Fighter

Chapter 5: Granddad's

It’s been three days. 72 full hours since Costco got overrun and we lost everyone, again. Three days and we’ve been trying to forget as much as possible about everyone and everything that happened in that day.

Day one: mourning, we didn’t really go anywhere. We barely ate, drink, talked or slept. We were in our own little world, thinking. I think this hit Derek and I harder than it did Josh, because Josh knows Mom and Uncle Nicki died, but he didn’t see how, and the how is what haunts me every day. And I try to forget but I can’t, you can never truly forget something, it’s always there in the back of your mind. It maybe a little fuzzy but you never forget no matter how hard you try, you can only try to cover it up with new information, more recent, but you never forget and I don’t want to remember.

Day two: scavenging, well Josh and Derek scavenge, I just sat it the jeep with the puppies, still thinking. Trying to piece together this epidemic and how it could have started. Maybe a freak mutation or an experiment gone wrong, the possibilities are endless. The guys found a lot of supplies, and I was pretty surprised. They found a haul for the bike; I have no clue where they could have found it, some beds and things for the dogs and some green tea with a portable water heater for me.

“Thank you.” I whisper.

“She speaks!” Josh exclaims over dramatically as I roll my eyes.

Day three: today, we’re finally ready to get back on the road again. Back on track, heading to Granddad’s like we planned weeks ago. Derek’s driving, Josh’s in the passenger’s seat, and I’m in the back with the two puppies cuddling against me.

“I spy with my little eye something…” Josh pauses to think. “Something that is dead.” we’ve been playing this game for hours and Josh always picks the same thing.

“Your sense of imagination?” I guess, Derek snickers from the front.

“Ha ha. But no.”

“A Walker?” Derek guesses.

“Correct!”

“Josh you always pick a Walker.” I groan.

“So?” I roll my eyes and dig through my bag for a book. I pull it out and flip through the pages until I find where I last left off. Found it. Reading helps, it distracts you from reality for a little, and I don’t mind that at all. Mom always said, ‘Reading brings you into a whole new world of problems, problems that can be resolved one page at a time.’ God I miss her so much! I just wish I could see her one mor-No! No, I can’t be thinking of that right now… Teresa told me that memories will be our greatest enemy... Okay, enough thinking more reading! Thank God they had some medical books at Costco.

“How the hell can someone be allergic to water?!” I think aloud.

 “That’s like asking how can Josh be so uncreative.” Derek questions.

“Oh shut up.” Josh laughs.

“How far are we from Granddad’s?” I ask not taking my eyes off my book.

“20 minutes give or take, depending of traffic.” He jokes making the three of us laugh hysterically. It’s been awhile since we last laughed. “Okay we’re here.” He says cutting the engine. I look up from my book and out the window to see the all too familiar two-story white house with lime green shingles, a bright yellow door and a dark blue gate. His sense of style was always out there. I think to myself as I laugh lightly.

“Granddad’s” I whisper.

“Derek maybe we should park the car somewhere else, somewhere more hidden?” Josh asks.