Decimation of the World-Fighting to Survive

A Search To Regret-Chapter Five

Emery followed a few steps behind. She didn't say anything. She just followed me out of the gates of Fort Benning. I walked until I reached the end of the treeline that was on the sides of the road to Fort Benning. I turned left going off into the woods to a spot only Valencia knew about.
Our spot, an overgrown tree house that was slowly decaying, before she left we fixed it up. I hadn't been back until now. Though I wanted so badly for her to be there, she wasn't. No matter how much I hoped for her to be there she wouldn't be. I couldn't help but think in the back of my mind that she would show up, somehow be there and we would be reunited once again. But she will never be there. Which is a fact I was not willing to accept.
“Azalea?” A voice called. I turned my head quickly only to be disappointed once again.
“Can I help you Emery?” I said rudely.
“I know you're hurting right now-”
“How can you know a damn thing about me? Huh? How in the hell would you know Emery? Can you tell me that? No, that's what I thought.” I said angrily.
“I know you're pissed off but you're not gonna take it out on me. I'm the one out here helping you. No one else followed but I did! You want to know why?” She snapped back. I looked up at her from the seat I had taken on a piece of wood from the treehouse.
“The truth is I really do know how you feel. I lost who was like a brother to me. He joined a group like The Shadow Reapers. When people told me that I became a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at any given point. So yes I do know how you feel. I only believed when I saw him, on the enemy’s side.” Emery told me.
“Do you want to see her?”
“...Yeah.” I said, scared to see the first person I had ever trusted with my life. I felt as if I lost her again. I was reliving the loss and it was killing me but it didn't matter. I needed to see for myself.

Emery led me to a spot where the road split, we hid in the trees that were nearby.
“407 What's your status?” We heard from a radio.
“No biters, we're all clear, 294.” An all too familiar voice said. She walked in front of the trees. I covered my mouth as tears rolled down my face. Her long dark hair, now cut above her shoulders. Her perfect bright eyes that reminded me of the sun glowing through the trees now darkened. She wore jeans that hugged her figure along with a halter top that had her favorite band on it from before the world fell. Along with her old dark combat boots that had her initials carved into the leather.
“407, are we clear to send the convoy towards Fort Benning?” Emery and I stared at each other when we heard that.
“All clear 294. Send the convoy.” She said as she grabbed the rifle that was on her shoulder. That was until a branch snapped and a walker behind Emery and I lunged for us.
Valencia pointed her rifle towards the tree line. I dodged the walker and shoved it in the direction of Valencia. She shot the walker in the forehead. Emery and I bolted after that. Gunshots shot through the trees.
“This is 407! Requesting backup, people in the trees! I repeat people in the trees!” She hollered into her radio. More shots rang through the air, one hitting my arm.
“Ah, son of a!” I yelped.
“You alright?” Emery asked while still running.
“I'll be fine, it just grazed me.”

We ran all the way back to Fort Benning. There were trucks not far from us. We could hear them while we ran a few miles back.
“Open the gate!” Energy hollered. As the gates opened we ran inside.
“Where's Luke?” I asked the guard on the gate.
“He's coming this way.” He said as he pointed towards Luke who was making his way towards the gate, Conrad following close behind.
“Luke! There's a convoy heading here right now!” I yelled.
“A convoy?” He said confused.
“The Reapers?” Conrad asked.
“Yes look, we don't have time, they are maybe two or three miles out.” I added.
“Dammit! Conrad get guns from the armory get Althea to help you hand them out. Emery lock everything up and get tell Lynn and Pastor Hemlock to get all of the children together and hide in the sewer tunnels. Azalea get ready, you're with me.” He ordered all of us. Everyone ran off to their places. I put a bandage around my arm to stop the bleeding. I was already armed with two pistols and a rifle with a knife on my hip and stuffed in my boot so I followed Luke and started putting things in front of the gate.
People on top of the gate were helping. We parked vehicles in front of the gate and many in a line going across the street there were metal sheets nailed to them. They were going to be out cover for a fire fight.

“Prepare for war!” Luke yelled. People ran for their homes and prepared. They walked in empty handed and came out fully armed and with bullet proof vests we had stolen from a police station. Many people had on riot gear. Everyone was armed. Some of the older children we had taught to shoot for a time like this were even armed. They were down in the tunnels with Jane, Pastor Hemlock and any mother who was pregnant. Or had a baby. Some men were down there too. Anyone injured was down there. We were prepared for a war. We were prepared for anything.
Luke got on top of the gate while the rest of us took formation behind the cars, archers on the gates and surrounding buildings. There were even some outside the gates in some of the old burned houses.
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Two chapters today. That's all.