​Survivors of the Z’s- Cal Moore, Ashford City, California
It was silent 

Dark once again 

Needless to say

The popping off of the infected still sounded

I laid in bed bored out of my brains, still thinking about the past and how much fun Mason and I had. All the walking around freely we did. All that was now gone of course. 

NOW…

All we did was lay down and stare at the damn walls whilst talking to each other

   “Israel,” Mason said 

   “What about him?” I asked

   “The Committed, them people he spoke about, do you think…”

   “Do I think what?” 

   “Do you think they’ll find us?” He said

I thought about it. I thought about it long and hard and the truth was.

Deep down inside

YES

I had a bad feeling, but that was normal. The whole world was a bad feeling. I sighed and turned to my side to face Mason who stood at the window. 

   “Do you?” He asked again

   “I don’t want to say yes, I want to say no”

   “Then say yes,” he told

   “Thats what I’m feeling”

   “So you think we’ll die?” He asked

   “No, I… I think that we’ll get out” 

   “They didn’t get out”

It went silent and I heard him sobbing. I walked over to him and put my hand on his back. I let the silence wash over us for a while and then I’d speak. I just wanted him to know that I was there for him. 

We all were

   “We’re here Mason,” I assured, “we’ll always be here, like I said to you before, we’re family, you have us”

   He reached down and grasped my hand, “I know bro… I know”

   “Me and you all the way,” I said

I stood next to him and stared out of the window. Two soldiers walked below us speaking in a low tone. We listened closely.

   “It’s nasty out there,” one said, “do you think the other camps survived” 

   “My wife and kid are in the one in Denton, last time I heard, they were fine, they have everything up there”

   “And the others?” The other asked, “I just have a feeling that there’s just too damn many of these things”

   “They’re coping, I think, we’ll see soon, we can’t stay here forever”

   “Mickelson said that reinforcements will arrive one day to help us, then we can leave to get to an established camp, so we have to wait until they get here, that’s what he said”

   “Let’s just hope this place will hold out that long, those things are growing in numbers”

   “Fingers crossed they hurry their arses up, I don’t fancy fighting my way out when there’s a herd of them”

There words. There every single word made me think long and hard about what I had said earlier to Mason. When he asked me earlier, do you think we’ll die? 

The answer

YES

Grew stronger because the soldiers below didn’t seem too confident. 

   “Wow, even they’re struggling,” he said

I went and sat back down and stared up at the window once again. 

Again

I stared at my once- happy- friend that could make anybody laugh at any time. It didn’t matter what moment it was in, back then anyway. 

NOW

The responsibility was on the other foot. I had to do it for him, but the moment was too much. Laughing seemed to have ceased to exist. The joking around and the brotherly love that we both shared. The light that it once held was now a darker colour.

   “I think everybody is, it doesn’t matter who you’re or what you do, you’ll find it hard to believe that the world will go back to the way it was”

   “Makes sense,” he said

I got up and walked out. Leaving Mason in the room. The house had many bedrooms. It was a large house with a vast garden. Candles were scattered to light the house up. Many of the doors were closed accept one. I looked in and it was another bedroom. A couple of candles were scattered. 

   “Please… no,” he murmered, “please, I can’t… I… I can’t”

I was curious. My mind ticked with questions. I knew who it was now

Israel

I walked in and listened to the words that escaped him. 

   “Israel,” I whispered

   “No,” he said, “No, you can’t, you can’t, please”

He was asleep. 

He twitched 

He moved 

His face showed sadness 

Remorse

As the candle flickered near me.

   “Just leave me, leave everything, I’m not meant for this,” he said, “No, no, no”

I went to walk out and he awakened

   “Please, stay,” he asked

I stopped and thought for a second.

   “Please, talk to me”

   I turned, “ok,” I said, I saw a chair and sat down, “about what?” 

   “Life, how was life for you kid?” He asked, “you know, before all of this?”

   “Ok I guess, school, I had good friends, one friend is still here, he’s like a brother to me, we did everything together, there was never a dull moment, we went everywhere”

   “You need good friends, especially close ones, people you can trust, being alone is the worst thing in the world, ever, trust me, I know”

   “He has to stay with me, but I’m worried about him”

   “Why?” He asked

   “He lost his parents, they were killed by the monsters and I’m afraid he might kill himself”

   “I know how he feels kid, I do,” he told, “sometimes I wish I were dead,” a tear ran down his cheek, “I probably won’t be the one who does it though”

   “What do you mean… the infected?”

   “No, the Committed, when they find me they’ll come for me and they’ll kill me and if they find me here, they’ll kill all of you to…”

Filed under: Season Three