Chapter 2-Dark Days
A/N:-So I'll probably do another three or four chapters and see where I stand after that and what feedback I get. If you like the story and want it to continue longer than like five chapters, make it known. Review, follow and favourite it and hopefully it'll turn into a full time story.
Chloe sat at the diner bar as she waited for her mother to cook up dinner for the day. Most of the primary food had been eaten due to the expiry date but the tinned food they had was still amazing. The smell of beans filled the diner, causing Chloe's mouth to salivate slightly as she watched her mother cook.
The diner was filling up as everyone patiently waited for their food and the fact it was Joyce's cooking made it all the more better. Dana, Juliet, Justin and Trevor sat in one booth while Warren, Brooke and Eric, Kyle's brother sat two seats down from them. Max was in the bathroom but her seat was next to Chloe, as always.
Shane wouldn't eat with everyone else; he preferred to make sure the walls were secure and there was no threat sneaking up in them. He had no problem waiting for everyone to finish food first before he ate.
Thanks to David's own personal supply of stocked food as well as the diner's larder, there was an abundance of food for everyone to eat comfortably. This also made it a target to any rogue group that wanted what they had. In the weeks that followed, they were lucky to escape conflict with most survivors, only having to fend off three human attacks with the rest being Roamers. Killing Roamers was never a good thing but it was easier to do than kill another person.
Max returned from the bathroom and sat on the stool to the left of Chloe before locking her arm around Chloe's and hugging her. This made Chloe smile as she rested her head on Max's and closing her eyes. They were so lucky to have each other, especially in a time as hard as this.
"Ok love birds, food's here" Joyce interrupted as she placed a plate in front of each of the girls. Baked beans and pasta had never looked or tasted so good.
Despite the day being calm and quiet, Shane knew to expect trouble. No day was ever quiet and it was only a matter of time before something caused trouble. He scanned the outside of the walls with keen eyes; the wind whistled with the nothingness that was now Arcadia Bay. David and Kyle were sill not back and something seemed off; this was the main cause for his gnawing anxiety for the day. Shane wouldn't call himself paranoid, he would rather be safe than sorry. Helping everyone at the diner gave him a purpose, a way place where his skills would help people and that literally meant the difference between life and death.
Shane was so fixated on watching the streets below the barricade that he did not see Joyce walk alongside him.
"You need to eat, Shane" she protested as she placed a bacon roll down next to him. Joyce still couldn't stop being everyone's mother, even in the event of an apocalypse.
"I can eat later" Shane replied. His tone was dry and he didn't take his eyes off the street.
"We appreciate everything you do, really but you'll be no use to anyone if you've got no energy. You need to keep your strength up"
Joyce's words hung with him as he let out a sigh. Shane knew she was right but that didn't mean he was wrong. As Joyce walked away, he reluctantly picked up the sandwich and took a bite.
The atmosphere inside the two whales diner was warm and friendly; a complete opposite of the rest of Arcadia Bay. Outside, the air was thick with falling ash and the temperatures we lower than ever. The wooden barricades and concreate walls really were something to be grateful for. Everyone had grown up a lot faster than they would have liked but this place was their home and they wouldn't let anything happen to it.
Warren had really matured; he was no longer the shy, geeky boy everyone knew. Well…he still talked about films no one had ever seen before. Warren took it upon himself to do as many jobs as possible; from fixing up the barricade, to cooking food and even keeping watch from time to time. He couldn't shoot a gun for shit but his heart was exactly where it needed to be and that was what counted. Even now as he laughed alongside Eric and Brooke, he knew that there was work to be done, work to make sure everyone saw another day.
Brooke had always been cold; all the incident had done was prove how not making friends with everyone was the best decision she had done. She was far too cynical for someone her age but she saw it as a good thing. Brooke wold do only what she deemed necessary and not waste her time with things that seemed pointless in her eyes. Her aptitude for technology had been a life saver as she has been able to fix the boiler more times than one. She was able to fix up piping, connecting the gas mains that powered the stove to the housing shacks, allowing heat to travel between buildings. She may have been smug about it but that's what everyone loved about her.
Eric was fairly new to the group; he and his brother Kyle found shelter in the diner on the day of the incident and have been a part of the group ever since. Eric was sixteen and had just started his first year at Blackwell in the September of 2014. Despite everyone being two or three years older than him, they still treated him as an equal. Kyle was very protective of his brother and would usually take most of the heavy jobs for himself, allowing Eric to have safer chores like cleaning up the diner or pumping water. Eric didn't like being babied and was eager to prove himself. His lack of life experience made interactions awkward but he was trying and getting better at socialising due to always being around people. Even now as he told a joke, causing Brooke and Warren to laugh, he felt himself having a sense of belonging.
Justin might as well have not been aware of the incident as he was the same as he always was. Laid back and chilled out, his only concern was getting up in time for his shift at the water pump…which was at eleven in the morning. Despite not smoking weed as much anymore, his friendly attitude never faltered as he was always there to help the group when they needed it. His only regret was not being able to bring his skateboard with him when he ran for cover.
Trevor had surprised everyone with how much he had matured since the incident. His only concern was keeping Dana safe and making sure everyone had a safe environment to call home. As they ate food in the booth, he had his right arm wrapped around her, making sure she was safe. Trevor could handle more than other members of the group so he took it upon himself to move heavy items to and from places. He'd move boxes of ammo, chunks of wood and even sheet metal for the walls. He knew the only way they would get through this is if they played to each other's strengths and covered each other's weaknesses. Still, a joint would be nice to take the edge off.
Dana was coping as well as anyone could; she never expected something like this to happen. Her bubbly attitude had decreased since the incident and getting shot the other day didn't help. It was just a graze on her arm but she had spent a lot of time thinking about the what if's and what not's. She was happy she had a group of reliable friends with her, people she could count on and people she would help wherever she could. Since they lost Aaron and Kate, she decided someone should learn to patch people up in case something bad happens again. Ironically she was the one who was hurt.
Juliet had become sceptical but she wouldn't let anyone see it. Even now as she playfully rejected Justin's advances for the eighth time this week, she couldn't help but think mothing would be the same again. Everyone thought she would be the one to have answers or find a solution, instead she just became a shell of her former self as she tried to hide her fear. She was afraid of dying but more afraid of becoming what was lurking in the dead city.
Max had Chloe and Chloe had Max. The two wouldn't let the end of the world separate them ever again. They spend every second glued to each other and did whatever jobs they could do together. The nights were warmer when you had someone to cuddle but that was as far as it went. When you're sharing a room with like four other girls, you can't exactly fulfil you and your partner's needs. Still, Max and Chloe made the most of this and were gonna ride out the storm together.
As everyone finished eating, they brought their plates to the sink as Dana got ready to wash them. It was her turn and she didn't mind as it gave her something to focus on. Trevor didn't like it but he had to accept it. With a kiss goodbye he moved onto his chores for the day.
Max and Chloe were on laundry, Brooke was on stock take, Warren would be with Shane on the wall while Justin pumped the water. Trevor would be checking the integrity of the barricade with help from Juliet. He was trying to help her calm down and except that this was the world they lived in. it wouldn't be easy but he was willing to put the time in for his girlfriend's best friend.
As another day of hard work continued, the ash fell from the sky, covering Arcadia Bay in a veil of grey. Help wasn't coming any time soon.
Kyle panted as he threw himself to the floor. His lungs screamed at him as he opened his bag to find his bottle of water. David pulled an old bookcase down so it blocked the door from being opened, stopping the Roamers for as long as possible. They didn't have time to stop.
"David, we need…to get…diner…" Kyle muttered as he gasped for breath.
"Negative, we head back now and we lead this group right to our front door. We need to lose our scent" David said as he squatted down next to Kyle who offered the water bottle.
David took a hearty swig before passing it back and standing up. The Roamers weren't at the door yet but they would be soon. They needed to use this time to their advantage and get moving as soon as possible.
"How are we gonna do that?" Kyle asked as he stood up. He checked the ammo in his hunting rifle as he followed David around the building they were in.
"Well, this is a government funded office building, so that means there's sewer access nearby" David answered as he looked through the rooms. There was no noise, this building hadn't had people walk through its halls for a long time.
"The sewer, god knows what could be down there" Kyle protested as he turned around to make sure there was nothing behind them.
David stopped and waited for Kyle to face him.
"You wanna make it outta here? You need to be ready to do things you wouldn't normally do. I haven't been teaching you for nothing so switch on and do it!" David was getting frustrated, he was still annoyed at Kyle for triggering the Roamers in the first place and he didn't want him whining.
Kyle swallowed hard and nodded before David turned around to carry on. Kyle wanted to learn, to be more like David and Shane so he could keep his brother safe. If they had any hope of seeing their parents in California again, then it was up to him to make sure they both saw this through to the end.
David lead them to the stairwell; it was mostly intact but they were going down not up. As they descended the first flight of stairs, the painted white walls went to an unpainted concreate grey. The green flood lights were still on, in some capacity and there was maintenance equipment along the walls. As they reached the bottom of the flight of stairs, David scanned for the manhole that should be nearby.
Under the stairs lay the two men's hope for escape; David quickly picked up a crowbar off of the floor and pried the manhole open. Kyle watched until David managed to lift enough of it up so he could fit his fingers through and help him. The cover clattered to the floor with a loud noise. The noise was expected but what wasn't expected was the banging noise that was on the floor above. David and Kyle looked at each other before David urged him into the small opening. David dropped the crowbar down once Kyle was clear of the ladder and made his way into the sewer, pulling the cover back into place before he dropped from the ladder.
The two let out a sigh of relief as they realised the worst had hopefully passed.
"Here, you might need this" David said as he placed the crowbar against Kyle. David realised they were in close quarters and a hunting rifle would be a useful as tits on a fish down here. David could take point with his shotgun and Kyle would have a better chance to kill something with his crowbar.
"Are we safe now?" Kyle asked as they made their way along the musky underground corridor.
It was dark and had a green tint that you'd expect from a sewer. The only source of light was the small green floodlights on the floor and walls. It was a service tunnel rather than a waste conveyor so at least there was minimal water and no smell. Well, it didn't smell as bad as a regular sewer.
"Not yet" David replied, his gaze fixed firmly on the road ahead. "If we're lucky, they won't be able to get in, they don't have the cognitive function or the tools to lift that cover up. We'll stay under here for a few blocks and come up just short of the fishmonger shop. We'll wait a while in cover and see what's what. If those bastards haven't found us after ten-twenty minutes, we'll book it the remaining three blocks to the diner"
"Got it" Kyle said as he nodded.
He was slowly coming around to David's way of thinking. He could see how what he had said made perfect sense and how it not only kept themselves safe but also everyone at the diner. Kyle knew he had a long way to go before he would be able to go on runs without David chaperoning him but it was a start.
Kyle wanted to do more, aspire to be a better person and if that meant risking his life to improve his skills, he wouldn't shy away from it. It wasn't just his future he was fighting for, it was his brothers and everyone back at the diner. There had been enough death and devastation, Kyle wanted to put a little light back into Arcadia Bay, something it hadn't seen for a long time. Even now as he was down in these murky underground tunnels, he still held onto hope.
The massive carbon fibre fence that had been set up around the ruins of Arcadia Bay had to be patrolled by somebody. The military had set up four bases along the perimeter of the town. The Governor of Oregon had mobilised the National Guard the day the incident happened and within the week, they had set up the fence, established bases and conducted missions inside the fence. None of the soldiers liked going inside the fence as many who do, never return. Either being killed by Roamers or becoming one themselves, it was a router no one liked working.
So far 42 guardsmen, 13 troop transports, 6 tanks and two helicopters have been lost inside the walls of Arcadia Bay. The soldiers couldn't help but feel resent for the place as people they knew had been dying for nothing. If you survived your rotation inside the walls, you'd have to spend 48 hours inside a decontamination unit which was the most boring thing in the world. No one wanted to be there and had no idea what the eventual endgame was. 'Wait for orders from Washington' was all they got told when asked.
The officer in charge of the Garrison was Major Chapman; he was the only one who knew what was going on. There was speculation that he had shared this information with the other officers and even Sergeant Major Oakland, the duty NCO of the Garrison. Despite being the highest Ranking NCO at the garrison, he was down to earth and respected the soldiers he worked with. "You can paint shit gold, but it's still shit' he would say from time to time to remind everyone that even though he rubbed shoulders with the top brass, he was still a grunt.
There was regulated supply drops that were dropped into the town every day at dawn and dusk. These care packages contained things the inhabitants needed to make it through this dark time. Things like MRE's, survival blankets, flares and bottled water. The only problem was no one would share with anyone else. Survivors killed each other over these air drops but that was something that was out of the military's hands.
Soldiers debated on the point of sending these resources into what was designated as 'The Dead Zone'. Surely it would cost more to send this many supplies than to pull everyone out. Hell, there had even been talk about nuking the place. Everyone knew why that wasn't the cause, bad PR with the rest of America as well as the United Nations. All they could do was follow orders and hopefully some good would come of it.
The only Brightside of losing all those men and vehicles inside The Dead Zone was the specialist equipment that could be scavenged. Of course the rest of the soldiers didn't see this silver lining. The thought of someone desecrating their fellow soldier's corpse was something they didn't want to think about. As the day went on and the last group of soldiers to enter The Dead Zone finally emerged from the ruins of the city, all anyone could do is wait.
Shane had taken to teaching Warren how to shoot; or at the very least, improve his aim. He would talk to him about Marksmanship Principles as the stood atop the makeshift walkway, behind their barricade. The only thing Warren could do at this point was absorb the information as there was no time to do any practical training. If there was someone else to watch the barricade, Shane would take him around the back of the diner and build a makeshift shooting range. He'd never leave the barricade if David wasn't there; he knew the group needed at least one of them to be on alert.
Dana had finished the cleaning and was reading a book about first aid. She would often quiz herself on some things from time to time to ensure what she was learning was sticking. Her white parka was in the laundry room so for warmth she had opted for one of Trevor's sweaters. He wouldn't mind so long as he got it back.
Brooke was trying to teach Eric some form of maintenance so he could help her with the heating as well as keeping the stove alive so they could have food. He was useless but teaching him took Brooke's mind off of how terribly boring things were.
Trevor had made a small breakthrough with Juliet; she had been asking questions about the barricade and how to fix it. She didn't realise how much she needed a distraction and was usually too focused on how her pink skiing jacket looked great with her leather boots.
Max and Chloe had taken time to enjoy each other's company instead of doing the laundry they needed to do. They hardly had any time alone anymore so they took every opportunity they had.
Chloe's lips pressed hard against Max's as she lifted the smaller brunette onto the table. Max wrapped her legs around Chloe's waist pulling her in closer as she rubbed her back with her arms.
"I've missed this, and you" Chloe let out in a musky tone as she broke their kiss.
"Me too, I'm glad you're feeling better" Max replied in a quiet tone as she smiled back at her bluenette.
Just as Chloe went back in for another kiss, Warren could be heard shouting from outside.
"Open the gate, they're back!"
Max and Chloe looked at each other with a shocked expression. Their alone time had been cut short.
"Tonight?" Chloe asked as she put her green jacket back on.
"Ten thirty" Max replied with as she pecked Chloe on the cheek before the two girls headed to the source of the noise.
David and Kyle stumbled into the compound as the gate closed behind them. They both looked visually worn down and like they would collapse at any moment. David dropped his back on the floor while Kyle followed suit before gulping down the glass of water Joyce had placed in his hand. No one spoke as they waited for the duo to speak.
"What happened, what took you guys so long"? Chloe asked, breaking the silence. She wanted to know why her time with Max had been interrupted.
"Roamers, we…there were a few…had to get away" Kyle said in between gasps for breath as he headed for his younger brother before hugging him.
"Roamers, how did that happen?" Joyce asked as she took the empty glass of David.
"I-." Kyle was cut off.
"It was just bad luck, bound to happen sometime" David interjected, covering for the younger man.
"Well you're back now anyhow so let's see about getting you two something to eat, god knows you've earned it" Joyce said as she headed to the diner. "Someone else will worry about the scavenged supplies, you two have done enough for one day"
Justin and Trevor picked up David and Kyle's bags as the two headed to the diner. Brooke followed them so they could do an inventory check while the rest of the group dispersed. It was getting late and they couldn't risk anyone going out to grab the dusk drop from the National Guard. Shane had other ideas; idea's that involved him going out, alone. But for now, they could take comfort knowing two of their own had made it back safely.
A/N:-It's been a while since I updated this fic but am going to be shifting focus onto it more as I have had some random inspiration. Expect updates regularly, roughly within a week but I won't promise nothing as I want there to be quality in what I upload.
All I can say is Review so you can let me know if you like it or if you think its dog shit. Follow it if you wanna read more and Favourite the story if you wanna make me a happy boy and spend more time writing. Until next time.