Dead Days

Chapter 13

Carl froze as to not to get blasted across the hall. I did too. We stood there for what felt like a few minutes until Carl started wobbling on his one leg weird stand. 

The man never lowered the weapon, "P-Put your weapons on the ground and take a step back!"

We did as instructed as Carl put his leg down and put down his bat before pulling a gun out from his waistband, putting that on the ground next to the bat. I gave him a look that said 'when did you get that' as I put my ax next to his things. I kept my small pocket knife Matt had given me hidden in my back pocket. 

He never lowered the gun, "What do you want?" 

Carl put his hands in the air, "We are just looking for supplies. Say, why don't you and your son come with us? We have a camp set up outside of the city; we have a group with some more kids." 

I peaked a look at Carl and saw his straight face. He seemed to be trying not to think of his daughter. I felt sorry for him. I've already have had time to grieve my parents and brother, but he's hasn't. 

We watched in shock as a little boy came out the door and picked our weapons up one by one and brought them inside. The man dismissed our looks, "Come in, before the lurkers realize." 

We followed him in, him guiding us to the couch set against one of the walls. I chose to sit on the far end, Carl sitting next to me while still leaving some personal space between us. The man didn't sit down, instead stood in front of the couch but his weapon no longer pointing at us, "You stay here. If I find out you do something while I'm in the other room, I will shoot you both." 

Carl just stared forward as I watched him walk into what I assume is a bedroom around the corner. I could hear hushed voices, but couldn't make out what was being said. I was about to talk to Carl (why am I always getting interrupted...) when a woman's voice yelled out from the room, "You what?"

I jumped and turned to the door to see a woman come out, a small girl holding onto her dress and doing her best to stay hidden behind her mother, "I am so sorry for anything Steven might have done to you. I am Emily, Steven is my husband. Since the city has gone down, he's just been so overprotective." 

I remained where I was as Carl stood up, holding out his hand for her to shake, "I completely understand." 

She returned the gesture, "He's told me you guys have a camp? With more kids?" 

"Yes. Your family is welcome to come back with us, although our car might not be small enough. We also came back into the city to gather more supplies, so would it be okay if yall stay in the cars while we gather the supplies?" He sounded very businessman like. I wonder what he did before the end of the world...

We told the family to stay here for now and get their things together so we can go check the rest of the building for much-needed supplies we came for.