Hey lovely people, here's the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who's shown an interest so far, I love reading your reviews.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.
Carol had managed to make the midnight bus. Other than an older man in back, she had been the only passenger crazy enough to travel so late. The drive downtown to the Greyhound station hadn't taken very long, but she was relieved nonetheless to get away from her fellow traveler who had felt the need to stare at her the entire ride.
The bus station was pretty deserted, its bright fluorescent lights illuminating the dingy room. Adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder, Carol approached the ticket window where a surly looking woman sat, casually flipping through a cooking magazine. She huffed at Carol's request for a schedule but provided one just the same, glaring from behind her glasses.
Settling into a nearby seat, Carol studied the bus schedule closely. While she knew that the sleeping pills would keep Ed out for a while, her anxiety was getting the best of her and Carol wanted to get the hell out of dodge long before Ed was set to wake up. The farther away she was when he realized that she was gone, the better off she'd be. There was no telling what Ed would do when he woke up to an empty house rather than to a fresh cup of coffee and a hot breakfast. There were only two buses leaving within the next hour and the schedule was pretty much dead after that, so she would either be heading west or southeast. The thought had crossed her mind before to leave the state altogether but her fake ID was valid for Georgia and she knew that if she wanted to go to a different state she would need to get a valid ID there. That would cause too many issues with her name and the hassle wouldn't be worth it, so she was limited in her choices.
The trip west would take her as far as Atlanta, which as a location had its benefits. A big city would give her a lot of opportunity to find a job and an apartment to rent and she'd be able to hide in such a large city pretty easily. But living in the city was expensive and she didn't know her way around and that kind of living had never really appealed to her much. If she was going to start a new life, she was going to do it her way and be happy about it, and Atlanta might not be the best fit for her. The trip south led all the way to Valdosta. She had been to Valdosta once with her parents when she was much younger to visit a great aunt that she didn't like much. The memories from that trip didn't leave much to be desired, her great aunt really was quite awful, but it was farther away than Atlanta, and she noticed some smaller towns on the map on the route there that she could maybe get off at instead. So south it was.
$75 and 45 minutes later, Carol found herself boarding the bus with only a small handful of weary looking travelers. She turned to stare at the bus station as they pulled out from the boarding area and for a second, panic gripped her heart. A cross between a small sob and a laugh exploded from her and the driver turned back to look at her for a moment before returning his attention to the road. Laughing to herself, Carol sat back against her seat and pressed her palms against her eyes in disbelief. This wasn't a dream, this was actually happening. She was on a bus by herself at 1 in the morning heading 5 hours south, away from the monster of a man she had been married to for the past 8 years. A man that she was technically still married to. That matter was another can of worms that she wasn't quite sure how to open, but she wasn't going to think about that right now. Ed wasn't here, and he wasn't going to be a part of her life anymore. She would find a little apartment in some town and she'd live alone and find herself again.
She owed it to herself to find the smart and independent woman that her parents had raised her to be. She had married Ed partly because she was afraid of being alone, but she wasn't that scared little girl anymore. Being alone was better than being married to an abusive prick, if nothing else. She needed to find her strength and leaving Ed was just the beginning. Leaning her head back, Carol closed her eyes and imagined the life waiting for her just a 5 hour bus ride away.
30 minutes before the Valdosta stop was a small town by the name of Ashwicke. A short conversation with the bus driver and Carol knew that Ashwicke would be her stop. The driver told her it was a relatively small town, the people there leading a simple lifestyle. Most people knew each other, but it wasn't quite so small that she'd feel out of place moving there. Apparently, there was a lot of construction work, which meant a small increase in population, so it wasn't entirely unusual for new people to come into town. The way the bus driver described it, Carol could live a quiet life and keep to herself. It was perfect and having found a new place to call home took a weight off her chest.
She'd gotten off the bus and hurried into the station just after six, heading into the bathroom to freshen up quickly before making her next move. It wasn't until she was splashing water onto her face and staring herself down in the mirror that she had absolutely no idea what her next move was actually supposed to be. Carol felt strangely disconnected from the face looking back at her and she struggled to maintain eye contact with herself as she felt her head spin. Suddenly everything that Ed had ever said to her came rushing back and it was as if Ed was standing in the bathroom with her.
"You stupid bitch, you thought you could run away? You worthless piece of shit. How do you think you can live on your own, huh? No job, no money, you don't know how to do anything for yourself! You can't make it without me you fucking slut! No man's gonna want your fat ass anyway, you stupid bitch."
Her hands were shaking as they gripped the sink; she kept her head bowed as she tried to calm her labored breathing. He's not here, he's not here. You're just imagining it, calm down. But his voice was so loud in her head and she could almost feel his breath on the back of her neck making the hair there stand on end. The water was still running from the faucet, her tears falling and mixing with the water as it circled down the drain. A hand falling flat against her back caused her to jerk away and squeeze herself into the small space between the side of the sink and the wall, whimpering in fear.
"Dear, are you alright? Are you sick?" Carol couldn't breathe as she stared wide eyed at the little old woman who had pulled her from Ed's presence in her mind. She stood unsteadily, slumping against the sink now, watching the woman in a dazed stupor.
"Are you with someone, dear?" She had apparently forgotten how to speak.
"Is there anyone I can call for you? You really don't look well." Swallowing painfully, Carol let her mouth open and close, performing a spot on imitation of a fish for a few moments before she found her voice.
"No. No, I'm fine. No." She was shaking her head now, trying to pull herself up into a straight posture. All she could hear was the one word falling from her mouth, over and over, "No."
Fumbling for her bag Carol stumbled passed the elderly woman, out of the washroom, and into the seating area of the bus station. Wildly she looked around, searching for a sign of what to do. Finally, she saw a payphone in the corner of the room, unoccupied at this early hour. Fishing some loose coins from her pocket, Carol crossed the room to dial the number of the one person who could help her.
"Jacqui Douglas."
"I made a mistake."
"…Carol? Sweetie, is that you?"
"Jacqui, I can't do this. I can't do this on my own, I can't." Carol was close to the point of hyperventilating now.
"Carol, calm down. Honey, listen to me. Calm down. Just take a deep breath and talk to me."
"Jacqui, I don't know what to do." She was trying to breathe deeply and slowly but it didn't seem to be working.
"Carol, where are you? Did you leave town?" Carol focused on the soothing tones of Jacqui's calm and collected voice. Closing her eyes and keeping the phone close to her ear, she leaned back against the wall and slid down to sit with her knees bent in front of her.
"I did. I'm in a place called Ashwicke, it's near Valdosta."
"That's good! Sweetie, that's good! Where are you now, right now?"
"I'm at the greyhound station. But Jacqui, what do I do? I don't know anyone here! I don't know where I am. I shouldn't have run Jacqui, I need Ed. He always took care of things; he always knew what he was doing! I'm still married to him, Jacqui, Jesus!"
"Carol, stop. No. You do not need Ed. You ran from Ed because he's abusive and cruel, you did the right thing leaving him. Carol, I know you're scared, I know it's daunting being in a place where you're all alone. But you can do this, you have to do this. For yourself, honey. And you may not be divorced from him yet, but we'll figure that out eventually. For now you need to establish a life, without Ed, and worry about yourself."
"But Ed-"
"Carol. You do not need Ed. I promise you that. Carol, you made a plan to leave him. You got on a bus and left town and you did that all on your own. You're just nervous right now and that's okay. But don't you dare think for one second that you should have stayed with Ed."
The line fell silent for a few moments. She knew she was supposed to say something, to let Jacqui know that she was okay, but she didn't think she could do that just yet. Breathing was getting a bit easier and Ed's voice in her head had dimmed a bit, but she still felt the panic constricting in her chest.
"Jacqui, I don't know what to do. I'm sitting on the floor in a bus station; I just had a panic attack in the bathroom and acted like a crazy person in front of a little old lady. She's going to go home and tell her grandchildren about the unstable, psycho woman in the bus station bathroom!" Jacqui let out a bark of laughter before returning her attention to the matter at hand.
"Carol, get up off the floor. Pick yourself up. Go to the person at the ticket window and ask them where you can find a motel and a place to get some food. You need to find a place to rest and you need to eat something. You've had a long night and you need to sleep, okay? That is what you do." Carol nodded, feeling the pressure in her chest lighten slightly. Jacqui was right and once she had a chance to rest, she would be able to think about her next move more clearly.
"Okay, yeah. I'll go find a motel."
"Good girl. Just worry about that for right now and everything else will fall into place."
"Yeah, okay."
"Do you want to talk a little bit longer, until you feel better? I still have some time before I leave for work."
"No, no, I'll be okay. Jacqui?"
"Yes, hon?"
"Thank you."
A full week had passed since Carol's phone call with Jacqui, and she was starting to feel a bit more positive about her situation. She had been staying at a motel right by the bus station and her first priority had been finding a place that she could actually call home. Ashwicke had proven to be quite a small little town and finding an apartment building with a vacancy had been a little more difficult than Carol had originally anticipated, but she had done it and would be signing the paperwork with her landlord later that afternoon. Carol had been shocked at how soon she would be able to move in to her new place, but was glad that she wouldn't have to be paying for a motel anymore. Sure, the place was cheap and a little more rundown than would be ideal, and she didn't have any furniture or basic living necessities, but she'd get there. The only thing left to do, really, was finding a job. Which was why she was currently sitting in Ashwicke's local diner, Irma's, scanning the want ads of the newspaper.
Carol had been eating at Irma's all week due to the motel situation and while she normally would have been bothered by eating out for every meal, she couldn't say it was too bad of a deal considering how good the food was. Irma's was owned and run by Dale and Irma Horvath, a friendly elderly couple who had lived in Ashwicke all their lives and was the main food hub in the little town. Overall, it was your stereotypical small town diner that was essential to the quaint atmosphere of the town.
"More coffee?" Carol was startled from her thoughts by the blonde waitress who often worked the morning shifts. She looked to be about the same age as herself, pretty, but perhaps a bit weary. The waitress, her nametag said Andrea, was already filling her cup again, not waiting for Carol's answer.
"You find what you're looking for?" Andrea gestured towards the classifieds as a confused look spread over Carol's face.
"Oh, uh, no not really. I'm looking for a job."
"You're new in town right? I've never seen you in here before a week ago. What kind of job you looking for?" Carol felt her face heat as she was reminded just how much she stood out here as the newcomer.
"Anything, really. I don't have much experience and I just need something to pay the bills. Girl's gotta eat, right?" She tried for a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Her dwindling cash supply was really starting to wear on her attempts to be optimistic.
"Well, if you really mean anything, we're hiring here. It's more so for morning shifts, but if you don't mind getting up at the ass crack of dawn to work, I could get Irma out here to see you." Carol gaped at her, unsure if she had heard her correctly. Mutely she nodded her head and tried for the smile again. Andrea returned it with an awkward smile of her own and a slightly skeptical look before excusing herself. Five minutes later Irma Horvath came out bustling from behind the counter greeting her regulars as she went.
"You're the girl looking for a job?"
"Yes ma'am, uh, Andrea mentioned the position. My name's Sarah Williams." Irma nodded thoughtfully as she slid into the seat across from her. Carol's hands were shaking under the table as she gave her name. She'd only had to introduce herself to a couple of people since coming to Ashwicke and it was still a surreal feeling.
"You'd be working with Andrea on the morning shift, mainly, but sometimes you'll have to swing a dinner shift. You seem like a nice girl, a little quiet though. You think you can handle a hungry crowd this size?" Carol wasn't sure how Irma had already gotten a read on her in just under a minute, but she wasn't going to question it. Irma seemed like the no nonsense type, but with a motherly air and she supposed she probably just had a knack for people.
"I've dealt with my fair share of demanding people before. I'm sure I could get the hang of it." She tried to sound nonchalant but assertive of her abilities. She really needed this job and she couldn't afford for Irma to think she couldn't handle it.
"Anything I need to know?" Well, that's a loaded question, Carol thought. She definitely wasn't going to go into that territory, but she figured she should still be as honest as possible.
"I don't have any experience in the food industry. Or customer service. Or really any experience at all, but I'm a –"
"Honey, can you make coffee?"
"Um… Yes, and I – "
"Can you pour coffee?"
"Yes, and I can – "
"Are you able to write?"
"Yes."
"Then sugar, that's all the experience you need. You're hired. You can start Monday morning, be here at 4:30, we'll have you fill out the paperwork then." Irma smiled and nodded at her approvingly before excusing herself to return behind the counter, leaving Carol a bit dumbfounded at the promptness of their exchange. Yes, Irma was definitely a no nonsense kind of woman.
Andrea smiled at her as she brought her bill to her booth.
"Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other then."
"Thank you, for helping me get the job."
"It wasn't a big deal. I'm the one who's gonna have to work with whoever they hire, might as well try and find someone I can probably stand to be around." A nearby customer was gesturing for more coffee and Andrea smiled apologetically before wandering off to care for her customers.
Carol smiled to herself as she left the diner, feeling lighter than she had in years. Things were quickly falling into place for her here and she could only hope that things continued to go smoothly. It felt dreamlike, how quickly everything was changing, but Carol was thankful for her luck nonetheless. She had a few days before her first day of work at the diner and she resolved herself to settling into her new apartment as much as possible before then. She was happy to have things going her way for once, and she was happy to be doing something for herself. That was all she could ask for at the moment.