Once outside she lit up and took a long drag. The night air was a bit nippy and to keep w
arm Tabitha began to walk around
. She did not want to get too far away from the cabins so she walked around to the front and paid close attentions to her surroundings. Not knowing the woods as well as she did Tab
itha heard small little varmints
out there scurrying though the leaves. “Mice probably”, she said while she made her way past Alden’s truck when all of the sudden something caused Tabitha to fall flat on her ass.
It was as if something had tripped her because when she landed what really hurt was her ankle. Her head made a quick snap when she heard something rattling and then from out of nowhere Tonto and Maximus were coming right toward her like halls balls to the wall. Staggering to her feet she didn’t really want to make a lot of noise
because
the fucking mutts were doing enough of that. In a low by very angry voice Tabitha said, “Would you mangy mutts shut the fuck up!!!” Then right after she turned to make it back to the cabin Tonto kno
cked her to the goddamn ground.
The dogs barking and the cans crashing together pulled everyone out of bed and running fully armed ready for the dead heads. Alden and Colt were in their boxers carrying guns made Ceara start laughing, then when they saw Tabitha on the ground in t-shirt and panties with Tonto now standing guard made her laugh harder. Charlie was trying not to laugh and looked at C
eara, “Shhh”
Ceara covered her mouth trying to stop. Charlie looked at Colt, “Damn Colt! It isn’t that cold out here.”
Colt turned red and turned back to go in the cabin, Colt walked past Beth, “He’s an asshole… night.”
Beth had done well hiding the smile till Colt was back in the cabin then winked at Ceara. Ceara walked over to Beth, “What’s up with you? Are you ok, you seem like you are really trying to convince us all that this shit ain’t your fault. Girl, we all know this isn’t your fault.”
Beth folded her arms in front of her. Ceara was trying very hard to help her know that this whole thing wasn’t her fault. However, with the shock of everything and reliving the texts over and over in her head just really did not convince Beth at all. “Ceara, I am fine, just exceedingly tired and hopefully things will look a whole lot better after I get some sleep.” Not waiting for Ceara’s response Beth turned and made her way back into the cabin. All she wanted was to sleep and hopefully what she had told Ceara would hold some truth to it.
Once she made it back to her room Beth remembered Colt calling Charlie an asshole and figured that she would get just one more dig in because she figured that if he hadn’t figured out yet, what he had done that Jessica would do something to prove a point. Quickly she stepped behind the door and slammed it shut knowing that Colt would hear her frustration by her actions. Once it was shut she chuckled quietly to herself and spoke sarcastically, “That one was you Jessic
a!”
After she then made her way back to her bed Beth turned the blankets back, took off her clothe
s and crawled under the covers.
Colt could hear the others still outside but the slamming door was obviously meant for him, rolling his eyes. He went to the bed and sat down, his elbows on his knees he held in his head in his hands, “She doesn’t get it! I am trying but sh
e won’t even meet me part way!”
He
lay
back on the bed sliding in under the covers and pulled them up to his waist. “Well tomorrow is another day and we can get somewher
e tomorrow, maybe… Damn women.”
Alden snapped his fingers and Tonto went to his side and sat down still facing Tabitha. Reaching out his hand, “Here cupcake
,
let me help you.” As he pulled her up we noticed the cigarette on the ground still smoldering. He reached down and picked it up as she was fixing her tee shirt trying to pull it down. Putting the Butt in his mouth Alden reached over and brushed the leaves and grass off her back but being careful to not go to low. “I’d help you with the ones on your ass, but I figure you’d try and hit me and then I’d have to pick you up again cause Ton
to would knock you down again.”
Tabitha glared at him then turned red and began to giggle, “It’s freeking cold out here can we go?” As they walked back to the cabin Tabitha looked at him, “I just wanted a fucking smoke that’s all
,
I didn’
t mean to cause such a ruckus.”
Alden smiled as they went up the steps, Alden watched as Ceara and Charlie closed their cabin door, still smiling he went inside the front door. Tabitha started for her room and he grabbed her arm firm but gentle. With the cigarette still in his mouth he took another puff and handed it back to her. “Tabby I don’t give a shit if you smoke, but tho
se things will get you killed.”
Tabitha sighed, “Oh please don’t give me
the lecture on cancer and shit
.”
Alden interrupted her, “I ain’t talking cancer little lady. I heard a story once about a sniper who took out a target at five hundred meters on a moonless night. He knew where his target was and waited for a shot. The sun went down and he figured he’d get the guy in the morning. The target walked out of his tent and lit one of those. The sniper had him located that quick when the target took the third hit and the cigarette glowed he fired and reports sa
id he hit the man in the nose.”
Tabitha stood and stared at
him, “Dead heads don’t shoot.”
Alden grinned; “you missed the most important part of the story sweetie. The shooter located him from the glow of the cigarette.
If we are here, so are others, n
ot to mention I’ve told you all
;
smell travels too and we don’t know what they can or cannot smell so we need to be careful. If you need to smoke we’ll fix you place in the kit
chen by a window. Good enough?”
Tabitha smiled and finished her smoke. Alden picked up a small tin box off the end table and pushed the top open. Inside was a snuffed out butt. “Never seen one of
these pocket ashtrays did you?”
Tabitha’s eyes went wide, and she started to giggle. “Nooooo” She placed the butt in the tin and Alden shut it.
“Now cupcake you take yourself to your room
,
you’re
damp and cold.
” He saw her look, “Just t
rust me
,
I can tell. Get warm and go to bed
,
I don’t need anyone coming down sick.”
Tabitha looked at her shirt and realized she was colder than she thought. Crossing her arms over her chest she turned to go to her room.
Alden laughed, “A little late but nice try.” As she closed door he mumbled, “Nice ass too.” He turned walked over and latched the door then went to his room and crawled back into his bed laying there snickering to himself and fell asleep.
Alden stirred as the birds began to sing outside his window. Laying there looking out he saw the sky begin to glow orange as the sun was peeking over the horizon. He got up and went to the bathroom. Turning on the tap he let the water run, it was still warm from the night before. He finished his morning ritual and returned to his room. Pulling out a clean pair of woodland camo pants and a black tee shirt he was dressed in a matter of minutes. His boots laced he went outside, started the fire and got his coffee pot out.
He wanted to try and get everybody together in the morning for a meeting. With the coffee done, Alden poured a cup and sat down. Reaching under the table he patted Tonto on the head then scratched his ears. “Yo
ur shifts over boy you can go.”
Tonto bolted to the first tree on the line and raised his leg, and then he took off into the woods heading for the stream. Alden smiled he knew Tonto loved the water and was heading for a morning swim. He looked up and closed his eyes as the sun was now shining on the table. He always l
oved the first rays of the day.
Ceara woke the next morning stretching and yawned, she tiptoed to the bathroom in her t-shirt needed to empty her bladder badly. As soon as she washed her hands she brushed her teeth and opened the door to tiptoe back to her room, Charlie was leanin
g on his door frame, “Morning!”
Ceara screamed and yanked her t
-shirt down, “Damn it Charlie!”
She ran back to her room and got dressed. Once her hair was brushed she went to the kitchen where Charlie was standing, “Morning, again… I can’t help i
t if you don’t tiptoe quietly.”
Ceara smiled at him, “Hey I tried. Sorry I
woke you up, did you sleep ok?”
Charlie shrugged, “Not so much, kept thinking I heard shit outsi
de, but the dogs never barked.”
Ceara ran to t
he back door, “Is Maximus ok??”
Charlie didn’t need to answer; Maximus was on the stairs waiting to be let in. She held open the door and let him in; Maximus came in wag
ging his tail looking for food.
“Damn it, I left his food in the jeep, I’ll be right back. Oh
,
it smel
ls like Alden has coffee made.”
She headed out the door and ran across the yard to her jeep with Maximus on her heels. Suddenly he was in front of her and stopped growling at the trees. Ceara froze, she hadn’t grabbed a weapon on the way out.
“Maximus shhhh”, she started edging back to the cabin but knew she wouldn’t make it. Charlie may not hear if she screamed and right now she didn’t want any attention drawn to her. Taking a couple more steps backwards, Maximus barked. The dead head came out of the trees c
oming right for her, “ALDEN!!!”
Hearing Ceara scream brought Alden out of his trance. Jumping up he bolted around the cabin. He saw Ceara running towards her cabin and ga
ve yell, “CEARA, HERE TO ME!!!”
He watched as she turned towards his voice her eyes filled with terror. Alden reached for his knife, “Goddamn it!” He realized
he had not even armed himself.
Alden took off running right towards Ceara
,
her arms were out for him and he side stepped her and headed straight for the deadhead. Just before he got to him Alden dropped and slid on the wet grass from the morning dew, as he slid past the deadhead it stopped and tried to reach for him. Alden hooked
its
leg and flipped it as he went sliding by causing it to fall onto its face. Alden rolled and sprung to his feet before the deadhead could get up and kicked it in the ribs. The sickening crunch from his boot breaking bone caused Ceara to gag. Alden kept kicking the man over and over again rapidly rolling him away from Ceara with each hit and breaking bones as he went. Maximus was nipping and biting fiercely each time the body landed trying to get a hold of it till the next blow landed from Alden’s boot. The deadhead landed on his back finally and Alden jumped straight up and landed with both feet on
its
head crushing it into the ground. It twitched for only a
m
oment
and went limp. Alden stepped back from the bloody mess. The body was covered with dark red blood, and tissue. Bones were sticking out of it’s chest. The brains were a grey mush on the grass and one eye had popped out.
Alden kicked it one more time, “Mutha
’ fucker you got my boots dirty,
SON OF A BITCH!!” Ceara looked from the body to Alden and ran throwing herself in his arms, “I’m sorry, I should have taken a gun,” she was crying so hard
he could barely understand her.
Alden slowly started to put his arms around her; he was not used to someone hugging him after he killed a person. Gently patting her back, “There, there it’s, it’s okay. He’s do
ne he ain’t going to hurt you.”
He pushed her back a little then put his arm around her and walked her over to the back of his truck. Lowering the tail gate and lifting back on the camper shell he picked her up and set her on the gate. He reached in and pulled out a roll of paper towels and tore a sheet off gently wiping her face. “Sweetie, I guess we just learned rule numb
er one at our new little site.”
Ceara sniffed and wiped her nose, “What’s that, alwa
ys go out armed with a weapon?”
Alden smiled and wiped a tear off her cheek, “Yes, when you get up you need to have socks, undiepants and a weapo
n before you leaves the house.”
Ceara sniffled again and then giggled, “We
ll you didn’t have one either.”
Alden reached past her and pulled out another hunting knife and handed it
to her, “Honey… I am a weapon.”
Charlie heard Ceara’s screams and came bolting out the door. He saw Ceara running towards the cabin and raised the
rife
. The deadhead was right behind her and he couldn’t get a clear shot. He heard Alden’s voice and saw him running from behind his cabin right t
owards her. “Shit! shit! shit!”
Now both of them were in his line of sight. Charlie lowered the
rife
and then quickly raised it as he saw Alden run past Ceara. Ceara stopped and turned and he watched as Alden went after the Deadhead with a fury he never knew a man could have. Charlie jumped off the porch and ran towards the truck when it was all over. He was almost there when he heard the bushes rustle turning quickly he aimed and then pulled back just as Tonto came sneaking
through in a crouch.
Charlie walked over and petted Tonto, “Damn good dog.” He started to walk towards the truck and Tonto took off working in a clockwise direction sniffing the air and checking the perimeter. Getting next to Alden and Ceara he reached down and pette
d Maximus, “Good boy. Good boy.”
He looked to Ceara, “You alright?” She was still giggling an
d nodded, “yes honey I’m fine.”
Charlie looked at Alden who spoke up quickly, “Yes, honey I’m fi
ne too.” He said sarcastically.
Charlie smiled and shook his head. “I think maybe we should
go see if everyone else is up.”
Alden watched as Ceara jumped off the gate and then he closed it up. Turning he watched as Ceara and Charlie were walking towards the back where the coffee was, Alden smiled, “Yeah Charlie I’m sure the rest are still counting sheep
after Ceara’s siren went off.”
Colt was up and hopping through the cabin trying to get his jeans on and grabbed his gun off the kitchen counter, he headed out the front door just as Beth got there. When they stepped out on the porch Alden, Charlie and Ceara w
ere walking back to the cabins.
Co
lt called out, “Everything ok?”
Alden waved, “Is now, we have a mess to clea
n up in a bit.”
Colt looked to where the monster was laying, it looked like it had been beheaded. Colt shivered as he looked at Beth, “Man jus
t when we thought it was safe.”
Alden called out to them, “Meeting in the back in ten minutes.” Colt waved and wen
t back in the cabin.
Beth stood there with her arms folded across her chest staring at the corpse when Colt walked past her. Knowing tha
t she had to go to the bathroom,
the pain of her bladder
feeling like it would
burst was the only thing that brought her out of t
he trance that she had been in.
When she had got her business taken care of she immediately went into her routine of morning hygiene. However
,
after she splashed water on her face and looked at her reflection staring back at her was when the tears began to fall. So many people had died and not just the ones that she had to put down but others who didn’t even know that it was coming. Beth had to start gaining some composure but didn’t quite know how.
That was until she heard Colt making noise out in the other room. As soon as she exited the bathroom Beth quickly put on the pair of jeans she had laying on the rail of the bed followed then by her socks and shoes. When she had finished she wiped the tears and carefully rubbed her eyes. It was time for her to greet the group and it was a new day.
She knew that
sometime today she had to
talk to Colt in private. That was
i
f there would ever be a chance.
Making her way out to the living area she saw Colt standing over by the sink. The rays of the sun were coming through the window and she thought to herself, “No time like the
present.”
Making her way over to the small table Beth moved the chair out so that she could sit for a
m
om
ent. “Morning Colt, I trust you slept well. I did once I got to sleep and I must say that there is nothing
like sleeping on a bed again.”
Beth was sincerely trying to put her best foot forward. Colt stood starring out the window when Beth spoke, turning to her and leaning on the counter. He wondered what got her talking again, “I slept ok, until Ceara screamed like a banshee. That brought me right out of bed, stubbed my d
amn toe on the end of the bed.”
Colt walked over to the table and sat with Beth. “So are you going to tell me what I did to piss you off
,
so I’ll know if
I do it again?”
Wanting so badly to just start a new day and not be in a hurtful mood Beth giggled at him when he made reference to him stubbing his toe but when he asked his question she got the most caring look on her face. “Colt that was the other day and somewhere
I would just like to move on. I was mad but
I’m not now.
”
She saw the look of frustration cross his face, “
I was hurt by what you said and I just want you to know that if I could
have
stopped this tragedy I would. I have been trying so hard to think if there is anyone whom I can try to contact from my cell but I don’t even know if the Internet is up and working. Then
,
if it is
, what if
that put
s
us in harm’s way by drawing out attention off of what needs to be watch
ed. If you know what I mean…”
Trailing off
she turned her head towards the front door. “To me
,
right now, the only survivors are us and we
right now are at ground zero.”
Beth turned her head back and looked over to Colt. Making a very sweet gesture for the very first time Beth reached over and touched his hand on the table and continued, “I am so sorry for what happened to Jessica…I guess what I am saying is that if I could of stopped it I would have but right now all we ca
n do is try to make this work.”
It was Colt’s turn to be a bit annoyed, how was he supposed to know what he did if she didn’t tell him. “Ok, I guess I do know that you would have stopped this if you had any idea it would happen. I know that no one in their right mind would have wanted this to happen to the world. Well, maybe those fanatics that use to boycott funerals of soldiers but hey, there is a bright side, they
probably didn’t survive this.”
Colt stood pushing the chair into the table, “Come on, Alden said something about a meeting and I i
magine they are waiting on us.”
Alden walked into his cabin and met Tabitha in the front room. She was trying to get her boots on and her shirt was half buttoned and crooked at that. “Well at least you got your jeans on straight.” He said as he walked into his room and got his 45. Checking it to make sure it was loaded he placed it the holster and clipped it to his belt. Picking up his survival knife it put it on his belt as well.
Walking back out
,
Tabitha was re-buttoning her shirt, “Is everything okay, what was all that commotion?”
“It was Ceara
,
she was attacked but we took care of it. I’ve called a meeting out back in a few minutes. Get yourself together and come armed. I don’t want you walking out of here without protection from here on out.”