"There are wolves," they would say. "And there are stories about wolves and girls."
Girls in red. All alone in the woods, about to get eaten up...
She watched them carefully.
Her eyes flittered along, carefully following their fins as they swam around in the water. They were oblivious to it, the sharp metal end pointed towards their scaly sides, itching to lunge forward and pierce through the fragile, shiny membrane. She drew the arrow back further, the bowstring touching her lips. Her dark eyes followed the fatter fish, watching carefully, calculating, her lungs taking in a small breath before her fingers released the string. She watched as the arrow shot forward with a loud foom! before hitting the water with a small splash, pinning the fish to the rocky floor. She stepped forward and pulled the fish out by the arrow, taking no time to relish in yet another victory in catching food. Instead, she did what she always did: take it to the fire, ate it, and move forward.
She didn't know how long it'd been since she'd last seen her group. Night had been turning into day for some time now, that she knew. She'd become a wanderer and a scavenger, never staying in the same place for too long, always on the look out for whatever scraps of supplies she could find along the way.
After some though, she decided she was leaving Georgia. There was nothing left for her here. She had looked for them. For days on end, she tried looking for them. She looked for a sign, a clue, anything that could lead her to anyone from her old group. There was nothing. Nothing but a burned up prison now overrun with the undead.
There was nothing left for her here.
She'd made it a point to keep walking along the nameless road that seemed to stretch on for miles. The woods were on either side, easy for her to hide in when darkness fell. She'd hum to herself as she walked along, listening to the thrum of her voice and the soft rustle of leaves as a chilly breeze blew by. The weather was changing, she thought. Winter would come, eventually. She would have to find shelter. Some place where she could hole up for a couple months. She let out a sigh. It would be her first winter alone. Completely and utterly alone.
She hugged her jacket close as another chilly wind blew by. She shivered a little, mentally swearing at herself for feeling so cold easily.
"Well maybe if ya ate more, this wouldn't be a problem," Daryl sighed, trudging alongside her with only his crossbow over his shoulder. She rolled her eyes and sighed,
"Shut up," She started walking faster, the hunter seeming to catch up to her with ease.
"Ya need to eat more, Girl," He pressed, Kei shaking her head and walking even faster.
"Just go away," She demanded.
"Food's more precious than gold out here!" He called after her.
"Just go away and leave me alone!" She bit, turning around sharply to see him nowhere in sight. She swallowed deeply, screwing her eyes shut as the familiar ache in her heart grew. He wasn't there. He was never there...and god knew if he would ever be again.
She let out a sigh and turned back around, walking forward and suddenly smacking into something hard. She let out a sharp "Ow!" and took a step back, rubbing her nose as she looked at the sign that stood in her path. It was a map of Georgia, plastered on a slab of wood and poorly laminated with saran wrap. Red, green, and blue lines all highlighted the railway paths like veins, and they all led to the gaudy black star in the center. The word TERMINUS was written beside it in big bold letters.
TERMINUS
SANCTUARY FOR ALL
COMMUNITY FOR ALL
THOSE WHO ARRIVE SURVIVE
She stared at the bolded words, reading them over and over again her head. Sanctuary for all. Sanctuary. Community. People. Was it for real? Was it still running?
It couldn't be.
It had to be a trap, some kind of sick joke. Sanctuary. Sanctuary was a fantasy nowadays. There was no such thing. It wouldn't last.
"...Bullshit," She muttered, scoffing and shaking her head as she walked past the sign. There was no sanctuary for all. Even if there was, that group would just end up dead like the rest―either by walkers, or plunderers who'd want it for themselves. It wouldn't last. Terminus was a joke.
And, as it would've appeared to the girl, it was a very consistent joke.
As the day went on, she had seen several more signs along the road, all of them practically screaming at her to go. It was like a divine calling, or some form of a nagging itch that wouldn't go away until it was scratched. Terminus. Terminus. Terminus. Every direction she went, she couldn't stop seeing Terminus signs. As her irritation grew, she was half-tempted to start knocking them down when a thought stopped her.
What if that was where her people were?
If they were alive and out in these woods somewhere, they must have stumbled upon these signs. If they'd seen these signs, then there was a chance that they would head over there for sanctuary. They would need sanctuary, shelter, a place to stay. They had Judith after all, and she was far too young to be out here trying to survive in the wild.
"Terminus," she thought to herself, "Maybe Daryl would―"
Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the snapping of twigs from beside her. She gasped and turned sharply, holding up her gun towards the figure slowly stepping out from the treeline. Her eyes narrowed, their walk slow and steady, calculated, not like a walker. Her lips pursed and her nose wrinkled as she slowly started stepping back, keeping her weapon pointed forward towards the sound. She was half-tempted to start growling at whoever was lurking in the trees. It wasn't a friend. They would have come out calling her name. This was a stranger, and this stranger was watching her.
She took another step back before she felt something hard and cold suddenly press up against the back of her skull. She heard a metallic click and felt the barrell of the weapon press further into her head.
"Well well well!" She heard a voice hoot, "Look what we have here! God is sure lookin' down on us today, eh boys?!"
The girl didn't move as more footsteps sounded from the woods. She watched as six more figures emerged and surrounded her. All of them men, all of them pathetic looking, and all of them armed. The lankiest man in the group with wild eyes and a dark, bushy beard came up to her, his expression saying all that it needed to as he pointed his compound bow at her.
"Well holy moly me oh my! What-a-treat," He gushed, Kei saying nothing as he licked his bottom lip, "I call claim!"
"Oh, like hell!" The fattest one in the group hollered, the rest of the men chiming in quickly after. Kei said nothing as the men argued around her, her face still contorted into a snarl as she kept her gun pointed at the hunter with a bandana on his head.
"Fellas! Fellas!" The leader suddenly called out, the rest of the men going silent as he shook his head, "Now that ain't no way to talk 'bout a lady, in front of her especially."
Kei's dark eyes flicked in his direction as he lowered his gun, raising his hands and smiling to show good faith. Kei kept hers still raised as she looked him over. Stocky build, mid 50's, with dark eyes and grey hair that darkened at the tips from sweat. He sported heavy boots and a big dirty jean vest over his baggy dress shirt. He gave off a vibe similar to Merle's and Daryl's―out-doorsy, beer drinking, motorcycle lover. His men all eminated the same vibe, more or less. Although, the leader seemed more about intelligence and cunning, something the girl felt the rest of his group had less of.
"M'name's Joe," She heard the man introduce. He held a hand over to the man with the compound bow, "That over there is Len. And there's Tony, Lou, Harley, Dan, and Billy."
"And what we call you, huh sweetheart?" Len asked, Joe quickly holding a hand up to him.
"Quiet, now," He warned, looking back over at Kei with a sly grin, "Apologies for my friend. He lacks uh...finnesse."
She didn't respond. Instead her dark eyes shifted, looking around at the hunters. Six sets of eyes all staring at her, waiting, licking their chops without even having to move their mouths. She was surrounded. Out-manned and out-gunned.
"What do you want?" She asked, looking back to the leader. She watched as his brows raised and he held his arms out.
"We need people," He said simply, shrugging his broad shoulders before tossing a hand her way, "You look like you could some as well."
"More than that," Billy scoffed.
"I'm fine on my own," She said firmly, ignoring the larger man's smug gaze.
"Ain't nobody fine on their own, honey," Len cooed, "S'dangerous out here, 'specially for a lil girl like you."
"I've seen ya with a sword," Joe chimed in, bringing her attention back to him, "A few miles back, taking out those walkers on the road. You're quick, precise. We could use that in our group..."
He watched as Kei's dark eyes narrowed, her lips pursing. He nodded his head and took a single step forward.
"Now, yer skeptical, I understand," He gestured towards the rest of his group, "But these men here won't harm you in any way, I can assure you. Once yer with us, yer one of us."
Kei opened her mouth to refuse when he chimed in again,
"-But outside the group, honey, I can't guarantee what'll happen to ya," He said slowly, his dark tone masked in simply stating a fact, "I can't guarantee protection against whatever's out in these woods, ya understand?"
Kei frowned as the men around her shifted, seeming to stand straighter and grip their weapons tighter as they awaited her reply. Her expression turned bitter, sighing heavily in both anger and annoyance as she slowly lowered her weapon. She got what he was saying. She was outnumbered. Out-manned, and out-gunned. She watched as Joe's slimy grin grew wider as he held out his arms.
"A smart choice," He let out, "Welcome to the family!"
Joe was about to pat her on the shoulder when she flinched and jerked out of the way. The rest of the men kept their weapons pointed at her, watching and as she rolled her eyes and started walking with her new (and most definitely temporary) leader. Right as she passed Len, the man reached forward and grabbed her ass.
"Now, what's say we get ya situated, eh sweetness?"
She spun around sharply and brought her elbow back, whacking him square across the face with a loud WHAM! This caused the others to let out a noise in shock while Joe to let out a howling laugh. Len toppled over onto the pavement, groaning and cradling his nose as blood started gushing out. The hunter named Harley raised his rifle just as Kei turned around sharply to face him, her weapon raised and pointed back at him. She stared at him intently, her expression neutral, yet emanating with high tension. She was on high alert, ready to strike at any given movement.
"Alright! Alright!" Joe hooted, the smile still clear and bright on his face, "Seems this girl's got more bite to her than we thought. Len! Get yer ass up off that dirt, boy. Ya look pathetic!"
Len scrambled to his feet and wiped the blood off on his sleeve. His face kept twisting and twitching, the man clearly trying to keep from tearing up in front of his group. As Joe whistled and the group started walking again, Len was fuming the entire time. His thin lips curled between his teeth as he stared daggers over at Kei. She was gonna get it, he thought. One way or another, he was gonna make her pay.
Kei simply glared at him as they walked along, her eyes narrowing, challenging him to even try and make a move. She would fight him. She would fight every last one of them until there was nothing left. She would fight, and she would win. She was done being helpless.
"There are wolves," they would say. "And there stories about girls and wolves."
Girls and wolves.
Both have sharp teeth.
"This is just plain unfair an' yew know it, Joe!" Len barked as he rushed up to his leader's side, "I called claim on the bitch first! Weeks ago! Right before she joined us! Now you telling me I ain't allowed to even look at her?!"
"I'm sayin' you ain't allowed to watch her take a piss anymore," The man corrected, shouldering his rifle as he continued stalking back towards the campsite. Len kept up right beside him, yapping in his ear and stumbling over his own feet.
"Oh come on!" The bow-man pleaded, "I ain't hurtin' nobody, just makin' sure she's safe!"
"You best be using that concern on yourself," The leader warned, "That girl finds out what you been doing, and I ain't gonna come between you and her again."
This made the lanky man scoff, his eyes going up to the bridge of his leader's nose. The swelling had gone down significantly, but a nasty scab still remained.
Just as Len was about to bring it up, his words were cut short when heard shifting coming from his right. He looked over and and saw a lanky woman come staggering out from behind a large brush, shouldering both her quiver and bow. Her dark eyes were pointed forward in sheer determination, her walk powerful, like she was a wrecking ball willing to knock anyone over who got in her way.
Len looked over at her and smirked as she brushed past, "Hey girl,"
"Fuck off," She bit, stepping up to the camp and tossing something dead and furry into the center of the sleeping circle, "I got rabbit today."
Billy and Harley hooted and whistled in appreciation as Lou got out his skinning knife. While the others huddled around to watch his handiwork, Kei stepped away from the fire pit and over towards Joe, wiping her hands still smeared with blood.
"Any trouble?" He asked, looking her over to make sure there was no damage.
"A couple walkers, nothing I couldn't handle," She said simply, shoving the wash rag into her back pocket, "They fucked up the deer I had been tracking."
Joe clicked his tongue and shook his head, a heavy sigh leaving his nostrils as he folded his arms.
"Ya gotta pick up the pace, honey,"
"Too bad we ain't catch that wolf yet!" Lou spoke out, grunting as he tried cutting through the animal's belly. The girl perked up, her eyebrows knitting as she watched the men tend to the fire pit.
"What wolf?"
"Been spottin' tracks everywhere in these woods," The hunter answered, "A small group o'em are juss runnin' 'round out here somewhere. Been trying to hunt 'em down, cook us up some stew! Or some barbecued wolf off the bone!"
"Mmm-mm!" Len whooped, his southern drawl seeming thicker the happier he got, "That'd make a mighty fine meal! Mighty fine!"
"Could use some of that fur for warmth, too," Joe added, all the men seeming lost in the fantasy of hunting such an animal. Kei said nothing as they continued to talk about wolf stews and using whatever parts of the animal they could. The wolves were alive, and they were out here somewhere. She had to find them.
"We could even fashion ourselves some jewelry out of their teeth," Len spoke out, "Like Kei's over there."
The girl furrowed as all eyes went to her and what dangled off her neck (though Len's eyes were clearly pointed a little lower). It was a simple necklace made of only leather cord and a single wolf's tooth hanging on the end. Joe looked down and eyed it for a minute before smiling. He reached out and took the tooth into his palm, feeling the weight, admiring the shape and feel.
"It is a fine necklace," He made sure to mention, looking at the girl and smiling that same smile she'd grown to hate, "You buy it off of some poor Red-skinned bastard on the side of the road?"
Kei rolled her eyes and pulled the necklace away from him. She stuffed it back into her shirt and went to her tent without another word. While the others ate and laughed made less than favorable remarks towards each other, Kei shut her eyes and listened. She listened for them every night before bed. Her children. If Lou had been spotting tacks lately, that had to have meant they were alive somewhere. They were alive, she thought, her heart fluttering in her small chest. They were alive and out in the woods, protecting each other, maybe even protecting the rest of her group. Maybe they made it out okay, and maybe they were looking for her too.
The more she thought about it, the more the longing ache started to grow inside her, so much so she couldn't help but sit up straight and look out the mesh window.
And the longer she stared into the woods, the more she realized she couldn't stay here and wait to find out.
She had to go find them.
Kei sat at the campfire that night with her knees up to her chest. She didn't eat, and she didn't speak a word. It wasn't unusual behavior to the rest of the group. It was all she ever did. Sleep. Hunt. Speak a few words. Judge everyone with that bitter look of hers. They just let her do her thing. She brought back good game every night, so who were they to argue if she chose to be frigid?
While Billy bragged about his hunting excursions up in the mountains, Kei kept her eyes on the fire. She paid no attention to the more-than-likely glorified details of hunts and kills. Her mind was elsewhere, and the man across from her could tell.
"You wanna tell us what's wrong, girl?"
The men all stopped their conversation. The girl's eyes flicked up to the leader, her expression blank as he scraped up more beans from the bottom of the can in his hand. He pointed his fork in her direction,
"You got the look of a thinker on yer face," He mentioned, consuming the last of his meal before carelessly tossing the can over his shoulder. He leaned forward, his eyes intent as a smug grin stretched on his face. "Yer plannin' somethin'."
She didn't answer. The leader chuckled and sat up a little straighter, holding his arms out towards the rest of his men,
"Care to share with the class?" He asked out, looking back at the girl as she continued to remain silent, "We ain't one to keep secrets here, Girl, you know that."
Billy leaned over in his seat, smiling a less than favorable, cavity ridden smile as he hissed to her ear, "Them's the rules,"
"Shut the hell up," She bit out, her sharp tone making the stout man jump.
"Billy's right now, honey, that is the rule," Joe chimed in before the man could get a word out, "We don't keep secrets here. They're as bad as lies."
His tone of voice changed at the end of his sentence, and it made Kei's insides burn and twist. Lies. This group hated liars. She'd seen what happened when a man bothered to try and lie to Joe. They were taught a lesson, a lesson that often cost a split-lip or a black eye or a tooth or two. They wouldn't hesitate to teach her a lesson far worse, she was sure. It didn't matter if she was a woman. A liar was a liar.
"I'm thinking of leaving," She answered, the smug grin on her leader's face faltering before falling to a thin line between pursed lips. The rest of the men remained silent, their eyes pointing over to Joe as his stared firmly into Kei's.
"We ain't good enough for ya?"
An airy scoff escaped through her nostrils.
"Honestly? No, you're not. Not even remotely."
"AY! You betta watch your mouth!" Lou bit.
"Now, now! Let the girl say her piece!" Joe spoke, watching the ghost of a smirk flash across the girl's face.
"You're all disgusting, and greedy, and while you pretend that there's order with all these so-called 'rules' you all go by, you're really just trying to excuse yourselves for being the low-lifes that you are," Her eyes looked over to the face of each member, heat and anger was radiating from them, fueling her and the words that kept pouring out of her mouth, "You all were probably shitty people before the turn, and now that things have gone to shit, you're now in your element. The horseflies in the shit-pile, so to speak."
She stopped to watch as Billy's heavy breathing grew ragged and harsh. Len's lips pursed and Lou's nostril's flared. She was surrounded by clenched fists and jaws, a circle of hounds just on the edge of their leash. They all looked to Joe for the answer. Attack. Bite. Kill. Teach her a lesson. They all waited to hear that symphonic mix of words to tell them they were allowed to go to town on this bitch―this force who dared to abuse their hospitality and insult them all at the same time.
But when Joe opened his mouth, the most unexpected thing came out.
It was a laugh. And not a light one either. It was heavy and loud, and sounded so genuine it threw the girl and everyone around her off.
"That's the most i've heard you say in weeks!" He hollered, slapping his thigh and laughing even harder than before. The rest of the men were lost, letting out light and awkward chuckles as they looked to each other in confusion. Joe just got up out of his seat and kept on, laughing and hollering all the way back to his sleeping spot.
"If you wanna leave then go right on ahead, Girl!" He chirped, the laugh still clear in his voice, "The hell if I care! Good luck to ya!"
Kei still stayed by the fire, long after all the other men eyed her and muttered sick threats under their rancid breath before leaving for bed. She just kept her eyes on the glowing red embers, her thoughts racing before slowing to a stop at the familiar sound of howling in the air. It was faint, but it was beautiful, and it was the most precious thing she'd been given since the prison. More howls started to meld in, some more distant than the others. She didn't move from her spot as they continued to call for each other. Instead she just closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees, a thankful smile forming on her face.
The scent of smoke was still in the morning air when she left the camp site with her things. She didn't bother thanking Joe or saying goodbye. You only did those things for people you cared about. The only thing she regretted was not waiting until they woke up so she could flip them all off before she left.
This was better though, safer. She didn't know what would happen if she left while they were away. Would they have stopped her? Kept her hostage like the Iron Horsemen did? She wasn't going to wait until sun-up to find out. And she was thankful she left when she did.
The woods looked different in the early morning. Prettier. With the cool air and the trees and the clear sky, the sun casting a pretty shadow on everything. It was hard to believe that undead creatures occasionally wandered around in here. How could something so...scary tarnish such a pretty scene.
She wasn't left with much time to revel in it's beauty. The minute she heard a tree branch snap behind her, she was thrust back into reality. As picturesque as it was, this was still the woods. There was danger here, and it would tear her apart if she wasn't careful.
The minute she heard another branch snap, the girl turned around sharply and raised her gun, pointing it over at a familiar figure holding a hunter's bow. Len stepped out from the behind the brush, his steps careful and light, and the grin on his face more smug-looking than ever.
"Easy now, girl," He warned, "Don't do anythin' stupid now..."
"What do you want?"
"Here to collect my fee for the hospitality," He answered, "Food, shelter, protection...You've wracked up quite a debt."
"Fuck off," She bit,
"Or what, you'll shoot me?" He let out a scoff, his eyes pointing down to her handgun, "How quick can ya pull that there trigger? Faster than I can shoot ya in the eyeball, ya think?"
The girl didn't answer. She watched as Len just shrugged and raised his brows.
"Don't seem worth losin' an eye over," He opined, "I'm givin' you a choice girl, live or die. 'ts as simple as tha—"
Clickclickclick. Kei pullled the trigger over and over, furrowing as no bullets came flying out. She looked over at Len as he smiled and chuckled his greasy head off, shaking his head in the process.
"Stupid bit," He laughed, "Did yer dumb ass really not even bother to check if it was loaded?!"
"Shut up," She growled.
"That just says 'spoiled', right there," He went on, "Bet you had yer dead boyfriend load all yer weapons for ya. What was his name again?"
"I SAID SHUT UP!" She barked.
"Well WHY DON'T YA JUST FUCKIN' MAKE ME!" He barked back, his voice so loud it made the girl flinch, "I'm the one holdin' the weapon to ya goddamned head, so you do what I say!"
Kei bit her lip and snarled furiously at the man with the bow, watching as he liked his lips and gestured towards the gun.
"Now you just put that gun down," He demanded, his eyes on the barrel, "Come on, girl. Put it all down."
She stood firm for a second, her eyes narrowing as her lips curled between her teeth. Her expression was bitter as she shook her head, and slowly she lowered her weapon before dropping it. The minute her gun and bags hit the dirt floor, Len shot forward like a bolt of lightening, running right up to her and dropping his bow before pinning her up against the tree. The girl didn't move. She only bothered to move her face away as he started assaulting her skin with frantic kisses.
"I thought you weren't supposed to attack your own," She muttered, her tone as neutral as her expression.
"You ain't in our group anymore," He breathed, licking his lips as his hands when under her shirt, "Which means, I can do whatever I want to that tight lil body a y―"
Before he even had time to finish, Kei brought her knee up to his stomach, and then her elbow down to his back as he hunched over,
"You piece of shit!" She grit, hitting him in the back again, "You should have just left! Me! Alone!"
She kicked him in the shin and watched as he finally gave out and toppled over onto the forest floor. He groaned and looked up at her with horrified eyes as she stared down at him with fire and hatred. She got down on one knee and leaned in real close to his face, making sure their eyes were locked, and that her bitter expression was the only thing he could see.
"And don't think I didn't know that you've been watching me piss, you sick son of a bitch,"
She quickly stood back up and brought her leg forward, kicking him square in the face as hard as she could.
Kei picked up her gun and placed it back into her holster without a word. She didn't say anything as Len writhed around in the dirt floor behind her, swearing and muttering through swollen, bloodied lips that he would get his revenge on her. She didn't say anything. She just picked up her bags, and kept moving forward. After this little encounter, she figured anywhere was better than with this group.
She didn't keep to roads, nor did she follow along the river bank. Instead, she followed the hand drawn maps planted alongside the train tracks. It was going to be a long walk, she figured, but Terminus was on the other end. And hopefully, the girl thought to herself, the rest of her group would be there as well.
