Flashback: Katie Puccini
Katie stayed in a corner of the library as she continued observing Gary Smith from a distance. She continuously watched him, as he got frustrated at the computer for causing him to lose so many times. "Never liked solitaire." Gary spoke to himself. He soon pushed himself out from the desk and got up as he started to roam around the library at random. "Tony was such a dumbass. Getting himself killed like he was doing something noble. Why do I always make the worst friends? No, not friends, puppets, that's why they're dumb, they aren't worthy enough to be called my real friends. Tony was a liability from the beginning anyway, fucking hippy can't shower once in a while." Gary vented to himself as Katie drew in closer.
"I told Hopkins I would get him one day. Stupid prick of a buddy he's made keeps taking the heat for him. What a moron, hasn't he heard of lead poisoning? Guy will be dead before…" Gary stopped midsentence when he heard the sound of a book falling behind him. Katie whipped around the bookshelf to make sure he didn't hear her. "I know you're there you little brat. Give up now and I'll forever hold peace." Gary said from his position only two rows ahead of Katie. "Smith shut the hell up! Trying to catch up on sleep!" One of the jocks said. Katie tried backing away from the bookshelf but found her only an inch or two from Gary. "What no hug for the wrongfully accused prisoner?" Gary asked as Katie ran out of the library and found her way to the cafeteria passing Drew and Pinky by on the way. She got to the cafeteria when nobody was there and hid in one of the cabinets. She wasn't sure why she ran, but she didn't want to be near him knowing how dangerous he was. "Hello?" She heard a voice call from the entrance to the cafeteria. "Little girl I know you're here." The voice said as she realized how close it was getting.
The door to her cabinet opened as she saw the familiar face of her leader Drew. "What are you doing in here?" Drew asked sweetly as Katie only looked back at him. "Come on out. It's alright." Drew said. Katie hesitated at first, but finally came out when Drew lent a hand. "You were Ricky's little sister right?" Drew asked as Katie continued looking at him. "Thought I recognized you. Do you mind me asking what your name is?" Drew asked, as Katie stayed quiet. Drew walked over to another part of the cafeteria where the food supplies were being kept. "Sandwich?" Drew asked simply as Katie slowly walked over to him. "Aren't they in rations though?" Katie asked.
"I guess you do talk. They are, but I think we can make a special exception to that rule. Even if I wasn't in charge of it." Drew said as he held the sandwich out to the little girl and she reluctantly took it and sat down at the table nearest the exit. Drew sat directly across from her and watched her pull the wrapping apart. "Nobody ever figured out your name you know." Drew said simply as Katie looked back up at him and focused back on the sandwich. "If you don't know mine I can tell you. It's Drew. My real name is Andrew, but I'd prefer it that way." Drew said as Katie finished unwrapping the sandwich and took a small bite. "I know you're probably still going through a rough time in coming to terms with the events recently, but I hope you are staying strong." Drew said.
"If you're talking about Ricky I am completely fine. I'm not worried anymore. He didn't suffer. I know that much." Katie said as she continued eating the sandwich. The statement took Drew back a little bit, considering Katie was the only Puccini left in the state, and possibly the world. "You probably won't admit it, but I know it still bothers you just a little. It still haunts me knowing I could have saved somebody, but didn't." Drew said as Katie looked up from her sandwich at a somber Drew looking at the stairs. "Who did you lose?" Katie asked. "My own little sister. You probably would have liked her, she liked the 50's style too." Drew said. "I only dress up like it because of my brother." Katie corrected. "Either way, I believe you would have been good friends." Drew said as Katie took another bite.
"I'm sorry if that sounded rude. I would just rather not talk about people we lost." Katie said. Drew nodded as Katie finished her sandwich. "Do you think there will ever be salvation? A cure? Anything to help us?" Katie asked. Drew dwelled on the thought for a moment before answering. "If I had to guess those were the same words the people with cancer were saying before the cure hit the market. If there is one day a cure, or somebody to get us to bring us somewhere safe, I'll fight until my last breath, and I'll make sure everybody gets out safely." Drew explained. "Even Gary?" Katie asked. "If he proves he isn't a threat, then yes. For now we will have to wait it out." Drew said. "Hey asshole. 3's got a message for you." An unknown voice said from the stairs as Drew and Katie looked over. "Get to the kitchen, and stay there." Drew said to Katie as she ran over to the counter and hid behind it. "Who let you in?" Drew asked. "Nobody had to. We found our own way in." One man said.
Katie looked over the counter as five men stood toe-to-toe with Drew. One man came over with a bat as Drew countered it and cracked the bat over his head killing the man. Another lunged with a knife as Drew dodged it and it stabbed a third assailant. Drew flipped one man over the table, broke a plate, and got the longest shard and stabbed him through the eye. The other two men came at him collectively as Drew smashed their heads into one another, one completely knocked out, and the other trying his best to fight back again. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Drew as he continued backing up towards the kitchen. Katie quickly looked around for something to take the armed man out with. "What exactly was the message my friend?" Drew asked. "Fuck you pig!" The man yelled as Katie finally found something to hit the man with and when he got close enough Katie whacked him over the head so hard he dropped in place. Drew looked at Katie in surprise as she looked past him. "Good work." Drew said impressed. "Get down." Katie said as she collected the armed man's gun and shot the other man across from the table. Drew looked behind him at the man falling down. Katie's hand shaking the gun so rough she couldn't handle it.
"I killed him." Katie whispered. Drew quickly went over to her and brought her in for an embrace as Katie dropped the gun by her side. "It's okay. You did what you had to do. For the both of us." Drew said. "I've never hurt anybody like that before." Katie said. "Survival. That's what it's about. You'll have to hurt people, otherwise they may hurt you, and you did something so brave. As long as I am alive, you will be safe. I promise you." Drew said as Katie broke the embrace and continued being held in Drew's arms. "Katie. My real name is Katherine, but I'd prefer Katie." She said with a smile and Drew returned it with another smile.
Month 2 day 19
Subject: Drew
Drew pulled up to the school at the stroke of midnight as he looked at the library burn and piles of enemies and friends scattered all over. He drove the motorcycle into the school's grounds and looked over the damage. He pulled up to the staircase where he ascended the steps and saw Edgar lying there at the top as well as the undead. He walked into the main building only to see the remaining survivors in a panicked state as many of them carried each other around and tried fixing each other up. He caught up to one of the only somewhat unscathed survivors being Pete to find out what happened. "Pete. What the hell happened here?" Drew asked. "What does it look like? We were attacked and outnumbered. We were lucky to have anybody alive at all." Pete explained. "Where is James?" Drew asked. "They took him to the emergency care room in the actual hospital ward. Without any real doctors or anybody in training it's going to take a bit of time to get anybody moving again." Pete explained.
"What do you mean? We have the nurse and Christy." Drew said. "Christy got caught in the crossfire at some point. She isn't dead, but she isn't waking up soon enough. If they are preparing for another attack we are dead meat before anything happens." Pete explained as he ran off to help another small group. Drew made his way to the hospital ward and walked through the door to even more chaos than before. People crying over comrades not woken, panicking to gather equipment, trying to repair their people, this wasn't what Drew had planned for, and to see all the work he put in training these people, protecting them, only to have it come tumbling down in a matter of a few hours. He made his way over to where James was resting in place and looked him over. He saw next to Jimmy was Christy as well, and he didn't want to lose either of them. He pulled up a chair to put in between the two beds and he sat there looking over the two of them as the world passed him by for a few hours.
He stared at the unmoved bodies of his two most valued people, and at times he regretted taking such advantage of them. Especially Christy. Out of all the times she saved his life, the times she kept him alive, spilt her feelings, became honest with him, and out of all she gave, he gave nothing in return. He soaked up all of Christy, but she was completely dry of anything from him. Not even a simple thank you came out of his mouth, just orders, and at times earth shattering thoughts that left Christy crying the rest of the day. He hated himself for it, for treating Christy in a horrible way, and all this time he spent with Pinky never made it better. Pinky barely contributed to the group as a whole, and he adored her. He regretted even wanting to get involved with her, and now with the recent knowledge of the preps finally vanishing, and Pinky being the sole prep to his knowledge, he felt it might be best to break the connection. He wasn't sure if he had any true feelings for Christy, but he at least wanted her to know she was appreciated somehow.
He couldn't go on with Pinky anymore, and he hated himself for that as well knowing damn well how messed up it really was. Knowing how much she'll hate him if he tells her that he wants their relationship over, it sickened him knowing how terrible it was, but he knew he shouldn't have had any relationships or romantic connections in this new world anyways. If Christy were to die at this moment, then nothing would stop Drew from slaughtering anything and everything, but if Pinky were to die, he wasn't sure how he'd take it. It'd be expected unfortunately, but it probably wouldn't stop him from taking it out on somebody. He also knew losing Jimmy would be just as much of a moral breaker for the group as much as him, some people might deal with Christy's death, but if Jimmy were to go people couldn't deal with it. He knew if the survival of the group was best, these two would have to live, Christy would break Drew, and Jimmy would break everybody. After a few endless hours had passed Drew got up from where he was sitting to check on the rest of the population.
He walked outside of the now calmed down room and found himself standing in front of Pete. "How are they?" Pete asked. "I'm not sure." Drew said plainly as Pete nodded and looked down. "Casualty report. How many are gone, and how many are able bodied?" Drew asked with a stern tone. "We know we lost Edgar and Bif for a fact. Too many other people to even count are gone now. Nobody has seen Zoe either." Pete explained. Drew nodded his head in contempt knowing well enough that Zoe being lost would keep Jimmy here even if rescue came. He still had to make a decision on that front however, if Jimmy were to lose his life in the hospital, could Drew continue with the group to the safe zone? He knew even in his leadership that Jimmy was the morale booster everybody needed, and the only reason anybody did much of Drew's requests was because Jimmy chose to carry them out. The only problem he face was the military was on its way in less than a week, Zoe was missing and cannot be left behind, and the possibility of Jimmy even waking up let alone being able to move was going to take plenty of time.
"How many people do we have? How many are able enough to continue fighting?" Drew asked. "Crabblesnitch, Lola, Johnny, Edna, Pinky, and a few others can go on. In all we have about fourteen people, including us. Everybody else is in recovery or dead." Pete explained. "Who's caring for them?" Drew asked. "Nothing but their own willpower. Most of the injured people are awake, and they might be able to help out, but aside from them nobody is going to be able to manage it." Pete explained as they started walking down the hall. "Where are the twelve people?" Drew asked as they rounded the corner to the main staircase and saw the group waiting near the stairs. "Guess that answers that." Drew said. He started to walk up the stairs to the middle where the staircases converge. "So what do we have to do Drew?" Carlos asked. Drew stood overlooking the crowd as well as the damage while he contemplated on the thoughts.
"There's 14 of us ready to fight. The only problem is there's a countless amount of odds stacked against us. Zombies are around every corner, wasps are guarding the skies, and they're only building more nests for more of them in every available area. Of course the attack on the school from God knows how many people doesn't favor us any better. We've got all of these odds in the enemies favor, and at this point to continue fighting would be worthless. We've lost too many people, and only dozens more injured, knocked out, or just plain useless. Pondering over the challenges we faced in the last few months, the thoughts I have had about just giving up all hope, not being in this position anymore, and giving up any faith I had in the people here. I treated all of you like you were nothing but soldiers and you let me, but it isn't your fault. You know something I finally came to terms with? We aren't soldiers. We aren't people who go to war and fight for a good cause, for the freedom and democracy of this nation, no. We aren't soldiers, we are simply human beings trying to survive in this destructive new world of ours, but you want to know something? We survived. We did our jobs out there, and let the almighty strike us down if we aren't going to do it one more time. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I'm not your leader anymore, from now on; I'm your brother in war. You are my brothers in the fight, you are my sisters in the fight, and we are a family ready to fight. Until the last drop of blood of mine is spilt, until the last shell ejects from the cartridge, until the last weapon is rendered useless, and until the last of my body gives in, I will continue to fight for the betterment of all of us. The rest of you for just being alive showed me, that you are ready to take up this oath as much as I have, and if you don't then may you be cast aside. So my question for all of you is, are you with me?" Drew asked as people shouted.
"I said are you with me?" Drew asked again as people cheered even louder. "I can't hear you!" Drew yelled as the crowd yelled louder and cheered. Pete walked up to the staircase next to Drew. "You got a plan to back that speech up?" Pete asked. "I've got one more trick up my sleeve. Now it's time for the final act." Drew said. He gestured Pete to follow him and they left the main area to go to the garage. "Why are you bringing me out here?" Pete asked. Drew stood beside the entrance to the shop garage and waited to reveal his plan. "Behind this door is the key to a successful survival, a project I and a few others had been working on, it might not be completely ready, but at this point it is our fighting chance, last ditch effort, but this is what is going to get us into their compound and win." Drew explained as the garage door opened as Pete became wide eyed at the sight of the project. "Is that what I think it is?" Pete asked. "That is for everybody on the ground, and the one over here is for one man only." Drew said. Pete stepped closer to the ground vehicle and looked over at the other in awe. "It's time we put an end to this." Drew said. "Bring everybody out when I give the signal." Drew commanded. Pete ran to get every able body inside.