IV - The Night Will Be Over Soon
The fire crackled in the fireplace, getting smaller and smaller as it was running out of fuel to burn. Sam sat up straight with a blanket around her, drinking from her canteen while she held a piece of meat with one of her hands. Luan placed a pill inside her mouth and downed it with a sip of water. Becky placed a piece of meat into her mouth and bit off of it with her teeth before chewing it. Lynn cut another slice of meat from the cooked dog meat that sat in front of the fireplace and handed it to Carol. Ronnie Anne licked her fingers as Lincoln rubbed his against his coat. Lana looked down at the dog meat in her paper plate and took a deep breath before ripping a chunk off of it and placing it inside her mouth. Luna sat at the dining table, far from the others, looking out the window— half of it covered from the outside by snow. Clyde sat next to Bobby, both of them finishing up their meal.
Lori looked at the dying fire as Lily finished eating her granola bar before rubbing her mouth with her sleeves. Both of them were sitting in front of the couch, trying to gather the last remaining heat.
"More food?" asked Lily.
Lori looked at Lynn who began tossing the remains of the dog's carcass into a plastic bag.
"Any more food?" asked Lori.
"Nah, we ran out," said Lynn as she placed Kimi's head into the bag. "All we got is bones and fur. Nothing we can eat."
"But I'm hungry," said Lily.
"I'm sorry, Lil. There's nothing left."
A sorrowful frown formed on Lily's face. Lori placed her hands on Lily's shoulder and handed her the rest of her food, which was a half-eaten piece from what was Kimi's leg. With one eager grab, Lily took the piece and stuffed it in her mouth.
"I hate this," said Lily as she was chewing. "Kimi was a friend."
"I know," said Lori. "We had to do it, though. Otherwise… we all would've died."
"Are we gonna do it again? Eat a friend?"
"No. Never again."
"Okay."
Lily continued eating the dog meat.
"Dang, this snow is not letting up," said Luna. "I think we're gonna get snowed in."
"Just like that time in the Burpin' Burger?" asked Lincoln.
"Yeah, man."
"When that asshole Flip left us trapped?" remarked Lynn.
"We shouldn't speak ill of the dead," said Lori. "At least… not about him. I'm not denying that he was an asshole— that he was. But he died honorably."
"Woah, woah, he's dead?"
Lori nodded.
"Wow. When was this?"
"Back in Ketcham Park. When we went up against the rogues. He was there. He... saved my life."
Bobby looked at Lori and nodded in agreement. Lori lowered her head as Lynn blinked away her thoughts about the Flip that she knew.
"Damn," said Becky. "What else haven't you told us about?"
Lori looked into the dying fire.
"A lot of things," said Lori.
"Seems like a good night to tell us everything."
"No, we're gonna pull through," said Carol. "We don't need any unnecessary confessions. Some things stay in the past."
"Whatever."
The atmosphere was silent before Luna broke it.
"I would say to get more firewood, but there's no way we're gonna be able to walk around!" she exclaimed. "Not in this weather."
Lincoln walked towards the dining table and looked out the window. The pink sky reflected the sheet of snow that lay across the land surrounding the cabin. Snow swirled around like raindrops in a hurricane. He let out a frustrated sigh before taking a seat.
"So we're stuck here," said Lincoln.
"Yup."
"Looks like we only got time for each other."
"I guess so. Though…"
Luna looked around the cabin, sensing tension between the group members.
"...I think that's the last thing we all want."
"But it's what we need."
"Yeah. Is there something you need, little bro?"
"No, not me. Sam."
"Sam's fine. She just needs some time to herself."
"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"
"What do ya mean?"
"I don't know, you've kinda been acting cold and distant towards her."
"She's sick," whispered Luna. "I can't exactly hug her and keep her warm."
"You want to keep telling yourself that?"
"Sayin' I'm a liar?"
"We have medicine now."
"Which we might need later."
"You can talk to her. Wouldn't do you any harm. Wear a cloth around your face. Wear a surgical mask. Carol has a spare one for you."
"I'm just not in the mood, okay?"
"Alright."
As Lincoln prepared to stand up and leave, Luna quickly grabbed his hand.
"Wait," said Luna. "I do wanna ask you something."
"What is it?"
"How… do you deal with grief?"
"How do I deal with it?"
"Yeah."
"This is about Jace and Lisa, isn't it?"
"Mostly Jace. I know it's harsh of me to say, but even though Lisa's my sister… she had her skeletons in her closet. Stuff that I don't feel responsible for. But Jace? I feel… somewhat responsible."
"How?"
"That's exactly what Sam said. How. I mean, isn't it obvious?"
"I… don't know."
"He was a good shot and he knew it. But his skills were… inconsistent. So I trained him. I trained him and I made him an excellent shot. So excellent, he was able to take out a cannibal… then traumatized himself because he did what I taught him to do. He killed a kid. Sam told me… she told me how broken he was. But then he found his way back up and did exactly what I taught him… again. Aim, hold your breath, fire. And he did it, even when the White House was going to explode, all so that we could escape. And the funny part is that he was an actual good human being. Me? The gal who beat the living shit out Woodrow with a crowbar until all she saw was his face torn apart in pieces? Why am I still here?"
"Wow… that's a lot to take in," said Lincoln. "But you don't have to do it alone… I mean—"
"I do. Sam isn't going to help, not 'cause she doesn't want to, but 'cause I don't want her to. She can't. When I shot Lynn—"
Lincoln looked towards the living room, though the group members were all paying attention to Lori and Becky arguing.
"—I felt devastated! Like I wouldn't be able to live with myself. And so you know what Sam did? She hugged me. She talked about things. Things that had nothing to do with Lynn. It distracted me for a bit, but guess what? It didn't heal. And everytime she stopped hugging me, stopped cuddling me, stopped kissing— it's- it all hit me again. That I killed Lynn. And every time I was reminded, the pain felt worse— like I didn't deserve to be happy, even for one bit. I was lost— I didn't know what I was going to do. And then the only reason I was able to heal was because Lynn never died at all. I shot her… but I didn't kill her. A breath of relief."
"Could be the same for Jace. I mean, we never found a body."
"Because we never looked! And even if we did, there wouldn't be a body to be found. He died in an explosion. You know what happens to bodies during an explosion? They burn up!"
Luna sighed as she rubbed her head.
"Remember Parker?" she asked.
"Parker? Doesn't really ring a bell, no," said Lincoln.
"He was a dude I trained back in Houlton. A little older than me. Just like Jace— he was a good shot— so I trained him. Made him an excellent shot. Placed him on that prison tower. Then… Black's men came."
"The day we got compromised."
"Yeah… and when they attacked… Moss fired an explosive from his grenade launcher. The tower exploded. Parker died."
A tear flowed out of Luna's eyes.
"Dana died too, you know. And it wasn't you who trained him… Pike did."
"Ugh, are you comparing me to that manky bastard?"
"N-No! I'm just trying to say that you can't blame yourself for what happened to Jace or Parker. There's no way we can tell what's gonna happen. If anything, you might've saved more lives by training them."
"That's what I've tried telling myself… but for some reason, I can't stop thinking about how it's my fault."
"Death is not an easy thing to move on from. We all know this better than anyone. Even now, I still think about Mom, Dad, Lola, Lucy, Leni, and Lisa. I still think about my friends… Liam, Zach, Tabby, Rusty. I still think about the friends I made along the way like D, Wavehead, Reggie, Weber. I know it can be easy to blame ourselves when we do things that lead to the outcomes we didn't want… and all we can think about is what we did or didn't do. Maybe if I had been on the boat in Hudson, I could've saved Liam. Maybe if I went with Zach instead in Medway, we wouldn't have found Richard… and Zach would still be alive. Maybe if I… if I had not brought Tabby along with me to Bangor for the supply runs, she would still be alive. Maybe if I focused on getting Rusty and his father to safety first, then they would have been alive. But what good does thinking like that do? If we think like that… then it's always going to be our fault. Death happens, no matter what, and all we can do is hope that we make it through the day."
Luna nodded. She quickly wiped her tears.
"And when we think like that… we ignore who really got these people killed. Rusty was killed by General Black. His fault. Tabby was killed by roamers because the rogues riled them up and sent them our way. Once again, General Black's fault! Zach was stabbed by Richard. His fault! Liam was killed by the Piranhas, who were ordered by Sherry to kill him! Her fault! It's never gonna be our fault! It's always them and not us! NOT US!"
Lincoln panted as he felt sweat dripping from his forehead. He then looked out the dining room and into the living room where all the group members were staring at them. Ronnie Anne shook her head before looking away, as the rest of the group remained in awkward silence.
"You need to relax," said Luna.
"I'm sorry."
"What happened to you?"
"What?"
"I'm being serious, what happened to you while we were gone? I mean, I know you and Ronnie Anne had to kill some kids, and I-I get that that's some messed up shit, but…"
"It's… nothing."
"It's something."
"I don't want to talk about it now."
"So what was all that talk about? Only applies to me?"
"I'm talking about it with Ronnie Anne," whispered Lincoln. "I love her just as much as you love Sam."
Luna was left speechless, though she could feel a bit of joy building up in her.
"Don't tell anyone," said Lincoln.
"I won't. Just… does she know it too?"
"We're kinda on the same page, yeah."
"Does that mean you two are like… dating right under our noses?"
"Sorta…? I mean, we're not exactly hanging out at the arcade, going out to restaurants together, buying each other flowers and chocolate. It's what we talk about… how simple times were before."
"Yeah. I get what ya mean. I mean, that's what Sam and I talk about too. We've never gone out on a date together 'cause how can we?"
"Yeah. How can we?"
Luna let out a sigh of remorse.
"You're right, Lincoln. I'm not thinking rationally. And if I try to do this alone… I'm only gonna get worse. Sam is my rock. She's gonna help me heal."
Lincoln nodded before shivering. He looked at the fireplace and noticed that the fire was dying out.
"I'm cold," said Lily.
Lynn walked into the kitchen and grabbed a wooden chair before slamming it against the ground, breaking its legs apart. She then grabbed the legs and tossed them into the fireplace.
"Damn it," said Lynn. "I thought it would make the fire stronger."
"I'm still cold," said Lily.
Lori lowered her head, feeling a wave of guilt coursing through her veins. She hugged Lily and placed her head against hers.
"I'm so sorry, Lily," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry that I haven't been there for you as much as I should have been. I know I'm not Mom or Dad but… I'm your older sister. I should have been there for you more."
"It's okay."
"It really isn't," said Lori. "I don't know what number you can count up to. I don't know your favorite color— or if you have one. I don't know if you still remember Mom and Dad's voices. You're my sister… yet I know almost nothing about you. You look up to me… yet you know almost nothing about me. Everything you know about me… was told by someone other than me."
"Like Leni?"
"Yeah," said Lori, taken by surprise by Lily's response. "Like Leni. I… I didn't realize you still remember her."
"We had the same hair color. Same eye color. I still know what she sound like. She said I sound like her. And look like her."
"Yeah… you do. I think… I think that's part of the reason why it never bothered me to leave you under someone else's care."
"I don't get it."
"I think what she's trying to say is that you remind her of Leni," said Bobby. "And she misses Leni… a lot."
"Really?"
Lori nodded as she tried to hold back her tears.
"I'm sorry," whispered Lily.
"No, don't be. I'm the one who's sorry… remember?" sniffled Lori. "It shouldn't be like that. I should be there for you."
"What do I do? I want you to be with me more."
"You don't have to do anything. I'm gonna make the effort. I'll get to know you better. Like a sister should."
"Okay," smiled Lily.
Lily hugged Lori tighter, feeling herself getting warmer.
"My favorite color is lavender," said Lily.
"Wow, I… I should've figured," smiled Lori.
"I can count to one… two… three… four…"
The fire continued to burn through the wooden legs until it began fading away. The light from the fire dimmed softer and softer. It gave off less and less heat. Then, the fire burnt out, leaving only small embers.
The cabin was dark. The wind howled outside. Snow flew past the windows at an incredible speed. Teeths were chattering. Bodies were shivering. Cold breaths were exhaled.
Becky held the lighter and flicked it. No sparks came out. No flames sprung to life. She flicked it again. Same results.
Sam coughed twice, though her surgical mask prevented her fluids from spreading. She looked inside her canteen before flipping it upside down. No water poured out. She then shook the canteen and felt ice moving around.
Bobby felt his heavy eyes closing and his head leaning against the comfortable couch while the rest of his body felt numb.
"B-Bobby, don't," whispered Clyde.
"I'm… tired, Clyde."
"D-Don't close y-your eyes."
Bobby slowly opened his eyes back up.
"G-Good job, C-Clyde," said Lori. "If he starts f-falling asleep a-again, tell me, s-s-so that I could s-slap him a...wake."
"N-No problem."
"You guys sound cold," said Lily. "One of you take my spot."
Lori looked at Lily who was in the center of the group huddle. She shook her head.
"C-Can't risk you g-getting sick," said Carol. "Y-You're not v-vaccinated."
"Yes, I am. Lisa vackinated me," said Lily.
"R-Really?"
"Yeah, with chickenpock, meazles, mumps, polio…"
"How d-does she r-remember t-this?" whispered Luna.
"...hepa— hepatai— hepa—"
"H-Hepatitis," said Carol. "Gr-Great. She never v-vaccinated Z-Zoey."
"Sounds like Lisa," said Becky, her voice sounding hoarse.
"A-Aren't y-you cold?" asked Luan.
"I've felt colder. Throat feels fucked up though."
"Are y-you talking a-about that n-night?" asked Lori.
"The night where you all left me to die alone? Had my throat all cut and burned?"
"I t-told you, w-we had t-to—"
"Had to take a dying man back home, right? Whatever, I don't need to hear you say it again for the—"
Without warning, a large crash was heard from above the group. Dust fell from the ceiling and dropped past the group and into the floor. The group members looked up. Wondering what caused such a large noise that shook the cabin.
"The hell was that?" asked Becky.
Lori stood up and left the warmth of her group's body heat. Some other group members stood up and followed her.
"Wait, guys, we're losing warmth," said Luna. "What about our body heat?"
More group members stood up, including Lily.
"We can't spare to lose any— oh, whatever."
"We can still hug," said Sam.
"I wanna see why everyone's getting up. It's probably no big deal. But we'll all come back and hug each other."
"Oh."
"Yeah, sorry."
Luna stood up and followed the survivors that followed Lori up the stairs. Sam looked down, feeling buried in emotional pain as Bobby gave her a sympathetic look. Clyde walked up to one of the front windows near the entrance and cleared out some of the condensation with his hands. The dark, snowy woods were barely visible through the thick blizzard, although what was hidden within the woods was soon to come out. Then, he noticed glowing eyes appearing as if from thin air, now all of a sudden, right in front of the window. A roamer growled as it began to slam its fists against the window.
A door slammed open, blasting the group with cold air as they ran up the attic stairs. Lori's cold breath slowly puffed out of her lips as the light from her flashlight entered her face, revealing her stunned blue eyes. Snow was piling up around the attic as a thick tree, along with its many branches leaned onto the attic floor, leaving a large gape on the roof where the tree had fallen and crashed into.
"That's not good, right?" asked Benny before looking at the terrified faces around him. "Not good. Got it."
"What do we do about this tree-bulation?" asked Luan.
Lynn rolled her eyes as she walked up to the tree.
"Woah, dude, what are you doing?" asked Luna, shining her flashlight at Lynn.
"What'd you think I'm doing? I'm gonna push this tree outta the way. And get that thing outta my face."
"Oh my god, you're so stupid," said Ronnie Anne. "This thing's gotta weigh like a ton."
Lynn placed her back against the tree and tried to push back, though the tree only moved an inch or two off the floor. She grunted and strained herself until she finally let go of the tree, causing it to smash down against the floor.
"C'mon, Lincoln," said Lana. "Please tell me you have an actual plan that can help us."
"I do," said Lincoln. "I got a rope. We can tie it around this top part of the tree and then pull it from the ground."
"Good plan," said Lori. "Get the rope. Everyone, let's go!"
"We're doing this now?" asked Luna.
Lori nodded as she began to walk back to the stairs.
"Wait!" exclaimed Lynn. "Look out there. Roamers."
"They must've heard the tree crashing into the cabin," said Becky.
"Or maybe they heard you popping off rounds," rebutted Benny.
Becky stared at her before forcing a small laugh.
"You really want to get into that?"
"Guys!" shouted a voice from below the attic.
"What is it, Clyde?" asked Lori.
Clyde panted as he showed his face beneath the stairway.
"There are roamers banging on our doors. Back door. Front door."
"That leaves us only one exit," said Lincoln.
"What other exits are there?"
Lincoln looked down from the roof opening, staring at the snowy ground.
"Not a very high jump," said Lincoln.
"Aw man," said Lana. "Not again."
"What's wrong? Is it gonna hurt?" asked Luan.
"No."
"Then, what is it?"
"You're gonna freeze your nuts off when you land on the snow," said Benny. "Or— or lady nuts."
"Lady nuts?" asked Lana.
"You know… your thing. Does she know about the… v-word?"
"No, and I want you to keep it that way," said Lori.
Lincoln ran down the stairs as Lori looked back.
"Not a high jump," she emphasized.
Lori jumped out and landed on the snow, feeling the snow splashing up to her face. She shuddered and moaned in discomfort as she felt her entire body get cold.
Lana looked at Benny.
"I know about the v-word," she said. "My veganism. You know I haven't been vegan since the dead started walking around."
"Right," chuckled Benny nervously.
"I don't get what that has to do with snow though."
Benny shrugged and then ran towards the opening and jumped into the ground. Benny landed on snow, just like Lori, and moaned in pain as he felt his groin get extremely cold.
After a couple minutes, Lincoln returned with a long rope. He tied it around the top part of the tree before hearing groans and grunts. He looked outside and saw the group fighting off roamers before he placed down his lantern and grabbed his M1911 and aimed it at the roamers.
"No!" shouted Lori. "Melee only! You don't wanna attract more of these assholes!"
She then yelled as she swung down her hatchet, splitting a roamer's head in two. She let go and let the body fall as she turned around and cut open another roamer's head. Lincoln grabbed the rope and while holding it, jumped downwards. He then hopped off the rope and landed gently onto the snow before taking out his Bowie knife. He immediately felt the blizzard smacking his face with its sharp snowflakes and freezing winds. He continued to stretch out the rope as the group members around him continued to fight off the roamers. He then tossed the rope onto the ground as he felt blood splatter onto the back of his jacket.
"I can barely see anything!" yelled Lincoln.
Suddenly, a roamer grabbed his shoulders and pushed himself towards him. He screamed as he fell forward, dropping his knife. The roamer shoved its hand over Lincoln's hat and pushed his head to the right, leaving his neck open. Lori shined her flashlight at Lincoln who screamed as the roamer sunk its head towards his neck.
"LINCOLN!" screamed Lori as she grabbed and raised her revolver.
Blood oozed out onto the snow as Lori stared in disbelief. Blood dripped from the roamer's mouth as its golden eyes stared at the piece of flesh on the ground. Lori sighed a breath of relief as Clyde removed the crutch from the roamer's mouth and out the back of its skull. Lincoln panted heavily as his face lay on the snow, looking at the dead roamer next to him.
"Are you okay, buddy?" asked Clyde.
"Yeah. Thanks, Clyde."
Clyde held out his hand, to which Lincoln grabbed as he stood up. Ronnie Anne panted heavily as she quickly wiped a tear from her eyes. She then hugged Lincoln before quickly letting go. Lori looked at Lincoln and smiled softly before shining her flashlight around.
"Alright, no more roamers. For now. Now, let's go pull this tree."
Lori placed the flashlight in her pocket and grabbed the rope. Lincoln and Clyde stood behind her, both of them grabbing the rope as well.
"We need to do this together," said Lori. "But our combined strength is not enough. We need to do this in sync. You will all follow me so we can pull together at the same time. No giving in. No giving up. Ready?"
Lynn, Carol, Benny, Luan, Luna, Ronnie Anne, and Lana each grabbed the rope. Becky then looked at Lori, holding her bleeding axe.
"If we're all doing this together… we'd be doing it in darkness," she said. "No one to hold a flashlight and guide all of us. We'd literally be blind."
"We've been doing it all this time," said Lori. "Everyone just needs to trust me. Do you trust me?"
Becky stared at Lori before nodding softly.
"I trust you."
Becky grabbed the rope and held it firmly.
"Alright. On five!" said Lori. "One… two… three… four… five!"
With all the strength in her body, Lori pulled on the rope while clenching her teeth. The rest of the group pulled as hard as they could, some grunting while others screamed. The tree lifted off of the cabin floor and began to move higher and higher into the air. However, the strong winds were rocking it, as if trying to oppose the group's strength.
"Hold it! Hold it!" screamed Lori. "Don't let go!"
Lincoln felt his face getting red. Luan felt her stomach squeezing itself. Carol felt her head getting lighter and dizzier. Becky felt her throat stabbing her. Benny felt his bowels being twisted. Lynn felt as if her back was ready to snap. Clyde felt his metal leg pressing deeper into his stump as he struggled to breathe. Lana felt her arms burning immensely. Ronnie Anne felt her shoulders being stretched out. Lori felt her teeth being clenched too hard before she let out a scream.
"Here!" yelled Bobby as he ran towards the group. "Let us help!"
"B...obby! No!" screamed Lori.
"Just keep pulling!" yelled Bobby.
"Lily, keep the flashlight pointed at the tree!" exclaimed Sam.
Bobby and Sam grabbed the end of the rope and began to pull with the group. The tree was raised even higher as the branches swayed wildly against the thick blizzard. Lily shined her flashlight at the tree, revealing it to be nearly perpendicular to the ground. She then saw the rope getting thinner in the middle.
"Lori! Rope!" exclaimed Lily.
"No!" yelled Lori.
The rope snapped as the tree prepared to make its descent towards the cabin in order to destroy it for good. The group members all fell back and on top of each other, forcing them to look upwards at the loose tree.
All of a sudden, they heard a scream coming from their left. Lily turned her flashlight towards the approaching figure, revealing it to be Vonda as she tackled the tree with all her body weight into her shoulder. The tree shifted to the right as it fell, crashing onto the right side of the cabin. Lori gasped as many snow particles propelled into the air before vanishing, leaving only the ruins of the garage to be seen.
"I heard a crash," said Lana. "Did we fail?"
"I don't know," said Ronnie Anne.
"It was just the garage," said Lynn. "Nobody cares about the garage."
"Who the hell just tackled the tree?" asked Becky.
"Looks like… Vonda!" gasped Lincoln.
"Did she just save our cabin?" asked Clyde.
"Safe arbor thanks to Vonda!" giggled Luan. "Get it? 'Cause the cabin's our safe harbor. And it sounds like arbor, which refers to the tree she just knocked over. And… 'cause she's from Ann Arbor… oh come on— triple meaning— that's pretty clever."
"I think it's clever," said Benny.
Luan smiled and kissed him in his left cheek. She then stood up along with the others.
"Are we not going to see if Vonda's okay?" asked Sam.
"Right!" gasped Bobby. "Carol!"
"On it!" exclaimed Carol as she ran towards Vonda.
Vonda groaned as she rubbed her shoulder. Lily shined the flashlight on her face, which she tried covering with her hands. Carol looked down at her as Vonda continued to look away from the flashlight.
"Lily, please do-me-a-favor... and point-that somewhere else," slurred Vonda. "Pretty please."
"Are you okay?" asked Lily.
"Peachy. But my right shoulder… man it's busted. I don't think I'm gonna-be-able-to use my bow... for a while."
"You look really pale," said Carol as she tried to attempt to catch her own breath. "And your voice sounds slurred. Let's get you inside."
"Don't forget… deer inside."
"Deer?"
Lily shined the flashlight behind her and gasped softly as she saw a deer lying dead on the ground.
"How long have you been carrying that?" asked Carol.
"Pretty long— long time," shivered Vonda. "I don't know about you… but I'm starving."
"Then, let's go eat," said Lori.
—
The fire crackled as broken splints and branches of the fallen tree and broken garage were placed into the fireplace. Slices of deer meat hung on top of a metal grill that was found in the garage. Lori then grabbed a slice of the cooked venison and placed it into a plate before handing it to Lily, who grabbed the plate with eager hands. Lily stuffed her mouth with the cooked venison, munching on its chewy texture.
"How is it?" asked Lori.
Lily continued to chew on the meat, licking her lips before swallowing the bite.
"Chewy," she said. "But delish."
"Hey," smiled Lincoln, "that's exactly—"
"—what Leni said when she first tried deer meat," said Lori before breaking into a soft smile. "I remember."
Lincoln smiled too before rubbing his arms in guilt. He looked down at Lily and crouched.
"Hey… Lily."
"Hi," replied Lily with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Look… about earlier… I'm sorry about how I reacted to you running away. I shouldn't have gotten so mad but the truth is that I was reminded of some painful memories. It's not an excuse but… I just wanted you to understand."
"You're not mad at me anymore?" asked Lily.
"No. I'm not. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I love you, Linky."
Lily placed her plate down and leaned close to Lincoln before giving him a hug. She then looked at Lori.
"I love you too, Lori."
Lori smiled at Lily.
"And you too, Luna. You too, Luan. You too, Lynn. You too, Lana. I love you all."
"Love you too, kiddo," said Lynn.
"Love you lots," said Luan.
"I love you, too," said Lana.
"I love ya' as well," said Luna.
"And you know who else I love? Bobby. Sam. Benny. Carol. Benny. Ronnie Anne. Clyde. Vonda"
Becky looked into the campfire as she pretended to ignore Lily.
"And Becky. One big family."
Becky looked at Lily with a stunned expression.
"Yeah, I guess we really are one big family," said Lori. "Isn't that right, Becky?"
Becky looked at Lori before growing a smile.
"Yeah. We are."
"Now, remember, we're all here… eating because of Vonda," said Lori. "If it weren't for her… we'd have no shelter, no food, no water."
"Hear, hear!" cheered Lynn.
"Aw, guys," chuckled Vonda as she blushed softly.
"Sometimes… I think about what I'd do for family," said Lori. "How I would give my life for every one of you sitting here right now. For someone I hated out of jealousy and spite, simply 'cause she one-upped me at everything— and 'cause she wanted my husband for herself."
Carol blinked softly as she looked at Lori.
"For someone… that I never talked to outside of high school."
Becky felt the glowing heat of the campfire warming her body.
"For someone… that I thought would just be a more annoying version of Luan."
Benny licked his fingers as he placed his plate down.
"For someone… that I always wanted to avoid because he had such a massive crush on me."
Clyde laughed softly as he continued to watch Lana fix his metal leg."
"For someone… that I picked up at Ann Arbor simply because I wanted to know what her dad knew."
Vonda looked down as she continued to rub her shoulder.
"And for… actually, I liked you from the start, Sam."
"Heh," giggled Sam. "I feel special."
"That's 'cause you are," said Luna.
Luna then hugged Sam before kissing her on the lips.
"Woah, what about me being sick?" asked Sam.
"I'd be okay with being sick if it meant spending another second with you."
"Aw, that's so mushy and romantic," said Lynn. "It's gross, just like Lori and Bobby."
The group members laughed as Luna shoved Lynn's face away while rolling her eyes.
Lori smiled as she continued.
"My blood… my siblings… they're always gonna get the best of my love, no matter what… and the rest of you… deserve that same kind of love. I'm sorry if lately it felt as if you were feeling some kind of neglect. The stress of it all got to me."
"It's alright," said Becky. "Hope this means there are no hard feelings between us."
"None."
"Great. Now make up with your husband. Who— by the way— Carol saved."
"Yeah. I can't thank you enough, Carol."
"You should really be thanking Lily," said Carol. "She's the one who got us the antivenom."
"Ah yes," said Lori as she turned towards Lily. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" said Lily before giggling.
Lori then turned towards Bobby.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "If I could make it up for you somehow—"
Bobby grabbed Lori's face and kissed her. He then released his lips from hers and embraced her in a warm hug.
"I'm sorry too," said Bobby.
"I love you."
"I love you too, babe."
"Like I said, gross," said Lynn.
The group members laughed. Lily couldn't help but smile at the warm embrace in front of her. She then yawned as the atmosphere felt, for the first time in a long time, relaxing.
"Lincoln and I are dating," said Ronnie Anne, interrupting the mood. "As in… boyfriend and girlfriend."
"Lincoln tilted his head and looked at Ronnie Anne in bewilderment.
"Wow, that… so came out of nowhere," laughed Lincoln.
"What? It felt like the right time. Everyone was being so affectionate and honest and— shut up, it's contagious!" smiled Ronnie Anne. "So then…"
"We know," said Lori.
"You… you did?"
"We… we did?" asked Bobby.
"Yes, honey, we did. You never figured it out?"
"No, this is the first time, I'm hearing about it. But my little Nini with my little bro? Man, that's awesome. It's awesome, I'm really happy for you two."
"Thanks, Bobby," said Ronnie Anne. "I was really worried you'd be weird about it."
"Weird? Nah. So does this mean we can go on double dates?"
"Now you're being weird about it."
Lori laid down next to Bobby as they snuggled up inside their sleeping bag. Lily looked at both of them, before Lori made space for Lily.
"It's time to sleep, Lily," said Lori.
"Before we sleep… can Carol sing one song? I want to sleep good."
"Can she?" asked Lori, looking at Carol.
"I don't know, can she?" repeated Carol.
"This could be your way of thanking her," said Bobby.
"Alright, fine. I'll sing a song," smiled Carol.
The fire crackled softly as Carol sat herself against the couch where Sam and Luna were lying next to each other. Carol's face glowed softly from the light that the fire emitted. She took a deep breath and then looked at the floor.
"Never mind the darkness…"
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne placed themselves on the mattress next to Lori's sleeping bag.
"Never mind the storm…"
Lynn rubbed Clyde's head as she stared at Carol with a relaxed expression.
"Never mind the blood red moon… the night will be over soon… the night will be over soon…"
Becky rubbed her mouth with a napkin while she stared at the fire. She then turned towards Carol with caring eyes.
"Brush away the sorrow…"
Lana placed her plate down and lay down on the dog bed, which still sported hints of Kimi's fur.
"Brush away the tears…"
Vonda continued to hold a bag of ice against her shoulder.
"Sing away your heavy heart… the night will be over soon… the night will be over soon…"
Carol looked around as she continued singing, her voice dominating the cracking fire and whistling wind sounds.
"For every night goes quiet…"
Benny wrapped his arms behind Luan and fidgeted with her flower necklace.
"And every moon grows blue…"
Lori looked at the fire with traumatized eyes before looking away as she felt Bobby's warm embrace.
"Beyond the dark, comes something new… the sun will be rising soon… the sun will be rising soon… the sun will be rising soon."
Carol sighed as she looked around. She then noticed something special about Lily's eyes. They were closed. A warm feeling formed in Carol's heart for the first time in a long time as she finally looked around with feelings of familial love. All the group members did and felt the same thing. Despite the peril of life-threatening cold temperatures, the danger of starvation, the risk of dehydration, the intensity of inner conflicts— in the face of falling apart— the group pulled through. Together.
It was now time to go to sleep.
-Day 1001-
The wind whistled quietly. The branches barely rustled. The snow lay in the ground without making a single noise.
Lily yawned as her eyes blinked slowly. She then stood up and looked around, noticing the group members all chattering among each other as Vonda and Lynn were handing each group member a plate of deer meat. She rubbed her eyes and stood up, feeling well-rested.
"At least we don't have to worry about shoveling the snow outta the sidewalks," said Lynn.
"Oh, look who's awake," said Bobby.
Lily's face beamed brightly with a smile.
Becky was in the dining room, putting her belongings back into her backpack. She then took out a wallet from her backpack, before hesitantly opening it up. She dug her fingers on the wallet, finding it completely empty. She then reached into her pockets and took out a picture of her family, which included her mother, her father, her little brother, and herself. She then placed the picture inside the wallet and placed it inside her backpack. She removed a switchblade from the backpack and placed it in her pocket, where her picture was.
"You don't have to pack up yet," said Lori.
"I just want to get a headstart," said Becky. "The less time we waste, the faster we get to our destination."
"We're not going anywhere," said Lori. "We're going to stay here for a bit. You know, give Bobby, Sam, Vonda some time to heal."
"And if there's nothing good for us here?"
"Then, we ditch it and move on."
"Okay."
Becky left the backpack on the table and followed Lori into the living room. She then saw the group members chattering happily among each other.
"What's going on?" asked Lori with a smile on her face.
"Lincoln told us about a playground that's nearby," said Lana. "You gotta let us go, Lori. It sounds like a lot of fun."
"Yeah. Fun!" exclaimed Lily.
"Alright, what are we waiting for?" smiled Lori.
The survivors cheered as they began to run out of the cabin. Lori looked back at Vonda.
"You guys, go," said Vonda. "I'm gonna watch the fire."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I think I'd like to be alone for a bit. It feels good. It always has."
"Okay. We'll be back."
"Have fun."
After Becky walked out of the cabin, Lori closed the door.
The survivors cheered as they ran towards the playground, which was snowed in. Clyde quickly kicked away the snow that sat on the swings before Luan mimicked him. Benny shook the snow out of the monkey bars while Lynn whacked the slide with her bow. Lana ran up the steps towards the slide with Lily following her while Lincoln and Ronnie Anne swept the snow away from the benches with their arms. Sam placed herself inside a wheel that lay on the ground as Luna picked it up and rolled it around. The couple laughed as Lana whooped while going down the slide. Carol and Becky then sat on the swings, moving back and forth slowly before picking up speed. Lori and Bobby sat themselves on the benches as they looked at Lily nervously walking towards the slide.
"You can do it, Lily!" exclaimed Bobby.
"Don't be nervous," said Lori. "It's fun! Trust me."
Lily nodded as she sat herself on the top of the slide. She then slid down, screaming in glee before landing on her butt in the snow. She giggled as Lana picked her up. Carol and Becky contained their laughter but felt euphoric from the swinging experience. Lincoln whispered into Ronnie Anne's ears before she giggled.
"Don't you feel like a parent?" asked Bobby.
"Yeah, and if this is what it feels like, then maybe we should start having kids," said Lori.
"Woah, you're being serious?"
"Haha, no, I'm just playing around."
"Oh okay. Because you know— I'm totally down for that."
"Yeah, I know you are, Boo-Boo Bear. Some time in the future… I'll carry your baby. Don't you worry."
"Well, when you say it like that, it—"
A snowball then smacked Bobby's face.
"Bobby!" Lori gasped.
"I'm okay."
Lori turned around to see Lynn holding a snowball in her hand.
"Lynn, was that you? You better not throw that at—!"
Lori shrieked as she got smacked in the face with a snowball. She groaned as she wiped the snow off her face.
"Ha! Afraid of me hitting you with a snowball?"
"Oh, I'll show you who to be afraid of!" shouted Lori as she dug her gloves into the snow.
Lynn gasped as she ducked, dodging the snowball tossed at her. She then created another snowball and tossed it at Lincoln.
"Oh, dang it, Lynn!" exclaimed Lincoln.
"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" shouted Lana.
She grabbed a snowball and hurled it towards Lynn, hitting her back. Sam gasped as she made a snowball and hurled it towards Luan, knocking her off the monkey bars. Benny chuckled before Luan threw a snowball at him. Carol made a snowball and handed it to Becky before she chucked it at Lori, who giggled as she wiped the snow off her chest.
"I'll get you for that, Becky!" she exclaimed.
Becky hopped off the swings and dodged the snowball hurled at her. She then rolled up another snowball and hurled it at Lori again.
Lily looked around, seeing snowballs flying everywhere, hearing laughter erupting. She looked down at the ground and rolled up a tiny snowball. She then smiled as she joined in on the snowball fight, laughing with everyone else, without a care in the world.
End Credit Song
Minerva's Lullaby [from Telltale's The Walking Dead]
Not a lot of action, I know. Just a chapter to develop our characters a bit so that everything can be set up for the upcoming chapters. If I were you, I'd be extremely hyped for Chapter 33! I mean, I know it's gonna be great! I'm so hyped for it and I can't believe it's finally happening! I do not know when I'll publish 33, but when I do… I can finally die happy… not that I want to die. Anyways, have a great October! Or November! Or whatever month you're reading this in!