บท 13: Saved at the last second
Chapter 13
When I woke up in the room at Greene Farm, I didn't know what to do, as it was still dark outside. At first, I thought about running away, but I soon discarded that idea. It would be stupid to go out at night.
I took the flashlight from my berretta and turned it on so that I could see the wound that had caused me to end up in this situation. Thanks to the excellent diet of the previous day and at least ten hours of sleep, my body had been able to heal most of the wound.
I no longer felt the nagging pain that persisted after the bullet had been removed. Now, even running my hand over the healing wound, I felt only a slight sensitivity.
Feeling whole enough, I lay down on the floor and started exercising. I do everything from push-ups to squats. No abdominal exercises just yet. I didn't want to risk it either.
I was so engrossed in the exercises that I didn't realize the sun was coming up. While I was doing handstands, someone knocked on the door.
I stopped exercising and went to answer the door. Standing in front of the room, Maggie was wearing a different outfit from the day before, but the style was the same.
She noticed that I was sweaty and arched an eyebrow.
"I thought I told you not to try so hard." She commented, annoyed that I had disobeyed her medical recommendations. I rolled my eyes, but gave a slight smile.
"It was no big deal. I'm already feeling ready for another one." I reply confidently. She snorts.
"Right, then, big man. Let me check the wound." She asks, already moving her hands towards the hem of my tank top. I grab her hands before she can do it. She raises her eyes to mine, as if to ask what I'm doing.
"You know, you should buy me dinner before you want to take my clothes off." I say good-naturedly. She's embarrassed. I let go of her hands and lift up my shirt. She looks at the wound and then runs her hand over it.
"It shouldn't be this well healed." She keeps running her hand around the wound and pressing a little hard. I growled between my teeth, as it was still sensitive. - I'm sorry. Did it hurt?" She looked me in the eye and I shook my head negatively.
"No, it's just a bit uncomfortable. I can do some things now." I replied, and she sighed. Then she realizes she's too close and takes a step back.
"Good. Because you can help me with something." She replies.
"What would that be?" I ask, and she asks me to follow her. The house was empty. Unlike the day before. She led me to a pile of wood and an axe next to it. "Is this what you want me to help you with?"
"Yes. Since you were fine yesterday and today you don't even seem to have hurt yourself, my father and I thought it would be a good way to test whether you can make it in two days' time." Maggie replies. I shrug and approach the axe, turning it in my hand as I pick up the first log and place it in the holder. With a single movement, I lower the axe and split the log in half.
"Yes, it'll be easy. I'll be done in an hour." I told her as I picked up the split log to split it further. Maggie nodded and went home.
Chopping wood was easy, but there was a reason I was doing it, apart, of course, from the recovery session. I was training. Using other weapons wasn't as simple as swinging an axe or using brute force. It was a question of technique. Technique that I sought by chopping wood.
Just as I'd hoped, I managed to chop the entire pile of wood in almost an hour. Despite being an easy activity, it was enough to make me sweat. At least a little. I think it was a show for the ladies watching from the balcony.
Maggie, Beth, Patrícia and Annette were at the front of the house watching me. As I was wearing a tank top, the muscles in my arm were on show for them to admire.
And I really can't blame them. I don't want to brag or diminish anyone, but compared to Otis, who had a huge beer belly, Hershel, who was no longer in good physical shape, and Jimmy, who was thin and weak, my physique was something to admire.
However, as I'm not an eye-patch and most of them were engaged, I finished the show early and started walking home.
As I walked, I saw that they got in the way and pretended they were just chatting. I held back my mischievous grin and just gave a polite smile as I passed them.
"Good morning, ladies." I greeted them.
"Good morning, Dean." They returned the greeting and I went back into the house. Hershel was having a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mr. Greene." I catch his eye and he smiles.
"Morning, son. Sleep well?" He asks me while still sipping his coffee.
"Yes, like a rock. Thanks again for helping me." I thank him again and see him laugh.
"You don't have to. And call me Hershel too. You make me sound old." We both laugh at the little joke. "So, what's up?" He asks me.
"I'd like to know if there's anything else I can do to help. I don't like standing around." He scratches his chin, thinking of something, and says:
"You could go and feed the horses. Normally, that job is given to Jimmy or Otis, but since you're asking, I can give them a break." Hershel says, after some thought. I nod.
"Is the horse feed in the barn?" I ask as innocently as possible. I ask as innocently as possible. I see the old man hesitate for a moment but, still keeping his cool, he stops drinking his coffee and shakes his head in denial.
"No, we don't use the barn. It's fragile and could fall down. So we decided to clean it up and store the horses' food in a small shed at the back of the house. You've probably seen it." He explains, giving a very good excuse as to why they don't use the barn. Leaving the subject of the barn aside, I think about the small shed to which he referred.
I remember a small structure that I ignored because I wasn't that curious.
"Right. I'm just going upstairs to get something to eat from my bag." The old man nods, and I go upstairs. As I'm still recovering, I need to eat more than I normally would. I had to make two peanut butter sandwiches and a cereal bar. When I leave here, I really need to find a place with at least a little food.
After a quick breakfast, I left the house in the direction of the Greene family's small shed. I thought I would be in doubt as to what the horse feed was, but I had written down what it was and which animal it was from.
I picked up a block of hay and took it to the horse paddock. As I approached, I saw Maggie standing there with her arms crossed, seeming to be waiting for me.
"Maggie. What's wrong?" - I asked.
"Nothing. I just like to visit the horses from time to time. So I took advantage of the fact that you were going to feed them so that, as well as seeing them, I could also make sure you didn't do anything wrong." She answered as if it was nothing, but I knew there was something strange. And although I'd like to believe that she's only doing it to be in my company, a part of me says that's not it. Besides, my mentioning the barn to her father makes it all the more suspicious.
"Hmm. Well, you're welcome to keep me company." I ignore the subject for the moment and enter the stable. It wasn't very big. There was only room for the family's two horses.
They were a couple. A male and a female. Both had brown hair and a white mark on their foreheads. I approach the female, whom I recognize from having seen her with Maggie yesterday. I reach out to stroke its head.
"Wait!" I look at Maggie doubtfully, still holding out my hand. Before I can question her, I feel something touch my hand. Looking back, I see the mare with her head pressed against my hand. I stroke her forehead lightly and then move on to her mane.
I hear a sigh next to me and see the male snorting. Interpreting that he also wants affection, I touch his head, much to his delight. Maggie appears next to me and starts stroking the mare too.
"You seem to have a way with animals. Nelly doesn't usually like strangers," says Maggie. Maggie says, making me smile.
"They say that horses and mares have an excellent ability to tell good people from bad. Especially mares." I rub Nelly's mane. Wasn't that the mare Daryl picks up without asking in the series?
"She seems to think you're a good person." Maggie says with a smile.
"And you, don't you?" I ask, with a slightly more serious tone.
"I don't know. What do you think? Do you consider yourself a good person?" She asks me, and I think for a second as I walk away to get the hay for the horses.
What does it mean to be a good person? To have empathy, compassion and to forgive?
If so, I'm not a good person. I'm whatever I have to be to survive. To my enemies, I'll be the fucking villain; to my fellow community members, I'll be a tough but fair leader; and to those I care about, I'll be the best person I can be.
"I'm a survivor." - I reply, as I put the hay in the animal stall. I see Maggie look confused by my words.
"What does that mean?" she asks, clearly confused. She asks, clearly confused. I give a small, humorless laugh.
"One day you'll understand, Maggie." I answer in the form of a riddle. We sit in silence for a while, just watching the animals feed.
"Come on, let's go back. You need to shower." Maggie says, as she gives my shoulder a little punch and walks past me.
"Are you saying I stink?" I asked her jokingly. She turns around and interlaces her hands behind her back.
"Is that so?" She jokes and keeps walking. Unconsciously, I shift my gaze to her perky ass, which sways as she walks. Suddenly, I felt a touch on my shoulder and looked away. Nelly looked at me as if I was up to something.
"What? I wasn't looking." I say and she snorts, as if to say, "Oh, I know."
"Are you coming?" Maggie shouts from afar. I look away from the mare and start walking towards her. As we walk up to the house, we suddenly hear a high-pitched scream. Maggie and I don't even need words and start running, feeling worry flow through our veins.
Naturally, I got out in front and covered a lot of ground in no time. I managed to pass Beth and Jimmy, who were also leaving the house. As I reached the back of the house, I saw a zombie approaching Annette, who was trapped against the wall, unable to move.
The zombie was very close to the woman, and there would be no time for me to get there before it bit her. I quickly looked at a stone near my foot, then crouched down and, without thinking, threw the stone with force. The stone hit the zombie's head, going right through it. The zombie fell dead next to Annette, who screamed even more.
Maggie passed me in time to go to her stepmother and pull her away from the zombie.
"Mom!" Just then Beth walked past, calling for her mother. Her eyes were already full of tears. The two daughters, biological or not, hug the older woman, who also begins to cry.
I wondered if she had suffered any kind of injury from the zombie, but apart from her ankle, which looked a bit swollen, there was nothing to worry about. I breathe a sigh of relief, glad to have arrived in time. Jimmy appears beside me, panting.
"Man, you're really fast." He compliments me, trying to catch his breath.
"It's just that I train." I reply without paying attention. I approach the dead zombie and examine his body. There's no bite, but there is a bullet hole in his chest.
"How did he get here?" I ask Jimmy, who was curious about what I was doing and followed me. It must have been a bad idea, since he threw up straight away. I roll my eyes and get up. Just in time, Hershel appears with Otis and Patricia.
He immediately turns to his wife and daughters.
"Annette! What happened? Were you bitten?" The old man asks frantically, while checking on his wife. Annette doesn't answer, adding to Hershel's stress, so Maggie, who had already calmed down, decides to speak up.
"She's fine, Dad. Dean got here before anything could happen." Maggie replies, making Hershel sigh and then look at me. His gaze shifts to the downed zombie. For a second, he looks sad, but then he shakes his head and hugs his family.
I've just saved Annette, which has resulted in a direct change in the timeline. At least the first one. But only time will tell what happens next.
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