Hey yall! hope you guys and gals like this new story I was thinking about the other day.. let me know your thougths on it dont be shy or gentle!
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Time isnt always on our side. It can be kind or cruel or slow or fast, and sometimes when we least want it to ...it stops.. and never starts again.
For a few days time was kind, the group I was traveling with maganged to find food and water stored away in a schools basment in a small town we passed through. We scored on clothes that were warmer than our summer ones and newer shoes for the cracked and bleeding soles of our tired feet. We got to rest in real beds for one night inside the small depliatating hotel on the outskirts of the town , dressers blocking the huge lobby door so we could have some sense of saftey. Time was kind.. then it became cruel. We were woken in the middle in the night, so close to morning. The moans and hungry groans of the dead sounded throughout the room, echoing off the empty walls and waking us from our sleep. We all quietly woke the ones still sleeping, gathering our few belongings as we did. Time seemed to laugh at us as it sped up , the dead bashing through the door, knocking our weak little dresser to the floor as they reached through with their rotting fingers. The sound of gnashing teeth and louder moans filled our ears as we pushed through the other exit door, with only hope and prayers silently resting on our lips.
We fought past the small herd of the dead that blocked our way behind the exit door. I found it funny that day as one of the guys pushed it open. It said exit..but we only exited to potential death. Our leader of the group Tim, pushed his hunting knife through the skull of what used to be a woman as she tried to grab Tims 8 year old daughter liza's arm. Liza ran further from her daddy , crying and clutching her pink stuffed teddy bear I had found for her in a house we had stayed at over night. Her blond little pigtails bounced as she tripped and fell, the asphalt biting into her little arms and legs as the dead descened quickly towards the fallen child. Time slowed just a little for me as I made a mad dash for her , my machete already raised high and angled ready to chop off the first head I could see. I screamed out her name, yelling for her to get up and run , as I worked my machete through the head of a man with half his face gone. I used to retch at the sight of blood but now it was so common...death was so natural now and so was killing. I lost myself with Time that day, killing as many of the dead as I could. Blood spalattered on my new clean clothes, the white of the hoodie now stained red with the blood of a dead man twice dead.
"Chloe come on! we have to go theres more'a comin !" My head jerked up as I withdrew my machete from another dead mans head. Tim was running with Liza's hand gripped tight in his , the rest of the group falling close behind. My legs felt like jello as I stood up , my hands bleeding from the splinters of the machetes handle. I forced myself to run faster as I caught up with my group, my chest burning from exhaustion.
Time again was kind for a short time after. We walked for miles along a set of railroad tracks we came upon. Time slowed again when signs for a place called Terminus began to pop up along side the tracks. Tim's voice seemed muted as I listened to him and another man named Ron discuss the possablity of saftey at this place. Tim wanted to try for his daughter and for the rest of the group. Ron nodded in agreement as they both survyed the group which was now missing two memebers, Dana and Luke. They hadnt made it back at the hotel, their bodys now the meal of the dead that littered our earth now like demons that never went away with prayers at bedtime.
"Ron and I think terminus migh be worth'a try, we just wanna'run it by the rest of ya, just give a show of'ya hands if ya wanna try and just see" I jerked my head up and looked around at the group. Everyone started to slowly raise their hands but me. I was so tired of Time and its bullshit. Was growing tired of searching for saftey , only to lose it and other members of our group afterwards. I felt Tims eyes burning into mine as I stared him down. He knew exactly how I felt about this. I rarley talked anymore since losing my family to a large herd of them . Tim was there to hold me as I cried and screamed out silently for my family that wasnt coming back to me. The fire inside me burned down to ashes that day and now saftey and time were both complete jokes to me.
"Chloe...is it a yes'r or a no honey?" Tim held Liza closer to him as he waited for my answer, my hand gripping the sides of tracks. I looked down at my feet and sighed knowing it was already a losing battle and raised my hand. Tim smiled softly and turned away to look at the map that would lead us to this so called "saftey"
"Don't look'lik its too far from here'yall . Let's try to move quickly but quietly and maybe we can make it there before sunrise" Everyone stood and strechted , grabbing their small packs and weapons . I stood as well and gripped my machete tight in my callaused hand, no pack to carry or burden my already weighed down shoulders .
We moved quickly down the rusted tracks, no signs of the dead for a miles, and it seemed as though maybe Time was being and kind and our side for once. I tried not to feel too good about that inside..but it was always nice not to have to kill something for a long period of time. The group trudged on for another six miles and then finally over the hill there it was ... Terminus. There were high chainlink fences surrounding it and there was no sign of people at all. Fear and regret dripped down my throat and burned its way to my heart and stomach. I was scared now that this was a trap but speaking up would be shut down by Tim who had already decided our fate for us. It was an old rail road pick up station for loading and unloading box cars at some point and time. Now beyond the gates you could see what looked to be flowers and plants growing in flower boxes in the front. TERMINUS was painted on the windows but there was no life at all.
Tim and Ron pushed open the unlocked gate and raised thier near empty rifles and each took a side to survey. No one greeted us . It was likea ghost town as we all cautiously followed them threw the gates. As we rounded another corner a sign rested on the door in front of us , telling us to lower our weapnons..that we would be met.. I frowned at the sign as we pushed through the green doors. I squeezed Lizas hand as we kept up with her daddy. We passed what looked like a clothes washing station set up with old wash boards, and in the distance were brightly colored umbrellas above patio tables in the courtyard. A large grill sat in front of it all with a woman standing and tendign to whatever it was that she was cooking. Tim and Ron and the rest of the group raised their weapons again and I picked up Liza , holding her close to me. The smell of meat cooking was strong as we walked closer, our steps slowing with time. Time was confusing us now.. we werent sure if was meaning to be kind or cruel or both at once. My stomach growled loudly in time with Lizas at the smell...and I licked my lips..
The woman turned from the grill and smile spread across her face. She was healthy looking compared to most of us, her red hair pulled into a side ponytail as she came to greet us.
" Hi there..I'm mary.. Looks like you've all been on the road a good long time. " She smiled larger at the sight of Liza in my arms, and licked her lips. A small knot of worry cramped in my heart as I held her closer.
Tim nodded his head as he looked at her. "yes'mamam we have.. its been 'while since we saw others."
"Well welcome to terminus lets get you'all settled and get you a plate made " I watched as the group eagerly followed Mary towards the tables , dropping their weatherd packs on the ground by the barrel tables . I sat liza down and walked with her towards the table where her daddy and Ron sat .
Mary walked away for a moment and returened with two men and a young woman.. all very healthy and not so skinny. It made me wonder where their supply of meat was coming from.
It smelled amazing what ever was on the grill by the tables, the crack of meat and fire was intoxicating. My stomach rawred up at me and I whispered inside for it to shut up. Marys helpers passed heaping plates of meat around to us all . Tim and I both stared down at our plates as the sound of eating filled the courtyard. It didnt look like any meat I had ever seen. My daddy always went hunting and brought back wild game, but this...this didnt look like any animal he had ever brought home to us.
While Mary busied herself with the grill , I turned to Tim and whispered lowly to him "This dont'look right, where they gitting'this meat at "
He nodded his head at me his hand resting on Lizas keeping her from touching her plate "I'm not sure but I dont think this place is what we thought it was .Dont eat the meat," He looked down his daughter and whispered the same in her ear and she jerked her head with a nod. We all three pushed our plates away and Tim leaned towards Ron, saying about the same.
Anger filled Rons eyes as he pushed his plate..only he pushed it a little to hard and the meat flew off and hit the ground beside me. Mary turned her head towards us and then looked down at the wasted meat. She started walking over, her steps slow and calctualted.
"something wrong with the meat?" Her smile seemed twisted now as she stood beside the table , her workers surrounding the courtyard and more walked out the building behind us.
"just not hungry'ma'am" Ron looked her in the eyes and knocked the rest of the meat from the table, the sick sound of slapping the ground. The rest of the group looked over at us and then some of them stopped eating and began to look at their meat.
"There was no reason to waste good meat now was there sir? Im sure if you didnt like the selection I could have brought you differnt ones on your plate." Her smile had disspeared and was replaced with a angered look.
"Gotta ask ya'ma'am. where the hell did you get all dis'meat at . Sure as shit ain't no wild game round'cuz of the dead, but you got a large supply of it and it sure dont look like deer to me"
Ron glared up at her, his hand resting idely on his gun that lay on the table in front of him.
Mary backed away for a moment and then before we could blink she had unholstered a small gun from her side, pointing it straight at Ron.
"You are very ungrateful for someone who had no food at all before he came here. Why does it matter where the meat came from at all as long as your stomach is full when you lay your head down at night? " I could hear the murmer of voices of the group , two of the women retching her food onto the ground beside her. My stomach revolted at the thought of who or what lay on the plates and the grill.
Tim stood up slowly , his hands raised. "Look our group dont'want any trouble, you can let us leave peacefully and be on our way. I know where you're'getting it and we want no part of this"
"well see once you arrive here you have to make a choice , you can either be the cattle or the butcher.. and in youur cases i would hope you make the wiseer of the two ." Her workers surrondued us all , with guns raised. Our group sat in terror, Lizas little body pressed close to mine, my hand sliding down my thigh to find my machete as Tim and Mary had a staredonw.
"We just want to leave, I under'stan if you'all have your own means of surviving.. but we want no part of it. We ain't murderers." Tim kept his rifle trained on her head , but I could see them shaking slightly...thats when I knew Tim was truley scared for the first time in days.
"That wont be happening Im afraid, see you dont get to leave. and it seems you have already made up your minds...unless..some of you would reather join me than starve?" She looked around our group and I was shocked when I saw a few members step towards her .
This is the part where Time stopped for us. I remeber from that moemnt on Tim and Ron both lost their cool, their fingers wrapping tighter around their guns and shouting happening as Tima fired off several shots. I watched him hit the ground as a man from the roof shot him between the eyes...and then Ron dropped right after. A strangled scream escaped my chapped lips and I fell backwards with Liza still in my arms. Her arms clutched my neck tight as she cried hard , her eyes locked on her daddys now still form in front of us.
I sat still as Marys shoes came in contact with my eyes level. The cold look in her eyes as she stared at my machete on the ground now was evident.
"Why dont you smart girl and take your hand away from that knife now hmmm? Would be a shame to have to kill you and that little girl now wouldnt it. " I looked up at her and then back down at liza who had grown quiet but still cried. I kept my mouth closed tight as I nodded and raised my hand and rested it on Lisas back rubbing it softly. I glared up at her as she reached down and jerked it up , handing it off to a young man who remsembled her . His eyes leered down at me , and he reached a hand down to help me up but I jerked back .
"Dont touch me...plesase..thats all I ask just dont touch us ..please dont " I begged softly , my hands smmothing lizas hair down as I rocked her.
"No worries hon, just dont pull any stupid moves and you and that little girl should be safe ok" I kept my head down , unsure of what to do now. I looked up finally and watched as two men dragged the bodys of our fallen leaders away to antoher bulding and out of sight. The rest of our group had followed Mary to another bulding...all too eager to escape the fate of dieing..
Time stopped for me and Liza...as marys son who later introduced himself as Gareth , ordered us to stand and follow him. I stood slowly, taking liza with me, her hands and arms still locked tight around my neck. She had grown so quiet..not speaking or looking at anyone. I brushed us both off and then slowly fowllowed him through a bulding where bodys lay on gurnerys sliced open and bleeding out. At the sight of the people Liza whimpered and began crying loudly , her face frozen in terror. I pushed her face into my neck as we followed Gareth to antoher part of the yard that was filled with boxcars. He stopped at boxcar number 13 and had two men nearby open it.
"what are you doing? why are we here for " the question sounded stupid as it left my lips. Gareth snorted at my quetstion and moitoned towards the open car.
"Get it.. no resisting..no trying to run because trust me you wouldnt make it far..and that would bode well for your little girl now would it? " He gestured towards the box car , his smile full of vemon and hate.
I crawled insdie the box car and waited for them to host Liza up to me but they didnt...and thats when i began to scream and panic...
"WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING..DONT TAKE HER FROM ME PLEASE IM ALL SHE HAS LEFT! LIZA!" Gareth laughed up at me as I fought agianst his two men who were stronger than my weakened state.
LIza sobbed out my name , her little bear clutched to her chest as she stared up at me for the probally the last time. "Sorry dollface..but kids are alwasys the juicest when we can come by them... afraid you get to sit this one out alone for a bit..but if youre good and i mean really good sweetheart ill bring you back to my room later for a little fun!" He laughed again as one of his men back handed my face with full force knocking me agiisnt the hard floor of the box car.
I struggled to my feet and ran at the now closed door of the car and banged helplessy against it.
"LET ME OUT DONT HER PLEASE SHES JUST A LITTLE GIRL LET ME OUT ..." i banged my hands till they bled agiainst the door , and turned.. my back pressing against the door as i lowered to the floor. I continued to cry softly...Please..dont...let me out...over and over.. I brough my head down to rest in my hands..the ornange and blue of the sunset from the small crachks of the door flooding it with a small amount ot light as I cried myself dry..I pushed my hands up to my ears as the distant sounds of sceaming from my group echoed across the courtyard and into the car with me..as if death was having a grrand time with me and Time slowed even more and then stopped fulley... They were gone now because of me.. My little liza with her big blue eyes and little stuffed bear...all of them were gone...and I couldnt bring them back once they were dead..
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Hey yall so its like 2am and i have to be up at 5 am to work so ill post a new chapter tommrow.. let me know what you think ok :)