*Fixed the paragraph spacing on multiple chapters. Certainly learned from my mistakes by writing just big blobs of text.*
It was early Friday morning. The beginning of October. The streets of Notre Dame were coated with red, yellow, and orange leaves. Light raindrops fell from the dark grey sky, followed by large claps of thunder. Paris was no longer a place of hope. But nothing more than a deserted city of sorrow. Loss.
Esmeralda took a deep breath, looking around the one true place she called home.
"Esmeralda!" Clopin ran to catch up with her, holding a sack of what appeared to be twenty pounds. She sighed. "We need to travel lighter."
He sadly looked back at the wooden stage. The Court of Miracles was just as special to him as it was to her. Inside the backpack were two loaves of bread, a few scarves, a change of clothes and many other mementos. "Will..we ever return here?"
There was a loud rumble of thunder. The gypsy girl sighed. "Only time will tell Clopin. Only time." She wiped her eyes and checked her bag. In hers was the almost the same along with a five-foot rope, minus the scarves. Clopin sighed, leaving a few of his drawings of the Cathedral and three of his masks behind. Two of his puppets were tucked nice and safe at the bottom of his bag.
"I'd leave your hat too." Esmeralda sadly added. He cleared his eyes and ran down the sewer, regretting the thoughts of having anything to do with it. "Clopin!" Esmeralda panted as she chased after him. "Wait!" Without a word, the gypsy lifted the stone and waited for her.
The final close of the stone in a way wasn't as emotional. Another clap of thunder sounded and a streak of lightening lit up the sky for only a second. Both gypsies ran down into the street then stopped, unknowingly at the Palace of Justice. The door opened.
"You bloody heathens! This is all because of you!" Judge Claude Frollo shouted among the thunder.
Three gurgling zombies trudged closer to them and they gulped. "Clopin I.." Esmeralda stammered and backed up. "Wh..What are these things?" "I don't know. But I'd rather not wait around any longer to find out."
Gun shots were fired and the zombies fell dead on the ground. A young girl, the same age as Esmeralda but a few inches shorter, ran over. "Are.." She caught her breath. "..Are you guys alright?" Clopin let go of Esmeralda's hand and blinked. "Th..That was you?" "Yes. Now let's hurry up so we don't get into any more trouble."
The girl clenched her teeth as two rough hands held her wrists behind her back. Her small tears of anger mixed with the rain. "What?" She shouted. "Let her go Frollo! She saved our lives!" He chuckled. "Which is exactly why.." The girl rolled her eyes and roughly elbowed his chest, causing him to fall onto the concrete. The judge groaned. "I don't need an old man slowing me down!" She glared as another strike of lightening made its way above her head and towards the church. "Insolent child!"
The girl continued forward, solo, and sighed. "You don't have anyone with you?" "I work best alone." Clopin stopped. "You don't have any friends?" The girl shook her head. "Bad memories. Rather not be reminded." The gypsy woman blinked.
Frollo struggled back onto his feet and walked after her. The girl growled and quickly turned around, pointing her gun in his face. "What?" The weaponless judge rose an eyebrow and lightly pointed her gun elsewhere. "May I remind you who I am?" 'Like I have time for your arrogance.' "Yes. You are a human just like the rest of us." She kept walking then stopped. "And for the record, He is not going to save you from this."
He growled and walked over to her. "You will not defy our Lord! The only reason you are alive.." "..is because of science. The ability to breathe, think, and remember. Now if I were you, I'd remove those judicial robes. A real tripping hazard." The girl continued walking and scratched the back of her head.
Frollo picked up an old spear from one of his guards off of the ground and walked after her. "Get away from me!" "All non-believers shall be executed. You, my dear, are no exception." She growled louder. "There is nobody else here beside you, these two gypsies, and myself. Now as I said before, I travel alone."
She looked behind her and widened her eyes. Not five, not ten, but twenty zombies trudged forward. She gestured with her hand for him to keep quiet and motioned Clopin and Esmeralda to do the same. The gypsy woman nodded and led them into an old building and closed the door.
"Should hold up for now." She mumbled to herself. "Will be a couple of miles to the next woods. Food, water, refuge." Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. "Yes?"
"What's your name?" The male gypsy asked then smiled. "It's Sandra. Sadie for short." The girl reloaded her weapon and aimed it out the window, her right eye peering through the scope and left pointer finger on the trigger.
"That's a pretty name. I'm Esmeralda." The woman held out her hand. Sadie sighed and slipped her gun back in the back pocket of her camouflage knee length shorts. Aside from her oversized white hoodie covering the black tank top she wore, Her frame was petite yet average in terms of strength.
"As is yours." Sadie glanced outside then passed by Frollo, noticing a few medium cardboard boxes. The judge looked over to her and blinked. Esmeralda came over and tilted her head. The first box was quietly opened and inside lay two swords and four moldy loaves of bread, along with five rotten apples. Clopin hurried over then scratched his head as one of the sabers was carefully placed in front of him.
"What's this for?" Sadie got to her feet and handed the other sword to Esmeralda. "You need to have some kind of defense if no one else is near you. So when the sun rises again, we'll head out." Clopin turned away and sighed. "Is he okay?" The girl asked concerned. The gypsy woman had him sit down and untied his sack.
"I'll be back then." "Wait." "What?" "Where are you going?" Sadie sighed and picked up one of the empty boxes. "Might as well take what we can find. I'm going to go look around. Either of you want to come along?"
Clopin took a deep breath from Esmeralda's accompaniment. "Alright then." She slowly opened the door and looked around. Sadie held her breath and walked out.
Frollo followed after her with a stern face. "What are you doing?" He whispered. The girl shuttered and covered a hiccup. "I'm going to poke around grandpa." She whispered back then smirked. He scowled. "Why? Would you like to help?" "As a matter of fact, No. I don't. My hands are too clean for your devilish ways. Atheism is the greatest sin by His word."
Sadie cleared her throat. "Whatever. Stay here then." The streets began to reek of rotten flesh. After a deep breath, the girl set out and held her breath. Jumping over the deceased bodies wasn't as difficult as staying alert every second. A half mile or so up the street was an old bakery. Having her hopes up, she quietly entered.
Four zombies were mindlessly walking around, loudly groaning. Sadie clenched her teeth and closed the door. "Shit." The thunder boomed, making Sadie turn back. A flash of lightning stroke down, starting a set of flames on an unstable house. She quickly shook her head and swiped a few bottles from nearby a medical stand into her box. Beside that was another shop.
She entered with a deep breath and squinted eyes. "I don't see a lot."
Three old books lay scattered on the floor. Their pages were left bent and torn. A child's puzzle mat made her immediately turn away as she explored the place. Despite the scent of sweat and blood upon entering the kitchen, it certainly was deceiving. Inside two of the five cabinets was an interesting combination of old newspaper and ammunition, as well as a brand new pair of work gloves and a bungee cord. Sadie tilted her head but took all three.
"Beginner's luck." Her head then poked into a bedroom. Nothing aside from an unmade bed and peeling yellow wallpaper. The girl walked back to the door, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Now take it slow. Don't want all of this rattling to attract any new friends." She replied sarcastically then exited the building with a less then satiated expression. Not that she was ashamed about keeping her expectations above her capability, but accepting the mental guilt of not doing more to help and supply. 'Quiet. Keep quiet.'
She hiccupped after almost tripping over a zombie's body, clenching her teeth that nothing caught their attention. A minute passed. Not a sound. Sadie sighed with a small smile and continued on her way.
Another shop caught her eye. "A bank? No. I'm not a robber. But yet again it would help to start a fire. We don't have to evacuate Paris just yet anyway." She muttered to herself and kept walking, only to stop again at the gypsy king's old puppet show stand. Sadie headed over and quickly scanned every inch. A pack of twelve needles and two small supplies of black thread. "No more. It's getting late."
Clopin sighed. "Get ahold of yourself gypsy." The judge groaned and continued to pace in a circle. "Can you please stop doing that? You're making me tense." Esmeralda glared. "Tense?" He sneered and walked up a flight of stairs. "Sandra's been gone for how long?"
Sadie overheard his bickering from the window and snickered. Her left hip opened the door then closed it. "Present sir!" The girl shouted up the stairs in the tone of one of his former guards. Frollo walked back down with a stare.
"Hi?" She smiled sweetly and set the box on the ground. "Where on earth did you find all that Sandra?" Esmeralda stood up. "Well I stopped by a deserted house then..Ugh." The judge pinned her against a wall with a single hand on her chest. "What's your problem?" Sadie blinked and forced herself free.
"Anyway.." Her hand reached into her gun pocket. "...I came across some medical supplies too. But first things first. Let's move everything upstairs since the windows are able to close." She sat beside Clopin and helped him up. Esmeralda picked up the box and Sadie picked up the other. "It's getting pretty late. Come on. Let's hit the hay." And by we she meant the gypsies; and Frollo. Yes it was entertaining to annoy him but it was more than likely he couldn't survive with his stubborn mindset.
All four of them headed upstairs and by the looks of it, nothing really took her personally aside from the sight of only three beds. 'Let's see, Since..' Two far too familiar fingertips were set on each of her shoulders. She sighed and elbowed the judge once again in the chest. '..he's older. Yes. Esmeralda and Clopin can take the others and I'll use the floor.'
Esmeralda tilted her head. "Well that's unfortunate." "Could be worse. You guys can have the beds. I'm hoping to find something to barricade those windows down there." She set down her box. "Are you sure Sadie? I mean.." "Positive Clopin." Sadie half smiled. "Besides, I'm the shortest." "Alright. Thank you." Esmeralda lightly hugged her from behind. The girl closed her eyes with a hum. "No problem. Good night guys."
Sadie grabbed a green blanket off a bed and sat down, covering herself with it as she opened the box. The ammo in the other was loaded into her weapon. Still curious, the judge impatiently but quietly waited until the abominations were sound asleep. Sadie quietly sneezed and began to open the box.
"Pardon you." She almost screamed and turned her head with a hand on her chest. "I..." Frollo sat up. "My apology if I have frightened you. But the fear is all in your head. I assure you." Still startled, she turned away and started to search through it.
"Then again, Why are you still up?" Sadie picked up a pile of old pipes and examined them. "I get paranoid." She squinted her eyes at little chunks of rust and shrugged, setting them aside. "Can you please leave me alone?" A few coins were placed in a pile next to her.
"Why don't we introduce each other first?" He watched her. "Like how? Sadie, Claude. Claude, Sadie. Enchanté. À Vous. There. Easy." She rolled her eyes and continued to sort.
"I'd like a real conversation my dear." The girl tightened her eyes. "Please don't call me that. My name is Sadie." He blinked and folded his arms as he sat at the edge of the bed. "Very well. Now, if I have your consultation, How were you led astray?" Sadie felt suddenly ill. "Th..That's a bit personal don't you think? Asking one's spiritual standpoint?"
Frollo tilted his head. "Shall I ask another?" 'He's playing smart with me I see.' Sadie looked away and nodded. "You have intended that you prefer to carry on alone instead of in a group or pack." "Yeah. I have. I didn't really have a lot of friends growing up and those who were, or said they were, were boys only wanting more than that."
Frollo rose an eyebrow. "As a result, my ability to trust has become almost non-existent." She stopped talking after that and picked up a few yards of rope. 'Cool! Could use that too!' It was quietly placed in the other box. He tried to think of a response but couldn't.
"Well that's all I found useful. Do you want to look?" She prepared to slide the box over. "No. Thank you." He quickly added. "K." She sighed and scratched her head. "I got it!" She quietly shouted and stood up, taking a screwdriver she didn't think she needed out of the box.
"Sadie?" He went after her down the stairs. The girl began to unscrew the latches on the door with a smile. "What are you up to now?" "Can you please help me carry this door upstairs? We'll set it up there instead because of the closed windows."
He was a little hesitant at first then he nodded. It was as if she didn't lift a finger. She let go and blinked. 'Woah.' Frollo held the door as she reattached it. "Much better." She smiled. "Though I'd favor black or red to go with the white walls instead of brown." Frollo scratched his neck as Sadie opened and closed the door to test it.
"Great. Good night." "Dare I say that was quite clever." He handed her a spare pillow from the bed and sighed. "Oh. Uh. Thank you." She lay down on the white hardwood floor and took it. "Thanks for the help by the way." "No need to thank me Sandra. Or do you prefer Sadie?" "Sadie's fine." He glanced down at the floor and watched as she got comfortable. "Good night."