Cherreads

Chapter 5 - To Gather a Working Car

The five get to the other building and climb up the stairs.

Rocky: Can't believe you said yes, Rocky. Absolutely bullshit. You should've just left them to die. Then this wouldn't be your problem. Now it's your problem.

Sarah shakes her head.

Rachel: Is he talking to himself?

Shawn: Yup.

Kyle: He's a rare kind.

Rocky: So what kind of trouble you guys in? Where the fuck's Caleb?

Kyle sighs and Sarah bites her lips.

Rocky: He dead?

Rocky laughs. A brief pause.

Rocky: Oh...

Shawn: Yeah.....

Kyle: The trouble we're in is that we've got the Reapers on our asses.

Sarah: Which is lead by Colm and Lynn, who Kyle pissed off.

Kyle side glances Sarah.

Sarah: Hey, it's true.

Rocky: How'd you do that, Kyle? Punch Roscoe in the face or something?

Rachel: More like put a bullet in his head.

Shawn: Rachel....

Sarah: Hey, that's true, too.

Kyle: Okay, Sarah....

Rocky: Wait! You killed Roscoe?! The son of the Leader of the Reapers? !

Kyle: Yeah...

Kyle nods to Rachel.

Kyle: Protecting her.

Rocky: What? That little brat?

Rachel: Haha. Fuck you, too.

Rocky lets out a loud laugh.

Rocky: Jesus Christ. I hope you guys know what you're doing.

The five jumped out the window, walked along a small walkway and into another building.

Rachel: You're shitting me with this guy, right?

Shawn: Where the hell are we going, Rocky?

Rocky: My other safehouse. It's more of an armory.

Rachel: Wait, I thought we were fixing up a car?

Rocky: We? So suddenly a twelve year old girl know how to fix a-

Sarah: Rocky, just...drop it.

Rocky: Like I said, what I need is on the other side of town...the side I avoid cause there's a shitload of Skinners and infected... So we're gonna need more guns.

Rachel: I'm fourteen by the way, douchebag. 

The group comes back into a storage area and hear a muffled noise.

Kyle: Shit...there's one inside.

The five slowly approach the door.

Rocky: Oh, fuck...I've been meaning to take care of this. Relax, it ain't shit.

Rocky waves towards a trapped Skinner that was pinned down on a broken window. Rocky goes over to the Skinner, before he goes and chops the Skinner's head off then towards the front door.

Rocky: Alright...here we go.

Rocky opens the door as the rest walk outside and see a bunch of abandoned cars out on the street.

Rachel: So...why can't you just fix up one of these cars?

Rocky: Well, color me a goddamn, you're a mastermind. The whole time I've been here, I did not think the motherloving thought of fixing up one of these cars.

Rachel: I get it...don't be a dick.

Shawn: The tires are rotted and their batteries are shot to shit.

Rocky: Exactly. Someone has to use their brain.

Rachel: Are you done?

Rocky: Can't even begin to think what the engine smells like. Only those engines in Zeus Corps trucks are still active.

A cry is heard in the distance.

Sarah: Dammit!

Rachel: Infected!

Kyle, Shawn, Sarah and Rocky pull out their guns and started firing and taking out the infected and Skinners, all while Rachel had to hide behind the cars.

Rocky: We got em...

After they finish, Rocky walks towards the gate.

Rocky: You gotta check the goddamn barricades again. You get sloppy and start paying for it, goddammit. You know what that means...taking all the supplies from the warehouse and chugging it over the west fence...again...Then you'll--

Rachel: He's doing it again.

Shawn: Yeah...

Sarah: This is sad.

Kyle: Rocky?

Rocky turns to Kyle.

Rocky: Kyle?

Kyle: You having one helluva conversation over there. You figure out a dilemma?

Rocky grimaces.

Rocky: This way...and up we go.

Rocky opens the gate and lets the four through.

Shawn: You sure as shit picked one hell of a place to hold up, didn't you?

Rocky: You know, heroes of the wasteland, as bad as those things are, they're predictable. It's what humans are capable of that scare me. You three of all people should know that.

The group heads up a set of cobbled steps

Rachel: The hell is that suppose to mean?

Rachel looks between Kyle, Shawn and Sarah.

Kyle: Nothing.

Shawn: Is that gate gonna hold them off?

Rocky: Well, unless infected, Stitchers or Skinners know how to use a key, they won't be getting in.

The five come up to a backyard of a church.

Kyle: So which way?

Rocky: We're here. The cellar.

Kyle and Shawn goes to open it for Rocky to go through.

Rocky: Down here.

The five of them come enter the cellar.

Rocky: Well, here it is.

Rocky turns to Shawn.

Rocky: You look around.

Rocky turns to Rachel.

Rocky: You don't touch anything.

Rocky turns to Sarah.

Rocky: You...I don't know...do what you want.

Rocky turns to Kyle.

Rocky: You close the door.

Kyle turns around and shuts it as Rocky turns on a lantern.

Rocky: Let's get geared up.

Shawn: Alright...

The four start walking over to the workbenches until Kyle stops Rachel from following them.

Kyle: Not you.

Rachel: What? I need a gun.

Rachel: Sarah, can you tell him to let me hold a gun?

Sarah: I'm with Kyle on this one, Rachel. You have your knife.

Shawn: Yeah, you let us handle this.

Rachel: Guys, I can handle myself.

Kyle: No, goddammit. Just...wait here.

Rachel: I need some way to defend myself.

Kyle, Shawn and Sarah exchange looks, before Sarah reaches into her back pocket.

Kyle: Sarah....

Sarah raises her hand, before pulling out a pocket knife.

Rachel: A fucking pocket knife?! What about a gun?!

Kyle: Have you ever killed a person? Have you ever shot a gun in general?

A brief pause.

Kyle: I rest my case.

Sarah: Yes, that's all you need and that's all you're getting.

Annoyed, Rachel takes the pocket knife.

Sarah: You're welcome.

Kyle, Sarah and Shawn walk over to Rocky.

Rachel: What the hell am I suppose to do with this? How do you even open this thing?

Unknowingly, Rachel swings her hand and opens the pocket knife. She then examines the knife.

Rachel: Hmm....good knife.

Rachel walks over to a different shelf.

Rocky: This is well known as the stupidest fucking job you've ever taken.

Kyle: Tell me about it.

Rocky: Seriously, Shawn, how the hell are you okay with this?

Shawn: Well, Caleb was very persuasive.

Rocky: No shit. The dude wasn't as smart as I thought he was. Not to disrespect the deceased, but fuck the bastard. Seriously, you gotta take that shit back where you found her.

Rocky starts to load the gun and Kyle goes over to sit on the edge of the table, Sarah and Shawn stand next to Kyle as she places his hand on Kyle's shoulder.

Shawn: Rocky, we can't take her back.

Rocky: Then send the shit packing, let her find her own way. Let me tell you this. I once had someone who I cared about.

The three of them look at Rocky, confused and shocked.

Rocky: A friend. Someone whose ass I had to watch.

Rocky finishes loading.

Rocky: And in this world that sort of bullshit's good for one thing: getting your ass killed. So you know what I did? Stepped the fuck up and realized it's just gotta be me.

Kyle: Rocky, it's...it's not like that. It's-

Rocky looks at Kyle.

Rocky: Bullshit. It's just like that.

Rocky stops as he looks over at Rachel.

Rocky: Yo! The fuck I tell you when we came down the steps? What did I say?!

Sarah looks at to see that Rachel was messing with a pile of stuff on a shelf.

Rachel: I'm just fixing your stupid pile, dick.

Rachel backs away from the shelf.

Rocky: Not touchy! No touch! You speak English, right?! You need me go to slow for you?! Your fingers to yourself, not on my shit.

Rachel: How bout this finger?

Rachel scoffs at Rocky then flips him off.

Rocky: Jesus H. Tits.

Sarah bites her lips, trying not to laugh.

Rocky: You three keep babysitting and eventually, it's gonna kick you the balls.

Rocky loads another gun.

Shawn: Rocky. Can we please we please just get it over with?

Rocky: Here. Let's get it over with.

Rocky tosses Kyle the shotgun then looks over to see an extra shotgun and tosses it to Shawn, who hands Sarah a shotgun. After Rocky shows the group his new toy, a nail bomb, Shawn picks it up and looks it over. It was basically a tin can filled with shrapnel and powder, a very deadly weapon.

Shawn: James would definitely fuck with this.

Sarah: So we got shotguns and nail bombs. What the fuck are we doing with these?

Rocky: Well, six years ago, before you all got rid of the Krens, there was this A.O.W caravan that rides through town. Looking for supplies. I mean, you'd be amazed with the shit they forget to grab. Anyway. They were rolling through and they get overrun by this horde of Krens humans. They were all over the truck. It plows right into the side of the elementary school. Still sitting there with a battery in it.

Kyle: So we take that battery and put it in another car.

Rocky: Bingo. I wanted to get it myself, but since the Krens were eradicated, fucking infected have swarmed that part of town, but fuck it....you three need a car.

Sarah: What if it's damaged?

Rocky: Nah. Those A.O.W trucks are built like fucking tanks. Like an impervious muscular man tank.

Shawn, Kyle and Sarah look at each other and nod.

Shawn: That might actually work.

The four adults head back over to Rachel, where there was another set of stairs.

Rocky: Kid, if you took anything-

Rachel: Do I look like I need your shit?

Rocky: Kyle, Sarah, you guys are watching her right.

Sarah: She didn't steal anything...right, Rachel?

Rachel: Right.

The group head upstairs which leads them into an large church sanctuary.

Shawn: Nice place you got here.

Rocky: Well, if you got anything to confess, this'd be the place to do it.

Shawn: Like a masturbation problem?

Rocky: Hey. I'm human....and a guy.

Sarah: Ugh....we have a thirteen-year-old with us.

Rachel: Fourteen for the hundredth time and I know what masturbating is.

Kyle, Shawn and Sarah turn their heads to Rachel.

Rachel: Oh! Ew! No! Ew! I've never....I don't.....I mean....I've been curious about it, but I've never--

Kyle: Can we just go please?

Rocky walks over a window.

Rocky: Alright...time to grab your nuts and sack up.

Sarah: Dude....

Rocky opens the window and climbs through it. Sarah climbs through after Rocky, then Shawn and Kyle follow.

Kyle: Rachel, c'mon.

Rachel jumps out.

Rocky: Look. There's the school.

Rocky points at the elementary school.

Kyle: Alright.

Rocky: Ready?

Shawn: Been ready.

The group jumps off of the roof and out onto the yard.

Rocky: Past this gate, it's a whole new fucking world.

Rocky opens the gate and they start to make our way through the church's graveyard, then they hear some Stitchers up ahead.

Rachel: You guys hear that?

Kyle: Keep low.

Shawn: Keep quiet.

Sarah pulls out her bow and arrows and started to quietly take out as many Stitchers as she can, which also scavenging the used arrows if they didn't break. Finally, the group makes it to a courtyard gate and Sarah goes over to it, but it doesn't open.

Sarah: Goddammit...it's locked.

Rocky: Hold up. I got a key for that gate.

Rocky goes and unlocks it.

Rocky: I suggest we move quietly.

The five make it out on a residential neighborhood and walks along, and silently, take out any Stitchers and Skinners as much as they can.

Rachel: If you guys could give me a gun, I could help you take out some of these fucking things!

Shawn: Will you shut the fuck up?

The group comes up on a garage.

Kyle: This way.

The group go inside of the garage and goes up to the door. Kyle tries to get through the door but could not.

Kyle: It's tied on the other side.

Rachel: What about going through here?

Rachel points to a small flap on the door, that had a wood plank nailed over it.

Shawn: That doggy door?

Kyle uses his Zeus Corps machete to rip off of the door.

Sarah: Be very careful.

Rachel: Yes.

Rachel crawls through it.

Rocky: Maybe you guys should've given her a gun.

Kyle: Thank you, Rocky.

Rachel opens the door.

Rachel: There's more of those Stitcher things in the house.

Rocky: Shit.

Kyle: They haven't seen us yet. Just stay down.

The group make their way through the house and out the backyard.

Rocky: Alright, c'mon, lets get our asses up. On the RV and over. We should be clear of those things.

Rocky points at the RV as they climb up on top of it then cross a plank to a treehouse.

Rachel: Who the hell left this here? You got any friends in this town?

Rocky: No. Although I got some goddamn idea who mighta come through here. The school's on the other side of this house.

The group jumps down from the treehouse through another house and up to a garage door.

Rocky: Shawn, give me a hand with this.

Rocky gestures to the garage door. Kyle and Shawn go over to Rocky and opens it then run out to see the school was just across the street.

Rocky: See? There's that truck, sticking outta the school right there.

Shawn: So let's try not to make a sound.

The five go and take out the nearby infected.

Shawn: Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be. They must be holed up in the school.

Kyle: Well, let's not test our luck. How do we get inside?

Rachel: Someone left a ladder on the bus. Here, get me up there and I'll drop it on you.

Rachel points at the school but that was stuck in front of the gate. Kyle goes over to the end of the bus and boosts Rachel up.

Rocky: Don't die up there.

Rachel runs a top of the bus.

Rachel: Thanks, Rocky.

Rachel drops the ladder. The men and Sarah climb the ladder and run along the roof of the bus then jumps down.

Rocky: We're good. We just need to get to the hood of that armored truck.

A noise is heard.

Shawn: You hear that?! They're coming! Move it!

The group sees some Stitchers running against the fence.

Rocky: Get in. Get the battery. Get the fuck out. Get in. Get the battery. Get the fuck out. Get in. Get the battery-

Sarah: Get the fuck out! We get it!

Rocky runs over to a door.

Kyle: Fuck! They're piling over this fence over here. It's not going to hold!

Rocky: Fucking door's locked!

The five start to run around to the back of the school, then Rocky runs up to a window.

Rocky: It's open!

Sarah: Guys! We gotta way in!

Some infected start running towards them and Sarah pulls out her gun and fires at them.

Sarah: Go, go, go, you guys! Go!

The group runs over to the window and climbs in. Sarah follows and starts to climb in but a Stitcher jumps on top of her. Sarah yelps then elbows the Stitcher off of her and starts to crawl towards the window, but the Stitcher grabs her ankle.

Kyle: Shit, Sarah!

Both Kyle and Rocky pull Sarah out of the Stitcher's graps and Sarah falls into Kyle's arm while Shawn shoots the Stitcher.

Kyle: Sarah? You okay?

Rachel shuts the window.

Sarah: Yeah, I'm fine.

Kyle and Sarah stare into each other's eyes, before Rachel's voice pulls them back into reality.

Rachel: That's not gonna hold.

Rachel points at the window.

Shawn: Rocky, make it fast!

The group sees the A.O.W military van. Rocky runs to the van as they hear the infected hitting the door.

Sarah: Grab this.

Sarah runs over to this metal shelf and Kyle, Sarah, Shawn and Rachel barricade the main door.

Kyle: Please tell me you're done!

Rocky tries to get the hood open. Kyle, Shawn and Sarah lean against the shelf as Rocky finally gets it open but his mouth drops in shock.

Rocky: It's empty.

Shawn: What?

Kyle and Shawn run over to Rocky.

Rocky: Goddamn! It's fuckin empty!

Rachel: Guys!

Rachel and Sarah try to hold the barricade.

Kyle: Rocky, where are we going?!

Rocky looks around like he's lost.

Kyle: Rocky, where?!

Rocky: Anywhere, but here.

Rocky runs off. Kyle and Shawn turn to Sarah and Rachel and place their hands on their shoulders.

Kyle: Get ready to fucking run! Move!

The five take off as they hear the doors burst open.

Rachel: They've broken through!

The group starts to shut the other set of door.

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