Chapter 6

The alarm on my watch goes off at six a.m. Jade jump off my lap wandering out of our room. I stretch and started to prepare our morning foods. Something simple and light for me and canned dog food for Jade and some water. I don't know what was in store for today but I thought I would just spend it with the brothers and the three people I sent their way. After eating and cleaning up, I go change into jeans and my jacket and called Jade to strap her to my back to make our way outside. It got a bit easier at coming and going with Jade on my back but it was still hard. After climbing safely down and releasing Jade we walked up the block towards the school. I radio the boys to let me in and a few minutes later the doors open and I saw Jimmy with a warm smile on his face. I walked inside and follow Jimmy to what looks like their base of operations. It looks like the principal's offices. It had the map of Manhattan I gave to them and some of the supplies I helped them get and drawings of a wall and watchtower. I walked up to the map and added some more circles and some Xs.

They hated it when I went out alone but I enjoy my own company. I mean the boys were great but I like being alone. After telling the boys I was fine being alone they still offer me a room there no matter what. I thanked them and told them I was good. I didn't want to tell them where I was staying because of all the room I had. I mean it was a big place but I like the quietness of the museum. It helped me stay calm and clear-minded. I also wanted the place all to myself but now I have a four-legged friend that I don't mind sharing with. I'll tell the boys later or not depends if I died. Anyway, the boys were talking about going back to the lumber depot but taking the new guy Victor to show him the ropes and how to survive. I think that is a good idea but I won't go with them. I will stay behind and get to know the mother and son to see how they are doing.

As the boys prepare to leave I told them not to take on no more than three growlers and if they see tickers don't fight them. They ask me why and I told them that tickers are a lot harder to kill. They were different than the other type, for one they can hear and their skulls were thicker. They were looking at me as if they couldn't take care of themselves. I glare at them till they agree to what I said, even if I only glare at them for a minute. I can be scary when I want to be and I needed to be with them because they need to listen to what I say. I studied one of these things and I wasn't about to lose them. Even if I like being alone these boys were alright. I told them to be careful and I told Victor to listen to everything that they said because I taught them and he nodded a yes to me. He was quiet but I didn't know him that well to judge him. They got their things and told me how to block the door before they left.

Soon I was alone with Jade making my way to the mother and son. Sally and Johnny were in the library. Johnny had some paper and pencils drawing while his mother was reading a book. I made myself known. "Hello" was all I said to see if they remember who I was. "Hi! You're the young girl who sent us here" the mother said with joy. I nodded my head walking inside the room. I sat down next to Johnny to see how he would react. He looked up from what I was doing and gave me a big smile. I smile back at him and took some paper and began to draw. I drew Batman and he was watching me. I couldn't tell you how happy he was when I gave him the drawing. "Thank you miss," he said and looks at the picture. I smiled as I made my way to where his mother was sitting next to the window, I wanted to ask her where she was from and what happened to her and her son before I found them. So I started to ask her questions. "Where were you when all this started?" I ask.

"We were on our way home from Johnny's doctor's appointment when all this happened. We were near Hunter College and my first thought was to hide. So we hind for days till you found us" she said. I look at her and thought about what I did that day. I was trying to save somebody while she was trying to save her son. I look up to see her looking outside the window. I wonder what she was thinking about. So I ask her. "I am just thinking if his mother is alright, my wife, I wonder if she is looking for us or is one of these things you and the brothers call growlers". I ask her if she has a picture of her wife. She looks at me weirdly, I wanted to know her face and maybe try and find her for them. To hopefully give this mother her wife for some closure. For her son as well. Maybe that's why he was so quiet. She shows me the picture and I studied it, commenting it to memory. I don't know why but I was going to try and help them out. Maybe it was because of what is going on right now or I knew that my own family didn't care besides two people.

Johnny was sleeping on top of Jade and it was a cute sight to see. So I drew it, and when I was finished I put it on the wall. After an hour of silence and reading, I heard a scream. I quickly got up look outside to see where it was coming from. I heard it again and it seems to be getting further away. I looked at Sally and told her to back the doors and watch Jade for me. She nodded but looks worried for me. I told her I knew what I was doing and I couldn't let this place. As soon as I open the door I ran towards the screaming. I move fast but as quietly as possible. I saw a little girl running away from two growlers. I made my way to her and shout at her to run towards me and to shut up. She made her way towards me pushing herself. When she got close I run towards her and pick her up throwing her over my shoulder. I ran as fast as I could and saw some scaffolding a block away. I ran there and I started to climb up it. I told her to hold on while I climbed up with her holding on tight. I told her to shut it and they will go away. She had tears in her eyes but she listens. She didn't make a sound and I calmed myself down. I radio Sally and told her I found this kid. She radios back and asked me where I was. I told her a block away on some scaffolding hiding from some growlers.

I told her I got this shit and not to tell the boys. After waiting ten minutes I check to see if we were alone, to which we were. I then look at the girl looking her over to see if she was hurt or had any bite marks on her. I check all over and ask her if she was hurt to see if one of them bit her. She said no and that she was hiding when they found her and that's why she was running. After checking her I told her to get on my back and that I was going to take her somewhere safe where they wouldn't get her. She did as she was told and stayed quiet and clinging onto my back. As I climb down to the sidewalk. We only walked for one block and I radio Sally to open up the doors. I walked in quickly while Sally began to block the doors in case anything wanted to come inside. I saw Sally waiting with a worried look on her face and I told her that the kid was good but that she was in shock. The little girl wouldn't let me go so I just left her on my back till she calms down. I didn't know what to do; I never dealt with anyone in shock before. I look at Sally for help and she said she was going to look it up in one of the books. After some time she told me that they needed to calm down and other stuff until the person was okay again. Damn it, so I guess I was stuck with a kid on my back. Two hours passed by and the little girl finally got off of my back. She seems to be calmer so I ask her what her name was. "Tabi and I am ten years old today," she said. Today was her fucking birthday and she is in hell. Then she came running towards me burying herself into me as she cries. She was speaking but it was hard to understand while she was sobbing. She said that both her parents are gone. Her dad got hit by a car and her mom was at work. I didn't know what to do. So I stayed quiet and held her and let her cry until she tired herself out in my arms.

Sally came over and took Tabi from my arms. I didn't know how to deal with people and I don't know how to deal with crying kids but I tried my best and I think all Tabi needed was someone to cry and release everything she's been holding in. Soon the radio came to life and the boys were checking in on us. I push the talk button on the walkie-talkie and told them that I saved little girl and they were pissed cause I did it alone. I rolled my eyes and remind them that I am better than them and laugh. They hated me because I did reckless things from time to time but the world as we know it has gone to shit. After that, I was back to reading. It was now four and the boys had made their way back to the school. It was ten minutes before five when they came back and we helped them bring in the wood and some food and some things for Jade. I took two cans of soup and some matches and a pot that they brought with them and the things for Jade. They had two dog beds, one for me and one for the school. I thanked them, Jade and I left to make our way home. After the climb up to our room, I let Jade go and fixed her bed, and started making some food. Jade and I had about two meals a day sometimes one but mostly two. We had food but I was rationing it.

After we finish eating I walked over to the map and took out some push pin, I wanted to find some sports stores. I know where Modell's is but I wanted stores that sold knives and camping gear and if I'm lucky some weapons like bows and arrows. I knew some sports sold that kind of thing I just didn't know which ones. I radio the boys asking if they knew stores like that and I told them what I was thinking of a plan to get more things. I told them if we find stores like this we could find a power source, air beds, and others with some chances of finding some more weapons. I told them of someplace that might have them but they were pretty into downtown. After marking the areas with the push pins I said goodnight to the boys and continued to stare at the map. I mark the places where I found people on my map the letter "P" so far I found one in central park, two near Hunter College and one two blocks away from the school. I wonder if people had the same idea as I did by making a safe place and building it up to be safe and wait out this shit storm out.

As I notice Jade was sleeping on her new bed, I decided to join her. I wanted to listen to Te Quiero by Stromae first, I got used to cuddling with her at night on my chair. This was better for my back laying on the floor next to her. I wrap my arm around her and buried myself into her soft fur and went to sleep feeling good because I saved someone else today. I don't dream and when I do it's always about my near-death experience. This time I dreamt of my friends, not the people I call my friends but the people that are close to me I call them family. My brother and sister. I wonder if they were in the city when it happens or safely at home. Freddy and Abby, my true close friends. I thought about how I meet them and how close we became. I met Freddy in our second year of high school. We had gym together and his locker was above mine and I was mad so I told him to move rudely, he asked me if I was a freshman or not and I told him I was a sophomore then he moved out of my way. That shows how he and I became friends. I didn't meet Abby till our second semester of college. I had the same class as some of her friends and that's how I met her. We were talking about god and I was making fun of the bible and talking about how it was morbid and fucked up. I was the one saying how messed up everything is about it and how only some passages in the new testament made sense and she agreed with me. Now five years later we are tight and I can call her my sister. I was just wondering how they were and thought of all the good times we had together.

I was brought to reality with the sound of my alarm. I slowly sat up and got ready for the day. I got ready and made some morning food for Jade and I. today was going to be a long day and we needed to start early. After cleaning up and leaving our home we met the boys outside the school. It was barely 6:20 in the morning but we had to get shit done today. I told them I found some stores that could have what we need to make living a bit more comfortable. A store called REI and Paragon sports. Both locations were near Greenwich Village, that was a long walk from here but I said let's go to REI first since it was the furthest. REI was located on 303 Lafayette St and we were on 81st central park west. It's going to be a hell of a walk in the cold but we had to do it. Victor was here and I was telling him all the dos and don'ts. He wasn't listening to me which pissed me off. He asked the brothers and they said to ask me. "Why should I ask her," Victor said. It was Erin who spoke up "Because she was the one who showed us everything we know and we are still learning from her". I smile at that, I was teaching them how to live for another day. Thanks to pre-army training I got from my recruiting Sergeants. They were assholes but they told me some basic stuff that came in hand for something like this even though I or anyone else ever thought this could happen.