Encounter

Damian opened his eyes slowly on the bed with Kayla sleeping to his side. It's been more than a week since they started living in that apartment. Damian sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes as he picked the glass of water and gulped it down. After that he went out to wash up. When he came out, he saw Kayla entering the kitchen. 

"Damian, the coffee machine's not working", she said.

Damian went to the kitchen in towel and looked at the machine. "It's not on", he said.

"No. It is", Kayla said as she turned the switch up and down. 

Damian opened the fridge and said, "The lights are down. No electricity".

"What? How are we supposed to make coffee then?", she said.

"It was going to happen sooner or later. We should've been prepared for it", Damian said.

"The gas also went down last night. How are we supposed to cook now?", Kayla wondered looking at Damian.

"We can't. It's time to move on", Damian said.

"Where will we go?", Kayla asked.

"I don't know, somewhere we can get food and water?", Damian said as he pulled out a box of wholegrain crackers and few jars of peanut butter from his bag. "It'll do for now. Let's prepare for the stuff we'd need and leave in an hour", he said as he walked towards the kitchen to fill bottles.

"I'll get the medicines", Kayla said as she picked a biscuit and walked out of the kitchen.

After fifteen minutes later, Kayla came out of her room and said, "I've have got antibiotics, painkillers, clean clothes, band-aids, threads, needles and some multivitamins".

"I got weapons, water, food and car keys", Damian said and asked, "Clothes?".

"Oh. Forgot about it", Kayla said as she went back to the room. Damian followed her.

They selected few underwear and a pair of clothes and took them out. After a bit, they were ready to leave. Damian hid one of the guns in his jacket and checked the bullets in another gun and gave it to Kayla.

"Don't use it until necessary. We will only use knives for walkers unless there is a horde", Damian said.

"I know", Kayla replied.

"And if there is a horde in front?", Damian asked.

"We run. And hide someplace they can't reach", Kayla said.

"And if we get separated?", Damian asked one more.

"We won't", Kayla said. Damian looked at her expecting the right answer, so she continues, "but if we do get separated, we wait for the other in one of the checkpoints we mark on the way".

"Good, Let's go then", Damian said as they stepped out of the apartment.

They got out and sat in Dale's RV.

"I filled up the RV with all the necessary things we would need", Damian said as he took out a map of Georgia. "We should avoid highways as much as possible. Let's move east by local roads towards Jackson", Damian said pointing on the map.

"Why that direction?", Kayla asked.

"Well, there's no particular reason. It's just a hunch of mine. Last time I was there, there were only few walkers. Let's hope it's still how it was", Damian said as he started the engine and drove off leaving Senoia and heading east. Though Damian didn't tell her that they were actually heading towards the old factory where Damian had hidden the weapons earlier.

"I never asked you, but do you have family somewhere?", Kayla asked suddenly while Damian was driving.

When he didn't say anything, Kayla apologized, "I am sorry".

"It's okay. My mom and dad died long ago. Long before this", he said. He paused a bit before continuing, "I don't have anyone in paternal side. But my maternal side relatives might be alive though. I don't know. Last time, we didn't part ways in a good note, and I decided to never go back".

"What about you? Where are you from?", Damian asked Kayla.

"Arlington. I lived there with my dad, grandma and granddad. I hope they are okay", Kayla answered.

"Believe it. Maybe you'll meet them one day", Damian said. "What were you doing in that town so far from Virginia?", Damian asked her.

"I was running from my problems back there. The last thing I said to my dad was that I hated him. I changed my number and never contacted him until the pandemic. Shawn told me to call him and when I did, no one answered", Kayla said as her face became sad.

Damian, looked at her and then back to the road, "Don't worry, just trust in your father. He would be safe", Damian said.

Just then, they saw a car moving on the road far from them. Damian slowed down the RV and looked at Kayla who also looked back. 

"People", they both said simultaneously.

The car must have also noticed the RV as it stopped in the side of the road. Damian pulled out his gun from the back and Kayla did the same. Damian drove the RV towards the car but stopped just a bit behind it. Few seconds passed, but no one stepped out. Neither from the RV, nor from the car.

Damian had told Kayla to hide in the back earlier so that the people in car think that he is alone. Damian honked from behind. A man quickly got out of a car with a gun and paced towards the RV. Behind him was a woman with assault rifle aiming at the driving seat of the RV. Damian stopped honking immediately but didn't get out.

The women kept aiming at him from afar while the man aimed his pistol towards Damian and said, "Come out slowly, and hands in the air".

Damian who was holding his gun, put it on his seat and jumped down with his hands above. 

"How many you got inside?", he asked as he tried to peek.

"No one. I am alone. I got separated from my group", Damian said.

"Where did you get this RV from?", the man asked examining the vehicle as the woman started approaching them.

"Not mine. The owner is dead", Damian said.

The man flinched a bit and stepped back. "Where are you coming from?", he asked.

"Senoia", Damian asked looking back at the road as if that was an obvious answer.

"You have people inside?", the woman who approached them asked.

"He says he's alone", the man said.

"And you believe him? How many times have I told you, don't trust anyone", she said to the man as she pushed Damian back and tried going up to driving seat. 

Damian pulled her back using her hair and grabbed her putting his knife on her neck.

"Amanda", The man aimed at him but didn't shoot fearing he might injure the woman.

"Easy. No one needs to get hurt. Don't try to move", Damian said as he started stepping back with the woman. 

"Hey, I'll shoot. You let her go", the man said losing his composure. 

"Drop your gun. I don't want to kill anyone", Damian said as he forced the woman to let her rifle go. 

"Mom". The scream came from back in the car as a 12-year-old kid got out and ran towards them.

"Anthony. No, come back", a voice came from behind as a girl also ran behind him.

The man quickly grabbed the boy from approaching any further. "Anthony, don't. Nothing would happen to your mother", he said as the girl also reached there.

Looking at them, Damian released the woman. The woman looked back at him as Damian picked up the rifle. She then ran towards her kids. The man tried to pick up the gun but Damian quickly shot on the road making him retreat his hand. 

"I'm sorry. But I can't let you have that yet", Damian said.

"Kayla. Come out", he shouted, and she appeared from behind the RV.

"You said you were alone", the man said regrettably.

"Well, I wasn't. You family? Where are you coming from?", Damian asked as he gestured Kayla to retrieve the gun.

The woman nodded. "We're from Sunny Side. It's filled with those infected people", she said.

"Infected people", Damian concluded that they don't know anything about the walkers yet.

"And you guys are going towards?", Damian asked but they just looked at each other.

Damian sighed and pulled up the rifle. The man flinched before opening his mouth. "I saved a person a few days ago, he said he was from a place that was protected by the retired military people".

"He isn't with you?", Damian asked.

"He was bit. We didn't know. He turned and I had to kill him", the man said sadly.

"Oh. You guys are so lucky to have all survived till now", Damian said as he lowered his gun and gave a hand to the man.

The man took it after a moment of hesitation and Damian pulled him up. Kayla also supported the woman to pick her up.

"Sorry. I had to do it. People are dangerous these days", Damian said. "I am Damian. She's Kayla", he said as he shook the man's hand.

The man looked at him and replied, "Daniel LaRusso. She's my wife Amanda. Our kids, Samantha and-", Daniel was about to say but Damian fulfilled, "-Anthony. I heard the scream".

Damian approached the boy and kneeled down to his level, "I'm sorry for hurting your mother", he said as he offered him a chocolate he had in his pocket.

The boy refused and buried his face in her mother's arm. Damian sighed with a smile and got up and looked at the girl who stared at him angrily. 

Kayla who had left the Amanda's side, looked at her and said, "We are sorry to have frightened your children".

"It's okay. Can we have our guns back now?", Amanda asked.

Kayla looked at Damian who nodded back and gave the rifle in his hand to Daniel as she handed her the gun.

"By the looks of it, you haven't used a gun before", Damian asked Daniel.

"Never had the need. I was a black belt in karate-do", Daniel said.

"Oh. Me too", Damian said with a smile. "I used to serve in army before", Damian said intending to ask about Daniel.

"I ran a chain of car dealerships based in Los Angeles. We were on a country trip when this thing hit. All the flights were cancelled, and we were stuck here in Georgia", he said and asked, "Do you think we can go back?".

"Go back to California or go back to how things were? Well, the answer is no to both. The government is gone. The army is also gone as I heard. There is no going back to your old life now. As for going back to California, don't you think that place is too far from here? Moreover, it's the most populated place in the states. The place must be filled with walkers. It'd be wise for you to stay away from cities for now. And learn to shoot as soon as possible".

He said this as two walkers came from the side of the road at them. The kids started screaming seeing the walkers. As Amanda pulled her kids towards behind her back, Daniel aimed his gun towards the walkers. Looking at him, Damian stopped him from firing his gun and shook his head. He took a step forward with his knife before Kayla said, "Let me do it".

Damian nodded at her and stepped back. "If you shoot, more will come hearing the noise", he told Daniel.

Kayla moved left as a walker quickly turned to his right but fell on the ground as its leg struck the other. The one behind him turned perfectly and approached her. Kayla closed the distance with the walker as it grabbed her, she didn't panic and put her left elbow on his neck and pushed the knife on her other hand through its temple. She looked at other walker who was trying to get up but having a half-eaten weak leg, couldn't. She put her knee on his back and pushed the knife through his nape. The body stopped moving as she looked at Damian with a proud smile. Damian smiled back proudly.

Others though, didn't take it well. "How do you do that like they are nothing. Like they don't matter?", Amanda asked.

"It's because they are not infected like you think. The walkers, sorry, biters are dead. They turn after their death", Damian explained. "The ones who are infected are us. All of us. Everyone turns into those after their death until their brains are intact. It's just a matter of death".

"That's ridiculous. Tell me you didn't just make it up", Daniel asked frustratingly.

"I was at the CDC. The researcher there told me this. Trust me on this. Why do you think military got wiped out. Because they thought the people with bites were infected and killed them. Because they thought they were dead and moved forward only to be bitten from the back", he said.

"Oh god. What has this world turned into", Amanda said as she looked at her children.

"Hell, ma'am. It's turned into hell. No one is safe now, even in a group with well-fortified base. Because at the end, you would need to go out for food, weapons, medicines and other things", Damian said.

Daniel looked at his wife for a moment who nodded back at him. "Look Damian, and Kayla. We are going to the place that man told us. But we don't know if we'd reach there on our own. Would you come with us. He said that they were taking in more people", Daniel said.

Damian looked at Kayla whose eyes were eager to nod. Damian gave a nod. "I was going to ask you guys if you could take us with you", he said with a smile as they shook hands again.

"We should leave then. It's not a good idea to stay here for any longer", Amanda said.

"Why don't you guys move on in the RV? We can save fuel like that", Damian advised.

"I don't see any harm in that. Let's move our things to your RV", Daniel replied as they started moving.

Damian extracted the gasoline from the car as others shifted their things to the RV. After all was done, Damian started the RV and ran off as Daniel looked at the map sitting in the side seat. Kayla and others were in the back.

"How far?", Damian asked.

"It's here, Or. I got it. We stick to the road until we reach Orchard Hill. Then there is a cut and from there, he said his people will come to meet them", Daniel answered.

"Alright. let's just hope that they are good people", Damian said and hearing that, Daniel's face turned yellow. 

"Wait a minute, I don't know if they are", Daniel said.

"Don't worry. We'll see when we get there", Damian replied.