Author's Notes:
This was written at midnight, in a single sitting, while I was sick with the stomach flu. It's unbeta'd, so any mistakes or glaring inconsistencies belong to me. I haven't written in a while, but when someone told me about "Elyza Lex," this poured out. I haven't read any fics with this character, so I'm not sure if this is what you expect. My Elyza isn't Clarke, but she may be Clarke-ish. Also, I can't guarantee anything about content or length. As of now, it'll be a series of vignettes. I have a general outline in my head, but my grief is going to dictate what I can or can't write. All I can say for sure is that our girls will still be alive at the end. This is my therapy. Thank you to whoever came up with this idea.
"It's taking too long," Alicia muttered again. She kept her eyes trained on the farthest point of the dock that she could see before it turned right and disappeared between the two rows of boats. It was the spot where her mother and Travis had disappeared from view two hours ago. Everyone else had gotten back already, bags and boxes full. This marina had been practically devoid of food or water, but they'd done well on clothes and meds. The second run, tools and toiletries, should've started thirty minutes ago. She'd focused on mentally tallying the additions to the inventory for a while, but that had long since given way to blind panic.
"We need to go find them." She glanced over at Chris, who nodded grimly. Going after people wasn't their protocol, but it hadn't been put to the test before.
"Start the engines!" she heard Nick shout from his lookout post on the top deck. Suddenly the wooden deck beneath Alicia's feet rumbled to life. Daniel and Chris both ran past her, down the gangway, and to the dock. She watched Daniel untie the bow line and unwrap it from the cleat on the edge of the dock, leaving one loop around the horn, standing firm to hold the yacht in place. She knew Chris was doing the same, opposite Ofelia on the stern. The metal gangway screeched against the wooden planks of the dock as the water threatened to pull the yacht out into the bay. Alicia moved into position, sitting with her legs on either side of the cleat on deck, feet dangling over the side of the yacht, one arm over and one arm under the rail, ready to pull in the bow line the second Daniel let go of his end on the dock.
She craned her neck, attempting to see that farthest point of the dock again, but the line of boats blocked almost her entire view from this angle. The quality of the noise of metal on wood started to change, the long, slow screech transforming into a staccato beat. She trained her eyes on the source, and quickly realized that the bottom of the gangway was hammering rapidly into the dock, because the dock was bouncing up and down. The wooden planks seemed to ripple with motion, and all the boats bobbed gently as the dock moved the cleats, and the cleats moved the lines, and the lines tugged on the boats. The boats were dancing, and distant footsteps were pounding over the growl of twin diesel engines.
"Alicia!" Daniel shouted, and her gaze immediately snapped onto his face, "Watch me." He started gesturing slowly with his hands, each of which held a tight loop of rope. He moved them up and down slightly, evenly, keeping perfect time with an orchestration playing in his head. As always her mind turned to Beethoven's 7th, the 2nd movement. Her Dad's favorite. Alicia gritted her teeth and nodded with Daniel's beat, like they'd done a hundred times before, practicing for these days when there was no room for error. Time didn't seem real as she held his gaze, violas and cellos singing in her brain while the sound of footsteps pounding on the wooden dock grew louder, closer. The violins hadn't even come in yet when the blur of people zipped through her periphery, behind Daniel, then multiple footsteps now echoed over hollow metal before clattering across the deck.
"Now!" Daniel shouted, as he threw his end of the rope into the water. Alicia leaned forward and grabbed the rope, pulling it in hand over hand, as she listened to Daniel and only Daniel's footsteps racing up the gangway. She could hear the metal groan as he winched it up from the dock, like a drawbridge. She sighed in relief at that sound, and at the feel of the wet end of the rope: two signs of safety. Alicia she started coiling the entire line in neat figure-eights over the rack hanging on the deck rail.
*splash*
Ripped out of focus on her task, Alicia's eyes crossed the ever-increasing expanse of water between the yacht and the marina.
*splash*
*splash*
*splash*
Alicia saw the white spray of water before she understood its cause. There wasn't a dock anymore. No wooden planks. Just droves of the dead, lumbering forward in a murmuration, arms outstretched, eyes trained on the yacht as they shuffled off the edge of the dock and into the bay. They were painted in sprays of red, gaping wounds, exposed bone. They growled and groaned futilely before dropping and disappearing beneath the water.
*splash*
"Alicia?"
She turned her head at the sound of her mother's voice, and smiled at the sight of crazy red hair and sweat-soaked clothes. She wrapped the final coil of rope and got to her feet, wiping her hands on her shorts before walking into her mother's embrace.
"We're okay," the familiar, comforting voice muttered in her ear, between panting breaths, "they never even got close."
Alicia pulled away, shaking her head in disbelief. "Right." She shivered slightly and blamed it on the wind as the yacht picked up speed, leaving the bay for open ocean. "What happened?"
Her mother rolled her eyes and smiled wryly, "The goddamn office door closed behind us. We got locked in."
"Seriously, Mom. Only you."
"I know, right?"
"How'd you get out?"
Her mother turned stepped to the side, and Alicia could see Travis talking to a blonde with hair that reached almost to her waist. She couldn't hear his words, or see her face, but could tell from the way Travis placed a comforting hand on her upper arm that she was a friendly.
"She got us out of there," her mother replied softly, under her breath, "and took out a bunch of the dead when they started coming. I've never seen anything like it."
"So, what, she's with us now? I thought we weren't gonna do that."
Her mother glanced over at the girl for a long moment before answering. "She's only 18, and she's been alone up there for a long time. Her family didn't make it. I'd hope someone would help you in that situation."
Alicia watched as Travis pulled the blonde into an embrace. He was a hugger, even now. But this girl was not. Her arms stayed at her sides and the muscles in her back tensed, but Travis didn't care. He put an arm around her shoulder and led her past the row of deck chairs and into the cabin.
"Do you even know anything about her?"
"We know enough. Don't worry, me and Travis are gonna keep an eye on her."
Alicia nodded. She wasn't surprised. All the people they'd turned their backs on these past few months, and the two high school teachers had caved over a lonely teenager. "What's her name?"
"Elyza."