It's been a long couple of weeks. I missed you guys DX
I...am sooo very sad. As you all can imagine. Not about Andrea (looove comic Andrea, don't care much for the other one). Because of recent events, I thought I had Cherish all planned and finished. NOPE. Thanks, AMC. That's why I've been absent from the site. We are nowhere near the end of this story, but I like planning things ahead of time. So YES, I know how the story will end.
Anyway, this week I'm adding The Weak and the Powerless by A Perfect Circle to the list. If you read the lyrics along with the song, I'm sure you'd be able to figure out why.
Review of last week goes to icebabesfire ...Why? Because I wanted to start crying again when I read Ice's review...I'm still very sad about Merle.
Review of this week goes to Lilone1776 ...Why? Because new reader, that's why!
Review of this this week goes to Freckles the Wanderer...for the same reason as above.
The billboard I spotted was a few miles away from the actual location of the army surplus store. Unfortunately for me, the car did not have enough gas to take me the entire way. The car sputtered and spit as I pulled it off to the side of the road and rested my head on the steering wheel.
"Great. I'm going to be stuck here, and he'll already be back to the farm house."
I picked my bag up out of the backseat and climbed out of the car. On either side of the road, the dead roamed. I took a deep breath and started to walk down the steaming pavement. The sun above me was scorching. I started to wonder how the heat affected the undead (aside from making them smell worse). I stared down the road and saw my destination peeking out between two very tall and thick oak trees. I'd also noticed the large amount of walkers that could have potentially stopped me from reaching the surplus store.
"You can do this."
As I crouched and quickly moved down the road, the backpack slapped against my back with every step. A walker moved in front of my path; I quickly maneuvered behind a nearby car. I heard its feet shuffle and absent mindedly kick rocks across the road. I loaded my bow and peeked through the open car windows. It started to move in the opposite direction. Behind it, I saw the front of the store. In front of the store was a familiar looking ATV with supplies strapped to the back. My heart started to beat louder, and a smile swept across my face. I pulled my bow back and launched an arrow through the open windows; striking the walker down.
I crouched back down and made my way around the car. My trembling hand pulled the arrow from the walker's head and attached it back on my bow. None of the other walkers seemed to notice their fallen comrade.
When I'd finally reached the ATV, I looked to see if the keys were in the ignition.
"They're gone. He must be around here somewhere."
The front of the store looked like it had once seen a war; there were large holes in the concrete, peeling paint, and large burns reaching from the sidewalk to the roof. There were two by fours strewn across the parking lot and leaning up against the structure. There were many charred vehicles lying in pieces about the place.
Upon seeing the wreckage, I placed my bow back around my shoulders and picked out my gun. A small bell above the door to the shop announced my entrance; I shut the door behind me and looked around the inside of the store. The place had been torn apart. Tables knocked over, merchandise picked over, and small piles of freeze-dried food attracted all types of vermin.
The empty aisles in the store were eerily shadowed by the filtered sunlight coming in from the dark windows. In the middle of the store was a small makeshift campsite. It resembled the ones I'd seen the brothers put together many times before.
"Merle?" I called out. "Merle?! Are you here?"
I took a few steps forward, and heard something shuffle around in the store. I lifted my gun and looked around. There was no one.
"Must be the mice."
BANG!
A loud gun shot rang out from the back of the store. I dropped to my stomach and lay face down on the ground. The merchandise left on the shelves above me shattered into pieces and showered over me.
I crawled underneath one of the tables and peeked up.
"Damn, oh, damn!" A young lady's voice cried out.
I lifted my head from underneath the table to see that she was struggling to reload her shotgun. I took this opportunity to aim my pistol at her.
"Put it down!"
She lifted it again and shot in my direction, once again missing horribly.
I bounded across the room and grabbed the gun from her.
"What the hell is your problem?!"
"Don't shoot me! I'm jus' tryin' to protect daddy's store till he gets back!"
Before I threw the shotgun aside, I took a good look at it. It was very similar to the one that Merle had at the camp. Definitely not the same one, but one that he would favor nonetheless.
"What was he doing leaving you here alone?"
"Can't live on dried food alone. So my daddy went to go find us something better to eat. He's been gone a few days…."
Her voice trailed off. As she stared down at the bare wood floors, I studied her face. She looked familiar. Her brown roots showed through her bleached blonde hair. A few of her fake red nails were chipped off and dirty. The thing I found most amazing was that she still took the time to do her makeup in the morning.
"Are you the lady on the billboard in town?"
Her head shot up and she grinned from ear to ear.
"O'course, darlin'! That would be me. I'm Emilie. You want an autograph or somethin'?"
It was killing me not to laugh at this point.
"No," I said as politely as I could manage. "I just came here to….well…that ATV outside. Did he come in here?"
Her smile disappeared and she started to pout.
"Oh, him. Yeah, he was in here. What a horrible man. Didn't even so much as look twice in my direction! Pretty stuck up for a man with one hand," she said as she examined her nails.
She sure thought highly of herself.
"That's because he's taken," I said as I crossed my arms.
"Oooh!" She exclaimed as she looked me up and down. "He's got low standards, doesn't he? When's the last time you fixed your hair?"
I shook my head as if I was trying to remove her stupidity from my memory. "Are you kidding me? Lady, don't you realize that we're in the middle of a full on apocalypse? No one cares about that bullshit anymore."
"You. Maybe."
"Look, I came here to find my man, not be talked down to by some ditsy bitch. You couldn't hit the sunny side of a barn."
She put her hands on her hips and pouted.
"You sound like the last jackass that came through here."
"Good. At least I know I don't sound as dumb as you. Now, when are you expecting him back?"
"I ain't expectin' him. He comes and goes as he pleases. Doesn't even tell me when he's leavin'."
"That's Merle for you. Well, I'm waiting here with you until he gets back, then we'll be out of your hair."
She started to rub her arm and stare down at the floor. "Oh, yeah. I suppose you two love birds would like to be on your way."
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, not at all darlin'! You make your pretty little self at home and we'll just wait for that uh…Merle? Of yours to get back. 'Kay?"
I furrowed my brow. Something wasn't right about her. Especially since she had called me pretty right after calling me ugly.
"Uh huh," I nodded as I wore my suspicious face.
I crossed my legs and examined my pistol. Behind me, I could hear Emilie shuffling around. My brain couldn't handle another intelligent conversation with her; I kept my eyes on my gun. That is, until my brain realized that it had made a fatal mistake. I heard Emilie cock the shotgun behind me. I slowly turned around to face her. We were at point blank range; even with her horrible aim, there was no way she could have missed me.
"He may be your man, but he's my protection. I'm not a dummy, I know my daddy ain't comin' back. I need protection."
"Merle wouldn't protect you," I laughed. "He probably thinks you're a moron."
"That's an understatement, baby girl."
Behind Emilie, there was Merle. He reached in front of the ditsy bitch and pulled the shotgun out of her hands.
I let out a long sigh of relief and watched as he pulled Emilie to the door by her arm.
"What the hell are you doin'?!" She yelled. "You let me go!"
"Gladly."
He pushed her outside of the door and barricaded it from the inside. I heard her fists pound against the glass as she screamed for Merle to let her back in.
"You better start runnin'!" Merle exclaimed.
As Emilie threw her temper tantrum, Merle turned towards me.
"Weeeeellll! Ain't you a sight for sore eyes!"
I smiled and casually strode towards him.
"Well, Mr. Dixon, I could say the same about you."
Indeed, I could have. He looked filthy. The usual coat of dirt that evenly covered his skin was much darker now.
I placed my hands on his dirty shoulders so I could get a good look at him. He placed his hand on the back of my head. As we kissed, we could hear the sound of Emilie's screams resonate outside.