Gardener Fall - Chapter 1c - by nova

We had both decided to take a break from life and the duties that came with. Plus Ninja wanted to hear about my adventures in the Zone, a lot of people did I found. It wasn't because they wanted to know about what I had done, I figured that out fairly quickly, no, it was the idea that America might be still out there is what they wanted to hear about.

Their questions were a lot different than Nights. She wanted data. They wanted, and couldn't get enough of the cut grass, facebook for the missing, and job training. Their eyes shone and the quick significant glances shot between couples told me a lot. I understood too. Who the hell wants to spend their lives camping out in houses that had seen better times? Let alone worrying about getting shot, stabbed, or eaten.

"Hey Ninj. You think I should quit telling people the good parts of the Zone?"

He thought about it, shook his head, then told me "It sounds good in a way. It also sounds, I don't know, creepy. Like, I would be always waiting for the weirdness to come out of hiding."

He paused, then added, "I wouldn't mind, you know, checking it out for a couple days." He grinned, "Plus it would be nice to meet some new women."

"You already run though all we have?"

"Yep." That was said with no little pride. What he said next was mixed with a bit of sadness, There really isn't that many that aren't taken or nuts. We got some real nut jobs G. A lot of them saw or experienced shit that they may never get over."

"Yeah. I know."

I did too. I had already noticed that the more damaged they were the more likely they were to be found around Carol. She had a start on creating another shelter inside of our shelter.

"How long we been gone bro?"

Ninja squinted the sun, "Maybe two hours."

"You don't find that weird?"

"You mean that no one has come looking for us?"

"Yeah."

"Naw. I told Cruz I wanted us to be left alone for a bit."

"He knows what a "bit" is?"

"Yeah. That's how long I take when me, and who ever, slip away."

I thought about that one. If Cruz even looked at me funny later me and him were going to talk. Ninj was oblivious as usual. So I told him "That's nice. I'm surprised you and 'who ever' can find enough to talk about for an hour and forty five minutes." It took a minute but he processed it and threw the twig he had been gnawing on at me along with a 'fuck you G!'

We both grinned at each other. It was good to be back.

About then we heard Master Sergeant Cruz say "Excuse me gentlemen but you are needed at the church."