Chapter 1
A crow caws on the roof of a barn in the compound. In the distance a woman named Tori is riding up to the buildings fast on a silver horse carrying a rifle. Brendan comes out of one of the buildings and runs up to meet Tori with another man following him. “Baby, what’s wrong?”, yells Brendan. Tori answers breathlessly, “Zombies on the west side where the stream dumps into the river! About a dozen of of them!”
“Did you nail them Tori?”, asks the man who followed Brendan.
Brendan turns to the man and says, “Tom, how many times do I have to tell you we aren’t in a damn video game.”
Tori dismounts the horse, “I had to shoot a couple that were almost on top of us before Titan here could get up to speed and outrun them. Still you better get extra guards up.”
Brendan hugs Tori, “I will. Just glad you are ok.”
Later that afternoon Brendan and Tori are shucking corn with a young man when Ray walks in. “Brendan you better come see this”, Ray says.
“What is it Ray? Another mutilation?”, says Brendan.
Ray motions for Brendan to follow him, “Just come look.”
Tori turns to the young man and says, “Lakota, stay here and keep shucking.” She then follows Brendan and Ray outside.
The three walk to the corner of the pasture where a gruff looking man hands Brendan a pair of binoculars. “What is it Bill?”, Brendan asks taking the binoculars.
“Get a load of it for yourself”, says Bill pointing. “Straight ahead up on the hill.”
Brendan looks through the binoculars and is surprised to see what appears to be four humans standing on a hill in the distance staring back at them. It looks like three women and a man all young adults and they have a dog with them. “Are they zombies?”, asks Brendan.
“That’s what we thought at first but they just stood there. Never known a zombie to stay still”, says Bill.
“I tried banging the steel drum over there but all it did was spook the horses they remained just like that”, says Ray.
“We can shoot them just to be sure. Case they are zombies after all”, says Bill.
Tori takes a turn looking through the binoculars. “The one woman has a trench coat and a hat with a feather in it. I didn’t know zombies had any fashion sense.”
“Maybe she wore that stuff before she was turned”, says Ray.
“Na she has a point”, says Bill. “Zombies usually aren’t that easy on the eyes. They go so crazy berserk they look like they just came off an all night bender. You know what I’m saying?”
“Besides if they were zombies they would have torn that dog apart”, adds Brendan.
“Unless dogs can become zombies too now”, says Tori.
“Then maybe they are survivors like us passing through”, says Ray.
“It’s still creepy them just standing there like that”, says Tori.
“Ray and I will ride out to investigate. You two cover us”, says Brendan.
Ray and Brendan ride out to the four strangers with the dog. Brendan says, “Howdy! What can I do for you folks?”
The man then speaks, “Hello! We come in peace. We are survivors who have been wandering trying to find someplace safe to stay.”
“Well good luck with that”, says Ray. “Everyone’s got some story of a utopia someplace or another but no such place exists.”
“Too bad”, says the man. “We thought we had found one here.”
“This place is safe. But only because we are very cautious. If you catch my drift”, says Brendan. “I have a lot of people I am responsible for here.”
The woman wearing the hat then speaks, “Understood. We will be on our way then.” The strangers and the dog turn and start to walk away.
Brendan and Ray watch them go. Brendan looks down at the ground and mutters softly, “Curse my soft heart.” He then says louder, “Wait!”
The four strangers stop walking and turn toward Brendan.
Brendan then continues, “If you are ok sleeping in the barn and working hard with the rest of us for your bread and roof then you can stay for a trial period.”
“That sounds fair enough”, says the man.
Brendan then adds with a serious tone, “But be warned you will be watched closely and any slip ups I am going to ask you to leave. And I expect it to be peaceful.”
“That’s understood. You have a deal”, says the man as he extends his hand and shakes Brendan’s.
“You four have names?”, asks Brendan.
The man replies, “Alex, pleased to meet you.”
“I’m his girl friend Megan”, says the woman standing next to him.
“My name is Lindsey. Thanks for allowing us to stay”, says the woman next to Megan.
“You are welcome. Hopefully none of us regrets it”, says Brendan.
“And what is your name”, asks Ray looking at the woman in the hat.
The woman in the hat coldly replies, “Ashley.”
“Well I’m Brendan and this here is Ray. How about your dog? He have a name too?”
“Oh yea his name is Dixie. He is a really nice dog you don’t have to worry about him. Very well behaved”, says Lindsey.
“Good”, says Brendan. “We will see you back at the main house.” With that Brendan and Ray turn around and ride back to the compound while the four strangers and their dog follow them on foot.
As Brendan and Ray ride up Tori asks, “Well?”
“I told them they could stay in the barn for a trial run”, says Brendan.
“Are you crazy we don’t know these people from nothing”, says Bill.
“Some of us here were strangers first and it worked out. If you remember”, says Ray.
“Besides Tori saw zombies close by we would have been sending them off to their doom”, adds Brendan.
“I just hope you know what you are doing sweety and the others see it the same way”, says Tori.
“So do I”, says Brendan grimly.
As they show the strangers to the barn Tori notices the dogs of the compound acting strangely towards Dixie. They don’t bark or growl or even approach Dixie. They just seem to defer or almost kowtow to his presence. Like he is something to be respected. “Weird”, Tori utters quietly to herself.
As they reach the barn Brendan says, “Full disclosure. You have any weapons or food or anything on you?”
“No just the clothes on our backs”, says Megan.
“How did you survive then”, asks Tori suspiciously.
Lindsey shrugs, “Luck.”
“We are preparing evening meal if you are hungry”, says Brendan.
“Starving”, answers Megan.
“You can rest here and one of us will come get you when it’s ready”, says Ray.
“We want to prep the others before we show you around”, says Brendan.
“Of course we understand completely. Thanks for everything we really appreciate it”, says Alex. The four strangers and Dixie walk into the barn.
After they have left Ray says, “What are we going to tell the others?”
“The truth”, says Brendan as he turns and walks away.
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