It's Never Too Late

Chapter 20: The Voice

James's POV:
It's been over two months since Sophie told us about her old group. We decided to let her stay for telling us and everyone worked hard on making the farm a permanent home. Over the span of the two months we have done so many things. We recruited many more people and lost some in the process. Luckily none of them I knew very well. We gained over twenty new people. I didn't think that many people still existed with how many walkers we've been getting. We all built up the walls. We developed a whole new system and made a government. Dad, Lisa, Doc, Layne, Sophie, Heather, Molly and I are all in the higher up ranks.

Doc is our main Doctor in the base. Layne trains up the people in hand-to-hand combat. Molly and I both work on making sure the walls are secured and occasionally work with Heather on cooking food for the people during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sophie takes inventory in what we have, we got her a prosthetic arm but it's still hard for her to use both efficiently. Lisa has started teaching kids stuff you would learn in school so we have a educated society here at the Haven. Oh yeah, that's what we call ourselves now. We have a few construction workers who are on constant wall duty and have even started building walls for a future area we hope to move to some day. It's a neighborhood about 40 miles west of here. Muhammad, Kegan and Rachel are on construction work and do an amazing job at it.

Oh yeah, and dad is the leader so that's awesome too. He's mainly in charge of maintaining stability around the Haven and making sure everyone is occupied working unless they use their "Day off card." Everyone has a card that allows them to take the day off and do whatever around the camp but only 5 per day can do it and only once a week. We've decided to keep everyone who was new in trailers we found. Meanwhile all of us "originals" who got this place to where it was, get to sleep in the two houses on the farm.

As for the Garnets...we've encountered them only twice now. Once on a supply run for weapons, which was successful. We went to the police station and they were already in there. They held us at gunpoint and shot Jones straight into the heart. Jones was a doctor we met and he was overall a great guy. Thankfully I didn't know him well but I saw him and Doc always having fun together. The man who shot him will never leave my memory. He was tall, about 6'5 and had a handlebar mustache. He was Mexican and had the most deadly smile a guy could have when he killed Jones. After he left we were forced to put down the turned Jones.

The second time we encountered them it was just a small group of them, about 6. They were beating a man to death so we went in and killed them all. The Garnett I killed marked my first kill since this apocalypse started. Same with Molly.

Molly has started working out more and gotten taller too. Her and I stand even at 5,7, except I'm about an inch taller then her even though she hates to admit it. She cut her beautiful long brunette hair down shorter to avoid it being grabbed as easy. I thought that was a really smart idea. She's a lot stronger and way hotter when killing walkers.

I wake up early one Friday morning and look over to see Molly is already awake.

"Morning, how'd you sleep?" She asked me. "Wonderful, how about you princess?" I ask her, she gives me half a smile. "Perfect." She said. We both get up and get dressed for breakfast. Heather always wakes up earlier then everyone else with Lisa to get breakfast ready for everyone. I was super excited this morning because I heard rumor around camp saying we were going to have eggs for breakfast! We had only started out chicken farm about three weeks ago when we came across a bunch of them in the forest. So having eggs for the first time was a big step towards our community. Molly's most excited about when the construction team is going to get the walls done around the neighborhood so we can move in there.

"Race you to breakfast?" I ask her but before I could finish my sentence she was already running out the door. I quickly ran down the stairs and followed her until we got to the table where Heather was set up with eggs and corn.

"Whoa you guys slow down there's enough for everyone to have seconds." Heather said to us. "Beat you." Molly said sticking her tongue out at me. I look over to see Bridgette coming out of her trailer with her newborn baby. Molly must have noticed her too because she latched onto my arm and asked, "Can't wait for that to come." "Me neither", I say rubbing her belly. "8 more months baby."

Paul's POV:
Eggs were pretty good this morning. I never thought we would get to the point where that was even possible for us. After everything that's happened with the Garnets recently people began to elect me as leader no matter how much I didn't want to take that role. We had many things added since then including a radio. We broadcast almost every day but never get an answer. I'll probably be getting to that later.

I walk over to James "Hey son good morning. You two sleep well?" I ask him. "I slept great, I'm surprised because after hearing about the eggs I was somehow able to sleep." He said excitedly. "Well I'm gonna go help Sophie take inventory of how many more eggs we can get and more." I told him. With that I went off to go meet up with Sophie and take inventory for the day. We calculate how much food we are going to have for the month and just how long we will have food and weapons and all these supplies for.

We recently found a camp full of supplies that had walkers everywhere. They had tons of ammo, looked like a broken down military outpost. We have a huge shortage of ammunition however. We barely have enough to take out a months worth of walkers around the walls. Because of this we have resorted to using spears we found on the walker and basic never weapons. The food should be able to last everyone over six months, (we've never had a problem with food), and that's not counting the ones we are growing now. "Damn Sophie, we have so many supplies. How did this all even happen?" I asked her. She looked at me with a confused face.

"What are you even talking about? It's because of you! You are the one who though of training soldiers, you are the one who actually found the crops, you are the one who made the government, well, with Lisa's help of course. We are finding more and more people every week because of you. Can't you see that? You are the reason we are making this place thrive."

She ends her little monologue by giving me a hug and leaving to attend other matters. I look around and see all these smiling faces an it just brings a warm feeling to my heart.

I head down to the radio tent to do my call for the day over the stations.

Lisa's POV:
After eating the delicious eggs for breakfast I see Paul wall over to the radio tent. I decided to follow him there to see what same old static we will hear.

I heard another voice in there however. I thought he walked in there alone. As I open the door to the tent I say "Hey Paul whatcha doin?" After that I stopped dead in my tracks to realize it was only him in there and the radio saying

"Hello this is Jasper, leader of the Stronghold, does anyone read me?"

•Authors Note•
I'm super excited to write this next part of the story arc and I hope you guys a re excited to read it! Chapter 21 coming soon!