Chapter 4 The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: TV show, currently ten seasons, about a post-apocalyptic world riddled with zombies (aka "walkers" because people need special names for things to feel authentic).

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It's funny really. Somewhere there's irony in it. That the brother of someone so famous and so incredibly important in this stupid stupid world is currently stuck running errands for his base.

No it's fine I'm sure that this is what they leave out in those action dystopian movies: the boy who has to go out and get groceries for his teammates in his base. Welcome to my reality.

My name is Jack McCash, errand boy if you will, and I really hate my life. Not just because there's all sorts of psycho powerful people always after you looking to destroy everything you know, but because there's nothing I can really do about any of it.

A formal ceasefire for Sergeant Calvary- least to say I didn't expect it. All the thoughts swarming my vision, infiltrating my head all had to do with his funeral. It was the talk of the town and I found it funny that death gives you fame for maybe a couple days. The town had passed its judgement onto a teenaged girl, deciding she must be James' killer because they needed someone to blame for this horrendous thing. But, I was there. I saved that girl from the monster who really did it and it pained me knowing I couldn't do anything about it. I told Reece Gordon the full story once I delivered his daughter back to him, she's just going to have to survive the persecution until the mob settles, there will be no charges- not that she knows that.

And that's a shame too- he was a damn good man. Always taking care of the rebels, always smiling. He made me believe there was good in the world. It left a sick feeling in my stomach knowing I knew the truth and he would never receive justice- he didn't deserve it.

That day started off normal. I am the errand boy for the rebel base as I enthusiastically had mentioned, whether or not I like the title, I did like feeling like I had some part in the Undead world. I was running around stealing the necessities and stopped for gas...

Walking inside the gas station I was hit with the smell of heat and body odor. It lingered in my nostrils as I strolled down a colorful aisle to splurge on some licorice, the only sort of candy I'll allow myself to eat out of minimal respect for my body. I slipped a pack into my pocket, quickly saying sorry to whatever universal judge was watching me rob a simple gas station.

I was reading the side of a bag of salt and vinegar chips, trying to decide what vinegar must be from the packaging when a thought danced across my eyes: 'I am going to die.'

The door dinged as it opened and I craned my neck from the side of the aisle to try and see who was walking in. I found a man, shaggy brown hair and black clothes, smelling of rotting meat holding the shoulder of a girl I could visibly see shaking, chewing on her bottom lip like it was gum.

This didn't have to mean anything right? Maybe the thought belonged to the gas station attendant who was for sure distracted by his phone? Please don't tell me this guy was not manhandling this young girl?

He bent down to her ear but didn't say anything, I saw her eyes flash and head snap toward him. This was red flag number two, and now I felt the need to intervene. I watched from my place behind the end of the aisle, the man shove the girl towards the restrooms and then speed walk to the opposite side of the station.

Must I intervene and play hero? This was too perfect a coincidence.

I huffed through my nostrils, turned on the balls of my feet and walked along the drink coolers to the other side of the station, watching the man devour all the packaged meat available from another end of an aisle. His hands tore through plastic packaging, throwing other contents of perfectly good sandwiches to the floor as he ravaged through the meat. This wasn't a normal occurrence and now I believe I'm just confronting a psycho to see if they just so happen have silver eyes.

I slowly walk down the aisle, scratching my scalp, avoiding any eye contact with the carnivores body before my shoulder 'accidentally' bumps into him. He turns to me, growling, with bloodshot eyes and bared teeth with specks of meat stuck between them. All the while, confirming my suspicion, sporting silver eyes. I fight the urge to gag at the potent stench of body odor and meat marinating in the heat.

Now, I didn't think my way through this and wasn't sure what to do with this information now that I had it. He looked like he could rip out my jugular right now and honestly a part of me wished he would just to see what it would feel like.

"Wow! Sorry!" I forced a toothy smile and stepped aside, walking away with a casual stride.

Now begs the question: what do I do with the girl?

I immediately attempt Lurking to her and audibly hiss at the mental burier she had built up, probably to keep parts of the real world out. This was convenient considering I'm just trying to do my job as a rebel to save her and she just so happens to have a thick skull.

Maybe I just leave?

I grab the door handle and look back once more to the guy with his face in a cooler, devouring the entire stock with no remorse. The guy had no thoughts.

I look to my left to the hallway where the restrooms were located and heard the frantic thoughts of a girl in peril. She had no idea what she was facing- even worse, she did and there's no way she could defend herself from it.

Oh what the hell.

I turn down the hallway and try Lurking again resulting in another prick at my brain and no such luck. I didn't want to make noise to attract any attention to us, the door was locked, I could hear her panicked whispers on the phone with the police. She was smart, I'll give her that.

A growl behind me made me freeze.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head against the door. Turning around, seeing the man fully sporting an animalistic stance with high, broad shoulders, saliva dripping from his mouth, and arms out and fingers sprawled like they had real claws. No Insurgent acted like this, what was he on? It was against protocol to go out and just take an Undead like this. Was Martin that desperate?

"Hey... uh... occupied?" I pointed behind me awkwardly and the man came speeding at me. With only a second to think, I moved out of the way and let him collide with the door head on, resulting in a thunderous, metallic crash.

He fell to the floor on his stomach but quickly stood up clumsily. He straightened out, rolling his shoulders down as he locked eyes with me.

"Ouch? And that didn't knock you out?" I shook my head what kind of God out there was laughing at me right now are you serious. "Hmm. Okay."

He threw a punch at me, weaker than I know he would've if he hadn't just crashed into the door. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, throwing him into the wall and pinning him there. He flinched, spasming against me.

"Just stop- this is not the place-" He kicked off the wall, launching me into the opposite wall and to the ground.

My head felt dizzy as I sat up, my vision clouded with a thin haze over it. "Not cool," I groaned. Am I out of shape? Was I about to lose? That would be something wouldn't it.

I watched him bang on the bathroom door and the girl scream from the other side, only making him attack it harder, faster, one blow to the handle after another.

I would definitely let this beast kill me after all that if there wasn't a helpless girl on the other side of the door.

I rose to my feet, exhaling before grabbing him by his messy hair and launching his face directly into the door. The man stumbled back, crouching, holding his nose I could see from the drops on the floor was gushing blood.

I used my height as an advantaged and sent his face into the doorknob, streaking it with blood as he went down finally unconscious.

The sight made my inner germaphobe sick- I wasn't too proud of that. Didn't know I could do that. Even though rebels are meant to protect humans- we don't do much.

I took out a baby wipe from my pocket and wiped the doorknob clean- I have a thing with germs and in the process it fell clean off and the door opened with a creak.

The girl was on the bathroom floor, the operator still calling out for her. She must've fainted from what was going on, I was concerned with what she knew and saw.

I bent down and carefully placed her up against my knee, ignoring the fact I was now sitting on a bathroom floor. I picked up the phone and answered without taking my eyes off her.

"My name is Jack McCash, may I speak to Sheriff Calvary?"

"What I- I'm sorry sir, he isn't here..."

I hummed, my fingers tucking a piece of tangled hair behind the girls ear. "Is Officer Gordon there?"

"Where is the girl?"

"I have her, she's safe. Just put him on the line." I rolled my eyes, mouthing 'annoying' to myself.

"Jack?"

"Reece." I dragged out his name. "I'm at a gas station and I really think James should know about what the hell I just endured for this girl I have here."

I studied her face as I awaited his reply, she was quite... beautiful. Tan skin and rosy cheeks, full lips, thick eyebrows with tiny hairs strewn about, freckles barely visible across the apples of her cheeks and nose bridge. I don't usually pay attention to faces when I was out... could she be a new recruit? How did she get involved with the Insurgence?

"So it's true? My daughter is there?"

My eyes widened. "Oh god-" I looked away from her. "This is Ayla? Reece where have you been hiding her? I thought she fell off the face of the earth?" I choked on my own fumbling words as he cut me off.

"That is none of your concern."

"Oh please. I had a crush on her back in fourth grade. She got me kicked out of school- surely you remember that? You never talk about her I was wondering if you two managed to ruin her life too." I grinned, partially mumbling the last part to myself, just because it felt satisfying.

"Jackson this is extremely serious so please listen. Bring her back to the station, not the house. Figure out what to do with the Insurgent that brought her there. Information of her existence cannot leave his mind- I have no idea what he knows."

No way this 'law-obeying' police officer is alluding to straight up murdering the fellow.

"I'm starting to believe I'm not in the loop and it's kind of hurting my feelings." I looked back at her when her head turned to the side. She has a soft jawline, a round face- why am I analyzing her? Is it because I remember the chubby faced girl with braids who would play with me at recess? She was my connection to the outside world, she was the only person of my past that is still around... An unnerved feeling took over my stomach.

"Not over the phone. Just get here now."

I hummed and dropped the phone to the floor, scooping Ayla up as carefully as I could, then stomping on the phone.

"What have you gotten yourself mixed into, Ayla?" I opened the door and immediately the breath hitched in my throat when I saw the Insurgent was already gone.

I cautiously exit the hallway and open the door, giving a nod to a white faced gas station employee.

'You will not remember any of this,' I lurked. 'You will quit your job and go on living your best, normal life.'

The worker blinked and I carried Ayla outside and to my car, strapping her in the front passenger seat.

"I don't know what is going on, but you're going to be okay. Hopefully you don't remember any of this anyway."

Her eyes were hooded over and I couldn't help but smile to myself- I smiled. For years I have been just drifting through life, nothing gaining my attention but something felt off now, like the winds were blowing in a different direction or all the sudden I could see colors for the first time. Having this forgotten piece of my old life back with me thrilled me and for once... I felt normal.