The face of beauty is a constant reminder of what was, what I used to have. I see her every time I close my eyes, reluctant to leave the realm of sleep with fear of that being the last time I see those greenish-brown eyes. But in the new world sleep isn`t a luxury that comes easy, if you`re lucky enough to come by any it's usually tainted with fear of the monsters that creep in the dark.
"Kory wake up... Kory!" Looks like my sleep is over, her beauty slowly slips away. I stir to consciousness, staring at the blurry figure standing above me.
"Kory, they're back, Rick has an announcement. He's telling everyone to gather at the church." the concerned excitement made me eerie of the pending news. Once the figure came into focus it was little Emma, the child of a farmer that used to tend to our fields. His body was torn apart by the monsters, in that very field where he planted his crops. That was the day that I was brought in by Rick and Darryl, they found me lying half dead in a ditch after I was attacked by monsters, but this time they were human. That was the day I lost my will to live, she was torn from me by the attackers and it was the last time I ever saw her. Her screams are the only memory I have of that day, cutting through my silent mind like a thousand knives.
"Babe, we should head back. I hate being out after dark, we will come back tomorrow." I should have listened.
"We will, we will… I want to take the long way though. Maybe find a car or some supplies." Half way into our journey, our truck stalled out, leaving us stranded away from our little barn we called home. The sun melted over the horizon painting the sky with a pink blanket. That should have been my first warning, and her jumpy demeanour and shaking hands my second. But I was stubborn, there has to be supplies somewhere, a stale cracker, even a can of that shitty cheese sauce I know she hates, but there was nothing.
"No it's a long walk Kory, I am not getting stuck out here in the dark, lets go." she turned in a hurry, stomping her feet as she moved towards home. Why can't she see that we need supplies, does she not trust me, does she not feel protected?
"Gabby! Stop! We need supplies, this is why I tell you to stay home. You only slow me down!" I snapped at her, she stood silent. Both of us not wanting to break our gaze. I didn't mean it, I wanted her with me, it was the only way I could protect her. I need to tell her I'm sorry that I didn't mean it. I stared at the defeated look on her face as it melted away and turned to fear. I hear a rustle behind me and it freezes me in place, the sound of metal cracking my skull fills the air. My legs turn on me and let me crash onto the pavement.
"Ru... Gab… Run." I force my eyes open as they fight to close, my body turning against me as I fall to the wet, slimy road. The taste of rust fills my mouth, challenging my lungs to force oxygen in. My eyes blur as they lock onto to her horrified face, I need to help her, I need to get up. I struggle to pick up my weak body, falling back to the cold concrete beneath me.
"Run!" I strain, she's frozen with fear unable to follow my weakened order. A cloaked figure steps into the scene of terror that is unfolding in front of me, they block my view, and two more follow in the bigger ones path. I fight my heavy eyes giving no sign of letting up, I'm glued to the pack of ghostly figures. The smallest one pulls back the black fabric and fumbles at its pocket, only to pull at a treasure within revealing a small shinny gun looking object. They are closing in stalking her like a wild animal, she needs to run but her legs have not moved except for a small tremble above her knee. They surround their pray, trapping her in a curtain of black.
"You belong to the Prophet now." the buzz of electricity fills my ears as they jab the Taser into her shaking body, Gabby's body collapses to the earth beneath her. I strain my eyes looking for anything, any clue to who they are, what they are going to do. The ghostly figures turn to my still carcass, revealing a patch on their cloaks, a cross with wings. The leader turns and nods in my direction, the pack of monsters have their pray, this time it's me.
"Unfortunately for you, we don't need anyone else. Guess it's time to ring the dinner bell." A smirk formed in the corner of his mouth, as the steel prongs darted into my neck bringing with them 50,000 volts of electricity…
"Kory, Are you there?" The childish voice brings me back to reality. "We need to go tell people to meet in the church."
"Uh…Ya… sorry I was lost in thought. Why you so excited for this meeting kid, you probably won't be allowed in."
"I asked Daryl to bring back candy, and I think they found some." She skipped to the door "Let's go!"
"A town meeting for some candy?" I follow behind her, watching her skip with excitement. "Let's just hurry this up, it's hot out today and I'm not in the mood to sweat."
Before I know it Emma was down the drive way and starting for the houses that lined the block, these houses were straight out of a magazine, only amplifying the illusion that everything in the world was normal. Each house filled with families and groups who have survived this terrible apocalypse and found sanctuary here at Alexandria. Which is why telling everyone about a meeting is a big task, a big, hot, sweaty task.
"Town meeting in 30 mins, at the church everyone." Emma skips past a group of townspeople, yelling loud enough to cover three houses at a time. Her skipping continues and brings back a sense of innocence that is missing in this god forsaken world.
"Emma, I'm sure most people have already heard. Let's just get a move on ourselves."
"Rick told me to tell people, Kory, so that's what I'm going to do, if you don't like it you should be the leader." Her sass is followed up by her tongue as she continues on her mission.
"Little brat." I mumble.
Before she could snap back at me with a response, the door of one of the model homes swings open releasing a stench of booze.
"Fuck you Donna, I told you to beat it last night or else." The drunken patron stumbles to the porch, throwing a suitcase, spewing old clothes all over the lawn.
"Dan you better pick that up you no good drunk, I loved you, you piece of shit!"
I've seen this before, another Drunken Dan episode, not the first one I've been a part of either. First was the case of his missing booze, the booze he took off a truck instead of food for the town. Second was his removal of his first girlfriend, and now for the encore.
"Don't yo… you talk to me like that you little bit…bitch." the slurred vocabulary was always hard to follow. Dan's temper was like his drinking, always quick to escalate. He steps towards the tiny body of his once former lover, and raises a shaky fist in the air.
"Dan don't you fucking touch her." I snap, cutting the air with my words. "One more fucking move and I end you."
"You're gonna end me? Who even are you?" The cocky chuckle adding to my rage. "Oh that's right you're the one that can't even look after his women, just a little weak puss…"
I guess it's hard to talk with a fist in your mouth, the feeling of cracking porcelain begins under the pressure as his teeth shatter. He stumbles back already wobbly from the alcohol, I palm his face sending it crashing into the pillar behind him, smearing a crimson reminder on to the traditional white paint. His legs give out sending him crashing to the deck, I pounce, letting out my rage, blow after blow. Dan's body is becoming limp, but I have lost control of mine, how could he joke about what happened, he deserves this.
"Enough!" a firm hand grabs my shoulder sending me flying back towards a group of horrified on-lookers, it was Rick. "Somebody get him to the doctor, Kory what the hell is going on?"
"Just another Drunk Dan episode." I hold my trembling fist.
"You and Dan need to stay away from each other." Rick barked
"Maybe you should let me kick his piece of shit self to the outside, and leave him there to become dinner."
"Look everyone its fine, just get to the church meeting in 15." Rick starts towards the church. "Oh and Kory go get that hand looked at."
The doctor was close to Dan's, coincidentally, he sees her a lot. The medical house was smaller than the others, and was often quieter. The door was ajar, I push the knob, puddles of my victory are lined down the hall way. I smile at the red liquid, as I carefully navigate around it. The hall way to the main room is short and lined with doors, all closed hiding the saddening sight of fallen townspeople. The doctor herself is nowhere to be seen, probably too busy removing pieces of teeth from the alcohol drenched throat of the town drunk. I've been here before, once, when they brought me in after finding me on the road about to become monster chow. It's cleaner now, calmer, when they brought me in the town walls had fallen under the weight of a collapsed steeple. Rick needed more people after the elimination of some unfortunate survivors, ex survivors.
"Quieter than it was?" The doctor's voice breaks the silence.
"Ya, much quieter"
"Quite a number you did on that asshole, you seem to be the reason I'm in business" she grabbed my moist fist, examining it. "Hard head isn't he?"
I chuckle at the joke, carefully watching as she pulls out a bottle of alcohol. This is gonna burn. She dabs it onto a white cloth, drenching a spot in clear liquid.
"This won't hurt at all." Liar.
She puts it onto my clenched fist, forcing my hand tighter. This part hurt the most, not the skull crunching under my knuckle- the cleansing of the cuts it leaves behind. I hold my breath and clench my face, careful not to lose my tough guy persona.
"Meeting in 10 Doc, are you going?" Trying to change the subject off of the pain.
"No, unfortunately someone beat the shit out of the town drunk, so I will be busy today!" her sarcasm numbed the pain.
She finished wrapping my hand and sent me on my way, I had to get to the church. I was running late and these meetings are usually important. The church was a smaller building on the edge of the town, on a normal day its population is maybe three, today there is a line of townspeople spewing out into the streets eager to hear the news. I push my way through the sea of sweaty people, making my way into the view of our leader.
"Quiet down please." I just made it, Rick was standing at the podium. "I know that the past few weeks have been somewhat easy for us, since the loss of the walls we have found a way to rebuild just like we always will." He goes quiet, and steps in front of the podium. "Unfortunately we have gotten word of a new threat, a new community. They are moving closer to us, they are bigger and stronger. People we may have to fight." The meeting erupts into a concerned mumble. "These people are out for blood, we've seen it firsthand." Rick motions to Daryl, cleaning his bow.
"Why should we start a fight with them?" a concerned yell from the crowd cuts through the mumble.
"Because we need to catch them off guard, they are bigger than us and we need to use the element of surprise."
"We should just wait!" Morgan yelled from the back, I never liked him, he wasn't able to kill, therefore he wasn't able to protect.
The debate began, I sat quietly not caring of the outcome. If I had to fight I would fight, if not I will wait for the next one. The issue didn't concern me, so I will be quiet and let fate decide. The debate was winding down, I was unsure of the winner- I was lost in thought.
"Fine people, we will wait and hope that they don't attack first." Rick's defeated look was both of anger and concern.
"What else do we know about them?" an older lady called out, I think her name was Carol. I liked her she was vicious wrapped in an old lady package.
"Well we know that their main base is 50 clicks south of here. We also know that they have a medium stock pile of guns and ammo."
"What are they calling themselves?" her question not adding any valuable information.
"All we know is that the leader's name of the group is, the Prophet." What! "They have a cross with wi…"
"We are fighting!" The words leapt out of my mouth, a quiet fell over the stunned crowd at my aggressive words. "That's them Rick!" my lungs climbing to my throat.
"Who?" confusion plagued the crowd as Rick spoke.
"The ones that took my wife, the ones that left me to die, the Prophet." the very name snatching the oxygen from my chest. The leader went silent, shocked by my words. "If you guys aren't going to fight I'm going by myself. I have to." A tear pushed out of my eyes, amplifying my desperation.
"They're too dangerous for one man." Daryl finally spoke, lifting his eyes from his bow.
"I don't care, I love her and I'm going, that's it. If anyone wants to help then I welcome it." All eyes fell to Rick, no one wanting to speak, no one wanted to move until orders were given. For the first time the leader was at a loss for words. 'Please' I mouthed.
"Uh…ok… Hands up if you want to help fight. We need at least 20." the hands of the eager shot up fast, the scared townspeople slowly started to join in. A hand fell on my shoulder.
"Let's go get her" It was Glenn, I talked to him once, nice guy, always ready to help. "I would be lost without Maggie, so I could only imagine what you're going through."
"Well it's settled, we move out at midnight, we will brief everyone on the plan on the way there."
The meeting was adjourned, truthfully I hadn't been listening ever since I heard their name. Would she still be there, would she still be alive? Only one way to find out. I finally get that chance.