The Dead Live (Book 3)

Chapter 43: For The Night (Christians POV)

Me and Ben kept on walking for quite a bit of some time, as if he had not heard a word that I had just said to him a few seconds before now. I knew that he had heard it though, and that he was well aware of his surroundings, as well as he was aware as to what it was that I had said to him at the exact same time as well.
As we continued to walk, I kept my eyes on him from the corner of my eyes, but at the same time too as well, I also kept my eyes ahead of me, and my ears all around me, just to make sure that none of the dead were to sneak up on us, as we were now out of the safe zone, as the walls were no where to be seen any longer, even though we were still treading through the prairie.
I sighed just a bit, as it did not seem like the kid even knew that I had spoken to him in the first place. I knew that he had how ever, as he was kind of acting like how I acted from time to time, as I some times made people think that I had not heard a word that they had just said to me.
It was not the case how ever, and I felt it to not be the case at all for him either, at this very moment. I shook my head a bit, as I felt like I perhaps should push it off for a little bit longer, and just wait til later in the trip to tell him all about what it was that was going on. I knew that I could not how ever, as I knew that a lot of the trip he was going to be out on his own, and at some point during that time, he would realize as to what was going on.
I knew that I needed to tell him now, but it kind of felt a bit hard for me, as I was not going to lie to my self, I did in fact enjoy the company of the kid, as he was quite a bit like his step father in a lot of cases, as he did have a good sense of humor, which I was very much grateful for as well, as I did crack quite a few dark jokes ever now and again.
This was not a joke that I was bout to say to him how ever, and I knew it. I knew that I had to be dead serious with every word that I was about to say to him, to let him know how it was going to be, and to let him know that I could not be with him all of the time any longer, as it was time for him to go out on his own.
Especially at a time such as the one that we were in right now, as I knew that our community needed supplies more than ever before, and there was a lot less people to get those supplies for us. I then remembered at the same time too, as to the deal that Shannon had cut with them, so that they did not kill all of us.
Some thing still felt a bit off by the way that she had said it, but I did have to believe what it was that she had said, as to the fact that they were just a few months away from coming back to our place, and taking even more of our valuable supplies that we were short of at this very moment as well.
I knew that if we told them that we needed those supplies, just based off of what I had been told about those people too, they were just going to laugh at us, and take even more of it away from us. I closed my eyes for just a few seconds, as I did my best to try to dust off all of those thoughts from my head at the exact same time as well.
I kept on walking, as I did not hear any foot steps behind me for quite a bit of some time, which at first freaked me out, as I thought that I might have lost Ben, not for the first time, as I then opened my eyes to see that he was alive and well right beside me, as I let out a bit of a sigh of relief to my self.
I was thinking of the kid, as if he was the same scared little kid that I had met not too long in to our training. He was different now how ever, and I could tell that he had learned quite a bit. It was a lot of the reason that I now felt safe to let him go out on his own, as he was now nearing the age of 15, which was usually the time that every one else finished their training.
The kid was good, as I was not going to lie to my self. We definitely had quite a bit of a different set of skills, as that was sure to me, as he had shown me a lot of things that I would have never thought of, or things that I knew that I would not be able to do nearly as kid as the kid was at it.
I was proud of him, but at the same time as well, I also knew that we could not stink together for ever. I dipped my head a bit low to the ground at those thoughts, as I really did not want to be alone at a time such as this one, but at the exact same time too, I also knew that I did not have much of any other choice either.
I shook my head, as I then focused my self back on what it was that was in front of us, as I knew that I had to keep my focus on what was going on today, as well as tonight, I had to plan out what it was that we were going to be doing in that quite big neighborhood that we were going to be heading in to just a couple of days from now, if we got at least 10 to 15 miles a day.
I was quite a bit worn out as it was already, as I remembered that I had not got all that much sleep last night at all, as I had been a bit lost in to some dark thoughts that I had tried so many times to get out of my mind. I was used to it how ever, so I felt like I should not let it bother me nearly as much as it seemed to be doing at this moment.
I shook my head, as I reached my hand back behind me, and I then grabbed the bottle of water that I had on the side of my back pack, and I pulled it out to get a few sips of water. I stopped my self, so that I did not let it spill out every where whilst I was opening it, and whilst I was drinking it as well.
That would be quite a waste of some valuable water, as we typically took a solid 30 to 40 bottles with us on our trips, as well as a bunch of canned food that we could eat easily as well. It was what most of our bags consisted of, as we really did not have all that much room for ammo, nor did we have all that much ammo in the community at this very moment either.
I shook my head, as I let Ben go a little bit ahead of me, as I then took a bit too many gulps of water, as I knew that it was not hot out at all at this moment, so there was no reason for me to drink all that much. To be fair though, at the same time too, I also knew that we had been out here for a few hours, though it had felt like less, as I could already see that the sun was half way through the sky at this current moment.
I shook my head, as I then put the bottle back in to the side of my bag, and I then caught up to Ben, who heard a bit of my foot steps, which was quite a bit rare for me, as I then caught up to him as quick as I could, but at the same time, not too quick, as to the fact that it might wear me out, with the heavy bag that was on my back.
Ben turned his head over to me right away, as I could tell that he was a bit afraid of the fact that he heard foot steps. Not to the fact that it might be one of the dead, as I had already taught him the difference between the foot steps long ago. It was clear that he might be a little bit afraid that it was some one else.
I was a bit lost at the same time too, as for some one that had his eyes all around him all day, it seemed to be that he had not noticed as to the fact that I had stayed back behind him for a little while, so that I could get a few gulps of water, before I then went back up to catch up to him.
I saw the look on the face of Ben at first, as I could tell that at first as well, he had been a bit afraid, as I saw that he had his hand on his felt, as to where he had his gun at. Luckily he did not lift it out and just start shooting before he even looked, which I had been a bit afraid of quite a few times from him, as I was not going to lie.
Once Ben saw me how ever, he then just nodded, as he realized it was just me, and he put his hand away from his gun. I nodded back to him, as we just stood there for quite a bit of some time, as it did not seem like either of us had a word to say to each other at this very moment.
Of course, I did not, as my thoughts before all of this, had simply been on the fact that I knew that we needed to keep on going, but as I looked at the look on the eyes of Ben, as well as the look that I saw on his face too, I could tell that he was a little bit lost on some thoughts that were in his head at this very moment.
I squinted my eyes at him, as I had told him not to do as such, as I had thought that I had done quite a good job as to teach him to be aware of his surroundings, but as to what it was that he was doing at this moment, it seemed to be that he was proving to be just the opposite of all of that.
Ben noticed that I was squinting my eyes at him, but he had got past the point as to where he would let that bother him now a days, as I was not even quite sure as to why I even bothered to do so on him any more. I shook my own head, as I then began to look all around me, so that I could view my surroundings at the same time as well, to make sure that none of the dead were headed our way.
I saw one in the distance behind us, but it was not heading over to us, as it seemed to just be headed the way that we had came from in the first place. I looked away from it at the same time too, as I looked back over to Ben, once I realized that the both of us were safe at least, for the time being.
I sighed a little bit, as I then suddenly saw Ben lift his head back up to me finally. He nodded to me at the same time too, as I then nodded back to him, waiting for him to speak, as it was clear that he was about to do so in the first place. Ben stood there for a few more seconds, in silence, but he did in fact finally begin to speak to me, as I then listened as to what it was that he felt like he must say to me at the exact same time as well.
"I know... I already know Christian... We have been out together for long enough, and it is time..." He said to me, as I was a bit lost on what it was that he was even talking about at first, until it then hit me, as to what it was that I had said to him just a few moments ago. I was still a little bit lost how ever, as I was not sure as to what it was that I had meant by it in the first place. I shivered a little bit, as that was not normal for me to do as such. I blinked just a few times, quite a bit lost, as I then heard Ben begin to speak up to me once again, and I once again, then listened as to what it was that he had to continue off with in the first place. "We can't stick together for ever... I noticed you have been splitting us a part for just a bit as of late... I know its time..."
I stared at him for quite a bit of some time, as I now kind of felt like I was the one that was suddenly acting a bit like a fool, as I still had not got as to what it was that he was getting at. I tilted my head a bit at first, which I could tell confused him quite a bit, as if what he had thought to be true might be wrong.
As I stared at him for a little while longer how ever, with a bit of a blank look on my own face, it then all of the sudden came back to me, as to what it was that I was going to say to the kid in the first place. I blinked just a few times as well, as I then nodded to him at the exact same time too, as I realized that the kid was some times smarter than I thought him to be.
Maybe that was just me comparing him to his brother how ever, as I knew that if his brother grew up in the world that I once grew up in, he would be at the top of the charts in his school growing up, and the kid would for sure get a degree from one of those high end schools, such as the Pac-12 or perhaps even an Ivy League.
I sighed a bit, as I shook off all of those thoughts at the same time as well, as I some times wondered why I went on to thoughts such as that. I had to tell my self, and the kid, that this was not the same world as it once was, and that there was nothing left, like there once had been.
Perhaps, you could say that some things were the same, and perhaps you could say that we had for sure taken a step back, as there were communities that were going around, trying to take control of others, and try to take them down, and try to kill all of us clearly, as I shivered at those thoughts, and I did my best to shake them off at the exact same time too.
I looked at the kid for a bit longer, as I saw the look on his eyes, that told me that he wanted to know if what it was that he had assumed to be true, was in fact true. I was just a little bit out of it at this moment, which was for sure not normal at all for me. After a few seconds longer though, it then came back to me, as to what it was that the kid had just said to me.
I then nodded to him, as I waited to get a response from him at the same time as well, which did not take but maybe a second or 2, as he then nodded back to me. I sighed a bit to my self, as I still was not so sure as to what it was that I was going to say, but I shook off all of those thoughts how ever, as I did in fact finally then respond to the kid.
"Yeah... This is the last one... We got to go out on our own at some point... And hey... If you are afraid of being alone, than you can always get a warrior to bring with you..." I said to him, as it felt like the last part of what I had said to him, I had meant it more to my self, as I felt like I was more the one that felt like I was going to feel alone.
I shook my head, as I let out a bit of a soft sigh to my self at the exact same time too, as I then looked away from the kid, so that he would not be able to see any of the emotions that were on my face. I was not going to lie, at first I was kind of annoyed with the kid, as he felt to be a bit of a nuisance to me at first.
It felt like I had only agreed to training him, when Angela had asked it to me, as I knew that it was the step son of my best friend, and he would want that of me if he was still here. I sighed just a bit to my self at the exact same time too, as I knew that I really should not be on all of those thoughts at the exact same time as well, either.
The kid had grown a bit of a bond with me, which also scared me a bit, due to the fact that I felt like every one that I drew close to, soon was to die soon after that. I sighed a bit, as I felt like I might be over thinking all of that, as I shook my head at the same time too, as I knew that the world had gone to shit, and I was not the only one that had been delt the bad hand.
Hell... The kid had lost just about every thing that he ever had cared about, and it had been at a lot younger of an age than me... I felt like I should not feel to bad for my self, as I shook off all of those thoughts, as I kept my head turned away from the kid at the exact same time too.
I began to look all around me, as I felt like I like I should at least give my self some thing to do, rather than to just sit here and do nothing at all. I sighed a bit, as I looked all around me once again, just as I had done a few seconds ago, as if I thought that perhaps all of the sudden, one of the dead might have shown up from out of the blue.
You never really knew with some of those crawlers to be fair. I blinked a few times, as I noticed not to see any of the dead any where, besides the one that was about 150 feet behind us, still heading right over to the community, that was a few miles away from me and Ben now.
It was going slower than ever, but I knew that it might get to the community by the time that night came, and by that point, it would be a lot faster, and a lot stronger. I felt like I should do some thing about it at the same as well, for some odd reason or another, as if I thought that it might some how sneak up on some one, or it might kill a few people in side of the walls as well.
I shook my head, as I was not so sure as to why I was so worried, as I was sure that Tyler would see it, or perhaps the next person that was there would see it as well. It did not matter to me how ever, as it felt like I had already made up my mind, as I pulled my gun out of my belt, and I then lined up a shot on it at the same time too, knowing that the bullet would drag just a bit from that distance too, especially with me having a silencer on it.
Once I felt like I had the perfect shot on it, I then pulled the trigger, as just a second or so after I did as such, I saw the dead suddenly fall to the ground behind us. I grinned a bit to my self, as I was quite a bit happy with it, as it still amazed me to the fact that I still was some how getting better and better with my accuracy from long range.
I did not even need a scope for that, as I was not going to lie, I was quite a bit proud of my self for that one, as I then put the pistol back in to my belt, as I stared at the dead that was on the ground, just to make sure that it was fully gone. I nodded to my self, as I knew that it was, and I then looked back in front of me, as to the road that we were heading down at the same time too.
I was just about ready to begin walking down it once again, at the exact same time as well, when I suddenly heard quite the loud voice speak up to me from right beside me, as if we were not out in the wild right now, and that they were not worried as to the fact that they might pull a heard of the dead over to us.
I blinked a few times, as I then turned my head over to Ben, and I squinted my eyes at him, to hear as to what it was that he had to say to me at the same time too, quite a bit obnoxiously loud as well, if I might add on to it. As he began to speak, I did in fact listen as to what it was that he had to say to me how ever in the first place.
"What the hell was that for? You said that we should not waste any bullets out here, if it was some thing that we did not even need to bother killing..." He said to me, as I blinked a few times at the same time too, as I realized that he was in fact right, as I did in fact remember saying that to him.
I was not sure as to what it was that I had to say back to him, if I was not going to lie, as I did kind of feel like I was being a bit hypocritical. This time it was Ben who had his eyes squinted at me, as if he was the one that was trying to mentor me. I was not going to let him do that to me how ever, as I squinted my eyes quite a bit harshly, right back at him.
It seemed to do a fairly good job, as he then rolled his eyes all at once, at the same time as well, as he looked away from me, and back further away, as if there was some thing that was interesting to look at, at this very moment, which of course, I knew not to be true, as I had been out here long enough.
I won in this one, as I was glad for it, as I felt like I needed to put Ben in his place, as even if he was getting better at all of this, I still knew a lot more about how to make it out here than he did for sure. I grinned a bit to my self, as I saw him look away from me, finally, as I was glad that he had not seen me do so.
I shook my head, as I did my best to shake off all of those thoughts at the exact same time as well, as I then looked at the kid for quite a bit longer, and I then began to speak back up to him, it quite a more quiet voice that he had just had, as he turned his head back over to me, to hear what it was that I had to say to him.
"One of them was going to have to shoot it any ways at some point tonight, and for all we know... They might miss a few shots... Might as well help them out..." I said back to him, as I felt like I had come up with a fairly good excuse as to why I had done it, even though we both knew damn well that it was not the reason why I had done it in the first place.
I obviously could have easily missed my shot as well, or hit it some where lower down its body, which would not have done any thing at all. I was not going to lie to my self, it was a bit of an idiotic thing what I had just done, as I had done it with out any sort of train of thought, which seemed to be quite a bit normal for me some times.
I was going to lie to the kid how ever, as I felt quite a bit bad for it as well, as to the fact that I had been trying to teach him to use his dagger more than his gun, especially at a close range. To be fair how ever, that was not close range at all, and I would have to back track, if I wanted to use my dagger on it.
It still was not a good excuse to my self how ever, but I knew that the kid would not think too deep on it thankfully, just as I had told him to do once we were out side of the walls. I shook my head at the same time as well, as I then turned my head back to where it was that we were going now.
I knew that it needed to be my primary focus, as I still had not fully told the kid as to where it was that we were going in the first place either. The kid did not seem to be all too bothered by it how ever, which I was glad for, as I just stared at the long windy road at was ahead of us at the exact same time as well.
This was the section that I needed to make sure that I had my eyes and my ears out for sure, as it was hard to tell when the dead were coming our way, until they got up on you at the last second. There was a lot of trees ahead of us, as it was always my least favorite place to be near, unless it was near the mountains of course, as I knew that the dead did not like high elevations.
I shook my head at the exact same time as well how ever, as I knew that it was besides the point, and I needed to get my thoughts back on the task that I was planning on doing in the first place, which was of course, getting a fair distance done today, so that we might be able to get to the neighborhood tomorrow, or the next days morning, so that we could explore, and tell the scavengers about it as well.
I looked back at Ben at the same time too, as I suddenly heard the kid begin to speak up to me at the exact same time too, as I rolled my eyes just a bit, but I did in fact turn my head back over to him, as I then all of then sudden began to listen as to what it was that he had to say to me in the very first place too.
"Alright Christian... You take the lead... You know where we are going..." He said to me, as he nodded for me to go ahead and do so. At first I was a little bit annoyed by it, but as I began to think on it for perhaps I second or so, I then began to realize that he had a fair point too, as I had just been standing in this one spot for quite some time.
I blinked a few times, as I shook off all of the thoughts that I might have been thinking through in my head at the same time as well, as I then nodded to the kid, to let him know that I had heard what it was that he had just said to me, as I then began to walk down the long road that was ahead of us.
I let out a bit of a soft sigh to my self, as it kind of felt like the kid was being a bit toxic today, but at the same time as well, I felt like it should not bother me. To be fair, I knew that I could not tell him to do other wise, as he had in fact finished his training, like I had told him, and he made his own decisions now.
I did help him quite a bit from time to time how ever, as I was not going to lie to my self, as I knew that it was not all him. Pretty soon how ever, I began to realize, he was going to have to do it all by him self, as I was not going to be with him any more, and not going to be there to help him either, once we were done with this trip.
I gulped a little bit, as I could not help but to be worried for the kid. I was not so sure as to why, as he was better than most at this, and I was sure that he would be fine. I still could not help but feel almost like I was a little bit of a father to this kid, as I did have to remember that after all, he still was in fact a kid, until he turned 18, such as my dad told me.
I blinked a few times, as I shook off all of those thoughts at the same time as well. I could not think of him as a son at all how ever, as I was worried what would happen to him if he did. I shook off all of those thoughts, as I knew that I needed my focus on the long road ahead of us, as my mind went blank, as I then got ready for the rest of this, not so long day, as it was in fact the winter of course.

I stood there for quite a bit of time, with the kid right beside me, as I viewed my surroundings. We had not gotten nearly as far as I had wanted us to get to today, which I knew was mostly my fault, as I had not got the kid up til a lot later in the morning that I had wanted to do in the very first place.
I sighed a bit, as I knew that it was getting quite a bit dark now, and the sun was starting to change from a clear sky blue, like it had been most of the day, after the snow had stopped pouring on us, as it was now quite a dark blue, and at some point very soon from now, we needed to look for a place to stay the night.
Luckily, we had come up on a few places around us, just at the perfect time, as I saw that on the left side of us, there was a gas station, and on the right side of us, there was a waffle house, which I always viewed to be quite a bit over rated back in the day, when all of the people used to go to it.
There was one thing that was good about it how ever, which was of course the fact that it was open 24/7. Well... Not any more I suppose, as I shook off all of those thoughts at the same time as well, as I knew that these were pointless thoughts for me to have in my head at this very moment.
I was about to pull out my map, to see if there might be a nearby neighborhood that we could stop out at, and sleep for the night at, but at the exact same time as well too, I also knew that it might be a bad idea for us to do so, as I knew that at this time of the year, that when it got dark, it got dark fast.
I also knew that I had been down this area quite a few times as well, and the closest place to us, was an apartment complex, that was a solid mile or 2 ahead, which would take us nearly 30 minutes to get to, even if we went a bit faster than a normal walk. By then, it would for sure be completely dark, which I did not want to risk running in to any of the dead in the dark.
They were a lot harder to see, as well as the fact that they were also a lot faster, and a lot stronger at night as well. It was a terrible idea for us to go out side during the night, as I knew that it was not going to be like that day or so that we had been jogging to get back to the community to warn them about the attack.
Of course, it was too late for all of that how ever, as I sighed thinking back on all of that at the same time too. I shook my head, as I did my best to shake off all of those thoughts that seemed to be going through my head at the same time, as I then nodded to my self, and I turned my head back over to the kid at the same time as well.
The kid noticed me do so too, even though it was a bit dark, as I then saw him nod to me, as it was clear that he knew that I was about to speak to him as well. I nodded back to the kid quite a bit gratefully, as I sighed just a little bit to my self, and I then it fact did begin to speak up to the kid.
"The gas station is the best bet for us to stay at for the night..."