The days that followed

Chapter Two: No room left for the living

As I make my way to the little restaurant, town has gotten quieter. The streets look empty. I park the jeep and jump out. I run in the doors with my weapon in my hands. I look around and call out to the little kid. "Hello, it's me, the person you talked to on the phone from before." I continue "I came to help you, I have a place that's safe, where the monsters won't be able to get you." I hear shuffling from behind me and I turn around smiling. "You're okay?!" I stop before finishing my sentence. "Nana...?" I cry "No God please no." She scuffs her feet walking towards me. Moaning and grumbling. Her face is distorted, she's covered in blood and bruises. She snaps at me and I dodge it. "Nana, no please." I say under my breath, wishing the child had been lying, or wrong. She snaps at me and I fall to the floor. She follows me into the floor trying to bite my leg. I quickly pull my leg away and stand up. Running to the other end of the store I stand up against the door. More of the monsters attack the door and I jump, startled at the sudden sound of my family at the restaurant. Walking over to my grandmother, my grip tightens around my screwdriver. "I love you nana, I'll miss you." I say my final words to her and take the weapon and ram it into her eye socket. She crumples to the floor, dead. Blood soaks my shirt as I hold her crying. A door creaks open and I jump back holding the closest thing to me, ready to fight back. I then hear footsteps and a voice, "I'm sorry, I was scared and didn't know what to do." I look up and make eye contact with a little boy. "Please don't hate me." The young boy says. "How old are you, are you okay, no cuts or bites?" I ask looking at him rapidly. "No I hid in the bathroom, I'm 7 and my name is Trevor." He replies back. "Where are your parents?" I ask worried. "Monsters." The little boy cries. I open my arms showing remorse. He falls into my arms, I hold him in my arms while he cries. "Come on." I say looking out the window. "We will have to set us up some cool new rooms at the store!" I say trying to enthuse Trevor. "New room?" Trevor asks. I shake my head yes and he lights up. He smiles from ear to ear. I hold his hand and look around to make sure the jeep is safe. We run into the streets and I help him in. "Buckle up." I smile as I start the jeep and we leave town. When we arrive back at the store Alec is standing there smiling. He opens the garage and I drive the jeep into the store. "Savannah is here." He says. He looks over into the direction of the self-checkouts. I smile and run over but slowly come to a halt when I hear her crying. I think back. I've lost so many people. "Oh god." I say and stop. I slowly walk over to her. She sits there with her boyfriend, Taylor holding her in his arms. I kneel down and hug her. Crying I say "I'm sorry." She turns and holds me in her arms saying "I'm just glad I still have you two." I look at my phone. A picture of Aidan and I pop up. I dry my eyes. "Maybe he made it." I think to myself. I try calling him. One ring... two rings... three rings...four rings...voicemail. My phone is going to die soon. The electric is still going. I run to the back of the store with my screwdriver in hand. I grab a charger and run back to the front of the store. I plug my phone up so it will be charged. "I'm not giving up on you Aidan." I say to myself. I text him "Aidan, if you are okay, we are set up in the store outside of town, please be okay." I turn and look at our small group. "Trevor..." I say "please go up into the manager's office and lock yourself in, we checked in the front of the store and its safe, but now we have to check the rest of the store." He looks at me upset and hugs my knees. "Hey, it'll be okay, I'll be right back." I say. I walk him to the office. "I won't let anything bad happen to you Trevor." I say. He smiles and walks into the office. When he locks the door I turn and walk back to the rest of the group. "Alec you keep guard, Savannah you take the auto motive's department, Taylor you get the Food department, I'll get electronics and medication." I say. I grab my backpack and give them both a weapon. We break off and I head to electronics first. I check around and head to the back offices. "Hello?" I ask. Nothing. Next I check the bathrooms. I hear groaning and I slowly start walking towards the noise. The groaning becomes sobbing. I tighten my grip on the screwdriver and kick open the stall door. I look into the eyes of a young women. "ww-who are you?" the young woman asks me. In return I say "MiKayla, what are you doing in here?" She stares at me blankly for a minute, holding her tears. She finally responds by saying "my name is Tara, I work here, I stayed late last night cleaning up and the news came on." "I called my husband, he said he was on his way, that was three hours ago and we only live about 5 miles away." "He has our son." Tara continues "Iii I want to go out there and save them, but I don't have the strength, I'm too scared, I tried to go, I couldn't, not even for the people I love." I wipe the sweat off of my forehead "So the store is clear?" I ask. She nods her head in response. I look at her. "God dammit." I shout. "Get up, dry your eyes." "I have one kid to take care of, I'm not going to baby you too." "If you want to check and see if your family is okay, you are going with me, you may have to put up with the walkers." Tara looks at me, hurt that I am being so harsh but grateful that I am being generous enough to help look for her family, let alone let her stay at the store. "Thank you" she says hugging me. "Come on, we better go before it gets dark." I say as I shrug her off. We walk to the front of the store, everyone sitting there already. "Okay, I have to go back out, Alec or Taylor one of you keep watch, the other help Trevor set up his room, up in the office, Savannah, help him go look for things to decorate it." "This is Tara, we are going to find her family. I'll be back soon." "Everyone be careful." I say explaining what they are to do and what I will be doing.