Novel Full Chapter 1355 Exposure Therapy & Finder's Keeper's Rule
For the first time since we got here, we saw Mrs. Garciano laugh and smile genuinely, and the way Mr. Garciano just looked at her was heartwarming. Crudeness with one’s words could land us in hot water most of the time but if you were with the right person, everything might just work out.
In any case, it was only a little over five before we decided to head out—and Captain Dagan and Sgt. Lorraine saw us out with Mr. and Mrs. Garciano.
While we somehow tied up loose ends and fixed some things this place wasn’t able to see, it needed more than just a few days to take care of deep-rooted problems—though in essence, it wasn’t entirely our problem or responsibility.
Add to that Lisa and Lori’s “escape” from their mother’s captivity, this place would be active for a good while now that they got a fresh perspective on things.
But yeah, not even a few blocks away from driving where we encountered strugglers attracted by the noise we made yesterday. If it were just us, it’d be the usual hack and slash with perfectly placed shots here and there followed by corpse stacking, looting, and burning—but this time, I was a little concerned about how terrified Lisa and Lori were.
Even within a year plus change of the apocalypse—despite being in the safety of our vehicle and several armed soldiers with us—just a glimpse of the shamblers making their way to our vehicles made them shake in cold sweat and grab the nearest person to them which were June and Tatiana.
Our blonde-haired Amazonian with a tendency for gluttony was just about to head out and wreak havoc with our puppers, but even she was taken aback by such a reaction.
Kaley turned to them, “You two… Something wrong? Do you know those… creatures?”
“H-Huh?/ W-What?”
“I said, do you know those people?”
Lori shook her head, “N-No…”
“Then—”
“It’s… Let’s just s-say that… I-It’s been… m-months… since we last saw them this close and the last time we did… It’s… It’s horrible—”
Then Lisa screamed out loud, “BE CAREFUL OF THAT ONE ON ALL FOURS OR ELSE—”
Before Lisa could finish her sentence, a bullet whizzed by this deadhead that seemed to be a Feral variant, and it just dropped on the pavement without issue. It was probably a job well done from Jared but the fear in Lisa’s eyes told us that not only were they sheltered from the outside’s horrors, but they brought more baggage than just the bags they had with them.
So yeah, it seemed like the few days they’d spend at home would be for a few sessions of therapy whether it’d have the word “exposure” before it.
If it was any other day, I wouldn’t take trauma or something along those lines lightly but with the way the world was at the current moment, people should at least be used to seeing rotting corpses or just straight-up desensitized to shit that could’ve made a person from the old world vomit out their last meal.
In any case, it didn’t take long before we left the Garciano’s area of influence and entered Mauricio’s and mine.
Obviously, we came across clearing groups from both sides but to somehow widen the sisters’ view of what happened the past year, I decided to take a few detours and one of them was toward the Intercity.
I could see just how much their eyes were trying to scan around and take everything in but they’d really shrink down if they ever catch a glimpse of something that resembled a flesh-eater. Still, I even went further and had them see a cleared deadhead up close because nothing beats first-hand experience alongside proper management of their psyche through therapy.
“It’s… So, it’s that easy, huh?” Lori commented.
“I mean~ We make it look like it’s easy—and honestly, this is just a normal Tuesday for us, but it’d be a different story if you’re unfit and out of shape plus don’t have any knowledge or experience about guns and close-combat fighting.”
“I see…”
“Also, complacency is one very dangerous motherfucker.”
“Complacency?”
“I said that it’s just a normal Tuesday for us, right?”
“Yeah?”
“But what if it isn’t actually a normal Tuesday or any day of the week? While it’s good to be in a routine, there are also bad sides to going to autopilot just to complete the day.
Everyone outside should remain vigilant and like the dead who are being controlled like puppets—which could run in an indeterminate amount of time without their noggin’, there’s a lot more shit everyone should be wary of.”
“I see…”
So as we reached the Intercity in 30-ish more minutes, we were welcomed by the head honcho himself and insisted we have lunch here which would be prepared by his wife. However, as much as I’d like a free lunch, it was still 4 hours away and we just had breakfast a couple of hours ago.
“Well, to what do I owe the surprise visit, then? You here to check on your Marines?”
I chuckled, “First off, they’re not mine, and secondly, you should’ve given me the heads up about Mr. Garciano’s people…”
“Hah! What could that have done? I wouldn’t wanna spoil the surprise either so… What’d you think?”
“I mean… Cancer’s a bitch, of course—”
“Hah… I fucking knew it…”
“You didn’t know?”
“Not 100% but I’m sure that something’s bugging him that time. He just really want to get one business so I let it slide.”
“Well this confirms it. Anyway, if you could set aside maybe umm~ around ten sacks of long-grained rice—the ones that lasts long and a little hardy, I’d appreciate it.”
“Ten sacks? For what? When?”
“Maybe in around a month? I’m planning another trip… overseas.”
“Ah… But just ten sacks? Couldn’t you just take more? I can easily give you 50 right now.”
“Hmm… I’m still thinking of bringing other shit but it wouldn’t be the same size crew compared to last time. I’m thinking of something more compact… I’m thinking of maybe bringing a yacht?”
“A yacht? Won’t that just attract too much attention? And can’t you just fly to wherever you wanna go to?”
“Well~ Using the Chinook would be better than a plane—though if we’re on the same subject of attracting attention, that’d be more conspicuous, no?”
“Ah— Well, that is true… Though can’t you just use the same vessel as last time? It’s already blinged up, right? And Johnny’s more than willing to do shit for ya because of the thing Oscar’s been on so… Well… is he on it now?”
I scratched the side of my head, “Well… I gave the old man the thingamajig off-screen, it’s up to them now—”
“Holdup, off screen? What do you mean?”
“Shh… You didn’t hear that…”
“You— Have you ever thought of getting a psych eval?”
“Why? I already know I’m crazy, what’s the point?”
“Fair.”
“Hah! But yeah, can you do me those ten sacks in a month?”
“I already told you, I can easily give you 50 now. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Great, thanks. Is there anything I can do for you right now?” Your next journey awaits at empire
“Nothing we can do ourselves— I mean, eating lunch with us will be great?”
“This again…”
“Look, Irene and I love eating by ourselves but it’s a different thing when we eat with people that are not scared shitless or that stiff over a bowl of rice and some simple viands. You get me? I wanna have that same atmosphere when we ate by your place’s pool area.”
“I think I could help you with that one…”
“Great! You’ll eat—”
“No, I can make you a pool—”
“YOU—”
“HAHAHAHA!!! Fine, fine! We’ll eat with you though you have to let me make you a pool—”
“How? My place’s is just above my warehouse—”
“Some tubing and a tarp will do! I can’t just sit around in your place for a few hours, you know? We’ll do some shopping in the meantime too! And don’t even think of hooking me up! You’re gonna ruin the economy!”
Mauricio chuckled as he shook his head, “Fine, fine~ I’ll see you in a few, alright? You’re my guests but I’ll call you if there’s trouble.”
“Hmm? Something you’re facing right now?”
“Nah, we can handle it but our neighbors are starting to run out of things to trade in. I stopped accepting junk long ago and we just broke up a fight yesterday because this other group’s crates of sheet metal were supposedly stolen from this other group further out.
When we tried to resolve it, the other group just did that because the other group they stole from already stolen shit from them long ago—and we supposedly accepted stolen goods from way~ back too. But you know how it is now, right?”
“Hmm~ I’d hate to say it but we’ve stolen more shit than anybody else. We should have some rules in place but that sort of thing is a gray area way before when.”