Fear the dead 4
"The Walking Living"
Arthur's note: Tobias' story & journey continues...
************* Scorcher ****************
It was mid-afternoon whenever Tobias paused to take a break. He was down to a single bottle of water now, so seeking shelter from the heat seemed like his best alternative at this point.
He had found an old tree next to the road to rest under...and even though it seemed wilted and dead (its branches having not known leaves for some time now), it still provide enough shade to protect him from the scorching rays of that sweltering bright star above, up in the heavenly sky.
Tobias sat there a while, his clothes drenched in sweat. He was getting a little hungry at this point and he thought about his backpack. He had taken his school backpack and stuffed it to capacity with supplies before leaving his home. He knew that the march out to the desert would be a long one, especially on foot, so he had stored some provisions. He looked down the road ahead, that long, concert avenue that disappeared off into the distance. He observed the nothingness, the near barren landscape and was amazed that anything could exist out here, so torturous, so desolate, however some things did. He was thinking that he still had a mile or two left to travel before reaching his destination.
The L.A. resident had been told by a classmate that he and his family had a shelter out in the sandy, boulder crags east of the city. It was a place where he, Tobias, and his family could go if ever there was the need. Tobias felt that this situation qualified...His heading, a bomb shelter, a construct of his friend's great grandfather back in the day whenever there was the threat of a nuclear holocaust...rather than the damnation of a biblical plague hanging over the nation's head, ironic now wasn't it?
Anyway, that is where the young acquaintance of Mrs. Madison Clark was headed. Tobias had told his mother and his uncle about this place, and he had hoped that was where they had gone, even though he knew that it made him look crazy. But his family loved him (a mother will forgive and forget the irrational rants of her child, even though she fears that they may be going insane).
Tobias had hoped that they had taken heed his words, and had evaced to a safer location. He was hoping to catch up with them there.
Tobias had been lucky; he hadn't had to walk the full distance out of town. He had been picked up by a couple of travelers, two fellows in a rugged looking pick-up. He hadn't fully trusted them, the city had gone rampant with looters and mayhem, but as he climbed into the truck bed, in back, he could see that the two kept eye-balling his weapon, his uncle's rifle, so he felt safe that they would not try anything. Still, he was happy at the edge of town whenever they had dropped him off. Now he wished he had a vehicle of his own.
Tobias had thought about taking a car, or a truck, maybe even a bicycle. However he had changed his mind. That pretty much would be considered an act of theft and would allow any owner to put a bullet straight through one's head (the details could be sorted later). Anyway, he hadn't done it, he was on foot.
Tobias had considered his food supply, he had not partaken, deciding that it may make him more thirsty, and too, his water ration was already getting low. He arose to his feet and again began making his march down the road, thinking all the while how heavy his uncle's rife and his own school backpack were becoming...
His uncle had told him once, that after his graduation he should join the army...yeah, like that was going to happen...
************* The Meeting **************
Tobias had traveled maybe half a mile whenever he noticed something in the road up ahead...it was a person, a body, and it was walking in the same direction as he. There was something recognizable about the figure, something familiar. The young man could see that the body was female, and that the dress on the lady looked similar to one his mother owned. His heart caught up in his throat...
"MOM", he called out!
There was no response. The woman was a clear seventy yards ahead of him.
"MOM", he called out again...this time the figure turned, slowly, and then began to walk his way. From this distance Toby couldn't identify if it were she or not. On the safe side he removed the weapon from his shoulder and brought it to aim. He was a good shot, good enough to put this individual down, if need be, only he would wait, wait until she were closer, much closer.
He observed that the figure had a weird kind of walk, a labored kind of gait, and he knew what that meant...he had witnessed it several times already, and it burdened him to think of it. The grip of his fingers around the rifle frame grew tighter, and the press of the stock against his shoulder more pressured.
"MOM!"...He called again, but still he heard no sound...but then, of a sudden, he did hear something, only this sound came from behind him.
"CITIZEN...PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!"
Tobias turned...and was presented with a heavy vehicle just twenty feet away, to his rear. A military craft, armored like nobody's business and out for "business" it seemed.
"I REPEAT, PUT YOUR WEAPON DOWN!"...the sergeant spoke through a loud speaker. At that same moment several other soldiers came from around the vehicle all with weapons held high and at the ready, and all focused on him. Tobias eased down his rifle.
"Here son...," one of the soldiers spoke as he neared the young man, "I'll take that." He took the weapon. "There's food and water in a truck behind the armored car if you're hungry."
The man then turned to a fellow soldier...
"Private Johnson, assist this citizen to the wagon would you?"
Evidently Toby had been so focused on the individual before him, just the time prior, that he had not heard the armed force arrive.
"But what about her," he asked, while pointing at the figure down the way?
"Don't worry about her," Private Johnson said, "We'll take care of her."
Moments later Tobias was told to climb into the truck (an army vehicle with the thick canvas stretched across the sides and over the top). There were several other individuals inside as well, all looking as dazed and confused as he was. A moment later the motor vehicle turned around and was headed back in the same direction Tobias had just fled.
Someone offered him a bottle of water...and just at that moment the young man heard a loud, single gunshot report out of the distance. It echoed across the canyon and bounced back and forth from mountain ridge to mountain ridge.
Sitting on the bench, the last seat in the back of the truck, Tobias turned his head and looked east, but could see nothing. He eyes were wide, but even so he could see no details.
The army vehicle he was traveling in was speeding away quickly, and Tobia felt his stomach turn. He felt sick of a sudden, but what could he do?
END PART 4