Chapter 4
I wake up with loud voices and get up quickly with my hand on my chest. I'm still going to have a heart attack. I see movement and agitation of some people in front of the door, I get up massaging my neck because the sleeping position was not the most comfortable, and I go closer to try to understand what is happening. I see Luci close by "What the hell is going on here?".
She looks at me “Good morning Al! Glad you finally decided to join us!”. She laughs. I make a face.
"Okay... I didn't even sleep that much... so... what's going on?" I ask again.
"Well... it's not very difficult to understand... some people want to leave because they can't stand being here anymore and others trying to prevent these from leaving... simple".
I look at the turmoil again and see Morgan, John, June, Alicia, Dwight and a few others trying to stop this madness.
"Simple? These people have no idea how it is out there! Didn't they see what happened to me and Morgan?... and all those people we were with? Did they lost their minds?!”. I say angry.
“Well... try to tell them that. Maybe that will help calm them down”. She puts her hand on my shoulder encouraging me.
"Yeah... maybe you're right...". Before I can even finish my sentence, I hear a door opening and people running You got to be kidding me!
I walk over to June and pick her up, because the people looked like a herd of elephants, then pull Alicia. I see Luci doing the same with John "Are you okay?!".
"Yes... we tried everything... I tried everything to change their minds, but nothing that I said worked". Alicia says, rubbing her forehead.
"They didn't want to listen, they just wanted to leave... there was nothing we could do to stop them". June says comforting her.
“She's right, Alicia. You don't have to feel guilty... they made a decision. What happens to them will be their own consequence”. I say throwing an encouraging smile in your direction. She smiles back.
"Are you okay?". John approaches.
"Yes and you?". June responds.
“Yeah... that was crazy! These idiots”.
I look at the door and I don't see any movement, so I start to walk towards it, before I leave, I take the piece of iron I had and go. With the others on my tail, I see that there is no one else there. Only Steward's bloody body, with the iron still stuck in his head. Then I move closer and lower to examine it better, and it makes me shiver and terrible memories comes back to me. "Are you alright?". I feel a hand on my shoulder. Alicia.
I turn around and get up "Yeah... I was just saying goodbye".
"I'm sorry... I know you were friends". Alicia replies.
“Yes, we were. But it's okay... I think he's at peace now”. I smile.
“Yes, I'm sure he is... but I will repeat what you said to me inside... you don't have to feel guilty about what happened. It was not your fault". She looks at me and rubs my arm.
"I know... you're right."
"Come on. Let's join the others”. She says heading towards the rest.
I take another look at Steward and follow her. We arrived outside the building for the first time, without being attacked or interrupted. I don't see anyone. This is good, it means that we will not be attacked. I only see a deserted street with broken cars, blood, belongings of people lying on the floor. “I don't see and I don't hear anyone”. June speaks.
"It looks like a ghost town... it even looks like a movie." Answers Alicia.
"I think we should get out of here... find better shelter, supplies". Dwight replies.
"You're right... we can't stay here anymore." I answer.
Everyone agrees. We go back inside and I started packing my things, I check my inventory and apparently I don't have much. I imagine everyone is like me. I pick up my piece of iron and see the people who are with me. Alicia, Luci, John, June, Morgan, Dwight, Strand and three other people who I don’t remember the names. That idiot Wes isn't here. I'm glad. But we are not in very large numbers. Is this good or bad? "Hey... what’s your names?".
"Janis, this is my brother Tom and this is Laura". A woman answers.
"I'm Al... nice to meet you...". I chuckle as I shake hands. "We worked together for long time and didn't even know each other... it took all of this to happen for that". I shake my head.
"Well... it's good that we met Al". Janis smiles at me. And I smile back. What did she mean by that? And why is she looking at me like that? "Are you guys ready?!". My thought was interrupted by Morgan's voice.
Then we head towards the exit. It's now or never.
We walk in silence along the deserted street, until we decide to stop at a cafeteria that was on the corner where most of the time we went there for lunch. John examines the place first, then he lets us in. Everything is quiet, some food exposed with mosquitoes flying over, more belongings and blood "Let's check first if there is anyone around here". I say.
They agree, so we split up into a group and I go straight to the back with June and John "Do you think there’s still people here?". Question June.
"I don't know... but I don't want to be taken by surprise again." I answer.
She agrees and we head to the back door where it is locked "This is a good sign, it means that no one entered or left from the back, so we will not get any surprised from behind". Ends John.
We are in the kitchen part, so we are faced with a significant amount of supplies, we wasted no time and started picking them up. We only left the place after we left it clean. We found the others at the front "We found a good amount of food, it should last for a few days". Says John smiling, shaking his backpack.
"This is very good, we will need it". Morgan replies with a smile.
"The area is clean, the back door is locked". I mean sitting on the bench.
"We didn't find anything in the bathrooms either." Answers Alicia.
"So I think it's time for us to go." Tom says apprehensively.
We left in silence again, following the street. I see a pharmacy in the distance and nudge June and point out the place, she looks and nods. We do the same for others without using many words to keep as much silence as we can.
We arrived successfully, split up again and looked for supplies. Everything we found we put in the backpack because we never know what we are going to need, Laura and Janis kept watch while the rest carefully clean the place until "Hey!". I hear Laura.
We stop what we were doing and I see through the large window a man walking alone, his face is the same as that of the others who tried to kill us. Damn it! Then we bend down and hide on the shelves, when I hear a noise and see that Tom had spilled some medicine he had on the shelf where he was hiding. I widen my eyes and see everyone doing the same "I'm sorry". He whispers. I turn my attention to the man and see him coming towards us. Great!