Survivors: A Walking Dead Story

Chapter 12: Old Friends

Several hours had passed since Connor left the school. Night was beginning to fall, he checked the fuel gauge it was teetering on empty. He didn't have a whole lot left. Connor looked out the window, he passed a load of abandoned cars, several of them were destroyed whether it be by infected, scavengers or even a car crash. Connor thought about stopping to check some of the vehicles but decided it would be better to find somewhere to settle down for the night.

Up ahead Connor saw a sign. Gas station 1 mile.

Connor decided to stop off at this Gas station and settle down for the night. Connor continued to drive up ahead he saw a couple of Walkers wandering the road. He passed them quickly, one of them bumping into his car as it passed by the car knocked the Walker down with great force. Connor let out a little chuckle. A few minutes passed and Connor saw the gas station up ahead. He pulled up next to a pump. Connor climbed out of the car and decided to see if it still had fuel. Connor pulled the pump out and pushed it to let fuel out. Connor prayed. Fuel spat out the end, quickly Connor stuck the pump into the car to fill it up. Thankfully this still had fuel. He left the pump there to fill up the car as Connor retrieved his knife from the car. After a few more seconds he pulled the pump out, that would be enough. Too bad Connor didn't bring a canister he could have poured some inside would help in the long run.

Connor turned to the gas station building and slowly approached the entrance. He peered inside for walkers. The building was empty. Connor carefully pushed the door open. The door emitted a creaking sound as he entered. The noise didn't attract anything.

"I think I'm alone" said Connor.

He decided to make sure and looked around the building, after a few minutes of searching he was assured enough that the building was safe. Connor retrieved his bags from his car and put them in the middle of the building. The night had pretty much fallen. Connor checked his watch it was almost Nine pm. Connor walked outside and towards the side of the road. Connor began to pick up sticks until he had a big bundle. He returned to the building shutting the door behind him. He placed a piece of wood in-between the door handles to stop anything dead from wandering inside.

Connor dropped the sticks and piled them up to make a fire. Connor looked in one of the bags, he didn't have a lighter, but he did have a box of matches. He lit a match and put it towards the wood. The small flame quickly ignited the sticks and now Connor had some light. Connor retrieved a tin of beans from his bag and pulled out his knife. Connor stabbed at the top of can slowly opening it. When he finished, he put the knife down and scooped some beans into his mouth. Connor looked at his leg as he ate, the leg wasn't hurting much anymore, he had no idea how long it would take to heal.

Connor finished his tin of beans and slowly pulled his trousers down to check on the wound. The stitches were still fine. Connor let out a sigh. It was getting late he needed to sleep. Connor put out the fire and nestled down for the night, he used the gun bag as a pillow.

2 hours Later

A gunshot caused Connor to jolt awake. He was confused on what was going on. Connor rolled over to see what was happening. Outside the fuel station a group of humans were shooting walkers they were heading straight for the gas station.

"I should help them" said Connor.

Connor sprang to his feet and sprinted to the door he pulled the wood out and opened the door.

"over here" shouted Connor.

One of the humans turned towards him and fired a gunshot. The bullet bounced off the wall towards him. Connor quickly slammed the door shut and dived away from the entrance. He started to grab his things, more gunshots ripped through the building around him.

"come on out, this is our station" said a female voice.

Connor put his backpack with food on his back and grabbed the gun bag. He tried to stand up, but more bullets were fired. He ducked back down.

"shit need to get out of here" said Connor quietly.

He had to leave the gun bag, it was too heavy to carry. Connor quickly fished some boxes of ammo out and a rifle before crouch walking towards the back door. Behind Connor the first human entered the gas station just as he reached the door.

"he's getting out through the back door" shouted the human this one had a male voice.

The person raised his shotgun and fired off a shot. Connor dove through the door, the bullet splintering the door frame behind him. Connor got back up and sprinted into the woods. The male voice could be heard following him.

"shit" whispered Connor.

He continued to sprint through the now pitch-black forest. More gunshots fired from behind Connor piercing the trees around him. Connor's leg was started to hurt from all the sudden movements. Connor had no choice he pulled out his revolver and squeezed off a couple of shots behind him. The male had to hide behind a tree. This bought Connor time to put some distance between them. Connor didn't stop he carried on running until he couldn't run anymore.

After nearly 20 minutes Connor stopped, he was out of breath and his leg was killing him from the pain. Connor rested against a tree.

"what the fuck was that" said Connor.

Suddenly a twig snapped from behind the tree. Connor held the rifle tightly. Connor decided to be aggressive. He jumped out from cover and pointed his rifle at the noise. A huge hand grabbed the rifle and a powerful force ripped it from his hands, the unknown person then shoulder barged Connor knocking him to the floor. The rifle now turned on him. The huge person stood over him.

"wait don't shoot please" said Connor.

"I know that voice, Connor" said the mystery person.

A torch clicked on and the area around them lit up Connor could make out the face.

"Ben is that you" said Connor.

"it's me sorry for that" said Ben he offered Connor a hand.

Connor accepted, Ben hauled him to his feet.

"I shouldn't have pulled my gun on you I thought you were one of those assholes trying to kill me" said Connor.

"so, you've met them" said Ben.

"yeah I tried to help them but instead they fired at me and chased me into the woods" said Connor.

"yeah we've dealt with those dicks before" said Ben.

"do you know who they are?" asked Connor.

"there a group of scavengers they travel around place to place, scavenging and moving, if you got something, they want they kill you" said Ben.

"Jesus, wait you said we, who else is with you?" asked Connor.

"just me and Callum, it's been just us for a few months" said Ben.

"least he's okay" said Connor, Connor staggered a bit his leg was hurting even more.

"you alright?" asked Ben.

"long story" said Connor.

"well we can catch up at the camp, me and Callum set up not too far from here" said Ben.

"lead the way" said Connor.

Ben lead the way with Connor following him, in no time at all they were at Ben's camp. Callum was sat around a fire eating a tin of soup.

"Ben your back, oh shit Connor" said Callum.

"hey Callum, long time no see" said Connor.

The three sat down and began to talk.

"so, what happened to you guys?" asked Connor.

Ben decided to explain.

"well I got Callum back to his house, but his family were no longer human, we made sure they were taken care of, then we headed towards my Grandma's, my family were safe, we set up the house as a camp, we stayed there for a couple of months, then some injured guy brought a whole horde of infected on us, me and Callum were the only one's who made it out, we got in a car and just drove, we didn't stop for what felt like days, then we headed into the woods to set up, since then we've just been journeying around living day to day" said Ben.

"shit I'm sorry guys" said Connor.

"it's alright what about you?" asked Ben.

"well I got Beth home, her family and her decided to stay in her house, haven't seen her since, then I got me, Morgan and Alannah back home, I couldn't find my family, they lost theirs, then we had a problem with Walkers" said Connor.

"Walkers interrupted Callum.

"That's what we call them" said Connor he continued.

"then we found a little camp, we had our own plans so we split up, then me Morgan, Alannah and a few others settled into a school I found my family, they were okay, we stayed there for seven months, we had a full community but things weren't going well, my co-leader Darren thought I was getting people killed by refusing to leave, so he decided to get rid of me, we left for a scavenging mission, he stabbed me in the leg and left me for dead, but I knew a friend nearby he patched me up and returned me to the school, it was overrun someone probably Darren had cut the ropes and dropped one of the fences, I lost my sister, found her as a walker, buried her now I'm trying to find them, their following Darren so they're heading south that was his plan" said Connor.

"damn that was a mouthful" said Ben.

"Sorry about your sister" said Callum.

"thank you" said Connor tears forming in his eyes.

"we should get some rest, we can head out in the morning and help you find your people" said Ben.

"Really" said Connor.

"yeah of course, it would be nice to around good people" said Ben.

Callum nodded in agreement. The three lied down and tried to get some sleep.

Morning

Connor was awoken by the sound of a gun being cocked, he lifted his head up to see a shotgun pointed at his face.

"well, well, well look what we have here" said a middle-aged woman.

Ben and Callum soon woke up and found a gun pointed towards them.

"Alright we surrender" said Ben lifting his arms up slowly.

"that's good, just be nice" said a young man with a handgun.

The woman spoke again.

"you got any weapons on ya".

She quickly checked Connor pulling the revolver out and throwing it out of his reach she did the same to his knife. The young man checked Ben and Callum taking their weapons.

"alright boss, they're clean" said the young man.

Connor looked to the side and saw a man come out from behind a tree. The man was bald and very muscular, Connor recognised him immediately.

"Paul" said Connor.

"Ah Connor it's you again, great" said Paul.

He stepped forward and kicked Connor in the face sending him rolling over into the dirt.

"ah like dirt do you" said Paul.

"fuck you" said Connor.

"ah spunk I like it, but you stole from our gas station, that was ours" said Paul.

"I didn't know" said Connor.

"then you shot at my people" said Paul.

"they shot at me first" said Connor.

"well one of my buddies, Malik here says you shot at him first" said Paul.

"that's fucking lies" said Connor.

"ah well sounds like a bunch of he said she said bullshit" said Paul.

Paul slowly pulled out a handgun from behind his back.

"so, what do we do with you" said Paul.

"just let us go we won't bother you" said Ben.

"maybe, but then again you have good stuff on you" said Paul.

"what happened to you" said Connor.

"what happened is that the cruel world that we live in is making us adapt, we have to change with it and be able to act on our darkest intentions or it will kill us" said Paul.

"what kind of crap is that" said Connor.

"it's the truth, how else can you survive when the world tries to kill you" said Paul.

Behind him a group of Walkers were wandering by they didn't notice them. Connor needed to get their attention. Connor slowly got to his feet.

"stay there" said the woman.

"now Sarah, be calm this boy isn't going to do anything, I'm sure he remembers what happened the first time he crossed me" said Paul.

Sarah lowered her again and put her attention on Ben and Callum. Connor slowly stepped forward.

"what are you gonna do" said Paul.

Connor had to act quick, Paul raised the gun to Connor's face, Connor acted he swung his leg out and brought it up between Paul's legs hitting him in the privates. Paul keeled over in pain. Connor quickly pulled the pistol out from Paul's hand firing off a shot and jumping behind the cover of a tree. The Walkers turned towards them, Sarah and the young man turned and aimed their guns at Connor. They went to flank him, but Ben and Callum acted. Ben launched himself forward and punched the young man in the back of the head, he then grabbed him and threw him into a tree. The young man tried to recover but Ben followed it up by slamming his head into the tree with great force, the man was out cold. Callum tackled Sarah to the floor, grabbing his pistol from the ground and smacking her over the head with it knocking her unconscious.

Paul recovered and grabbed Connor's pistol from the ground. Two more of Paul's men one of them was this Malik came out from the trees and opened fire on them. Ben and Callum jumped to cover. The Walkers caught up grabbing the first male and dragging him down tearing into his body and ripping bloody chunks of flesh out. Ben moved around a tree to where Paul was hiding. Before Paul could react, Ben grabbed the handgun and floored him with one punch. Malik came out from behind a tree and had Ben in his cross hairs. Before he could pull the trigger, a gunshot rang out, the bullet struck Malik in the head killing him instantly. Connor's hands were shaking he just killed a human being.

"come on, we got to run" said Ben.

The three of them gathered their things as Paul slowly recovered from Ben's punch. They grabbed everything and sprinted away into the trees.

End of Chapter 12