Chapter 2 - Episode 1
A/N Hey… I know my English is a bit bad… . and as it is said I should feel bad… But I hope you like what I am writing here.
As the sun shone through the golden curtain at her side, Adeline woke up with no actual memory from her last night besides finding the small cabin. Stretching her back for a bit she looked outside the window with a little contempt smile. It was good to rest once in a while, it was perfect actually and the most fulfilling sensation you can get in a world like this… or maybe a full belly would be much better but she was trying to see the bright side of her situation. Talking about food she needed to eat and she also needed a little trip to answer nature. She took one leg out of her covers pressing it to the wooden, cold floor but when the other one was supposed to follow she cringed from the sudden pain escaping a small little squeak. That is when she remembered, she turned her gaze in the corner of the room observing the sleeping man from last night… Luke was it? God! She just had to get out before he gave any signs of waking up. But when she could actually get on her feet she stumbled back down on her knees fighting as hard as she could the need to cry out loud… she almost drew blood from biting her lip in the process.
"Oh… hey, hey!… no need for walking around, or crawling, or anything you are trying right now…"And that is what she was doing, despite the shooting pain from her wound she tried to leave the room as fast as she could but the man had some other ideas, his hands came to her shoulders turning her around, and in that position they kept fighting until Luke actually just let go, still on top of her. "Hey! I am no bad guy ok?" Still breathing pretty hard she was simply staring in to his eyes. "Not so chatty, are you?"
"I am sorry if I don't socialize with the people that shot me."
"We just met in the wrong circumstances… and that was Nick not me… which is an asshole, sometimes… let me help you." She grabbed his hand and sat back on the bed. "So… yeah… I am sorry."
"Fucked up things happen in fucked up times…"
"Yeah… I guess so." Taking a good look at her leg she just realized she broke some stiches and now blood was coursing through the bandage… "Do you still have some medical supplies around? If not just pass me my bag."
"I will call Carlos…"
"He is definitely sleeping… just pass me my bag please."
"Ok." Finally getting her belongings back Adeline continued by retrieving some basic First aid parts. With Luke's help she managed to patch up her leg, this time with some adhesive tape over the bandage to keep it secure. She breathes in a sigh of relief as she left her body to fall on to the bed.
"Carlos said you shouldn't walk on your own for a few days… so if you need any help you can just tell me ok? Also by the bed there is a bowl of stew… if you are hungry that is…"
"Oh… GOD! I love you!" Luke watched amused as she snatched the bowl from the small table and devoured it.
"Carlos said you might be hungry."
"I haven't eaten a decent meal for what seems like years."
"I meant to ask… are you part of some group or something close to that? We could help you find it… I don't want them believing…"
"No worries… I am alone."
"Really? Not many make it this far on their own."
"I… of course I wasn't alone from the start… but as everybody else can relate… people die… some get left behind." Luke just nodded a bit lost in his pity. "But… best stew ever."
"It is actually kind of bad… Pete made it and he has the habit of simply throwing anything into a pot and calling it a stew…"
"It wasn't that bad… "Adeline kept on chatting with Luke until some shuffling could be heard from the other rooms. The man helped her up and took her downstairs on a couch there.
"So as I said… the others from my group want to talk to you… "
"To decide how much of a waste of time I am."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hey… I promise we'll not leave you behind."
"And why is that? Wait… why are you so nice anyway?"
"I guess I just feel bad for the whole shot in the leg thing…"
"Still…"
"Hey… as I said… I am no bad guy."
"Many told me that before sugar…I just hope this time will be different… it is not like I can do anything else."
After a few minutes the whole gang surrounded Adeline, all of them screaming and shouting in the end making no sense whatsoever… Luke and Pete managed to persuade the others to let her stay at least until her leg heals… then it is her own choice. The days passed and it seemed the only decent person there was Luke… one day they found a little girl bit by, from what she said and proved right, a dog… she didn't had it as bad as Adeline but still… not the best group but a lot better than nothing.
"Hey!"
"Nick right?"
"It's been two weeks… and it's not hard to remember."
"If you say so."
"I just wanted to apologize."
"For?"
"For taking the last pizza slice… For what do you think?… For shooting you."
"I really wanted that last pizza slice. Don't worry… no hard feelings… just an ugly scar."
Adeline slowly entered under their skin and became quite an important part of that little society they created… until one day when their fishing party wouldn't come back.
"It shouldn't have taken them more than an hour Carlos!"
"I know that, Luke… but what are we supposed to do."
"Go after them of course… we all know where the river is… me and Adeline could check it out."
"I will come too."
"Alvin no."
"Rebecca don't worry. We'll be back before you'll even realize."
"But Alvin."
"Ok Luke… go and find them." Carlos finally agreed giving Adeline a pistol and some bullets. "Bring them back."
And so they were out the door in a rush to reach the supposed river where the others went.
Going through the forest we passed the tree where I actually was almost going to die… the huge chunky man was still there splattered all over with just my form clean on the ground and bark… just like some stupid horror movie or something like that… right now those don't seem so pathetic anymore. But… without even realizing I lost it, there was completely untouched a photo with Tom. My fingers brushed over it as I couldn't believe my eyes.
"Hey… you ok?"
"Yes… I will be right there." Just staring at that photo brought so many memories… good and bad but most of them good… because that little paper was made in better days, in days when my only troubles were the homework that I didn't want to do, the bad markings I was going to get at some useless exam paper, the guy that I liked and didn't give a shit about me, my fucking fan fictions that nobody read… all of those problems that were just crap if you think right now about them… and that is when some small drops touched the photo, I raised my head and palms towards the sky expecting to see the sky dark filled with water which would soon turn to rain, but no.
"Hey… are you sure you are ok?" Luke crouched next to me.
"I already told you…" And now as I touched my cheek there were… tears… all unleashed by their own free will. As soon as realization hit me I grabbed the photo and simply went ahead after Alvin desperately trying to hide any trace that I had cried. I felt so weak when emotion like these came rushing, the moments that I can't control scare me the most and emotions that are of no use tend to get you killed… fear, saddens, grief, contempt, peace and happiness all of them a threat to your own self-preservation now a days.
We shortly crossed a bridge made by a door. The woods were silent no bird singing, no deer running, no living to make any sound… just a weak breeze bringing with it the smell of decay and dead… no more fresh pines cones just rotten flesh in the forest's fragrance.
I shortly caught up with Alvin but Luke just wouldn't let it go. He grabbed my shoulder and looked me straight in the eyes.
"Hey… I know how it is to lose somebody… but the worst is just to keep it boiled in… trust me."
"Aren't you the big and mighty hero?"
"Huh?"
"Take you nose out of other people's business." This was what irritated me the most at Luke… he always thought he could help everyone… this need to show what a good person will just get him killed… as everyone in his group if this continues.
"I just… am here if you need to talk."
"If I needed to share my life stories I would have kept a diary."
"LUKE… come here!" And so Alvin saved me as the man behind me sprinted towards the river with me on his tracks. When I reached them I could see the place filled with corpses… 4 or 5 of them plus the ones on the other side could make a dozen add or take some.
"What happened here? "
"My guess is Carver." Alvin was searching one of the corpses as Luke was still dumb founded.
"Do you think they would kill Nick… and Pete?"
"I don't know what that man's capable of."
"This is bad… search the bodies, Adeline… and please don't tell me if you find them." I nodded as I went through the stream. I found several dead people… none of them walkers at least. Walking a bit more the familiar moan reached my ears only to look down at my feet and see a man desperately trying to get free from two lurkers on top of him.
"I found Pete…"
"Yes! Where is he… is he fine… is he wounded?"
"I can't really say he is alright."
"What do you mean…?" When Luke reached my side he found out what I meant. "No…" His eyes widen in shook as he simply gazed upon the man with half of his inside poking out for everyone to see trying to reach us with all his might. "NO, no, no, no…. fuck!" I offered him my gun; he simply stared at me with watery eyes.
"Family should do this… and I don't know if you are able to split his head with that pointy thing you've got on your back. Just saying. "He kept on staring at the grip of the gun as I offered it to him.
"Pete…" His gaze turned from him to me again and after he nodded he grabbed it. I could see his knuckles turning white as he tried to make himself push the trigger. Without realizing I slid one of my hands on his shoulder and the other down his arm until I tangled it on the trigger, he didn't refuse my help. After rising it towards Pete's head and squeezing his index finger the man could finally rest in the so called 'After Life'.
"I never thought I would have to kill him of all the people."
"You didn't kill him Luke."
Alvin, hearing the gun shot came towards us. "God, Pete."
"We need to find the others." Luke, snapping from that shocked state, came down to business.
"It would be good if we buried him."
"Why?"
"I know you are angry… but it will help… trust me."
"It will help finding NICK!?"
"Fine… fine… Point taken… Let's search the corpses…and see if we find anything."
After a few minutes Carlos and Rebecca were running towards us all out of breath.
"What happened?"
"Alvin you are alright!"
"Rebecca… what happened?"
"Clementine came back… alone. We were afraid you were hurt." As Luke heard those few words Carlos said he ran back leaving us behind.
"Did you find anything in here, Adeline?"
"Just Pete."
"Where is he?"
"I hope you brought a shovel." And so I was running after Luke… more or less for that shovel I spoke.