13 Years of Struggle

Chapter 28

We walked away from the smoldering wreck which was now Fearrington. The thick gray smoke from the fire billowing out in the distance. A few Rotters had followed us out. But we quickly dispatched them. There were just 4 of us. God I was so worried about Anais, James, Kala, Gemma, and everyone else. Bruce was worried for Greta and her safety. I kept hearing him mumble her name hoping she was safe.
              
                The 4 of us just stumbled along the train tracks. Maybe it would lead us somewhere. We did have a rendezvous point if anything like this happened. It was a small blue house.  But when we got there the entire place had been overrun by Rotters migrating from the cities.  

                    We had no food, only a few bottles of water… our knives, a few pistols and a rifle,  and the clothes on our damn backs. I walked silently with Kolson. He refused to speak. Becky and Bruce weren’t in a chatting mood either. I was still worried about the others. 

               We walked for a few more minutes before there was the sound of a high pitched scream. The scream of a woman. It sounded like she was in trouble. Before any of us could say anything, Kolson rushed off into the woods towards the sound of the screaming. 

                 “ Kolson! Kolson! Stop!” I shouted as we ran after him.

                We eventually ran into a clearing and I saw a woman. She looked kinda familiar. She was backed up against a tree and Rotters had surrounded her and tried grabbing at her to bite her.  She swiftly kicked them back. There were a few dead ones beneath her feet in the dirt. She had taken quite a few out.  

                  Kolson had his knife out and he kicked the leg of a Rotter that swiped at the woman. The blade of the knife pierced the Rotters skull and blood splattered on Kolson’s arm.  

                 The woman looked confused but also relieved. Soon me, Becky, and Bruce helped. I stabbed a few Rotters with my knife. Soon all the Rotters laid dead around us. I soon looked up at the woman and that’s when it clicked. She was a part of George's militia. She was the woman in the braid. 

                 The woman soon spoke. “ Thank you so much.” 

         I turned to look at her with a burning hatred in my eyes. I shoved her back into the tree trunk and held the blade of my knife to her throat. She screeched. “ What the hell!?”

               “ Claire, what are you doing?” Becky quickly demanded.   

        I moved the blade of my knife even closer to her throat. She screamed. “ She was with George when he attacked. She was with him.” I muttered out. 

                 Their expressions turned from confusion to anger. “ Kill her!” Kolson shouted. 

      “ No. Kolson shush.” Bruce said. Kolson sighed and nodded.   

             I turned back to look at Kolson. “ Let me handle this.”I turned my head back to look at the woman. 

            “ Now what the hell is your name?” I asked her. 

              She looked down at the knife near her throat and then made eye contact with me. The fear on her face was evident. “ r-Regina…Regina Davidson.” 

                   My face was cold and emotionless. “ Well Regina…Why were you with that bastard?”

                  She looked scared and quickly muttered out. “ He..met me, my sisters and niece at a mall…I didn’t trust him at all. He told us his name was Mason. I know he was lying about that. He said you were all bad people and I knew he was lying. I’m sorry. I really am. Please don’t kill me! Please!”