Terminus, Train Car B
Chapter 1: Dying hope
It was cold tonight. Beth could feel little clusters of wind flowing through the cracks in the elevated train car; she looked up for a moment, only to glance over at Andy, who was sitting with the kids. He was so dreamy, but right now, she knew he was the last thing on her mind…escaping was more important. But how? How do you escape a murky, corroded steel box…let alone in the air.
Every morning, or what felt like morning to everyone, they were lowered to the ground, to be given a day's supply of cold oats and/or powdered milk, not the most appetizing of meals…but everyone put up with it, purely because no one could be bothered anymore, they'd all just lost hope, everyone mostly just waited to die…waited their turn, like the rest of the people in the other train cars. But not Beth. No. She was too hung up on the idea of an attack, a fight back…there'd been some major gunfire yesterday afternoon, which meant someone had had the guts to fight back…and she believed, that's what everyone in this boxcar lacked.
Beth followed Andy with her eyes, she just stared at him…admiring his kindness and responsible attitude, she liked that, hell, everyone did, except maybe his sister, Addy, they're twins, and they're like the sun and the moon, Addy, Beth had noticed, has a very spiteful and snappy attitude, and she had seemed to develop a certain hatred for Beth, Beth didn't care too much though, especially when Andy liked her so much, she thought it was funny, especially when she felt the same way about him, but Addy hated every minute of them paying any kind of respect or loving nature towards one another.
Beth hadn't noticed that in the time she had spent gazing at Andy, he had actually acknowledged her and had come over to sit next to her, she was surprised at this, but quickly brushed it off and leaned against his warm body. The sudden change of temperature made her shudder, which stirred Andy, leading him react by putting his jacket around Beth's shoulders, he smiled, and she returned it.
"B…why don't you sing a song for everyone, I know Sam has been staring at you for the past hour, waiting" He chuckled and gestured over to Sam, who was leaning against the metal wall, watching Beth, as though she was in fact waiting for her to sing. Beth had sung every evening since her capture to the rest of the group, she felt as though it kept the group alive, and their spirits high. Tonight, Beth felt too tired to sing, but she knew she had to, as though it was her duty, and after all, who could resist such a cute face, like Samantha's?
She sat up tall, took a deep breath and sung.
"Of all the money that e'er I had,
I've spent it in good company" She stopped for a moment to see that everyone had paused what they were doing, and everyone but Addy had come over to listen. They had huddled a bit closer and were listening contently, a few even had closed their eyes, and were relaxing to Beth's smooth voice. She continued.
"And all the harm that e'er I've done,
Alas it was to none but me,
And all I've done for want of wit,
To memory now I can't recall,
So fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all,
Of all the comrades that e'er I had,
They are sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,
They would wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot,
That I should rise and you should not,
I'll gently rise and I'll softly call,
Good night and joy be with you all,
Good night and joy be with, you all…" She stopped gently, and noticed that her eyes were watering. She knew why immediately, the first time she sang that song to a group, it was with Rick's group, she had sung with Maggie, at the prison, back when her dad was alive. She sniffed slightly, reminiscing those days, back when she had a family, for all she knew, Maggie was dead, and thinking about that made her angry, angry at The Governor, who had started all of this, and angry at herself, for singing it and bringing the memory back into her head…for ages she'd tried to block it out, and she'd brought it back, but sulking and complaining wasn't going to get her anywhere, she had had her time to mourn, so, instead she looked up, wiped her tears, and smiled, smiled at everyone, smiled at Sam, who had that great big grin on her face, like she always did when Beth sung.
Sam never spoke, not since her brother and her sister had died, he mom had tried her best to get her to speak again, but after all, she was only young, and lately her mom had been losing faith too, Beth was the only one who had been able to put a smile on Sam's face, since she had lost her siblings, and she felt honoured that she could do that.
"You gonna sing another one "B"?" Addy had got up, she strolled over and used her best you-annoy-me voice, she had used a sarcastic tone on the word "B", which was Andy's nickname for her, she knew why she was doing this, but was never the kind of person to retaliate.
"No, I think one is good for now…why did you wanna hear another Addy?" Beth smiled, and knew she wasn't going to get much of an answer from her. Instead, like Beth knew, Addy just scoffed and walked back to her seat. Andy smiled at her.
"Sorry, ignore her, she doesn't have much in the way of personality" He laughed and got up to help put the kids to sleep. He went over to where Ellen and Sam were, they started to chat, and Sam rested her head of her mother's lap, Joseph came over and put his spare coat on Sam, in an attempt to keep her warm, he smiled at her and she snuggled up to it, although he knew that a small jacket wasn't going to keep her warm in this weather, he still had tried. He walked back to where he slept and laid down on his thin jacket, Andy followed him and sat next to him. Joseph was a few years older than Andy, but they were already good friends and you could tell by the way they were always laughing at each other's stupid jokes, Beth had overheard a few once and they were ridiculous, although she didn't care, she was just glad someone was keeping their spirits high.
Beth glanced over at the girl in the corner, she never said a word, never moved, and never got up to get her food, no, Ellen would do that, she was the only one who had ever tried to get her to talk, no one knew her name, her age, or anything simple like that, let alone knowing her past and how she got here, Beth knew to stay out of it, and let her come to everyone else…if she ever did.
Beth now felt exhausted, she leant against the cold metal wall and closed her eyes.
They kept getting closer…closer, she had no weapon, nothing to defend herself with, she knew she was probably going to die, she turned her head to see more walkers emerge from the distance. Shit. There was no escaping this, she said a quick prayer and let go, let herself get taken, she had allowed them in. She looked up and her petrified face was now getting torn apart from her lifeless body…
Beth abruptly flung her eyes open. Maggie. She kept having that same dream, over and over, why, she didn't know, maybe it was a sign, a sign that Maggie was in danger, but after all, what could she do about it? She glanced over at everyone, they were all sleeping, except the girl, she had moved, she was fairly close, and had her eyes open, looking at Beth. She was startled when she saw that Beth was awake, and Beth was more startled to see that she was being watched.
"What're you doing?" Beth asked, slowly sitting up.
The girl said nothing, instead she reached into her leather jacket and handed Beth what looked like a handkerchief.
"Um…thanks" Beth brought it up to her eyes, which were wet from her panicking nightmare she had just endured. She stopped. "Why were you looking at me?"
"You look like my sister" She answered, it was so quiet that Beth could barely hear, but her voice was soft and sweet. Then, without another word, she got up to go back to her area of the train car. She slumped down and leaned against the wall.
Beth frowned. She was confused but was too tired to try and push further for answers, so instead, she put the handkerchief in her back pocket and closed her eyes once again…this time, she hoped, until morning.