Survival

Part 19: Jeordie

Pancake snuffled the mesh, licking my gloved fingers as well as she could through her muzzle. I was feeding her some mouldy shaved ham, squishing pieces through the mesh so she could lick it off. I knew something had changed when she pricked her ears and looked past me, blood trickling from her eyes.

I looked to the road. A figure was on their hands and knees, clutching their stomach and coughing violently. I pulled over but stayed inside the car. It was an old woman.

"Help me..." She reached weakly towards the car.

"I can't." I whispered. There had always been a special place in my heart for old women.

"End it... Please... I don't want to become one of them." The woman begged.

I gritted my teeth, watching her vomit blood once again.

"Okay." I finally replied.

Without getting out of the car I took the gun from my belt and aimed it at her head. She looked me right in the eyes and nodded, dignified even when covered in her own blood. I pulled the trigger. The woman collapsed.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I drove away.

--

I didn't drive for long before I was stopped yet again, this time by three men, each with rather large guns and military uniforms.

"Stop your car." The frontman, a short man with a bald head announced.

I stopped.

"Did you come across an elderly woman down there?" Asked one. They weren't a man, I realised. She was a woman, tall and with a buzz cut. Her face was hard and grim.

"Yes." I answered.

"So you shot her?" Asked the frontman.

"She was Changing. She told me to do it, to ease her pain."

The woman looked away and bit her lip.

"You alone, kid?" The third man spoke up.

"Yeah."

"You wanna come with us? We got an establishment up the road."

"What kind of establishment?" I asked stiffly.

"Big walls. Lots of people."

I looked to Pancake.

"I'll come. Only if I can bring my dog."

"Sure." They cast Pancake a curious glance and appeared to not notice that she was Changed.

I started my truck up and followed them slowly.

--

The wall was almost three metres high, made of corrugated iron. The frontman had the air of importance around him that suggested he was in charge of more than just the group of scouts.

"You can park here. I'm Ben, by the way." He said.

"Jeordie." I replied and got out of the car. A large gate opened and a team of men and women gathered my food and water supply from the passenger seat. I kept my own bag close.

Pancake, who had been sitting rather sedately, began growling at one woman that came just a little too close. She screamed. I suppose not everyone is used to dogs with blood coming from their eyes.

"He's brought it here to kill us all!" The woman screeched, hand wrapped tightly around a crucifix pendant at her neck.

"Abomination!" Howled another.