A Different Virus - Laura's Story

Chapter 137

I carried a bucket of bolts for some people to secure the huge steel plates to the steel beams. The beams had been lifted on end and cemented into holes about an arm's length away from our current wooden palisade.

The cement had been curing for almost five days and we were safe to secure the steel plates onto them. Each steel plate was twice as long as I was tall. Each one was as thick as a water bottle was wide. Needless to say, it took quite a few fired people to budge those things and hook them up to a pulley so we could lift them onto the beams.

The pulleys were attached to the wooden palisade while people and horses pulled the rope to drag and lift each plate into position. The plates were being bolted on and a second team was welding them into place as well.

Diane helped push a steel plate that was being hoisted until it rested on top of the plate below it. That was no mean feat on a ladder. With a bit of jostling, Diane and four others managed to get it in the proper position while others hastened to bolt it into place.

Diane rubbed sweat off her forehead, "The good news is that we are over three quarters done."

Another guy grunted as he tightened the bolt, "Once these are all up, we can start pouring the cement. The other group is already setting up the rebar in the gap. We will have to pour in shallow layers and let it cure before adding another layer."

Diane nodded, "Then it is a good thing that Dave got that cement auger, I have no desire to be hauling that many buckets up ladders to pour them into that gap."

He chuckled, "This will all be up within a week."

Diane nodded, "I very much look forward to that day. The idea of just a wooden palisade disturbs me during a thunderstorm."

The man nodded. It seemed to be a common sentiment considering how hard people were working to build this steel palisade in front of our original wooden one. Our gate also had steel plates bolted to it.

The wind blew past us and I wrinkled up my nose at the smell of the fire retardant paint that was being coated in thick layers on any wooden object in the meadow. At least I didn't have to worry about fire anymore. I glanced over my shoulder to see a solar tractor already heading down the road with a machine attached to cut the first swath of hay in the fastest growing meadows.

It wouldn't take more than another hour to get the last of the steel plates bolted to the beams, and Diane had promised to take me fishing this afternoon. I was really looking forward to it.

The fish almost flopped back into the water. I scrambled towards it, "Hey!" It was not supposed to do that! I got to it just in time and tossed the slippery fish onto the higher part of the bank.

Ace reached over to snag it by its gills and put it in a small cart we had brought to haul fish. Diane was throwing a cast net into the murky waters while Ace stood on top of the bank keeping an eye on our surroundings while putting any fish in the cart.

Ace called out, "Zombie coming down the river." I glanced over, but it must still be around the bend and out of sight. I followed Diane up to the top of the steeper section of the bank to wait on top. We watched as the zombie bobbed into view.

It was a young girl. Maybe four years old with a torn pink dress and her blonde hair was badly knotted. She snarled as she caught sight of us. I watched with wide eyes. I wasn't scared of her since I could easily outrun her, but it reminded me of that feral dog.

It also reminded me of the scar on the back of my leg. Had it not been for Diane, that could have been me in the water. I could not imagine a worse fate than becoming a mindless zombie intent on attacking any living thing around.