Welcome to the End

Chapter 04: Walton

Kevin couldn't help being impressed with the town. With every city on Earth broken and ravaged by either scavengers or the undead, Walton stood strong and untouched.

The wall, measuring ten feet in height and half as wide, was composed of gray metal. Reinforcing rods as thick as Kevin's arm braced the top of the wall, stretching down at a forty-five degree angle to concrete slabs where they were secured to the ground. Every five feet, another angled rod provided support to the wall, ensuring it wouldn't topple, no matter how many undead pressed up against the exterior.

A catwalk and ladder system, resembling a fire escape, were bolted to the wall and provided walking space for the bowmen stationed there. Although the wall itself was wide enough for the defenders, the catwalk was positioned under the upper edge of the wall in order to let the bowmen crouch behind the metal barrier and take cover should any approaching enemies be armed.

Climbing down the ladder from the catwalk, Kevin surveyed the part of the town closest to him. It resembled a war zone with bunkers and long strands of gleaming razor wire. Chunks of broken rocks and concrete were positioned here and there, and although they weren't large enough to hide behind during an attack, they were of such dimension to hinder any aggressor trying to get past them. The only available path was a long and twisting trail in full view of a secondary wall.

Kevin realized scavengers would have to follow the trail snaking its way between the obstacles, all the while being target practice for the guards, and the zombies would become ensnared by the crossing strands of razor wire, immobilizing them long enough for the soldiers to finish them off. It was a sound defensive strategy, but Kevin hoped it would never be put to the test.

The ramp they'd used to cross the first wall had been moved to the secondary wall, and the small group proceeded up and over the interior wall. What Kevin saw next took his breath away for it reminded him of the way towns looked before the zombies and those fighting them had destroyed everything.

Houses, well painted and tended, were surrounded by manicured lawns of lush green and bordered by white picket fences. The main roads were paved with asphalt, but side streets were mostly gravel and dirt. Farmland, rich with fertile soil and abundant crops, were hemmed in by wire fences beyond the residential houses.

Children ran and yelled happily in the school playground. Pedestrians leisurely walked the streets. Their clothes weren't worn and tattered from age and use. The civilians didn't seem to have a care in the world. To the three travelers from outside, the blissful serenity of Walton seemed to be a true slice of paradise.

"This way, please," the escorting soldier encouraged, leading the way toward the pillared front entrance of a government building at the end of the street. He opened the door and ushered them inside.

Unlike most of the official buildings Kevin had been in before, this one seemed smaller and more welcoming. Most government locales were grand and slightly cold in terms of their sterile and formal design. This one differed because it felt more like a private residence than a place where governmental laws were written and enforced.

A short hallway, its wood floors partially covered by a simple rug that didn't quite reach the side walls, extended from the front doors to the one in the back. A stairway and varnished railing on the left side of the hall offered access to the second floor, and at the base of the steps were a pair of doors on both sides of the walkway. The door on the left led into a dining area, and the door on the right opened into a parlor.

"Why isn't there any security in here?" Isabella asked when she noticed the empty hallway and rooms.

"We have no crime here," the soldier acting as their guide answered. "Threats to Walton don't come from the inside."