Chapter Fifteen: Home

Matt hasn't woken up since we left the Albuquerque Outpost, I'm still trying to figure out how the dead got inside in the first place. I pondered over that question as Kristine wrapped bandages around my arms. They were badly cut when I got tied up in the arena and it took nearly an hour to stop the bleeding. Great, it just added another scar to my exhausted body.

"We're almost at El Paso, just another twenty miles" Garret said.

Garret was getting a little annoying with the boy named Este...something, who was looking at all the buttons, t.v. screens and levers that surrounded the steering wheel. He's been asking Garret the same question over and over again "what does this button do?"

Garret didn't want to complain, since thanks to this kid, we were able to get out of that outpost alive. But we all have one thing on our minds that night.

"Are we there yet" Kristine asked

"For the last time, no, Kristine" Garret said

She sighed, but smiled at she put the finishing touches on my bandages. "I'm glad to see you're not dead, Bianca, I don't know what we do without you" she said

I tried to smile, but the pain was preventing me to put a grin on my face. When she finished my entire arms below my elbows were wrapped up, my hands had band-Aids from the cuts as well. With the stab wound in my stomach, the gash on my left arm just below the shoulder and the hand print bruise on my neck and the faded ones still showing, I don't think my parents are going to recognize me when we get to Lubbock.

I saw Garret yawning, a matter of fact, everyone looked tired after the event that happen earlier today. "Garret, let's stop here for tonight" I said

Garret looked at me "Are you sure" he asked

I nodded "I think everyone could use a little sleep" I said.

Garret shrugged "ok, you're the leader" he said, stopping the vehicle in the middle of the street.

"Are we safe in here" Esteron asked

"If it wasn't, we would be dead by now" I said.

He looked at me like I was some crazy person, HA, he has no idea of the word crazy after all that I've been through.

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Kristine fell asleep in one of the top beds, Garret wouldn't get away from the steering wheel thinking I was going to take over driving. Math was lying down in my bed, shaking in his sleep with his eyes shut tight and his teeth grinding.

What's-his-face, Esteron, was sleeping in another bed, with a big smile on his face, knowing he was out of that outpost. I spent the next forty minutes, cleaning and bandaging up Matt's wounds. His face was swollen and had gashes on his cheek and it took me nearly ten minutes to stop the nose bleed. Afterwards, I sat next to Matt's bed, holding his cut up hand as he struggled in his sleep, I wondered if it was from nightmares or pain.

"Don't you die on me, Matt" I whispered in the cold night.

I was tired, but I didn't want to sleep knowing my friend was in a critical condition. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me"

He was squeezing my hand, all right, literally digging his nails into my skin. He was cutting through my skin that wasn't bandaged up, but I didn't care.

"Matt, you know me, you're my best friend and the only family I have left in this world if my parents aren't alive" I whispered to him.

A small thin trail of blood started to run down my hand as he squeezed my hand harder. I hissed in pain, but continue to hold his hand.

"Bianca"

I looked up at the open ceiling door and saw Jimmy poking his head in "You want to come up here and keep me company" he asked

I look at Matt, who seems to have finally calm down and his grip on my hand loosens and I looked up at Jimmy. "Sure"

I climbed up the stairs and onto the roof and sat down next to Jimmy. A cool breeze blew into my face and I sigh, since we're heading to Texas, the winter over there is going to be colder than in Arizona. I don't mind, I haven't seen snow in ten years and I really did miss eating it.

"How's your wound" He asked

"I haven't been thinking about it lately with the whole "my former boss trying to kill me" thing" I said

Jimmy laughed "want me to have a look"

I blushed and moved away from him a bit and he just rolled his eyes and smiled "I wish you would stop looking at me like I'm a pervert"

"Sorry, just ignore me, I've been under a lot of stress" I said.

He nodded "are you still bleeding" he asked

"I can't tell, it's too dark for me to see" I said "but I know my hand is bleeding thanks to Matt"

I wiped my hands on my pants and looked up at the sky.

"We got company" Jimmy said

I looked down and saw a few zombies walking over to the vehicle and tried to climb it. All they are doing is tearing off their nails when they scratch the metal wall.

"You ever wonder if this disaster will ever end" Jimmy asked

"It's been two years and they're still here" I said

"True, but this can't last forever" he said

"It won't" I said

"You think so"

"Yeah, once we're all dead, then it will be over" I said

Jimmy signed, I guess he was hoping for a better answer than that, but it's better then lying about it. There was dead silence between us, the only sounds were heard was the wind and the moans of the dead.

"So, what are you planing on doing when you get to Texas" he asked

"I don't know, I bet they have Supply Gatherers there too" I said

"You don't mind doing that job again" He asked

"As long they don't have "punishments" like Boss did" I said. "It's hard to get use to those beatings"

"Oh, well at least he got what he deserves, Boss is now Zombie food" Jimmy said.

"I think he got off too easy after what he did to my friend"

"He'll make it" Jimmy said

"That's not the point" I said, "when I was little, I promise myself that I will always protect him from harm. Watching my friend gets beat to an inch of his life was the worst ten minutes of my life"

I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them to hide the tears that were coming out of my eyes. Damn, I hate crying in front of people, but I couldn't stop myself.

I heard Jimmy sighing then felt his arm wrapping around my back and pulling me close to him. In the cold night, I felt warmth and ashamed knowing I didn't like him that way like he did about me. But with Matt in critical condition, I needed a shoulder to lean on and he was right there.

We stay that way for an hour til I fell asleep.

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It was the late afternoon when we made it to El Paso and decided to stay there of a day to resupply, refuel and get something to eat.

"What is this meat again" Garret asked, looking at his burger.

We sat round a small dirty table that was next to a man and his family that were grilling and selling burgers with soda and chips.

"It must be something because I haven't seen a cow in a year" Kristine said.

Jimmy didn't even bother figuring out what type of meat it was, he was shoving down that burger likes there's no tomorrow. Este-whatever was sipping his soda, Kristine was poking her burger and Garrret was just staring at his.

I stared at my food, a burger with stale chips, but my stomach and head were hurting too much to eat. My arms were still wrapped in bandages, but I manged to clean myself up and change into a new set of clothing.

A small boy came over with another can of soda "here you go, mister" he said to Jimmy.

Jimmy swallowed the last bit of burger and grabbed the soda "Thanks kid and tell your old man that he makes a great burger" he said

"Ok" the little boy said

"Hey, what kinda meat is it anyway" Garret asked

"It's dog" the little boy said before running off.

Estron spit out his soda and Garret dropped his burger. "Ew, you've been eating dog, Jimmy" Kristine said

Jimmy stared at her and said "are you going to eat that"

Kristine push for plate to him and Jimmy started eating again. I smiled and got up from the table.

"Where are you going Bianca" Garret asked

"I'm just going to walk around a bit" I said

"Do you want us to come with you" Kristine asked

"No, I'll be fine, I'll meet you back at the vehicle in an hour" I said, then walked off. "And make sure you buy something warm, it might be snowing in Texas"

I heard them shouting ok then I disappeared into the crowd. With one of the Hag's jewels, I manage to buy two warm thick sweaters for Matt and me and another first aid kit.

The woman, who sold the items to me, stared at my beat-up body and blood stained bandages, but I just smiled and said "Zombie Games"

"Oh, my son plays in those dangerous games" she said.

"Yeah, they're my favorite games as well" I said, then walked away.

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The El Paso Outpost looked like a nice place to live as I continue to explore the area. There were sure more buildings and places for people to sleep in than on the street. But just like any outpost, they had the building where the Zombie Games were being held. I heard the music and the screams and cheers of the crowds. They were probably watching a person getting beat to death.

I left that place with a sick feeling in my stomach again.

I made it back to the vehicle before the others did and spotted Matt sitting on the roof, deep in thought. I continue to stare at him, his whole face was bruise and cut up, til his eyes connected with mine. Without another word said, I took my time climbing up the ladder on the side of the vehicle and onto the roof. I walked over to him, fell to my knees and hugged him, really tight.

"Don't you ever leave me like that again" I said, burying my face in his back.

"You almost left me, maybe I'm just showing you how it feels"

I punched him hard in the arm "I don't need your bullshit, right now" I said, then hugged him again.

He gently grabbed one of my hands and stared at the smiley shape cuts in my skin. The cuts he gave me when he was squeezing my hand so hard last night, "I'm sorry" He said.

I continue to hug him as he just stared out at the town. "I'm the one who should be sorry, I couldn't protect you" I said

He looked at me "Your hands were tied up and you shouldn't be feeling guilty when I couldn't prevent you from getting stabbed by that psycho bitch."

"Well, I didn't know that she was going to pull that kinda stunt on me" I said

We both stared at each other and sighed "why do we always get stuck with the crazy ones" We said at the same time.

I chuckled a little bit and hugged him again, not evening caring that people were walking by and staring at us.

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It was the next morning when we were saying our good-byes to Estebin.

I shook his hand "thanks for everything again, I would've been dead without your help"

"Your welcome and thanks for bringing me here" he said.

I smiled and walked inside the vehicle, everybody crowded the sliding door. "Bye Esteton" Everyone beside Matt and me said.

"That's Esteb-" Garret slammed the door before he could finish.

"El Paso, here we come" Garret said

"And I'm driving the rest of the way" I said.

"Are you up for it" Jimmy asked

I sat down in the seat and started up the engine, "with my calculation, we should be there in eight hours" I said.

"I wanted to drive"

"Garret, you've been driving for the past six hours the last time" Kristine said

Garret rolled his eyes and went to the back. Matt sat in the passenger's chair and smiled at me. I returned the smiled and shifted the vehicle in to drive and waited for the gate to open.

"And we're off, once again" I said as I exit the outpost and back into the world of the dead.

We were half way there when a gentle snow storm hit and the land were covered in the white powder stuff.

"Wow, look at all the snow" Kristine said, looking out the window. "It's so beautiful"

"More like cold" Garret said, shivering.

"Well, that's what you get for buying food then something warm to wear" Jimmy said.

Lucky for Garret, he was already wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt. I looked around the land, I saw the shallow snow covering up the Zombies that were walking around. Man, it sucks that the cold couldn't kill them.

"Are we there yet" Kristine asked.

"We should be there soon, maybe in another couple of hours" I said.

Another two hours past by when we finally reached the outpost of Lubbock Texas and a tear fell down my eye from disbelief. After all the hell I've been through I was finally here, "We're finally here" I said

"Our new home" Matt said

"New victims to steal from" Jimmy said

"A new place to build cars" Garret said

"To have a new beginning" Kristine said

I grabbed the BC radio "This is Bianca from the outpost of Flagstaff Arizona and would like permission to enter please"

"What is your reason for being here after traveling this far" A woman said on the radio.

"To start a new life" I said.

The gates opened.

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A woman walked around the town, trying to find out if the rumors were true. A group of teenagers arrived with one of those Vehicles that were use to go out to gather food.

The last group that did that job died and since no one wanted to replace them, they were running out of food. She hasn't eaten in days and if the rumors were true then their food problems would be over.

She walked over to the entrance of the gate and saw a huge crowd gathering around the giant vehicle called "The Monster" and the woman smiled.

She was pushed and shoved as more people ran past her to see the vehicle that she bumped into a tall boy.

"Sorry" he said

She turned around and looked up at the tall, dirty blonde, blue-eye boy and felt like all her air was sucked out of her. "Matt?"

Matt's eyes widened, it didn't take him that long to realize who this woman was. He grabbed the girl, who was next to him, arm and made her turn around. The girl turned around and stared at the woman's widen, teary, eyes and didn't know what to say expect . . .

"Hello . . . Mother"

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Next the Epilogue: Bianca talks to her father.