Living Amongst The Dead

Chapter 15

We all got into the trucks, Ned and Coco in one and Ben, Max, Calem and I in the other. Max drove our truck and Calem sat shotgun. Ben and I were in the back.

The drive was filled with small talk about the town we were heading to. Apparently it still had plenty of zombies so that was why we were going in the day, to give us an advantage. We promised Gina before we left that we'd be back by 3:00. It was now 10:04, so that gave us around three hours to get what we needed and two hours to drive home.

It felt great to call this newly found cabin home, these people my family. I guess when the world's gone to hell, you learn to trust people a lot more. These people had welcomed Calem and I with open arms and I couldn't be more thankful for their generosity and kindness.

Ben and Max had given Calem friendship when times were ruff and Gina and Ned had treated me like they'd known me forever, even though I'd only been with them for a day. It was good to know that they had my back.

"Are we nearly there?" We'd been driving for what felt like ages and Calem was getting a little fidgety. "Just about Cal." Max replied, staring ahead. "We'll be there in around ten minutes."

"So," I asked Ben, who was staring out the window. "Do you think we'll have to fight any zombies?" We were all armed with crowbars and hand guns, except for Calem, who held the iron bar he'd killed his father with, as a last resort. Guns were just to loud.

Ben turned towards me, a lazy smile on his face. "Probably but I think we'll be able to take 'em." He sounded so sure and confident when he said those words.

"Sorry, I think I'm just a little um....scared." He laughed when I'd finished the sentence and I punched him playfully in the arm.

"Sorry." He said, full of sincerity. "I just find it hard to believe. You lived in a city that had thousands of people living in it before the plague started, survived, rescued someone and made it out of there with barely a scratch. Susan, your either really brave or extremely lucky, and I bet it's the first one I said."

"It's not just that." I said, my voice uneven. "If something happens to Calem I'll never forgive myself. Maybe he should have stayed back with Gina." I didn't realize it, but I was biting my fingernails.

"Don't worry about it." Ben told me in a comforting tone. "I promise I'll keep him safe. You too." I looked up and saw that Ben's eyes were locked on mine.

"Is that it?" Calem had asked from the front. Max nodded and I looked up to see us approaching the town.

Then I felt Ben's hand on mine. I looked at him but he was gazing ahead.

He didn't move his hand though.

Either did I.