The Undead

Chapter 12: Old Friends

After getting everyone situated in their own rooms I called a council meeting.

" We need people watching the doors and someone to let the people in by ferry, I think Brittany should take care of this I also think that Melanie and Cole should be in charge of planting these seeds in a good area. The rest of us will be wandering as security and such. Any objections,ideas or thoughts?" I ask. No one objects and we split into our various tasks. I walk with Phillip.

"I'm bored....lets scavenge?" He asks. "Why not....we're taking your car though" I add. We pile into the car and have Brittany take us across. I ride shotgun with my cleaver in hand and Phillip drives at 70mph down the road. "I wanna fly a helicopter.....There was one at the police station that way." I say pointing. We turn that way and apporach the police station. "You sure you want to do this?" Phillip asks nervously. "Why not....Might as well learn something new....gotta be a computer around here.....I'll pull up a guide" I say walking in to the station. "Walkers!" I shout to Phillip as he walks in. We engage combat and take care of the walkers. More downstairs. We approach the holding cells. "Ewww whats that stench" Phillip asks from behind me. I stand shocked. "The poor bastards" I whisper. I step out of the room with the cells. "Dead...they starved" I inform Phillip. We find a computer and look up how to's for helicopters on Google. Im glad there is internet still. I carefully read several articles for about an hour.

"Think...I am ready man" I walk up to the roof. I hop in the helicopter and look for the neccesary buttons and switches. The rotors start up and I take off. Kind of shakily I start tippin this and that. I gain control and fly foward and backward and side to side. It feels like it comes natural. I land back on the rooftop sort of hard. "Go ahead and take the car back.....Im gonna fly" I shout to Phillip before taking off again. I fly to the Island which isnt too far. I land on the roof of the hotel and see Phillip on the ferry in the distance...along with two other cars. I get back in the Helicopter and fly to them. I take this landing more slow and land gently. I give myself props. I step out and greet Phillip and two unfamiliar faces. I stop. I have to pick up my jaw before running to hug my old friends. "Cydney...How the hell....Jillian how'd you guys get here..How'd you know we were here?" I asked shocked. I then turn to the car door opening. "Kelly!" I shout running to her but Phillip has already beaten me too it. He lifts her up with a huge hug. "I've never been so shocked....well I have recently but not in a way like this" I say to them. The strangers walk away towards the hotel. "Who are they?" I ask. "My mom and Her mom" Kelly says pointing to Cydney. "How'd you guys know to come here?" Brittany asks joing us. 

"Well at first I was with Kelly and the news came on  about evacuation in Midland. I asked her if thats where you were, Kaleb. She said she thought so and My mom took me home. I didnt think much of it so I went over to Jillians. That's when Kelly called me and said that The state had to evacuate and that she wondered if my family and hers could get a hotel together in Ohio. I told her I was with Jillian at the movies. We were picked up by Kelly and her mom. We went back to Cydney's and got her mom." "Skip to yesterday" Jillian intterupts. "Fine, anyways we heard over the radio to come here. We made the trip in two cars." Cydney tells us. I decide not to ask about Jillians family after noticing she wanted to skip the story. "Well, You're all welcome" I say. "For what?" They ask. "For sending the message and cleaning an Island full of walkers. By ourselves. With little supplies" I explain. "You guys did this?" They ask us. "Well theres 8 of us. Counting my little brother" I inform. I list the rest of us.

I skip the details of our families. I explain the encounters we dealed with. I also explain how I lead and they council. They have to stop to laugh at me being leader. Phillip shoots them all a seriously displeased face. "Whatever but where do we sleep?" Jillian asks. "You guys are friends...Take a room in the yellow hotel top floor where the suites are." I say. "Thanks" Jillian says walking off. "What happened to her?" "Shes upset about her family.....the people we got the second car from. They didnt make it. She didnt get a proper goodbye." Cydney says. "Couldnt feel worse than Kaleb" Phillip blurts out. "What...what happened?" Kelly asks.

I look down at my feet letting a few tears fall. "My mom...she was infected. I put her to rest myself. Bullet to the head" I choke. "Im sorry" They say hugging me. "Thats not all either" Phillip says. "Tell them about Mackinac man...nothing to hide" He says. I step back. " I had to watch the Cannibals stab my little brother...after making a remark about him being an appetizer" I explain. "Dude....." Kelly says. "Then I came close to death a few....and then I actually died" I say getting the rest out. "You died? What?! How!" They both ponder. "He took some glass in the stomach after blowing that bridge apart" Phillip answers for me. I lift my shirt to reveal the bandaging soaked in my own blood. "You...have had no luck have you?" Cydney says. "No he hasnt" Brittany says. "Neither have you" Phillip says to her. I slowly back out of the group and run to the Yellow hotel to speak with Jillian.

I forget the helicopter. I turn back and run to it. I hop in and just land on the roof. I stand at the elevator and stairway. After a few minutes Jillian steps out of the elevator. "Woah...how'd you get here so fast" She says shocked. "Helicopter...anyways wanna talk?" I ask.

She stands quietly. "We dont have to....I am just trying to help" I say shyly. She just wraps her arms around me and cries. I stand awkwardly not knowing what to do. This goes on for a couple minutes. I decide to let her get some sleep. I lift her up and take her to a suite. She is still crying. I try to lay her down but she doesnt let go. I just lay on the bed. "I didnt say goodbye...I didnt say goodbye...Why did I have to ignore them...." She says between tears. "You didnt know what was gonna happen....you had no control over it Jillian" I say reassuringly. She tightens her grip and hold for a few seconds and releases. "Get some rest. You need it" I say to her. I get off the bed and go to my suite. I grab Furball. I walk back to Jillians suite where she her crying is silenced with gentle breaths. "Okay little guy...I need you to stay quiet and take a nap with her" I coo Furball. I sneak over to the bed and lay Furball down where he lay down next to her. "Good boy" I whisper walking away. 

I sit on the couch in her suite and wait until she wakes up. I end up falling asleep too.