Fragmented Zombie

Larry and the Casket

I never understood Becker's need to help the humans. To me, it seemed unnecessary. In fact, I found it out right stupid. Why were we being forced to help the very thing that had been killing us off? I hated the very idea of it. And yet, I wasn't given a choice. I was out voted when Becker first made that deal. What I didn't understand the most was that Thomas was put in charge when he wasn't even the oldest. Why couldn't Becker have put me in charge? Was it because I'd ruin everything Becker had planned? Was it because Becker thought I'd kill the others? There were too many questions to be asked. There were too many questions to be questioned. What was worse was that I couldn't even get a decent job. Why was I stuck looking for scraps?

The nearest scrap yard was five miles away from where we were. I hated the idea of how long it would take to haul anything back when it took over an hour to get there. Even more so since I didn't have any help. Even then, it wasn't like I could find anything useful at the scrap yard. While it was possible to repurpose a lot of the metal I found there, I had my doubts on how much of it was useful. Regardless of what I found, I wasn't going to constantly ask Thomas about it. It wasn't that I didn't want to, it was more so I didn't want to waste time on seeing if it was of use or not.

I looked around and sighed out of disbelief. I couldn't believe I was about to ask Thomas if there was anything he wanted me to get from the scrap yard. I didn't want to, but there wasn't anything else I could do. After all, Thomas did threaten me when Robert, Xavier and I weren't doing what we were supposed to. Though, the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that Xavier and Robert were only laughing with me because they didn't want me to be mad at them. Who needs them anyway? I sure as hell didn't.

I approached Thomas and asked, "Hey, Thomas? Is there anything specific you want me to get from the scrap yard?"

Thomas thought for a second before saying, "Some loose metal would be nice. It could be anything from metal pipes to sheet metal. I was thinking we could use it for store shelves."

"Couldn't we just use wood for that?"

"Well, yes, but I was thinking that the metal would hold better and last longer."

I didn't ask anymore questions and made my way over to the scrap yard. Once I stepped out of what was going to be the village, I took a look around. There was nothing around me other than spaced out trees. The soon to be village was behind me, and a great distance between me and the scrap yard. I was thankful it wasn't going to rain. It was one thing for people to not want to get caught out in the rain. It was another when one had to carry heavy objects through the rain without any assistance. Not to mention that the muddy ground would slow me down.

As much as I wanted to admit that the rocks hurt my feet, I couldn't. I was used to it to the point of no longer caring about it. My feet weren't exactly numb, but they weren't bruised either. Granted, I don't step on any rocks enough for there to be any major issues. I more so anticipated the pain before stepping on any rocks. The rocks weren't the bigger issue, though. Yes, they were a hazard to anyone not wearing shoes of any kind. Worst case scenario, someone cuts their foot open on a rock or develops blood blisters on one or both feet. Best case scenario, the person will be more cautious after stepping on a rock the first time. Even if it means putting shoes on. The hypothetical shoes in question don't need to be anything expensive. They could be something as simple (or as stupid) as a pair of sandals or crocs.

I tried looking around to entertain myself only for it to come up empty. The only thing that caught my attention was the subtle movement of leaves on the trees and shrubs. In one of the nearly leafless trees, four birds lifted themselves off the branches they were perched on and flew over my head, their wings flapping loudly. I watched as the birds flew by, wondering if the sound of their wings would alert any of the other infected. I had my doubts, though, there weren't any survivors around for them to attack. I was sure they'd leave me alone since I was one of them. Why would anyone not want to be infected anyway? It wasn't like the majority of the US was infected. I guess it would be fair, though, considering the virus happened rather quickly. What confused me the most was that there were people that were immune. I didn't know how that worked or why anyone would wish or want to be immune. Maybe I just didn't understand because my brain didn't function the way it used to. I missed being a normal human being, just not enough to wish that I was human again.