Among The Dead

Chapter 3

I don't know how long I was in that office with Ron, but by the time he came out he was back to his cheery old self. At least, he was acting like it. I was pretty sure that it would take him a long time to get over the death of his wife - and my mom - but he was probably going to put on the mask that he was okay for now. There was no use in dragging everyone down with him, after all.

The boys pulled a few canned foods out of their stock in the storage room of the gym, passing one to everyone as we sat in a circle around some small candles we had placed on the floor. It wasn't much light, but we weren't about to turn on the lights and ring the dinner bell for any walkers close enough to catch a glimpse of the glow.

I popped open my can of chicken noodle soup once everyone had received their food, though the lack of broth made it seem more like a mixture of cold chicken, noodles, and vegetables. I ate it nonetheless, for I was going to have to get rid of my pickiness. The world was changing, and soon I wouldn't be able to decide whether or not I ate something based on the fact of whether I liked it or not.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked Ron once I had wolfed down the last of my small meal. No one had told me whether or not we were hunkering down here permanently or if we were moving on, but I wanted to find out.

"We're thinking of moving on soon, but we don't know exactly where we're going to go. We can discuss it more in the morning, though, when everyone's gotten some rest," he replied, looking up at everyone else for a moment. The other men, and Kathryn, had abandoned their empty cans beside them to share stories of the past. I was glad that my friend had managed to find a place with them, for I wasn't going to able to be attached to her hip now that I was with a group of people I knew well.

"It's been a pretty rough day for everyone."

"Agreed," I replied, pulling out the ponytail I was wearing and letting my long brown hair drop down over my shoulders, "where are Kathryn and I sleeping?"

"Wherever you want to. I'm pretty sure we've got some extra sleeping bags and blankets in the storage room, but let me check," he mumbled quietly, standing up immediately towards the room where they kept all of their supplies. I watched him until he disappeared inside the dark room, glad when he came out with two sleeping bags a few minutes later.

I thanked him as I took one from his arms, moving out of the way so that my friend could grab her own and I could set up the place where I would sleep. I heard one of the other men's booming voices calling out two names, but ignored what came after since my name hadn't been said. They were probably setting up watch shifts, which wasn't something I was eager to do tonight.

I settled down in my sleeping bag once I'd set it down gently near the back wall of the gym, the thick inner lining caressing me with warmth as I laid there. I was excited by the thought of getting a good night's sleep, but a small movement tore my attention away from my thoughts.

It was Albert, eyelids drooping low as he paced wildly in front of the covered door. My stepfather had always been telling me about how they had picked on him a bit while he was taking lessons here, but I hadn't really witnessed it firsthand until now. He looked awful, which probably meant he'd taken first shift every night for a long time.

Despite my desire to stay under the blankets that I had already warmed, I pulled myself out from under them as my body protested with goosebumps crawling up my arms. I ignored them however, as I approached Albert. He looked up at me curiously as I walked over, his tired eyes barely able to express the confusion he was feeling.

"Albert, you look exhausted," I said, letting my hand rest gently on his shoulder, "go sleep. I'll handle the first watch."

He opened his mouth for a moment as if to protest the idea, but closed it after a few seconds of what I assumed was him thinking about what I was offering him. The chance at a good night's sleep must have seemed too good to pass up for him, for he simply handed me the shot gun and offered a whispered thank you before slinking over to his own sleeping bag.