{"id":235,"date":"2013-07-21T16:18:01","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T16:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=235"},"modified":"2013-07-21T16:18:01","modified_gmt":"2013-07-21T16:18:01","slug":"chapter-47","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-47\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 47"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 47<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019m that great with people.<\/i><\/p>\n

That\u2019s probably odd for a reporter to say, seeing as the job was to get people comfortable enough to tell you everything they didn\u2019t want to, so you could get the story. \u00a0But I don\u2019t think I am. \u00a0I have issues.<\/i><\/p>\n

Nick, it\u2019s so funny; he\u2019s freaking great with people. \u00a0He can get along with everybody he meets, I think. \u00a0I mean, literally, he does, pretty much.\u00a0 When we arrived at the base that day, he was able to mingle and mesh, no problem, within minutes. \u00a0I, on the other hand\u2026 well, I just have issues.\u00a0 I tend to just make sure I\u2019m fine with just me. \u00a0I purposely act cold so I don\u2019t make connections. \u00a0It\u2019s a conscious decision, every time. \u00a0That way, I know it\u2019s because I chose it, and not because something\u2019s wrong with me. \u00a0I just always was so worried something was wrong with me, caring so much what everyone else thought, that I prevented it from happening. \u00a0To avoid the hurt and embarrassment, I did it myself, cause then I had an excuse.<\/i><\/p>\n

Does that make sense?<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not so sure it does. \u00a0I can\u2019t explain it any better. \u00a0And now, you really can\u2019t try to isolate yourself.<\/i><\/p>\n

Actually, no, I take that back. \u00a0You totally can \u2013 just ask Kayleigh. \u00a0Ugh, I swear to God, that girl\u2026 never mind. \u00a0That\u2019s a whole \u2018nother topic.<\/i><\/p>\n

So yeah, you can, but it\u2019s extremely selfish, extremely stupid, and it puts lives at risk. \u00a0I\u2019m just saying. \u00a0So when the world changed, I think I did too. \u00a0Not instantly; people aren\u2019t like that, I don\u2019t think. \u00a0But it did start to happen. \u00a0I saw myself trying to open up, to let people in, and let those connections happen. \u00a0Felt kind of good to do it, too. \u00a0The others here, at my current new home \u2013 I\u2019m at the point where I consider them family. \u00a0I\u2019m at the point where I treat them better than I ever did my \u201creal\u201d family, before Infernal Friday. \u00a0Took time, but it happened.\u00a0 It started with Nick, of course.<\/i><\/p>\n

Seems like everything started with Nick.<\/i><\/p>\n

Not sure if that\u2019s a good thing or not just yet.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 18, 2012<\/b>
\n7:30 a.m.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe we\u2019re not there yet.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t rub it in.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Riley yawned as she continued along the roads. \u00a0It was hard going, as, obviously, there were no street lights anymore, the roads were still plenty jammed, and so she was forced to have the Beetle\u2019s brights on. \u00a0The entire mess was frustrating, as the base wasn\u2019t far; however, getting there was becoming a bigger challenge than she and Nick had originally thought. \u00a0She glanced down at the gas gauge. \u00a0They\u2019d started off with a full tank, a lucky break for them.<\/i><\/p>\n

Another thud slammed against their car, as she hit yet another zombie. \u00a0She was hitting more and more, the longer she drove. \u00a0Already, the hood was getting dented in, and small cracks were appearing along the windshield. \u00a0The car wasn\u2019t going to last much longer. \u00a0Riley glanced around at their surroundings.\u00a0 An increasing number of the undead continued to head their way, attracted by the spotlights displayed by the car. \u00a0She muttered curses under her breath as she made a sharp turn to avoid them.<\/i><\/p>\n

Keeping her eyes on the road, she continued to drive, till finally they hit a spot where it was completely blocked. \u00a0It was just another accident from when death had hit, and one car after another had hit the mess to cause a massive wreck, a pile-up of cars and twisted metal. \u00a0They could see some still trapped inside, in undeath, banging angrily against the windows and moaning loudly. \u00a0Riley slammed the brakes angrily, jerking them both against their seatbelts as the small car halted immediately. \u00a0\u201cFuck.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe ain\u2019t gonna make it there tonight.\u00a0 We\u2019re just getting more of those bitches on us. \u00a0With the lights on, we\u2019re not exactly going to be stealth.\u00a0 We\u2019re attracting more than this stupid Barbie car can handle.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do then?\u00a0 Like you said, this car isn\u2019t exactly secure.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll go into one of the houses, crash there for a few hours, and then we can try later.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Sighing, she nodded. \u00a0\u201cAs long as it\u2019s a two-story, so we can hear them coming.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Riley stretched quietly from the king-sized bed, contemplating the night before. \u00a0They had given up the idea of traveling at night around eight o\u2019clock, according to the car clock, then found this place for momentary shelter. \u00a0They\u2019d barricaded the bedroom door upstairs, in hopes that the zombies wouldn\u2019t be able to make it up and past it. \u00a0The two had agreed that sharing a room would be safest and simply shared a bed because when Nick offered to take the floor, Riley told him chivalry had died with the rest of humanity. \u00a0He slept next to her still, more soundly than she had, and she wondered what it was he dreamed.<\/p>\n

She wondered a lot of things. \u00a0Like if those who\u2019d become the undead had gone to heaven, or if their souls were trapped within the rotting corpses.\u00a0 Riley had never questioned her choice to leave the Catholic religion she\u2019d been raised in after she turned eighteen. \u00a0She\u2019d had more questions than faith for the religion, and found herself disagreeing with many of the beliefs. \u00a0She\u2019d become agnostic, much to her devout father\u2019s disappointment.\u00a0 However, she\u2019d held on to the rosary he\u2019d given her as a child. \u00a0Her mother\u2019s rosary, passed to his only daughter, who looked so much like her. \u00a0Riley could never let that go. \u00a0She still had it; actually, it was always on her, kept in her pocket, a touchstone of sorts for her. \u00a0It gave her comfort when nothing else could. \u00a0She yawned just a bit as she thought of the poor undead, who likely were<\/i> trapped souls, and suddenly, a wave of pity came for them. \u00a0She still had the privilege of a final death and an eternal life, something they did not know and perhaps never would.<\/p>\n

Riley reached down for one of their bags, next to where the golden retriever was resting.\u00a0 Spunky lifted her head lazily for a moment before going back to sleep once more. \u00a0She pulled out the bag and rummaged for the map Nick had thought to grab on their way out. \u00a0Bless him. \u00a0She scanned it, looking outside for the street names and an idea of just exactly how far from the base they were. \u00a0Maybe then she\u2019d be able to think of different routes to get there, and quickly. \u00a0Setting the map back down on her side of the bed, she eyed the bathroom just feet away. \u00a0How she craved a shower right then.\u00a0 She wondered if the water worked.<\/p>\n

Rising slowly and carefully, so as to let Nick sleep, she walked into the bathroom and was grateful for the small window near the ceiling, letting the light in. \u00a0Reaching the sink, she turned the handle and pouted when no water came out. \u00a0That meant the water was down, and no shower for her. \u00a0\u201cDamn,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n

She turned, cursing irritably to herself, only to run right into her companion, towering over her by some inches. \u00a0\u201cDude, don\u2019t do that!\u201d Riley yelled, jumping back with surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning to you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t call any morning after the dead rose \u2018good\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shrugged, yawning. \u00a0His golden hair was up in tufts going every direction, and he scratched the back of his neck while yawning yet again. \u00a0It was almost cute, in a teddy bear sort of way. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019d call any morning I\u2019m still alive<\/i> a good one these days.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but you gave me this look. \u00a0What\u2019s the deal?\u201d<\/p>\n

She rolled her eyes, but tried to move past him. \u00a0This time, he stepped sideways to purposely impede her path. \u00a0Gazing up at him, she crossed her arms over her chest. \u00a0\u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, seriously, what was that look for? \u00a0It meant something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just.. I don\u2019t get you, Nick.\u201d \u00a0He watched her carefully before stepping aside and following her back to the bed. \u00a0She faced him as he stretched his arms out lazily. \u00a0\u201cLike, you\u2019re so freaking optimistic, despite everything; you\u2019re able to crack jokes and sing \u2018Thriller,\u2019 of all things\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 \u2018Thriller\u2019 is always meant to be sung\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that point. \u00a0Anyways<\/i>, you\u2019re just able to take all this shit in stride and act like it\u2019s nothing most of the time, so I don\u2019t get you, how you\u2019re able to do that; that\u2019s all. \u00a0Why? \u00a0How can you do it? \u00a0I just don\u2019t get it, and I keep wondering. \u00a0Now, if you don\u2019t mind, I need to see if I can\u2019t figure out a route I haven\u2019t tried yet to get us to the base without hitting zombie traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared her straight in the eye, blue meeting blue, without speaking for several moments. \u00a0His hand reached for hers, and he took it in a gentle, yet strictly friendly manner. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll tell you something I haven\u2019t admitted to anyone, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley nodded, unsure of just how to respond. \u00a0Even in their short time together, she already knew it was a rare moment to catch Nick being this serious, unless his life was in peril. \u00a0\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel half as happy as I act, alright? \u00a0With me, it\u2019s like this. \u00a0I have to crack jokes, or I end up cracking myself. \u00a0I fall apart. \u00a0So I act stupid.\u00a0 I\u2019ll sing; I\u2019ll do anything to just not focus on all the shit that\u2019s making me do it to begin with. \u00a0I mean, I like to joke around anyway, but I do it more when everything goes to hell. \u00a0Or\u2026 ya know, becomes<\/i> hell. \u00a0It gets me in a better place, and you too, even.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled, pulling her hand away in the softest of gestures. \u00a0\u201cThat makes sense. \u00a0Sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to grill you; it\u2019s just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHabit. \u00a0Gotcha.\u201d \u00a0Nick glanced down at the map. \u00a0\u201cHey,\u201d he said, pointing at a small street marked on the grid. \u00a0\u201cWe haven\u2019t tried that way yet.\u00a0 Why not go that way?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley paused in amazement. \u00a0\u201cI didn\u2019t even think of that. \u00a0It\u2019s such a small side road, that-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople wouldn\u2019t use it to outrun the plague. \u00a0Makes sense, right? \u00a0Hell, you didn\u2019t think of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, you amaze the heck out of me, Nick.\u201d \u00a0And she meant it. \u00a0\u201cYou really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are we waiting for? \u00a0Let\u2019s pack up and get the hell outta here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The drive was considerably shorter than the previous night\u2019s attempt, and finally, they were getting close. \u00a0As they pulled up to the base at last, Riley was smacking herself mentally for not thinking of the route Nick had pointed out before. \u00a0She had taken that exact route to do that interview about two weeks prior. \u00a0Nick looked at her questioningly as he reached back to pet a whining Spunky, and she simply gave a small smile before turning her attention back to the road. \u00a0They\u2019d encountered more than enough members of the walking dead that morning; the windshield had cracked into a spider web pattern that made her again grateful for the creator of shatter-proof glass.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, where do we go? \u00a0This place is like a mini city\u2026\u201d Nick commented, as they drove down Bayshore Boulevard. \u00a0The base was almost picturesque, if one was able to ignore the corpses roaming around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 That broadcast didn\u2019t exactly say, did it?\u00a0 Well, shit, screw it.\u201d \u00a0She slammed her hand down on the horn. \u00a0Both were expecting something different from what they got. \u00a0Rather than a legitimate honk, the car issued a small \u201cbeep beep\u201d noise expected from a toddler\u2019s toy steering wheel. \u00a0The two stared at each other, before Nick burst into laughter, causing Riley to join in. \u00a0Nick had a laugh that was completely infectious; once he started, he couldn\u2019t stop, and neither could she.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told\u2026 you\u2026 this was a\u2026 fucking\u2026 Barbie car!\u201d he gasped between giggles, because at this point he was, in fact, giggling.<\/p>\n

\u201cMust have been\u2026 \u2018cause of the damage\u2026 to the hood\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

They drove on a bit further, running another zombie down, and even then, they couldn\u2019t see any signs of life. \u00a0They\u2019d heard the message, but Riley frowned, as doubts filtered in. \u00a0Maybe it had just been a recording, which no one was left alive to stop. \u00a0Or perhaps they had moved on.<\/p>\n

Much to their relief, they didn\u2019t have to test their car horn a second time. \u00a0A large Hummer had pulled up in front of them, the window rolling down for a moment, and someone was waving at them to get their attention. \u00a0The arm was heavily tattooed. \u00a0Its owner, the driver, cut the engine, glanced around, opened the door, and jumped out of the car. \u00a0He was armed with several types of guns and was far from what either of them had expected to greet them. \u00a0His hair was receding, and they could see the remains of mussed eyeliner around his eyes. \u00a0His fingernails were painted black, and he wore ripped jeans with a torn and bloodstained shirt. \u00a0He stared at the car with a roll of his eyes, as Nick and Riley stepped out of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta ask, who the hell<\/i> drives around in a frou-frou toy car that looks like every annoying socialite of the former shallow world threw up on it and decorated it with shower decals when the world is overrun by fucking ghouls? \u00a0And how the hell did you ever survive<\/i> in that thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick grinned broadly, glancing around with his axe in hand. \u00a0\u201cVery carefully. \u00a0Only a real man can handle zombies in that car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley turned on Nick, raising a brow. \u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s being a man got to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026 we need to get our stuff.\u201d \u00a0Nick ran back to the car, while she chuckled to herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThought so.\u201d \u00a0She turned back to the other man. \u00a0\u201cRiley Blake.\u201d \u00a0She held out her hand, while he seemed to struggle with the decision of accepting the hand or not, before finally taking it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAJ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Nick!\u201d Nick called out, as he grabbed both their bags and held the door open for Spunky to jump out. \u00a0Spunky barked happily, running up to the Hummer. \u00a0AJ stared at them, looking unsure of just how to handle the three new arrivals, yet no one could say anything more, as they were soon greeted by the harmony of moans they already knew so well.<\/p>\n

They all scrambled into the Hummer.\u00a0 Nick sat up front, while Riley climbed into the back with Spunky. \u00a0Nick tossed the bags back to her, as AJ started up the vehicle again, running down every zombie he could as he drove through the base.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys got guns?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly. \u00a0I got my axe, and Riley\u2019s got a crowbar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll toss you both one when we get to the church; that\u2019s where we\u2019re holed up. \u00a0Heh, where\u2019d the dog come from?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley patted the canine\u2019s head, which lifted back up, as if Spunky knew she was being discussed. \u00a0\u201cShe\u2019s Nick\u2019s.\u00a0 She\u2019s good about the undead, though. \u00a0She senses \u2018em, acts like an alarm. \u00a0And she\u2019s good about tripping them up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what happened to you? \u00a0How\u2019d you get here?\u201d Riley asked, curious, since he obviously wasn\u2019t military.<\/p>\n

AJ cast a look in her direction. \u00a0\u201cSame thing that happened to everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t say much else until they arrived at the church. \u00a0The drive was quick and riddled with bumps, caused by everything he drove over without hesitation. \u00a0AJ cut the engine and looked back at the two blondes.\u00a0 Despite the rough appearance and distant act, his eyes were a stark contrast. \u00a0They were soulful and brown, reminding Riley oddly of a doe\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how to shoot?\u201d AJ asked as he handed them each a handgun, out of the several kept on him and atop the dashboard of the vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope, I hated hunting,\u201d Nick said, while Riley handed him one of their bags. \u00a0Spunky started barking yet again, but these were angry-sounding, short, and sharp. \u00a0They were about to have some unwanted company if they didn\u2019t hurry.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your asses close to me, then. \u00a0Don\u2019t shoot unless you have to. \u00a0Run for the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

They burst out of the car, running for the church doors, while AJ shot beyond them. \u00a0Zombies fell, one after another, before AJ turned to catch up to the two of them. \u00a0He banged on the door repeatedly, yelling, \u201cIt\u2019s AJ; open it up!\u201d<\/p>\n

A young Hispanic girl opened the door, and they hurried in as she shut it behind them. \u00a0She looked no older than twelve to Riley, yet the look in her eyes belonged to someone three times her age. \u00a0It hurt to know this poor girl had had to witness all this.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told<\/i> you that I heard people out there. \u00a0Oooooh!\u201d she squealed when she spotted Spunky. \u00a0She ran over to the golden dog and was greeted by happy licks and yips.<\/p>\n

Nick beamed as others came over to them. \u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s Spunky.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley noticed the others now: \u00a0an older Hispanic woman who had to be the girl\u2019s mother, simply from the way they interacted. \u00a0Beside her was a tan man, approaching them with a sort of snobbery that was surprising, given the current situation. \u00a0A young girl, around college age, was huddled in the far corner of the room and made no effort to move. \u00a0Then, of course, Lieutenant Richardson, the same man she\u2019d interviewed the last time she was at the base.<\/p>\n

As Nick went to greet everyone, Riley chose to hang behind by the door. \u00a0Nick became the center of the conversation, and she stayed a bit outside of it. \u00a0That suited her just fine. \u00a0She wasn\u2019t sure exactly how to introduce herself just yet, wasn\u2019t sure what to say beyond her name. \u00a0Yet the people around her seemed all right, and it confirmed for her what Nick had said before. \u00a0They weren\u2019t<\/i> alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s Riley\u2026 Ryyyyye, come here! \u00a0After that trip in that damn pink Barbie car\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley walked over, feeling a bit out of sorts with herself. \u00a0Nick grabbed her arm and pulled her over, giving her a bit of a sideways hug, as everyone introduced themselves and started talking in general. \u00a0There was an air of relief amongst them all that there were more people out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee! \u00a0We found more people; we\u2019re alive. \u00a0I\u2019m not that<\/i> crazy for being an optimist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying you were right, Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I was!\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled to herself. \u00a0It was good to be around other people, to have a group, of sorts, fighting to survive with her. \u00a0They\u2019d all be working together, she knew, to figure out how this had happened and how to live now. \u00a0It was good to just not be alone, but in that moment, she had a realization that she hadn\u2019t expected. \u00a0It was a thought that entered her head simply, naturally.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad that I met Nick first. <\/i><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 47 I don\u2019t think I\u2019m that great with people. That\u2019s probably odd for a reporter to say, seeing as the job was to get people comfortable enough to tell you everything they didn\u2019t want to, so you could get … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":47,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":236,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/235\/revisions\/236"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}