ROXANNE'S STORY

by Voices InMyHead DB

This is the story of Roxanne, a beautiful woman traveling with her husband in an attempt to survive a ZA. After a horrible winter she realized that not only is her husband a coward but has put her in danger several times. Thus, the first sentence of Chapter One: "Roxanne was going to kill her husband." Roxanne's Story - Vol II can now be purchased in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

12. SEASON TWO - CHAPTER TWO

SEASON TWO – CHAPTER TWO:

1ST ENTRY:

The River was fast and turbulent, tossing the 2 boats recklessly about as they were anchored off shore from the Paper Mill. Because of the rough waters they had tied Jenny to the rubber bumpers of the tugboat and after dropping anchor everyone had boarded the tugboat to be together. Toby was on the bridge with his binoculars, trying to maintain his footing as he surveyed the paper mill. "I don't like it. The loading dock at the warehouse is wide open and Pete's cabin cruiser isn't anchored at the wharf outside the gates. Pete was taking a group of 10 people directly to the paper mill when we first landed at the plantation but the place looks abandoned."

"Maybe Pete has taken his boat out for a supply run," Lucky said.

Toby lowered his glasses and shook his head, "Still, I don't like it. Just doesn't feel right. We've been out here for an hour and haven't seen any movement, human or walker. You would think that they'd set up a scout to watch the river and would have seen us. They know our boats."

"There wouldn't be living quarters in the mill itself," Lucky answered. "While in operation a paper mill can smell like a skunk, at least to me it does. It's a horrible smell that would still linger in the factory even at this late date after shutdown. There are probably offices in another building that can't be seen from here. Let's dock at the wharf and go on a scouting mission of our own."

As Toby hoisted the anchor and started the tugboat Brandon pulled Lucky aside. "I won't be going on this scouting mission with you. Not this time, not when you have backup. I've been thinking that we should not go on missions together. One of us needs to stay alive for Roxanne and if we're both killed she'll be all alone."

Lucky was shocked. "We've always been a team Brandon. Roxanne would want us to keep each other alive, watching each other's back."

Brandon shook his head, "Not this time Lucky. Go with people of your choice but I'm staying here and if things go wrong in there then I will untie Jenny and head back. Besides, I don't like leaving Mutt at the plantation all alone."

"Mutt made his choice Brandon. He refused to leave the plantation. There was nothing we could do, couldn't even get near him once he found out we were leaving."

"Nevertheless," Brandon said, "I'm staying here with Jenny. I'll give you an hour to either signal me that all is safe, or for you to come back. If I haven't seen anything I'm hoisting anchor and I'm leaving regardless of Toby's decision. Morgan and Caleb can come with me if they want but I assume you will want Morgan to go with you on this run."

Lucky was hesitant but told Toby of Brandon plans and arranged to take Smokey, Larry and Morgan with him to inspect the factory. Morgan had his hand on Caleb's shoulder and the two of them were whispering together. Once they were docked Morgan approached Brandon and asked, "If anything should happen to me I would like for you to take Caleb with you on Jenny. He hasn't given up on Roxanne and he feels closer to both you and Lucky than the rest of the group. Would you do that for me Brandon?"

Brandon looked over at Caleb who had been watching them with anticipation and fear that he would be rejected without the protection of his father, but Brandon nodded and made the promise.

They untied Jenny from the tugboat in case Toby needed to quickly get away from the dock and the tugboat was faster than Jenny. Brandon kept Jenny away from the dock but still close enough to the tugboat that he and Toby could easily communicate. Brandon and Caleb watched the 4 men leave the tugboat and keep low as they ran for the loading bay. It was a long run of about 50 yards and it was all in the open. Brandon nervously kept watch on the rooftops of the buildings, cradling his rifle in his arm.

As the 4 men entered the derelict paper mill it was as if it had frozen in time. A gust of wind billowed through the doors causing the dust and discarded cigar papers on the floor to form a cloud. The only sound was their footsteps and debris hitting the machinery as the wind scattered it. The place looked as if it had been abandoned in a panic during lunch break. There were still personal effects like work boots, lunch boxes and safety goggles tossed on chairs and on top of the machines.

They cautiously walked down each row of massive machinery looking behind everything for slow walkers. When they reached the end of the factory they found a set of stairs leading up to a platform with an office. Portions of the roof had leaked and caved in at this part of the factory and nature was reclaiming it as they noticed mold covering the handrails. They by-passed the office since the search was to find Pete's group and went through a door at the end of the platform. It opened into another large room but this time the hand-railed platform continued high above the ground, weaving around several large pieces of machinery.

Larry looked up to see huge metal beams for support, pipes and pillars ran across the roof and led down to the floor. He looked down to see that the floor was flooded. "This would be perfect. All this metal. There's no way a walker is getting into this place. Too bad the floor is flooded. Maybe Pete was waiting for more help."

"There's mold on everything Larry. Wouldn't be a healthy place to camp in," Morgan answered. They stopped as their voices echoed off the machinery and caused an eerie feeling. Smokey felt the hairs on his arms start to rise, "Let's keep moving. This walkway leads to somewhere." As they turned the corner they saw that the stairs went down into the water and everyone stopped to stare while waiting for Lucky to give them orders.

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 2nd ENTRY:

Lucky came to the front of the group and stared down at the stagnant water. He looked around the walls and noticed that another stairwell lead up from the water to a door about 30 feet on the other side of the room. Noticing that one of the poles on the railing was loose he tore it off and went to the bottom of the stairs to use it as a measuring device and lowered it into the water until he felt solid ground. He then raised the pole and stood beside it to see where the water level would reach on a human. "About chest high," he said looking up at the group at the top of the stairwell. "We can wade through it and go to the other stairwell out that door," he pointed to the other wall.

There was a moment of silence before Morgan spoke up, "I'm not comfortable with that. We don't know what's in that water and could become infected. Factory's have toxic waste. I don't know what a paper mill uses but we don't know if that's stagnant water from rain or from the machinery and I don't see any holes in this roof for it to be rainwater."

Lucky looked around and saw a large pipe crossing the room with a smaller pipe running under it. Both of the pipes crossed over to the next stairwell before going into a hole in the wall. "Okay", Lucky said as he mounted the stairs to join them. He pointed to the pipes, "We can hold onto the larger pipe while walking on the smaller pipe and drop off on the next stairwell," he reached up to test the strength of the pipe.

"I don't think that pipe will hold my weight," Smokey said. "Besides, Pete would not have led his people through this. I think we're in the wrong place. We need to go back out and around the factory to find those Admin buildings you were talking about. It's obvious that this place is abandoned and that no one has been here."

Lucky looked at the other door and couldn't resist. "If they haven't been through here then they haven't explored all their options. There could be supplies in that room or perhaps a nurse's office for injuries on the job. It's worth checking out. You can wait here while I cross the pipes or go back, but I need to find out what's in that room." He reached up to grab the large pipe and settled his feet on the small pipe below it. Dirt, dust and rusty pieces fell off the pipe to the water below. He bounced a few times to test the strength and heard more particles fall but was convinced that it would hold him.

"Lucky, this is unnecessary," Morgan said. "I wish you would not do this. You are putting yourself in jeopardy and our mission is to find the other group." But Lucky continued along the pipes as they creaked from his weight dropping more debris in the sludge. He reached the other side of the wall and safely dropped to the stairwell which suddenly broke free from the wall and teetered. The group gasped thinking that Lucky would be thrown but he grabbed the railing and the stairwell held him without collapsing.

"I hope that door is unlocked," Smokey said, "Because that stairwell is not going to hold you if you need to throw your weight against the door or kick it in." Lucky carefully leaned across the gap where the stairwell had separated from the wall and tested the door handle. He found that it was unlocked and pulled his gun out in case the room held walkers. Throwing open the door he was disappointed that the room wasn't in better condition and felt a fool that his team had been right. He stepped across the gap and entered to see that it was a locker room.

"No walkers here," he called out to his team. "There are lockers that I want to check out and see if we can use anything." He didn't tell them that all the lockers were open and that he could see that the employees had quickly gathered their personal items and fled. The roof was partially gone and the floor was filled with bird droppings. Some of the locker doors had pulled free of their hinges and were tilted sideways. There was a pair of rotting boots in the center of the floor and a chair that had been torn apart by animals for nesting purposes. A wooden table against one wall had old order forms now dry rotted and a rubber stamp that had hardened with the weather.

Lucky pulled out a pair of gloves from his back pocket, afraid to touch anything because of the thick coat of droppings on everything. There was a strong smell of ammonia as if bats had made a home here but he felt he must find something to justify his actions. He went through each locker but nothing had been protected against the weather and had corroded, rotted or was moldy. He checked each drawer of the table and found a first-aid kit in the bottom one. It was dusty but still intact and had not warped. He anxiously pried it open to find that it had the standard supplies of first aid cream, peroxide, bandages and gauze. He felt he had saved face for his reckless action and went back to the door. "It's not much, but it's something" he said.

He tossed the box across to Morgan and precariously stepped on the stairwell which swayed with his weight. He grabbed the top pipe as before and side-stepped on the bottom pipe to cross the wall to the other side. The pipes made more noise this time, bending with the strain as he quickened his pace. One piece broke away from under his foot and splashed into the water but he regained his balance and made it to the other side. He removed the rust stained gloves and put them into his back pocket, "There's nothing of use here. You're right. Let's go back out and circle the building."

He took the lead as Morgan and Larry glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows. Both remembered that Brandon had refused to go on search missions with Lucky and they wondered if Brandon knew or had seen this recklessness in Lucky. Was Brandon becoming concerned with Lucky's decisions and no longer felt safe or confident around him? They waited until Smokey and Lucky were out of hearing range when Morgan said, "Perhaps we should start paying more attention to what's happening around us."

"We've always done that," Larry answered, "just not within the group. I thought it was just Mutt who had visibly showed a change, but Lucky may have been more cautious in not showing signs of confusion to the rest of us."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO:

CHAPTER TWO – 3RD ENTRY

They shielded their eyes against the sun as they came out of the dark factory. Lucky gave Toby a signal that everything was all right and noticed that the river had calmed somewhat since they had entered the building. They walked the width of the entrance and then turned to follow the length of the factory further back inland away from the river.

"This ground is worn as if it is traveled regularly," Smokey observed. "I would say that Pete's group uses this path to go back and forth to his boat." They followed the side of the building for 100 yards before they reached the end and could see smaller buildings away from the factory. The stood their ground for a moment surveying the layout before venturing from the cover of the building. The distance was separated by paved concrete and without cover a sniper could easily pick them off but they saw no one on the rooftops of the other buildings. There were some parking spaces in front of the buildings but this was definitely not a parking lot for employees. This was for heavy equipment to go in and out of the factory.

They did not see any activity by human or walkers and they didn't like it. "Where is everybody?" Larry asked. "If they settled here we should see people about doing chores, making supply runs, or even smell cooking. I don't see a vehicle and that's the first thing I would do if I landed here would be to find another escape if we lost the boat."

"Maybe they did," Lucky said. "Maybe Pete is out on the boat fishing for food and the others took a vehicle to go inland for a supply run. I say we make a run for the center two-story building with the windows boarded up. Someone tried to make that building safe and it would be my guess that it's our group." On his count of "go" they began to trot across the paved area with their guns ready.

They had crossed half the lot when the door opened and Pete came out with a member of his group who Smokey recognized from the casino. They stood outside the building talking and never noticed Lucky's team approaching. Smokey shook his head thinking that the group will never survive on their own if they weren't more alert. "Pete! It's Smokey," he yelled out. Both men were startled but smiled and waved when they saw the team approaching.

After greeting one another and shaking hands Lucky asked, "Where is everyone? We've been all through the factory and no one noticed when we pulled up in Toby's tugboat."

"Everyone is inside for a meeting," Pete answered. "The factory blocks our view of the river from here. That's one thing we were talking about in the meeting. It left my boat unprotected and I've never been comfortable with docking it at night without guards. Two nights ago it disappeared. Dale and I just got back from scouting downriver looking for it. Did you by chance see it drifting anywhere?"

"No", Smokey said. "It wasn't downriver. Were the ropes cut or worn?"

"There weren't any ropes left behind," Pete said. "Either someone untied them from the pier and took the boat, or we were negligent with our knots and it drifted away."

"Is it safe here?" Lucky asked. "Can we have the group from the Plantation start to gather their things from the tugboat to join you? The Plantation was no longer safe and we had to move on."

"It's been safe so far," Pete said, "but there are problems here that make us doubt that it could be a permanent place. Why don't ya'll come inside with the others and we'll give you a run down. Rest, have some water and food and we'll discuss it."

"Larry," Lucky said, "Go back to the boat and let Toby know everything is all right but to keep everyone on board until we know more."

They entered a small room with a desk and a railing in front of it. The wall behind the desk had shelving divided into squares for receiving reports, delivery notices and schedules. It looked like the type of place where a driver would check in with his delivery and get instructions on where to unload the cargo. Lucky recognized some of the people sitting around and wondered why they would gather everyone into such a cramped location.

"Come into the back where the kitchen is," Pete said. "None of the rooms are bigger than this since it is all office space. No conference room or anything. Everybody!" Pete announced. "It appears that the folks who went to the plantation were forced out and want to relocate with us. Florence could you see what we have to feed these guys. Maybe some of those geese you cooked up yesterday."

Florence opened the gate to the railing and let them through while Pete opened a door where they began to go down a long hallway. Lucky could see all the offices on both sides and knew that the building had once employed a large staff. Some of the offices were still in pristine condition but others had papers, books and ledgers thrown about. In others he could see that the computers had been smashed, chairs were overturned and blank spots on the walls indicated that pictures had been removed.

The kitchen looked like nothing more than a snack room for 10 – 12 employees but there was a sink and small refrigerator. They were surprised when Florence took a plucked goose out of the refrigerator and began to wash it in the sink. "Some of the good news is that we found a generator and gas supply," Pete said. "Part of the bad news is that the noise from the generator attracts walkers to the fence. We have a grill out back that we cook on but the smoke and Florence moving around back there also attracts walkers. The fence is far enough away that they are not a threat but we have noticed an increase in walker traffic lately. We would like to hunt in the woods beyond the fence but the numbers just don't allow that. We really are trapped within the fence and that limits our food supply. We fish off the pier and I would take the boat out for supply runs. There is not one area within the fence that isn't paved with concrete so we can't plant seed for crops. Some of the parking lot is starting to break up but it would take a big crew and a lot of work to break up enough concrete to have a crop and all that noise would attract more walkers. It's a good fence, but not for a herd and we haven't gotten close enough to see if there is a weakness or a breach in it. Now that my boat is missing we really were trapped until you showed up and we don't know if my missing boat means that we have a threat from humans too."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER 2 - 4TH ENTRY:

When Spring arrived Shoes noticed that Cowboy was around more often and always showed up when she took the girl out to gather herbs. Shoes never knew where the coyote had her den and had assumed that it was not close because there would be months before she saw the animal again but she now came around at least once a week. And Cowboy would show up out of nowhere when she and the girl were in the marsh. Shoes was becoming more convinced that the girl had a natural gift with animals and had a power that not even she was aware of. She watched them closely when they were together, sometimes Cowboy going to a plant and pawing at it when she asked the girl to find a certain herb. "Don't cheat Cowboy", Shoes would scold.

The girl had worked hard through the winter to obtain her strength again. Her limp was noticeable but she no longer dragged the left foot. Her hand could hold a weapon now, but she could not release it and it had to be pried from 2 of her fingers. A knife or staff had become a permanent part of that hand now and the girl found comfort sleeping at night knowing that the knife would always be in her hand. But she didn't give up working on the fingers, still trying to make them open and close on their own.

The girl had been getting restless lately and Shoes could see that something was bothering her. She had been relentless in questioning Shoes about swamp wildlife, fishing, birds and herbs. How much of it she retained was unknown to Shoes since she never asked the same question twice. The girl experimented with whittling down various types of wood into weapons and structuring different types of traps. Whether the girl intended to trap a human or an animal Shoes was not sure. She started to insist that Shoes take her further into the northern part of the Bayou, a place where Shoes seldom visited since human traffic was more prominent there. "What are you looking for girl?" Shoes had asked upon her first request.

She shook her head, "I don't know."

"Are you remembering something?"

"No. I just feel the pull north. Can we look just this once? The days are becoming longer and warmer and clover should be coming up now. There would be more in the fields in the north and clover provides vitamins A and C."

And so they had gone. Shoes knew that it was too early for clover but she indulged the girl and they paddled past the flooded plantation where secret requests were left for her potions. Shoes purposely started making turns into dead ends so they would need to back track. Without saying anything she wanted the girl to see how easily you could get lost and wander aimlessly in the swamp. She used the excuses of "I don't come this way often" or "My eyesight is getting worse" to explain her mistakes. They rode back in silence and the girls mind had been preoccupied for weeks since then.

On this particular day Shoes had lined up several different types of herbs on the table and had asked the girl to identify each and what they could be used for. The girl touched the first plant and began to go down the line. "Sow Thistle is cooked and seasoned like boiled greens. Chickweed is eaten raw in salads. Clover is a good source of vitamins A and C and can be eaten raw or cooked. Broad Leaf Plantain is similar to grape leaves and can be served stuffed. Pursiane can be eaten raw and this last one is Wild Persimmon."

Without making eye contact the girl took a knife and began chopping the roots and plants to throw them into a stew on the stove. "And what name do I call you by?" Shoes asked. The girl stopped but avoided eye contact which had been her habit of late and confusing to Shoes. She felt that she had been losing the girls trust and didn't know what she had done to cause the distance that was building between them. Unless…unless the girl was starting to remember and either wanted to shield Shoes or was consumed by her own memories.

The girl began to chop again but still didn't look up. "Girl is fine. Just continue to call me girl."

"But what name would you like to be called?" Shoes asked. "Just pick one. A name that you've always admired perhaps. Seems unfittin' and disrespectful that I address you as 'girl'. Everyone needs a name."

The girl shook her head, "If I admired someone, then I don't deserve their name. Anyone I admired wouldn't have ended up like this, lost and homeless except for the kindness of you." She then stopped and looked up, "I'm an amateur here and I don't know what I'm good at except for fighting walkers. Don't know how I know that, I just do. But apparently I am not brave enough to kill humans, even those who wish to do me harm otherwise I would not have these scars on me. If I was any good at fighting humans they never would have gotten close enough to me. Perhaps that's why I was alone. Perhaps I was turned out by another group because I was a failure to them. It's not logical that I was traveling alone, not in a ZA. No one can survive alone in a ZA."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 5th ENTRY:

Shoes looked at the girl for a long time before replying. That was the longest statement the girl had made about her thoughts of a past life. "If that's the case then perhaps your group is looking for you. I haven't seen how bad it is in the outside world. I've only seen a few Limba or Walkers as you call them, but I have heard the stories of how everyone abandoned the cities because of them."

The girl came over and sat beside her, "They're moving. Somehow I know that. They're moving outward from the cities in large herds. Herds big enough to swarm you, big enough to knock down fences and knock down doors. They can smell you and they have a keen sense of hearing. You are safer with a group, hopefully a group of fighters." She looked off into the distance, "I think I was with a good group of fighters. I can remember feeling safe, even happy but I can't see faces or hear a voice from the past. Not even a brief glimpse of a group or how many there were. I'm torn. I'm beginning to think that you were right about not settling in the Bayou and I've been thinking that I should go north. But what if I was banned from a group and will not be welcomed back? And you were right about something else. How do I know friend from enemy? I could walk back into a trap and it would be so very, very dangerous to travel alone. So you see I'm torn on what I should do and when I should do it. The longer I wait the further away the group is. I'm confused and that's not like me. I've always been able to make decisions based upon the facts and in this case I don't know what the facts are." She sighed and leaned her head in her hand.

"You're sure about that? The type of person you were and the type you are now may be two different people. You can only stay true to yourself as you are now and not assume or guess at who you were in the past. You'll know when things feel right. You're still a mystery to yourself."

At that moment the door was silently pushed open and Cowboy stopped in the doorway to glance at the two women. Looking at the coyote the hairs on Shoes arms stood up. There was something not human between the girl and the coyote and for the first time she felt that she could be in danger if she should ever attempt to come between the two. "I think that's your answer right there," Shoes nodded at the coyote. "Have you ever discussed this with Cowboy?"

The girl looked up and smiled at Cowboy. She dropped her hand from the table and held it out for the coyote to come over and lick it. "No, haven't discussed it with Cowboy. Figured Cowboy hated and distrusts humans. If you want a name for me why don't you call me Cowgirl?" she asked taking up the previous conversation.

Shoes shook her head, "No, ain't fittin' you. I'll call you Artemis who is the goddess of wild animals, or Fauna who is the Lady of the Beasts."

The girl laughed, "No I'm neither a goddess nor a lady. Why don't you call me Cami which means 'that of a rare kind.' I doubt that you have found an unconscious woman in the Bayou as you did me. That would indeed be rare even in the Bayou."

Morgan and Caleb were with Brandon and Lucky as they came back for one of their many trips to the plantation. Although Morgan and Caleb felt that Smokey, Larry and Gertrude were part of a family they were closer to Lucky and Brandon and always wanted to travel with them. Terry took to the new group immediately but eventually began to complain about the situation at the Mill. She was one of those who still believed that life would return to normal and they just had to find the right place. The fact that they hadn't found a town with electricity, running water, open grocery stores and a nail salon was someone else's fault and purposely done to taunt her. The paper mill group was starting to see that side of Terry's wrath for being so inconsiderate of her needs.

Caleb was anxiously looking at the levee for a sign of Mutt. Each time they had returned Mutt would greet them but still refused to leave the plantation. Brandon had cut a doggie panel into the door of Roxanne's old cabin so he could have shelter from both the weather and walkers. They always brought duck, squirrel or fish for Mutt but he never seemed to be starving or in need. It was always a sad process though since he would appear to be happy to see them but after he boarded Jenny and checked all the rooms his tail would stop wagging and he would leave the group to go back over the levee. "He does that each time," Brandon said one day while watching the dog as he disappeared.

"He's looking for Roxanne," Morgan said. "He's hoping that we found her and brought her back on Jenny."

But this time Mutt didn't appear and by the time they tied up Jenny Caleb was frightened. "Where is he? Why didn't he come to meet us?"

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER 2 - 6th ENTRY:

"Everyone stay here," Lucky cautioned. "I'll crawl to the top of the levee, keep my head down and survey the place. It could be housing other visitors or walkers could be swarming the place."

He took the rifle scope with him and crawled to the top of the levee, slipping a few times in the wet grass. The house was still intact. He did not see any walkers in sight but he could smell food cooking now that he was above the river. He saw someone standing guard with a rifle on the top portico, the same porch that they had used while living here. Another man came out to relieve him, taking the rifle from the first man as he stood guard. If they were sharing rifles then they must be low on ammo or did not have enough weapons to go around. A third man was limping as he came from the pond carrying a duck and used a machete to chop its head off. Lucky noticed that the man was wearing a gun holster but it was empty and that gave him more confidence that this group was probably using hand-to-hand combat to stay alive.

Suddenly he swung the scope back for a closer look at the holster and gasped. It had a red "R" painted on the side. He remembered when Roxanne had found paint at the Park and after carving an "R" into her holster she had painted it red. It had become faded while they lived outside for all those months after leaving the Park and the leather had started to peel around the letter but it was definitely Roxanne's. The gun she used changed several times according to what was available but even if she was without a weapon she always wore that holster.

He knew that the crew was waiting for word from him but he couldn't get up at that moment. Seeing a clue relating to Roxanne after all these months had taken his breath away. Three men so far and no telling how many were inside or if Roxanne was still with them. He had to know more before reporting to Brandon and making a plan. He didn't see Mutt around and could not see the cabins which were hidden behind the trees. A fourth man came out of what once had been a vegetable garden and was the reason for their trip back to the plantation.

This man Lucky recognized, "Rodriquez, damn you." His hands started to shake and he had to put the scope down. He realized that the sun had grown hot on his back and that he could feel sweat trickling down his neck. He started to slide back down the levee when he heard a whistle from the guard and thought that he had been discovered. But when he looked back he saw that the guard was pointing toward the road where a group of 20 walkers were ambling, still going in the same direction towards the Gulf. After studying the walkers at the paper mill it appeared that when the walkers came from the east and reached the Mississippi that they turned south but those on the west side of the River never continued west at all but also went south.

The 4 men scrambled inside but the walkers had smelled the cooking and turned from the road to the plantation house. By the looks of the white fence it had been overrun before and was shattered in a few places. Lucky took advantage of the distraction to slide down the hill and back to Jenny where he gave his group a report of what he had seen.

"Where have they been all this time?" Morgan asked. "Roxanne disappeared 6 months ago."

"Maybe they were forced to backtrack by herds" Brandon said.

"No," Lucky shook his head. "I think they came back for me. I knew this guy Rodriguez when he was a member of a vicious gang and I was in DEA before going into Secret Service. He swore that one day he would come for me. They all say that when you incarcerate them, but this one I took seriously. I have seen what he does to people who he felt had crossed him, what he had done to their families. And he had a long arm of influence in many places."

"I think it was an accident that he spotted us at the plantation last winter and recognized me. I think he probably watched the place for a long time once he knew he had stumbled across me again. He would have seen Roxanne and me going into the same cabin at night. He took Roxanne deliberately but it's not his style to leave questions behind. He would have wanted me to know that he had Roxanne or he would have delivered her dead body back to me. I want him alive. I want answers."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 7TH ENTRY:

They all climbed the levee with Rick and watched as the walkers circled the home looking for a way in. None of the walkers attempted to climb over the furniture still blocking the staircases to the 2nd floor. Some of them pushed at the furniture but none of the walkers lifted a piece out of place or attempted to move it except to push against it. They became more agitated and some started to move off toward the back of the house where smoke was coming from the grill.

"I only saw 4 men including Rodriguez but that's not like him to have such a small following. He always had 10 inside whatever place he stayed and another 10 outside to guard the place," Lucky said.

"He's probably lost people too, Lucky" Brandon looked at him. "He may not be such a threat now. Where is he out of? What state?" They watched as a few of the walkers reach the grill and knocked it over. The coals rolled across the grass and one of the walkers picked up the hot metal grill that once held food. He started to lick the grill but it burned through his hands and dropped to the ground again. Another walker picked it up and attempted to do the same thing but their skin and bones were now so dry that their limbs caught on fire like kindling. A few walked across the hot coals and their pants caught on fire but they continued to move on, immune to the fire traveling up their clothes.

"Mexico," Lucky answered. "But he had estates in California and Florida. I don't know where he was when he was caught in the ZA. Perhaps he does have a bigger gang but they are out on a supply run."

"Do you think they stole Pete's cabin cruiser?" Morgan asked. "They could be out on that," he turned to look behind them toward the river. "If that's the case then we need to move Jenny out of sight."

"I don't think he has a bigger group," Caleb said. "Not if he's the one who took Roxanne. Smokey said that you needed a piroque when you went into the swamp looking for Roxanne. A big one would hold 4 – 5 people depending on your supplies. If he is coming in from the Bayou that piroque would be docked at the site where they took Roxanne. We should check that out first and see how many piroques are there, if any. We can access the town of Mamou from the river and get Jenny hidden. Then take the skiff into the swamp and follow the shoreline down to the plantation." Morgan was surprised at the knowledge that the kid had gained by listening to Smoky and traveling with Brandon.

"No one's coming out of the house, "Lucky said. "And the walkers are starting to turn to the barns. I'd like to know how many are in that house, but" he turned to Caleb "knowing if he has a piroque at the landing would be helpful and even if there isn't one we can come across the field and watch the house from there. And Jenny would be safe."

Morgan shook his head, "You got lost in the Bayou and that was with Smokey leading you. How do you expect to find the plantation landing on your own?"

"We're not going into the deepest part of the Bayou. We went south from the landing because Smokey said the northern waterway became marsh with more solid ground, shacks and plantations. He felt sure it was natives of the area who took Roxanne so we went south deeper into the Bayou, but now I wonder if we shouldn't have gone north to check those shacks since Rodriguez is not familiar with the Bayou."

Again Morgan shook his head. "It's too risky. Besides, we may be talking 2 different groups here. This Rodriquez could have come up from New Orleans the same as we did. He could have his own boat which is out on a supply run. Roxanne could have left that holster behind at the cabin and never had it on her that day. Even if you should find the landing in the swamp and there's no piroque that doesn't tell you how many people are in his group."

"But if there is a piroque that tells me he has only 4 – 5 people and it also confirms to me that Rodriquez took Roxanne," Lucky answered. "I think Caleb has a good idea. Let's get back to Jenny before we are discovered on this levee."

"Don't you think that we should go for more people," Morgan asked as they boarded Jenny. "Smokey, Pete and Mitch are all good fighters. The 2 of you should not go alone into the unknown and Smokey could help with navigation through the swamp."

"There isn't time," Lucky said as he cast off. "That would take 3 days round trip and Rodriquez could be gone by then. We don't know how long they have been camping here and that last herd could change their mind about staying."

"Dad," Caleb begged. "This is Roxanne. We've got to find out what happened to her and I want to go with them. Roxanne taught me not to be afraid of myself. The miserable accuracy I had with the crossbow was my own lack of confidence but I got us fed when we were on the move and that was because of Roxanne. And you've seen how good I am with the high-powered bow that we found in Baton Rouge. I know you still think that I'm a young kid but I've grown up quickly and I've learned how to survive."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 8th ENTRY:

They took Jenny as far as they dared down the creek past the town of Mamou. When Brandon became concerned about the depth of the water they docked at a run-down Bait & Tackle store. "If we are not back by morning," Lucky told Morgan, "then take Jenny back to the levee. We may be hurt and need your help or we ran out of time to make it back and decided to sit it out. Don't worry about Caleb. We will use him at a distance, put him in a tree or hidden in the sugar field but we won't take him across the road to the plantation unless we have cleaned it up. He could be very useful with the crossbow and can cover our backs."

"It's impossible for me not to worry about Caleb," Morgan said. "I trust you and Brandon but a father can't help but to worry about his son. I still think it is foolish attempting to find the landing on your own."

"The town of Mamou is at the base of the waterway to the bayou," Lucky said. "I'm going to keep the solid ground to my left since that would be where the other plantations are based. Smokey said things thinned out the further north so we should be reaching the marsh and thicker swamp to the south just as we find the landing. We won't be in it for very long, maybe an hour on the creek and another hour in the marsh. But I don't know how much time it will take to watch the place, take out Rodriquez's men, and question Rodriquez."

"If you are not here by morning I'm going to blow Jenny's whistle after I cast off," Morgan said. He put his hand out, "Take this flair and if you are within hearing distance shoot it off. Otherwise I will leave for the levee as you planned. I may explore a little bit in the town today while you are gone to help take my mind off things. I'll be careful and not take any chances." He hugged Caleb, "You listen to them now and don't try to be a hero. You've got nothing to prove to yourself, them or me. You hear?"

"I'll be careful dad," Caleb nodded his head. "The most important thing is to stay quiet and unnoticeable. I'll stay well hidden."

Morgan watched as they got in the skiff and paddled off toward the marsh. He watched until he lost sight of them and then surveyed his surroundings. He had learned how to pilot Jenny but was glad that Brandon had the foresight to turn the paddleboat around so he would have a straight passageway up the creek again. There were a few houses plus the Bait Shop on this side of the bank and he hadn't seen any movement in the vicinity. He took his staff and pickaxe and decided to check out the Bait Shop first. They had been in this town before but had not ventured this far toward the Bayou.

Lucky had underestimated the timetable to reach the landing. By always taking the left stream they had come to a dead-end and had to backtrack. It was now mid-day and he doubted that they would get back to Jenny by nightfall but they were ecstatic to see just one piroque at the landing. "Yes!" he whispered and did a fist pump.

"One piroque, which means he only has a few people and didn't come up the River."

"But why come back here, and after so long?" Brandon asked.

"He held up somewhere during the winter and is on the move again, is my guess" Lucky said. They tied their skiff next to the piroque while Lucky gave them instructions. "Brandon, there may be only 4 – 5 of them, but they are ruthless and well trained. They use machetes and knives for weapons. They are especially good in hand-to-hand combat and I doubt that you would win in a fight. Caleb, you have the best advantage because you are proficient with the crossbow which is both silent and you don't need to get close." He looked at Brandon, "Even if we sneak up behind them they are good at getting the advantage on an attacker from behind. We need to get them separately and quietly so as not to alert the others. Caleb," he touched the boy's arm, "I'm going to leave some judgment up to you. Although we will have you in the background if you see someone who is alone and their body won't be spotted when you take him down, then don't wait on a signal from me. Take the shot. Otherwise, you watch me at all times and wait for my signal before you move up."

They nodded agreement and began to move through the marsh toward the plantation house.

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 9TH ENTRY:

Lucky used the rifle scope as he did when on the levee. He had only 3 bullets left and the gun had become more valuable as binoculars. The walkers had left the place and the guard had taken up residence on the portico again. They watched for 20 minutes but never saw movement by any other gang members.

"Do you think that they are taking a siesta?" Brandon asked.

Lucky looked at the sun, "You could be right. This is perfect timing and I noticed that the guard seldom looks this way. He's watching the road for more walkers because he doesn't expect danger from the swamp. Stay in the trees and let's move to our right toward the cabins. We'll cross the road where we won't be seen and make sure no one is in the cabins who can come up behind us as we approach the house."

They crouched down and made their way along the sugar cane field, then went down one of the rows to the road. Lucky stopped while he watched the cabins but all 3 of them were listening for moans of walkers who could have strayed behind the herd. It was strangely quiet except for the sound of birds and a few ducks in the pond. Lucky turned to Caleb, "You stay here and do not cross the road until I signal. Brandon and I will check the cabins and then call you over." Caleb nodded and loaded his crossbow.

Lucky had been concerned about their boots making noise as they crossed the porch of each cabin but having walked through the swamp their boots were caked in mud which softened the sound. Lucky was glad not to find the body of a dead dog in Mutt's cabin. After installing the doggie door Brandon had opened a back window so Mutt would have an escape in case walkers broke through the cabin door. Whether Mutt had run from the new visitors or was in hiding he didn't know but it was comforting to see that the cabin was empty.

After checking the cabins they signaled for Caleb to cross the road. Still hidden from view by anyone in the house all 3 advanced to the brick wall of the pool. "You stay here Caleb," Lucky said. "Brandon and I will go around the other side to get a view of the barn. If that's clear we'll call you up." They were about to proceed when Lucky suddenly put out his arm. "Wait," he whispered. After a pause he said, "Back up. I think a walker is coming along the pool. Give me room. I can hear his moan."

Brandon and Caleb backed up along the wall leaving Lucky who waited at the corner with his knife drawn. Perhaps it was the smell of the marsh on their clothes but the walker never looked to his right as he came out from behind the wall and walked past Lucky. Lucky grabbed the walker around his neck and pulled him out of sight behind the wall, driving his knife into its ear. He stood and they all waited in silence, listening for more moans.

"I think it's clear. Come on Brandon." After they left Caleb looked down at the walker and crushed its head with his boot for reassurance. He heard a soft whistle and turned the corner to run to Brandon and Lucky at the other end of the pool.

"Here's where you come in Caleb," Lucky said. "If we go to the barn to check it out we can be seen from the house. If we go directly to the house anyone coming out of the barn will see us and give out a warning. I would rather we go directly to the house and you stay here watching the barn. If anyone should come out of there I want you to take them down. Can you do that?"

Caleb calculated the distance and said, "Piece of cake."

"Caleb," Lucky said gently, "this is not a walker that you would be killing. This is a person. Do you think that you can do it? Don't feel ashamed if you don't think you can. I need your honesty now and you need to be honest with yourself."

Caleb calmly looked at Lucky. "They took Roxanne, maybe even killed her. I won't hesitate and I don't need to think twice about it. Like I said, 'piece of cake'."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 10th ENTRY:

"Lucky, I really think that someone is in the barn," Brandon said. "I can see a shadow moving in the darkness. I can't tell what it is, if it's a walker, person or some piece of equipment but I can tell that a darkness is moving within a darkness."

They all turned to watch the barn but after 5 more minutes Lucky said that they needed to move forward with their plan. "Take the staircase up to the 2nd floor. I'll take the rooms on the right, you on the left and we'll search them one by one, taking out anyone we meet. We'll leave the guard for last since he will signal if a herd is coming. Caleb, if you hear that guard whistle go back into Mutt's cabin and wait for the herd to pass. I don't want you to attempt to cross the road and attract their attention. After the herd passes don't wait on us. Go back to the skiff and get back to your dad before you lose any more time. He can come back in the morning as planned and scope the place out from the levee. Either one of us will be on the portico, or the guard will. If it's the guard then go back to the paper mill and forget about us."

"How will I know when to advance to the house?" Caleb asked. "How long do I watch the barn and how long do I wait for a signal from you?"

"You won't be coming to the house, Caleb" Lucky said. "There's no reason for you to. When I capture Rodriguez I don't want you there as I question him. We shouldn't be more than 20 minutes and one of us will signal you that we are alright but don't come into the house."

When Brandon and Lucky made a dash across the yard Caleb kept watch on the barn door but out of his peripheral vision he saw that the 2 men had reached the staircase and had paused. He was beginning to see what Brandon was talking about and saw movement coming toward the entrance of the barn. He kept his back to the brick wall and took aim at where he estimated a man's chest would be. The man came out of the barn looking down at a tool in his hands and never noticed Brandon or Lucky climbing over the furniture on the staircase. Caleb didn't wait for the man to become alert to the situation and immediately let the bolt fly from his fingers. He signed with relief as the arrow hit the man with a 'thump' causing him to stumble back into the darkness of the barn. He quickly loaded another bolt in case the man attempted to drag himself out of the barn again but Caleb had seen the splatter of blood across his shirt and felt confident that he would not see the man again. He saw that Lucky and Brandon had reached the 2nd landing and were looking back at the barn. Apparently they had seen part of what had happened because they looked over at him and nodded.

As planned Brandon and Lucky spread out along the portico and went in different directions looking in the windows or balcony doors then chose one and went inside. Lucky was thankful that the carpet silenced his footsteps as he crossed the bedroom and went to the door leading to the hallway. He stood listening but could not hear any conversation within the house. If they were taking a siesta then they had chosen one room in the house to do it. That would make things more difficult since they would need to separate the men to get them alone.

At the same moment that he stepped out into the hall, Brandon stepped out from his room and motioned to him. Lucky quickly crossed his side of the house and stopped at the corner of the stairs leading down to the entrance foyer. This part of the landing was open with a chandelier hanging over the foyer. He checked to make sure no one was loitering downstairs who could spot him and then crossed to meet Brandon.

"I killed one who was sleeping in the bed, but it occurred to me that you did not describe Rodriquez and I may have killed the very person who you wanted alive," Brandon whispered. Lucky cursed himself. He had been so intent on capturing Rodriquez himself that it never occurred to him that Brandon would get to him first. Now he feared that he had made the same mistake with Caleb and that the man in the barn could have been Rodriquez. He only caught a glimpse of the man as he grabbed his chest and felt backward.

"Rodriquez always wears a bandana around his neck to hide a scar where he almost got his throat cut" Lucky said as he looked down at the man on the bed. "This isn't him. He'll be the one giving the orders. I'm becoming more comfortable that he only has 4 – 5 men in his group."

"The way you described these men," Brandon said, "I don't plan on getting close enough to slit their throat. If I see one across the room I'm throwing my knife or hatchet. I'm more confident in my throwing skills to hit the target than to try and sneak up on them."

Lucky nodded, "I'll go down the stairs first. Wait for my signal. No use in both of us taking the chance of being discovered."

Caleb heard the ducks rustle in the pond behind the pool and went back along the brick wall to make sure no one was coming up behind him. He carefully peeked around the corner and smiled at what he saw there. "Mutt," he whispered and patted his leg. "Come here boy. It's me, Caleb."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 11th ENTRY:

Lucky was going through the dining room when he heard dishes rattling in the kitchen beyond. Brandon had gone the opposite way after descending the staircase and was checking the living room, den and smoking porch which would have the same view of the road as the guard on the 3rd story portico. The kitchen had a swinging door which Lucky quickly got behind and continued to listen carefully. By the sounds in the kitchen there was only 1 person fixing a meal but whether it was for himself or someone else he didn't know. If he came out carrying a tray then it would be easy to grab him from behind but if the man decided to eat in the kitchen Lucky knew that he couldn't wait.

He heard the man mumble to himself in Spanish, "Get him this, get him that. Nobody is in charge anymore El Stupido so what makes you leader? Too many lost, too many dead and you think you can still lead us?"

The door flew open and the man emerged carrying a tray. Lucky quickly grabbed him around the neck and put a knife to his throat, "Where are they? What room and how many?" The man dropped the tray amongst a clatter of noise and reached for Lucky's arm. Lucky immediately moved the knife point to the man's eyes, "Don't try it. I'm already there and your hands have a long way to go to reach your weapon."

"I have no part of this," the man whined in English. "I'm no fighter, I'm just the cook."

Lucky put the blade on the skin under his eye and said, "What room and how many."

"Two on the 3rd floor, one on the 2nd floor but I have done nothing."

"What about the man in the barn? You forgot that one."

"Barn? You asked what room. I didn't think of the barn" he continued to plead.

"And you didn't mention the lookout on the portico either. How can I believe anything you say?"
"There are six total. I don't know where everyone is. I swear I am telling the truth."

"Is there a woman with you?"

"Woman? There is no woman."

At that point Brandon rushed back from his search after hearing the clatter of the tray and entered the room. Still holding the man in a choke hold Lucky looked up at him and nodded. Brandon came over to the man and quickly stabbed him in the chest before the man knew what was happening. Lucky let the man fall to the floor and then stabbed him at the base of the skull.

"Six," Lucky said. "And we already got 3. I'm sure that Rodriquez has a man with him and they'll be in the room with the guard outside. 3rd floor. Let's go."

As they mounted the stairs Brandon whispered, "You've got 3 bullets. Maybe we better not mess around with this group since the guard has a rifle and we don't know what the others are carrying. Just take 2 of them out with your rifle and then we can deal with Rodriquez."

"When we get to the 3rd floor the room will be around the corner to our left, the door maybe 6 – 8 feet away. If the door is shut I don't want to storm it and walk into a group of men. We could go to another room and access the wrap-around porch and try to take the guard out quietly. There are French doors off the portico to that room and we can get a better look of the situation. If the door at the top of the stairs is open then we should know right away what the situation is."

They paused as they turned the corner of the bannister and looked up at the 3rd story. All was quiet as they hugged the wall and began to climb. They had almost reached the top of the landing when one of the steps creaked. "What was that?" a nervous voice asked in Spanish.

"Maybe it's the dog," another man laughed.

"Don't joke about that. That damn dog has been stalking me ever since we got here." The voice had become closer as if he had walked to the open doorway.

The two men continued talking with the one voice fading and then becoming clear again and Lucky knew that the man was pacing the floor back and forth to the door. Knowing that they would be spotted before storming the room he turned to signal Brandon to go back down the stairs. But Brandon was watching something of interest on the landing further down the hall. Lucky looked over to see Mutt belly-crawling along the hall toward the occupied room. The dog would hide behind a piece of furniture, wait for the voice to fade and then quickly slink further down the hall to the next safe place where he would not be seen. They watched him in awe then Lucky whispered, "If Mutt storms the room we go in right after him. He will catch them off guard and temporarily distract them and we'll be on them before they know it. The guard will immediately come in so I'll concentrate on taking him out first since we know he has a gun."

Brandon nodded, "What the hell is Mutt doing?"

Lucky smiled, "Stalking someone. My bet is that it's the guy with Roxanne's holster. The other guy in the room is Rodriquez."

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 12TH ENTRY:

Brandon & Lucky listened to the voice approach and then fade again, watching Mutt close the distance between him and the doorway. As the voice started to fade once more Mutt suddenly sprang into action and ran at high speed down the hall toward his target. All Lucky saw was a blur sailing past his head as Mutt leaped into the air. By the screams from the room Mutt had found his target giving Lucky and Brandon the opportunity to rush into the room and take Rodriquez by surprise before he could reach for his gun. As Lucky anticipated the guard rushed in and Lucky immediately shot him before he could comprehend what was happening. Mutt held his man down, snarling and ripping at his neck. He had attacked the screaming man from behind, knocking him forward onto his face. "Get him off me, get him off!" the struggling man pleaded but both Lucky and Brandon ignored him.

"Hands up, Rodriquez! Back away from the bed." Lucky could see a gun on the bed and that Rodriquez had suddenly thought of inching toward it. "Turn around and put your hands on the wall. Brandon, cut those curtain cords for me and then pull Mutt off. Put the guy in a chair and let Mutt guard him. Then help me tie Rodriquez up." Brandon calmly stepped over the man's thrashing feet but doubted that he would live for long. Mutt had already torn off one ear and was working on the skin between the neck and shoulder. He couldn't stand the man's screams anymore but was afraid to touch Mutt so he began to calmly say Mutt's name as he cut the cord that Lucky needed. Mutt stood over the man as he continued to whimper and cry from the pain.

"Lucky my friend," Rodriquez attempted to be amused. "There is no need for this. I am no longer a criminal in this new world and there are no longer any laws. We are people trying to survive, you and I. I'm sure there have been things you have done that you never thought you would do before. Are you no better than me now? Perhaps we can trade. After all, that's what I really did in the past, wasn't it? Today is just another form of trade, one commodity for another. What do you need? Perhaps I carry it."

Brandon tied Rodriquez hands behind his back, took the gun from the bed, checked it for ammo and tucked it into the waistband at the center of his back. "Sit down," Lucky motioned to the bed. Brandon waved Mutt away from the guy on the floor and yanked him up into a sitting position. He dragged him over to the bed and leaned him against the mattress then he went out on the portico to signal to Caleb that they were okay.

"You do have something that I want Rodriquez," Lucky said as he sat in a chair across from the 2 men. "You were here 6 months ago and took something that belonged to me."

"You are mistaken, my friend," Rodriquez said with a smile. "We have only been here for a week. We stumbled upon the place coming out of Baton Rouge, followed by a herd mind you and barely escaped with our lives."

"We found your piroque, Rodriquez. You have been traveling the bayou, swamps and marshes. Six months ago you came here and took a woman and left by that piroque."

Brandon came in and leaned against the French door when he heard the injured man gasp. "Woman? You see Rodriquez, I told you. She cursed us. That is no woman", he said to Lucky. "She is a witch, a she-devil, a Rugaru who can change into an animal. She has been the death of some of our men, has haunted us ever since. She sent the dog to kill me," he wailed.

"Shut up you superstitious fool!" Rodriguez shouted.

Brandon came over and unbuckled Roxanne's holster and pulled it off the man, "This is hers. If we return it to her perhaps she'll remove the curse," he saw an opportunity to play upon this man's fears. The man began to cry and Rodriquez appeared to become nervous. "We let her go!" he yelled. "My men were afraid of her, filled with swamp legends to scare children. I needed their loyalty, their allegiance and some of them were becoming frightened of their own shadow. So we let her go."

Brandon and Lucky looked at one another. Roxanne had a keen sense of hearing and sometimes a six-sense that had proven right, but nothing to warrant this type of reaction.

"How long did you have her, where did you let her go and why hasn't she come back?" Lucky asked.

"The coyote took her," the man on the floor was becoming weaker and was bleeding profusely from Mutts attack. "It followed us…or her….I don't know which, for 3 days. Every night it would try to chew off her bindings and we would chase it off. That's when we knew that she was not human but some spirit," he let out a long sigh.

"This is nonsense," Rodriquez scuffed. "It is true that we had her for 3 days and that we saw a coyote once. Then at night my men began to trade stories and started imagining things in the darkness. Nothing chewed off her bind…." His voice trailed off as he saw the look in Lucky's eyes. "But we let her go Lucky! She was not useful to us after all. I only wanted her for information on what supplies you may have. She was not harmed! We put her in a canoe. I don't know where she went! I don't know why she didn't come back!"

"You marked her that's why she haunting us", the other man barely whispered, his head starting to nod. "That's why her spirit visited us in that old hermit's cabin. That's why 2 of our men died and 2 others ran away. That's why we lose guns and ammo in the swamp, can't find other people to rob anymore, can't grow weed to trade without it molding, that's why we have sores that won't heal and why that damn dog stalked me. You marked her with that branding iron to prove to us that she was human," he began to laugh hysterically and to spit up blood at the same time.

Lucky slowly got up from his chair, his eyes never leaving Rodriquez. "You branded her?" he whispered starting toward Rodriquez. Brandon heard a slight noise from his position at the door and turned to look at the road where he saw a herd of 30 walkers approaching. Lucky suddenly rushed Rodriquez and began to smash his head with the butt of his rifle over and over again until the man fell backward onto the bed. Brandon ran over and grabbed him, "Stop, stop. I have a better idea. Stop Lucky!"

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 13TH ENTRY: (WRITTEN 1/12/15 8:37 PM)

Morgan began gathering supplies and placing them outside of each building or home to be carried back to Jenny. He marked each house as he exited which had become a signal that they used indicating that they were safe after exploring and exiting the facility. If anyone should become separated from the group and not show up at the designated time and place, then the others would not waste time searching buildings that had their symbol on it.

Other groups had slowly drifted in at the paper mill and the facility was now becoming crowded. Soon a decision would need to be made as to whether they should start to build walls in the factory itself for additional housing. But Morgan did not feel safe there with the constant gathering of walkers outside the fence and always preferred that he and Caleb go with Brandon and Lucky on their supply runs. They came back from their runs with less each time and Morgan did not have confidence that Toby and Pete would make the paper mill self- sufficient to supply their needs.

They had managed to get one vehicle at the mill started and a group of men would travel outside the gates to other neighboring towns on supply runs. They started a vegetable garden in the backyard of a house bordering the street since the concrete in the paper mill prohibited them from growing anything. They couldn't hunt in the woods outside the gates because of the walker population so the vehicle was also used to travel far enough away from the mill to allow them to hunt or set traps. They knew that they were taking a risk that scavengers would find their traps or strip their gardens of everything that they caught or grew but the walkers put limitations on what they could do within the fences.

Morgan was stripping the houses of everything that new families would need at the mill, even dragging mattresses outside and piling everything up on the sidewalk. Dishes, towels, blankets, pots and pans, even clothing of all sizes. Florence and Alice had set up shop and would trade these wares or, if a family showed up with nothing they would give them a supply of goods that they could start out with.

Soaps, razors, jars and buckets for rainwater, pillowcases to be used as backpacks, fishing gear, boots. Morgan just kept throwing the stuff on the curb, marking the door with the letter "C" and going on to the next place. A few times he looked back at Jenny but he knew it was too early for them to be back and did not expect them until nightfall. He found a few early tomatoes growing behind one house and sat down on a log to have his lunch.

He looked around as he ate and enjoyed the peacefulness of the place. He had not encountered a walker in any of the homes and thought if it wasn't for the overgrown yards that this could be any Sunday from the past. He had noticed that the walkers appeared to have become more fragile and that their hands couldn't grab you as easily now. It was the newly turned walker who was the most dangerous, who still had the strength to take you down with a struggle. It was those that he feared the most and you could easily identify them from the rest.

He got up from his seat with a sigh, starting to feel like an old man from the constant struggle to stay alive. He was weary yet still a young man but he knew that people would start dying at a younger age again without the proper medicine and technology. He only hoped to stay alive long enough to see Caleb become a young man capable of defending himself, perhaps even become a leader of a group.

He walked around the side of the house when he felt a crackling under his feet and the earth begin to give way. He tried to keep his balance but letting out a yell he suddenly dropped 10' into a well. He felt his leg snap as he hit bottom causing him to scream out. For a moment he panicked, "Damn it!" he muttered to himself trying to keep his voice down. He leaned his head back against the muddy wall trying to catch his breath and looked to the sky then to the walls of the well and knew that he would not be able to climb it. It was then that he heard the moan above and quickly held his breath. He realized that he had flung his arms out and released his staff before he fell. He quickly felt around in his pockets, now submerged in muddy water and found that he still had his knife.

The moans became closer and he knew that the walker was approaching the well. "Oh please God, don't let him fall in here," he prayed to himself.

ROXANNE'S STORY – SEASON TWO

CHAPTER TWO - 14TH ENTRY: (WRITTEN 1/13/15 6:43PM)

It was getting close to dark as Brandy, Lucky and Caleb approached Jenny. They were relieved to get through the bayou and everyone's heart was lifted when they saw Jenny and knew that they had made it back. But the joyfulness was short-lived. "Something's wrong. Why aren't the lanterns on?" Caleb asked. They quickly docked the skiff with Caleb running to check Jenny but Lucky and Brandon noticed the small pile of supplies outside the Bait & Tackle shop.

Caleb came out of Jenny and they could see the fear on his face, "He's not here. He would never stay out this late, not on a supply run."

"We stay together," Lucky said. "We'll know where he went if he continued to pile things outside like he did with the Tackle Shop. Don't bring a lantern, Caleb. It's too much light. We'll need to use my flashlight." Caleb mounted a bolt on the crossbow and both men drew their revolvers as they began to follow the wooden sidewalk along the bank. The shadows were long with the sun dipping below the horizon but they could see supplies in front of the next 2 houses and quickened their pace.

When they reached the 2nd house Brandon suggested that they get off the wooden sidewalk since nightfall was swiftly advancing and it made too much noise under their boots. They passed a 3rd and 4th house with supplies in front and then Lucky had to turn on his flashlight. The next few houses did not have Morgan's mark on the door. "Maybe he crossed the street to the other side," Brandon suggested. Lucky shined the light across the street but it was not strong enough to tell if the houses had been entered.

They were now whispering since every bush was hidden in darkness and some of the porches caused deeper shadows that hid the doors of the houses. They crossed the street and began to follow the sidewalk back toward Jenny but none of the places were marked and they found that they were stumbling over hidden debris. "Let's go back," Lucky suggested. "It looks like he was going house to house on the other side. Let's pick up on the first house without a mark and search it. Caleb, your crossbow won't be useful in this darkness. Put it away and take out your pickaxe." He was concerned that they had not encountered any walkers and hoped that it wasn't because they were feeding on Morgan somewhere. He didn't want Caleb to be a witness to that.

They crossed the street and began again to pass the houses that Morgan had searched until they came to one without his mark. Lucky tested the door and found it locked, "He didn't enter this one. The door isn't busted in," and he started to move away when Caleb stopped him.

"No! He could have locked it behind him if he was seeking shelter," Caleb said. "We check them all out. ALL of them!" They heard a moan and quickly turned to see a walker coming toward them. Caleb jumped in front of the men and used Roxanne's method of kicking the walker in the leg and jumping back as it fell forward to smash the pickax into its head.

Brandon grabbed Caleb's arm and pulled him back, "Don't ever do that again. You're letting your emotions get ahead of you and becoming reckless. We work as a team, remember?" Caleb's answer was to kick at the door in an attempt to break in. Again Brandon grabbed his arm, "Step back and let me handle it." He used his knife to break the lock and Lucky stood outside the door shining the light in. Nothing moved so they advanced into the room and they continued to use this method of entering each room thereafter.

The next house was also locked and after breaking in to search without success Lucky felt that they should not go any further. "I don't think he continued this way. Something must have caught his eye and caused him to leave the street. Let's check the backyard of each of these 2 houses in case he saw something growing that he wanted to pick."

They went behind the house and were glad to see that it was a fenced yard thus making their search easier since they didn't need to spread out and could stay together. The next yard behind the first locked house was not fenced and they could only assume to search as far as the woods. "But that doesn't mean anything," Caleb said. "He could have gone into the woods if he saw a dear or rabbit. We shouldn't rule out the woods."

"We may need to wait until the morning to search the woods if we haven't found him in town tonight," Lucky said. "We still have Jenny to protect. If anyone steals her we are all out of luck. Tonight we'll check out all the yards between here and Jenny. We'll also check those houses on the other side of the street closest to Jenny in case he was going back to Jenny and spotted something across the street.

"Lucky, shine your light over here," Brandon was standing next to the house. "Are these tomato bushes?" Lucky walked over and Brandon could see that the bush was not bearing fruit but Lucky leaned in to examine one of the stalks. "There was fruit, but it was picked off," Lucky said. They thought they heard a faint moan and turned to shine the light quickly in that direction but could see nothing. "Was that a walker?"

"I don't know," Brandon said as they began to walk. "It had a funny sound to it, like an echo."

Lucky was shining the light into the yard and almost fell into the well when Brandon shoved him aside. Lucky hit the ground hard and lost the flashlight. Caleb came up on his hands and knees to pick up the light and crawled to the opening of the well to shine it down. "It's a walker," he said. "Fell into the well." He and Lucky rose to their feet and were about to walk away when they clearly heard Caleb's name whispered. They stopped and looked at one another and then Caleb dove to the ground again to shine the light down into the well a second time. "Dad?"

"Caleb. Thank God. I've broken my leg. You'll need to get some rope from Jenny. Hurry now. I've been wet and cold for a long time and beat up by walkers falling in."

END CHAPTER TWO – SEASON TWO

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