Episode 9: A New Day

The door to the warehouse burst open, and Ness and I flew in. Ness released an arrow into one of the walker’s heads as I swung my machete down on another. Robert and Reed came in after us, Reed with a limp in his leg. He grasped a metal bat, and Robert wielded his sword. We moved throughout the vast warehouse room, taking out walkers here and there until the room was clear.

                At the far side of the room was a sliding door that was closed. I raised my hand and motioned to the door. They followed me. I put my ear against it, hearing several sounds of moaning and shuffling. Robert went to the door handle and nodded to me as the three of us pulled out guns. Ness had a hunting rifle, I had a shotgun, and Reed had a handgun. Robert pulled the door open and then scooted back, pulling his assault rifle around with the strap across his shoulder.

                As soon as the door was open, walkers poured out, and we unloaded on them. Very soon, there were so many bodies that the walkers couldn’t help but trip over them. When the last one came out and was killed, I raised my fist and twirled my finger, signaling for Ness and Robert to close up all entrances. As they left, Reed and I took out knives and put down the walkers that were still twitching.

                Ten minutes later, Ness and Robert came back, driving the truck through the largest of openings. They got out, and Robert slid the garage-like door closed. He whipped out a chain and padlock, wrapping them around the door handle and clicking it into place. Ness walked up to me.

                “The rest of the warehouse is secure,” she said. “There were a few walkers in the rooms upstairs. There are some beds, blankets.”

                Reed spoke up, limping into the room.

                “I found some canned food in the kitchen. They should last us a few days.”

                “Good,” I replied.

I saw Robert walking back from the truck with four duffel bags.

“Okay, get your bag and head upstairs,” I said. “Get settled in.”

I walked up to Robert.

“Would you mind taking mine up for me? I’m going to check the perimeter one more time.”

“Need any help?” Ness asked.

“No, I’ll be fine alone.”

Ness and Robert exchanged worried glances.

“Guys,” I said. “I’m fine. Really.”

I turned and walked away. I understood their concern. I really did. It had been only two days since…But really, I was fine.

I closed the door behind me as I walked out. The warehouse was rather small compared to some of the others we had passed, but it was better than the McDonald’s and the bank we had stayed at. It had a main building and then a smaller attachment on the north side. Most of the windows were broken, and the brick walls were littered with graffiti. There were four doors on the building, one on each side. I noticed that the second floor was partial, opening to the main room of the warehouse. I rounded the west wall and then the north, but as I walked down the east wall, something caught my eye.

Close to the wall with tall grass all around was a little pond. I walked slowly towards it. The water was clear, but with a thin layer of algae growing at the top. I dropped to my knees. Scattered among the water were beautiful lilies.

I reached out with shuddering hands and picked up one from the water. I looked at its ridges, its pedals, its center, but all I could see was her face. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. Then suddenly her face became pale and bloody. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving. Sluggishly, her eyes opened, but it wasn’t her. Her eyes were grey and dead. She lunged at me, and I watched as another me put a bullet in her brain.

The tears came, but I choked them down. With the flower clenched in my hands, I tore it to shreds. Quickly, I stood, turned around, yelled, and slammed my fist into the brick wall. I didn’t even feel it, but the skin over my knuckles burst open. Blood ran down my arm. I was breathing heavily as I laid my head against the wall.

I heard a twig snap behind me, so I quickly wiped my eyes on my sleeve.

“Oh,” I said. “Hey.” Sniff. “I didn’t hear you.”

I turned around, and the walker tackled me. We fell backwards into the pond. It held me down beneath the water, but with all of my strength, I held it back. It was missing an arm, so I held the other in one hand and put my other hand against its neck. I shoved my knee against its abdomen.

I was running out of air. Water went up my nose. The walker thrashed around. In a mighty heave, I pushed us both out of the water with my legs. I landed on top of the water on the bank of the pond. I struggled beneath my, but I pinned it down. Its mouth snapped. Its fingers wrapped around my bicep.

I reached out and grabbed a large rock nearby. It was heavy, but I picked it up and brought it down hard on the walker’s head. Its skull burst open, but it still moved. I hit it again and again and again and again. Eventually, I was covered in blood, and the walker’s head was reduced to a pile of mush.

Rolling over, I laid my back against the brick wall, breathing heavily and burying my head in my hands.

Back inside, Ness wiped my face while Robert wrapped my nearly broken hand. They didn’t say anything, but I could feel their concern.

“Where’s Reed?” I finally asked.

“Upstairs,” Ness said. “Sleeping.”

“Already? It’s not even dark yet.”

“He’s had a really rough few days.”

I nodded. Reed was hurt, he lost people he was close to, he was only eleven, and this was his first time on the road.

“We should probably turn in, too,” I said.

We walked to the stairs, but Ness stopped me. As soon as Robert was out of earshot, she began.

“Hey, are you okay?” she immediately laughed and added, “What am I saying? Of course you’re not okay.”

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically. “I’m fine.”

I started to walk past, but she stopped me.

“Look, I know it’s hard, but we’re all feeling the loss of Lily, you know. You don’t have to—you can’t shut down like this.” I looked down. “We need you. Reed needs you…”

I was silent.

“You know he looks up to you,” she continued. “He thinks of you as his big brother.” I smiled. “And Lily as his big sister.”

I sniffed and put my hands in my pockets.

“Erik, you’re our leader whether you want to be or not, but you need to be strong. We depend on you, and I won’t let you fall apart.”

Her were logical, but they seemed impossible. I smiled at her anyway. She smiled too and gave me a hug. I wrapped my arms around her, and we stood there for the longest time.

When I woke up the next day, it was quiet. I went downstairs to find Reed and Ness eating canned vegetables. She smiled at me as I sat down. Reed handed me a can of green beans and a can opener. Robert came in several minutes later carrying a large cage containing a few trapped squirrels still alive and scurrying around. We went past us to the back room while raising the cage and saying, “dinner.”

After Ness was finished eating, she bent over and examined Reed’s leg. She pulled off the bandages and cleaned the wound. It was healing rather quickly, but Reed still winced whenever Ness touched it. When she was done, she wrapped his thigh with fresh bandages.

We were cleaning up our empty cans whenever thunder rocked the building and rain began to fall. The rain hitting the tin roof echoed loudly throughout the warehouse. Robert came back out and sat with us.

BOOM!

Reed jumped, then laughed at himself. Lightning flashed outside.

BOOM!

Robert opened his can of vegetables. Another flash.

BOOM!

The windows rattled. Ness brought out a book and began to read. Robert sharpened his sword once he was done eating. Reed sighed and laid his head down. Lightning flashed several times.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BAM!

BOOM!

Reed lifted his head, and I stood up.

“What was that,” I asked.

Ness gave me an odd look. “Um…thunder?”

“No. I think it was—”

BAM! BAM!

Now, they were on alert.

“Those were gunshots,” Robert stated.

Ness grabbed her bow and a couple of arrows from her quiver beneath the table. She went to the window and peered out.

“I don’t see anything,” she said.

I ran to the far wall and got my machete and gun from where I left them on the workbench. I stuck the gun in the holster at my thigh and went to the main doors.

“Reed,” I began. “Get your gun and stay clear of the windows. Get somewhere safe. Robert, go upstairs and use the scope on your rifle. Cover me, and keep a look out. Ness, lock all of the doors after I leave, and keep Reed safe.

“What are you doing?” she questioned.

“I’m going out there,” I stated. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. When you hear four knocks on the door, you’ll know it’s me.”

I walked out the door before she could protest.

Outside, it was pouring rain. I could barely see twenty feet in front of me. Waves of rain smashed against me. I really reconsidered my choice to go out there.

BAM!

I heard the shot again and followed it. I came to a long, empty street that extended out in front of me. With the rain obstructing my view, I couldn’t see the end of the street, but I saw small shops lining the sidewalks, boarded up and abandoned. I heard an odd sound coming toward me and seconds later, I saw headlights breaking through the mist. An SUV pulled into view. It was heavily armored with scrap metal and was sporting a large machine gun through the sunroof on top.

It was going slow, as if it were searching for something. I made the quick decision to dash into one of the shops. The first door was locked. The second was as well. I opened the third just as the SUV passed. I closed it behind me and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, there were hands all over me, taking my gun and my machete. I was pushed to the ground. I turned my head and saw six figures in the small bookshop. A large Hispanic man had a shotgun pointed at me next to a smaller girl with blonde, wavy hair going down her shoulders. She held a handgun and both my gun and machete in the other. Her cool-grey eyes bore into me. Behind the two of them was a tall, Asian guy that looked to be about my age, standing in the corner. Near him was a man on the ground, unconscious. There was a little girl on her knees next to him and a woman hovering over him, pushing towels onto his chest.

My eyes fell back upon the girl with the gun pointed at my nose. She was beautiful. Her skin was flawless, and her golden hair fell perfectly around her.

“Mara,” the other woman said. “David’s losing a lot of blood.”

The girl looked back, then back at me. She sighed and looked over at the Hispanic man. “We don’t have time for this,” she said. The man nodded, and I saw her turn to the injured man just as the big guy hit me with the butt of his gun.

Everything went black.

Episode 8: Picking Up the Pieces

John watched Erik, Lily, Reed, Robert, and Ness drive away. He had seen Lily get bitten. He had seen Erik abandon Rebecca and Carly. Luckily, John had been there to make sure they had gotten to safety. He’d shot the walkers from the roof to clear them a path.

                Spencer was with him. Joshua, Brett, and a grief-stricken Cynthia had made in safely inside. The attackers were driving away by now, but the walkers were everywhere. He saw Logan running, and he decided to help him out.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

John shot the walkers that pursued Logan who made it safely inside. John stood and peered over at Spencer.

“Let’s get down there,” he said and headed to the ladder.

Inside, Brett was holding Cynthia back from Brett.

“You killed my son!” she kept screaming.

“I didn’t! No!” he kept replying.

“Whoa!” John shouted. “What’s going on here?”

“He killed my son!”

“I swear I didn’t!”

“LIAR!!!”

This time it took both John and Joshua to hold her back. Cynthia’s fury emanated her like heat from a light bulb.

“Let’s all just calm down,” John said.

Cynthia broke from his grip, but she didn’t go for Brett. Instead, she stormed off.

“Is this everyone?” Spencer asked.

John nodded.

“Where’s Erik?” Brett asked.

John frowned at the sound of his name.

“He, Ness, Lily, Robert, and Reed were running for a car last time I saw them,” Rebecca said.

“They made it out. Well…Lily didn’t,” John stated. “I’m not sure if they’re coming back.”

“What about Albert?” Logan asked. “Principal Berm?”

John shook his head to both of those.

“Ellis?”

“I saw him go down,” John replied. “It was a feeding frenzy.”

John saw Rebecca put her hands over Carly’s ears.

“We don’t need to talk about this anymore,” she said.

Joshua looked outside. Walkers were still all throughout the parking lot, but they were thinning out. Groups of walkers huddled in different spots of the parking lot, feeding on their kills.

“We should be able to leave later tomorrow,” Joshua said, “as long as we don’t draw much attention to ourselves tonight.”

“All right everyone,” John began. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine. Just head to the back of the store, and try to get some sleep.”

They all meandered to the back, but John stayed, looking out the window. He kept expecting Erik to drive up and get out, but he never did.

John woke up to a loud shriek. He launched himself off of the floor and grabbed his bat. He joined up with Spencer and ran through the halls. Near the electronics section of the store, they found Joshua standing over a dead walker with a knife in its head. Joshua’s left arm had a large chunk bit out of it.

“Oh my god,” Spencer breathed. “Joshua.”

Joshua looked up and backed away.

“It’s Brett,” he said, motioning towards the walker.

John knelt down and examined the body. It was definitely Brett, but as far as he could tell, there were no bites or scratches. The only injuries it had were a knife to the brain and a slice in its throat.

“No bites or scratches,” John said. “Someone slit his throat.”

“How is that possible?” Spencer asked? “How could he have turned without getting bit?”

“I’m not sure, but we have bigger things to worry about.” John eyed Joshua. “Joshua, go get Rebecca and have her wrap that up.”

Joshua nodded and turned away, beginning to walk away. John was quick. In a few quick motions, he pulled the knife out of Brett’s head, ran up to Joshua, and shoved it through his brain before Joshua even noticed what was happening.

Joshua sunk to the floor like a rag doll. John turned to Spencer, whose eyes were wide.

“Get Rebecca, Logan, Cynthia and Carly ready.”

“That’s it?” Spencer asked. “You’re not even going to try to find out who murdered Brett?”

“We don’t have time for that,” John said. “Those men are going to be back once these walkers move on. We need to leave, and I’d rather face a bunch of walkers than intelligent men with guns.”

Spencer eyed John fearfully

John raised his arms. “GO!”

Cynthia got up from her sleeping bag, and she walked towards the front of the store. She had grabbed the keys from John’s bag, and she left her bloody knife by her pillow. Rebecca, Carly, and Logan were still asleep.

Cynthia hadn’t slept all night. She had waited for the opportunity, and she took it when Brett wandered off to the electronics section of the store. She snuck up behind him and slit his throat. Then, she went back to her bed before anyone had even noticed her absence.

She approached the front doors of Target and stuck the key in the lock. She had nothing left to live for. Her whole family was dead. Her son had been shot by the one person she had found comfort in, and she had just brutally slaughtered him. She did nothing to contribute to their pathetic group. She had nothing.

She pulled the chains off the doors and threw them open.

Walkers immediately poured into the store, and she let them. They bit into her neck, her shoulders, her leg, and her arms.

She cried out as they ate her alive.

John, Logan, Spencer, Rebecca, and Carly all heard the screams. They ran to the front of the store to find a horde of walkers surging through the store. Many of them were crowded around a single body.

“Cynthia! No!” Rebecca called. She picked up Carly, and they ran back deeper into the store. John, Logan and Spencer followed.

“Go to the back door! Go through the storage!” John commanded.

They ran as fast as they could through a set of swinging doors to the storage area in the back. They weaving through shelves until they finally found an exit sign. Outside, walkers had not yet reached the alleyway where they were. They circled around the store to the parking lot. Most of the walkers had either moved on or were inside Target. Having no trouble getting to the large white van, John took the wheel, and Logan got in the front seat next to him. Everyone else got in the back. John roared the engine and drove forward. The walkers growl and snarled and pounded against the van, but John pushed on to the road. It was a bumpy and bloody ride.

Suddenly a figure ran out in the middle of the road. It was a limping man, covered in blood and guts. He was waving his arms and shouting: “Help! Help!”

“Who is that?” Rebecca asked.

“That’s one of the men that attacked us,” Spencer said. “I remember his face.”

“What should we do?”

They were getting closer.

“Run him over,” Logan suggested in a dark voice.

“What—?” Spencer began just as John floored it with a smile on his face and insanity in his eyes.

The man’s body flew over the top of the van. He landed on the concrete as they kept driving. If he didn’t die from that, the walkers converging certainly made sure of it.

John never looked back.

They drove down the highway, heading east. Silence was blanketed over the van. Rebecca held Carly in her lap, eyeing Logan and John in the front nervously.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Carly chirped.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” John said. “I ain’t stoppin’”

“Oh, come on,” Rebecca said. “It won’t take that long.”

“No.”

“Really, man?” Spencer pleaded. “I know you’re trying, but we don’t even know if we’ll catch up with Erik.”

John shot Spencer an angry look in the mirror.

“You think I’m going after Erik? I’m trying to get away from him. He obviously left us all behind, and all he did was get people killed. We’re all better off without him! Besides, without me, he’s probably dead by now! I’m doing what’s best for all of us.”

He slammed on the brakes and turned around, looking at Carly.

“Just get out and pee.”

Episode 7: Fear the Living

        I bolted down the ladder and ran through Target waking everybody up like I was Paul Revere. I went to the front doors. By that time, the cars were all pulling into the parking lot. Everyone woke up quickly, gathering weapons and belongings. Soon, they were crowding around me, peering out the windows toward this potential threat.

        With eighteen of us against too many of them, we didn’t stand a chance.

        Lights flash across our faces as the cars pulled up to the entrance. Twenty or so men got out of the cars carrying assault rifles.

        “All right everybody,” John whispered loudly, appearing out of nowhere. “Get your stuff together and fast. Spencer, Gabriel and I will go to the roof and try to talk to them. Ness, you lead Lily, Cynthia, Reed, Berm, and Carly out the back door. Try to sneak around them and get to a car. Everyone else, get ready to fight if necessary.”

        Everyone nodded in agreement and scampered about. I faltered. After earlier today, I figured John would be done giving orders, but now I was just confused. However, I put it out of my mind. Now was not the time to debate leadership.

        We were armed and ready to go in less than two minutes. John, Spencer, and Gabriel had made it to the roof and started talking just as men started tugging at the locked doors. We were ready to burst out of the doors at any second. I couldn’t hear anything, but I watched all of the men point their weapons towards the roof simultaneously. One of them shouted but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. This went on for a while. John would shout something, and the man would shout something back.

        It looked like thins would go smoothly. Even some of the men started to back away. I thought maybe we could avoid this. Then the man aimed his rifle and took a shot at the roof. All of the men outside took cover from return gunfire as Gabriel’s body fell from the roof to the concrete below.

        “NO!!!” Albert shouted behind me. He ran past me and blasted through the doors, opening fire upon our attackers. We all followed. Most of the men took cover from the incessant gunfire behind their cars, but still a few were hit by whizzing bullets.

        I took cover with Brett and Sam behind an old carcass of a car. Brett looked so scared; his hands shook, and Sam looked angrily determined. Even for a teenager, he had a look that I hope never to see again. It was one of hate—as if he was willing to execute every one of these men—and one of carelessness, like he had nothing to live for anyway.

        I looked around. Ellis, Rebecca, and Joshua were behind another car. Robert and Logan were behind an overturned metal bench. Albert’s lifeless body was in a heap in front of the Target doors. A bullet whizzed right past my head, shattering the glass door behind me and raining shards down upon us.

        Sam leaned over to Brett. “Cover me!”

        He snuck around the corner of the car and advanced towards one of the men. The man noticed him and ran cowardly back behind a car. As he went, Sam stood upright and fired round after round. Brett, too, stood and shot at the others to keep them away from Sam who had just blown the guy’s brains out when—

        “BRETT!!!”

        I looked to my right and saw Lily and Ness leading Cynthia, Principal Berm, Carly, and Reed towards them. What were they doing? I could only guess that they hadn’t found a way around the enemy.

        Brett looked over, smiled, and lowered his gun slightly.

        “Cynthia?”

        BAM!!!

        I had just enough time to see the accidental bullet leave Brett’s gun and ricochet off the top of the car we were behind before I blinked. When I opened my eyes, Sam was falling like a rag doll with a bullet hole in the back of his head.

        “Sam! NO!” Cynthia cried.

        “Oh God!” Brett exclaimed.

        He backed away from the body just as Cynthia knelt beside it.

        A spray of bullets hit the side of the car, and we all ducked. Lily and Ness were behind the car beside me.

        “We couldn’t get to a car,” Ness said.

        “Yeah I figured,” I replied.

        “Well we need to get out of here.”

        “What about the supplies?” Lily asked. “We still haven’t loaded most of what we’ll need into the cars.”

        “There’s not a lot in the cars already, but there’s enough,” I said. “The only problem is getting to them.”

        I peered over at the ready cars all the way across the parking lot.

        “We’re trapped here for now.”

        That’s when we heard a loud crashing sound coming from Home Depot. The front doors had shattered, and walkers began to pour into the parking lot towards the commotion.

        “No,” I said. “No, John said he would put wood over it…”

        “Biters!” I heard one of the looters shout.

        The men scrambled. Some of them started shooting at the walkers. Some of them continued to shoot at us. And a few of them got into their cars and fled.

        “Well…that’s lucky,” Ness commented.

        “Umm…how so?” Lily asked.

        “She’s right,” I said, taking the moment to reload my gun. “We have to make a run for it, and our enemy is preoccupied.” I cocked the gun. “Just follow me.”

        I stood up and shot a looter who was moving towards us. “Let’s go!”

        Lily, Ness, and Reed followed closely behind me. Then Berm and his little girl, Carly came after them. I saw Brett tugging on Cynthia’s shoulder, but she would not leave her son.

        “This is your fault,” I heard her say softly.

        Brett looked over at me solemnly. “You go on ahead.”

        I nodded, and we were off. We went to an overturned car, dodging bullets. There we found Rebecca shooting oncoming walkers and Robert ramming his sword through a looter’s chest.

        “Come on! We’re making a run for the cars!” I shouted to them. Robert nodded and pulled out his bloody sword from the dead man.

        “What about John and Spencer on the roof?” asked Rebecca.

        I remained silent. To be honest, I didn’t want to save John. He was the reason the walkers were out here. I looked down at Carly, who was hiding behind her dad’s leg.

        “We’ll come back for them,” I said, “but we need to get her to safety first.”

        “Okay,” Rebecca agreed.

        I peered round the edge of the car we were behind. I could see our cars waiting for us on the other side of the parking lot. There weren’t any more possible barriers to hide behind, but the looters were falling back. Unfortunately, the walkers were taking their place. They were everywhere. I saw Ellis among them with and assault rifle, mowing down walkers.

        “Ready?” I asked everyone. The seven of them looked at me with scared and determined eyes.

        "Okay, on three.”

        They nodded.

        “One.”

        Ness nocked an arrow, and Robert readied his sword.

        “Two.”

        Lily wiped a tear, and Berm picked up his daughter.

        “THREE!”

        Chaos broke out immediately. We burst forth, and walkers spotted us. As we sprinted, I hacked off a walker’s head.

        BAM! BAM!

        Rebecca shot two in the head. I saw an arrow hit a walker right beside me. Reed ran past and put quickly put down three walkers. Suddenly, Robert was beside me, lopping off a walker’s head and left arm in one swing.

        “AHHHHH!!!” It was Ellis, about 100 feet away, and a walker was biting into his shoulder. He threw the walker off of him and started unloading bullets in all directions.

        “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

        Some of the bullets whizzed past us, and we ducked. I saw Reed fall. I heard a shout behind me.

        “Daddy!”

        I turned and saw Principal Berm on the ground. Rebecca was picking up Carly and shooting walkers. She tried to move toward us, but she was cut off. She began to move back towards Target.

        Ness ran past me.

        “Come on! Let’s go!” she called to me. She nocked two arrows on her bowstring and let them fly, hitting two separate walkers right between the eyes.

        Robert swooped in and picked up Reed with one arm. Lily grabbed my hand. I looked into her eyes. She was terrified, but she gave me a reassuring smile.

        “I love you,” she said softly, and I kissed her.

        We turned and started to sprint towards the cars. Walkers lunged at us, and we dodged around them. She clutched my hand so hard it hurt.

        BAM! BAM! BAM!

        Three more walkers went down. Ness, Robert, and the injured Reed were already at a silver truck.

        “We’re almost there Lily!” I called.

        Suddenly I felt her lurch back. She screamed at the top of her lungs. I turned in horror as a walker bit into her neck.

        “NOOOO!!!!! LILY!!!”

        BAM!

        I shot the walker and caught her before she fell. Blood was already everywhere. Tears flowed down her face.

        “No…no no no no no…please no!” I pleaded to I don’t know who as I cradled her in my arms.

Walkers were approaching, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to live without her. I held her closer. A walker reached for me.

        BAM! BAM!

        The walker’s head burst, and Robert appeared. He wielded a pistol in one hand and his sword in the other. He hacked and slashed and shot all the walkers around us.

        “Move! Now!” he shouted.

        I nodded and picked up Lily in my arms. Her breathing was slowing, and her blood was all over the both of us. I ran to the truck with Robert fighting his way after me. Ness helped me get Lily into the truck bed, and Robert climbed into the driver’s seat.

        Reed was awake, lying in the truck bed beside us, and Ness was wrapping bandages over his left thigh. A bloody bullet was next to them. Lily had her eyes open. She placed a hand against m teary face. A weak smile spread across her lips.

        “It’s okay.” She said it so softly I could barely hear her. “It’s okay, Erik. It’s okay. It’s—”

        Her last breath left her lips, and her eyes glazed over.

        “No no…no,” I breathed.

        I hugged her body close and cried as we drove off into the night. 

Episode 6: Disease Control

            Robert and I walked in front of the glass doors of Home Depot. Walkers pounded against the glass, desperately and thoughtlessly. The cracks in the glass had been growing since we shut those doors a week ago.

            “We’ll need to leave soon,” Robert stated. “That glass won’t last another couple of days.”

“I’ll ask John to put some wood over it later today. That will buy us some time” I said. “How are the repairs coming along on the cars?”

Robert and I walked towards the edge of the parking lot as far as we could put them from the store; we didn’t want the noise to bring walkers to our doorstep.

“The truck you brought in seems fine,” Robert said. “It just needed some gas. The station wagon is a little iffy. I’m not sure if it’ll run yet. Albert’s working on it now. Spencer’s taking some of the parts from that school bus you went back for and is putting them in that van.”

He pointed to a black van where Spencer was working under the hood. Rebecca stood close by with a shotgun. Several feet away, Albert was underneath a wood-paneled station wagon, and Ness stood on the hood with her bow at the ready. Her quiver on her back was packed full of new arrows she had made from the supplies we had recovered. I waved at her, and she waved back.

Robert and I turned and headed back towards target.

“Is everybody all packed up?” I asked

“Almost.”

“We should start putting our stuff in the cars as soon as possible.”

“I’ll go tell John.”

“Don’t worry, I got it. I need to talk to him about reinforcing the home depot doors anyway.”

Robert nodded and walked off as I stood in the middle of the Target parking lot. Things were going well, I mean, as well as they could be. We were taking control of the situation and making the best of it. We hadn’t seen a walker in a few hours which was nice. Everybody was pitching in and helping out, except John, who had been strangely quiet for a while. I had unofficially named Robert as my number two since Logan had been avoiding me as well, but that didn’t bother me as much.

At the far edge of the parking lot I noticed two figures approaching and walking quickly. After a while I recognized them as Lily and Reed. They came to a stop before me, breathing heavily and sharing worried glances.

“Where were you two?” I asked, concerned.

“Well…we…uh…we were scouting for some more…um…cars, and we saw…we saw…” Lily was openly flustered.

“We saw another group across the highway,” Reed stated.

I started dumbly as Lily nodded her head and Reed looked up at me with wide eyes. I didn’t know what to do. What approach should I take? Defensive? Accepting? Paranoid?

“Did you get a good look at them?”

“They had some pretty heavy weapons and several cars,” Lily replied.

“How many people?”

“Fifteen? Twenty? I’m not sure. We left pretty quickly.”

I let that sink in.

“What are we gonna do?” Reed asked.

The truth was: I didn’t know what to do.

“You guys go get something to eat” I told them. “I’m going to go talk to John.”

I found him in the alcohol aisle of Target, drinking a case of beer and leaning against a shelf. He stared off into space, mindlessly taking swigs every two seconds. The sight only made me angry. It only reminded me of my dad and the way he drank himself to death.

“What are you doing?!” I shouted.

He looked over resentfully.

“What does it look like?” He took another swig.

“It looks like you’re trying to kill yourself!” I kicked away the almost empty case of beer. “You need to stop. There are people looking up to you for God’s sake. What do you think they’ll do if they find you here, like this? You’re our leader!”

His eyes bore into mine, and I could feel his anger.

“Am I?” he asked.

“Of course you are—”

He moved, quick as a snake, shoving me against the shelf and pushing his forearm into my throat. I could smell the liquor on is breath.

“Don’t patronize me! I’m onto your little games you little twerp!”

“John, what are you—?”

“SHUT UP! Don’t tell me I’m your leader and then go around ordering everyone around!”

I punched him in the ribs with my knuckles and kneed him in the stomach. He fell to the floor and sat there for a few seconds, stunned.

“You know why I’m ordering everyone around?” I asked him. “Because you’re here getting drunk. You don’t want to live? Fine, but don’t think for a second that I’m going to let you drag us down with you.”

I began to walk away.

“Whatever you say oh fearless leader!” he called after me in slurred speech.

That night, it was my turn for guard duty. I sat, perched, on the top of the target building. Albert was close-by with him rifle.

“Night nice,” I said.

“Mm” he replied.

So much for conversation.

I made another patrol around the roof, thinking. There were two more of us now. Ness and Robert had proven themselves, but we were still so small. We couldn’t afford to lose any more people. When I got back around, I sat it my folding chair and opened the third Harry Potter book. So far, it was my favorite.

“What is that?” I heard Albert ask.

“It’s The Prisoner of Azkaban. Ness recommended it.”

“No not that. That!”

I followed where he was pointing and stood up. The book fell from my hands onto the dirty roof. In the distance, I saw several pairs of lights. As they got closer, I saw guns, lots of them.

They were armed to the teeth, and where were they going?

Target.