Dumpster Diver

Familiar Encounter

A/N

Going back to copying and pasting then editing Sticky Keys after this chapter. I have light complications in my house. -.- So from here on out if you don't like the Sticky Keys: Deal with it until I change it. Not trying to be rude, it's just wattpad still hasn't fixed the annoying issue!!

There was some sort of animal call. Well, it was a human imitating a bird call. Some zombies turned around in search for the bird call. In return, they lost because a man fought and killed them with spears and swords. He then quickly lit them on fire. 

The man looked up at the people in the tree house and waved. "Do you mind if I come up?" He yelled. The group looked at each other. Should they let the strange man up? He proved to be human, after all, but did that mean all alive humans were safe? Or were some of them still dangerous.

Martha nodded her approval to let him up. "Drop your weapons." He laid them down, including taking things out of his satchel and pockets. "Alright. Come up." He climbed the ladder up after it was lowered back down. 

The man was very gruff looking. Long hair and a beard. Cameron rubbed his chin, which now that they were off campus away from razors would soon be scratchy and long like this guy's face. "What's your name?" Misha asked.

"Erin Cotter."

"Aaron Carter?" Jackie asked, not believing it, but hey, stranger things have happened.

"What a name." Martha said, eyeing him up.

"No. Cotter." He spelled out both his first and last names. Everyone looked around at each other, not sure what to say next. 

"Is it just you?" Jona asked Erin. Erin gave him an obvious look. "Or are you part of a team?" Jona specified.

"What do you think?" Jona looked away from the guy, uncomfortable and embarrassed. Erin looked back at the rest of the group. "I was part of a small group. Just my family and a few others. My father and I separated from the group to go hunting and look to see if there were any more freaks lurking around. My father died. I couldn't find my siblings and mother after that." They all looked down in sympathy. He took a notebook out of his satchel. "I recorded some of my findings." He passed it into Martha's hands. Martha read, intrigued.

"What' did you say your name was?"

"Erin Cotter." Martha looked at Jackie and Cameron.

"You know him?" They shook their heads. "You sure?" They nodded. "What's Killian's sister's name?"

"Colette." Cameron and Jackie said in unison. Erin looked at them.

"Colette..." Erin repeated in a whisper. 

"'Colette's best advice was to write things down. She was always on me for it because I was forgetful. So here goes nothing-" Martha read aloud until Jackie snatched it from her and continued reading the words. Words turned into pages, pages turned into the end. Cameron also flipped through the book. 

"Stay with us." Jackie said, looking at Erin. Her eyes wide in amazement and disbelief. This was a sign. Something from God, telling them all Colette was watching over them. Jackie felt safe. Erin shook his head. 

"I can't. I'm a Lone Wolf." Yup, now Cameron and Jackie remembered the hippie survivor guy Colette used to go out with. "Everyone I make contact with ends up being in danger." 

"Yeah, it's the apocalypse." He wasn't a bright one. He never had been. Erin shook his head.

"This isn't the end. This is only the beginning. The beginning of a new kind..." Martha, Misha and Jona continued looking at him, waiting for a punchline. Did he really believe that?

"Can I keep this?" Jackie asked. Erin was unsure and hesitant. It had all of his research, he hoped would pass on to someone else after his death if he didn't make it out. But the desperate look in her eyes showed she truly needed it now. He nodded. She gave a grateful smile. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She hugged him and then hugged the notebook to her chest. There was a note on the front cover in Colette's handwriting. 

When days get gloomy, write it down. Take a walk. Look back at the bad feelings. Did they change? Is the situation now better? Keep working towards a happier LIFE. Love Colette

Jackie smiled, running her finger over the words. "Just let me copy the notes on another book." Jackie nodded and passed it back to him. Martha suggested Jackie writes two notes. One for Killian in case Erin ran into him and one for whoever found the tree houses after they left. Erin would be headed West by Killian and the others anyway. He told them he would stop by if he found the prison. 

After eating and swapping the notebooks, Erin left. He didn't feel guilty for what he had done. He made the girl feel important and probably helped her sleep easier at night. But he held the real notebook and it was all his. Colette gave him that message. No one else. It made him feel less lonely on the trip West.

A/N

Was what Erin did a dick move? Should karma hit him or do you like him and want him to stay? What's Big Brother Killian going to do when he sees a guy who dated his sister? So... apparently Bluebell Alabama isn't a real town so I'm just going to refer to things as East, West, North, South. I'm from Wisconsin, I don't know anything about down South besides Florida! Sorry to any Alabama readers! I just looked up cities in Alabama and that popped up so I went with it. :P