Chapter 10: Chapter 9: A Chance Encounter and Choice!!
Chapter 9: A Chance Encounter and Choice!!
(Previously...)
I asked to see what they wanted and why they were here and not at the quarry with that bastard Ed. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but can we share your campsite for the night. We just left a larger group and we wanted to rest for a while. I'm sorry, where are my manners. My name is Carol Peletier, and this is my daughter Sophia." She raised her hand for me to shake, and I shook it. "Hello there!! My name is Jack Keller."
"And this is lovely lady over there is my daughter Olivia. Please to meet you. Would you too like to come in?" I offered them to enter as I stepped back to let them in and she looked way too nervous to want to come inside. "I don't mean you any harm. I know how it is out there. Olivia and I have been traveling for a few days and we've seen some very bad things. If you don't trust us to come in, you could stay outside, it's fine with me."
It looked like she grabbed up all her courage and entered the camper slowly grabbing on to Sophia just in case something might happen. "Olivia, sweety. Could you take Sophia with you to watch some TV, please. I'll stay here with her mother to talk and make dinner while I'm at it." Olivia came to the kitchen and grabbed Sophia's hand and dragged her to the couch. "Got it daddy!! Come on Sophia, I'm watching Sailor Moon cartoons."
Is all I heard as she walked away with Sophia in tow. Then I yelled out to my daughter, "No more candy for you little munchkin, don't be cheeky with you father, you hear me?" I was playing with her, but it sometimes works wonders. "NOOO, no, no. Please I won't do it again, I promise." She said, begging not to take her candies from her. I shook my head at her antics and asked Carol if she wanted to follow me to the kitchen and watch me cook dinner.
"It's okay. You don't have to do anything here. Just sit, have a cup of coffee, and talk if you want. We haven't had any visitors since we came here. You from that group of people up there?" He asked as he mentioned the campers at the quarry. Has he been watching us? Is he a safe person to be around? "Don't be worried, I saw a few of your people drive off a couple of times. Me and Olivia don't like to be crowded, hence the reason we're here."
"Away from the large group of people." She looked surprised at what I told her, "So, what brings you to our neck of the woods? Tired of being with that big group, over yonder." As I pointed at the quarry. "No... Well, something like that. I felt like I was being pulled to come this way, if you can believe that? I just wanted so much to leave that group so badly. Away from... Ed, I... I just needed to leave. It just felt like the right thing to do."
She looked like she strained to say all that. "Ohhh... so, your one of those type. The destiny calling types, don't worry Carol. I've seen many types like you. I've seen the 'I'm in charge types', which end up being killed by the same group that their trying to lead. And those, 'I deserve better types', thinking they should have everything that's under the sun and all the stuff other people have stuff belong to them.
I even saw an 'God told me type', saying God commanded them to do this kind of stuff or things to other people." As I looked at her, she didn't talk much but it looked like she enjoyed just listening to someone else talk for a change about anything. "Are you okay, Carol? Why are you out here alone with your daughter, no less. You two could have been hurt or worse you know... eaten by those things out there."
"It's not safe out here, especially with all those walkers roaming around the campgrounds at night. I have been killing them and keeping them away from wandering up further. You group up there like to make a lot of noise in the morning and that is what attracts them to you all." She shook her head at the stupidity of the others. If it wasn't for Jack that has been killing those things before they got to us, we'd be dead by now.
She then responded, "I don't even know myself. Like I said earlier, it felt right for me to leave that place and I wasn't going to leave Sophia with that... man that she calls father." She did a heavy sigh afterwards. "Well, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. Olivia looks happy to find a new friend. And so am I. She'd been looking lonely since I found her alone in a hospital. I was had found her when I was looking for supplies, not too long ago."
Her eyebrows almost disappeared from her forehead when I told her that. "She's not your daughter? Alone? Where? I mean why?" She asked random questions about how I met Olivia. "I think it had been a week now since I rescued her. I was at the Macon Harrison memorial hospital looking for any kind of medicines to trade to others for. And when I stepped on the fourth floor, I found her on the in a locked room."
"Her parents had left her there, while they tried to kill a pack of dead walkers that were chasing them. Her parents never returned, that's what she told me anyways." Carol looked at Olivia and had a sad face to her as I told her the experience Olivia lived through. "And you just decided to take her with you? Just like that?" She looked upset for some reason. "Yup. I wasn't going to leave a little girl of eight years old all alone and starve to death."
"I might have been looting the place but I'm not an animal. Now look at her." She turned to look at Olivia who was laughing and then her daughter who was as well, and back to me. "She looks happy that I took her with me. She even asked if I would be her new father. And I gladly said yes, if that would bing a smile to her face, why not. And I swore to whoever's up there that I would never leave her alone again."
"And that I would be the best father she would ask for in this life and the next. I've been to a lot of places, Carol. Seen a lot of bad things happening out there. Olivia will not have those bad experiences happen while I'm here." She looked into my eyes and felt like I really meant it. "So, what are you and Sophia gonna do now? I mean after here?" She looked confused at that. She didn't know what to do after this.
Will she keep walking away? Or will she return back to that man. She needed time to think, time to search herself and plan. What is best for me, for Sophia? Is it worth going back to get degraded all the time, get beaten when it suites Ed? Or shall I risk everything for a new start? Only the two of us or... what if I ask Jack if Sophia and I can join him and Olivia on their trip. Well, let's think about it first.
--Carol POV--
"We're leaving tomorrow morning at daybreak. You're welcome to come if you'd like. I'm sure Olivia would be glad to have a friend as we travel on the road." Jack said, but I was confused at what he asked her. She was just thinking that and here he was asking us to join them. Out of the blue, is this fate, or was it god that send her their salvation. Why was he asking her to go with them? Should we go with them?
"Well, dinner's ready!! Just think it over, you have all night. And if you want to stay, the sofa pulls out into a bed, you're welcome to stay for the night. Instead of sleeping outside in the dirt and what not." I nodded my head as I agreed to stay for the night indoors. "Girls, dinners ready." Jack said as he looked towards the living room. Soon Sophia and Olivia came over to sit by the table. "What are we having today, daddy?"
"I hope it's rabbit stew, that was really good last time you made it, it was really tasty." I looked at the young girl and saw no regret in her eyes as I stared at her, and she grabbed the bowl of stew from Jack's hands. Then I saw my daughters' eyes light up as she grabbed the next bowl that was offered. I smiled at how happy her face lit up a smile, and from that I thought, 'maybe I should accept.'
Snapping me out of my thoughts, Jack put a bowl of rabbit stew and some rice in front of me, and it smelled wonderful. Then it hit me like a train, I was really hungry as well. After taking a spoon full into my mouth, "mmhhh, this tastes sooo good. I haven't had a good stew in forever." I said as I swallowed another spoon full. "It tastes so good, daddy. You out did yourself again. That deer stew was good too, but rabbit is my favorite."
Olivia said as I saw Jack reach over and hug her. I saw her smile a mile wide as she loved his hugs. Well, it couldn't be any worse than being with Ed, at least he cares enough about others in his group. "Are you sure that it's fine Jack. I mean for us to stay the night. We don't want to impose." She asked again just to be sure. "It's fine Carol. There's a shower through those doors if you or Sophia want to shower."
I looked at the place he had pointed too, a faraway door behind the couch. And then to another place, "if you want a change of clothes for Sophia, there might be some in Olivia's drawers there. Just make sure that you throw away the old clothes outside. And if you don't mind wearing men clothes, there are some of my clothes there as well. Again, throw your old clothes outside if you change."
"Olivia come on; we're it's time for bed. And no, you cannot watch more TV." Then he started to walk to his room with Olivia, then turned before he stepped in, "if you need anything just call out, and I'll come help if I can. Goodnight Sophia... goodnight Carol. Have a good rest." He stepped into his room and closed the door as I slumped down on the sofa and looked at the door he had just closed.
I didn't know what to do. I was pretty sure that I would find nothing here. Now, I have a choice to decide, shall I return to Ed or shall I go with Jack and Olivia. Whatever it's gonna be, I'll decide after a good shower. Haven't had one of those in weeks, and Sophia looks happy of take one as well. She looked excited to go take a shower and happy she had a new friend to play with.
And after that long-needed shower they both took and after changing into some of Jack's clothes, she wasn't worried about wearing these type of clothes. She felt clean for the first time in a long time, and after she laid down, she and Sophia were out a few minutes later. She didn't even notice that the night passed quickly on them, but she felt rested and happy not to hear Ed's voice when she awoke well rested.
--Jack's POV—
A few hours earlier, after I left Carol and Sophia in the living room, 'what the hell is going on? Why is she here? I know I'm not in the original Walking Dead, but this is way off track. Isn't it? I don't mind her being here, and I'm sure that Olivia likes Sophia enough. I haven't seen her this excited since... never. I hope this lasts because I wouldn't like Olivia too get sad once they decide to leave, if they decide to leave.
I started to remember what she said, about how she felt that she needed to be here. Was it because of us being here or was it something else? Was someone guiding her our way? Or like she said, 'fate'? I don't like it, I mean someone controlling us to meet, not me man. Should I have even asked her to join? Why did I ask in the first place? If felt... not like me. It just came out. Anyways, let's think about it another time, I feel too sleepy for this s**t.
The night didn't last long, but sleep is sleep, and I am not one to argue about a goodnights rest. I awoke at around 5:30 in the morning, like usual. I got up and saw how restfully Olivia was sleeping on the bed as I walked to wash my face. I'm glad I took her with me, or my life would have been monotonous and unwelcoming, it might have even been cruel and dark the way things were going for me.
Well, I got up and got dressed, then went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. After that was done as routine that do every morning, I went to the kitchen to make breakfast for the three people who were still asleep. I pulled out some blueberry pancake mix, some eggs, and bacon from my inventory and started cooking silently. I was trying too but it didn't work, soon Carol strolled into the kitchen twenty minutes later.
She was yawning as if she was still half asleep or maybe sleepwalking. Then I spoke waking her up, "There are toothbrushes and toothpaste in that drawer there and make-up if you want to put some on. I don't think you need it, but women always disagree with what I think." As I pointed at a drawer behind the TV stand, it looked like she blushed for a second there after what I said about the make-up.
She went to the drawer and grabbed two toothbrushes, one for her and the other for Sophia. She then smiled and left the kitchen to go wash up and wake Sophia. And after thirty minutes of cooking, I called Olivia and Sophia over, so they could eat their breakfast. "Olivia, Sophia, time for breakfast. Come on you two, it's pancakes and eggs for breakfast. You two better hurry before it they get cold and you have cold eggs to eat."
After calling the two, I placed three plates down with a cup of orange juice for Sophia and Olivia, and a cup of Joe, black, no sugar, with the creamer on the side of the cup if Carol decided to add some to her cup. The two girl came in running and sat down quickly grabbing their forks and ate quietly, but something was up with them, Olivia usually talks during the time we eat. And then she spoke.
"Thanks, daddy. I love blueberry pancakes, but daddy, where's the bacon? I love bacon in the morning." I point at the bacon that is in the middle of the table and she immediately started grabbing some and placing them on her plate. "Hmmm... I wove... gulp, blueberry pancakes too." Sophia wanted to talk with her mouth full. "Don't talk with food in your mouth, baby. Eat slower, the food isn't going anywhere."
Carols says as she walked up behind her daughter reprimanding her for talking with her mouth full. "Yes, mama. Hmmm... gulp, they are good mama, you should try them." She shook her head at her antics and also grabbed her plate with eggs and bacon, and then added two pancake for herself. "Hmmm... gulp, Sophia is right. They are delicious, so are the eggs and bacon. Thank you, Jack."
She agreed with her daughter as the three ate quietly. "So, what's the plan for today, girls?" Olivia cocked her head to the side as if confused. "I'm talking too Sophia and Carol, sweety. They have to decide what they are going to do from here on out." She did an ooohh, motion and continued eating. "Well... 'SIGH', I decided if you don't mind, we would like to go with the two of you and be a part of your large group of two, now four."
That made me and Olivia laugh as I shook my head, "Two is not large..." As Olivia counted with her fingers, "it was small before, Now it's large with four, Mrs. Carol." I nodded with her math and then said, "and what do you think about that Olivia? Would you mind, if they joined us, in our travels?" She did a cute thinking pose and shook her head. "No, I don't mind, daddy. I like Sophia and it'll be great to have a mommy figure in our group."
"Your choice of clothes is terrible, daddy. I need a mommy figure to choose my clothes that match." I laughed harder at what she said, and so did Carol as she looked at her outfit Olivia was wearing. "You are right Olivia; your daddy doesn't know how to match. After breakfast you can show me your clothes, and I'll help you choose better ones." The three girls laughed at my expense, then I laughed as well as I ate my own plate of food.
"You better behave, little girl, or no more candies for you." I warned her as her face turned pale. "Nooooo. Daddy you are so mean." As she crossed her arms over chest and pouted to the side. That's how our breakfast was spent, laughing, and eating a good meal. After everyone was well feed, I started to get ready to move again. So, after breakfast, Carol took the dishes to the sink to wash, and I got myself busy.
The girls went to watch some more TV and I made my way outside to make sure that all liquids in the tanks were full, and the one's that needed to be emptied were empty. I had already planned on going to the Greene's farm early, so that Olivia could have some fun, and maybe ride a horse with Olivia or something. Hey, I'm trying to keep her childhood happy, because once she grows up, there's no turning back.
After an hour of checking and refilling, I made my way to the driver seat on the RV. As I sat down I grabbed the intercom microphone and said, "okay girls, we are about to move, please make sure there isn't anything that can fall on either of you. Olivia make sure the TV is strapped down and put away all the movies on the small table please. We don't need them to get damaged, as we drive along, and heeerrre we go."
I tried to make a Mario joke, but no one caught it. So, I was the only one chuckling in my seat. As I drove on the main road, we were greeted by a small horde of walkers, they quickly moved our way, but I didn't slow down enough to get caught in their horde. I ran over a few of them as we passed them making our escape. I did shoot a few zombies through my window to help in our escape, all in all, we made it out fine.
About five minutes later, Carol showed up in the drivers area and sits in the passenger seat, "where are going, Jack? Do you want me to help navigate? I mean if you want help." I hand her the map and she felt happy that I let her help, I saw it on her face as her eyes lit up. "We're going to a place called, 'Greene farm', it's a small farm off interstate 4, in Mert county, a little ways out after leaving Atlanta."
"That was a place Olivia used to stay at before her parents died. The Greene's we friends of her family, and I wanted to take her there to have some family friends and have some fun while she's out there. And if she decides to stay there it would be fine with me, but I won't give up on her choices." She looked at me as if I was her hero, taking Olivia to a place where she had many happy memories with her parents before they died.
"I have it marked already. Just let me know when I need to turn, so I won't get lost. Make sure we don't pass, the town called Sharpsburg, the Greene farm should be close from that town." I looked at her as she was looking down on the map and setting her directions correctly. It didn't take us long to find the town, only a day's drive. And after passing this town, I said, "the road to the Greene farm should come up."
"But before that, we need to stop in Sharpsburg for to collect some supplies and medicines." As I neared the town, I stopped far enough away so as to hide the RV. I asked the three ladies to stay inside, while I looked around and gathered supplies. Before I was about to leave, I was handed a list from Carol and a short list from Olivia, which was funny. Olivia's list only had only three things on it, and they were all the same things.
'SOUR CANDY, CHOCOLATE CANDY, and SUGAR CANDIES, ALL TYPES OF CANDIES!!.' It had written on it. "And what are you going to do with so much candy, hmm Olivia?" I asked trying to keep in the laughter and be a little serious. "Well daddy, if you must know, I'm going to share it with Sophia and the Greene's. Is that okay?" I chuckled and I nodded in agreement, which got her pumping her fist in the air.
"YESSS." That was when I busted out laughing at her antics. "Okay, okay, sweety. I'll be back and stay inside with Carol and Sophie. Understand!!" She nodded as well and I then looked at Carol, "Is this all? Are you sure? You could make your list longer; it matters little to me. If it's there, I'll get it for you." She grabbed the list again from me and added a few more things, and I chuckled again. "Be careful, Jack . And thank you, for everything."
She said with sincerity, and I nodded in acknowledging her sincerity. "Well, I'll be back in an hour or so, Olivia!! Show Carol where the guns are just in case bad people show up, ok. Don't worry about the TV noise, out here. The RV is soundproof, just don't move around too much. See you three in a bit." As I turned around to search for the stuff on the list. I went from store to store searching for the list of things they both gave me first.
I killed twenty walkers the first ten minutes I was out. Many of those were in the stores I had gone into and some of them were outside walking on the streets. I found the candies Olivia had asked for and about 90% of the list Carol asked for. But I filled in the rest of the things I had in my inventory that she wanted from her list in my bag. I don't plan to use my inventory very much later, well not in sight of others.
Maybe only when I really need too, or when I can't find the things I'm looking for, but that doesn't mean I won't keep collecting as I go. I might not need it now, but I may need it later, that was my excuse and the hell with everyone else. Every store I went to I filled the two lists and then looted the s**t out of the store and collected everything into my inventory. I'll sort it out when I have time.
After an hour and some minutes, I returned to the Winnebago RV, and as I entered the door Carol was there with a shotgun in my face ready to fire. Good thing it had the safety on, or it would have been my head. "WHOA, there. Thank god you found the guns, but Carol, maybe next time take the safety switch off, before you pull the trigger, yeah. But you did good, I should have knocked before I decided to enter."
She was relieved I wasn't mad at her, "I'm so sorry, Jack. Please forgive me." She kept repeating sorry for a good ten minutes, and all I did is shake my head at what she did. "Don't worry about it Carol, you did good. Next time, I'll know how to knock on the door before coming in. Now, here's your things people. Candy for my Olivia, and the rest for Carol. There was one thing I didn't find, but everything else was there."
"Thanks Jack. So, what didn't you find?" She asked as she looked at her list. "It's circled, I don't know what that is, sorry." She looked down at her list and saw the girl condom's was circled, and her face turned dark red. "It's okay, I... I won't need it for now." She grabbed her things and ran away to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. I'm guessing to cool down her embarrassment of what I saw.
"Okay, I know it's a little late for lunch, but what do you all want to eat? We have Bologna and cheese sandwiches, Frozen Pizza, Frozen Lasagna, and Deer Hamburgers with lettuce tomato and cheese. You three choose but pick only one." After five minutes of murmuring between the three, I heard Carol yell out from the couch, "we choose, Pizzaaa, and coke. Is that okay?"
I nodded as I started to heat up the oven and defrost the two pizzas I had in the refrigerator. It took me ten minutes to defrost the pizza, and another ten minutes to heat up the oven for the pizza's entry. "It should be ready in fifteen minutes, please wash up and get ready for lunch, you three. And no eating candy before a good meal Olivia! It won't be good for your health and teeth if you only eat candy all the time."
I received a thumbs up from Carol and Olivia at the same time. As I peeked out the kitchen, I saw Carol with her bags near her, then I said, "Don't worry Carol, I'll be looking for a bigger RV soon. Once I have a place to leave you three for a few days. And the Greene farm is a perfect place to stay. While I go out and find us a suitable vehicle for all four of us to stay in comfortably." After that I returned to the kitchen, to finish preparing the food.
--Carol's POV, 7 hours ago--
It had been a great idea going with Jack and Olivia, so far we have had the best time since Sophia, and I met them. S**t, since I've been with Ed, if I want to be real. Since the first night, Jack's been nothing but courteous and nice to us both. He had not once talk down to us when we asked questions. He was patient and understanding, I've never met a man like this. Where was he when Sophia and I were getting beat up by Ed.
I just wish I had met him before all this, maybe we would have hooked up, "UUUGGH... who am I kidding, he wouldn't want someone as weak as me. Anyways, the next morning when I awoke, he was already making breakfast, and that was very nice of him. Sophia was so happy she eating pancakes again; it's been a long time since she had some and had a great time while eating. I don't know, but I'm starting to fall for this guy.
If he keeps going like this, I'm going to have to sex him up. I was so embarrassed when he told me I looked nice without make-up, yesterday. I still think about it sometimes, that was the best compliment I've heard in years. And he just kept getting better in our eyes as he didn't push me away when I asked if he needed help navigating. All he did was gave me the map and I helped him not get lost. Like men always tend to do on long trips like this.
(To be Continued...)
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