I needed to turn right. That was where the freeway was. I instinctively reached for the turn signal on the steering column and then stopped myself. "Don't think I need to worry about that." I said to myself, smiling a bit. My smile faded as I looked to the left. Was that kid still on the roof? Had he changed his mind about staying up there? I didn't bother with an internal debate, I knew what I was going to do.
I turned left back toward my apartment. I passed the corpses of the walkers I had smashed in my laps around the storage unit and turned where I first found the van. The swath of the horde had clearly been through this way. Trash and garbage and more piles of that black smelly goo lay strewn across the road, covering almost every inch of its surface. What made them move as a pack? Why did they stick together? Was there still some part of their brain that told them they didn't want to be alone, or did they instinctively move together because it gave them the best chance to find food? Perhaps I could discover these mysteries and become the world's first Zombie Anthropologist. Perhaps I could make it on the cover of People magazine's "The world's sexiest people that still happen to be alive" issue. I'd need to wear an ascot and a bright red smoking jacket for my photo shoot.
One great thing about that mega-horde, it didn't leave stragglers. It seemed any walker in the area was drawn to it like a magnet. Trash, abandoned vehicles, and a few stripped corpses lay between the piles of sticky goo, but otherwise the streets were empty. I approached the gas station slowly, bending down to see the rooftop on my apartment building above. I didn't see my stalwart friend watching from the edge, and I looked around before getting out. "Kid!" I yelled as loud as I dared. I still didn't know which direction the horde had moved to, and I absolutely didn't want to get their attention. "Hey kid, you up there?" I called again, just a little louder than before. Still nothing. I was about to leave when I saw a shape up on the roof. Was that him? I squinted, the bright sunlight behind making it difficult for me to see clearly.
I heard a sound behind me and spun around, pointing my rifle at the source. A ragged dog came running out from underneath a broken palette, darting away from me in fear. "Here boy!" I called out. He stopped, looking at me as though slightly confused. I can only assume he took me for one of the infected. He backed up a step, his tail between his legs. I reached into the van and pulled out one of the water bottles and grabbed an MRE from the box. Ripping open the packet I held out the meat pattie. The dog nervously approached, his eyes fixed on me. He stepped within a few inches and stopped. Knowing my movements would scare him I tried to be as still as I could. Standing in one place he stretched his snout out, desperate for the food but not wanting to get any closer than necessary. I leaned forward just a bit and he lunged for the meat, grabbing it and running several yards away. He chewed it voraciously, licking the interior of the packet with canine enthusiasm.
I looked around for anything I could use as a bowl and saw a hubcap hanging off a car nearby. I kicked it off and saw the dog jump at the sound. He watched me for a moment and went back to licking the package, ensuring every morsel was consumed. As he finished he looked back at me expectantly, as if asking for more. I emptied the bottle of water into the hubcap and saw him approach more rapidly than before. He looked up at me, a little more trusting, and leaned down to drink. While he lapped up the water I unwrapped a packet of crackers and tossed them onto the ground next to the bowl. He stopped and looked at the crackers and then continued drinking. Once he drained the water he snarfed up the crackers and wagged his tail appreciatively.
"You got any more of that?" I heard a voice call out. I looked up, shielding my eyes from the sun high in the sky. "Sure do." I said, smiling. "I was hoping you we're still alive to accept it." The young man sat on the edge of the roof, dangling his feet idly. "I was kind of hoping you'd reconsider and come with me." I said, calling up to him. He shook his head. "I'm staying here, but thanks for feeding my dog."
I went to the van and pulled out several packets of MREs. "This is all I can spare, but you are welcome to it." I said, placing them on top of a case of water. I looked around, wondering where to put it. "Set it on that bench." He said, gesturing toward the bus station. Graffiti covered the walls, reminding me of the young hooligans who painted their names and various song lyrics all over it. "Poor kids," I thought to myself. "They were probably making a whole new kind of mischief these days." I sat the supplies on the bench and walked back to the van. "Well, good luck!" I called out. "I doubt I'll ever get back, but you are welcome to use my apartment. It's the last one on the left."
I climbed into the van and felt the fuzzy body of the dog jump in near my feet. He wriggled he was past my legs and climbed up next to my backpack on the passenger seat. "Wow, you're not quite as shy as you were a minute ago." I said to him, ruffling his fur.
I poked my head out the window and peered up to my watchful acquaintance. "You're dog doesn't seem to want to stay" I called out. The teenager just shook his head. "Not really my dogl" he said. "Just thought we were pals. Been tossing scraps to him for over a week." I looked over at the animal. "You're buddy wants you to stay." I said, looking at the animal. The dog laid his head down on his paws and close his eyes. "Well, I guess we're stuck with each other" I stuck my head out the window, waving up. "Good luck!" I called out. "You too!" He said, and pointed at the distance. "You better get going!"
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