Note: I had trouble uploading the last chapter, so it might be a little confusing if you read the unfixed chapter. If you haven't read it, then flip to the last chapter and finish it up. Now, for a short matter. I think I'm adding a third story to my current works in progress. Maybe a sequel to The March or Disgusting. It might add a little time in between updates, but I think it would be worth it. I'm planning on opening a poll on my profile. It'll include every one of my stories that I'm willing to write a sequel to (Thirst, Survivors, and Love are the only ones off the table). So, if you want to vote on which story gets to continue, then swing by my profile, PM me, or leave a review.
The next morning I sigh in relief when the teen announces she wants to drive. I like driving, but it gets tiring after a while. Babette wishes to remain in the prisoner's cell (thank god), but I sit beside the teenager. Suddenly, the girl asks me, "What was it like to live before the zombies took over?". I inwardly groan and tell her, "Describing the world to you would be like trying to describe color to a blind person. I can't describe the entire world to you, but I can describe what it was like for me. I thought the world was a decent place. You usually heard about the bad in the world, but the media tended to choose stories about violence over stories about other topics. I remember thinking how boring the place I lived at was. Now I'd give anything for my biggest problem to be what I was going to wear. It was a tough world, but easier than this.". The teenager falls silent, then asks, "What did people do when they liked each other?". I realize instantly what she's talking about. I'm glad she wants to talk about it, but I'm nervous about what to tell her. What I say could change her entire opinion. I clear my throat and tell her, "When two people liked each other they would date, and if it worked out they would 'go steady'.". Going steady is an older term, but it's the only one I can think of. I keep talking, "If that worked they would move in together, and might eventually get married. Sex comes into play at one point or another.".
The teen cleared her throat and asks, "Would they kiss like we did?". I nod and tell her, "Just like us. When I was around society wouldn't have looked too kindly on our relationship.". The survivor nods, but tells me, "I think I like you like people who were going steady use to like one another. Can we go steady?". I'm twice her age, we're from different worlds, and we met a few days ago (or was it weeks? I can't seem to tell anymore). I want to say 'no', but I find myself saying, "Yes.". The teenager beams and announces, "We're going steady. What now?". I let out a small laugh and tell her, "We grow to know each other even more, and eventually we can have sex.". The girl tenses up when I say 'sex', but tries not to show it and tells me, "I like going steady. Now, where do you want to go?". I look up and see two paths are in front of us. One is cleared and one is barricaded. The clear way is titled Springfield. The blocked path is titled Branson. I instantly tell her, "It's a trap, we need to go to Branson. I'll go push some cars out of the way, be ready to drive.". I get out, open a space just wide enough for the car to fit through (nearly killing myself in the process. Cars aren't easy to move, but I want the teen to be safe). The teenager slowly drives through the opening, careful of the sides of the car.
When she's on the other side I run back to the car, but stop when I hear a yap from behind me. I turn and see a dog limping towards me, half of his head dangling by a thin strand of meat. Without thinking I raise my gun, blow the rest of the creature's head off, and curse as it starts to hobble around. It can't see, smell, or hear, but the damned thing is still trying to find me. I'm not sure how it's moving (I'm pretty sure I blew its primary motor cortex to hell), but it is. I fire my entire magazine at the monster, but it's still limping around. I curse and prepare to go back to the car. However, the headless abomination somehow finds me and charges. I'm not sure what the creature would have done if he got me (he has no fangs and only three legs) because I hear the bang of a shotgun, and the monster's entire upper body explodes in a spray of blood and guts. I'm relieved, but my relief turns sour when I hear an inhuman moaning. I flip around and realize why the barricade was up. Not for a clever trap for travelers, it was to keep the entire population of the city inside. The shotgun blast must have alerted them to us. The survivor begins firing (she's hanging out the car window) while I flee back to the vehicle, Babette still in the back. In one swift motion I leap into the car, the teenager slides back in, and we speed off as the zombies reach the back of our car. The barricade was set up to the west, the zombies came from the south, and we're speeding off north. Right into Branson.
I'm panting, sweating, and my heart is racing. An entire horde of zombies is behind us. I groan, run my fingers through my hair, and ask the woman, "Where are we going?". She shrugs and says, "I had to learn a lot about this place in school. There's a cabin area called Indian Point, some docks called Indian Point Docks, and an amusement park called Silver Dollar City. I never really understood why we were learning about this area, but I guess it's coming in handy now.". I nod and tell her, "Just drive through, we don't need anything.". The survivor once again nods, then says, "Babette, you okay back there?". No answer. My fellow clears her voice and says, "Are you okay?". When the child doesn't answer I open the door to the cell, the young girl lying down on the floor asleep. Why the hell isn't she answering? I stand, climb into the back, and scream when the child pounces at me. I fall back into my seat, the zombie clawing at the floor as she scuttles towards me. I try to pull my gun from my belt as I kick the girl in the face, keeping her away. I all but scream at the survivor, "YOU DIDN'T CHECK HER RIGHT! SHE'S INFECTED!". The survivor is barely able to drive between my screaming and the zombie snarling in the back. I manage to get my gun free, aim at the woman, and fire. The bitch keeps coming. I try to keep her at bay, but eventually we're fighting in the front seat. I almost don't notice when the left front tire hits a gigantic bump in the road, but I feel the front axle crumpling like paper and the armored truck somehow managing to flip.
The first thing I notice is a ringing in my ears, then I notice the fact that I'm upside down. I manage to turn my neck and see Babette's headless body beside me. Poor poor bitch. Must not have known she was bitten. I feel kind of bad for suspecting her of being odd. A groaning to my right catches my attention, and when I look I see the survivor's unconscious body dangling beside me. I unbuckle, but am trapped in the car. I turn myself in a certain way (pushing Babette's body to the side) so I can kick the windshield open. I grab my bag and crawl outside, the vehicle on the side of the road. The survivor's door is in better shape than mine, so I can open it to retrieve her. The teenager screams as I try to pull her from the wreckage. I quickly stop, shush her, and try to find out what's hurting her so badly. Unconscious people tend to not register pain as much as a conscious person, so the wound must be great. The injury is easily identified. Her right leg is broken at the shin, the broken bone piercing through the skin. Her other leg is trapped under rubble, but it seems intact. I silently apologize to the teen, grab under her armpits, and give her a mighty tug. Her scream must alert every zombie in the vicinity, but now she's freed from the truck. I grab the other pack (we'll need these supplies), and heave the woman into my arms.
I take one step and fall to my knees, a swollen ankle suggesting I might be injured. I take a deep breath, stand, and hobble down the road. I see a sign pointing right that says Silver Dollar City, and a sign pointing left that says Indian Point Resort. An amusement park is a horrible place to hide from zombies, so I decide to head to Indian Point. I hobble down the cracked, desolate, and shattered road for I don't know how long, the teen shaking in my arms. Damn it. She's going in to shock, and I have no area to treat her. The blood gushing from her leg is alarming, so I sit her down and make a tourniquet with some bandages from the first aid kit. I also wrap some bandages around the wound itself, and eventually the bleeding stops. At least one problem is taken care of. I can see that her bone is still protruding, but at least she won't die of blood loss. I hear the zombies behind us, but I don't look back. The monsters are underfed, wounded, and ancient. So, they can only crawl and stumble after us. It's a race for survival, but it wouldn't win any action movie awards. For a fleeting second I consider leaving the teen, but the next second I'm mentally beating myself up. The teenager and I are (apparently, according to her) dating, she's a living human being, and I need to remember my usual selfless nature (I've only been thinking about myself recently).
When we reach Indian Point I groan, the area is roughly twenty cabins. Each cabin has roughly thirty hotel rooms in them, and all of them could be crawly with zombies. I hear some of the creatures behind me, and pick a cabin at random. I burst into the room (why was it unlocked?), drop the teen on the ground, and slam the door shut. I lock it and shove some rags in the area between the door and the floor, so our scent won't leak out. I do a quick check of the apartment, sighing in relief when I don't find any zombies. I lock the windows, find the bedroom, and drag the survivor onto the bed. She is breathing heavily, her heartbeat is frantic, and she remains unconscious. I inwardly scream in panic, but then set about doing what I can. I secure the tiny apartment (it has a living area, kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a balcony), put our supplies where they belong (it's going to be a long stay), and return to the survivor. I remove the bandages and look at the open break, the bone sticking from the skin. What the hell do I do? I was taught never to manipulate a fracture where the bone is showing, and to wait for medical help. I'm the closest thing to a doctor we have. I can't leave the bone outside her body, it would never heal and could get infected. I gather my courage, take off my shoe, and strike the bone.
The bone moves a little, but is reluctant to return to the girl's body. I feel vomit in the back of my throat, but fight it down and strike the bone again. I keep striking the bone until it's back to its 'normal' position, my companion screaming and crying out all the while. All I can do is shush her and encourage her that it'll all be over soon. When the bone is inside I make sure the muscles are in the right place, move the skin to where it belongs, and bandage the wound up once again. I look at the tourniquet. Do I leave it on or take it off? I have no idea, my medical training only goes as far as broken fingers and sprained ankles. I go ahead and take it off, I don't want her to lose her leg. I look at the woman and come to a sudden realization. She could die. She could have died a thousand times since I've met her, but it suddenly hits me full force. For the first time since the apocalypse started I put my head in my hands and cry, the world unsympathetic around me.