V - No Place Like...
"...and so they thought he was I. So they must've declared me dead," said Tim. "Jonathan Simmons… a friend with the best qualities that a friend could possess. Hadn't it been for him, the rogues would have eventually found me. And I wouldn't be here telling you this."
"You all went through such great lengths to get the truth out," said Lincoln. "I can't help but feel sorry for what you went through."
"At that point, I just wanted to be with my daughter. The mission failed, world's gone to crap, so it was time to resort to the backup plan. Get Vonda and Meredith, get them to New York where her mother would take us to the Adirondacks… safe from the rest of the world. But then I came here… and neither Meredith nor my daughter were here. I went to Diamond Point— this place at the Adirondacks. Met another woman there who knew her mother."
Vonda kept her head leaned against Tim's legs as she remained sitting on the floor. Her eyes stared ahead, feeling unnerved as Tim continued to talk.
"Then we went to the Dust Zone… that's New York City. What remained of it."
"Yeah, we've been at the Dust Zone," said Lori. "That's what we called it too. We must've heard your tapes like a hundred times."
"Interesting. Did you guys ever come across the tape I left in the Dust Zone?"
"You left a tape? Where?"
Tim's eyes lowered. He tapped softly on Vonda's shoulders, prompting her to turn around.
"I need to tell you something," he said.
Vonda looked up at him, her mouth in a frowning position.
"Your mother…"
"She's dead," said Vonda. "I know. We killed her."
Tim closed his eyes and nodded slowly.
"So Bruna was right… and here I was hoping… she was wrong. Sherry and her gang gave your group such a hard time, right?"
"She was heartless," said Vonda. "She killed people for her own selfish reasons. I tried to accept her… but she kept on killing. My friends— she kept on killing my friends. And so this man… George… I let him kill my mother. And this man… the man who killed my mother loved me more than she ever could. He was like you… he was like a father to me… until some assholes killed him."
Tim took a deep breath.
"I'm… I'm sorry," said Tim. "I really tried to catch up to you guys. But after the Dust Zone, I had no idea where you went. I'm sorry, Vonda. I really tried. I really did."
"It's okay. I'm back now."
"Back from saving the world, right?"
A tear fell from Vonda's eye.
"Dad… we couldn't stop them. The rogues took a lot from us— so much more than you could imagine. And the same assholes that killed George… they killed Lisa— the one who was supposed to make the cure."
"Oh god…" sighed Tim.
Lori stood over Luna, watching her sip water from a canteen before Fiona nudged her. She faced her, raising her eyebrows.
"Umm… I see that Leni isn't with you guys," said Fiona. "This isn't the entire group… right? I mean, where's Leni?"
Lori looked away and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes. Yet, she could not respond.
"She's dead," answered Becky. "Leni was killed by General Black, leader of the rogues."
"W-What…?" whispered Fiona. "She's… dead?"
"Actually… General Black isn't their leader," said Tim. "It's Krissen. She leads all the rogues."
"I'm sorry, who are the rogues again?" asked Miguel. "You guys keep bringing them up, but I gotta be honest— I'm lost."
"You guys don't know?" asked Lori before turning to Tim. "You didn't tell them?"
Tim shook his head.
"Why?"
"Why?" gasped Tim. "I'm done with all that. The KHAN, their experiments, their rogues— I don't care for it anymore. I'm mentally done with all the conspiracies."
"Conspiracies? They were true. All of it."
"I just want to live a peaceful life without being attacked."
"Now that's the most unrealistic thing to come out of your mouth," scoffed Becky. "I mean— I happened. But for good reason."
"And what was the reason? I mean… you all had to have known it's faster to run back here than use a truck. But you asked for the keys either way."
"We needed the fuel in your truck to power up the generators in the medical center so that we could get whatever frozen blood was stored in there. And the keys…? Well, we needed a way to get to Royal Woods as fast as possible."
"Wait, are you all from Royal Woods?"
Tim looked around, noticing the affirmative motion of the survivors' heads. Carol removed the needle from his forearm, causing him to wince slightly.
"Why do you ask?" questioned Lori.
"I have some news for you all. But I'd really like it if you introduce everyone to me."
"Well… you met me. I'm Lori Loud, and these are my younger siblings. The one you just gave blood to— Luna. Her girlfriend sitting next to her— that's Sam. And there's her little brother, Simon. Standing in front of the fireplace is Luan and next to her is her boyfriend, Benny. Then, the one behind the couch, the one that just waved her hand is Lynn. The girl sitting on the corner of the room— her name's Lana. Next to her is Lily, my youngest sister. Then, next to her is Lincoln and his best friend, Clyde. Lincoln's girlfriend, who also happens to be my sister-in-law is Ronnie Anne. Her brother and my husband is right behind me, massaging me with his smooth hands— my Bobby."
Fiona tapped Tim in the shoulder and pointed at Lincoln and Clyde.
"I know those two twerps," she whispered. "Annoying and annoying."
Lincoln and Clyde looked at each other, gulping out of nervousness.
"And then that's Carol," said Tim before turning to his left. "And you— you're Becky, right? That's what they called you. I'm guessing your mother is the only one who calls you Rebecca."
"You talked to my mother?" gasped Becky. "Is she—?"
"Yes, and her little boy too, Tucker. As well as your father. They're back home still waiting for you."
Becky was stunned.
"So you gotta have like some kinda shelter, right?" she asked. "Some camp o-or base or something like that?"
"Something like that. But before you guys have any more questions, I got some things I need to address. First, it's obvious that we need to get Luna to an infirmary. We got a really good nurse back home— she's just as good as a doctor."
"Oh, thank god," said Carol. "I only really know how to deal with some emergency situations. I mean, you remember, I was definitely gonna study medicine in college but all I got is volunteer experience. Before and after."
"Well, this woman is important to both our people back home and to me. She was with me when I looked for my daughter. She had this child with her… and I'm gonna be honest— I thought they were going to be a burden. Turns out she's the best nurse we got. A very special—"
"Is her name Maria by any chance?" interrupted Ronnie Anne.
Lori felt the hands on her shoulders come to a stop. She looked up and saw Bobby's face, which was almost fearful.
"Ronnie Anne," smiled Tim. "You spoiled the surprise."
"Are you serious?" gasped Ronnie Anne, a wide smile forming on her face. "You aren't joking, right? Guys, he's not joking?"
"I don't think so, why?" asked Fiona. "Wait. Oh, damn. You two are related to Maria."
"Oh my god! Bobby, the note was right! Mom's alive!"
Bobby's mouth widened before he let out an excited laugh. Lori stared at him, gushing with joy.
"When Fiona, Miguel, and I take you to Royal Woods, we'll make sure to get Luna checked out by her so that she can get her back up on her feet," said Tim. "Oh, and that's another thing. Royal Woods is not just where we have a base or a camp or whatever. A section of it… it's a walled community. It's flourishing with people. We have food, water, houses, all that stuff."
Lori's eyes opened in surprise. She looked at members of the group, seeing them get overjoyed.
"I'm convinced already!" smiled Ronnie Anne. "Just take us there! I just wanna be back with my mom!"
"Sure thing."
"Whoo! We did it!" whooped Lynn. "All the walking— it was totally worth it!"
"Wait, wait, hold on. I'm taking Bobby, Ronnie Anne, and my daughter with me. They get in, no questions asked. Luna as well, but by no means is she staying permanently."
"What?" exclaimed Sam. "That's our home!"
"I know— hold on."
"Always a catch," growled Becky.
"I gotta ask you guys some questions," said Tim. "It's what I gotta do. Now, I'm sure you'll all make a good fit in Royal Woods— I mean, it's your home after all— but I'm only the guy who makes sure you guys get inside the walls. Whether you stay inside… as a resident… that's not up to me. It's up to the leader in charge… Oscar."
"Just a heads up, he's a dick," said Fiona.
"We really shouldn't be talking behind his back like that."
"It's true though. You can't deny it."
"So if it's up to this Oscar guy, then tell us what we can do to convince him to let us stay," said Lana.
"Hold on, you guys haven't even gotten through me yet."
"What are you gonna ask us?" huffed Becky.
"Just three simple questions. Then, if I feel the answers are okay—"
"How many roamers have I killed?" stated Lori. "Too many to count. How many people have I killed? Over fifty. I stopped counting after twenty-nine. Why? Because in some way or another, they all tried to hurt me and my family. That includes everyone in this group."
"That includes me," said Vonda. "I love you, Dad. But this group is also my family. There's only one option. It's an easy option."
Tim remained speechless. He then looked up to see Carol answer the questions. His eyes widened, hearing the amount of people she killed. Then, Becky. Then, Sam. Then, Luna. Group member after group member answered the three questions. Even Bobby. Even Ronnie Anne.
Vonda looked up at her father. His emotion was hard to decipher. Never has she seen such a mixture of emotions that she was unable to read her father's face. Then, she answered the questions herself.
"Way too many roamers. About eighteen people, I think. And I killed all of them because they wanted to hurt these people. These good people."
Tim's eyes stared at Vonda in disbelief.
"Except for two people. Frank Weber. I killed him because he was in too much pain… and because it was too painful for me to watch him suffer. And another man whose name I don't remember… because he was already choking on his own blood after being bit. So I threw him out of a bus to get rid of his weight."
Tim lowered his face as he rubbed his hands against it.
"Oh my god," whispered Tim.
"We killed a lot of people," said Vonda. "But they were all terrible people. From Piranhas, to rogues, to cannibals. And if they weren't terrible people, we had a reason to kill them, whether it was out of mercy or to save all of us. If you don't let any of them in because you think their hands are too dirty, then you can't let me in either— 'cause my hands are just as dirty. That's life in the outside."
"I'm truly sorry for everything that happened."
"It's fine, Dad. But if you really wanna find some way to make it up to me… get us inside the walls. We're done with life in the outside."
Tim cleared his throat and nodded.
"Well. You guys knew the answers to my questions. Hell, you guys knew my questions. So I guess I got no choice but to let you inside the walls."
Tim gave a quick smirk as the group were overjoyed. They all clapped, cheered, smiled, laughed, whooped, and celebrated. He then looked at Vonda, who joined in the celebration by smiling and high-fiving her friends. Vonda then looked back before giving him a hug. He hugged her back, smiling once more.
The wheels of the stretcher rolled against the pavement before coming to a stop near the back of the white box truck. A pillow and a blanket was tossed into the back of the truck. Sam and Bobby lifted Luna upwards and into the truck, slowly placing her back against the blanket and her head on the pillow. Some of the other group members began to climb inside while Miguel sat on the driver's seat with his legs hanging out the door. Fiona placed her feet up on the dashboard and kept her door and window closed while turning on the AC in the truck. She then looked at the CB radio that was strapped on the center above the dashboard, hearing low static.
"Reporting in…"
Fiona stared at the radio in silence before looking at Miguel. After a few seconds, Miguel reached for the microphone, though Fiona slapped his hands softly. He glared at her, seeing her shake her head.
"...hey! Who's on?!"
Fiona snickered and turned around.
"Hey, Tim! The radio. It's for you."
Tim sighed as he crouched towards the front seats. Luna looked up at Sam with a face that signified confusion. Bobby stepped out of the box truck and was met with the soft light of the evening sun. He looked ahead in the distance, finding Lori and Lincoln standing near two graves in Palmer Field.
Lori and Lincoln were looking down at the two graves. Lori then knelt down, brushing her fingers across the etched dates made on the rocks above the grave. She then lifted her fingers away after caressing the 2016 etch. Her eyes stared at Chaz's hat.
"You know what I just thought about?" said Lori, breaking the silence.
Lincoln looked at her. Lori smiled softly.
"I remember a few days before the Global Infection Event there was this small party in Tad's beach house. Leni and I were there, you know, just living it up. Chaz was there… with his Ace Savvy shirt."
"You said Ace Savvy was for little kids," remarked Lincoln. "But you know I saw him and Becky—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. They told me they saw you at the convention. I guess it was just the judgemental in me talking because literally no one cared that they were wearing it. No one made fun of them for being a geek. I guess I underestimated just how nice my classmates could be. But anyways, that's not the point. I don't know how— the details are a little funky to me— but Chaz ripped his shirt. It was like a big rip too, it went up to his chest. I was getting some punch when I saw him and Leni talking. And the next thing I see is Leni pulling Chaz upstairs. I followed them because you know, I had to make sure they weren't fooling around together and stuff. So, I saw them enter a room. When they got in, I walked to the room and waited outside, and I sorta eavesdropped on them. The door was open just enough for me to see the mirror in the room. And in the mirror I saw Leni pulling Chaz's shirt up. Oh man, I got so upset, I swear I was gonna kick that door open and get Leni outta there. Didn't help that Chaz said something like, 'What if someone walks in?'. But I waited for just a second. And in that second, Leni said, 'What do you mean? I'm just sewing your shirt together.' Poor Leni, I thought, she was about to have her innocence by a dude that I thought was so cool. But what Chaz said kinda surprised me. He said being shirtless was really embarrassing and that he'd rather just party with the ripped shirt. Innocent Leni didn't know why he was insecure about it. Chaz was like 'I don't like the way I look.' And then Leni was like 'But I do.' It was really cute, but it didn't compare to what happened next. So Leni sewed up his shirt with Becky's tools, I think, and then she put his shirt back on for him. Then, they looked each other in the eye and man, they were so lost in each other's eyes. And what happened next was the cutest thing ever. Leni reached for Chaz's face, but her hands were so shaky— she was so nervous! I think Chaz noticed because the next thing that happened was that he grabbed her shaky hands and pulled her close to him and kissed her. I don't think I ever saw Leni blush that much ever in my life. She was just so… happy…"
Lori then became silent.
"Umm… anyways, that's just what I remembered. I don't know why."
"Well, I just remembered something too," said Lincoln. "And I also don't know why."
Lincoln looked at the wind blowing against the knife hanging by the gravestone.
"This also happened a few days before the Global Infection Event. It was after we gave our love letters out, you remember that, right?"
"Yeah. Paige rejected you, right?"
"I don't even care anymore. I have Ronnie Anne now and I love her. But that's besides the point, sorta. I wasn't the only person that was rejected. There was Lucy. Silas rejected her as well. He just wanted to be friends with Lucy, which got her feeling all gloomy— you know, more than usual. And I mean like super depressed. So depressed, she didn't want to go to the cemetery. It reminded her too much of Silas. And on that day, Rocky saved just enough money to buy this new Kirby game— I forgot what it was called. But then, when he saw just how gloomy Lucy was in class, he decided to use his money for something else. He used it to pay for the bus for both him and Lucy. Now, when Lucy told me this story, I thought she was gonna be upset as soon as she found out that Rocky was taking her to the cemetery. But to my surprise, she was actually… happy. She said she never even thought about Silas as she and Rocky walked around the cemetery. And she also said it was the best day of her life…"
Lincoln sighed as he looked at the cemetery in the distance.
"Whenever I think about Rocky, I think about Lucy."
"Same. Everytime I think about Chaz, somehow Leni pops into my mind too."
"I guess we were just trying to remember the happiest moment in their lives. These two… they made their happiest moment."
Lori nodded.
"I wonder how much Royal Woods has changed," added Lincoln. "I wonder… how Mom, Dad, Lucy, Leni, Lola, and Lisa would react."
"It almost feels wrong returning without them," said Lori. "But it's what they would want for us. They would want us to return home."
Lincoln walked around the gravestone and looked back at Lori, who stood up.
"Let's go home, then," said Lincoln. "We don't want to keep the group waiting after all."
Lori smiled and walked with Lincoln towards the box truck. The rest of the group went inside the back, with Tim sliding the back door shut. Miguel then shut the door next to him and started the truck. He pressed on the gas pedal and just like that the truck started moving.
"So, we had a community before," said Benny, rubbing his hands against his bandaged wound. "The fences didn't hold up too well. Herds and people took them down. How good are these walls?"
"Durable," answered Tim. "They're large metal sheets supported by wooden beams leaning against them at an angle. Might need military equipment to take them down."
"What section of Royal Woods does it protect?" asked Lincoln.
"From Ketcham Park to the skate park, it's everything one block north and south from Franklin Street."
"That's my street!" gasped Lincoln.
"That's gotta be like twenty different blocks," said Lana.
"Very close," said Tim. "Twenty-one blocks. About 840 houses in total. Yet, only about five hundred people."
"Only five hundred people?" gasped Sam.
"Yeah, wait until you hear about the RenCenter."
"The RenCenter?" asked Benny.
"It's what we call the General Motors Renaissance Center. You know, the seven connected skyscrapers in Detroit?"
"There's people there?" asked Luan.
"Three-thousand."
"Holy—!" gasped Lynn. "You're bustin' our chops now. You can't be serious."
"Right. I'm not."
"Oh no, he's serious," said Vonda. "T-That's my sarcasm right there. That's where I got it from."
"Ladies and gentlemen… your world is about to get a whole lot—"
The radio static returned.
"Hey, Slimmy Timmy. We're saving you a spot for our poker game, and Samantha promised to take off her bra while we play. Bring the beer and cigs! We're having fun tonight!"
"Oh, Christ," sighed Tim.
Lori raised an eyebrow as she stared at Tim. Luna turned towards Sam, who was rubbing her arm in a state of discomfort and awkwardness. Simon looked at the radio in vexation.
"J-Just ignore that."
"Awkward…" whispered Benny.
"So, umm, Red. I suppose you know what happened to Aunt Meredith?"
"Yeah. She left to join a riot or something. Took a bottle of vodka with her and never came back."
"You were alone?"
"Yes. Even when she was there. She never really cared about us, Dad. She just wanted a place to live. Becky and her friends cared more about me than she ever did. They were here with me, and I know what you're going to say about letting strangers into the house, but I was alone. And they needed to get inside because of the riots outside. A lotta people died. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Aunt Meredith was shot by a cop or something."
"I did hear about the riots," said Tim. "Umm, Becky's father told me something about trying to find her here."
"My dad was here?" asked Becky.
"Yeah. But the riots made it impossible for him to enter the city. He only could once the dust settled. And what he saw… death everywhere around him… it really broke his heart not being able to find you."
"What… he thinks I'm dead?"
"He does, but not your mom," said Fiona, taking a bite out of a sandwich, her legs still sitting above the dashboard. "Not your little brother either."
"How are they? Are they okay?"
"Your mother is miserable as hell," said Miguel, keeping his eyes on the road. "She works at the kitchen and she hates it. The hope that you may have been somewhere out there is what kept her alive. I gotta say, her cooking isn't bad. That sandwich Fiona is eating… she made it. Which by the way, seems a little disrespectful to do, don't you think?"
"What, I'm hungry!" groaned Fiona.
"Girl, so are they!"
"Actually, most of us would just like water," said Lori. "We'll eat when we get there."
Tim handed each group member a water bottle. The survivors all started to gulp down the water except Becky. She looked at Fiona's sandwich before tapping her on the shoulder.
"Can I have a bite of that?" asked Becky.
"Missed your mom's cooking, right?" smiled Fiona. "Sure thing. Here ya' go."
Fiona ripped a piece of her sandwich off and handed it to Becky. Miguel smiled.
"She never shares, you know," he quipped.
Becky stared down at her sandwich. It had tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, eggs, and mayo. She stuffed it in her mouth and laid back, savoring the taste. A tear came out her eye as she looked out the windshield, seeing the truck cross the Huron River, finally moving the group out of the city.
"Your father is a bodyguard for Oscar," said Tim. "Maybe bodyguard is way too sophisticated of a word for him. He is basically given food, water, and shelter for being his buddy. It's an inner circle for sure."
"An inner circle of jerk-offs," said Fiona.
"Yeah. No offense to your father, Becky."
Becky shrugged.
"You know, your father is doing pretty well," said Tim. "I know that sounds like it may hurt, but I think accepting that you may never return… it was definitely a painstaking process, people saw it… but he can't grieve forever. I'm gonna be honest with you… I have no idea how he'll react to you coming back. It may be even harder for him to process the kind of person you are now. And I don't mean to single you out like that. All of you— the people that you will see inside the walls have been inside for almost three years. Some never even stepped foot outside after the walls were done. What you people are now— I fear it may not be perceived well. I just hope they'll understand."
"They should," said Miguel. "We need more outsiders like them. I mean, shit, they just took out a large number of Laborers for us."
"I agree."
"I'm just glad he's alive," said Becky.
"Yeah. Well… we're gonna be here for a while," said Tim. "Might get there at eight or nine. In any case, I would like to hear your story."
"My story?"
"Everyone's story. I assume you were all together from the beginning?"
"That's right," said Lori.
Simon sighed a breath of relief. He continued to keep himself hidden in the back of the truck, focusing on the sound of the wheels driving along the road.
"So all of you can tell me the story together," said Tim. "From the Global Infection Event to now… what happened?"
Miguel yawned as he turned the steering wheel around, its headlights lighting up the road ahead of it. The box truck turned around, passing by Royal Woods High School. Fiona had her chair reclined, making it easier for her to hear the group telling their story. She did not care to see the corpses and clothes left outside the school. Lily was sitting with her legs crossed between a lantern, being attentive to Lori.
"No matter how hard we fought… we just didn't have the firepower. The rogues, the artillery, the equipment, the fact that they caught us by surprise… it was hopeless. Maybe if I had done something different, Leni would still be alive. She wouldn't have been executed. So… after Black died, Luan, Lincoln, and I went to Vanzilla. I was too hurt to drive, but I just had enough energy in me to tell Luan how to drive. And so she did— all the way to Medway."
"W-Wait, backtrack a little bit," said Fiona. "Who killed Black?"
"I don't think it matters," said Lori. "So I was blacking in and out—"
"Hold on, I do think it matters."
"Why?"
"Why? I just want to know what took them so long to get him. Seems to me that he was right there— out in the open."
"It wasn't that easy."
"Wasn't that easy? If he was such a difficult man to kill, why was Leni allowed to run out there? Why wasn't your first priority to get her to safety? She was family, wasn't she?"
"How dare you? You weren't there! You have no say—"
"It was me," interrupted Luan. "If you want to know so bad, then here goes… I hesitated, okay?"
"You hesitated?" gasped Fiona. "Over killing an evil genocidal maniac?"
"I never killed anyone before."
"Wow. Unbelievable."
"Hey, you've never killed anyone," said Miguel. "It ain't that easy for everyone. Especially when you aren't an asshole. I mean, this girl was like sixteen— give her a break."
"You're taking their side?"
"Leni's my friend too. But you're letting your anger blind you, girl."
"Whatever."
An awkward silence began to fill the truck as Lori took a sip of water, wondering whether to continue her story. The awkward silence was then broken by the incoming radio voices.
"Why do we always get the night shift?"
"Quit your complaining. You're speaking into an open channel, Oscar might hear you. Last time someone complained in front of him, he got his rations cut in half for a week."
"I'm just sick of guarding at night. It's so fucking boring. I hate it here! And what the fuck is that smell?"
"You complain too much."
Suddenly, the same voice from earlier interrupted the two men.
"Hey! Can the chatter! There are walkers on the north wall of the outpost! You morons!"
"I'm closest. I can see them from here!"
"I'll be there in half a minute!"
The radio static went away.
"Who is that?" asked Lori.
"Those were three people," said Tim. "The first voice was—"
"No, I mean that one guy. The one we kept hearing."
"Ah. Cyrus. He's our main guard. He watches over the gate, which is on the west side of the community. He's not exactly the friendly kind. He could be a little… unstable. If I were you, I would not get mixed up with him."
"An unstable person makes sure you guys get in and out?" asked Benny. "That doesn't sound too smart."
"He contributes. The job is boring. And when it isn't, it's dangerous. From what you went through, you would know exactly how dangerous."
"Yeah…" whispered Luna.
"He said 'outpost'," said Lynn. "Does that mean this isn't the main base?"
"It is the main community," said Tim. "I don't know why he calls it an outpost. It's just how he talks."
"Sounds like those people are scared of Oscar," said Lincoln.
"I'd be annoyed," said Lana. "A single complaint leads to rations being cut in half? What, we have to be kissing his butt all the time?"
"No, just… I wouldn't say anything negative about him or this place. Like most of the residents in here, this place is his hometown."
"How can we get on his good side?" asked Lori.
"I doubt you'll be able to. Just don't say or do anything that would bother him. You'll tell when he does this eyebrow thing—"
"We're here," said Miguel.
Lori looked ahead through the windshield, finding the box truck slowing down on the road next to the gates of Ketcham Park. To the right of the truck were tall metal sheet walls that stretched over the width of two blocks and the length of twenty-one blocks, protecting East Sixth Street below the north wall, Franklin Street in the middle, and East Hudson Street above the south wall. The main gate was right before an intersection where Franklin Street and Ketcham Park met. Eventually, the truck came to a stop.
"We can continue with your story over dinner," said Tim. "But for now…"
Tim lifted the door to the box truck, allowing the light from the lantern to escape out into the outer street. He sat himself down on the truck before dropping his feet to the ground, exiting the back of the truck. Lori, along with the other survivors, slowly began to make their exit, stepping into the outer street. The survivors looked around, finding the park overgrown by tall grass, burnt trees— those standing without branches, and those laying down as ashy logs— shrubs, and young trees in areas they had never seen before. Then, they turned towards the walls, and looked at a sign that hung near the gate, stating: Royal Woods Community.
"...welcome home."