The Dead Lands Diary [Vol. III]

by S. David Staggs

  RAY: Ben moves pretty well. Heather works but she’s slow as fuck! But she keeps at it and that’s what counts. I can tell she can’t wait to be done with it. The other day though [laughs] Ben asked what they’d be doing after the wood was done. Heather’s face was priceless. A total “why the fuck would you say that,” face.

  ME: I bet she was pretty damn pissed!

  RAY: She wasn’t a happy camper that’s for sure.

  ME: So what does need done next?

  RAY: Gonna try and insulate these houses a little better.

  ME: That’ll be nice. Larry said he was going to try and help us figure out the solar panels.

  RAY: Oh, that’d be great! Whenever he’s ready! I got some guys coming from The Retreat to help with some of the insulating. They know what they’re doing so I’ll help you guys with the solar.

  ME: Sounds good. How’s your dad?

  RAY: Grumpy and anxious about getting everything done. He spends a lot of time with Wayne exchanging ideas about shit.

  ME: Can’t go wrong there. But we got this, we always do.

  RAY: That’s what I told him but he still freaks out. Wayne is much more calm about it all and always has to ease him up. It works for awhile but then he’ll get all wired about it again. It’s a cycle [laughs].

  ME: Guess so [laughs]. Okay, I’m outta here. Let me know if Ben or Heather start to slack at all so I can talk to them. Alexis has been busting her ass over time thinking that she’s making up for their lack of work. That ain’t right.

  RAY: No, that’s not right at all. We’ll keep them working. Alexis needs to slow her roll.

  ME: I told her the same. Alright, I’m out. Speak with you later on.

  RAY: You got it.

  **

  Catching up with Karen Unheir at Kelly and Jim’s house.

  ME: Kelly got you doing all her work, Karen?

  KELLY: You’re funny. She’s a great help though!

  KAREN: I like it. Well, not like it but I mean, it’s okay. Better than cutting wood. I bet Heather wishes she found this job first!

  ME: Hell, she didn’t even find one…I had to direct her to one. Same with Ben.

  KELLY: That boy has gotten so damn lazy!

  KAREN: It’s Heather. Her lazy influence.

  ME: Ray told me he’s been helping with wood everyday though. Heather, too.

  KELLY: Seriously?

  ME: Shocking isn’t it?

  KELLY: It is. I may have to go see him actually doing something.

  KAREN: Heather complaining a lot?

  ME: Oh, yeah.

  KAREN: [laughs].

  ME: How you been, Karen?

  KAREN: I’ve been…what’s the word? Chipper?

  ME: Heather tell you to say that bullshit?

  KAREN: [laughs] She did. It cracks her up.

  ME: Her stacking wood cracks me up more.

  KELLY: She loves busting your chops, Jack.

  ME: I know. She does it every time I see her.

  KELLY: She does it to everyone.

  KAREN: Except Reggie.

  ME: Why the hell does Reggie get a break??

  KAREN: Cause Reggie is better at busting chops than she is. He shuts her shit down.

  KELLY: [laughs] He does. She still tries now and then but she regrets it. He’s too witty for her.

  ME: He is a smartass. Second nature.

  KAREN: He’s great.

  ME: He is. I gotta say, seeing you such a…people person now and involved in everything is nice, Karen. You’re great to be around now.

  KAREN: Thanks. I know I was a major bitch to everyone and now I feel bad about it but you talked to me that one day and it got through to me, so thanks for that.

  ME: You’re welcome. Glad I could help.

  KAREN: Me too.

  ME: Okay, I’m going to meet with Larry and continue going over the solar plans.

  KELLY: He’s helping?

  ME: Yeah. And it’s needed, that’s for sure.

  KAREN: Seems pretty complicated.

  ME: Maybe not for some, but for me it is.

  KAREN: Well, good luck with that.

  ME: Thanks.

  KELLY: I can’t wait to tell Jim that Ben is actually doing stuff.

  ME: I’m sure he’ll be thrilled and shocked at the same time.

  KELLY: Surely. Okay, bye. Tell Larry Hello.

  ME: Will do.

  **

  Catching up with Todd Hicks as he worked under the hood of a recent truck he and Larry brought back.

  ME: That one in good shape?

  TODD: Huh? Oh, hey. You startled me. Yeah, this one doesn’t appear to need much work at all. Just going over it all. The hell you up to? Besides sneaking up on people?

  ME: Not too much. The usual. You and Larry have gathered quite the collection.

  TODD: More the better. Never know when anything could happen and may need them. We have a lot of people here now.

  ME: Well, hopefully we’ll never need them.

  TODD: Better safe than sorry, my friend. Better safe than sorry. Larry said you popped over the other day.

  ME: Yeah. He made me drink with him.

  TODD: [laughs].

  ME: You were right about him though.

  TODD: How’s that?

  ME: About just feeling judged. Now he’s more friendly and engages with people. He’s actually pleasant.

  TODD: He can be [laughs]. Still has his asshole moments though.

  ME: Don’t we all?

  TODD: Fair enough. His are worse though [laughs].

  [drops tool; mumbles]

  ME: Dropped something.

  TODD: Thank you smartass. Did you need something?

  ME: Nope. Just social call.

  TODD: Okay, good. Cause I’m up to my ass with shit to do. I didn’t have time for your bullshit [laughs].

  ME: Thanks, appreciate it [laughs].

  TODD: You run into any Bolters out there lately?

  ME: Not in awhile. Why?

  TODD: I haven’t either. Was just curious. No one else has either.

  ME: It’s fall. Probably migrating. They’re smart.

  TODD: Even in August, and it was warm then, I didn’t see but a few. I don’t think there’s been any newly turned in our general area in a long time now. Just Roamers and Shamblers and Stagnants. No one left to infect around here, Jack. There’s no other survivors around us anymore. If there are, they’re taken good care to stay hidden and must have a good setup somewhere.

  ME: That’s a grim thought. You very well may be right. One on hand, it’s sad. On the other, it’s good to worry less about Bolters.

  TODD: I’ll worry about them just the same as I always did. They scare the fuck out of me. I’ll never forget those ones in that lobby parking lot that night and then the next day.

  ME: Me either. Or Reggie since he got shot.

  TODD: He ain’t ever gonna let that shit go.

  ME: At least you don’t get the blame for it all the time [laughs].

  TODD: True that, buddy.

  ME: So, absolutely no sign of anyone alive then on your runs?

  TODD: Nope. Not a single hint of other people. Just the dead. Also, we’ve extinguished like…every resource around here. We’re going to have to start looking for shit further out. Who knows…maybe there’s some Bolters out there!

  ME: And maybe other people, too.

  TODD: Which can tend to be even more dangerous.

  ME: Maybe you and I can go look further out in a couple days.

  TODD: Sure. Maybe Reggie will want to tag along [laughs].

  ME: I’ll make sure I bring that up [laughs]. I’m actually going to be talking to him tonight.

  TODD: I look forward to his response. Seriously though, going further out we should have some more people with us just in case. Never know what we could run into.

  ME: I’ll ask Jim and Ray.

  TODD: Alright. Just get back to me and we’ll schedule our little expedition. I gotta finish up with this and
check on another one. Tomorrow night Larry and I were talking about having some drinks and playing cards. You and Reggie and Jim should stop by. Larry was gonna ask Ray and Alan.

  ME: Alright…sounds good. See you tomorrow.

  TODD: You got it.

  **

  Catching up with Reggie that night on watch. We sat on the wall with our legs over the side. It was a dark night with crisp air.

  ME: At least it’s not freezing tonight. It’s about that time.

  REGGIE: Don’t remind me. So I heard you got Ben and Heather to stop dragging their asses! Daaaaaamn! That’s a motha fuckin’ achievement right there!

  ME: Remember the days when you were lazy as hell?

  REGGIE: Fuck off. I was but I bust my ass now.

  ME: You sure as hell do.

  REGGIE: Did you tell them the ant and grasshopper story?

  ME: [laughs]. No.

  REGGIE: Well what the fuck! Why not?! It’s a good motivating story. Worked for me. How’d you motivate them?

  ME: I told them we all needed to pitch in and had shit to do.

  REGGIE: Well, I got a cool story at least.

  ME: Feels like ages ago.

  REGGIE: Fuck yeah it does…feels like old times though right now. Shit, you and I have been doing this fuckin’ shit since the damn get go. All the way back to Akron.

  ME: Sitting on the front porch.

  REGGIE: It’s a damn wonder we made it this far. We sat on the damn porch, lived in an unsecured house all together and stayed way longer than we should have.

  ME: Yeah. Right out in the open. Damn Bolter pack would have taken us out pretty damn fast. We were pretty damn stupid.

  REGGIE: I think once we realized about the Bolters…that’s when we started keeping watch on the roof wasn’t it?

  ME: I think so. That or we started seeing more infected around or closer screams. I don’t remember. I just know we eventually figured out that sitting on the porch was dumb as hell.

  REGGIE: I miss the old ladies.

  ME: Me too…

  REGGIE: I don’t miss Stan.

  ME: [laughs]. No. No, but I still feel just a bit bad for him. From the letter he left, ya know?

  REGGIE: Maybe just a bit. Was still a dick though and never lifted a finger to fuckin’ help our asses out. Fuck, it’s kinda nice, yet sad, to reflect on all we’ve been through. What came next? We headed out before winter.

  ME: Yeah. Went out to Hiram and luckily found Tim.

  REGGIE: Too late for your poor uncle though.

  ME: Stubborn man. Got himself killed being too brave.

  REGGIE: But we found Ben! That was a great day. Fucker scared the shit out of me though!

  ME: We scared him just as badly [laughs]. I thought for sure he was going to take off out that door and never be seen again.

  REGGIE: Guess he figured he had nothing left to lose maybe. He trusted us and that was good. Possibly be dead if he hadn’t.

  ME: You remember knocking that damn cup down the stairs in there?

  REGGIE: Fuck! I thought it was game over, bro! I was expecting a ton of fucks to come charging out of every area. I damn near shit my pants, no joke. Straight up shit.

  ME: [laughs]. You and I both.

  REGGIE: Know what else I remember? Cause, who could forget…nearly freezing to death at the Hutt!

  ME: That was a nightmare. Hutt saved our lives though. Had we not set up safe posts we’d probably be dead.

  REGGIE: Wasn’t all that my idea?

  ME: I’m pretty sure it was mine.

  REGGIE: Pretty sure you’re full of shit. All mine.

  ME: Either way, it was a great idea.

  REGGIE: Thank you.

  ME: [laughs].

  REGGIE: Kelly’s bitch mood swings.

  ME: Remember when we got her a deck of cards or some shit to entertain her?

  REGGIE: [laughs loudly]. I forgot about that. It worked, too! For awhile at least. Her obsession with keeping Ben safe and restricted kept her busy too.

  ME: For a few, until he really had enough. Remember our makeshift little Christmas?

  REGGIE: Yeah…I found that box of ornaments and decorations in the basement.

  ME: Now, I do know and remember for sure that was your idea. And it was a really good one.

  REGGIE: It helped Ben. He needed it. Didn’t we get him some cheap ass portable CD player from that discount store?

  ME: Yeah. And an assortment of music cause we had no clue what he liked.

  REGGIE: Man, I hate thinking about that store. That was a bad experience.

  ME: You can say that again.

  REGGIE: That was a bad exp-

  ME: Shut up [laughs].

  REGGIE: Bitch, you almost got us killed for some mason jars!

  ME: Hey! Ended up being worth it. And the key word there is almost. We got out fine.

  REGGIE: Fuckin’ barely!

  ME: We were fine.

  REGGIE: Then…that night.

  ME: I don’t even want to think about that night. I have never been more terrified. Not even the war with The Retreat scared me as much as that night.

  REGGIE: After that night, it’d be hard for much to scare you. I still have a nightmare from time to time about that night. Just watching them come out of the woods and across the field. Seemed like they weren’t gonna ever stop emerging.

  ME: I remember well. I thought that was it for us. I thought we’d be dead moments later.

  REGGIE: Me too.

  ME: I think about Tim often.

  REGGIE: Yeah, he saved our lives.

  ME: So close…we all should have made it out.

  REGGIE: It never would have happened and you know it. If he didn’t do what he did, we’d have all died that night.

  ME: I know it. I still think about how long he was out there…infected…a stagnant! Took all that time to think of it and go looking for him…

  REGGIE: We’ve been through all that before, man. Ain’t your fault so don’t start. I didn’t think either, neither did fuckin’ Jim or Kelly or Ben. After all that went down, there wasn’t much time to think about anything except surviving. We nearly froze and needed shelter and food. We found that house and made it more fortified than the other. Then we got invited to The Haven and trying to settle in and all…making that adjustment and then not long later, the threat from The Retreat and the war…wasn’t much time for thinking.

  ME: Right.

  REGGIE: But once things settled, you did think of it and we found him and fixed it. So…I mean it when I say to you…shut the fuck up!

  ME: [laughs]. Thanks.

  REGGIE: Anytime, dick.

  ME: We made that house badass, didn’t we?

  REGGIE: Oh, fuck yeah. That horde could never have gotten in that one! Granted, I wasn’t trying to get their attention to test that shit, but I believe they couldn’t have.

  ME: I think it would have taken them longer. They wouldn’t have left knowing we were there.

  REGGIE: Eventually they would. They’d forget what they were there for.

  ME: Roamers maybe. Bolters are smarter.

  REGGIE: They’re just as easily distracted though. Once something else got their attention they’d have taken off.

  ME: If something got their attention before they got to us.

  REGGIE: True enough. When I saw them walking down the road…knowing they were still around.

  ME: I was scared but I wanted payback.

  REGGIE: Payback and a sense of security knowing they were gone. Was a pretty good plan. Can’t believe it fuckin’ worked but it did.

  ME: Wasn’t the remote thing your idea?

  REGGIE: I don’t know…it was a good idea, so most likely.

  ME: [laughs].

  REGGIE: And what were the chances that shit attracted the fine folks here and they found us?