The Remains of Tomorrow #wattys2019

Chapter 12

Sitting back at my trailer I waited for Daryl and Aaron to return. It had been two days since they had left and one day since our successful cattle drive and I was feeling ecstatic. The sounds of the cows in the field gave me a little sense of normalcy, especially when Eric had bought me some milk that they had put in sterilised bottles for me. In fact, it was all I had drunk as it was so sweet to my parched lips. Carol had also started putting out cups of milk for the children who she was teaching in one of the garages along with Father Gabriel so now we knew the kids would grow up strong and healthy to survive this world. Even the teenagers were making sure that they were drinking the milk.

Although we did have to slaughter one of the cows who got hurt on the way here, luckily she was not a nursing mother so no calf's were going to have to be bottle fed by us in the town. That meant that there was meat for us all. The construction guys had found a big freezer that was still working in one of the houses outside the walls so now most of the meat from the unfortunate cow was in a massive freezer in Liv's house, while the rest was in fridges around the centre of the town waiting to be cooked. 

While we all wanted to have steak tonight we were waiting for Daryl and Aaron to return so we could have a party to celebrate our success. it would be nice for everyone to have proper food in their stomachs instead of the rations we had been giving out. I had already pulled out some wine that I had kept in the cellar of Eric's house for the party tonight while people where decorating the old white gazebo in the centre of town with fairy lights and garden furniture that had been removed from the homes outside the walls. Barbeques had been placed outside ready for the steaks, now if only Daryl and Aaron would hurry home. Suddenly the walkie talkie beside me came to life, Rick had given this to me as he oversaw the decorating,

"Go for Kenzie," I said into the instrument,

"Kenzie this is Sasha, Daryl and Aaron have just passed the mile marker. I'm heading in with the rest of the construction crew. Over and out." Smiling I made my way over to Rick who was talking to Eugene beside the gazebo,

"Rick, Daryl and Aaron are a mile out." Smiling he instructed the men to light the barbeques to give them a chance to warm up before taking my arm to lead me towards the gate where Eric was already waiting in the tower. Bandit was hiding in Carols house enjoying his time with Judith and Carl. We thought it would be safer for him to be inside until Daryl and Aaron were in the fences in case he got hurt by the big van as they parked up by the trailer. Climbing the ladder I stood next to Eric as I waited with bated breath for the white van to appear. 

Suddenly in the distance, I saw the light reflecting off of the surface as it trundled down the road, I signaled to the men below to move the cars as Daryl and Aaron got closer. Smiling I climbed down the ladder and slid open the gate, smiling as the van entered the town. I followed behind it as Rick closed up the gate once the cars were back in their positions outside and the men who moved them were in the safety of the compound.

As Daryl exited the vehicle I ran up to him and practically jumped in his arms, forcing him to catch me.

"I'm glad you are back." I said holding onto him, "How did it go?" Smirking at me he placed me back on the road but didn't let go,

"Did ya miss me?" He asked as he held me in a tight hug,

"Hell yes. Guess what we did yesterday?" I turned him and pointed in the direction of the field down the road where the cows were roaming. Smiling he looked at me then at Rick who had come up to us to give Daryl a smack on the back in greeting,

"Ya got the cows?" He said to Rick returning his smack with a one-armed hug, "Seriously I didn't know if you would."

"Well I had a good planner to help me." He said as he placed his hand on my shoulder, "Who better to collect livestock than an actual collector."