Green Acres: A Zombie Apocalyptic Story

Chapter 4

He smiled softly and nodded. “Yer gonna learn how to survive on yer own out here in the country. I ain't gonna be here forever.” He placed his calloused, sun-weathered hand upon her head and smiled. “We're gonna go to the barn to check on the cows. We'll be needing milk and yer gonna need socks. I can make ya socks from the sheep wool. Protection' yer feet is the best option in this damn world.” He dropped his hand and began walking through the dry, cracked earth of the yard toward the large building in the distance.

The barn was a large, two-story, wooden structure with double doors in both the front and back that had once been painted a deep red but now had chipped away so much that you could see what looked like white birch wood underneath. RJ dragged his rough fingers along its aging surface as he walked past it before stopping to sigh. “My father built this when the ranch started takin' in animals. Before it was just the stables, but he wanted more. Hell, he always wanted more."

Sophie followed him, skipping playfully as she did so, though not even she knew why she was suddenly feeling so light-hearted. “I know what that's like, sounds like my mo-" Sophie started to say before quickly stopping herself mid-sentence. She hated talking about her mom. She quickly stopped talking and tried to find some way to recover from her mistake. "I like cows." She said quickly and stopped skipping. "My daddy used to take me to farms for time out of the city. Farms without horses. Either that or they were always put away." Sophie went back to her happy childish tone.

RJ enjoyed her enthusiasm, how she seemed to enjoy everything he had to do. This part though, he worried about. If there were walkers in the field, why wouldn't there be walkers in the barn? He stopped at the door and looked down at Sophie. "I'm gonna pull this door open, do not peer in under any circumstance. Do ya hear?" His voice wasn't as cheerful as it had been. Instead, he held a hard, stern tone as his eyes dulled and darkened. His hand grabbed the braided hemp rope that held the doors locked from the outside before he unlooped the doors. Looking at her, he nodded behind him. A simple gesture to stand behind him just in case there was danger. He never felt safe when leaving the immediate yard and venturing toward the southwestern portion of it.

Sophie nodded her understanding to RJ. While she waited behind for the coast to be clear, she decided to adventure a little bit to get a better idea of her surroundings. Maybe she'd find Windrush in the process. She watched RJ for a second before turning around to walk a little ways. The land itself was impressive. Even with its beauty, she was careful about the possible danger that could be hiding anywhere. Sophie walked a little while more before she entered a meadow surrounded by large vegetation. Well trimmed bushes seemed to encircle this area. The sound of a steady flow of water seemed to entice the eleven-year-old closer to what appeared to be a three-tier fountain made of concrete. The fountain had smooth river stones in the bottom of the largest tier. Though Sophie wasn't only curious about the fountain, she turned around and looked all over the pristine area. Wooden benches laid in a square placement around the fountain. Each bench was polished with a weather-proof stain. This made the strong oak wood dark, but still calm enough to add to the serene area. Sophie even looked at the well-kept bushes. From the parks of the city, she could tell they were Rose bushes. Their buds darkened with the chill of autumn.

Sophie was in awe by the views and the scenery around her. The experience was completely different than what she was used to in the city. If she still had her camera, this would be the type of photos she would take and cherish.

It wasn't long before the man opened the large left door of the barn. The sunlight pushed the darkness away and RJ could see his herd of cattle, sheep, and pigs. Entering the barn, the tall man branded his silver gun. Having forgotten to load the weapon, RJ only had one bullet in the six-cylinder container. "Hello?" This was always his trick. Make noise to draw the damned to him. He knew if there was more than one, he would be in trouble. How would he be able to take them all? Though, thankfully, he was not answered by any other than his animals. One, in particular, had caught his eye. A cow of brown with a white stripe down her face laid in the spoiled hay of her stall. He had been keeping an eye on this bovine for a while now, but it seemed she was only getting worse. Lifting the gun to angle it between her eyes, RJ pulled the trigger. The sound of the gun rang out through the barn and outside. RJ didn't care though. She hadn't been infected so her meat would help feed his growing family. "Sorry, Maree." He whispered toward the now dead bovine as he dragged her out of the stall. He knew he would have a handful of work to do now though. Looking around he sighed. "I gotta find Sophie." Leaving the dead cow, he left the barn and whistled. "Sophie!"

Sophie heard the gunshot and quickly reacted. Her first instinct was to duck down and hide somewhere. Who knew where the shot came from. But soon after the shot was heard, she soon heard a voice. It was RJ. That made her sigh in relief as she gave one more look around the amazement of the meadow before she began her walk back to RJ. After she made it to a certain distance she quickly yelled back. "I'm here RJ." She said with a small smile. She hoped she didn't worry him any. "Sorry if I caused any...... Why is it dead?" She asked once she saw the dead animal. She saw the gunshot wound and put two and two together. "Oooohhh." She started slowly.

RJ spotted the red-haired girl and smiled. "Been in the garden eh? Anyway, I need ya to go and play in the backyard. I gotta clean and cure this cow so we got food. She was sick, but not with the disease, so she's still good meat. If ya want to, ya can go play with Windrush. The mare should be in the stables, but be careful of Samson. He's a wild one." RJ put his revolver back into the holster and walked back to the cow. The man did all his work in the barn. It was no doubt that all his tools were hanging on the walls. Wrapping a thick logging chain around the back hooves of the cow, RJ began to hoist it up. Blood trickled from the hole in its head.

In all honesty, Sophie hated seeing dead animals. It bothered her so much that it almost made her want to get sick. That's the second, or one and a half, animal she has seen dead today, and it bothered her greatly. Sophie first thought was to go back to the garden but she quickly changed her mind when she thought of Windrush. The child then began looking for the horse. "Windrush?" Sophie called as she went back to the house since that's when she last saw the horse. "Where are you?"

The ashen mare grazed beside a tall wooden building that seemed to have been painted purple in the past years. Metal swings hung from a bar that was connected to the wooden tower. Hearing her name, the equine lifted her head from the overgrown foliage and gave a soft neigh. This would signal the girl to her whereabouts. The tail of the horse swished side to side as to swat flies away from her hindquarters. Swishing her mane, the mare soon snorted and lowered her head back to the grass and began to continue her grazing.

Windrush looked with honeysuckle colored eyes as Sophie grew closer to her form. The mare's cone-shaped ears flicked as she listened to the environment. It wasn't too often that the mare was in the stables that held the other horses. Windrush enjoyed being outside and eating on the fresh grasses of the backyard. Hell, if it wasn't for her, the backyard would have higher grasses. She knew RJ was busy with the farm work and surviving, so she helped in the ways she knew how.

Sophie finally found Windrush and smiled. "Hi!" she quickly said and ran the rest of the distance. She loved the horse even though she's only seen it one brief moment. "How are you, Windrush?" Sophie asked with a smile as she reached out to the mare. She still didn't understand the creature but she loved it anyway. Maybe it was the fact she knew nothing about it that drew her to the horse. "You are so pretty," she stated in amusement as she gently petted Windrush.

The equine gently nudged the girl. The broad nose of the horse felt like velvet against bare skin, but the nudge was more of a playful manner than one that showed danger or urgency. The withers of the horse soon shook gently before Windrush nickered softly. Bobbing her long head up and down, the waved mane of the mare seemed to flap like a raven-colored flag.

Sophie was happy with Windrush. She softly brushed her hand across the horse's side. "You are very clever for an animal... No offense." The child gave a cheerful giggle before stopping suddenly to a noise in the bushes.Sophie's heart raced as the sound in the bushes grew closer. She quickly grabbed her switchblade handle and moved behind Windrush, hoping the horse would protect her. But at the same time, she didn't want to endanger her beloved friend. She frantically looked around her for anything that could help her. The noise definitely wasn't walking nor running, but a strange combination of both. Sophie's imagination started to run wild - was it a new type of creature coming after her? Or worse, had someone from the group she ran away from all those years ago found her? Her hands trembled as she slowly stepped out from behind Windrush, ready to face whatever danger was lurking ahead.

The rustling finally came to a stop near the edge of the tree line. Sophie couldn't see much from behind Windrush but she really wished she could. The girl's curiosity caused her to peer around the mare only to see a girl. Her hair was black and her clothes looked completely torn. Not only did her appearance look trashed but so did her health. The strange girl was just laying there on her side, unmoving. Sophie then realized that the girl had collapsed. She looked completely dead from Sophie's angle but if she was moving then she couldn't have been dead already. Sophie quickly ran out from behind the horse and slid on her knees to the black haired girl, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. "Miss? Hello?" Sophie said before shaking the girl slightly. The only noise the girl made was a small grunt or wincing sound. Sophie quickly turned to Windrush, hoping the horse would understand her. "Can you get RJ? She needs help."

Sophie had decided to rush to the female's side, but Windrush did not want to leave the child alone. 'Go get RJ.' The mare shook her head and simply let loose a loud neigh. She knew the distress in her tone was a good enough signal for her male human.

RJ had finished skinning the cow and now was in the process of cutting off pieces of meat. His body was crusted with blood and his arms were drenched. Moving to a nearby basin, he started to wash up. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to experience.

The sound of Windrush's neighing filled the air and RJ sprang into action. He vaulted over the fence surrounding his property, making his way to the old jungle gym where Sophie knelt beside a woman on her side. "Sophie! Get away from her," yelled RJ, noticing his gun was without ammunition. He grabbed a thick fallen branch from the ground and stepped towards the stranger.

Sophie cast an uneasy glance at RJ. She didn't like that he was holding a stick so menacingly. She put her arms out in front of her in a defensive stance. "Don't hurt her," she pleaded earnestly. "She only needs help; it's not fair to harm someone who is already injured." Sophie knew it was wrong to strike an unarmed person.

He looked at the child and glared. "How are ya sure she ain't bit? Have ya stripped her and checked?" RJ had been through this before. He knew the signs of the change, and even though this woman held no signs, he wanted to be sure. Windrush looked at both of the humans she cared for before moving toward the injured and sniffing at the dark hair. Snorting once the mare simply began to graze on the grasses close by.

Sophie looked behind her towards the woman. "She's not pale, and she's breathing very heavily from running. If you are bit, the breathing should be softer because they are dying." The child looked back at RJ. She didn't move from her position in fear that if she did then someone would hurt the woman. "We have to help her RJ."

The blacked haired girl twitched slightly from a bug crawling on her and made another light grunting noise. Sophie heard and looked back at her. "She's just tired and looks like she hasn't eaten. Please RJ." Sophie slowly put her arms down to her side.

RJ felt defeated, lowering the stick, he nodded to Sophie. "Yer responsible for her then." He looked to Windrush before turning around. "Windy, help Sophie get her in the house. I still got meat to cut up then I'll be in." Windrush looked up before giving an animalized nod. Moving carefully around the woman, the mare nudged Sophie and laid down. RJ simply walked back to the barn. He threw the stick he had picked up and seemed to be mumbling to himself.

Sophie's lips curled up into a warm smile as she quietly clapped her hands together in appreciation of RJ's help. He glanced back at her before he walked away, his expression unreadable and somewhat angry, though Sophie paid it no mind; she had an injured person to carry to safety. Turning to Windrush, she asked if she was ready, then lifted the young woman onto her back. “She’s not as heavy as I expected,” Sophie remarked with an easy shrug that sent her small shoulders bobbing up and down. The woman still made some muffled noise, making Sophie worry that she would die on her watch.

Sophie finally got the woman on Windrush and took a deep breath. "There we go. You'll be okay now." Sophie patted the woman's shoulders softly. "Okay Windrush. Let's go." Sophie said joyfully as she slowly started walking to the front of the house.

Sophie was right, this woman was a lot lighter than the mare was used to. Carefully Windrush stood and began a slow walk back toward the house. Always alert to the slightest of sounds and overly cautious now with three humans to watch out for. The mare looked down at Sophie before nickering. A soft sound to ensure herself that the child was alright.

Once Sophie and Windrush made it back to the front of the house, the child looked at the mare. "I guess I have to take her in now. Thank you bunches." Sophie stated with a smile as she began moving the adult off the horse. She was light to Sophie. But to be honest, Sophie was a very strong child since she's always on the move.

The child grabbed onto the woman's shoulders and heaved her into the house, as she was so short she couldn't carry her. Sophie brought her inside and stopped in the center of the living room, her eyes darting around the homey space. With a deep breath, she bent down to lay the black-haired girl gently on the couch, letting her sit upright. The woman looked dirty, with dark circles under her eyes and blood smeared across her clothing. Sophie carefully moved the strands of hair away from her face to get a better look at her. Her skin was soft, like it had never known pain before, and her thin hair cascaded down past her collarbone. When Sophie examined further though, she noticed a bright red bloodstain on the side of her clothing. She poked it lightly, watching as the young woman winced in response. Bringing her finger closer, she realized that the stain was still wet - still fresh. "Please don't let her be bitten," she whispered. Sophie said silently as she pulled up the woman's shirt just enough to see the wound. By the looks of it, it was only a scratch. It wasn't too bad but at least it wasn't a bite. "Oh good," she said softly before running to the kitchen. Sophie searched the kitchen for first-aid or bandages of some sort.

After finding a few things, Sophie came back only to see the girl had woken up. She was barely awake though. "H-hello." Sophie said quietly as she gave a friendly grin to the woman. "You're safe now." The child put the stuff down on the floor in front of the woman.

"Where am I?" The woman asked, looking at the child. She was a little too young to know first aid but she seemed to know nonetheless. She couldn't be alone, could she?

The woman looked down at the kid. She couldn't move very much so if the child was doing something fishy then she couldn't do anything about it. She and Sophie jumped when the door got kicked open. Sophie looked at RJ and then back at the woman. The man seemed to be barking orders which didn't please anyone. He then moved into the basement. "We found you in the backyard. So you are now in my friend's home. His name is RJ. He's the guy in the basement. I'm Sophie." The child took a clean rag and began cleaning up the scratch. She didn't want it getting infected.

"Sophie? That's a nice name." The woman said while wincing once more. "I'm Serenity." Serenity sounded weak and tired. Sophie hated it but knew it couldn't be helped.

"You have a pretty name too. RJ makes great food. After you eat you can rest for a while." Sophie said in a joyful tone, like always. The child then took the bandages she found from the floor.

----

RJ sat in the barn and looked at his project. Wiping sweat from his brow, he sighed. "Ain't no damn way I'm gonna be done before nightfall. And I still gotta cure the hide." He grumbled before kicking a bucket full of water. He knew he had to do this. If the woman survived he would have two mouths to feed. Standing, RJ continued to slice meat off the bones of the cow's hind legs. He already knew what he would do with any leftovers.

Carrying a bucket of meat, RJ whistled out for his horse. Windrush looked at the front door before neighing and backing away from the front steps. The ashen mare turned and paced herself as she moved toward the tall male. "There ya are. What were ya doin' in the front yard?" The mare looked at her human before snorting. It was as if he didn't know. "Ah, don't matter. Got a job for ya." The equine heard the word and instantly grew excited.

RJ's hand went to the mare's neck as he gently pat the soft coat of the horse. "Come on." His voice was gentle as he led the equine toward the barn. Inside the old building, four buckets of meat sat waiting for delivery. RJ placed the saddle hooks over Windrush's back before hooking a bucket on both. "Ya carry that to the house. I'm right behind ya." RJ spoke once more before picking up the final two buckets.

The walk to the house was short, but instead of dropping a bucket to open the front door, RJ used his foot to kick it ajar. The meat within the buckets sloshed some before RJ walked into the house. His piercing blue eyes landed on Sophie and the new woman. "Getter cleaned up for supper." He seemed to bark the order as he walked past the couch and into the kitchen. Placing a bucket on the kitchen table, RJ opened the door to the basement and stepped in. He hadn't meant to, but he left the basement door open.

Walking down the stairs was a hassle. The five-gallon bucket swung in his hand and caused RJ to become unbalanced. "Damn s**t. Hold still." He grunted until he had reached the final step. Seeing the wrought iron cages, RJ smiled. Placing the bucket down, he began to give equal amounts to the four captives. They were silent, most having their vocal cords removed to keep them quiet, but they were ravenous.

RJ was careful though. He knew to keep himself from the mouths of his pets. Feeding the first three, RJ came to the cage that held the younger walker and RJ knelt down. "Ya hungry Abigail?" He spoke softly to his decaying daughter. The small child looked up with dead eyes and moved weakly to the door of the cage. RJ carefully placed the meat chunks in her outstretched hand of bone and smiled. "There ya go baby girl."