Surviving Day By Day (Book 1): So it Begins (47 page)

He looked at Ceara then back to Alden, “Okay, Really? I just hauled a hundred pounds of wet clothes, some of them yours I might add down to the creek and back, and you want
to bitch about me doing more?”

Alden glared at him, “Yeah I do, your next task is to get those two lawn chairs and set them up under the tree over yonder.” He pointed at a willow near the shed. “Then get this young woman a glass of water and serve it to her and sit down and keep her company till these clothes are dry.” He turned in a snappy military manner, winked once more at Ceara and marched away
.

Ceara giggled looking to Charlie, “Yes honey, water would be very nice, and I’ll grab the chairs if you want to meet me over there. Hey Alden!”

Alden turned to look at her, “Your idea of a rendezvous point is really good but don’t you think we should all talk about it as a group? I don’t really have
any idea where we would pick.”

Charlie walked back out with two glasses of water and looked Ceara, “Woman those chairs aren’t moving themselves.”

She snickered, looking at Alden, “Let a man claim you as his girlfriend and he just gets demanding.”

Alden smiled, “I didn’t hear you complaining.”

Ceara went over and kissed Charlie, “Nope, no complaints here.” She grabbed the two chairs and took them to the tree and sat
waiting on Charlie to join her.

Charlie had overheard Alden and grabbed the map of the park on his way out. He handed the glass of water to Ceara and sat down next to her. “I heard what Alden said so I thought we could look
at this map I got of the park.”

Taking a sip he then unfolded it and laid it out on the grass in front of them. Ceara leaned over and looked at the
map;
she could see three other campsites within five to ten miles. “I think the other campsites should be out, we will never know if they are occupied b
y the time we might need them.”

Beth was getting dressed after taking a quick shower. For the first time she was actually starting to relax a bit. However, she was so regimented that she needed to start a new routine. Instead of getting food ready to eat or going to work Beth had to change things up a bit. At the foot of her bed she laid her Beretta down and went over to
her bags that carried her ammo.

Each day for now she would make sure that her gear would be prepared the night before, including the cleaning and reloading of her clips. She wondered while she sat on the bed if things would ever get back to normal but fortunately she was pretty happy at the people that she had met.

Suddenly there was a sound emanating from the front of her cabin and Beth realized that she needed to check on Maximus. Quickly she stood and tucked her Beretta in the back of her pants then went out
to see that Maximus was awake.

Surprisingly he had begun licking his wound which was a very good sign. While watching this, Beth made her way over to the kitchen sink and grabbed a clean bowl that had been washed, filling it with cool water. After turning off the tap Beth turned around and Maximus’s head raised straight up and his tail began hitting the floor. Putting the bowl of water in front of Maximus, Beth squatted down and began scratching his behind his ears.

“How are we doing today, boy?!” Cheerfully Beth spoke to Max as she began examining her handy work. There were no signs of infection and before she was done Beth could hear Max lapping at her water. “Well now, you are a thirsty boy. Maybe a little later we can get you so
me food. How’s that sound boy?”

Maximus’s tail kept hitting the floor and this made Beth feel like she
had really done something good.

Colt put the ladder in the shed and walked past Charlie and Ceara, both were looking at a map, “What’s up?”

Ceara looked up, “We are trying to think of a rendezvous point just in case we get separated.”

Colt looked at the map, “I don’t know the area enough to really vote.”

Ceara rolled her eyes, “And any of the rest of us do?”

Colt caught the sarcasm and turned to go to his cabin shaking his head. When he walked in the cabin he slammed the door without really thinking. Maximus barked and Beth called, “I’m in h
ere, what’s going on in there?”

Colt went into the front room and collapsed on the couch, “Sorry it was just me, Ceara is just set on being a bitch to me. I know what you told me about giving her time but damn it Beth, she is out to make me look stupid and it’s pissing me off.”

Beth stood up and went over to the couch where she took a seat beside him. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder then calmly spoke, “Colt…. listen; I guarantee when Ceara sees that Maximus over there is awake and drinking water she will be a little better. However with you, let me put it to you like this. You see, women are just that way, ok? Then you add the total shit storm that we have all been enduring that would cause anyone’s nerves to be on edge. Maximus is on the road to recovery and when I said you have to give her a little time that does not mean a night or a day or hell even two days. Time is just that….time. Just don’t try so hard and in her time when she is ready she will come around, just like I did.”

Beth smiled remembering when she was irritated with Colt and continued, “Colt, I had nothing close to me that I hadn’t already lost and after a good nights sleep and a hell of a lot of appreciation I got over it quicker. Unlike Ceara out there, from what I can tell Maximus has been with her a long time and fortunately is still with her. She will come around Colt.
It’s just going to take time.”

Colt looked at Maximus and smiled, “You know, it’s funny that the dog is fine with me and the owner is pissed. I guess I should be happy it was Maximus not Tonto. Alden may have shot me just t
o let me know what Tonto felt.”

Beth smiled but didn’t deny the idea. Colt went over to Maximus and pet him on the head, “The guys are outside looking at the map for a good rendezvous area, so if you want we could go out and give our input.”

Beth stood, “I think we sh
ould have a say so, don’t you?”

Colt shrugged his shoulders, “I guess, just don’t think I will have a lot to say.” Colt followed Beth out of the cabin, joining Ceara and Charlie. Colt sat on the ground kicking his legs out in front of him and leaning back on his hands. He was just going to sit there and listen unless he heard somet
hing he totally disagreed with.

Charlie had stared at the map for a while now his eyes kept going back to a part of the park called Elephant rocks. “You know this would be a good place to meet up. Plenty of open area for observing what would be comin
g at us and easily defendable.”

Alden cleared his throat, and they all looked at him. Not one of them heard him walk out of his cabin let alone up to them. Ceara jumped from being startled by him, “Damn it Alden. Don’t do that.”

He smiled at her, “Just wanted to see if you were all paying attention. I see you weren’t.” He turned to Charlie, “You’re learning though. I like the thought of a place we can defend and see
whose coming.”

Charlie looked at him,
“
Thank you
, I did pay attention in class.”

Alden looked at the group and then squatted down and stared at the map. He looked out towards the woods and then back at the map once more. Standing he smiled. “You cupcakes hold down the for
t I want to go scope this out.”

Snapping his fingers and suddenly Tonto appeared once more out of nowhere. “I swear to God!” Charlie started out, “That damn dog has radar ears.”

As Alden turned to go Ceara called to him, “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Alden turned and just looked at her. “Your gun silly, you don’t have your gun.”

Charlie rolled his eyes and started to laugh he knew what was coming. Alden smiled, “Ceara, my little cupcake
,
I have my GUN
,
as you call
ed
it
,
all the time. Now as far as a weapon I have my knife and Tonto and that’s all I really need.”

He turned and with a few quick strides disappeared into the woods with Tonto right beside him. Ceara looked at Charlie, “He didn’t have his gun. He always has it tucked behind his back or in its holster.”

Charlie was laughing hard now. Ceara glared at him “What’s so damn funny?”

He looked at her, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. You see honey,” Charlie stood and picked up a branch holding it like a rifle and started to march in place singing, “This is my rifle,” and touched the branch with his hand then went on, “This is my gun,
” grabbing his crotch slightly.

Beth erupted in laughter as Colt was trying hard not to. Tabitha came around the corner of their cabin and saw what Alden had just done. Shaking her head she walked over to Charlie and Ceara. With a huge smile Tabitha remarked, “So then Charlie are you trying to tell me that
you’re
packing something down there?”

Ceara looked over at Tabitha and her eyes got as big as saucers because she could not believe that Tabitha would have said something like that. When Tabitha caught the look she spoke up to Ceara, “Relax Red. It’s a good thing that he’s getting a sense of humor like that.
”
Ceara took a deep breath and didn’t
want to even respond to Tabitha and her crude jokes. As far as Ceara was concerned they were getting old
.
Not getting a reply from Ceara, Tabitha continued,
“So,
we are all good with the rendezvous being at Elephant Rocks…
we got to think of something for dinner tonight. I got no idea what to come up with. We might be able to go fishing if som
eone would like to go with me?”

“But I do miss one little thing,”
Tabitha looked around at the woods as the wind blew through the trees. It was seriously nice out here and she so loved being in the woods. Charlie
glanced where she was looking and
asked, “What’s that?”

Tabitha looked over at him, “Fountain soda pops and those gas station sandwiches! From time to time I would go off on one of my walks and when I got hungry
,
I would pop in to one
. I would p
ick up a pop along with a sandwich and if I had enough money I would grab a big bag of Cheetos!!! The little things that we all took for granted, but hey, if we survive this and civilization gets back to where it was you can bet your ass that the first fucking thing that I will wrap my lips around is a handful of Cheetos and some beef jerky!!!”

Ceara jumped up, “I got you covered on the beef jerky!!” She ran into her cabin and brought out the bag she had grabbed out of car on the highway, smiling big she ran back out of the cabin and held it out to Tabitha. “Here you go, help yourself! Just sav
e a little for Maximus please.”

Tabitha was so thankful she grabbed the bag and
snagged
a couple pieces out of it. Then she thought about poor Maximus. “Here ya go Ceara! I will just take a couple pieces for now for that will be a treat for me. If Maximus gets up and about soon
,
he will need something to eat and I don’t know if we got any dog food or anything for our furry friends.” After taking the first bit the look on Tabitha’s face was orgasmic! “Now that is the shit!!!”

Ceara laughed at Tabitha, “No worries I have a big bag of dog food and something tells me we won’t have to worry about the dogs getting their own food when it runs out.”

She set the bag down in the middle of everyone but grabbed a few pieces out to hold back as treats for Maxim
us. “You guys help yourselves.”

Everyone but Beth grabbed a piece and Colt even told her thank you. Ceara turned to Tabitha, “I would go fishing with you if you are serious? I love to fish but after having to clean all those Alden caught the other night I would much rather be on the catching end than the cleaning end.”

Charlie smiled, “I wouldn’t mind a little fishing myself.”

Colt looked to Beth as if asking what she would want to do. Beth smiled standing up and dusting off her pants, “I think I am going to pass this trip, I can keep an eye on things here,
babysit
Maximus and let Alden know where everyone is if he
gets back before you guys do.”

Colt shook his head, “I think I’ll hang around here too, I need to get some more wood chopped with all of us in different cabins
,
we are going through what I had pretty qui
ck.”

Charlie jumped up, “I’ll get the gear ready. Oh and here’s the deal… first fish caught means that person is excused from cleaning them.” He walked off towards his shed and turned quickly, “And just to clarify, the fish caught must be a keeper, none of those little finger food fish.”

He headed to the shed to get the poles. Laying them up against the outside he grabbed a shovel and picked a nice soft spot near the back of the shed and began digging by the third shovel full he cried out, “Jack pot!” There in the dirt were about four large night crawlers. A few more shovels and he had well over a dozen worms. Throwing them in an old coffee can with some dirt he walked back to the girls. “I’m ready when you are.”