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Chapter 8
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2021-11-15 21:21:53Tobe screams and Ryder brings his rifle up. He pulls the trigger, and a zombie drops, but another quickly takes his place. There are dozens of them, and the four of us are no match, especially since I barely know how to shoot, and Tobe still doesn't have a weapon.
She bends down and grabs a rusted piece of metal to defend herself with, and moves closer to Ryder. I bring my gun up and aim directly for the head of the nearest zombie. I pull the trigger, and the shot goes wide, lodging in the shoulder of the zombie next to him. "Shit!"
I aim again and squeeze the trigger. This time the bullet lodges in the zombie's throat, but he doesn't stop coming. The third shot buries itself in the zombie's eye socket, and he crumples to the ground, tripping up two of the monsters behind him. I turn, looking for my next target.
A woman comes at me, drooling thick, yellowish slime down her front, and I shoot. My heart is beating wildly,
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Ryder reacts fast, and jumps away from the knife. It slashes through the air, missing his neck by a couple of inches. Ryder grabs the leader's wrist, and twists it sharply. The leader curses and the knife falls from his hands and into the dirt. Ryder twists the wrist harder, and it snaps.He draws the leader closer, and brings his knee up directly into his stomach. The leader wheezes harshly and doubles over, trying to catch his breath. Ryder doesn't give him the chance though. He brings his arm up, and slams his elbow down directly onto the leader's spine. He falls to the ground and doesn't move again.His two companions just stare at him, unsure of what to do next. They're still holding their weapons, but Reese has them at gunpoint. I can't see what he says to them, but they drop their shotguns to the ground and start to back away, hands raised. They don't want to mess with Ryder or Reese now that their leader is laying face-down on the gr
Last Updated : 2021-11-1575 Days Chapter 10
It took Reese and Tobe about fifteen minutes to find a working boat and the keys that went with it. They spent the rest of their time gathering new supplies that our store didn't have. Tobe had two bags full of new clothes, and she couldn't wait to show them to me.I go through the bags, surprised to find that I don't hate the stuff she picked for me. Her clothes aren't entirely practical. She's got a skirt and some nice boots, but as long as she can run safely in them, I don't think it'll be a problem.My new clothes are similar to what I'm wearing now: jeans, a pair of black boots, a new belt, a couple of white camisoles, and a new black sweater for when it gets colder. Which should be anytime, I think to myself. It's getting cooler at night, and the days are getting shorter. It should only be a few weeks before the first snows get here. I hope we're someplace safe before then."Alright," Reese says, brin
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In the morning, I head into the one bathroom with a bottle of peroxide, a cotton swab, and a fresh bandage. After peeling away the old bandage, I notice the cut on my thigh is a light red color, and it throbs gently when I touch it. The cut is healing, but I don't want to take any chance it'll get infected. So I clean it carefully, dry it, and stick a new bandage on it.Then I dress for the day in the new clothes that Tobe grabbed for me, and I feel fantastic. For the first time in months, my clothes aren't dirty, torn, or covered in blood. They're nice, fresh, and clean, and I feel like a brand new person wearing them. It's strange to think that something as simple as brand new clothes could lift the mood, but they do.When I join Ryder and Reese, they're sitting at the small, circular dining room table. Each of them has a bottle of expensive Fiji water in their hands, and they both look incredibly happy about something. When I sit down bes
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I sleep for almost four whole hours. When I wake up, it's getting dark out, and I feel a little better about what happened earlier. I was stupid enough to make a mistake that almost cost me my life, and Tobe's, and I won't let it happen again. I can't afford to if I want to survive in this new world.When I wake up, I stretch until my back cracks, and then head out into the living room. Reese, Ryder, and Tobe are all sitting at the dining room table with a deck of cards. They're playing poker and are using stale pretzels as money. Tobe smiles when she sees me. "Should we deal you in?"I smile. "Sure, I haven't played poker in ages."I take a seat across from Reese, and Tobe slides some cards towards me along with a pile of pretzels. I do a quick count. Twenty of them won't last me very long, so I play it as safe as possible. It takes me almost forty minutes to even out my pretzels with the others, and then I slowly pull
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"Do we turn around and find a different way back home? Or do we go knock and see if anyone is home?"Ryder thinks to himself for a minute, and I don't rush him. This decision could have either really good, or really bad consequences. On the plus side, we might get a new ally, a new pair of eyes and ears watching our place. On the negative side, we might get a new enemy, a new person to watch out for. This person might try to kill or rob us if we turn our back on them.Finally, he sighs. "I think you should stay here, and let me check the house out first.""I don't think so. There is no way you're going up to that house alone. You can go up to the house, or you can turn around and head home. Either way, I'm gonna have your back on this. Now, what are we doing?"He's studying me intently, and I feel oddly self-conscious about it. After a minute, he nods once. "If you wanna come with me, you stay behind me at all times, and if I tell you to do something, you do it. Got it?""Yes."We sli
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Ryder nudges me, and I raise my own gun, just in case. The man takes the gun from Ryder, and turns away from us. He takes aim at his wife's head, but the gun is trembling so badly I know he won't hit her if he pulls the trigger. He takes a few deep breaths to calm himself, and then tries again.With one last shuddering breath, he turns the gun around, sticks the end in his mouth, and pulls the trigger. The back of his head explodes, coating us in blood and skull fragments, and I scream as the man drops to the ground, missing half of his face. I'm still screaming when Ryder takes the gun from him and shoots his wife.When he turns to me, all I can see is the man's blood that coats Ryder's shirt and arms, and then I look down at myself. Bits of blood, brain matter, and bone coat my clothes. I slap at my arms, trying to scrape everything away, trying not to see it as I do. Right now, I don't want to think about what's sticking to me and soaking into the carpet, I just want to clean mysel
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Tobe doesn't come out for dinner, and our talk is mostly subdued. I know that I should be worried about Tobe's drinking, but she is an adult, and she is relatively safe here. If she wants to get drunk once in a while, I don't really have a say in the matter. I can tell that Ryder and Reese don't necessarily agree with me, and I know Ryder is tempted to say something to her, but I keep him from doing it.After dinner, Ryder gets up to explore all of the cupboards and drawers in the house, and I sit on the couch with a book, trying to read by candlelight. I've barely read five pages when Ryder comes back with a triumphant smile on his face. In his hands is an old, massive, purple radio with a built in CD and tape player.Reese sees it and smiles. "What did you find? Anything good?"Ryder shrugs. "Don't know. Thought I'd let it be a surprise."I set my book on the table next to the purple radio, and get to my feet. I haven't heard music in ages, and I've really missed it. Almost as much
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Tobe shakes me away some time later, and when I open my eyes, I notice that it's barely light out. She puts her finger to her lips, nods to Reese's still sleeping form, and drags me from the couch as quietly as possible. She looks terrible with her un-brushed hair and her crumpled clothes, but she looks excited about something.She shuts the door to our room behind us, and forces me to sit on one of the twin-sized beds. I sigh, "Tobe, what are you doing? It's so early," I complain, covering a yawn.She shushes me, and starts to dig around in one of the three white bags against the wall. It looks like they're filled with new clothes, and I groan. "You did not get me up this early to show me a new pair of jeans, did you? If you did, you're gonna pay.""No, I do not want to show you a new pair of jeans," she says. "Aha! Found it."She pulls a sundress from one of the bags and holds it up for me to see. It's a sky blue color, sleeveless, and it has white flowers all over it. The dress isn
Last Updated : 2022-05-10
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We rejoin the group by the vehicles. Ryder is still standing guard on top of the truck, always vigilant and aware of anything going on around us. For a minute, all I can do is stand at the back of the parking lot with Todd and stare at Ryder. He's made it possible for us to feel as safe as humanly possible while out on the road, and he takes all of the faith we have in him seriously. He'll never let us down... He turns and spots us. The corner of his lips twitch, and I know it's as close to a smile I'll get while he's on guard duty. That almost smile falters as his eyes roam over my body, and I know the exact instant he sees the wounds on my face and arms. His gun drops to his side and he jumps off the roof of the truck to the bed and hops over the tailgate, hitting the pavement with a loud thump. He heads over to us with long, purposeful strides. I can tell how furious he is from the way he clenches his hands until the knuckle are white and the way his nostrils flare. He reaches ou
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"You'd let complete stranger in?" Aaron asks, as if he can't believe she would be stupid enough to do that. "Aren't you worried about what they might do? To you or your kids?" "Of course I am!" she snaps. "But we won't make it here alone. I need help gathering fuel and protecting this place. Against my better judgment, I'm trusting yours. If you think they're safe, send them back this way if they're willing. I don't have much of a choice," she says. Reese nods. "I understand." "Thank you so much," Tuyen says. "I really appreciate it." "Don't worry about it. If we meet anyone on the road, Ryder and I can assess them. If they're trustworthy, we'll let them know you're taking people in." She smiles gratefully at Reese, but then turns her attention to me. "To be honest, I'm not sure how reliable this cure information you have is, but for all our sakes, I hope it pans out for you." "Me, too." "Stay safe while you're out there trying
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Out of the corner of my eyes, I notice Ryder and Aaron suddenly go tense. Tuyen catches our behavior as well and smiles. "Don't worry, I have to keep this area locked up because the kids like to try and get in here to snack. If I let them take what they want, we'd run out of food for sure. So I always lock it. Nothing to be worried about."She sounds honest and sincere, but there's no telling if she's trustworthy or not. You can't be too careful these days. There might be madness lurking beneath that sincere face, and it might be too late to take caution."Stay close to me," Ryder whispers, his breath hot on my ear from how close he is. He makes sure his words don't carry-they're for my ears and my ears alone. And I take them to heart.I sidle closer to Ryder, feeling my arm brush against his. I take comfort in the warmth and closeness he offers. My hand drifts down until it's resting against the grip of my gun, and I notice the others move their weapons closer so they're ready to use
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I slide down from the rooftop and hop down into Ryder's outstretched arms. He catches me effortlessly, like I weigh next to nothing, like he hadn't been previously wounded and left almost helpless. He looks down at me, eyes full of worry. "Are you hurt?""No," I say breathlessly. "I'm okay for now, and so are those kids." He sets me down and I feel strength start to return to my legs, my earlier fear almost forgotten. "I can't believe there are still children left alive. I thought for sure they would all be long dead by now."We watch the two boys, who may actually be brothers now that I get a better look at them. They're comforting each other, checking to make sure they're both unharmed. We turn our attention to the strange girl who came out of nowhere. She's busy staring at us, clearly sizing us up and determining whether or not we're a threat to her and the boys in her care.Finally, after a very tense minute that has Reese and Aaron shifting nervously, she walks over to us. She st
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Ryder pulls over to the side of the road a few hours later, cutting the engine. He flexes his fingers and winces at the stiffness in them. Hopping out of the truck's cab, I stretch my legs for the first time since we left, feeling the strength slowly return to them. We've been following Interstate 29 since we left at dawn, and we're just outside the South Dakota border, which is quite the journey.The others get out of the vehicles, stretching their tired and aching limbs while we have the chance. Madison catches my eye and nods as she arches her back until it cracks. With a contented sigh, she walks over. "I'm getting hungry. We should use this quick stop as a lunch break, too. We might not get a spot like this to stop in again."I nod in agreement, eyeing the area around us. Ryder's expertly chosen our location, choosing a spot that's easy for us to defend. We leave the highway and walk for twenty yards, coming to the top of a small, grassy hill that overlooks the highway and the su
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Madison nudges me. "Don't," she says. "Don't doubt yourself. Not now. We're way too close to doing this for you to question your choices now. Reese will get over it eventually. And if he doesn't, it's not your problem." I sigh. "You're right." Is she though? Ryder steps around Reese and his eyes find me instantly. "Well, I think we're just about ready to go. We've just gotta pack the food into the vehicles and decide on who is riding together. I'm gonna drive the truck, and I think Aaron should drive the jeep. Sam, I want you with me so I can keep an eye on you." I nod. "Okay. Reese, I think you and Naomi should ride with us, too. Madison? I think you should ride with your people. You'll know how to work best together, and you guys probably trust each other a little more." Madison nods. "Sounds like a plan." Thankfully Reese decides to stay quiet, and he doesn't object to our plans. He just hovers in the corner, glaring at nothing in particular and making sure we all know how muc
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When we get back home after our supply run, Ryder and Aaron go over every inch of Reese's new truck, looking for imperfections. I catch snippets of their conversation, but I don't understand most of it since they use the proper mechanic terms, and I've never been that great with the subject of vehicles. The best I can do is drive one, and even then I'm a little iffy about it. But if it were to break down somewhere, I would be in so much trouble.Rather than stay outside and watch the guys look over our new ride, I head into the kitchen. There is an open can of peaches left over from the lunch the others had about an hour ago, and I dig in with a plastic fork. Daisy sits at the kitchen table, sipping at a bottle of water. She has this look in her eyes that I've noticed every once in a while. It's a look that says "I've lost someone important to me; someone that I'll never get back". Madison told me that Daisy lost her twin sister Rose when their school safe haven got overrun a
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Hours later, the jeep jerks to a halt in front of the only car dealership in the area. Reese pockets the car keys, but he doesn't exit the car. He just sits there rubbing his temple as if he has a migraine, and I wait impatiently for him. After a thirty minute drive into town from the middle of nowhere, I'm feeling anxious to stretch my feet, and to get this done, and waiting for him does not make me happy.Finally Reese slides out of the jeep, slamming the door shut behind him. Rolling my eyes at his attitude, I head into the dealership parking lot to look for anything that will be able to fit us all. The sound of Reese's boots clunking against the pavement is the only indication that he's deciding to follow me, and I hope he's paying more attention to our surroundings than I think he is.I constantly scan our surroundings, always on the lookout for any sign of movement. The gun belted to my side feels right at home on my hip, and with it always within my reach, I fee
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"Breakfast is ready," I shout, loud enough to be heard over the ruckus in the living room. Walking over to the kitchen doorway, I lean against the frame and watch the contest going on. Both Ryder and Aaron are sitting on opposite ends of the living room table, clasping each other's right hands. Their free hands are behind their backs, and the others are watching and cheering them on, waiting to see who wins the arm wrestling contest.As I watch, Ryder begins to get the upper hand. Slowly but surely, Aaron's smaller arm begins to lower to the table, but it doesn't go down. It hovers just above the wood while Aaron struggles to hang on for just one more minute. Before Aaron can recover, Ryder slams his arm down on the table, effectively winning the contest.Reese and Naomi cheer while Todd and Madison pat Aaron on the back. "It's okay, Aaron. You'll get him next time," Madison says.Aaron smiles good naturedly, and leans across the table to offer Ryder his hand. T
