Things Happened

June 22, 2020

   I could not believe I had to sit out in this trailer and watch them do all the work. Jessica told me to keep off the leg for the rest of the day, then I'd be fine. A whole day doing nothing. That sounded like so much fun. Not.
     After we left the town yesterday, we were all in agreement that we would come back and loot the stuff the next day. I was told to be a "lookout" or some bullshit like that. They asked if anyone wanted to sit with me. Michael volunteered. So we're sitting out here, being silent.
     "Do you hate me?" He asked, breaking the silence. I thought he'd gone mad.
     "What?" I just had to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
     "Do you hate me?" He repeated.
     "No and why would I hate you?" I was completely confused now.
     "I kissed Felix. I know I shouldn't have, but he's so loving and caring. He made sure I was okay when I was shot. He reminded me of Connor so I kissed him. I honestly just want to do it again," he said this, surprising the hell out of me.
     "I wanted to kiss Connor. He's a cute guy. So don't feel bad, I love you guys. Both of you," I said looking at him. He was silent. "Since we're gonna be stuck in here for a while, tell me about your life. Before all of this," I said trying to lighten the mood.
     "I was born into a family of four. I was the youngest of four kids. I had my three sisters, my mom, and my dad. Life was perfect, until it wasn't. The police came knocking at our door at three in the morning one night. My three sisters and I went to the door. They told us our parents were dead. We were shipped to foster care. The first house was horrible. They barely fed us. We wore the same clothes for weeks at a time and couldn't bathe. A social worker came to get us after he said he got a call saying he couldn't take care of us anymore. I found out later that the woman left the man. So she got with her sexy new boyfriend and he drove himself over the Grand Canyon," he said with a chuckle.
     "Oh wow. I remember seeing that on the news. The car exploded on impact. Nothing could have saved him," I chuckled too.
     "Our next home is where we were separated. I never saw my sisters again," a stray tear fell down his face. "The couple only wanted me. They treated me well. Their kids hated me. The oldest, a fourteen year old with way too many mental issues, tried to suffocate me with a pillow. They quickly removed me from that home," he took a breath, remembrance in his eyes. "They took me to a group home. The boys there beat me up everyday. One of the boys tried to be my friend, but they beat him up too. I told him to beat me up so he wouldn't. He did and he cried while he did. That night, he came to my bed. He kissed me. He told me he was sorry. I was removed two days after because one of the boys tried to stab me with a knife while an attendant came. I found out later that after I left, the other boy hung himself with his own shirt," another tear fell down. "The next home was the worst. It was an alcoholic who beat me every chance he got. I was removed from that house after three years. One of the social workers walked in and caught him. He went to jail for the rest of his life because that woman prosecuted and so did I. I hope he's dead now," he was crying now. I hugged him. "That's when I found my forever home. I was suspicious and didn't trust anyone except my "sister". She welcomed me from day one and loved me like her own brother. The family slowly started coming around and I loved them all so much. Then I went to school and met-," he was stopped when a thing came stumbling through the door. It was the little boy who first got shot by Chelsea.
     Nobody had a weapon ready. We were totally screwed. I started backing away, slowly denying the inevitable. It was getting closer and closer. A knife appeared through its head. A giggling could be heard from the other side. The thing dropped to the ground.
     Natalie was looking happily at her new knife. "I like my new knife, I think I'll name it Bob," she said this and me and Michael burst into laugher. We both started crying. Everyone returned with other supplies and the dogs. I look out the window and see the things slowly sauntering towards us. Everyone wants to get in the car and go. Everyone except Natalie.
     "I know fighting them probably isn't the smartest play at this moment, but would you rather let this things live on and feed on something, possibly something you love, or would you rather remove them from the face of the planet?" She said this and we all quickly agreed.
     Everyone quickly got into position. Michael and I were standing at separate windows, me with a gun and him with his knives. Everyone else had some kind of blade to fight them close up.
     There was a group of twenty things. Each one had a hole in their stomachs. Natalie took Bob and stabbed it through the first to be shot, little boy's head. There was no mercy. He dropped to the ground immediately. We started picking them off. It didn't take long. Each thing was put to rest. Their bodies were finally fully dead. I just wished the souls of the people were safe somewhere.
     There's only one left. Her body is in shambles. She limps on her leg. Her arm is almost off its hinges. Everyone freezes. It's Chelsea. Everyone knew she got karma. Everyone knew her death was merciless and painful. No one could kill her though.
     She then moaned and ran/stumbled towards the closest one to her. Connor. A dragon appeared in her head. Michael had barely even moved. He looked calm. I didn't blame him. She put him through a lot.
     Connor runs inside to Michael after grabbing his dagger and stabbing it into her again and again until he's completely sure she's dead. He kisses Michael with so much force and passion when he reaches him. It's like a magical kiss in a fairytale. Too bad this is the apocalypse full of zombies. Fun...
     Felix grabs me and kisses me like that too. Everyone watches this in awe. Especially Natalie. She squeals like a preteen. It's kind of funny.
     We quickly pack up and jump in the car to leave. We drive for maybe five minutes. Everyone is silent. Natalie quickly breaks it, "Oh gosh. I forgot to tell you we've gotta stop by my cabin so I can grab my cats, the pet food load, and a crap ton of batteries!" She acts like she has to bribe us. Natalie directs Jessica. We turn into a small wood area. It takes us ten minutes to reach it.
     The cabin is small, cozy, and wooden. There's absolutely nothing interesting about it from the outside except the giant 'Go Away!!!' sign.
     "I'll be back," she screams as she runs inside. She climbs the three stairs to the door. Then she's out of sight.
     She's gone for about fifteen minutes. Michael and Connor make out in a corner the whole time. It's so passionate and full of love. No one tells them to stop. They deserve it.
     When Natalie does run out of the house again, she's carrying a gigantic bag of batteries and giant bags of cat and dog foods. On her tail are these two felines. One is a orangish color and isn't very big. Now that I look at them, neither are very big. The other cat is a charcoal black. He was only a little larger than the other.
     Everyone expected conflict between the dogs and cats. When the cats stepped on the truck, the dogs just laid there. The cats went to actually snuggle against them. I thought I was in some kid's cartoon where all animals get along and are vegetarian. I always hated those. So unrealistic. Where was the bloody murder by the lions? I don't know why, but I always suspected it to turn into a drama and when there's a murder, the animal police search out the culprit. They'd always think it was Larry the Lion. Then he'd end up dead. They'd catch the culprit, Robert the Rabbit killing him. He'd have a bloody knife. Can you tell I've thought a lot about this?
After my long mind rant, Natalie starts to speak. She always seems to know when my rants begin and end. I wondered how. I'll ask her later.
     "Guys, meet my babies! He's Fluffy," she says pointing at the orangish cat. I start laughing. She would be the only one to name a guy cat something like Fluffy. "And this little one is Lynx." She points tiredly at the gray one.
     Jessica's ready to pull off. She takes the truck out of park and puts it in reverse. "Oh wait! I forgot my favorite pillow and blanket," she screams. Jessica puts it back in park.
     We wait another five minutes before she reappears through the door. That's when I really get a look at her. I wondered why she didn't have any more supplies. Why she didn't have a crap ton of food? Then it slowly came into clarity. When she said she was starving, she wasn't kidding. I could see the outline of her incredibly thin body. Her cats didn't look very well either.
     She's carrying a blanket and pillow with a rainbow design. She had to beg her parents to get those. She had to come with the money herself. I bought it for her for her birthday. She also has a backpack full of stuffed animals that she starts pulling out as she gets on the truck.
     I see so many familiar faces. I see Dolly, the red dolphin; Howard, the nervous purple elephant; Morgan, the shark; Diane, the green gorilla; and Perry, the purple monkey. I remember these from their many trips to school.
     Jessica pulls away and we're driving to the next town. Michael, Connor, Felix, and I all sit in a line.  Michael's on the very left. He's laying on Felix, who is laying on me, who also has Connor laying on me. Connor and Michael have their hands connected across our stomachs. Everyone is quickly out like a light.
Natalie sits in a corner with her stuffed animals. She's slowly asleep. Maia is fast asleep. She's very tired. Clarrisa jumps at every sound as she holds Rachael in her sleep. Justin is asleep in Felix's lap.
     Before I can examine any more details, I pass out.