"I WASN'T HIGH I SWEAR, THE WORLD DID FALL AND I AM STILL SOBER."
When he said car, I thought of a normal car, or at least a jeep. My head doesn't wrap up on the jeep concept but I understand a bit of it. When I tried to remember what a jeep was, it came as useless, as if I tried to see through murky mud water. It's frustrating, so frustrating. But, whatever it was, never has crossed my head, that he meant a straight-up military tank. Like a tank minus the long ass gun and chain wheel. This guy went beyond what he meant. 
While I was struggling with my thoughts and emotions at the back, Caine was driving and Blythe was in passenger seat next to him, I passed the opportunity to sit there to him. Not that I want to, my throat just want to throw up at the sight of passenger seat, I don't know why though, so I took a place behind, there's a seat attached to the both side, and only small window to the driver seat and the door behind, with small metal acts as a gate or something for the window.
Greenery passed the glass like another movie frame. The loud scratchy voices of those two guys singing who knew what as if we were never putting our life on the line at the moment. They wiggled in their seats like burning hot worms. I don't know why, but my head filled with anxiety that's increased every moment, the thought killing me, the beating in my chest matching the beating of myself, silently getting overwhelmed with everything was not something I needed. I was overwhelmed with my thoughts, overwhelmed with the rhythm of my own heart which is not a normal rate like the average humans, overwhelmed with the possibilities, trying to stay positive seems not very much cooperative, overwhelmed with my own skin trying to fasten whatever trying to peel out from my bone and flesh, I was undoubtedly uncomfortable, the memories doesn't treated well too, they kept spiraling and show me things I don't know really happen or made up by my guilty.
The sight of Sarah laid on the floor as her ruby red hair seems to color her hands in blood too. By then, the sight changes from Sarah on the floor to being in a room with Dylan, he kneels on the floor, begging me to kill him as his eyes are slowly consumed by madness. My head twisted the memories, and I knew that however, it wasn't enough to not pull me into the dark abyss, where the miserable swirl, eating every sanity and conscience I have. My thoughts are getting louder and darker. Thinking maybe this world is like this because of me. Or the laketown residents suffer because of me. Why did I survive and they did not?. I don't deserve to be alive. At all. 
My hands are busy with the barrel of the gun, checking and locked in again and again, my head feels heavy each second. And thought swimming was filling every little gap in my comfort. Pulling my skin, blaming myself. Questioning and questioning...
"Hey, Als's twin. You okay?."
My dark thoughts suddenly crashed into reality as Caine's voice booming louder than Blythe. Geez, how can I met with lot of loud people?. Am I deaf enough or something?. 
"Yeah. Just as fine as I can be. But, hey, I don't like it, you call me that, as if I am just merely his shadow, I am me, and my name is Walter, no thanks to that name."
He chuckled behind the bars. A small gap not my smallest finger can fit, shows me just how much he finds this entertaining. While Blythe is still wriggling and singing he actually has the sense to drop his voice and octave lower or damn us can't talk above his thunderous Intensity like voice. I throw my sight on the other window, watching the greenery pass again, leaning my back to the seat, trying to calm myself. 
The 'car' slows down until it doesn't move anymore. While the window at the door still shows greenery, the small bars separating me and the driving area show otherwise. 
The gate was big and sturdy just as I remember. It was closed as tight as it can get. It's been a few days since I was last here, but it's enough to make the memories flooding in. The nostalgic feeling biting me, and the excitement to be home strangle me, that I can't hide the wide smile I have on my face. I waited until Caine helped me with the door before hopping down to his side. Caine already has his hands on his hips as he warily looks around, as he should. Those things weren't so friendly. His childish and odd behavior shut off, and he literally became a serious cowboy who under his care whatever shelter he said. 
However, while I am still a mess that day, I still remember correctly. They snuck us into a truck which meant the gate need to be open. But, it's closed. The high gate was close and it's only one side which could control and open or close the gate. And our position isn't that side. Is someone left behind that day?. And somehow it's quite from the other side. 
I walked further, closer to Blythe who also warily stared at the poor gate as if it could give answers to all his questions. I don't think I want to imagine how he is when interrogating someone. I might piss my pants, as humiliated as it was, I do tremble under his stare, not as much as under Sarah's stare but, it does something. And that's that. 
Making the first move wasn't bad, as I grip my gun and feel the shotgun burning to my back, and every sachet of ammo dig deeper to my waist. The silence and the nerves could kill me any moment but, not before I have a closure I want about this. If they die, I wish to bury them, if they don't and better be dead, a walking corpse and not their true conscience, I have to do what they would wish I do. Anything I can take as a closure for me. For this town who welcomed me the last four months, nothing but warmly.
The rope from the post up there laid on the wall onto the ground motionlessly, ignoring the odds, I took my step on it and began climbing slowly, I heard a gun click behind me, but I don't have to worry when it's just another day with another serious guard with me. I pulled my weight as my feet tried to keep me on the wood as much as possible, trying to find stability in the air.somehow. How do I know to do this?. I don't know, I want to say it's what common when it comes to this, but, as my body went rigid, and readied to climb, I realized perhaps I do this a lot that my muscles know this shit before my brain can process the idea, not the memories. 
Am I impulsive?. 
Maybe. 
However the growling increased behind me, the quiet just now was filled with a terrible growl and jaw snapping sound. As I look behind, the sudden emptiness has been invaded by none other than the walking dead monsters. They tried to rip Blythe's and Caine's skin. The two laugh maniacally as they kill any zombies that dare to come any closer to them, already soaked with blood while my hands are stuck to the rope and I can't get rid of it. 
They kicked and jumped until one big guy left. Suddenly the ripper came straight to me with the loudest screech. 
"Walter!."
A harsh sharp breath escaped me as I jolted to the side, feeling the sting on my face. 
"Wake up!. We're here."
I peel my eyes to see Blythe in front of me, crouching his back, his hand on air, ready to give another slap. 
"Woo, stop that. I am awake!. I am!."
In a panic state, I pushed him out of my sight, as my face sweated so much. I rubbed my face, felt the liquid on my palm. I looked over to the tank's back door, the view was interrupted by Caine's and Blythe's big figure, even the light barely squeezed from them into the tank. They stood at the entrance, looking whatever was out there, Blythe finally took a seat, letting me see the dawn crack early on us. 
Confused, I pushed myself from the haze of my head, went straight to Caine's side, where Blythe handed me a bulletproof jacket and gloves. Looking around as my hand wrapped myself into the bulletproof jacket, tightened the straps and adjusted my sheath's straps around my chest. I pulled the glove next, and felt the warm insides of it. Not the one Sarah made for me, this one, my mind taking note of it. 
The air was dry, it didn't help with the weather that was too hot to stay even in a layer of cloth, not the whole jacket, making the heat accumulate in my body. It was quiet, just like my nightmare just now. Now I was in a state of high alert, especially from the nightmare, the stillness does add the fuel into the flame of my concerns. 
"How long have I been out?."
I broke the quiet air as I pulled my shotgun, checking the ammo in it. 
" A few hours."
Caine answered as he went for my duffle. 
"Hey, hey. No. No. You're not allowed to touch my stuff."
He looked at me confused before he took something from my duffle's side. He pulled a chain, whatever was it, with a nonchalant face, trying to say quietly that I was worried for nothing. I laughed shamefully.
"Still the same."
He whispered on his way out. But, I did hear that!.
"We arrived three hours ago, it seems the place is now cleared. Only corpses are left behind, no zombies or any other... monsters?. Anyway, we are safe to get out but I suggest prepare for the worst."
Blythe explained as he went for his own riffle. He jump off the tank and look behind to me, giving a reassuring smile. 
"Come."
He called quietly.
True to his words, corpses were everywhere on the path, almost inhuman since they all were decaying and the whole period made the process even worse. The rotten smell filled the air like a cursed place as I rummaged for anything in the tank to block our nose at least. The air was filled with something, I guess it may affect our body, so it was reasonable to have our nose block, we don't know what was in the air beside the rotten and dried metallic smell.
I found unused bandages in one of the emergency compartments. I don't want to waste the one in my duffle, but if the situation calls for it, I may use it. I handed the bandages to them, as they looked at me, confused. I wrapped it around my face, layer after layer until the end of the two bandages, making my own face mask. The two guys follow my action soon after without any questions.
"We check the place roughly before you wake up, and even fix the gate, at least, cover it from things outside, you know. But, not every house, so, be careful where you let yourself in. Or just be careful every second." 
Caine stated warily. I nodded before pushing the tank's door shut. 
"Blythe, you can take the lead to the main house, yeah?."
I questioned before pulling them into the position. He just nodded, I noticed the deep wrinkle in his forehead, maybe they were also on edge. 
We pushed ourselves to each other's back, walking carefully in a close range to each other. The only thing made into my ears was my own breathing and heart thumping while Blythe led us to the main house slowly. 
My eyes racking the place, the burned what used to be the houses, the corpses belong to once a happy resident of the village, the hardworking people who want to survive. I realize now most of the survivors were men who went for the memorial day on the whole tragedy day, some residents were safe, waiting on the post up there, but only those who were healthy enough to climb up. That means, most of the corpses belong to the elders and sick residents, my heart wretched painfully at the thought. 
What happened exactly on that day?. I haven't figured it out since I was busy mourning and grieving by myself in the tent, ignoring the others who suffer the same. 
If it's truly weeks or even a month, then, how are the corpses still in the decaying stage and not decomposed already?. Human dead body only took ten days to fully decompose in the exposed state like this, unless in a coffin or under the ground, then it may take a year to fully decompose.
My mind was filled with many questions. When we were at the second gate, Blythe climbed the stairs connected to the wall, and Caine followed after, as I looked around, waiting for Blythe to reach the top. It only takes a minute before he calls from the top. 
"Walter, come on!."
Without wasting any seconds, I jumped to the stairs and climbed quickly, taking half of the time for Blythe to reach the top. I gloat about it only on the inside. 
We turned to see to the other side, while this side was burned to the ground and corpses lying on every corner, the other side was quite clean unlike the other side and only half of the amount from the outside corpses were laying around, they were wrapped in what I remembered as guards attires, it's seems they were the last forts from the virus. 
There were no burned houses, except a few broken windows in this side. Unconsciously, my eyes went to the house, the one closest to the main house, the house I used to stay in and grow to love the place. 
"The lever stuck. We can't open the gate, not that we should. I just checked it out."
Caine blabbering by himself at the post nearest to the metal gate.
Unlike the other side made from thick wood like the walls in the outpost, even if the tank crush onto it, it won't fall down, but this side were made from metal, strong one at that, it used to serve as a safe place but, no it's longer work that I can say. 
"Let's go."
I called their attention before sliding down using the stairs. Caine whistle up there, before clapping sound were heard when Blythe climbing down slowly. 
"You old blud, come on, quickly!."
I teased Blythe as he give me a glare for a second. 
When he dropped to the ground and a few seconds later, Caine jump halfway from the stairs, he slap behind my head again. 
"This damn brick man!."
I grumbled under my breath as I rubbed the back of my head, feel my head dizzy for a second. He doesn't realize how strong his slap might be sometimes, and now is that time. 
We continue to take positions just like before, and taking our steps to the main house, passing the house, the cars, the corpses and the greenhouse which now filled with dead plants beyond the translucent walls. 
Upon a close look, there were someone in there, we glance to each other before taking a careful steps closer to the wooden entrance, realised it was locked from the inside. Inside, were a pair of man and woman, or at least, a shells of what was left as a human. They were tied to each other on a seat, their body spasms the entire time, only stop for a second before spasm like a seizures condition but worse. 
Of course, I still recognise the figure. The big mole under the eyes of the woman, and big scars on the man's exposed arm. They were that couple who always gardening along with Lucy. The one who make me learn how to grow potatoes, from seedling to harvesting. 
This is what happens to them. 
They locked themselves in there to protect others from themselves. 
Please, rest in peace.
"Let's go. It doesn't looks like they can harm us."
Blythe patted behind my back before he went for the main house's door. My heart feels so heavy to leave them, but I don't have anything to help. Suddenly, I felt an arm pushed me to move towards the already waiting Blythe. I tried to take another glance but Caine blocked my sight, he gave me his grin that I knew he doesn't mean that grin.
"Come on, Als's twins. We got a mission to do."
"Yeah, no shit, little cowboy man."
I answered, trying to focus on the mission. Ignoring his shocks face. 
Blythe stood across the main door. The two floor big mansion was quiet just like the outside. Or that was what I thought. When we pushed the door open, the dark hall greeted us, and the stairs to the upper floor was empty, not that I wish there's a zombie, but it was too quiet. Is uncle Joe sure there's survivors?.
We took a few careful steps, out of blue a rope was pulled from the thin air, before we could react, the rope pulling Blythe's shin and being the brainless he was, he quickly stumbled to the ground. In a quick second, a rumble thud was heard before a big log came out of nowhere hit mine and Caine's ribs, flew us high a few meters from the entrance, our back knocked hard onto the pillars, straight up knocked him out with the big blow. The burning in my chest, as it was hard to breath, I desperately coughed at the hit, trying to take air into my suffocating lungs, even every breath make it so painful to my ribs, with blurry eyes, in my peripheral, some people were scurrying closer to Blythe's face planted figure and knocked him up before everything turned dark harshly.