Chapter 1: Awake and Alive
I awoke with a shrill gasp, sitting up from the floor I found myself laid out on. Sweat caked my body and I shuddered. The humid heat made it worse and I had no idea where I was. This room looked similar to my own, but it felt different. Everything around me felt off. I could tell something was... off.
I blinked owlishly, looking around and spotting my mirror. I still looked the same. 9 in-a-half years old, mocha-colored skin, chocolate brown eyes, and curly black hair in desperate need of a comb. A black Dragon Ball-themed t-shirt and black shorts to match.
"... Mom?" I called out anxiously, my brows creasing. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. The neighborhood was usually bustling. Filled with chattering people. I lived with my mom... I mean, where else would I be? She and Dad broke up and had... uh, I think it was called shared custody? Yeah. Over me. I'd go over to his house sometimes but I would usually stay with Mom.
Usually, she'd answer or come up by now...
I got up to my feet and walked up to my door, I reached for the knob, but just as I did, I felt a chill run up my spine and...
"What's going on?"
...
"Jay, baby, I wanted you to stay in your room and don't come out. Okay? No matter what you hear, do not open that door!"
"Mom?"
"GO!"
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU DEVIL!"
BANG!*
...
The bloodcurdling scream, the sound of tearing flesh, and the gunshot spooked me out of the sudden invasion of memories. Of... of... me and mom, and dad was on the phone, but it also wasn't what I remembered... and he sounded scared, and then there was... something breaking into the house, and mom forced me into the room. And there was growling, and then she screamed... and...
I blankly stared at the door, a feeling of nausea making me feel like I was about ready to collapse and begin vomiting. This wasn't right. Something isn't right. I don't remember any of this, but t-those memories tell a completely different story... Ma said to not come out. The me... the other me listened and stayed, and cried. And passed out I think... which led me here.
To what? Why am I HERE?
I took in a breath, took several steps back fell onto my bed, and swallowed the sickening lump in my throat. Something wasn't right. I don't think I should go out there... I had a bad feeling, but... I wouldn't know what I was up against if I stayed in here.
Plus, I was thirsty and hungry.
But whatever was out there made Mom use her gun. So I shouldn't go out empty-handed. It's common sense. But... I don't have a weapon.
I looked around my room and locked onto my baseball bat. I smiled and reached for it. Me and Dad would play baseball whenever I came over. He loved baseball... would always show me his limited-edition baseball cards and everything. This used to be his, but he gave it to me after he and Mom split up. I got it signed by a professional baseball player and everything.
I paused, squinting at the wave of memories that thought spurred up. Ugh, my head hurt... I'm not gonna think about it.
... I just hope he's okay.
I took in a deep breath and shook my head, frowning and steeling my nerves. No use getting worked up over this. You're a big kid, Jay. Or... was. Still am. ARGH! This is so confusing! It's... it's like those animes I watched or those fanfics I'd read at school when I got bored...
Is that what this is? Isekai? Where'd I end up?
I pushed my door open. It creaked quietly, but in the deafening silence, it may as well have been a loud bang. The house was silent. I could hear the buzzing radio and TV downstairs... nothing else. I gripped my bat tightly and slowly made my way downstairs. My steps were slow and cautious. As I began to get closer to the living room I heard... growling. And the smell of decay. And blood.
I grimaced in disgust at the rotting smell and metallic scent in the air. The growling set me on edge. I stuck to the staircase, trying to look around from my position. I spotted a trail of blood and my eyes widened.
'Oh... no.' a pit formed in my stomach and my feet touched the floor. I peeked around the corner and into the living room. It was dark, the only thing illuminating the room being the TV, which buzzed with static. In the living room though I spotted a figure swaying on their legs. A long braid of black hair fell over my shoulders and a smile crossed my lips. "Mo-!"
The figure I thought was my mother turned before I could get a word out. A decomposing corpse with pale skin and milky white eyes growled at nothing. My heart leaped in my throat and horror filled my eyes. That... that was a zombie.
That's a FUCKING ZOMBIE!
I stumbled back and tripped. My back hit the floor with a thud and the animated corpse's gaze slowly drifted in my direction. My eyes widened in horror as it began to growl louder, black ooze dripping from its jaw as it began to scramble towards me. "No... no.. nononono!" I stammered, crawling back and gripping my bat in a knuckle-white grip.
There's no way... there's no way this is real, right? This is all a dream. A nightmare! There's no way there's a zombie right in front of me, right?! There's no way my mom is a... is a...
She was right in front of me. Oh.
OH SHE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
The zombie lunged at me, snapping its jaws. I rolled out of the way with a yelp as it tumbled to the floor with a violent crash. My breath began to quicken and my grip on my bat grew shaky. The corpse began to rise and I reacted fast, bashing my bat against its skull. Its head snapped against the floor, but it didn't go down. I swung it down again. And again. And again. And again. And again.
One final strike resulted in a sickening wet crunch as I hit it with all my strength, splitting the skull open and splattering brain matter and blood all over the floor. The smell of rotting flesh made my eyes water as a pool of blood began to spread. I dropped my bloodstained bat and stumbled back, my back hitting the counter as I stared at the limp body at was once my mother... or my other self's mother. Again, confusing.
I didn't know how long I stared at it. It was hard to think of anything else but that blank face and the hunger in its eyes. And my quick reaction to kill it... a-and the blood...
"blEUGH...!!" I retched, emptying whatever lunch I had previously and sobbing all at once. This felt like a nightmare... a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from. I coughed and wheezed, clutching my stomach. My eyes stung and my body shook terribly. This was wrong... so wrong... so wrong...!
"I-I killed... M-Mom...!" I muttered hysterically, staring at my hands in horror. But... but it wasn't like I had a choice! She would have eaten me if I didn't... I would have ended up like... like...
I closed my eyes and pulled my legs up to my chest, taking in deep breaths and calming my thumping heart. It... took a while before I could calm down. But I managed. Swallowing the bile in my throat, I shook my head and sniffled.
... I don't know where I am. Or how I got here. This isn't what I remember the world being like. My mom was perfectly fine the last time I was awake. If it weren't obvious before, its definitely obvious now. Something is wrong. Something brought me here and I'm alone.
'Alone...' with zombies. The thought made me shudder.
"...fuck..." Ma would have popped me upside the head if she heard me curse out loud. The thought made me chuckle sadly as I eyed the corpse that used to be my mom. Or a version of her at least.
I feel like cursing in this type of situation is okay, though... right...?
"Zombies are real... so that means there's gotta be more than just this out there," I muttered to myself, shakily rising to my feet and grabbing my bloody bar with a frown. My thoughts got clearer... and that left one thing. "I've gotta get out of here."
Getting out of here and figuring out where I am is the first order of business. Staying here won't work. I'll run out of food eventually and who knows if this place is overrun with zombies. So I needed to find a safe place to be... but the issue of not knowing where I am will make that hard. Especially since I'm just a kid. I'm not...
I'm not a survivor. I know that. I'm mature enough to realize that. But I'm gonna have to be one... because this isn't a dream. I'm beginning to realize that.
I've watched a lot of zombie media with my mom and dad, and even my cousins during family get-togethers. Even if they did scare me, it was comforting knowing they were there. I got interested and started watching stuff on my own. I've got a bunch of knowledge on zombies... but... putting it all into action is another story.
I stepped back and rushed upstairs, dashing into my room and looking around. I set my bat on the desk and began rummaging through my closet. I pulled out my school bag and several other clothes for me to where. I couldn't bring everything... and I needed to bring as much food as possible...
So I grabbed 3 pairs of clothes and folded them up as small as I could before stuffing them into my backpack. Then I grabbed a pair of jeans and took off my shorts to put those on instead. I grabbed a pair of black-and-white Jordans and put those on as well, before finally grabbing a Dragon Ball-themed jacket and tying it around my waist.
... I was obsessed with Dragon Ball, okay? But who isn't?
Picking my bag up, I walked over to my desk and opened my drawer, pulling out a journal and grabbing a few pencils, placing them in the front pouch of my bag. Then I grabbed my bag and jogged downstairs... then I paused.
"Okay... I'm gonna need lots of water to keep myself hydrated and food to sustain myself for who knows how long... toothbrush and toothpaste? Soap? Don't know if I'll ever come across running water again. But hygiene is still important... can die from several diseases or something..." I muttered, backpedaling back up the stairs in a panic and rushing to the bathroom to grab the aforementioned items.
After that, I jogged downstairs and dashed into the kitchen swinging the fridge open. There were several water bottles, still cold, but getting warm. I grabbed them and dumped them all into my bag, along with two or three Gatorades and two packs of fruit cups. There were beef sausage links in there, but I'd need to cook them. And I don't know how to cook stuff over a fire...
Guess I'll have to learn. Dad wanted to take me hunting when I got older, anyways... that might start happening sooner than he wanted, though.
I wasn't going to take them, though. I needed to save up space in my back. I closed the refrigerator and searched through the cabinets. I was small though, so I had to carefully climb onto the counter to get to them. Lots of chips, fruit gummies, candy, a pack of Oreos, oatmeal packets, and cup noodles... a lot of this stuff was junk food. Not exactly healthy but it'll have to do. I dumped the chips and fruit gummies in my back, grabbed a ziplock back, and dropped several Oreos inside before ripping it up and putting it in the side pocket.
I paused for a moment. "Oh... canned foods are the most prominent meals you'll be eating in an apocalypse since then they can last long."
Can't believe I forgot. Then again, my head's felt scrambled ever since I woke up.
I looked through some other cabinets and found some canned food. Corn, baked beans, peaches, pears, and other stuff. I couldn't fit it all in my bag, so I took two cans of corn, beans, three canned peaches, and one can of pears and dumped them into my bag carelessly.
Nodding in satisfaction, I hopped off the counter with my stuff, and started searching through the drawers and drew out a kitchen knife. "Useful to have a secondary melee option," I muttered to myself, carefully putting it in my bag. I don't like the idea of getting up close and personal with zombies... but it's not like I'll have much of a choice.
I don't like the idea of using a knife against anyone, but again. Not much of a choice...
It's common knowledge that melee weapons are the best weapons for an apocalypse. Guns require ammo, which becomes increasingly scarce. They also make a lot of noise and will attract more danger than taking care of it, even if it gets the job done quicker...
Or something like that. At least that's what my cousins say when they talk about apocalyptic scenarios and the stuff I picked up from YouTube videos.
"... Wait, duct tape." I snapped my fingers and smiled a bit, digging through one of the drawers and pulling out a roll of it. I grabbed some scissors next and began cutting pieces off and wrapping them around my arms. I read somewhere that duct tape could prove useful as protection against zombie bites. So it wouldn't hurt to try.
I inspected my bandaged arms and hummed. "Not bad. Kinda stiff, though..." I pocketed my duct tape. Don't know if I'd need it for later.
After I was done, I walked around the house, looking around and frowning. Am I missing anything else...?
'...wait.' I blinked, pausing in my steps. 'Mom had a gun. She must've used it when fighting off one of the zombies that broke in!'
I looked around the house for the discarded firearm. While I don't know how to USE one, I can always find the time to learn how... melee weapons are preferred, but firearms are still a valuable weapon in an apocalypse.
I walked into the living room and huffed, my nose wrinkling at the smell of blood. I started walking around to look for the gun. I stopped near the coffee table, crouching underneath and seeing a Glock 19. The stereotypical gun you typically see in any action or apocalypse movie/setting.
I reached for it, noting the bloody stains on the metal surface. It made me hesitate, but I eventually reached out and grabbed it. It felt heavy in my hands... heavier than I imagined. The weight seemed almost too much to bear, but...
... It felt like Mom was with me when I held it.
I smiled, my eyes watering as I pocketed the firearm carefully and stepped out of the living room. I made my way to the backyard door, stepping over the corpse of my mother and sliding the door open. The afternoon sky set a somber atmosphere for what came next. The ambient sounds of growls and rustling trees sent shivers down my spine. The weight of my bag and the gun in my pocket made me feel a bit sluggish.
I peered over my shoulder, eyeing my mom shakily and swallowing the lump in my throat. "Bye, mom..." I whispered, stepping out the back door...
And stepping into the world unknown.
X-X-X-X-X-X
The humid air and fresh breeze were a nice change from the rotting smell of my house. I'd walked around my backyard for a while, cautious and inspecting my surroundings. No zombies around... which was fine. I heard a muffled scream from the house next door but I ignored it. My heart thumping in my chest and my legs were shaky as I walked around the gate which led into the neighborhood.
I took in a deep breath... gripping my bat and pushing the gate open with a loud creak. It made me grimace but I pressed on, walking into the street and looking around. Several cars were parked in the street. Immobile. People probably ran in a panic due to the suddenness of the outbreak... unfortunately, that panic would lead to them spreading the infection.
I shook my head and peeled around the corner, looking around and blinking. I spotted two Caucasian men muttering to each other, standing around a car. I assumed it was theirs. I perked up, those were people! Not... flesh-eaters?
I frowned. But could I trust those guys? I don't know them. They're two grown men, stronger than me for sure... but...
I sighed, crouching around the cars and keeping to the sidewalk. If things go bad I can just run. And they don't seem to be armed...
As I got closer, I heard bits of their conversation.
"... This thing isn't budging."
"Man... I'm never gonna get home at this rate."
One of them was a portly figure with shaggy brown hair and a double chin. The other was tall and lanky with black hair. The big guy had a thick Southern accent. From appearances, they both looked like... hillbillies. But I didn't want to assume...
"This sucks..." the lanky one groaned.
"It's hot dish night..." the portly man groaned.
Worried about food? Dude's got his priorities straight.
"Hey, man!"
I blinked, standing up a bit straighter upon seeing an African-American man in a bloody dark blue polo shirt and a mixed girl with tan skin and curly black hair held down by a baseball cap walk out of the backyard from the house next door to mine. The two men screamed out in alarm and flailed their arms about wildly.
"D-Don't eat us!"
I snorted. That wouldn't stop those brainless meat munchers from taking a bite out of you, guy.
"Easy, easy..." the dark-skinned man raised his arms in a placating gesture, shambling forward. "We're not gonna hurt you."
The black haired guy let out a sigh of relief. "For a second there I thought you and the little one were both gonna give us the chomp..."
"Do you know what the hell is going on?!" the other man replied, voice frantic. But he seemed to be holding himself together.
"I don't know..." the countryman shook his head, frowning. As they began to converse, I continued sneaking my way over... "Everyone just started... eating each other man. And the more they eat, the more come up. Like, like something out of those horror movies or something. It's freaky stuff. Haven't seen anything this gnarly since downtown Atlanta fifteen miles back..."
Atlanta? So I'm in Georgia?
I've never been to Georgia! Or I have... but I also wasn't - ugh, forget it! These memories are confusing!
He placed his hands on his hips and eyed his immobile vehicle. "Right now me and my friend are trying get home. You two should do the same... these things are everywhere!"
He blinked, smiling sheepishly and scratching the back of his head. "Oh - shoot. Forgot to introduce myself. The name's Shawn Greene."
"Lee." the dark-skinned man replied back, and gestured to the little girl at his side. She couldn't be any older than me... "and this is Clementine."
The portly man crouched down with an easy-going smile and waved at Clementine. "I'm Chet,"
Clementine shifted on her feet, shyly hiding herself behind Lee's leg with a small smile.
"It's nice to meet you both." Shawn smiled. "Like I was saying, it isn't safe here... maybe if you can help me and Chet clear the way, we can get you and your daughter somewhere safe, like my family's farm."
That sounds like my ticket out of this dump...
"I'm not her dad," Lee shook his head, pausing for a moment and letting out a sigh. "I'm... just some guy."
Eh?
"Just some guy?" Shawn reiterated in surprise. "She's alone?"
Lee nodded. "Yeah... stumbled upon her trying to get away from one of those... things. I promised to look after her until we found her parents. They're somewhere in Savannah."
"Oh, I see..." Shawn nodded in understanding, glancing at Clementine with a look of sympathy. "Well it's a good thing you showed up, then. I didn't even know there were any kids left alive around here. This is no place for a little girl. We should get going."
Lee nodded his head in agreement. "That we can agree on." he paused again, looking down at Clementine with a gentle look. "What do you wanna do?"
Clementine stuttered, her eyes trailing over to her home's address. "I..." her gaze wandered about with uncertainty, and then, through some twist of fate... they landed on me. "... Huh?"
I stared at her, frozen in place. "...uh..."
Lee followed her gaze and his eyes widened in surprise. "Another ki-? LOOK OUT!!"
Clementine screamed in fright. Shawn and Chet let out several curses. The several growls of the undead finally registered. The closest was behind me and I whirled around to see a large, pot-belly zombie lunge at me, snapping it's jaws with the intent of taking a chunk out of me. I reacted out of instinct, raising my arms in defense. Its teeth latched onto my bandage arms and my eyes widened in horror, my heart hammering against my chest and threatening to leap out of my throat, but then there was a spike of relief.
It didn't break through!
Issue is, this thing is WAY stronger than me...! "G-Get off...!" I growled, feeling the full weight of the rotting corpse bear down on me. I wasn't dead yet, but if I didn't get this thing off me, I would be in a few seconds!
"GET OFF HIM YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH!" I watched in surprise as Lee swooped in, ignoring the pain in his damaged leg and sucker punching the undead with all his might. It staggered back, but felt no pain. Of course it couldn't... it was dead.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I swung my bat against its cranium as a follow up attack. It crashed to the ground and I continued to bash it's skull in until it's face was unrecognizable and nothing but mush. I shivered in disgust at the blood and brain matter splattering againstmy face, but I held whatever I was gonna throw up down.
I felt my wrist get snatched and I jolted in alarm, only to release it was the man, Lee, pulling me along. "C'mon... let's get you outta here!"
"T-Thanks..." I muttered, squeamish. I'd already killed two zombies in the span of an hour and I still wasn't any used to it...
Starting to think I should have stayed in the house...
"Come on, come on!" Shawn urged us on, him and Chet pushing the busted up car out of the way. Lee stumbled forward with haste, letting go of my wrist and helping the two countrymen in their effort. The zombies were starting to pile in. Clementine's eyes were wide with fright and worry, and she ran forward to aid the two men.
I clicked my tongue and rushed in to help. With our combined efforts we managed to get the car out of the way. Shawn was quick to rush over to the red Toyota, swinging the door open and hopping inside. The undead were closing in. Me, Lee, and Clementine were quick to follow, hopping into the backseat. Shawn revved the engines up as Chet jumped into the cargo bed. He slammed his foot on the peddle, and like that... we were off.
Everyone was breathing heavily. Either from exhaustion, adrenaline, fear, or a mix of three. Shawn let out a hysterical laugh as we eased our way down the road. "For 'just some guy', you sure saved a lot of lives today, Lee..."
Lee let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "It wasn't much..."
I slumped against my seat with a groan, drawing their attention. Undeterred, I stared at my bandaged arms and eyed one of the bite indents, chuckling tiredly. "Can't believe that actually worked..."
"And what's a kid like you doing out there all alone?" I flinched, looking up to see Shawn looking at me through the rear mirror. His expression was laced with concern, rather than suspicion.
I looked around, locking eyes with Lee and Clementine. Lee wore a similar expression to Shawn, while Clementine blinked and averted her gaze shyly. She probably isn't much of the social type...
Neither am I, though...
I wet my lips and shifted awkwardly in my seat. "I was uh... holed up in my house when everything started going crazy. My mom had me lock my door..." my brows furrowed as I recalled her rotting corpse. The one I had to put down. I clenched my eyes shut and took in a shuddering breath, feeling the bile rise up in my throat again.
I was quick to take my backpack off and unzip it, hastily digging through and pulling out a bottle of water for me to guzzle down and wash it all out. I exhaled, wiping the water off my chin and coughing. Lee reached over and pat my back. "S-Sorry..." I exhaled through my nose, rubbing at my eyes. "I think one of those things broke in and infected her. She fought back and killed it, though. Didn't know how long I was stuck in my room until I decided to come out."
I smiled weakly, holding up my bloody bat. Clementine looked a bit green, noticing the bits of brain matter sticking to the wood in bloody clumps. I lowered it. "Brought this just in case... and she ended up attacking me. So I..."
I trailed off, grimacing. Lee and Shawn seemed to catch on quick, with the bloodied man letting out a deep sigh. "I'm so sorry you had to do that..."
"... Yeah. No kid should have to... you know." Shawn shook his head with a deep frown. "God... what is the world coming to where a kid has to...! Ugh, it makes me sick!"
I shrugged my shoulders feebly. "...well it's a zombie apocalypse. Can't expect nothing less for something like this."
Noises of confusion rang through the car, and I blinked. Clementine spoke up quietly, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Z-Zombies... like... like in the scary movies and stuff?"
"Yeah. There's no other way to explain what's going on." I nodded, scratching the back of my head with a frown. I looked between Lee and Shawn. "I-It's gonna get bad. Really bad, really quick. I've watched enough zombie stuff to know..."
Their eyes widened and Lee slumped in his seat in shock. The man looked... so tired. But I guess that was to be expected. Shawn tapped the steering wheel with his finger, frowning. "I'll admit, I don't know much about zombie stuff, kid... what can we expect."
"... Well. Usually the infection spreads through bites-" their eyes widened as they looked at me. I blinked and waved my hands about wildly. "N-Not me, though! I protected my arms with duct tape, see?" I fumbled with the tape and took it off, showing bare skin with no sign of bite marks, "How long it takes for you to turn, I don't really know. Some viruses have it take days, maybe even weeks... sometimes it happens in minutes or hours. Maybe even a few seconds."
"Christ..." Lee and Shawn muttered in shock. Clementine whimpered softly, curling in on herself.
"When that happens, it's only a matter of time before they grow in number. A lot of the populated areas are the first to go... I wouldn't be surprised if Atlanta was swarming with them at this point." I muttered with a frown. "The most important thing is to make sure you're stocked up on food and fresh water. That stuff'll go real fast before you know it. Then you'll have to start scavenging, 'cuz the power grid will go out... and you'll need to find other ways to preserve food."
They were listening to me ramble with interest. Though it was probably for the sake of survival, it felt nice. The only people who could handle me ramble for so long were my parents...
I blinked, digging into my bag and pulling out three water bottles. "O-Oh, do you guys want some water? I've got Gatorade and snacks too, but..."
Lee frowned. "Are you sure, erm...?"
"Jay Smith," I sputtered like rapid fire.
"Jay..." Lee nodded before shaking his head. "From what you're sayin', this is gonna become a precious resource soon. We couldn't take that from you."
"It's... fine, I mean, you guys saved my life." I smiled. But it was frail, and lacked proper conviction. "I was prepared to go out there... survive. After I did what I did I knew had to get out. I-I thought I was ready, you know? But... I didn't even realize one of those things got behind me so fast. If you didn't swoop in when you did, I'd be one of them."
I huffed bitterly. 'Dead before I could even walk out the front door.'
I smirked a little. "So the least I can do is repay you guys..."
Lee paused, and looked like he was about to say something. He shook his head and smiled warmly, nodding gratefully. "... Thanks. I'll admit, I'm a bit thirsty..."
"M-Me too..." Clementine stuttered.
Shawn smiled at me from the rearview mirror. "Don't worry about me, kid. I got water back home... hold onto as much of that stuff as you can."
I nodded quietly and handed Lee and Clementine two of the bottles and put the other one back in my bag. Then I pulled out two bags of Lays and offered it to them. "It's not much but... if you're hungry..."
Clementine happily took the bag. "Thanks!"
I stared at her in surprise before laughing. "No problem..."
"Means a lot, really." Lee nodded with a small smile, taking the bag and tearing it open. "Can't remember the last time I had one of these."
Shawn chuckled. "Not much for junk food?"
Lee smirked. "Never had time for 'em."
I smiled as Lee and Shawn engaged in small talk. I glanced at Clementine, who was in the process of sipping her water. "Hi," I whispered quietly.
She blinked, lowering the bottle from her lips and offering me a shy glance. "... Hi."
"I'm Jay... you're Clementine, right? From next door?""
"Mm," she nodded. Then she blinked in confusion and looked at me fully. "You're one of my neighbors."
"Mhm. I lived two blocks down, actually."
"Oh..."
We fell into awkward silence. I shuffled sheepishly, not knowing what to say or do...
I eyed her hat and perked up. "... you play baseball?"
Clementine's eyes widened a bit as she touched her hat. She smiled slightly and shook her head. "Oh... a-a little. My Dad was a fan of baseball. He liked the uhm..."
"The Dodgers?" I grinned.
Her smile brightened a bit more, "Yeah! That's it!" she sat up a bit straighter, looking a bit more comfortable. "Do... you play baseball?"
I paused and nodded, eyeing my bat. "I'd play ball with my Dad whenever I came over to spend the weekend over at his house. He was a baseball fanatic. This was his bat, actually..." I smiled. "He gave it to me. I got it signed by this famous baseball player. Dunno if you heard of him, though - his name was Javier Garcia," I said, pointing to the signing marked in black marker near the base of the bat.
Clementine's eyes lit up. "Woah...!"
I smirked and nodded. The thought of my Dad made me exhale through my nose, and slump against my seat. "I hope he's okay... wherever he is."
"I miss my parents too..." Clementine mumbled sadly. "But Lee said he'd help me find them..." she perked up, smiling. "Maybe we can help you find your Dad?"
I stared at her in surprise, my mouth clicking shut. I eventually my mustered the strength to speak, uttering a weak: "... Maybe." I averted my gaze, peering out the window with a frown.
As the sun began to set, a bitter thought raced through my mind.
'... I doubt he's alive, though.'
X-X-X-X-X-X
Lee
Lee took one final sip of his water as they reached the Greene farm. A somber look on his face. The sun had already began to set, and everything still felt... like a dream. It was so hard to believe what had happened in such a short amount of time. He was having a hard time grappling with it still, but it was beginning to sink in. This was no dream. And if it was, he didn't know if he'd ever wake up from it.
Maybe this is true punishment from God, for what he did?
First his wife cheated on him with the senator, and he... he killed them both. He still regretted it. Hated it. It wasn't himself. Just... just so much anger and pent up frustration. He was already on thin ice with his wife. They were both always working, with not a lot of time to spend together as they used to. The stress from their respective jobs would pile up... and they'd argue. The affair was simply the final straw, and something within him snapped.
He still remembered her terrified screams. The memory made him shudder. And he buried it.
After getting arrested he wasn't expecting the sudden end of the world, where the dead began to rise and hunt the living. It was so bizarre... something depicted in fiction becoming a reality was both horrifying and enlightening. Terrifying because of the death that would await, and enlightening... because it widened possibilities for the world. All equally dreadful and hopeful, in some odd way.
If this could happen... what else could suddenly spring up?
The thought scared him. But Lee couldn't imagine how those kids felt.
His gaze drifted over to the sleeping forms of Jay and Clementine. Both the children had passed out during the ride. The day must have taken a lot out of them. Clementine was leaning against him, snoring quietly, while Jay had his head propped against the window.
He didn't expect to end up becoming the temporary guardian of a little girl in the apocalypse. He didn't expect a boy to show up out of nowhere either. But he was glad he reacted when he did... he didn't know how he'd react if he knew he could stop a child from becoming one of those monsters and he couldn't.
But the kid - Jay - seemed resourceful. Or at the very least, had a proper idea of what they were up against. Lee never would have thought those cheesy horror movies or shows would be what would give them an edge in surviving this outbreak, but he wouldn't complain. He had a job to do... protect Clementine and get her to her parents.
... Although a part of Lee felt that they didn't make it, from what he heard from the recorder. But he didn't have the heart to crush the little girl's hopes. When it came to situation's like these... hope was a strong thing. It could move mountains. Push people to do the craziest things. Inspire others to push forward in spite of the obstacles they faced...
Or at the very least, that was what his father believed. And Lee wanted to believe in that too.
"We're here." Lee snapped out of his musings as Shawn parked the truck.
Jay jolted away when the vehicle abruptly stopped, yelping in surprise. Lee couldn't help but chuckle as he gently shook Clementine's shoulder. "Hey... Clementine. C'mon, we're here."
"Mmm..." the girl mumbled in her sleep. Lee shook her a bit harder, and eventually roused her from her sleep. "Wha... isit...?"
He smiled. "We're here, sweet pea. Time to get up."
Clementine rubbed at her eyes and yawned as he opened the door. Jay grabbed his bag and bat and hopped out the other side with a grunt.
"Hey, Shawn." Chet grunted as he hopped out the cargo bed, stretching his arms. "I'm gonna head on home. My Mama's gonna be in a snit. Already way too late as it is."
"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow man." Shawn smiled at his friend, patting him on the shoulder. "And stay safe out there... I've got a feelings things might start heating up. So keep an eye out."
"You got it." Chet nodded. With a smile, he looked at Lee, Clementine, and Jay, waving goodbye. "It was nice to meet y'all. Stay safe, y'hear?"
"Likewise," Lee waved goodbye as the man began to walk off.
"B-Bye, Mr. Chet..." Clementine mimicked Lee.
"See ya..." Jay muttered dismissively, watching the man leave the farm.
The door to the main house creaked open, and an elder man with slicked back grey hair and a clean cut beard. "Shawn... I'm glad you're alright." what Lee assumed to be Shawn's father stepped down the porch. Shawn pulled the man into a strong hug, chuckling.
"I thought it was pretty bad over here, too." he muttered.
"Been quiet as usual the past couple days. Ol' Breckon down the way thinks his mare gone lame but that ain't nothing new."
"Shawn!"
He perked up to see two young women rush out the house. One was a young girl in her teens with blonde wavy hair styled in a braid, as well as woman around Shawn's age with messy brown hair styled in a bob-cut. The two practically tackled the young man, who laughed with a grunt and stumbled.
"W-Woah, easy now, Beth, Maggie. Nearly toppled me over!" Shawn grinned.
Beth, the blonde, took in a sharp breath and pulled away. "Sorry...! Just... we're glad you're okay."
Maggie, the brunette, punched his shoulder with a frown, earning a yelp from the young man. "'Ya said you were gonna be back before nightfall. The hell happened to all that? Had us worried sick!"
"Now, now. Let's not rough him up to bad." Hershel smiled in amusement, patting his daughters on the shoulder.
"I wouldn't have made it back without Chet." Shawn admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing. Then he perked up. "Oh, and Lee too."
"Hmm?" Hershel raised a brow as Lee stepped forward with Clementine and Jay in tow. "You helped my boy?"
"It's more of the other way around." Lee said humbly. "Your boy is a lifesaver, let me tell you... we wouldn't have made it out in one piece without him giving us a ride."
Hershel nodded. "Well I'm glad he could be of use to somebody."
Beth walked over and crouched down with a kind smile, glancing between Clementine and Jay. "So it's just you and your kids?"
"Oh - they're not his kids. Lee's just a guy who found Clementine alone and is looking after her for the time being." Shawn intervened. "Jay, well, he was about to get done in by one of the monsters - er, zombies. But Lee saved him in time. Let me tell 'ya, this kid's got a mean swing! Busted one of their heads right open!"
Their eyes collectively widened and Jay let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Mighty dangerous for a bunch of kids..." Maggie muttered, smiling at Lee. "They're glad you were around, huh?"
Lee scratched his chin, chuckling. "I'd hope so..."
Hershel hummed, squinting and crouching down in front of the kids. Lee's brows furrowed as he looked between the two. "Kids... do you know this man?"
Lee had a feeling he knew the meaning behind those words. Less know and more of trust. He tried his best not to grimace. He knew his face was probably plastered all over the news... suspicion was warranted, in all honesty.
Clementine answered after a few seconds of hesitance. "... Yes."
Hershel's gaze drifted over to Jay. The boy watched the man blankly. "I trust him."
Lee blinked in surprise.
Hershel focused on Jay for a moment and sighed, nodding his head and standing up to his feet with a grunt. "Well alright, then." his eyes focused on Lee's leg. He hummed. "Looks like you hurt your leg pretty bad."
Lee sucked in a breath, trying not to put too much weight on it. "... Yeah. Not doing too good."
Hershel nodded slowly, scratching his beard. "I can help you out with that. "Shawn, why don't you take Maggie and Beth inside." the dark-haired man nodded and walked inside, with his sisters not far behind. Beth spared Jay and Clementine a smile and waved before closing the door behind them. He turned to Lee. "You take a seat on the porch and I'll fix you up as best I can."
Lee stepped up the porch and took a seat on the bench. Jay and Clementine kept their distance, with Clementine looking on curiously and Jay staring off into space... the far off look in the boy's eyes had Lee worried a bit. Maybe he'll see what's up before the night is over.
"Alright, let's see what we've got here..." Hershel came back with a medkit in hand, setting down and inspecting Lee's leg. He narrowed his eyes and hissed softly. "... Hm. This is swollen to hell."
Lee sucked in a breath, shrugging his shoulders. "Could be worse... could have no leg at all."
Hershel nodded in agreement. "A fine point." he hummed. "Lee, was it?"
"Yessir."
"My name is Hershel Greene... a pleasure to meet you." Hershel nodded his head, wrapping some bandages around Lee's swollen leg. "How'd this happen?"
"Car accident..." Lee grunted in pain, his eye twitching.
"Hmm." Hershel hummed. There was a squint in his eyes that set Lee on edge a bit. Like he was calculating him. "Where were you heading?"
"I was heading out of Atlanta." Lee answered with half-truths, not saying the full thing, but not lying either.
Hershel arched a brow. "The news said stay."
"Yeah, well... that was a mistake." Lee sighed. "We hit a guy, one of those... zombies, your son's been talking about. On the road."
"Who were you riding with? The girl?"
Lee paused, tapping his leg. After a brief lapse in silence, he spoke up. "I was with a police officer... he was giving me a ride."
"Awful nice of him..." Hershel muttered, suspicion lacing his tone.
"I'm an awful nice guy." Lee shot back calmly.
They held each other's gazes for a moment. Jay and Clementine shared a glance with creased brows at the tense silence before Hershel tightened the bandages and dusted his hands off. "House is full with mine... we've got another family of three resting up in the barn. You, the girl, and the boy can hunker down in there with them for the night..."
Lee nodded. "Appreciated."
Hershel glanced over at Clementine and Jay, his stoic expression softening. "You two okay with that?"
"Y-Yessir," Clementine stammered.
"... Yeah." Jay shrugged.
"Mm... I can't imagine what you two are going through right now..." Hershel sighed in pity, shaking his head.
"... I'm lookin' after them." Lee spoke up, earning Hershel's gaze. "At least until I find their parents."
Hershel hummed at that, perking up when Shawn came out the front door. "Hey, Dad? I'm thinking... first thing in the morning, we reinforce the fence around the farm."
Hershel continued inspecting Lee's leg for any abnormalities, shaking his head. "That doesn't seem necessary."
Shawn's brows furrowed. "I don't know what you saw on TV or heard on the radio, but I'm telling you, it's getting really bad out there. We shouldn't take any chances in case those things come knocking on our doorstep." he sighed. "I don't think any realizes how big this is yet."
"Tell me about it..." Jay muttered despondently in the back.
"Your son is right..." Lee agreed, sparing Jay a concerned glance before locking eyes with Hershel. "You're gonna wanna fortify this place, and fast."
Hershel sighed harshly, standing up. "That stuff doesn't happen 'round here, Shawn."
"Dad, I'm serious!" Shawn snapped. "Lee, come on, tell him what you saw out there!"
Lee opened his mouth to respond, but Jay cut the man off. "There are dead coming back to life and devouring people. Just like in those movies, books, shows." the boy muttered tensely, his chocolate-brown eyes focusing on Hershel. "People are dying. One bite and it's all over. My mom became one of them, and I had to... I had to put her down, or she would have gotten me too."
He closed his eyes and shuddered. Clementine's expression wavered, bordering on sad. Lee's heart ached for the boy and he closed his eyes with a sigh. Jay spoke up again after a moment of silence, clenching his fists. "You've gotta listen to Mr. Shawn and fortify everything. One wrong move... wrong mistake... can cost not only your life, but your family's."
His gaze dropped to the floor. "You just can't risk something like that..."
They stared at him in stunned silence. Hershel most of all looked at the boy with wide eyes. Eventually his stoic visage returned, but it was a lot softer. With a heavy heart, he sighed. "... do what you think is best. But we've got a lot of chores to do as is."
"Lee and the others can help out in the morning," Shawn offered, sparing Jay a glance for a second. "But we've got to get this done."
"Alright, alright." Hershel raised his hands in defense, "You've got my okay."
Shawn nodded, looking between Lee, Clementine, and Jay. "I'll see you guys in the morning, sleep well. Okay?"
As he walked back into the house, Hershel crossed his arms with a soft sigh. "... Well I've done all I can do. Nothing too bad. So long as you don't put too much stress on it, it'll be better by tomorrow or the day after. If your leg starts getting hot or the swelling doesn't go down, you're probably dealing with an infection."
Lee frowned in concern. "What do we do then."
Hershel smirked. "We'll probably just have to shoot you."
Lee and Clementine's eyes widened in shock. Jay snorted a little at Hershel's joke. Hershel smiled, his voice full of mirth. "We'll clean it, redress it, and you'll be fine."
Lee let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "... Okay. That'll be preferable."
Hershel nodded, making his way into the house. He paused at the doorway. "There's blankets and such in the barn... we'll be seeing you bright n' early." he raised a brow. "Where will you be heading?"
Lee shrugged his shoulders. "Probably to Macon I suppose..."
Hershel nodded in satisfaction and walked inside, closing the door behind him. With a sigh, Lee slowly got up to his feet and looked at the two kids in front of him. "Alright then... how about we go get some shuteye,"
"Mm," Clementine nodded, yawning into her hand. "Still... sleepy..."
Jay shrugged his shoulders. "Okay."
The trek to the barn wasn't very long. It was practically next door to the Greene's house, after all. Lee pushed the doors open, coughing a bit at the dust that billowed through. The moon's rays illuminated the barn. Clementine's face scrunched up a little at the smell permeating through the room. Jay grimaced but tried not to let it get to him. Lee looked around for a bit until he found some spare blankets and pillows, and set up a makeshift bed for the three of them.
Tired sighs left the three in unison as they collapsed onto their mats. Clementine tried to get comfortable, but the smell was overbearing. "I-It smells like..."
Jay quietly piped up. "Manure?"
"Manure...?" Clementine cringed. "Like... when a horse plops?"
Lee chuckled. "Just like that, yep."
"Ew..."
Jay and Lee shared a chuckle, and Clementine pouted. They laid there in silence before Clementine spoke up in a hushed whisper. "...I miss my mom and dad..."
Lee stared up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I bet, Clem..."
Jay kept quiet.
"How far is Savannah?"
"... Pretty far."
"Oh..." Clementine tried not to let the disappointment seep into her voice. "... Okay,"
She closed her eyes with a soft huff. Lee watched her for a few minutes and heard her gentle snoring. Just like that, she was out like a light. He heard some shifting on his left and he craned his head in Jay's direction. The boy was wide awake, quietly pulling out a journal and pencil and using the light from the moon that seeped into the barn to give himself some clarity to write. The man blinked. "... you still up?"
Jay paused in his writing, looking sheepish as he quietly replied. "... sorry. I can't sleep. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"Nah... I'm having trouble sleeping myself." Lee shook his head, sitting up a bit. Careful not to make too much noise as to not wake up Clementine. "Whatcha doing?"
"Writing logs," Jay muttered. He blinked when Lee eyed him with a raised brow, and his cheeks warmed up in embarrassment. "S-Survivors write their personal thoughts and the things they experienced in their journals. To keep track of stuff, I guess. Collect your thoughts-"
"I know what a logbook is, Jay." the professor smiled in amusement.
"Oh." the boy quieted down, looking sheepish again. "Sorry."
"No need to apologize..." Lee chuckled. "... you're pretty smart for your age, you know that?"
Jay blinked and smiled a little. "... Thanks."
Lee nodded and they fell into a small lapse in silence as the boy continued to write. Lee glanced at Jay again and sighed, speaking up. "You okay...?"
Jay perked up, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Huh?"
"How're you handling... all this?" Lee shrugged weakly.
Jay stared at him blankly before recognition flashed in his eyes. He frowned, closing his book shut and sighing. "... I dunno. I woke up to the apocalypse and then not five minutes later I had to... kill my mom." he bit the bottom of his lip. "It was scary... just... knowing that wasn't her. I didn't even think about it, either. I-I just knew she was coming after me, that she wasn't normal, and then I..."
Lee sighed, reaching out and rubbing circles around the boy's back to comfort him. He didn't know what else to say, "... I can't imagine how that felt."
"It sucked." Jay said blandly, smiling without mirth. "Don't even know if my Dad is alive... and then I almost died today the moment I stepped out the door. All of this is scary... really scary. I'm not okay, but..." he took in a breath and laid back down, staring at the ceiling tiredly. "... but I still feel like I need to try and live this through."
"That's mature way to think." Lee nodded slowly. "... I don't know where your father may be, but... I'll look after you for as long as I can. At least until we get an idea of where he is."
Jay yawned, snapping his journal shut and tucking it into his bag. The boy slumped against his pillow as his eyes drifted to sleep. "Thanks...Lee..."
Lee watched as the boy drifted off to sleep. A small smile crossed the ex-professor's lips as he quietly muttered, "Anytime."
Sighing to himself, Lee laid back down and closed his eyes. He had no idea what the world had in store for him, but he knew one thing...
He'd try his damned beast to keep these kids safe. He just had to keep moving forward.
The inner thoughts won. Ended up publishing this as a full-blown story before I could stop myself. The ideas wouldn't stop coming lmao.
Polished up on some grammar mistakes and added in extra stuff to make it feel a bit more full, y'know?
As of posting this I've already got the second chapter halfway complete, so that should come in either a few hours or the next day. Who knows.
Anyway, Ciao!