Living with the Dead

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

ANDY'S POV

The city looks so dead. Ever since we left the street, the life and color in the sky seemed to decrease. A nasty color of gray changed everything's appearance. Of course it's only in my head. Nothing has changed at all. Just the fact that the dead are walking. We've been walking for at least six hours, trying to find a more secure place. Everything's been quiet, just a few walkers here and there.

"Another one. I got it," Violet said, jogging towards a walker as we turned on the sidewalk in a small neighborhood. I refuse to take the group through a larger area due to the fact that we could be attacked.

"Guys, look." Violet looked amazed as she pointed to a two-story, red brick house. There was a sidewalk to the front door, surrounded by a large garden. There was just one problem: The whole house was circled by a huge fence. I wonder why anybody would have a fence this tall.

"Ugh, it's locked," Mike complained, jingling the chains wrapped around the fence opening.

"I got this," Danny said. He walked in front of Mike, and raised is sledgehammer. Bang! The chains fell right to the ground.

"Are you sure that we should just take this house? What if someone is inside? That's probably why there were chains," Mike whispered to me.

"I'm trying to keep this group alive. If someone is here, I'm sure they won't mind lending shelter to a few people," I whispered back. Yet, I was still unsure of what was going to happen next.

I creaked the fence open, and escorted the group inside. Mike and the girls were unsure about how smart this plan was, but Danny and Mr. Fernandez were positive that this was the right thing to do. There was a large brown, wooden door. The doorknob wouldn't budge.

"It's locked," I said, looking back at the group's disappointed faces.

I guess the Nameless Boy wondered off from Mr. Fernandez because through everyone turning around he said, "The widow is unlocked!" Everyone's face brightened with excitement.

"Everyone, listen up!" Danny commanded with his military-like voice. "Me and Andy will go inside to make sure everything is safe. I don't want anybody else following us. We don't know how safe it is."

--

The inside of the house looked just like every modern day house. A living room, with a sofa, a love seat, and a rocking chair. A flat screen tv, an entertainment center, and tons of pictures.

"So Andy," Danny said, trying to start a conversation, "how was your life before this big mess?"

"Well, it was pretty nice, normal. I really miss my parents," I admitted.

"Don't worry man, I lost my parents too. But it was before the outbreak. They got in a terrible car accident when I was like eight or nine. Drunk driver. I couldn't sleep for months"

"How did you get over them?" I asked, thinking about Mike, even though he seems over their death.

"I just told myself 'You can't sacrificing your entire life thinking about them'. I learned that putting them in the back of my head would make everything better. My older brother thought differently, though. He was fourteen when he hung himself."

Mike's fourteen. "Sorry to hear that. I hope you're okay," I told him.

--

"Wow, to think a real family used to live here," I said, scanning all the pictures in the room. One specific picture hanging up on the wall caught my eye. It was a family portrait. In the center was the mom and dad, and surrounding them were three children: a little boy, a young teenage girl, and another girl from my school. I really feel like I've seen her before, recently. That's right! That walker I killed on the street. I was helping Mike, and I took her out! I knew she looked familiar. My body filled with a depressed feeling. We were in a house that belonged to what seems like a happy family. And now they're all dead.

The kitchen was stocked with food. If we actually stay here, we'll be fine for a long time.

There were three bedrooms upstairs. Like I said, there were sofas in the living room. We'll be great.

"Everything looks secure, huh Andy?" Danny asked, even though he knew the answer.

I nodded in agreement, and we walked back to tell the others. That's when we heard it. A voice filled with fear, possibly regret:

"What are you doing in my house?"