the weight of living; c.g.

[1.2]: sanctuary

When we finally caught up with the bus, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

The bus was in the center of the road, still smoking a little. From where I sat in the drivers seat, I could see biters inside, pounding against the glass. They seemed to be trapped inside, making me wonder what happened here.

"Stay in here. I'll be right back." I stepped out of the car, pulling out my machete. As I circled the bus, I concluded that someone inside must have turned somehow. I didn't personally know anyone that left in the bus, but watching all the biters inside was depressing.

Behind me, I heard footsteps, the uneven ones of a biter. Before it could get me, I shoved my machete into it's face. Blood spurted back at me, giving me an idea. From the pool of biter blood that gathered on the road, I wrote a note on the side of the bus. If someone else was coming this way, I wanted them to know there was someone out there to find.

With bloody fingers, I wrote 'Judith was here'. I decided to keep it simple, as not to waste time out in the open. That way, anyone who passed through would know she was okay, at least for a while. She was the one people were looking for, the one people needed to know was alive.

My bloody hands took the wheel of the car, guiding us past the bus. Grace didn't say anything, probably sensing my mood. She could always tell what I was feeling.

After another hour of driving, my eyes flicked over to the almost empty gas meter. We would have to ditch the car and go on foot again. I drove until the very last moment the empty gas would allow me. Then, I got Grace ready to carry Judith and we got out.

We were walking just inside the woods on the right side of the road when Judith started crying. Grace was trying to comfort her when I heard the familiar groaning of biters. They were crossing the road, drawn by the cries.

"Go! Into the woods!" I whispered to Grace and readied my machete. There weren't many, but a lot for me to take on by myself. I decided to run, catching up with Grace and Judith. At our normal walking speed, we were faster than the biters, so I just told her to keep walking.

"What are we gonna do?" Grace looked to me. I knew we couldn't walk ahead of this biter group forever, but we needed something, any kind of structure, to help us get away.

"If we find a house, I want you to get inside immediately." I adjusted my grip on my machete, the faint biter groans making me anxious.

"Okay." Grace looked straight ahead, still trying to calm Judith.

I don't know how long we walked, but it seemed like forever. We finally stumbled across a railroad track, the first sign of civilization since the car. The biters were still behind us, but they seemed to be dispersing as we got further. Judith hadn't cried out again, making our travels much safer.

"We're going to follow these tracks." I decided as we stepped onto the metal. We were bound to find a town if we followed them. Supplies for Grace and I were nonexistent, we would need food and water before long.

As we walked down the tracks, I saw a sign in the distance. It didn't seem like a normal railroad sign, but like someone put it there. Getting closer, I could see a map and words above it.

"Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive." I squinted to read the painted letters on the wood. The implication of the words sunk in slowly.

"What does sanctuary mean?" Grace gazed up at me with her innocent eyes.

"A sanctuary is a safe place." I stared at the map under the words. A location was marked with big black letters, calling it Terminus.

"Are we gonna go?" She asked.

"I think we should be careful, but we should go." I knew it could be false advertising, but we had to try, for Judith's sake. She couldn't survive out here for long, not like we could.

With the tracks under our feet, we went in the direction the map indicated. From what I could tell, Terminus was miles away and would take us days to reach. I prayed we had enough food for Judith, or that we could find some for her.

Walking in silence got us to a town eventually, as the sun began to fade behind the tree line. It was small, but one of the buildings could be made into a home for the night.

Machete out in front of me, I crept forwards next to Judith and Grace. Silently, I hoped that Judith wouldn't cry as we maneuvered through the town. It seemed deserted, devoid of life, biters or not.

The first building we came upon was a post office. It was a good choice for a shelter, no one would look to scavenge in a post office. I could secure the small structure, and go out on a run in the morning for supplies.

"Stay right here until I come get you." I ordered Grace as we approached the front door. I set Judith's bag down next to the door, Grace leaning against the building next to it.

After prying the door open, I knocked on the doorframe to alert any biters. I waited a minute, hearing the telltale noises of shuffling and groaning. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. A biter emerged out of the hallway, earning a machete in the eye.

I proceeded, eyes flickering across my surroundings. The floor was littered with papers, letters and packages to people who would never receive them. A receptionist sat behind the counter, bullet in her head, gun in her hand.

The gun could be useful, so I peeled it out of her death grip. I stuck it in the back of my jeans and continued to explore the office. There didn't seem to be any other biters inside. There was one door other than the front but I shoved a chair under the handle.

"It's clear." I stuck my head back outside, where Grace sat with Judith. The sun was just setting, making everything glow orange. It was sort of beautiful, which is uncommon nowadays.

I had Grace barricade the front door while I fed Judith. She would have to sleep in the sling again, but she didn't seem to mind. She wasn't a very fussy baby, just crying occasionally. It did get us in trouble, but you can't expect a baby to never cry.