LIGHT A FIRE
{Author's Note: WOW! Thank you so much for adding to your favourites, alerts-means a lot. Also thank you so much CrimsonBlade13 and Leyshia Gisel for the kind reviews. I completely agree too: Terminus is my favourite time during all of the seasons to date :). Now, in this half it goes a little into Tessa's past at the start of the 'events' (you asked for it CrimsonBlade13, and you got it!) Also, a new character gets introduced in the form of another woman vying for Daryl's attention. As well as Tessa's first encounter with Daryl. The whole 'abominations' term comes from TWD: Survival Instinct game where my other love-Merle-names the walkers that lol! Anyway, enjoy and please review, it makes my day :).}
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the character(s) you don't recognise.
Lyrics: Light A Fire by Rachel Taylor.
Don't shiver,
Don't give up,
Don't quiver,
You're enough,
You'll be just fine tonight…
It was always just Caleb and I.
Although we were twins, to me he was my baby brother-having being born two minutes apart-and I wanted to be the protective older sister.
Our Father was away a lot on business and our Mother had to go and live with our Grandparents as she fast became their carer.
We were brought up with my Aunt looking after us, but seeing as she was still in her early twenties, we didn't get disciplined as often as we should have.
So essentially, Caleb and I were given free rein around the house.
Forts were made, grilled cheese sandwiches were burnt and our childhoods were built on not really living by many rules.
When we got to our late teens it was stricter, as our Mother had come back and rules were enforced.
Yet our bond was already established and it remained that way through out school and even college.
I took up journalism, deciding that writing was my passion and that I'd be able to travel the world too.
Caleb studied engineering, claiming that, 'Chicks dig the skills.'
Despite the lack of time we spent as a family over these periods, we just all knew that when problems were starting to take effect that we needed to get home and protect Mom and Dad.
I remember that day.
The one that shattered my life and changed the way I thought about my own mortality.
I can still hear the terrified screams of parents trying to hustle their children to safety.
I can still smell the disinfectant that lingered at least three miles from the hospital entrance.
Though mostly, I will always remember the feeling of helplessness as the dead took over and living suddenly became a luxury.
-+-
[TWO WEEKS INTO OUTBREAK]
"Tessa! You need to drive us up to Atlanta, Princess! My arthritis is playing up and your Mother…"
He trailed off as his eyes swivelled over to where my Mom was slowly rocking back and forth in the middle of the road with her hands tightly balled into fists at her sides.
"Mom?" Caleb knelt down in front of her, his eyes silently begging her to answer him.
"We need to go and find the evacuation point; we aren't safe here anymore Mom-"
"Why? You saw how much bullets went into those…things! If Jack and the others couldn't stop them then how can we?"
Her voice sounded defeated as she silently glanced at each and every one of the now dead bodies around us who belonged to our group of survivors.
"Julie!" My Father's shocked and agitated tone only added to my Mother's irrationality.
"Look at this Donald!" She stood up suddenly, her eyes wide and her hair dishevelled as she wildly gestured towards the now isolated suburban neighbourhood that was littered with so many debris and dead bodies that the smell was starting to become over-powering.
"Our children are not going to survive this! You saw how the Richards went! Do you want that for us?!"
Her voice raised in pitch as she got more agitated.
Caleb looked around in fear as he gave me a concerned look.
"Mom…" I tried to diffuse the situation as I slowly edged towards her with my hands out-stretched.
"We need to leave now or we won't make it to Atlanta! Please…Mom?"
My Father rubbed the back of his neck with a shaky hand as he was about to root around in the trunk for his heart medication as suddenly a radio broadcast burst to life on a frequency that was just static moments before.
'This is an emergency broadcast…do not try to engage with said infected…disinfect any bite or scratch immediately…further quarantine zones…military…this message…repeat…minutes…'
My Mother scoffed, breaking the now sullen silence.
"They can't control this Donald! Do you honestly believe that this 'safe zone' is still around?!"
"What else are we going to do for Christ's sake Julie?! I'm just trying to protect and keep my family alive! What happened to Jack and the others is not our fault!"
"Keeping them alive for what? To go to Atlanta only to find it in ruins and those…abominations everywhere?!"
My Father sighed in frustration as he threw his hands up in the air, "Then what do you suggest Julie? Please tell me what to do as I'm at my wits end here!"
"Mom? Dad?" Caleb's voice took on a tone of urgency as his head was turning rapidly left to right with anxious concern as he said quickly, "What is wrong with both of you?! We shouldn't even be discussing this! Let's go!"
I put my hand comfortingly on my Mother's shoulder as I gently lead her towards the car, "We are all still alive Mom and we aren't going to end up like the Richards."
Suddenly she turned to face me before getting into the car as she griped onto both of my hands tightly, "You'll protect your brother won't you Tessa? You won't let him suffer will you?"
Shocked into speechlessness, I just nodded and finally managed to say gently, "Of course Mom…"
With that she seemed to relax, her whole demeanour changing as she nodded to herself before turning back towards where the last survivor camp in our area had been.
My Father leaned against the car, his eyes watching us closely, "It's all going to be okay Julie, I promise you honey!"
"Yes…" My Mother turned once to look at both my Dad and Caleb briefly before turning back around and stroking back my dark curls that I had put up in a messy bun, "I'm so proud of you and your brother Tessa; you know that, don't you?"
"Mom?" I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"Do you remember what your Grandpa would always say? 'Know your fight! A nobleman is one who knows when it's time to back down…'"
"I don't understand…"
Caleb sighed in agitation as he noticed more of the dead were coming towards us, "MOM! We need to leave NOW!"
"No…" She lifted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes briefly as she then very slowly opened them, "You have to leave."
With that last sentence still hanging in the air before us all, she started striding towards the horde, her eyes focused as she lifted up her arms, "I'm not scared to give up…I'm not scared to know that this is my last fight…"
"MOM!" I screamed as I leapt into action, struggling to find the knife which I had shoved in the bottom of my bag.
"JULIE!" My Father widened his eyes as he grabbed onto my brother, "SHOOT THEM CALEB!"
My brother fumbled with the clip as he struggled to remain calm, before finally managing, as he aimed.
Bullets impacted with arms, chests and legs as he gasped in annoyance, "MOM!"
I sprung the knife forth from my bag as I ran at the horde, not caring about being hit by a stray bullet or even being bit-I had to save my Mother.
"GET BACK MOM!"
My knife collided with the first abomination's head, slicing clean through as I yanked it back out, blood spurting all over my jeans as I took on the next one, but this time struggling to pull my knife out.
Caleb was still yelling as he still kept firing, managing to kill a few with headshots, "TESSA MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!"
Furiously, I pushed my boots into the head of the abomination and managed to free my knife as when I looked up one of the dead were before me.
"TESSA!"
My Father-having being paralysed with fear beforehand-now sprung into action, as he flung me out of the way and wrestled the abomination's head away with his hand.
I hit the ground hard, my knife dropping from my hand as the wind was momentarily knocked out of me.
Gasping in shock, I blinked rapidly, trying hard to get my surroundings.
Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion.
I could barely hear the screams, register the fear in my brother's voice or even smell the decaying flesh as events took a tragic turn…
-+-
[THE PRISON: TWO DAYS AFTER THE SUPPLY RUN WITH DARYL]
Gasping, I leant over the small sink in my cell, breathing heavily as my bright blue eyes filled with anguished tears.
Too much has been lost and my heart will never be healed.
Losing so much, yet coming so close to gaining something special is starting to make my head spin.
"Hey! Princess!"
I was jerked out of my sorrow by a snarky tone of voice that I knew only belonged to one person: Hayley.
Sighing, I looked at her through the reflection in the mirror that Maggie had brought back for me whilst on a supply run.
"Please don't call me that."
She rolled her eyes before placing one hand on her hip, "There are walkers that need killin' at the gates! If we all acted like you then nothin' would be getting done!"
Anger rose within me at being spoken down to, but I refused to take the bait as I nodded and forced myself to smile despite the painful nightmares and memories still plaguing my mind.
"I'll be out there in a minute to help Karen and the others…"
She nodded as she turned to leave my cell before saying, "Your nose is bleeding, I'd get that cleaned up or you'll rile the assholes up!"
Confused, it was only when I hesitantly touched my nose with my fingertips that I could see the crimson liquid staining my skin, "Thanks."
"Well, what are 'friends' for?" She smirked before leaving.
I waited for her to leave before furiously wiping the blood away, blinking back all of the emotions that should never show behind my eyes.
I couldn't let myself give everything away.
No pity, no special treatment; just another one of the survivors.
-+-
[AROUND TWO MONTHS INTO OUTBREAK]
I staggered through the densely populated woodland, my whole body feeling as though it's on fire.
Every step was ripping me apart and blood was soaking it's way through all of my clothing.
Part of me wanted to find help, wanted to live and to not give up, but my Mother's cryptic words still resonated through-out my head.
'Know your fight…'
"No!"
I hissed out between gritted teeth as I carried on forwards, the sound of my laboured breathing breaking the eerie silence.
I'm a fighter! I'm not going to give up!
If I'm going to die then I'm damn well sure that I'm going to take down as many of the dead as I can.
'Or leave the dead to find their camp…'
The vicious thought stopped me dead in my tracks as I blinked back tears.
I was in so much pain and the trauma was becoming too much to handle, but could I justify murder?
'You wouldn't be the one doing it, and they deserve it! You should of injured more than his leg! They could hurt other women…'
Whimpering as I shook my head before kneeling over to ease the pain, I tried to push the guilt away from my mind.
I had to escape!
'Or they let you…'
A cold chill ran down my spine as I froze at the realisation that they wanted me to suffer and die alone in the woods.
Gritting my teeth, I fought against the torrent of horrifying memories as I lifted my head up, blinking through bleary eyes to see a house up ahead.
Wincing, I limped towards it, hoping to be able to find something that could ease the pain and medical equipment.
I was no nurse, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Suddenly I could feel the atmosphere change, as my instincts screamed at me that my personal space was being invaded.
Stealthily pulling out my knife from its sheath, I narrowed my eyes and used every ounce of strength that I had left to swiftly turn around and face the assholes that had done this to me.
Only, it wasn't them.
I had come face-to-face with one stranger who by first glimpse, could easily tear me apart just by using one hand.
My eyes took in his dishevelled appearance: from his dirty boots and ripped jeans to his sleeveless shirt and the massive crossbow that was aimed squarely at me.
Fighting to hold back the wave of nausea and pain that threatened to render me unconscious, I forced myself to lift my head up so that my eyes could meet his steely gaze.
"You bit?"
He spoke simply, his eyes staring intensely into mine.
I kept a tight grip on my knife, though already knowing that it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.
"No."
We kept our gaze locked as he nudged his head towards the house, "You set up camp there?"
Again I answered him back with a monosyllable, "No."
His mouth twitched as he took in my appearance, "You seen a little girl?"
Shaking my head, I was about to answer him when suddenly it dawned on me.
Little girl. Lost. Woods. Assholes.
"Where did she go missing?!"
He looked taken aback by my fear as he finally lowered his crossbow, "Two miles north…"
"Oh God…"
My blood ran cold as I paled.
I couldn't let them hurt a child, I wouldn't let what happened to me happen to anyone else.
"I need to go!"
Gasping in pain, I held onto my side for support as I started to limp past him.
"What the hell…" I heard him mutter to himself before he grabbed onto my arm.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
I surprised myself at how petrified I sounded as I widened my eyes and put up my knife in defence.
Hurt flashed across his face for a moment as he replied back sharply, "I ain't gonna hurt you!"
"They all claim that…" I half-whispered as warm blood started to pool around me before I gripped onto a nearby tree, silently begging God to help give me enough strength to help this child.
The stranger looked worried as he carefully went towards me, "You got a camp?"
His voice was soft but it set me on guard.
"No…" I whimpered louder as a sharp, stabbing pain attacked my body and I could feel my knees give way.
My head didn't get a chance to hit the floor as the last thing I could remember was a pair of strong arms scooping me up and holding me to him.
The scent of musk and nature clung to him in an intoxicating mixture.
I knew that my blood was staining his clothes, but all I could sense was his urgency to get me some help.
Should I trust him?
Dare I?