The Two Survivors - Chpt 3 [English - US]

The Two Survivors [English - US]

Description:

The Two Survivors is a fan comic and book series, created by Antony Bindilatti and in suggestion and in partnership with Priscilla2Warrior, also known as Priscilla McGee. The series brings together different stories from the characters from famous series such as Claymore (trademark of Norihiro Yagi and Madhouse Studio) and The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman and Telltales Games by The Walking Dead: Michonne), all focusing on some journeys, some action. and some fun with your favorite characters (and some less).

The story focuses on two young girls: Priscilla and Paige. Priscilla is a newly formed Organization warrior after taking her place as Number 2, and Paige is one of the survivors after a zombie apocalypse devastated Georgia and turned victims into Walkers.

 And when the two survivors meet, a long, tireless journey begins and they will have to fight to survive.

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Chapter 3

Hours passed after the survivors escaped from the horde of zombies. The Ford F-250 truck was proceeding at full speed southwards, in which Alice, the mother of the boys Mark and Andrew, intended to find refuge after crossing the border with Mexico. However, the trip would be long and they would have to stop to refuel the vehicle and rest in order to recover from the escape.

The survivors were in the middle of an uninhabited area of Georgia, with a little vegetation but that looked like a desert, similar to Arizona. Priscilla and Paige were still in the vehicle's bucket, resting after using their strengths to keep the zombies away from that family while Alice did everything she could to start the truck's engine and escape from that infested parking lot. Paige noticed her friend in a motionless state. Apparently, she used a considerable amount of Yoki that almost resulted in her Awakening, a phase in which a Claymore exceeds the limits of Yoki usage to the point of becoming monstrous beings, hungry for human flesh and entrails.

Even though it was uncomfortable to get her out of her home, Paige worried about her friend's well-being. Extending her hand towards her shoulder, the young sniper would try to call her that, believing that the noise of the moving vehicle would hinder her call. Doing so, Priscilla's eyes remained closed. Paige tried to shake her up a little to call out to her.

“Priscilla? Priscilla.” Paige called her friend while shaking her slightly.

This time, the warrior slowly opened her eyes again. Answering Paige's call, her gaze was fixed on the survivor.

“Yes, Paige?”

“You looked quiet and you kind of ended up sleeping the whole trip. Is everything alright with you?”

The warrior seemed to be a little reclusive to talk about her condition. “Yes, Paige. I'm fine.” replied Priscilla.

The shooter, on the other hand, felt that there was something about her that would not speak openly.

“I imagine we are far from reaching our final destination?”

“Yes. And Alice did not specify where in the south we will seek refuge and where we should stop.”

That said, Priscilla remembered the conversation she had with the boys' mother and Paige about a place that was not taken by the zombie apocalypse. A place that would serve as a shelter for them while the two could continue their journey and find something that could be the way back to Priscilla's world.

“True. And as we don't know if the place she is looking for is the refuge she was looking for, this trip will only lead to nothing.”

Just before they continued talking, the two heard the sound of a window opening. When they looked, they saw that it was Mark and Andrew who opened the window to see them.

“Priscilla, Paige. Are you okay there?” asked Mark.

The two girls looked at them, while Paige responded smiling to cheer them up. “Yes, Mark. We are all right.”

“What a relief. We are concerned that the trip is being tiresome for you.”

“No. For the time being it is good here.”

“What about Alice? Does she know of any place we can stop to rest?” asked Priscilla.

“Our mother will see if we can find a suitable place to eat and rest. Don't worry.” replied Andrew.

“As soon as we find one, we'll stop for a rest.” completed Mark.

The two girls smiled at them towards that. As they continued on the road, the two boys went to see their mother in order to answer Priscilla and Paige.

After the window was closed, they resumed their attention on each other.

“Well, let's hope we get to a place to eat and rest. This trip is making me hungry.”

“But what about the crackers?” asked Priscilla about the provisions they have for the trip.

“Priscilla, crackers don't usually fill the stomach in the same way as real food. It's certain that they will give you some sustenance, but you will miss some nutrients if you live on crackers.”

“Right.”

“And besides, you don't usually eat a lot. So much so that I had to eat some of your crackers so they wouldn't spoil.”

“Spoil? But don't they really last in the packaging?”

Paige shook her head sideways. And just before they continued, they felt something that shook the truck sharply. The passengers felt it, as if the place they were in was suffering from some kind of earthquake.

“What was that?!” asked Paige, startled.

“I don't know, Paige. Did they feel the same way as we did?”

“Let's take a look.”

When they went to open the window to talk to Alice and the boys, the woman recovered the vehicle's stability through the steering wheel. Mark and Andrew attended to the two survivors who called on them about the quake.

“Mark, Andrew. What happened?” asked Priscilla.

“We ran over a hole in the asphalt.” replied Andrew.

Hearing that, the two went to look behind the truck. To their amazement, it was a little long and part of the bottom was bigger than they thought it was. The shock caused in the vehicle must have been when the wheel passed over the hole and hit part of the essential components like the transmission shaft.

And after they had gone through that hole, the truck's performance dropped seriously to the point of not going along on the road. Consequently, Alice had to make an emergency stop after they were not going under good conditions.

“Mom?” asked Mark.

“It's okay, Mark. This was just unexpected. I'm sure we will be able to get this truck back on the road and get back to our final destination.”

When starting the vehicle again and turning the steering wheel to the left, the shaft didn't respond well to direction changes. The truck only moved forward, sometimes a little to the left or right. This time they were stuck in the middle of the desert, with no sign of any change for the better.

“Mom, we're not moving.” said Andrew looking out through the window.

“I know it'll be able to move on, Andrew! I know that!” she said, almost impatient.

The truck was unable to go to the desired destination accordingly. The woman turned off the truck's engine as they got out to see its condition. Priscilla and Paige also left the vehicle to see the situation.

Although the transmission shaft couldn't be seen under the truck in the open space, the front wheel was bent and the rear wheel appeared intact. Fortunately, it wasn't leaking oil or gasoline because it didn't hit the fuel tank, but with one of the wheels out of place, it was a sign that it needed maintenance.

“Looks like we're stuck here. Are we?” asked Priscilla.

“Well, if someone knows about mechanics and can fix this wheel, you could say that we are not stuck.” retorted Alice.

The two girls looked at each other, then turned their attention to Alice.

“If you haven't noticed, nobody here understands mechanics, and I barely understand the basics.” replied Paige.

“And we don't have the right tools or means to fix it.”

Alice was at an impasse before the two girls. It seemed that everything she said was going to be ignored or overwhelmed with pessimistic responses.

“Why don't we walk? I know we can find something on the way as we walk.”

In the face of the eldest son's speech, Priscilla could feel that he was right. In the condition they were in, they could choose to continue on foot or wait for help. And since there was no one around to help them, the last option left was to leave the truck and continue on foot, heading south.

But for the boys' mother, this option would leave everyone exposed to the dangers that may be hidden, waiting for easy prey.

“Oh no, Andrew. I don't like the idea of walking around in the middle of the burning sun and those walking corpses are going to reach us!”

“As far as we know, zombies can't run so fast that they can reach us. And we're a long way from Atlanta.” said Paige.

“Apparently there are no zombies in this region.” completed Priscilla.

“But there may be wild animals that can attack us.”

“Mom, the way you're talking, it seems like you're not helping us much.” Andrew said at her speech. Mark agreed with his older brother that Alice wasn't helping them find a solution to this impasse.

When she heard that, her patience was on the line. Before she could say anything, she turned to the truck and kicked the hubcap.

“Damn it!” she exclaimed in frustration.

Her attitude scared the boys and the girls. She kept repeating it over and over until she dropped to her knees as tears streamed from her eyes. In order to comfort her, Paige went to approach Alice who was crying for her inability to help others.

Extending her hand towards her shoulder, the young survivor called out to her.

“Paige?” she said as she calmed down.

“Hey. Listen, let's do the following: You are a mature person and you know how to take care of others. Why don't you wipe away those tears and show that you are strong and courageous?”

“But what about… what about the truck?”

“It's OK. We will be protecting each other in the face of the dangers of a wild and hostile world.”

“And about the truck, I can push it to where you need to stop to eat and rest.” completed Priscilla as she approached the two.

“What? Really?” she asked in amazement.

“Sure. As I am a warrior of the Organization, I can carry heavy things that no human being could do with their own hands. Furthermore, I wouldn't be bothered by this hot weather.”

The two girls convinced Alice that the situation could be overcome through the incredible physical strength that the warrior possessed and Paige's willingness to keep an eye out for possible dangers that may arise in the middle of the journey to a safe area in order to rest. She hugged them both and her children came to her.

With everything resolved, Priscilla pushed the truck as far as she could with her strength, while Paige remained in the bucket and that family in the vehicle's cabin.

 ////

Hours have passed since the young warrior pushed the truck after bending the transmission shaft and leaving the vehicle in a bad state to travel on the road. Even though she was under a burning sun and her body was sweating at a gradually accelerating rate, she did everything she could to help her friends out of a place with possible imminent danger.

Paige was sitting on the back of the vehicle, watching from side to side, keeping the rifle in hand in case something dangerous appears. The boys slept with their heads resting on Alice's shoulders while she kept them close. Although he started with frustration on her side, he did everything again so that none of that would be repeated.

The journey never seemed to end. Even though Priscilla offered to push the truck towards the horizon, everything consisted of a huge desert. No point of reference like buildings, gas stations, restaurants or any other human building to be seen and used as a stopping point for travelers. Only cacti, undergrowth and rocks.

Until, the boys' mother saw something appearing on the horizon. It was a station used for truckers to stop to replenish the air and fuel from their vehicles, eat and rest after hours of travel. Although it is not one of the things that Alice would use as a safe zone, things were about to improve after that escape to escape the zombies in the city. On the one hand, she and her children can feed themselves with something other than what they are getting from abandoned stores and houses. They can also sleep in comfortable beds instead of the floor.

“Mark! Andrew! Look!” she called when she woke her children.

They both heard her call, slowly waking up from their rest. When they saw what her call was about, they were happy to see that building in the middle of the desert. Mark called the two girls to see what they saw, asking Priscilla to continue forward to the post.

Arriving at the place, there were some fuel tanks, although they looked a little rusty from old, they were working in case they needed to replace the fuel consumed on the trip. In addition, it had a maintenance garage, perfect for repairing the truck if there is someone who knows mechanics; and an inn with a cafeteria that served from breakfast to dinner.

Priscilla stopped pushing the truck after they were at the station. In the eyes of the survivors who got out of the vehicle, there was no one outside, attending to anyone who had arrived from a long journey. It was just like the city they escaped from because of the zombie apocalypse. It looked like the place was abandoned.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” called Paige. It has proved no use at all.

Priscilla and the family looked from side to side looking for someone in the garage or inside the inn. Sometimes there may not be one or more people outside, but there may be someone inside the buildings.

As she searched the garage, the warrior noticed a workbench full of tools for working with metal parts, such as a screwdriver, melting torch, metal saw and a variety of wrenches. But no people are working in this place to help her. And even if there were, they would be scared to see her with a sword in her back, with a fear that she would attack this gas station and take something of value.

At the inn, the two boys and their mother entered after pushing the door inwards. They spotted a counter accompanied by several drink racks and plates with the names for the various dishes that this establishment has to offer its customers. And since there should be no more customers that could pass here or trucks from food and beverage suppliers, a good part of the dishes was crossed out from the menus.

In order to see if there was anyone in the place, Alice and her children called out loudly and when they did, they heard the sound of footsteps walking towards the balcony of the inn. He was a tall man with orange hair although the top of his head was exposed, white skin and was around 46 years old. He wore a white shirt with blue stripes and a white apron with a little gray, dark gray jeans and black shoes. It is assumed that he is the owner of this establishment. His gaze was a little bitter, as if he had woken up to yet another horrible day of his life.

The man placed his wrinkled hands on the counter as he approached his head towards the woman and her children, causing a certain discomfort in them.

“Ahh, travelers. I imagine you came from far away just to get here.” he said in a slightly hoarse voice and a questioning look. “What can I do for you?”

“Look.” replied Alice tried to stand firm in front of the restaurant owner. “We're looking for a place to stay, and… an inspection on the truck. It's just that it's transmission shaft has been dislocated and it can't move.”

Before completing her order, her children added that they needed to eat something other than what they already had to keep them alive. That said, Alice reinforced their request.

“And my kids need to eat something. Can you help us with that?” she concluded.

“Right. I'm going to see Cook in the kitchen to see if you can eat and check your vehicle. In the meantime, I can reserve a room for you. Is it just you three?” asked the owner of the establishment while taking a pen and notepad out of his pocket.

“No. There are two more girls who came with us. They're outside looking after the truck and looking for someone to help us.”

“Look, there's only Cook and I here, working at this inn. The others who used to work here before? They left. They said this was the end of the world due to the lack of customers and they left.”

“If you say that only the two of you stayed, how have you been living far from civilization and with just what this place has kept?” asked Andrew. Alice tried to ask him to avoid asking too much of the reality the world was going through. But the man answered.

“If you are talking about the things that started crawling around the city after a catastrophic epidemic and before things got really bad? Simple, we didn't want to leave here. As this place is far from a city, we chose to stay here while the others wanted to condemn themselves.”

Alice looked with a little dread at his brief history. With nothing to add, he took the pen to take their order.

“Without asking anything, your request. What do you want to eat here? Choose from the menu above.”

“An X-burger with soda,” asked Mark.

“An X-bacon with orange juice,” asked Andrew.

“I'm going to order coffee without sugar,” asked Alice.

The owner noted their orders on the pad. “Right. Well, I'm going to talk to Cook to prepare your dishes. I'll be right back.”

While they waited for the man to go to the kitchen, Alice asked Mark to see the two survivors outside and if necessary to call them in order to make room reservations.

 ////

Outside the inn, Paige stood beside the damaged vehicle in order to protect it in the event of an assailant in order to steal it or the place. The sun was still burning on top of anything under it. At the present time, there was no sign of zombies or anything terrifying that could put her on alert.

Just before choosing to enter the inn, she sees the door opening. It was Mark arriving to call her and Priscilla. It was at this moment that the warrior returned from the search and saw the boy heading for the watcher.

“Priscilla, Paige, my mother sent me to call you. There are two people at the inn and they are willing to help us with food, rest and maintenance of the truck.” said the young Mark.

“I'm glad it worked out that we found this place.” replied Paige. Just before entering, a concern came over his mind about Priscilla's sword and his rifle. Although it is locked to prevent accidental firing, she was afraid that the first impression would be seen as troublemakers. “Is it okay to enter with these weapons?”

“We hope not, Paige. From where I came, it was okay for us to enter human houses with swords.”

“In case you forgot, we are in a different world where there are rules about entering guns in public places.” said Paige seriously.

“Well, I don't think there are any problems with that.” said Mark.

Paige and Priscilla looked at the young boy and then at each other. With nothing to add, they chose to enter the inn.

 ////

Entering the inn, Alice and Andrew smiled to see them. And when they entered, the owner of the establishment arrived from the kitchen to serve them. There was another person beside him. Tall with brown skin, dark brown hair and his age was around 41 years old. He had the defined arms of various tasks performed in the mechanics, cleaning and cooking. It is assumed to be the Cook that the owner had mentioned.

Cook brought that family's dishes on an aluminum tray. Getting close to the table, he put the plate of X-burger with soda for Mark, the plate of X-bacon with orange juice for Andrew and the coffee for Alice. The boys served themselves with the food prepared by the man and when he noticed the two girls, he decided to serve them if they wanted something to eat.

“Do you want to eat something here? You can take a look at the menu over there.”

“I won't want anything to eat right now.” Priscilla said, unwilling to eat because she was satisfied with the small portions of crackers.

“I'm going to order an X-Bacon. Along with a soda.” asked Paige.

“Very well. I'll be right back with your dishes.” replied Cook. Then he goes to the kitchen with the empty tray.

The owner was still in the same place as before, and looking the same as before.

“Are these the girls you talked about?” he asked Alice with a frown.

“Ah yes. They are themselves. Ah, don't worry if they came with weapons.” she replied in order to keep things calm.

“We ran away from a horde of zombies in a truck. It was scary, but they protected us from them.” completed Mark.

“And we need help with the truck to get back on the road,” said Andrew.

The owner remained with the same appearance as before. Almost caring about their situation. The boys, the mother and the girls were kind of quiet in front of him.

“You know, I don't mind if you came here to get refuge, as long as you didn't bring those things. After all this started, my life has been at peace. And I would like it to stay that way.”

Priscilla felt that this man was very harsh in the way he spoke to them and Alice. Coming here seemed to have jumped from one horror show to another, only more sour than before. And to complete the degree of bitterness, he launched his only obligation, in a tone that would leave a bad impression on his persona.

“And I hope that you will be able to keep things here in place while I am the owner of this establishment. If you fail to keep them in place, I will make you forget this place the next time you go looking for shelter.”

The warrior and Paige took the austere man seriously after saying that. Although it is not prudent to punch him because he is older than them, he would hardly get a pass with them if the “things” are not under control, as he had said to them. Alice and her children looked at that unpleasant situation arising from the man to the girls.

“Excuse me…” called on her to try to calm things down. Getting his attention, the boys' mother prepared to speak. “I hate to be harsh, but… we've come a long way to hear something like that. We barely left an unhappy experience and now you want to get us out of here, without a car and rest?!”

“I just want things to continue as they are.”

“How do you want them to be? That this place is an untouchable fort in which zombies cannot invade it and they only stay in ruined cities?” asked Paige without understanding the point the owner wanted to reach.

“It makes no sense.” completed the boys' mother.

“But it is the reality I want. If you're not happy with it, you can get ready to leave.”

Those words seemed to break the morale of anyone who believed they had found a safe area in this truckers' restaurant. The boys were amazed at that discussion. And just before Alice seriously answered his speech, young Paige responded calmly but firmly before the owner's eyes.

“Don't worry. I guarantee that they won't go out of control when we have done our things.”

Cook came back from the kitchen with a snack ready for the girl he had asked to eat, along with a soda. He noticed his superior's stance, chose to intervene.

“Hey Richard, why throw negativity on them. They need a place to stay and be in good shape if they are to continue their journey for survival.” called him by calling the owner by his first name.

“Cook, don't start it again. You know this better because I get tired of listening to this kind of conversation.”

“Well, see if there's another gas cylinder in the tank. I think that one ran out after making the snacks.” asked the cook.

“But you also have the key to the deposit!”

“Yeah, but you love locking things up unnecessarily.”

Hearing that from his cook, Richard was irritated.

“Fine. I'll see if I get a new one from the warehouse.” he replied as he went to the warehouse to get another gas cylinder.

The cook looked at his boss going to the warehouse, giving some space and air to Priscilla, Paige, Alice and her children after that person's harsh lines. And when she saw him entering that place, he sighed with relief and addressed the survivors. He removed a chair from a neighboring table to sit with them.

“I apologize if my boss said some crazy things. I hope he didn't offend you.” he said as he sat down.

“Not at all.” Alice replied about the cook's apology. “I just don't understand why he said that.”

“Especially with such a harsh tone, asking for things to stay the way he wants.” completed Paige.

“Richard went through a difficult time just before the zombie apocalypse. First his wife and children left him after a serious argument. I think he used to drink a lot or it was something related to this restaurant that was not going much further. I didn't ask him that.”

“And what happened next?” asked Mark.

“After a while, the other employees who worked here left, believing that this was the worst piece of hell here on earth. He was so out of his mind when they left him, and the truckers didn't come by when the news of the apocalypse spread like a forest on fire.”

The survivors paid attention to the cook. Paige's gaze remained the same as before when she answered Richard calmly but firmly. Priscilla and Alice felt some discomfort and the boys Mark and Andrew were calm after that.

“Just one question. If what the others said, well, according to you, that here was the worst piece of hell here on earth, why did you stay here?”

“I even wanted to leave, just like them. But he needs a good cook in times like this, so he asked me to stay here. Besides, nobody liked him, even his wife.”

“Right. And, does he treat you well?” asked Andrew.

“When he's not out of his mind, he treats me well.”

Paige looked at Priscilla and the others just before looking back at the cook. When it seemed that there was nothing more to add to the conversation, the man realized the vehicle mentioned by his boss.

“Well, Richard told me that your truck needs an inspection and its shaft broke. I'm going to take a look at it and see what I can do.”

“Do you understand mechanics and repair trucks?” asked Andrew.

“But of course, young man. I work in both the kitchen and the workshop. Of course, Richard asks me not to wear the same clothes if I have a meal in the kitchen, otherwise there will be grease and diesel oil in the middle of the food and the customers wouldn't love such a thing. Don't you agree?”

The boys, their mother and Paige laughed at Cook's comment. Only Priscilla didn't laugh because she was not familiar with the things of this world.

“Look, I don't know how to express it, but thank you so much for taking care of us and taking the time to help us.” thanked Alice as she smiled at him.

“Any time. Besides, my name is Sullivan Winters. I believe that we didn't introduce ourselves well.”

“Ohh, in this case, I'm Alice.” She introduced herself to Sullivan. “And my children…”

“Mark.” introduced the youngest son.

“Andrew.” introduced the eldest son.

“I am Paige.”

“And I'm Number 2, Priscilla.” introduced the young warrior with her name and number in the Organization.

“Number 2? This is new to me.” said the cook, surprised by it.

“It's a… long story.”

“Well, I imagine it must be. Well, let's take a look at your truck. You can leave the dishes near the counter. I will take it to the kitchen to wash them.”

Having finished the conversation and the meal, the survivors left the plates and glasses on the counter for Sullivan to wash in the kitchen. Then they went to the garage to see the Ford F-250.

 ////

Priscilla, Paige, Alice and her children accompanied Sullivan to show them the vehicle they used to escape that horde of zombies in the city and reach the restaurant. It was still in the same place as before after the young warrior used her strength to push the broken vehicle.

In order to do the maintenance, Sullivan asked them to bring it to the garage while removing a case with several mechanic tools under the table and placing it on top. Priscilla and the others pushed the vehicle, although she managed to push it out of the desert on her own.

“Look, I must admit. You were lucky to find one of these to escape.” confessed the mechanic seeing them bringing the vehicle to the garage.

“Why do you say that?” asked Paige, unaware of it as she pushed the truck.

“When the others left this place, they took every vehicle there was. Car, pickup truck, motorcycle, tow tractor. Since then, we've been stuck here.”

“And didn't Richard think about leaving here if there was a spare vehicle?” asked Alice as she helped the others with the broken vehicle.

“I don't know. For him here is the only 'safe place' in this world.”

Pushing the truck a little further, Paige looked at Sullivan again.

“But I imagine that the zombies they've been talking about will come here and I don't even want to know how this will end if this happens.” he completed with a look of concern.

“We also wouldn't like to know how this will end if we stay here for too long. We need the truck ready as soon as possible.” replied the girl with the Marlin Model 25 rifle.

The vehicle was pushed a little further until it aligned with the hydraulic lift platform. Sullivan asked them to stop and went over to the button to lift it. Going under the vehicle, the inspection of the transmission shaft began.

“Hmm, that's it. The shaft broke. I will need to change it.” informed Sullivan in his survey.

Priscilla looked at Paige, then at the mechanic. “Do you believe you can do it in a short time?”

“Well, as long as I have the right parts and measurements, I believe I can change the shaft of your truck by tomorrow.”

He said he would repair their truck and leave it in good condition until the deadline for tomorrow. Of course, they knew Sullivan was a human being and that he needed to take breaks from maintenance and work.

And just before the mechanic started his work, when the platform raised the vehicle to the required height, a problem arose that was neglected due to the lack of adequate staff to inspect the elevator. One of the oil hoses that maintained the stability on one side broke, causing the set of mechanisms to lose support and tip over to the right, taking the truck with it to the point of breaking it and making it a pile of scrap and delaying the repairs.

Despite the shock, however, Priscilla noticed what was going to happen and quickly advanced to the right side of the elevator and stopped that unpleasant outcome, keeping the platform in line. In Sullivan's eyes, the sword warrior held the right side of the platform with the least amount of physical force, startling him in the process. Paige, Alice and her children were also amazed by that, but relieved by Priscilla's incredible perception.

“Sullivan, are you alright?” asked the warrior holding the platform.

Sullivan's breathing recovered after that fright. “Well, after that, I don't think I'll ever easily forget. But I must admit, you have impressive strength.” he replied, relieved and smiling at the young warrior. He got up to check one of the hydraulic sides of the elevator.

As it had been a long time since he had used that anymore because there were no more vehicles to fix, his concern was the wearing over time, and that was exactly the answer he had. The hose broke due to the long time of use and the material has dried out, losing strength to the point of making the rubber layer thin. In addition, the pressure exerted by the truck's weight on the platform contributed to the rupture of that component and to leak oil from the inside and from some ends on the outside.

“Well, this one is no longer in good shape for me to use this elevator.”

“But, how are you going to fix the truck?” asked Alice, worried about the vehicle.

“I can still fix it. I'm just not confident that this one will last for a long time and make it difficult for me to leave your truck in good condition again until tomorrow.”

“What about the inn owner?” asked Andrew.

“Richard prefers to do the job without grease, blowtorches and vehicles. To put two fingers in the grease, he can't spend half a minute suffering chills.”

“Such a yellow-livered guy like him.” replied Paige with a displeasing sensation.

“Yellow-livered?” asked Priscilla without knowing what it was about.

“It's a definition for a person who doesn't have the courage to do something like that.”

“Like a coward.”

“That's right.”

“Exactly. And that's one of Richard's problems. As I do all the legwork here, most of our contribution has always been the pillar of this establishment. But as we no longer have customers to enjoy our hospitality and receive all possible help, well except you; here we only do practically the same thing for ghosts.”

Alice's boys and she were almost devastated to hear that. A man like Richard who only does the job of keeping the establishment active without being available to Sullivan – the only laborer, was an extremely frustrating thing when the vehicle would take longer to get ready and some of the means for this purpose are available. distant, making the survivors' journey more difficult.

Priscilla kept the platform in line with the truck at the top. Faced with that conversation while looking at the device and then at the mechanic, an idea popped into her mind.

“Hey Sullivan.” Priscilla called him. When he heard her, he paid attention again to what she would say about his idea. “In case you need help fixing the truck, I can help you in the best way I can. I know I'm still holding on to this platform to keep from tipping over, but I can help you with other things to repair it.”

“I appreciate your help, Priscilla. I know you're willing to help me fix the vehicle.” replied the mechanic smiling.

And at the same time, Paige chose to volunteer to help. And so did Alice's children, although she was concerned for them if they get hurt or get filthy with oil and to remove the stains would be difficult. However, she also chose to help him.

“Guys, I am more than grateful for knowing you and your willingness to help me.”

The survivors spent the afternoon fixing up the truck as Sullivan instructed them on how to replace the broken transmission shaft with a new one and repair the other sections if they were damaged during the trip. There were times when they needed to take turns and avoid using the elevator several times. As the oil hose broke, one side was unable to go up or down.

 ////

Hours passed, the truck was partially ready. The last thing that was missing was to supply it and prepare it for the next trip. But after the young girls and that family helped the mechanic to fix it, much of the enormous work he would have to do to repair the vehicle and leave it in good condition until tomorrow was reduced considerably until it became little.

The sun was over the horizon. The skies were orange with a little salmon-red. Alice saw through the window and was amazed at how time had indeed flown so fast. She called her sons and the two girls to enter the inn and get ready for bed. Sullivan also agreed with the boys' mother. In his eyes, the truck was close to being ready, but the conclusion would not be realized until tomorrow. He left the greased cloth on the table and continued with them to the main building of the restaurant.

Entering, Paige and Alice felt sour when they saw that rough man at the counter, wiping the top of the furniture with a small towel. Next to him, there was a portable radio to listen to a station that is working to play music, news, football or baseball or something else.

“I hope you guys had fun with Sullivan in the garage.” said Richard with a serious look, but maintaining the tone of his last conversation.

Sullivan felt the situation would escalate to that level again. Instead of reacting, he went straight to the kitchen and prepared dinner. Passing the side of his boss, Cook's expression was the same as before, it only advances if he is going to throw the first stone of the hand at someone and that 'someone' would be the survivors.

Richard resumed his earlier question for them.

“I didn't hear your answer. Did you have fun with him in the garage?”

“Ah yes. Quite a lot.” Alice replied, trying to be sarcastic with him.

“Sullivan saw that we have the potential to fix things.” completed Paige.

“Funny. At the moment I have little service to ask you to work here.” replied the owner while looking at the wall to his left. Then he returned his attention to them. “Besides, you're just going to stay here tonight. Am I right?”

“Exactly.” replied Priscilla.

“That's a pity.”

“Ah don't worry. We don't know if we're going to ask for a farewell party tomorrow.” said Paige.

“And I would hardly do one for you.”

Just before they continued their conversation, Richard went to check his radio if it was broadcasting anything on it. Approaching his ear on the device, he realized that he could only hear noises and hisses due to lack of signal.

“Ah, crap. There is no radio channel open today.” irritated Richard with the hissing noise coming out of the radio.

Suddenly, the girl with the rifle decided to call the owner again.

“Excuse us. I hope you haven't forgotten to register us in the tenants' diary.”

“But of course I have not forgotten that. I was just waiting when you would think to come by and put your names in that diary.” he replied, pointing to the open book on the counter.

The group saw the ledger as the owner pointed out. As for what would be the payment for the lodging, he informed that the only things would be the small services after meals and the use of the rooms to sleep. Due to the zombie apocalypse, physical and digital money were out of circulation and worthless. Alice and her children were the first to sign the record book. Then Paige and Priscilla were next.

When they signed their names on the book, the owner turned off the radio and headed for the room keys.

“Very well. Now that you are registered at this inn, you will have your own room to sleep. And I hope you are comfortable with your new beds.” informed the owner, passing a key to each one.

“Huh? Are we going to sleep in separate rooms?” asked Alice even though she knew her children were 14 and 16, an age when they don't necessarily need to sleep with their mother.

“Do you have a problem with that?”

Alice was afraid to sleep alone and feel something was going to be in the same room as her. Something terrifying like zombies. Sensing that woman's concern, Priscilla put her hand on her shoulder.

“Don't worry, Alice. I'll be in the same room as you.” That gesture reassured Alice not to be scared to sleep alone.

“Well, I hope all of this is resolved. If you need anything, anything, you can call me or Cook.” concluded the owner of the restaurant.

With nothing more to say, the survivors went upstairs to see their new rooms. They were not very attractive in terms of aesthetics, but they had a bed and a complete bathroom for each room and dressers to store their belongings and clothes.

Because she is not used to this world and is a Claymore, Priscilla chose to stick her sword in the ground and support it with her back. Alice found it strange how she prepared herself to sleep, but decided to go take a shower and leave the young warrior resting.

After a while, they had dinner prepared by Sullivan. One that they hadn't in a long time. Steak with onions accompanied by sauce and beans, rice and a green salad.

The boys and their mother loved the meal after they helped him with the truck. As Priscilla no longer ate after the first mouthful, she ended up passing her plate to Paige. She didn't bother to see her friend eating her plate to avoid a wasted meal after being made by a good cook.

Then they helped Sullivan to put the pots in place, wash the dishes and set the tables before going to their rooms and sleeping.

 ////

The night descended into the horizon. Everything seemed very calm outside the restaurant and the inn. The noise of owls, snakes and other animals echoed in some corners of the desert, creating a pleasant sound environment to hear.

And in the middle of that desert, a car followed its path in a straight line. Inside, there was only the driver, a 29-year-old Caucasian man with light brown hair, wearing a white blouse with a blue button-down shirt, jeans and beige shoes. It is assumed that he is also a survivor and has left the city in search of shelter.

The driver yawned as his hands remained firm on the steering wheel and his foot still pressed on the accelerator pedal. The trip was exhausting no matter how long he kept going straight ahead without any pause to rest. The direction of the highway taken goes to Richard's truck driver restaurant if he sees interest in resting.

In the last yawn, his eyelids were getting heavy enough to close them for a sudden moment. And when it was becoming evident the sleep was taking his attention away from him, a figure with the appearance of a woman appeared on the horizon. He walked with his head a little tipped, but aligned forward. Without realizing that the headlights gained brightness as the vehicle approached her and the driver did not see her due to her strong sleep state, his attention was only regained when he felt the car passing over something big and almost losing control.

“What was that?!” exclaimed the frightened man with his hands still on the steering wheel.

Having passed over that strange woman, he stepped on the brake and clutch pedal, slowing down to the point of stopping his vehicle altogether. That done, the traveler turned off the engine of his car and continued running to help that injured person.

“Oh my God! Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” he shouted, sorry for running over her. As he helped her, he noticed that her skin was pale, her clothes were partially ruined and her hands were dark from some kind of necrosis. For some people, this type of illness happened in individuals who died some time ago. But since she was a walking corpse, it was a terrible idea to get out of the vehicle to help her.

And when it couldn't get any worse, the man heard the sound of crawling steps coming from in front of him.

“Ah, shit.” he thought when he saw a small group of zombies approaching him. Some with lost limbs, others with a disfigured appearance due to the decomposition of meat or open entrails to expose their organs. Everyone was moving forward and whoever was traveling and getting in their way would have little chance of survival if they chose to abandon the vehicle.

As a last act of despair, the traveler ran to his car and started the engine to escape. His heart was pounding, making it difficult to pick up the key and try to keep it in hand to insert it into the terminal. So much so that he dropped it on the floor of the car and further delayed his escape.

The zombies approached that traveler's vehicle. In their midst, that run-over undead woman got up from the floor and headed with the others to the stationary car. The traveler's situation worsened as the wave got closer. He managed to get the key from the floor and insert it into the ignition socket. He spun the device around to start the car, but saw that it was taking too long than expected.

“C'mon! Work it!” exclaimed the man as he turned the key to start his car.

In an instant, just before he could hear the roar of the engine, the undead banged on his windows. And one of them ended up breaking, extending the arm of one into the vehicle. The man screamed with fear when he saw that horror scene. He looked like he was in a real horror movie and he was one of the most unlucky characters that would die for the zombies.

Like that window, others were broken and some of them were getting into the car, surrounding the man completely.

“No! No! No! No! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

His screams echoed out of the car as they devoured his flesh. Others passing by the car walked forward, headed for Richard's truck driver's restaurant.

 ////

The next day, Paige woke up scared because she supposedly heard someone screaming, and that someone would be that driver who had been eaten by the zombies. Her heart was beating a little faster than before, but it calmed down because she believed it was just a dream. A bad dream. When she turned her gaze to the dresser, she noticed her long-sleeved shirt and pants on top of the furniture. She was wearing a black shirt and panties when she slept in her room.

Getting up from the bed, she headed for the bathroom to wash her face, do her necessities and return to put on her clothes. When she opened the door to leave, she noticed that the corridor was a little quiet. Apparently the others woke up before her and must already be at the table drinking coffee.

When she came down the stairs, she saw Alice and her children having coffee with toast, bacon and fried eggs. In addition to them, Priscilla was with them even though she ate a portion of an apple, Sullivan was at the other table next to him and Richard listened to his radio while cleaning the bottles of liquor off the shelf.

“Mom, look! It's Paige!” called Mark.

“Good morning Paige.” greeted Alice. Andrew, Sullivan and Priscilla soon greeted her.

“Good morning everyone.” greeted the young survivor. Looking at the owner, she waved at him. “Good morning Richard.”

Paige sat with the others for coffee.

“What a good smell of coffee. Did you prepare all this?” she asked the cook.

“This time the cook was Alice. She prepared all this for us. Richard couldn't believe it when I told him she woke up very early, long before I could wake up and make coffee.” he replied smiling.

“Really? Now I'm surprised to hear that, Alice.” replied Paige, marveling at the incredible skills of the boys' mother.

“Thank you Paige. It has been a long time since I had prepared a coffee like this in the time we had our home. Of course, Sullivan also makes a coffee with a pleasant aroma for us to enjoy.”

“I'm glad to hear that. But you know, you should make coffee for all of us more often.” praised Sullivan. “Enjoy while the eggs and bacon are still warm.”

Paige prepared her breakfast plate for breakfast. Alice's coffee was really tasty, still accompanied by toast, eggs and bacon. The boys took a small portion of bacon to eat with the bread and coffee. Priscilla was a little quiet as she looked ahead.

When Paige was snapping up her toast a second time, she saw her friend getting up to take a look outside the restaurant.

“What happened to Priscilla? Did something happen to her to go outside?” asked Paige, wondering how she was still and left for a moment.

“I don't know. I just know that I managed to sleep a little better tonight with her sleeping in the same room as me.” replied Alice. But she would also agree with Paige's comment. Mark and Andrew also agreed after their mother.

“I also have no idea. The strangest thing is that she doesn't usually eat a lot.” commented the cook. “Does she have any type of eating disorder?”

“Oh no. She usually eats smaller portions of food. She's from another world.” replied Paige.

“Ahh. Got it. I believe she needs to eat something, even if it's small portions.”

Paige agreed with Sullivan's comment that Priscilla needs small portions of food in order to keep her body functioning. After saying that, he finished his coffee in order to continue working in the survivors' truck, in order to continue the journey to a possible shelter in Mexico.

As they drank their coffee and the mechanic took over his duties, Richard's radio started transmitting something other than just hisses and noises like yesterday. This time they heard a woman's voice over the radio's speakers. Estimated by the voice, she was in her sixties.

“Those who arrive survive. Terminus. Sanctuary for all. Community for all.” said the woman on the radio.

When Paige and the others listened, they were surprised. A radio station still functioning in this virtually dead world? Even more by sending a message of help to those seeking shelter?

“What she said? Did she say something about 'sanctuary for all'?” asked Paige on hearing that.

“Shhh! I need to see if they have anything else to say.” asked the owner of the restaurant.

The group could only hear the same message as before. “Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive survive. Terminus.” These words were immortalized in the girl's ears. But after all, what exactly is Terminus? Who are they? These questions didn't remain silent in her mind.

Paige wanted to know more about them. She decided to approach Richard's portable radio to listen more clearly and see if they were saying anything else in the middle of the help message. And after a few minutes, the transmission ended, making her and the others anxious.

“Well, it looks like there was just this message. What a pity.” said the owner of the establishment.

“Excuse me. What do you think about this 'Terminus'?” she asked Richard.

Since he was on the same level as her, his response would be somewhat superficial. “I don't know very much about them. I only know that they are a kind of sanctuary. A 'Sanctuary for all. Community for all.' That's what the broadcaster said.”

“But did you ever think how good it would be if we could go there and they could take us in?”

Hearing that from her protector, Alice was a little concerned if Paige asked too many unnecessary questions to the point of putting the group in a risky game. Before anything else, she called her children.

“Mark, Andrew, why don't you go outside and help Sullivan and Priscilla while Mom talks for a while with Paige and the restaurant owner?” she whispered to her children. Andrew agreed with his mother, but Mark didn't understand what it was about.

“Huh? Is there something wrong, mom?” asked Mark.

“No sweetheart. I just want you to do that.”

“Okay, mom.”

The two boys went outside through the front door, leaving the two adults and young Paige alone.

“Paige, please. I know how curious you are about that place, but since it's a place that was just mentioned, I don't think it's an interesting idea to go there while we intend to take the highway to Mexico.” said Alice suspiciously about the girl's interest in Terminus.

“I know this is sudden and not an interesting idea. However, I need to certify something that I can't stop thinking about and it is only there that I get the answer to this concern.”

“And what would be in Terminus that makes you apprehensive? Your parents or a relative who is sheltered there?”

“I don't know, Alice.”

“Look, I don't know why you insist on something that you just happened to know. Here is the only place I know, and the only one where I can make the most of it as long as no form of danger can get here and ruin everything I've ever managed to build.” replied Richard.

“So, would you rather stay here, believing the zombies will not come here and that they will go elsewhere?”

“Exactly. If you prefer to leave as soon as possible, I wouldn't mind.”

Paige had her fist clenched to the point of launching it at that man. Only she knew that doing this wouldn't make her a better person. Instead, she chose to say that. “I'm sorry to tell you this, but, you only care about yourself and prefer to isolate yourself from a reality that doesn't suit your preferences.”

Having said that in the face, the young girl opened the door and left. The boys' mother was concerned to see her like that. Her gaze turned to the owner of the establishment with a degree of dissatisfaction, generating a certain discomfort in the man.

“What?”

“You know, Paige and Sullivan are even right about you. You are just a surly person who criticizes some people for their ideas and doesn't want to know much about helping others from outside. You just prefer that their problems are theirs to solve and you are fine, which is not at the moment.”

“Don't put Sullivan in the middle of the conversation! I don't understand why he loves to talk about me to others in order to be sent away as he wanted, just like the others who wanted to leave.”

“They wanted to go looking for a safe place that could have something different for them to enjoy in this hard time. Unlike here, which is in the middle of a desert and doesn't have much to offer.”

“In fact, here is the only place in this world where you can live. You are the ones who love to invent to go to other places, believing you are safe from the zombies! And I don't care about you guys leaving. I don't give a fuck!”

With that said, in a few seconds Richard received a slap on the left side of his face. Alice released that slap as a gesture of disapproval of his attitude of seeing anyone who had the idea of leaving and condemning themselves and not doing much to help or support her.

“You are a gross person!” she said angrily. That said and with the slap given, she left the restaurant.

Outside, she spotted the garage door open, with Sullivan completing repairs to the vehicle's bodywork and the engine inspection, which at the moment was near to conclusion. Paige and the boys were helping the mechanic, but Priscilla was not with them. Strangely, she had gone out for a moment to check something.

Upon entering, they spotted her and called her to help with maintenance. As Paige was there in that place and Alice was with her and the owner before the young survivor left, she noticed that her cheeks were a little red.

“Did something happen there?” she asked, drawing Mark and Andrew's attention.

“No Paige. Nothing happened there.”

Seeing the shape of Alice's gaze, the mechanic felt a slight sensation that she had an argument with her boss. Instead of saying something related to that, he chose to inform her of the vehicle's condition.

“Well Alice, your truck is practically ready for the highway and get on with your journey wherever you want to go.”

“Really?” asked the astonished woman.

“Sure. It would have taken more time if you hadn't helped me with much of the service. For that, I am completely grateful.”

Alice was thrilled to hear that. Unlike the owner, Sullivan was a humble person and always willing to help those in need. Almost at the point of crying, she holds her anxiety and decides to invite him to go with them on the trip to Mexico.

“I don't know what to say, but… why don't you come with us? We would like you to come with us to Mexico.”

Hearing that, Sullivan was surprised by Alice's invitation. He had a keen interest in leaving Richard's establishment and looking for another place that could be the beginning of a new life. However, a part of him forced him not to leave his boss alone, even though he knew he was out of reach to be helped.

“I would like it very much. Really much. However, I don't think I can go with you.”

Hearing that, she was shocked.

“But… why?”

“If I could go with you as far as you go, it would be a great pleasure to be able to accept your request. But Richard, he… he wouldn't let me go of his own free will.”

Alice was almost devastated to hear that from Sullivan. Paige tried to convince him to change his mind.

“Look, you told us that your boss is not good with his customers when he gets rough and says some unpleasant things. We don't know if it happened to his other customers before the apocalypse and our arrival. Also, as you said about the zombies getting here, it wouldn't be a good idea to stay here and find out what will happen to us if this happens.”

Sullivan had the young survivor's confidence and reason about siding with his boss, immersed in the belief that this establishment will remain immune to a zombie attack; or choose to go with her, Priscilla, the boys and their mother.

 ////

Away from that place, the young sword warrior was scanning a region of the desert to see what she felt. Apparently by the time she had slept in the same room that Alice had chosen to stay in, she had heard a scream from a person being attacked by a wave of zombies. The same that Paige had apparently heard in her dream. Unlike Paige, Priscilla has her senses improved like vision and hearing, allowing her to see and hear beyond human reach.

When viewing the horizon from afar, the only things she could see were a dirt and sand floor, creeping plants, cactus and a hawk flying in search of small rodents or snakes. Everything seemed calm with those elements in her vision. However, one other thing caught her eye by turning a little to the right. A wave of undead was advancing where there could be life forms for them to feed on. Most moved slowly and parts of their limbs crawled on the floor.

“Oh no!” she thought seeing the zombies walking over to where Paige and the others were.

They were heading for the truck driver's restaurant, and she knew the truck still needed to be prepared to leave. With no time to waste, she directed her Yoki on her legs in order to warn them in advance, before everything was lost.

 ////

At the establishment, Sullivan and the survivors were still talking about fleeing to Mexico or staying with Richard and dying. He looked at Paige and Alice at times while at others he looked at where his boss would be. Feeling that things would not be safe if he stayed, he chose to go with them.

“I don't think staying is a wise decision. In this case, I will go with you.”

Alice and the boys were happy to hear his response. Paige sighed, thinking he would stay. But, she smiled at hearing him choosing to go with them.

“We knew you wouldn't be able to stand there for long. Okay, well, we need to pack up and get out of here.”

“But what about Priscilla?” asked Mark.

“Yes. We cannot leave here without it.” Paige agreed. “I just don't understand why she left without saying where she was going.”

“I'm sure she'll be back before we leave. Don't worry Paige.” said Alice.

“About that, I also believe she will return. Well, we need to take this truck to fill its tank. Would you help me to push it?” concluded Sullivan.

Hearing that, Paige and the others helped Cook push the vehicle to the fuel pumps. With a new transmission shaft and complete maintenance, the Ford F-250 could go a long way on this journey for survival. And when they reached the pumps, Sullivan was filling not only the vehicle but also the gasoline cans with diesel.

While he was doing this, Paige and the others went to the inn to pick up their things in the rooms they hosted in order to take them to the vehicle. On the way, Priscilla arrived in time to warn them of the imminent danger that was coming.

“Priscilla.” Mark called her.

“Priscilla? Gosh, you had us worried. What were you doing out there?” said Paige, asking why she left.

“Guys, we have a big problem.”

“I imagine that everything never ends without a problem to arise.” Alice thought when she heard “big problem”.

“What happened, Priscilla? What do you mean a 'big problem'?” asked Paige.

“A wave of zombies is heading this way.”

That said, everyone was shocked. Alice was almost white when hearing that again.

“What?! Here, but how?!”

“I don't know. But I imagine they don't stay in one place for long.” replied the young Claymore.

“How many of them were, Priscilla?” asked Andrew.

“From what I could see, there were many. Too many for me to count and even if Paige and I can face them, we wouldn't have much chance of survival. We have to get out of here. Is the truck ready?”

“Yes. Sullivan went to fill it and a few more gas cans.” replied Alice.

“Well, I'm glad we were able to help him fix the truck. In any case, we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“Priscilla, see if you can help Sullivan with the gas cans. We'll get our things from the rooms.” informed the young survivor to her guardian.

That said, the warrior went to the truck and helped Sullivan with the supply of gasoline cans.

 ////

Entering the inn, Richard kept a last bottle of beer in the cabinet by the counter. Seeing the boys, Alice and Paige going up to the rooms, he decided to call them.

“Hey, why the rush?!” he demanded an answer.

Paige went down to answer it, letting the others go ahead. “We are getting ready to leave.”

“What a surprise. I thought you were already gone by that time that you were so found on Terminus.”

Paige closed her eyes with an expression of disgust for the man.

“Besides, may I ask why Sullivan is filling the cans with diesel outside?”

“He is going with us to Mexico, to escape the zombies.” Alice completed after descending the stairs with her children and their things, including Paige's rifle.

“What do you mean Sullivan is running away with you?! He won't leave here!”

“Ah, but he will leave! Leave because it is his right to go with whomever he wants and wherever he wants.”

“I will not accept this!” he exclaimed. In an act of aggression against the survivors, he removed a Winchester Model 1897 shotgun from the cabinet. Unlike the Marlin Model 25, a shotgun was effective in causing damage at close range by destroying and tearing pieces of meat with its projectiles.

Seeing that pipe pointed at her chest, Paige was amazed. She had been in a highly delicate situation after being shot in the chest by a pistol bullet. But being shot by a shotgun would not be a pleasant ending she would like to have. Alice and her children tried to convince Richard not to pull the trigger on young Paige. However, he aimed the gun at them.

“Don't even think about changing my mind! After all, you managed to ruin the peace that I longed to keep!”

“Please! Everything but my children!” begged the frightened boys' mother.

“Leave them alone!” ordered Paige to try to interfere in that situation. Again, he points the gun at her.

“All I want is for you to take your things away from here, but without taking Sullivan! He's my cook and mechanic to keep this place working! Tell him that his boss needs a full lunch and that new customers will come here. And if you are unable to meet my requirements, I will have to dispatch one of you. Do you understand me?!” threatened him with the Winchester shotgun.

Paige swallowed hard at having to accept that difficult demand. She and Alice very much wanted Sullivan's company on the trip to Mexico, but Richard showed that he would die for him or commit atrocities to keep him in this doomed place. Her hands were sweating cold on the rifle, making her grip on it almost firm. She couldn't move a step towards the door. It was at this moment that the boys' mother took the courage to face him with her words.

“All we want is a place to stay and be able to call it home. Even though we arrived here to fix the truck and… can ask for help with our trip. But, I see that you've made things too complicated for us since we set foot here. However, Sullivan has shown that he is different from you.”

“And what difference does it make?! You are too complicated to understand my demands! Now do as I say!” he continued with the shotgun in hand.

“Even if you tell us to make Sullivan change his mind, sooner or later you need to understand that he can't live the rest of his life stuck in a fiction in which this apocalypse does not reach this place and that new customers will come here.” said Paige. Richard again pointed the gun at her.

After he realized that they wouldn't comply with his last requirement to the point of threatening them with death, he spoke his last words.

“You are too complicated to meet my demands! Since you're not going to do what I'm telling you, I'll have to send you to hell. Starting by you, little brat!” he raised the barrel of the shotgun to Paige's head. “You can now say goodbye!”

“NO!” cried Alice and her children. In an instant, they heard the sound of the Winchester firing roaring in the inn's living room. A gruesome end for the young survivor. However, something ended up interfering with Paige's cruel outcome. When she opened her eyes, she saw the barrel of the shotgun was pulled out of her direction, pointing at the roof of the inn. And to top it off, the warrior's right hand gripped the gun's gas barrel and compartment tightly, making the shooter no longer in control of it, leaving Richard scared to see her incredible physical strength and speed in saving her friend.

Alice, Mark and Andrew saw their guardian's heroic deed in stopping the owner of the establishment from committing an attempt on a life.

“Priscilla!” called Mark.

Richard was startled to see the young warrior anticipating the firing of his weapon.

“… h… h… how?!”

“You shouldn't have messed with them, Mr. Richard. Otherwise, I would not forgive you for the rest of your life.” she said with a frightening look, making the owner fall on his back on the floor. Paige ran to take his shotgun and aim it at him.

“Okay. Okay, okay! I'm so sorry! I am really sorry!”

“Do you think that pointing a gun at helpless people and almost killing me will be enough for us to forgive you?!” exclaimed Paige.

“Right. I got it. I was wrong! I thought… by doing that, I would have my peace back. But I saw that I made the worst mistake! You can go now!”

Paige looked at Priscilla and her answer was her head shaking forward, indicating that the truck was ready. Turning her gaze to the others, she ran to help them.

“Paige, I'm glad you're okay.” said Alice as she hugged her. Her children did the same.

“It's alright now. The dread is over.”

“And what do we do now?” asked Mark.

“We're leaving here. The truck is ready.”

“Great. We are going there.” concluded the boys' mother.

Just before they went to the vehicle, Sullivan stopped by to see them as he entered the inn. His gaze expressed astonishment at having heard the sound of the Winchester firing.

“I heard a gunshot sound at the inn. Did something happen around here?”

“Sullivan, your boss almost took Paige's life.” said Priscilla while she was still at his side to avoid another attempt by him against them.

“He did that?! Richard, how could you?!” he exclaimed. He walked towards him to deal with that incident.

“Look, I was wrong. I thought that by doing this, I would be at peace again.”

“Do you really think taking a life will make you feel at peace?!”

“Sullivan, I don't want you to leave. You are the only person who never left me, even though the others left this place.”

“They left because there wasn't much to do here. They had their loved ones scattered in distant corners of this country, sheltered in order to continue living away from the zombies. I also had my loved ones out there, like a daughter I never saw after the apocalypse. But now, I will have to go looking for her and help Paige and the others find shelter.”

“I know, Sullivan. I know. I… I'm sorry to have kept you here all this time.”

“I understand you, Richard. Let's go. I know there is nothing much to be done here, but maybe we can find a way to start this business from scratch.”

“You're right. We must go.”

Having made peace between the two of them, Richard agreed that Sullivan could go with them and that he was allowed to go with them. Despite the incident, Paige, Priscilla, Alice and the boys were afraid that the innkeeper would go with them and commit another attack.

Sullivan went ahead towards the door to continue the survivors' preparations to continue their journey to Mexico. Behind him were Richard, Paige and Priscilla, Alice and their children.

 ////

As they were leaving the inn, another incident happened before everyone's eyes. The traveler who was once going somewhere in the middle of the night and was attacked by the horde of zombies was now one of them, and advanced on the cook, attacking his right shoulder with sharp, blood-stained teeth. Everyone was horrified to see it, especially Paige, Alice, the boys and the innkeeper. The young girl in the rifle remembered the time the thief in the hospital was surrounded by a wave of zombies while she escaped, and Alice and her children from the moment their father fell and was overwhelmed by them. Priscilla couldn't predict that in time to call Sullivan and try to save him the same way she saved Paige with it.

The man screamed in pain as he felt the zombie's teeth pierce his shoulder. He tried to do everything to get him off him, but nothing worked. Paige took her rifle from the back, and with a single shot, made a hole in the zombie's head, dropping the body on top of Sullivan.

With the creature dead, Richard, Paige and Priscilla removed the body from the cook in order to help him. They stopped the bleeding with the owner's apron after he took it out to help his employee. However, even though they were doing it to stop the hemorrhage, they had no way of stopping the effects of the zombification traversing the body of the fallen man.

“Sullivan! Talk to us! Talk to us!” called Paige.

“Come on Sullivan! Say something” called the innkeeper.

The man could barely speak because of the loss of blood and the tremor he felt in his body. He sobbed and coughed to try to say something. “Man, I never imagined that… this was… the worst time to die.”

“Don't say those things, Sullivan. We are going to get you out of this!” exclaimed Richard.

The terror was just beginning for them. And when one wasn't enough, the place started to be surrounded by zombies. Some were moving slowly, others were stumbling and running towards the survivors. Alice was afraid to see them again. Richard and Priscilla managed to get Sullivan off the floor and into the kitchen. By doing that, the zombies followed.

Entering the place, Paige used her rifle to knock down some of the monsters that approached the main door. However, there were too many for her to handle them alone. In the kitchen, the two who carried the injured cook put him on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. After that they went to help the young sniper with their weapons. Priscilla delivered her sword strikes at them and Richard fired with his shotgun.

The windows started to be broken by the zombies. And gradually they started to invade the inn from several corners. This made it difficult for survivors to block the main passage through the front door. As a last option, they had to take refuge in the kitchen and lock it with several cabinets and furniture. Priscilla held the door and prevented it from being violated from the outside.

“I don't know how long I'm going to hold them!” she informed them as she held the furniture against the door.

“That means we're stuck here?!” cried Alice, startled.

“There is another exit if the front one is blocked.” the owner pointed to the right door. It was a little close to Priscilla. “It leads out of the inn, but I'm afraid we'll be able to get out of here with this many zombies surrounding the whole place.”

“So, this is the end! Isn't it?!” asked Paige, startled. In an instant, she and the others heard an almost weak voice.

“Wait…”

Hearing that voice, Richard and Paige went to attend to the coughing Sullivan. The bleeding didn't seem to have stopped, even with the cloth to hold it. Because they didn't have bags of blood or adequate means to stitch the wounds, his life was at an end.

“Maybe this is not… the… end.” said Sullivan, still injured and coughing.

“What are you talking about, Sullivan? In case you're not seeing the situation, we just locked ourselves in the kitchen. Bad way to wait for death.”

“No kidding.” he said, making fun out of his boss. Even though his view is getting blurry, he spotted the canisters on the other wall. “Those gas canisters. Could you make a cut in the hoses?”

Hearing that idea about cutting the hoses of the gas cylinders, they were surprised. Why such a thing? But Richard figured Sullivan wanted him to have a gas leak to explode. Therefore, he questioned.

“Please tell me that you are not thinking about it?”

“What exactly is he thinking?” asked Alice.

“He really wants to blow this place up.” replied Richard.

Alice was shocked and saddened to hear that. Paige and the others didn't want that, either.

“Please Sullivan. Don't do it!” pleaded Mark, crying.

“Mark, be strong. I know that… you wanted me to go with you to Mexico. But… in the state I am, I don't think I can last the whole trip and… do a lot for… you. So I have to do… this. Richard, please… please…”

Without hesitating, Richard did what his employee asked him to do. With a pocketknife pulled from his pocket, he cut off a piece of the hose from the canisters. Cooking gas seeped through them, flooding the kitchen with that highly flammable gas compound.

Then Sullivan took a picture of his only daughter out of his pants pocket and handed it to Alice and her children.

“My only daughter. Denise. If you find her, tell her… daddy wanted to meet her so much, but unfortunately… he couldn't live long enough… to be able to… do that.”

“Don't worry, Sullivan. We will deliver the photo to her as soon as we find her.” said Alice with tears in her eyes.

The zombies started breaking into the kitchen door. As much as Priscilla held them inside, it wouldn't be enough if they didn't use the back door and run away.

“Go.”

Without delay, Paige opened the door, and then she and the others started running towards the truck, leaving Sullivan alone in the kitchen.

 ////

Outside, Paige, Richard and Priscilla made their way through the walking corpses to their vehicle. With the drums full and placed in the bucket, the passengers were settling in their seats in the vehicle. Priscilla, Paige and Richard stayed in that place, leaving the cabin to Alice, Mark and Andrew.

The Ford F-250 was working as it was before, and again headed for the border towards Mexico. With the exception of the driver, the others watched the restaurant moving away on the horizon. The zombies tried to reach the vehicle and approach it, and just like before, Alice stepped on the accelerator pedal, making the truck go faster and lose them to the point of making them lose interest in it.

 ////

Inside the kitchen, Sullivan, now debilitated and near the end of his life, took a lighter from the other pocket of his pants. He tried to activate the device to the point of causing a combustion in the kitchen with all that gas out of the canisters. In the first few attempts, he was practically weak to be able to light a fire from it.

And with the zombies finally breaking down the door, they began to surround him and devour his remains. It was at this moment that he managed to gather what was left of his forces for this last act of sacrifice.

“I hate to say that, but… we're closing… this place.” These were his last words before the monsters advanced on him. Then he managed to light his lighter and set the place on fire. And after the kitchen exploded, the shock wave and the debris hit the gas pumps at the gas station and caused another explosion, burning the zombies that were in that place.

 ////

Outside, Priscilla, Paige and the others could see that cloud of fire and smoke rising from that place. Instead of mourning the death of Sullivan, they needed to move forward in order to survive and stay together until their final destination after crossing the border.

-x-

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