Chapter 3:

Reign's POV:

It was a straight shot to Lance's uncles farm. Other than the road barely being visible and animals running onto the road with out warning, we didn't run into any more trouble.

Hershel was Lance's uncle. He owned the farm and it had been in his family for generations. Lance's parents died several years ago, and Hershel raised him like his own. Lance was studying agriculture to help Hershel out with the farm.

I'd met Hershel a few times since I've been at the university. Hershel would invite a few of us to eat a nice home-cooked meal at his place a couple of times a month.

Hershel age showed, clear as day but his eyes were kind. He wasn't god-fearing but he certainly followed his scriptures.

He had two daughters and a son. Maggie, Beth, and Shawn. Shawn was here but Maggie and Beth were handling something. From what I knew Maggie and Shawn were had the same mother. Beth was born out of Hershel's second marriage. He remarried after his wife died a few years back. I never had the opportunity of really striking up a good conversation with any of his children. They weren't around when we visited.

When we arrived at his farm, we hurried inside. I don't know how I was able to do it, but once Hershel got our blankets laid out on the living room floor, I was out like a light.

I awoke to Joey and Lance silently arguing with Hershel in the kitchen.

There was a couple in their late 30s to early 40s. They had a son that looked to be about 10 or so. He was a jittery little thing. The man looked like your typical red neck. He had a 'stache that could best be described as a Hulk Hogan mustache. He wore a truckers' cap. His wife was plump and kind looking.

The other 2 looked to be African American. There was a little girl who looked to be about 9 or 8. She was slender with a cute, innocent look in her eyes. There was a substantial amount of thick, afro-like black hair, similar to my own, tucked underneath a baseball cap. She was wearing a dirty, cream-colored, knee length dress with gray tights and black flats.

I remember them arriving with Shawn and his friend last night. Shawn had saved them and brought them to Hershel's farm. The man had a busted leg but Hershel patched him up real good.

The little girl had a tight grip on a black mans hand. And I recognized him all too well.

He used to teach History at my University before he was arrested and, later on, fired. The rumors of what happened and why vary but they all have something to do with him taking a life.

The only thing I did know was that his name was Lee Everett.

I looked at him warily. Last I heard, he should've been in prison, or on his way there.

"Hershel, you don't understand," Joey pleaded. "We won't survive if we don't have weapons. Those things are dangerous."

"They're still people," Hershel explained. "It'll pass. It's just a sickness."

"Uncle Hershel, are you out of your mind," Lance exclaimed. "These things aren't people. This is a plague. A plague that wakes the dead so they can eat flesh off of living people so they can do the same. It's a never-ending cycle and the only way to keep the living alive is to kill these things."

I stepped over a sleeping Marlene and propped myself up against the kitchen doorframe. Hershel was clearly irritated now.

"Now you two listen here," Hershel reprimanded. "I do not care what the news says. This is an over reaction. To kill people just because they are sic-"

"Hershel! They are not sick. They are dead," Lance bit back putting emphasis on his last word.

"Clem," Lee said. "Stay here."

"No," she whispered back. "I wanna stay with you, Lee."

"It'll be okay Clementine. I just need to have a talk with Hershel. Why don't you go and help Katjaa out with some work? She's out by the barn."

"If you say so," she pouted.

"Atta girl." Lee patted her shoulder reassuringly before going into the kitchen to speak to Hershel.

I looked back to the front door to see if Clementine had left yet. But she just stood next to the door with a worried look on her face. Like she needed help. The others that Hershel had taken in were still asleep. And the ones that weren't were preoccupied.

I maneuvered through the maze of sleeping bodies in Hershel's small living room over to Clementine. Once I was in front of her I knelt so I could make eye contact with her.

"Clementine, right?" I asked in a low whisper. She nodded.

"You have a pretty name. I'm Reign."

"You mean like the weather?"

"More like when a Queen ruling over a country. But you're still close"

She gave me a shy smile.

"Well, Clementine I couldn't help but notice that you looked like you need help. Is something wrong?"

"Well…Lee told me to go help Katjaa out by the barn but I don't wanna go out there alone." Her words came out a bit frantically.

"Oh sweetie. The barn is just out front."

"I know but those 'things', they scare me. I'm just a kid. What if one of them shows up and no one is there to help?"

I couldn't blame the kid for being scared. I was scared and I doubt that there wasn't a man, woman, or child on this Earth that wasn't right now. They were straight out of your worst nightmares.

"If you want I could go out to the barn with you," I offered.

"That would be nice."

I stood to my full height and walked out to the barn with Clementine. Katjaa was sitting in the trunk of a red pick-up truck while her husband worked on it under the hood. Their son was talking Katjaa's ears off.

"Well hello there Clementine," Katjaa greeted. "Did you come to help me get some work done before breakfast?"

"Yes ma'am," she answered shyly.

"I just wanted to make sure she got out here safely. It's dangerous out here."

"I didn't catch your name," Katjaa said.

"I'm Reign," I stretched out my hand to shake hers. "I go to school with Hershel's nephew. Or at least I used to."

"How are you doing in all of this?" She asked.

"As good as anyone else I guess. The whole thing sort of snuck up on me. I was so stressed out by school that I just assumed the government would resolve it. When Marlene told me those things were heading right for the campus and we needed to leave, I froze up."

"That must've been terrifying for you."

"It was. Had it not been for Joey and Lance we would've been trapped at that University by the military and god knows what else. It took us all night to find a way off campus."

"Well the important thing is that you're here now and you are safe. I'm Kenny bby the way. We had a couple of close calls too. One of those dead things attacked my son. I assumed he was trying to kidnap him or something. When I pulled the fucker off of him it took me two seconds to realize he was one of those dead sons of bitches."

"What did you do to him," I asked.

"I-I bashed his skull in."

"Oh."

There was a long awkward pause. Katjaa broke it.

"So, do you have any idea where you plan on going," she asked.

"I never actually thought about it," I admitted. "I don't wanna be a burden on Hershel he said his family should be on their way back. I want to go find my parents but they're all the way in Texas. I haven't the slightest clue how to get down there."

"Well, you're always welcome to catch a ride with us until you figure out something," Katjaa said.

"That's very nice of you."

I headed back to the house. Lee and Shawn stepped out of the house. Lee hobbled over towards Clementine and Shawn went to work on the fence. Duck had joined him saying he wanted to "drive" the tractor.

I saw Lance and Joey on their way out towards the car. They both got in and Lance yelled to me out of the passenger window.

"We're gonna go pick up Maggie and Beth from the Smith's. We should be back in 30 minutes."

I went inside and Marlene was awake.

"Hey," Marlene greeted. "How'd ya sleep?"

"As good as you can on less than 5 hours of sleep."

I sat on the couch opposite of her. She was worried. I didn't have to ask her to know that.

"What are we gonna do, Reign?"

"I don't know, Mars. I guess we just survive."

"It's only been a day and we're already talking about survival. Not living life anymore. Just surviving. Just EXISTING."

"We don't know what comes after this, Marlene. It may stop."

"It may. But I doubt it."

Out of nowhere we heard the roar of an engine followed by a man's scream from outside of the house.

Marlene and I ran outside and followed the screams to the backyard. Shawn was trapped underneath the tractor, which Duck must've accidentally started. There were three walkers up against the fence that Shawn had been working on. One had grabbed Duck while the other two were still trying to get at Shawn. Clementine stood several feet away frozen with fear. And so was I.

I wanted to help. I needed to help. I should've ran up and tried to save Duck or Shawn. Or killed one of the walkers. But I couldn't force my body to move. Instead I watched in shock as Kenny saved Duck and Lee tried to push the tractor off of Shawn.

I heard the sound of wooden planks splintering as it broke under the weight of the 2 walkers leaning against it. One took a mouthful out of Shawn's trapped leg while the other took a huge bite from Shawn's neck.

Suddenly a gunshot rang out and left my right ear ringing. We looked behind us to see Hershel holding a shotgun. He got closer to the horrific scene and cocked the shotgun each time as he took out the other two walkers.

He let the gun fall in defeat as he dropped to his knees in front of his dying son. Shawn could barely get out his last words as he choked on his own blood.

"I'm okay, Pop," Shawn whispered out.

Maybe it was the shock of being bit or the trust and faith that he in Hershel's ability. Or maybe him trying to put on a brave face in his last moments. But Shawn was far from okay.

But I heard Hershel loud and clear.

"I can fix you," Hershel said in reassurance. He said it with such conviction that I honestly thought he might be able to.

"They almost got me," Shawn said with a slight chuckle. "Lee tried to save me."

"I know, son."

Shawn then sighed his last breath and closed his eyes. Hershel stroked his hair the entire time. He was gone.

Hershel laid his head next to his son. Stroking Shawn's bloodstained cheek. It was then that Kenny and his family had returned.

Other than the roar of the tractors engine it was quiet. Almost like a moment of silence for Shawn.

It was short lived and the next words that were spoken made my blood run cold.

Hershel slowly rose to his feet still staring at his son's dead body as his whispered command rumbled through my ears and sent a shiver down my spine.

"Get out."

"Get the fuck outta here! Every last one of you!"

Kenny mustered up the courage to offer a pitiful apology. It was more than Marlene or I could offer.

"Sorry? Your son is alive," he snapped. "You don't get to be sorry!"

Hershel turned to Lee and thanked him for trying to save Shawn and called Kenny a piece of shit for letting him die.

"And you two," Hershel yells at Marlene and I. "You just stood there and watched as my boy suffered. You could've saved him! You should've helped!"

It was best not to add insult to injury. There is no excuse we could've offered as to why we just stood there and watched someone die. Even if it was due to being frozen with fear.

"I don't care if you're my nephew's friends. You better be gone before he returns. And don't ever let me see you around here ever again!"

"Lee, you better pray to God that you don't have to count on these cowards to save you or that little girl if you're ever in danger. Now get out and don't come back!"

Hershel stormed off back to his house. We heard his door slam.

"Ya'll got that ride to Macon if you want it," Kenny said.

It took us less than 30 minutes to gather our things and load them into the truck. I could still hear the tractor running.

Lee determined that it wasn't safe for any of us to sit in the bed of Kenny's truck. Lee had Clementine sit on his lap and Duck sat up front with Katjaa, who was happy to comfort her son through this traumatic experience. Marlene and I squeezed into the two remaining seats in the cab of the truck. I occupied the middle seat in between my friend and Lee Everett.

We were waiting on Kenny, who had insisted he forgot something. A few seconds later, we saw him jogging out towards the truck with a black bag slung over his shoulder. I could see the barrels of multiple rifles and shotguns protruding from the bag.

He made his way around to the driver's side and slung the bag of guns in the space where Katjaa was sitting.

"Kenny," Katjaa said, worry coating her tone. "These are not ours. What if Hershel saw you? How many did you take? Did you even leave him with anything to defend himself?"

"Relax Katjaa. I figured if he's gonna kick us out the least he could do was provide a "parting gift". When those college kids arrived last night I stashed a few guns away in case we needed to leave. He has a shit ton of guns. And don't worry he didn't see me. He's busy, tending to his son."

Silence again.

Kenny started up the truck and made his way down the long stretch of road ahead. There was no hope of us seeing Lance and Joey and having them convince Hershel to let us stay. They had drove in the opposite direction. And even then, I doubt they would vouch for us after finding out we did nothing to save Shawn from his horrible end.

I looked back as Hershel's farm, a potential safe haven in this fucked up world, became smaller and more distant as we covered more road. I could see Hershel roll what looked like a wheelbarrow into his barn. Moments later he emerged and shut the doors to the barn. That is the last thing I saw him do before he shrunk into the distance.

A/N: It's been a minute huh? Anyway, in order to visualize what these characters would look like here is a list.

Reign Kingsley: Yaya DaCosta (when she was on ANTM)

Marlene: Analeigh Tipton (from "Warm Bodies")

Lee Everett: Idris Elba (obviously)

Clementine: Amandla Stenberg (when she played young Cataleya in Colombiana)

Duck: Ryan Malgarini (he played that annoying younger brother in Freaky Friday)

Kenny: Michael Kelly (from Dawn of the Dead)