Chapter 4: New Acquaintances

"Come on buddy time to get up," a voice said.

Hogarth mumbled in his sleep, not wanting to wake up.

"Just give me five more minutes," he mumbled. Just then he felt himself being kicked and he finally gave in when he was kicked in the face.

"OW shit, dude what the fuck" he shrieked as he was kicked.

"COME ON, GET UP," the voice yelled. It was Dexter.

"Okay shithead I'm up," he said in a cantankerous manner.

Hogarth got up from the floor and gathered his gear. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was everywhere. He felt as though he had only slept for two minutes. But combined with the fact he was sleeping either in the woods, on the road, or in broken down cars for six weeks, it would be expected that he would be tired.

"Hey sorry, I didn't mean to upset you Hogarth," Dexter apologized.

"It's fine, I'm just exhausted, I haven't had a chance to even sleep in a nice bed for a long time," he responded very tired.

"Come on buddy," Tut said motioning them to come with them, "as soon as we get to the camp you'll have a lot of time to sleep"

They walked outside of the room and opened the door to the outside. The sun wasn't up yet, it wasn't fully dark but it was on the brink of dawn.

"Why do we have to get up this early," Hogarth asked.

"This camp is very far from what I've heard and if we get a head start we can be there before it gets dark."

"I'll take that into consideration," Hogarth mumbled.

They started off on the road and began to walk. As they were getting out of the suburban neighborhood they found some walkers perched up by a bridge that led out of the neighborhood. They easily took them out.

"Hey how about we sing some songs while we're walking to liven up the mood," Hogarth suggested, sounding less cantankerous and more optimistic.

"Certainly couldn't hurt," Dexter said with happiness.

"What will we sing," Tut asked.

"Ummm, how about "Money" by Pink Floyd," Hogarth suggested.

"All right, I love that song," Dexter said

"Yeah, cool," Tut said as they started singing.

Hogarth: Money, to get away.

Tut: To get a good job with more pay and you're o-kay

Dexter: Money it's a crime, grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.

All: New car, caviar, four star, daydream, think I'll buy me a football team."

They walked down the road singing for the next couple hours. Hoping it was a good way to get their minds off of what was happening now.

Meanwhile, far away

Annie Hughes had left her home and was going all over the place. She took shelter in the woods and kept as quiet as she could. She brought some rations and hoped for the best. She wasn't an experienced hunter or that skilled in combat or guns. She owed that to both her husband and her son.

She hoped wherever they were, that they were okay. She didn't know that Dean was dead and that her son was on the road looking for her. Right now though her rations were nearly gone and she would starve. Every night she prayed, hoping that her son and husband would make it to her, and also that she would live.

One morning she awoke in an old abandoned shed that she hid in to prevent those creatures from coming in. She left the shed and started walking through the woods. There weren't any of those creatures around, but looks could be deceiving.

She walked for hours through the woods until the sun has risen. Maybe if she looked around hard enough she would be able to find some animals that she could kill for food. Even though she didn't have much survival experience she was able to be stealthy and catch up on things before they ever got away.

Finally she saw a couple rabbits coming out of their holes for the morning.

"Good, they'll last me for a little while," she said with relief.

She walked around the tree and pulled out a utility knife she had brought with her when she left the house. She decided she was going to jump on top of them and take each one of them out. As she was about to jump and take out some of the rabbits, something very unexpected happened.

Several arrows were shot out and they struck each of the rabbits dead instantly. Annie gasped as she looked at the sight of the dead animals. She then heard footsteps approaching from not that far behind.

In fear she ducked behind the bushes. She peered from behind one to see who it was. A figure wearing a red cloak and a red hood walked up to the dead rabbits. The figure had a bow and arrow with a bag full of arrows on their back. The figure took out another bag and gathered up the rabbits.

Annie decided that it was time to leave now. But as she stepped back she stepped on a stick. She panicked, looking down and then abruptly turning back to the figure. The figure heard the sound and stood up, taking off the red hood. What was revealed had Annie standing there with her mouth agape.

The figure was actually a full human sized mouse. The mouse was also a girl who looked to be no more than in her mid twenties, well from what Annie could tell. The mouse turned to where Annie was hiding and spoke.

"Come on out, you don't have to be afraid of me friend," the mouse said in a kind and gentle voice.

Annie decided to step out from her hiding place. She was scared though as there was no possible way that a human sized mouse, that could talk, was actually standing right before her now.

"H-Hello, who-who are you," she said with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Elizabeth Brisby," the mouse responded giving a courteous bow to the new woman she had met.

"Anna Hughes, but friends call me Annie," she said.

"Okay then, Annie, I guess you were probably out her looking for food as well as me," Elizabeth said to her.

"Y-yes I've been out here for weeks, trying to find a group," she responded.

"Well I guess you found the right person, I'm part of a survival group down by the river," she said with a smile, "if you're interested you'd be welcome to join us."

Annie then felt a spark of relief. After so many weeks of walking, running, hiding and surviving, finally getting to be in a group of people was the best thing that could happen.

"Yes, yes I'd be very interested," she said with a smile.

"Well then follow me, I'll show you where it is," Elizabeth said as she led the way.

"ELIZABETH, ELIZABETH" another female voice cried.

"Oh that must be Cleo," she said with a hint of worry.

"Cleo?"

"Oh she's another member of the group, you'll like her she's very kind," Elizabeth said.

A young girl of around 14 came running out from the woods. Wearing a pink hoodie jacket and carrying a crossbow she ran over to Elizabeth and Annie. She stopped there for a second to catch her breath.

"Elizabeth...there's...more...coming," she tried to say in between pants.

"Cleo, take a second to catch your breath," Elizabeth said patting her friend on the back.

The girl then calmed down after a couple seconds and spoke very clearly. "Elizabeth, I went down by the stream to find some animals for food, but I found that a huge horde of those things are heading our way, we've gotta get back to the camp and shut everything so they can't get to us."

"Oh Jesus, we better get going," Elizabeth said in worry.

"Who's this," Cleo asked after seeing Annie.

"Oh this is Annie, I found her while in the woods, don't worry she's friendly and she needs help."

"Pleasure to meet you Cleo," Annie said holding out her hand for a handshake. Just then more than a dozen walkers came out of the deep woods and made their way right towards the three girls.

"Yeah, yeah whatever we'll talk when we get back, NOW LET'S GO," she screamed.

The three girls then took off running and ran as fast as they could to get back to the campsite in the hope that the walkers wouldn't find them first.

A few hours had passed since the boys had left their original hideout. It was now mid morning and they were still walking down the road alternating between singing and talking in between conversation. Now they were singing some Springsteen songs and dancing in the abandoned street.

All: Prove it all night, prove it all night, girl there's nothing else that we can do. So prove it all night, prove it all night, and girl I prove it all night for your love.

"Oh man I love that song," Hogarth said now in a better mood then he was when he first woke up.

"Yeah, nobody can help but get up and dance and sing whenever that song comes on," Dexter responded happily.

"Hey uh, I never got the chance to ask this but umm, did you guys ever play any musical instruments before," Tut asked.

"Hell yeah, I play guitar all the time, but I also took to harmonica, synthesizer, bass. My stepdad taught me how to play a lot of this stuff," Hogarth said in a happy tone.

"Cool, I played drums on and off occasionally, but I never really got enough time to do it," Dexter said, "a lot of school work and projects to do."

"What about you Tut?" Hogarth asked, "even in old Egypt did you play any instruments?"

"Well before I was crowned king I used to be the harp player for my father who was the previous king, when Cleo brought me back she was in a little band playing bass and she taught me how to do it," Tut said.

"Cleo seems like a nice girl, is she pretty?" Hogarth asked.

"Mmm-hmm, I bet she'd like you Hogarth, she's really into all this music and stuff."

As they were talking Dexter saw an RV parked on the road far ahead of them. Looking on he saw what looked like a man standing outside of it. Dexter felt a hint of joy in his brain. Maybe this guy could give them a lift to the camp.

"Hey Dexter you alright," Hogarth asked.

This snapped him out of his daze and he turned over to his friends. "See that guy over there," he said pointing over to the man, "maybe if we get on his good side he can give us a lift to the camp."

"But just to be safe guys, I'm gonna take this out." Hogarth pulled out his rifle and loaded it with two shots. Just in case this guy had other intentions to kill them. They would need to be prepared.

They walked closer to the man and starting shouting in order to the get the man's attention.

"HEY THERE"

"HELLO"

"CAN YOU HELP US"

The man seemed to notice them and turned up looking to where the sound came from.

Dexter decided to speak trying to introduce themselves to the man. "Hey there, do you think you can help us, we've been walking for a while and we need a lift to.."

"GET YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR," the man yelled at them.

"What?" they all responded in confusion.

"YOU HEARD ME GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS IN THE AIR ASSHOLES," the man yelled. He then pulled out a rifle and aimed it at the three of them. Just like Hogarth suspected this guy was not one of the good ones.

"Look we don't want any trouble, we were just wondering if..." Tut tried to say in an attempt to calm things down.

"YOU FOUND TROUBLE KID, NOW GET YOUR HANDS UP," he screamed.

"Can I pull out my gun now," Hogarth asked.

"Go right ahead," Dexter said.

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME I SAID GET YOUR.."

"SHUT UP ASSHOLE," Hogarth yelled at him. He had pulled out his rifle and aimed it at the man. "You put down your gun and drive away and we won't have a problem, but if you try anything I'll shoot."

The man just scoffed at this, "oh I'm so scared of a little brat with a gun, oh mommy help me, help me," he said in a mocking tone.

"Look just put down your gun and I'll put down mine, alright." Hogarth told the man, not wanting to fight.

"Fine," the man said lowering his pistol.

Hogarth then put down his gun and they all walked closer to the man. Hogarth decided to do the talking from here on in. "Okay, we got off on the wrong foot, we've been walking for days and we just want to,... AWWW." Hogarth got that far before the man punched him right in the stomach. Hogarth recovered quickly and having finally lost his temper released his anger on the man.

"SON OF A BITCH," he screamed punching the man right in the face.

The man didn't seem affected and punched Hogarth right to the ground. Dexter came to his aid. "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT." He tried to attack but was easily subdued to the ground by the man. Tut tried to fight as well but in a mere couple of seconds he was on the ground too. The man then took out his rifle and aimed it straight at Hogarth's head.

Hogarth looked up at him and saw that he was smiling. "After I'm done with you, you're little friends are gonna be next. I've killed so many of these things already, you'll be a walk in the park, any last words kid."

Hogarth looked at him straight in the face. He had finally hit his boiling point and he wasn't going to lose.

"Suck my big fat dick, you cheap dime store hood" he said in a quiet tone.

With that he jumped up and slugged the man right in the stomach. Dexter and Tut came right to his aid.

"HOLD HIM DOWN," Hogarth instructed.

Dexter pushed him to the ground and kept his face there while Tut and Hogarth kept delivering beating after beating to his face. Tut then held him up by his hair and held his knife to his throat. Hogarth had pulled out his still loaded rifle and aimed it directly at his head.

"I'll let you off with a last warning, you let us go and never come and find us," he said, "but if you try anything I'll put a bullet right in your head."

"Yeah sure, I'll lose a fight to a stupid, weak, and defenseless little kid," the man said mocking him and laughing.

"Let's put him out of his misery," Hogarth said sarcastically.

"Happily," Dexter and Tut both said.

They then prepared to both shoot him and cut his throat but something immediately stopped them dead in their tracks.

"STOP."

Well we have a new enemy on the road. To point out this enemy is Adam Sandler's character Davey from Eight Crazy Nights. Because I hated that movie so much I've decided to make him into one of the other antagonists who I promise will die first. Also I have introduced Elizabeth Brisby from the Secret of NIMH in my story. Now I will give a clear explanation to why she is here in following chapters. In the next chapter we'll see what happens. That is all I have to say.

VGA