new chapter! First of all: thank you so much for all the reviews on the first chapter! It's so awesome to read all these comments and recognize so many readers.
And it's also cool to see new readers as well. So many compliments. It makes me really happy to read how much you guys like my series =)

So here's a new chapter for you!

Resurrection

Chapter 2 - Sunset

331 Days ago...

July 29th, 2007, 7:34 am - in a city that is miles away...

This was the second time in a row now. The second time that he woke up and couldn't remember how the fuck he had managed to get here. The stranger stared straight up in confusion, and it took him a moment to realize that he was staring at some sort of round metal roof. There were the typical army colors all around him, and when he moved he also noticed that cuffs to his left wrist kept him from getting up. The stranger panicked and started to struggle, which caused the metal of the cuff to hit the metal pole with a rhythmic clonk clonk clonk.

"The fuck's this?!" he grunted, voice sounding like he was drunk because of his various injuries. It felt like he had been drugged, which freaked him out even more. The stranger struggled even more but made more noise by default, and it didn't take long until someone walked over to him to see what was going on.

"You're awake" a wise looking muscled African-American man in an US-Army uniform noticed.

"Where the fuck am I and what's going on?!" the stranger complained and tried to use his other hand to free himself, only to discover that it was cuffed as well. He started struggling and kicking as hard as he could. He didn't want to be trapped during times like these when there were dead people walking around and other freaks used the opportunity to jump on you and knocked you out cold to steal your stuff. The soldier looked down on him but would neither touch nor free the stranger.

"You've managed to get to Hanscom Air Force base. You crashed your car into one of our fences and injured two of our men. You were already inside our post when we noticed your bite wound. We almost shot you. Again, by the looks of it" the soldier stated and pointed at the stranger's head. "But our doctors wanted to keep you just like..others. We took you in and took care of your injuries. You've suffered a head trauma from the shot wound, but it was quite the lucky hit."3

The stranger widened his eyes and tried to touch his head to check it, but since both his hands were cuffed he couldn't do anything about it.
He believed to feel a pressure bandage and some stitches. He frowned and hissed because of the pain it caused, and on top of that he was very confused.

Shot?He had no idea he had been shot. He had thought that someone had just knocked him out.

It made him even more angry.

So these little slimy fucks had really shot him and stolen his weapons. What if they had even used his own gun to shoot him? Oh someone needed to pay for that.

"I'm Major Simmons, head of this temporary army base and refugee center and you happen to be the very first case of immunity we have come across so far."

The stranger glared at the Major then, seemingly even more confused now.

First the shot and now freaking immunity? He didn't understand anything base or not, for some reason he didn't trust the man. Especially since he knew that he was some sort of official authority. It twisted something in his guts and told him to run run run, away from these people, away from being locked up without any sort of freedom.

"Why don't you just uncuff me, so we can shake hands and introduce ourselves the proper way, Major?" he snarled and shook the cuffs once more, but the other man just smirked and him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr...?"

He cocked his head as if he was awaiting an answer from the stranger, who just looked back at the man, mind going blank. The cuffed prisoner suddenly realized that he didn't even remember his own name, just like so many things he couldn't remember. He scowled at the Major and let his gaze wander for a bit. He could finally make out that he was being held inside some sort of hangar. He could see the air field and abandoned planes and helicopters and military cars through the window, and there were many military men walking around the property.

He couldn't really see any civilians but assumed that they were inside the large building somewhere opposite this building, and judging by all the cars and military presence all around him it didn't exactly look he was going to be allowed anywhere near anyone soon. After frantically trying to remember his name but failing to do so he did the only other thing he could. Lie. He didn't want to look like a victim who had lost his stupid memory. No, he needed to seem like a strong and independent man who didn't take shit from anyone.

"McGillan. D..David McGillan" he muttered and stared at the Major, trying to look convinced and indifferent to any threats.

The major gave him a slight smirk, and despite David's tries he still seemed to see right through the lie. The stranger still nodded stubbornly, trying to convince himself at least. Yes. This had to be his name. It was the first name he had thought of, so this had to be his name. He was David now. David sounded right. He was David McGillan, who had lost his wife and daughter and who had been ambushed, bitten and shot soon after that. And despite the fact that the Major saw right through him the army man suddenly turned around with both his arms folded behind his back and wandered off.

"Very well then, Mr McGillan. We've got lots of plans for you."

331 Days later...

June 24th, 2008 -9:28pm, Lake Oconee

"You gotta be fuckin kidding me" Connor said and stared at the dead end right in front of them.

He rested both his arms on the steering wheel, mouth just a little bit open because he couldn't understand what the fuck he was seeing.

"Well I told you t'use the other exit, dumbass!" Daryl complained right next to him and hit the back of Connor's head.

Both men were still sitting inside the black Ford Mustang they had found on the interstate, facing...the lake. The Irishman turned around to look back, because this couldn't be fucking happening. He knew exactly where they were going. Go left, then right, then double left and right to get back to the interstate. But for some weird reason they weren't back on the interstate, but in the middle of fucking nowhere. He hit the head rest and cursed. They could see trees, boat houses and water all around them, but no fucking interstate or any sort of sign that told them that they were heading for Augusta.

"Well and I told ye that the map said something fucking different. It can't be that fuckin hard ta drive round a fucking traffic jam ta get back on the highway" the older of the two friends snapped back and put the car in reverse so they wouldn't end up driving right into the lake like that.

"Told you to turn this car around and..."

"So what do ye want me ta fuckin do about it? This car ain't a fuckin DeLorean. I can't travel back in time with that thing and do something different" Connor interrupted his friend with an annoyed eyeroll and Daryl folded his arms and just shrugged. He knew the way out of this mess, and he also knew that it was pointless to try and argue with his friend. They were worse than a married couple in that regard, and they both knew it. Connor grabbed the steering wheel to turn the car around.

"Point is that we took the wrong fucking turning and now we're still driving around this fuckin lake. Guess our little three hour drive ta Augusta turned into a fucking Odysee. Sooner or later we'll get there. Eventually. Probably" he muttered and already wanted to drive back down the road, but Daryl moved and grabbed his friend's wrist to stop him.

Connor looked back at the hunter with an angry frown, because he was seriously getting pissed by now. This whole trip annoyed him, this lake annoyed him, the heat and Daryl's bitchy attitude today. He wanted to say something, but Daryl glared at him and shook his head.

"Sun's gonna be down soon. Ain't no point in driving around in the dark like that when we can't even find shit in broad daylight."

Connor looked out of the car and up to the sky. Daryl kind of had a point. He could see how the sun was setting already, painting the sky golden and red. It wouldn't take too long and there would be night, and although the walkers technically didn't attack them he didn't exactly fancy staying outside with no real cover. He chewed on his lower lip and let out a gentle sigh.

"Fuck" he muttered and rested his arms on the steering wheel again.

He had been running on adrenaline and sheer excitement ever since they had snuck out of Woodbury, but with all the driving around and getting angry he had to admit that he was getting tired. Daryl had a look around them and then pointed at one of the many lonely houses that were popping out of the woods all around the lake. They were a bit further away from towns or villages, since they could see two of these on the other side of the lake. They were on the side where most people had built their summer residences, which meant no dense population - not much too loot - not many looters and thugs - not many walkers.

Of course, it would be way easier to either keep driving and take sleeping turns or to camp in the woods somewhere, but Daryl was just feed up with the whole driving around and doing shit wrong by now. So he pointed at the abandoned house that was closest to them and shrugged.

"Let's move over there. Stay there for the night, next thing in the morning we're gonna go and head for this freaking lab or whatever it is."

Connor eyed the house and started chewing on his left thumbnail.

"You sure? Or we could just drive in shifts."

Daryl raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"And make our way through Augusta in complete fuckin darkness? Ain't no way. Move."

His friend just sat there, staring at the house, lost in thoughts. He seemed to be unsure, like he still really wanted to prove his friend that he was right and knew what the fuck he was doing on the road with this car.

"Connor" Daryl warned him and the Irishman growled. He put the engine back on and put in first gear.

"Alright, bitchy. Let's crash fer the night."

As soon as they got closer to the house Daryl automatically drew his gun, since his large crossbow was rather impractial inside the car. They still had both their windows down, so it was easier for them to hear any strange noises apart from the noise the V8 engine of the Mustang was making. It weren't exactly the walkers they were cautious of, although there were a couple of those staggering around the lonely street that snuck its way all around the lake, surrounded by trees on the right side, and the lake and the houses on the other side.

The good part about the whole thing really was the fact that there were so many trees and water all around them because they were hidden from plain sight and the whole thing muffled the noise they were making, but this also meant that they could neither really see nor hear any enemy. And if they had learned one thing during this past year, then it was the fact that people were the ones you should avoid and be afraid of. It didn't matter if those people were cannibals like the ones they had encountered about two months ago or if they were sickos like the Governor and his followers.

Most of the times other people just meant trouble. No matter what. So both men kept an eye out as they approached the house they had chosen, which happened to be the one at the very end of the road with only one neighboring house to its left. It sure had once been a very beautiful holiday home for a family. In contrast to the other houses it was just a white one story building with a garage and a porch. They could see that it had a landing site just like all the other houses in the area, but there was no boat.

As soon as they were close enough Connor turned the car around once more, so they could approach the garage in reverse. He wanted the vehicle to be ready to go, at least as long as they didn't really know that everything was clear. He kept driving backwards while Daryl kept an eye out and then stopped the car a bit away from the garage. Connor switched off the engine with a nod and then grabbed his guns as well, and he wouldn't stop eyeing their surroundings in the rearview mirror. Both men were used to the whole procedure by now. Making sure they had something to bail out quick, clear the desired location, clear the area, stay alert, make sure the place was safe. For a moment they just sat inside the car and listened, and then they looked at each other.

"Alright. Same as ever. You take the one side, I take the other. You try t'get inside the garage. I take the usual rooms. Living room. Bathrooms, kitchen. You take the rest. You see a walker, you kill it, somebody attacks you, you put them down" Connor muttered.

Daryl nodded and checked his gun, only to put it away again so he could use his crossbow instead.
He put an arrow in and looked out of the passenger window to keep an eye on the rest of the neighborhood.

"Standard whistle in case shit goes haywire?"

Connor nodded and made sure his knife was in place and ready to grab.

"Aye. Standard whistle in case shit goes haywire."

They both looked at each other again, adrenaline kick and sick love for situations like this showing.

"Watch your ass" Daryl muttered and nudged his friend's shoulder gently.

"Aye, you, too" Connor answered and placed his hand on his friend's, only to let go so he could get out of the car.

The Irishman couldn't help but nudge the thing as well, because he kind of had to admit that he enjoyed it way more than he should. They had been driving around in a lot of cars during the past year, and even before that he had been no stranger to stolen cars. But he had never been inside such a cool car before. All the others had always been either inconspicious or functional, but never pretty and badass. He turned around and walked backwards, so he could get closer to the house but keep an eye on the woods and surroundings, shooting a silent threat at anyone who could be watching them.

Don't you dare steal my fucking car, the glare said, then a gentle whistle snapped him out of it.

Connor turned around to see what was going on. He saw Daryl, who had already made his way over to the garage with his crossbow aimed at nothing in particular but ready to shoot. The hunter pointed at his own eyes and then at the large glass door on the side of the building. Since they had been working together for so many months now the Irishman understood the sign right away and switched one of his guns for his knife.

So Daryl had already seen a walker inside the house, and since the hunter wanted to get the garage door open it was on him to clear the building. Connor started jogging without trying to make too much noise, since they still didn't know if there was anyone else inside. He really doubted it by now, but they had learned to never let their guard down. But there were many signs that told him that they were probably alone apart from a couple of walkers.

It was obvious that the house had been looted. That was one thing. Some of the windows were smashed, with the old and dirty curtains swaying in the wind and almost inviting them to get inside. He could see trash, clothes and dirt all around the house, and there were even two or three bodies of walkers. So it was a damn typical abandoned building with no real threat waiting inside. Because if there really were people in there, then it wouldn't be so unbaricaded and dirty. The Irishman still stayed as quiet and careful as possible and climbed inside through one of the smashed windows. Once again the terrible stench of rotten flesh and food hit him like a fist in his face, but he forced himself to get used to it.

Outside he believed to hear how Daryl was trying to force the creaking garage door open, and the noise also seemed to attract the about two walkers inside the house. The undead creatures were stumbling around the building, running into walls and knocking everything over that was in their way. Connor had entered what looked like a bedroom and saw a female walker with long dirty and filthy blonde hair and a grey blood splattered skirt stagger past the door.

For just a second they had been staring right at each other, and although she had let out a snarl and at least considered attacking him for a moment the undead still walked past the room and headed for the creaking garage door instead.

"Aye sure, go after the uglier one" Connor said and shook his head while taking his knife to go after her.

Wait, was he actually disappointed and jealous because the female walker didn't go after him but after Daryl instead?

I'm much more fuckin delicious anyway, he thought as he followed her. Probably.

Another disgusting wave of the smell of rotting flesh hit him right in the face when he was only inches away from her. He grabbed her by her dirty long hair and yanked her head back to stab it, and let out a disgusted gasp when the stab did not only kill her but also separated half of her head from the rest of her body. Connor was now holding just a chunk of flesh and hair that had used to be a woman's head, and although he had seen way too much gore for the past couple of months it still made him moan. The rest of her body dropped to the ground in front of the Irishman, and caused a black pool of blood on what had once been some very expensive parquet flooring.

"Ew, fuckin disgusting" Connor whispered and pulled a face. The Irishman threw the remains away and wiped his hands on the next closest wall.

Damn right only a rotten dirty chick like that would go after Daryl and not him.

"No hard feelings" he told the remaining decapitated body and then started walking again, to search the rest of the rooms for walkers or any other threats.

He had to acknowledge the open living room and kitchen/dining area with a whistle, which made the other walker turn around and face him. The undead had once been and old man, maybe at the age of 70 plus, and if it weren't for his ripped out arm and open belly then he almost looked like a normal granddad. A slight wave of sadness and nostalgia rushed over Connor because the man kind of resembled his good old friend Doc. With the grey hair, the glasses, the silly cardigans... Doc McGinty. His favorite pub owner, the one man who had felt like his real father most of the time. Christ. He had really loved that old fella.

Sometimes he still had to think about all those people he had lost last year, back in Boston. Dear friends like Smecker, Eunice, Dolly, Duffy, Doc, and...well you know who, and he figured that another 10 years could pass and he would never stop mourning their deaths. But that was exactly the point. He knew that it would always hurt, and he didn't want to remember that, so that walker needed to die and disappear, just like all the walkers he had killed before.

For a moment the two of them just looked at each other, the walker obviously confused about his presence and considering whether he should attack him, and Connor being lost in thoughts. Then another loud creaking of the garage door startled them both, and when the old walker snarled and there was red foam forming all around his mouth the Irishman knew that it was his chance to act.

He grabbed his knife just when the walker wanted to start running and threw it at the undead. The blade hit the old man's right temple and threw him against the kitchen furniture. The knife got stuck in the wooden surface of the fridge door and impaled the walker on it, sending blood splatters all the way across the surrounding furniture and kitchen utensils.

Connor sighed and approached his latest kill, regretting that Daryl hadn't been there to witness that. As soon as he had freed his knife the dead old man dropped to the ground, finally at peace. The Irishman stepped out of his way just in time so he wouldn't get his clothes even dirtier than they already were, but froze when he noticed children's drawings all around the kitchen. They were faded, dirty and blood stained, but one could still see what the children had drawn. Yellow suns in corners. Cars, dogs, simple butterflies, the lake and boats, stick figures with the names Jamie, Monica, Andrew, Momma, Daddy.

The blonde MacManus let out a tired sigh and looked down to the old man to his feet. Funny that. He was used to killing walkers and guts and bloods. He even had to admit that he actually enjoyed murdering them. The bloodier, the better. The fact that he had lost count of his murders was reason enough to worry. Just about two hours ago he had been sitting inside his car, wearing sunglasses and thinking about what he'd do to get a cold beer with ice and shit, and how he had thought how fucking happy and relaxed he was. And now he just needed to see some children's drawings and he questioned everything, almost felt ashamed of some of his carefree actions these days.

Sometimes he didn't just miss his friends and family, he also missed their old life, their old society. When houses like this one had been there to bring pleasure, fun and enjoyment, when there were fucking kids running around outside and playing and swimming in the lake.

He walked closer to the large window front that faced lake Oconee. He could see the sunset from here, how it got reflected on the water surface.
He didn't get shit like that sometimes. The Irishman grabbed his rosary and shook his head.

Correction, he didn't get -shit-, he didn't get -God-'s plan these days. Very mysterious fucking ways indeed.

He couldn't understand how something as beautiful as this sunset and something as innocent as old children's drawings and wedding photos could exist in a world like this, right next to blood, guts and a fucking ripped out eyeball on the floor.

"Guess we're clear" he heard Daryl say and turned his head.

His friend was standing there in the open entrance hall, face a bit bloody and dirty, but looking just fine.

"Killed a walker inside the garage, no geeks around the property. I moved the car inside the garage and closed the doors. I say we check the two houses next door just to be thorough, then drag out all the bodies and lock them in the shed back there. No need to burn them. Ain't gonna stay here for too long. When we're done we can crash for the night. One keeps watch for a couple of hours, other one takes a nap " he said and entered the kitchen to check the counters for anything useful. But of course, everything was pretty much stripped clean by now. Connor just kept standing in front of the windows and watched the sunset for a bit.

Daryl noticed it after a while and stopped searching drawers to look at his friend.

"You alright?"

Connor shifted and turned around with a shrug.

"Aye. 's just funny how easy it is ta ferget something. Or more like how fast something loses its value."

Daryl raised an eyebrow.

"What you prattlin 'bout?"

Connor looked out of the window again.

"Sunsets I mean. All the shit with the walkers and all the fights and blood kinda makes ye forget that beautiful stuff like that happens every fucking day.
And we don't even see it anymore."

Daryl just looked at his friend, not really knowing what he was supposed to say. He still couldn't really see through Connor, when he was having him on or joking or when he was being honest about something. The thoughtful look on the Irishman's face told him that he was being serious though.

"There was a time, many fucking years ago now, when me 'n Murph weren't out drinking in our pub and we'd just take our beers, take two plastic chairs and leave our flat ta sit on top of our apartment building fer a while. We'd just sit there, smoke, drink our beers and watch the sun set in silence. Like, watch it dive down behind those huge fucking skyscrapers like te Pru and the Hancock. 't was our favourite thing ta do when we were really exhausted after doing a couple 'a extra shifts during the first couple of months in Boston. When he had ta get money ta pay some depths with some seriously fucking shady people."

The hunter got back to searching drawers because this was another topic he didn't really like talking about. He knew that Connor was over Murphy, that this wasn't depression but nostalgia speaking, but he still hated it. It made him jealous, and he hated to be reminded that there wasn't just Connor, that he was just the third wheel and that there would always be this freaking Murphy guy, standing right between him and his friend like an invisible brick wall.

"Our Ma always told us that God paints the sky red and golden each sunrise and sunset ta let us know that we're closer ta the gates of heaven than we think. That as long as you see that shit and acknowledge that and its beauty, then it means that there's still hope fer all of us. And heaven and hope is a choice, just like it's your choice ta face and watch the sun set and rise instead of turning yer back on it."

Daryl threw a single can of food he had found in the general direction of their bags on the sofa and sighed.

"Yeah well, as soon as we're done securing everything yah can sit down and tune in t'bible tv and watch yer stupid sunset."

Connor snorted and started dragging the body of the old man towards the window and balcony front.

"Yeah 'f course."

"I'm serious. We can do that" Daryl muttered and grabbed the killed man's legs to help his friend carry the body outside.

Connor looked up and eyed his friend with an unsure frown. Daryl shrugged and avoided direct eye contact.

"If yah wanna. Might even get the chance t'open this bottle we found back when we were just outside Woodbury."

It was one of their many peace offerings and Daryl's apology for his bitchy behavior today. He also just needed a break from everything as well. To calm down and just breathe and live. Maybe he had never been on some Boston rooftop to just watch the sun set without thinking or doing anything, but he had done something similar prior this whole apocalypse thing. Escaping everything. Just being. He had done that during his hunting trips back in the woods in Sedalia. Maybe not to escaping a job but his family. And he kind of missed those moments of silence as well.

"So yah just sat there in silence? On that roof?" he muttered and Connor nodded with a grunt.

They carried the body out of the house and towards the shed by the lake. As soon as they reached it they threw it inside and cleaned their hands.

"Well, might be the only way t'shut you up for once. So yeah, as soon as we're done, we're both gonna tune in to bible tv and watch your fuckin sunset."

Connor grinned.

"It's a date!" he exclaimed with an overly high pitched voice, which made Daryl snort and turn around.

"Jackass" he muttered and headed for the house next door.