An Apocalyptic Pack

Chapter One: Reunion

I turn the safety off of the pistol in my hand. "Show me your hands" I hold the gun against the man's head. He's bent over, trying to tie his shoe. 

I can't see his face, but his whole body stills. I can't tell his height, but he has a stocky build. Might be around my age, young twenties. He's African American with locs and wearing a moss green shirt and jeans. 

I regrip my pistol as he slowly lifts his hands away from his boots. He then starts to stand up, hands still in the air. I take a step back, keeping the gun trained on him. 

Both of our eyes widen in surprise as he lifts his head to my face. I remember those eyes. "Umar? William Umar?" 

"Brooks?" He responds hands still in the air. "Holy shit I haven't seen you since senior year!" 

I stand there, feeling slightly awkward. Just because we were chemistry partners in high school doesn't mean he isn't a threat. Men aren't to be trusted these days. He catches my indecisiveness, "Think you could put the gun away? Kinda kills the whole reunion vibe." 

I pause, slightly lowering the gun. William looks around, "Is this your camp? Pretty nice setup." 

"Thanks" I take him in. He's grown in the last two years, probably around six foot and a few inches now. He used to have a short Afro but now his hair is pulled back into short locs. 

"Hey, I got a jar of peanut butter. There's more than enough, wanna catch up?" He offers. I tilt my head, weighing my options.

"Do you have any weapons?" I ask, I need to know what I'm dealing with. 

He nods, "Yeah, got a kitchen knife and a bow and arrow." I peer at the dark wood wrapped around his back and the string pinching the front of his chest. 

I raise my eyebrows, "A bow and arrow?" 

"My family were hunters," he shrugs his shoulders.

"Hm, so that jar of peanut butter?" I slowly put the gun down, holstering it on my thigh. "Make yourself at home I guess." He takes a step into the camp I have. It's not much, just a small fire I made that wouldn't cause much smoke and a bunch of knocked down trees that surround the camp and make up walls. 

"How long have you been here?" He asks as he takes a seat on a fallen mossy tree. 

"Not long," I reply, taking a seat opposite to him from the fire. William sets his backpack on the ground as well as his bow. I tense. 

His eyes flicker towards me, and he slowly kicks the bow a few feet away from him. He then starts shuffling around his dark brown backpack, pulling out a jar of peanut butter. My stomach softly growls as I shift in my seat. "So are you on your own?" William asks as he unscrews the lid. 

"Yeah" I reply. 

"Me too," he replies, nodding his head. "You know, you still don't say much." 

I almost crack a smile at his observation. Back in high school, William would talk my ear away and I wouldn't need to say a word. Seems he's changed a little. "I suppose you ask more questions though." 

He gives me a soft chuckle as he dips a plastic spoon into the jar and takes a scoop of the butter. "Just trying to catch up with a long lost friend." He slowly reaches over and passes the jar to me with another plastic spoon. 

"I'm not sure you would have considered me a friend in high school" I quip back. I avoid his stare as I swirl my spoon in the jar. 

He cocks his head in curiosity, "How so?" 

I chuckled at the memories, back when everything was so simple. "I mea sure, we were chem partners but you never treated me like a friend. If your baseball friends were with you then you acted like I was ghost." I stare a him as I put the spoonful of peanut butter in my mouth, savoring the taste. "But that's in the past now. What's your plan?" 

"Well, my dad died a few weeks ago. He was diabetic and couldn't get insulin." His frown pulls down his face, making him look older. "Our plan was to head down to Alabama. So I suppose I'll do that." 

"I'm sorry" I frown, William shakes his head and I decide to change the subject. "Why Alabama?" I ask, holding the bar back to him. 

He gives me a smile as he takes the jar, "My older brother, Lucas, lives there. The infection rate is lower down south, less population density. He has a lot of property." 

"Good idea." 

We eat in silence, passing the jar back and forth between the fire. The sun sets and the weariness for nightfall arrives.  

"You should come with me." William suggests out of the blue. I stare up at him, taken aback. 

"What?" 

"To Alabama," he explains. "Think about it, we're on our own. Two is better than one. It means we take shifts sleeping and have each other's backs." I raise my eyebrows. It's not a bad suggestion. 

"How do I know you won't be a burden?" I challenge. I'm not getting eaten by a zombie because he's a weak link. 

"Well, I can shoot. Almost anything. I have supplies and know how to live off the land. I'm pretty fast if I say so myself. My dad was a cub scout leader so I learned a lot from him." He gloats in a sales man like manner. "How do I know you won't be a burden?" He shoots his eyebrows up in jest. 

I give a slight smirk, "I've been on my own for two months. I think I'm doing alright." 

William stares at me, analyzing my answer. "It's got to be lonely." He observes. 

"I'm doing fine." I raise my head high. 

"Listen, I know how scary it's gotta be to be a girl alone right now. I've heard some stories. I could help protect you." He looks at me with a serious face but softness in his eyes. 

I snort, "I don't need protection." 

"But some extra wouldn't hurt."

I purse my lips as I stare at him. His brown eyes have a looks of understanding and hope. I should leave the northeast. It's early fall and it's only going to get colder. "So we would go find your brother and then part ways?" 

"Yeah," he nods as he shovels a spoon of peanut butter in his mouth. 

"Alright, lets do it."