Surviving Day By Day (Book 1): So it Begins

by Allensworth, Audra

  Beth really had no time to ask questions and she pulled her fire arm up and fired quickly. The bullet went right between his eyes. When his body hit the floor of the cabin Beth immediately walked backwards and looked into the bathroom. She did not want to have her back turned from the front of the cabin but she had to check that bathroom before exiting the cabin.

  She made sure that there were no more infected she began heading straight forward to the door of the cabin stepping over the corpse and ran out the door.

  Once she was outside she looked towards the other cabin and saw Colt go around towards the back of his cabin. Beth looked back to his Rover to make sure that there were no infected there or anywhere in or around there area. Seeing no one Beth picked up her steps and started catching up to Colt.

  When she had got close enough to see that he was now carrying and ax Beth replied, “Now that is a great weapon you got there, Colt. One that doesn’t have to reload and another thing it is a hell of a lot quieter so it will draw less attention.”

  Beth thought that hopefully talking to Colt like she was his friend would make him feel better and what was more, she liked having someone alive around to talk to.

  Chapter 21 - Alden:

  Tonto’s head rose up and he looked past Alden off into the woods. “What is it boy?” Alden whispered, still straddling and holding the woman down.

  Tonto’s hair raised up all the way down his back as his growl became low and fierce. Alden leaned back down into the woman’s ear, “Rambo was a pussy… Now listen here cupcake. We got company, now if you want to live you will do exactly as I say no questions. If you don’t, I will leave you here as bait.”

  The young woman simply nodded. “Now here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to slide off you and you will get up on your knees slowly when I give the signal I want you to run that way, pointing back towards the camp, as fast and as quiet as you can, no fucking screaming.”

  The woman turned to him as he moved off her and whispered, “Signal…what fucking signal?”

  Alden had already moved off her and was turning back towards where Tonto was facing, and was pulling something out of his camo pants side pocket.

  The blaring sound of the air horn caused the woman to scream, “HOLY FUCK!” as she took off like a rabbit towards the camp.

  Alden turned to Tonto, “Let’s go boy.”

  He took off running in the direction Tonto had faced still blowing the air horn. Tonto ran alongside then suddenly stopped and turned around twice indicating an enemy presence. Alden grabbed a stick and wedged it into the trigger of the air horn then threw it in an opposite direction. He ducked down as he saw a mob of about twenty deadheads turn their focus to the sound of the horn.

  Alden looked to Tonto and snapped his fingers once and the two backed away and were soon heading back to camp. “Hopefully that will keep them occupied till we can get back and set up a defense” he said to Tonto as they moved through the woods.

  Tonto barked quietly, “Yeah yeah I know, you and me and three little cupcakes against a platoon of deadheads, if it wasn’t for you being here boy I’d be a bit worried.” Tonto barked once more as they continued on.

  Ceara quietly made her way back to camp hoping that she wasn’t bringing attention from the deaders. Maximus was right by her till a loud noise scared both of them. Ceara screamed and Maximus barked. “OK fuck stealth, RUN!” She burst through the trees “CHARLIE what the hell was that?”

  Alden watched in front as Tabitha broke through the trees startling Charlie. “CHARLIE….. THIS IS CUPCAKE THREE. POP THAT GREEN LONG BOX BY MY TRUCK, WE GOT COMPANY.”

  Tonto stopped a few yards into the lot and spun around crouching down, snarling and watching the tree line. Alden made for the old foot locker as Charlie stood dumbfounded. Reaching in he began to pull out an array of rifles laying them quickly on the ground. He stood and turned and saw the German Sheppard running in from the woods followed closely by his master. Ceara joined the new girl as Charlie looked first to the woods then back to Alden.

  Alden laid three shotguns and another 45 desert eagle on the ground then pulled out an army ammo box, and opened it. The speed to which he loaded the shot guns amazed the three young people. Turning around he saw that the two girls were standing side by side with Charlie off to the left. The one girl’s dog had joined Tonto at the edge and both were growling lowly. “Alright everyone listen up. I was hoping to have time to teach you all how to do this but that ain’t gonna happen. You’re all getting a crash course of tactics and defense.”

  Handing each one a shotgun he went on, “Rule one I’m in charge. You do as I say no questions and no fucking independent ideas.”

  Ceara looked to the new girl as the girt pumped the shotgun and looked down the site, Ceara looked at her own shotgun and pumped it just like the girl did and then to not look like she didn’t know what she was doing, she raised it up to look down the barrel too.

  She wasn’t sure why she was looking down the barrel but the girl did it, so it must be right. Charlie was holding a gun and looking nervous. Ceara lowered the shotgun, “Maximus come here!”

  Maximus stood by the man’s dog and didn’t do more than look back in Ceara’s direction. “Damn dog!”

  The girl looked mean so Ceara slid over by Charlie, “Sorry, I just feel better by you.”

  Charlie looked to Ceara then to the new girl and then to his own shot gun, “I’m not sure about this” he said as he worked the action of the rifle.

  Charlie looked at the dark haired girl. To him, she was fierce looking with her leather jacket and pants, her eyes were soft but cold, but her general demeanor was one who was not to be messed with.

  Charlie turned and smiled weakly at the new girl, “Hi I’m cupcake number one, names Charlie. This here is cupcake number two her name is Ceara.” Ceara started to say something but the old man didn’t let her.

  Alden stepped up to the group his face was stern and his eyes were cold. “I don’t have time to evaluate what you may or may not know about these deadheads, or how well you can shoot, or what you may know about weapons… so here is the crash course.”

  Alden walked in front of all of them, “I have given all have shotguns, they are good for close range and easy to hit your target, which by the way, is the head. If you hit the bastards in the stomach or the shoulder they’ll just keep coming. If you hit them in the leg and blow their fucking knees out, they’ll keep coming, crawling yes, but still coming. The only way to kill them is with a head shot.”

  Alden stopped pacing, “I am not interested in whether it’s against your religion to kill, the religion that concerns me right here and now is mine and my 1st commandment is, I SHALL NOT DIE OR BE BIT.”

  His voiced bellowed to get his point across. “IF YOU GET BIT, I WILL SHOOT YOU IN THE HEAD, Nothing personal, it’s just the way things are. Now are we all on the same fucking page.”

  Not waiting for an answer he went on “GOOD! The 2ND commandment is if I get bit you will SHOOT ME IN THE FUCKING HEAD GOT IT?”

  Taking his knife out he drew a semicircle in the dirt, drawing a large box at the top, “This is the Latrine, the potty house for those who have never been off the block.”

  To the left he drew a smaller box, “This here is my truck, we will form a semi-circle field of fire the two on the ends, Charlie you and cupcake three will be here and here,” as he put an x in the dirt signifying their positions.

  Ceara raised her hand “ummmm Sir..”

  Alden glared at her, “I said this was not open for debate… shut up and listen up number two.”

  She put a hand on her hip, “Fine, be all in control, I don’t give a shit, but I thought you might want to know there were more deaders about a mile over that way.”

  She pointed her shotgun in the direction her and Maximus had just came. Alden looked back to where she pointed, “That’s fine missy, you say a mile huh, well figuring the average normal human walks at about 2 miles an hour their not real
ly an imminent threat like the ones that are only about a thousand yards that way and are heading our way right now, are they?”

  Ceara started pouting, “I was just saying damn.” She looked to Charlie, “Can we shoot him now?”

  Charlie shook his head, “No, the dog would kill us all if we even thought about it,” he whispered. Ceara winked at Charlie, “Not if Maximus can block him, but odds of that ain’t real high,” just saying.

  Alden groaned and looked to cupcake number three, “Thank God you got some brains to you. You and I might be the only ones to come out of this alive.”

  Tabitha glared at him, “If I wanted to kill you, I would just do it, can we PLEASE focus on the damn things coming?”

  Alden roared, “Y’ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP. JESUS H CHRIST! We make a semi-circle Charlie you and number three take the corners make sure you are not facing each other, Cupcake two you’re with me in the center here. You’ll be on my left shooting right towards front, do not shoot cupcake number three; that would upset me and her if she lived.”

  Alden points to the left, “I’ll shoot to the left, Charlie and Cupcake three give ground if you have to, but do not turn and run. If they flank us were all dead. Now everyone knows what to expect and what you should do. One more thing, the plugs have been removed from the shot guns so you have five shots not three; shoot 4 and keep count reload then shoot four again never ever empty your weapon.”

  Ceara looked to Charlie but walked over with the man, “Could you at least call me by my name, its Ceara remember? And running the risk of pissing you off more, do I have to do that pump thing every shot?”

  Alden sighed, and then remembered what he said to Tonto, “Missy that’s why you’re with me, and yes you have to pump it every time, later, if you live through this I have a better one in the truck. One more thing, you all see that big red dog, he’s my brother, my partner and my best fucking friend. He has killed many of those things, probably more than all of you combined. You shoot him, I shoot you, even if he gets bit. I don’t have time to explain, but that’s just the way it is.”

  Tabitha moved to her position scanning the woods, “How far you think they are?”

  She glanced back to the area Ceara had said that others would be coming from, she knew Rambo was right, they had plenty of time before the others got there but that was depending on the girl knowing how to gauge distance and the girl didn’t look to intelligent to her. Tabitha looked over to the girl, “Do your job and do it good or else I will take you out myself.”

  Ceara looked from Tabitha to Alden, wondering what she had gotten herself into and if she lived she thought she should get away from these psychotic people. Charlie seemed to be the only sane one but he worshipped the old man, with a heavy sigh she looked to Tabitha, “I got this, and even if I don’t you will be dead, so stop the threats, ok?”

  Tabitha was really getting antsy and the only thing that she wanted to do was blow the fuckers away. Tabitha looked off to her right of the perimeter, the leaves on the ground were rustling and memories of when she was younger played in the foreground of her mind briefly.

  Quietly Tabitha slowing sidestepped a couple of feet to her right and stopped suddenly. Her eyes then became slits as she peered off through the trees trying to pin point the sound. Closing her eyes for a brief moment so that her hearing became more acute, she honed in back to the left where her head snapped and her eyes became wide.

  The sound was a thud then a dragging sound along the leaves. Whispering back to Alden then giving a nod with her head in that direction, “Hey Rambo! 12 o’clock.”

  She didn’t really feel too comfortable with little red riding hood back there and well, the boy over to her left looked like a virgin on prom night with his weapon. Just then she realized where her position was and with Alden being behind her Tabitha didn’t take time to think… she just reacted. Seeing the figure make its way out of the tree line she wasted no time. With her eye looking down the sight she followed the movements until she was able to see that the asshole was one of the dead. The dragging noise that she heard was the zombie’s right leg dragging behind him while he stomped down with his left foot.

  Both dogs now could be seen out of the corner of her eye bolting off in his direction and just as she figured out that the mutts were going after this fucktard Tabitha quickly saw another zombie coming out of the woods about twenty yards to her right. This one however was moaning very loudly and that was when Tabitha finally had had enough. “AWWW FUCK THIS SHIT!!” she yelled before pulling the trigger on her rifle.

  Tabitha hadn’t fired a weapon in a while but it was like riding a bike. The recoil was kick ass and every survival instinct about Tabitha came out. When the shell made contact with her target there was nothing left of the guys head and his body dropped to the ground. Down deep inside she felt a twinge of excitement and chuckled loudly, “That’s what I’m talking about!!!!”

  Pumping her rifle once the shell casing flew out and Tabitha wasted no time. She took a couple more steps and found herself standing almost directly in front of Alden’s truck. Just then her head snapped to her right and she yelled, “3 O’CLOCK!!!”

  Taking a quick head count Tabitha counted five more fuckers headed in their direction.

  Ceara swung to where cupcake three said the deader was. Ceara raised the shotgun and fired; the man lurched back but didn’t go down. The damn shotgun wasn’t very accurate; she pumped it again and fired again, this time he dropped. She took a deep breath, rolled her shoulder knowing there was going to be a bruise. Ceara aimed at another one that just broke through the trees about thirty feet from her, she fired, the deader didn’t even flinch. She looked toward Alden, “What the fuck?! I fired right at him!”

  Alden glanced over to Ceara, “IT AIN’T THE DAMN WEAPONS FAULT. Now listen; aim, take a breath, hold it for a second, and then squeeze the trigger as you breathe out. Also you’re fifty yards away your weapon is not that accurate at this distance nor is it that deadly. You can slow them down from here but they have to get a hell of a lot closer for you to kill them.”

  Just then he turned to where Charlie was, Tonto had taken down two deadheads, by the arm then bit into their throats and yanked. The longer the Deadhead had been dead the easier the head popped off Alden noticed. Three more had come out of the woods and Alden had counted Charley’s shots, he was down to two.

  Pushing Ceara back a little he stood and fired three shots rapidly hitting each one right in the head. He watched as Charlie fumbled for the shells as he tried to reload. “PEEL BACK A FEW STEPS CHARLIE! PEEL BACK!!!” Alden yelled, as four more suddenly appeared.

  Alden took two out with his pistol as he gave a loud whistle. Tonto released his hold on the deadhead and lunged toward the closet one to Charlie knocking Charlie off balance and square on his ass dropping the shells in his hand as he hit the ground.

  Charlie never saw Tonto or the deadhead, till the dog had hit him. “Shit. .Shit. .Shit!!,” he said as he scrambled to grab the fallen shells and get them in the rifle.

  “Peel back? What the fuck is peel back???!,” he thought to himself.

  The intensity of the situation was getting to him. He was shaking so bad he could hardly hold the shotgun anymore. A deadhead had gotten hold of his right foot as he finished reloading. Charlie screamed and whacked at it with the rifle when suddenly Maximus had hold of the deadhead by his leg and was dragging it back. The deadhead rolled over and Maximus released and bit again only this time a little higher up right into the deadheads groin area. Charlie winced at the sight of the dog dragging the deadhead back and then suddenly had no grip. Charlie knew what part had just been bitten off, “OH HOLY HELL! FUCK!! THAT HURT ME!!!”

  Maximus turned and dropped the body part as Charlie saw the back of the deadhead’s head explode knowing once again Alden had saved his life. Rolling to his right he got up on one knee, the adrenaline pumping hard he fired four shots all of them hitting their mark. He rolled once more and started to reload, �
��HEY ALDEN! I THINK I’M GETTING THE HANG OF THIS!!” He yelled with a big grin.

  Tabitha could hear all of the commotion going on and all she could do was try to keep her eyes wide while she kept reloading. However; when she head Charlie cheerfully make his little comment Tabitha got an even bigger smile on her face.

  Kindergarten was now over and this shit was getting real. The mutts were carrying on with veracious intensity and quickly she turned to see Alden. “Who opened the fucking gates?”

  Then she saw one of the zombies making their way over towards the red head. “Hey Red!!!! 9 O’CLOCK!!!”

  Ceara looked over at Tabitha and frantically exclaimed, “GOT IT!!!”

  Ceara leveled the shotgun pulling the trigger to hear a click, “FUCK!!”

  She quickly pumped the shotgun and fired again dropping the deader. She knew she only had one shot left before she had to reload.

  Tabitha saw Ceara fidget with the gun after it made the clicking sound and this caused Tabitha to smirk. “She definitely needs to have a repeat of ‘guns 101’ when this is all over, if she survives this shit!” she shouted over to Alden.

  However, when she heard the gun go off and quickly looked over to see the body hit the ground Tabitha scanned the perimeter once more. The zombies were now starting to thin out and she could easily pick a few more off. Taking a few more head shots she started walking back towards Charlie to see what was going on because the mutts were carrying on weirdly and Charlie appeared to be a little in shock. Tabitha glanced over and noticed, lying right there on the ground was a zombie’s privates.

  Chuckling out loud Tabitha stated to Charlie sarcastically, “At least it wasn’t yours!”

  Then the German Shepard started to run in the opposite direction in a playful manner. “Hey Muttley, he didn’t throw you a bone did he!?!”

  Tabitha kicked it out of her way and smiled at the group while saying, “Ok… you all got to admit THAT was fucking brutal.”