Chapter 6: Dairy Bandit's Incident

Inside the dairy, Mark and Lee explored their surroundings, marveling at the electric fences that provided a sense of security. Meanwhile, Andy focused on getting the generator to work, aiming to restore power to the fences as soon as possible.

Ben and I decided to take a stroll and came across a pavilion adjacent to the barn. Seeking respite from the sun, we found solace in its shade. The gentle breeze offered a welcomed relief, adding to our comfort in this new environment.

"It's just a matter of time before this place gets ran over" Ben muttered, expressing his concerns.

"I hope not, but given that we're surrounded by a forest with bandits roaming around, it's a likely possibility" I replied, acknowledging the harsh reality.

He smiled at me, his shyness fading away as he became more open to conversation. "So, you've accepted how the world has changed, huh?" he remarked, curiosity evident in his voice.

I paused for a moment, reflecting on my journey. "I wouldn't say I accepted it willingly. It was more like I was forced to adapt."

"Everyone is," he responded, understanding the sentiment.

Indeed, I had been thrust into this post-apocalyptic world without any choice in the matter. The events unfolded rapidly, leaving me with no time to comprehend or even question the motives behind it all. I hadn't done anything to deserve the wrath of some higher power; it was simply a twist of fate that had forever altered my life.

The whole situation texting thing felt like a prank, a twisted joke that made no sense. And i'm not the one who started it. I'm just replying, Having a second life should have been a win, but here we were, living in a zombie-infested world. It was hard to see the victory in that.

"All I wish for is that every day could be like this. I've witness enough death" ben sighed, expressing his weariness.

"Oh, right. You haven't told us your story. How did you guys end up here anyway?" I asked Ben, hoping to learn more about his story.

He looked down, a sense of sadness in his eyes. "I guess that's a sensitive subject, huh?" I quickly realized my mistake and stopped probing.

"I'm just not ready to talk about it yet," he replied.

Feeling a bit restless, I looked around, observing the tall grass around us. I wished there was something I could do to make this situation a bit more bearable. After some thought, I found a small tree with leaves that resembled a plant I used to play with as a kid. It had sharp, oval-shaped leaves instead of round ones.

Plucking the leaves, I fashioned them into rings and held a couple in my hand. "Wanna try?" I asked Ben, offering him a few.

Curiosity sparked in his eyes as he examined the leaves. "What's this?" he asked.

With a smile, I taught him how to play. We got into the game, tangling the leaves together and pulling on opposite sides to see whose creation would hold up. It was a simple game, one that might sound boring, but in that moment, it brought us a strange sense of enjoyment.

"You kids having fun?" Andy called out, breaking our concentration. "You know, that's the age where most teenagers fall in love. Be careful," he chuckled before turning his attention back to the generator.

His comment created a weird atmosphere. I couldn't imagine myself falling for a guy. Regardless, I looked at Ben, but he seemed to withdraw back. Something had shifted, and he grew quiet.

Damn it, Andy. We were just having fun.

I doubted Ben had any romantic feelings for me. He was probably just embarrassed.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"For what?" I asked, confused by his apology.

"Nothing," he replied, evading the question.

Well, this was awkward.

"I want to see my family," he suddenly mumbled, glancing at me.

Just then, Andy's voice rang out in concern. "Lee! What happened"

Startled, Ben and I turned our heads to see Lee supporting Mark, an arrow protruding from Mark's shoulder.

I ran towards them showing my concern "MARK!"

As the rest of the motel group arrived, except for Travis, Carley, and Doug, Kenny waved his hand and greeted everyone as he walk forward "Hey y'all."

Katjaa was the first to react when she saw Mark. "Mark! Oh, my God, what happened?!"

Lee responded, "He got shot with an arrow."

Lilly expressed her concern, saying, "Christ! Are you gonna be okay?"

Mark, trying to act tough, replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I should just... pull it out..."

Before he could do so, Brenda approached him. "Oh, no, honey, c'mon. Brenda's got you. Come inside now. We'll have you all sorted out," she assured him, tending to his wounds.

I watched helplessly from the side, taking in the scene unfolding before me.

Ben seemed shaken, likely due to the bandit threat we had encountered.

Katjaa assisted Brenda in supporting Mark as they walked towards the house.

Larry asked how it had happened, and Lee explained the situation. Andy revealed their history with the bandits, causing some worry about their safety.

Lee expressed his disappointment. "So much for your deal," he remarked.

Andy defended himself, his anger evident. "Those shitheads broke the agreement! Look, I'm sorry, Lee. If I had any inkling they were gonna give you guys trouble, we would've gone out there with you!"

Kenny burst out, frustration in his voice. "Jesus, Lee! Say something!"

Andy gripped his hand, the anger drawing on his face. "Listen, we may have had an agreement with those people, but we will not stand for this shit."

Danny joined in, his voice filled with determination. "Ain't no way we're gonna let those sons of bitches get away with this!"

Angrily, Kenny asked, "You know where these assholes are?"

Danny informed them, "They're hard to pin down, but I think I know where at least one of their camps is. When you're ready to go scope out that bandit camp, come find us."

Danny and Andy walks away.

"Bandits? Are you serious? This place is dangerous. We can't stay here!" Lilly exclaimed, voicing her concerns. I agreed with her wholeheartedly. The electric fence alone wouldn't be enough to keep out the bandits, especially with the added threat of the zombies.

Kenny, however, had a different perspective. "Not safe?! This place is a hell of a lot safer than that motor inn! I think all of us and our guns can handle a couple of punks with bows and arrows! What we need to do is find a way to get our whole group out here to stay. Take this place over if we have to."

Larry stepped in, trying to calm Kenny down. It was a side of Larry I rarely saw. Most of the time, he was ready to brawl. "Whoa! Cool your jets there, Rambo. These are nice people. Let's not do anything to get us thrown out before we eat!"

"There's more than just bows and arrows, Kenny. We saw one of them on the way here, and they had guns," I added, hoping to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

Kenny sighed in frustration, seeming to understand the gravity of the threat "F*ck!"

Lee decided to move forward, taking charge. "I'm gonna head out and help Dan deal with these bandits. You guys should try to make friends with Andy and Brenda while I'm gone."

Larry chimed in with a confident claim, "Well, that's easy. I've got charm coming outta my ass."

Lilly played along with her dad's joke, rolling her eyes and saying, "Yeah, that's... real charming, Dad."

Lee then asked, "Where's Doug and the others?"

"Doug and Carley already ate most of the bread on the way while getting us, so they volunteered to stay. After thisbone meal, were leaving. I'm not risking our safety living surrounded by bandits" lilly voiced her concern

As Andy and Danny turned around to the group, Andy shared some exciting news. "Hey, kids, look what Lee got working for ya!" he exclaimed, causing the children to smile.

Clementine's face lit up with joy. "A swing! I love swings! Just like at my treehouse! Come on, Duck! Thanks, Lee! You're the best!" she exclaimed.

Duck happily agreed, saying, "Yeah!"

Lee took the kids to the swing, while the rest of us gathered on the pavilion. Ben seemed to be keeping his distance from Larry, likely due to their previous conflicts. I decided to take a walk around, exploring the area. Along the way, I noticed trails of arrows on the ground, most likely indicating the path where Mark was shot. I realized it would be best not to venture further, as I didn't want to become a target for any potential arrows raining down.

Returning to the group, I found myself feeling restless and unsure of what to do. I felt like I was just wasting time, unable to contribute much in the current situation.

After a few minutes, Lee and Danny prepared to move out, heading towards the forest. Clementine bid them farewell and wished them luck. I contemplated following them, but the thought of a potential shootout made me hesitate. Instead, I called out to them, expressing my concern. "Be careful!" I told them, hoping they would stay safe.

I returned to the pavilion.

"This pavilion is a great relaxing spot," I said.

"Pavilion? No, Riley, this is a gazebo," Lilly corrected me.

"Gazo? What?" I was unfamilliar with term gazebo

Lilly explained the difference between the two structures. It was embarrassing to realize my mistake.

As it turns out, this structure is actually a gazebo. I could see Ben chuckling at my error.

After a while, Brenda and Katjaa came out of the house, accompanied by Andy. They made their way to the barn, with Andy unlocking it.

Duck and Clementine followed them inside.

Meanwhile, Brenda went to the gazebo with Larry, and the two engaged in a conversation.

Kenny watched with a smile, enjoying the sight of the two kids happily. He followed his family inside.

Ben also decided to join them in the barn. Having nothing better to do, I followed suit and walked towards them.

"Wow, that's a big cow," Duck exclaimed enthusiastically.

Clementine remained quiet, simply staring at the cow.

"Please take care of Maybelle. She means a lot to us," Andy requested.

"I'll see what I can do," Katjaa replied, starting to examine the cow.

I walked around the barn, opening every stall. Most of them contained useless items and lots of hay. However, one stall was stuck.

After some effort, I managed to unstuck it, revealing buckets of stored manure.

I accidentally open the lid a little causing the smell to just burst onto my face. Quickly closing it back.

"What in the world!" I exclaimed, pinching my nose and quickly shutting the stall door again.

Kenny wandered around, exploring his surroundings. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a massive locked back door. Intrigued, he attempted to open it or catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.

Andy, noticing Kenny's curiosity, cautioned him, saying, "It's probably best not to pry too much into what's inside."

Kenny turned to him, questioning, "Why? Got something to hide?"

"Just trust me and leave it be," Andy replied.

The interaction between the two piqued Kenny's curiosity even more, and Katjaa pleaded with him, saying, "Kenny, please"

Reluctantly, Kenny was compelled to retreat, leaving the barn.

Andy watched him depart, a sly smile on his face.

Driven by curiosity, I couldn't resist taking a peek myself, although the view was limited. To my horror, I saw blood splattered across the room on the other side. It has lots of metal object like knife or saw.

I paled at the sight, and suddenly, Andy grabbed me from behind, clearly annoyed.

"Can you please refrain from prying into things you shouldn't?" he scolded.

"Is that blood?" I asked, unable to hide my concern.

Andy appeared surprised, pausing for a moment to contemplate. Then, with a forced smile, he responded, "That's where we process our livestock. Trust me, kid, you don't want to see what's inside. It's dirty and messy. Come on, just stay with your friends, alright?"

Was that really a slaughterhouse for livestock? It looked unsettling. Was this what farms were always like?

Something tell me thats something us wrong, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. There was a sense of danger emanating from this place and its people. However, I couldn't accuse them without concrete evidence. Speaking without proof would only make me appear foolish.

I walked out of the barn and found Kenny and Lilly engaged in another argument.

Just then, Lee and Danny returned. However, Lee didn't seem happy. He threw his rifle to Danny, clearly displeased about something. "Jesus, Danny," he muttered.

Danny replied defensively, "What? You ain't getting soft on them, are ya? Not after what they did to your friend!"

Brenda stood up from her seat on the porch stairs, with Larry by her side.

Kenny and Lilly had a conversation but soon went their separate ways. I approached Kenny, who couldn't seem to stay in one place, constantly wandering and searching for something.

"It was a bloody mess right there" i told kenny which adds to his paranoia.

Despite Andy's displeased expression, Kenny returned to the barn.

After a brief talk with Brenda and larry, Lee walked over to me.

"What's going on with those two?" Lee asked, noticing my concerned and fearful expression.

I shrugged, indicating that I didn't know, but my face still conveyed unease.

Lee quickly picked up on my distress. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

I hesitated for a moment before responding, "Back at the barn, Andy mentioned that it was a small slaughterhouse... I can't shake off this unsettling feeling. Maybe it's just my overactive imagination from watching too many horror movies, but right now, I want to believe that they're not what I fear they might be."

"Leave it to me," Lee reassured me, leaving to have a conversation with Lilly.

As I observed, my worry shifted towards Mark.

I wish their not what i think they are, i shouldn't have watched wrong turn.