"January 2013. Or around there…twenty-first entry of my new life. My group, Wyatt, Shel, Becca, Vince and Bonnie have been out here for a few months together now. Doesn't seem like anybody's found the photos yet. It's starting to get tough finding food, if we're going to get help, now would be a good time." Lee said, clicking the recording device. It had helped him deal with everything that had happened, since he found his old audio diaries in the motor inn, the device was the best friend he had in the cold and unforgiving apocalypse around him.
Lee sighed and left the RV he was alone in, and joined the group outside during the cold sundown. It had been a journey with the six, and still no clue or sign of Clem. At least none he could see. Lee sat down next to Russell, who he believed he had made good process with, even though he could tell Russell didn't quite find him trustworthy.
"Who the fuck are you?" Vince yelled, pointing his handgun at a slightly overweight woman, with dark skin, and large hair. The strangest part was she was holding a walkie-talkie and had a car, quite a ways behind her. She had clearly come from an organised group who had it together.
"How did you find us?" Wyatt asked, nervously.
"I found your notes…" She said, pulling out the pictures of the group from her pocket.
"Oh yeah? And what's it to you?" Lee growled, pointing his rifle, which he had swiftly swooped up, at the woman's head, right between her eyes, prepped for her to make a move.
"I'm a scout for a growing settlement up north. We go out and look for survivors to rescue them." The woman explained, placing her hand on her hip. "We have food, clean water, and shelter, for everyone. We're offering you a chance to help us out and start over."
"God…this sounds too good to be true. But…I think it is." Bonnie said.
"Bonnie, get real! Just because she says its true doesn't mean it is." Becca spat, coldly, turning to Bonnie then back to the woman. "You should know about that…"
Bonnie's face grew angry as she looked over to Becca, who was standing next to her. "Hey! What I told you about Leland-
"Cool it." Vince said, calmly. "I heard rumours about these places. This guy I was…'travelling' with ditched me to find one on his own. He thought…Y'know what? Let's do this. She looks well fed right? And clean? We could all use a meal and a hot shower." Vince sheathed his handgun back into the back of his pants.
"Wait, you find survivors? Do you find a lot?" Wyatt asked, hopefully.
"Not as many anymore. But…" The woman said.
"Well we gotta go. Eddie might be there! And Lee, your little girl!" Wyatt said, turning to Lee, along with the rest of the group, waiting for what he was going to say, but Lee stayed silent to ponder it.
"Wyatt…" Bonnie sighed.
Lee slowly lowered his rifle. "Maybe, we do have a few kids there." The woman explained. "And if not, if she's alive. We'll find her, I can promise you that, sir. Anyway, we need people, plain and simple. And you folk can decide whether you want to come as a group, or split up, or whatever. But I don't want to be out in the open after dark. So in a few minutes I'm gonna be getting back in my car and on my way. Hopefully at least some of you will follow."
"Well I'm goin'." Bonnie said, without missing a beat.
"Maybe we should go too, sis. If roman is still looking for us, he wouldn't be able to do anything there." Becca said.
"There's no way that guy has been looking for you. We've been to that truck stop, there's no one left." Wyatt said.
"Roman's not a problem. It's following her that'll get you killed." Russell cut in.
"Look, I know it's a risk, but what else is there? If you guys are going, then so are we." Shel said.
"I don't like this guys, maybe we should just walk away. I don't trust her." Russell said.
"Of course you don't, Russell. You don't trust anyone." Bonnie said.
"He's got a point, Bonnie." Lee said.
"What will it take to convince you?" The woman asked.
"I don't know." Russell said.
"Russell come on…" Bonnie said.
"I don't understand what the problem is, are you really considering staying out here? Foraging for food like fucking racoons?!" Wyatt said. "I mean, then why did we even leave the photos there?"
"Well it could be a trap. What if they want to kill us?" Becca said.
"Thank you! Everyone out there is bat shit crazy!" Russell growled.
"What about us? We're not crazy…not yet anyway." Lee said.
"You clearly outnumber me. If you wanted to overpower me, you could. Hell, I'll even go along as your hostage until you feel safe. No one is gonna hurt you." She said.
"That's not a bad idea, actually." Vince said.
"And I'll do it, because I know when you guys see this place, you'll change your minds." She said. "Look, I know you guys are wary, and you have every right to be. You don't know me from a hole in the ground. And yeah, there are some crazy fuckers out there. All I am here to do is make an offer. You can come with me, or you can stay here. The choice is yours. So, who wants to come with me?"
Bonnie raised her hand.
"Yeah, I'm going." Vince said.
"Alright…I'm going." Lee sighed, dropping the rifle to his side.
"Yeah…I have to." Wyatt said, raising his hand.
Shel silently put her hand up, with Becca reluctantly following.
"I'm…I'm just not sure. We've been out her for so long and seen too much bullshit. Is it really worth getting our hopes up?" Russell sighed
"Of course it is, Russell. Hope is all we've got left." Bonnie said.
"But being smart, that's what's keeping us alive." Russell said.
"Russell, I know we're not the best of friends just yet, but if this is the only time you'll trust me then I'm glad this would be it…come with us, for me, for the group, and for my girl. I'll need friends when I find her, she'll need more than one person to look after her…" Lee said, desperately trying to convince him.
"We have people of all ages in our colony. Teenagers. Whole families. It's a chance to reconnect with people the way you used to." The woman said.
"We understand. I think we've all made up our minds." Vince said. "Russell?"
Russell sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fuck it…I'm with you."
"Well, I guess we have our group." The woman said, marching over to Vince, holding up the pictures. "What do you want to do with these?"
Wyatt pondered it for a second, taking the photos off of the woman, the rest of the group crowded around him, as he walked over to the fire. He stared down at them, then at the rest of the group, before dropping them into the fire.
"This is a good thing. I know it is." Bonnie said, positively.
"How do we know?" Vince sighed.
"I give you my word." The woman said…
So this is a thing :P Two chapters in one night. I was just really excited to get this out, because from here is where it gets real…
