Yes another chapter of Salvation House. This chapter is all Edward's Point Of View. Glad to hear you guys are enjoying this story. Please leave some love at the bottom.
SM Owns everything Twilight. I just get to play in the back yard a bit lol.
Chapter 4
EPOV
It had been six days since I packed up my infant daughter and fled my own home. I felt like a coward, a pussy, a momma's boy as I left. I didn't stay and fight for my home when the fight or flight instinct kicked in, I just packed up what I could and left. Those things⦠those people were dead and I knew in every fiber of my being that I didn't have a chance against them. I knew I couldn't help them. I may be a doctor, but I'm not stupid.
The day after I had heard from my brother for the last time, one of those things tried to get in to the house. I killed the smallest Evan's boy after hitting him in the head with the fire poker. It just about tore my heart out knowing that I killed our neighbor's youngest child. I had watched the news and heard the broadcasts from people who didn't know their ass from their elbows. They said to stay calm. They said to stay in your houses. After killing that boy I knew that none of them could tell the country what we needed to do anymore. This was not some gang activity or flu epidemic we were dealing with. When the TV stations went off the air the next morning and more of those thing roamed our neighborhood I knew it was no longer safe here. Even boarding up the windows did not seem to help and I did that last week after Carlisle and Esme left for Hawaii and the outbreak hit Hayward. I knew then that we would have to leave and prayed that my brother Car would call my cell so I could tell him where I ended up.
I put my little girl in the car seat and threw her diaper bag along with a huge duffel in the car with my clothes, Katie's clothes, Katie's snuggle, my phone charger, and gun with bullets that Car and Esme didn't know I owned. Then I psyched myself up to abandon the home I shared with my brother and his family as I drove off and didn't look back. The two photo albums I had grabbed would be the only reminders that we shared this house. I hoped for the best, but expected the worst. I loaded the gun and tucked it in my waist band as I pulled out of the two car garage taking the new SUV I bought after Katie was born into a sea of creatures. I didn't honestly know what to expect? Could we make it far enough away to settle down for a while? Was there some place that this virus had yet to touch? I didn't even have a destination in mind; I just wanted to get us far away from those things. I was not counting on those corpses to be everywhere. Somewhere had to be safe right?
I had made stops along to way to change Katie's diaper and feed her. The radio stations were all off the air so the only noise was the moaning and growling those creatures made. One stop I even went to the bathroom peeing just outside my car door. That was the one stop I made where we did not see any of those things. One other stop did not have any of those thing either. I had stopped to get gas and the guy running the store said he had killed a few of them when they tried to get in. He gave me a bag with a sandwich, a bag of chips and two red bulls and the gas wishing us luck. Our luck did not hold out for long though. A couple of times those things would get real close and one of them almost climbed in my car as I threw a dirty diaper out the window. It was stupid of me and thoughtless, a huge mistake on my part. I was not paying attention to my window I was watching my daughter's window next to her carrier as one of those things tried breaking the glass to eat her. As I felt something slimy touch my arm I jerked it back before that thing could sink his teeth in my forearm. I pulled the gun from my waist band and put a bullet in his head then closed the window as fast as possible hitting the gas in the same heartbeat. My daughter cried from the loud noise, and I comforted her once we were far away from the church we were stopped at and the zombies thinned out. But after that last stop I wasn't taking any more chances and pulled her car seat upfront so it wouldn't be so hard to feed her anymore and keep an eye out incase those things got too close again.
I drove for days it seemed like and I was tired, dirty, hungry and running low on formula, bottled water and diapers. The little food I consumed that the guy at the gas station gave me was long gone. I knew we couldn't stop for any length of time because those things were everywhere. By eight that night I was too low on gas again, tired as hell and didn't see an open gas station that wasn't infested with those things. I found the closest grocery store and rolled in the lot on fumes. I didn't even know where I was anymore? I remember in zombie movies most people go to grocery stores so that was what I did. I pulled right in front of the first store I could find and prayed that someone alive could help me, help us. After banging on the door begging for help I saw a flashlight shine in my face. As the door swung open a beautiful blond shoved a gun at me and motioned for me to grab my baby, bags and carrier. I didn't have anything else. I tried to call Car and Esme's phones a few times after we were granted safe harbor but I couldn't get through. I didn't know if they were safe? Alive? Dead? I didn't know anything and it scared the shit out of me! Carlisle had basically taken care of me after our own mom took off and our dad threw himself into work. Now I didn't have his advice on what to do. I didn't have Esme either and she was always the second person I would go to for advice and comfort. I was lost.
That night turned in to the next and so on. After three days in the Foods Mart it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was living in a grocery store with strangers and my daughter and I did not know if we would ever make it out of here alive. I had all but given up the hope that my brother, sister in law and nephew were still alive. I hoped that they were, I prayed every day for my phone to ring, but it never did. The store did not have a shower and we were all sleeping on the floor on blankets from one of the isles. We were eating microwaveable meals because we there was no stove or oven. The small clean up job we could do to our bodies took place in the sink in the bathroom. Between the sink and deodorant it was still not enough to cover the smell of our body odor and sweat. I was sitting in the small camp with the others when my cell phone started to ring scaring the hell out of all of us. My phone was the only one still working for now. A lump rose to my throat as I did not recognize the number so I answered carefully knowing that it could be some stranger and not my brother. When I heard my brother's voice for the first time in almost a week everything in my world that was once wrong was right again.
After receiving that call from my brother my whole body relaxed for the first time in days. I mean it's not like the people here were assholes or anything. They were nice enough to accept Katie and me into the store and give us a place to stay. When I first arrived here they all told me there names. A teenage girl named Alice and the blond bombshell that shoved a gun in my face when I first arrived was named Rose both helped me out a lot with Katie before I got that call. I found out later that the gun Rose had didn't even have any bullets in it. Seems she ran out before her and Alice had gotten to this store. The guy Demetri and his wife Tanya seemed decent for the most part, they were a little stand offish and kept to themselves but I could understand that after everything that had happened.
Jacob and his wife Leah tried to make plan after plan for leaving the store, only the plans they made were faulty most of the time. There was no car they could use to get out of here. They did not have a boat or ship to sail away. They couldn't even go back to the apartment they had because of the undead. Like I said faulty. Leah wanted to go to a deserted island and Jacob was convinced that they could make it to Hawaii and live in peace for the rest of their lives if only they had a boat. He would wish for things that were not going to be possible any time soon. I really wanted to snap at him telling him to wish in one hand and shit in another, but I didn't have the heart to. He was just trying to keep his mind off of the zombies that were moaning out front. I did snap at him once though. His stories ventured farther one day about Hawaii and living on the beach and I lost it for a moment. I informed them that my brother and sister were there with my nephew and I had yet to hear from them. The plans kept coming from those two and I don't even think anyone was listening to them anymore after my little speech? Leah's little brother Seth was always trying to help everyone stay positive. He would make jokes getting us to laugh and would talk about the army guys coming to save us. I wished he could be right.
When I talked to Car for the first time in days I wanted to cry like the pussy I have become, out of relief, frustration, happiness I didn't know? When he told me they were alright and told me about this woman who saved them and was coming to save us and take us to a safe house so many things ran through my head. I pictured a big butch older woman with muscles like a body builder and a compound in Washington built by her cult leaders. I know I shouldn't judge because frankly she not only saved my family but was on her way to save my sorry ass along with these strangers. Fuck it if she saved mine and my Katie's life by getting us to this safe house and it made her happy I would gladly shave my head, start growing green beans and let her call me sparky. Okay maybe I took that a little too far. I don't think I could be that grateful.
Rose had been working on that semi for three days now only stopping to eat and sleep and we were supposed to meet them at the dock that Demetri described tonight. To say we were all freaking the fuck out that Rose hadn't fixed the damn thing yet would be an understatement. She would mutter about starters and plugs, but I had no clue what she was talking about? I was just grateful that we had found a few tools in the isle with oil and windshield wipers that she could use. I know that we were all putting her under unnecessary stress and pressure, but we couldn't help it. This was our chance out of this hell hole. This was the only car that could fit all of us and the goods that were needed to the docks that we did not have to venture out to search for. If I had enough gas in my car, we could get everything in it including everyone and not have to deal with the wandering zombies who wanted to snack on our insides then I would say we could use that! However it wasn't even an option. The bags alone wouldn't fit with everyone else in my car. It only sat five people and I don't even think that we could make it to the docks? I was coasting on fumes rolling in here. Rose tried starting it again for what seemed like the hundredth time as we all stood around waiting. It took a few tries and as she cranked it hard with her brow furrowed and grease on her chin for the first time it roared to life giving all of us hope for getting out of here. She looked smug as she took a bow as we all cheered at her for doing what we all thought was impossible.
Alice and Tanya started putting the duffel bags full of goods and medical supplies that we would need in the back of the truck along with the sleeping bags and blankets to keep us all comfortable during the ride. Alice handed us all flashlights as per our signal as we all prepared to leave the grocery store we had all called home for the last several days. I grabbed my bag that I came with that held the only clothes that Katie and I had and slung it over my back and shoulder. I put the snuggle on me and strapped Katie to my chest. At least this way I know she would be safe and no one could forget her. The car seat I would carry along with her diaper bag. The woman who was saving all our asses from dying in a supermarket was coming with Car and some other guy with them. They were going to wait till they saw the semi coming and flash a flashlight signaling our way. Then they would grab some of the bags and help us get the people out of the back while we were on our way they were going to be filling the ship with any fuel that was left on the docks along with any extra they could put in a big gas can.
Demetri, Rose and I were riding up front. Rose because she was the only one of us who could drive the semi, Demetri because he knew where the dock was. I was because I had my baby strapped to my chest. Okay well I think it was also because they thought that my brother would leave their sorry asses if he didn't see me right away. As Rose revved the engine we all took our places. I was in the middle because I had Katie and we needed someone to open the back garage door so we could get out, and with Katie strapped to my chest I could not run as fast as usual. Katie's car seat was wedged between my legs and the dashboard and I had her diaper bag on my left arm while my duffel was strapped to my back. I can't quiet say that I was comfortable, although I am sure that the others could say the same. Demetri hit the large black button opening the door and scrambled his way in the seat next to me slamming the door behind him startling Katie. Rose pushed us forward through the walking dead that were coming in the store as Demetri gave her directions on which way to turn. Rose was running over as many of those things as she could while muttering under her breath. The streets did not have many of those things on them, however there were still plenty. The four blocks could have been a thousand miles for all we had known. I could hear Seth whining about being hungry and Jacob telling him to shut up. Leah was bitching about being tossed around and Alice was trying to comfort her. A block away from the docks the truck stalled alerting some other survivors and zombies to a truck being outside. The door flew open to the small store and three guys and one girl came running at us to help them.
A split decision was made as Alice helped them in the back of the truck. I didn't know if Car and this woman would be pissed about us bringing extra people, but I hoped that they understood. A few minutes later Rose pulled to a stop when she saw the flashlights waving us in. We all hopped out of the truck and Demetri went around the back to get Tanya and the rest of our party along with the new comers to the dock.
Everything happened so fast one minute I was in the truck the next I was running as fast as I could to a small woman, my brother and a tall blond man. The brunette woman raised her gun to me and I stopped dead in my tracks. She was yelling at me to get on the boat as she fired off a shot towards my head. I could feel the wind as the bullet whipped past my head and hit something directly behind me with a slushy crunchy sound. I turned around watching a huge zombie fall dead a few steps behind me. I almost pissed my pants thinking about how close one of those things came to getting me and my daughter. My brother and the other guy were using a bat and a crow bar on the other zombies while I ran past them to the ship that had Esme waiting by the ramp. Another guy I had yet to see was closing up a gas can and ran up the ramp telling Esme to get back. I followed him up the ramp and ran down the steps to a lavish type of living room. Esme came up behind me as I dropped the bags, cars seat and unhooked Katie and passed her off to Esme without so much as a hello. Pulling the gun from my waist band I pulled the hammer back and went back out to the ramp to see if I could help the others.
Tanya, Leah Rose and Alice came running up the ramp first. I popped off a few shots hitting one zombie in the chest and arms before hitting him in the head. I watched as one of the new guys that we picked up was attacked and bit in the neck by a zombie. Shock froze me solid as the small woman fired a shot hitting the guy square in the head as he was screaming for help killing him instantly. Then she fired another shot killing the zombie that attacked him. Car, Jacob, Seth, and the three other people we picked up along with Demetri and Jacob and the blond guy made it to the ship within seconds of each other. The woman was the last on the ship as she leaped over the ramp and Car pulled it in. I was still frozen on the rail as we moved away from the dock and into open water. Car pulled me in to a hug and told me how glad he was to see me alive again. When he asked where Katie was I shook out of my trance and joined the others where I left my daughter with her aunt.
