Sydney and Rob walked out the front door and never looked back. Sydney had just turned fourteen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two spent the next couple of years surviving on the streets. Rob never left Sydney alone, and she could always count on him to have her back. Because they worked as a team, scavenging was easy. Rob had found a gun and was a pretty good shot, which gave them an extra line of defense, but Sydney wasn’t able to practice with it because the last thing one wanted to do was to attract unwanted attention with gunshot blasts.
Then, late one night, Sydney’s life changed yet again.
She and Rob had drifted off to sleep in an old warehouse, thinking it was clear. Suddenly, they woke from a deep slumber, aware that they were not alone. Rob’s reactions were just a few seconds too slow. One of the decaying creatures bit deep into his wrist, and in the moment Rob and Sydney’s eyes met, they both knew it was over. He yelled at her to run, which she did, looking back only to see him deprive the Turners of adding him to their ranks. The last shot he ever fired took care of that.
Sydney escaped, and at sweet sixteen began her solo adventure with the Turners. It was the hardest and loneliest time of her life.
5 Getting Around
Sydney was always looking for a running car, but most of them were so nasty that walking was preferable to sitting in the stench that reeked from them. So, her main transportation was an old bicycle with heavy-duty tires. The bike was solid, easy to fix and great for keeping distance between herself and the Turners. It was convenient for scavenging, too, and she didn’t have to siphon gas to make it go. She had rigged baskets to the front and back so she could haul supplies and small backup weapons. She also tried to keep a couple changes of clothing on hand. It was hard to stay clean when the Turners were always slinging decomposed flesh around and fighting with weapons that required her to be essentially within arm’s reach of her opponents didn’t allow for much of a hygienic barrier. Since her weapons consisted of a hammer, an old machete and her ever-present fireplace poker, a gun was becoming more and more attractive—especially since many of the living were becoming more dangerous than the animated dead. At least with Turners you knew exactly what they were after and how they would likely respond in each situation.
Sydney had spent over two years on her solitary journey, and life was getting harder by the week. Having to be her own guard night and day was exhausting, and the scavenging and foraging was much harder with just one set of eyes to look for food and keep guard at the same time. But that was about to change.
6 The Boys
Once, the three young boys had had the life any boy their age would have envied—camping, fishing, going hunting with their fathers, and enjoying the beach in summer. But that was in a different time. There were no more lazy beach days, and hunting, camping, and fishing were now done to survive. Their fathers had taught them early on how to handle weapons, quite literally giving them the gift of life with that knowledge. Being small, wiry, and able to shoot and hit their targets, the boys were surviving quite well.
The last town was three days’ walk behind them, and they needed to restock their ammunition and provisions. While they were more than capable of trapping their food, shooting it was so much easier. Seeing a small town in the distance, they got off the main road and set off across the open desert. Their conversation was on the task at hand.
The oldest of the three, Mason, was always strategizing. “Let’s hike over to that hill to get a better look at the town.”
Christian, only slightly younger than Mason, agreed. “Good idea. Better to get a feel for the place from a safe distance first.”
The youngest boy, Austin, chimed in, “Go forth, fearless leaders!” and laughed. He had the hardest time being serious when it wasn’t absolutely necessary. And, since he didn’t see any Turners, it wasn’t necessary.
Four hours later the boys had hiked the hill, memorized the layout of the town, and were making a beeline for the grocery store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney was rummaging around when she heard excited voices. Ducking and moving slowly against the wall, she moved toward the commotion. These were not the grunts and moans of Turners, nor were they adult voices bent on ravaging, but voices full of life. As she cautiously peered around the corner, she was shocked at what she saw.
Three young boys, the oldest not even a teenager, were playing around, jabbing at each other. They weren’t being particularly loud, but all the time Sydney had spent alone had significantly sharpened her hearing. She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard bubbly laughter. Indeed, there wasn’t much to laugh about in those days, and she was mesmerized by the sound. How could these boys be so carefree amid so much horror?
Sensing no threat, she called over to them instead of just popping out into their path. As she came around the corner, they immediately were on the defensive, and Sydney wondered if she had done the right thing in getting their attention. Lucky for her, they decided not to shoot. Maybe it was the fact that her face wasn’t mottled with ooze and decay. Plus, there were three of them and she seemed to be alone.
“I’m not infected.” she said. “I’m just looking for food.” She could see that when they realized she was speaking and not grunting, they let their guard down a bit, but not completely.
The one in front lowered his gun. Sydney was quite certain he was thinking that a red-haired, freckle-faced girl couldn’t be all that dangerous. That was usually the reaction she got. It was her height that threw most people off.
The boy sized her up quickly and, walking toward her, he smiled and stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Mason Kingsman.” Sydney relaxed and put out her hand. As they shook, Mason introduced her to the rest of his group. “This is my cousin Christian, and his brother, Austin.” Even through the grime and muck, their smiles were warm and genuine. Their manners didn’t escape her notice either. They had been brought up well.
“You alone?” Christian asked.
Feeling no threat, Sydney answered, “Yeah. Have been for a while now.”
“Looks like you can take care of yourself,” he said as he looked up at her, “but if you want, you can hang with us. It might be a little safer for you.” Sydney thought his crooked smile was charming.
Although she didn’t feel the need for protection, there was something about the three boys that led her to accept their invitation without hesitation.
Without needing to say anything else, they continued scavenging the market. When they finished up, packing all the supplies they had gathered onto Sydney’s “wheels,” they started walking, keeping as close to buildings and other cover as they could without being an easy grab. Soon, although the street they were on was quiet, they could hear commotion and shouting. Mason moved ahead to check things out while the others followed a little distance behind, keeping alert eyes on him.
Mason peered around a corner and instantly held up his hand toward them in the universal “stop” sign. Looking back at Sydney and the boys, he signaled them to cross the street, and they followed him into an alley that merged onto another block. When they could no longer hear the shouts, they slowed down.
“I feel sick,” he said quietly. “There must have been fifty or sixty Turners falling in on a small group. They didn’t stand a chance, but that horde was too big for us to be of any help to them.”
“You did the right thing, Mase,” Christian said.
“Yeah. He’s right,” Sydney agreed, but the sadness even after all this time was still there. She never got used to seeing someone still human being overtaken and dismembered or turned.
Innocence is lost at a young age in times like those, and Sydney realized that the harsh realities of survival had turned the boys into soldiers.
7 Personalities
As Sydney got to know her new companions, her respect for them deepened.
Mason was twelve and tall for his age. Even through the grime, his features were handsome. His long, straight nose and fir
m mouth were set in an oval face. His hair was a thick, medium brown. His eyes were close set and a dark chocolate color, fringed with long lashes. Calmness and intellect beyond his years showed through them. He was thin for his height, but muscular. He was the fastest of the three and had unusually sharp vision, which is why he was always taking point. Although he knew how to handle other weapons, a .22 rifle was his choice because it was powerful enough to scramble the brains of a Turner and the ammunition was small, so more of it could be carried. He also had the advantage of a suppressor on his gun, which he had miraculously found in a pillaged gun shop along with the compatible .22.
Christian, only about six weeks younger than Mason, was just as muscular, but a little taller and broader. He had thick, sandy blond hair. His large blue eyes had a slight slant and a heavy fringe of lashes. His chin was dimpled, and his nose was broader than his cousin’s, with a slight upturn at the tip. He had an easy smile.
It didn’t take long to see that he had a compassionate and curious nature, as well as the ability to see beyond a person’s words. He was extremely creative and was usually the one who rigged traps to protect them while they slept. He, like Mason, was almost acrobatic in his ability to jump and climb over difficult obstacles. While Christian also carried a .22 rifle, he was just as efficient with an old Excalibur Phoenix that still had the scope. The small bow was ideal for his build, and although his eyesight was perfect, the scope was always a handy thing to have. He had revamped an old quiver to fit him so that it was easier to maneuver with in tight situations. The bow was great for those times when he needed to drop a Turner without drawing attention to himself—and anyone else who happened to be with him.
Austin was the one who had an unending supply of laughter. He found humor in almost everything, and he was almost always humming or singing. He was the youngest by a year and a half, but the older ones never made him feel as though he wasn’t measuring up. In truth, he was just as adept as they were at the survival game. He had very thick, dark hair, big round chocolate eyes and the thickest lashes Sydney have ever seen. She couldn’t help wondering who that particular trait, so pronounced in all of them, came from. Like the others, he also was tall for his age, and muscular, but stockier.
Besides having a tremendous sense of humor, Austin also had an uncanny knack for finding food, which proved to be an indispensable gift. He also possessed a heightened sense of smell. He could even smell the difference between miscellaneous rotting matter and the putrid reek of Turners. That ability of his had prevented encounters more times than any of them could count! He, like the others, carried a .22 rifle.
They all carried Ka-Bars their fathers had given them, secured snuggly at their waists in custom sheathes. Much to Sydney’s pleasure and relief, they all were dead-on shots, literally. Those three young boys were going to grow up to be formidable men.
Sydney and the boys were so at ease and comfortable with each other that she slipped into the role of big sister. Although she felt the need to look after them, it was quite apparent that they could do just fine on their own. She would never have thought that she would one day lean on three young boys for protection and companionship. Like Sydney, the boys all loved to read, so sharing stories, articles and facts was an endless source of entertainment on their journeys. The days passed quickly into months, and the four survivors became inseparable.
8 The Church
Next to water and food, shelter was always the greatest need. Finding Turner-proof shelter was a constant challenge, since the undead seemed to show up in the most unexpected places.
With that on their minds, Sydney’s probably most of all, they were looking for a safe house for the night when they came across an old church. Mason and Christian scouted around the outside and Sydney cautiously pushed the front door open, while Austin covered her.
All looked to be clear, so the four went inside and locked the front door. The doors to the side of the altars were closed, and since Turners didn’t have the dexterity to turn knobs (even if the rotting flesh didn’t keep causing their hands to slip), Sydney and the boys figured why open a can of worms—or in this case, a room full of Turners. Also, the sun was setting, and they needed to secure a place to sleep. After thoroughly searching the open sanctuary, they picked their pews and, settling in for the night, slipped into easy conversation.
“Hey, Christian, throw some jerky this way and a bottle of water,” Mason said, reaching up to grab each item as Christian tossed it toward him.
“I wonder what type of church this was. We used to go with my parents a lot before everyone got the munchies,” Austin said, chuckling at his joke.
Sydney sighed. “I don’t know, but it’s really restful.”
“I miss it,” Christian said. He was looking at the banner over the podium, which boldly proclaimed, ‘Trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding.’ Sydney didn’t know why the plague had happened, only that some lab people were careless. She knew it wasn’t God’s fault, and somehow those words brought comfort. Maybe things weren’t so out of control after all.
“I always liked the feeling and smell of church,” Mason said. He was clearly enjoying being there.
As they were winding down and reminiscing, there was a sudden bang behind one of the doors to the right of the podium. They all jumped at the same time. Slowly, they spread out with their weapons and moved in the direction of the noise. Sydney was reminded yet again of her need for something more menacing than a fire poker.
Normally, opening a closed door wasn’t such a big deal, but knowing that the thing behind the door could possibly eat them had Sydney’s senses, and her hair, standing on edge. She could hear her heart pounding. The boys arranged themselves to her left. When Sydney reached out to open the door, they would meet whatever was behind it with their rifles.
Everything happened at once.
As the door flew open, a body shot out along the floor, grabbing Christian and knocking him off his feet. Sydney was reaching to pull the Turner off him when they suddenly flipped over, and Christian was on top of it. Austin and Sydney both latched onto Christian to pull him away while Mason pulverized the Turner with a headshot. That was one rector who wasn’t going to be giving any more altar calls.
While their adrenaline was surging, they did a thorough search of the sanctuary again, this time opening all the adjoining doors. Satisfied that all really was clear this time, they settled back down and quickly fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
After that encounter, the incident with the boys’ families and Sydney’s own with her brother plagued her mind. She kept wondering what they would do if she and the boys ever got separated by Turners. With that in mind, she approached them with an idea.
“I think we need to start setting rendezvous points as we’re walking. Maybe every mile or two, we point out a structure or a secure area where we could meet if we got separated. At least that way we would know for sure who was able to survive. What do you think?”
Austin agreed. “I like that plan.” Then, thoughtfully, he added, “I miss Mom and Dad so much. Sometimes I even wonder if we should have waited around longer after the attack to see if anyone might have gotten away.”
“You know we couldn’t wait longer than we did. It just wasn’t safe anymore,” Mason pointed out.
“He’s right, Austin. None of us would have left if we’d thought there was even the slightest chance of anyone showing up. The Turners that attacked us were new, and anyone they bit would have turned within minutes,” Christian said.
While Mason and Austin could mask their feelings, Christian’s face was transparent. You could see the emotion as he talked, and reliving that moment tore at him.
9 A Destination
Life was as good as it could be under the circumstances, and the months grew into a year.
One day Austin, who stopped to read everything that time allowed, came across a flyer in a small town, and it got him thinking. According to the flyer, they
were within a few days’ walk of a military base.
“What do you think?” Austin asked as they crammed together to read the flyer. The base was offering sanctuary to anyone who was not infected. Sydney had to chuckle as she thought, Yeah, like the infected could be reading this.
“It would be nice to get a real meal,” Austin went on, “and not be jumping all night at every little sound.”
“Do you think they have hot showers?” Christian asked. “I’m so sick of rot and guts sticking to me. I’m starting to gag when I stand still. At least when I walk the smell is behind me.”
“The problem with that is that you’re usually in front of me,” Austin said with a laugh.
“What do you think I was talking about?” said Christian pointing at Austin.
When they had stopped laughing, the discussion continued.
“We need to get more ammo, and I want to find another weapon. I’d like one that could put a little more distance between me and those stinkers,” Mason added.
“For me, I’d like to get the right stuff to make a few Molotov cocktails. They’re the best for distractions and incinerating,” Christian said. He had a fascination with explosives. His mother’s uncle had been a blasting engineer for a mining company, and he had often taken Christian to the mines with him. The boy had acquired not only knowledge about using explosives, but also a very deep respect for their abilities. The stories he told proved he knew what not to do, which was reassuring.
Sydney was beginning to get antsy standing in one place so long. She kept hearing rustling in the distance, and they had a lot of visual obstructions. “Probably a good idea to get going then, since we seem to be in agreement,” she said. “It looks like that’s the way out of town,” pointing to her left.
Turners | Book 1 | The Beginning Page 2
