After the boy was injured by the explosion caused by the weapon, Jesse brought the first aid kit to treat him. He took out some bandages and began wrapping the injured areas on the boy's leg, then left him on the bed while he went to get some food. He headed to the kitchen and noticed that the food had run out—only a container with some leftovers from yesterday remained. A look of frustration appeared on his face, but he brought the last of the food and served it to the boy.
After a while, once the boy had finished eating, Jesse came to him and, without any introduction, said in a firm tone,"Listen, my friend, I know you're injured and need rest, but we have to leave this area. The house has suffered severe damage, the food is gone, and the wanderers will come again before long."
The boy just stared at him silently, not uttering a word. Jesse took a deep breath, helped the boy stand, and they headed outside to where his car was parked. The car was somewhat old, roofless, and covered in sharp spikes at both the front and rear, stained with traces of blood. Jesse helped the boy into the car, then got in himself and started the engine, hearing the powerful roar of the motor. He stepped on the gas and sped away, leaving the crumbling house behind.
Several hours passed, and the ride was quiet; neither of them said a word the whole trip. Jesse took a deep breath and said to himself,"Just when I thought I found someone to free me from my loneliness in this place, I find him mute, unable to even speak... Well, I should be a bit more optimistic. At least I found someone who reacts to me—I can talk to him instead of talking to the car."
After another hour on the road, the outlines of some buildings and houses began to appear in the distance. They continued heading toward them until they reached the area. The buildings were destroyed all around—some had collapsed to the ground, others were just piles of rubble. A few houses were completely ruined, while others were in a relatively decent state.
They kept moving forward until they reached a wrecked place with no doors and shattered windows. Jesse turned to the boy and calmly said,"Listen, my friend. I know you're in bad shape, but if you just sit around, you'll only get worse. So listen carefully. This store should have some canned food or something consumable. We're going in quietly and trying not to attract the attention of any wanderers inside. All you have to do is grab as much food as you can carry. Got it?"
The boy got out of the car with difficulty but managed to walk a little this time. The two of them headed quietly toward the store, and Jesse crawled beneath the empty shelves. The boy copied him and crawled as well. Jesse and the boy continued advancing between the shelves until they found some canned food. Jesse slowly moved toward the cans, took a few, and gave the rest to the boy. They began heading back toward the car.
As Jesse was cautiously moving forward, he took a quick glance toward the store entrance—and suddenly froze. The boy, puzzled by Jesse's abrupt halt, gently poked his back. Jesse turned around, his face filled with fear and tension. He looked at the boy and whispered,"Turn around. Go back—quickly."
Jesse slowly backed up, passing the boy, who still didn't understand what had terrified Jesse that much. Curious, the boy cautiously moved forward and took a quick peek at the same place Jesse had been watching. There he saw the entrance they had come through, now crowded with dozens of wanderers gathered at the door. Among them was a large creature with pale gray skin, one yellow eye, and another filled with some kind of red crystal.
Jesse gently pulled the boy back and signaled him to follow. They continued moving slowly until they reached a hole in the wall of the store. They passed the canned food through first, then Jesse climbed out, followed by the boy. Jesse looked at the boy and said tensely,"Carry as many of these cans as you can and follow me."
Jesse headed toward one of the houses that looked to be in decent condition. He pulled a knife from his coat and began trying to open the door. After several attempts, he finally managed to unlock it. They both entered the house.
Jesse thoroughly inspected the house to ensure it was safe to stay in. He found nothing unusual, so he decided they would spend the night there. Jesse sat down on the dirty floor and said to the boy,"Alright, we're spending the night here. The wanderers have surrounded the car, so we can't leave yet—but I think they'll move away by tomorrow. (yawns) Anyway, let's eat what we brought."
Jesse opened the canned food with his knife and gave one to the boy, then opened his own. As they ate and night fell, Jesse started talking again,"We're lucky that creature didn't see us. It was one of the strangers, and it would've killed us on the spot if it had."
After finishing their meal, Jesse spread his shirt on the ground and gave the boy a blanket to sleep in. The two of them lay down, sleeping peacefully—unaware of what tomorrow might bring.
(End of chapter)