Merry Christmas, you guys! Or just Happy Holidays for those who don't celebrate it! And for those who are celebrating the very act of opening gifts at midnight– here's my gift to you! Chapter 28! Enjoy!
The dark buildings in the capital were silent as smoke continued to hover above the Circle Park. The breeze in the air was faint as leaf particles flew low over the ground. A couple rats were chewing on the bodies in the ground next to a bus.
As footsteps approached the direction of the Circle Park, the rodents scurried away. Hana wore a thin sweater, protecting herself from the breeze. She held an unpowered flashlight on one hand and her ninjato on her left hand.
As she stood above one of the corpses, she turned on the flashlight and looked at the head of the cannibal she killed. The head's mouth was moving, and the eyes glowed against the light from the flashlight. She then looked ahead in the street and found groups of roamers lurking around. An idea popped in her head.
After a few minutes, Hana came out of the bus wearing a large poncho around her body, covered in guts and flesh and blood. Her hair was tied to a bun, and her bangs covered her eyes. She held a blood covered sword and limped towards the street ahead, approaching the roamers under the faint moonlight while leaving her thin sweater back on the bus.
She approached one of the roamers and slowly pointed the tip of the blade at the back of its head, before quickly sticking it inside, killing the roamer. The body fell and the blade returned to be held across Hana's body. The roamers turned their heads towards the body as it thud against the ground, but only found a roamer limping around. They continued looking around and growling softly. Hana walked up to the next roamer, the closest one to her and stabbed it quickly without the roamers noticing her fast movements.
Few minutes passed by and bodies of roamers were scattered across the ground. Hana continued moving ahead, when she noticed a very thin roamer ahead, standing by the intersection. Then, she noticed a very faint street light to her left as she approached the thin roamer. The map of the Circle Park was attached to the street light, though it was completely crossed out by a large X. A new note appeared below it. Hana approached the note, though she was left confused by the English words on it. She then shone her flashlight at the thin roamer next to the note and flinched back. She ran back to the White House.
"This better be good," said Lori.
"I hate it when she does this," said Lynn. "She doesn't say anything. We have no clue what we're getting into. One time, she walked us for a mile to see a dumb pink tree!"
"Is this about Kotaro?" asked Luna. "Please say something!"
Hana, wearing her thin sweater, continued walking ahead in the dark street with her flashlight pointed ahead while Lori and the group followed her, each survivor puzzled and nervous.
"We're walking into a trap, aren't we?" quipped Vonda.
"Right," said Bobby. "The cannibals could be stalking us."
Hana then stopped, pointing ahead at the faint light from the street light. Lori looked at the group members and shrugged.
"That's… actually a bit strange," said Lori before turning towards Hana. "Generators are a thing though."
"Read," said Hana.
Lori walked ahead with the rest of the group as they saw the marked out map. They looked below the map and saw a note. It read:
ONE CONSUMED.
NINETEEN MORE TO GO.
Lori looked back at the group and counted. It was everyone who was at the Circle Park, with the exception of a few people.
"There's sixteen of us," said David.
"If Carol, Lana, and Clyde were here, it's be nineteen," said George.
"That means… Kotaro is dead…" said Sam.
"No, we can't be sure!" said Luna.
"Luna…" whispered Lori.
"You will be sure," said Hana.
Hana then pointed her flashlight at the thin silhouette standing away from the street light's light radius. Lori's eyes widened, David clenched his teeth, and Luna let out a shocked gasp.
Black sneakers sat on the ground next to the butt of a standing Remington 700. Jeans were tied to the rifle with one of the lower pant legs missing, blood stains on the upper half. Above the jeans was an open buttoned-shirt with rolled up sleeves, blood stains on one of the shoulders of the shirt. And stuck to the barrel of the rifle was the head of a zombified Kotaro, it eyes glowing gold and its mouth salivating with toxic fluids.
Unable to close her jaws, Luna teared up before covering her eyes as Sam held her.
"Oh my fucking god!" exclaimed Ronnie Anne as she turned away.
"This is so messed up," said Preston. "What kinda human does this?"
Jace felt his heart pounding against his chest as a certain realization sunk in. He gulped as he looked around with the other group members, some checking their surroundings.
"Cannibals aren't the only ones to have done this," said Benny. "Some people are seriously this messed up."
"Like who?" blurted out Jace. "Who the hell would do this kinda fucked-up shit?"
"People we never want to meet," said Luan. "Ever."
"We're gonna kill all of them," said Becky. "We're gonna make 'em suffer… right, Lori?"
Lori glanced at Becky, before looking down.
"Let's get outta here," said Lori.
"What? Without burying him?" cried out Luna.
"That'd be respectful," said Lincoln.
Lori sighed.
"Someone grab the clothes, the gun, and the… remains."
Hana grabbed the clothes in the ground while George reached for the gun. He pulled it off the ground, causing the trigger to click. A bullet fired into the head, sending tiny brain particles into the air.
"It's a trap," said Lori. "We have to get out!"
"But what about burying him?" asked Lincoln.
"Grab the gun, Lincoln," said Lori. "Someone grab the head now!"
George grabbed Kotaro's head and ran away from the street light as the growling of roamers grew louder and louder. The running roamers then eventually reached the street light, but the group was gone by now. The street light flickered.
Then it turned off.
Chapter 28: Consumed
I - Your Move
Darkness. That's all Jace saw. It was nothing but pitch black. No trace of light as far as the eye could see. Jace kept on running.
Cold. That's all Jace felt. It was nothing but freezing air. No trace of warmth as far as the body could feel. Jace kept on running.
Jace continued to run for what felt like endless hours on end. Time just didn't feel like it existed.
Jace panted. He looked around. His chest heaved back and forth as he grabbed his knees. His eyes were wide open as he frantically turned his head, searching for something. Then, his eyes caught something.
A dark figure stepped forward. Then, the figure stopped a few feet away from Jace. He was visibly stunned.
"A-Alex...?" he whispered.
Alex looked at Jace. She looked at Jace, her mouth unmoved and still. Jace tried to read her face. Her expression was one of disappointment. It was one of slight disgust.
She turned around. Jace's eyes opened wider as her footsteps began to echo away.
"W-Wait!" he exclaimed.
Jace began to sprint after her.
"Wait! Alex! Stop! Please!"
Each footstep she took echoed more softly then the previous one. No matter how fast Jace ran, she just kept getting further away.
"No! Alex!"
Jace tripped. His face and arms planted onto the pavement in the ground, now visible to him. He groaned. He placed his knees on the ground and began to pick himself up. Then, something else popped from the dark. Something round. It rolls across the pavement and then stops at Jace's feet.
It was a head. Kotaro's head. Jace flinched and held his breath as chills went up his spine. Then, the mouth on the head began to move.
"Damn it, Jace. Damn it…"
"W-Wha…"
"DAMN IT!" hissed Kotaro. "I coulda' lived. My leg woulda' been fine. And I shoulda' escaped with the group. I coulda' escaped with Luna. But then… you had to come along and ruin everything."
Jace shook his head as he began to shake.
"All you had to do was shake it off. Or just warn me that you couldn't handle it. That you weren't cut out to be a killer. But it doesn't matter. Couldn't avoid it, I guess. Wanted to kill so badly, right?"
A gunshot crackled across the dark as Kotaro's head splattered into chunks and pieces like a watermelon. A bewildered Jace turned towards the source of the gunshot. It was a man.
In the dark, stood the cannibal that watched the young cannibal die. The young cannibal that was killed by Jace earlier. The older cannibal held a gun, the barrel smoking. His face was almost fuming as tears flooded his face.
"You shot him! You son of a bitch, you shot him!" yelled the cannibal. "You killed him. You killed my friend– MY FRIEND!"
"No, wait…" whimpered Jace.
The cannibal pulled the trigger. Jace quickly turned around as a gunshot thundered across the dark. He trembled as he opened his eyes. He turned back, terrified of what he might witness. His eyes then opened up quickly.
A gaunt Woodrow stood in the dark. Blood seeped from his mouth and from the open wounds in his chest.
"A kid? Really? He was like younger than you," taunted Woodrow. "Everyone's gonna be a killer like you."
Woodrow walked closer to Jace.
"Wonder who's gonna be next… the lesbians… the boy scout… the grease monkey… oh wait. I forgot…"
Woodrow smiled.
"...she's a killer too. You know, it's gonna get a hell of a lot easier down the line. Killing. The sting of regret will water down with each kill, 'till you don't feel anything anymore. So much easier, that soon, you'll find yourself turning that gun on the ones you hold dearly."
"No, no, that's never gonna happen!" yelled Jace.
"Are you sure about that?" said Woodrow.
Woodrow began to walk towards Jace. Jace grabbed the pistol from his belt and shook as he aimed it at Woodrow.
"Stay back! I'm warning you!"
Woodrow began to walk faster.
"Stay back!"
Jace closed his eyes and fired his pistol wildly. Then, he heard empty clicks. He opened his eyes slowly, hearing coughs and gargles. Then, he dropped his pistol, tears forming in his eyes.
Leni looked at Jace, feeling hurt. Her teary eyes and bloody frown stared at Jace.
"Why…?" whispered Leni.
Leni dropped to the ground. Jace ran towards Leni, cradling her body under his arms as he wept.
"Oh god…" wept Jace. "Oh my god… Leni…"
Leni growled as her golden eyes opened.
"YOU CAN'T HAVE ME, YOU MURDERER!"
Leni growled and reached for Jace's chest, pulling down his shirt. Jace screamed as Leni lunged her jaws into his neck. She then bit down.
Jace gasped as his eyes opened up. He looked around the room, sweat in his shirt and face. Carol fidgeted around while still asleep. He rubbed his arms against his forehead and sighed. He got up from his bed and opened the door and left.
A rat scurried across the courtyard outside the White House. On the balcony of the second floor, an owl looked around, before flying off. A moth fluttering its wings flew outside the window to a room on the third floor, before moving away towards the moon. Inside the room were two sleeping teenagers. Carol and Becky slept next to each other peacefully in their queen bed. The door to their room was open as Jace's bed was empty.
Darkness filled the hallways inside the White House. Faint light would peer through the windows without curtains, though the hallway that Jace was stumbling through was pitch black. He headed towards the bathroom at the end of the hall.
Sam's eyes were closed, yet her body was at a state of unrest. She fidgeted around before her eyes burst open, her pupils dilating and her breaths shaking. After a few blinks and a deep breath, her hands reached for a cup of water on the desk adjacent to her, but her fingers gripped an empty cup. Frowning, her eyes focused on the girl next to her in bed. Her frown faded and was replaced by a warm smile as she watched Luna snore peacefully. She placed her elbow against the pillow and continued to admire her beautiful girlfriend as she thought about how cute Luna's snores were.
Her neck then slowly turned towards the door, as she heard soft footsteps outside the room. She moves her legs softly and quietly before moving out of the bed with care. Her slippers warmed up her feet now as she grabbed a cotton cardigan and wore it over her white shirt and striped sweatpants. She grabbed her cup and peeked out of the room.
A dark figure continued walking down the hallways. Sam looked closely at the figure, but couldn't make out the person. It could be any of the teenagers. The figure was murmuring to himself.
"Hey!" Sam whispered out loud.
The figure did not seem to hear. The figure, being Jace, entered the bathroom. A bewildered Sam followed the figure into the bathroom slowly.
Jace turned on the shower water as Sam walked inside. There was more light inside the bathroom, and Sam was finally able to see the figure's face. And it was a face that looked half-dead.
"Jace? You alright?"
Jace paid no attention and stepped inside the shower, drenching his hair, his face, his clothes. He placed his palms against the wall and bent down his head, before turning around, sliding his back down the walls, grabbing his knees. Tears began to blend in with the water droplets on his face.
Sam looked at Jace as the water continued to splash against the tub. He looked at Sam before covering his face with his wet hands.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I heard you outside my room."
Sam set her cup on the sink and placed her hand on the shower faucet handle. The water stopped running down. Drops of water dripped from Jace.
"You're going through something," said Sam. "Wanna talk about it?"
"How could I?" asked Jace. "I don't disgust you? You don't think I'm a fuckin' monster?"
"Why would I ever–?"
"'Cause of what I did to that kid! He was just a kid no older than me. I shot him in the chest and left him to bleed out while his friend watched."
"Who are you talking about?"
"A kid. I was with… Kotaro. I was in a building, sniping everyone outside. We were rescuing you guys."
Sam took a light breath and grabbed a towel next to the sink. She passed it over to Jace.
"They were cannibals," said Sam. "They were going to kill me and Luna and everyone in our group."
"I don't see him as a cannibal," said Jace. "I see him as a person."
"How could–?"
"Maybe he didn't know. Maybe he never seen his group slaughter people."
Sam scoffed.
"No, Jace, that's–"
"He coulda' just been a normal kid, just hanging out with the wrong people."
"Jace…"
"Eating people without knowing!"
Sam placed her hand on Jace's wet shoulder.
"Jace. Listen to me. He knew."
Jace looked at Sam, surprised. Sam closed her eyes, wondering whether she should continue fabricating the truth or not. She then opened her eyes.
"There were people… our age inside t-the slaughter room. I-I probably saw him! Calvin said no one in any of the X-Zones are innocent. Everyone's killed someone in there. Even if they were some who hasn't, they still supported cannibalism. No, not supported– involved with it! They were going to kill me for God's sake!"
Jace rubbed his hair with the towel.
"I'm sorry, Jace. I just… I just don't see that kid as human. He's the real monster."
"Oh. Who's Calvin?"
"That's their leader," replied Sam. "A real arrogant a-hole."
Jace sniffled.
"I have a problem with killing," whispered Jace. "I'm useless. I got Kotaro killed."
"No, don't do that. It's not your fault. I think you're very useful."
Sam grabbed Jace's hand and held it.
"You saved my life again. First, from Woodrow. Now, from Calvin."
Memories began to flash through Jace's head. A gunshot to Woodrow's body. Then again. And again. Then once more of the cannibal that he murdered.
"I need some water…" said Jace.
"Same. Let's go downstairs."
Sam lifted Jace up and helped him out of the tub. She grabbed her cup.
"You really don't think I'm a monster?"
"No," said Sam. "Never."
Sam looked at the mirror.
"I know how it feels like. To beat yourself up over this. I kinda did too. God, I can't believe it's been two years already."
Jace held his towel while looking at Sam's reflection.
"There was this asshole that was part of this group," said Sam. "Remember when we told you that Lori and Bobby kinda adopted this little girl? Darcy?"
Jace nodded.
"Remember how we told you that Lori never talked about what happened to her? You didn't want to know then."
"I still don't think I want to know now," whispered Jace.
"You're going to know now, Jace. It's been witnessed by all of us. Even by the people who weren't there. Lisa recorded it with her glasses. But before I knew what happened to her… I killed this asshole because he shot Luna. He was going to kill her. I felt guilt, but I knew it would be better than feeling regret after knowing you couldn't save the life of the people you love. He was an asshole, but he was still human– I thought."
Sam closed her eyes and opened them as a teardrop fell out.
"Then I found out what the asshole did. He kept us apart and distracted… because his people were gonna burn Darcy alive in front of everyone. And they did. It didn't matter if he was just followingorders. He killed Darcy just as his group did. Darcy. A four-year-old. She did nothing– I mean NOTHING– to deserve one of the most painful ways you can die."
Sam wiped her tears.
"They thought of nothing when they killed Reggie. They didn't have any second thoughts about slaughtering that teen girl while she was conscious. They didn't waste a second."
Sam wrapped her arms around Jace. She then placed her head against Jace's shoulder.
"We're human, Jace. We feel these things because we know the value of life. That's why we protect life by taking it away from those who wish to destroy it. And those people– they're no different from the roamers– they're monsters."
"I… I don't know what to say. I see why Luna loves you."
Sam smiled softly.
"Well, being there for the people you love is kinda what we do around here," whispered Sam.
Jace smiled.
"But in all seriousness," said Sam. "She was there for me first. That's how I got through my guilt. She talked. She listened. She was there. It's really, really hard to deal with this on your own. That's why I want to be there for you. You're my friend, Jace."
Sam released her head from Jace's shoulders.
"Let's get you that water, shall we?"
Jace smiled softly while nodding. He then followed Sam out of the bathroom.
-Next Morning-
A group of pidgeons flew across the air and gray sky, passing the White House. The brisk air caused more leaves to move and fall to the ground. The grass in the overgrown lawns moved around.
Lincoln laid his arms on the cracked balustrade, holding the M1911 on one hand while letting it hang over the railing. He looked down at the ground, over thirty feet below. He knew if the gun landed on concrete, it would be damaged critically. It was an old gun.
He looked at the right side of the grip, near the bottom. The Piranha emblem was carved into the stainless steel surface. He flinched at the sight of the emblem and took the pistol away from the railing before pacing back and forth, his eyes glued to the ground.
His eyes then turned towards the Solarium, where Vonda opened the door and walked outside to the rooftop.
"Coming down soon?" asked Vonda. "Lynn and I are in the mood for some scrambled eggs, and we know you make them the best."
"Yeah, I'll be in the kitchen in a minute," replied Lincoln. "Just need to think."
"Okay. That's cool. I guess I'm just gonna head– wait…"
Vonda's eyebrows lowered as she looked at the pistol that Lincoln held. She walked towards him.
"What is that?"
"What?"
"The gun," said Vonda. "On your hand!"
Lincoln gasped softly as he tried hiding it behind his back.
"It's just my pistol."
"Really? I thought it was a pencil," said Vonda sarcastically. "Just let me see it!"
Lincoln tried moving away before Vonda grabbed his arm. She moved it away from his back and grabbed the pistol. Lincoln struggled to grip the M1911. However, Vonda pulled it away.
"Wow. You're really strong," said Lincoln.
Vonda looked at the grip. She then looked back at Lincoln.
"Who gave you this gun?" she asked softly.
"Lori did."
"You hid it all this time? Were… were you going to throw it off the roof?"
Lincoln remained silent. He looked at Vonda's eyes before facing the ground.
"Why?" she asked. "'Cause of my mother? I know my mother used that gun, but that gun isn't actually–"
"Because of the emblem on the gun," said Lincoln. "Everytime I look at the gun, I see a reminder of what I lost! No– what was taken from me!"
Lincoln took a deep breath.
"I know I can just give this gun back to Lori and get another pistol. But I know how much it means to you. Like the blue vest that you wear– which by the way, is kind of strong of you. You took it from your mother and made it your own. I respect that. But… I'm having trouble with that. And to be honest with you, I don't want to give this gun back. I want it gone. Because even if I give this gun back… I'll never stop thinking about Lucy. And Liam. And Francisco and Chunk and Tad and Missy and… your mother. The only way I can stop thinking about them is by… maybe by destroying this gun. But then… there's you."
Vonda placed her fingers over the Piranha emblem and covered it.
"You aren't the only one," said Vonda.
"I know," said Lincoln. "Even Lynn wanted to destroy it."
"Not just her. I also wanted to destroy it. For all the pain my mother caused. Becky made sure I didn't forget who Tad was. She sobbed way too much for me to forget. Songs played by Luna and Sam in remembrance of Chunk still play in my head. I remember Lynn cursing at the world because she couldn't talk to Francisco and Lucy anymore. And with Missy… well, we know how Richard handled that. And then there's Liam. I haven't seen him die, so I can't imagine how painful it must've felt like when Liam was taken from you. This is the first time I've seen you show some kind of emotion for him. Were you two close friends?"
Lincoln looked at Vonda and nodded.
"Really close friends. Probably was my closest friend after Clyde and Ronnie Anne. I don't mean any offense to Rusty or Zach or any of my other friends. It's just that I met him first."
Lincoln walked up to the balustrades and sat against it. Vonda looked down at him before placing the pistol down and sitting down next to him.
"I remember third grade," said Lincoln. "It was the first time Clyde and I didn't have class with each other. I remember being scared and nervous. I thought there would be no one to talk to. No one to have a laugh with, no one to get through the school day with. But then, there was a new kid. Liam. He was a homeschooled kid that lived on some farm, and boy, you could tell he was homeschooled. And… that he lived on a farm. Many kids did, and they made fun of him for it. Always saying 'howdy' and 'reckon' and 'tarnation.' I felt bad. It was his first day of school and he was already getting a bad taste of public schooling. But he didn't have a choice 'cause his parents weren't gonna spend some money and time on homeschooling him when he could just go to our school for free."
"Yeah, I get that," said Vonda.
"Anyways. I talked to him. I wanted to make him feel better, so I said to him, 'You know, your accent actually sounds cool.' Of course he doubted me at first and thought I was just someone else teasing him. But then he saw that I meant it. You should've seen the smile on his face… it was… contagious."
Vonda smiled softly before it faded away.
"I don't really remember much about what happened that year, but I do remember when he invited me to his farmhouse. He showed me his cows, chickens, pigs, and horses. It was crazy, yet I found myself having fun. But I hate thinking about it now."
Lincoln rubbed his arms.
"You know what he said to me? It must've been a couple weeks into the post-GIE world. But he told me that should anything happen to him, that I should take good care of Tabby. Guess I failed two people right there. And I never showed how I felt 'cause I tried suppressing my grief like Lucy told me to. I didn't do it correctly. That's three people I failed."
Lincoln grabbed the gun and looked at the emblem.
"I just hate being reminded of it."
Vonda looked at Lincoln and placed her hands over the gun.
"You know how I took ownership of the vest? That's what my mother did with the gun. Because this gun? It's not her's."
"It's not?" asked Lincoln.
"No," said Vonda. "It belongs to my dad. She took it for herself when she left us and carved the emblem in there herself. I kept it because it's one of the last things I can remember my dad by."
"Vonda… I… I didn't know. That's why you didn't want Lynn to throw the gun away."
"Mhmm. But… I think you should keep it. I don't know what you're gonna do about that carved emblem though. I would tell you to block it out in your head… but we both know that'd be impossible, right?"
Lincoln nodded. Vonda sighed and looked away.
"I feel selfish," she said. "I want you to keep it just because it belonged to my dad– even though it reminds you about what happened to our group."
"It's not selfish. I get it."
"No, it is! I got other things that belonged to him, like that picture with me and him in Disneyworld," said Vonda. "And, I have George. He reminds me of my dad 'cause… he kinda acts like him. He's kinda like my dad now."
Vonda stood up and looked towards the Solarium. She then paused and looked back.
"I'm sorry. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe keeping the gun isn't the best thing to do."
Lincoln shook his head.
"I'll keep it," said Lincoln.
"Now I feel bad."
"No– really! I'll keep it 'cause I just got an idea! I have a feeling it's something your dad would approve.
Vonda smiled.
"Really? Well you can tell me about it. But come down and make some scrambled eggs first. Please."
Lincoln nodded. He stood up and placed the gun behind his pants before following Vonda back into the Solarium. He closed the door, no longer feeling the brisk air.
After an hour, the group was back at the street where they found Kotaro's clothes and remains. Lori looked at the map while Lynn, Preston, and Vonda looked at the ground near the street light.
"Yup, you're right, Preston," said Lynn. "This one's fresher."
"Blood stains go that way," said Vonda.
"There's mud tracks as well," said Preston. "They couldn't have been far if they placed the head here so fast."
The three trackers moved through the streets, with Lori and the rest of the group following. Lincoln held his M1911, scratching the grip with his knife to carve the Piranha emblem out. He then looked around.
"Lori?" asked Lincoln. "Where's Carol and Becky?"
"Back at the White House. Why?"
"I just want to ask something that might've been a bit… sensitive for Carol to hear."
"Oh, okay," said Lori. "I'm all ears."
"I think I understand why people want to end their lives in this world. But there's something I don't understand. When someone does lose everything they love… and they keep on going… they always become a worse version of what they were before… so how do you keep on going without losing your humanity? Even after losing everything?"
Lori looked down at Lincoln.
"I don't know," said Lori.
George walked over to Lori and Lincoln.
"You two talk loud," said George.
"It's in the name," smiled Luan.
"I don't mean to pry into the conversation, but I'm going to do so anyways. Everytime we lose someone, we lose a piece of ourselves. When you lose everything, you also lose yourself. The most dangerous people are the ones with nothing to lose."
Lincoln frowned.
"I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't think there is a way to retain your humanity after losing everything and everyone you love. There are those who decide they can't live on and take matters into their own hands…"
"Like Eddie and Sheila…" said Lincoln.
"...and those who try to live on… as something else. The more time passes, the worse they get. That is until you find a new family. Like I did."
Vonda moved her hair behind her ears and smiled as she led the group towards another street.
"That's why people like Richard and Calvin became monsters," said Lincoln. "Family's everything, isn't it?"
George nodded.
"But then what about Carol?" asked Bobby. "Didn't she see us as family?"
"She was clinically depressed," said George. "It's different."
"I can't imagine it," said Lori. "Losing a child is just… must be the worst pain in the world. I would never wish that on my worst enemies."
After a few minutes, the group were outside Glover-Archbold Park, with the Lauinger Library next to it, both about two dozen blocks northeast from the White House. The group held their weapons as they approached the library.
"Tracks end here," said Lynn. "They gotta be inside this library."
"Or in that park," said Preston.
"No lookouts?" asked Ronnie Anne. "That's weird. Thought they'd be smarter than that."
"We'll catch 'em by surprise then," said Sam.
The group aimed their weapons at the door as some of the survivors walked up the wide concrete stairs. A couple roamers came running down the block towards the library.
"Hurry, someone open!" exclaimed Clyde.
George and some of the others laid against the wall of the library, out of the line of sight of anyone that would be behind the door. David grabbed the doorknob and turned it, slowly pushing it inside the building. He slowly leaned against the door, peeking his silenced M9 inside the building. As the door opened more and more, he saw moving figures in the darkness.
Suddenly, all the roamers faced the open door. David's eyes grew wide as he quickly shut the door, the roamers inside growling while running towards the door. The living bodies inside slammed against the door before furious scratching and banging was heard inside.
"It's all roamers!" yelled David.
"No one's inside?" asked Vonda.
"Just the roamers!"
The roamers continued slamming the door as the runners from the streets approached the group members. Some of them climbed up the stairs backwards as they aimed their guns at the roamers.
Lincoln fired his MP5SD at the runners, quickly taking some of them out, while Benny fired his M4A1. They continued climbing up the stairs when more roamers continued approaching them.
Then, the hinges in the library doors began ripping away from the wooden frame. George, Bobby, and Lynn helped David keep the doors shut, though with every passing second, it felt as if the roamers grew stronger and stronger.
"This door is not going to hold!" yelled David. "Get away from it!"
"No!" yelled Lynn. "I… got it!"
"Go, now!"
"No, you pussies!"
"Listen to him!" yelled Lori.
David, George, and Bobby backed away from the door as the group members by the door all ran to the stairs. The door hinges snapped and caused Lynn to stumble backwards as the door toppled.
"LYNN!" screamed Lori.
She pulled her rifle up and fired wildly into the library entrance. The runners all dropped and tripped over the wooden door as Lynn tried crawling away. More runners continued to run up the stairs, which Lincoln and Benny continued firing at.
"I need to reload!" yelled Benny.
"Me too!" exclaimed Lincoln.
"I got you, guys!" shouted George.
George fired his shotgun rapidly as Sam joined him with her own pistol. She pulled the trigger rapidly, many of the bullets striking the runners, though missing their heads, but she shot the bullets fast enough that they all eventually hit their skulls.
Lori ran towards Lynn and helped her up. However, one runner under a pile of dead roamers growled as it hung onto Lynn's long ponytail with its oozing fingernails. It wore an armored helmet and mask and a U.S. military uniform. The roamer pulled her close to its exposed jaws. Lori yelped as she pulled Lynn back away with greater force, causing Lynn to shriek in pain. David fired his M9 at the roamer once before the chamber slid back. The single bullet was not enough to penetrate the helmet.
Lynn grabbed Lori's arm with both of her hands as she tried pulling away from the roamer. She felt like her head was being ripped off. David frantically searched for an extra magazine as Ronnie Anne fired a bolt into the roamer's head. The helmet caught it. Bobby stepped on the roamer's other arm and lunged his knife downward, though the helmet caught it.
Lori yelled as her hand turned purple with Lynn squeezing on to her wrist. Hana sliced a roamer's head off before she turned around. She quickly raised her katana and sliced Lynn's ponytail off. Lynn lunged forwards to Lori as Hana decapitated the roamer. As it continued growling, Hana turned the roamer's head upside down and stabbed it through its neck down to its brain, killing the roamer.
Ronnie Anne stood up and swung her crossbow at the roamer behind her. She yelled as more armored roamers came towards the group. However, they were all slow, so the group members were able to hop off the stairs and onto the lawn before running off towards the park. Hana stayed back and pushed the armored roamers down the stairs, causing them to roll and land on their backs, where they would struggle to get up.
The group continued running deeper into the park before they weren't able to see the library anymore. They paused and took deep breaths.
"Jesus fuck!" yelled Lynn, wiping her eyes. "That shit hurt!"
Lynn pulled off a couple hair strands from her ponytail, which was now sliced in half.
"I can't believe you," said Lori.
"What? We coulda' kept the door closed!" said Lynn.
"No, we wouldn't have!" yelled Lincoln.
"Listen here you–" growled Lynn.
"No! How about you LISTEN for once in your DAMN life! Huh? How about that? We were all telling you to leave! But nooo… you had to stay back and be the stubborn stupid person you are and almost get yourself killed! And for what? What are you trying to prove? Or do you legitimately think you're right all the time? Get it through your freakin' thick skull that you're gonna DIE if you keep pulling crap like that!"
Lincoln's breaths shook. Lynn took a deep gulp as she was left speechless. The group members stared at both of them in silence.
"Well, damn," whispered Jace.
"Lincoln…" sighed Lori. "That was too harsh. And you, Lynn. That was fucking stupid of you."
Lynn looked away as she held her tears back. Lori rubbed her hand behind Lynn's head and softly stroked it before Lynn slapped it away. She continued to walk ahead, saying nothing.
"Guys, I think I see something," said Sam, looking into her binoculars. "Up ahead!"
The group members walked ahead, reloading their weapons and getting ready for battle again. However, all they found was an empty campfire with burnt timber and a bucket with bones and pieces of decaying flesh. There was a stick above the empty campfire and footprints around it.
"Over here," said Bobby.
Lori turned towards a tree with blood stains against it. On it was a note stuck to the tree through a knife on its bark. Lori clenched her teeth as she began to seethe in anger. The note read: CHECK. YOUR MOVE, LORI.