Chapter 6 - That’s Amore

It's been months since me we've had that incident back at the store.We've settled around Santa Barbara, in the suburbs.Me, Sue, Bill and Scarlett are survivors as we've lost people from starvation or bites or going so insane they took their own life.Down to us 4, the lonely few.I've gotten used to this katana more and more often, I haven't had to use a gun in weeks now.

We've been camped out in this old apartment building as I got my hands on the front door keys.No one gets in or out unless it's us, or if you have ladder.It's a nice apartment with a pool, haven't gotten a key for that one yet.I have a large amount of keys, some are useful, some aren't anymore.I carry them everywhere, just in case.Sue thought it was smart to make a large door sized hole in the walls so we can pass by each other's apartments without opening the door.Me and Scarlett share an apartment as Bill and Sue share their own.This whole place is deserted, it's very silent around here.I'm slowly walking downstairs as I am walking towards another apartment where we made our little armory.We have about a dozen handguns, five shotguns, two machine guns and about eight sub machine guns, oh my katana as well.I have it on a mantle, we have it along side some baseball bats, crowbars and other little melee weapons.It's crazy to think our most noticeable weaponry is knifes, like switchblades and such.I knew a guy before all this that sold em cheap but still did it's purpose.

I walked as I pause for a moment near the front entrance as I see a man.He's laying on the ground, Against the wall.He's bear the front door as I look at him in confusion as he slowly turns and gets up in excitement.

"Holy shit !, are you real ? Let me in please !" He yelled as he pounced on the door.I stared at him confused as I walked slowly and cautiously to the door with a switchblade hidden in my sleeve.

"What really is real now a days huh ?, ha…" I said jokingly and calmly as I was face to face with the man at the door.I can't really call the rest for support due to it being I think around 7:00am, that's my estimate on the watch, I think it's broken.

"Hehe, uh come on man just let me in, I'm all alone out here, I haven't ate in days…I used to live here for Christ sakes !" He pleaded as I stood there nonchalantly and asked

"What apartment ?"

He looked at me confused and then said

"Apartment 9, it's upstairs …" Well I know he isn't lying, I'm in apartment 10 upstairs, but I gotta be sure.

"alright, uh, why don't you have a key to get in ?" I asked as he said a bit angered

"What ? Man I didn't keep track of it, I was in Oregon and didn't think I'd come back here !" He yelled as this alerted some zombies nearby.There's about five or six approaching slowly.

"Oh look you brought friends huh ?" I said jokingly as he turns around and sees them approaching slowly.He pulls out a gun and I yell "no wait !" As he shoots two down, the rest approach as he's down to his last bullets.I open the door and help as they are about attack him.I pull him to the ground, avoiding him getting bite.I stabbed the zombie in the skull as it's blood got on me, damn it.There's about two left as I stab the one as the last one pins me against the wall.I struggle as the man shoots it in the head.We're clear now as We catch our breath.

"Thanks…" I say as he's holding the door open.We walk in together as the noise has awaken the rest.Bill, Sue and Scarlett rush down, armed and ready to kill as they see us walking together.

"Whoa whoa, don't shoot he's good !" I yell as there in a Mexican stand off.

"You sure he's not making you say that ? " said Bill as I replied dumbfounded "if I was his hostage, wouldn't he have a gun aimed at me ?"

They looked at each other confused as they stop aiming.

"You stop aiming too come on !" I tell the guy as he puts his handgun away.I calm everyone down as I explain

"This is uh , what's you're name ?" I asked as he replied

"Jordan …."

"Great, Jordan and he used to live in these apartments and he felt homesick and came back …." I said as Scarlett asked

"Why'd you leave ?" Jordan walked a bit closer as he said

"Well, like everyone during that day, we all had to move around like nomads to survive but eventually we come back to our roots and I've had big groups with me but now I'm all alone .." he says as Sue goes up to the guy and goes to shake his hand and says "we'll you're not alone anymore .." he said with a smile as Jordan accepted the handshake.

As he settled in back into his apartment, Sue got to making another hole to connect our three homes, we're apartment 9, 10 and 11 now.I let them get to know each other as I checked up in the armory, Jordan had a backpack with him as he put his things in the armory.He had a machete, the empty handgun and brass knuckles, creative.I'm thinking of transferring the armory to the Laundry room.There's 4 machines, 4 easy boxes for our personal things in there and the rest he laid out, it is kind of cramped though.Doesn't matter now, we also have another room as our little souvenirs.We have all sorts of things you'd find in gift shops at an airport.I myself have been collecting all sorts of books, classic literature, dictionaries, different religious books, comic books and even some magazines, some explicit.

When you're out here too long and seem to be bored, you pick up weird hobbies.I found fun in origami from This little mana that shows you over hundreds of origamis.I only barely figured out a swan, if I'm every bored I could make one on the spot.Well the armory looks alright and we've been okay on food, we found this truck full of foods, Bill brought it in with Sue as we slowly, dat by day brought everything in.We have enough to last about a month now.I also forget to mention the managers old apartment, it's our little headquarters.We have maps of the globe, maps of the country, maps of the state, maps of the god damn city, down to the last braincell.We also have all types of albums and cds and dvd's and any sort of entertainment in a physical form.We got boxing gloves and a bicycle Machine and a pull up bar set up on the door of the hallway.A quick little workout never hurts.We setup this poker table she had as our main table, setup in the middle of the living room.We also have our own little drawings of each other, I drew Bill, Bill drew Sue, Sue drew Scarlett and she drew me.We all did an awful but jokingly great job, we just have it framed on the walls.

I exited the armory room as I walked causally upstairs as I tripped and hit myself on the staircase.

"Ah fuck !" I yelled as I hit my knee pretty hard and scraped the palm of my hands trying to catch myself.Scarlett saw this and laughed

"You alright ?" She asked as I got back on my feet and sat on the stairs.I sighed and said

"Yea I'm doing just fine honey …" I smirked as she laughingly got back inside.I think we all agree there's no hope anymore, if somehow the government came back and restored society.Think about it, would people who killed other people he prosecuted, can they plead a sort of self defense ? Who would know, think like a years after societies back, you're probably living next to a mass serial killer from the apocalypse who's now a works as a physician.You always think what'll happen next during the apocalypse, you never think what about after it's all solved ? Law and order is resorted and imagine you're in a courtroom for the mass murder you've done during it.It's sounds goofy but will be taken seriously.There's always a before, during and after I plan to see that after with my girl.

I seem to feel the pattern of those cliche shows during this.Zombies aren't the enemy, people are, like come on the only reason we fight is due to the massive wave of those things.I got off the stairs and headed to my Sue and Bills apartment.

I see Jordan finally eating as Sue and Bill conversate with him.

"So you're saying you're friend turned cannibal ?" Asked Bill, shocked.Jordan gulps his bite as he says "yea the whole place got crazy, I left because of that, being a cannibal is like going bankrupt now a days you know ?" He said as Sue nodded and asked

"Where were they again ? down in Oakland ?"

Jordan nodded and said

"Yep, so stay clear of Oakland …hehe"

He starts to eat more of the food.The food in question is a can of spaghetti-Os and a Nutella sandwich with a soda can.

"God this is amazing, you know usually I didn't eat this stuff but it feels like a five star meal …" he said as I interrupted.

"Hey um, how would y'all like to go on a mission ?" I asked as Bill replied "where too ?"

I've had this set up for weeks now as I found this car dealership that sells these luxurious cars.Rolls-Royce's, Cadillacs, corvettes, etc .

Well it's about a ten minute drive from here as we can take this Nissan Sentra we've had for a while.I explained to them as they were all on board.

"Alright then, let's go !" I said as I passed Bill the key to the car.I went through the whole to our room and told Scarlett

"Hey where gonna get some cars, come on !" I said as she got up and said

"Alright …"

We headed off as we drove by our route that we marked as safe.Had it barricades with cars as cover.

"Alright take a left here and it should be straight ahead …" I said as we drove cautiously.It's me, Sue and Scarlett in the backseat as Jordan was given shotgun.We pulled up as we drove in, excited.

"Listen I've been checking this place out and it should be clear and we can choose any car we want …" I said as Sue asked "how we don't got the keys, " as I pulled out my key ring I said

"Hello, I got em dummy …" we all laughed as we got out the car.We walked around as we looked through the cars.Me and Scarlett went together as if we were a married couple making a big decision.

"Well what do ya think ?" I asked as she looked around and replied

"Well I don't know much about cars- hell I don't know how to drive still …."

I always did forget to teach her,

"Alright, let's take that one and I'll teach you right now…."

I said as I pointed at a 2019 Honda Civic, I tried many keys as finally I found the one.I got out of drivers side and let her through.She got in the car as I walked myself around to the passenger side.Sue and Jordan had their card picked out as I said to them,

"Hey we'll be back soon, we'll meet y'all back at home …."

They both looked worried as Sue asked

"You sure you don't want us to accompany you guys ? "

I shrugged it off and replied

"Na man, I'm serious….we're gonna be okay …."

I had on with a smirk as I got in the car, they shrugged it off as well as they both left with their cars to get back home.

It took us a moment but we were able to get out of the parking lot of the dealership.

"Alright, okay- whoa- okay this is good …"

I said in a struggle but I tried not to argue, she was a bit nervous.We finally drove on to a simple road as she quickly did get used to it.

"Well it's good no one's around, so it's easier right now ….." I said as we laughed and she replied

"Yea- hey you want to head back home yet, it's getting late ?"

It was getting dark but it still felt okay,

"Not yet, let's try to drive around here, take a left here …."

I pointed at a neighborhood as she made a sharp turn.

"Whoa !- shit ….hehe"

I laughed in worry as she felt apologetic,

"I'm sorry- I'm sorry -"

I quickly replied

"No it's alright, you're doing better- doing better than my old cousin….."

we took a silent moment as I added on

"God I wonder if he's still out there ….."

I sighed as she parked and got out, it caught me off-guard; she at least knew how to put it in park.

"Where you going ?" I asked as she ran towards a fluffle of bunny running near the backyard of a home.One that caught her attention was a black and white one, it was running into a home.She ran inside as I followed,

"Scarlett we should probably head back now …."

I said as I felt a mixed feeling for this neighborhood, I just know we're not alone.

We were in the home as the bunny jumped on to the living room couch.She peacefully walked towards it as she picked it up and sat back on the couch.I stood in front of her as if I was a disappointed father.

"Come on Bruce, let's hang out a bit more …." She said in a pouty face as I replied

"Scarlett if we don't leave now, it'll be more dangerous to get home …bring it with you if you want …."

She sighed as she got up and let the bunny go,

"Nah, it should be out in the wild where it belongs…"

The bunny headed for the front door as we followed it out.As we were at the door and the bunny exited already I said

"Well you sure you don't want to take it ?"

She replied

"No, doesn't seem right-"

She was cut short as I was suddenly struck in the face, she yelled out as I was knocked to the ground.Four Men emerged out of nowhere as she quickly drew her weapon.She sadly wasn't fast enough as a man was able to fight her off and make her shoot at the ceiling.She fell to the floor as I got up and yelled

"You let go of her !-ahhh !"

I headed for the man as a rage in me was let out, I felt as if god has giving me the strength of Hercules.I tackled the man to the ground as I I got a few hits in, the two other men dragged me off of him as the fourth man had been struggling with Scarlett.She started wailing her arms around as he had her in a bear hug.They faced each other as she got a slap in, he laughed.

"The bitch is feisty, hehe …." He said as he dropped her to the ground and kicked her in her stomach.I was in such fury I manage to get free from the two men who held me down and headed straight for that man.He was a big guy, about 6'3 and weighed about 250 pounds of pure fat.He was a greasy fellow, I started to beat on his head repeatedly.Scarlett quickly reached for her gun which was near the kitchen area.The two men were distracted as they got towards me and managed to get me off him.They pinned me to the ground as that first guy I beat gained consciousness as he noticed Scarlett going for the gun.He quickly ran over and stepped on her hand,

"Ahhh !" She yelled out as he went and picked up the gun.I turned to her and was even more outraged, the worst was yet to come ….