Sooo there are some flash backs in this story, and their probably will be in future chapters. To make things easier to follow, I've decided to make everything that's not happening in the present all slanty! I hope it all makes sense! Effy is literally pronounced F-y and I'm pretty sure I got that name from skins ( the original one) I just loved it so much. Also Cissina is pronounced Kiss-ina ( yes it's a real name, my cousins name in fact! its a southern thing) Let me know what You think of it or if anything needs improving. I rated M just o be safe. I can't promise my mind wont go to dirty places once Daryl comes into the picture *sigh* I've been thinking too about posting some character descriptions so everyone can know what these peeps look like? I don't know I have decided yet...SO ENJOY
The heat of her breathe combined with the smoke from her cigarette formed a large swirling cloud of smoke around Effy's head. She waved it away with a quick swipe of her hand and resumed her star gazing. On a clear night like this, the cold air seemed to amplify the brightness of the stars and full moon, sending an eerie blue glow over their small settlement. On a night like this one, things almost felt normal. Almost. Were it not for the large shot gun laying on her lap, she could have been simply enjoying a crisp Tennessee night in February. If only she could be that lucky.
It was her turn to pull the grave yard shift ( as Jed so ironical named it) of watching for walkers. She stared straight out at the motionless tree line, half hoping one would come staggering out. If only to give her something to do instead of listening to her own breathing. With a sigh and flick of her dead cigarette into the blackness below her, Effy rose stiffly from her platform perch, and spun around to survey their camp. In front of her lay half a dozen tents and various kinds of trucks, all clumped together like a shanty town. The familiar sight of it reminded her a trip she took with her brownie troop as a kid, in to the mountains of West Virginia. Or had it been Georgia. She couldn't quite remember. It was, of course, the only camping trip she had been allowed to participate in before being "asked to leave" after yelling some very choice words at the Troop leader, Mrs. Fowler. Effy couldn't hold back a laugh as she recalled the look of pure horror on that old hags face when she called her Mrs. Fuckwad. No one had expected such language from a small, delicate girl. All of the other brownies, and many of the parents laughed in surprise at her boldness. After the incident, Effy had decided that Jed, her half brother, was to blame for her new found love of speaking like a sailor. Hell, he had damn near turned blue from laughing when Effy recanted the tale to him later that night. She smirked and shook her head at the memory of her big brother beaming with pride at his foul- mouthed baby sister.
Her smile faded when she looked beyond the camp. A sheer cliff surrounded them on three sides, opening up to the woods, rivers, and no doubt, walkers, far far below. It had been Jed's idea to come here, remembering it from when his father took him hunting here once as a boy.
" At least now" his voice boomed over the small gathering group, "there's only one side that needs watching".
Later that same day, while everyone was staking their claim, and tents, into the ground, Jed quietly admitted to Effy his other reason for picking such a spot.
"We can't run forever Ef, and when this shit finally hits us for the final time, when the walkers got us on our backs, we could always jump".
Both siblings laughed at his remark, but both knew too well how much of a reality it could end up being. After all, if it came down to that and their were walkers munchin on you insides, a long walk off a short cliff didn't seem like too bad of an option to Effy.
Effy grimaced at the bitter taste that thought left in her mouth and returned her attention to the camp that lay before her. Few tents still had their lamps burning on the insides, as most of the group had gone to bed. She figured it was about 1 am, based on where the moon had moved. However, even from her far away perch, Effy could clearly pick out the shape of her half brother and all his 6 foot 5 inch self, casting a rather giant shadow on the ground. The way he sat, all hunched over like, he resembled that thinking man statue you always saw in movies and t.v.. She knew better than that, though. She could safely assume Jed was towering over his guns ( and most likely hers), cleaning away and dissembling them, just to reassemble them moments later. That seemed to be his favorite task as of late, even if the guns were rarely ever fired. After the last hoard attack, more then a month ago, Jed had announced to the group, back then more then double their mere 8 members, that the guns were no longer to be used unless dire circumstances.
"All ya'll best get real familiar with a blade, 'cause this shit ain't happening again. We wont last much longer out here firing away like it's fourth of damn July. Might as well put up a blinking billboard that says WE'RE HERE! COME ON AND GET SOME TASTY FLESH WALKERS! WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS! It's like ringing the god damned dinner bell".
Some had protested this new rule, but eventually decided it was for the better. Except, of course, for Beau. If anyone ever in the history of the world had made Effy uncomfortable, Beau was 5 times worse. He was the worst kinda man: rude, horny, and selfish. But his two biggest shining qualities of assholeness were this; he was as big as a tree, he was usually angry, and he was armed. That man must of owned his own army, Effy first thought, upon meeting him back when the disease was just starting to spread. He did have a vague military look about him, with his crew cut hair and his camo pants. This thought had quickly faded when he got to talking, and revealed himself as one of those doomsday preppers she and Jed used to laugh at on the t.v. I guess they weren't as nuts as we thought, she silently thought to herself now. After the gun announcement, things between Jed and Beau just about came to blows, as they usually did when these two bears disagreed ( which was always). Effy was shocked the first time her half brother got in the older mans face. He has always been so level headed and sweet, especially if his baby sister was watching. Something about Beau just got under his skin, and honestly, Effy felt it too. During this particular argument, she risked putting herself between the two men. placing a hand on each to keep them separate. Everyone was on edge from the recent attack. After all the killing and the deaths of many of their group members, a fight was the last thing anyone wanted. They might have crushed her like flea if it hadn't been for Miss Virginia Cline speaking up. The elderly woman seemed to appear out of nowhere, ad had everyone's undivided attention instantly.
"Beau, you watch it now or I'm fixing to poke you like a stuck pig myself. Jed's right and you know it. Them guns of yours make too much noise. Even you must have played kick the can in that deranged experience you call a childhood. If you're too scared to be without them, I'd be more then happy to watch out for ya while you work on that speech impediment of yours. I won't let them big bad walkers naw on ya none".
Everyone snickered at the exchange, save for Beau, and the 60 plus year old woman cocked an eye brow while she waited for his response.
"Speak now, dummy, or forever shut the fuck up. I ain't got another life time to wait for you to form a complete sentence in that pea you call a brain".
Beau turned a deep shade of red before spitting out a sharp "fine", and stalking off to prepare for the move.
Jed's light went out suddenly, and Effy reckoned he had finally turned in for the night. Tomorrow the tow of them had plans to go on a hunt/scavenge trip into a town below them to stock up. Their camp was starting to run dangerously low on food. Hunting with Jed was always a fun time too. It reminded her of their trips when they were kids, although back then, your survival didn't depend on whether or not you could get a clean shot on a buck. And according to Miss V, any kinda meat they could bring her, she could cook up and pass for a right proper meal. Effy had to admit, Miss V had made some mean dinners for the group out of everything from bob cat to field mice.
Now seemed as good of a time as any to make a run for town. Their new location had proved a smart choice, they hadn't seen any walkers in over 3 weeks. Effy figured it was because they were up so high, in such a remote area. Barely any people lived up here before the world all but ended. She was, dare she say, enjoying their new home? It seemed safe enough, had a view pretty enough to put on a post card, and there had been no fights within the group since the trailer park massacre, as Effy's friend Cissina so intelligently named it. Even Beau had been kind of pleasant, now that he had taken a liking to Ryder, the 16 year old orphan boy they had picked up on the road about a year ago. Effy had seen them one afternoon together. Beau was showing Ryder the proper way to hold his bow knife in order to throw it right. She smiled as she stopped to watch, thinking they could have passed for a father and son, learning the tricks of the trade ( if the trade was killing walkers before your insides become their meal). But, like all things, the moment quickly passed as Beau noticed her staring, and thrust his hips in her direction, while licking his lips and winking at her. He laughed at the disgusted look that came over her face, she assumed he got it a lot even in his normal life and was used to it. Yup, that's about right, she thought as she quickly turned only to find Cissina giggling at the exchange.
" Oh you think that's funny do you? Wait till he corners you by the trucks and asks you to play slap or tickle with him. I'm sure it's gonna be real funny then" Effy snapped at the smaller girl in front of her.
" Come on Ef, it's kind of funny. He don't mean nothing by it, just joking around" she quipped after seeing the anger in her friends face.
"Well excuse me for not finding it funny. Move on now, we got stuff to do it you want to eat anytime this week".
Effy rolled her head back once more to stare up at the stars. Those millions of stars burning above as she attempted once again to count them. When this proved foolish, Effy resigned herself to sitting off the edge of the perch and staring into the tree line. Waiting for any movement to catch her attention. She made plans in her head for the day to come, what she should bring on their trip. Softly humming to herself, Effy watched as the skies started to change, brighten, as the new day slowly approached.