The Zombie Apocalypse and My Ex-lover

[JackHemingway]

Axel Davidson grunted as he tossed another bale of hay into the corral for the starving horses to devour as the light snowfall continued. He figured he was only a few miles from the helicopter crash site, but that was over hills and after a two-day firefight with all the zombies who'd wandered from the highway to the crash site. Axel only found this ranch by chance. The family was already walking dead, but their horses were locked in the barn, making a ruckus. They were hungry and needed to be released, so he added farmhand to his long list of professions.

These days, since the zombie outbreak, the world has seen a flood of changes, and professions like freebooters, sawbones, and mercenaries like him have come into their own. Raiders, self-trained doctors, and people willing to fight for a warm place to sleep and a plate full of food were all careers now. Being a concubine and sword bearer were among the professions he'd encountered. A whole generation would never know a world of relative peace and security. Well, at least in North America, anyway. Ordering something online and receiving it the same day sounded like a fairy tale these days.

Before the fall of civilization, as one college professor he'd met alongside the road some time back called it, Axel had been an adventurer. He'd left for the Marines a few weeks after graduating High School, and three years later, when he finished his service, he did construction overseas and on oil rigs. When Axel returned to the States, he climbed on a Harley and toured the country until he reached the west coast and headed out on a fishing boat. It had been over a decade since he'd left Glendale, and since then, he'd drank a lot of beer, been in many fights, and seen a lot of the world, good and bad. The outbreak started while Axel prospected for gold on the Amazon in Brazil.

At first, the world's governments claimed to have a handle on things, but like most crises, no government handled it right. Axel had come up from South America as part of a crew guarding an oil tanker, but not long after arriving back in, he started working his way back to his old home. Axel hoped his mother was alive in the trailer park, but he had been waiting to hear from her for a long time. Still, Axel believed that Heidi Davidson was holding their old double-wide trailer just outside Glendale if he was honest with himself, though he also was thinking about Cheyenne Everton, or "Chey" for short, the love of his life in high school.

As he watched the horses happily frolic after filling their bellies, Axel thought about Chey. What a mismatch. Her parents were leading citizens in the town who owned property and a chain of hardware stores. Their daughter Cheyenne was a beautiful overachiever and a great athlete who was trading stock before she was out of high school. Axel's parents consisted of his mother, Heidi, a former stripper and biker mama who worked as a tattoo artist and EMT. Axel's father, Dwight, was a biker, a career criminal who sometimes dabbled as a handyman. The one good thing was Dwight used him as a helper, and that's how Axel met Chey.

It was at Norman's Tool Store, a vast store and lumber yard named after Chey's beloved grandfather in the summer between eighth and ninth grade. Axel's Dad had gotten a job and ordered plenty of tools and materials and was also perfectly happy to let his son load it all into the pickup truck while the old man and his buddies drank coffee and watched. He barely knew Chey, but she wandered out in her red apron and started helping him. After they had done the work, she gave him a water bottle. Axel smiled at her and said thanks. They held hands for a minute, and that's when the magic started.

Axel and Cheyenne were inseparable for the next four years, doing all the things kids did in high school and all the things they shouldn't. They even talked about having a future together, but by the last half of senior year, it became apparent that they had different ideas of a prosperous future. They had the mother of all fights the night before graduation, which was supposed to be a memorable time, and he stormed off, leaving her his leather jacket with a ring in a velvet box in the pocket. The pair didn't talk after that and went their separate ways.

Eventually, after a lot of time went by, he tried reaching out, and while he traveled, he sent her birthday cards, remembered holidays, and sent her packages from different parts of the world. A gold armlet from Indonesia, boots made of Spanish leather, and an Assegai spear were given to him by a hunting guide in South Africa, to name a few. Axel always sent them to the store or her parent's house and wondered if Cheyenne was getting them or even cared. Axel's Mom said she bumped into the girl occasionally, but Cheyenne was living in Seattle.

Axel told himself Cheyenne had nothing with him heading back to Glendale. It had been ten years, and there probably wasn't anything left there for him. It was an isolated town with a power plant, county hospital, and many people with suitable skills and firearms. They probably had defenses at the river and patrolling the farms. Axel figured his mother was too tough and stubborn to die just because it was the end of the world. Besides, Chey was in Seattle, which, according to all the rumors, the military had the city surrounded like a fortress, and they were getting supplies by sea. If he made it back there, he would check in on her parents and ask how she was doing.

Now Axel had to search this small ranch, which looked like someone's dream because it was all prefabricated buildings. Then, he'd wrangle the three horses and return to the helicopter to salvage what he could. In the last few days, Axel lost all the members of the Army crew that were with him, killing all the creatures attracted by the crash. Axel only had a deer rifle and a Glock at this point and had abandoned too much gear not to go back even if he found stuff here. Hopefully, he'd find food and head down the highway back to Glendale.

While Axel enjoyed watching the horses and going down memory lane, he knew he wasn't alone. He'd felt a presence, and they weren't a zombie. They could have shot him, but they'd gotten close, and Axel didn't have ammunition to waste either. So the hunting rifle stayed on his back, and he wielded around, pulling out the Glock and leveling it at the person standing on the road in full winter hunting gear. A long mane of hair blew in the wind, and while he didn't stop pointing his pistol, he strained to make out the figure.

"Holy hell is that you, Chey!?" He said, pulling back the pistol.

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne "Chey" sighed as she looked out her window as winter was upon Glendale. The town needed to prepare for the storm that was coming their way. Sipping her tea as she began to remember the past, mainly her ex Axel Davidson. Before the world took a very dark turn for the worst, Chey was having a hard time letting go of someone. Axel was her world throughout high school until they graduated. She taken back by his desired to go into marines as it was never brought up before. They would argue so much until they decided it was best to part ways. Chey back then wanted out of Glendale and her prayers were answered when she was able to go to college in Seattle. Accepted to a prestige business school and the change of scenery was want she needed as well.

Over the time she switched her majors from business to healthcare. Finding her passion as she worked for hospital before getting her RN license. Seattle was becoming her safe space as she began to slowly forget Axel. Little did she know he was writing and sending her gifts. Then she received a phone call that shattered her world, her father was sick. Selling everything she had packed what she needed, Chey raced home as fast as she could. Once home it was revealed her dad had bone cancer. Thankfully her father passed before the outbreak but her mother wasn't so lucky. She had contracted the virus and changed into a zombie.

Now Chey was living alone in this world as they fortressed Glendale or actually a smaller portion of it. They made their new town on the south side closer to the farmlands. They had built walls up around a small clinic, three farms, some houses and the small trailer park. They would make supplies runs into the north weekly. Finding what they could from the different stores and old homes. That is when she discovered the letters and gifts from Axel. She had waited four years and had just given up. Angry at her parents choice but understood they were protecting her. The hardware store was now in shambles like most of the city.

Today was a very interesting day as a team was heading towards a crash site. They all witness the helicopter go done and came up with a plan. A small team would head out to see what they could scavenge from the site as well see if anyone happened to survive. Knowing they needed to be fast and get back in time before it got dark out. The team in fact had found the site and what little was left. Load up a truck before they headed back to the town. Chey and few others were on foot once they got closer to the highway. Check a few vehicles on their way back when Chey had sensed something or someone was closer by. Instantly reaching for her gun before stalking whatever it was.

She saw the horses and signaled to a team member. They were going to round them up and take them back to the stables. What she did expect was the man with them. Soon it was showdown stance between the two, hearing a familiar voice but Chey kept her pistol pointed at him. The wind began to pick up as her hair was blowing in it, but her gaze never left Axel. It was her ex boyfriend from years ago! "Drop the gun." she said. Chey wasn't about to going running into her arms, ten years had passed after all. Though the ten years had done wonders on her, her beauty was magnified.

 

[JackHemingway]

Axel didn't drop his pistol but lowered it to his side and holstered it slowly, not to set off Cheyenne. He still remembered going to the range with her and her father. Her Dad wasn't pleased about him coming along but didn't say no to his little girl often. He raised his hands after doing that and cleared his throat. Axel had often done this routine with every outpost and settlement he'd encountered. Some people just wanted to interrogate you and ensure you were safe for them to let in or get information and send you on your way. Others would just debate whether to kill you or just try to take your stuff. He had a gut feeling that, despite it all, Cheyenne wasn't going to kill him outright, so he decided to speak up. "Hi, Cheyenne, I figured you'd be held up in Fortress Seattle. Have you seen my mom? Look, I'm not here to fight. I crashed in the military transport over the hills. I wandered over here and found the horses and, well, the family. They were already dead. I gave them some peace, and you can check them out. I guess they're kinda new to the area."

He sighed and leaned against the fence, and continued. "The horses were hungry. Let me guess: these people thought they could make it on their own and didn't want to join the community, right? Well, ask me anything you want, that's all I've got to say. I remember a time when we said sorry for fighting over stupid stuff. Look, I can't hurt you, and I've killed enough people and a shitload of zombies. If you feel safer shooting me, do it. Do you have any cigarettes? You still have my leather jacket? I hope it keeps you warm."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne watched him carefully, of course her dad taught her to shoot. If she really wanted she put a bullet in his head. Hearing his words she chuckled softly, why would he care were she was. "I haven't been in Seattle for months."she said. Watching as he leaned against the fence and continued to speak. Signaling to the others before lowering her pistol.

"I don't and I haven't seen your mom since this all started."she said. The others walked up not to spook the horses. She turned to them, "Head back now and take what we found." They soon left, leaving the pair alone. "Why would you care if I still have your jacket?" She asked. Putting her pistol in her holder before slowly walking over to a horse.

Cheyenne smiled a bit as she seemed relaxed around the horses. "Never ever would I think I would ever see you again. After all it has been ten years."she said. Turning to face Axel, "You have two options....either keep moving or follow me. There is a storm rolling in and I doubt you want to get caught in it."

 

[JackHemingway]

Axel walked by her, caressed the horse's mane, and nodded. "Yeah, I noticed the weather. I could follow you and stick around for at least a few days. After all, you got my stuff. I could stay here at the ranch and see what I could find. Leave me one horse, maybe? I know they have names someone painted them on the stalls. I was hoping you'd tell me my mom was held up in the hospital or something. We had a lot of stuff around the trailer. If I were you, I wouldn't care about me either. I thought you were living in Seattle, rich and happy with a few kids. You never told my mom you liked the gifts or anything. I figured you were happy and had moved on. We're not kids. The jacket's warm and good protection from zombie bites. I bet you gave that away a long time ago. Are your parents still with us?"

He jumped the fence and immediately steadied the horse, who reacted to the motion, and he looked back over at Cheyenne. "All the riding gear is in the barn, and a horse trailer with plenty of hay is behind it. Give me a run down, and we'll work out something with any supplies we find, and I'll move on. I'm glad you're alive, though."

He pulled from his waistband a combat survival knife and tossed it over to her. The blade was still in a tactical sheath, but printed on it boldly was H.E.R.C. as in Homeland Environmental Risk Control, the government agency created in the wake of the outbreak. "Word of friendly advice: don't trust the guys from H.E.R.C. They're not like the regular military. I know we didn't part on good terms, and it's been a while, but I never lied to you back then. Let's do this and get out of the snow. I'm sure you have a husband and family to get back to."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne sighed softly, "It because I didn't know about the letters and gifts until just recently. My parents hid them from me."she said. Taking two of runs in her hands before looking to him. "Axel...the hospital is in shambles...as for your trailer it is untouched. You can stay there as it is part of the compound we built. Basically everything north of highway exit twenty is ghostlands or has been raided."she said.

Motioning the horses to start moving, "My parents are dead. Cancer got my dad and the virus got my mom. All I have is myself." She began to lead him back to their safe haven. "I came back only seven months ago when my mom called me about my dad. By then the cancer was terminal. I sold all my stuff and moved back. Quit my nursing job...raced home to them." She explained.

Cheyenne briefly looked over at Axel, "I figured you found someone else all these years....I gave up hope after year four of waiting. I tried dating but I just wasn't happy. So I kept to myself...briefly visited over the years." After walking for forty-five minutes they arrived to the gate.

It opened to reveal their haven as small as it was. She lead him towards the stable. "Horses can stay here and then I'll show you around."she said. They got the three horses into stalls and she had a worker check on them.

 

[JackHemingway]

It took a little effort, but they got the horses and their gear together, and after some minor bickering, they got the supplies left from the home of the dead family and loaded them on the animals. Cheyenne, always the planner, took out a notepad and made a list of everything else for others to come back to when they had the next full day of search, rescue, and salvage, as she put it. It's no surprise that it only happened during the daylight hours. They walked and talked, taking the somewhat willing horses with them. Animals were a hit or miss for the virus, but with the stench of death around constantly, most animals were depressed. Axel let Cheyenne talk for a while, and he was honestly surprised about what she said. He was sad to hear about her parents and disappointed she had no idea about his mom. The town that came into view, though, shocked him. Not because he hadn't seen that type of thing before, but because you always hoped your hometown would be different, safe, and happy the way you remembered it.

Glendale, now at least in part, was surrounded by a wall that looked light. It was prefabricated fencing reinforced with sandbags in different places. Axel could see armed people walking back and forth on platforms behind the wall at least ten feet tall. There was also an outer wall comprising a chainlink fence and barbed wire. They must have policed the area, but some zombie remains and even some bones were tied in with the protective barrier. A crew was working the way down the line, adding sharpened stakes outside that area. "Home sweet home," Axel said out loud as they walked inside.

The first stop was a place everyone in town visited at one point or another. It was an old historical home made of brick and wood at the turn of the last century and probably had plenty of things that became useful again. The large barn out back was active again, and other horses were also there, along with some chickens running around.

"We going to the Quickstop for shakes then? Maybe hot chocolate is more like it." Back in the day, the convenience store with the large parking lot across from the supermarket was the place to hang out despite being close to the Sheriff's office." Cheyenne gave him a look that made him think she wasn't ready for jokes. "Okay, show me around. I've got a lot to catch up on, including finding my Mom. I'm really sorry about your parents, Chey...I mean Cheyenne. They were good people even if we didn't always get along, but yeah, I didn't forget about you, and find the leather jacket, you'll see how much I cared about you. I won't say I was alone for ten years, but I never felt right or well like it felt with you."

He walked outside the barn for a moment and cleared his head. "Fours after I left, you cared that much. I figured you gave all that love to someone who deserved it more. If your Mom didn't throw it out, there should be a package there from Japan. A kimono, your favorite colors. After that, it was just stuff I thought you'd like. I didn't know why I kept it up, but it was baggage. So show me home again, and if it isn't too much trouble, I haven't eaten or slept much in two days."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne didn't find his jokes funny at the moment though Axel has a history of this. "I haven't gone through all the stuff yet....it is back at my place. I honestly was taking the time to process everything. "she said. She lead him over to a house that was turned into their supplies outlet. "We can get you some food other stuff to take back to the trailer. Plus you can still call me Chey." she said. She picked some things out and got them packed up. "I am sorry about your mom, Axel. When everything fell apart it was a free for all." she spoke.

Soon they walked up to his old home, a very recognizable place. "No one has been inside...so it is untouched. If you want to stay here you can otherwise I do have space by me." she said. Cheyenne turned and point down the road. "The small ranch on down on the left...the tan one. That is where I call home now. If you need anything else you can hit up the store." she said. Giving him a small smile before she headed towards her home. Once home she undressed then got a fire going in the fire place. She walked over and curled up with a blanket in front of the fire. During the winter she slept in the living room on a mattress to be near the fire. The town did what they could to conserve resources, like electrical.

Though she was surprised to hear a knock on her door causing her to get up. She was shocked to see Axel on the other side and stepped aside for him. "Have a seat." she said. Cheyenne went over and took a seat by the fire. "I expected you to stay in the trailer....but then again not all of them have been weatherized for winter. However, we can work on that if you wish to stay long term." she said. Yet if he wanted to leave it was his choice.

 

[JackHemingway]

The lovely small town that was once Glendale went from a charming midwest town with a powerplant and railyard and just the right mix of farms and houses back to being a frontier outpost like it was in the old west. The town's population was once over twenty thousand, and now it was down to maybe a third of that between deaths or people running away in hopes of finding safety and security elsewhere. While things had quickly slipped into chaos, things were leveling out worldwide. Not that they were remotely close to getting things back on track, but it was stable in terms of the Dark Ages. There were warlords, castles, and plenty of hostiles in between. Glendale was no different and was a frontier town with isolation; it was its only natural protection. He'd seen much worse in the populated areas where people were like wolves, and the zombies were just savage cannibals. It was scary out there, but he didn't need to tell Cheyenne.

Axel made his way through the supply house for food to find out that there were a few different buildings for distributing things to locals and where people could share and trade. It seemed like farms and preserving food were more important than ever, and everyone who had abandoned the town had lost their stuff to the community. Far was with people presumed dead; you couldn't waste anything. He did his modest "shopping" for dinner and breakfast the next day. He knew he'd be back but wanted to figure out home first, not that he expected much. Not many in town liked his Dad, and the rest felt sorry for his Mom, but when Cheyenne showed him the old place, it looked in pretty good condition. He took note of her location, said goodnight, and started going over the old place.

Fortunately, they had one of the original lots laid out by the first owner of the trailer park, so they had plenty of room for a double-wide trailer and a large shed. This was only thanks to Axel's Mom, who cared for the old lady who owned the place. Her children never did much for her, but Heidi did, so that was how the trailer park became home. It wasn't so bad. There were a lot of kids around growing up, and when Dwight was gone, it was a pretty good life. The trailer park had mainly been turned into part of the wall on this side of town, but there were some signs he wouldn't be the only remaining resident of the trailer park. Axel searched, found the keys concealed in a coffee can under the trailer, and let himself in. The place was musty, and a lot of it was packed in boxes. When he last talked to his mother long ago, she said she was getting organized and thinking about moving, but everything was still here, mostly packed up. He'd inventory everything tomorrow when there was light out, maybe, and if he could get some heat going.

Though satisfied with finding a holy candle and a box of wood matches, he took them and walked to the large barn-style shed. Axel didn't need much light to tell that the motorcycles and the pickup truck were gone. No surprise there, but there were plenty of parts, miscellaneous junk, tools, and workbenches. He needed to find the old wood-burning stove, which he uncovered after searching. The stove could turn this place into a sauna, letting his father work outside in the winter months or when his mother threw him out. That would take a little work, but he'd be fine, and he was already planning to start building a bed out here when he realized something. Practically everything was here from before. While other trailers and scrap were turned into part of the defenses or looted, his stuff was still here, and he had a pretty good guess why.

While it was late, it wasn't like anything pressing was going on. He headed down the road to Cheyenne's new place. Part of him wondered why she was there, not at her parents' house or the hardware store, but they had plenty of catching up to do. Axel soon knocked at her door, and she let him into the house and locked the heavy-duty door behind them. They walked into the living room. Cheyenne had a blanket wrapped around her and was still fully dressed for the night, but in less bulky clothes, she was even sexier. He pulled off several winter layers and his boots and sat on the couch by the fire after handing her a paper bag with a ribbon. Inside was the glass candle with the matches. Cheyenne looked at it and him.

Axel rubbed his hands together, looked at her, and nodded. "Mom had like a box of those from Church, but I wanted to give it to you. Maybe we could light it and remember our parents sometimes. I don't pray exactly, but remembering people is a good thing. The trailer is fine and warm. Once I figure out the heating system, I don't think there is a lot of propane available these days, so I'll probably be heating the shed once I get some wood, maybe even coal. We'll see. The point is I can live there, but I need a break in the weather before I can start anything. I need to thank you, though. It is because of you my place wasn't looted. When we were shopping, I heard people. You're what a councilwoman now or something?" It is a huge ask, but can I sleep here tonight? I'll sleep on the floor by the door and keep watch whatever you need."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne listened as he spoke and took the bag. It made her smile a bit before setting it aside. "I left it incase your mom showed....she was always so nice to me."she said. Nodding as she listen to him speak. "I guess you can say I am on a concil. I banded with a few to build this place. This was the least destroyed and the farms are bonus. Still able to raise animals and crops. The small walk in clinic is like our hospital. We all took over what buildings we could then altered them too."She said.

She stood and shed her blanket and motioned him to follow her. Cheyenne had Axel give her hand in moving the spare mattress. Setting it up by the fireplace. "I keep the spare just in case....though I need to find a better way to heat this place. I only have the fireplace and it only heats this on room."she said. Yawning softly as she sat back down.

"We fish from the lake not far from here...hunt what we can....go on supply runs north into the rest of the city. This place isn't much...but it heaven compared to the world. Limit the use of vehicles to save gas."she said. Curling back up under the blanket.

"I do want to thank you for the gifts...I just thought after how we fought and you took off...I was just a memory."she said. Cheyenne honestly thought he had forgotten about her entirely. "Over the years I held out hope you would come back.... I dated but nothing clicked. So then I just stay singled as I felt I was too much for anyone."she said.

 

[JackHemingway]

"We'll see if we can build more of those wood-burning stoves. The old houses in town have the advantage of multiple fireplaces. We'll work on logging and the rest, but it's going to be a long winter. I want to stay and help. I'm not going anywhere."

He looked at Cheyenne, picked up the extra blankets, pushed them aside, lifted the other mattress on top of it, and stacked them. "Let's both be comfortable by the fire. I see two large blankets so we can sleep next to each other and keep each other warm. I know it's been a while, but trust me, I won't try anything."

Axel had left his rifle with his clothes, and he placed his Glock and a hunting knife next to it. He looked over at Cheyenne again and shook his head. "You used to trust me with everything. I know you're a good person. You could have killed me out by the road, and plenty of people wouldn't have taken the chance and just did that. If you want me to go, that's fine, but give me a chance to earn back at least your trust."

 

[Lexylove13]

He was right and it would be warmer this way. "Oh I know, you forget that my dad taught me how to shoot. Axe you of all people know that I don't trust easily.."she said. Cheyenne stretched a bit before laying a blanket out.

"I need to know you are serious about this.....this world we now live in is different. It will not be easy by any means." She said. No way she would let her guard down until she knew for certain he was serious. "Plus the community needs to be able to trust you too. Most are uneasy with military personnel."she explained.

Cheyenne walked over ,tossed a few logs on the fire. Soon claiming her side of the mattress. "Besides fixing your trailer, it expected to help the community. Most have jobs or areas of expertise. We work together to keep this place safe and so we can live . We still have a long ways to go with this place...always a new threat hanging around."she said.

Yawning softly as she got comfortable under her blanket. "For the record if I had not even an ounce of trust . Why would I invite you here and let alone shared a bed." She stated. It would take a lot to gain her full trust again. "Get some sleep if the storm is worse that we have a lot of recovery to do."she said.

 

[JackHemingway]

Cheyenne had laid down the law with Axel, and nothing she said was really out of line. He could do plenty to help himself and others, and he was OK with that. He'd like to think she wasn't the only person he knew in the community, but it had been ten years, and people had forgotten about you, and after this trauma, you weren't anything more than a stranger. He picked up the other throw blanket, wrapped himself up, and got comfortable on the mattress. He shifted a little bit and felt his back against her's but adjusted and moved more to the edge keeping the weapons and door in site.

"You remember how many nights we stayed up all night talking about everything, sometimes just watching the stars? It seems like a long time ago, but there was a time when we were excited that there would be a lot of snow. That was another lifetime ago, though, right, Chey? Still, thanks for the roof, the fire, and the food, and I appreciate you not shooting me."

Axel rolled over on his side, facing her back, and said. "You know I am surprised you're not married I didn't expect to find you here. I won't say I'm glad I mean this is hell right now but it is good to see you."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne settled then smiled a bit, "We did as we were so excited too." She shifted a bit on the mattress as he spoke to get more comfortable. "Nope I just didn't vibe with anyone else. Got to the point I just kept to myself."she said.

She shivered a bit before she tighten the blanket around her. "If the snow isn't as bad we can start on the trailer tomorrow."she said. Slowly feel herself drifting asleep as she trusted Axel. Cheyenne eventually fell asleep though rolled over in her sleep and curled up to Axel like old times.

Her face nuzzled his neck as she settled. The wind began to howl as the storm was now hitting. The few extra logs would hold them until morning. Cheyenne stayed closed to Axel as she slept, this was some of the most sleep she has gotten in some time.

 

[JackHemingway]

The pair had cuddled up close for warmth, but in Axel's mind, familiarity had to be part of it at least a little. Despite going through hell like so many others, Cheyenne was still a beautiful woman. You'd think that she'd shacked up with some tough SOB for safety and security alone. He'd seen that enough times to be sure. Some fat smelly old biker ran one the compounds he'd passed through, and he had a harm of twenty something girls. Axel was pretty sure it wasn't because of the guy's personality though he had to admit the guy was a good chess player but he was another aspiring king of north America. Since the zombie outbreak, Axel was pretty sure crazy had come out in full force. He felt warm and safe for a while, which was priceless.

Cheyenne woke up to the smell of coffee and saw Axel sitting on the sill of the front baywindow over looking the yard. He'd fed the fire with the stack of old newspapers. When she got up wrapped in a blanket, she came over, and he offered her a camping cup mug of coffee and a still-frozen Three Musketeers Bar. She looked at him curiously as she sat down across from him. "Found your coffee pot. I only made enough for two, so nothing will go to waste, but I had two candy bars left. I saw all the soldiers die after the crash, I was up for almost two days dealing with all the zombies from the highway, and I was saving these two candy bars. Then I saw the raunch. I knew they would keep coming, so I decided to make a big fire, sit by, and eat them both. I was pretty tired. Didn't seem right to leave the horses like that so I fed them and that kept me going a little longer, and then you showed up. So, thanks for saving me. Please eat that one. I remember saying you didn't want one because you were watching your weight, but you ate half of mine."

Axel smiled and looked at the snowfall still coming down, and there were close to twelve inches already on the ground. "So, what's your normal routine? I'm not sure I'll be getting into my place today."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne soon awoke to the smell of coffee and soon smiled. Taking the candy bar before she sat down. "Well it doesn't look too bad out....I usually head to the farms. Help out with the animals then chop some wood. We all basically help each other. As whole we are working on getting the clinic winterized better. I'll eventually move in there."she said. Enjoying the coffee, what Axel didn't realize was that Cheyenne grew to be independent. She was fine being on her own and could handle herself.

"But we have to hold off for a better day. We do have a meeting to discuss our next run into the city. These runs are always planned out and targets chosen. We never blindly do supply runs..its just too risky."she explained. Their safety was the number one priority as there like maybe twenty people in the town. All had jobs or areas they specialize in.


"We eventually want to hit the small mall but that is going to take lots of planning. Our goal is to get more things like clothes and blankets from there....or whatever we can find."she said. However she was curious as to where that helicopter was heading. "Where exactly were you guys heading? Most of the miltary moved out of here..."she said. The miltary was focusing more on the bigger cities and having compounds set up.

 

[JackHemingway]

"We were heading towards Fort Tran. That was the plan anyway. I don't think we had enough fuel. We barely got out of the last post. I was working as kinda of a scout for that Natioinal Guard unit. They are a bunch of good guys and girls. They had their families. Well, they were. Guess with the new world you get used to death a lot more. The pioneers lost so much but gained a lot in the end. We're just losing ground."

Axel looked over at Cheyenne, smiled, and laughed. "I'm all for doing my part, but there is something I have to do before meeting anyone else. You're being too nice."

Withing a half hour Axel was at the town church with a school and other buildings and had turned into the processing center, meeting house, and community center. He went through the process run by some of the town's older citizens who wanted to make sure he was a good candidate for the town. It did help that he grew up there, but those old timers were old enough to remember the young hell raise. It helped a little that Chey said he'd been a great friend all through high school and had a lot of skills. He snorted when she said friend, thinking of all the long nights they'd spent together talking and doing some other things, but he was about to push things with her. Eventually, they were satisfied and happy to see he'd be using his skills and getting another home up and running. For the time being, he was entrusted to Cheyenne's care so she could have more power and water for her house, but everyone had to cut back. The best part was when they gave him some sweats from high school and took all his clothes to be cleaned and he stood in the shower for his entire time enjoying the hotwater.

Glendale was always a town in the middle of nowhere, but it had a railroad stop and a coal mine that led to a power plant. So it all let the isolated town thrive, and the town residences who were surviving intended to keep that way. For the rest of the morning, he met survivors. Some he'd known from growing up, but plenty of new residents moved in before the bad times and their were whole refugee families. There were many sad stories, but nobody had a solid lead on his mother. The whole time Cheyenne was close by listening and being supportive. Well even if she was just a friend now that was a pretty good thing to have in these dire times, and he had plenty to share with her.

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne had stood back as the elders asked Axel a million questions. Though since it did snow more, they took that snow and let it melt down to water. Storing all the excess in barrels on one of the farms. Please with how he met every single person. Soon she silently stepped away and headed for the stables.

It was time to get to work and let the horses stretch their legs. Cheyenne spoke with one workers around needed supplies and made a mental list. Planning on Axel to take her to the farm where he found them. Discussing how the rain barrels have been super effective for water all year. Electricity was hard for the town as the farms did use the most. They did find supplies for solar panels at her folks hardware store.

The town did what they could to make it efficient. Using horses for supply runs to save on fuel. Condensing buildings into smaller like cabins if possible. Having a community building to house majority of their supplies.

Cheyenne had finished cleaning a stall when Axel walked up. "Alright time to work..hay bales are that way and each horse gets one. We have now ten horses. After we can start on your trailer."she said. Giving him a smile before they made sure every horse had food. "We use solar for electricity for the barns and community house. Water is collected in rain barrels, though we melt snow in water as much as we can. Fish and hunt when weather permits."she said.

Soon they headed for his trailer, "How far away is that farm your found? I would like to take a team there and see what we can find." They were always looking to get more things for the farms and animals. Only butchering when needed, they had seven cows and a flock of chickens. So far that has been plenty due to in the spring summer...vegetable gardens are all over the town.

 

[JackHemingway]

It wasn't exactly the welcome Axel was expecting, but he didn't know what to anticipate with this new version of Glendale after the outbreak either. Cheyenne was a bit of a mystery these days, but a lot could change in ten years. She was never a weak little flower, but she was a community leader now, a woman of medicine, and a warrior. She'd shown him kindness even if she treated him like everyone else. After going through the day's motions, they talked at the horse stables. The animals he rescued seemed to have remembered him and were friendly when he came by.

"Well you met me there it isn't far off the highway maybe 40 minutes ride from the town. I'm not sure what else is there, but it is probably worth checking out."

 

[Lexylove13]

Cheyenne took note of it before they headed to his trailer. "Okay that isn't too bad."she said. Man being back at his trailer brought back lots of memories. His mom always treated her very kindly. "What would you like to do with this?"she asked.

She would be willing to help him do the needed changes. "I'm sorry about your mom...I wish I had answers for you."she said. Cheyenne felt bad for Axel and really wished she could've gave him a different answer. "I know what you are thinking...you didn't expect to get the welcome you did. Not everyone have lost their morals in this new world. As long as nothing shady goes down you're fine."she said.

 

[JackHemingway]

Taking a break to reset.