When The World Caves In |C.G.

one

The apocalypse has been happening for a good minute now. I'm not exactly sure how long, because Daddy says it feels exactly like before but now theres dead people roamin' and groanin'. We met up with a bunch of strangers on the highway that wound up taking us in. Though Uncle Merle says they're a bunch of pansies that we took in because there's no way a bunch of pansies like them would survive long without us Dixon's. Except his version was a lot more vulgar, because Uncle Merle don't know how to watch his mouth 'round "impressionable ears". At least, that's what Daddy always tells him.

Right now my Uncle Merle is in Atlanta with some of the strangers we met. Except, they're not really strangers anymore. We've been livin' together since the highway. Safety in numbers and all that. He's not supposed to be in Atlanta, he's actually supposed to be watching me while Daddy's on a hunting trip. But Uncle Merle said I'm a big girl now and I can look after myself until he gets back, which should be any minute now.

While I've been waiting on him, I've been making friends with the other kids in camp. There's Sophia and Carl and Eliza and Louis. Sophia and Carl and I are all really close in age. Carl's the oldest of our trio of 12 year olds, his birthday is late December or something, and I'm the youngest born on February 14th, 1999. Eliza and Louis are both younger by a couple years so they mostly stick to their mama.

I'm sitting by Carl and his own mama Lori cuts his hair. She's gonna cut mine next, and since we ain't got nothing but time these days I'm gonna let her. But not too much because Daddy always put's my hair into the best braids of all time. He's the best braider in the whole wide world. It took him lots and lots of practice to get there though. I've haven't seen my own mama in a real long time, so daddy had to learn how to do all the girly stuff on his own. Uncle Merle always makes fun of him for it but I always remind daddy that he's doing a great job and he shouldn't listen to Merle tease him.

"Baby, the more you fidget, the longer it takes." Lori tells Carl. My friend is squirming like his life depends on not getting a hair cut. "So don't okay?"

"I'm trying," He says a little angrily, raising his tone with his mother.

"Well, try harder." She tells him and I draw in the dirt with a stick I found on the ground. I'm holding my bear Mr. Tubbins in my arms, I've had him since I was a baby.

"Wait till you start shaving." Shane says. He used to be an officer of the law before the dead started walking. My daddy ain't the biggest fan of him, but my daddy's never been the biggest fan of cops. Especially with Uncle Merle being... well, Merle. "That stings. That day comes, you'll be wishing for one of your mama's haircuts."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Carl quips back.

"Tell you what, you get through this with some manly dignity and tomorrow I'll teach you something special. I will teach you to catch frogs." Shane says. "You too Miss Aurora, if you want."

"I love catching frogs." I tell him. Uncle Merle actually taught me how, he took me to the creek behind our house one time when daddy was gone at work.

"I've caught a frog before." Carl says.

"I said frogs, plural." Shane says before looking at me for backup. "And it is an art, my friend. It is not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means, and not many people know about it except Aurora and folks like myself. I'm willing to share my secrets."

He turns around to look at his mom who quickly turns his head back around. "Oh, no I'm a girl you talk to him. Aurora's braver than I am."

"It's a one time offer bud, not to be repeated." Shane goes back to cleaning his gun.

"Why do we need frogs, plural?" Carl asks.

"For frog legs." I tell him, they're not my favorite but I'll eat them. Daddy doesn't like when I waste food, especially now when it's so scarce.