Boo! Feels good to be back from the dead... for now. Just like the roamers that these characters are fighting against! Except I'm not eating people or clawing them or oozing nasty fluids out of my pores... yikes.
Anyways, why did it take so long for this chapter to come out you may wonder? One word. College. Yeah.
Anyways, enjoy!
"What?" gasped Lincoln, his voice quivering.
"Please… free me," whimpered the captive.
"Did you just say… Calvin?" asked Lincoln. "Calvin Reed? Brown hair… always wearing a hat?"
The captive nodded. Lincoln moved his flashlight, taking a look at all the frightened faces surrounding him. He looked for a device he could use to free the captives, but he could not find anything.
"Help…"
"I will," said Lincoln. "I just can't find anything to set you guys loose. I might have to take the keys from—"
Lincoln paused as he saw a glimmering line of light in the distance through the crack of a wooden board by the entrance. He turned off his flashlights and peeked through the crack, looking out into the farm. In the dead crop field, he saw a few people walking towards the barn.
The one holding the flashlight was Oscar.
The captive groaned before Lincoln turned around and stuffed the rag back into his mouth. His eyes looked apologetically at the captive, who looked back in complete fear. Lincoln then turned back to the crack upon barely hearing Oscar's voice in the distance.
"I mean— I just don't see what's so dangerous about them.Unruly? Sure. Dangerous? Eh… I just don't see it."
"I completely get what you mean. But it's the same way with me!"
Lincoln heard the other voice. The giggly, gleeful voice that disguised the speaker's complete disregard for human life. It was Nora's. Then, he heard another voice. A calm, regulated, yet hollow voice. It was none other than Calvin.
"Looks can deceive," said Calvin. "I'm going to admit, I don't believe they're all bad. I mean, the young ones at least. But the older ones? Lori, Carol, Becky… I would not put an ounce of trust in them."
"Oh, Becky, that's the redheaded one, right?Now her— I do get a certain feeling about her."
Lincoln gulped as he continued to hear their conversation. However, the captive started to scream into the rag, making it hard for Lincoln to hear the conversation.
"Is that one of 'em?" asked Oscar.
"It's the last of them," said Calvin. "The last four. And just like that your safety is guaranteed. These people won't be bothering you again."
"Good. Take care of them quietly. I'm going to head home now, I don't want to worry Melissa."
Lincoln gasped as he moved away from the wooden boards, hearing the conversations getting louder. He climbed up the ladder and stepped into the loft softly before crawling towards the window near the roof. The captive screamed into his rag louder, his eyes begging Lincoln to not leave him.
"I'm sorry," mouthed Lincoln. "I'm so sorry."
The lock and chains outside the doors rattled before the door to the barn opened. Lincoln watched as Calvin, Guillermo, and Nora stepped inside.
"Hey, boys and girls," said Nora, her voice all giggly. "Miss us?"
The captive turned towards the three cannibals and screamed into his gag again.
"Shut him up," said Calvin as he closed the door.
Guillermo brandished his knife and walked towards the captive, who leaned back against the support beam he was tied to. The captive shook his head around before Guillermo grabbed onto his hair and pushed it back, exposing his neck wide open. He then placed the blade of his knife against the captive's throat and slid it across. Lincoln flinched as he watched from atop. His memories of his time in Washington D.C. were triggered. The sight of the teen girl getting her throat slit. The sight of Sheila's mother getting her throat slit. Sheila shooting herself.
"I heard you guys were going to be the main dish for tonight's party," smiled Nora as she leaned her knife against another captive's neck. "But I don't know— it already feels like a party to me!"
The captive screamed as Nora laughed uncontrollably while sliding her knife across the captive's neck. Blood dripped down into the shoes of a third captive as her silhouette created by Calvin's flashlight revealed her head and hair hanging down. Guillermo wiped his knife against the clothes of the last captive, ignoring the blood flowing out of her open throat.
Calvin grabbed his meat cleaver and approached the captives before kneeling down. He then heard a low thump behind him, causing him to immediately turn towards the loft above him. There was nobody there.
"What's up, Cal?" asked Guillermo.
"I thought I heard something," said Calvin.
"Oh, you heard it too?" asked Nora.
Calvin squinted suspiciously as he walked towards the ladder. He climbed to the top of the loft and walked towards the window before looking out the roof window. Shining his flashlight around, he was unable to spot anything except grass and dirt.
"Don't tell me you're starting to hear voices too!" gasped Nora.
"Must've been a rat," said Calvin, moving away from the window. "Did you two take out their brain? We can't risk…"
Lincoln took a deep breath as he leaned flat against the wall next to the roof window, standing on top of the scaffold that allowed him access into the barn in the first place. He wiped a tear from his eye before climbing down the scaffold, avoiding eye contact with the large X on the wall.
Chapter 34: Life in the Outside
I - Return
Lincoln took a deep breath as he saw nothing but pitch black. After a few seconds, a small circular hole was opened, revealing a starlit sky.
He looked around the empty and dark street before climbing out of the manhole. He placed the manhole cover back into its place before hurrying back home.
Blood flowed out of her throat. Blood flowed out of her throat. A gunshot with brain matter flying out. These images kept repeating split-second by split-second in Lincoln's head. He walked up to Charles' doghouse and knelt down, placing his hands inside to grab the keys that were hidden in there. Then, he walked up the stairs to his house and looked at the lamps next to the door. They did not automatically turn on when he got there, keeping his presence hidden. He placed a key into the doorknob before opening the door and entering the house.
He looked over at the couch, prepared to tell somebody what he just witnessed. However, he saw Lori lying on the couch, sleeping peacefully. He sighed deeply and closed the door quietly before sneaking up to his room. He grabbed a towel and walked over to the bathroom, locking it shut when he entered.
The shower head sprayed water softly into Lincoln's face, cooling him down. The sound of the muffled screams bounced around his head. The look on the captive's face as he begged to be freed.
Lincoln looked down at the tub floor, gasping softly as he saw a large volume of blood seeping into the drain. However, the image quickly snapped away as he realized he was only looking at the dirt from his body. He rubbed the scars around his ribs, crying softly under the spraying water.
Lori opened her eyes, hearing the sound of the shower water trickling into the tub. She looked at the door, seeing the locked doorknob. Then, she grabbed the dagger that Becky handed her yesterday and placed it back under the couch. Finally, she allowed the sound of the shower water to put her to sleep.
Birds chirped and flapped their wings, landing on their nest on a tree in a backyard. The morning sun hovered above a peaceful Royal Woods.
Ronnie Anne yawned as she looked around her room, seeing Vonda's sleeping bag and Carlitos' small bed empty. She stepped out of her bedroom and walked downstairs into the kitchen, where she saw Vonda fixing Carlitos and herself a bowl of cereal each. She scratched her hair as she looked at Vonda opening up a cabinet filled with bowls.
"Want some Zombie Bran?" asked Vonda.
"Yeah," yawned Ronnie Anne.
"Ask your mom and my dad if they want some cereal too."
"Do we have enough?"
Vonda looked at the boxes that Carlitos was stacking on top of each other. She smiled as she looked back at Ronnie Anne.
"More than enough," she said.
Ronnie Anne nodded as she walked upstairs, feeling uncomfortable in her tight pajamas. She then placed her hands on the doorknob to her mother's bedroom.
"Mama, do you want some— AHH!"
Ronnie Anne quickly shut the door as she felt her heart rate increasing. Her face started to become red as she tried to process what she saw.
"You didn't lock the door?" said Maria's voice from inside the room.
"Sorry, force of habit!" exclaimed Tim's voice. "Wasn't used to having people in our home."
"I guess I should make it two more bowls," said Vonda, approaching Ronnie Anne.
Maria opened the door, covering herself with a robe. Ronnie Anne slowly turned around and peeked into the bedroom, seeing a shirtless Tim in the bed with a nervous expression.
"So, sorry, mija. I'm so sorry you had to see that."
"It's okay…" murmured Ronnie Anne, looking away in embarrassment.
"What were you going to ask?"
"Umm… uh…"
"Want some cereal?" smiled Vonda.
The clock in the living room was stuck at 3:33. Lori walked up to the clock and tried to see if the secondhand was moving. But it was not. She opened the cabinet next to her and grabbed a roll of duct tape before returning to the couch. She groaned as she felt there was nothing to do before hearing Lincoln enter the kitchen. She stood up and followed Lincoln into the kitchen.
"Where'd you go last night?" asked Lori.
"Liam's farm," said Lincoln, his voice sounding broken.
"You came back late. After curfew. I'm not mad, I just want to know why you went."
"I… I have to tell you something."
"What is it?"
The sound of Luna's crutches clacking against the road joined the noise of the regular commotion coming from the town center. She was walking next to Bobby as they walked towards his house.
"So, I spilled the sauce all over her dress," said Bobby.
"Like on the first date?" asked Luna.
"Like on the first date."
Luna laughed as Bobby continued to tell the story of his second date.
"I asked myself, 'How can I be so stupid? Why did I do that again?' But just like the first time, Lori wasn't mad. In fact, she was pretty happy. Oh my god, that smile of hers…"
"And look at you guys now. Happily married. Even after not only screwing up your first date… but your second date too. Wow."
"That's why I'm telling you to not worry too much!" reassured Bobby. "Your date with Sam is going to go well! You guys have been together for almost three years, there's no way you two can be nervous with each other."
"I guess not. Thanks, dude. I don't know what I was so worried about. It's our first date, but so what? We're practically married. Ain't a single thing gonna be awkward."
"Exactly. And on top of that—"
Bobby paused as he saw Ronnie Anne passing by.
"Hey, Nini. Where're you going?"
"Lincoln's house," Ronnie Anne responded without stopping.
Bobby looked as Ronnie Anne continued to walk away, moving at a hurried rate. She turned around in the intersection and disappeared from sight. He then turned around and saw his mother approaching him.
"Hola, mijo. Did you see your sister?"
"Yeah, she said she was going to Lincoln's house."
"Alright. I'll get her."
"Wait, Luna's here."
"You know the green house across the house of your novia— umm, your esposa? That's the infirmary. I'll meet you guys there."
Maria jogged away as Bobby and Luna stood in the middle of the street, looking at each other with confusion.
"What was that about?" asked Luna.
"I have no idea. Oh, there's Lori!"
Lori approached Bobby as Lincoln walked behind her. Bobby opened his hands as he got ready to hold Lori's hands and kiss her, but she began to speak with haste.
"Get the whole group," she urged. "We're going to City Hall. Now."
Lori then stormed towards the intersection. Lincoln walked past the two of them before hearing Luna call out to him.
"Dude, what's going on?" asked Luna.
"Just get the whole group."
Lincoln walked away and followed Lori to City Hall, leaving Bobby and Luna standing in the middle of the road as the noise from the town center still radiated exuberant energy.
"Why is everyone walking past me?" sighed Bobby.
"Something's up," said Luna, adjusting the holster for her gun. "I gotta see what's up."
Bobby watched as Luna limped away. He shook his head and headed in the same direction as her before making a right turn to Franklin Street.
Lori walked up to the stairs outside City Hall and paused upon seeing the doors being opened. She saw Becky and her father walking out of the building.
"Becky, have you seen Oscar?" asked Lori.
"No, it was just me and my dad in here," said Becky. "Why?"
"Mr. Rhonda—"
"Please, call me Clancy."
"—have you seen Oscar?"
"I haven't seen him or talked to him since last night. He's probably getting some breakfast right now. Oh, he's right behind you."
Lori turned around, seeing Oscar holding a plate of pancakes in his hand walking next to Melissa and Jane. They were headed for the ramp while a man with a Yankee cap, a woman with a pearl necklace, a man with long flowing hair, a woman with light curly hair, and a man with a handlebar mustache followed them, each of them holding plates of food. Lori looked at the man with the Yankee cap, who looked back, making eye contact with her. He smiled and winked.
Lori removed her revolver from her holster and held it up, aiming it at Calvin. Becky quickly reacted by grabbing her father's pistol and aiming at Guillermo. Lincoln pulled out his M1911 pistol and aimed it at Nora. Melissa and Jane gasped as they remained frozen in place.
Luna stopped where she stood and gasped before grabbing her pistol. As she aimed it up, Vonda came running behind her and stopped before taking a good luck at the people around City Hall. She saw Beatrice, Guillermo, Nora, and Moose reaching for their guns. She reached for an arrow, but realized that she didn't have her quiver on. Instead, she grabbed the gun that was in her pocket and aimed it and Beatrice as Luna kept her gun locked on Moose.
"Hey, Becky! What the hell are you doing?" gasped Clancy.
"What are you doing here?!" screamed Lori. "Why the fuck are you here?"
Officer Schoffner and her commander— Detective Plesko— came out of the police station, drawing their weapons towards Lori's group. Another police officer— a young rookie by the name of Neeraj Ravi— holding a cup of coffee gasped as he looked around for a place to set his coffee down. He placed it on the ground next to him and drew his pistol on Lori's group.
"Everyone, guns on the floor, now!" yelled Schoffner.
Calvin raised his hands to show that he had no guns drawn and looked at his group. He nodded, signaling them to lower their weapons. Melissa held her chest as she looked up at Oscar, who seemed confused.
"Hello to you too, Lori," said Calvin.
"You have to shoot him now," said Lori. "He can't be here!"
"Guns down, now!" yelled Schoffner.
None of them budged except Lincoln. He lowered his pistol as he looked at the police officers.
"You're aiming your guns at the wrong people."
Detective Plesko aimed his gun at the direction of Luna and Vonda, who were standing in the intersection, while Schoffner continued to aim her pistol at Lori, Lincoln, and Becky. Officer Ravi moved his pistol left and right, not knowing who to aim at.
"They're going to shoot," said Oscar.
Lori broke eye contact with Calvin and turned towards the police officers. She let out a soft and desperate laugh before shaking her head.
"You guys don't even remotely understand who these people are," said Lori. "If you did, they wouldn't have stepped foot inside the walls."
"Final warning!" yelled Schoffner.
"THEY'RE CANNIBALS!" screamed Lori before lowering her revolver. "They should not be here! They should be fucking dead!"
"What?" scoffed Oscar.
"Yeah, you're making it sound worse than it is," said Calvin. "Sure, there was a period of time where there was no food in D.C. and we had to make do. But you guys attacked us. You killed our friends, a whole bunch of us… especially by the hands of your blonde look-alike friend Carol."
"Wait, they're not lying?" asked Oscar.
"They're not. We had no choice."
"You attacked us first," said Lori. "You ate our friends alive."
Tim jogged down the street, accompanied by Carol, Sam, Simon, Lynn, Clyde, Lana, and Lily. Bobby, Maria, Ronnie Anne, Benny, and Luan jogged down from the perpendicular street.
"Oh, trust me," said Calvin. "They were dead."
"You held us hostage. Oscar, they held us hostage in a parking garage! Filled with cages! They actively hunted people for food!"
"Oh my god, what the hell are you on?"
"What am I on?!"
"Lori, your group needs to stand down," said Oscar. "Damn it, Clancy, stop your daughter from doing something that she's gonna regret."
"C'mon, Becky," whispered Clancy. "Give me the damn gun."
Tim stepped in front of Vonda, shielding her from Detective Plesko.
"Don't do this," whispered Tim. "If you don't lower your gun now, people are gonna die."
Vonda scoffed as a tear rolled down her face. She lowered her gun before looking at Tim.
"Dad… they're the ones who killed George."
"And Jace," said Luna.
Tim looked at Calvin and his group, beginning to feel a terrifying feeling about them.
"His people… cut my throat open… then they burned it until I couldn't scream anymore," said Becky before turning towards the police officers. "They're not getting out of this alive."
"Becky!" shouted Clancy. "Give me the gun, now!"
Commotion stirred among the people in the town center as some began to walk out. Tim looked back and raised his arms.
"Hey, it's alright, guys. Settle down, no need to panic. This is just a misunderstanding."
Ms. Carmichael held Tucker behind her as they both watched Becky and Luna refusing to lower their weapons. The police officers looked at each other, unable to figure a way to de-escalate the situation.
"Just tell your group to stand down, Lori," said Melissa, her voice remaining soft-spoken. "They're scaring people."
"Go on," said Calvin, looking straight at Becky. "You're really going to kill me in broad daylight?"
Becky tossed the gun away and began to storm towards Calvin.
"I'm gonna do something to you in broad daylight," growled Becky.
"Woah, woah, easy there," said Clancy, holding her daughter back. "It's done. Stop it, now. Stop."
Luna lowered her gun and placed it back into her holster.
"What are you gonna do now?" asked Luna. "Arrest us?"
"You got that right," said Schoffner, lowering her gun and taking out her handcuffs.
"I guess we're just gonna pretend like we didn't hear that fucker admitting to eating people, right?" said Vonda, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Easy there with that mouth, young lady," said Plesko. "Tim, your daughter's just swearing like it's a part of her vocabulary. You ain't raising her or something?"
"Being outside the walls for the past three years surrounded by violence and trauma may have something to do with it," said Tim.
"Oscar… you're really not going to let them get arrested, right?" asked Melissa.
"Why not? They're threatening Cal and his people, throwing all sorts of accusations on 'em."
"Oscar, you know damn well what kind of people live outside," said Tim. "Or do I have to tell everyone what really goes beyond these walls?"
Oscar grumbled. He looked at Plesko and shrugged.
"Let them go," said Oscar. "Everyone! Just go back to what you were doing! This was just a big misunderstanding! Please, just… pretend like nothing happened."
The residents all chattered nervously among each other as they returned to the town center. Some of them continued to walk away as Plesko, Schoffner, and Ravi approached Lori and Calvin's groups. Oscar then looked at Lori and Calvin.
"Somebody, please clear this damn thing up."
Calvin grabbed a picture from his pocket and passed it to Oscar.
"Doesn't it look just like her?"
Oscar looked down at a picture of a blonde woman in riot gear armor, holding a snub-nosed revolver at hand. The picture only showed half of her face, which was enough to strongly resemble Lori.
"Let me see that," said Lori.
Oscar turned the picture around and showed Lori. She gasped silently as she recognized the woman as Carol in the picture. It was when she attacked the Circle Park and freed Lori's group from the cannibals. Carol gulped as she looked at Oscar, hoping her pixie cut would keep him from recognizing the woman in the picture as her.
"She attacked us," said Calvin. "Destroyed our home right at the onset of winter. Temperatures can get really cold down at the capital."
"That's not me," said Lori. "That revolver is not a Python."
"You could've picked it up."
Bobby joined in with a picture of his own— the picture of him and Lori standing in the pier with the Statue of Liberty in the back. The river was clogged with debris. In Lori's holster was her Colt Python.
"Maybe this proves otherwise," said Bobby. "It has to."
"It does," said Lori. "That's my gun right there."
"Is that… New York?" asked Calvin, slightly shocked.
"Yeah," said Lori, holding back some serious rage behind her voice.
"It's less fiery and more dead than I remember."
"It's somewhat faded," said Oscar, looking at the quality of the picture. "When was this picture taken?"
"Last summer," answered Lori.
"How do I know you didn't take it after destroying Calvin's home?"
"It wasn't a home. It was a fucking slaughterhouse."
"This picture could have been taken at any time."
"No, it couldn't," said Lincoln. "It is June 3rd, right? Temperatures only started to warm up a month ago. At least warm enough to wear clothes like Lori and Bobby do in the pictures. Plus, Lori and Bobby's shadows are too small. So it had to have been summer. And since it's barely summer, do you really think it's possible to have travelled from New York City to here in such a short time?"
"With a car? Easily."
"No, not really."
"If I may?" said Jane, her low voice catching the group's attention.
"What?" groaned Oscar.
Jane's face reddened as she slowly backed away, twiddling her fingers nervously.
"Don't be such an asshole, Oscar," said Melissa. "Let the girl speak her mind. She clearly has something important to say. Go on, Jane."
"Umm… I n-noticed that's a Polaroid picture. I recognize t-that kind of bright fade. It's a mixture of age and umm… high exposure, which may come from a— a variety of things. Like summer light! Maybe it's possible within two years, but anything beyond that… it— it should be completely white."
"Are you saying this picture of this quality couldn't have been taken a few months ago?" asked Tim. "It would have been completely white?"
"Yeah, exactly! Polaroid films weren't meant to last so long. All the ones that I had before the outbreak completely degraded last fall."
Oscar handed the picture back to Lori.
"Well, if you're both telling the truth, then there must've been a hell of a misunderstanding," said Oscar. "If that woman ain't you, Lori, then Calvin clearly saw someone else. Don't you think it was possible that you saw… someone else too?"
"No, it was clearly him," said Lori.
"It could've been that one guy," said Beatrice. "Remember? Timothy. He looked so much like you."
"Oh, right… Timothy," said Calvin. "Forgot about that guy."
"I remember that asshole," said Becky. "I'm glad Jace killed his fucking brother."
Calvin bit his tongue before silently breathing out.
"There it is Oscar," said Calvin. "They thought he was one of us. I thought that woman was one of them. I see it now. It is one huge misunderstanding."
"See?" said Oscar. "I get it, man. Oh, and the thing you said about eating people? I mean…"
"No, yeah, those were some dark times. Being homeless in the winter… man, that's a tough thing to go through."
"Oh man, I get it. Yeah. No judgment here."
"Oh, my god," groaned Lori. "Can't you see—?"
"Lori, enough," said Oscar. "No need to go back and forth. You and your people misunderstood things. He and his people misunderstood things."
"He killed George," said Lori. "He killed Lisa."
"Lisa killed baby Zoey," said Calvin.
Carol gasped softly as she looked at Calvin. He had no remorse in them.
"George killed my daughter."
"They… they were both dead. You don't even know—"
"Damn it, Lori, stop!" exclaimed Oscar. "This back and forth ain't helping anyone! It was all in the past. I'm not asking you to forgive each other. But you two are gonna have to learn to live with each other. Goes for the rest of your people too. Understood?"
"C'mon, Lori," said Calvin. "It was in the past. We may have killed each other… and for what? Now we know we don't have to."
"This is a good place to stop," Bobby whispered to Lori. "We can't convince Oscar any longer. He's obviously sided with Calvin."
"Fine," said Lori. "I'll back off, but I'm gonna tell you one thing, Oscar. You're making a mistake trusting these people."
Lori stormed away, with Bobby and Carol accompanying her. However, Oscar began to feel increasingly irritated with her attitude.
"Hold it right there," said Oscar. "You're gonna have to give up your gun to Officer Schoffner or Detective Plesko."
Lori licked her gums as her left eye twitched softly. She then turned around and walked towards Schoffner before raising her arms. Schoffner looked at Lori with a confused expression.
"Just take the stupid gun," hissed Lori.
"You too," said Oscar, pointing at Lincoln, then at Luna. "You two. Turn over your weapons."
"What?" gasped Luna. "Why?"
"Because you threatened Cal and his crew. You'll get the guns back when I feel like you three— four, including Clancy's daughter— don't pose a threat to Cal and his crew. And Tim— keep an eye on your daughter. Next time she pulls something like this, it's gonna be on you."
Tim scoffed as he grabbed his daughter's shoulders.
"C'mon, let's get you outta here," said Tim.
Lincoln handed his pistol to Plesko while Luna handed her pistol to Schoffner. Ravi placed his pistol back into his holster and offered to help Schoffner. Clancy picked up his pistol and tried to place his hands on Becky's shoulders as he stood up, but she shoved his hands away before storming off. Carol watched as Becky passed her, feeling concerned for her.
As Lori prepared to walk away, Oscar called out to her again.
"Hold on, Lori. I need you and your husband's help."
Oscar then looked around, seeing people still watching them.
"What are you looking at? Go on, nothing to see here."
The rest of Lori's group and other residents dispersed, leaving just Oscar, Lori, Bobby, Melissa, Jane, and Calvin and his crew in front of City Hall. Lori stared at Calvin, who winked at her once more. She then looked away, bottling her anger.
"I'm going on a quick supply-run today," said Oscar. "Among your group, I wanna know who are the best people that could help me get the job done. Bobby? Know anyone?"
"Are they going?" asked Bobby.
"Yeah."
"I'll go," said Lori.
"No."
"I've done it a million times."
"You're not going with them."
"You said we have to learn to live together."
"Eventually. But not today. You and him can't get along together that fast. What I'm looking for are friendlier people."
"Fine. Take Carol, Luan, Benny, Lincoln, and Clyde."
"I'm not taking the boys. Two of them are too young and one of them's got an injured shoulder. I'll take Carol and Luan instead."
"I'll go too," said Bobby.
"Alright. Get Carol and Luan."
"We're going now?"
"Yup. It's urgent. There's a Jeep outside the gates. Get there in ten."
Oscar motioned Calvin and his people to follow him as they began to walk away from City Hall. Bobby then looked at Lori and tried to formulate something to say.
"You're going to keep an eye on them, right?" asked Lori.
"I will," nodded Bobby.
"Okay. Stay safe."
Lori gave Bobby a kiss before he jogged away. She then looked at Melissa and Jane who were both standing by the ramp, looking at her. Jane was eating her pancakes while Melissa held her hands together.
"That was… quite unorthodox," said Melissa. "How are you feeling, Lori?"
"Pissed," grumbled Lori. "Your husband is…"
"A very stubborn man. Heh, believe me, I know. Why don't you follow me inside?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"You do."
Lori sighed, looking as Bobby walked towards the entrance with Carol and Luan behind him.
"We'll serve you pancakes," said Melissa.
"And coffee," said Jane. "If- if you're into coffee."
Lori shrugged and followed Melissa and Jane up the ramp leading to the City Hall entrance door. Clancy held the doors open for the ladies as he watched Ms. Carmichael and Becky arguing in the distance. He then looked at Tucker, feeling sorry for him. He took a step forward but then stopped himself. He shook his head and closed the door, deciding to stay inside City Hall.