I guess I just don't know how it happend. I was off to go see my boyfriend Alex whenever this shit happend. My boyfriend and I got into a fight...and I don't know. He left me in the street with these things comin' after me. This man, named Morgan, and his wife took me in. We lived house for awhile until today… Me and Morgan were walkin' down the street lookin' for shit to live off of whenever we seen this man… He was pretty messed up lookin'. I mean, I knew he wudn't no walker, but Dwayne got best of him. He was sittin' on the sidewalk lookin' like a dumbshit. Dwayne hit him in the face with a shovel. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy I got the sumbitch! I almost knock im' dead!" I gasped. "Dwayne! He ain't a monster!" I scolded. The guy was prit' near knocked the hell out. He kept sayin' random shit like "Carl, Carl...I found you." I felt so bad for him. Morgan shot a walker quick and came runnin'. "He say summin? I thought I heard him say summin." he said uneasily. "He called me Carl!" "Son, you know they don't talk. Hey mista, what's that bandage for?" The guy was like "Wh-what?" Morgan pointed his gun at him and said "What kind of wound?" I rolled my eyes. "Guys he ain't a monster, look at im'! "You answer me, damn you! What's your wound? You tell me! Or I will kill you." But the guy knocked out. "Morgan, he ain't a monster. Listen to me damn it." I said. He nodded his head, "help me get him to the house. Dwayne, get the damn door."
So we carried this guy to the house. Morgan tied him to the bed, and re-did his bandage. "Morgan, it looks like he's been stabbed or shot. I used to work at a hospital, you know." I said with an attitude. "Yeah, well. I ain't taken no chances girl. The guy woke up after a while. Dwayne was standin' beside him with a baseball bat, and I was standin' beside him. "Got that bandage changed on. It's pretty wreck. What was it? The wound." Morgan said, cleaning a cloth. "Gun shot." the man said. I 'hmphed'. "Just as I said." "Gun shot?" Morgan questioned. "What else? Anything?" "Gun shot ain't enough?" the guy said. Morgan got pissed and went in his face. "Look, I ask, you answer. It's common courtisy right? Did. You get. Bit." The man looked at Morgan like he was nuts. "Bit?" Morgan nodded his head/ "Bit, chewed, maybe scratched, anything like that?" The guy shook his head. "No. I got shot. Just shot, as far as I know." Morgan went to feel for a fever. The guy resisted. "Hey, just let me." He looked at Dwayne. "Feels cold enough. The fever woulda killed you by now." The guy was weirded out. "I don't think I have one." "D'be hard to miss." Morgan grabbed his pocket knife out and put it in the guys face. "Morgan! Back off." I scolded. "Take a moment, look how sharp it is. You try anything. I will kill you with it and don'tchu think I won't." He then left him loose. I sighed with relief. Morgan got up. "Come on out when your able." he told Dwayne to "come on" and left. I stayed back a minute. "We're good people." I said, before leaving.
The guy came out about twenty minutes later. I was warmin' up some baked beans I found in a house down the street. He looked uneasy. "Make yourself at home." I said. He walked out into the livin' room and said "this place… Fred and Cindy Drakes." Morgan shook his head. "Never met im'." The guy nodded his head. "I've been here. This is their place." Morgan defended himself and said "it was empty when we got here."
The guy went to the window to try to look out. "Don't do that! They'll see the light. There's more of em' out there than usual. I shoulda never fired that gun today. Sound draws em', now their all over the street. Stupid, using a gun. But it all happened so fast. I didn't think." Morgan went on. The guy looked at Morgan like he was crazy. "You shot that man today."
Morgan smiled. "Man?" Dwayne looked at the guy and said "weren't no man! Morgan widened his eyes and scolded Dwayne. "The hell was that out chur' mouth just now?" I had been teaching Dwayne schooling ever since I met them. Dwayne rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a man." The dude got ansie. "You shot im, in the street, out front, a man!" Morgan looked at the guy an said "You need glasses, it was a walker. Come on, s'down. Before you fall down. Here." Morgan said, putting beans on his plate. The guy sat down, totally unaware of what the fuck we were talkin' about. "Daddy, blessin." Dwayne looked at him as we was bout to eat. I grabbed for the guys hand and held on to Dwaynes. As we said grace. "Yea." Morgan smiled. "Father we thank thee for this food, thy blessins, and we watch over us in these crazy days. Amen." "Amen." "Amen."Dwayne and I said. We started to eat. Morgan looked at the guy and said "hey mista, do you even know what's goin on?" The guy looked at me and then Morgan and said "I woke up today...In a hospital. Came home, an' that's all I know." I felt so bad for this man. Me, Morgan and Dwayne all exchanged looks. "But chu' know bout the dead people right?" Morgan asked. "Yeah, I saw a lot of that. Out on the loaded dock, the haulin' trucks." Morgan shook his head. "No...Not the ones they put down… The ones they didn't. The walkers. Like the one I shot today. Cuz' he woulda ripped into you. Try to eat you, take his own flesh, at least." The guy shook his head in misbelief. "Well I guess if this is the first your hearnin. I know how it must sound." "They're out their now? In the street?" the guy asked. "Yeah! They get more active, after dark sometimes. Maybe it's the cool air, or hell, maybe it was just me firin' that gun today. But we'll be fine, long as we stay quiet. Probably wonder off by mornin. But listen… One thing I do know. Don'tchu get bit. I saw your bandage and that's what we were afraid of. Bites…. Kill ya. The feva, burns ya out. But then after awhile… Ya come back." Dwayne looked down… "Seen it happen." Morgan reached for his arm and smiled. I left a tear go and hugged him, kissed him on his forehead. After we was done eatin' we all went into the livin' room and layed down. There were two air mattresses. Morgan and Dwayne shared one, and well. I used to have one a my own, but I left the guy share it with me. It was awkward.
Morgan looked at the guy… "Carl… He your son? Well you, you said his name today." The guy looked torn up about that. "He's a little younger than your boy…"
"And he's with his motha?" "I hope so…" I half smiled and put my arm around the guys, to comfort him. "Dad?" Dwayne woke up. "Hey." "Didja ask im'?" Morgan laughed. "your gun shot, you got my boy sayin your a bank robber." The guy and I both laughed. "Yea... that me. Deadly as Dillinger. Ka pow. Sheriffs Deputy." He explained, getting some humour. I smiled. Morgan nodded his head. "Uh huh." Just then we heard a car alarm go off. Dwayne jerked up. "Hey, it's allright. Daddy's here. It's nothin'. One of em' musta bumped a car." Morgan comforted. The guy looked around, "you sure?" "Happend once before. Went off a few minutes." Me, the guy and Morgan got up. "Shit." I grunted. "Keep the light tween." Morgan whispered. We lowered the lights. Morgan looked out the window, so did I. "it's the blue one. Down the street. Same one as last time. I think were okay. " he showed the guy. "That noise...Won't it bring more of them?" the guy asked. "nothin' we can do about it now. Just have to wait them out till mornin." Morgan explained. Just then, Dwayne looked out the window, and started crying. "She's here." I looked out and seen his mother. I closed my eyes. "Don't look. Keep away from the windas. I said go! Come on!" Morgan scolded. Dwayne ran for the bed, and cried in pain. I took a breath and went for him. Rubbin' his back, shushin him. "Quiet...Come on, quiet… Shhhh. Shhhh….It's okay, here, cry into the pillow, you remember? Shhh... " Morgan comforted him. I got up and went to see what the guy was lookin at. He kept lookin through the peep hole. I seen her comin up to the house. Lookin in. I swear she's still her… She then reached for the door knob, tryin to open it. How can she do that? Me and the guy went back to sit down, as she was still tryin to get in. "She um...She died in her other room on that bed in there. There was nothing I could do about it… That fever man… Skin gave heat like a furnace. Shoulda...Shoulda put her down man shoulda put her down, I know that but I… You know, I just didn't have it in me… She's the mother of my child…" He cried. I rubbed his arm. We went to sleep. After we woke up, we promised the guy we'd take him to his house. We walked out, with weapons. I had a gun, and a knife. I gave the guy Dwaynes baseball bat. "Are we sure, they're dead? Just askin, just one more time." "They dead. It's somethin' in the brain. That's why it's gotta be the head." We walked down the porch, where there was a walker sittin' there. The guy went over to the walker and hit it in the head. Multiple times. He fell on the ground. "Ya alright?" Morgan asked. "Need a moment." When we got to the guys house, it was empty. "They're alive. My wife and son. At least they were when they left." he said. "How can you know? By the look of this place, they-" "I found empty drawers in the bedroom. They packed some clothes, not alot. But enough to travel." "You know anybody coulda broken in here and stolen clothes right?" "See the framed photos on the walls? Neither do I. Some random theif take those too ya think?" He went through his drawers. "My photo albums. Family pictures. All gone." I knew that one would've hit close to home to Morgan as he sat down and cried. "Photo albums...My wife. Same thing. There I am packin' survival gear, she's grabbin...Photo alb-..." he cried. I hugged his shoulder again. Dwayne stepped forward. "There in Atlanta, I bet." "That's right." Morgan sighed. "Why there?" "Refugee center. Huge one they say before it broadcasted out. Military protection, food, shelter. They told people to go there. Said it'd be safest." "Plus they got that disease place." Dwayne said. "Center for Disease Control. Said they were figurin' out how to solve this thing." The guy grabbed keys and we left. He said he needed to show us something. We ended up at the police station, I gather the one he used to work for. We got walked into the shower room. "Gas lines been down for maybe a month." Morgan said to the guy. "The stations got it's own propane system." He felt the water and shook his head. "Pilots still on." We all jumped in our own shower. The guy was started shavin, Morgan, Dwayne and I, scrubbin ourselves. It's litterally been two monthes since I've showered. I wudn't even embarrased. "Oh my Lord!" Morgan shouted. "Wooohoo! uh uh uh! What, uh, What, uh! Take that, what! Woo!" Dwayne shouted. I laughed so hard. When we was done we all grabbed towels and got back into out dirty clothes. The guy changed into his uniform. "Dwayne. Dressin room back there." The guy said. "Whatchu say, Dwayne?" Morgan scolded. "Thank you!" Dwayne said quick. "Mhm." "Atlanta sounds like a good deal, safer anyway. People." The guy went on. "Just where we were headin. Things got crazy. Man wouldn't beleive. The panic. The streets weren't fit to be on. And then when...my wife. Couldn't travel ya know, not with the herd so we had to find a place to lay low. And then after she died… We just stayed hunkered down… I guess we just froze in place…" "Tryin to move on." "Haven't worked up to it yet." "Guys, we should do what were doin, get back fore' dark." I interupted. The guy nodded his head with Morgan and then opened up a gun safe. "A lot of it's gone missin'." The guy said, grabbing guns. "Daddy, can I learn to shoot? I'm old enough." "Hell yes your gonna learn. But we gotta do it carefully, teach you to respect a weapon." "That's right, it's not a toy. You pull the trigger, you have to mean it. Always remember that, Dwayne" "Yes sir. The guy handed Morgan a gun. "Here. Take that one. Nothing fancy. Scopes accurate." Morgan tested the scope. We loaded more guns and took off outside. "Conserve your ammo. It goes faster than ya think. Espeically at target practice." The guy told us. "Dwayne…" "Yeah?" "Take this to the car." Morgan handed the bag of guns to him. "Your sure you won't come along?" The guy asked us. "Few more days. By then, Dwayne'll know how to shoot. And I won't be so rusty." The guy opened up his cop car door, and pulled out two walkie talkies. He handed one to Morgan. "You got one battery. I'll turn mine on a few minutes every day at dawn. You get up there, that's how you find me." "You think ahead." "Can't afford not to, not anymore." "Listen, one thing. They might seem like much one at a time. But in a group, all rowd up and hungry? Man you watch your ass." "You too." They shook hands. "You a good man, Rick. I hope you find your wife and son." I looked up. "Oh is that your name? Rick? "Grimes. Be seein' you Dwayne. Take care of your old man." "Yes sir." the kid smiled. Just then, we heard a walker comin' up to the gates. "Leon Bessy? Didn't think much of him. Careless and dumb. But… Can't leave im' like this."
"You know they'll hear the shot." "Lets not be here when that happens." "Let's go son. C'mon." Rick shot Leon. I flinched. "Bella, let's go!" Morgan yelled. "Actually… Morgan… I think I'm gon' go with Rick...If that's okay." I said lookin' at Rick. He nodded. "That's fine." Morgan tilted his head in confusion. "Look, it's not easy for me to leave you guys. If not for ya'll I'd be a walker by now. But Ricks goin' to Atlanta. I gotta see if ma' folks are there." Morgan smiled. "I'll meet you there. Thanks for everything." I shook my head. "No, Morgan. Thank YOU!" I said hugging him. "Bye Dwayne. I'll see ya real soon okay?" I said kissin' his forehead and gettin' in Ricks car. They both beeped at eachother and we left. "So...Bella? Is that YOUR name?" He smiled, as we were drivin. I smiled. "Bellefair Allisyn McNeil." He raised his eyebrows. "That's different." We laughed. "Shut up!" "How old are you?" "Seventeen, just turned. My parents and I weren't on good terms last time I saw em'. I ran off with some punk hick and then all this shit happened." He nodded. We pulled over and he said "Wait here. I have to do something." I waited about five minutes and then he came back. I heard a gunshot. "What the hell was that?" "There was a walker over there I saw. No limbs. Had to put her down." I nodded. He walkied that he was going to Atlanta, if anyone needed him, but there was no answer. We stopped to find gas but found nothing. All we found at the house was a family died by their own hand and a horse outside. Rick said we should take him. I laughed when he tried to catch him. "Hold up Rick. I"ll get him." So I gathered the horse and saddled him. "We'll have to double back him." I said. I Got up, and helped Rick up. "Ya!" I shouted and he took off. Rick barely held on. "Woah! You know how to do this!?" I laughed. "My parents always had horses." We rode until we reached Atlanta. It looked like a ghost town. "Rick, I don't think the refugee center quite happened…" "Just keep movin'." The horse spooked to a couple of walkers in an old bus. "Woah, boy. It's just a few. Steady. Nothing we can't outrun." We heard a helicopter, just then. "Holy shit, lets go!" I said. But just as I reached the corner, a huge fuckin' heard of walkers, must of been a thousand of em surrounded us. We had no way out. The horse reared and we fell off. We seen a tank and we both ran for it, Rick dropping his gun back. "Run!" he said. The horse started gettin' bitten into. "Under the tank!" he said. We started crawlin' under the tank. But walkers were everywhere. Rick shot at a few. "Rick! It's no use!" I screamed. He put the gun to his head. "Lori..Carl..I'm sorry." "NO!" I screamed. "Go up Rick, NOW!" He just seen what I was talkin bout and pulled himself up. I was about to pull myself in when a walker grabbed my leg. I screamed but took my knife and stabbed it in the head before pulling myself in and closing the hatch. I gasped for breath, like Rick. "Don'tchu ever pull that shit again." I said through breaths. There was a dead soldier in beside Rick and Rick started searchin him for weapons. HE found some rounds and a grenade. Just then the man turned his head. He was a walker. Rick panicked and shot him in the head. My vision went blurry and I couldn't see. That damned fool. My ears felt like they was bleedin', and the rang and hurt so bad. I seen he was havin' the same problem. "You fuckin moron!" I screamed. "I'm sorry." he mumbled. He got up and looked through the above hatchet. Walkers were everywhere. They started climbing ontop of the tank. "Close it, Rick! We'll have to wait until tomorrow, till they calm down." He put his head down. Just then… A voice came on the radio. "Hey you… Dumbass. Yeah you in the tank. Cozy in there?"