Two chapters in one day? What? This is just to show a bit more about Lucy and Travis, since their characters aren't too well-known. :)
Disclaimer, I don't own 'The Walking Dead'.
Chapter 2: The Shed
It was later that evening, and dinner was about to be served. They had met the St. John family, who seemed okay to Lucy. Her dad on the other hand, looked a bit shifty. He kept hanging out at the back of the barn, confiding with Lee about something. Lucy just hung out with her mom, Duck and Clem, watching over the cow. Not the most exciting thing, but it was peaceful, it felt safe, something that Lucy appreciated these days.
She sat next to Duck and the one called 'Danny'. Duck was basically jumping in his chair, drool beginning to seep through his mouth. Lucy let out a disgusted hiss. "Duck, close your mouth, you're drooling."
"I'm hungry!" Duck said loudly, his spit landing on Lucy's sweater. Lucy gasped, grossed out. "Duck! Are you kidding me?! Mom, did you see him do that?"
Katjaa sighed, "Yes, I did. Duck, you don't do that to your big sister, you respect her, okay?"
"Okay." Duck said unenthusiastically. Lucy smirked and focused back on the dinner table. She could just imagine the empty plate in front of her full of food. She licked her lips, clenching the utensils in her hands in excitement. She had a few biscuits already, but that didn't quench her hunger.
"Here we go!" Brenda St. John. "A big feast for you all!" Lucy's jaw dropped. She held a huge platter of sliced meat in her hands, about two dozen slices of it, cooked.
"Brenda, this is absolutely amazing!" Larry praised, his voice soft with happiness, which was really odd since all Lucy ever saw was the angry old man.
Brenda laid down the platter of meat on the table. Everyone immediately helped themselves, grabbing once slice. Lucy grinned as she took a nice, thick slice from the pile. Her belly roared for food.
"Where's Lee? Isn't he back yet?" Brenda asked.
"Probably taking his time in the crapper." Larry said gruffly. Smiling, Brenda called for Lee.
"Lee, did you fall in? Dinner's on the table and everyone's having at it!"
"Barbeque meat, this is just great!" Kenny said, looking happy.
Lucy felt twitchy as picked up her knife and cut off a piece. She stabbed the piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth, anticipation killing her.
"DON'T EAT THAT!"
Startled, Lucy dropped her fork, looking behind her. Lee was there, looking out of breath. Clementine quickly retracted from the food, dropping her fork and looking at Lee with confusion. Everyone was surprised, gazing at Lee questioningly.
"Lee, Jesus man! Did you find something?" Kenny asked, looking concerned.
"Oh sit your ass down, Lee! This lady had made you a meal." Larry snarled.
"Yeah Lee," Lilly added, "What's gotten into you?"
"He's just a little starved." Brenda said, smiling towards the man.
"He could use some goddamn manners!" Larry said.
Lee looked at them wildly, looking panic-stricken, "You're eating human meat!" He declared, his voice edgy.
What?! "You're joking, right?" Lucy gasped.
"That's crazy!" Lilly rolled her eyes.
"Settle down!" Brenda said.
"What the hell? You're scaring the kids Lee." Kenny exclaimed.
"Lee, what the hell is wrong with you?" Lilly demanded. Lucy shifted uncomfortably in her chair, not liking where this was heading.
"Don't indulge him Lilly." Larry advised her daughter, giving Lee a nasty stare. "It's always something with this guy."
Katjaa, looking a bit worried, quickly snatched the plate that Duck was merrily eating from. Duck glared at his mother, the crumbs still on his face. "Mom, I was eating that!" He complained.
"Go upstairs and look!" Lee said intensely, "You'll find a guy with both of his legs hacked off!" His voice softened. "This is a dairy, not a ranch, think about it!"
Lucy gulped, suddenly feeling a bit queasy. Where else could they have gotten so much meat from? Definitely not the cow… If not from an animal… Then from… She looked at all The St. Johns, hoping for it all to be a lie.
Brenda looked around and everyone and closed her eyes. "It's true."
"Everything could've turned out okay for you folks." Danny said sadly, as if regretting what had happened. Lucy was suddenly terrified that she was sitting next to the man and edged closer to Duck. Oh God…
"He would've died anyways, we got to think about living!" Andy stated.
"Settle down, honey." Brenda calmed his son. She took breath, looking at the group. "Growing up in rural Georgia, you're taught not to waste. It's how I was raised and how I raised my boys." Her voice grew angrier with each word. "Now, you got monsters roaming around and do nothing but eat people. And for what? To continue to rot till they eat some more! We think we could put that meat to better use."
"We outnumber you." Lee threatened, looking dark. Brenda glared at him.
"Lee, that's not a very nice thing to imply." She said darkly. She looked back at the group "Andy is right, we go after folks who were going to die anyways, one way or another."
Danny looked up from his plate, a creepy glint in his eyes as he looked over the group. "Like ya'll." Lucy's breath hitched.
"Kenny get your gun!" Lee quickly said.
"Kenny, no!" Katjaa cried as Kenny got to his feet.
"Nobody's going anywhere!" Andy roared, his gun already in his hand, pointed at Kenny.
"Dad!" Lucy shrieked, terrified. She felt the movement behind her and saw Danny get up, pointing his rifle around.
"We got lots of use for ya'll right here." He said.
Andy thrust his gun forwards towards Kenny's head. Looking pissed, Kenny reluctantly sat back down in his chair. Lucy trembled. Oh no, we can't die here, we can't!
"What... the what... the fucking what, fuck!" Larry sputtered, clearly at a loss for words.
"Put your guns down! We're walking out of here!" Lilly yelled in a tough voice.
"Don't go near my fucking family!" Kenny warned in a furious voice.
"Mommy, I don't want to die! Mommy, what did I eat?" Duck wailed, desperately looking at his mom for reassurance. Lucy grabbed his hand and squeezed it, hoping to comfort him and herself.
"Everyone! Everything will be okay!" Lee reassured through all the panicked and frantic cries.
"Lee! … Lee!" Clementine whimpered, breathing heavily and looking extremely frightened, grasping the table hard. Andy looked at her to Lee. Suddenly his hand whipped out and made contact with Clem's hair. He yanked it and pulled her out of her seat. She screamed in pain, her hands reaching for his, trying to pry it off. That bastard!
"Let go of her you son of a bitch!" Lee bellowed, stepping towards the man. Danny quickly stepped in front of him and poked the end of the gun into Lee's neck. Lee slowly backed up, glowering at Danny as he did so.
A loud tumbling sound came from outside of the hallway. Everyone looked out, scared shitless at this point. There was a stressed silence before a scraping noise began, getting closer and closer to them. Everyone held their breath, on edge.
"PLLEEASE… SOMEONE…!" Mark moaned, dragging himself across the wooden floor. A collective gasp emanated from the group as Mark got closer. Lucy felt horrible dread rise in her stomach as she saw the deep crimson stump where Mark's torso used to be. Nothing but a bloody mess now as blood streamed freely out of it.
Lee looked back at Clementine fearfully. The little girl shook her head, still in pain from her hair being pulled. "Clement-"His cry was cut short as Danny whacked him in the face with the butt of his pistol. His body went limp and he fell to the floor, knocked out.
"LEE!" Clementine screeched, her eyes wide. Danny picked up Lee's unconscious body, his rifle at Lee's temple. "Now everyone get a move on, or else this guy gets it!"
"No!" Clementine cried. Andy let her go and roughly pushed her.
"Go on! All of you! Get a move on!" He hollered. Everyone slowly got up to their feet. As Lucy began to rise, Danny suddenly swept the gun in her, Duck, and Katjaa's direction.
"Not you three, you guys will stay here." He said.
"What the hell are you planning, you bastard?!" Kenny howled, getting on his feet and making his way to Danny. Swiftly Danny moved his gun until it touched the back of Lucy's head. Lucy gasped, restraining her temper. She gave Danny a seething look, and then looked back at the horrified expressions of her parents.
"Dad… Mom…" She mumbled, trying to comfort them, but to no avail. She hated the position she was in right now, being used like this, it irritated her.
"No!" Kat screamed, pulling Duck away protectively and staring at her daughter in dismay.
"Don't you fucking dare!" Kenny said the words slowly through gritted teeth.
"Then move your ass!" Andy yelled, yanking Kenny away from his family. Kenny pushed him aside, but walked away, looking back at his family.
"Don't worry, 'kay? I'll get you guys back!" Kenny reassured before he was forcibly shoved out of the house by Andy. Lucy sighed in relief as she felt the gun withdraw from her head. Her mother quickly grabbed her and held her close with Duck, looking fiercely at the two St. Johns.
Brenda pulled out a pistol, looking tiredly at Lucy, Duck and Kat. "Danny, make sure Andy isn't having any trouble with our guests. I'll keep an eye on these folks."
"Sure thing momma." Danny nodded and walked out of the house. Brenda watched him go, and then looked at the family.
"You know why we're keeping you alive?" Brenda asked, her voice eerie.
"No… Please… Don't hurt us… Don't hurt my children…" Katjaa begged softly.
"Oh I won't even touch them as long as you stick around. Being a vet and all, you'll be pretty useful around our farm, right?" Brenda sneered at them. It suddenly dawned on Lucy the she and Duck were nothing more but bargaining chips, a couple of pawns. They were the key to make Katjaa to keep working for them at the dairy! A wave of hatred consumed her. That fucking bitch! I… I can't let them do that! I have to stop her somehow!
Lucy hated being helpless, she hated it even more when her mom and dad were over-protective, like she couldn't even stand up for herself. She knew she had a serious problem, she still does, but that didn't mean she couldn't be useful! She could help, she could do something… anything…
Lucy eyed the gun in Brenda's hand. An idea began to form in her mind. All she had to do was shock her and snatch the gun from her hands, right? Then, they'd have the upper hand and she could go save her dad! It could prove to him and the group that she wasn't just some excess baggage! She bit her lip, suddenly realising how risky that whole plan was.
Come on, have some confidence! If dad is willing to risk his life for us, they why shouldn't I do the same? Maybe I can do that!
Taking a few steady breaths, Lucy prepped herself. Just knock her down and snatch the gun, knock her down and snatch the gun…
Gently squirming her way out of her mother's protective grasp, she counted to three in her head.
One… Two… Three!
She pounced, tackling Brenda to the wall. Someone gasped, but Lucy couldn't tell who it was, she was trying her best to focus.
"Lucy, no!" Her mother cried, but Lucy chose to ignore. She found the gun and tried to pry it out of the bitch's hands, but Brenda had a strong grip. Brenda snarled, and in a few moments of wrestling and rolling, she was on top of Lucy, pinning her flat down on the ground and aiming the gun at her forehead. Lucy struggled, trying to push off the old woman, but either she was too weak or Brenda was just too heavy.
"Don't shoot her! Please don't!" Katjaa pleaded wildly, tears beginning to stream out of her eyes. Duck sniveled, looking down. Brenda hesitated, looking at Lucy to Kat.
"Momma? What the hell's happening?!" Andy had come back, a surprised look on his face as he saw his mom pinning down Lucy. Brenda looked at Andy.
"This one's being feisty. You mind putting her someplace where we won't hear her fuss?" Brenda asked in such a sweet voice. Lucy wanted to punch this woman in the face.
"Yeah, of course." Andy said. Brenda had gotten up off of Lucy, her gun still pointed at her. Lucy glared, clenching her fist, not moving.
"Come on lady, get up!" Andy yelled, kicking her in the ribs. Lucy grunted, scrunching her eyes shut as the pain took over her for a moment.
"NO! STOP!" Katjaa screamed. Duck buried his face in his mother's shirt, not looking. Lucy felt raw regret in her mouth. What the hell am I doing? I can't fight, not like my dad or Lee can anyways.
Lucy slowly got to her feet, looking sadly at her mother, who was beginning to cry. "I'm sorry." She whispered.
"Move!" Andy commanded, pushing the gun deeper into her back. Lucy gulped, casting a final look at her brother and mom before proceeding out of the house. As soon as they stepped out of the house, rain drenched them, the raindrops streaming endlessly down the sky. Lucy shivered and flinched as multiple streaks of lightning flashed through the gray sky Andy pushed her forward, forcing her to walk. He led her to the back of the house, towards the fence. Her heart jumped in her chest as she spotted a small shed just at the edge of the property. Oh fuck… No…
"Am I-I going to be locked in there?" Lucy asked.
"Yup." Andy replied, pointing his gun at her while unlocking the shed door.
"No!" She cried, surprising Andy. "I can't… I can't go in there!" Her voice cracked, "Please… Not there…"
Andy's gaze hardened, not expecting her to beg. "Well… you should've thought about that before you attacked my momma. Now get." He grabbed Lucy's shoulder and forced her inside. Lucy fell to her knees, facing the back of the shed. It was nearly pitch dark, the random flashed of lightning illuminating it once in awhile. The ground was damp and it smelled like rainwater. Lucy's heart thudded.
"No, no, no I can't be here!" Lucy cried desperately, turning around. But Andy had already shut the door behind her. She heard the lock click. No!
"Let me out of here!" Lucy wailed, "Don't lock me in here! Please! Don't!" Lucy begged, getting on her feet and slamming the wooden door with her fists. Getting tired too quickly and her fists becoming sore, Lucy frantically searched the shed for something she could use to bust out. The lightning flashed and she caught a glimpse of a rusty shovel. She snatched up the tool and gripped it tight.
"I said, let me out, you asshole!" She cried, pounding the door repeatedly with the shovel. She tried and tried, but she just ended up exhausting herself more. The hunger pang in her belly didn't help out in this, and the more time Lucy spent in here, the more she began to worry…
She backed away from the door, her breathing beginning to grow unsteady. "Oh… No…." She whimpered as the small black room began to spin around here. It's… I'm… I…
Flashes of white entered her vision, making her feel dizzy. She shook, collapsing and hugging her knees close to her chest. She was shaking violently, due to both the weather and being stuck in this small, stupid shed. The world started to spin, shrinking, it seemed. Her mouth began to go dry. She swashed her tongue around, hoping it would get moisturised but it ended up doing no good. Damn it damn it damn it! I can't do anything! I'm trapped here! I'm stuck! I… I can't…
She began to sweat as she tried to get on her feet. She leaned against the wall for support. Weakly, she banged her fist on the door, shaking harder every time lightning struck.
"Please… Don't leave me in here…" She rasped. Fuck… She thought as she felt herself begin to black out. She made one last attempt and slammed the shed door hard before finally collapsing to the ground.
"You really think they're in trouble? I mean, we left the Inn unattended, that could be bad, you know?"
"What choice do we have Ben?" Carley replied, "They said they'd be back by moon rise, and they're not. Something's up."
"I'm sure they're fine." Travis grumbled, "It's pouring out here! It'll take forever to dry off!"
"Quit complaining Travis. I thought you were the man here." Carley gently teased. Travis smirked.
"Yeah, definitely." Travis said sarcastically.
A scream ripped through the pounding rain. The trio looked up.
"What was that?!" Ben gasped, "What's happening!?"
"Shit." Carley hissed. "All right guys, let's move. Get in the corn field so they don't see us coming."
Following her orders, Travis and Ben went into the corn field. Travis didn't mind taking orders from Carley, she was actually not so bad, a pretty cool gal. She was nice enough, and wasn't bitchy like that girl Lilly was.
That other girl, Lucy, she was a different story. She was okay… kind of. She could be kind of bitchy too, but maybe that was because Travis was the one causing her to act that way. Ben did point out he was grumpy from the lack of food and sleep, maybe he was being an ass.
Then again, he's an ass to mostly everyone he doesn't know or doesn't like, so it didn't really matter, did it?
He and Ben decided to stick around the group for awhile, considering they have no other place to go right now. Even though he didn't like a few people, it didn't mean he couldn't stay right?
A soft shot rang out. Travis looked up. Carley had just shot down a walker. He realized that they were close to the end of the corn field. As they got closer to the edge, Travis could make out the outline of a familiar form. Lee.
"Carley!" Lee said in hushed voice.
Carley straightened herself up, standing. Ben and Travis stood behind her. "Lee?"
"Ssh!" Lee whispered.
Lowering her voice, Carley asked, "Is everyone okay? You guys have been gone way too long!"
"They attacked us!" Lee said.
"I knew it!" Be said, "I told you we couldn't trust them!"
"Shit." Carley cursed, "How many of them are there?"
"Two left."
"Where?" Carley asked, looking around.
"Larry's dead!' Lee suddenly said, "They chopped off Mark's legs and tried to feed them to us!"
"Holy crap!" Travis yelped, "That's fucking disgusting!"
"Is everyone else okay?" Carley asked.
"They've still got Duck, Kat and Lucy in the house, and I don't know where the fuck Kenny is!"
"All right, we're coming in to help." Carley said.
"The main gate is too dangerous." Lee warned, "Go around the fence and see if there's a way back in. I'll keep looking for Kenny. Do you all have a weapon?"
"I don't leave home without it." Carley loaded her trademark pistol.
"Uh… I don't have anything…" Ben mumbled.
"I've got a pick." Travis said, holding out the metal tool, "If that's good for anything."
"That's good enough. Come on guys, let's go. And Lee, be careful." She added. She crept away, Ben and Travis close behind her. Carley rummaged through her pocket and took out a screwdriver. She handed it to Ben. Ben stared at her like she was insane.
"Hey, it's better than nothing." She shrugged. They went around the barn and over the fence. She looked at the two teens. "All right, you two carefully go around the house on the far side, I'll take this side. We'll scout the area, make sure it's okay, got it?"
"Is splitting up really a good idea?" Ben asked.
"Honestly, I'm not too sure. But you'll have each other. Just hide and kill anyone you think is hostile, got it?"
"Yeah." Travis said, "Don't worry."
"Good." Carley said. She gave them a nod before she sneaked away. Ben looked at Travis nervously.
"Now what?" He asked.
"You heard her, go around the house, see if something's up. Come on Ben." Travis led the way, sneakily ran through the rain, across the fence. They slowed down as they approached the corner of the fence. Travis saw Ben stiffen. "What're you doing?" Travis hissed.
"Did you hear that?" Ben asked.
"What?" Travis was beginning to get annoyed, "Ben, we're on a serious mission here!"
"I know that! But, can't you hear it?"
"I wish I could, but the fucking rain is loud!" Travis complained, keeping his voice quiet.
"Just be quiet and listen!" Ben said. Travis did as instructed, staring to hear something other than pounding rain. Ben had a good ear, that's why he was so good at playing music. A faint slamming noise was heard.
"You hear that?" Ben whispered. "It's coming from there!" Ben ran cautiously towards a small shed. Travis followed him and pulled him back.
"Hold on, you don't know what's in there!" Travis said quietly, "It could be a bad guy, or someone who raided our camp, or a walker… Think Ben!"
"Please… Don't... Here…"
Travis and Ben whipped their head around at the sound of the faint voice that came through the shed door. "Didn't that sound like that girl's voice?" Ben said.
"No… She's in the house, isn't she?" Travis questioned.
"I don't know." Ben said. "Should you open it up, just in case?"
Travis groaned, "Damn it, fine, I will. Watch my back." Ben nodded.
Travis crouched down and examined the lock. A really simple one really. Travis chuckled as he took out his pick. Travis had a fair bit of knowledge when it came to picking locks. After a few moments, Travis heard the lock click and snap open. Proud of himself, Travis took the lock and put it in his pocket to keep as a trophy. Carefully, he opened the creaky shed door.
A burst of lightning flashed, illuminating the unconscious girl on the floor. She wore a black and white sweater and baggy jeans. Her hair and clothes were damp with water, and her skin was just drenched.
"Holy shit! It is that girl from this morning! Lucy!" Travis exclaimed.
"Oh God… What happened, is she dead?!" Ben gasped.
Travis picked up her wrist, searching for a pulse. Relief flooded him as he found it one, steady and strong. "Help me carry her." Travis grunted, picking her up. Ben rushed in and supported her back. Together, the two friends were able to carry the girl, Ben holding her legs and Travis holding her arms.
"We can't carry her like this, what if a bad guy sees us?" Ben whispered.
"Then carry her on your back! You're the strongest!" Travis said.
Ben didn't look up to it, but didn't complain as Travis plopped the unconscious girl on Ben's back. Travis shivered at the creepy stillness of this once snappy girl. "What the hell do you think happened to her?"
"No clue." Ben answered, "but at least she didn't die in the, right?"
"Yeah…" Travis muttered. A gunshot rang out, followed by screams and roars. Ben flinched. Travis glared at him as the girl on his back bounced dangerously. "Ben, keep calm! She might fall off if you keep reacting like that!"
"Yeah… Yeah my bad." Ben apologised. The two friends silently snuck towards the front of the house. Another gunshot rang out.
"Fuck, what's happening?!" Travis said. They turned the corner and froze.
Lee was on the ground, beating the living crap out of some guy, his face unrecognizable due to the swelling and bleeding going on. Carley was there too, approaching Lee and saying something to him. In fact, the whole group was there right outside the house.
"There they are!" Ben said excitedly.
"Good, come on then." Travis walked towards the group, waving his hands. "Hey! We need a hand!"
Travis saw Kenny turn, his eyes widening at the sight of Ben carrying his daughter. "LU!" He screamed, starting to run but ending up falling over. The blonde woman, Katjaa was it? She went to Kenny's side, helping him up. Carley and Lee ran up to Travis and Ben.
"Don't you DARE walk away from me Lee!" Travis turned and saw the horribly disfigured man on his feet, screaming at Lee. He collapsed onto his knees. "COME BACK HERE AND FINSH THIS!" He demanded, more like begged.
Lee looked back, his eyes swirling with a few thoughts. In the end he just shook his head and focused on Ben and Lucy.
"What happened to her?" Carley asked.
"We found her passed out, in a small shed just over back there." Travis explained as Lee took over to carry the girl.
"Wait, in a small shed?" Katjaa repeated, looking horrified.
"Uh… Yeah, that's what I just said. Why?" Travis asked.
"Fuucckk. She's got this big claustrophobia thing going on." Kenny explained, "Getting stuck in small spaces scares the living hell out of her. No wonder she passed out."
"She'll be all right though, right?" Ben asked.
"Yes, she'll be fine. She'll be a bit disorientated at first, but she'll be fine." Katjaa said, looking at her daughter fondly.
"They're getting in!" Clementine cried, pointing towards the fence. Walkers were beginning to break through the fence.
"Let's go." Lee said, carrying Lu as he led the way out.
"LEEEE!" The man wailed brokenly. Travis shivered at the sound of his voice. A hand was put on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Kenny's grateful smile.
"Hey, thanks." The old man said, He looked at Ben. "To both of you. You saved my daughter."
"It's fine dude." Travis said, swiping Kenny's hand away. Kenny chuckled,
"Still a little dick, are you?" He joked. Playing along, Travis smiled,
"Yeah, yeah I am."
Blinking a few times, all Lucy could see were dark blurry colours, moving. There were a few voices, hushed, quiet. She could hear multiple people walking, the sounds of leaves being crushed beneath her. She felt herself slowly bobbing up and down, like she was floating in water. She groaned, putting a hand on her forehead. What… What is this?
"A-Are you okay?" A nervous voice asked. She rubbed her eyes, trying to get them to focus. It took a moment before they finally cleared up. She could make out Lilly's form a bit in front of her. Then, she met the bright blue eyes of Ben, staring her right in the face.
"What the hell!?" She cried, startled. She tried to lash backwards, but her legs felt pinned in place. Ben gasped, losing his balance and nearly toppling over if it wasn't for Travis who was walking right beside them. He caught them, helping Ben back to his feet. She realized that she was just lying down on Ben's back. He was holding her legs in place in case she fell back.
"What are…? Why… What?" Lucy began, confused.
"Well, good morning there sunshine." Travis said, his eyes gleamed with amusement, "Had a nice nap?"
"Ha ha, super funny." Lucy snorted. "Why am I on your back?" She addressed Ben.
"D-Don't you remember anything?" Ben asked. "The dairy? The shed?"
The shed?... Oh! The shed! It came back to her, the dark room, the cramped feeling, and the wet stench of water... I passed out… That's all I remember…
"Ben and I found you knocked out on the floor in some shed." Travis explained. "So we picked you up and carried you."
"You mean I carried her back. You've done nothing to help me here!" Ben complained. Travis stared at Ben indulgently.
"Hey, I picked the lock!"
"Lu!"
Lucy turned her head and saw her family, running towards her. She noticed Lee, Carley and Clem a bit behind, jogging towards them too. "Oh thank goodness you're okay!" Her mother breathed grasping her hand.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Lucy said. Her eyed widened when she noticed the blood splatters on her dad's face and shirt. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Fine." Her dad said in a rough voice. Okay then…
She looked at Ben. "Can you let me down?" She asked.
Ben looked uncertain. "Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Ben leaned down and slowly let go of her legs. She put her feet on the ground, steadying herself. She choked back the dizzy feeling and took a few steps on her own. "See?" She said, "I'm fine! I'm okay!"
"You scared us shitless!" Her dad snapped, surprising her a bit.
"I'm sorry dad, I just-"
"I heard what you did back at the house." Kenny growled. "Damn it Lu, what the hell were you thinking, attacking them like that?" His voice began to rise, "Do you know that you could've died? If you had just waited, I would've gotten there and busted you out safely instead of you causing such a mess and getting yourself locked up in the worst place possible! I mean, Jesus Lu, you were out for a fucking hour! What if we hadn't found you? You would've been trapped there for who knows how long! Why can't you just be patient or something, stop taking huge fucking risks?! And don't get me started with walkers! I swear Lu, you-"
Katjaa put a hand on Kenny's shoulder, moving him aside. "Your father's just saying that you shouldn't do that again, you can't be taking risks like that on your own." She gave her a stern look.
Why? Because I'm weak? Helpless? Some sort of liability? She resisted saying those words out loud. Instead, she just looked down, her short, brown curls covering her face. "Okay. Sorry."
"And what about these two guys?" Kenny hissed, motioning to Travis and Ben. The duo looked at her father in surprise. "Aren't ya going to thank them or anything?"
She glanced at them, looking a bit annoyed. "Thanks." She said. Ben scratched his neck, looking away. Travis stared hard at Kenny, his face unreadable.
"Damn it Lu..." Kenny muttered before walking forwards, Katjaa rubbed her back before walking with Kenny. Duck said nothing, just rushing towards his mother's side. Clem and Lee slowly approached.
"So… You're okay?" Lee asked awkwardly.
"Fine." She muttered.
"Don't worry." Clem's soft voice said, "My mom and dad used to get mad at me too and yell at me like that."
Lucy smiled at the young girl. Travis and Ben walked alongside her slowly.
"So.. you attacked someone?" Travis asked, sounding a bit nervous. "Did you get knocked out?"
Lucy looked away, "I'm not exactly a fighter… But she didn't knock me out."
"She?! You were fighting another girl?" Travis's eyes widened, his attitude changing completely.. "Like a catfight? Damn, that sounds great!"
"Travis!" Ben exclaimed, turning a bit red.
"I was fighting some old lady, don't get excited." Lucy joked.
"How old? Like, twenties? Thirties?" Lucy could hear the eagerness in his voice.
"More like fifties."
"Ah…. That's disappointing." Travis sighed. "I was hoping for some hot chick. Used to watch girls wrestle on T.V you know, pretty sweet..."
"Geez Trav, there's a little girl-" Ben stopped in mid-sentence. The three teens noticed how Clem wasn't there anymore. She was being ushered away by Lee, who gave them all a horrible stare.
"Sorry!" Lucy said, feeling a bit guilty.
"Ya know," Travis started, "You're lucky me and Ben didn't do anything weird. Two guys finding an unconscious chick, all alone…" He snickered as Lucy hit his shoulder.
"Fucking pervert!" Lucy hissed.
"Ben's the pervert! You should've seen how happy he was with you on his back!"
Lucy switched her gaze to Ben. He was a deep crimson red, waving his hands defensively in front of his face. "No! I swear! I didn't do anything! I mean it!"
Lucy chuckled. She hadn't felt like this since she was in school, havening friends to joke and gossip too, it felt refreshing. Definitely helped her calm down after her little encounter with her dad.
Hmm… Maybe these guys aren't as bad as I thought they were. Huh. They actually seem like good guys.
"You're not so much of douche bag as I thought." Lucy said to Travis. She turned to Ben, "And you… still seem like some soft nice guy. But you're brave, I'll give you that."
"And you may act like a bitch… But it's because you are a bitch." Travis said. Lucy hit him again, fairly annoyed.
"Why the hell whenever I try to be nice, you're just a dick?"
"That's just the way he is." Ben said reassuringly, "You get used to it."
Travis scowled. "Ah, just shut up Ben."
Advice/feedback please? :)
Next chapter: Well thanks, Duck.
