stop them from doing whatever they felt like doing. So they didn’t worry about anyone else, they just helped themselves to whatever and whoever they wanted. She knew her time was running out. Soon, one way or another they would deal with her.
Trish started walking in the field making her way back towards the bed and breakfast. Today she had three pieces of beef jerky to take back and give them. She had four pieces, but she had eaten one, along with the two granola bars that guy had given her. It was the best tasting thing she had eaten in months. She had wanted to eat the other three pieces of beef jerky, but was afraid if she didn’t take them back for Roy and his buddy, they would really hurt her today. Yesterday she had taken them back a handful of black raspberries. Trish thought they were good, but Roy wasn’t impressed. He and Tom ate the berries, then took turns pushing her around. They had threatened that she would be really sorry if she didn’t bring them back something better today. Her raggedy shirt and jeans weren’t much, but it would be really bad searching for food without them. She wished she could find something really sweet and delicious and poisonous to take back to those bastards.
Trish looked down at the beef jerky she held in her hands. The sight of them made her mouth water. Why had that boy at the warehouse given them to her? Was he like Roy, Tom and old loud mouth? Was he trying to lure her in closer to the warehouse where he could catch her? Roy gave Debbie all kind of things. Was this boy expecting her to express her gratitude like Debbie? Or was he like loud mouth, just looking for someone he could smack around? He sounded nice, but he was probably lying to her. He wanted something from her. No one did anything for someone else without expecting something in return. She was afraid to think what the guy at the warehouse wanted. He said he wanted her to come inside and visit. She was sure he did. Once he got her inside the warehouse and closed the doors, she would be trapped with nowhere to run. She didn’t know what it was like inside the warehouse. Maybe she could run and keep him away for a while, but probably not for very long. She wasn’t going to go in there. She knew she probably didn’t have much time before something happened to her. Maybe she should just go off somewhere on her own. She didn’t know what to do. Out in the world on her own among the dead, they would eventually find her and kill her. If not the dead, another of the living would find her. There weren’t many of the living left. She had only seen maybe fifteen living people in the last year, but in many ways she had learned to fear the living more than she did the dead.
She had thought school was bad. She had hated school. The snobby kids form Connellsville had looked down on the Dunbar kids. But at least there were rules that had to be followed. There had been teachers to keep things from getting out of hand. There was no one in control now. Those fortunate enough to be alive should be grateful and help anyone they found alive in this world with them. Instead, they took advantage of the fact there was no one to stop them and did whatever they wanted.
The closest thing anyone had ever done to help her was the boy at the warehouse. He had given her tasty treats and then offered her more. Trish was suspicious. Fortunately he was trapped inside the warehouse. Would he have been so nice to her if he had been able to come outside the warehouse? Would he have trapped her? Trish was so weary and scared. Would she be better off alone?
Trish began to tremble nervously as the bed and breakfast came into view. She looked around nervously and began to run towards the house. The only thing worse than going inside and facing Roy was getting caught outside by loud mouth before she could make it inside.
Chapter 8
Tony was up with the sun this morning. His mind was working