Read Online Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 1): Sanctuary by Joshua Jared Scott - Free Book Online Page B

them
armed.
    Edwin shook
his head. “No idea. They were supposed to be out of harm’s way in the open here
while we cleared out some houses. Thought the whole town was about free of the
vermin.”
    “They
walk about, down the roads,” said Briana. “We passed plenty on our way here, some
of them miles from anywhere.”
    He
groaned. “Blasted… Figures. Didn’t recognize any.”
    I
really, really did not like the idea of shooting zombies I knew in life.
Fortunately, that shouldn’t be an issue. We were already far from home.
    “So
you’re going to stay here? Since you’ve been clearing out houses and the town I
mean.”
    Edwin
looked me over carefully. “It’s our home, isn’t it then. We aren’t going
anywhere. You’re welcome to stay the night or forever if you want. I don’t
think anyone will mind, not after you helped us out, and we can always use good
people.”
    The old
man was clearly more attached to the concept of home than either of us, but
then I’d moved about a lot as a child, never developing a desire to stay in one
place.
    “Let’s
stop here Jacob,” suggested Briana, “for a while.”
    “For the
day,” I clarified, “maybe several. We’re concerned about lasting long term you
see and don’t want to rush into anything we might regret later.”
    “Planning
ahead. Good for that,” said Edwin, with an approving nod.
     
    *
* *
     
    Briana
and I were given a tiny one bedroom house to spend the night in and use as we
saw fit. There was an attached garage, which was quite nice since it gave us a
safe place to sort our supplies and rearrange things so they’d be easier to get
to. We were informed the prior owner died of a heart attack during the zombie
uprising and was buried later that day in the town cemetery. Edwin also
confirmed that those who perished of natural causes did not reanimate. Only the
infected became zombies.
    Most of
the first day was spent speaking with Edwin. Unlike the neighboring towns,
Anadarko managed to survive the opening days of the zombie apocalypse. Through
the actions of some quick thinking residents they’d established ad hoc safe
zones, saving numerous lives, before proceeding to systematically kill the
shamblers. Edwin, a former mayor and lifelong resident, had taken charge to the
near universal agreement of his fellows. Using a small neighborhood for
housing, they were keeping everyone safe and somewhat comfortable at night.
During the day they had been leaving the children by the UPS truck so they
could drive off if need be. That plan proving flawed, they decided to instead
stick them on a roof, out of reach from the start.
    The
town’s small grocery store was fortified and secured, serving as their primary
supply house. More food was moved to the town hall and a few of the houses they
were using. Edwin explained that he was worried about a possible fire or other
disaster and didn’t want all his eggs in a single basket. It made sense. There
were also some old wells in and around the town, so they had groundwater to
drink. It was probably safe, but they’d been boiling it just in case. Overall,
my initial thoughts were favorable toward these people’s efforts.
    “This,”
began Briana, “is even hotter than your house.”
    “I’m
going to go out on a limb and say you’re likely right on that count.”
    We were
lying atop the double bed in the single bedroom of our allocated home. It was
pitch black, although we each had a flashlight handy in case it was needed
along with our guns. Still, there wasn’t much concern. The place seemed sturdy.
The windows were partially boarded over, and both doors had been barricaded
from the inside. The garage door was likewise locked down. If anyone sought to
enter and do us harm, they would have difficulty making the attempt, but
neither of us felt threatened.
    “I don’t
know if lying next to you in a sticky tank top, which is so sweaty I might as
well be in a wet T-shirt contest, and teeny tiny shorts is a