They say it takes a village. Well my village is on wheels. We have been forced to become nomads travelling in an ineffectual caravan of trucks, tankers, and cars. I’ve lived in this mobile town for what seems like forever. I’m 15 now, I’ve been here for…let’s see now…6 years. I hate it.
I don’t have any parents. They turned right before my eyes. It was a terrible way to go. They were soliciting for their church group when the owners lunged out and snapped at them. How ironic is that. Here are two good, amicable people advocating to build a better community, and they bit in the butt. Literally. I was there. The creatures didn’t see me. My parents rushed back to the car, desperately covering their wounds and carrying me at the same time. At the hospital there were dozens more with similar maladies. I watched as my parents went from injured parents to hungry beasts. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
I don’t know how I got out of there. I remember using a fire extinguisher as a shield fro something, but I don’t know what. Somehow I found a map and found the safest exit. How astute I was. Not to brag but, at 11 years old keeping a cool head is hard to do. But I did and now I live in a humvee.
Jim is like my dad now. He was a soldier shuttling evacuees in this very humvee. He taught me how to shoot. It was him who told me the best method at scrutinizing the terrain when I had to be lookout (which I loath to do). He taught me to survive. Jim never considered me a burden or vexatious little kid. I think I reminded him of his brother. He turned too. He told me the story how he had to incapacitate him with a baseball bat. He considers it to be a nefarious act against God, but I call it survival. What is nefarious is the virus. Making men into monsters.
Pit stop. One of the ambulances’ tires blew out again. I don’t like our checkpoint. It’s a city. Cities are bad. Trapped survivors and infected people everywhere. Lurking in the shadows. Jim’s heading towards the ambulance now. Oh crap. There’s one coming right for him. Let’s see how good I am with this rifle.