Ch. 20
Sam's feet pounded against the dirt, his face dripping with sweat as he adjusted Sophia on his back. She whimpered as a Walker reached out for her but Sam brought his machete down onto its head splitting it in half. Beth led them through the forest, her
knife plunging into the skulls of any Walker that came in front of her.
As they came to a clearing they both dropped to the ground in exhaustion. Sam gasped for air and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He could see Beth on her back, trying to regain her composure as he heard more Walkers closing in. They looked at each other
and nodded grimly, then, they began running again. They ran until night, stopping in a dense part of the forest, making sure that they put enough noise traps so a Walker, or person couldn't sneak up on them without their knowledge.
Though they were all absolutely tired, neither Beth nor Sam could sleep. Sophie though, she was out like a light, her head resting on Sam's lap. He stroked her hair absentmindedly, trying to keep his thoughts off of what they had just been through. Beth
looked into the fire, her knife stuck in a piece of wood and her gun holstered on her belt.
"We should do something," Beth said aloud, Sam heard her but felt too tired to even respond. "We should do something. We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Michonne could have made it out. Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A-Block."
"I know," Sam finally found his voice. "There is, no doubt, in my mind that they didn't make it out. But we need to be smart. We have, what? Two, three days of food? Barely two clips of ammo between us. We can' just go and wander the woods. Please Beth,
we need to be smart about this."
"But, others could have made it. Maggie, Glenn-"
"I know. Beth, I know. But we can't go about this half-cocked. We need to be smart. I-I won't lose you, or Sophia. I won't. I can't," Beth fell silent and continued to look into the fire. "Why don' you go to bed? I'll take first watch."
She nodded, knowing that he would stay guard the entire night.
They walked through the day. Looking for tracks that would hopefully lead them to any survivors of the Prison. But all they found was bodies, walking and completely dead. Beth had seemed dejected about not finding anyone, but she and Sophia kept a positive
outlook on things. Others had to survive, Rick and Michonne were out there. Glenn and Maggie were probably together that very moment. Sam admired their confidence, he certainly shared it, but there was a voice in the back of his mind, telling him
that it was over, that they were the only ones left. But he wouldn't give into it. There had to be others, there simply had to be.
They eventually found the group of people that they had found tracks of earlier that day. It had been an eight-year-old boy, Luke, and a ten-year-old girl named Molly. They had found what was left of them by the side of the train tracks, three Walkers
eating what was left of them. Sam had made short work of them, cleaving their heads off with single strokes, his eyes filling with tears as he killed off the walkers. He had done, terrible things, killing those that didn't deserve it, but seeing the
devoured corpses of kids was something that he never wanted to see.
Beth had sobbed, Sophia had sobbed, but Sam would only let a few tears out, it was all that would come out. He felt as though, after the past year and a half of crying, he had no more tears to shed.
They had buried what was left of the kids. It only seemed right. Sam had his pack with him and that still meant that he had his whiskey bottle, something that never left his pack. He and Beth had each taken three quick drinks. One for Luke, one for Molly,
and finally, one for Hershel.
Beth and Sophia turned in for the night, neither saying anything, and Sam understood why. It had been a shit day.
The next day went by quickly. They followed the tracks, ignoring the signs for the so-called Sanctuary. Sam had learned from previous experience, that if it sounded too good, then it was. Atlanta, Fort Benning, Woodbury, even the farm and Prison. They
all sounded too good to be true, and then they were. As far as he was concerned, Sanctuary would just turn out to be another scam. But, if he knew the other, which he did, then they would probably try and find the place, so that was his best bet at
finding the others.
Sam closed his eyes briefly, giving them a rest but staying awake. Even if he wanted to sleep, he made sure that a dull piece of wood was poking his back, so the constant discomfort would keep him awake. He looked up at the tree branches and saw Sophia
strapped into the tree. He and Beth had found a car and scavenged seatbelts out of it. They could only fashion one harness out of it, and since Beth knew that Sam wouldn't take it they had given it to Sophia.
Sam sat at the bottom of the tree with Beth sleeping soundly on his shoulder. A thunderstorm was brewing and several loud claps of thunder sounded through the night sky.
"You should get some sleep," Beth mumbled into his shoulder.
"Have you gotten eight hours yet?"
"No, but what's the point of all of this if you're just gonna pass out from exhaustion?" Sam didn't answer, and instead adjusted himself on the tree. "Give me the rifle. Get some sleep."
"Wake me in an hour," Sam said, too tired to even try and argue with her.
Sam woke up with a sore back and blurry vision. He wiped his eyes and popped his back. He could hear several birds singing and the small creek where they had stopped by was flowing gently.
"Sammy?" He sprang up quickly his hand reaching for his knife in reflex but stopped when he saw Sophia standing in front of him. "Oh, you're awake! Beth's just washing down by the creek, she said that she would be back soon."
As if on cue Beth ran into the small "camp" (If it could be called that) panting. "I found something! It-it looked like a country club!" Sam looked at her, confused as to why she would want to scout out a country club. "Think about it! Clothes, food,
maybe something to drink."
Sam looked down at the boiled water that had put into bottles as if to say, 'We have plenty to drink.'
"No, not just that. I mean," she leaned down and whispered so that Sophia couldn't hear, "alcohol."
"Beth, we can't just go on a mission to get that."
"We aren't. There has to be something good in there. That booze is just a bonus." Beth tried reasoning. And although every instinct inside on him told him that it was probably a bad idea, Sam desperately wanted to sleep in a real bed again, and knowing
country clubs, they were probably very comfortable.
"Fine, we'll go, but if things get too bad, we leave, no questions about it." Beth nodded, and Sam was glad to see her excited about something, getting her out of the depressive mood that had overtaken them ever since the prison.
They tore down the camp and made their way through the creek and onto the country club's golf course. There were a few straggling Walker, but the three of them made to the building before the Walkers even became a semblance of a threat.
The front doors were locked, so they were forced to go through the back entrance. The windows were covered in sheets to keep the light out, and newspaper clipping covered the doors for the same reason. They could hear Walkers snarling from within the
building. Furniture was piled high on each other and they came to a place where several of the residents of the club had hung themselves, or as Sam had heard Daryl say several times, opted out.
Sam found a flashlight and led the way for the small trio. He kept his machete raised and was sure to scan everybody twice before making his way to a pile of money that was sitting on the floor. He dumped out all of the jewels and gold necklaces but stuffed
most of the money into the bag.
"Why are you keeping that stuff?" Beth asked him.
"Toilet Paper. The leaves we use are rather irritating." the three of them smiled and Sam shrugged more money into the bag. But then suddenly the Walkers they had spotted on the course began pounding on the doors. Sam nodded for the two girls to follow
him as he opened the door that led deeper into the club. He slammed the door shut and they were thrown into darkness.
They ended up in the kitchens. Rotting food surrounded them as well as maggot's cockroaches and other insects that gave Sam a sense of disgust. The irony was not lost on him though. He could face a rotting walker and not blink twice, but bugs could make
him freeze with disgust.
Sam browsed through whatever stores of food were left, Sophia not leaving his side and keeping her knife drawn. Sam couldn't help but feel a bit of anxiety knowing that Beth was alone, but knew that she could take care of herself. It still didn't put
him at ease any. While in the prison he had made sure that she could still take care of herself. Taking her out on outings, not runs, but just an escape outside the walls and fences making sure that her Walker killing skills were sharp.
There was a crash. He raised his machete and ran toward the noise. He could hear Beth scream and then what sounded like glass breaking. A Walker had grabbed her. She had half a bottle in her hands and was stabbing the shards into its eye over and over
again until it was dead.
"Whoa," Sam said as the Walker fell to the ground.
"Thanks," Beth said as she looked down at the Walker's body.
"I'm sorry. I was looking through the stores. I thought you would be alright."
"I was," she said shortly before walking off.
They made it to a hallway with a lot of trophy's and an overturned clock. The three of them made it through easily and them stumbled into what seemed like a clothing store. Sam grabbed a few handfuls of matchboxes and then the lighters that were under
the glass counter. Sophia followed his example grabbing anything that was of use. Sam looked up and then Saw Beth in a new shirt and sweater. And while he had seen Beth in clothes like it before, back at the farm, he still smiled when he saw her in
something that, normal, something that reminded him about the world that had been before.
They left the shop, Sam and Sophia had grabbed pairs of clothes that they would put on latter they weren't as desperate to change as Beth, and they made their way back to the hallway. Sam held his hand up for a minute, listening. And then he heard them.
Walkers were inside the club. He peered down the hallway and saw several of them going through the halls, right toward them. "Move!" Sam said as they made it into the locker room.
They all pulled their knives. Sam held his machete in one hand and a knife in the other. He took two large breathes and just as the first Walker appeared he threw the knife directly into its eye socket. The second Walker he slammed his machete into slipping
it skull but getting the blade stuck. Beth came around and stabbed a Walker that was coming up on his right. Sam and her pulled back just as the final two Walkers appeared. Sam grabbed a gold club that was on the floor and swung it into the Walker's
head while Beth kicked the last Walker in the gut ending it to the ground. She pinned it with her knees and raised the knife above her head screaming as she plunged the blade down and into its skull.
Together they got up and cleaned their blades. Beth had gotten a few specks of blood on her new clothes but shrugged it off. "They were bound to get dirty anyway."
After that they found the bar. Sam felt like he could go for a drink and Beth seemed more than eager. It was strange, he had offered her a drink before, whenever he had found a decent bottle of booze, but she had always declined. Now, here she was, more
than eager to pour herself a drink.
They went through the shelves of alcohol. There was only bottle though. Peach Schnapps.
"Is it good?" Beth asked.
"I have no idea. That old Irish stereotype is a bit true I'm afraid. Whiskey is the only thing that I like to drink, lass."
Beth raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you start calling me lass?"
Sam shrugged and grabbed the bottle. "Since now. I don't know, this doesn't really seem like a good drink."
"It's all that's left. And it isn't a first drink! We had a few for Luke, and… and molly…. And then…"
"You don't have to do this." Sam said.
Beth eyes the bottle and her eyes welled with tears. Sam set the bottle down and pulled her into a tight hug. Sophia came into it as well. Beth grabbed the bottle and threw it against the wall behind the bar. There was a loud crash and Sam saw one of
the boards come loose from the force of the impact. He walked over to it, and pulled the board loose and gasped at what he saw. A bottle of amber colored whiskey a label that read McCallan Thirty-Five Year: 1973.' Whoever had bought this bottle
knew what they were buying, and Sam was so glad that it was unopened.
"Lass, I believe there's hope for us yet."
They kept walking, the bottle kept in his backpack, unopened. They would only open it when they were sure that it was safe for them to get slightly drunk. Which was all he was going to allow, Slightly Drunk.
They made it to an abandoned side of the road motel. It was two stories and painted a fading pink color. There were two stair cases, one of which had collapsed and the other was blockaded by a car. They did a sweep of the twelve-room floor and found no
sign of Walkers. Sophia had gone to bed straight away, tired from the das events. Sam managed to find a packet of red solo cups and soon enough he had poured Beth and him some.
Beth had drunk two glasses quickly before she had set up a little game for them to play.
"So first, I say something I've never done and if you have done it, you drink, and if you haven't, I drink. Then we switch." Beth explained. "You really don't know this game?"
"Michael and I never needed a game to get pissed before. This is a new experience for me. How do you know this game?"
"My friends used to play. I watched. I'll start. I've neverbeen to Ireland. So now you drink." Sam raised an eyebrow and took a drink. "Now you go."
"I've… I've never had blonde hair," Sam said, hoping that it was an acceptable answer.
"Cheap shot," Beth said taking a drink.
"Okay, Ms. Never Been to Ireland."
"I've never, been drunk and done something I've regretted."
"Second year of high school," Sam muttered as he took a drink. "Never been complimented for my singing voice."
"And there is a reason for that," Beth laughed and took a drink. She had a smirk on her ace and scooted over so she was sitting next him, then she leaned in and whispered into his ear, "I've never…"
Sam's eyes widened and he looked around as if he hadn't heard right. "You realize Sophia is right next door?"
"She's sleeping, and won't be awake until tomorrow," Beth whispered huskily into his ear.
"Well when you say it that way…"
AN: Okay, so I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I have no idea why, but I did. Now I would like to clear something up. The groups are relatively the same, except for the fact that there is an extra group which is the Oscar and Merle Duo. Daryl is
with Rick, Carl, and Michonne, which isn't all that vital, but will come into play later. Next chapter, I may, cannot stress that may enough, put a lemon between Beth and Sam at the begining, just so I can try. If it comes out acceptable then
I'll put it in there. Anyway, please leave a review and I'll see you guys next time! ~Pacco1