User blog:Joeaikman/Wiki: Apocalypse - Chapter 6 - Shelter

Leege is sat by the remnants of last night’s fireplace. Han is sat by his side, with Brandon and Kung sat opposite. Mendes is still stood, in the same place that he had been the night before, as if he hadn’t moved. A car approaches along the open road, throwing up a cloud of dust behind it.

Mendes: They come. Up and ready. Get bags, get guns.

Brandon and Kung get up and start to gather up the bags that they had taken from the jeep the day before. The car pulled up, and Stan got out of the passenger seat. Rob is in the back, and gets out after him. A third man, a large hispanic man with dark hair and a ponytail, gets out from the driver’s seat. Mendes moves his hand back to his katana.

Stan: Weapons down, and weapons away. This is Jose. He is a friend.

Rob: He’s the guy that Stan thinks can help Leege. He comes from this farm. Its massive. We could all live there.

Jose: You would be wise to stop thinking like that. Stan. Where is Barry?

Stan: He isn’t-

Jose: I get it. I understand. Dirk won’t. You know how he felt about him, and you know all about how he feels about you.

Stan: I know he-

Jose: Hates you? Si.

The group stands in silence for a few seconds, with all of them wondering what Stan had done to this Dirk guy to get him to hate him.

Brandon: Barry died because-

Jose: Who is this guero? I aint seen none of these folks before Stan. You sure they safe?

Stan’s eyes flitted around the group. They land on Leege, Kung and Mendes longer than they do on the others.

Stan: They have my backing. If you have any problems with them then Dirk can take it up with Nial.

Jose laughs.

Jose: You know as well as I do that Dirk won’t question anything to Nial. He is too scared of your big city community. Anyways, its hot out here, and I wanna get home. Still have jobs to do. I can take three. You wanna walk the rest there seen as you know the way?

Stan: I can do that. Leege, Han and Brandon will go with you.

Jose: Get in, fellas. We'll see if we can’t have you inside in an hour or so.

Kung walks over to Stan’s side as the car drives away.

Kung: Can we trust him?

Stan doesn’t answer for a few seconds.

Stan: No.

-

It’s four hours after the first scene, and Stan’s group is slogging along the road. Stan is at the head of the party, with Kung and Mendes walking together behind them, and Kung holding up the rear. Kung’s hair is full of sweat, whilst Rob is struggling.

Stan: We're almost there. Just another half mile. Should only ben ten minutes or so.

Kung: It’s so fucking hot. Why is it so fucking hot?

Stan: Mid-summer. Hottest time of the year. A friend told me that once.

Rob: I think it was a rhetorical question. I’m so glad we have somewhere close to walk to. I couldn’t have walked much longer.

The group walk on for a few more minutes in silence.

Kung: Does anyone have any more water?

Stan: Nah.

Rob: Nope.

Mendes: No.

Kung: Fuck.

They walk on a bit longer for another few minutes. Then Stan stops, and the others stop soon after him. Kung and Mendes both go for their weapons. Stan waves his hand, as if telling the others to lower their weapons. He steps forward, and a ten year old girl flies out of the bushes, waving her arms to punch at him. He holds her off easily, and laughs.

Stan: As feisty as ever, eh, Davis?

Kung: What the fuck is happening?

Stan: Hey! Mind your language in front of the kid!

Kung: Who even is the kid?

Davis: My name is Davis. Who the hell are you?

Stan: Mind your language, too, madame. This is Kung, Mendes and Rob. They're my friends. We are gonna be staying over for a few days.

Davis: Good. I missed you. Where is Barry?

Stan: He went straight back.

Davis: I’m not a child. I know what that means. He’s dead. Did you kill him?

Stan ruffles her hair.

Stan: No, baby. He just- It was his time. Have you seen Joel come through recently?

Davis thinks for a few seconds, although it looks pretend.

Davis: Yes. He came through a few days after the last time you, him and Barry came through. He said he was going home.

Stan: That’s strange. I had assumed Nial wasn’t aware that we had been taken.

Davis: Been taken where?

Stan: A bad place. Come on now, darling. Let me take you home.

-

The next scene is inside an office room. Stan, Rob and Kung are stood, with an old man seated. He has white hair and a beard, but his face is unwrinkled. He is in good condition, and there is a little twinkle in his eye. Both Rob and Kung look tired from their journey, whilst Stan looks as fresh as ever.

Dirk: You know the deal, Stan. Two days at most. That is what I said to Nial, that is what I will follow through on.

Stan: Come on, Dirk. We have an injured guy in our party. He needs a few days rest.

Dirk: Well aint that a pickle for ya. Not my problem, I’m afraid.

Rob: He’s gonna die.

Dirk: And so will me and my family if I let y’all stay here, Seems purty clear to me what the state of play is. You stay here and I run out of food. You leave soon as, and I can get back to farmin’. Simple.

Stan: Give us a few extra days and I personally promise I will ride some food out here to compensate you for whatever we use up. Nial would appreciate it.

Dirk stayed silent for a few seconds, contemplating the offer.

Dirk: You bring Joel with you?

Stan: If you want me to…

Dirk: I would like that. Very well, Stan, you got a deal. You can stay four days. Leanne says that by then your fella should be fit to walk again.

Stan: I can take up where Barry left off with Davis-

Dirk holds up his hand.

Dirk: Afraid not, boyo. I won’t be lettin’ any of you or your folks have guns near my baby girl. Who knows what accidents might happen.

Kung: None of us is gonna shoot a little girl, sir.

Dirk: I thank you for the words, boy, but words mean jack shit. I don’t know you, and I dunno if I can trust you. No guns near Davis. You hear me?

Kung looks as if he is about to speak again. Stan sticks out a hand to indicate that he shouldn’t.

Stan: Understood, sir.

-

When Leege woke up he found himself spread out on a bed, an experience that was getting all too familiar. Initially, all he could see was the ceiling, which was made of thatched straw. Some light was shining through a window somewhere.

???: You awake? Good.

He rolled over to look in the direction that the voice was coming from, and saw a woman staring at him. She was beautiful, with brown hair and brown eyes. She wore her hair in plaits that ran down the side of her head. She was smiling at him.

???: You’ve been out ever since you got here. I know you’re name is Leege. Mine is Leanne.

Leege: That’s- That’s a pretty name.

Leanne laughs, and blushes slightly.

Leanne: It’s a lot more ordinary than yours. Where do you get Leege from?

Leege: It’s shortened. My actual name is Legolas. I changed it so I didn’t get bullied.

She laughs again.

Leanne: You’re funny.

Leege smiles awkwardly, realising that she thought he was joking, when, in fact, it was the truth. His parents had been a dangerous combination of nerds and unaware how cruel children could be.

Han: You’re awake! Leanne! You said you’d get me!

Leanne: He’s only been awake a couple of minutes…

Leege: How long have I been out?

Leanne: Almost two days. Your wound was infected. That bandage needed changing. Good job you got to me when you did. Another day and I may have had to amputate.

Leege: Next question. Where are we?

Han: You remember that farm that Stan mentioned? We're there. Everyone here is nice enough, except-

Han looks over at Leanne, who pretends not to be listening.

Han: The guy who owns the place. He seems to have some sort of grudge against us all. As if we have wronged him something rotten.

-

Dirk is sat at his desk, with Leanne and Jose stood in the room with him. None of Stan’s group are present. Jose is slouched against the wall, whilst Leanne is stood in the middle, looking quite awkward.

Dirk: Joel told us that Stan and Barry were taken prisoner by bad people. Then Stan waltzes up without Barry and with a load of new people.

Jose: It is suspicious, I give you that.

Leanne: We don’t know nothing about these people. We should talk to them before we judge what they are like and who they are.

Dirk: It ain’t no coincidence. What if one of those bastards shot Barry? What if one of them shoots Davis?

Leanne: I’m just saying-

Dirk: We have to judge them as we see 'em, Leanne. It ain’t no use waiting for one of them to kill one of us before we act.

Jose: Agreed. I will follow the girl and make sure she ain’t in no trouble, Dirk. We all want to make sure that she is safe.

Dirk: Thanks, Jose. I’m also sending you with them when they leave. I want you to deliver my suspicions to Judith. She deserves to know.

Jose nodded, but said nothing.

Dirk: Leanne, with Jose gone I’m gonna leave you in charge of the farmstead. I'll have to do some more of the work round here.

-

Brandon and Kung are walking at the bottom of the farm, with the barn in view. They are walking alongside the banks of a stream, with Kung having an arm around Brandon’s shoulders.

Kung: I understand all the feelings that you have that are being brought back up, Bran. This place reminds you of home. It reminds you of mom and dad.

Brandon: It’s just- If we were going to go to a farm then we could have gone home. We could have gone back and given Nit and Tigar a proper burial, instead of just leaving them there.

Kung: I know, but this place isn’t home. We won’t be here long. When we get to the place Stan is from we and tell them about home, and maybe they would give us a car to go home.

Brandon: Home… Mother and father…

Davis flies out of the foliage alongside the banks of the stream. Kung catches her though, as Brandon shies away.

Davis: Get off me! Get off me! Dad! Dad!

Kung: Woah! Woah! Calm down!

Kung puts Davis down, and she scowls up at him.

Davis: You shouldn’t be down here. This isn’t your place.

Kung: I know, but we'll be gone soon, Davis. We aren’t gonna be around for long.

Davis: No. This place. By the stream. This was mummy’s place.

Brandon: I don’t think we should be here, Kung.

Kung: Fuck me am I going to be told where I can and can’t go by a kid.

Brandon: This is her home, Kung.

Kung: This is her dad’s home, and he didn’t say we couldn’t go down here. I don’t see why she should be able to overrule him.

Brandon shakes his head, and takes Davis by the hand.

Brandon: Do what you like. I’m going to make sure she gets home safe.

-

Han and Jose are stood in the garage of the farm, looking over Jose’s car, the same one that had come for them that morning. It is pretty banged up and scraped.

Han: If I had some paint and some time, I reckon I could fix this.

Jose: She hasn’t always been like this. I've had to use her to ram a few of those dead sons of bitches since all this shit started.

Han: How does she take them?

Jose shrugs.

Jose: Well enough, but it don’t do her no good. One day she ain’t gonna work anymore.

Han: Can I take a look?

Jose: Go ahead.

Han walks over to the car, and pops the hood. He sticks his head in for a few seconds, before pulling back out.

Jose: How does she look?

Han: Engine looks fine. Water tank is empty, but doubt you have much need for that. Other than that, not much that I can see that needs fixing.

Jose: Mucho gracias, man. You ain’t bad.

Mendes walks in then, eating an apple that he had picked from the Cyan orchard. Jose eyes him up with some trepidation.

Han: Ignore him. He don’t talk too much.

Mendes looks up at Han, and then straight back down at his apple. Jose keeps his eyes on the new arrival and starts to think. If anyone killed Barry, he bet it was this one.

-

Brandon is walking through the field of the farm, his hand still holding that of Davis. After a while she shakes him off, and walks along in a sulk.

Brandon: What’s wrong?

Davis: That other guy is in mommy’s place. He shouldn’t be.

Brandon stopped and looked down at Davis. He kneels, so that the two of them are at eye level.

Brandon: Why is that place mommy’s place?

Davis: That was her favourite place on the farm. It was where she liked to read all her books to get away from daddy.

Brandon: Your mommy liked to get away from your daddy?

Davis: Yes. They didn’t love each other very much. All my friend’s parents loved each other. They're dead now. So is mommy.

Brandon understood now. That was why the place that they had been meant so much to her. It had been her mom’s favourite place, before she died. It was a way of helping her remember her mom. He could sympathise.

Brandon: Hey there. Don’t be sad. My mommy is dead too.

Davis: Really? Did one of the zombies get her?

Brandon: Nope. She died of the flu, funny enough. She turned, though. That is how my daddy died too.

Davis looked up at him, as if she was about to cry.

Davis: Your daddy died?

Brandon: He sure did. He told me something though, after all this began. Sometimes you lose people you love and you have to remember them, but it ain’t places or things that help you, it is the memories themselves. You remember that.

Davis smiled up at Brandon.

Davis: I think I will. You remind me of him.

Brandon: Of who?

Davis: Barry. He was my friend.

Brandon: Then make sure to remember him. Remember him as he deserves to be remembered.

-

Leege wakes from his sleep a second time, to find the room dark, and Leanne and Han both gone. Instead it is Dirk sat in Leanne’s chair. He slowly lights a lamp, and places it down on the table next to him. The light cast on his face causes him to look ominous and scary.

Leege: Woah, dude. You scared me.

Dirk: And you scare me. Who are you?

Leege: Erm- My name is Leege-

Dirk: No. Who are you people? Did you kill Barry? Did Stan hire you to kill him?