13 Years of Struggle

Chapter 11

The next few weeks passed by with nothing really happening but that It was getting colder. We had made supply runs to nearby towns for supplies but we really didn’t find that much and we thought that the cold would slow the Rotters down but it didn't, it just created a tiny obstacle for them. 

            The Rotters had been moving out of the cities for awhile now we were close to Raleigh which made them a problem sometimes herds of hundreds or thousands would pass by at night and day and we would have to be quiet.  

             I put on my jacket and my boots. I put my backpack over my arms and was ready to go. Me, Gemma, Violet, and Thomas were going on a run today over near Durham for some supplies. Since it was already almost December and it would start snowing soon so we need to make one last supply run before it snows.

                 I walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Anais was loading a clip of bullets into her pistol and she put it back behind her belt.      “ Are you planning on going somewhere Anais?” I asked. 

                “ Yeah me and Jesse are going out to a house he wanted to check out. It’s a few miles down the road. Kala is watching Kolson today.” She replied. 

            “ Oh yeah, speaking of Kolson. Have you been teaching him to shoot?” I looked at her. 

             “ Yeah. I've been teaching him everyday. He needs to know it’s not a toy. He also needs to know how to use it for his own protection.” She answered. 

                 I sat down at a chair at the table. “ I know. I’m just concerned about him. He has become more distant lately and a little bit cold in his responses.” 

                    She lets out a sigh. “ I know he is. There are no other kids here. Just him. Also everything he has experienced in the last few months. It has traumatized him. He refuses to even mention the word mom or dad.”  

          “ I hope somehow he gets back to being himself.” I replied and sat up. “ Anyway I gotta get going for the run. Tell Kolson I said bye.” 

            “ I will.” She replied.
 
            I left the house and walked towards the gate. We had all just loaded up all our bags in the  blue chevy sedan and Kala came to us. “Okay guys. Get anything remotely useful: flashlights, ammo, food if you can find some, maybe some batteries, weapons, and maybe some medicine.” 

             “ We’ll try to find some of that stuff but we aren’t going to Raleigh. It's still overrun and is a death trap. So we’re going to Durham for supplies.” I replied. 

          “ The army evacuated everyone out of Durham to Wilmington. From what I heard from Charlene. So it should be clear.” James announced as he walked over. 
     
             “ Okay but just try not to get yourselves killed.” Kala said with a concerned look.  

 “ We’ll be fine Kala.” Gemma replied as she got inside the truck with the rest of us following after. 
 

Doug then said. “ Let's get this show on the road ladies. We wanna get there quickly. '' 
     
        I waved goodbye to Kala and James I and got into the car. Doug drove the car up to the gate and Garrett opened the gate and then we were off to Durham. On the way everybody was sitting in silence. But Doug had put a cd on the radio which was an old Metallica song. 
           
            “ You couldn’t have picked a good song by Metallica?”  Gemma asked him, looking annoyed.