A/N: Okay! So, this is my first fanfiction. Just typing those words makes me want to crawl under my covers and sleep for ten hours in a fit of depression. I've always wanted to write stories, but never got the drive or courage to do it until now. I don't know why I chose TWD, but an idea came to me and it stuck, so here's the product. I have no idea how to categorize this because I only have a rough outline in my head, but I hope the rating and themes are suitable and I didn't totally screw up.
I know it's a terrible time to publish this, with the show starting up again this past Sunday, but I think this past episode is perfect for my particular idea. Of course, after the characters meet, I probably won't follow the original plot at all, so it works out. (Hopefully.)
I'm mostly doing this for me, but I hope someone out there clicks on it and takes some joy out of it.
Disclaimer: I do no own The Walking Dead or the song 'Angeles'. I also don't own any of the popular media that might or might not be referenced in this story.
Oh Los Angeles we leave you now
At the setting of your skies
And as we leave the comfort of your ground
With your angels we will fly
Well you carried us in broken dreams
Like a mother does her sons
We were scattered 'cross your dirty streets
We were dying one by one
And you held us in your city lights
When our eyes had lost the stars
And we made our peace with lonely nights
And you healed our broken hearts
Well they say the Big One's gonna come
And you will fall into the sea
But we will know that then your work is done
And your angels will go free
Angeles by: Peter Bradley Adams
Once, before disaster struck, I read an article about the dirtiest cities in America. Los Angeles was third, right behind New Orleans and New York.
It got me thinking.
Some of the worst plagues in history began in the streets of dirty cities. Does the Black Death ring any bells?
Yeah. Thought so.
I wish I could say that I was surprised when the dead started rampaging through the streets. That I had faith humanity would learn from past mistakes. In the end, though, when my new coworker at the office started trying to take a bite out of me, I didn't hesitate to take a letter opener to his head.
In hindsight, I can see why not being surprised is a plus.
I was in the corner of the room, letter opener grasped in my shaking hands as I stared at Dylan's dead body. His dead, dead body. I had just killed it for the second time. My memory was a blur as I tried to piece together the past five minutes. When I realized I had just stabbed my coworker through the eye, my stomach heaved and I found myself on hands and knees, losing my curried chicken on the plush, beige carpet in my office. I was shocked at myself. I glanced up, then immediately went back to heaving as soon as I saw Dylan's face. The flesh that made up his cheeks was sliding off his skull and there was an enormous, gaping hole where one of his hazel eyes used to be. Blood dripped from his head and mixed with my vomit, the wet sinking into the thick carpet.
I shook as I stood, turning my face away from the sight. I gripped the edge of my desk with one hand and brought the trembling fingers of the other up to the blinds, pulling down so I could peer through the glass. What I saw made me drop back down to the floor and curl into myself in fear. They were everywhere. I couldn't hear anything from the tall building but I knew that mayhem ruled the streets and there were probably death cries ringing in the air from down below. For what seemed like an eternity, I sat in my own little world, trying to wake myself up from this nightmare.
Then, I felt a change come over me as I came to the realization that, no, I wasn't dreaming and, yes, this was happening and, yes goddamnit, I had to get off my ass and get the hell out of limbo before some goon came in here and ate my liver. I had a little sense left, so I grabbed my coat and my keys and exited my office, only to be confronted by the sight of Eve, the receptionist, being torn apart by my boss and two other mindless drones. My little squeal didn't faze them as they tore into her gut, blood spewing onto my shoes. I backed away slowly, only turning my back when I was in the hall out of eating range. The elevator was tempting, but I didn't want a nasty surprise to be waiting for me on the other side, so I took the stairs.
I needed some cardio anyway.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I could hear the pandemonium in the streets. Steeling myself, I opened the fire exit door and walked into the sunlight.
I immediately wanted back in my office.
If you didn't already know, Los Angeles is not known for being easily traversed. Traffic is killer, which is even truer now that every time you stop, there's a homeless guy outside your door trying to suck your eyeballs out.
The cars in the street were practically piled on top of each other. People were screaming and trying to get away from the havoc. They exited their metal death traps and were pulled to the ground by the cannibals roaming the streets. I heard a baby crying. I was almost surprised that I still had something in my stomach that I felt like throwing up.
And then, a miracle. Right on the side of the street, a motorcycle sat, gleaming in the sun. I guess video game rules apply during the apocalypse too.
If it's shiny, it must be important.
But the real miracle was that the previous owner of said miraculous bike was laying in a pool of his own blood, shot feet away from his destination, keys in hand. I almost felt guilty as I stole my dead savior's keys and hopped onto the motorcycle that might have saved his life if he hadn't been shot.
Then my brain actually processed the information I was inputting and I realized this guy was not a victim of vicious biting. I looked into the distance and paused as I caught sight of the barrier keeping traffic from moving, the tank behind said barrier, and the soldiers in the streets gunning down civilians, alive or dead. It was a full blown extermination, the government trying to quarantine and destroy evidence of this fatal catastrophe.
Why was I not surprised?
Even as I watched, troops were being overwhelmed and eaten alive. I held back a yelp and tried to figure out what the difference was between a normal bike and one with an engine. I'd never ridden a motorcycle before in my life, but statistics have shown that when people are faced with cannibalistic death, they have a faster learning rate. My learning rate was going as fast as an Olympic runner on speed.
Just as the dead began to get interested in my general location, I figured out how to turn the bike on and peeled away from the curb. Dodging through cars and going faster than the speed limit permitted, I headed into a more rural area outside the city. I tried not to think about how, if I crashed, not only would I shred off all my skin, I would probably die. But I was a woman on a mission, and nothing but death itself would stop me from taking care of my Priority #1.
My daughter.
I arrived at the house, knocking over the bike in my hurry to get to the door.
"Therese?" I called anxiously, banging on the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement and turned to watch an old lady hobble toward me. Her eyes were glazed over in death and blood ran down her legs like a river. "Fuck it," I muttered, opening the door.
Stepping over the threshold, I closed the door and locked it, hands shaking. My gaze flitted over the interior of the house, taking in the happy yellow walls and the peonies in the vase on the side table in the hall. It was all so normal and unthreatening that I almost let out a sigh of relief.
Then I saw the blood dripping off the stairs.
I tensed, feeling myself let out a shaky breath. I grabbed the vase off the table and turned it over, letting the flowers and water dump onto the floor in a crumpled, soggy mess. I felt like it mirrored my appearance as I was sweating like a pig. My grip on the vase tightened, my knuckles white against china blue.
"Therese?" I whispered as I slowly ascended the stairs. Each step sent a creek echoing through the house, making my legs quiver, wanting to give way.
At the top of the staircase, with trepidation I took in the crimson trail leading to the playroom. My breathing was sporadic as I moved to the door. It was opened a crack, making the sunlight in the room hit the floor, the blood glittering like a liquid gem. I moved as if in a dream, putting my hand on the door and letting it creak open as slow as possible.
And then, I saw her.
Blood dripped from her leg, which was severely bit into and broken at the ankle. Her foot twisted grotesquely inward, almost completely turned in the opposite direction of her body. She scratched and clawed at the closet door on the left side of the room, trying to get to the precious cargo inside.
I tried staying as still as possible. I guess the dead must be able to smell fear, though, because she tilted her head around until I was in her sights. I couldn't hold in my gasp as I saw her face.
This couldn't be Therese, could it?
Then she lurched toward me, and I knew that even if she used to be my babysitter, she had probably tried to eat my baby, and that was not okay. I met her midway, slamming the vase into her skull and sending her crumpling to the floor, blue china tinkling as the vase broke from the stress.
I rushed to the closet, rattling the handle. "Alice!" I screamed, hysteric. "Alice, please, it's mommy, please open up! Please be okay…" I trailed off feeling tears run down my face. My adrenaline rush had pretty much turned tail and ran to Canada, leaving me a quivering mess. "Please," I gasped, "please…"
The knob twisted under my fingers. "Mommy?" a timid voice called, hesitant. I flung the door open to see my daughter, wrapped around another child, tears staining her cheeks. I dropped to the floor, bringing both of them into my embrace. "Thank God." I was blubbering now, my tears mixing with the ones on my daughters face, dripping off both of our chins. I backed up and got a good look at the other kid.
It was Charlie. He was a child whose foster parents sent him to Therese's because she knew ASL. His bright blue eyes were wide open, but dry. He had a stuffed dog in his hands, his grip so strong his hands were shaking.
"Don't worry," I said, voice trembling as I brought them back into my arms. "I'm here now." I felt Alice smile into my shoulder and Charlie's shaking subside.
Then, a moan ripped through the air, and my heart nearly stopped as I turned to see Therese crawling toward our huddle, blood streaming off her wounded head. She moaned again, and I saw her teeth, crimson dripping through her gums and over her lips. Alice let out a scream. Charlie hadn't heard Therese and sat snuggled up against me, a worried look on his features as he watched Alice.
My adrenaline kicked in again as Therese crawled toward us, scratching the wood floor. I rose, pushing the kids behind me and advancing on the handicapped dead person. I kicked out at her head, hard. The snapping sound it made sickened me, but not anymore than when she started to moan again, her chin making a ninety degree angle with her shoulders.
Thinking quickly, I took off my coat and wrapped my hand in the sleeve. Picking up the largest, sharpest piece of what was left of the vase, I knelt and brought it down through Therese's temple. I repeated the action until brain matter splattered across the floor, then stopped, gasping for breath. I stood slowly, trying to keep the mess hidden from the children. I failed, though, as my stomach turned and I fell to the side, dribbles of bile running out of my open mouth.
When I was done dry heaving, I turned to the horrified kids and clapped my hands, giving them a half-hearted grin. "That went better than expected." Alice rushed to me, leaving Charlie to sit on the floor, staring at his dead, mutilated caretaker. I picked Alice up, then went over and knelt, grabbing the hand that wasn't holding his dog and giving it a squeeze. Standing, I arranged myself between Charlie and Therese as I led him out of the room. I let go of his hand for a moment to close the door, but it was right back in my palm after I was done.
"First thing's first." I said quietly, the words loud in the dead silent house. I dragged both of them to Therese's room. I set Alice on the bed and started to go through the closet, grabbing a duffel off the slightly messy floor. Both of them watched silently as I emptied the bag and began putting clothes inside. I thanked whoever was up there for my insane luck that Therese was about my size. When that was finished, I ventured into the bathroom, grabbing the necessities and some meds, just in case. If I'm going to live during the end of the world I want my hair to smell like lavender, thank you very much.
I quickly changed out of my work attire and into sweatpants, boots, and a t-shirt. I had left my coat in the playroom but decided against going back for it in case it was impossible to kill dead people. Instead, I exited the bathroom and grabbed a jacket hanging off the edge of the headboard of the bed. Putting it on, I motioned for the kids to follow me as I hefted the duffel and grabbed another bag off the door handle of the closet.
Leaving the room, I led the children to the stairs, all the while hoping they wouldn't notice the blood stains. Once on the ground floor, I turned to go to the kitchen. I began to raid the cabinets, stuffing the extra bag with all the canned goods I could find. In a moment of mental clarity, I raided the silverware drawer, pulling out a can opener. While I was crossing the kitchen to the basement door, I paused as I caught sight of the living room. I saw Alice's little Hello Kitty backpack sitting on the floor, along with some toys and other paraphernalia. "Sweetie?" I called looking back to see her sitting on one of the stools by the kitchen island, "can you get your things together?" She nodded silently and hopped down, Charlie close behind.
I went down into the basement, grabbing the bottled water from where it was kept on a high shelf. I stuffed some into the bag, and then grabbed the rest, bringing it upstairs to put in the duffel. Just as I went to see if the fridge had any more water, I heard a scream come from the living room. I rushed in to see Alice and Charlie quivering on the couch, three goons plastered up against the window. The granny from before was there, along with two new guys. I glared at them as if to intimidate them, but they just snapped their teeth and clawed at the glass.
I was on edge as I grabbed the kids and took them toward the kitchen. Then, while passing the fireplace, giddiness rose in my brain at my extreme luck as I took in the double-barreled shotgun hung above the mantel, gleaming in the afternoon sun coming from the windows.
If it's shiny….
I sat the kids at the kitchen counter, and then went back to the living room, grabbing the gun and Alice's mostly packed satchel. "Now if I were ammo…" I muttered, looking around the room and trying to ignore the groans coming from outside, "where would I be?" I caught sight of the display case sitting on top of a set of drawers.
Bingo.
I opened the drawer closest to the door and was unsurprised to find a box of ammunition. I grabbed the small box and went to the kitchen. I checked the chambers; the gun was already loaded. Score!
I closed the chambers and grabbed the packs. "Okay," I whispered, grabbing Alice, "I need you to keep track of Charlie for me, okay? We just have to get to the car." Alice nodded resolutely. She turned and grabbed Charlie's hand, her grip like iron. "Don't worry mommy," she said in her childish whisper, "I'll take good care of Charlie." I couldn't help but smile at her bravery. I grabbed her and gave her a kiss, then kissed Charlie for the hell of it.
"Okay baby girl," I said, switching the safety off on the gun, "get ready." Grabbing the keys from where they hung by the door to the garage, I swung the door open and unlocked the car with the push of a button. "C'mon!" I said, running and opening the door for the kids. Even as they climbed into the back I could hear the garage door rattling. As I went to get in, fingers crept under the door, wriggling and clawing. I let a whoosh of air out of my lungs and turned the car on.
"Okay," I whispered, my heart trying to climb up my throat, "you can do this."
"Mommy?" Alice whimpered as she peered over her shoulder at the door. There were arms now, with shoulders making their way into the batch, and you could see glistening teeth snapping. I put the car in reverse and put my foot to the floor, slamming through the garage door at about fifteen miles per hour. My speed increased quickly as I backed down the driveway. I caught sight of a pulpy mess in the middle of the drive that used to be a sweet old lady. It was still moving. The other two, joined by a new friend, tried to rush after the car, but I had done some serious damage and was quickly gaining speed, so they were lost in my dust pretty quickly after I turned onto the road.
The sigh of relief I let out was loud and long. I felt it reflected my day very well.
"Where are we going?" Alice's timid voice rose from the back and I looked in the rear-view mirror to see her hand still grasping Charlie's in a vise-like grip. I turned my eyes back to the road, thankful again for rural neighborhoods. "We're going back to the house, honey. We gotta go get Aunty Liz."
"And Dixie?"
"And Dixie, sweetie."
"Because Dixie's gonna have babies soon and I need to be there when she does so I can name one Darcy."
I laughed and shook my head, feeling a smile creep onto my face for what felt like the first time in a long time. "I should not have let you watch Pride and Prejudice."
She giggled, and I saw her relax her grip on poor Charlie's hand. "Mommy?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"I love you."
I gave her my biggest, happiest smile, and she gave it right back.
"Most ardently."
I drove around the house five times before I deemed it safe to get out. We left the supplies in the car and ran to the front door. I felt a sense of déjà vu as I called my sister's name.
"Lizzy? Elizabeth, you there?"
The door burst open and I tried to jump away, but I was caught in a tight bear hug that I knew was un-escapable.
"Thank God." she said breathlessly into my ear. She pulled away and I looked at her. She looked how I imagined I looked. Frazzled, and a little bit like a crazy person. "I've been worried sick!"
She pulled the three of us into the house, pausing only slightly upon seeing Charlie. He gave her a shy smile hugging his dog to his chest. She smiled back, and then dropped it when she turned to look at me.
"Have you packed?" I asked, already halfway up the stairs. She followed after me, hurrying to catch up.
"Are you kidding? I don't even know what the hell has been going on! The power went out four hours ago. I've been cut off from the outside world for four. Whole. Hours." She grabbed my shoulder and wrenched me back to face her. "I've been here, listening to the radio spout this evacuation nonsense and there's been screaming outside the house." She stopped ranting and took a deep breath. "They said that the army was handling the city, and I knew it had to be worse there…" Tears were streaming down her face, her voice choked. I grabbed her and held her in my arms.
"I'm just so glad…so happy you're okay."
I buried my face in her hair and just stood. For a moment. I drew strength from being in my twins' arms, wrapped around my other half, feeling complete. "The feeling's mutual," I whispered into her hair, hearing her draw in a shaky breath, "but right now, we need to gather our stuff and get out of this hell hole, or else, pretty soon, we won't be okay." I felt a few more tears run down my face and shook myself, holding her at arm's length so I could look into her eyes, each of us the mirror image of the other. "Okay?" She let go of her breath, letting it calm her.
"Okay."
I went to my room, picked up a second duffel bag and grabbed another pair of boots and a few more changes of clothes, mostly consisting of underwear and socks. Then I went to Alice's room, stuffing the mostly empty bag with as many of her clothes as I could, along with her most durable shoes. I saw her favorite stuffed teddy bear and grabbed it for her. As I came out I watched Liz exit the hallway bathroom. She held up her bag. "Tampons."
I smiled and shook my head. "Always."
She smiled back at me then went into her room to pack her clothes. I went back down the stairs. For the first time I thought to check my cell phone, but then remembered it was in the pocket of my coat. I shook my head, feeling foolish. It's not like I would need it anyway.
I went to the living room where Alice and Charlie were sitting petting our dog Dixie. I smiled and gave Alice her bear. She smiled back up at me then went back to petting Dixie. I went to the kitchen to start gathering canned goods.
Elizabeth came down with two bags and I grinned at how well she knew me. The second bag was empty so we could put food in it, and she smiled at me as we filled it. "Of course you'd forget to grab a food bag." I rolled my eyes and nudged her shoulder with my own.
"Oh, yeah? You should see the bag in the car. It looks like I raided a store."
She grabbed as much water as she could and stuffed it into the bag. "Where did you get more food from?"
The smile fell off my face as I arranged the contents of the bag so I could close it more easily. "Therese."
She paused, taking in my expression. "Is she…"
I shook my head, staring at Alice as she tried to communicate with Charlie.
"Oh."
I kept my gaze on the group in the living room as I shook my head slowly. "A pregnant dog. We just had to have a pregnant dog."
Liz smiled sadly. "It is what it is."
I grasped the food bag and the clothes bag, putting one over each shoulder. "We should get out of here."
"Wait!" Liz exclaimed as a light bulb lit up over her head. "I gotta get something!" She rushed into the living room to the trunk that sat under the window. Opening it, she began throwing blankets over her shoulders. "Shoot, that's what I was forgetting!" I exclaimed softly to myself. I began picking blankets up off the floor when I heard a loud click. I looked up to see Liz holding a pistol, with me in her sights. "How 'bout them apples?" she said, giving me a shit eating grin. The kids, who had rushed to get onto the couch as soon as Liz started her throwing spree, got down and went to stand where Dixie was sitting, wagging her tail as she sensed the excitement in the air. Liz placed the pistol carefully on the ground and went back to the trunk. "There are a few more of them in here, and some ammunition. Mom left them in the trunk when she gave it to us. Must have forgotten to clean it out."
I shook my head in astonishment. Of course she would look inside the old trunk. I had never wondered about it, just accepted it and pictured it rotting in the attic.
"I think we're ready now, don't you?"
I nodded and placed the blankets so they draped over the bags. "Yeah, we need to go. Now."
As Liz gathered the kids and the dog, I looked out the window at the surroundings. I didn't see anything, but as Liz passed me I grabbed the gun she offered me, checking to see if it was loaded and switching the safety off.
As we left the house I felt like a secret agent, Liz down low and me up high, checking right and left respectively. "All clear." I said, keeping an eye on the car.
"All clear." she repeated. Together we ran to the car, Liz running in front and me checking our backs. Liz hopped into the driver's side as I opened the door for the kids. After they were in and Dixie was situated I ran around the front of the car, Liz revving the engine and looking around nervously. I hopped in and put on my seatbelt. "Everyone buckled in?"
"Yep!" Alice chirped. Dixie let out a bark.
Liz just rolled her eyes and nodded. She began driving, taking the back streets where there would be no major traffic. "So where are we going?"
I paused and thought it over. "I have no idea. All I know is that we need to get out of the city, ASAP." She nodded resolutely. "Okay." She turned left, so we could begin making our way to the highway.
Then, all hell broke loose.
The car jerked to a stop as we caught sight of the troopers, running toward us. I was wondering why they were running when I saw it.
The horde.
It was an army of dead. Every so many steps a soldier would turn and shoot at the mass, but where one fell another took its place. I heard a gasp and looked to see Liz, stricken with fear, frozen in position.
"Elizabeth!" I said, shaking her. "We've got to get out of here!"
By then the soldiers had caught sight of us, and were running toward us, not stopping to take down any more of the creatures.
"Elizabeth!" I shouted, watching as they grew nearer and nearer. "Liz!"
She snapped out of it in time for a soldier to open her door and pull her out, shoving her to the ground. I had locked my door but the man on my side put the butt of his rifle through the window, grazing my temple. He stuck his hand through the broken glass and unlocked the door. He yanked me out and I hit the ground. Hard. Everything was in a daze as I heard the men yelling, a dog barking, and a little girl screaming. Then there was a thump beside my head. I looked up to see my bag of food beside me, and Therese's car peeling away.
Sound rushed back into my ears.
"Fuck!" Liz was screaming as she rose and started gathering our bags. I heard Alice crying and saw her huddled next to Charlie, holding both her bear and his dog. To my surprise he was holding the double-barrel in his white-knuckle grip, staring down the road. Dixie was in a frenzy, barking at the dead that were advancing at a quick rate.
I gained my feet and took control.
"Leave it!" I yelled to Liz as she picked up her bag. "Leave everything but the guns and ammo!" I quickly ripped open the bag with the shells for the shot gun. I grabbed said gun from Charlie's hands then secured the pistol in the waistband of my pants. I grabbed the kids and pushed them towards the houses.
"Go!" They began running in the general direction of the outskirts of town, toward the highway. "Dixie!" I was screaming now, my voice cracking with fear. "Guard!" I pointed to my daughter's retreating back and the dog shot off, ready to keep my baby safe at all costs.
Liz was on her feet, backing away from the horde. She looked at me and I nodded. In unison we turned and began to run after the kids.
If my calculations were correct we had seven rows of houses to get though before we hit the group of trees right before the highway. Seven blocks to lose an army. The trees were on a hill, another obstacle to traverse. And none of this actually guaranteed our safety.
We were only on the third block and I could feel myself getting tired. Liz and I had gained on the kids, now right behind them.
The fourth block. The fifth. One of the dead appeared in front of us and I raised my shot gun, firing in the general direction of her head. I must have broken a record somewhere for being the luckiest girl alive, because I saw brains splatter across the pavement. The sixth block. I wanted to die.
As we came to the seventh block, I caught sight of the trees. Hope spread in my chest. We were almost there.
Then Alice tripped.
Liz got her legs tangled in the wreckage.
Charlie was still running, not noticing anything going on around him. I was a few feet ahead of where Alice and Liz were crumpled on the ground.
"Alice!" I screamed running back to them. Alice curled in a ball around her teddy, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Mommy, it hurts!" Her knees were scraped and she was out of breath. "I don't wanna run anymore."
I was in hysterics as I knelt down. "I know baby, I know. We can stop soon. We just have to go a little farther. Just a little farther..." But she wasn't taking any of my bull crap, so I picked her up and started towards the trees again. Liz had already stood, slowly hobbling her way, favoring her left foot. Charlie had made it to the trees, only to find that we weren't with him. He stood uncertainly, clutching his dog. Dixie was running back and forth between us all, stopping at every possible moment to growl at the horde at our backs.
I passed Liz. Then I stopped to wait for her to catch up. "Go!" she yelled, waving me on. "Hurry!"
I nodded and went back to running at full speed, Dixie at my heels. I freed an arm from my hold on Alice and motioned for Charlie to keep going. He didn't hesitate and began to ascend the hill. When I reached the trees I instantly began the trek upward, my legs burning and my lungs gasping for air. I felt like I smoked for a living. I felt Alice's tears soak through my shirt, and my fleeting thought was that I forgot to kiss her better.
I had caught up to Charlie. We were halfway up the hill. My pulse was pounding in my ears and I felt as though with every step my body was going to shake apart, and would leave me in pieces for the dead to devour.
Then the top of the hill came, and I felt breath enter my body for the first time in ten minutes. The highway lay before us like a long gray ribbon, twisting over a green dress. But we weren't in the clear yet. As I steeled myself for another run I glimpsed movement out of the corner of my eye. Setting Alice down, I gripped my shot gun and turned toward the threat, only to see a big, black, four-door Ford stop some ten meters away. A man with a shaved head and week-old scruff leaned out the window, eyebrow raised.
"Need a lift?"
Luckiest. Girl. Ever. Those are my three words, yessir.
With strength that I didn't know I possessed, I picked up both Alice and Charlie, ran to the second door on the driver's side of the truck and stuffed them in, then cooed for Dixie to jump up as well. She did, and then I turned to Liz and started to yell for her to get in.
But Liz wasn't right behind me.
I stared with wide-eyes at the empty space of pavement in front of me. Then I slowly began to walk back the way I came.
"Mommy!" Alice screamed as I made my way back to the trees. "Mommy!"
A door slammed. I began to jog. "Liz." I whispered, in a daze. With every repetition of her name, my speed increased. By the time I reached the tree line I was running, screaming my twin's name. "Liz! Elizabeth!"
I was about to sprint down the hill, when I got tackled from behind.
"Woah, there. You're headin' in the wrong direction." Even as he said it I saw the horde through the foliage, making its way slowly up the hill.
I was still screaming at the top of my lungs. "Let me go you heartless son-of-a-bitch! My sister is down there!" I struggled against him as he dragged me toward his truck. He was undeterred by my screams. He threw me into the open driver's side door then shoved me across to the passenger's side as he got in. Quickly, before I got any ideas he pulled my shot gun out of my grasp and locked the doors. He stepped hard on the gas and we shot away, leaving the horde, and my Elizabeth, behind us. I crumpled into the passenger's seat, numb.
The truck slowed to a stop and our would-be savior swore. I took in the seemingly endless line of cars on the road. There was honking and yelling. People were nervous at best, frantic and angry at worst.
"I guess we're stopping here for a minute." He glanced at me, then shrugged, exiting the car. "I'm gonna see what all the holdup 's about."
I heard his heavy footsteps walk away. I imagined myself getting out of the car and running back from where I came, to Liz. I was already going crazy.
"Mommy?" I turned and saw Alice looking over the shoulder of the seat. "Are you okay?"
I chuckled bitterly, remembering all the 'okay's' that were said today. "I'm fine, sweety. Just tired."
"Oh." She was quiet for a little while, then spoke up again.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah, hun?"
"Can we watch the sunset together?"
I paused, then lifted my head to take in the orange sky. It must have been around seven or eight in the evening. I rose into an upright position and motioned for her to come sit in my lap. I caught a glimpse of Charlie. He was curled up around his dog toy, sleeping, using Dixie as a pillow. Alice climbed into my seat and we watched as the sun went down over the city skyline.
I think that, with the day ending and all, what happened while the light was out rushed back to me, and I realized the situation I was in. I was in a strangers' truck, with no money, no food, and only the borrowed clothes on my back and the shells in my jacket pocket to keep me safe. I had a pregnant Doberman and two kids in tow; a deaf nine year old and a five year old who still believed in Santa Claus. My identical twin sister was dead.
My shoulders shook as I wept silently, disbelieving that I had any more tears left to give. Alice had fallen asleep against me, and I tried to keep from shaking hard enough to wake her. My eyes were still blurry when the man came back and got into the truck. "The line goes on for-fucking-ever. There's no way we'll get out like this." He looked out his window, then did a double take, looking out over the city.
"Holy hell."
I leaned to the right to catch a glimpse of what he was looking at. I began to ask what it was when fires burst up from the city, the tongues of flames licking the night air. The man turned to face me as I watched the city burn. He reached his hand out.
"Name's Ferris. You?"
I took his hand, trying to remember how it was I called myself, in my past life.
"Juliet."
He cracked a smile and gave my hand a firm shake. "Well met."
I kept my eyes glued to the flames. Through my tears, the colors of the sky and the ground blended, and became one. I could almost hear a scream rising from the city, only to be silenced by the crackling of flames. As though someone else shared my thoughts, a wail broke through the quiet that had fallen over the line of cars, as if a person had heard the screams of the thousands of voices from the flames suddenly stop, and it had broken their heart. As the wail filled the air, it was taken up by the multitudes, the night filled with despair.
I curled around my daughter as the first building gave way.
Los Angeles had fallen.
A/N: Well, there you have it. Kinda awkward and totally unbelievable, but it's the zombie apocalypse so hopefully it works. I had to work in as many pot devices as possible in the first chapter, I guess. And I know, 'Juliet'? What kind of name is that? I'm sorry. I've been watching too much Psyche lately. And yes, there is no group in this chapter, and probably none in the next chapter either. Gotta set things up, you know? Ah, well. If you have the time, I would love some R&R, because I read this over about five times and I'm still sure I missed some major gramatical errors. I also just like reading comments. (Who doesn't?)
Also, Zombieland references. There might be a lot of those since it's the most recent zombie movie i've watched and I'm into that kind of humor. (I kinda imagine Ferris to be played by Woody Harrelson, but that might be a bit too much...)
Toodles, for now!
