Infected

4 Months Later...

Ben

It had been four months since my encounter with the man. Silver was up and moving about after two months. His foot completely healed, although he walks with a limp from time to time, but he runs like a beast. One day during that time period, he announced that everyone in the compound needed to be trained to defend themselves.

I had no idea he was talking about guns.

At first, I was apprehensive about using a gun after my encounter, but eventually, I gave in and started practicing like everyone else. Collin went out on a run with some of the runners to an old gun shop that wasn't known to too many people, so it was almost undisturbed when they found it and brought the guns and ammo back. I was a pretty good shot, especially hitting Infected more than makeshift targets. Richard really helped me get through my ordeal and taught me how to handle a gun. I asked him if I could have a handgun with a large magazine so I wouldn't have to reload as often, and he gave me the man's gun that I had shot him with. It brought some bad memories, but I pressed on until it didn't bother me anymore, and using the gun on Infected helped.

A week after the incident, Cindy announced that she was pregnant. Everyone applauded, and when they asked what the baby's name would be, she simply said, "We don't even know if the baby is a boy or girl yet. We want it to be a little boy that we'll hopefully name Taylor. If it's a girl, then we'll call her Taylor all the same."

Now, four months later, we could see her belly get bigger as her baby grew. Some of the kids like hearing the baby kick. Silver had to stay behind from supply runs to help her around and things. We went back to Walmart and some other stores to stock up on ammo and other supplies. While we did that, the men inside the compound did some work and basically doubled the size of the compound and extended the water stream, adding three more bathrooms by splitting it into four separate streams.

Silver and Cindy moved out of their house to a new one, leaving the old one specifically for storage. Their new house was directly in the center of the compound in between the extensions of the stream. The streams even had several small bridges to go over the water. That way, the runners could meet up in the center faster than when it was just on one end. Plus, anyone who was inside the compound could access it. Guards were left posted at the supplies house to keep people from going in, except for runners.

It was eerily quiet for four months, even on runs. The only thing we encountered was the Infected walking the streets, but even those were mostly cleared out. It became apparent that most of those who lived in Lucedale didn't make it far after the Infection. We kept finding Infected in houses, except for suicides with guns to the head, which helped us realize that no matter how you die, if your brain isn't somehow damaged or destroyed, you still turn as one of them. But other than that, everything else was quiet.

Until four months later, when me and Mike were up on the wall with Richard surveying the area when a figure came running out from the tree line.

~~~

Mike

It came as a big surprise to both of us. We were just having casual conversation when something out from the woods toward the compound. Using some new binoculars the runners had gotten from a previous run, Richard spotted it from the long distance.

"That's definitely a man running this way." He said.

"I'll get Silver." Ben said and slid down the ladder.

"Have your gun ready." Richard said to me. With a nod, I had my hand on my holster in case the guy tried to do something to harm anyone. Richard went down the ladder, and soon, armed men waited by the new, large door. They removed the barricade and forced it open. The man that was running this way stopped and watched the scene. I picked up the plastic megaphone that was sitting on the walkway and spoke through it.