I took a deep breath before I shoved the doors of the bar open, worrying about Hershel. worrying about what I would find.
Hershel sat with his back to us as he continued to down his glass of whiskey. He didn't even flinch at the sound of the doors opening. We could've been walkers for all he knew. Despite that, I was glad to see he was still untouched.
Rick walked up to Hershel and hovered behind him while Glenn quickly and quietly shut the doors behind us.
Glenn was on edge. It was so obvious that I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I looked over at him and creased my forehead, and he grimaced.
"I've got a feeling something bad's going to happen. I can feel it in my gut." He whispered as Rick began speaking to Hershel.
I let his words sink in, as well as trying to figure out how I was feeling. I kind of felt the same. My stomach hadn't stopped churning since we'd been driving down the highway. I looked back at him and nodded, gnawing my lips nervously between my teeth. Yeah, something's up.
I walked closer to Rick and stood near a slot machine, facing so that I could see everyone and could keep my eyes on the door. I wasn't going to take any chances. I just wanted to get Hershel and go.
"... You people are like the plague." Hershel droned, his body slumped over the counter.
His words filtered through me, and I saw his point. Everywhere we had ever been, disaster of the worst kind had struck. Losses, death, walkers, hate. But then again, what else was left? He hadn't seen what was out there. He would've known that the plague's affected everyone. It was only just a matter of time for him.
"Beth needs you. She's in some sort of shock. If not for us then your daughter, Hershel." Rick frowned, taking the seat next to Hershel. Hershel seemed far away. Who the hell knows how much whiskey he had gone through in the few hours he'd been missing.
"I had hoped there's be a cure. I thought that if I kept my wife... Alive, the cure would bring her back to me. And all this time I've been feeding her dead corpse." Hershel sniffed, taking a big swig of his drink.
I watched as he put both of his shaky hands on the counter, and I could feel my eyes threatening to tear up.
"You weren't to know. It's hard. It's the worst. But your little girl needs you now, Hershel. She needs her dad. We can talk about this later, you can shout as loud as you want, but you've got a priority. And right now, you need to think about the people you've still got." Rick cooed, his voice understanding.
I put my head down and wiped at my eyes. I heard Rick talking gently again, and I looked up to see Hershel take deep breath before holding his head up high. He put his hands out towards the half empty bottle of whiskey, and I thought that we were never going to get him to budge, and we were going to be here for a long time. But at the last second, he held up the bottle and tipped it's contents over the counter, his face pulling into a grim line of determination.
"Let's go see my girl." He choked. I sighed with relief and watched as he span on his chair, his hazy eyes focusing on the exit.
I took a step forward to help ease the man out of his seat when the doors opened.
Our heads snapped round in unison as two men walked into the bar. Walkers? No, they don't look like it. My grip on my machete tightened, and my hand hovered over my pocket where the pistol rested. I kept my expression deadpan, despite my heart pounding rapidly in my chest.
"Tony, look! Real people." the smaller guy drawled, but his expression wasn't the least bit surprised about seeing us.
My eyes flashed to Rick to see his jaw clenching slightly, his eyes calmly assessing the men and our situation. Hershel seemed calm and incredibly sober too. Glenn looked like he was about to have a stroke. His eyes were wide and his features were frozen.
"Hello fellas. Miss." The small guy said again, and I nodded slightly.
"That's a pretty big weapon for a girl, isn't it?" The big guy Tony said, nodding at my machete. Girl? Oh, get lost.
"Not if you know how to use it." I said calmly, my voice a lot stronger than I was feeling.
I know I've been up against worse than just two guys, but there was no ulterior motive then. This was something else.
The smaller guy smirked, while Tony wandered around the bar, eventually stopping to hover by the slot machine behind me. I gritted my teeth. Yeah. this was definitely something else. It was like they're stalking their prey. Well, I was determined that they're not going to make us their next kill. There was something too relaxed and just wrong about both of these characters. And I didn't like it one bit. I wasn't going to get intimidated.
"You're British? That's cool, but you're a little far from home, aren't you? I'm Dave. This is Tony." The smaller guy said, taking a seat in the middle of the room.
Rick introduced us all, and I watched as Dave assessed us individually.
I could feel the guy moving behind me as Rick and Dave slipped into a stifled conversation about our camp. I desperately wanted to listen, but I couldn't concentrate. Tony seemed almost drunk, and he was hanging around behind me like a shadow.
Glenn caught my eye. His eyes were wide and he was motioning for me to leave. I could tell he was worried about me. His eyebrows creased and I watched him gulp heavily. I tried to relax my face and held out a low, steadying hand to show him I can handle it. He didn't look convinced, so I took a step or two towards Rick.
I was ready to spring, though. I'd been in situations like this at home, when people got a bit too over the top. they were easily handled. My eyes flicked to Tony, assessing him. I saw that he wouldn't be much of a problem to shake loose. Dave was a bit more of a mystery. He was well built, and looked pretty agile. But then again, they were outnumbered. I took a deep breath and watched like a hawk.
But what was I going to do? I haven't killed a living person before. the dead are always a bit easier, and they don't really rest on your conscience much. But a living, breathing human? That's not something I want to think about.
"Sorry buddy. Fort Benning is gone. Went a month or two ago, judging by the state of it." Dave shrugged, slouching further in his seat.
Was Fort Benning even an option for us, or was Rick covering out backsides? Whatever it was, it didn't stop Dave's prying.
Did he not know about how tense the situation was, or did he simply not care? He looked pretty damn relaxed to me.
"Thanks for the head's up." Rick said, inclining his head slightly. I had to hand it to Rick. He was handling this well. Maybe it was from his time as a police officer, but I had a feeling it was more of his personality that kept the situation stable.
"So where are you folks staying? Your trucks looked kind of empty." Dave asked, his bold eyes meeting Rick's.
Alarm bells were ringing full blast in my head. They'd been up to out truck? No way, this was getting too much. How long had they been here and known about us?
"We're in a bigger group down south." Rick said slowly.
I cast my eyes over Dave again. He seemed to let that information sink in as he began surveying us again. I laid my machete down on a nearby table so I could draw quickly or fight bare-knuckled. I was getting more and more sure that this wasn't going to end on a good note. And I wanted to make sure I sunk my fist into Dave's face. It sounded irrational, but I was getting nervous.
"How far south?" He asked. Rick didn't answer, as he was cut off by a trickle of water.
Tony was peeing about a yard from me. I sidestepped away, trying not to cringe. The world may have gone to shit, but you don't go peeing in front of a bunch of strangers. Eh.
"Charming." I murmured, grimacing.
"I apologise for my friend, he's an animal. Hey, Tony! Not in front of the lady, eh?" he called, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"We've got a property we're currently at. A piece of land.. we're all squeezed on." Hershel said slowly, returning to the conversation as if he wasn't disturbed. He was calm and collected as he steered the conversation, which was more than could be said for Glenn.
I had never seen him so worked up. His grip on his gun was so tight his fingers had gone white. But he had a steady gaze, which was focused on Tony behind me. He wouldn't meet my eyes either, only keeping his eyes one the one offensive person near me. In a way, I was touched at his concern, but we had bigger problems that someone hanging around behind me. we had to worry about what these guys wanted. Really wanted.
"A piece of land? And you've had no run ins?" Dave asked, but his voice was a little too enthusiastic. Rick had noticed too.
"We've had a few scrapes. Who hasn't?" He challenged, his eyes staying as level as his voice.
Dave didn't answer, but merely laced his fingers. He was calculating, it was easy to see.
"I suppose. This land, how crowded is it? Of your people, I mean." He said slowly.
"We're full." I said, my eyes glaring at Dave. He tried to match my stare, but I wasn't going to back down.
No means no. Always has, always will.
Tony grunted, getting my attention. I turned back round as he finished his bathroom break and watched as he ran his eyes over me, smirking.
"Got ass?" He asked, and I scoffed.
I looked back at him, and you could tell he was genuinely mentally undressing me. God, the world ends and any woman's a catch, right?
I heard Glenn make a funny sound, but no one responded to it. I gritted my teeth, and my fists balled. I wasn't going to knock him out. Yet.
"Tony! But we should all merge our groups. better luck in numbers, right?" Dave asserted, and I was flabbergasted.
His friend just basically perved on me, but he wants to join our group, where we have women and children? I don't think so. And this guy belong in another group? He needed to be careful about what he was giving away. There could be any kind of nutter out there that would take advantage of that.
I looked back at Tony who leered at me. It kind of reminded me of when we were 'rescuing' Glenn from Guillermo. It reminded me of Daryl's protective hand on my back. I shook my head quickly and refocused on Dave.
What if Daryl were here? t'd be quite nice to have another weapon with us since Hershel didn't have one, especially since he was so spot on with his crossbow. The thought spread a small feeling of safety through me, even though he wasn't there. I wouldn't think he's normally one for staying calm, but I think he would. He'd know when to act, how to react. He'd keep his composure. Although I'm sure he'd have a difficult time stomaching Tony. I'm sure he'd have a few words or actions to put forward. The thought of that made we want to smile.
"I'm sorry, but you can't." Hershel sighed.
"No. We don't even know you or your people."Rick said, his eyebrow raising slightly.
I looked to Hershel who seemed a little unsteady on his chair. I couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or this mess of a situation. He held himself well though, especially when it came to protecting what he loves.
"... You don't know what we've been through. Come on man." Dave said, slowly getting to his feet.
"Dave, these assholes aren't going to give us a chance." Tony shrugged, and I grew incredibly irritated. I span to face him.
"Well you haven't exactly given us the greatest impression, have you?" I snapped.
I span back round to Rick, hoping for some encouragement, something to say we could go. Or something that would calm me down before I do something I regret. However, I watched in confusion as his eyes bulged until I felt the reason why.
A searing heat spread across my butt cheek, a sharp pain that turned into a throb, making me gasp and my eyes water. It took a few seconds for what happened to sink in.
That dick actually smacked my backside!
I span and shoved hard at his chest, sending him flying back into the wall. I could feel my face burning as hot as my right cheek.
"What the fuck?!" I spat angrily, watching as his stupidly slow expression turned from smug to shocked. I wanted to touch the spot, but I wasn't going to give that asshole the satisfaction.
"Tony! Have some damn manners." Dave threw over his shoulder as he moved away from the group and jumped over the bar. That was the most pathetic reprimand I had ever heard.
He began talking to Rick again, his gun laid out on the bar. Slowly I moved towards my machete as I realised it was lying nearer to Tony than it was me, my cheek stinging with every reverberation. I ignored it, and slowly pulled the machete along the table towards me. He wasn't getting hold of my baby.
One by one, Hershel, Glenn and Rick met my eyes. Each of them showed concern and the slightest fizzle of anger, and I tried to reply that I was fine. I gripped tightly on my machete, my other hand curling tightly into a ball. I squared my shoulders and took a deep, steadying breath.
The next thing happened before I could even comprehend it.
Dave's face turned from inquiring to evil as he reached for his gun on the counter. Rick had somehow known this was going to happen as he drew quicker and shot Dave. Before Tony could even react, Rick had turned and fired, putting an end to our situation.
I felt my jaw drop open as my eyes scanned Tony's body. He had slumped just a few feet behind me. He must have been coming towards me when Rick fired. Not only did that make me wonder what Tony was planning to do, but it also made me appreciate how good a shot Rick was.
Rick looked up at us, his face drained. I guess I knew it was going to end something like this. In a twisted way, it kind of had to. They were relentless, asking things that wouldn't come directly to mind if you had just met living people in a dead world. They were dangerous. Were.
"Are you alright?" He asked, looking each of us.
I shrugged, before bringing my hand to my backside. I gingerly put my hand on the area over my shorts and hissed. Why the hell would he slap me, especially that damn hard?
"Let's just get back." Hershel said quickly, sliding off of his chair.
I sighed harshly. Rick grabbed Dave's gun that had dropped back on the counter, and I took the shotgun from Tony that he hadn't even got the chance to pick up and tucked it under my arm. I walked up to Glenn and rested a hand on his arm. I had just touched him with my fingertips when the sound of an engine drew close.
Immediately I dropped to the ground, as did the others. We all crawled away to hide properly, spreading ourselves across the bar, silently listening out for an approach. It felt like my breathing was the loudest sound for miles.
Car doors. Footsteps. Footsteps getting louder and closer. Oh damn...
Maybe it was one of our group. I mean, we'd left during afternoon daylight, and it had suddenly gotten so dark. No light streamed through the windows, and obviously there was no electricity for lights. We didn't even bring torches. but then again, we didn't expect a 'run in'.
Maybe it was Shane coming to check that we weren't dead. It could've been Maggie coming to get her father. Damn, how long had it been since Beth had gone into shock? too long, that was for sure. Maybe it was Daryl? No, he'd be on his bike, wouldn't he? I felt myself sink a little. Even so, we couldn't rush out, just in case we didn't know them. Dave said he came from a group, after all.
"Tony!" A guy called.
Tony?! Oh my god, they weren't alone the entire time! They were going to ambush us. They were going to kill us, take our stuff and find our camp. If I wasn't trapped in my spot, I'd march right over to their lifeless bodies and give them both the hardest kick I could conjure. My conscience wasn't going to weigh down on me as much as it was going to now, knowing what they were planning to do.
I winced and mentally cursed. I glanced to Rick who looked like he was angry with himself. I wanted to tell him that he did what he had to, but it would have been a stupid time to do it. Later, yeah. If we make it to then. He kept his eyes glued to the frosted doors and windows, while I edged quietly closer to the upturned table I was near. I felt more safely hidden from there.
The two men seemed to be talking to one another, their voices painfully loud. Not only were they close to us, but they could be attracting walkers for all we knew. It wasn't going to be long before it got dark, and we definitely didn't want to be stuck out in that.
All of a sudden, the door began to rattle as the two men tried to get in. Acting fast, Rick slid in the doors path, blocking their entry. I began to panic. Now they'd know. They'd see we're here. But it could've been the end if they came in. Damn it!
"Hey, is there someone there? We don't want no trouble, we're just looking for our friends." One guy shouted. I repressed a shudder as me eyes shot to Rick again.
"Hello? Anyone?" The guy shouted again. I held my breath, straining to hear every noise they made.
"Come on man." His friend whined.
We remained silent, but I could see Rick mulling over what to say. I shook my head viciously at him when he finally looked in my direction, but he had made his mind up. But they were leaving! Weren't they?
"They drew on us!" Rick called, and I shut my eyes tight, silently cursing.
The sound of gravel crunching stopped and sped back in out direction. I saw Glenn curling himself up, his face pulled tight in anticipation. I pulled myself up in a crouching position, getting ready to run when I got the word. Glenn looked in my direction, and I signaled for him to crouch. He silently did so, and I watched as he took a slow, shaky breath. I felt my heart stammer as I watched his frightened features focus.
"Are they alive?" the other guy called back, his voice short and impatient.
"No." Rick shouted, his voice hoarse and breaking.
We were met by a further silence, and my heart started to thump more wildly. What were they doing?
"They gave us no choice." Rick said, and my eyes shot to him, wide and alarmed. Stop talking Rick! "We've all done things we regret, but that's how life is now-"
Glass began shattering and piercing noises threaded through the room as they opened fire. I hunkered down on myself, holding up the shotgun I took from tony and drawing out the gun from my pocket, My machete thrust awkwardly under my arm. I hoped they the shooting would stop so we can make an escape. But it didn't. They continued to fire. How many bullets did thy have? Were there more people with then than they were letting on?
Oh shit, this won't end well.
Well, what do you think? I hope it wasn't as much like the scene we all know. A little different, and all that. It was quite fun and interesting to write, especially with Sam's short temper. I had hoped it would be a little longer, but I'm happy with the result. :)
As ever, thank you for reading, commenting, favouriting, following, all that shebang. ;D
- Loré. X