A Tail Tale

Chapter-03 The Decision

                Chapter-03:
        The next morning was quiet, and peaceful. The sky was bright blue, as if morning had come and nearly past. The sounds of birds chirping, heavy movement and a fire blazing away can be heard. Getting up Tyler found himself satisfied with his sleep, but his back ached from laying on the ground. Yawning, then rubbing his eyes, he wondered what he was going to do, and what was going on outside. Keeping the first question in the back of his mind, he opened the zipper door slowly to reveal the camp was in a flurry. People and first generation infected were moving quickly and quietly to pack up the camp. Having plenty of time to observe, Tyler saw that the tents that were initially set up had now been torn down, and the truck that was parked in the grass was now in the parking lot. The fire itself was burning bright, cooking what seemed to be a few chickens with half of the group sitting or standing around it. Exiting the tent he was in, Tyler got a better view of the parking lot, and everything else. The truck he bumped into before had been moved, and was attached to the boat trailer now. Musan was carrying some supplies to the rear of the Red truck before noticing Tyler was awake.
"That tent is yours now, so you can do what you will with it."  Musan says  as he walked over to Tyler.
Tyler nodded and contemplated on the main question, will he stay, or will he go?
"So..I never got an answer from you, are you going or staying?" Musan asked.
Taking a brief pause, Tyler contemplated about his choices.
[His Thoughts]
"If I stay I would, might be better off in scavenging, but I don't want to be alone...and others may think me as a Feral...KOS...just like in Unturned.... If I go with them, what are the chances I'll find Mom, or my siblings again.... I'm pretty sure that was.....him in side that house...but what was that thing in there? First the kitchen, then something inside the doorway..."
Impatiently waiting "Tyler, all of our things are packed and ready to go. We're heading into the city where there's talk on the radio about a safe zone for first generation infected and humans set up by someone called the Overseer. They say they accept all, and that's where we're heading." Musan says as he pointed towards the city down the highway that had smoke plumes emitting form it.
"Ur..Yeah, yeah sure... it's better to be in a group right?" Tyler said hesitantly as he turned to pick up his things.
"Yes, yes it is Tyler...." Musan says quietly to Tyler as he turns and yells to other survivors "OI! He's coming with us, I need one person to come over here and help him pack this tent up as I go help with other things!"
The same woman from the tree jumps down from the rear of one of the pickups and jogs over.
"I'll help him." She said in a solemn voice.
"Someone has to right?"
Musan nodded then walked towards the campfire.
The woman was about average height, slender build, wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie that was zipped up, and some odd shoes.
"I'll take care of the tent, you just grab you things alright?" She said.
Tyler nodded and started packing up the loose supplies from the tent as she took it apart. The lantern fit perfectly in the bag, while the rest of the supplies slid into the nook and crannies of the bag easily.
"You know everyone's afraid, or segregating themselves from you right? It's just like when this all started a few weeks ago. People just don't like sudden drastic change, and...." She says as the tent collapses.
"Are they? How many people are here, in the group?" Tyler asks.
"Around twenty in total, mostly first generation infected though. Those humans who still work with them here don't mind them. We all try to help each other out." She says as she rolls up the green tent.
Tyler puts his backpack on, and the woman walks over, tying the now rolled up tent to his backpack.
"What's you name? How old are you?" She asks suddenly.
"Um....Tyler, and I'm only seventeen." Tyler replies hesitantly, and in a confused manner.
"Well 'Tyler', you're one of the youngest in the group to be infected, the closest is Musan who is twenty five. Hard to think that you won't have much of a future to look forward to kid. I'd feel sorry for you if you were a regular infected, but you're something else.... Did anyone tell you how people get infected?" She says.
Thinking back, Tyler replied "No, I only know from experience..."
"Then you know Ferals can easily infect you with a bite or gash. Regular infected work somewhat like other diseases similar to Ebola, bodily fluids of any type cause it...though there have been cases of people getting scratched by regulars and turning over night, but that's rare..." She says as she turns to start walking back to the truck.
The fire is now being snuffed out, and people are gathering on the two functioning trucks. Tyler walks over to the Red truck which had the only familiar face in it, Musan. "Last chance for anyone to get off for anything, if not, then we're heading out now!" Musan yelled as the trucks started.
The first vehicle to leave was the other, black truck that had the boat. Observing the truck leaving, Tyler sat in the bed of the Red truck waiting. The other truck's bed had six people sitting on it, and a few more on the bed rails. While the inside of that truck had the maximum amount of passengers aboard. Looking around his truck, Tyler saw that it wasn't as crowded as the other one. Mostly supplies were placed in the truck Tyler was in. A few boxes about the size of one fourth of the bed lay in the front of the bed itself, while passengers ride in the rear. Four sat inside the cabin of the truck, while the rest sat in what room was left in the back. After the other truck cleared the turn and started to head down the highway, the Red truck followed, not too closely though. As they drive off into the morning, destruction covered highway, smoke arises from not too far ahead...