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The Fort - Chapter 1
Kenny left with his family, Lee and Clementine. They took off in the RV while the group was stationed back at the motor inn.
Lilly's group moved on since then, found a bigger and better place. As more people poured in, Lilly remained the de facto leader. Though nobody made a proclamation about it, nobody really questioned her decisions either, except Carley. That damn reporter woman just had to meddle in thing she couldn't understand, and Lilly was slowly getting fed up with her, again.
Her father dying of heart attack had pushed Lilly out of balance for some time, and if she didn't gouge Carley's eyes out during that time she thought she never would, but Carley kept on questioning her every decision in front of the group. No doubt she was rousing people against her as well.
Lilly's response was to offer leadership, to which Carley always refused. The bitch had some idea how hard the job. She just wanted to whine, while basking in the very protection Lilly provided.
Somehow trough all that Carley was still here, and that just showed weakness, Lilly thought staring from a distance. And Lilly wasn't bread for weakness, that much was certain.
Carley talked to some newcomers not noticing the deadly stare directed at her from the other side of "the fort". That's what everyone called it, and even though it was just an enclosed and well barricaded diner place with the surrounding parking lot, it meant life for the people inside.
Lilly made it work. She wasn't some dangerous criminal leading them astray, like Carley suggested. Lilly wanted to strangle her, but she wasn't prepared to risk everything she built here so far.
Lilly often caught herself being bored and thus staring at Carley way too much, and finally she caught herself thinking Carley wasn't bad looking. The thought disturbed her, though she had a rational way of explaining it. Sure she may be pleasant to the eye, Lilly acknowledged, but she was an idiot as most of these reporters are, always criticizing everything just for the sake of opposition.
Carley looked a lot better when her voice couldn't be heard too. All she needed was someone to duct tape over her mouth, which Lilly would gladly apply, but she sat in her reverie and let her imagination run wild.
Suddenly Carley waved goodbye to the newcomers. She fancied herself a tour guide for the new folks. The bitch had to be always so helpful. Than Carley asked the gatekeeper to open the second gate, the large metal gate with a big yellow number 2 slid open enough for her to squeeze trough and than they closed leaving Carley on the other side.
Lilly watched in wonder. "What the fuck is she doing?" She whispered to herself watching Carley go out there alone. I didn't let her leave! Lilly thought grabbing hold of her jacket and squeezing it angrily in her fist. I'll deal with that faggot at the gate later, she thought, right now I gotta see what is that bitch up to.
Lilly ran for it, climbing up the ladder on the side of the building, and all the way to the top of the diner place, than one more ladder up to and even higher level. There on the highest spot in "the fort" was the designated sniper. Right now that was Doug who seemed to be on the verge of wakefulness.
Lilly stepped on him with her military boot and shook him awake. "Wake up fatso!" She yelled.
Doug sprang up with a faint sounding apology, than laid back down and set his eye on the scope of the sniper rifle.
Lilly squatted down and grasped the barrel. "Take a hike! I'm taking over!"
"Alright." Doug accepted, unwillingly releasing the weapon from his grasp.
"Give it here!" Lilly snapped. "It's not edible!" She spat, ensuing a frown from Doug. Doug figured Lilly was really pissed off about something. He made sure to get out of there quickly.
"Last time you're up here by the way. As of tomorrow you'll be cleaning the latrines." Lilly added before Doug could climb down the stairs and disappear from her view.
"Sure." Doug replied, clearly displeased about his new duty.
Finally she was alone on the roof looking trough the scope as if trough binoculars. She was searching around for Carley and finally spotted her crossing the road. Carley went into the nearby forested area. She passed the first row of bushes and stopped by the tree.
"What the hell is she plotting?" Lilly questioned herself as she watched Carley look around in all directions.
When Carley was done looking, she pulled her jeans down and squatted down to pee. "What the hell?" Lilly whispered zooming in.
"What's the problem Carley? Our indoor latrines aren't quite up to your standards? What a bitch…" Lilly whispered to herself as her aim went down to Carley's crotch.
She blushed seeing the woman's private area and quickly moved the aim up to Carley's head. That's when she got an entirely different idea. I could just shoot her right here and now, Lilly thought. Carley was far enough from the camp so that no one would see her and if some walkers came along and ate her remains it was a done deal.
Lilly took the safety off and put her finger on the trigger. She was ready to squeeze, aiming right between the eyes of the unaware reporter.
Lilly had second thoughts. Would it really be alright to kill someone in cold blood? Than again… maybe Lilly would be doing her a favour, getting shot trough the head wasn't the worst way to die these days. It would ensure she wouldn't come back as a walker. Carley could eventually ruin things for everyone, so this could be considered mercy, Lilly persuaded herself. "Alright, let's do this! Focus!" She scolded herself putting her eye back on the scope and the aim on back on Carley.
Lilly was gently squeezing the trigger when a shadowy figure appeared in her sight. A man with a knife was sneaking behind Carley, he was almost next to her before pouncing up in the air with a sharp blade.
Carley tuned around screaming as Lilly fired off a shot.
The bullet went right trough the bandit's eye. Carley pushed the dead body that collapsed over her and stood up putting her jeans back on. Her hands were trembling. This was way closer than that time at the drug store when Lee managed to help both her and Doug.
Carley looked up to the designated sniper on top of the diner and gave a small wave of thanks and recognition to whoever was her saviour. It was probably Doug, she thought crossing the road back to the fort. She last saw him up there.
What the fuck did I just do?! Lilly snapped. The solution was right there and I didn't even have to get my hands dirty! Just let things play out! I didn't even have to shoot!
Lilly stood up and kicked the small water tower next to the sniper nest. She jumped around for a minute and took of her boot to see if she broke a toenail. She didn't, but that was hardly a relief.
She went down and threw the rifle to the absent minded Ben. "Hey Ben, take over!"
Lilly charged straight to the gate to meet up with Carley who was just entering with a bewildered expression. "You!" She snapped pointing at the reporter. "Who gave you permission to leave?"
"Who says I need one?" Carley responded crossing her arms. "You may be in charge, but you're not a dictator here!"
"Argghh…" Lilly growled. She couldn't bare another fight with this woman. "Just get out my sight!" She snapped turning her attention to Josh who was guarding the number 2 gate.
"You let her trough!" She stated staring up at him.
Ben's peer knew it would be pointless to lie. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…" He started.
"Shut up!" Lilly cut him off. "If you let anyone else trough without my permission you'll be the one leaving, for good, understand?!"
"Yes ma'am."
Lilly went back to her room stepping angrily. Passing by she saw Carley kissing Doug on the cheek. "Thanks." She said quietly to clueless Doug who just smiled in response.
Somehow that annoyed Lilly enough to interject. "He didn't shoot." Lilly said continuing to her room.
"Who did then?" Carley asked.
Lilly turned around taking a moment to think. "It was Ben, I sent him up there."
"Oh…" Carley said facing Doug who acted confused and starched the back of his head. "Thanks anyway Doug." Carley said placing hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you would have done the same."
Now it was time for some investigative journalism. Carley very much doubted Ben could make a shot that accurate, but then again he might have been lucky. She climbed to the top of the diner, and Ben really was up there.
"Hey Ben!"
"Hey Carley, what you doing up here?"
"I just wanted to thank you for that awesome shoot. You really saved me out there."
"What are you talking about? I didn't shoot!" Ben blurted out as if accused of something horrendous.
"But Lilly said…"
"Yea, she came down and handed me the rifle, that's all I know." Ben said.
"Was the shot fired before that?"
"I think so."
"I see…" Carley said staring out into the distance. "Thanks Ben, I'm going down now."
Carley went straight down to knock on Lilly's room.
"What do you want?" Lilly asked just barely cracking the door.
"I just wanted to have a word with you."
"Now is not a good time." Lilly responded attempting to slam the door shut but Carley pushed her foot in time.
"It's never a good time! You just don't want to talk to me."
"True." Lilly spat, attempting to slam the door again, but Carley's foot was still in place.
"Fine! Just make it quick!" Lilly accepted letting the door fall open as she rushed into the bathroom located inside her room.
"I just wanted to say…" Carley begun, stopping when Lilly turned the faucet on. "Just come out here! I can't talk like this!" Carley snapped.
Lilly shut the water and appeared leaning against the door of the bathroom, but making an effort to hide her left hand from view.
"What are you hiding there?" Carley noticed and took a step back knowing Lilly as unpredictable.
"Don't worry, you're safe." Lilly showed both her hands one of witch was badly wounded."
"Oh… do you want me to bind that for you?"
"No! Just send someone who usually does that… who knows how."
"Actually, I usually do that. I do a lot of things around here, not that you'd care to notice."
"I can't deal with petty things. I'm busy keeping all of us fed and out of danger!"
"Yea right! You spend days locked up in your room, you don't even know what's going out there!" Carley retorted.
"Get out!" Lilly snapped pointing to the exit.
"Alright, I'm sorry. Just let me get my med kit."
Lilly sat on her bed already feeling a headache. Her hand was still bleeding from the cut.
Carley retuned after a moment and sat on Lilly's bed next to her. She took a small bottle of alcohol and a clean white rag.
"This is gonna sting a bit." Carley said putting the soaked rag on Lilly's hand.
"I know." Lilly said giving Carley a stare that told just how useless that information was.
Once the wound was cleaned Carley went to the bathroom to wash out the rag. There she happened upon a shattered mirror. She returned to Lilly with a compassionate glare. "You have a lot of anger in you, don't you?"
"What are you a psychiatrist too?!" Lilly snapped getting up.
"I can be, if you want me to." Carley said taking a step closer and looking up at the slightly taller woman.
Lilly was completely confused. "What's with you today?"
"Beside the fact I almost got killed?"
Lilly looked away, pretending she didn't know a thing about that.
"Do you regret saving my life?" Carley asked after a longer pause.
"I didn't save your life. What are you talking about?" Lilly responded not having the nerve to look Carley in the eye.
"I know it was you who took the shot. There's no point lying."
"I was just doing my job. No thanks are required. Just bind this and leave me alone please."
They sat back on the bed and Carley continued binding the wound, but she couldn't stay silent for long. "You're spending way too much time locked up in here."
"Mind your own business." Lilly said calmly.
"I'm worried about you… I mean we all are."
"I told you to shut up!" Lilly gritted trough her teeth. It angered her to hear this blatant dishonesty, and whatever Carley's agenda was here, she didn't like it.
"You should go out more and socialize…"
"That's it!" Lilly stood up taking the med kit to the door. She threw it out on the concrete then pushed Carley out the door as well.
Carley kneeled down picking up the scattered med kit form the ground when Hank walked by. "Lilly did that?" He asked.
"Yea." Carley responded with sorrowful expression.
"She's not fit to lead us if you ask me." Said Hank, a construction worker before the apocalypse and quite an aggressive type as well.
Carley looked down and continued picking up bandage packs.
"In fact I'll tell her myself." Hank stepped towards Lilly's door.
"Wait." Carley grabbed him before he could do one of his loud knocks. "Can you just do it tomorrow?"
"Since when are you defending her Carley?"
"I'm not. She's just in a bad mood right now… she won't listen to you."
"Like I fucking care about her mood!"
Before he could knock Lilly slammed the door open. "What's all the yelling about!? You know I'm trying to sleep in here! Go bicker somewhere else!"
"I have no problem with Carley, it's you that are fucking useless here!" Hank took a step closer to Lilly and got in her face.
Lilly stood her ground, but the situation was getting out of control. Carley placed a hand on Hank's shoulder in order to calm him down, but if this turned into a fight Lilly would have no chance to stop a guy that big, not even with Carley's help.
Carley looked around for closest people who could come to their aid. That's when the tree snapped and took out the weakest wall of "the fort." The large metal plate propped on metal pipes collapsed under the weight of the heavy oak.
"Fuck!" Both Hank and Lilly turned their attention to the broken length of the wall.
"Get that wall up now!" Lilly ran out into the parking lot as everyone rushed out to help.
A group of a dozen where trying to lift the plate back in place, and prop it up like it stood before.
"God damn hurricane gust!" Lilly yelled cursing at the sky.
"I knew that thing would snap sooner or later, but you just wouldn't listen to me." Carley commented standing next to her.
"Shut up Carley!" Lilly snapped, having no real arguments to go on.
Lilly watched as quickly assembled repair team struggled to get the plate up. She realized they wouldn't be able to pull it off in time as walkers could already be seen approaching. "Everyone stop!" Lilly yelled out. "There's no time for that, just get some furniture, get those trash containers! Pile up anything you find."
"That's a good plan." Carley commented, still standing by Lilly's side.
"Yea." Lilly said looking down on her. "And why don't you help? You're gonna just stand there?"
"No, I think you're the one who should help here. If you still want to lead this group, the people need to see you working beside them."
Lilly took a long look at the reporter. Carley actually had a point. Lilly's position was undoubtedly hanging by a thread, especially since Hank showed up. Without a word Lilly grabbed a board off the ground went to toss it in the pile.
Everyone turned round and took notice, and they were already looking at her differently. Carley watched from the distance with a satisfied smile.
Lilly went to patch the last corner up. She put up the heavy board vertically and lodged it between two heavy pieces of furniture. Unfortunately the walkers were already lined up at the quickly assembled barricade and Lilly didn't notice one as she was making this final touch. She screamed out in pain and yanked her hand back. Her already wounded hand from shattering the glass now had a bite mark across the fingers.
Everyone nearby turned to Lilly and Carley soon rushed over with concern.
"Fuck…" Lilly muttered looking down at her hand. When she looked up everyone was staring at her and they were all thinking the same thing. The protocol was clear, once bitten you are forced to leave the encampment within 24 hours lest you don't chose end it yourself. It was cruel, but that's what kept them alive. Lilly herself made the rule.
"I'm sorry Lilly, but you need to go." Someone from the group finally said.
"I know." Lilly agreed bowing her head.
"No! Wait!" Carley interrupted stepping in between Lilly and others. "We can cut her hand off. Fast! Get the knife! Or a saw…"
"Carley stop!" Lilly ordered.
"I'm not cutting off anything. I'm going to pack my bag." Lilly announced to the gathered and went for the her room.
Only Carley followed her inside. "Lilly what the hell are you doing? We can save your life! Surely that's worth a hand!"
"No! I'm not cutting off pieces till there's nothing left! I'd rather die than live like that in this forsaken world."
"But you'll turn!"
"No I won't." Lilly said grabbing the gun from the wardrobe. "Why are you even here Carley! You should be happy! Just get out! It's your fault I got bitten in the first place! If you hadn't suggested…"
"I know." Carley said looking down. "I was trying to help… I didn't know his would happen."
"This day would have turned out a lot different if I just…" Lilly paused realizing Carley was still in the room.
"What?" Carley asked.
"Never mind, I'm leaving anyway. By the way, you should take a shift as a sniper up top. I don't trust any of those guys with a rifle."
"Nobody can shoot as good as you Lilly."
Lilly seemed unaffected by Carley's compliment, she packed the last of her stuff in a large olive coloured backpack.
"There's still time, lets do just the fingers? You might survive. Please Lilly, don't just think of yourself. We need you." Carley pleaded.
"No!" Lilly said one last time before storming out.
Lily hardly heard any goodbyes as she walked to the gate. Everyone was just stricken by the seriousness of the situation. Carley observed form the first floor balcony. It seemed unreal that Lilly could be gone just like so, within the space of few minutes she went from being a leader to an outcast.
Carley couldn't help feeling guilty about it. She assessed the state of "the fort". Now with Lilly gone and one of the walls down, it didn't look very promising. Carley rushed to grab her backpack, than to the gate number 2.
"Open it!"
"Carley? Where are you going?"
"Just open the gate please, and if anyone asks, tell them I'm sorry."
"Will you return?" Josh asked pulling on the gate mechanism.
"I don't know." Carley said stepping out into the walker infested world.
She saw what looked like Lilly's form in the distance and ran to catch up with her.
"Carley? What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm going with you."
"Why?" Lilly wondered.
"It's my fault. I can help you out with… whatever happens you know."
"Sure, I wouldn't mind some company." Lilly accepted leaving Carley bewildered.
Carley thought about it as they walked side by side in silence. Though gloomy as anyone would be, Lilly looked rather relaxed.
Carley figured that facing with death had drastically changed Lilly's behaviour. Every time Carley glanced over, Lilly seemed less tense and neurotic then she was before. It was as if she gave up concern. She seemed almost happy, and it was the first time Carley and Lilly could actually have a friendly conversation that lasted hours. Lilly really opened up. After all she had nothing left to lose.
"You know, you're not so bad Carley." Lilly said when they found a safe place on the roof of a house and sat down to have meal.
"Thanks, you as well." Carley reciprocated. "It's like I didn't even know you all this time."
"Same here, I always thought you were a bitch. You never agreed with anything I said."
"Yea, I'm sorry. I actually did that just to make you question your decisions."
Lilly found that incomprehensible. "What? Why?"
"Never mind, it was dumb. I think you did better than most considering the shit we went trough."
"Thanks." Lilly said absent-mindedly yawning. After taking a last bite of the sandwich, she took out two shirts form her bag and crumpled them to form a pillow of sorts. "I'm gonna have a nap. I feel tired." Lilly said laying down.
"Sure, go ahead. I'll keep watch." Carley agreed, looking at her companion with sorrow. This was a bad sign. The infection had begun working its way in Lilly's body, leaving her drained of energy.
After another day of walking they reached another temporary safe place, another roof where Lilly's first thought was to take a nap. Carley thought this may be her last, as she was unfocused and unresponsive the whole day.
Lilly made a pillow form two shirts once more, but Carley stopped her offering her thighs as pillow.
"Thanks… much better." Lilly said dozing off on the blue jeans with a smile.
Carley looked out into the sunset as tears collected in her eyes. She couldn't hold them in anymore, and begun weeping as silently as possible, but it was still too audible.
Lilly noticed and looked up at her friend. She moved her hand up to touch Carley's cheek. "It's ok." Lilly managed to say, comforting her.
Lilly closed her eyes again, as Carley stroked her hair against the wind that kept blowing it over her face.
Lilly fell asleep and Carley could clearly see the black veins protruding at her temple. It was over. The sickness had won like it always does and Carley knew what she had to do. She took the gun out of her bag and kneeled over Lilly.
Lilly seemed so peaceful now, which was so unlike her. Carley figured this woman was never happy in her whole life, surely even before the apocalypse. She had a very annoying father to deal with and it seemed she didn't enjoy her job most of the time either. In her serene figure she saw a person who had a lot of pain and burden to carry as well as unfulfilled dreams of shaping her surrounding somewhat to her liking. And still she took it upon herself to lead people, probably cause she thought no one else could, and she was probably right.
Carley just wanted to take away her every burden, and she would. Carley put the clip in her gun and kissed the sleeping Lilly's forehead, then aimed down and finally with shaky hands pulled the trigger.
Lilly just kept on sleeping. That's what it looked like to Carley. She even slept the whole time as Carley dug a deep hole. She placed Lilly in there to rest and kissed her lips with teary eyes before covering her up with some dirt.
Carly put on Lilly's jacket as hers was buried under a pile of dirt. This way she'd always remember Lilly no matter where the road takes her, and where she ultimately finds her own conclusion.