Open up, Survivors Inside

Chapter 2

While Lee and Clementine slept in the middle of the barn, Puffer went to one of the corners, mainly to ignore the snoring. His mind trailed to his friends, and he wondered if they were okay. Did they make it out of Spring Hill safely? Or were they all dead? Puffer shook that thought out of his head. No, he had to assume they were alive. He wasn't sure if his sanity could handle the mere thought that his friends could be dead and that he was alone. As he slept, his rest was filled with nightmares of the milky white eyes the walkers had, staring into his soul.

"Puffer," Puffer jerked awake at a voice calling his name, and he sighed in relief when he saw it was just Lee. As Puffer got up, he could see an unfamiliar couple, as well as a boy around Clementine's age running around.

"Everyone already get started?" Puffer asked.

"No, but we're about to," Lee replied as the two headed over, and Puffer could see Shawn approaching.

"I wanna build a fence," The boy said.

"Yeah? Well I need a good foreman," Shawn stated with a tiny snicker, "You can sit on the tractor and yell at me whenever I take a water break."

"On a tractor? Cool!" The kid said as he followed Shawn, and Puffer was holding in his laughter watching this.

"Mind helping me with the engine?" A man Puffer had seen with the boy earlier asked.

"Sure, let's me do something," Puffer replied.

"Thanks, name's Kenny," The man said as he and Puffer walked over to the truck, "That was my boy, Ken Junior, but we just call him Duck."

"Puffer," Puffer replied, "We both have animal nicknames."

"I figured that wasn't your real name," Kenny said, then he nodded to a woman sitting with Clementine, "That's my wife, Katjaa. She was a vet before this all started." Kenny grabbed a wrench, starting work on the engine while Puffer kept an eye on the engine to see if anything was broken. "Government will hand out shots soon enough, and the guard will do its thing."

"I don't know man, what about all the dead?" Puffer questioned.

On the odd chance things get too bad, we can hop on my boat I guess," Kenny thought out loud.

"You have a boat?"

"Yeah, I'm a commercial fisherman," Kenny answered, "Katjaa wouldn't be wild about it, but the boat's not that bad."

"The open sea might be better anyways," Puffer hummed, "I mean, hurricanes would be an issue, but if you sailed to a part of the ocean where they normally don't form, it should be safe enough." Puffer spotted a loose part and quickly tightened it.

"So what's your story?" Kenny asked.

"Well, I was heading down to Florida to go on a vacation with my friends," Puffer said, "The flights were grounded so I decided to go with a car. But got into a wreck. Lee managed to get me out and pull me to safety while I was out cold."

"Damn, guess that explains why your head is so wrapped up," Kenny winced, "Where are you planning on heading after today?"

Puffer...didn't really know. He had overheard Lee mention Macon, but Puffer needed to get to Florida as fast as possible. Then again, road tripping right now wasn't a good idea. Maybe when things settled down, but by then Spring Hill would be fully abandoned. "I don't really have a plan," Puffer mumbled, "I need to get to Spring Hill, Florida. I doubt you're heading that way?"

"Sorry kid, I'm heading to Savannah," Kenny replied, "That's where my boat's docked."

"Then I guess I'm shit outta luck," Puffer sighed.

"Well until we get to Savannah, I don't mind you riding with us," Kenny said, causing Puffer to perk up, "Besides, you shouldn't go off alone. Safety in numbers and all that. You would do better in a group." That was probably what Puffer should do. How was he going to survive alone? His friends had each other, but if Puffer didn't stick with Lee, he was as good as dead. "The engine looks good on my side, anything on yours?"

"Nah, it looks fine," Puffer replied.

"Well, we should be good to go then-" Kenny was cut off at a scream of agony. Puffer spun around, spotting Shawn laying on the ground near the tractor. As soon as he managed to get over, he was shocked to see the tractor wheel on Shawn's ankle, with several walkers at the fence due to the noise from the tractor. Lee went over and started to try and push the tractor off while Kenny pulled his son away from a walker. Puffer, meanwhile, grabbed one of the boards Lee had cut earlier and smashed in the head of one of the walkers, causing it to fall.

Right before Puffer could get rid of the eyeless walker, the fence snapped. In an instant, the eyeless walker managed to take a large bite out of Shawn's neck. Puffer reacted as fast as he could, caving in the skull of the eyeless walker. The walker that had grabbed Duck managed to grab Puffer's arm, only for a shot to ring out and the walk's head to collapse onto Puffer, a bullet hole in its skull. Puffer kicked the walker off as Hershel ran to his son.

"It almost got me..." Shawn wheezed out, "Puffer and Lee saved me..." The wound was quickly leaking blood, which was pooling underneath him.

"I know, son," Hershel replied, his voice a bit choked up. Shawn didn't get the chance to say anything else before he went still, his neck no longer leaking blood due to his heart stopping. Puffer let the board fall from his hands. If he had been faster, maybe Shawn would still be alive. Hershel then turned to where Kenny stood with his family, grief being overtaken by pure fury, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Hershel shouted, making Puffer jump.

Kenny looked away a bit, "Sorry..."

"Sorry?! Your son is alive. You don't get to be sorry!" Hershel snapped, "You let him die!"

"It was my fault..." Puffer said quietly, "I tried to get them...it just happened so fast."

"At least you tried to save him!" Hershel argued, then he turned back to Shawn's body, "Please...just go. Get out, and never come back!" Puffer moved away, walking over to Lee and Clementine.

Lee gave Puffer a pat on the back, "You did all that you could."

"I could have been faster..." Puffer mumbled back in reply before silently walking over to Kenny's truck, with Lee watching on with a worried expression.