The Dead Lands Diary [Vol. III]

  THE

  DEAD LANDS

  DIARY

  Vol. III

  The Interviews

  S. David Staggs

  Disclaimer. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  For my Mother. Who’s always had my back no matter what.

  The war ended in the spring. Victor was dead and The Retreat had been left in ruins; torn apart by the dead, who brought the walls down after a bloody battle to save multiple refugees. Some of which perished in that fight.

  Fall was now upon us and the leaves were just starting to change. It was now later September and although some days were still warm, others let it be known that winter was right around the corner. That was something we all dreaded.

  The Retreat was rebuilt, the walls put back up and reinforced better than before and could withstand an onslaught. Wayne took charge there and many refugees returned with him despite the memories and events. Not only that, but many newcomers arrived and were taken in. Not just at The Retreat but Haven as well. We expanded our walls and enclosed many more houses down the intersecting street. After things settled and the work was complete, I got back to my interviews. The refugees were willing to share their stories as well as the newbies. The following pages are those stories as told to me.

  I wanted to begin with Bethany Anderson. She goes simply by Beth and if you recall, was a slave at The Retreat and was hit just for requesting some water on a hot day. She is young and charming and despite the ordeal, very friendly. I sat with her outside of her small home she shared with Helen (whom you also may recall was with her the day she was smacked).

  ME: How did you end up there? At The Retreat?

  BETH: I had been traveling with a small group of people in the beginning of it all. It was early on and I found the place I think a few months after it was complete. I was pretty scared when I approached the place…I mean, it felt intimidating to me. These tall walls and the sounds of quite a few people. In all honesty, I was close to dodging it but I was alone and I wasn’t sure how long I would last out there on my own. So, I decided to walk up to the gate and give a shout. I was greeted by a friendly guy. Friendly at first anyhow. It was Harry and he was just putting on the act. I was optimistic at that point and went inside after he opened the gate. It didn’t take me long to realize I was looking at slave labor and deplorable conditions. I knew I screwed up. A second later, Harry had a gun on me and asked if I had any weapons. I guess he didn’t believe me about not having a gun, so he had a woman come over and pat me down. At least he wasn’t a creep. I’ll give the asshole that much. The woman that patted me down was Helen and we hit it off pretty quick. She watched out for me ya know? Took me under her wing or whatever. So, I was shown my sleeping quarters…in that little lobby area. Women were able to stay out of Tent Town. There was that, at least. You know all the rest, that’s history.

  ME: Take me to the start of the plague. Where did you begin? What happened?

  BETH: It’s not too easy to talk about, but I’ll tell it. When everything started to happen, I just stayed inside the house. I was house sitting for my parents.

  ME: Where were they?

  BETH: They were in Hawaii for their twenty-eight year anniversary.

  ME: I’m sorry. I can only imagine that sense of helplessness with them so far away.

  BETH: Yeah…yeah. My brother came to the house and stayed with me. A few days later his girlfriend and her mother came too. We stayed inside and just kept the doors locked and watched the coverage. It all happened so fast, ya know? Of course you do. Everyone does.

  ME: Where were you?

  BETH: Geneva.

  ME: Oh, okay. I remember going to Geneva-on-the-Lake.

  BETH: Oh, yeah. Me too. That was always a good time.

  ME: Sorry, go on.

  BETH: We stayed in touch with our parents. Until the power grid went down anyway. But before that happened we knew Hawaii was getting bad. They were inside their hotel the last we spoke to them. Other folks staying there and some employees blocked off an upper floor. That’s all I know. When the grid failed, it never came back on. I’ll always have to wonder what happened to them. If they ever got out of that damn hotel. I hate thinking about it but I sometimes like to imagine that they made it out of the building. Maybe found a way to some secluded place with other people. Maybe an island. It’s doubtful, I know. But it’s still a nice thought and hey, you never know…

  ME: Never know.

  BETH: As things got worse, my brother, Danny, suggested we maybe get out and go somewhere else. His girlfriend wasn’t as keen on it. Her name was Denise. She was really sweet. So was her mother Henrietta. Henrietta sided with my brother on the issue and thought perhaps we should check out one of the safe zones the government was setting up. I convinced them that it was still too dangerous to go out. See, we hadn’t had any incidents. We lived outside of town and it stayed quiet for awhile. But then Hank, my brothers best friend, showed up with his dad Bill. They were with us for only a few days before Bill got everyone amped up and wanting to hit the road. Everyone except Denise and me.

  ME: So that was it, huh? Time to go?

  BETH: Yeah. Denise and me weren’t gonna stay there on our own. They’d have dragged us out anyway. By now though, the safe zones had been overrun, so we dodged that bullet! So glad I was able to talk them into staying where we were longer. I’m sure I’d be dead if I hadn’t. Didn’t matter for them…

  ME: Wanna stop?

  BETH: No, I’m okay. We decided to go south. We ended up in Middlefield and found an abandoned farmhouse there. We stayed there for a few weeks…it was isolated and felt safe. There was plenty of food inside and nearby stores to take things from. One day however, Danny and Hank got attacked at one of those stores by one of those fast ones. It had jumped up from behind a counter and pounced onto Hank. He held it off okay for a few seconds till my brother grabbed it from behind, but he got his arm bitten in the process. It was attacking him now and Hank yelled to distract it. It turned its attention back to Hank and it tackled him. On the way down he clocked his head on a shelf and was stunned. He wasn’t able to protect his arms or face and Danny wasn’t able to get back up fast enough. Hank was bitten in the neck or throat or whatever. He died pretty quick. Danny tackled the thing and bashed its head into the floor until it stopped moving. He said he looked behind him and saw Hank starting to move and was looking at him. Danny knew what to do. He never said how he put him down, but just that he did. Danny got worse by the day. Denise and me stayed with him constantly and took turns sleeping. Bill…well, Bill killed himself. One morning we found him outside with slit wrists. I was angry for a long time about that. Horrified and angry. I can’t imagine how he felt and I felt nothing but bad for him…but he left us alone. A few days later, Danny died and Denise strapped him down to the bed. When he became one of those things, neither of us knew what to do. Eventually, I held a pillow over his face and held his head firm…left the side of his head exposed. Denise pushed a screwdriver through his ear. All the way, until my brother stopped. She puked…I did too. We just wanted to leave and that’s what we did. It was pretty safe where we were but we just couldn’t stay there after all of that.

  ME: Understandable.

  BETH: We kept moving south with no destination whatsoever in mind. It was just how we had started out so we kept in that direction. We passed through Hiram for a short time. Stayed in some house in town.

  ME: That’s pretty crazy!

  BETH: How so?

  ME: We wer
e in Hiram for quite some time! Not in town, but outside of it. Until we were attacked by the giant horde you know about.

  BETH: Yeah…that’s weird. Everyone used to say “it’s a small world.” Is it still? Or is it larger? Feels larger.

  ME: It does.

  BETH: We made our way to Kent. Why? No clue. We were safe in Middlefield and then we were safe in Hiram. Shit, if we’d stayed maybe we’d have ended up finding you and she’d be alive and we’d both have been here sooner. But we just wanted to keep moving. Find people, maybe. It was in Kent that a small crowd of those things poured out of a store front we were walking past. Not runners but so many of them…they got a hold of Denise and I watched her fall and they just swarmed over her. It reminded me of the way ants kinda attack. I was in shock. I mean, there was literally nothing I could do. I listened to her screams, that ended quickly, and some of them noticed me and were coming at me. I ran away and kept running until I couldn’t see them anymore when I looked back. Only then did I stop to catch my breath and I climbed into a bus and sat in the floor. I sat and cried. I cried until it was dark and I fell asleep on that bus floor. I was so alone and terrified and I figured I would be dead within a day or so. The sun rose and I walked down the street. I walked and walked and found myself at the gates of The Retreat. And you know the rest.

  ME: You’ve been through a lot, Beth. You’re a strong young woman. I’m so sorry about your brother and friends. And parents. I’m glad you’re here with us now.

  BETH: Thank you. I am too, I just wish they were here too.

  ME: Me too. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I know it wasn’t easy to talk about. I’m sure no ones story here is.

  BETH: It felt good actually telling it…I had it bunched up inside for so long and never told anyone. I think it helped me. So thank you for wanting to listen.

  ME: I’m always around to talk, Beth.

  **

  Helen Kline is a middle aged woman with more gray showing than not. Crows feet were well set in and her smile warm. She’s kind and generous and soft spoken but independent and stubborn as well.

  HELEN: It’s a nice evening. Not too warm but not too chilly, yes?

  ME: I couldn’t agree more. Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s gonna be snowing before too long.

  HELEN: Please! Shoosh yourself young man.

  ME: [laughs] apologies. How are you? Been good?

  HELEN: Everyday since arriving here has been good! Just grateful.

  ME: I understand. I felt the same way when we were found and led here. I’m glad you stayed here in Haven.

  HELEN: I couldn’t go back to that place. Wayne has done a great job rebuilding it and turning into a true refuge. I’m very proud of him. But too many memories for me. I could never feel comfortable there again with all I witnessed there. Newcomers will love it though and do love it.

  ME: You up to some tougher questions? I’d like to know your story.

  HELEN: Yeah, why not. Shoot, kid.

  ME: Where’d you start out? When all this began?

  HELEN: Down in Dayton. Yeah, it was a wreck down there…you couldn’t imagine.

  ME: I started out in Akron, so believe me, I can.

  HELEN: I lived alone in the suburbs. I divorced about five years ago and he moved up to Toledo where his brother lives.

  ME: Where’d you work?

  HELEN: Rubber plant. Man, I don’t miss that, I can tell ya. When things started to get worse I didn’t bother going back to work. Was too dangerous and days later it spread like wildfire. All I knew is I wanted out of the city area. Death trap it was. So I hopped in my car and headed north.

  ME: Why north?

  HELEN: Only people I know are in Toledo. My ex husband and his brother Ralph. Hell, who knows if they’re still kicking. They ain’t dumb, I know they wouldn’t have just sat there, that’s for sure. Anyway, that’s where I headed. The country between here and there wasn’t super chaotic. Not at first, but it got there and I ended up needing to dodge certain areas…ended up driving more east than west on my way up. Picked up a mother and her son walking on the side of the road. Their car had broken down miles back. They looked absolutely petrified. Boy was probably around ten. They were trying to get to the next town where her sister lived. I made sure they got there. I hope they’re okay.

  ME: You’re a hell of a woman, Helen.

  HELEN: [laughs] thanks.

  ME: I know Beth loves you. You watched out for her.

  HELEN: Someone had to. That girl was gonna get herself killed. She didn’t adapt to the place at all. For awhile I thought she was trying to get herself killed or something, but no, she was just tired and naive. I had to keep her motivated to keep up the pace, keep to herself, and not to invite any kind of conflict.

  ME: Again…hell of a woman you are. Probably saved her life. So, after you dropped off the lady and her boy what happened?

  HELEN: Just continued to drive and with all the detours I ended up taking to avoid areas that looked worse off I ended up in the area here. I rolled up onto the so called Retreat and was welcomed at the gates. This was before they had heads on sticks outside, otherwise I’d have hauled ass out of there.

  ME: Of course!

  HELEN: I thought hey…if anything I could get some rest, ask for a little gas and supplies and continue on my way. I was quickly informed they didn’t give people free shit and next thing I knew I was working garden plots and that was that. Once I caught on how things worked there, I just did my work and kept up. In a way maybe it was for the best.

  ME: How do you mean?

  HELEN: I was probably damn lucky to get from Dayton to here. How far would I have gotten heading west? I’d probably have gotten myself killed. Even if I made it, what if my ex husband and his brother were gone or dead? I didn’t have a contingency plan for that scenario. The Retreat no doubt was a bad place led by a horrible man. But I was left alone as long as I kept up. I was fed and there were walls. I was relatively safe despite it all. Might have actually saved my life cause lets face it…I didn’t have much of a plan before hand.

  ME: How’d you meet Beth?

  HELEN: They just threw us together and that was that, ya know? We worked everyday and I’m glad we were tossed together. Donno if someone else would have looked out for her. I mean we had decent people. All of us really. But some were just apathetic and depressed and weren’t thinking of others around them all the time. It all worked out in the end though. We’re here with y’all and all is well with us all.

  ME: Indeed. I thank you sincerely for your story, Helen.

  HELEN: Oh, you’re welcome, dear.

  **

  Wayne Jensen went from slave to leader of The Retreat pretty quickly. The others who had suffered with him greatly respected him and approved of him running things there. As stated before, many went back with him as well as some of the newcomers. He’s strong willed and determined. I sat down now with him on a small porch inside The Retreat.

  WAYNE: I love the crisp air that fall brings, don’t you?

  ME: It’s refreshing, yes. Refreshing until the bitter cold air gets here.

  WAYNE: Well, that’s then. Live in this moment and enjoy the crispness, Jack. We deserve calm nice days like this. It’s a chance to relax. To just forget for a few moments of what’s beyond the walls.

  ME: I could drink to that!

  WAYNE: Damn. Now I want a drink. Oh, well. So what’s up?

  ME: I was hoping today maybe I could get your story?

  WAYNE: Hope tomorrow is another nice day where I can sit and not think about shit. But I’d rather tell you my story now and not while cooped up in the winter freezing my ass off.

  ME: I appreciate it.

  WAYNE: Okay, so…where do we begin?

  ME: From the start. When everything began to fall apart.

  WAYNE: Hmm. Well, I had just gotten divorced that June before it all went to shit later on. Pam and I were together about ten years. No, eleven. Shit like that is probably why it
didn’t last [laughs]. Stubborn ass woman, I tell you. Were you married ever?

  ME: Nope.

  WAYNE: Good for you. It was great at first but after awhile nitpicking starts. And I don’t mean just from her end but mine too. Nitpicking turns into arguing over stupid ass shit and then eventually arguing over important stuff. Still loved each other but weren’t no longer good for one another. It happens I guess. She filed for divorce and we went peacefully through that and then that was that.

  ME: Sorry.

  WAYNE: Oh, it’s fine. We didn’t become enemies. I was bitter for a bit but then I got over it. I got myself a little one room studio apartment and just as I was slowly settling in, shit hits the fan.

  ME: Where were you?

  WAYNE: Oh, right, sorry. I was over in Toledo.