Shawn's Pov
The room we were in must have been used for room surface as there were multiple sheets and pillows, I used one of them to muffle the gunshot. I take a step back not wanting to look her in the face, I take a deep breath as I head toward the door
I didn't want to spend another minute in the same room as my mothers corpse. It's hard holding back these emotions, and without mom here I don't know how to control them. But I remember what I need to do, the whole reason I'm here.
"Find dad" I think to myself.
Before heading out I double check my bag. I've got one small box of ammo left, the flare, crackers, and my uncles Walkman. I sigh before slugging the bag back over my shoulders.
I walk throughout the hotel, for a couple hours, going from room to room searching for more supplies. That's when I'm hit with an all to familiar, awful smell.
I open the door to the room and spot two bodies, one is a gutted walker and the other, is just some guy with a bullet wound in his skull. From the looks of him it's only been a couple of hours ago.
I should probably stay alert, there's a small chance that who ever did this is still around. For all I know they could be friendly but I still Need to play it safe. I look around a bit and I spot something that I never thought I'd see again.
I pick it up and can't stop the tears that start to fall. In my hand, was the necklace me and dad picked for mom's birthday.
"Oh, my God. He's here. He's close by he has to be!" I think to myself.
I hold back the urge to scream for my father, to know of his whereabouts. I become a little disheartened though as I've searched every room up until now but saw no signs of him.
"Wait a minute, there was a door leading to an alleyway nearby"
I rush down several floors until I reach the motel lobby. There was a staff only door, Of course though, it was locked. I reach into my bag and pull out my mom's knife and start working the door.
With a bit of finesse I hear a *click* as it opens revealing the alleyway, as I open the door slightly I see a walker shuffling toward my direction, no doubt having heard me struggling with the door.
Stepping back, I resort to trick I learned back during the start. This time, instead of a large rock, I use my leg to kick the walkers knee inwards. When the walker falls forward, I quickly step back and stab it in the back of its head.
"Holy shit that worked?" I whispered to absolutely no one.
I look left, in the direction the walker came from, down the alleyway. There's a metal door slightly open across the way, I creep over to it, open it, and walk inside.
It's seems like a small security office, there are computer monitors on the desk in front of me and a wide open view of what appears to be a jewelry store. I look around the office a bit and safe to say I found nothing of actual use.
Then I turn toward the office door, I feel a sense of unease wash over me for some reason as I reach for the handle, I turn and open the door slowly...
And as I took in the sight, I felt my knees turn to mush.
I found him...
His arm, cuffed to a radiator, his other...completely missing. But what takes my attention the most is the hard to miss bullet hole on the left side of his head.
The wall behind him slightly covered with his blood, brains and viscera. All that and yet, as he lay there slumped against the wall he looked...peaceful.
I couldn't breath
I couldn't speak
I couldn't do anything, I just...sat there, staring.
First my mom, then my dad?
In the same day?
Why?
This has to be some sort of mean joke right?
Right?
I take a deep breath, I'd cry but I'm out of tears. I just feel, empty.
That's when I finally decided to speak.
"Hey dad, I- I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner... I tried really hard, fought really hard. But it still wasn't enough..." I say as I look down.
"But why? Why did you have to go and fuck everything up!? You always told me to control my emotions, that it's what a real man does!" I stood up and started to shout at his corpse, and I didn't even realize it.
"Why didn't you look at me that day huh? I needed some sort of answer and you acted like I wasn't even there!" I started to bawl my eyes out, lowering my voice as I continue to rant
"I ca- I *sniff* I can't keep doing this all on my own...not without you Dad" I fall back down to my knees curled up.
"You said you and mom wouldn't leave me, even if you weren't together anymore, but you couldn't keep that promise huh?" I reach behind my back and pull out my gun
"But that's okay, me, you, and mom...we can all be together again." I check the chamber, still five bullets left.
"Who knows, maybe once I pull the trigger, I'll wake up and this will all be just one fucked up dream." I pull back the hammer.
"You and mom will probably be upset, but I'm sure you'll get over it." I raises the gun to my head.
"I wonder if grandma, grandpa and uncle B are there...I guess I'll find out." I pull the trigger...
click*
My eyes widened at the noise, stupid gun must have jammed. I try again.
click*
And then I start to laugh, it evolves into a mix of uncontrollable crying and laughter. I turn and lay flat on the ground, dropping the gun as I gather myself.
"That's right this is hell isn't it? It's what I get for letting mom die, for letting you die." I say as I take a deep breath and exhale.
"Keep moving forward, that's something you and mom would say right now, right?" I pick myself up, grabbing my gun and mom's knife as I prepare to leave, all while quietly Chanting to myself...
"Keep moving forward"
I look at my father one last time
"Keep moving forward"
I open the door and head down the alleyway.
"Keep moving forward"
"Keep. Moving. Forward"
Two months later...
Shawn's Pov
I managed to make it back to Nunez, it took days but I made it. I'm currently digging through a trash can looking for anything that passes as edible. Yesterday I had a rotten banana, it passed as my breakfast, lunch and dinner. It turns out, eating rotten old bananas isn't exactly good for you, so I'm already pissed off.
I set up shack back the house me and mom stayed at before leaving to savannah. Being here brings back some memories, one of which caused me to lift my head up in realization.
bonk*
"Ooooouch that fuckin hurt!" I shouted as I had hit my head on the trash can cover. I rub my head as I remember.
"We never did check the Barbour shop did we? Holy crap how could we have been so dumb? Oh well, better now than never" I say to nobody in particular, I should really work on that I think I'm going insane...
I make my way towards the Barbour shop and open the door.
diiiiiiiiing*
"Shit!" I say as I quickly close the door behind me. I look around but there are no signs of walkers inside.
phew*
I go starry eyes as I spot a vending machine in the back of the shop. Running over to it I waste no time smashing the glass in. Making noise was stupid but I've been living in this town alone for a couple months now and since I got back I lead the walkers further and further away from the the block.
"Oh, wow, this is soo much. I'll be eating for at least a week or so more." I say to myself as I fill my bag.
After a mildly successful scavenge I finally head home. I eat one of the snickers I found in the machine and head off to sleep in one of the rooms as it was starting to get dark. I needed to be fully rested tomorrow so I can start setting up traps.
boom* *boom* *crack*
I'm awoken by sounds of loud banging. In particular it sounds as though someone just kicked in my front door. Bolting out of bed I grab mom's knife and the gun that was lying nearby and jump through the window by my bed.
I would have just left, avoiding a potential fight entirely but my food was in the living room, along with all my other stuff. The thought of someone stealing my mom's necklace or uncles Walkman pisses me off.
"Holy shit! Yo come and check this shit out" one guy says
"Is this a fucking goldmine or what? Look at all this food, and is that a Walkman? Says his friend.
I circle around front as I hear the douchebags talking. I enter where the front door used to be and pull back the hammer of my gun.
click*
They turn their head in my direction as they heard the sound. They both put up their hands and take a few steps back.
"Get out" I coldly state
They look at each other, then back to me as one them speaks.
"How now kid, how's about we all just calm down he- I interrupt him
"I am calm" I tell him, gun aimed squarely at his head. I haven't had to shoot in a while but at this distance there's no way I'd miss.
"Troy, my names Troy kid, what's yours?" He asked. Still pointing my gun I answer.
"Shawn"
"That's a cool name Lil dude, ya got anyone with you? Mom, dad maybe?" I frown as he says this
"No one!" This guy was starting to get on my nerves.
"Listen, kid, if your all alone we can help you" he says as he starts to get ever so closer. I start to waver a bit
"When was the last time you had a good meal? I decent rest, where you did have to look over your shoulder?" He asked
I was about to answer but before I could he snatched the gun away and sucker punched me in the stomach!
"SOMEONE...NEEDS A REFRESHER...ON HOW THE WORLD...REALLY...FUCKIN...WORKS!
he says as he stomps me out between words. His friend was about to join in but I reached for my knife and in one quick motion I stab it into Troy's balls.
"Aaaagh fuck, you little fuckin bastard!" He shouts
His friend picks me up by the back of my shirt and tosses me at the wall before I could grab his arm to free myself
crack* I hit my head as I land on the wood floor below, I look up with everything blurry, and just barely noticed the tall man taking out his own knife to finish me off, as i struggled to get up I felt something under me and grab it without him noticing.
I try play dead but he grabs my shoulder and flips me over, in one fluid motion I aim the flare gun these bastards took from my bag and shoot the man point blank In his mouth.
I've never killed an actual person before, and I'm sure people who have killed never forget their first. This in particular though was brutal. The inside of the guys head looked like a Christmas tree with how lit it was, smoke oozed from his mouth as he crumbled to the grown clawing at his throat before passing.
"Yo- you little fucking maniac. I'll fuckin, aaagh *grunt* when carver finds you he'll- he's interrupted as a tall grilled white man appears in the door way. Sporting a dark fur coat with a crowbar in hand.
"He'll what Troy? Do finish" he says in mock enthusiasm.
Troy goes silent as the man known as carver looks at the mess
whistle* "wow, would you look at that, one of my best, gone. Just like that" he says as he shakes his head in disappointment.
I pick up the the knife and get into a stance preparing to strike if need be. If i was gonna die today, ill go out fighting.
"That's adorable" he said as he approaches me and crouches. My hands tremble for a split second but regain my compose and stare deep in his eyes, dark green ones meeting black ones.
"Watch out carver, he's a tricky Lil sonuva bitch!" Carver simply ignores Troy
"I like you kid! You got a fire in your eyes something fierce, you managed to kill two of my men all by yourself?" I look at him confused.
"I only killed one of your- he quickly gets up and turns toward Troy pointing his own gun at Troy's head
"Wait, carver Do-
bang*
Troy falls back dead, carver lowers his gun and puts it back into its holster. He then turns and extended his hand toward me.
"Come with me kid...I'll teach ya how the world works now. Give you a safe place to sleep, to eat, to grow" He says trying to bargain with me, he sees me contemplating
"Two men, kid...Two men. You gotta pay me back somehow, understand?"
I take a second, looking at the bodies littering the place I once called home. I figure going with this guy is better than saying no, and joining the others.
I then lower the knife and look down at my feet before speaking
"Keep moving forward"
Carvers eyes widened before he smirks and replies
"That's right kid, keep moving forward, No. Matter. What" he said the last three words with a bit of Venom in his voice.
I reach up and take his hand
"So, what's your name kid?"
"Shawn, Shawn Everett"
SEASON 1
-END