Free walkers the survivors by Zelda Davis-Lindsey

poor widdle chicks for supper tonight, I ate pancakes.  Lacy, Sarah and Mercy sat at  the small table and watched the mini rodeo, laughing at their antics until they delivered the poor things to our doorsteps.  We decided to skin them so we wouldn't have to deal with plucking and finished breakfast, fueled up and started the grueling trip to the other side of the state.
         When we'd come to Montana back a hundred or so years ago, or last year I guess, we'd passed through New Mexico.  I was trying to get us to the place where we had crossed the state to the west side.  I knew the road was pretty clear unless...well I didn't want to think of 'unless'.  We'd ran into a military unit at a ranch house we'd found that had electricity.  We'd hidden in the barn during a thunderstorm, then we sneaked out in the middle of the night.  We'd driven with lights out most of the night to get away so I wasn't sure I could find the exact route again.  But I didn't think that would stop me. 
         We hit Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari later that day playing dodge ball with walkers and traffic jams and the usual backtracking, wearing everyone's nerves thin.  The interstate was in pretty good shape but we had to do a lot of off ramps to on ramps because the overpasses looked bad enough to fall at any moment.  We finally headed south at Santa Rosa because we were tired of that crap and wanted some different crap.
         We got it.
         A thunderstorm came in with such force that it threw dirt and dust on us until we had to stop.  It was good that we did because the bridge a head of us was swept away in the flash flood.  Our outfits swayed  and jumped with the force of the wind and the hail cracked two vehicles windshields and took out a window in Clint's and Mercy's RV.  In a matter of minutes it was gone leaving a white faced bunch of Montanan's in its wake.
         "Damn" someone said as we watched the flooding river sweep away the rest of the bridge.
         "Yeah," someone else said.
         "Well, hell yes, lets have us a flood to go with the damned earthquakes and dead walking people and forest fires.  Lets not forget prison walkers and gaping holes in the road where there isn't supposed to be gaping holes."  That would be me yelling.  I felt like I was standing outside my body and watching the other me losing it big time. It looked to be an interesting show.
         "Anyone have any oxygen on them."
         "I heard that, Duke"
         "Well, ok,  Should I just kill myself now or wait till she comes to her senses?
         "Shut up, Duke.  JD, it's okay.  You know this is just a little wrinkle and we'll fix it."
         "Build bridges, do you now, Mace?  I have every right in the world to have a fit and you know it."
         "Yeah, if she wasn't doing it, I would."  Lacy muttered.
         "Me too, I'm done for."  Mercy said.
         "Same here," quipped Sarah
         "See, I'm not the only one."  When they all just stood there staring at me, I started to laugh.  Staring at that roaring river full of trees and debris I just lost it.  Ever seen the show 'Money Pit' with Tom Hanks and the tub he'd just filled with water falls through the floor and all he can do is laugh?  Well, that was me. I cawed like a crow, hooted like an owl and nearly wet myself when I started rolling on the ground.
          I wasn't alone.
          Several minutes passed as restraint was attained.  Mud was scraped from various body parts and articles of clothing.  Sniffling and giggling was rampant but a little bit of decency was  found.  We'd all settled down to a certain extent but I was being watched very, very closely.
          Since we were out in the middle of damned near nowhere, we decided to rest for awhile before backtracking some more.  The land was flat except for those mountains to the west. The powers that be were making it awful hard to make it there.  But we were