Kenopsia

-Runoff-

(All those that might be interested still about my idea of a Y/N type of story where the readers choose what the character does, a chapter is out and you can still vote, it is at the very start of the outbreak still so careful, the deadline for the latest choice to make is tomorrow Sunday.)(new edit: having trouble with it, re-publishing it when I get it under control)

March, finally a bit of sun.

There was still snow that persisted in the shadowed corner of the buildings and it was still not the hottest and all but winter was over.

"And that's one less thing to deal with." I said, drawing another X on my map.

I really should grab one of those other maps I have stored, this one is getting crowded but whatever for the moment.

The dangerous bridge was no more, having collapsed in winter and a few of the taller apartments having gone down too, I tell you, scary noise to wake up too.

I wonder how many husks remained in them, locked inside and now crushed.... Well, good for them and us, less to deal with but still, many supplies we could have used maybe, who knows.

I yawed tho I felt like I had slept enough, I could finally start jogging around again without risk of slipping, it is important to keep fit and strong after all, winter always had people pick up weight in the old world too.

I had much to think about, I wanted to add more walls, not only those we had so there were several layers of protection, for example I was already living behind two walls, the school wall and the metal fencing, I want to add more and who knows, with the time we have, many surround the whole town. It was built quite square-ish so just blocking off the places between houses like we did currently would do the trick but we'd also need a protected area around the town for crops maybe... In a triangle to funnel the coming in husks away from walking into town.

I flipped the map, scribbling in the white boarded of it to not forget, the worst drawing I did to date honestly.

But the concentric walls around the city, the ocean and how the husks would move was enough to understand what I wanted since it was meant for me.

I sighed, start of the fifth year.... Lets just hope I'll have the strength to keep going.

I turned to head home, thinking, we don't need fencing to make those walls, only things to stand in the way as I know for sure we don't have enough fences for that even if we look all over town.... But we have cars, they could be rolled around and lined up, it would be hard but well.... We have all the time in the world.

I did a little detour to the mini park aka chicken utopia.

"Hello." I called in, closing the gate behind me.

"Oh hi." Lucy smile, dumping the bucket of water in the fountain basin, I guess it is 100% her job now, to take care of the chickens... As long as she is happy with it I am too.

"They seem lively." I said, the chicken booking it away from me.

"You tell me? I have a hard time keeping them inside the gate now that they can move around without freezing their feathered ass off." She complained as I chuckled.

"Trust me, same problem but with a human child for me, she wanna go out and do so much."

"She is younger then us by a mile in this apocalypse that's for certain but that just means she has lived more in it then us, we are all around our 20ies, like 1/4 of our life was spent in this state while hers it's like 1/3 of it and you also said she went camping and hunting so even more of her life technically in this state."

"Still, I don't want her in danger, I am what's left to teach and take care of her."

"You are not alone now." She pat my shoulder. "We are here to help."

"Thanks I guess." I rubbed my neck.

"Now come on and help me fill their watering hole up so we can leave."

"Of course."

-------------------------------------------------------

"See you later." I waved, easily pulling up on the wall with a running start, scaling up the front of it near the gate of it, I didn't really need the stepping stone that was now more for Jasmine and the others.

"See yah." Lucy waved back. "Don't forget, Adar wanna try to make flour and bread, I wouldn't miss that if I was you."

"I won't trust me." I waved again and hopped off the wall, I much prefer the warm, at least these hundreds of water buckets and company would defrost and water would be easily available again and not only that, the plants will be able to grow again, like the bean plants planted in the soil by the tree surrounded by the containers and the other potted ones, I can bring them back out on the rooftop again.

Winter will forever be an ass to me I feel like but we'll see, I have a life ahead of me, no matter how long, I might see more winters and not be fucked over by them.

I walked over too the entrance and went inside, having scouted out the town, it took a while, happy to have found only a few collapses.

Tho I opened the door to the office and there was something there I never saw.... A plush dog that had its brown fur matted and sat on a piece of paper on the desk.

I grabbed it, looking it over, it was quite small, the whole body of it fit basically in my palm with only the head, tail and paws hanging out from it.

I grabbed the note.

Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It was feeling crumby.

This is ruffyboy and he has been with me since I was born but I leave him with you so he can protect you while I am gone but I will be back for him duh, see yah later and you bet your ass I will hurt you if you hurt him. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself, I did for a long time, maybe I can find something useful while exploring, I'll be sure to bring it back. I took a bit of food too, don't be mad. Bye bye.

"Oh you fuck!" I yelled, squeezing what I was holding in my hands hard, how dare she do this?

Jasmine you idiot.

And still.... I had done the same to my father.... All I can do is hope she'll come back as I can do nothing else.

"Idiot.... I'll always worry...."