Hello everyone I'm sorry for the inconstancies with publishing new chapters I've just been kind of depressed lately and it's hard to keep up with everything.
A big thank you to Msjackson53 for your continued support it means a lot. And if anyone reading this hasn't checked out her Walking dead stories I highly recommend that you do.
Please leave reviews and let me know what you think, it's always appreciated.
Enjoy
Greg let out a moan as I covered him with a blanket "It's going to be ok, it's just a small fever" I didn't know what to do, this was an illness not some enemy that I could face head on.
To make matters worse there was no medicine, which meant no pain killers left and even if we were near a town I couldn't leave Greg alone.
Another round of hacking and dry heaves and Greg was back into the fetal position, "I wish mom and dad were here" I could tell that it was hard for him to breathe.
"I know buddy" I tussled his hair "hey but soon we'll get to the coast and we'll get a boat and then we can get out of here"
It was stupid to try but the kid had never been to the beach or seen the ocean I had to keep something going. I saw a hint of a smile "how much further" another cough.
"Not much further...and then we can be free"
Chapter 12 "old world secrets"
Amarillo by morning drifted from the speakers and surrounded me as I made the dreary journey back home. The song seemed fitting for the drive so I turned up the dial and sank further down in my seat as the scenery passed me by.
The windshield wipers were desperately trying to keep my view clear but it was still difficult given the current conditions.
Peter flashed through my thoughts and my breath was caught in my throat as I tried to shake the thought away. I shouldn't have pulled the trigger, I thought as the car hummed along.
Everything would've been fine if I had just let him go. I saw a figure up ahead holding out his thumb, I sighed and continued on past Greg.
I wasn't surprised anymore when I saw him along the road; he had been following me the entire journey he could wait till I got home.
I turned up the music another notch and took a sip of water, why am I doing this.
"Can we listen to something else" my stowaway asked breaking my train of thought "on the way back"
I had been about twenty minutes away from my destination when I heard Carl in the back hitching a ride without me knowing and after fifteen minutes of arguing and having convinced me that he left a note with his dad I relented and let him tag along.
After about another fifteen minutes of driving I was standing in front of my house wishing that I was anyplace else. The rain was beginning to soak through our clothes and that's when I decided to open the portal to my past.
The door slowly creaked open and upon doing so let out a gust of warm air that wrapped itself around us for a second as if giving a brief inviting hug before dissipating,
The house was in order to a certain degree, shoes were still lined up neatly at the door, coats still hung on their hooks, pictures were still on the walls..."just as we left it" the words escaped from my lips as I started walking down the hallway.
"I'm going to check upstairs" Carl said going past me...I didn't hear him however as I was lost in the memories.
Third person
Pale light was coming through a window upstairs as Carl made his way to the first room he saw, Carl would be careful to disturb as little as possible but who could resist exploring a house that had been untouched since the beginning.
Carl didn't know why but he had always enjoyed abandoned things, to imagine who the people were that had left the items behind and even though James could tell him a lot Carl would enjoy guessing regardless.
The room belonged to James that much Carl could tell due to a few pictures on the wall, Carl went further in the room and inspected a gaming set up with what seemed like hundreds of games all stacked perfectly and in alphabetical order.
Carl turned his gaze next to an old desk with a laptop and various books and photo albums on it, after attempting to turn it on Carl gave up and picked up an old school year book.
The book was hard back and was definitely fancier than anything he had gotten when he went through middle school. He flipped open to the graduating class and quickly found James dressed in a suit and tie and smiling. Carl could hardly belief that it was the same person who was with him now; he looked like a kid Carl thought smiling as he closed the book and picked up a photo album.
A lot of camping and fishing trips, James getting on an airplane with everyone crying, another photo right after with James in a military uniform and smiling. The photos continued on for a few more pages detailing the family's life. Carl closed the books and felt a tear form up in his eye.
James didn't act as though too much bothered him, but as Carl looked over the photos it put everything that he had lost in a whole new light, what he must have gone through losing everyone and everything it really started to hit Carl as he wiped away the tear.
Remembering what he did for Judith, Carl grabbed a family photo and put it aside for James.
He then turned his attention to the rest of the desk as he opened up one of the drawers revealing a pencil and some scotch tape; he opened the next and saw a black velvet box with a worn envelope.
Curious Carl picked up the box and opened it revealing a beautiful Medal that he had never seen before, he then opened up the envelope and started reading the letter.
The Medal suddenly felt a hundred times heavier as Carl realized what he held so casually in his left hand...
James POV
My hand casually ran across the walls as if trying to make sure that this was real, I ended up in the kitchen.
Pots and pans lay in the sink with a sponge next to them ready to finish the job; I touched one of the pans knowing that the last person who had touched them was my mom.
The memories of her picking me up from school, being there for basic graduation, sending me letters while overseas hit me as I looked over the area.
Never again was I going to hear her soothing voice tell me that everything would be ok, never again was I going to see her. I backed quickly out of the room and treaded down towards the living room and poked my head into dad's study.
I could smell his cigar ash and hints of his cologne as I walked in; on the desk was Dad's old bible sitting open were he had last left it, I viewed the passage and quickly closed it.
The man had taught me right from wrong...he told me what it meant to be a man and take responsibility. Take care of your brother James; he's the only one you got. The words rang in my ears as I stumbled out and headed to the living room
"Why did you want me to come here?" Silence "answer me...please" I could hear the desperation in my voice as I pleaded with my dead brother. "Why are you playing these games with me…do you want me to die" the words echoed around the small room as I sat on the ground contemplating everything.
"I want you to not feel guilty"
I turned around and saw Greg standing in the entrance, he was still scarred but his clothing had changed to something cleaner. "What do you mean, I killed you, and I killed Peter, it's my fault"
Greg put up a hand to stop me "you didn't kill me big brother, three horrible people did" he took another step "and that thing with Peter, you killed someone who was abusing his family, who very easily could have killed them...you stopped that"
A hot tear ran down the side of my face "I should've done better...I should've protected you" Greg waved his hand dismissing the apology with one swift motion "if I learned anything from you...it's to let go"
"When you found the group again it didn't take you more than a few days to forgive them...and yet you can't forgive yourself for things that were out of your control, or if you did it to protect someone else"
"It's not that easy Greg...I killed man because of a possibility..." A scar disappeared from Greg's face as he continued "sometimes James, the world is black and white and whether you believe it now or later...you made the right call"
The words were beginning to sink in as my brother continued "you can't play the what if game the rest of your life James...you just have to accept that this is a new world or really it's more like the old world than you know and you have to make those decisions"
Something started to click inside my brain "but I promised..." I started to stutter "Mom and Dad don't blame you, believe me when I say that they don't"
The guilt that I had been carrying for a long time was starting to subside "go back to Alexandria James...and live" another scar had faded away as Greg started going for the door.
"It might be awhile till I fully accept this" I muttered A smile formed on Greg's face as he said "I figured that's the way we are James…but please for my sake move on" he inched closer to the door.
I jumped to my feet and ran to where he was "are you real" the roll of thunder could be heard as the door opened he shrugged his shoulders and responded "that's up to you" and for the second time my brother was gone.
Third person
Carl walked slowly down the stairs "we're you talking to someone?"
James wiped the tears that had formed on his face "just talking to myself, you find anything interesting?"
Carl held up a family photograph "thought you might have wanted this" James took the crumpled photograph and looked at it for a moment before slipping it into his wallet "yeah, this is a good find"
"Don't you want to go upstairs?" Carl asked dumbfounded
James simply gave Carl a pat on the shoulder and pulled the brim of the boy's hat down around his eyes "there's nothing up there I need"
Then teen just readjusted the brim and started walking to the door with James "thanks by the way" James looked back "for what?"
"For letting me come today" James just gave a slight nod "you're my brother of course I would let you come" James stepped out into the rain and started for the car never looking back.
Carl rechecked the bag to make sure the Medal wouldn't move around too much and doubled checked the letter. He would have to ask James about how he got it later.
Epilogue
"Alright how about this" Carl pressed play and Green Day's Basket Case started blaring. "You like Green Day?" The teen nodded and strummed his fingers on the window as the song continued.
"That's what I'm talking about" James said leaning back in his seat, excited to be going back, the guilt was still there somewhere but for now hope had replaced most of it.
The drive was uneventful for the most part but when James looked over at Carl he had stopped tapping along and looked like he wanted to ask something.
"What's up" James asked turning down the music.
Carl seemed to be thinking over his words carefully "I found something in your room James..."
"Ok" James was wondering what it could be.
"I found a Medal in your desk"
James turned his attention back to the road "oh"
"James how come you never said anything"
He let out a long sigh before responding "Carl that Medal isn't important..."
"James you have the Medal of..." James cut Carl off as he spotted something up ahead.
James slowed the car down to an almost dead stop, the rain had become nothing more than a drizzle and ahead of their vehicle's headlights was a figure coming towards them.
It was a man stumbling clutching his side as though wounded, James looked around quickly and knew what was happening.
He buckled his seat belt and told Carl to do the same. "Aren't we going to help him?"
One last look around "He's not even hurt" James pushed the pedal down as far as it would go and the car screeched forward like a bat out of hell.
It took the guy a second to realize that his plan didn't work and the car that should've stopped was going at him over sixty, he pulled a pistol and was able to get two rounds off before he was run over. However the rest of his crew had sprung into action and all their efforts were put on the car.
James pushed Carl's head down and tried to dodge as much as he could before one of his tires was shot out. He overcorrected and soon the car was in a ditch.
The smell of oil and gas plugged up James's nostrils and left him feeling nauseous as he looked over at Carl who seemed to be sporting a broken nose as he tried to free himself.
James's door was quickly opened and he was pulled out of the wreckage.
Carl's door was flung open at about the same time and he was dragged out kicking and screaming as the men grabbed him, Carl punched as clawed at the men as they attempted to flip him onto his stomach. One of the men was able to grab Carl's throat and slowly but surely the fight left Carl's eyes as he fell into unconsciousness.
James had taken a few more punches but soon he was on the ground getting his hands bound tightly behind him and blindfolded
"I love it when they have fight in em" a gravelly voice said.
James felt one of the men get down next to him, his hot breath hissed in his ear as the man spoke "this is going to be fun"
Hey hope everyone enjoyed, please let me know what you thought. Next chapter is going to be set during this chapter but the point of view will be from Alexandria and their thoughts about what is going on.
