CHAPTER 17: VISITING HOURS
I woke up this morning around 10:00 AM to see that everyone else was up and doing their chores. I put my clothes on right before I exit the tent to join everyone else. When I stepped out the tent, I saw that Johnny improved the barrier by using the Boxville. He placed it in a spot where there's now an narrow opening. I guess it's so if zombies or Savages decided to come in, then they wouldn't have much room to evade projectiles while coming in.
"Morning Jimmy", Johnny says while walking up. "How'd you sleep?" "The cot was uncomfortable at first, but I can sleep on pretty much anything. I can sleep for an average of 13 hours on pretty much anything", I told him. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. I can never sleep well on the cots. I miss my own bed", Johnny told me. "What ever happened to the driver of the van anyway?" I asked him. "The driver was infected. Still was in the seat when we decided to move the van last night. I'm pretty sure he turned right before he smashed through the gates", Johnny tells me. "Damn", I said. "So, when are you leaving?" Johnny asks. "I'm thinking right after breakfast. I'll just gather my stuff together and then head for my truck", I told him. "Breakfast is pretty much just an M.R.E.", Johnny says as he hands me one from a nearby crate. "Thanks", I told him. I opened up the package and took out a cookie and a pack of crackers from it. That should keep me stuffed till lunch time.
I sat down on a makeshift bench and started eating the cookie when I asked Johnny, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. What do you think caused all of this? What caused people to become zombies?" I asked him. "To be honest, I'm not really sure", he told me. "I think it could be aliens", Lola says as she walks up to me. "They came to this town before. They probably unleashed this onto us". "Aliens aren't real, Lola. Jesus, you're more annoying about that than Neil was about the Illuminati", Johnny says. "Then how was it that the homeless bum behind the old school bus was lifted into the air back in April?" Lola asks. "He probably made a device that lifted him in the air", Johnny suggested. "Jimmy was there too. He helped the homeless bum by giving him radio transistors. I'm sure he believes me", Lola says. "I told you I don't know what I saw that day", I told her. I finished the last of the cookie and crackers when I said, "Well, I need to get moving now". I got up and returned to my tent to gather my things together. Once I did, I started making my way to my truck.
"You will be coming back soon, will you?" Lola asks as I walk by. "I plan on it", I told her. "I'm be coming back with a school bus and I'll pick you all up along with the rest of the cliques". "Well, you better hurry up. We don't know how long we will last with the gate destroyed now. And please, be careful", she says. "I will", I said. She was about to kiss me, but I held my hand up to stop her. She hesitated for a moment, then she just settled with hugging me. I looked at Johnny and believe it or not, there was no hurt expression on his face. It wasn't too long ago since he found out that she was cheating on him with other boys. It was only after the bike race that I was in against Johnny that they broke up. He was heartbroken at first, but I guess he gotten over her by now.
After we were done with the hug, I turned to Johnny and then told him, "I'll see you soon, Johnny". "See ya, Jimmy", he says back. I then went to the gateway, went through the gap between the wall and the Boxville, and went to my truck. I opened the truck door and started to put my stuff in when something grabbed me from behind. I turned around and found a zombie right in my face. It was just about to bite me on my neck when the back of it's head shattered into a million pieces. As it fell to the floor, I turned around and saw that Lola was standing on the car pile with the rifle in her hands. She waved at me as I got into my truck. I rolled the window down and waved her back as I backed the truck up. I then started driving up the dirt road back to New Coventry. As I got back to the street, I drove up to the remains of the Tenements and looked at it. It was still burning and since we used natural gas to blow it up, I don't think that it will let up. I then drove the truck to the bridge to Blue Skies Industrial Park. I stopped the truck right before I could cross the bridge. So this was it. The moment of truth. I was going to cross to Blue Skies to search for the Townies. Let's hope they're still alive.
I put the truck back into drive and crossed the bridge into Blue Skies. As I drove down the main road, I pulled out the map of the town and looked at the two possible places that the Townies could be held up: the WonderMeats Slaughterhouse and the Happy Volts Asylum. I'll try the slaughterhouse first.
I drove up to the destroyed gates and drove through, crossing a few zombies along the way. I made a turn at the corner and then turned into the courtyard in front of the slaughterhouse. I prepared my Spud Gun right before I jumped out of the truck. I went up to the closed door and knocked loudly. There was no response, so I slowly opened the door and walked in. When I did, I looked around for any signs of life. I didn't find anything, but I did find what looked to be like a zombie, only this one was glowing green in color. As it turned around to see me, I could tell that it was still decomposing as it's rib-cage was shown. I aimed my Spud Gun at the at the creature, but then it threw it's head back and spit out some green slime onto my jean jacket. I touched the green slime with my fingers and my fingers felt like they were burning, as if I may have stuck them in a fire. I aimed at the creature again and fired before it could spit at me again. As it felt to the floor, it started to glow intensely right before it blew up into a million pieces. All that was left of it was black residue on the floor. "Spitters, huh?" I said to myself, remembering what Derby told me a while back.
Well, there was no Townies here. I think it's time that I check the asylum now. I walked out the building and hopped back into my truck. I backed out of the courtyard and drove back to the gates. I turned left and started making my way to the asylum. I turned the curve and got to the tunnel that led to the asylum. I turned into the tunnel and drove down the road till I made it to the gates. Just as I thought, the Townies were there. I stepped out the truck and yelled, "HEY". "Is that you, Hopkins?" Omar says. "It is. Let me in. I need to talk to Edgar", I told him. "Hold on. I need to get the others first", he says as he ran to get the others. I went up to the gate and tried to pull it open myself, but it's just too heavy. I paced alongside the truck, making sure I don't get surprised again by another zombie, just till they all got to the gate. After a while of waiting, they all got to the gate and opened it for me. I got back into my truck and drove on in. After I got on asylum grounds, they closed the gates. I hopped out the truck and confronted Edgar as the crowed went over to the shed.
"Jimmy, so glad to see you, even under the circumstances", Edgar says as we shake hands. "You too, man. Do you know what's going on here? What caused the undead to walk this earth? No one I met up with so far doesn't know what's going on", I told him. "It's very clear what caused this outbreak of zombies in this dumb of a town", Edgar started to explain. "There's been a radiation leak somewhere along the East Coast and it's somehow infected the residents of Bullworth. It's only a matter of time before all other cities and towns on the East Coast falls victim to the radiation and infects the entire country. It all makes sense, given how the Spitters glow green and blow up when hit in the head". "To be directly honest, I really don't think that it could be a radiation leak in the Atlantic. For one thing, how is it that none of my group members at the academy never turned, even though they did drink some water?" I asked him. "Wait, did you say that you came from the school?" Edgar asks me. "I did", I answered, "and now, I have a question for you".
"What kind of question?" Omar asks as he approaches. "Here's the deal", I started to explain, "I'm rounding up all the surviving cliques together so we can all make the school a safe haven. We're going to clear the school and then live out our lives there until things get better or until help comes". "Why do you want us there? You know we hate the school", Edgar says. "Does it really matter now? I'm offering you a chance to live with other kids your age and to live a safe life", I told him. "In case you haven't noticed, we're safe behind these fences", Omar pointed out. "I really don't know if these fences will keep you safe. I don't think the gate will hold off any attackers either", I told them. "Attackers?" Edgar asks. "You don't know? There's a new group that's goal is to kill everyone that isn't in their group. Kill for sport and supplies. Funny thing is that they are former inmates from here", I said. "Here? We that would make some sense then. This place was abandoned when we moved in", Edgar replies. "Who did this group killed so far?" Omar asks. "No one yet, but they just recently attacked the Greasers and went so far as break down their gate with a Boxville", I told him. "When was this?" Edgar asks. "Just yesterday", I replied. "Those gates of yours probably won't hold off a Boxville if they decide to do the same thing to you. Believe me when I tell you this, but you're better off with me at the school then here".
Edgar looked at the gate and then at the asylum right before he says, "You know what, you're right. You won't believe where we have to sleep in anyway". He then points out the shed on the other side of the property. "Are you serious?" I asked him. "The asylum is filled with tons of zombies. Too many that we can't go in without getting overrun. We have been making plans on how to kill them all, but sense the power went out we can't do anything about it. We would go to power plant and turn the power back on, but no one would risk going there. Heard some bad stuff happened there and none of my boys want to go there", Edgar explained. "Don't you need an expert to turn the power back on?" I asked him. "We actually have one", Omar says before he yells out, "ANDREW". Just then, this one kid came running out of the crowd of Townies by the shed.
As Andrew approached, I took a quick look of his features. He had short brown hair, probably had a hair cut before the outbreak, green eyes and was growing a beard that stretched all the way up to his sideburns. He looked to be in his late teens or early 20s. "Andrew Walker, meet Jimmy Hopkins. He's the bad-ass of this town", Omar says to Andrew. "Sup, man", he says as he held out his hand. "Nice to meet you too", I told him. "He recently graduated college and has some education on how to turn the power back on", Edgar told me. "And why is he with you guys?" I asked him. "He's my cousin", Omar says. "Okay then", I said to Omar. "If you really want us to help you clear the school and set up a sanctuary, then do us a favor and clear the asylum for us", Edgar says. "Why do that if you're going to move in with my group and a few others?" I asked him. "Because we're in desperate need of supplies and that asylum probably has a shit ton of food. But here's the catch: since the power went off, it's really dark in there. You'll need to turn the power back on before you can clear the asylum", Edgar says. "No problem at all. One of my group members did ask me to find a way to turn the power back on. I guess now this is my chance to do so", I told him.
"You might want to bring back up with you just in case. Andrew won't be enough for what you might have to deal with", Edgar suggests. "I'll bring Clint with me", I told Edgar. "Clint, get over here", Omar yells to the crowd. Clint then walked over to us and says, "Yes boss, what you need". "You're going with Jimmy and Andrew to the power plant to turn the power back on", Edgar tells him. "YES, MY TIME TO SHINE NOW", Clint says. "Good to see you too, Clint", I told him. "Come on, let's get this over with", Andrew says. "Andrew, ride in the front with me", I told him. I hopped back into the truck and started it up. Andrew hopped in on the passenger side while Clint hopped into the bed. I drove around the loop and drove past the gate just as the other Townies opened it up again. As we're driving, I told Andrew, "Let's hope you know what you're doing. We got one shot at this. Let's not mess this up".