Day 351 – A Stranger at the Gate

His face was a blank slate when we found him. At first we didn’t know what to make of it. Crista, who had been standing watch, had been tracking some movement down the street (which had turned out to be a very friendly, if underfed, cat) and when she had turned back to do a general sweep, she noticed a form sitting slumped against the gate at the end of our driveway.

She called down to Ian and I, and we went out to invesitgate. As we approached the form didn’t move, and didn’t make a sound. We had our guns drawn but down to our side, and really, we were at a loss. We figured maybe some poor soul had fought his way here only to collapse after an encounter with some zeds. The guy was obviously still breathing, we could see that much without getting too close, and he was covered in sweat and what passes for the zed form of blood, a sort of congealed brown liquid that just oozes out of them when they suffer a major wound.

Ian tentatively said “hello” but the figure just stayed where it was, sitting, and not moving. I moved over toward one end of the gate so I could look over and get a better look, and that’s when I noticed that in his blank, emotionless face, his eyes were wide open, staring straight forward, unblinking but unfocused.

Ian, ever the comsummate jackass, went and got a stick, and poked the guy in the shoulder to try to elicit a response. We didn’t get one, and were at a loss for what to do. There was no good way to easily get out without opening the gate, and opening the gate would both potentially harm the guy, and possibly let him in.

I raised my gun and pointed it directly at the guys head, and made sure to loudly click off the safety. I told Ian to go inside and grab Alec and Brian while I kept an eye on him. Ian took off quickly, and a few minutes later all three of them came sauntering back down the driveway. I lowered my gun and told Alec and Brian to open the gate just enough for Ian and I to get out, and to cover the opening in case the guy moved.

I let Ian slip out first, and once again leveled my gun at the guy’s head, intent to drop him if he so much as flinched. When Ian was safely out, he did the same, and I slipped through. We approach the guy from the front, but he still didn’t move. Ian crouched down and moved to nudge the guys extended leg. When his fingers got only a few inches away, the guy growled at us.

Ian pulled his hand back and tried to talk to the guy, but he immediately slipped right back in to staring off in to the distance.

This presented a real problem for us. Zeds are bad enough, but other humans can be even more hostile and more dangerous. They can move and fight, and though they’re easier to take down, they can inflict a lot more damage a lot more quickly without you simply being able to run away. Even though this guy didn’t seem overly hostile until we got too close, there was still a a danger.

We could leave him be until he moves on, but there’s no saying he would do so, and if he did disappear, he might come back and try to break in, or worse lead a horde right to us. Plus, if he didn’t move on, he might attract some zeds anyway.

However, no matter how much we talked to or threatened the guy, he just seemed to sit there.

His face was a blank slate when we found him. At first we didn’t know what to make of it. Crista, who had been standing watch, had been tracking some movement down the street (which had turned out to be a very friendly, if underfed, cat) and when she had turned back to do a general sweep, she noticed a form sitting slumped against the gate at the end of our driveway.

She called down to Ian and I, and we went out to investigate. As we approached the form didn’t move, and didn’t make a sound. We had our guns drawn but down to our side, and really, we were at a loss. We figured maybe some poor soul had fought his way here only to collapse after an encounter with some zeds. The guy was obviously still breathing, we could see that much without getting too close, and he was covered in sweat and what passes for the zed form of blood, a sort of congealed brown liquid that just oozes out of them when they suffer a major wound.

Ian tentatively said “hello” but the figure just stayed where it was, sitting, and not moving. I moved over toward one end of the gate so I could look over and get a better look, and that’s when I noticed that in his blank, emotionless face, his eyes were wide open, staring straight forward, unblinking but unfocused.

Ian, ever the consummate jackass, went and got a stick, and poked the guy in the shoulder to try to elicit a response. We didn’t get one, and were at a loss for what to do. There was no good way to easily get out without opening the gate, and opening the gate would both potentially harm the guy, and possibly let him in.

I raised my gun and pointed it directly at the guys head, and made sure to loudly click off the safety. I told Ian to go inside and grab Alec and Brian while I kept an eye on him. Ian took off quickly, and a few minutes later all three of them came sauntering back down the driveway. I lowered my gun and told Alec and Brian to open the gate just enough for Ian and I to get out, and to cover the opening in case the guy moved.

I let Ian slip out first, and once again leveled my gun at the guy’s head, intent to drop him if he so much as flinched. When Ian was safely out, he did the same, and I slipped through. We approach the guy from the front, but he still didn’t move. Ian crouched down and moved to nudge the guys extended leg. When his fingers got only a few inches away, the guy growled at us.

Ian pulled his hand back and tried to talk to the guy, but he immediately slipped right back in to staring off in to the distance.

This presented a real problem for us. Zeds are bad enough, but other humans can be even more hostile and more dangerous. They can move and fight, and though they’re easier to take down, they can inflict a lot more damage a lot more quickly without you simply being able to run away. Even though this guy didn’t seem overly hostile until we got too close, there was still a a danger.

We could leave him be until he moves on, but there’s no saying he would do so, and if he did disappear, he might come back and try to break in, or worse lead a horde right to us. Plus, if he didn’t move on, he might attract some zeds anyway.

However, no matter how much we talked to or threatened the guy, he just seemed to sit there.

Ian and I looked at each other, and Ian radioed up to Crista, telling her to look away. We slid back in through the gate, and Alec and Brian closed it and went inside. As Ian finished his short conversation with Crista, he walked a little ways up the driveway, then stopped, turned around, and looked back down at the guy at the gate.

Without a moments hesitation I raised my gun and fired, the bullet passing through the guy’s head, and carrying his brain out the other side and off in to the distance where he had been staring. I can’t be sure of course, but I imagine his last sight was of lead and his brain tissue flying off, and spreading over the abandoned school playground across the street.

I wonder, if we ever truly wage war and reclaim our home, if children will ever play there again. If they’ll know what happened there. If they’ll know what makes up part of the soil that passes underneath her feet.

I wonder who this stranger was and why he was here, and when I’m alone I curse myself for being so cold. Maybe we could have taken him in, saved him, and made him a valuable part of our crew.

You know as well as I do that it only takes one stupid mistake like that to end up as a zed. In times like these we have to redefine what it means to be a good man, because no matter how noble our intentions, the only thing that matters right now is to survive.

Whatever you do, survive!

I owe Molly a call on the radio (which we finally fixed again), so I’m signing off.

- B

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~ by bostonzedheads on August 5.