After leaving Sam's office, Kate made her way to the garden. The air was cool, the sky painted in hues of orange and pink as the sun began to set. The parking lot-turned-garden was a testament to the camp's resilience. Rows of buds sprouted from the soil, and makeshift trellises supported climbing plants.
Lisa was crouched near a row of sprouting buds, her hands dirty as she carefully adjusted a trellis. She looked up as Kate approached, a smile breaking across her face.
"Hey, you," Lisa called out. "Back from the great adventure?"
"Something like that," Kate replied, pulling the packet of seeds from her pocket. She handed them to Lisa. "Figured you'd know what to do with these."
Lisa's eyes lit up as she flipped through the packets. "Basil, carrots, peppers… Kate, this is a goldmine. Where'd you find these?"
"Convenience store," Kate said. "Figured they'd be better off here than sitting on a shelf."
Lisa grinned. "You've got good instincts. This'll help a lot. We've already got a decent setup, but more variety means we can make meals that don't taste like cardboard."
Kate chuckled. "Glad I could help. How's the garden coming along?"
"Slow but steady," Lisa said, gesturing to the rows of plants. "The soil's not great, but we've been composting to improve it.
Kate glanced at the garden and then back at Lisa. "You're doing good work here. Keep it up."
Lisa's smile softened. "Thanks, Kate. It means a lot coming from you."
As Kate walked away, she glanced over her shoulder at Lisa, who had already returned to tending the plants. The sight of life growing amidst the chaos of the apocalypse was a small but powerful reminder of why they fought so hard to survive.
Back in her room, Kate collapsed onto her cot, the day's events replaying in her mind. The hostile group, the garden, the newcomers… it was a lot to take in. But for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of hope. They had survived another attack, strengthened their defenses, and welcomed new people into their ranks. The fight was far from over, but for now, they were still standing. And that was enough.
The group was gathered in the dimly lit common area of the school. Dinner had just ended, and the faint smell of stew lingered in the air. Sam stood by a chalkboard that had been repurposed for brainstorming. Written on it were ideas for improving the camp's defenses and sustainability. Everyone was pitching in, but the real surprise of the night came when Jake, the youngest of the group, hesitantly raised his hand.
Sam noticed the boy's nervousness and nodded. "Got something to share, Jake?"
Jake shuffled his feet, his face slightly flushed as everyone's eyes turned toward him. He glanced at Lisa, who gave him an encouraging smile, then cleared his throat. "Uh… yeah. I was thinking about some stuff from a game I used to play. You know, survival games. They're kind of like… practice for this, I guess."
There was a beat of silence before Evan smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Survival games, huh? Like scavenging and fighting zombies?"
Jake bristled slightly but held his ground. "It's not just about fighting zombies. You have to think about how to survive long-term. Like collecting resources, managing supplies, and building defenses."
Lisa crossed her arms and shot Evan a look. "Let the kid talk, Evan."
Jake took a deep breath and continued. "In the game, I'd start by setting up rainwater collectors. You can use tarps or buckets to catch the water and then distill it to make it safe to drink. We could do that here. I noticed we've been rationing water, so it might help to have a backup supply."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "We've been relying on the school's plumbing, but it's not going to last forever. Rainwater could be a game-changer."
Encouraged by Sam's response, Jake went on. "And the garden… In the game, you have to grow your own food to stay alive. I mean, Mom's already started that, but we could make it better. Like, maybe add some raised beds or try companion planting—certain plants help each other grow."
Lisa perked up. "Companion planting? That's actually a great idea. What else you got, Jake?"
Jake's confidence grew as he saw the group genuinely listening to him. "Well, for defenses, we could set traps around the perimeter. In the game, I'd use stuff like noise traps or pitfalls to slow down enemies. We could do something similar—set up cans or bottles that rattle if someone or something gets too close. And maybe even dig shallow pits and cover them with branches to trip up anyone trying to sneak in."
Turner, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, gave a low whistle. "You've been holding out on us, kid. Those are solid ideas."
Lisa leaned down to Jake's level, ruffling his hair playfully. "You know, I used to hate how much time you spent on those games. But now? I'm actually glad you liked them. You've got a good head on your shoulders, kid."
Jake blushed, his ears turning red as he mumbled, "It's not a big deal. Just stuff I thought might help."
Evan chuckled, nudging Jake lightly. "Don't sell yourself short. Not everyone here knows how to outsmart a zombie horde or a group of raiders."
Claire, sitting at the edge of the group, chimed in. "We should start on the rainwater system first. It's easy enough to set up, and we'll all feel better knowing we have extra water."
Sam picked up a piece of chalk and added Jake's ideas to the board. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. Mike, Turner, and I will work on setting up the traps. Lisa, you and Jake can expand the garden and work on the companion planting. Tom, see if you can scrounge up any tarps or buckets for the rainwater collectors. Let's make this happen."
A few days later, the camp was buzzing with activity. Jake stood near the gate, watching as Turner and Sam tested the first batch of noise traps. They had strung up old tin cans and empty soda bottles along the fence line, tied to tripwires that Jake had helped set up. When Turner triggered one of the wires as a test, the cans clattered loudly, echoing through the schoolyard.
"Perfect," Turner said with a grin. "Anyone tries sneaking up on us, and we'll hear them coming a mile away."
Jake couldn't hide his pride. "We could add some broken glass to the mix. It'd make more noise and might even slow them down."
Sam nodded approvingly. "Good thinking, Jake. We'll add that to the next batch."
Meanwhile, Lisa and Jake worked side by side in the garden. Lisa showed him how to plant seeds in rows and explained the basics of soil maintenance. Jake, in turn, shared what he'd learned about companion planting. Together, they mapped out where to plant different vegetables to maximize their yield.
"You've got a knack for this," Lisa said as she patted the soil around a sprouting buds. "Ever think about becoming a farmer instead of a gamer?"
Jake laughed. "Maybe. But I think I'll stick to games if we ever get back to normal."
Lisa smiled, a bittersweet expression crossing her face. "Fair enough. But for now, we're lucky to have you."
Later that evening, the group gathered to test some of Jake's more advanced traps. They had set up a pitfall near the main road leading to the school. Covered with branches and leaves, it looked like solid ground. Sam tossed a heavy stick onto the cover, and it collapsed instantly, revealing a shallow pit lined with spikes made from sharpened sticks.
"It's not pretty," Mike admitted, "but it'll do the job."
Jake watched nervously, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "You think it's enough to stop someone?"
Sam clapped a hand on his shoulder. "It'll stop them, Jake. And if it doesn't, we'll be ready for them."
By the end of the week, Jake's ideas had transformed the camp. The rainwater collectors were already half full, the garden was thriving under Lisa and Jake's care, and the traps had added an extra layer of security. The group had even set up a rotation to patrol the perimeter and check the traps regularly.
One evening, as the group gathered around the fire for their usual storytelling session, Kate raised her mug of makeshift tea. "To Jake," she said, her voice carrying over the crackle of the flames. "For keeping us alive and turning this place into a real stronghold."
The others raised their mugs in agreement, and Jake's face turned bright red. "I just did what anyone would've done," he muttered, staring at the ground.
Lisa nudged him playfully. "No, you did what a gamer would've done. And thank God for that."
The group laughed, the tension of the past few days easing for a brief moment. For the first time in a long while, the camp felt like more than just a place to survive. It felt like a home.