blink it tore into my throat savagely as blood spurted everywhere.

In an instant I sat up screaming hysterically scrambling back into a corner, all the while throwing wild punches and kicks. Gasping for air my lungs burned, with my heart about to explode, luckily nobody was sleeping close to me. Had they been I just might have killed or at least injured them really badly.

Immediately someone turned the lights on and yelled my name, startled fully awake by lights and guys telling me ''It's only a nightmare Cramer!'' Looking around wildly my body and clothes soaked in a cold sweat, finally focusing on a familiar face even if I couldn't place his name. Offered a cool sip of water which I quickly drank half the bottle, the guy patted me reassuringly on the shoulder and smiles. ''Names Scotty.''

Even through I still shook like a leaf I'd finally caught my breath, getting my heart rate to down to seventy five beats a minute now. ''Thank ye...preciate it Scotty...whew damn that wus a real humdinger.'' I half heartedly smiled and waves the others I awoke off. ''Really...I'm ok now.'' I was not OK and would not be for a long while to come, thinking I must have PTSD like many others around the world.

Rising unsteadily to my feet I regretted having not eaten any dinner, my stomach probably would have rejected anything put into it. Pealing the wet Lynard Skynard teeshirt of that had been clinging to my skin, I bent down slowly and carefully picked up my red checked flannel pulling it on fasting several buttons.

In need of some fresh air I headed toward the stairwell to the roof, meeting several that were bringing Daniel who looked like absolute shit down the rooftop hatch. ''Well hell and damnation...is he infected? Stepping up to help out with carrying the poor guy downstairs, after getting him where Doc wanted I stepped outside the door feeling sick to my stomach.

Fresh air that was what I was going to the roof for earlier I reminded myself, so after a bit of a rest against the wall outside Doc's emergency room. Sipping the last of the bottle of water I decided on another, poking my head back inside a moment waiting for him to have minute.

''Whiner here doc do you have anything for an extremely upset stomach?...I know you have your hands full with Daniel just show me where it's I'll git it.'' Patently waiting being he's a bit ADHD when with a patient, also expecting his answer to be a string of cuss words that always got me tickled. ''No paycheck another whiner fuck that shit!...left god damned door on the cabinet...Get what you need and get the hell out of my emergency room dipshit!''
I stepped inside opened the cabinet door retrieving two Mylanta tablets and out I went, I barely made it out of Dr. Von Bleepenstein's just before I quietly cracked up walking away.

I'd head off down the hallway to the kitchen. ''Where'd everyone go I asked out loud to anyone that might be awake. Nobody answered so I ambled to the music room once in there looked through the music selection awhile before I found the compilation of 70s rock, "Shit far and save tha matches!'' I said to myself as I flopped into a chair putting my own ear buds into my ears.

Popping the Mylanta tablets into my mouth making a face while chewing up the gross mint flavored chalky things. Blagh lordy mercy those work a helluva lot better than they taste, I just relaxed back in the big comfortable high backed chair. Wiggling my toes in the carpet as I rocked out, eventually I fell asleep as Sweet Home Alabama lulled me sound asleep.

After hearing what was going on with Daniel, I didn't need Lee's suggestion to follow Cassandra to the roof. But had to admit, that his idea to just follow Cassie was good. When she arrived I stayed out of sight, needing to gage his condition. I was able to see that he was not in good shape at all, sweating and very flushed with fever for one thing. But when he talked to Cassandra calling her Julia...I knew he was now hallucinating.

He spoke to his Julia with hate...my heart thumped in my chest, as he went on and on. Before I knew it he screamed

"Leave me alone!"

In seconds he had pulled his knife out and made like he was about to attack, I jumped up starting to run when he, suddenly collapsed onto the floor. I sighed with relief as I took the last few steps up to where Cassandra had just got to him. Together we pulled his big body over to the doorway, where Abe helped us to get him to the First Aid Station. I could tell Cassie was so very worried about him.

Once Lee took over, both Cassie and I did as he told us, that was get a bunch of ice. In no time he had Daniel's fever down enough that he was out of danger. Then with his remarkable bedside manner he ordered the both of us to get out. Cassie didn't want to go, but I talked her into letting the good doc. do his job.

We looked to see if anyone needed help with cleaning, but it looked like it was pretty much done, so I told Cassie

" You looked like death warmed over. I think you deserve to get some much earned sleep...what with the day you've had. I will do the same, and see you in the morning."

She nodded her head gave me a hug and walked off, as she went to her sleeping area I smiled, thinking, (She is a real asset to this group...and I will have to watch her back more closely...I really don't know how she was so quick to out maneuver those Zombies ...and just on a bike..geezz!"

On my way to bed, I bumped into Ria, we exchanged information...about Daniel and now I learned about Susan's suicide..and a few other details. I sighed replying,

"This is not going to do moral any good...it's too bad we didn't get a chance to know how bad Susan was feeling, we might have been able to prevent this. I think we have a lot to do tomorrow, what with this latest development. I am just going to turn in....try and get some sleep."

I put my hand on Ria's arm adding,

"Good night Ria, hopefully things will not be so crazy tomorrow."

We both smiled at each other, before turning to go our separate ways.

Cassandra next morning

Someone woke me up again … “UUGHHH” I said. “What did you say” Someone asked I answered “Nothing! Leave me alone!” I covered both my ears with my makeshift pillow trying to block out whoever was trying to talk to me “Team 1 is getting ready to leave … you need to be on the roof with your arrows!”

“SHIT” I said into my pillow. But that worked. I got up. I headed over to the hot coffee spot and poured a cup. Then I realized I should have cleaned it first. Virus protocol protection whatever. I was not thinking straight, I needed coffee. I took my chances and drank some coffee. I felt better within a minute and headed for the roof.

It was the same as the day before … cloudy and grey. But yesterday it had cleared up so maybe that would happen again. Derry was in position and ready to go.

“Good Morning sleepy head” she whispered. I knew that was coming.

“You know … being perky in the morning is a big turnoff … men hate it. They want their women grouchy and pissed off!” I whispered back.

Derry smiled “That is not my experience!!” She gushed quietly and there was a glow in her eyes.

“Whatever” I answered back. My bow and arrows ready.

“Any updates?” I asked quietly.

“On the good news side … they got Susan’s body outside without the kids seeing it. Also all the sick people are doing about the same, they did not get worse overnight. On the bad news side, the internet seems to be having big problems. Someone suggested we try satellite internet … it might work better.”

“Yea … just call their 1-800 number and they will come out and install it.” I said sarcastically. But I did kind of understand why people were upset about the internet going down. It is like everyone’s external memory source. When we cannot access it that is a big deal. Studies show that we were becoming symbiotic with our computer tools … growing into a kind of interconnected system. Human and computer. I guess the zombie crises put an end to that.

“Here comes team 1” Derry warned me.

Here's morning in your eye.

Waking up I opened my right eye only to be blinded by a ray of sunlight, closing my eye quickly with a grunt I rubbed the sleep from them. With a huge yawn I stretched from head to toe, everyone must have heard the loud growl. My Kaitlyn used to tease me about it quite often saying, my redneck grizzly bears finally out of his hibernation.

I stood and sleepily followed my nose to the coffee pot, depressing the black plastic tab filling a big mug. Really regretting I'd missed dinner last night half a Baby Ruth just was not enough. Taking a gulp of black coffee my stomach rumbles like an approaching thunderstorm. ''Morin Cassandra...Derry. Do we have anything high in protein in the food store? I missed dinner last night.''

After my nightmare from hell last night I probably smelled like a Billy goat, breakfast a shower and a change of clothes would do wonders. So before I could move the girls must have told Norah what I'd asked about, putting several granola and protein bars in my shirt pocket and patted his cheek. ''Mornin Thank you Norah...you're a life saver.'' She was a morning person like Kaitlyn was I thought. ''Good morning...how are you doing this morning Cramer?'' ''A shower and a change of clothes and I'll live.''

Norah laughed and after my nightmare I just felt a need to hug her, she was a sweet girl it seemed her nature to hug. After the well needed hug I turned her loose, with a wave I'd grin and she waves back. "I'm uhh going to uhh go uhh.'' She slung a towel over my shoulder, takes me by the shoulders pushing me to the showers. ''Go on Mister stinky wash that funk of you.'' Shaking her pretty little head at my morning goofiness.

"I'm going I'm going slave driver.'' Quickly unwraps a couple granola bars devouring it with my coffee, I stepped into the divided shower hurriedly scrubbed myself clean and rinsed off. Drying off quickly I wrap the towel around me digging through clothes bin, pulling on a pair of jeans, tshirt and socks I take my belt with few personal items.

Heading upstairs taking the steps two at a time, reaching the room my boots were in putting them on. Slipping my belt through to belt loops buckling it, going into the bathroom brushed my teeth. I was now ready for whatever the day brings, heading back downstairs I gathered with team 1 if they needed help.

Garden center

I didn’t sleep well. The noises around woke up me up ever so often, just like the night before. I was too used to sleeping alone. Twice my phone buzzed, the message from my daughters was long and gave me hope. Their dad had brought them too my uncle’s and cousin’s small farm very early on Sunday morning, they had moved all the supplies my ex and I had; with the help of my cousin and his wife they then managed to transport our freezer, the beds, some other furniture to the farm before the police and military blocked roads. On Monday they had reinforced the fences around the farmhouse and the two sheds, and moved all the livestock my uncle still had inside the fence. They were alright, my daughters told me. I wrote them a long

The second message was from Kurt. The virus only entered a body through fresh wounds. Which was good news, also the fact the virus didn’t live very long if it couldn’t enter a body was excellent news. The virus seemed to thrive only on the zombies, on the soldiers who had been bitten or scratched it didn’t reproduce and multiply as fast as on the zombies. It seemed on or in normal human beings something the virus needed was missing. It did make the soldiers very ill though. Those who only became something against their fever, nausea, diarrhea and or headaches seemed to do better in battling it as those who got lots of other medications though. I asked Kurt if he had gotten the advice from the CBC and if he would advice the same, i.e. to smear dirt in wounds made by zombies. A few minutes later he told me it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do so.

After each mail it was difficult to find sleep again. When once again snoring and other noises woke me up I got up when I saw it was 5.33 AM. Still stumbling after a visit to the bathroom and washing myself, I decided I needed food and tea. The door to the basement was still locked though. We needed to talk with Max about that. In the browsing room I found not all the milk had found a place in a fridge, quite some was standing around close together with other stuff which should be refrigerated, so I put some on the table, found some clean bowls, glasses and cornflakes and cereals. After some rummaging I even found spoons in the coffee-shop. We needed to get organized …

I had a lonesome breakfast, texted Bart, told him where we would be during most of the morning and asked if he would come with Frank and some others if they needed seeds and stuff. I brought Lee a bowl and found him sound asleep. His patients were doing well, he told after he thanked me for the breakfast I brought him. Just as I poured myself an other glass of milk Vince, John, Thomas and Skip came down. Derry came shortly after them, Norah, who had seen Cramer already. When finally all where done and Andrea told me Cassandra was heading up to the roof, we got ourselves ready to go out.

Cramer, Vince, TD and Paul would accompany us.

“TD, Vince, could you two carry Susan’s body, Skip you take the gas and light a pile while John and I keep a look out, and the others move over to the van as slowly as possible with Thomas, okay everyone?” They nodded, murmured their okays. On the way to the door I remembered them what we wanted to accomplish this morning: take the smaller to the garden center, get one or two deliverance trucks there, fill them with as much as we could, but especially two or three chainsaws, seeds, sacks with fertilizer and soil, pots, two or three smoker-grills, charcoal and axes and other garden tools. Then drive up to Cramer’s truck and get him and TD in it. That would leave Thomas and me in the van, Vince and Skip in one truck and John and Paul in another one.

This time it was even more awful standing behind the door, waiting until the fire doors were closed again. The stench was almost unbearable. I knew we would get used to it soon, but the first lungfuls were dreadful. Some couldn’t take her eyes from Susan, Cramer hadn’t even know she was dead yet, and was fairly shocked.

Just as yesterday John and Thomas opened the doors and got outside. Paul and I followed, then those who carried Susan, Cramer bringing up the rear. All had weapons of some kind, John and I our slingshots, and a golf-club, as had others. We were standing behind a line of cars now, at least a bit more protected than yesterday. About twenty zombies were milling around, five quite near, the other farther away. I hoped Derry and Cassandra would do as they had done yesterday and concentrate on those the farthest away. Thomas laid some golf-balls and bigger stones before him, and took a swing. His stone knocked down a zombie. John and I shot another one. We had discovered it was securer to do it this way if we had time. Quite soon the five near us were down. None were closing in on us. Cassandra and Derry had put down four at the other side of the street.

Skip threw the first Molotov. It landed quite far from us, between a three horrors moving along quite close together. Two were attracted by the fire and I shot one, an arrow put an other down. Soon they were alight and more zombies came over now. Behind me I heard some very nervous voices starting to curs and swear, and Vince and Skip hissing calming words.

I lifted my hand. Slowly. Shook my head. John knocked down another zombie, as did Thomas and Cassandra and Derry put two others down. Then Paul ran forward, swinging his golf-club.

“Damn!” The five remaining zombies at once were attracted by the running, screaming, and club-swinging figure. I ran after Paul, shooting at zombies, arrows flew over my head, all shots but one arrow -which only grazed a zombie- missing. Reaching behind me I jerked my club out of my rucksack and whacked the zombie Paul was hitting in the chest on the head. Thomas and John now beside me, we soon were spattered with green yuck once again as we knocked the zombies down. Paul was still screaming curses at the zombies. And attracting more of them.

“Quiet!” John hissed at him, standing before him. “Quiet or I’ll knock you out!”

Already zombies were coming from behind the Knight and from further up the street.

“Don’t move!” I hissed. “All stand very still!” I looked behind me, saw TD and Vince had dropped Susan and they formed a line with Cramer, Vince hissing at them to keep calm.

Skip lighted a Molotov, threw it at monsters coming in from the right, arrows hit some coming up from the street. Slowly, methodically John and I took a few others down. Thomas lighted a firebomb, set some on fire with it. Nearly all the zombies had stopped running towards us, only one was still moving fast towards us. An arrow hit it in the chest, a stone from John on the head, and it was down.

Vince, TD and Cramer had picked up Susan again, and Vince lead them to the nearest fire were they dropped her on a burning zombie. John was already tugging at one, and Thomas moved over to help him. Soon we had three big piles going and zombies standing around them. It seemed they were more attracted by them now that it was still quite cool from last night outside.

The piles from yesterday were ugly black heaps. Now we would have even more of those in front of the Knight.

"We need to swipe them together," Thomas observed, "Otherwise we could damage the tires on the sharp bones sticking out."

"Mount a snow-plough on a truck," someone, I thought Cramer, said. "That would be the easiest way to get rid of them." I nodded.

"Now we get in the van," I sighed. "All. No running, no noise, no nothing until we are all inside and the motor is running."

At least I hadn't had time during the action to think about the stench.

Garden center and Cramer's nickname revealed.

I was tail end Charlie going out the doors of the Knight, the stench of burnt Zombie was nauseating. Pulling a black bandanna from my back pocket tying it around my neck pulling it over my nose and mouth. The heavy hitters up front opened a can of whoop ass, green zombie gore flying they dropped a bunch.

Seeing Susan's carpet wrapped body dropped, I grab one end with Vince and TD, we got her body on the fire. Tugging my baseball cap down tight got a firm grip on my Louieville Slugger, I headed directly towards a fast runner at a determined walk. The Zombie zeroed in on me quickly as I drew back the bat, with a two handed grip I swung as hard as possible. Connecting with the ugly fucker in the chest cutting it a somersault, turning quickly on my heel delivering the home run shot with a satisfying gory crunch.

Another two slower ones were not far behind the one at my feet, turning around to face the oncoming Zombies. Digging into a batting stance twirling the bat like Barry Bonds, with an upper cut swing the bat caught the thing under the chin taking it's head off. Spinning away from the third Zombie it goes past me, I slam this one in the back bringing it down and stomped it's head in.

Having no other Zombies close I walked back to rejoin the others, the bat propped on my shoulder a just fuck with this redneck look in my eye. ''Now ya'll know why my nickname is Homer.'' I made certain to keep my voice down, but I was always a very soft spoken man.

''Giving everyone a moment to realize what I'd just said, as I opened the door of van and climbed into the cab to ride shotgun. I thought to myself I'm really going to have to get a pair of batting gloves, looking out the windshield seeing everyone was OK and ready to go.

I had gotten sick of staying behind inside the Knight trying to occupy myself, it's my nature to work hard and pull my weight. Keyed up after my warm up with the three zombies I'd taken out, but what I wanted was to get to my truck all the while dreading going back to the place Kaitlyn died.

Cassandra

I slumped against the wall after it was all over and turned to Derry. “That seemed worse than yesterday! These zombies are breeding like cockroaches!”

Derry nodded then added “Team 1 made it to the van that is what counts. But we are going to need lots for more arrows!”

I thought back to the encounter. Team 1 went out … but there were about 20 zombies near the library. That was too many. Derry and I had focused on the one farther away … so Team 1 needed to engage the close ones. It was hand to hand combat down there. I saw stones, Molotov fire bombs, clubs, and golf balls … Paul got a little too excited … yelling at the zombies. That only brought more. Derry and I tried to help taking some of them out … Derry nailed one faster mover … heading for the group but there were just too many.

Cramer broke off from the group. The zombies headed for him. He had a bat, but I was pretty worried. But after the first swing of that bat from Cramer I stopped worrying. He knew what he was doing. Again you folks reading this are going to think I’m really sick … but the sound the bat made … that satisfying “CRUNCH” when it hit … made me feel good all over. Cramer got a little cocky and took one of their heads clean off with one swing … the head went sailing through the air … it was a bit flashy … But I whispered “home run … take that uglies!” as it happened.

Please remember these zombies assholes have been terrorize the whole planet. I felt it was “payback” time. “Fuck them” I thought, the more horrible and gruesome ways they died the better. Sorry it was just how I felt.

After the battle Derry and I went down stairs for breakfast and to begin making more arrows. According to the plan our job was to make arrows, bows and train the “knight” watch on their use. I was pretty worried about Peter and Daniel getting better. Derry told me to stop worrying and keep busy. So I came up with one other thing to work on … I wanted to try out Daniel's flaming squirt gun idea. If he got better … it would be a surprise for him

Garden Center and Cramer meets a Duck.

Thinking what the hell I slid over behind the wheel of the van, calling keys quietly Ria well at least I think it was her. From the running board she dangled them in front of my face, with what looked like a teasing looking for something expression. ''Would start easier with those Darlin'' I drawled in my slight southern accent, well in my mind it was slight at least I did not sound like Goofy in Disney cartoons. With that said the keys dropped into my hands with a possible smirk from her, you never knew with some gals what they were thinking.

TD and John climbed into the van buckling up, buckling up stuck the key into the ignition firing it up. With a look in the side mirrors, looking out the windshield getting a thumbs up from the lead vehicle. I drop the transmission into first I gave her a little gas and pulled off, not knowing my way around town that well kept on the leaders tail. Swerving easily around abandoned vehicles without clipping any in my way accidentally.

As we make the first turn a slow moving zombie lumbered out in between the vehicles, ''Well well lookie what have we here boys a Jaywalker three o'clock!'' TD just chuckled as John grinned rolling down the window hauled himself partly out of the van, as TD held onto his belt John took a tire iron bashing the zombie on top of the head. Whatever the hell that green shit was gushed upward like some grotesque fountain, the zombie crumpled like a sack of rotten taters onto the pavement as John flops his ass back into his seat. The very instant the window was quickly rolled up the three of us burst out laughing, TD with his best Texas drawl yells out ''Yeehaw got a gall darn gusher fellers!'' laughing so hard he snorts.''

After our well earned of juvenile behavior we settled down driving on in relatively good moods, talking amongst ourselves but watching out for ever present dangers that could come out of nowhere. Streets opened up a little more and the speed of our little convoy increased, I was taken aback with the utter desolation of crashed or burned out vehicles also the absence of any human activity. A creepy chill now made the hair on the back of my neck and arms stand on end, it was a scene right out of an apocalyptic movie I'd once enjoyed watching.

Trying to shake of the all together unwelcome feeling I was having off noticed the lead vehicle brake, Ria was either driving or seated in the middle and a male hand motions to go right up to the entrance. Turning into the garden centers parking lot as directed as the lead vehicle patrolled in a wide arc, I had my head on a swivel as did John and TD for zombies or fear crazed people. Soon Ria in the lead vehicle pulled up doors opening they stepped out weapons in hand, John TD and I step out of the van to join the others.

I was given a list of things we needed and told to watch my ass being it was my first time out, nodding I patiently listened to every precaution as Ria went over it with everyone very thoroughly. The place was looking completely abandoned but several isles were totally trashed, baseball bat in hand motioning to TD silently we needed one of the heavy packing trolleys. John advanced further ahead of the three of us with me bringing the rear again, the rest of team 1 taking the left flank we patrolled the garden center like seal team 6 minus the bad ass guns.


Finding the potting soil kneeling down grabbing two bags TD pulls the trolley up as I put two bags on it, John came back with two bags of manure adding them to the pile of potting soil we'd gathered. Having taken care of that the guys added more of those necessary items, heading for the seeds to start a new garden I picked up an empty box and with one hand clearing the shelves. Waving to get Ria's attention she looks up as I tossed her the brightly colored box, it marked agricultural seeds but like anyone she flinched as she had to catch it.

Following the sign for gardening implements I stumbled upon a huge zombie gnawing on what once was a person, it rose to it's feet with a growl coming full bore at me as I remember my bats back with the trolley. Doing all I could to do just to avoid the NFL offense lineman sized son of a bitch, barely able to get past it's outstretched clawing ham handed monstrosity out to eat my country ass. Bouncing off a shelf in the process caused a horrendous crashing of metallic objects, at least I'd found all of the garden implements I just did not want to find them this way.

Grabbing the nearest handle only to come away with a small spade brandishing it like a knife, I looked at it then this huge ass zombie muttering ''Oh shit...just fucking perfect!'' Throwing the spade as hard as I possibly could it stuck into the zombies shoulder, it did not even flinch it just kept coming at me like a run away freight train. Spotting a long handled shovel I dunked under the massive arms with rotting flesh hanging from them, rolling onto my back quickly ramming the butt of the shovels handle into a hole broken through the tiled floor.

To my good fortune the hulking zombie impales itself on the shovel blade splitting it's heart into, being it was already dead you could say it was deader as I'd killed it but it's bulk crashed down on me anyway. My breath rushed from my lungs as the three hundred plus pound zombie knocked the breath out of me, laying stunned I prayed yeah the guy still pissed at ''God'' prayed don't let another hellish thang git me. Drifting near unconsciousness from a lack of oxygen from the heavy weight barring down on me, I hear familiar voices whispering about whether I was dead or not beneath that monster, several very strained grunts were heard as the disgusting zombie was rolled off of my green gore covered body.

Gasping for air a sharp pain shoots through my left side causes me the grab my ribs ''Ohh shit my ribs!'' seeing the enormous ugly bastard unmoving with a shovel driven through it I kick it in the balls angrily. With bruised or possibly broken ribs this was not the best idea I'd ever had as another pain made me groan. ''Owwww...help me up already will ye? Looking over at the gigantic zombie I notice it's wearing an Oregon uniform, it's none other than Everett Brenyard staring offensive lineman for the team.

John and TD grip my outstretched hands hauling me to my feet I grunted but held back a groan, my cap turned sideways with my shirt smeared with green gore looking like a post apocalyptic Rapper. I grin and lift my hands making gangster rap gestures ''What up dawg? reaching up straitening my cap, they all look at me like I've got a concussion or completely lost it ''Cap turned sideways pants on the ground.....get it?'' ''Recognize that zombie?''

Deacon

He was busy slowly going through the house, checking all things that he could use for weapons. The sun had just risen and by the time it had started to shine it's rays directly into the windows of the room he occupied, he was back inside the room. He had secured various knives from a cupboard, for a brief moment he wondered if the house's family was out, by the way they had cleared out most of the perishables that could have been a good statement, that only meant that they had a house-sitter and now they had a guest. The fact that the door stood slightly ajar did bother him, in fact he haven't even taken the time to inspect the doorway before he entered in his haste to get away from the zombies.

He sighed and set to work, testing various rails and bits of iron or wood to figure if he could make more bolts for the crossbow. He was busy with his third bolt when he heard a strange sound, he pause and cocked his head...vehicles? He hurried to the window only to spy the last of the group pass, he watched the street for a while longer, there was no zombies in sight. He pushed open a window, if they came back this way, he wanted to hear them, then he could attract their attention and perhaps see if they were anybody he could hook up with for now. Well that was until he got to where he wanted to go, which was first a gunshop and then his truck.

Garden Center

Somehow we had got into two vans, which had split our team, left a gap in the defense line in front of the doors I wasn’t happy with, plus it would mean we wouldn’t be able to bring back as much new cars or trucks as I had hoped for.

We did get to the garden center without much problems, if one ignored the fact John had taken an uncharacteristic unnecessary risk by hitting the zombie from out the car. Vince, Skip and Paul were quietly talking things over in the seats behind Thomas and me, I heard Vince explaining to Paul a good team-mate doesn’t undertake actions which would put extra risks on the others on his team.

I tried to establish if more zombies were close to the Knight than before, and decided we really needed more protection. If we could bring in enough cars to block the passage between the Knight and the building to the right, no zombies would be able to come around that way, but maybe they would be attracted by windows there then …

“Block the path between the Knight and the building next door and protection of the windows at the back and behind the block is the goal for Wednesday,” I decided loudly, interrupting the discussion in the back.

“We are close to the garden center,” Thomas said, “I hope the pile we made yesterday had some effect.”

It had. It was bigger than it was when we left it, and some zombies seemed to have stumbled away and create two or three piles of their own, the street in front of the GC’s parking lot was almost clean. Some were gathered around a big camper and we decided to take a look at that before we would head for Cramer’s truck. I motioned the other car to drive up close to the entrance while we would have a quick look around to locate the deliverance trucks of the GC. Three were standing behind the building, and Thomas and Vince checked them, filled one completely with the diesel in the tanks of the other two and Vince drove it over to the entrance.

A little while later after I had remembered everyone of what we were looking for, and how we would do it, we cautiously entered. The same awful stench I had smelled at the car we had found Martins in yesterday hit our noses. Paul and TD retched a bit but still proceeded inside when I offered them to stay outside to guard the cars. We had put them around the entrance in the same way we had done at the pancake house, creating a safe space with them, but a guard outside wouldn’t be bad. We got some shopping carts, and went deeper inside. There had been fighting in some aisles but not too much. Some bones were lying around, all the flesh gnawed off.

I especially had told them to be quiet and to move as slowly and careful as possible. To my great surprise it was Cramer who threw a carton at me! I caught it, put it in the shopping-cart I was pushing, which was nearly filled with planting pots and trays already. Paul was my look-out and together we headed for the entrance to get a new cart.

“This one isn’t heavy,” he observed, lifting one end of the full cart, “Maybe we should simply put it in the van like it is, a cart would be handy at the library.” Shocked I laid my hand on his arm.

“I have been so stupid! We haven’t checked most of the areas off-limits to the public in the Knight. A library has lots of trolleys for the librarians to transport books with. I wonder what other stuff we have missed in those offices and work-shops we haven’t been in. Maybe there are even some people …” my voice died away when deeper in the GC a loud noise indicated some were fighting. We hurried over to find TD and John pulling an enormous zombie off of Cramer. Cramer came to his feet, clutching his side. He made a joke I didn’t understand, only when Skip whispered an explanation into my ear a grim smile appeared on my face.

“Very well,” I sighed, “lets check if some others are still in here, and since it was eating someone, and since zombies only eat fresh meat, lets check if some more employees and maybe customers are hiding somewhere, trapped by the horrors maybe.”

“In the back, in a storage room or in an office,” TD thought aloud, while he grabbed a shovel. Quickly we divided in small groups and did what we should have done first, checked the shop. The shop itself was clean, while doing so we located charcoal, wood and some grills, an area with plants, fruit and decorative trees and shrubbery and some examples of types of wood, bamboo and timber one could order at the back beside an employees-only door.

Very cautiously we opened it and found ourselves peering into a pitch-black storage space. We could hear some growling zombies, heading our way fast. It must be very quick ones that hadn’t had a change to feed yet, shot through my mind while I heard sharp intakes of breath beside me, shoveling and the door closing. Suddenly lights flared up, and we could see …

Six zombies were advancing fast. John and I shot at them, knocked one down, and made another stumble, but then they were upon us and everyone was grunting, cursing or screaming as we hit them as hard and as fast as we could. It seemed like ages had passed when they were lying around us, deader than dead and ooze and yuck splattered on and around us. Cramer was bending over, clutching his ribcage with both his arms.

“Lets see where they came from, and if we can find some tape for you, Cramer,” Vince said, already moving into the direction the zombies had come from. John and Thomas followed him at once, TD, Paul and Skip following them a bit later.

“Paul, Skip, stay here with Cramer and me!” I hissed, panting and holding my left arm, which hurt awful after I had gotten a blow on it, stumbled and fallen into a shelf. My left arm head-first of course.

Back at Knights

After doing all that we could....to get as many of those uglies as we could, Cassandra and Derry headed downstairs for some well earned breakfast. They talked as they walked, the fact was they needed more archers, and the sooner the better. Derry thoughtfully added,

"Not only do we need more archers...but we need to start training some people.....not only for shooting arrows...but for making more bows and arrows. I can train archers...can you get onto training some people to make more arrows....and bows for that matter? Actually we need a ongoing manufacturing detail...if you know what I mean. We can never have enough bows and arrow you know."

Cassandra totally agreed with Derry, replying,

"Your right, I will get going on a list of materials needed to make the bows and arrows. And now that I think about it, we should have the materials added to the list of stuff the away teams go looking for. I will find a room that will be used just for making weapons....all kinds of weapons. When Ria gets back, we'll have to have a meeting...get this under way as soon as possible."

Derry nodded her head thinking, (Now we're cooking, I'll have to see who is interested in learning how to shoot an arrow.) Then an idea struck her, she looked at Cassandra,

"You know...the more people that know how to use weapons the better, plus...some self defence would be an asset to anyone going out on away teams. What do you think?"

Cassie agreed as they entered the kitchen area and started to put their breakfast together, some cereal and milk would do for now, both had some thinking to do.

It had been a long night. For the most part sleep had evaded Bart. He lay turning restlessly over and over again. No sooner than he reached out for sleep than wakefulness snatched it from him. He saw every hour of the clock. Finally at seven he fell into a deep sleep. Dreams flowed through him, his subconscious trying to resolve the day gone past. In dreaming he found no rest, the zombies invaded his head, his house. Yet now wakefulness evaded him too. His struggles over, he rested again. This time he dreamed of Ria. His arms wrapped round her drawing her close. Her back against his chest, he could feel the warmth of her body soothing him. He felt her pushing back towards him surrendering to his embrace. No, not surrendering, building it adding to it with her own. Now he felt her moving, slowly still her back to him. He bent his head, his mouth slowly seeking her neck. The first caress his breath hot on her skin. He heard her own breath quicken. Her head tilt away exposing more of herself to him. His desire rising his hips pushing forward, his mouth find her neck. His lips soft, mouth hot, his tongue tastes tastes her sweet flesh. His hand moves up to her neck. His fingers carding, moving slowly down. He felt her pulse quicken. The movement of her body encouraging him on. His gentle fingers longer on her collar bone gor a second, then two. His hand sides towards her open shirt. He can feel her heart racing as his fingers move inside the delicate fabric of her shirt. The sound of the far away sos slowed his hand. For a moment his lips lifted from her bare sweet neck. Then it was gone. His fingers moved again be beginning to feeling the gentle rise of her breast. His heart pounding. His mouth falling to her neck once more.

The sos, shrill in his ear, the sos. His world dissolved. The bright room lit up around him. The sos, no the sms. His phone screen some out. Barely awake he sat up reaching for it. A message from the Knight, from Ria. Business as usual, at the garden centre working collecting. She was a survivor. He read the message over twice. He smiled.

With death and zombies everywhere how could an x at the end of a text make you feel hope?

Garden Center
Ria

Cramer clutching his side, I cradling my left arm in my right -cautiously moving my fingers- Skip and Paul standing beside us, asking what had happened, we stood close to the door of the stock room. All of us panting, cursing under our breaths, Enormous amounts of wood, soil and other stuff were stacked alongside the walls and on shelves. In the distance I heard the others move and whispering, then some screams, wailing, and soothing sounds.

When they came back, they were accompanying two teenagers, a really old lady, two middle-age ladies of which one was carrying a four or five years old child, a young man, and a young lady, employees of the garden center. The old lady was dabbing her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief, the two teenagers were just anxious, the two ladies with the child seemed resolute, the male employee shook all the hands he could reach, the female employee was giggling and saying she knew Kevin would rescue them.

We introduced ourselves and asked how they had been doing, if they were alright, what they wanted to do now. I didn’t want to fill the Knight. But I would take them in if they wanted to.

The ladies thanked the us for rescuing them and one said she and her sister wanted to go home now, since they knew the husband of one of them was safe at home with their daughter in-law, the mother of her grandchild. Stewart, the employee, said he had no-one to go too, as had Edna, the old lady, and the two teenagers wanted to go home too, they had already messaged their mom who would come with two neighbors to get them. Their mom had told them they had blocked off some houses with cars, that their house was one of them, that some strangers had helped Frank and the officer to build that ‘wall’, that their street was clean but they had some trouble with strangers in a car who got killed by the zombies.

I wondered if that was why Bart had to go so suddenly last night …

I hoped he would be one of the neighbors.

Vince made Cramer take his shirt of and wound tape around his ribcage, while Thomas, Skip and John accompanied the two ladies to their car. Something just polite a few days ago, but extremely gallant now, I thought. The teenagers, a girl and a boy, I told to stay with us, until the their mother would be here, in the shop. Edna wanted to make me a sling to carry my arm in, but I declined her offer. It wasn’t broken, only bruised on two different places. It still hurt, but I could move it okay. Not as quick as normally, but okay all the same.

“Where is Kevin, why didn’t he come in with you?” asked Amanda, who had been peering into the shop and commenting on the debris in some aisles, telling Stewart he would have a lot of work to put everything in order again. His palm-face wasn’t the only one at that moment.

“Who is Kevin?” I asked her, when she told us he had left only half an hour before we came I took a deep breath. “How did he pass those zombies here?”

“He went out the bathroom window, he was the only one small enough except the children. They were too afraid to go! I thought that a shame! They are much younger than Kevin!” She rattled on some more, but I didn’t listen anymore. I told her we hadn’t met a Kevin and asked her where she would be doing now, where she wanted to go to.

“To my mom. My car is at the back. Bye everyone!” Before I or anyone else could say or do something she was gone.

Deacon

He slipped out of the room, he had seen a linnen closet in his search. Opening the closet, he pulled out a white bed sheet. Using lipstick and eyeliner he wrote one word on the sheet: SURVIVOR. He pulled a curtain down and yanked the curtain rail free, he tied the sheet to the rail and went back to his room, he shoved the rail and the makeshift flag out of the window and secured it with twine. Then he started to pack, placing all the food he had into a hiking back pack, when that was finished, he settled down to continue with the making of more bolts, the crossbow and it's meager amount of ammunition laying next to him, ready to grab and run or grab and use. For the first time since he locked himself inside the house did he think about basic services, how long would water and electricity stay on with no people to look after it. His fingers slowed as a specific problem chilled him to the bone. Nuclear reactors...what if those became unstable? With nobody to look after it, they might be in for some nastier surprises than the zombies. He grinned to himself, what's done is done, what will be will be, as long as he sorted out the here and now, the future will bring what you change now. He placed another bolt with the ones he had finished and started working on another.

Garden center
Cramer

His forth zombie he'd barely escaped being killed by was left behind, I had to just shook my head as my joke was explained to Ria. Gathering the gardening implements we'd need, shovels, hoes, spades, adz's rakes, and post hole digger, coming across cartoon character garden tool sets I put several in a cart for the kids. Parking it to one side TD hands me my baseball bat as Ria Vince John Paul Thomas with Skip tried a door. All hell broke loose in close quarters scrum with several zombies we beat down, afterwards my ribs were killing me.

Too my surprise and the team we find survivors as they'd come out of hiding, doubled over in pain with my arms wrapped my ribs. I smiled it was more a grimace as I say hello, Vince tried making me take off my shirt, telling him I couldn't he tugs it off over my head. Pulling my arms out off my shirt, I lifted my arms for him to tape my ribs, he made quick work of it the added support felt better.

Putting my shirt back on letting everyone else do the talking, I had a list of things to get so I made a bee line to the power tools. We were in luck to find three Husqvarna chainsaws sat boxed ready to go, Vince handed me one in relay we put them in the buggy. Hopefully the plantings section they're plenty of trays of healthy plants, Vince smiles as he grabs a trolley rolling it over, we fully loaded every shelf down.

Pointing to the solar panel plant lamp sign overhead, I pushed the cart as Vince pushes the trolley, we get to the lights between up we load up or carry eight or so. ''Vince grab some stakes and twine for the runner beans...I'm gonna tie another cart to this un.'' I was sure to keep my voice low as spot some discarded wire that lay beside another cart, picking it up quickly wiring the carts together quickly. Miracle Grow was next so I toss as many boxes in, not only had Vince gotten what I'd asked for, he had a roll of fence to make tomato cages.

All this stuff was all we could manage to push it where everything was gathered, stepping behind the check out counter looking for Ibuprofen, Vince tosses me a bottled water seeing what I've found. I Nod my thanks opening the childproof container was a bitch, finally getting it open taking four quickly chased with water. Also finding a box of Baby Ruth candy bars and others adding them to the cart, I get one tossing Vince another he caught it with a slight smile as we ate our snack.

Almost everything on my list marked off, except for my truck loaded with my equipment. Seeing Ria I head in her direction, telling her a roll of barbwire would be a helpful item to get. Taking a couple of big boxes of nails adding to her cart, Vince overhead me and heads off disappearing down an isle returning with a cart full of barbwire. "Ria we goin ta git my truck soon Darlin?''

.....

Garden Center
Ria

Thomas and the other two came back, telling the two ladies had made it to their car safely. They had to start another pile on the parking lot though, to make this possible.

Stewart and the two teenagers helped us to gather things we needed, while Vince and Cramer were packing things on a cart on their own, I directed Thomas, John and the teenagers to the grill section to get us some grills, charcoal and quick starters for a fire.

Skip, TD, Paul, Stewart and I (with Edna, who had taken hold of an half loaded orphaned cart pottering along with us) loaded all kinds of wood on a cart -I hoped Cassandra and Derry could use some of the more flexible sorts to build bows- loaded another cart with soil and fertilizer, when we pushed these carts back to the entrance we found an aisle almost completely filled with all kinds of torches: big wooden logs with a starter in the middle, wax torches and big candles, small glass pots with a scented candle in them against mosquitos, pots to catch wasps and bees in and more of these things.

Since two people had left their their carts in that aisle we loaded them to the brim. Vince and Cramer had returned to the entrance when we came back with all our , where rummaging behind the check-out counter. The place looked fairly stuffed with all the carts and three grills (one an enormous 'smoker'). Cramer asked me if we could get his truck now.

"Soon, Cramer," I told him, smiling because of the 'Darlin' he had added to his question, "I want to get some more stuff now we are here, and Bart might come any minute with this two's mom, so I would like to wait a little bit. It would distress their mom to not find them here. I suppose she maybe thought she wouldn't see them again ... Vince, why don't you, John, Thomas and this two youngsters start loading the truck and the party van, put all the small stuff in boxes, or lift the carts in, Cramer, would you keep a look out while Stewart, Skip, Paul, TD and I get some more pots, candles, solar lights, and whatever else we see?"

Edna had been talking about the roses she had already put on a cart, and wanted to accompany us, since she would be of no use (like she said) to help to load the trucks. We got ourselves empty carts and some handfuls of bags and made our way to the plants, collecting all kinds of stuff on the way, like wire, manilla, plastic sticks with a small head to write the names of plants on and more of those things and the things I had talked about before. I took half a minute to select three chains of little solar lights for myself, and some decorative pots, and I added a rose and some other decorative plants for myself too.

With overflowing carts we came back, Edna happily pushing her 'own' cart with the roses she had selected Saturday. I wondered why someone would plant roses in the autumn, I thought one should do that in early spring, when I asked Edna, she told me she had a little greenhouse in which she had planned to keep them until the spring.

"You know dear, they sell them very cheap now, end of season! I always buy them in the autumn, a raspberry or a blackberry or a gooseberry too if I want them."

There were some more carts standing around, one with some of the fruits Edna had talked about on them, and we loaded that one too. Blackberries would do well as a fence around the roof I thought. They would make it a bit unappealing for attackers to climb on it then, if the roof edge was surrounded by thorns ... And as soon as those plants would start to grow, they would hide what were doing on the roof from nosey eyes if we would lead them over high fencing.

It seemed I had been thinking aloud, since Stewart and Edna announced simultaneously where barbwire and posts where. As soon as we had arrived at the checkout Stewart and TD disappeared again with two, already empty, carts.

(OOC: Please wait a bit with a post in which they are leaving the GC until Typacritt had time to post if and how Bart came to collect the teenagers)

At the Knight
Norah

Robert came down with the children after I told him the team had left and Susan's body was already burning. The children where very subdued and a girl asked if Miss Lowers really had needed to go home and why couldn't they go too?

"Yes, she had to," he told them all in clear voice. "And no, I am not willing to take the risk she is taking with all of you. Imagine sitting in the school bus and driving through the zombies. What would happen with us if we ran out of gas, or if the bus had a flat tire suddenly? It would be difficult to get help then. We are safe here. We will stay safe here, and maybe some of you will be as lucky as Sandra. Hope for it, pray for it if you like, but don't get your hopes up too high, a great number of people have died. Now you take a seat and we eat breakfast, after that we will clear the table, do the dishes and then I'll give you a task which you will quietly while I am in a conference. Just as any normal schooldays where I have to leave you on your own for a few minutes."

We helped the children to pour milk over their cereals and cornflakes and soon all were eating quietly, some chatting amongst them.

Robert asked Lola, Carol and me to talk over some things after breakfast. After some loud throat scraping from Big Amy (who resented that name, she had whispered to me, she would prefer Amely as a shorter form of her name to distinguish her from Little Amy; strangely it didn't seem to bother her to attach that to another Amy's name) Robert included her and Ann.

Breakfast was nice. Not only the food, the company too, it helped me not to think of the risk John was taking. More people came down, broke their fast and left, quite randomly, some, like Thersa and Abe not even stacking the bowls the had used. Carol had a big frown on her face when she noted that.

"Qkay, that has to change," she whispered into my ear. "It is alright for some to eat earlier than others or later, just as their schedule allows them, but this is ridiculous. What do those two think, that we are their servants?" Dan and Carla nodded and added some not so nice comments about an encounter they had had with Abe and Thersa earlier. Apparently Thersa had accused Carla of being a simulator and had wanted her and Dan to clean the 'guards' bathroom.

Robert sighed.

"The children are a bit afraid of them. Does one of you know where Max is? We need to organize things better than yesterday. Although I believe some of yesterdays problems originated in Peter's illness. That still isn't a reason to try to do better today though. I can't do much, my shoulder hurts like a bleep." The children giggled at that.
He grinned good humored at them. "You all know now how important it is to be careful when you walk down the stairs, don't you? If you are done, stack the bowls and the glasses, and half of you go down to kitchen with Carol and Ann, to do the dishes, and half of you will clean the table and floor around with me and Norah while Lola takes care of Frederique."

Not long after that everything was spic and span, and just then Max arrived. He had been with Lee, and had tried to talk with Peter and Daniel. They weren't very responsive, he said, but seemed to do well enough. Their fevers had gone down, which was good of course, but they still were very ill. The new man, Martins seemed to being doing better than them, he had been able to tell Max where he was from, and what had happened to him. He even had told him he was a teacher and photographer.

Max joined Robert's meeting only reluctantly, but was content enough with some solutions we came up with. Together we listed the daily duties and planned people in for certain tasks, Carol told Cassandra had already asked her to cook and if she would be head of the kitchen team. She said she had given it a thought and was willing to do so, if not someone else would want to it. She also wouldn't mind to help Robert with the children. Lola would care for Frederique, since he seemed to like her already, and would spent most of her the time with him in the classroom. Carla said she would gladly take responsibility for laying the table and make an inventory of what was in the storage room, and that she would organize it and keep it clean if someone would help her. I said I would help a bit with the children, if Robert, Lola or Carol would need me to, but I rather would catch up with Cassandra and Derry, and work on my plans for solar energy and so on with Dan. I also was willing to do whatever cleaning which was needed during the day for two hours each day. Dan wanted to go with Max into the basement first though, to take stock of what tools were available and to decide what tools he would need.

After that, we went our ways, Dan and Max to the basement, and to find Scotty, Abe, Thersa and Andrea to tell what tasks they had to do today, Carol and Carla to the storage room, Ann and Amely followed them. Robert's voice stopped them though.

"Where are you two fine young ladies going?"

"Help in the kitchen?" Ann said. Robert chuckled a bit.

"Nah, I don't think so. Today we will find out what your levels are, and I will set you some tasks, later, when I have organized textbooks for all of you, we will start to work seriously. Take a seat ladies. You two are the senior classes of this school."

Standing by a sunglasses stand I gave Ria a lazily salute as she asked me to be a lookout. "Sure thang Darlin...will do.'' Finding a pair of black tinted wayfarers I put them on, crossed my arms across my chest with a tense sigh. With my bat in my right hand walked to the entrance of the Garden Center, my head on a swivel continually watch out for signs of trouble.

Uncrossing my arms I tug a pair of black leather gloves I'd found from my back pocket, tucking the bat under my right arm worked my fingers into the gloves. Clenching and unclenching my fists to stretch the leather, gradually the gloves began to fit better I let the bat slide handle into my right hand. Thoughts drifting to Norah wondering what she might be doing right now, a grin started to form looked I behind me to see if anyone noticed.

Feeling the presence of my dearly departed wife Kaitlyn in the back of my mind, out of habit or trauma I didn't know or really cared I'd talk to her very quietly. ''You'd like Norah Kaitie she's a sweet gal...she's a lot like you. I had a pack of orange Hubba Bubba bubble gum in my other back pocket, I pull it out to open the package unwrapping a piece popping into my mouth. ''Hell who knows...maybe sisters in a alternate reality or some crazy shit like at huh?'' Chewing the gum I chuckled quietly thinking about it.

TD and John roll another three carts of necessities for the Knight. ''Someone take over for me?...been lookout awhile.'' Striding over taking a chainsaw out of one of the carts setting it on the checkout line gizmo, snapping all three latches opening the orange case it's in I remove it. ''We should fill these up with gas and oil...mind looking for whatever weight oil we're gonna need?

Grabbing my bat a head back to where I'd found the chainsaws, sure enough there was the motor oil we needed. Trotting over getting another cart roll it back to the shelves, quickly getting every can off the shelves into the cart. The fishing gear isn't too far away so that's where I went next, getting arm loads of spools of fishing line, boxes of treble hooks and sinkers, I could have a trot line and catch those big catfish in the river easily.

Swinging back around the chainsaws I spotted hatches and gathered several, along with a few small axeheads to make pole axes back at the Knight. Picking up over a half dozen machetes I also found a large K-bar knife, laying the weapons between the cart and the other items. Needing mirrors to bring sunlight into the Knight for plants they'd grow indoors and along the staircase railing, I took a screwdriver I'd brought take several display mirrors off placing them in a discarded box and headed back up front to load up.

Some kids are straight arrows!

Breakfast and talking to Derry had me in a better mood. I was still worried about Daniel and Peter ... but I had a mission now. The material to make more arrows was already in the library. The arrows were so simple I thought it would be a good job for the kids to work … with supervision of course.

I found Norah told her about my idea “I’ll show you how to make the arrows … really easy … but melting the plastic coating on them, you might need to do that part … so the kids don’t burn themselves.” I said. Norah agreed with my idea but added “You’ll need to ask Robert … for the final ok”

Then I ran into Robert a little bit later … and told him about my idea.

“No … that is not possible … first of all it is against labor laws to have children as workers … secondly, what will they be learning … to build weapons. What kind of world do you think we live in! You are trying to program these kids into … children soldiers! What we need right now … is peacemakers … not warmaker!” He said his face totally serious.

I could not believe it … I was shocked. “But …” I said

Then Robert got a big smile on his face “I got you …!!” He said joking.

I was going to punched him on his hurt shoulder … but held back “Don’t do that Robert … after the Peter weirdness … I thought you were infected or something!” I said.

“Sorry …” He said but he was laughing his head off. I started to join in. “Ok … so that was pretty funny!” I finally agreed.

I made it back to the kitchen and went through the “to do list” from the planning meeting:

More weapons and arrows CHECK (at least for the arrow part)
More guards CHECK (we had people on the roof and additional guard people to include Dan and myself.)
More weapons with longer range CHECK (we made a lot more Molotov cocktails with glass bottles this time, we put together a long range sling shot for the cocktails using rubberbands ...lots and lots of them)
Conduct practice and exercise them CHECK (Derry was work on this part)
Get e-mail addresses CHECK (Everyone e-mails and cell numbers were on a listed both electronic and written)

Pushing a heavily laden cart to the back of the Party van, I kept my boot behind a wheel so it won't roll off. All the while on the lookout for Uglies as Cassie would say, getting a good grip on the roll out ramp above the bumper. Keeping my left arm held tightly against my injured ribs as I didn't want to make it any worse. Withdrawing the loading ramp as quietly as humanly possible, pulling my boot from behind the carts wheel. Getting my hips against the cart with one hand to push, up the ramp she went easier a quieter than figured

Kicking a few things on the vans floor out from under the carts wheels, getting the cart against the wall wedging a plastic thing under the wheels. Heading back to the back of the van peering around each end, nope no Uglies so I trot down the ramp back into the GC for another cart. Grabbing the first one I came to, laying my bat across the push handle of the cart and take off.

Just when Reach the Party van an Ugly lumbers out from behind the lead vehicle, so I just plowed into the zombie knocking it onto it's back. Grabbing the bat quickly drawing it back to find what used to be a 13 year old boy, drawing back the bat not seeing anymore I deliver two hard shots. Again two green splattering satisfying gory crunches are heard and it makes me grin. ''One more for the Home team, you Kurt Cobain lookin mother fucker''

Stepping away from the vehicles making a wide arc around them, bat cocked checking for more Uglies. I didn't see anymore but had the feeling of being watched, as the hair on the back of my neck stood up.
Stepping into the GC made my way quickly to Ria, reaching her I tell her about killing the zombie and feeling watched. She didn't look happy to hear this at all, so I added the front of the GC TD was lookout.

"We better move our asses damned quick ya'll we're too exposed out here...I've got the willies load up.''
Ria was a cool gal she'd earned my respect over Peter, the Post Apocalyptic Napoleon I'd like to punch. hopefully Peter got better being Mom and Pop raised me better to speak bad of others behind their back. That didn't mean I couldn't say it to his face, if he got better I was sure going to get another turn.

Before I went back up front I looked for a wood working chisel set, finding a complete set was to be a fortunate thing, being we wouldn't have power before very long. Everything would get to be a lot more difficult without clean water, a water distillery was going to be a necessity eventually we needed copper to build it. But right now getting our garden going was the priority for me, If nobody mentioned the still I would have to next meeting.