I made my way to my home. I took my rope out of its hiding spot and began the climb to my home. Since it has been four days since I've been doing this. I had gotten better at it but I did almost fall. I made my way through the window and shut it. I change out of my clothes and put max not to my bed/chair. I got out a bottle of apple juice and had some fruit bars. After three days of hunting down and gather supplies I start to organize my findings. I put all my bottles in one place of the room while I took my canned good and put them in another concer. I took out my pads and other items like that and put them in the desk in the room that I clear out. I also put my medical supplies in there as well. After I was done with my now organize living space I started my workout routine. After an hour of working my body out I took off my clothes and got a clean set. I made my way to one of the many bathrooms on this floor and hope the water what working.
I was happy as hell when the water came out. It was cold but I didn't care. I clean my body after four days of wondering around and killing three things which I still did not know what to call. After washing up and putting my clothes on. I went to my room and curl up to my chair. Sleep doesn't come to me fast but today I was exhausted and sleep took me into darkness.
I woke up to the sound of my watch alarm going off. I groan in annoyance and shut it off. But I still force my stop to get up. I told care of myself and then had something to drink and a light meal before I decided to wake the boys up. Today I was going to take them to the models about then blocks into zone C. I waited till the sun came up before I told the boys to get up. I laugh as the boys protested this. I was already ready so I open window just wide enough for me to get through and tie off my rope and throw it out the window. I climb down and made my way towards the school where the boys were. I waiting outside and thought of ways to protect this place and make it better for them and maybe other people to live at.
As I waiting I was saw something move. I get tense and take out max from the holding spot in my bag. But you wouldn't believe it when I saw this beautiful black and white Siberian husky. She doesn't look that old. She is small. Not as small as a puppy but not as big as an adolescent. The dog made their way towards me but it was also tense like I was. The dog made its way slowly towards me but I made sure to keep still so it wouldn't bite me or get scare. When she was satisfied with the distance between us. The dog sniffs me. When the dog realizes, I was human and it quickly came to me and hop onto my lap. I smile and started petting it. It looks for a collar and notice the name on it was Jade. So, the dog was a girl and she had a badass name. I smile even more thinking about Jade the stone and how it was beautiful and amazing. Jade is a strong gem and when it touches your skin I was get greener or lighter the longer it touches.
Jade didn't look like she was hungry or skinny but I knew she was. I felt it on her and it was only day five of post hell. I needed to find her some food and give her some water. As I was with Jade, I heard the boys from inside the school unblock the way in. I look up and the boys saw me and this dog. They had smiles on their faces as they look at her. I got up and she jump off of me. I told the boys where we were going but I first wanted them to have a map of the island just like I did. They nodded in agreement and I pull out a map already marked up. I handed it to them and told them to keep it safe and hang it up when they got back.
We all made our way to models and on the way, there I saw a Petco. I was happy. I stop and point to the stores to let the boys know we were going to make a quick stop. We made sure we were alone and that everything around us was clear. When got to the store we check every aisle to make sure it was clear. And when it was I got canned dog food and some toys and some treats to train her. We also release all the trap animals as well. I loaded up my bag with as much as I can carry. After our quick stop, we continue to make our way to models. We stop when jade started growling and lower her body to the ground. I look around and see it. I saw four of the type one things and slowly made our way away from them.
I was glad jade find me. She was going to be a great help. I spotted models and I was glad to see that the coast was clear. We made our way in and once again check if it was clear which it was. Then I told the boy where the bats were and to get two and some clothes and some running shoes as well. They all said yes and pack what they could and have two bats each. Now that they were properly armed and had some clothes. I told them it was time to go back home. The street was slowly filling with more of those things I decide to call vectors. Type one was call vixen while type two were are vectors. I told the boys the names and they laugh. Zac said it was too science and Jimmy said it was just weird while Erin thought we should call the ones that can hear clickers but I said that reminds of the video game The Last of Us and the other type something lessens. I let them take care of the names.
Near the medals was a radio shack. I look over to the boys and point to it. They look at me trying to understand what I was trying to tell them. I rolled my eyes and made my way there and of course the boys follow behind me. The store was small and it was easy to clear. I was looking for more walkie-talkies to give out to anyone we saw and connected a headset to mine. When the boys finally understood, what I was doing the did the same. It was getting dark out and we made our way home. I walked the best home to make sure they were safe, after they were inside the school. Jade and I went our own way home. I replace her collar with a harness. I had to think of a way to get her inside and outside. After a few minutes of thinking I just strap her to my back and started my climb up the fourth-floor window. It was a lot harder since I had jade on my back and there was no way in hell I was going to leave her outside.
Making my way inside with a dog strap to my back. I release her and she seems to be happy. I open the door to our room and let her out. She took off exploring her new home. I took out her food and toys and open a can for her. She came back and ate. And I did the same. Two fruit bars and a bottle of apple juice and water for Jade later I close the window and mark down the new places I find with the boy's. Yawning I change and made my way to my chair and Jade hop onto my lap. I cuddle into her. She was soft and cuddle into me as well. Pulling Jade closer to me, my eyes began to close and soon sleep took hold of me. I wonder how long thing was going to last, I thought to myself and with that last thought sleep finally claim my tired mind and I once again had a dreamless night.
I woke up to the sound a rain hitting the window. I wasn't going to go out today, I just wanted to stay in and rest a bit. Jade was still asleep in my lap and I smile in content. It has been almost a week since all this started. My phone was within reach so I grab it. I turn on my phone and called my aunt and uncle to let them know I was safe and I meet other people. The once again cried to hear I was safe and started texting people while I still can. After I was done I wanted to listen to some music. So, I pull up my music and put on In This Moment and just relax to the sound of music. My talkie creak to life and I heard Erin's voice over it asking if I was okay and if I was going out. I reply to them saying I was good and that I wasn't and that today is a rest day, I wasn't going to over work myself.
Jade started to wake up and jump off of me. She went out of the room to go do her own thing. I hope it wasn't anyway near here. I open another can for her and gave her some water. I wasn't hungry yet so I just said on the window ledge and look outside. The rain had a calming effect on me. I just stare outside thinking about how the last six days changed everything. How my life was no longer about school and trying to find someone to call my own. Now it was about trying to survive and try to make the best of what we got. Shit life had completely gone to hell and here I am in the place I love the most with my new friend and helping three brothers.
I didn't feel like staring outside all day so I picked up one of the four books I took from the school where the boys now live. The book was called Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Later the rain stopped and I got dress. I wanted to explore but I didn't want to take the boys or Jade. So, open a can of food for her and put out some water. I hugged her and open my window. I took my rope and began the climb down. It wasn't that cold today which I was glad about. I decide to take my bag, knife, a flashlight and my bat and four walkie talkies in case I met any survivors. I wanted to help people but I also wanted to keep to myself. I wanted to make my way to my old high school. It was on the east side of the city. So, I made my way through central park and was next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 81th and 5th Ave. that was my second favorite place but it was a lot bigger but I loved where I was at. I started walking south along 5th Ave making way towards 59th and Lexington. The high school of Art and Design was there. I wanted to see if anyone I knew was holding up there and to just explore as well. Right now, it was one P.M and I have until four or five to make it back home.
Making my way towards mid-town Manhattan I hear something. It isn't growling or clicks it's someone. Well it sounds like two people. I made myself known to them by calmly saying "hello" to them. I think I scare them but then they saw me and look like relief flow through them. They smile; it was a woman and a child. I introduce myself to them and they did the same. Sally and Johnny were mother and son. They were hiding the dumpster when all this started. I offer them a place to stay and give the mother a walkie-talkie. I told her to keep it low and set onto channel one. She smiles again and thank me as I give her directions on how to get to the school. I called up the boys to let them know they will be getting people real soon. But before I sent them on their way I check them for any type of wound the was reddish black like substance. They were good and I radio it to them. The boys were a bit mad at me for going out on my own but I reminded them that it was me who taught them how to survive.
I went on my way when I hear growling. I was near CUNY Hunter College. There were at least ten growlers. Damnit, that was a lot of them, I am happy that I got to save the mother and her son from this. I needed to move away from them, there were too many to fight and my best bet was to run while I can. Then I hear clicks. Fucking shit! There were at least two of them and they could hear me if I wasn't careful. I needed to calm down and think. I began to slow my breathing and count from five backwards, then I was calm. I knew I need to make my way around them or back track and find a different way to my old high school. Dammit that is going to take forever and it is already two. I had two to three more hours before I was going to go home. Damnit! I need to go home and mark up my map and relay this information to the boys so there can to. I find place that weren't too looted and twelve of them gather round Hunter College. I was getting dark and I was halfway home when I heard someone running. I look around and saw no one. Then I felt something crash into me. I immediately push it off and took out my knife. I froze when I saw it was a scare kid. I put my knife away and slowly backed away from him. He had no visible wounds and none of the reddish-black substance was coming from his eyes or mouth.
"My name is Jackie and I know a place that can keep you safe" I told him slowly. He looks like I just gave him a million dollars and hugged me. I did not like it when people touched me but I let him because it seems to comfort him. "My name is Victor and I was running from those things and I finally lost then and now I am going to have a new home" he seems to be breaking down as this was his lucky day and it was. I told him to follow mw and copy my moves. I radio the boys that I find another person. They were glad that people were safe and that they would be happy to have him. I gave him a talkie as well and told him what it was used for. It was now three p.m. and I could see the school from the edge of the park. I started moving when I hear a click, damn it; it was only one so I could take it down. Victor seems scare out of his mind. He watches as I made my way to it with Max in hand. This one was tall so I kicked it legs from under it and when it fell to the floor I hit it hard in the head till it wasn't moving anymore. I look behind me to see Victor stare at me in awe. I shrug my shoulder and started walking towards the school. Jimmy meets me outside and I told him we need to build wall around our area to keep it safe and so the growlers and the tickers wouldn't get him.
"Tickers" he asks in question. I told him its better then clickers and he agrees. I told him there is a home depot on 59th and Lexington and that we should also search building sites. After our talk, I introduce Victor to Jimmy. Jimmy looks at him and gives a smile that reaches his eyes. Oh, maybe he is gay or bi and has a thing for skinny emo guys. I shake my head and told them good night. Victor look confuse and ask why I wasn't going in with them. I told him I had my own place with someone waiting for me. He nodded and I left for home. It was only down the block but I wouldn't relax until I was inside with Jade and some food in my system. I climb up the rope to my home and made it thru my falling flat on my face. My foot got caught in the rope. I can kill growlers and tickers but cannot for the life of me climb through a window and land on my feet. I've been doing this for nearly a week and I can't even do it right.
Jade came running in and jump on me licking me. I miss her to and I promise her I'd bring her with me next time. I give her some food and water and began to do my workout routine but I added one more lap around the floor. After cleaning up and having some dinner I walk over to my map and mark where I saw the growlers and tickers and where I find the three survivors, and other place that look like a good place to get supplies. I radio the boys and told them we need more weapons other than bats like guns and knife and to train people. They all agree with me and I also told the other two brothers about building wall. They also said to build watch towers and lookouts and I said that was an amazing idea. We talked about different ideas and plans for building up our defenses and soon said goodnight to them. I curl up next to Jade on the floor. Thinking to myself to get her a bed, closed my eyes and wonder what will come next.
It has now been a week since all hell broke loose in the greatest city ever. Now Manhattan was slowly dying and losing her life to these things that just came out of nowhere. It was as if someone or nature said screw you New York and fucking let lose something that is hard to kill and easy to get infected by. One bite is all it takes to become one of those things. I saw it happen with my own eyes. Some lady got her throat ripped out and pops right back up to create some mayhem with the others that changed. I kind of what to see what would happen if you got bit but didn't die. Wondering how long would it take for you to change and it seem like there were a lot more growlers then tickers. I only saw five tickers and I killed three of them. However, I saw about twenty-five growlers. So maybe only a select few have gene mutations that lead them to become tickers while growlers were more common.
I was up before my alarm and got ready and made myself and Jade breakfast. Got dress for the cold and put Jade on my back to climb out the window. I still wasn't use to carrying her up and down the rope but I'll get used to it. I release her from my back and we made our way to the school. Zac, Jimmy and Erin were all waiting outside for use. I told the boys that I was look at the map and found a lumber depot on 89th and Columbus Ave and that there was another store like it on Broadway between 95th and 96th street. It was a nice sunny day but it was cold. We made our way to 89th street watching for anything that could be a threat. We were halfway there we when heard growling from Jade. She alerted us to the growlers that were a block away. There was about five of them and there was four of use and a dog. We slowly made our way to them to take them out. I was closest to a smaller one.
Fuck, it was a kid. I knew I had to do it and put her out of her misery but part of me thought I can't do this. There wasn't anything wrong I was ending her suffering if she still had consciousness. I mean if I was one of them I would want someone to end it. After my mini debate with myself I swung Max hard and hit the little girl hard. She fell to the ground, not moving. I saw the boys took out three more with one left. It was an elderly man and I hit him hard. We took out five growlers and continue our way to the lumber depot. We were silent the whole way there.
We made it to the depot and hope it wasn't luck but it was. They widow were too high to reach so we had no choice but to break the lock. That meant making some noise. We need to break the lock that was around the handle. It was a regular locksmith lock so but it was a heavy-duty type. We had to break it by hitting it with our bats. Every few hits we would stop in case the noise brought a ticker our way. We weren't worry about growlers because the basically couldn't hear or see. We kept at it till the lock finally broke. We quickly went into and close the doors behind us not wanting anything to come in behind us. This place was huge. It has different types and sides of wood. We grab whatever we could carry and put some stuff onto two large carts. I knew we were going to make more trips there. That place had everything we needed to build look outs and board up windows. But we also need to go to the other store as well to get nails and others thing like that. Can't build anything without that stuff.
After bringing the stuff back to the school we made our way to 95th and Broadway. It was a simple hardware store and it had what we needed. It was in zone A but not the far into it. We clear the area before entering the store and clear the store as well. We all grab hand baskets and collected nails, screws, bolts and other things that are used for building. We also got some paint and brushes to paint the wood and some crowbars to well use as weapons. We had a lot of stuff but it didn't slow us down. We made it back to the school just before the sun set. It was a beautiful sunset but didn't have time to look at it. The brothers left for the school as we make it closer to our home area. I said goodbye to them and went to were my hidden rope was. I strap Jade to my back and began to climb. It was hard but I made it up and didn't fall flat on my face. I let Jade off of my back and began to make up dinner.
After working out and change clothes I radio the boys. " Hey guys we need to move some cars and block off streets" I said. I hear Erin's voice "yeah you are write and we need towers to look out for threats" he said. We talk back and forth about building and to defend our area. I went to my chair and Jade hop onto my lap. I petted and cuddled into her. We both fell asleep and I dreamt of nothing but darkness.