The Walkers

If you are new to this series then you will want to start at chapter 1 with this link, https://shopping-feedback.today/horror/the-walkers-rl6olk0ii2

Bob and I step into the house with Meryl. The house is attractive and very clean. Meryl notices us looking around, "When you have the amount of time we do you end up cleaning a lot. Now come with me boys and we can talk in the kitchen over some lemonade." She walks straight on through a swinging door into a well organized kitchen and begins setting about pouring everyone lemonade. Carrying the drinks to a small table off to the right of the main kitchen she indicates that we should sit, "Now what are you boys doing out here?

I take the glass, giving her a nod in thanks before taking a long drink then look at the glass in surprise, "It is real lemonade! Wow I haven't had any since everything happened. Do you have a lemon tree here?"

Meryl laughs pointing off towards the set of houses near where we set off this morning, "One of our neighbors used to. Once they changed…" She looks down for a moment, her eyes filling with sadness before she shakes her head quickly, "Once they changed we made sure to keep it healthy just so we could keep getting fresh lemonade. My husband loves the stuff. I don't know if he would have made it this far without it."

Right then her husband comes through the back door, quickly heading off to somewhere in the house, only to return with a long blade. He pauses for a moment to take a long swig from her glass, "Now that's not true. I still got your cooking. Now if we lost that I definitely don't know what I would do." He gives her a quick kiss and then heads back out the back door whistling to himself.

Bob looks over at me, "Question? Why so excited about lemonade?"

I grin, draining the rest of my glass, "Was a favorite for me as a kid. The one thing that could cure all ills. Lemonade and sweets.” Meryl nods approvingly as she refills my glass for me.

Getting up, she begins looking through her pantry, "Now, while I find some sweets, why don't you two tell me how you got here?" We take turns telling her an abbreviated version of our stories as she triumphantly provides us with candies she dug out of the pantry. “ So then, where are you boys going next?"

I suck on one of the candies thoughtfully staring off, "We're trying to make our way to the capital. See if maybe anyone has survived and knows what's going on. Bob is hoping he can find a way home, as well as planning to tell the whole world about me, apparently." I look over at Bob grinning.

Bob smiles sheepishly, "That's the long and short of it Meryl. I could use my map and probably make it back to the border but I figure it's probably just safer to go with Steven here. Plus, that gives me more material to tell the world about."

I lean forward making a point to lock eyes with Meryl, "Now my question to you. What happened here? Why aren't you two affected?"

Meryl only met my gaze for a second before looking down, her expression turning to one of deep sadness. She slowly takes a breath as if to prepare for what she is about to say. "I don't know what happened. One morning Polidoe and I heard a commotion outside. We looked out the window and saw one of our neighbors beating her child to death. My husband tried to stop her but while she didn't attack him directly she clawed at him trying to get to her son. The whole time she screamed such nasty things at him. 'Die you filthy beast! I'll kill you for what you've done!' It was horrible. Eventually my husband had to give up and come back to the house to get patched up.

We watched as all over our little town this happened. The whole time wondering if we would be attacked. Then after about five or six hours it all stopped. We took a chance and went outside. The survivors, all of them adults, just stood around. Like they were waiting for something. When nighttime came of course they all collapsed. Through the night my husband went and decapitated every single one of them. When day came we burned them all and then we didn't do anything for the longest time.

Of course the food trucks stopped coming so we started fending for ourselves. My husband has always been a good hunter and I can grow almost anything. We eventually decided to strip all the homes of supplies and we took down all their personal belongings and got rid of them. Didn't need any reminders of the people who used to be here." When she finished she was crying, almost sobbing, "I don't know why we were spared. I wish I did. If so, maybe we could have helped them back then."

I get out of my seat and move over to her, hugging her tight, "I'm so sorry Meryl. Thank you for telling us your story." I just hold her and let her cry till she was done.

Getting up from the table, she excuses herself to the bathroom. When she comes back her face is dry and mostly composed. "It has been so long since I've told anyone about that and yet every moment is still burned into my mind." She sighs, "Let me go check on Polidoe and see what he's doing."

She walks out the back door and I look at Bob, "Wow. That was bad. I didn't mean to just make the poor woman cry like that, especially since we didn't learn anything from it."

Bob simply nods sipping on his lemonade. He looks over at me and with a serious tone and asks, "Steven you told me your plan was to head to the capital. You've been here living in this nightmare eight years now. Your country isn't so large that you couldn't have made it there by now. So what gives?"

I chuckle dryly, "I've been waiting for this question. This wasn't always my goal. Back when it was me and Stephan we had no goal, only survival. After he died I spent a few months just wandering around killing walkers when I could. Cowering at night from insomniacs. That's how I ended up in Squeen. And burning half the place down just to escape. Another few months after that was just spent on the run. By the time I made up my mind that I was going to the capital I had no real clue where I was anymore. So I started moving north because I knew it was somewhere to the north of Squeen. When you found me I had completed my third lap in a week that had brought me back to that town. I was utterly lost till you showed up buddy. So thanks for that."

Bob listens to me talk and then went back to looking off, "Steven if we make it to the capital and they tell you nothing can be done or if there is no one even there, promise me you'll leave with me. We'll just head for a border and then we can tell the world your story. Hopefully someone out there can come up with a solution."

I grin patting him on the back, "Sure Bob, it's a deal. But there will be someone there. I just know it."

Meryl walks back into the house with Polidoe who was holding several thin strips of meat, which he gingerly places on the counter after Meryl lines it with some parchment paper. "That is going to be dinner tonight. We're going to eat well. I've got another twenty pounds or so cooking in the smoker outside now. Should be ready come the morning to be cut down and fully salted. After that I guess you boys will probably be on your way." He looks down at his bloodied clothes, "Time for me to go strip and drown myself in a bit of water. You two help my wife with the cooking or else she'll insist on doing it all herself.” Nodding in agreement, I look at Meryl, "How can we help? Even if it's just grabbing things and bringing them to you."

Meryl gives a sigh then a small smile, "That goofy husband of mine. He knows I can handle myself just fine, but when he's able he tries to get all in my way to help me. Normally just makes dinner take longer but I've got a feeling you're just like him and will insist. So go to our shed out back and bring me about ten potatoes, eight carrots, two onions, and a single stalk of celery. I figure I'll make a stew out of this. It'll carry the longest and I've got containers I can send you boys with so you have some leftovers."

I nod and open the back door, my senses hit with the smell of deer cooking already in the smoker. I had forgotten how wonderful meat smells when being cooked. I make my way to the shed, collecting the various ingredients and heading back for the house. Reaching the door only to realize my hands are far too full to open it, I bang my head against it a couple of times till Bob takes pity on me and lets me in. He reaches out to take some of the supplies from me with a wry smile, "Really? Couldn't remember you would need hands to open a door? But I'm trusting you to get us out of all this. Starting to rethink that decision."

I laugh sarcastically, "Ha ha. Very funny." We carry the vegetables in where Meryl is almost done cutting down all the meat. I can see a massive pot sitting atop their wood burning stove, filled about halfway with liquid. Meryl nods her head down towards her feet, "Just put it down there. Got to get the meat cooking first anyways so that the broth has got some flavor."

We put the food down by her, "Is there anything else? I really don't mind helping at all."

She laughs at me shaking her head, "No, just go yell for that silly husband of mine to get back in before nightfall."

I nod and head towards back door again when Polidoe comes through it, "Oh hello there sir. I was just coming to call for you."

He's wearing fresh clothes now and smells at least a little less like blood. He looks happy but exhausted from the work of the day, "Well here I am. I hope you boys have been helping my wife out. She really will do everything herself if you let her."

Meryl chuckles as she chops all the vegetables, tossing them into the pot, "They helped plenty just like you. Now all of you sit down and stay out of my way. Dinner will be up soon enough."

Sitting down at the kitchen table with Bob and Polidoe, I realize that for the first time in 8 years I am relaxed and at least semi-rested. For at least a brief time I am able to forget all that had happened and just enjoy the company of my new friends, as well as the first home cooked meal I had in longer than I could remember. Bob, of course, is over the moon, the entire time telling us that where he came from, you couldn't get food like this anymore. We asked questions about his home and in return told him about what ours used to be like. Despite our exhaustion, we stay up talking and laughing until around midnight.For the three of us natives, it is cathartic to talk to someone who remembers the “before times.” Eventually though, we are unable to keep our eyes open and Bob and I head back to the house we are staying in. Meryl and Polilidoe tell us to come by in the morning and the jerky should be ready. I don't know about Bob but I was asleep pretty much the second I leaned back into the wall.

I'm not sure what time I wake up. All I know is that there is just a tiny bit of light in the sky. Enough that it doesn’t take my eyes long to adjust. The fire is dead and Bob is fully asleep. I start to doze back off when I hear a slight groan then what sounds like Meryl whispering, "Shhh they'll hear you." I slowly get up and make my way out of the house, taking my time and trying to be as quiet as possible.

Outside, I stand still, listening. Another soft groan, comes from the house directly to my left and I slowly walk towards it, heading for the closest window. When I reach it and look in the house I see exactly what I am afraid of. An insomniac is held down by chains to the floor. It seems weak and shows no interest in the person in front of it. I am not surprised to realize it is Meryl and she is waving a bowl of the stew from earlier in the evening in front of it. "Come on sweetie. Please eat some for mommy. I know you don't need it but if you eat it maybe you'll feel normal for a little while. Like before."

My ears perk up at this. She had made it act normal before? What was normal? I adjust myself slightly and kick some gravel by my feet. The insomniac's head swivels to look at me with blinding speed, it's eyes suddenly very bright and alive. I drop down out of sight trying to control my breathing and keep myself from screaming. I can hear Meryl trying to comfort it, "It's okay sweetie. It was just an animal. No need to get upset. Calm down." Slowly, it calms down and I sit under the window listening as best I can, being careful not to move again. "Alright sweetie mommy needs to go now. It'll be bedtime for you soon. I'll see you tomorrow night. Sleep well Milton. I love you." When she says it's name it seems like the insomniac remembers something and it grunts in response.

Meryl walks out of the house and comes around to the side, where I am silently gesturing to her. I crawl towards her before standing and then we begin walking back to the house Bob and I are occupying. At the door she stops and looks at me, "I'm sure you think I'm insane for keeping my son chained up in there. But I just couldn't let my husband kill him. That's my little boy, insomniac or not. I just couldn't accept it. He had just turned thirty five two days before it all happened. Of course we didn't see him at first when everything happened. We hoped maybe he was like us and somehow immune.

Nighttime came and as my husband went around killing all the walkers I came over to this house. When I opened up the door and saw him I was filled with joy so much so I ran up to hug him. That's when I saw what he had become and my heart broke. My husband helped me set up the system you see him in now. But after that he refused to have anything to do with it. He feels the whole thing is too unnatural. The restraints don't even have to be that tight since he mostly ignores us."

She stopped for a moment collecting herself so I take a moment to interject, "You said something about him acting normal if he ate? What were you talking about?"

She looks at me quizzically for a moment then sighs, "Understand it's not a cure, not even a temporary one. But every now and then I can trick him into eating something. When he does he seems to calm down. He's more responsive and he can even say two or three words. I've never gotten him to take a second bite so I have no idea if more could be done."

I nod, sighing myself now hoping that maybe she had been on to something, "Well I'm sorry I was spying on you but I heard him groaning and I had to come investigate. I don't fully agree with what you're doing here but I have no intention of saying or doing anything about it. We'll come by in the morning and collect the jerky then get out of your hair."

Meryl pats my cheek smiling, "Thank you Steven. You've been no problem at all. If anything, you came along at just the right time." With that she heads back towards her house. I turn to the door, opening it only to see Bob scrambling backwards falling on his butt.

I look down at him, "It's not nice to eavesdrop you know. You're lucky she didn't hear you."

Bob smiles sheepishly scratching his head, "Yeah sorry about that. I woke up and you were gone. I started heading for the door when I heard you two talking. I caught that she has her son who's an insomniac chained up next door. That's crazy man. But I guess it's understandable in a way. Just can't bring yourself to kill him and hope that one day he might come back. Admirable in a certain light."

I shrug heading back towards our room, "That is a way to look at it. Listen, I'm going to try and get a little more sleep. Because you want to be nosy, you can stand watch."

Bob groans, "Hey I said sorry. Come on man."

I reach the room and settle against the wall, "You better get used to it because our next three to four days are going to be in the forest at night. So we'll have to take turns being on watch. Once we reach the river things will get a little better." With that I close my eyes and sleep, returning to the same dark dreams

Bob is waking me up much sooner than I would have liked but I knew when I sat down I was only going to get maybe two hours of sleep. I stretch then smack my face a couple of times to help pull myself out of sleep.Out the window, the sun is just breaking the horizon. Bob has already packed up all of his belongings and it doesn’t take long for me too as well. With both of us ready we walk over to Polidoe's house. I look over at Bob, "Nothing about last night. Got it?"

Bob nods, zipping his lips. Before we could even reach the door Meryl was stepping out to greet us, "Alright boys come on in. Food is ready to go and I'm sure Polidoe can give you some directions to make your journey as short as possible."

Walking into the house Meryl points to a large knapsack on the kitchen table, "In there you have almost thirty pounds of jerky apparently and two large containers of stew. Should hold you for quite a while. Polidoe, the boys are here! Get in here."

Polidoe comes in from somewhere near the backdoor, "Alright boys. Thank you for the meat. It'll hold us for quite a while. Now about your route I'm assuming you don't want to go through Squeen?" I nod quickly, not wanting to talk about it if I don’t have to. Bob drops his bag digging out his map and handing it to Polidoe who looks it over for a few moments then sets it on the table, "Meryll find me a pencil please."

She walks back off to the front of the house while he stares at the map. Finally he put a finger down where we are and moves it north northwest, "I'll draw it out for you but there's a rough trail heading this way all the way to the river. About every twenty to twenty five miles you'll find hunting stands I've set up over the years. You can stay in them at night, away from the insomniacs. It's a bit of a climb up but if one person can do it then they can drop down the rope ladders I built to go with them. If you boys set out now and keep a good pace you should make it to the first one before nightfall." Meryl returns with a pencil and Polidoe quickly draws out the path for us. "Now you boys get on. Hope you find something out there. And if you ever happen to come back this way don't come knocking without food." He chuckles and gives us a big hug, "You boys be safe now."

We nod as I grab the knapsack, hefting it on to my other shoulder. Meryl came up and gave us both hugs as well, "You boys stay well and if you find a cure please come back."

I nod at her, "I promise we will be Meryl." With that we head out the door and leave the town the same way we did yesterday. Sure enough there was a rough trail running through the forest. I'm not really sure how I missed it yesterday. I guess I had been too focused on hunting. The first two days went perfectly. We walked during the day, munched on jerky, and refilled our water when we could using Bob's magic little pills to purify it. We were finding the hunting stands generally about thirty minutes before nightfall which gave me plenty of time to climb up and drop the ladder.

The third day however everything goes wrong. I was the last one on watch duty for the night and I ended up falling asleep again. So we wake up an hour later than normal. After taking off, things are going well till we come to a small clearing filled with walkers. Thirty to forty of them, seemingly stuck by the ring of trees surrounding them. They wouldn't appear all that peculiar except for the ragged clothes, gaunt faces, and constant groaning. We crouch down in the brush and backtrack, slowly making our way around the clearing while keeping as good an eye on them as we can. We have almost made our way completely around, to the point where we can actually see the pathway again when we realize there is one in front of us about 30 feet from the others. We slow down and skirt this one, fiinally making it back to the path.

By now, we have lost a full hour and a half, traveling no more than a half a mile. We know this means we have to pick up our pace and we spend the rest of the day in a semi jog finally hearing the river as the sun fades away. "Dammit. We need to move. There could be insomniacs or actual people around this area. Where there's water there is life as they say."

By the time we find the stand the sun has set. I scramble up the tree as fast as I can, dropping the ladder down and climbing down to help move bags up, "Move Bob come on." Bob rushes up the ladder with his bag. I throw him up my bag then grab the knapsack rushing up. About halfway up I feel the ladder being tugged on.

I don't dare to look down as Bob whispers, "It's an insomniac Steven. Come on man." I take the rest of the ladder rungs two at a time reaching the top.

When I get to the top I look down to see the insomniac having made it up two rungs. Before I even have time to think about it I pull out my machete and cut the ladder. The insomniac drops to the ground wriggling on its back for a few moments before finally standing again. The one thing that stands out is its eyes. They shine like an animal's staring at us groaning louder and louder. Soon there are more of them around the tree all clawing at it. I groan pulling the jerky out from the knapsack, "Well no one gets to sleep tonight. Honestly let's just pray no actual people come along. People are generally even worse than walkers or insomniacs. And if we do encounter anyone then you better double pray that it's noone from Squeen. Because if they are then I'll just jump to the insomniacs."

Bob and I sit up all night watching the insomniacs. At one point in my boredom I decide to see if I can land a piece of jerky in the mouth of one of them. It only takes me three times before I actually succeed and I remember Milton. The insomniac chews the jerky all of twice before forcibly gulping it down, almost choking itself. It's arms slowly lower but it continues to stare at us. After about ten minutes it croaks out "Beast. Filthy beast. Kill them all."

I laugh to myself, "Well I'll be damned. They really do talk. Isn't that something?" We sit for the rest of the night watching. Thankfully, there are no other intruders and as the sun rises the insomniacs fall over for all appearances dead. . I work my way down the tree with the knapsack on my back and then have Bob toss me the other two bags.

Then I got to watch the hilarious spectacle of Bob trying to climb down the tree which ends with him falling the last five feet landing on his butt. He stands up brushing himself off as I laugh. He looks at me, "Ha ha. Listen, this is the most physical anything I've done in my whole life. Where i come from you can go your whole life and never even see a tree. So of course I don't know how to climb them up or down."

I pat Bob on the back, "There now buddy. It's okay. I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you. Now let's see how we're going to cross the river."

Bob groans, picking up his bag, "Yeah but I wasn't laughing." We make our way down to the river's shore. The current is moving along fast enough that I'm a little scared to even dip my toes in.

I look at Bob, "Well you know, I'm not really sure how we're going to do this."

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