{"id":319,"date":"2013-07-22T14:23:48","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=319"},"modified":"2013-07-22T14:23:48","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:23:48","slug":"chapter-83","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-83\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 83"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 83<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s weird as fuck seeing the world go back to basics.\u00a0 If the zombies weren\u2019t here, I\u2019d say this was exactly what the planet needed, though.\u00a0 I wonder if we\u2019ll make it back home okay.\u00a0 I wonder if any of the animals have been able to survive all the zombies.\u00a0 I hope they have; I\u2019ve always been sort of an environmentalist.\u00a0 I love animals.\u00a0 I still miss Spunky.<\/i><\/p>\n

(Insert big dramatic sigh here)<\/i><\/p>\n

I miss everyone.\u00a0 AJ and the way he\u2019d see shit no one else did, and the epic way we\u2019d kill zombies together.\u00a0 I miss Brian\u2019s random sense of humor, Gretchen\u2019s home cooking.\u00a0 I miss Jo\u2019s motherly ways \u2013 something my own mother never had \u2013 and I miss Gabby and the innocence she brought with her.\u00a0 I even miss Howie \u2013 once he let his guard down, he turned out to be a cool fucking dude.<\/i><\/p>\n

I wanna go home and see them again.<\/i><\/p>\n

This whole road trip thing is kinda cool, though.\u00a0 It\u2019s weird seeing no other moving cars, but there\u2019s plenty of walking dead.\u00a0 I don\u2019t see many animals; I think they just know when to hide.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to think so.\u00a0 But we\u2019re always on the road now.\u00a0 Trying to go home again.\u00a0 New age pioneers!\u00a0 I feel like we\u2019re reliving the history books.<\/i><\/p>\n

Only, ya know, with a car.<\/i><\/p>\n

And zombies.<\/i><\/p>\n

Song Quote of the Entry \u2013 JOURNEY!<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cWheel in the sky keeps on turnin’
\nI don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow
\nWheel in the sky keeps on turnin’<\/i><\/p>\n

I’ve been trying to make it home<\/em>
\n Got to make it before too long<\/em>
\n I can’t take this very much longer<\/em>
\n I’m stranded in the sleet and rain<\/em>
\n Don’t think I’m ever gonna make it home again<\/em>
\n The mornin’ sun is risin’<\/em>
\n It’s kissing the day\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

– Journey, \u201cWheel In The Sky\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Wednesday, October 31, 2012<\/b>
\nWeek Twenty Eight<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, give me a home, where the buffalo roam\u2026 where the deer and the antelopes plaaaaay\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cGive it a rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere seldom is heaaaard a discouraging word\u2026 and the skies are not cloudy all daaaaay\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHOOOOOOOOOOME!\u00a0 Home on the range!\u00a0 Where the deeeeeeer and the antelopes plaaaaaaay!\u00a0 Where seldom is heard\u2026 a discouraging word\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cEnough, Nick!\u201d he could hear Kevin yell from up front.\u00a0 It was his turn to drive; they were going in eight-hour shifts.\u00a0 Already, they\u2019d had to start siphoning gas from nearby cars along the road.\u00a0 With the lack of any true human life, gas wasn\u2019t hard to find.\u00a0 It was keeping the zombies at bay while they got it that was the problem.<\/p>\n

Nick huffed and grinned from where he sat at the end of the kitchenette.\u00a0 \u201cCome on!\u00a0 We\u2019re traveling the country!\u00a0 It\u2019s the time to be going all country, y\u2019all!\u00a0 We\u2019re, like, in the Middle East now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley chuckled as she started fixing herself something to eat.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean we\u2019re in the Midwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that.\u201d\u00a0 He looked up at her. \u201cOooh, whatcha got cookin\u2019, good lookin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are such a dork.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m your <\/i>dork.\u201d\u00a0 <\/i>He reached out and pulled her into his lap.\u00a0 Chef Boyardee Ravioli was tossed onto the floor as she dropped the opened can.\u00a0 The red sauce quickly began to run everywhere, with aide from the movement of the vehicle.\u00a0 She swatted him upside the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re messy,\u201d he teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was your fault, brat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou love me,\u201d he joked.\u00a0 She looked at him oddly, before recovering within seconds.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re cleaning that up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled, keeping his arms wrapped around her.\u00a0 There were plenty of things wrong with their current situation.\u00a0 Bleak was a mild description of their chances.\u00a0 Deep down, Nick knew that.\u00a0 But on the outside, and consciously, he chose to focus on the positive.\u00a0 It was the way he\u2019d used to escape any other trial of his life before, and it was an old skill that he kept around now.\u00a0 Optimism was how he kept his sanity.<\/p>\n

There was also plenty to be happy about.\u00a0 Their new mode of transportation was, in his opinion, far better than the airplane.\u00a0 He loved the tour bus and the luxuries that came with it.\u00a0 They were alive, which meant they could fight.\u00a0 Kevin was doing fine, and his reflexes were now as quick as ever.<\/p>\n

He put his head against Riley\u2019s, his nose in her hair.\u00a0 He smiled.\u00a0 Things could be worse, after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked, pulling up just slightly, so that she could glance back at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSmelling your hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her brow quirked.\u00a0 \u201cAnd can I ask why?\u00a0 It probably stinks.\u201d\u00a0 The corners of her mouth curved downward as she wrinkled her nose.\u00a0 \u201cI miss having real showers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t stink, and I like your smell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWeirdo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo where are we, anyway?\u201d Nick asked innocently.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomewhere in the Middle East, remember?\u00a0 Hell, maybe we\u2019re in Iraq.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa-ha, but no, seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley stood, walking over to the sink.\u00a0 She sidestepped the mess carefully, subtly reminding him he\u2019d better be the one to clean it up.\u00a0 She leaned over and peered out the window to try and get a better glimpse of the road outside.\u00a0 Nick smirked as he got a clear view of her behind.\u00a0 His eyes focused on their newfound target as he enjoyed the new scenery.\u00a0 Her jeans lowered a bit on her hips, showing skin in the gap between the pants and snug sweater she wore.\u00a0 The weather was cooling off quickly, making him miss the warm temperatures of home.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026 I think we\u2019re in Nebraska.\u201d\u00a0 It was a little farther north than their route called for, but they were having to take some detours because some roads were simply too clogged up to navigate.<\/p>\n

Nick pondered that for a moment, before rising to run to the front of the bus.\u00a0 It had just hit him what day this was, and the irony of it didn\u2019t get past him in the slightest.\u00a0 He could hear Riley laugh as she looked for a towel.\u00a0 He made a mental note to make it up to her later, since she had decided to clean.\u00a0 Otherwise, he was sure she was going to get him back for it later.\u00a0 It was the nature of their relationship, and he enjoyed every minute of it.\u00a0 He loved the way she teased him, tested him; it made everything fun and light in a world of darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin!\u00a0 Kevy-Kev!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat did you just call me?\u201d\u00a0 Kevin glanced over, his thick brows bunching together so much, they appeared to be one large caterpillar, living happily above his sharp, green eyes.\u00a0 Nick snickered at the thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, we should stop somewhere tonight, try to all rest.\u00a0 And, well, ya know, bond or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t think this road trip is bonding?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is, but we should bond more.\u201d\u00a0 He looked out the front window.\u00a0 \u201cHoly shit, that\u2019s Chimney Rock!\u201d<\/p>\n

They were just driving by a large rock formation, otherwise surrounded by nothing by flat, grassy fields.\u00a0 The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in a mix of orange, blue, and pinkish hues.\u00a0 It reminded him of those boring scenic calendars a lot of places used to give away for free.\u00a0 The mountain rose, like any other, up to a pyramid point, but then continued straight up, giving the distinct appearance of a house chimney.\u00a0 Riley walked up beside him and glanced down at the map.\u00a0 He could see her checking to see if he was right.\u00a0 Her eyes shifted back over to Nick with some surprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d you know that?\u201d Kevin asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDude, didn\u2019t you ever play Oregon Trail<\/i>?\u201d\u00a0 He snickered.\u00a0 \u201cYou always go past Chimney Rock.\u00a0 Hey, we can try and go hunting!\u00a0 We can go shoot buffalo or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would know a landmark from a computer game.\u00a0 And hunting?\u00a0 Nick, the only thing that would end up being hunted around here is us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAww\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Nick snickered again.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a shame Howie isn\u2019t with us.\u00a0 I bet he\u2019d be the one who\u2019d get dysentery.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once the chuckles died down, everyone grew quiet at the thoughts of those they had left behind.\u00a0 What if they came back to an empty base?\u00a0 What if everyone had left, or worse, what if everyone was dead?\u00a0 They would all blame themselves for having left in the first place, because they couldn\u2019t see it happening if they hadn\u2019t tried to fly across the country.\u00a0 None of them voiced their dark thoughts.\u00a0 Nick wouldn\u2019t even admit to having them to the other two.\u00a0 Someone had to keep the chipper outlook in their little group, and he knew the job was his.<\/p>\n

Finally, it was Riley who broke the silence.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is dysentery, anyway?\u00a0 I never tried to look it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIntestinal infection, causes really bad and bloody diarrhea.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two blondes stared at Kevin.\u00a0 Nick shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cHow is it you know everything<\/i>?\u201d<\/p>\n

The former military man ignored him, focusing on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnywaaaaay\u2026\u201d Nick continued, leaning forward so that his head was almost on Kevin\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s stop for the night.\u00a0 It\u2019s Halloween!\u00a0 We can have our own little camp-out, tell scary stories\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

His girlfriend laughed.\u00a0 \u201cOur lives aren\u2019t enough horror for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPleaaaaaase?\u201d he pleaded, after sticking his tongue out at her.<\/p>\n

Kevin sighed, as the three of them gazed out the windshield.\u00a0 Nick watched his eyes shift downwards and followed his line of vision.\u00a0 The needle of the gas gauge was flirting dangerously with the empty end.\u00a0 A sign advertising an RV park flashed by them as he drove.\u00a0 Their gazes went back and forth between the gauge and the road.\u00a0 Their eyes met.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can stop for the night.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick beamed.\u00a0 \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only because I don\u2019t want anyone siphoning gas after dark; it\u2019s asking for trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley glanced up at him as Kevin pulled off at the next exit to drive to the RV Park.<\/p>\n

Nick looked around, throwing open the door and jumping off once they parked the vehicle.\u00a0 He immediately shivered, feeling the brisk cold of October out there on the flat Nebraskan plains.\u00a0 Chimney Rock could still be seen in the distance, and for a moment, Nick was able to picture himself here back then.\u00a0 The roads would be dirt and as open as could be, the world an unknown adventure, the fight for survival not too different from the one they were currently battling.\u00a0 Nothing was guaranteed back then, just as it was now for them.\u00a0 He wondered if any of his ancestors had been pioneers.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure himself, knowing little to nothing about his family history.\u00a0 Not that it mattered anymore.\u00a0 He was just curious.<\/p>\n

A loud moan snapped him back to the present.\u00a0 A slumping zombie, wearing ripped flannel, jeans, and cowboy boots, was approaching him.\u00a0 It was only feet away – too close for comfort.\u00a0 It was harder to see them coming as the night settled upon them.\u00a0 He whipped out a handgun Kevin had picked up during a scavenging hunt.\u00a0 Nick smirked, having the sudden thought to try something.\u00a0 The gun spun in his hands, western-style, before he fired it.\u00a0 The shot was wild because of his antics, hitting the creature in the shoulder.\u00a0 It stumbled back from the blow, but moaned again in response as it came his way.\u00a0 Nick shot again.<\/p>\n

The gun clicked hollowly.\u00a0 It needed a reload.\u00a0 Horrified, he struggled to reload it as quickly as possible as he backed up, trying to stay out of the zombie\u2019s reach.\u00a0 It moaned again, reminding Nick he needed to put it down before he was killed, or at least before it attracted more.\u00a0 Footsteps could be heard coming down the steps off the bus.\u00a0 His hands shook uncharacteristically as he tried to load the bullets into the chamber.<\/p>\n

The sound of a gun firing followed.<\/p>\n

Nick turned to see Kevin standing just behind him, blowing the tip of the muzzle of his gun.\u00a0 He suddenly felt like he was looking at John Wayne or something.\u00a0 He half-expected to see a cowboy hat materialize on top of his head, just so Kevin could tilt it down like they did in the movies.\u00a0 \u201cHey, Nick?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo me a favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave the cowboy tricks to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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

Chapter 83 It\u2019s weird as fuck seeing the world go back to basics.\u00a0 If the zombies weren\u2019t here, I\u2019d say this was exactly what the planet needed, though.\u00a0 I wonder if we\u2019ll make it back home okay.\u00a0 I wonder if … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":83,"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":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/319"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":320,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/319\/revisions\/320"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}