Neighbor Kids

So hey man, check this out, downtown's a riot and something's spreadin through the crowd. Try channel 9, I'm pretty sure they're headed straight for this part of town. I can't be certain, but I swear I hear them just outside.

“Hey Jess I think this one is still alive!” Becky hollers at me from across the yard, I roll my eyes and hit another one in the head with my trusty shovel.

“Well hit it in the head!” I yell back and hit this one in the head a few more times before grabbing Susie’s arm and dragging her in the house.

“Jake keep her safe.” Say whipping the blood and sweat from my forehead with my arm. Jake nods and takes her into upstairs.

I run back outside to the next house on my block. I don’t know what possessed me to gather all the kids after this thing broke out but I did, well am. Most of there parents either left them or died protecting them.

I make all the small kids stay in the house with Jake, he’s a twelve year old boy from across the street. He keeps them safe when the older kids and me go looking for others. Everyone ten and up can grab a gardening tool and help. I chose a shovel for my weapon others have pitch forks, hoes, that rolling thing with spikes on it, about anything that can damage a head.

There is about thirteen of us all together only about six over the age of ten, Jake is my most valuable. There are three of us that look for other kids, Becky, Sal and I. Becky is fourteen and Sal is ten there brother and sister, they make a good team and find kids faster then any of us. Plus they have a system for taking out zombies and getting away without a scratch.

Fran and Franny are the twins, there bother thirteen and can carry a lot at a time so I put them on food duty. They go scouting for food and always bring something back, they even get stuff for the littler kids like a blanky or doll that they didn’t have a chance to grab when we pulled them out of there home and to safety.

“Becky! Sal! Time to head inside, it’s getting dark!” I yell down the street causing a few wondering zombies to stumble my way but I just ignore them, I’ll be long gone before they get to me.

“Gotcha boss!” Sal yells back as they come running down the street Becky dragging a little boy behind her. He looks like the Clarkson boy from a few blocks over.

“You guys didn’t leave the perimeter did you?” I groan, I made specific rules like never leave the neighborhood.

“No, I think he wandered here on his own.” Becky replies coming to a stop in front of me.

“Okay get inside. Have you seen Fran and Franny? There running late.” Another rule is to never be outside after dusk. It’s hard to see things hiding in the shadows and I don’t think zombies like the light you barely see that many out during the day.

“Yeah they were in the old McAddy house down the street, said something about hitting the jackpot.” Becky says again picking up the boy and making a dash to the house, I see Max let them in. He’s nine and as much as he wants to I stand by my rule; No one the age of ten is aloud out of the house.

I run down the street towards the house Becky mentioned, just as I reach the front door Fran comes running out with a her backpack over flowing with food. I grin and take the pack from her, we run back in and grab a few more bags full of things.

“Boss I got Bell’s doll from next door.” Franny smiles at me and I high five her. I look out the window it’s about ten minuets till dark.

“We need to get going guys!” I say grabbing my shovel and heading out the door, the girls follow whispering to them self’s about god knows what.

We enter the house just as the street lights come on, yeah we still have power the virus just broke out two days ago so I’m guessing the grid didn’t go down yet. We have a bunch of flashlights and candles for when it does. We head up stairs and empty out bags on the floor.

“Holy crap.”

“You guys are awesome!”

“Were eating good tonight!”

Were all the words that went around the room as we all grabbed something to eat and laid down for the night, at the crack of dawn were up again doing the same as today.

Franny hands little Bell her doll and the girl starts to cry, I crawl over to her and pull her into my lap. She hugs the doll tight and I frown.

“What’s wrong Bells?” I put my hand under her chin making her look at me.

“M-my daddy got this for me.” She sniffles and buries her head in my chest. I look around and everyone is looking down remembering there own parents.

You know forget what I said about not knowing why I got all these kids, I know why. Because they all were alone until we came together, weather there parents abandoned them to flee themselves or if there parents died fighting for them. They all lost there family and that’s why I’m doing this.

Because it sucks to feel alone.