The sun was shining bright in the sky. Connie wanted to go find some shelter. She wanted to feed Kelly. She wanted to not come across anymore of those Stinkers as Kelly called them. She felt like she was in a horror movie. She felt like she wanted to give up. She was tired. But Kelly kept her going. Connie just wanted her parents back to help. And maybe some coffee. Kelly tugged on her sister's shirt. Connie looked down at the child.
There's a fence over there. Kelly signed and then pointed off to the distance. Connie looked down the road with squinted eyes. Sure, enough it looked like a closed off area. Maybe it was a refugee camp. She needed to get Kelly somewhere.
Come on, Connie took her hand and the sisters walked towards the fenced in area. As they got closer, Connie noticed it was most defiantly a camp of some sort. Fences surrounded thick metal walls. Connie looked down at her sister with a nervous smile. This was what they needed. Connie banged on the front gate. It took a bit of time but soon, the gate opened, and three men stood there with large smiles.
"Welcome to Jones Spring. My name is Charles. Come in please." He said showing the sisters in.
"Shes deaf, but I can translate." Kelly said. Charles bent down.
"And what is your name, young lady?" He asked.
"Kelly. This is my sister, Connie. I'm eleven so you don't have to talk to me like a baby. Ive killed a stinker before." She said. Connie swatted her arm. Charles laughed.
"it's all good." He said shaking Connie's hand, "Welcome, Connie. Let me show you around."
This place was like a dream come true. There were places they could sleep. There was security. They would keep her and her sister safe. Maybe she could actually sleep with her eyes closed for one. Charles showed them to the bunks and bathrooms and even a small game room that Connie knew Kelly would spend all her time in.
"Here is the kitchen. It's small right now, but we've only been growing things for about a month." Charles said walking into the kitchen, "I'm hoping by winter we'll have all the kinks worked out. And this big fella is our resident cook, Luke." Luke smiled as he put his wooden spoon down.
"Welcome. Welcome." He said.
"She's deaf." Kelly said bouncing on her feet anxious to get into that game room, "Her name is Connie. I'm Kelly and I'm bored." The men laughed at her. Luke gave a polite wave to Connie.
My name is Luke, He signed very slowly. Connie grinned brightly very appreciative that someone tried to sign to her. Connie looked around the room and found a small notebook and pen and began to write.
Hi Luke. Thank you, Guys for the warm welcome. This is all very over whelming. We've been walking nonstop for two months. I didn't ever think we'd find a place like this. I can read lips by the way. She handed Luke her note. He nodded.
"I've only been here for two weeks and It already feels like home." Luke said. "Theres a lot of great people here and people come almost daily. Theres a few kids here you can play with." Kelly looked at Connie.
Can I go explore? I'm safe. Theres no stinkers, she pleaded with her sister. Connie bit her lip, nervously.
"Shes fine. Trust me." Charles told her, "Ill keep her safe always. Once youre in these walls youre my family." Connie nodded slowly and Kelly didn't miss a beat. She bolted out the room and headed for the game room.
"Let me grab you something to eat." Luka smiled warmly as if he could tell Connie's stomach was growling.
It made Connie nervous to not have Kelly attached to her hip. She had grown very protective over her baby sister since everything went down. Connie made her way to the game room. She found her sister playing monopoly with two women. Kelly waved her over.
This is Magna, and this is…. Kelly frowned, "I don't know how to spell your name."
"Ha. It's all right. It's hard." The woman wrote her name down and showed it to Connie, "I'm Yumiko." Connie waved.
"Your sister is a bitching monopoly player." Magna laughed, "She got park place, so I'm screwed." Connie nodded. Kelly was weirdly terrific at that stupid game. "She bet me a candy bar she would win."
"And I won a candy bar." Kelly laughed.
"It's Thursday!" A tall lanky man walked into the game room. Magna groaned loudly hiding her face in her hands. Yumiko threw the monopoly thimble at him. Connie arched her eye brow at the man and his hideous shirt. "You must be Connie and Kelly."
"Shes deaf. Blah blah blah." Kelly rolled her eyes. Bernie smiled greatly.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Connie. My name is Bernie. He signed to her.
You can sign? She asked. Bernie nodded.
My cousin was deaf, so we all learned ASL. He told her. Bernie turned to everyone in the room, "It's pretty easy to learn. We should all learn."
"Just don't wear that shirt if youre teaching us." Yumiko mumbled.
"You ladies know you love it." He spun around showing it to Connie, "Awesome right."
It's beautiful, she smiled.
Connie and Kelly had settled in nicely to Jones Springs, but it was far from a vacation. It was hard work trying to keep the community afloat. Survivors kept on coming and food started to thin out. But Connie still kept a smile upon her face. She would half her dinner portions if it meant her and her sister were kept safe.
Come here, Bernie signed to her, Shes asleep. Shes fine. Connie glanced over to the second women's bunks and nodded. She followed the man with whom she considered one of her family members now. Up there. Connie looked to the shed and saw Luke sitting on the roof. He waved to them.
Why is Luke on a roof? Connie asked. Bernie chuckled as he climbed up onto to the roof. He extended his hand down to Connie. Carefully, Connie climbed up onto the roof. She looked at Luke with a questioning look. He nudged Bernie. He was better at signing than he was.
Look at the stars. The city's lights are all out now, so nothing is blocking the stars. Bernie pointed up to the sky. Connie gazed up to the sky and gasped. She never really sat down the apricate the stars above her, but tonight they were much more beautiful than she had ever seen. The sky sparkled like is contained a million diamonds. She felt like she could see for light years. It took her breath away. She would have to show Kelly this one night.
Beautiful isn't it? Luke signed. Connie nodded.
It's amazing. Thank you for showing me. She said to him. The three of them sat there for what felt like hours. Luke looked at her full of nerves.
We're out, he said. Connie and Bernie stared at him blankly. Food. We're out of food.
"Does Charles know?" Bernie asked.
"I told him last week we were getting low and then that group from Tennessee came. Charles keeps dodging me." Luke said not sure what to do.
Hunt? Connie asked.
"yeah, I'll go out tomorrow." Bernie said, "I'm sure I can get Magna and some others to come with me. We'll find something." They sat there for a moment until Luke held his hand up.
"Did you hear that?" He asked. Connie shot him a look and he couldn't help but to laugh, "I heard glass breaking."
"Me too." The men held their breath, listening. Connie glanced towards where Kelly was sleeping. The air had shifted around them. Something had happened. "Come on." Bernie jumped down off of the roof and helped Connie down. Connie started to jog towards the cabin, but Luke grabbed her arm. He shushed her and shook his head. Her eyes pleaded with him.
The three of the quietly walked towards the cabin. Connie looked into the window and he world came crashing around her. She was going to faint. Inside, Yumiko was clutching a trembling Kelly, and someone had a gun pointed to her head.
"What the fuck is going on?" Bernie whispered looking into the window. Across the room, the saw Magna in her bed, struggling. Charles was on top of her. She kept trying to push him off.
I'm getting Kelly, Connie broke free from Luke's grasps. She would murder all of them if she found out Charles had touched her sister. The three of them burst through the cabin door.
"Connie!" Kelly screamed. Magna took this opportunity to break free from Charles' grasp. She grabbed the pen at her bedside table and plunged it deep into his neck. Yumiko grabbed the guns barrel and managed to push it towards Charles' lacky as he pulled the trigger and shot himself in the chest. Kelly, covered in blood, bolted into Connie's arms.
Did he touch you? Did he? She signed trembling. Kelly shook her head. Connie tightened her hold on her baby sister. Yumiko hugged Magna tightly.
"are you girls okay?" Luke asked.
"I think so." Magna panted, pushing Yumikos dark hair off of her face. Kelly began to scream. Charles' reanimated corpse started to stumble towards them. They stood there in shock for a moment. Connie had no weapons on her. She had to get Kelly out of here. She grabbed her sister's hand and bolted. The others followed behind her. As did Charles. They ran towards the front gates, but a chain and lock were around the handles. Connie looked at Luke with wide eyes.
"Who the fuck would lock us in here?" He tried to force the gate doors open, but they wouldn't budge.
"Guys, we've got a problem." Magna said as she watched Charles and his lacky start to attack people. Soon. Those bodies rose and started to attack.
"We need to leave now." Bernie said going over to the armory shed. He handed Kelly a sling shot, "Do you know how to use this?" She nodded as tears fell. Bernie handed Yumiko a bow and arrow.
"I have no idea how to use this thing." She said.
"Well, learn." Bernie said as the snarls of Stinkers grew closer.
"Guys, we need to leave now." Luke said as Connie grabbed a knife. "We can get over the wall if we climb onto the Shed's roof." The group returned to the shed and carefully climbed up and lowered themselves down onto the ground. They stood there looking at the walls of what they used to call home. The screams of their friends echoed onto the nights sky. Nothing could get worse than Jones Springs, right?