...following up on the lead and some bad, bad weather hits. REVISED!

Marco ran up to our truck, slightly out of breath and clearly nervous. "No cars allowed inside the gate, so you need to park the truck out here. And, um, no weapons allowed either."

Daryl did not look happy about that, but didn't look entirely surprised either. Even though no one was around, I quietly asked Marco, "Will we be OK?"

"Oh yeah, you won't need them here. As long as I've been here, I've never seen any kind of violence," he added when he saw the dubious look on my face.

I already trusted Marco, so his assurance made me feel better, but I was still nervous about what I might learn when I went inside. As we walked through the gate, a kid who couldn't have been more than twelve shut it behind us. I got a closer look at him, and my eyes widened at the machete that was hanging from his belt. I glanced over at Daryl, who had also noticed, but just shrugged.

Marco filled us in on how things operated here at Shady Acres. He sounded kind of embarrassed, as he explained, "So David is the leader here, and he has twelve...wives. He's pretty fair, makes sure everyone gets what they need. It's definitely better than some places I've been. We're all free to leave whenever we want, but really where else is there to go?" We walked down the main road, past rows of neatly kept trailers. "The wives all get their own trailer, and their kids stay there with them. His is the big one at the end of the road." He gestured towards the largest, nicest trailer of all of them.

"So where do you live?" I asked. I was getting the feeling that he didn't quite fit into the usual order here.

"Um, Me and Felix stay in that one at the end." He pointed to a small, ratty looking trailer at the edge of the compound. "Hey," he said, dropping his voice, "no one here knows about, um, you know, me and Felix, so..."

I smiled at him. Poor kid. "Don't worry. We're not going to say anything."

I looked at Daryl, but his mind was clearly on planning our escape, should it come to that. He surveyed the perimeter, eyeing the kids that were posted as guards along the perimeter. "So what's up with Peter Pan an' the Lost Boys up there?" he asked.

"Once you turn eighteen, you're sent packing, so they're the oldest ones. All us older guys aren't his kids; we all came in with our moms at different points. I guess he's afraid of the competition," he says, wryly.

"Oh, so you have to leave here?" The gears in my head started turning. Daryl immediately picked up on what I was thinking and shook his head slightly. Not now, he mouthed. I frowned.

"Yeah, but I don't know where to go." Marco sighed. "And even if I did, I don't want to leave without Felix, but he still has a year left where he can stay. He doesn't want to leave without his sister; she's one of the wives. I don't know if David would try to force her to stay, but he sure as hell won't let their kid leave with her. It's all fucked up." He looked around, alarmed. "Crap, I hope no one heard me! Yeah, you guys should know: no swearing."

That got a laugh from Daryl. "Well, shiiit. Guess I'll just have to keep my fuckin' foul mouth shut then, won't I?" he said quietly.

Marco grinned at him. I smelled something absolutely delicious and suddenly realized I was starving. We hadn't eaten in a while. Marco must have noticed the ravenous look in my eyes because he let us know that we had been invited to lunch. "But he wants to meet you guys first." We had reached David's trailer, and Marco knocked on the door. "Brother David, the visitors are here to see you."

"Please bring them in, Son," came the voice from inside.

I nervously grabbed Daryl's hand as we walked in the door and was comforted that it was cool and dry, unlike my sweaty one. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but David looked very normal for a guy with twelve wives. Polo shirt, jeans, neatly trimmed beard, and glasses. He smiled broadly at us. "Please sit down." We did as he asked, but Daryl remained alert as ever. "You are Stella and Daryl, I gather."

"Yes, and thank you so much for agreeing to talk to us!" My words came out very quickly and a little too loudly.

"I hope I can be of service, my dear," David replied. "Marco said you are looking for several people?"

"Yes, my dad and my brothers. They might have passed this way on their way to find me. After the virus hit," I told him.

"I assume you're referring to God's wrath against humankind for our sins and degradation?" A fiery gleam came into David's eye.

I wasn't sure what to say in response to that comment. Daryl remained silent, his gaze fixed on David's face. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Um, yeah, their names are Nic, Louie and Henry Marshall." I described them as best I could, again mentioning that Henry had autism, as that seemed to be what helped Marco remember him. Apparently, it was what David recalled, as well.

"Ahhh, yes. The poor boy." David stroked his beard. "I attempted to rid him of the scourge of God that was afflicting him, but to no avail."

"What?!" Daryl's hand clamping down on my knee was the only thing that kept me in my seat. I realized that now was not the time to piss this guy off, despite his clearly being a complete piece of shit. I took a deep breath and attempted to regain my cool. I cleared my throat. "So did they stay? Or do you remember where they were headed?"

David fixed me with a long stare, and then said, "No, they did not stay. And I'm sorry to say, I do not know where they were headed." His stare continued, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Are the two of you married?" he asked.

I was unnerved by his stare and caught off-guard by his question. "No," I replied, but judging from Marco's expression, that was the wrong answer.

Suddenly, Daryl spoke up. "Awww, baby! Why're ya doin' that to me? I said I was sorry!" I just stared at him, dumbfounded. He grinned conspiratorially at David. "We got in a lil fight earlier today, and she's gotta be such a drama queen 'bout it, tellin' people we're not married an' all." He gave David a wives, amirite? wink and put his arm around me.

I had no words. David just raised an eyebrow. Marco was trying desperately not to laugh. Thankfully, we were interrupted by a tap at the door. A pretty young woman clad in a shapeless dress nodded at David and silently walked away.

"Um, do you think there is anyone else here who might remember my family? Maybe they heard something about where they were going?" I asked, attempting to be very unassuming in my request.

David frowned for a minute. Then he said, "Esther, my first wife, may remember something. You may talk to her." He stood up. "After we eat."

As we followed David outside, I hissed at Daryl, "If I find out he did anything to hurt Henry, I'm going to come back and fucking strangle him with my bare hands."

We hung back to let the gap grow between us and David. "I'm sure Henry's fine," Daryl tried to reassure me. "An' don't forget to stay focused on what we're here for." In a low voice, he asked Marco, "So what's the deal with the guy? He some kind of Mormon or somethin'?"

Marco rolled his eyes. "I think he'd get pissed off if you called him that. He claims that he talks to God, and God is the one who told him he needs to repopulate the world with his followers. He says that God told him he needed to get a bunch of wives and multiply."

"So do you believe this stuff?" I asked Marco.

He laughed. "Uh, no. According to him, gays are also afflicted by a 'scourge,' but I'm smart enough to realize that's a load of bullshit. I'm just here because I've got nowhere else to go. Mom and I ended up here after trying to go it alone for about a year after the walkers took over. I was too young to realize what was up, and I was just happy to have a place where there was food and a place to sleep, and I didn't have to worry about being bit all the time. It's really exhausting on the road, you know?" Daryl nodded in agreement, and then Marco continued. "Mom was David's third wife, and I guess she didn't seem to mind it too much. David was a lot nicer to her than my dad was, and I guess that was how he convinced her that this whole multiple wives thing was what God wanted for them.

"And it wasn't a bad deal for a kid. There were a lot of moms to look out for me and a lot of kids to play with. Then Felix and his sister showed up a couple of years ago..." He didn't finish his thought, but from the smile on his face, I could tell the guy was smitten.

"So can we meet your mom?" I asked.

A shadow passed over his face, and he said, "No, she died a few years back. I'm not sure what it was, but she was real sick for a while. I guess maybe it was cancer? No way of knowing, though."

"I'm so sorry," I said.

He shrugged. "Kinda have to get used to death now, don't we? Can't really get away from it."

While the food was amazing, lunch was an odd affair. Tables were set out in a giant U and women and children filled in the seats with David at head. The only person who talked during lunch was David. Everyone else, down to the smallest child, silently ate whatever was on their plates, listening to David blather on. And blather he did. A classic fire and brimstone tale about how THE LORD was always watching, and how THE LORD had sent pestilence to destroy the world for its evils, and how THE LORD was rewarding David and his clan for their faith and adherence to his ultimate plan.

Daryl was clearly paying no attention, instead wolfing down as much food as possible. Clearly the jerky, fruit and nuts that we had packed as road food had not been cutting it for him. Despite how delicious everything was, I had to force bites into my mouth because I so wanted to give this asshat a piece of my mind. Back in my previous life, I had been studying to be a scientist, so to hear this guy feed these people such a line of fundamentalist bullshit made me livid. Daryl kept his hand firmly on my leg in an attempt to prevent me from making a scene.

Finally, the dishes were cleared away, and I heaved a sigh of relief that we would be rid of this place soon enough. But of course then there was a closing prayer which seemed to last hours. Daryl kept looking at the sky, and when I followed his gaze, I noticed a massive line of towering thunderheads building in the distance. Uh oh.

Marco came and collected us after lunch to take us to meet Esther. We approached another neatly kept trailer. There was a woman who looked to be in her 40s on the porch. "Sister Esther? There are some travelers who have come through, looking for a few people who were here some years ago. Can they ask you about them?"

"Yes, Marco. Come up and have a seat please," she directed us.

We all had a seat on the porch, and I went through my spiel again. She sat quietly for a few minutes. I couldn't tell if she was thinking or if she had drifted off somewhere in her head because she had a very blank expression on her face. As the silence stretched, I was about to just thank her for her time and call it a day, but then she suddenly spoke again. "The boys needed a mother. The father was not long for this world. He didn't want to leave them alone out there. They were so young."

I could feel a lump form in my throat. What did she mean about my dad? I wanted to jump in with more questions, but Daryl took my hand and I continued to listen to what she had to say in silence.

"My own children had died during the pestilence. I wanted so much to keep these boys, but the boy called Henry was suffering from a terrible affliction. He would not speak to us, he would not listen, he would not join us for prayers. David tried so hard to rid him of the demon..." She lapsed into silence for a minute.

What the fuck did they do to Henry? Daryl sensed my anxiety and whispered, "Just listen, babe."

Esther picked up again. "The father was unhappy with David's actions. David determined that God was not with him or his children and sent them on their way." Her gaze was in her lap, and her eyes had tears in them. "I was so so sad to lose those boys. But it was God's will."

I couldn't stop myself. "That's bullshit."

Esther jerked her head up and stared at me long and hard. I was expecting a reprimand, or even to be sent packing, but all she said was, "Maybe so."

"Was Henry OK? Did David hurt him?" I blurted out. "And what about my dad? What was wrong with him?"

"David did not harm the boy. I can't say what was ailing your father." Esther replied.

Suddenly, Felix showed up to let us know dinner was ready. I had to ask one more question, "Do you know where they went? Anything that you can remember would help us a lot."

She was quiet again. "He said they were going to try to find Pegasus."

What the fuck is Pegasus? I wasn't sure if she was crazy or what, but clearly she was done talking with me. She stood silently and stepped down off the porch. I just sat there, trying to make sense of the information I'd just heard.

"C'mon, let's get the hell out of here," Daryl said. As Marco led us back to the gate, we ran into Felix with a young woman and a little boy. Marco introduced them as Marisol, Felix's sister, and Anjel, his nephew. Marisol looked to be in her early twenties, and her face showed that her life had not been very easy. She had this air of sadness and weariness about her. But she smiled broadly at Anjel, who was giggling like mad as Felix tickled him.

I had an idea. "Hey, does anyone have a pencil or something?" Marisol handed me one of Anjel's dull crayons. I still had the map that Felix had drawn for me earlier today, so I pulled that out of my pocket, and quickly sketched out a new one, to show the guys how to get to our home. Daryl frowned and took the crayon from me and made a slight correction and passed it back to me. I promptly handed the map to Marco. "If you need some place to go, this shows how to get to our compound. If we're not there, ask for Marie and tell her that Stella and Daryl sent you." Marco thanked us and stuffed the map into his back pocket. "Oh man, before we go, do you guys have bathrooms here?"

Daryl raised his eyebrow at me. "Really?"

"Dude, you have no idea how much easier it is for a girl if there's even just an outhouse, as opposed to squatting on the side of the road," I sighed. Marisol showed me to a row of outhouses. Once I was done, I headed back outside and was on my way back to Daryl when I was intercepted by another woman.

"David needs to speak to you before you leave," she told me. "He has remembered another important detail." I looked at her skeptically, and she continued. "He can tell you about Pegasus."

My inclination was to fetch Daryl and have him come with me, but then I heard a rumble of thunder. I figured it would be quicker for me to just go on my own, and then we'd hopefully be out of here before the rain came. As I followed the woman back to David's trailer, a light rain started. "So what's this about Pegasus?" I asked him, dispensing with all pretense of reverence.

David came towards me quickly, closing the door. Immediately, it became apparent that coming alone had been a very bad idea. "I have an offer for you." With no audience, he didn't bother with the pious act. "I can tell you where your brothers are if you do something for me."

I was 99% certain that I wasn't going to like what my end of the bargain would be, but he dangled the prospect of Dad, Henry and Louie out there and I was like a fish on a line. "What do you want?"

"You, naturally. I will bring your family here, and you all can live here together. You can be one of my wives." He smiled like this was a brilliant plan, not the creepiest thing anyone had ever suggested.

I forced a laugh. "Um, I don't think my husband would be too thrilled about that."

David grabbed my face in his hand, pushing me up against the door. He chuckled, and it sounded exactly like what you'd expect from someone who'd lost his mind. "You are a terrible liar. Nice try, though." He paused, leering at me, and then asked, "Just how much do you want to find your family?"

My heart was pounding, and I desperately scanned the room, looking for something within reach that I could use as a weapon. I spotted a pitcher that I thought I could grab, and while I slowly moved my hand towards it, I tried to distract David. "Well, maybe we could, I don't know, work something out? I can't really stay here or anything, but what would, uh, one night with me, um, get me?" I felt his hand clamp down on my wrist, and now my heart nearly stopped. I opened my mouth to scream, but he clamped his other hand over it. I bit down as hard as I could, but the son of a bitch wouldn't let go. I could taste his blood in my mouth. Outside, I could hear the rain start to pour down. Come on, Daryl, where are you?

"I'm starting to think maybe you won't get anything. Here I am, trying to negotiate nicely with you, and you turn into a total bitch." He yanked my arm painfully over my head, pinning it against the wall.

That was it. I started thrashing and kicking like a cat in a bag, hoping to at least knock him off balance so I could make a break for it. Suddenly, there was the sound of breaking glass as a rock came through his window. Taking advantage of the confusion, I tore off out the door. Daryl was running up the porch steps, .38 in hand, his face murderous. "Come on!" I screamed at him. "We need to go now!" He was very obviously interested exacting some kind of revenge on David, but I was more interested in getting the fuck out. I could hear a ripple of confusion starting to spread, and I knew it wouldn't be long before the pint-sized goon squad came along. Clearly fighting every instinct he had, Daryl took off after me. Thankfully, the trailer park wasn't too big, so we were at the entrance in a minute. Marco was at the gate, waiting for us, and Felix was on top of the wall, pushing kids off before they got a chance to get a shot off at us.

"Oh my God, what happened?" Marco yelled at us. "I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I should have-!"

I shook my head. "No time for that. We've gotta go. Come to the storage facility. I'm serious." There were several walkers between us and the truck, and Daryl took those down in short order. In second, we were in the car, soaked to the skin. Daryl opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but I just said, "Get us the hell out of here," and he did.

Daryl asked tightly, "Did he hurt you?"

I just shook my head numbly. "No, I-I'm OK."

"I wish I'da killed that motherfucker right there," he growled, his voice strangled with fury.

I leaned my head on the window. "It's better that we were able to get out of there."

He slammed his hand into the steering wheel once, twice, and then continued to drive, seething silently. We were only able to make it about ten miles down the road before dark. The rain continued to pour down. The wind was blowing all sorts of debris in front of us, and several times we had to get out to move a fallen limb out of our path. Soaked and shivering, Daryl finally said, "This sucks. Let's just find someplace to stop an' call it a night."

As if on cue, we heard a tremendous crack and then there was a huge tree trunk directly in our path. Daryl tried to slow down, but with the wet road and the bald tires on the truck, we skidded out of control. The world spun as we slid off the road, down an embankment, and came to crashing halt in a ditch.

Once I realized we had stopped moving, I slowly opened my eyes. My shoulder was sore from where the seat belt had jerked me back. Moving my hands and feet, arms and legs, it seemed like everything was in working order. It was pitch dark, with just the glow of the dash for light, so I squinted to get a look at Daryl. "Hey, babe, are you OK?" He didn't respond, so I undid my seatbelt and slid over to him. "Daryl? Hey love?" I put my hand to his head and came away with blood, and that was precisely the moment when I began to panic. "Daryl, come on honey! Daryl, wake up!" Fuck.