Fayetteville, Georgia
Early Morning
"Bye Mama! See you later!" Sophia hollered over her shoulder as she dashed out the front door of her family's small one story home. The old oak door slammed shut behind her, leaving the distant sound of her mother yelling her goodbye to Sophia.
The twelve-year-old blonde raced down the walkway of her front yard and out to the yellow school bus idling in front of her house. The school buses doors were already open for the girl, as she jogged up the three steps. "Good morning Ms. Trisha," Sophia greeted with a charming smile upon her face. It was all fake of course, she always showed a bright and bubbly girl to those at her school, to deter any unwanted questions. Nothing angered her father more, then others trying to bud into his families lives.
How she loathed her father, but at the same time, he absolutely terrified her. She could see that dark look in his eyes, when he looked at her sometimes. It reminded her of an angry animal, like old Mr. Milton's Great Dane, which was aptly named Bear, who always barks aggressively at those bullies that taunt him every time they walk past. Bear gets that same angry look in his eyes when he sees those bullies and she's always afraid to see what would happen if that big ol' dog finally snapped.
"Good Mornin' Sophia," Ms. Trisha greeted in her gentle southern drawl, as she closed the doors to the bus and shifted gears. Sophia took a seat in the front, right across from where Ms. Trisha could see here. "Did you have a good morning so far?" The elderly black women asked the shy young girl. Ms. Trisha's dark brown eyes had seen the shadows in the girls own lighter brown eyes, a sign that she had clearly been through some shit. If it was anything like what Ms. Trisha went through as a child, it isn't any wonder that she is so shy and quiet.
"Yeah, it was fine," Sophia nodded with a hum as she looked out the bus window, watching the scenery blur by as a cacophony of noise, from people going about their busy lives, seeped in through the open windows. As the bus trudged along, a cool spring breeze blew through windows, and brought the scent of blooming flowers, and made a small smile curled her lips. She loved the scent of flowers blooming in the spring, but it was shadowed by the young girl wondering how many of the people in Fayetteville that would die again when the outbreak happened.
The bus came to a stop at one of pick up areas and opened its doors to allow a small group of children onboard. They brought a bedlam of noise as the children clamored down the bus aisle and took their seats throughout it. There were two young girls that followed after the louder group of children. The older girl was Sophia's age while the other younger girl was about eight years old. The two sisters took a seat across from where Sophia sat and gave a friendly smile. "Hi Sophia," the older dark brown haired girl greeted with a small wave. Her green eyes were the hue of new spring growth, bright and soft all at once. There were flecks of strength, of the kind of green that comes only as summer advances. She had an amiability and charm to her that made her immediately likable to anyone who met her.
"Hi Faith, hi Grace." Sophia replied with a friendly smile. She liked Faith Williams as a friend. She was kind, friendly, and stood up to the bullies that thought it was okay to try and pick on Sophia. Her friend Faith has moved into the small town nearly six months ago. Sophia knows her friend is the daughter of a Detective Sergeant who lives in New Jersey, where she used to live, until her parents got divorced when she was six-years-old. Faith's mother then remarried when she was eight-years-old. While her parents may have been split, Faith and her sister Grace still saw their father on a regular basis, often getting every other weekend and certain holidays to spend time with their father and paternal family members. It was a recent decision to have them move to Fayetteville so her step-father could be closer to his job.
"Hi Sophia," Grace Williams greeted shyly. Her dark brown hair, the same color as her older sister's, was pulled back in an intricate braid that her mother had put up for her this morning. Her brown eyes were a deep, earthy brown - the color of the earth after torrential rains and they shined with warmth as she looked at Sophia.
Faith, Sophia knew, was very protective of her friends and younger sister. She was a lot like her father, as Faith's mother Rachel had bemoaned at times. Particularly when Faith was getting into fights because she didn't like how someone was treating her friends. She was a good person to have as a friend, Sophia decided. As the three girls conversed between each other, talking about whatever came to mind, Sophia came to a decision on telling Faith what she had experienced in that alternate timeline. I just hope she believes me, Sophia thought to herself with anticipation.
The old yellow school bus pulled to a stop in front of their small elementary school that consisted of kindergarten to eighth grade students. It was a small town and so it had a small population that made it so they only needed two schools to fit the amount of children and teenagers that lived in it.
Sophia, Faith, and Grace waited for the other children to clamber off the bus. Then they stood stood from the seats and trailed after the other students. "Bye Ms. Trisha, I hope you have a wonderful day!" The young blonde called out with a smile and wave as she raced down the steps of the school bus and headed toward the school. Faith and Grace went along behind their friend with a call of goodbye to their bus driver. Sophia didn't hear what the bus driver called out in response to her goodbye. She was already too far away and distracted with the thoughts racing through her mind.
As Sophia ran to her classroom that she shared with her friend Faith, she wondered how her friend would react when she told her what was supposed to happen in only a couple of months. She already had a vague plan on how to contact Mr. Rick. She would use the time they had in the library/computer lab today to get the information she needed to reach him. Maybe, with Faith helping her too, Sophia would have a greater chance at succeeding with her plan.
Duluth, Georgia
Early Morning
Merle parked the old ford truck in a parking spot a few stores down from the library, his intended destination. Daryl raised an eyebrow at his brother in surprise, his expression silently saying what he wouldn't speak out.
"Keep it tah yerself lil' bro," the older man ordered at his younger brothers judging look. "Ah know what a goddamned library is," he snapped with a roll of his eyes as he hopped out of the truck and slammed the door shut behind him.
Daryl scoffed and shook his head at his big brother's words. He highly doubted that. He couldn't recall the last time his brother had ever been to a library before. "Wat you need from a library anyways?" He asked as he followed Merle down the sidewalk.
"A computer and internet numbnuts," Merle responded with a look of irritation in his blue eyes. "Wat yah think I needed? A good book?" He grumbled with a shake of his head as he punched the younger Dixon in the shoulder. It was nowhere near as hard as he could have punched him, but it still caused the younger to wince. Merle wasn't looking to try and hurt his baby brother. That sort of thing had never been something he was interested in. He had always been and tried to be a protector for his mother and baby brother from his asshole of a father.
"Big words for yah Merle," Daryl muttered with a smirk of amusement at the older Dixon. He was surprised that his brother even knew what a computer was, let alone the internet.
The brothers stepped into the small locale library and headed directly for the computers. The cashier near the front merely stared in surprise at the Dixon brothers in a library. They had honestly thought the Dixon's were allergic to a place like this. Since the two brothers were notorious for causing trouble within their small town and never had they actually stepped into a library. That wasn't to say the Dixon brothers were stupid, far from it, but they certainly didn't find any enjoyment in books.
Merle plopped down in one of the wooden chairs in front of an empty computer. Daryl followed his example and took a seat beside him in an empty chair. The older brother quickly typed; Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes' contact phone number to reach him?, into the search engine box and clicked the enter keyboard key. Immediately the webpage began to load as it searched for the information.
"Who's Rick Grimes?" Daryl asked in his southern drawl, which gave Rick's name a twang to it. His eyebrows furrowed as he leaned his head forward to take a closer look at the screen and the information that was popping up regarding this Rick fellow. Daryl glanced at his big brother, who has been acting damn weird ever since he woke up this morning. "And why do yah want to get in contact with ah Sheriff Deputy for?"
Merle ignored Daryl's question as he grabbed a pencil and a pad of paper to write the number to reach Officer Friendly at his workplace. The older Dixon figured he'd have better luck getting some contact information from the police department. As much as he hated the thought of talking to pigs, he needed to get in contact with Rick. While he and Officer Friendly never got on well, he had seen how much the other man had cared for his baby brother, and how much Darlena had cared about Rick and the others.
The older Dixon reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small disposable phone. It was a cheap little piece of crap, but it was all he could afford. Unlike his baby brother, he didn't have a steady source of income. Nor did he have their mother's support on his particular choices he's made in life.
Merle flipped the phone up and dialed the number he'd written down. Daryl watched this all quietly. He was unsure about this odd behavior Merle was exhibiting, but what was he going to do? He couldn't let the other man go off in some half cocked scheme that was likely going to get him arrested. Someone with intelligence needed to be around to rein his brother in, as much as one could rein in Merle Dixon.
However, he had to consider his job and how taking time off might just bite him in the ass later. What should he do though? Just let Merle on the loose on his own? What if he got in trouble and arrested? If Daryl was there, at least there would be a modicum of possibility that he could ensure his brother didn't get arrested and sent to jail. The younger Dixon groaned and rubbed his face. He was going to regret going along with this.
"Ah'm tryin' to reach Deputy Sheriff Rick Grimes," his older brother was saying into the phone. Daryl watched as his brother rolled his eyes at whatever was said. "Then I'll leave ah message for 'im." Merle grunted with a huff of irritation. "Yah ready yet?" He asked with impatience. Whatever was said had his older brother nodding. "Good, tell Officer Friendly that his ol' friend Merle is gonna be leavin' the states and not to get his panties in a bunch. That I'll be keepin' Darlena wit' me and get in touch wit' 'im when I get back."
Merle hung up the phone and turned to his baby brother. He could see the wariness in his green eyes as he stared into his blue eyes. The older Dixon grinned and Daryl frowned harder.
"Where we going Merle?" He asked warily. He had work and a goddamn life. While he didn't have the time to follow his older brothers out of the states, he knew he was going to have to. Otherwise god knew his Mama would have his head for letting Merle get into trouble. Merle was a force to be reckoned with on his best days. Daryl knew how to manage him to a certain degree. He'd just have to take time off work to follow him into his half-cocked scheme.
"We're going to Mexico lil' bro."
Atlanta, Georgia
Midtown
Mid Morning
Jacqui Prescott hung the phone up as she left a message to Kings County Police Department's secretary for Rick. She had given the woman on the other end of the phone her cell number and a short message. In her message she had requested that Rick call her back at his earliest convenience. It was all she could do, when she found out he wasn't at work that day. While she wanted to get an immediate response from Rick, so she could figure out what to do next, Jacqui knew she should take the responsibility herself and figure out what to do, but she was hesitant. What if she chose the wrong thing? It was a thought that nagged at the back of her mind. Along with wondering if what she dreamed about was true at all. Sure, Rick Grimes existed, but what if she just made some elaborate story in her mind about everything?
She scoffed to herself and shook her head. She was overthinking things, she decided as she stepped out into the hallway from her bedroom. Further out into the apartment, she could hear the sound of clinking dishware and voices, perhaps from a television? She wondered as her walked further down the hall. Her footsteps were soft and quiet against the carpeted flooring. Dark brown eyes didn't remain in one place as she scanned the hallway walls. Her eyes looked at every hanging family picture with an ache in her heart.
The dying screams of her mother and younger brother's echoed in her mind while tears glistened in her eyes. The hungry moans of the dead and the agony her family had to have been in, made Jacqui roughly shake her head as she inhaled slowly and then exhaled in an attempt to overcome the sudden grief that struck her fiercely in her chest. It was hard to breathe for a moment, as her mind attempted to gain order once again. She couldn't, no she wouldn't allow her family to die this time. She wasn't going to see them be torn apart and eaten alive again. Jacqui didn't think she would be able to handle it.
"Good morning baby," Jacqui's mother greeted her oldest child from where she sat at the breakfast table. Her caramel colored skin balanced her pretty green eyes perfectly. Even with her mother being in her sixties, her appearance portrayed her as being in her late forties or early fifties. It amazed Jacqui often, how healthy and active she still was and how beautiful she still is.
"Good morning Mama." Jacqui replied with a smile and a kiss to her mother's cheek, as she walked past her sitting at the kitchen table, to make a cup of coffee. "Did Raoul, Laurent, and Auguste leave already?" She asked curiously. Her dark brown eyes focused on making her coffee, rather than facing her mother's steady and questioning gaze.
"Raoul went to the VA early this mornin', while Laurent went job huntin'," Jacqui's mother explained as she took a sip of her hot tea. "Lord knows if he'll have any luck, just gettin' released from prison and all." Nadine Prescott sighed with a shake of her head. Curly brown locks of hair tumbled down her back at the movement. "That boy has about as much sense as your daddy did."
Jacqui snorted a quiet laugh at her mother's remark. "Which would be none then," she responded dryly. She took a seat on a dark brown cushioned chair at the kitchen table and set her mug of coffee down in front of her quietly. Her mind was still lost on her nightmares, which she was strongly beginning to truly believe were not nightmares at all, but a life she had lived, as hard as that is to swallow.
Nadine looked at her oldest child, and only daughter, with concern in her green colored eyes. Her daughter was different this morning, haunted and hunted, was the only way she could explain or describe it. "Auguste is at one of his early morning classes," she added with a small smile. She was proud of her youngest son. He was nearly done studying for his Masters degree to become an Orthotists and Prosthetists professional, who built and fit prosthetics, and helped their patients find the right devices to improve their mobility, independence, and quality of life.
Jacqui merely smiled at her mother's pride. Out of her and her brother's, she knows her mother favors her youngest brother. Auguste has always been the "Golden Boy" in their family. He was the one that made all the right choices in life, in her mother's eyes. Her youngest brother had graduated Valedictorian and had received a scholarship for college through the soccer team he played on during High School. Auguste could do no wrong in Nadine Prescott's eyes.
"Are you doin' alright Jacqui?" Nadine asked her daughter with concern. "You seem a little...off," she added with a frown gracing her graciously aging face.
"I'm fine Mama," she replied with a deep sigh. "I was actually thinking of learning how to shoot and taking a few self defense classes." Jacqui said with a thoughtful countenance. She had decided suddenly, while taking a sip of her coffee, that she was going to learn to handle a gun and be able to defend herself before the world decided to end. While doing this, she would also begin stocking up on supplies and leave them in a secure location. Perhaps she'd leave them with Rick, once she was able to get in contact with him.
Atlanta, Georgia
Virginia, Highlands
Mid Morning
Jim Rothenberg did what he could to get in contact with Rick Grimes. He had decided to send him an email at his workplace, having figured it might just be one of the faster methods to get in contact with him. He had left his phone number in the email, letting Rick know he could contact him that way as well. Now, the mechanic sat at the kitchen table with his wife and children, while eating a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns with buttered toast. Content brown eyes watched as his daughter Kaitlyn, and his two sons Tobias and Jedidah, bickered amongst each other about what movie they wanted to watch when they got home from school.
It was a sound he had missed desperately, during the outbreak. Having lost his wife and children the way he did. Looking at his daughter Kaitlyn, who had hair as red as her mothers and eyes as dark as his sent a jolt of pain in his heart. She was only fourteen-years-old and smart as a whip. As much as she acted like her younger brothers irritated and annoyed her, Kaitlyn had died in her attempt to save Tobias and Jedidah, during the initial outbreak in the alternate timeline. Being able to see her alive now, made him realize how much he had missed his daughters sarcasm and act of being annoyed with her brother's.
Tobias is ten-years-old and dark haired liked Jim, but he had his mother's grey eyes. His oldest boy revelled in causing mass mayhem and havoc given half a chance. Toby is often pulling pranks of some sort and creating mechanisms that would be a part of his pranks. His son is smart, but Jim wished he'd put more effort into learning then pulling his outrageous pranks.
Jedidiah is eight-years-old and also dark haired like Jim and had his mother's grey eyes as well. His youngest boy loves to play outside. Jim could often see him playing out front with the other neighborhood kids. As soon as the sun was raised in the sky Jed was outside and would only come inside to eat and when he was desperately having to go to the restroom. His youngest would stay outside all day given half a chance, and only came in with the street lights turned on it he was called inside for dinner.
With this second give at life, Jim appreciates his children's differences and behaviors more than he previously did. He was happy to see them bicker and fight over something like a movie. He was going to do whatever it took to make sure that they remained alive. Brown eyes looked across the table and connected with grey eyes that held exasperation in them at the antics of their children. Jim chuckled at the familiar expression. Gods, how he missed his family.
Jim sighed at his thoughts turned to his sister and her family. He has a twin sister Danielle, who's been married to her husband Jackson for eighteen years. Dani is the chef and owner of La Gallerie du Coq, it's a high end restaurant that served a variety of food and resides in Virginia Highlands. Her husband Jackson is a Construction Manager and a sought after one at that.
His sister and her husband had six children altogether. They had, no they have three daughters and sons, Jim thought to himself, they're still alive. The oldest of the children was Annaleigh, known as "Annie" to everyone, is seventeen-years-old and a firecracker on her best days. Then there was Miles, who is thirteen-years-old, and obsessed with girls and football. Next was Cooper, who is ten-years-old, and into superheroes and action figures. Following after Cooper was Laura, who is seven-years-old, and still in the faze of playing with Barbie dolls. After Laura was Grayson, who is four-years-old, and loved children Nickelodeon shows. The youngest of the children was little Elouisa who is two-years-old, and from what he could recall, she was in her terrible two stages full swing.
Could he possibly save them too? Jim wondered as he considered the difficulties that could prove. They had died during the initial outbreak, when they had been attempting to leave the city. He shuddered at the memories of the mass chaos and screams of terror that inflicted his mind. He had to attempt to save them. They were his family after all.
Jim stood from the kitchen table and began to bring the dishes to the kitchen sink. He rolled up his sleeves and filled the sink with warm water and soap. Grabbing a sponge he picked up a plate and started to scrub away breakfast.
"Bye daddy!"
"Bye dad!"
"See ya Pops."
The voices of his children speaking in unison brought Jim from his contemplating. He looked up and over to the side, to where his three children were making their way to the front door. "Bye kids! See ya later!" Jim called out with a smile. "Try and have a nice day!" He added, when his memory reminded him of the troublemakers his three hooligans are.
"Bye Jim," his wife added as she stepped into the living room dressed in her scrubs that has the Winnie the Pooh characters on it. Their oldest child, Kaitlyn, had loved Winnie the Pooh as a child. She had all the VCR movies, books, and toys. Jessica has also come to love the characters of the children's tales too and now has a variety of scrubs with Winnie the Pooh characters on them. Sometimes it was all the characters or just a single character on the scrubs.
Jessica works as a Pediatric ICU Travel Registered Nurse (RN), which meant she prioritized and monitored the patients with high-acuity conditions and reported the results to the pediatrician. PICU RNs also act as liaisons between the physicians and the patients' families, as well as other medical staff. She was the best at her job, if he did say so himself.
"Bye Jessie love, I hope you have a good day." Jim replied with a smile. The couple shared a quick but sweet kiss, before she turned away, purse over her shoulder and car keys in her hand, and was out the front door with it slamming shut with a click.
Jim turned back to the dishes while his mind went back over to what he could do to prepare for the end of the world. What could he do to ensure the safety and well-being of his family and the group? He was a mechanic, and he knew his vehicles. He had his cousins, Cooter and Brian, who currently worked with him at his garage. They could definitely help him build some vehicles to withstand the Walkers. He could find trucks, and other big vehicles like SUVs, and soup them up. He'd make them better by increasing their power, efficiency, and impressiveness.
He set the last clean dish onto the dish rack to dry and unplugged the sink drain. It made a loud gurgle and began to suck the soapy grey water down the drain. Setting the sink stopper off to the side, he washed his hands before grabbing a towel and drying them. He leaned against the counter and held the dish towel in his hands, twisting it into a knot as he thought over his ideas.
His wife's brother, Colin was also a mechanic, and his wife's sister, Stephanie had been married to a mechanic named Owen. Colin and Owen currently worked at his garage too. Colin has been a long time car thief, and had been released from prison after half a decade inside, and needed help to support his daughter, Mikaela, who Jim and Jessica had raised while Colin was in prison, since his wife had abandoned them when Mikaela was just a year old. Owen had fallen apart after his wife's death, so they had to step up and care for Kaylee, and also give Owen a job at Jim's garage. Currently Mikaela and Kaylee also worked in the garage while attending community college. With the help of the six of them, Jim knew they could build quite a few vehicles in time for the outbreak.
Smiling at his plan set in his head, Jim pushed away from the counter, hung the dish towel on a towel rack, and reached for his cellphone on the counter. He had a few family members to talk with. He just hoped they would believe him, or at least go along with his crazy plan.
Atlanta, Georgia
Centennial Hill
Late Morning
Glenn laid out on the couch, forcing his breathing in and out slowly as he tried to gain control over himself, after his brief mental breakdown. His stomach muscles clenched in pain from his dry heaving and his body shook from the turmoil it had gone through. He'd forgotten how much it sucked going through a state of vomiting. The last time he had been sick like this, was when he had gotten that virus at the prison and nearly died in the process. That had been one hell of a few weeks for him.
The twenty-six-year-old sighed shakily and pushed himself into a sitting position. His sister was late for school, but he honestly couldn't find it in himself to care at that moment. "You need to take your Meds Lily," he said while running a hand through his mussed up hair.
Lily frown and a grimace of distaste graced her features. She hated taking her medicine. While she knows it's to help with her pain because of her burn scars, and the damage it caused her nerves and muscles, she didn't like how they made her feel. "I don't like them," she muttered with a scowl.
Glenn sighed again, "I know you don't Lils, but it's supposed to help you." He replied with a frown. He always felt guilty that he hadn't been home the night of the fire. Perhaps if he had been, he could have saved his parents lives and his youngest sister the pain of nearly being burned alive.
He pushed himself up from the couch and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom where the medicine cabinet contains Lily's pills. He grabbed the medications and carefully looked them over as he read the correct dosages she needed and poured them into his palm.
Lily glared as she took the small handful from her older brother's hand. She grabbed the bottle of water the was on the counter and unscrewed the cap. With a grimace, she carefully began to take her pills one by one until they were gone.
"Good job Lils," Glenn praised his sister with a gentle ruffle of her hair. Lily remained unmoved at her brothers words and instead turned to walk into the bedroom she shared with Glenn. The older man shook his head but didn't take her reaction personally. Lily had a lot of issues, having nearly died with their parents in a house fire, that had her enduring anxiety and PTSD, that left her emotionally sensitive and mentally fragile.
Lily grabbed a dark green short sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans, and socks. Glenn helped her get dressed, and grabbed her black and green tennis shoes. Green, he remembered suddenly, was Lily's favorite color. "There you go Lils," he said with a smile. "Grab your jacket and backpack so we can go." The older man knew that he would have to be careful with Lily and how he handles situations. Especially with the way the world be essentially ending, he would need to be mindful with the way he explained things to Lily. He would save her and his other sister's lives this time, but he had to make sure he did it right.
Glenn was thankful that he hadn't needed to deal with his other younger sisters, Myra or Helaine, this morning. He didn't think he'd be able to deal with all three of his younger sisters so early in the morning worrying over him. Myra, Glenn remembered, had stayed the night at her friend's house the night before to finish an assignment for class. Glenn had always had his doubts about that though. She was eighteen, and nearing closer to graduating from High School in May. He wouldn't be surprised if she had a boyfriend she wasn't and hadn't told him about. She had always been more secretive out of his sisters, ever since their parents death. Which didn't surprise him, as he knew it was her way of grieving.
Helaine, Glenn knew, had already left to head to school. His second youngest sister was a partier, and was only fourteen-years-old. It had been her way of dealing with the suddenness of their parents death, that happened nearly four years ago. She had only recently begun to act out by sneaking out to go to parties. As much as Glenn disliked the fact she partied, no matter how much he attempted to discipline her, she always rebelled harder when he tried. So, he kept a close eye on her in his effort to protect her. She was too much like Glenn's oldest younger sister Ronnie, when she was a teenager. That is until Ronnie met a soldier in a bar she worked at and fell in love with him. Glenn still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that they had married only a couple of days after meeting each other. It still boggles his mind when he thinks about it.
Going through the motions, Glenn left the apartment with Lily and walked the few blocks to where her elementary school resides. "Bye Lils, have a good day okay?" He asked as he crouched down and hugged her tightly.
"Bye Glenn," Lily replied with a tight hug. "I'll try to if everyone else didn't act so stupid," she added with a slight twist of her lips in a parody of a smile.
Glenn chuckled and shook his head. "I love you squirt."
"Love you too Glenn." Lily turned on her heel and walked through the front office doors that allowed her access to the hallways that led to the classrooms.
Glenn watched her disappear from his sight before he turned away and walked back out into the busy city. As he walked down the bustling streets, he tried to contain the panic that wanted to surface. Cities were not a safe place to be in when the outbreak happened. The amount of Walkers that existed in the cities, it made a cold sweat want to try and break out.
His dark eyes scanned the city streets and alleyways. He remembered how bad the outbreak had been in the city. It had been a nightmare trying to get out of there. The chaos that broke out onto the streets had been terrifying and amazing all at once. The mere damage to buildings and vehicles, done by people just for the thrill of it, had made those initial days twice as deadly.
It only took a few more minutes before he was back in the apartment. Glenn collapsed on the worn couch in his small two bedroom apartment. He picked up his cellphone that he had left on the table and pulled up the search engine in one of his apps. He typed in Rick's name and watched as the results popped up. He pressed the number for Rick's workplace and dialed the number. The phone rang before a woman answered the phone, "King County Sheriff's Department, this is Cindy how can I help you?"
"Hi. My name is Glenn Rhee, I'm trying to reach Rick Grimes," he said into the mouthpiece of the cell phone.
"Sheriff Deputy Grimes isn't in today." The secretary Cindy replied. "If you would like I can leave him a message for you?"
"That would be great, thank you." Glenn replies with a nod of his head. "Can you tell him Glenn Rhee is trying to reach him and that he can reach me at this number," he added as he gave her his phone number.
"I certainly can. Is there anything else I can help you with?" She questioned in a professionally polite manner.
Glenn shook his head, before he realized she couldn't see him. "No that was it, thanks for your help." He responded respectfully.
"Okay, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day." Cindy graciously remarked.
"Thanks, I hope you do as well." With a press of the smart phones red call button, he ended the conversation. Glenn could only hope that the older man remembered. Rick has always been the Leader of their community and group. He was someone they could turn to when they needed a problem solved. Or needed to depend on someone to take control of a situation.
Now that Glenn was alone, his mind was going over everything he had experienced before his death. It was inconceivable what he had lived through. All the pain and suffering he and his second family had experienced, it was hard to accept that it could happen again.
Did the others remember? Did Maggie or Rick recall what happened? Was everything they lived through just an intense nightmare? Had he truly lived through it or imagined it? Glenn rubbed his face tiredly. His mind was still trying to flash back to the more gruesome memories he had experienced in that other life. Losing Hershel the way they had, and everyone else before and after his death, had left a mark on him and the others. It wasn't seen visually, this scar, but it was there and it had only gotten deeper and uglier as time passed. They had all changed and it was clearly seen by how they reacted to situations. Rick, Riley, Carl, Maggie, himself, Daryl, and Michonne, among so many others, had all started to become quicker to shoot first and question later, after things seemed to grow progressively worse for them.
Glenn exhaled heavily and decided he would worry about their morality at a later time. For the moment, he needed to make plans. Medical supplies were something they needed for the outbreak. He would also start accumulating supplies they needed, like food and hygiene things. First though, he'd get in contact with his extended family. A lot of his Aunts, Uncle, and cousins worked in the medical field. Maybe he could try and see if he could get them to believe him, and get their help on acquiring medical supplies, they would need once the outbreak went global.
Macon, Georgia
Late Morning
Michael "Mike" Hardinson and Terrence "Terry" Onyango hadn't expected to awaken that day remembering a life that shouldn't have been possible. The dead walking again? Eating humans as one did a snack was not something a sane person imagined. It was one of the reasons the two friends had decided to get clean. What if the drugs were psychologically fucking with their minds? What if it was true? They couldn't allow themselves to fall back into the drugs, especially because it made them hazardous to others. They had gotten high back in that first timeline, during the outbreak, and it caused the death of Andre Anthony. They couldn't let that happen again.
Mike bounces his right leg gently, making Andre who was sitting on his leg, giggle hysterically. A warm grin graced the father's lips at his baby boy's joy at such a simple action. How could he possibly think drugs were more important than his son? Or the woman he loves? Or more important than his best friend who might as well be his brother. The way the drugs had consumed his life, it made him not who he is. He isn't a self-centered bastard. He cares about his family, but the drugs were changing him in ways he didn't like.
"We're really going through this?" Terry asked from his spot on a chair near the window. He was facing the couch Mike sat on, with the sunlight streaming through the row of windows on the wall to their right. His arms casually rested on the arm rest of the chair and his fingers tapped a rhythmic pattern against it, that was soothing to his restless nerves.
Mike looked away from Andre, his warm eyes turning cold as dark brown eyes connected with equally brown eyes of his best friend. "Yeah, we're really going to do this Terry," he replied. "If what we both saw is an experience that is real, then I'm not going to be the cause of my son's death, because I think drugs are more important than my family."
"I just want to make sure that you're really going to get and stay clean." Terry responded back with a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "It's going to be a rough experience," he added with a grimace. The very thought of what they were going to have to go through was nerve racking, but he knew they had to do this.
Michonne stepped into the living room. Her dark brown eyes were loving as she looked between the two men and her baby boy. "I called the Rehab Clinic," she announced with a look of pride in her eyes for the two men in front of her. It has been a constant battle for Michonne over the last couple of years, to attempt to get Mike and Terry cleaned from their drug of choice. She was glad they decided to finally take that step, but she was curious as to why they suddenly decided to now. However, she wasn't going to say anything, not if that meant they ended up changing their mind.
Michonne would give them the time they needed to get clean before she asked Mike and Terry. "They're expecting us in three days. That will give us time to pack everything up and move to the town that the clinic is in." Michonne added with a determined countenance. She had a plan already in mind. She was prepared to have everything handled within the next couple of days, just in time for them to leave for the rehab clinic.
Mike and Terry shared a look, both thinking the same thing, that Michonne was often the one to step up out of their little group and take control of the situation and figure out how to solve the problems they were facing.
"We're ready," they agreed with a nod.
Mike stood from the sofa and adjusted the hold of his son. He was cradled against his father's chest while he faced his girlfriend. "Whatever you need us to do, just let us know."
Michonne smiles at the two men. "I was hoping you'd say that," she replied. She had plans already on how she would put the two men to work.
Center For Disease Control
Afternoon
It was a hive of activity within the Center for Disease Control. Scientists and military personnel were going about their day, as Dr. Edwin Jenner casually walked through the hallways and headed towards the storage rooms that reside in the basement of the CDC. His heart raced as he glanced around and over his shoulder to check if anyone was watching him. He had to be careful how he did this. By checking the inventory, it would be his first step in his plans. He would get the exact amount of supplies the CDC had, before he moved on to his next step. His wife, Cynthia, was doing her rounds through the building. She would be checking over the names of the scientists and military personnel that resided in the building. While she attempted to recall who had left to save their families and who had been killed by the undead.
Edwin slides his identification card through the machine and presses the four digit authorization code into the device. The shining red light beeps to green and the locking mechanisms clicks as it unlocks. He grabbed the doors handle, pressing it down and stepping into the stairwell that led to the basement floor. The scientist quickly made his way down the staircase, each of his steady footsteps echoed loudly in the stairway as he walked as quickly as he could to the basement.
All morning Edwin has been going over the plan in his mind while he went about his morning like he usually would. He had to act as ordinary as possible. There was no telling what would happen to him or his wife if the government discovered that he and Cynthia remembered an alternate timeline. The mere thoughts that came to mind of what the government officials could or would do to them, made him shudder. He knew that he and his wife would be experimented on by the scientists, as they attempted to figure out how he and Cynthia remembered an alternate timeline. And it was an alternate timeline, because just having one person remember, changed how things could become.
Dr. Jenner shook the thoughts away. He didn't have time to think about that now, not when he had to use his complete attention on the matter at hand. He stepped off the last step of the staircase and stared for a moment at the door in front of him. This was it, once he went in, there was no turning back. Inhaling nervously, Edwin stepped up the door and slid his identification card through the device and pressed the four digit numbers. A few seconds passed before the red light flashed to green. He exhales a sigh of relief, they hadn't changed the code yet.
With a click that showed the door unlocking, Dr. Jenner grabbed the handle, pushing it down and then inwards on silent hinges. Brown eyes scanned the large warehouse like room in amazement. In the alternate timeline, the military personnel had taken most of the supplies in the room when they had left. They had used the elevator on the other side of the room, that was large enough to fit the crates full of supplies on it. This time, Edwin hopes that he would be able to talk to those soldiers into staying behind and leaving with him to a safer location.
He knows it might not be the most logical reasoning, as many of those soldiers had left to find their families, but he hoped that maybe he would be able to get them to believe him beforehand. Of course he would only explain it to them nearer to the date of when the outbreak began to spread globally. He felt that if he tried to explain it any sooner, the government personnel would get wind of it and attempt to get to him and his wife in an effort to find out how they remembered this other lifetime.
Edwin walked to the table beside the door that had pages worth of supplies written down on it, attached to a clipboard that had a pen hanging from it. He lifted the writing board and flipped through the pages that showed a list of supplies: First Aid Kits, Gauzes, Oral Airways, Osmometers, Surgical Sutures, Syringes, Amoxicillin, Doxycycline, Levofloxacin, Hydrocodone, Hydromorphone, Morphine, Gabapentin, Canned Vegetables, Baking Flour, Dried Rice, Yeast, and so many more items. The lists that held pages of information for the items that had to be in the hundreds would certainly help keep him and the group alive.
He looked up from the list, letting the pages fall back to the clipboard and turned to the large room. Quietly Edwin walked down the aisles with his eyes scanning the name tag on each crate of items he passed. His mind raced with possible plans that he could do to ensure the supplies remained, but each one fell flat or had some flaws in it. He would discuss it with Cynthia, once he went over the inventory. He wouldn't be able to stay down here much longer, otherwise someone would notice he was missing. Dr. Jenner knew he would have to work on getting in contact with Rick, who he hoped might remember, even if the chance was slim, when he had the chance to get away from the CDC. It wouldn't be the smartest decision to try and reach him, when he was being monitored 24 hours a day by surveillance. For now, he would work on his plan.
Jacksonville, Florida
Afternoon
Tyreese and Sasha Williams stood in the entryway of their small home. They hadn't truly considered it a home for a long time, but standing in it now, with their belongings and additional supplies all packed, it was taking them longer to leave then they had expected. They had reached out to Rick by leaving him a message at his workplace, along with their numbers so he could reach them, but now they were ready to go look for their partners from that alternate timeline. While they were trying to optimistic about their chances, they also knew they had to remain realistic. Tyreese and Sasha know it might not be as easy as they hope it will bem to find Karen or Bob, and get them to believe the siblings as well.
The Williams siblings also know they will be back, before the outbreak occurs, if only to attempt to save their neighbor, Jerry Frost, who was the survivalist that had helped them when the global outbreak first happened in the alternate timeline. He had allowed them to stay in his bunker, that he had built underneath his shed in the backyard. That bunker had, had enough supplies, especially food, that lasted them for nearly six months, until it finally ran out and they had to leave.
Their next door neighbor on the left, D.B Russell, had also stayed with them in the bunker, but had left at the same time Tyreese and Sasha did. He had wanted to go search to see if his children and grandchildren had survived the global outbreak. The siblings never did find out what happened to him, but this time they planned to make sure they helped more people than just themselves.
"We need to go Ty." Sasha said with a soft smile to her big brother. She knows it's always been harder for her brother to handle living in the world the Walkers and the survivors had turned it into. It was a kill or be killed world, with the survivors of the global outbreak making up their own rules, that were always changing. She could only hope that this time, with Tyreese remembering, he'd have an easier time of it, once the global outbreak happened.
"Right," her big brother replied with a nod. Tyreese bent down and grabbed the three bags at his feet by their straps. "We'll head towards Jefferson City and look for Bob first." Tyreese said to Sasha as he walked out the front door and to the 2009 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE pickup truck that he had been given as a gift by their father, after he had finally deemed to speak to Tyreese again, once the bigger man had retired from the NFL.
The older sibling placed the bags in the backseat of the truck with Sasha following behind him with concern in her brown eyes. She knows she's not the easiest person at times to live with, but has the feeling that something is nagging at her brother's mind. "What's wrong Ty?" She asked while placing the last bag of theirs into the backseat before stepping back with her arms folded over her chest.
Dark brown eyes connected with equally dark brown, and a silent conversation seemed to be shared between them. "Don't you think we should try to get to Dad, Mom, or even Dashiell?" He asked his younger sister with a frown. He knows they're not the closest with their parents or youngest sibling, but they hadn't gone looking for them in that alternate timeline, and a heavy feeling of guilt still rested in his chest and caused the pit of his stomach to turn at that knowledge. They had been so consumed with surviving, that they had never considered seeing if their parents or brother might have survived the global outbreak.
Sasha adjusted her weight on her feet and let her arms fall to her sides. She had honestly never considered saving their parents or brother, and it had guilt gnawing at her. She felt like a bad daughter and sister, having not even thought about their parents or Dash. Shouldn't that be one of the first things she thought about? Trying to save her family and then Bob or Karen? Instead, her mind had automatically turned to them first rather than her biological family. "We'll save them too Ty," she finally said after a long moment of silence.
"Right," he agreed in a manner that said he didn't believe her. The guilt was heavy on both their shoulders. They would work on trying to save their parents and brother this time around, as well as their neighbors, but first they had to go look for Bob and Karen.
Tyreese walked around the truck and opened the driver side of the vehicle. He hoped in and shut the door behind him once he was comfortable and buckled up. Sasha followed his lead, hopping onto the truck and adjusting herself until she rested comfortably in her seat and buckled her seat built. "Did you call the Fire Department to tell them you weren't coming in?" He asked his sister as he turned the key in the ignition. The truck rumbled to life with a roar, before settling into a quieter noise, as Tyreese let the truck warm up. He shifted the gear into reverse and glanced over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway with a smooth turn of the wheel, and out into the street.
Sasha shrugged and nodded her head. "I called them after we left that message for Rick," she said while watching her brother shift gears into drive and steering the car down the street and out of the cul de sac they lived in. "You were starting to pack the bags while I called in," she added.
"That's good," he replied with a nod of his head. With being retired from the NFL, he had more than enough money that he didn't have to work for a long time. So he hadn't needed to concern himself with calling into work. Tyreese reached out to the stereo and turned the dials on the radio until music began to play at low volume.
There was an anticipatory feeling that hung over the siblings as they drove away from what used to be home. Now, home had been with the group of individuals that they had been living and surviving with, in that alternate timeline. They knew they would find those people again, and hoped they would become their home and family once again. But first, they needed to find their partners and save their biological family and neighbors first, before they had the opportunity to meet up with their second family, and they only had nearly three months to do it.
Houston, Texas
Evening
Abraham had been having a tough day at attempting to be as normal as possible. His children had left to school and then gone for their school activities, while his wife had gone to work and then go visit her parents. Abraham had decided not to go to work that morning and called in. He had too many concerns on his mind to deal with, and going to his boring 9 to 5 job wasn't in the works.
It had been a long and grueling process of searching online on the computer for all of his original group, before he had come across Rick and his group. Searching for Rosita Espinosa, Eugene Porter, Tara Chamblers, Holly Stewart, Josiah Powers, Stephanie Johnson, Warren Fox, Rex Balsom, Pamela Moran, Roger Walker, Dirk Pitt, and Josephine Karev, had been a task in itself. Every one of these individuals had been a part of his group at one time or another, most of them, except for Rosita, Eugene, and Tara, had died in the process of Eugene's lie in that alternate timeline.
At first, as Abraham began his research, he hadn't been entirely certain that what he had dreamed the night before had been real, but as he had written down the addresses of every one of his previous group members, he wondered what he should do next. Should he keep track of them? Maybe get in contact with them? Would they honestly believe him, considering he barely believed himself and he had lived through that shit. He rubbed his chin in thought while his dark eyes scanned the paper full of addresses and ways to contact them.
He had already made his attempt in getting in contact with Rick. He had left a message with the secretary Cindy at King's County Police Department. The message for Rick was telling him his name, and to get in contact with him at his cellphone number when he got his message. Now Abraham would have to wait and see when Rick would get in contact with him.
"Daddy?" Becca called from the other side of the closed office door. Her hand knocked gently on the wooden door, bringing Abraham from his thoughts. It was already nearing dinner time and he had the house to himself for most of the day. It had allowed him to do what he needed in peace and quiet.
"Yeah Sweet Pea?" Abraham asked as he stood from the office chair behind the desk he sat at. He walked across the room and pulled the office door open to see his youngest child looking up at him with wide hazel eyes, so similar to her mother's. His daughter could be a clone to his wife, with her blonde hair and hazel eyes.
"Auntie Beth is here," his daughter said with a smile, "she's acting weird again." Rebecca "Becca" Ford added with a furrow of her eyebrows and a frown curling her lips downwards at the corners. She never understood why her Aunt was so odd, but she figured it had to do with her being like her daddy. Her daddy was just as weird as her Aunt sometimes.
Abraham grimaced in his effort to try and smile at his daughter. He had honestly forgotten all about his younger sister Elizabeth "Beth" Ford. They didn't get along at the best of times, which mainly had to do with the fact that they were too alike. He and Beth were stubborn to the point of pigheadedness. They also tended to be short fused and hot tempered on the best of days. When they were upset about something, they didn't talk about their feelings, instead they got melancholy and self-destructive, which often led to bad things happening to the individuals that got in the line of fire.
He never knew if she had died in the alternate timeline. He had been so consumed with the "Mission" following his wife and children's death, that he hadn't honestly thought about Beth, but he liked to think that she would have survived the initial global outbreak and the years that followed. "I'll be right out Sweet Pea," he told his daughter with a nod of his head.
"Okay," the five-year-old replied before turning on her heel and running down the hallway, back to where all the noise was coming from. From where Abraham stood, he could hear the sounds of his son, Andrew Jacob, commonly known as "A.J." to family and friends, loudly and animatedly conversing with his Aunt Beth and mother Ellen.
Abraham stepped out into the hallway and closed the office door behind him. The kids and his wife knew not to go into his office when the door was shut, that he remembered well, even if it had been years for him. For now, he thought he could spend time with his family, before going back to his plans. He wanted to have some normality with them, even if it was only for a little while.
Charlottesville, Virginia to Senoia, Georgia
Evening
Riley had forgotten how much he hated traffic. He wanted the empty roads again, free of other vehicles, although he could do without the Walkers, particularly the herds that tended to crop up every once in awhile. He glanced in the rearview mirror to check on his younger brother's and son. He could see that Thomas had his head down and was reading one of the latest books in a new series he was interested in. In the middle seat was his six month old baby boy Elias, who was thankfully asleep and not causing a ruckus. He was strapped securely into his carseat. In the right of the back seat was two-year-old Harry, who had also fallen asleep at some point during their drive in his carseat.
In the passenger seat sat Abel with his headphones in his ears as he listened to whatever interested him at the current moment. Riley sighed as he switched the station to a classic rock one, something that his father used to listen to. While the pain wasn't as sharp in his chest at the thought of his father as it used to be, there was some pain still felt. He could recall though, that near the end, his father wasn't who he remembered him being as a child. Jax Teller had become different following his wife's death, mother, step-father, and brother's betrayals, the deaths he caused by his own hands, and Opie disappearing not soon after. Riley wondered if it could have been different, had all those instances not happened. He figured it was too little too late to think about it now.
For him, it had been over a decade and a half since his father's death, but for his brother's it had only been a couple of months. Riley shoved the thoughts from his mind, he didn't need to dwell on those thoughts, especially since he had his younger brothers and son alive with him again. They weren't scared yet by all the shit they had been put through with the global outbreak.
It was hours since he had begun his drive to Georgia, having went shopping for supplies that he put in the trailer he had hitched to the back of the car. He was getting closer to Georgia and he needed to stop for gas. Riley flicks his blinker turn signal on with his fingers, looks over his left shoulder, as well as to the side and rear view mirrors, and pulls off into a truck stop that was not particularly busy. He parks the car near a gas pump at the end of the rows. "Where are we?" Abel asked as he pulled out one of his headphones and looked over at his big brother.
"At a gas station," he responded as he pulled up to a pump and parked the vehicle. "Stay in the car and watch Thomas, Harry, and Elias." Riley ordered before stepping out of the car. He shut the door behind him and made his way into the gas station. His eyes roved over the parking lot and store in wariness. It still amazed Riley that it was people wandering around instead of the Walkers. It wouldn't last of course, but seeing it again, seeing so many people alive, was an eye opener. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to see this many living and breathing individuals.
"$40 on pump 8." Riley said when it was his turn to step up to the cash register. He dumped the handful of snack foods on the counter that he had grabbed for his brother's. The blonde haired male wasn't willing to stop at a diner again, having already done so twice on their trip, once to eat breakfast and the second to eat lunch. He had also stopped for various bathroom breaks for his younger brothers, and to change Eli's diaper, when it was needed. He figured that when he got to Hershel's, they'd be able to eat real food again.
"That's be $56.37," the cashier stated once she finished ringing up the total. Riley slid his debit card through the machine and pressed in his four digit number. That had taken some changing, as he had honestly forgotten the four digit pin number, it had been so long for him. He slipped the card back in his wallet and grabbed the bag of junk food and drinks.
"You can keep the receipt," he said when the cashier went to hand it to him. The cashier shrugged and tossed it in the trash can at her side. Riley walked out of the store and across the parking lot to the black 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Fastback, with the trailer it was tugging behind it with his father's black 2003 Harley Davidson Dyna Super Glide Sport inside of it with all of the belongings he and his siblings owned.
Riley opened the driver side door and handed the bag of junk food to his brother Abel. Closing the door again he began to pump the gas into the car. It only took a couple of minutes, but once he was done he hung the gas pump back up and closed the cars gas tank. He slipped back into the car and shut the door behind him. Turning the key into the ignition he shifted the gear into drive, drove out of the gas station parking lot, and back onto the street that would lead him back into the highway.
The seventeen-year-old rubbed at his face with his right hand, while the other gripped the steering wheel as he kept left at the fork and continued on to I-85BL S/US-29 S/US-70 W. He follows the signs for I-85 BUS S/High Point/Charlotte. It had been a quiet drive for the last couple of hours, driving in a silence that was only broken by the music playing from the radio.
He followed the directions that Map Quest was giving him as the sun began to slowly lower. It was getting closer to dusk, but he was getting closer to Hershel's farm and closer to some of his other family. That is what they had become, his second family. The things they had lived through, it had made them stronger and closer. They trudged each other to have one another's back when things got tough. It would be good to see them again.
Riley pulled out to the exit that would lead to the Greene farm and could only watch the road and the familiar landscape blur pass him as he drove the dirt road leading to the Greene Farm. It had been a long time since he'd set foot on the property. He could still recall the day that the herd came through the farm. It was all because of Shane too. If he hadn't fired that gun, they would have likely kept on walking by. The herd never would have come through the farm.
If Shane didn't though, he never would have met his other family members. He wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting Abraham, Rosita, Tara, Eugene, Noah, Father Gabriel, the Alexandria Safe Zone citizens, Jesus, and so many others. So Riley was thankful for that at least. He couldn't imagine not having them in his life.
The blonde haired young man rolled the car's windows down, allowing the fresh breeze to whip through, leaving the fresh scent of earthy nature, from fresh dew grass to a smell of a farm. It reminded him of the time before he died. How nearly everything was by way of horses, wagons, and walking by then. With the decline of gas resources, they resorted to other means. Riley hoped that Rick was going to listen to his suggestions on a plan for them all. He had so much to tell Rick and inform him about what he had missed following his death.
Riley slowed the car down as he finally came to the Greene Farm and looked up at the farm house. This place had been a safe place, if only for a little while, and now that he was back again, he was looking forward to making it something that would last. He turned the car to the dirt driveway and pulled up until he was parked near the front of the house. He could see figures stepping out from inside, and the sight of some of them brought tears to his eyes. He was closer to having something that had been home to him in a long time.
Author Note: This chapter had been a long process to write. Nearly four months it took me to write and it ended up being eighteen pages. So, I hope everyone enjoys it. The next chapter will be with Rick and the other's at the Greene Farm, with Riley now with them.
In future chapters there will also be other characters that remember, but after those characters, I won't be making anymore remember the "Alternate Timeline", as they have all been calling it. The chapters will also start moving faster, when everyone finally gets in contact with each other and works together to build themselves a safe location (as safe as a place can be after the global outbreak).
I hope you all enjoy this chapter, it took a while with constant changes and altering done to it.
I also apologize for any grammatical errors. I read over it as much as possible, but I'm only human and probably missed something.
Reviews are always appreciated.
TheWeepingRaven