Chapter 4: The Greatest Show On Earth
I was checking supplies and noticed that we were going through food at an alarming rate. My husband, Gabe was used to my home cooking. He was a big boy thanks to me. Since the outbreak he was starting to lose his jolly, healthy figure. So every time we were lucky enough to raid a grocery store I made sure my Papi had an extra helping. Of course the kids came first…but I had to keep the man of the house strong and healthy. It was bred into me from generations of women in my family…so of course I would be the last to eat.
"Honey! We are running low on food! We need to go on a run." I yelled to the front of our camper. Gabe was riding gunshot while Noah drove into the midday sun. Luckily, the RV we found had plenty of maps of the area.
"OK baby, we're gonna pullover in a few minutes. This map shows a community across a bridge up ahead." Gabe threw a convincing smile at me.
I collapsed into the sofa bed and watched my son reading a comic book he found under the bed of the camper. The sunlight shining on him as he sat by the window at the table. My daughter Eliza laid in a small bed in the back. It was dark and gloomy back there but I knew better than to disturb her.
A few minutes later we came to a halt. Noah and Gabe jumped out to check the scene. I could hear them talking.
"Dude, what the hell is that?"
"Gabe, you think that's for real?"
My curiosity got the best of me and I had to see what they were talking about.
"What's going on? What's wrong?"
The men stood on the bridge overlooking the slowly drying creek below them. I asked them again… "What's up?" Then they stood back so I could get a glimpse of what they saw. My jaw dropped. I slowly stepped out of the RV and stood by the men.
"What the Hell?" To my amazement…across the creek in a large clearing stood a Big Top! It was a raggedy, circus tent and there was a campfire going. The smell of BBQ filled our nostrils.
"Is this a mirage?" Noah stated.
"It's the best damn smelling mirage I've ever seen!" Gabe laughed. "Let's go check it out!"
We jumped back into the RV and drove over the bridge and made our way slowly towards the tent.
"You know this is too good to be true." Noah turned to Gabe as he steered our ship.
"Yeah, who knows what's in there. Walkers could be waiting inside or even worse… Carnies!"
The men prepared their guns as I went through the drill with the kids. We knew our jobs and were ready for anything. As we got close to the site we could hear circus music coming from the tent. It wasn't extremely loud but loud enough to attract walkers. We parked the RV behind the trees a few yards from the Big Top and the men headed through the bushes to stake out the scene. The children and I stayed in the RV. We each took a window and stood guard. The rule was…if they are not back in 15 minutes, something was wrong and we were supposed to drive off. The rule didn't sit well with me but I agreed.
As Gabe and Noah peaked through the bushes they could hear activity inside the tent. There were voices and sounds coming from inside.
"Sounds like there are people in there." Whispered Gabe as he brought down his guard and set his rifle next to him.
"Hold on…let's wait to see if anyone comes out before we go in. Somebody has to be minding the BBQ." Noah's levelheaded thinking made sense even though Gabe's stomach growled with hunger. Suddenly a tall slender woman stepped out of the tent with a plate of food and a pair of tongs. As she headed towards the fire pit Gabe was hypnotized by her beautiful figure, her long flowing red hair and the colorful tattoos that covered her smooth skin.
"Holy moly! We must have died and gone to heave Vato!" Gabe dropped his gun and stepped out of the bushes.
"Gabe! No!" Noah tried to stop him but it was too late. The second Gabe stepped on firm ground a spring-loaded trap wrapped around his foot and he was swept up into the air. The redhead turned to see the commotion and dropped her plate.
"Damn it! I knew this was a trap!" While still hiding in the bushes, Noah instinctively drew his gun and aimed at the girl waiting for her next move. Then he heard a familiar groaning and growling behind him. Two walkers had crept up behind him. They were obviously attracted by the sounds and smells of the Big Top. As the first one was on him, he drove his pickaxe straight up its jaw and into the front of its skull. With the blunt end of his weapon he smashed the second walker in the temple. While he finished them off he noticed a group running out of the tent and towards the dangling Gabriel. The situation was getting chaotic. Noah chose to get back to the RV and regroup with us. He knew there were more walkers coming and getting caught by the Big Top gang would do us no good. As he hurried back, he suddenly stumbled over a small object and fell face first on the ground then he blacked out.
It was past 15 minutes and it was time for me to make my move. Damn it! I knew this day would come when I'd have to make this decision. I couldn't leave the men behind. Yet I couldn't risk the children. I stood in the middle of the camper unable to make a decision.
"Go already! I got this!" Eliza shouted at me as she watched out the back window with her "Teddy" by her side. Her reassuring voice was what I was searching for. I grabbed my two handguns and bolted out the door.