“Hector and Victor knew they weren't going to return from their mission didn't they? They were on a suicide mission to assess the situation for those who had been captured and knew I would be there to relay the message back...”
“We had all intentions for them to return from the mission, but they also knew the risks involved. You have to understand how many people we've lost. It was the most important thing we've ever had to ask anyone to do. By giving you the code, they felt that the situation had reached a critical point. Something must be done or else we'll be the ones suffering.”
“Barrett, can we count on your help if we take the fight back to The Compound? You're the only one who knows the intricacies inside the walls.”
“I'll tell you the same thing I've told myself... We are all human, and we shouldn't be fighting each other. There is another enemy out there and we're all on the same side...But I cannot forget those who have been left behind. And I will do whatever I can in my power to make sure they are unharmed. No one deserves the fate Gregory has in store for them.”
“Thank you, Barrett. Why don't you go enjoy yourself for now, we will come for you when everything is in order. We'll have 10 days to prepare.”
I left the quarters and went back to the main area. Enjoy myself? How could I do that knowing what was going to happen in 10 days. Would I be involved at all in the planning? Or was I just going to be there to guide them on the day of whatever they decide their course of action might be? I'm not so sure this would turn out for the best. But my main goal was to get Jesse out of The Compound safely. I owed him more than anyone else.
With so much on my mind there was not much to do but wait for the inevitable. Time dragged on infinitely. I never thought of time as the enemy until what I had learned today. I tried to keep a positive outlook regardless of what happened, but deep down in my heart I knew the odds of success.
As I leaned against the wall I observed the occupants of my new home. They were so happy compared to inhabitants of The Compound. I had a feeling that many of these people had not experienced the true outside world. They were lucky enough to shut themselves out from the rest of the world. The Boogieman was not the undead lurking around the next blind corner, the Boogieman was Gregory and the fear of The Compound.
I noticed in one corner of the hall there were children sitting in a semi circle. It looked like a kindergarten class. They were singing and dancing along to the alphabet and numbers. The innocence of children was a beautiful thing. It's upsetting to realize eventually this warm world will one day come crashing down on them as it did us all.
As I stood there watching the children, I began to notice the teacher. She seemed to be around my age, with dark hair and olive skin. Our eyes met for a split second and she smiled at me. In that instant my breath was taken away. She continued to teach her students.
I turned around and began walking towards the dining area. For once in a long time I was looking forward to eating. When I arrived it was still the same food from this morning. Not a problem really, but from a nutritional standpoint how can they work all day without protein; other than a few eggs? I suppose Gregory had his answer for this problem.
I found an empty table and took a seat. There were less people in the hall at this time of the day then there were this morning during breakfast. As I ate my food I noticed someone approaching my table from the corner of my eye. When I looked up the school teacher from earlier was standing next to my table with a tray of food.
“Do you mind if I join you?” She asked.
I nodded my head and smiled. I couldn't find the words to respond.
“I saw you watching my class today. It's not everyday we have a new person arrive and I wanted to welcome you. I know how difficult it can be to be alone in a strange new place. My name is Cynthia.”
I gathered my composure.
“My name is Barrett, it's nice to meet you Cynthia. I'm sorry if it seemed a little strange that I was watching your class earlier.”
“Oh, I didn't even think of it that way. I thought it was nice for someone to show an interest in the children. They're my everything. Do you mind if I join you?”
“Of course, I'd love the company.”
She sat down next to me and began eating.
“So is it true you came from The Compound?” She asked.
“Yeah, I was there for a little while...”
“If you don't want to talk about it I understand. I'm sorry I brought it up.”
“No, it's okay. Maybe it's better for me to get it off my chest.”
“No, I understand. The Compound is a really touchy subject here. We've all lost some of our closest family members to The Compound. A Majority of the children I teach are orphans because of The Compound. Most of their parents left them behind to go to The Compound with Gregory. And the others... They never made it past the first few days of the outbreak. I lost my family to The Compound too.”
I wasn't quite sure how to respond.
“That's the world we're living in today unfortunately...”
She nodded in agreement. There was a brief moment of silence.
“So, how do you like the food?” She asked.
“It's nice to be able to have a meal like this. I can't even explain the type of food I had to survive on for awhile. And I'd say this is miles ahead of The Compound as well.”
“Well, that's good to hear! I couldn't imagine living there.”
“At first they weren't bad people. But you could tell something was going on behind the scenes. They seemed to turn on you easily. I think it's safe to say I didn't have many friends for the short time I was there.”
“It's okay, you'll never have to go back there now.”
With that statement, thoughts of Jesse flashed through my mind. I knew I would have to go back soon. But the words spewed out of my mouth.
“It's a breath of fresh air to think I'll never have to go back.”
I smiled and she giggled. It was an interesting turn of events. Although it was only for a brief moment.
“It was nice meeting you Barrett. I have to get back to teach the children again. I'm sure I will see you again.”
She got up from the table and walked back to her class. She turned and waved as she left the room. I was left speechless.
After finishing my food I left the hall and went back to my bedroom. There was not much to do from now until they called on me for the mission. I laid down on my bed for a short time until I heard a knock at my door. Was now the time? I walked over and opened the door. I was expecting to see Marshall, but it was not. Before me stood his wife Sarah.
“Barrett, can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure, I'd be glad to help you anyway I could.”
“Well, seeing as I'm sure you're bored out of your mind I figured you wouldn't mind walking up to the orchard with me and some of the others to gather food.”
“I'd love to. I've been curious as to how you operated the farmland safely since I had breakfast this morning.”
“Great, I'll be back to get you in 10 minutes. But make sure you have your firearm with you. You can never bee too careful on the outside.”
And with a smile she was off. I guess the farmland wasn't as safe as I expected it to be. Better safe than sorry.
Like clockwork Sarah was back in 10 minutes, ready to go. I followed her outside along with five other women and three men, who I'd also point out were armed. But who wasn't nowadays? We took a path through the mountain that led us outside in a direction that could not be accessed from the front of town. This would be a great escape route, especially since it looked like Gregory's men could not access it without an extensive hike over the mountains. But, in the same vein, the undead could potentially attack from both entrances of the mountain, effectively pinning the survivors in the mountain permanently. A classic military pincer attack strategy.
Much to my surprise one of the other women in the group was Cynthia. I walked over to her and tapped her on the shoul
der and she turned around with a smile.
“Long time no see, how was the rest of your class?”
“You know how it is, some things just don't change, children hate school now as much as I did when I was little.”
“I know the feeling, but it must be nice to be able to distract them from what's really going on out there... Give them a small taste of a normal childhood even if it's only a taste.”
“Trust me, it means more to me than you'd ever realize. I lost my family before coming here and I would give anything to get them back. Especially my little brother. I see him everyday in the children I teach. It's the only thing that keeps me sane.”
“I lost my parents and brother too. It makes you wonder why all of this had to happen. After all of mankind’s accomplishments, it's like being thrown back into the stone age.”
We continued walking through the fields. It was nice change of scenery compared to all of the woods I had been traveling through up until this point. For the second time I saw some animals running around, but this time much smaller. Different from what I saw at The Compound. I was sure they would have fled the area or been hunted out. But I guess this was a safe place to them.
“I wish my friend Jesse could see this.” I said.
“Your friend Jesse?” Cynthia asked.
“Yea, a boy from The Compound that helped me escape. I owe a lot to him.”
Cynthia's eyes opened wide and she began to cry.
Before I could ask her what was wrong she ran ahead to the others sobbing uncontrollably. I was a little confused what had made her so upset. The other men looked at me in disgust, not knowing what made Cynthia cry. I tried to approach Cynthia to find out what was going on but she refused to acknowledge my existence. I followed the others as we continued walking in silence. I didn't need to get on their bad side too.
When we finally arrived at the orchard there were a few dozen trees that seemed to be bearing fresh fruit. But the rest of the field contained dead trees, which I found to be extremely odd. I walked over to Sarah to find out.
“What happened to the rest of the trees?”
“That would be the work of Gregory... Before they left for The Compound he and Dorian tried to light fire to our crops to force us to go with them. Luckily we were able to stop the fire before all the trees were destroyed. We still have enough trees to sustain our people, but if we were still together with The Compound food would be extremely tight.”
This must be the last time they'll be able to pick anything before the winter sets in. I had a bunch of questions as to how they stored their food for the winter, but now wasn't the time.
I looked over at Cynthia, she refused to make eye contact with me. I kept looking over at her until I finally stole a glimpse from her. She tried to ignore that I saw her looking at me. I started to make funny faces at her whenever she would look over. But a stern look stayed on her face throughout my attempts. Finally, I tried one more time and I saw a small grin emerge from behind the facade.
As we began to walk back Cynthia approached me.
“Was what you said true? Did you really meet Jesse in The Compound?”
“While I was in The Compound I became friends with a small boy who was shunned from the others. He was about 13 years old and his name was Jesse. He was all by himself, he's the reason I was able to reach The Town.”
I saw tears rolling down Cynthia's cheek and I thought I had offended her again.
“I'm sorry if I said something wrong to you.”
“No, I'm just so happy. Jesse is my brother.”
How stupid could I be? I never put two and two together that Jesse and Cynthia could be siblings...
“I thought Jesse had died alongside my parents and this is the first time I had any confirmation that he was still alive. Thank you Barrett, you don't know how much this means to me.”
Cynthia reached out and gave me a hug. It was the first time I had felt any physical contact since I lost Vanessa three years ago. Had it really been that long? I held back my tears and we continued walking.
“So he's safe in The Compound now?”
“I wish I could say for sure that he was...”
“What do you mean? If he got there safely why wouldn't he be okay?”
“The people in The Compound didn't seem to show much care for your brother Jesse... Jesse and I were able to help each other while I was in The Compound and he is the only reason I'm here right now. But as he was helping me escape Gregory got a hold of him... I'm sorry but there was nothing else I could do. In order for me to help Jesse I had to get here so Marshall and the others could get back to The Compound and end this once and for all. I promise you Cynthia, I'll bring Jesse back into your life if it's the last thing I ever do.”
Cynthia looked me in the eyes and stopped crying. The expression on her face changed completely as if she had reached some sort of moment of clarity.
“I understand completely. I've lived this long thinking my brother Jesse had died. But now that I know there's even a shred of hope he's still alive I know I can trust in you to bring him back to me. Thank you Barrett.”
I was stunned by her response. I thought that she would never speak to me again after confessing how I had escaped The Compound. But the idea of reuniting with her brother Jesse must have reignited a fire in her belly. A fire that burns for the will to survive and see her beloved younger brother again. Hope is all we have left in this world and she's holding on for dear life.
The walk back was more pleasant than I had anticipated. The sun could be seen setting in the distance. It was the first time in a long time that I was able to enjoy a sunset. It's funny how we all took these things for granted before the world fell into the crapper. The Sun was never something I cared much about, but now things were different. Nature is an interesting thing. If our entire race was wiped off the face of this Earth, the Sun would still rise and set without a hitch. The Moon would still look down at us in the night sky. Plants would continue to grow and the tides would continue to roll in and out. It's true that time is fleeting for every man; no one is exempt. But it's also fleeting for the Earth. It's foolish to think the Earth will be here forever. And it's obvious many men have taken this for granted. Mankind as a whole will be gone long before the Earth ceases to spin. But until that time comes, nature marches forward along with time hand in hand, regardless if we're here or not. Now I understand the meaning of Tempus Edax Rerum.
Chapter 10
The next few days continued on in a similar fashion. Cynthia and I spent more time together and I felt as if I had a family again. This was developing into the best time of my life. I helped Cynthia with the children and Sarah with various odds and ends. Marshall would come and speak to me about times before the outbreak. How life was in this quiet town in the middle of nowhere. They were a good distance from any major cities so they seldom were visited by travelers or strangers alike. I could tell that although Gregory was his new found enemy, he missed his brother deeply. Reminiscing of their childhood together, days spent playing by the creek and family hunting trips with their father. I could see the emotions being hidden behind his eyes. But let's be honest with ourselves, nothing this great could ever possibly continue. The Boogieman is out there waiting for all of us. And unfortunately, Marshall's own brother had become the Boogieman.
I had asked Marshall what The Town was like prior to Gregory and the others leaving to form The Compound. It seemed at the beginning they were all a cohesive group. Surviving together, killing any wandering undead that might approach The Town. But one day, unbeknownst to Marshall, everything seemed to change. Gregory, which he shared leadership of The Town with, began venturing into the woods to start building The Compound. He told Marshall that it was a contingency plan in case something were to ever happen to The Town. But as The Compound continued to materialize, Gregory and others, such as Dorian, spent more time there. Eventually bringing supplies and staying overnight. Until one day, Gregory approached Marshall and s
poke to him about The Compound. Proposing a plan to move people there to help scout new supplies and help relieve some of the pressures associated with all of the survivors being in one central location. Crowding had always been a problem so Marshall could understand where Gregory was coming from. But Marshall was concerned with splitting up the group. They would be separated from each other, which could lead to problems down the road. Which obviously came to fruition. But nevertheless, Marshall trusted his brother and that's when the group split.
In the beginning Gregory only took those with him that volunteered. But eventually the number of people who wanted to leave dwindled down, most likely because of the rumors of hard times in The Compound. This was when Gregory started offering positions of power and grandiose awards for living in The Compound. Marshall insisted that Gregory not persuade people to join The Compound with promises and rewards in fear that there would be a power struggle between the two brothers. Loyalty had begun to become an issue as Marshall had originally feared. Eventually Gregory and the others from The Compound began demanding more and more supplies. It became too cumbersome to support both groups and Marshall demanded that Gregory bring the others back from The Compound. But that was not an option for Gregory and the others. They refused to come back. And this was when the great divide of the group finally took place. There was no turning back from that point forward. At first there was no contact between the groups and they coexisted peacefully. But as time went on, winter eventually set in, and that was when Gregory and those in The Compound became hostile towards Marshall and the other survivors. They demanded supplies and would raid The Town at night. Prior to these events, everyone lived in the actual town and not behind City Hall. It was no longer safe to do so once Gregory and the others began pillaging on a regular basis. At first they had to set up a new perimeter to watch for them. But the area was too large to successfully monitor and repel attacks. It was a totally new scenario that Marshall and the others never imagined they'd be facing. They were prepared for a zombie attack, but an attack from their own people? Relatives and best friends? It certainly put a different spin on the situation. Much more personal, putting a once trusting face on your enemy. This was another problem for Marshall and his men. Gregory and the others from The Compound seemed to have no problem with the atrocities they were committing on a nightly basis. They had become a shell of their former selves. They seemed to have no remorse when stealing or killing their once best friends and family. On the other hand, survivors from The Town had a very difficult time facing them. They still had love for their lost brothers and sisters. It was completely different from fighting off the undead. Many people cracked under the pressure of having to defend themselves from those who they once fought side by side with to survive through the zombie apocalypse. Some ran off into the woods and were never seen again. Others fled to The Compound to rejoin their loved ones in hopes they wouldn't have to fight any longer. And unfortunately, others took their own lives.
Human Zombies: The Compound Page 8
