The Life and Times in the Zombie Apocalypse: Part 3: Homecoming

Cross Roads

"So are we going through with the plan?" Edgar asked as they were driving down the road behind every other vehicle.

"Trust me." Noah started. "I'm no chicken, the three of us are going. Don't worry, you're going home."

"We haven't been there since it all started." Kaitlyn said.

"Neither one of us were able to get any of our things. We left in such a hurry." Edgar told Noah. "My pets... I had two dogs and two cats, nobody was able to even grab them... Shit hit the fans too quickly. I just hope that they somehow survived. Or someone saved them."

Kaitlyn grabbed home of Edgar's hand. Noah looked into the rearview mirror back at the two of them, Edgar had a tear run down his face.

"If I had the chance I'd have saved them." Edgar said. "But our priority was safety. It was to get the humans to safety."

"I hate to butt into the cry fest but our turn is coming up soon, just triple checking you still want to go through with this. No turning back." Noah told the two of them.

"We're going home." Edgar said.

"That's what I like to hear." Noah smiled as he slowed the car down, falling far behind everyone else. They watched the other vehicles turn to the left back towards Cranbury. "Here goes nothing." Noah said confidently as he stepped on the gas and turned right.

Noah picked his walkie talkie up off the dashboard of the car and turned it off and threw it onto the floor on the passenger side of the car.

"Why'd you do that?" Asked Edgar.

"It's so that we don't hear them at all. So that in case something happens to them it doesn't make us turn back." Said Noah. "I told you. No turn backs. Not for any reason. We go to Wilkes-Barre, we go back to your home town. I don't care. This is our mission now."

"So, where are you from?" Travis asked.

Abraham and Charlie looked at Travis and then looked back to the road.

"We're from Maine." Abe told him as he put the truck window down.

"And that's North of here, right?" Travis asked.

"Yeah. North of here. Kinda." Abe replied.

"How about you?" Charlie asked Travis. "Where are you from?"

"Oh I lived in Burford my whole life." Travis told them both.

"Where's that?" Asked Abe.

"It's a small town near Oxford, in England." Travis told them.

"You miss it there?" Charlie asked.

"Oh yeah, always do." Travis choked up as he told them. "Not a day goes by where I don't think about my family, my friends and their well being." He looked to the two of them. "How about the two of you? Any family anywhere?"

"Not me." Abraham said emotionlessly.

"My brother." Charlie told him. "He lives out in California, but I know there's no way he could possibly be alive at this point."

"What's his name?" Traivs asked him.

"His name's Collins." Charlie said. "He was always around growing up, made my life a bit better... When he moved things got bad for me, until Abraham came around."

"Well I can reassure you here for a moment, your brother may be okay. His name, Collins. It means to Victor and to triumph over his enemies." Travis said.

"Well, my borther was never strong, he couldn't hurt a fly." Charlie laughed.

"You'd be surprised at what a man would do in a time of desperation." Said Travis.

"My question is how do you know what the hell that name means?" Abe asked.

"My ex-boyfriend, his name was Collins." Travis laughed.

Both Abraham and Charlie were shocked to hear that.

"So you, uh... You shoot for the other team?" Abe asked.

"If that's you trying to ask me if I'm gay, than yes." Travis laughed. "Don't worry boys, you're not my type." The three of them laughed.

From the back of the truck Renard noticed that Noah wasn't behind them anymore. He was confused and so he turned to Adalyn and asked her in French where the car had gone off to, that if she knew anything about it. Adalyn looked out the back of the truck and told her father not to worry, that she was sure they weren't far behind them.

"Noah, are you sure about where you're going?" Edgar asked.

"Yeah, don't worry. I studied the route over the map all last night." Noah told him as he turned down onto a ramp and out onto a double wide highway.

"Abraham, how're things going back there?" Richard asked over the walkie.

"Things are all good back here in the pick up." Abe responded.

"How about you Noah?" Richard aksed over the walkie talkie. Noah didn't answer. "Noah? Are you there?" Again, no answer.

Richard then stomped on the brake and got out of the van. He looked down the road behind the van and past Abe's truck. Abraham peeked out his window.

"Where the fuck is the car?" Asked Richard.

"I don't know, I thought they were behind us!" Abe shouted.

"Noah, you better answer me right now." Richard demand Dover the walkie talkie. Richard got no answer again. So in a fit of rage he kicked the side of his van and put a dent on the sliding door. "Fuck!" He yelled. Then he looked back at the truck. "We continue home, to Cranbury."

"Are you sure?" Abraham asked from the truck.

"Yes, I'm sure." Richard told him. "If Noah is alive he left us on purpose and if he's dead than there's no point to die with him." Then he got back into the van and began to drive.

"What happened?" Ethan asked from the back of the van.

"My son, he went missing." Richard said angrily.

"Well why aren't you trying to find him?" Ethan asked.

"Noah's adventurous." Richard told them all. "He's with a couple, around his age. They're friends, they probably went on a joy ride. I'm not worried. Not yet."

"Woah, what the hell did that sign just say?" Noah asked as they speed by a large green sign on the side of the road.

Edgar laughed loudly, "It said Allentown Ninty miles away!"

"Then it's two hours till we're home!" Kaitlyn cheered.

"Ah, two hours back when traffic was around, how about now?" Noah asked.

"That's a good question." Edgar responded. "Never thought of it that way."

"No, no you didn't." Noah smiled as he checked his rearview mirror once again looking back to Edgar and Kaitlyn's sming faces.