Open up, Survivors Inside

Chapter 7

The first thing that happened when Puffer sat on the lawn chair was Duck walking up to him, "Check this out!" Duck said, handing a card over to Puffer. To his surprise, it was a Pokémon card, specifically of Zorua.

"Where did you find this?" Puffer asked.

"It was in the motel room behind the dresser! You said you liked Pokémon so you can have it!" Duck replied.

Puffer gave a small smile at this, "Thanks Duck," he said as Duck headed back to where the other kids were. In the beginning, Puffer wasn't that big of a fan of Duck. But these past three months had changed that, as the boy was starting to grow on Puffer. Maybe it was Duck's uncanny ability to spot even the tiniest of details, or maybe it was because the two had things in common.

Either way, Puffer didn't find Duck really annoying anymore. The two teens looked anxious, and he knew why as the fate of their teacher was unknown for now. Puffer saw Lee handing out rations, and Puffer already knew he wouldn't take any if Lee offered. Carley was near Doug, helping him put the finishing touches on his alarm. While Lee handed rations out, Puffer decided to get to know the teens more. "So, who's your teacher? If he is your teacher," Puffer asked.

"That's Mr. Parker, the band director at our School," Ben answered.

"We all came down from Stone Mounatin for the playoffs when everything happened," Travis added.

"You think we could have done more...?" Ben asked.

"No, everything that could have been done was done," Puffer replied, "I don't know who the hell made that trap, but they're the one to blame for your band director's missing leg. Besides, next time you two will be more prepared."

"So we can stay?" Travis asked.

Puffer frowned a bit, "That's not up to me, but I wouldn't mind. Sure, we're not doing good on food, but what were we supposed to do, leave a couple of kids to die?"

"Thanks for helping us," Ben said.

Travis paused, then looked away, "Sorry for not letting you help sooner..."

"Don't sweat it, I would have reacted in a similar way," Puffer replied, then perked up when an argument started between Larry and Lee about food, but it was quickly ended by Kenny.

Larry then looked at Puffer with anger, "Will you quit sitting on your ass and do something?!"

"Mother fucker I basically ran a marathon!" Puffer spat, "Let my ankle rest! Or do you want it to break?!"

"That bite should have killed you," Larry snapped back before storming back towards the wall.

Ben and Travis looked confused, and it was Travis that spoke up, "What did he mean by that?"

Puffer answered by rolling his pant leg up, revealing the scarred bite, "I'm immune. I got bit and it fucked my ankle up. That's why I walk with a cane. And that's also why I am taking a break," Puffer grumbled the last part out, still pissed at Larry.

"Whoa, t-that's amazing!" Ben exclaimed, "So you can't turn after you die?"

"Pretty much," Puffer replied, some shouting got Puffer's attention, and he practically sprinted to where it came from, his ankle be damned. To his absolute horror, the band director had turned. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" The walker was trying to bite at Lee, with Mark missing an axe swing. As soon as there was an opening, Puffer stabbed the walker with the cane tip, putting it down. Lee shoved the walker off as everyone ran over.

"You said he wasn't bitten!" Kenny growled at Ben and Travis.

"He wasn't!" Ben quickly said defensively.

"Well your 'not-bitten' friend here came back to life and tried to kill my wife!" Kenny snapped, clearly pissed.

"Wait, none of you know?" Travis questioned.

"Know what?" Puffer asked, a bit ticked off himself.

"It's not the bite that does it...it just guarantees death," Ben said, "You come back no matter how you die. If you don't destroy the brain, that's just what happens. It's gonna happen to all of us..."

"We're all infected?" Lee questioned while everyone was stuck in a stunned silence.

"We've seen someone turn without being bitten," Travis answered, "We were all hiding out in a gym, and one of the cheerleaders, Jenny Pitcher...she took some pills in the bathroom. When someone went to check on her...yeah."

Everyone stayed silent until the bells rang, causing Carley to whip around and aim her gun at the intruders. "Back off!" Carley shouted, and two strangers paused.

"Whoa, lady relax!" The taller of the two said, "Me and my brother, we just want to know if y'all can help us."

"Are you armed?" Lee questioned.

"Yeah, for protection," the shorter stranger answered, "Dead could be anywhere."

"But I think you've got the upper hand here," The first stranger added.

Carley looked skeptical, but decided to push it, "Why do you need gas?"

"Out place is protected by an electric fence," The second strange said, "Generators provide the electricity." Holy shit it was a dream come true.

"We own a dairy farm a few miles up the road. If y'all be willing to lower your guns, we can talk about some kind of trade," The first stranger concluded.

"This seems too good to be true..." Travis whispered to Puffer, and honestly? Puffer was agreeing with that sentiment. There had to be a catch to this.

"We should send a group, to see if the place is legit," Lilly suggested, "Lee, take Mark with you."

"Count me in," Carley said.

Lee gave a nod, then turned to the strangers, "You got a deal. We'll bring some gas to your dairy in exchange for some food we can bring back. We'll see how it goes from there."

"Sounds fair," The first stranger said, "I'm Andrew, but you can call me Andy, and this here is my brother Danny."

"Mind if I go...?" Ben asked, which Travis didn't like the idea of.

"Sure, we'll send someone back once we arrive," Lee said, and as the group left, Puffer had a sense of dread filling him.