BARTON HOLLOW

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Slow Fade From The Sunlight City

The dark of the night was the worst part of the city, Jack thought to himself, when everyone was sleeping and there was nothing to do except wander the street. He often would sneak out like this and kick pebbles in the road, knocking them amongst the hollow buildings. One time, he actually topples a rickety old shed with a sizable one. He searched for thrills and times he could do it again.

He hadn't changed much since they first set off on their journey. His skin was still pale, despite the burning heat of the day, and he had been thin and bony before all this happened. Nothing much different about him other than the dirt that went lacing his hair and skin, and the ragged appearance of his clothes. Actually, it framed his new bruises from the scuffle with Roger quite nicely. He frowned and walked on. In his gait, Jack held his foot a little awkwardly. He twisted his ankle in the fight too. Now, when he leaped across the buckles in the road, he half-fell instead of landing. Being rugged as he was though, Jack was easily able to recover and get back to his feet.

"Stupid Roger…stupid Simon…I thought my idea was great…" he snorted and stopped where he stood, kicking a stone away. He stared at where it had been for a few moments with fire in his ice-blue eyes. He did so for no other purpose than for something to do. Actually, his mind was completely blank. He didn't really know what else to do. The crickets chirped and somewhere far off, a pack of wild dogs howled viciously. He should be getting back soon, before they got into the city. Just as he started off again, he heard something else. Just barely, but it was there. He cocked his head to the side, trying to evaluate the sound's position. It was…below him? Jack looked around quickly; there were buildings around, and nothing more. Little buildings, tall buildings, store fronts, government offices…and there was a subway. The entrance descended below city streets, looming before him with its cold, windy, hollow howling noises. It whistled out of the blackness.

"Hello?" Jack called, not thinking, "Is somebody there?"

Nothing answered.

"Hello?" Jack asked again in a sing-song voice. "Hello~"

There was a groan, then many more joined in. Jack's ice blue eyes widened in fear and surprise. Something was moving down in the tunnels. Something…more than one something…so much more than many more somethings…they were…

"Ahh…" He started, scrambling away, "AH!" He screamed and sprinted off into the night.

…..

Ralph woke in the middle of the night to the sound of Jack panting and trying to explain something unintelligible in a strained, out-of-breath tone. He rolled over on the floor, making sure to avoid the accumulating puddle of scarlet near him, and stood up, trying to shake the sleep off. Simon, Roger and Marie were already up and at 'em, listening to Jack with confused looks on their faces.

"What's going on here?" Ralph asked tiredly. "It's still dark out, go back to bed."

"There's a…a…there…they…" Jack tried to get out. His face was red from running, and sweat formed a sheen on his skin. The littlun was the only one who had yet to be woken from dreams; she was snoring lightly against the machinery still. Fever made her hard to rouse.

"Spit it out." Roger demanded, a scowl engraved on his features. "And this better be good, Merridew."

"It…they…they're here…" He gasped.

"What? Who's here?" Ralph urged, agitated.

"The…the things…" Jack breathed, his voice breaking, "They've been here…the entire time…locked in the subways…"

Everyone stood back a bit. It seemed now that everything had gone wrong that could go wrong. Roger gritted his teeth and held fast to Marie's little hand. Simon simply stared in disbelief. Ralph hardened his resolve and frowned, listening around him. He could hear them faintly, far-off, but still there. They would be here soon; the walkers.

"We have to go." Ralph announced regretfully. In all the horror that had greeted them in this city, he had been glad for the respite from their enemy. However, he was still glad to leave the terrible place behind them. He had been looking forward to leaving. "Now, come on. Get as many things as you can pack in five minutes. Simon, wake Casey. We have to leave before they find us here." It was as easy as that. In that moment, with those words, all their misgivings about each other disappeared. In trouble, they would stick together. On the road, they could bear it; just not here. When they left, they'd be leaving their fights and arguments and rifts behind as well, invested deeply into the silver towers of the city.

"Jack, did you let them out?" Roger accused carefully as he packed.

"No, the gates were already open."

"Every other time I've gone by, they've been closed…"

"What were you doing outside anyway?"

"I just wanted a walk."

"Come on, faster!"

"I can't believe it…" Simon managed to get out in passing, towing the littlun Casey behind him, "They were here all along. I wonder who locked them all up down there in the subways. It must've been hard."

"Yeah," Roger scoffed, "I bet it was the same person who left us the backpack, and the same person who let them out too." His packing had been done quickly, neatly. They were nearly finished now.

Ralph took a long glance up at the ceiling, at the hole where the moon usually shone in. At this time of night, the sky was tinged pink with the promise of morning. It made him wonder how long it had been since things were normal. Weeks? Months? What day was it? He wished he'd been able to pick up a calendar to keep track of these things; because out of all the things he'd lost, time was perhaps the most precious of them all. Then, he huffed a breath and looked away. The body of piggy was still there, taunting him.

You couldn't save me, it said, you can't take care of anyone.

For now, he'd have to ignore that. He slung a backpack over his shoulders and adjusted a cap on his head. Jack looked at him from the corner of his eye, and they exchanged a terse nod. Roger smiled crookedly and met them both in the middle, clearly excited at the prospect of getting out of this place.

"Is it about time?" He smirked. Simon and Marie flanked him on either side, with Simon holding Casey's, the littlun's, hand and Marie holding Roger's. Roger was loaded down with supplies, and twisted the mallet twixt his fingers. "I'm ready to bust this place."

Ralph nodded in agreement, but still made his own input. After all, he thought it his leaderly duty to keep them all safe. "Yes, let's, but I want a plan first."

"Hm?" Jack frowned.

"This is going to be dangerous." Ralph continued, waving his hands for emphasis, "Not all of us are likely to make it, you know." At this, Roger pulled Marie closer. "So, I want to break up into two teams and meet up outside of town. We'll stand a better chance if we do this systematically. One team will be the distraction, and the other team will leave unnoticed."

"How do we know where to go?" Simon piped up, scared.

"There's one road that leads into the city, and one that leads out." Roger picked up where Ralph left off, clearly backing up the blonde's plan. Ralph noted this with approval. He wanted Roger on his side. He was a valuable person in this game. "The road that leads out goes northeast, then diverges into two smaller roads until both hit the highway about a mile down. So, we'll meet on the highway when all's clear and move on. From the highway, we can go north or south. It's simple as that."

"So…who's going to be the idiot running into a mob of zombies?" Jack smiled nervously.

"…I will." Ralph offered, "Plus, one other."

Roger sighed and stopped spinning his mallet. Then, he smiled wickedly and answered before anyone else could be the martyr. "I think I could go for a run. Simon, stick with Marie like she's glued to you. I trust you at this point, okay? Be safe."

"Uhh…" Simon stammered, terrified of the prospect of this new responsibility, but also a bit thrilled too. He brought Marie closer to him as Roger stepped out of line. "I will…"

"That's what I thought." Roger laughed, "So, now what?"

"…Now, we run." Ralph smiled.

"What about me?!" Jack insisted.

"You guard Marie, Simon and Casey." Roger ordered sternly, "Here, use this." Before Jack had time to think, Roger tossed an all-too-familiar pistol into the air. It arced and landed in Jack's outstretched hands. "Give it back when we meet up again…protect them with your life if necessary."

"Yes…" Jack bowed a little, flustered, "I…mm."

"Good." Ralph announced, "It's settled then. Let's go."

So, they set out for the highway; sneaking along the inner streets, trying to stay hidden, seeing a peek of a walker every now and then, and always hearing them. It was hard to stay calm, especially after so many days and weeks of the calm, lax nature they'd adapted. It would be hard pickings from then on, and Ralph knew it. Stamen wasn't safe anymore, or at least it was far less safe than it had been. They had no other choice but to leave. He tried to be grateful for that. He didn't want to stay here any longer, with the body of Alex literally hanging over him on a thread. Ralph whipped around the corner of a building swiftly, then rolled off to the side, across the road. Geez, the streets in this town were in bad shape! Roger and the others followed obediently, checking the walker's location about a quarter mile away, amassed in a giant herd of sorts. They flooded from the subway entrances and exits, trying to adjust themselves to their brand new freedom. Luckily, they hadn't heard the boys yet.

"Come on." Ralph whispered, waving everyone forward. The road split just ahead, and began to go in two different directions, but still heading for the same destination. The side road was the one Simon and Jack would be taking, the straight road that disappeared and eventually turned into a highway was the one Roger and he would be taking. Ralph bit the side of his lip and sighed gustily, trying to keep his cool. "Hey, Jack, give me that gun. I'll trade you my knife."

"Sure," Jack said skeptically, handing the weapon over, "Why?"

"I'm gonna do something really stupid just for the heck of it." Ralph smiled excitedly, then pushed them off, pressing a knife into Jack's hand. Power seemed to course through him at that moment. This was his chosen weapon. He could kill with this. "I would start running now, you guys."

"Ah…okay..?" Simon picked himself up and led Marie and Casey away gently, with a last look at Ralph and Roger. Marie waved goodbye, Roger waved back. Casey stumbled with her sickness. Jack followed quickly behind, taking up the rear, doubling back every now and then, spinning to check behind him and looking to the sides. Ralph nodded in approval and glanced at Roger devilishly. It was so unlike him, it took Roger by surprise.

"We're doing this, man!" Ralph said, suddenly pumped, not even trying for stealth, "Let's do this!"

"What?!" Roger asked.

In response, Ralph ran back into the street clearing and stood there for a couple of seconds, then whooped in a battle cry and fired the pistol into the air. There was a moment's pause where Ralph lowered the gun, looked at it as if he couldn't believe what he just did, then watched the walkers advance slowly towards him, turning to the sound of the gun, to the sound of his voice. Roger's jaw dropped.

"Ralph!" He shouted, "You idiot!" Roger ran into the street as well, grabbed Ralph by the elbow, and began to tug him along the road. Eventually, Ralph cleared his head and ran along on his own accord, sprinting and skipping at times. Roger glowered at him expectantly, as if he thought Ralph would burst into rainbows and butterflies at any minute. "You realize…" He got out between breaths as they sprinted down the highway, walkers shambling slowly but surely after them, "…what you did…was the stupidest…thing I've ever seen anybody…do!"

"Yeah!" Ralph laughed in response, "But you said you needed a run!"

Roger rolled his eyes and kept on moving, eventually leaving Ralph a few feet behind. The blonde threw his arms out, and cheered jubilantly into the dawn air, letting everything go with sudden, unexpected bliss. Everything that had passed had passed. Everything that had just happened was behind him; it would catch up eventually, but it wasn't anywhere near him now. It couldn't touch his happiness at the moment. A momentary release flooded over him, and he felt as if it were the old days again. He was just a kid, fooling around, not caring about a thing.

However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming. Their journey had just started…and Alex's murder was still hanging over him on invisible wings.

As they ran into the dawn air, the sun almost directly in front of them and peaking over the horizon, tinting the cold with its light features and warm nature, Ralph knew that this was the start of something else. The highway wound across the landscape, carving into the dips and valleys and rocks and plains and fields. They ran towards something they couldn't see, they ran towards the future; a coming season in the woods that fronted the north and south.

Spring was fading fast, and the oppressive heat of summer was just beginning its rounds.

….END OF SEASON ONE…..