Chapter 2: Away from Savannah
"Hey guys." Ben said quietly, catching the attention of the other two.
"Yeah?"
"This is a waste of time isn't it? There's no reason for all of us to wait on this roof."
The couple glanced at each other before Omid spoke.
"So you're saying we should leave?"
Ben shrugged. "You said the countryside would be our best bet, right? You two should go while things look clear, I think I'm gonna hang back a little while longer."
Omid frowned, immediately disliking the idea. "And do what? Roast to death under the sun? That's no good, kid. We need to stick together. I already feel bad about Lee, I don't think I can leave another behind a second time."
"But they might still come. What if they make it back and we're not here?" asked Ben desperately.
Christa sighed and looked out again over the city. During the night a fire had started somewhere near the docks and the flames were beginning to spread across several buildings, leaving a thick trail of black smoke in the air. For a moment Ben wondered if the fire had been started by survivors in a last ditch effort to escape or if they were dying in it when Christa finally spoke. Her voice full of regret.
"It's possible but it isn't likely. At this point we can't help Lee or Clementine and I don't like saying that." she squared her shoulders and pointed down towards the city. " Look at that place. After three days who could possibly still be alive? Even if they are there is nothing we can do for them now."
Omid motioned for Ben to look over the edge of the roof . Several stories down a small cluster of walkers hobbled about near the front entrance. "Look down their, Ben. They aren't going away and I'm beginning to think that they know we're up here,"
"We can't leave and come back with supplies. And if we stay here even a day longer we'll be trapped."
Ben closed his eyes and sighed wanting to object but knew deep down that what Christa and Omid said was true. There was no convenient bell tower nearby to provide a distraction. After a minute he opened his eyes, seeing the fire was already overtaking more buildings. It was a death trap. Savannah and everything in it was lost.
"Fine. You're right." With a sinking heart he conceded. "Let's just go."
Under the cover of darkness the three of them cautiously made their way down to the train yard below. They decided against trying to use the train since neither of them had the foggiest clue of how it worked and any effort put into making it run would probably attract walkers who were already in dangerously close proximity. The dull current of moaning suddenly hitched in volume letting the group know that despite their best efforts they had been seen.
"The tracks or the woods?" Omid asked
"I don't think either looks good right now." said Christa, "But the woods for now until the tracks clear up."
They had to follow the tracks from behind the thick shelf of trees for nearly four miles before the tracks became clear enough to walk on. But a few straggling zombies were still catching on. They were running their luck pretty thin with only an axe, a bat, and an old rail road spike for weapons. No bullets meant their guns were useless but something was better than nothing. Thunder rolled overhead as the gray sky blotted with dark clouds. The air felt heavy, it was going to rain soon, doubling the need for shelter.
"I think I see a building ahead." whispered Ben. True enough a few more yards ahead on the opposite side of the track stood a small maintenance shack with a tin roof, the wood white and gray from weather and age. The three survivors crouched in the ditch along the tracks and watched the small gathering of zombies wander about near the front, though they seemed to not be on alert or attracted to anything.
"We gotta get past them first." Omid uttered.
Ben gripped the handle of the bat until his knuckles turned white, the walkers were right on top of them and it was only a matter of time before they were seen. It took everything he had to not run away. The sight of those things, especially up close, vaporized his nerves.
"Who goes first?" he asked nervously.
Christa stood slightly and readied her axe. "We go together. On three. One…two…three!" her exclamation was muted but they all felt the urgency and rushed out. The first two walkers fell with axe wounds in their skulls before they even noticed.
Ben was terrified but couldn't back down now that he was so close, one walker heard him and turned around with a shuddering hiss. Ben swung the bat wildly with a shout, the tip of it caught the walker in the temple and it fell.
In the tumult of awakened undead he lost focus. He spun around, bat raised trying to choose another target, but the incessant flesh craving moans were overwhelming.
Another one creeped up on Ben's side almost taking a bite out of his ear, he jerked away and tripped over the one he'd hit first, falling against the wall of the shack. The ghoul was large, the remains of a balding overweight businessman, its suit ripped and muddied. The thing lunged and would have buried its teeth into the boy's shoulder if the bat hadn't been in the way. He pushed back with all his might but was on an incline with the weight of the significantly heavy walker against him.
"Guys….help!" Ben struggled with the bat, turning his head away from the drool and spittle escaping the walker's gaping mouth. It's girth still pressing down on him. Just when he felt that he couldn't hold out much longer he heard the 'shnk' of something puncturing the walker's skull and destroying the brain. It went limp and fell sideways.
"Come on!" Omid practically shouted despite his effort to keep his voice low. He grabbed Ben by the sleeve and pulled him through the opening. With Christa already inside he bolted it shut.
Ben dropped his bat and leaned over a counter shuddering and heaving until he finally managed to speak.
He glanced around, nothing inside looked promising and cursed under his breath. "W-what if more of them come?"
"You're welcome." Omid said dryly.
"I didn't see any more outside for now we stay low and figure out what to do."
"Do? Do what?" Ben's head was buzzing with adrenaline making him feel light and confused.
"Keeping quiet is a good idea." Christa hissed. " We can't afford to attract more."
Omid walked over to the window near the front door. The area ahead looked clear except for the freshly killed walkers. "Let's get these windows covered."
It took a few minutes to push the shelves in front of the windows to keep any unwanted guests from getting a peek inside. There wasn't a need to worry about light seeping through since the building had no power. They crouched down in a back room in ominous silence mulling over their decision to leave Savannah, not that there was any going back.
Christa walked over to a series of shelves that lined the back wall. "This place looks empty but there might be something of use around." There wasn't much to be salvaged from the cabinets. A closet still held a few tools which could still be useful but not worth taking with nothing to carry them in. Omid did manage to find a large wrench that was easier to handle in a fight than the rail spike.
Their search ended an hour later when the thunder finally broke into a healthy shower of rain which pelted the ground with enough force to subdue sound and sight.
The maintenance shack was pretty much just that, a shack, very small and isolated but the lack of light created an eerily claustrophobic atmosphere especially since they knew what lurked outside.
The pounding rain made it impossible to tell if walkers were closing in and by the time their torturous moans reached a loud enough pitch , they might be too numerous to handle.
We can rest here for now, just stay low and quiet. Nice and quiet. Ben thought to himself. Then in the darkness the back of his heel knocked over a large metal bucket with a slightly startling clang. He cringed not only at his own mistake but he was sure that if he could see Omid and Christa clearly they probably didn't look too happy.
"S-sorry!" He knelt down and picked up the bucket. It was clean from what he could see and didn't have any holes.
"Hey this might sound crazy but we're pretty thirsty…"
Omid shrugged. "Rainwater is better than no water."
"Right…" As quietly as he could Ben unhinged the latch of the door and slowly swung it open, thankful that it didn't creak or squeal. He set the bucket out, just beyond the small overhang of the roof all the while looking left and right for any approaching threat. The rain brought a shivering chill but he could still see through the thick sheet.
He didn't see any walkers, hastily he ducked back into the shack and re did the latch. The boy returned to the backroom to see the couple studying a large map spread across the table using only a small flashlight with obviously dying batteries.
Things couldn't be anymore hopeless Ben thought to himself Listening to the howling wind sometimes brought the faint moans of walkers along with it.
It was still early in the nigh,Omid volunteered to take first watch. Christa and Ben slept in the back room. After a short period of nothingness, Ben felt like he was floating across a large plain. Traveling to a specific location but everything around him was shrouded in darkness. He couldn't see where he was going nor could he direct himself. The next thing he knew he was standing on something firm and slowly regained sight. It was still dim but he knew where he was.
Ben was standing on the edge of the road across from the Motor-Inn. Well not entirely across from it. The Inn itself was several yards down the road. Without thinking about it too much he started toward it, not quite understanding why he was there yet feeling he couldn't walk away. He'd been here before but not alone. It was dark, windy and the howl of the wind brought the howl of the dead along with hit. Walkers were around but he couldn't see anything except whatever lay under the walkway lights of the motel. Wait, lights? But there shouldn't be any power.
Lifting his head, Ben saw someone standing in the empty lot. Just barely because he was so far away. When Ben was closer he stopped and gasped, not trusting his own eyes. There stood Clementine alone in the parking lot. Shivering and looking straight ahead yet somehow Ben knew that she couldn't see him. Slowly he reached out and called to the little girl."Hey, Clementine, it's me." No response. He continued to walk and saw Doug's makeshift alarm system from his position on the road. And beyond that, not much to his surprise, he spotted the RV sitting on the far side of the lot.
Where was everyone else? Where was Lily who would always stand watch? The group had become conditioned to survive, meaning as little movement as possible that could be taken as human activity, especially at night. But one person, usually Lily, was always keeping a lookout. But from what he could see, and Ben's eyes were pretty good, there was nobody but Clementine
Suddenly did exit the RV with a slow yet purposeful stride. It was hard to tell who it was due to the lack of light, but Ben saw the slender silhouette of an object rocking back and forth next to the person as he walked the lot. Ben felt something was very wrong and started to run. "Hey who are you? What are you doing!"The figure entered the lighted part of the lot next to Clementine. It was a bandit. Wearing a thick jacket and ski mask. He had his hand out closing the gap between him and the girl.
"Clementine, run!" Ben shouted at the top of his lungs, running as fast as he could down the dark empty road. The masked man grabbed Clementine by the back of her head. She shrieked as he yanked her back violently into the shadows, knocking her hat off her felt a sudden torrent of panic rip through him when Clementine fell out of view.
"Fuck! Leave her alone!" He didn't realize that he was drawing attention. He heard Clementine scream just as something lurched out of the woods onto the road in front of him. It let out a deathly rattle and reached for him, It's face horrifically familiar. While distracted, something else hit him in the side.
At that moment he was flung forward, hitting the concrete face first. Above him he heard the moans and caught the sickening stink of rotting flesh. He struggled, only having enough time to look up to see the the undead shell of his high school friend and band teacher looming over him, their infected nails digging into his jeans and jacket. In shock he couldn't find the strength to fight off both. Then Travis sank his teeth into Ben's face.