Heller: a We're Alive novel [title subject to change for we're alive canon]

[CommyBat]

Here is a story I am beginning to work on. Templar's and my stories will intertwine.


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It was like I couldn’t keep silent. As I crouched under the counter I tried to steady and quiet my breath but it seemed to just get louder and louder. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest it felt that my whole body jerked every time it beat. They began to wander closer to me and my mind began to create hundreds of scenarios of how this could play out, most of them ending in my demise. I thought to myself how I could have been so foolish for only one can of corn and two cans of beans; then again rations were getting lower by the day at the camp. I had the three cans in a bag that I had made by sowing multiple pieces of cloth together. I quickly decided I had to throw one of the cans at the nearest shelf inside of the grocery store in order to buy me some crucial seconds in running out of this hell whole.
"Dammit! These fucking Zombies couldn't have shown up after I raided the comic book store"
I was looking forward to raiding Capes and Collectables a comic store just down the street in order to give me something to distract myself from the world I now live in. The only reason I didn’t see these zombies wander into the store sooner was because it was the fourth day of a horrible snow storm and with no goggles, it’s hard to see anything that's not within biting range. I guess this sudden change in weather was due to all the nuclear fallout that happened when the outbreak first started. I gripped the can of corn in my hand.
“Ill miss you�
I kissed the can then tossed it over the counter making it hit one of the shelves, somehow causing multiple expired goods to fall to the floor making a louder noise than I thought.
“Jackpot�
All the zombies rushed to the sound and I was off. I ran as hard I could for fear of them following me. It was also hard to hear with all this wind, my legs felt sore from being crouched in fear for so long and now going in full adrenaline sprint mode. I retraced my steps to the camp. When I turned the corner I saw it.
“There’s the camp, thank the lord� in a half exhausted voice.
Our base was the second floor of an accounting firm building; we had bolted all the door shut so the only way in was a hole we had put in the side being covered by a wooden palate. I jumped up on the dumpster about to get onto the fence to get inside when suddenly I felt a pull on my leg.
“SHIT� “Someone help me�
Luckily I was able to grab the fence to keep the zombie from pulling me down to the ground or as I like to call it the kill zone. I held on tight and kick the ugly bastards face at least eight times but he wouldn't let go. Finally, Bruce came to my call pulled out his 38 magnum and gunned down the zombie from behind, then we both crawled inside. I feel to the floor once inside panting, confused if I was high on adrenaline or fear right now. I had never been more afraid, well that’s not actually true the first time I encountered these things was the scariest moment of my life.
TWO WEEKS AGO…
*Screaming and banging are heard from down stairs*
I turned towards my wife screaming at her to help me push the wardrobe against the door, but she remained still frozen with fear as she clinched our daughter crouching in the corner of the bedroom. I yelled again to hopefully dispel her from her fear, yelling
“Samantha! Samantha! Help me move this! Get up and help!�
Then I heard what I most feared the door broke down. I rushed to the master bedroom door and threw my body up against it.
“Shit! Shit! Shit! Samantha open that back window and use the fire ladder now!�
That seemed to work, she got up and opened the bedroom window and threw the ladder out of it and with Jessica in her arms she began to climb out the window. I could feel the footsteps of them rushing up the stairs then BANG one of them slammed up against the door making me stumble but I quickly went back to the door to keep them out
“I knew I should have put a fucking lock on this door�
I turned and Samantha and Jessica were gone but so was the ladder…When I saw the ladder had fallen I instinctively yelled to see if Samantha and Jessica were ok.
“Samantha are you and Jessica ok?�
“Yes, but the ladder slipped off the window frame�
“Fuck…I will be fine just try and get to a car�
Just as I said that I heard an ambulance that seemed to be driving through the neighborhood. I slowly felt the resistance from the door leave. The zombies must have been interested in the new sound. After a while, I went to the window where Samantha had climbed out of and looked down. I saw some footsteps leading to the street and the fallen fire escapes ladder I had to get down there; but I sure as hell wasn't going to the house, one of those things could have stayed behind. I saw my target a large pile of snow that I had made the day before was relatively close. If I could jump onto that I could be fine. I balanced on the edge of the balcony then I proceeded to jump, but I slipped fell and was knocked unconscious. That’s when Bruce and his group found me and took me in. I still haven’t found Samantha or Jessica.
“You know if you keep getting in trouble like this all the time I may be tempted to let those zombies eat you one of these days�
Bruce stood above me chuckling as I looked up to the glass ceiling thinking about Samantha and Jessica. I laughed back half distracted by the thought of my family being out there for so long without me. Bruce could tell I wasn't all there he sat down beside me and told me to get up. Bruce wasn't much of an intimate guy but for some reason, he was able to connect with me more than anyone else in the group.
“We will find them Heath, we will find your wife and daughter�
“It been two weeks Bruce! Two fucking weeks!
I paused and saw Bruce begin to look upset.
“I am sorry Bruce I know you have been doing as much as you can to help me�
Bruce nodded in thanks. Then Pierce came over and faced Bruce.
Pierce was Bruce’s unspoken second in command, he was always looking for ways to improve our situation, and was scared of very little. Let's just say if Pierce was cautious then you might as well turn tail and run. He is 6 feet 4 inches tall, I think, African American and as he liked to say over and over again ‘didn’t have any time to lollygag'. He was part of every scouting expedition and I even heard he lit up some marauders in a firefight not too long ago. A real apocalypse man.
“now is as good time as any to relocate, the blizzard is beginning to die down�
Bruce replied to Pierce’s comment
“go check on our ammunition situation and tell Shelton to keep and extra eye out for marauders, since the storm is going down they will be easier to spot and so will we�
Bruce turned back to me but before he could say anything my curiosity got the best of me.
“You never told me why we have to just get up and move. We have a good set up here�
Bruce said one word that over feed my curiosity “Marauders�
"What? Are they back? I thought we left them behind when we moved last time?"
Bruce shook his head
“Nope, they must have followed us which gives us all the more incentive to keep moving�
I hadn’t actually run into any marauders yet but from what I have heard they consist of ex-military soldiers that had enough of taking orders, all geared up and ready to kill for a few canned good or sometimes just for sport.
“Where did you see them?� Hoping it was far enough away so that I could actually sleep tonight.
Bruce looked at me with serious eyes and said “Last night when I was walking around I saw two people on 32nd street at first they seemed friendly�
I interrupted saying “How did you know that�
“One of the guys picked up an old teddy bear on the street, but before I could say anything to them I saw one of the Marauders trucks driving up on the two men so I quickly pointed towards the truck and yelled ‘Run’ than I and ran back down the ally's backtracking and covering my footsteps. I heard shooting and I hope they made it out but knowing the Marauders they probably didn't poor sons of bitches, it doesn’t pay to be nice in this world anymore.�
Bruce had some sort of tie to the Marauders but he hadn’t shared how with the group yet. It made me sorta uneasy but I still trusted him�
Bruce looked at me grabbed my shoulder and said: "Heath I will do everything that I can with keeping the group in mind to find your wife and daughter, and when we do find them ill finally have a good reason to open that last bottle of 1847 old Forester Whisky.�
"What the apocalypse isn't a good enough reason," I said jokingly.
Bruce began to get up and replied “you don’t know how many I started with�
As Bruce walked away I said "Hey Bruce thanks…for everything, you have done for me and this group. You are a great guy and I’m glad it was you that found my dumbass knockout out cold in the snow�
Bruce laughed and replied “And don’t make me regret it Heath� as he walked towards the gate to talk to Shelton who was on watch. I laid back down and faced the walls where I had made sketches of Samantha and Jessica’s face. I lightly brushed the paper that was now the only way to feel close to my family then I drifted off to sleep.