Sorry again for the very long wait... I had to get over my writer's block for this story, plus, I was very tired, working on other stories, checking for updates on Telltale Games, and I was enjoying summer vacation while I can. School will be starting again sometime soon, so updates might be slow, but I'll be working on them. Hope this'll make up for it.
I do not own the Walking Dead or any of its characters. All rights go to their respective characters.
I only own Anne Marshall
Thank you, ZombieGuy96, DinoWriter23, and Tess Carver (or now Grace Carver), for helping me with part of this.
Anne's POV
I sighed inwardly as I kept my gaze on the new guy, Perry. He didn't seem to notice me as he just stared down at his lap. He's been doing that for the past hour or so. It's starting to get weird...
Kenny was now sleeping while Clair kept watch and Clementine took care of AJ, who was fast asleep.
Perry was being quiet most of the time, except for the occasional whimpering. I was starting to hope that my shift for watching him would end soon.
Just then, he looked to his left away from us seemingly staring at nothing. "Oh... hello, honey..."
I rose an eyebrow as he looked in the direction he was looking at. There was no one there. Nobody at all. He's talking to thin air...
"I didn't mean to act like a stalker... I was just trying to help them, Linda... I wanted to keep them safe from that psycho... "
Linda? Who's Linda?
"You know... I always wanted to have kids with you... I'm sorry I left you like that... I didn't mean to. I panicked." he continued. "But now... I have the chance to protect the kids we always wanted..."
My eyes widened. Yep, he's definitely not right in the head.
Perry's continued mumbling to himself is really starting to put me on edge, despite my best attempts to block out his insane garbles to thin air, some of his heartfelt words still penetrate my stinging eardrums.
"Psycho... must save them... kids... Linda..."
"Ignore him, Anne..." I tell myself, but the minutes seem to slow into a never-ending nightmare and Clair and Clementine are just out of earshot of Perry. So I'm left alone to suffer the effects of his weird rambling to the freezing winter air. I simply concluded in my own mind that he's insane and I just ignore him and not let the clearly disturbed individual get to my head, it'll be alright.
But I can't help myself. The words keep ringing in my head like those loud annoying bells. I groaned. Right now, we should be with our group! But here I am sitting stiffly on the snow coated ground. In the woods God knows where, my new boyfriend and the majority of the group I got along with are missing and possibly... No, I don't even want to contemplate on the fact they could be dead.
And here we are: a new stranger we just met, a baby that needs looking after, a 11 year old girl and not to mention not one unstable man, but most possibly two, and me, with an arm still healing. Great, now we need to keep an eye on BOTH Kenny and Perry. Perry creeps me out a bit, since he was stalking us, for the love of God! I can't believe he was watching us while I was sleeping! And Kenny... I'd hate to admit it, but I feel like he's a ticking time bomb now.
My eye rolled over to Kenny's sleeping form.
Did we really make the right choice? Kenny... back there when he killed Jane, I saw that the guy had snapped completely. Maybe it's Clem and the baby that's holding him together. But what about me? What about Clair? I might as well be the tag-along teenager for all Kenny cares, if the situation got dire, would he really help me?
Would Jane...? Jane... the way she would be so willing to leave poor Sarah in that trailer? Part of me believes choosing Kenny was the right choice, because if the situation got really bad, I can imagine Kenny would fight for the group. Jane would simply leave and...
But that's just it, Jane would leave. She wouldn't come back for revenge, like the way Kenny would. Jane was so willing to leave the group, and I'm sure now that the only reason she came back was for Clementine. Maybe that's why she hid AJ and provoked Kenny, so she could have her to herself? I guess we'll never know...
Now add Clair to the mix, a stranger who appears friendly so far, but appearances and behaviors can be deceiving at times. I've learned that from the time I was on my own. I'm just praying that she's not one of those kinds of people. I remember I had a bad run in with someone who acted nice, but revealed his true colors. NOT a good experience.
Anyway, why is she still awake? If she's been travelling shouldn't she be resting with Kenny now? Me and Clem can keep guard just fine, doesn't she trust us? Not that I can blame her, but It really doesn't make me comfortable, with a crazy guy already to keep watch of, I don't see Clair at the ready to stab me in the back, everything just seems to be putting me on edge right now. Perry's mumbling, Clair and Kenny...
God, I NEED sleep. I'm just feeling paranoid now...
Kenny and Clair can fall out oh so easily, and Kenny would have no qualms about murdering Perry to protect the group, even if Perry did nothing that harmed us. Then that would leave Clem, AJ, me, and him. I'm just praying nothing goes wrong from now one... Shit, I just jinxed it, didn't I?!
"Dylan..." I murmured the name of my boyfriend, as lovingly as Perry calls out for the whoever the long, lost Linda is. All I want to be is back with him and that big secure group we were with... I have to get back to Dylan and Tess and the others. I HAVE to... as soon as we can find some way to find them, of course.
"Hey." came a friendly tone, snapping out of my over-thinking. I turned to face Clair.
"Hiya." I replied.
For a moment there is nothing but silence between us. Well, this is awkward. Clair clicked her tongue in the silence engulfing us, her eyes seemed locked on where Perry is having an animated discussion with a tree.
"Do you think he was nice once?" she asked me.
"Maybe, maybe he still is." I responded, not really sure why the hell I'm defending that nutjob.
"Yeah..." she stated dryly. "Usually in end of the world scenario's, people that talk to themselves aren't all that nice, or maybe they are nice."
I sighed. "Sometimes, I just stay away from people who talk to themselves like that." I told her. "I don't like taking my chances around people like that."
There were several awkward moments of silence between us. I sighed. "I miss my boyfriend..." I admitted. "You have a boyfriend?" Clair asked.
I nodded. "Yeah." I answered. "His name's Dylan... he's really sweet... Haven't seen him for about two weeks now..."
"So, you got separated from the rest of your group?" she inquired, looking at me.
"Yeah" I answered.
"Are they... good people?" she asks, a hint of caution, interlaced in her tone.
"They're all nice." I said on instant defense. "Cautious at first, but nice. As long as you don't piss some of them off or threaten anyone in the group. Sarah's a sweet girl, but she had some anxiety issues, Luke's a really nice guy, Becca just lost her sister but she's tough as nails, and Nick and Tess are a nice couple. Nick is a bit of a hardass when you first meet him, but he's a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. Emily is Tess's sister and is pretty nice. Chase is the idiot of the group, always joking around even when we're in serious situations. Bonnie is the nice one of the group and looks out for the younger ones. Hell, Tess should be having her baby any day now..."
"You have another baby in your group?" Clair asked instantly, cutting short my explanation on my group. Dammit, me and my big, fat mouth!
"Yes..." I reply in a smaller voice, feeling like I've given a wrong answer. Of course it's only natural for Clair to want to learn more about the group were trying to reunite with, but I can't help but feel uncomfortable. I guess I have more trust issues than I thought I do, in a big group it was fine, there was always Dylan, Chase, Tess, Clem or Luke there or any other person to go to. And now out here with two strangers, a deranged Kenny, Clem, and a newborn, the situation suddenly seems so much more serious and bleak.
"Okay, so your group don't seem like crazies." she muttered, letting me know her thoughts on what she thinks on my group. "But Anne, tell me something honestly." Clair muttered. I lean in to see what she has to say. "What is it?" I asked her.
"Clem says they're was a woman with you named Jane." Clair began. "She told me Kenny and Jane got into a fight and you and her decided to save Kenny over Jane. Now from what Clem told me, I gathered that Jane was manipulative, who used the baby for her own ends..."
"The situation just... got out of hand..." I try to explain, but Clair ignored me.
"But Anne, Clem told me Jane was alone for a while. Like I was, Like that guy most likely was." she points at Perry at this point, before turning back to me. "If he can murder that woman like that and after what I saw what he did to that guy today... I don't think I can trust him." she told me.
I sighed again. "I guess we just have to wait and see. For all we know, that guy could be as unpredictable as Kenny, which he kind of already is. I just don't want to..." I glanced at my gun for a moment. "After everything, I'm tired of seeing people die."
Clair nodded. "So am I... I guess we'll just have to deal with it." She then stood up. "I'll take the next shift. You look like you could use some rest."
I nodded. I definitely could get some sleep. Watching a guy talking to himself can kind of make you tired. "Sure thing." I said, attempting to surpress a yawn, but failing horribly. "See you." She bid me goodnight as I laid down on a snow free area near the fire. Darn it, I wish I had a bed... or even the backseat of a truck! Oh well... hopefully sleeping will get my mind off of worrying about too many things...
My eye gently slipped closed, my exhaustion quickly catching up to me as I thought about my friends. Tess, Luke, Sarah... Dylan...
I hope we can find you guys again... please be safe...
Tess's POV
I rested my head against the pillow as I held the newborn in my arms. She was so delicate... so light...
She was my daughter... my baby girl... I'm a mother now...
Slowly, my lips curved into a soft smile as I looked at her sleeping face. She looked so peaceful... so hopeful...
Hope... Hope! I'll call her Hope! Hope Coleen Carver. Has a nice ring to it.
"Hope... I love you, sweetie..." I whispered to her. "Mommy will protect you... so will your Daddy..."
Her little face scrunched up and she let out a wail before beginning to cry. "Aww... are you hungry, sweetie? Here..."
I placed a blanket over my chest and held the baby to my bosom. She sucked gently to get her meal and I closed my eyes. Now... we have to worry about getting supplies that will help Hope survive... baby bottles, baby formula, baby diapers, blankets... not to mention AJ, if he's alive...
I'm worried for him... he, Anne, and Clem, if they're still alive, are possibly in Kenny's care now. Kenny's been unstable ever since Sarita died. He's been acting irrationally and acting as if he was the leader of the group. At least he's not like my father was. I glanced down at the newborn in my arms as she got her meal. I'm so relieved she'll never see that monster of a man. He had no right to call himself a grandfather after all the shit he put us through. Because of him... Hope will never know her grandmother...
I closed my eyes. Mom... I miss you so much... I'm so sorry we couldn't save you... at least you're in a better place.
Nick sat next to me wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Look at her... she's beautiful... just like you..." he smiled. I smiled softly and kissed his cheek. "Looks like she got her good looks from you." I told him. "I'm sure boys are gonna be drooling over her when she gets older." he joked. "I'm gonna make sure no boy gets to her, of course."
"Sheesh, she's only been in this world for three hours and you're already going into overprotective daddy mode." I giggled, but my smile fell. "We're gonna have to do all we can to protect her. The walkers will be even more dangerous now."
Nick nodded. "There is no way in hell I am gonna let her, you, or anyone else in our group end up like Mom or Pete." he told me with a determined look.
"Or my mother... or Carlos, Shel, or... Rebecca..." I trailed off. "Nick... I'm scared." I admitted. "What if... what if I end up like Rebecca? What if Hope doesn't have a mother?"
"Tess, we have the meds we need this time. We have a safer place for you to rest. Rebecca got sick and lost too much blood. But we have the supplies we need this time. I promise you that we'll do everything we can to make sure you're gonna be okay." Nick told me.
Slowly, my fear went down just a bit. Nick truly meant what he said... he cares so much... I can't die... I don't know what Nick would do if I ever died... Hell, I don't know what I'd do if Nick died. I love him so much...
I kissed him on the lips and he kissed me back. I felt bliss in this moment. Heh, bliss is rare nowadays. I better enjoy this while I can...
A whine interrupted our kiss. We looked down and noticed little Hope was full. "Looks like she doesn't want us kissing." Nick chuckled. I smiled softly and gently patted her back, burping her. She's our little girl... we're gonna do everything we can to make sure she's safe. I will not let anything hurt her, no matter what. "Hey, can I hold her?" Nick requested eagerly. I smiled in reply. "You're her father. Of course you can."
Gingerly, I handed the little blessing to Nick. He gently cradled our daughter in his arms. "Hi there... I'm your daddy... Daddy's gonna take good care of you. I promise..." he said to her softly. Hope cooed softly in response. I had to keep from squealing. This was too cute! Tough Nicky is being such a softie right now! I leaned on his shoulder and closed my eyes.
Welcome to the world, Hope...
Dylan's POV
I found myself on a swing in a park. I blinked and looked around. Where... hey, this is the park we used to hang out at when we were kids! But... why am I here?
I saw kids running around as if nothing was wrong. No sign of any walkers... no psychopaths...
It's as if nothing bad had ever happened!
"Hey, Dylan." I heard a voice say to me. My eyes widened and I looked to my left. I gasped. It was Anne! But... she looked the way she did when we were eight. Short hair, the baggy jacket and shirt, the shorts...
"Wanna go play on the monkey bars?" she asked me with a smile. Monkey bars?
"Um... sure." I replied, unsure how to reply. "Dylan." I heard another voice say to me. I looked to my right and my heart almost stopped. Rebecca Townley was sitting on the swing next to me! She looked the same way before she was bit...
"Dylan, you ready to go on a supply run?" she asked me. My eyes widened before I looked around, seeing that the kids had suddenly vanished into thin air. Wait... the last supply run we ever went on together was the one she got bit on!
"N-No..." I stammered. I didn't want to relive that moment ever again!
"Dylan..." I looked to my left and noticed that Anne was still next to me, but she looked the way she did today. She looked at me with a sad, green eye. "Why did you leave me?" she asked me with a hurt look. My eyes widened. "Annie, I swear to god, I didn't want to! I-I had no choice!" I told her. Her heartbroken expression made me feel even worse. I looked back to my left, but noticed Rebecca was gone. Vanished into thin air, just like the kids.
"Rebecca...? Where'd you-?" I asked with surprise. I then heard a snarl. An all too familiar hiss and snarl. Slowly, I turned around. Anne was still sitting next to me... but she was a WALKER! Her skin was pale and rotten, her lips were curled into a snarl, her hair was matted, and her beautiful eyes were white and soulless. No... NO! It was a nightmare come true! The girl I loved was a walker!
"Oh god, NO!" I exclaimed with horror. "PLEASE, NO!" How could this be?!
The undead Anne snarled and lunged at me, forcing me off the swing. As I landed on the ground, she landed on top of me, trying to tear my flesh off. I struggled to push her off me as she snarled. No, no, no, no! Not her! Please, not Annie!
"ANNIE!" I screamed with horror as my strength was starting to fail me. "NO!"
Her teeth was inches away at my throat, ready to bite into it-
I sat up with a gasp, panting heavily. My hand instantly flew up to my throat, my eyes wide with fear as I looked around. I was back in the shack with the others, who were fast asleep now. Oh thank god, it was just a dream!
"Dylan?"
I looked to my right and saw Luke was awake looking at me with concern. "You okay, man?"
I gulped as I tried to regain my breath, shaking my head. "N-No... I had a nightmare..."
"What about?" Luke asked me.
I looked down at my lap. "Anne was in it... but she was dead... and she was a walker..."
I had a hard time telling in the dark, but I'm sure he had a look of sympathy. "She... she was so close to biting my throat..." I shuddered. Even though it was a dream, I don't think I can get that image out of my mind anytime soon. "Luke... do you... do you think she's... dead?"
"If she's with Kenny, then she should be okay." Luke replied. "Kenny might have a few loose screws, but I don't think he's the guy to let his group down."
I took a deep breath. "Kenny's been losing it. I'm not sure if he's safe for her, Clem, and AJ to be around anymore." I admitted.
"Kenny's tough, so if Anne was in trouble, I'm sure he'd help her." Luke assured me. I still wasn't sure. I was still nervous. What if... what if Anne hadn't made it?
Luke looked down. "You thinkin' bout Jane?" I asked him. He nodded reluctantly. "Yeah... How could someone do that to her?" he asked.
"I don't know..." I answered honestly. Luke stretched his legs. "Maybe... maybe she was attacked by bandits and bought Kenny, Anne, Clem, and AJ some time to escape?" he asked, a sad expression on his face. I had my doubts, but I said, "Maybe."
I saw signs of a struggle when we stopped at that rest stop... so maybe she did fight off some bandits...
Luke looked down again. "At least someone prevented her from coming back..." he muttered. "Yeah." I said with a nod. "Whoever did that, that was a good choice. She won't be suffering now. I just hope that the others out there are okay and that we'll find them soon..."
"I hope so too, kid... Clem and Kenny are tough. So is Anne. So I'm sure they're fine out there." Luke told me. "We should get some sleep." he added as he laid down in the spot he was sleeping in. I laid back on the blanket that was under me. I stared up blankly at the ceiling, not able to get some sleep yet. The nightmare was still very visible in my mind...
It was worse than most of the games Chase played back then. How the hell could he sleep after the one with the killer toys?
It seemed so real... the way that Anne looked in the dream... they way she looked at me with those soulless walker eyes...
I just prayed it would never happen and that she was alive. My eyes began to droop and I started to get lost in my thoughts as I began to drift off back to sleep.
Anne... if you're alive... please, PLEASE be okay...