IV - Not The End
The outer fences were down. A few roamers were down. Yet, the herd continued to progress towards the CHQ, stepping over, around, or on the bodies of their deceased peers.
Shots continued to fire at the herd, though it was barely putting a dent on the herd.
Some of the roamers walked into the barricade of barbed wires, getting themselves tangled up. Some of the roamers stumbled and tripped on their own trying to cross the wires while others were pushed down by the roamers behind them.
A roamer with its leg stuck in barbed wire growled as the razors pierced through its hands and sleeves. Its golden eyes saw the flashes of muzzle fire through the fog before being pushed further down into the barbed wire by the roamers behind it. The roamers who selfishly stepped on the stuck roamer trampled over it, turning the stuck roamer into a makeshift bridge to get past the barbed wire.
A few roamers made it to the inner mesh fences, where they placed their fingers through the holes. They were then quickly shot down by the soldiers inside. However, more roamers came to replace the shot roamers. And more. And more.
"It's too many of them!" shouted one of the soldiers.
"Why the hell didn't we get a warning?" shouted one of the soldiers near the main gate, aiming his gun at the roamers on the other side.
"It's too damn foggy!" shouted a soldier on top of a scaffold. "We can't see shit!"
"Who the hell is in charge?" shouted Major Massey.
"You are, sir!"
Massey took a deep breath as he removed his beanie, mist coming out of his mouth. He looked around, his eyes trembling as he rubbed his curly stubble.
"Boyle, get your men ready! We need those tanks ready!"
"Understood!" exclaimed Boyle, a Chief Warrant Officer.
"Ramsey! Get your people on two— no, three Humvees and drive north! Take some flares!"
Ramsey, a Sergeant, nodded. He ran over to the vehicles as a few soldiers followed him.
"They're breaking in!" shouted one of the soldiers.
A few soldiers climbed down from the swaying scaffolds while some remained in the stable ones.
A roamer growled as it pressed its teeth through the wire. Its face was then crushed into the fence as the roamers behind it pushed forward. The fences creaked and fell forward.
"Everyone! Retreat! Take high ground!" shouted Massey.
"No!" shouted April. "Everyone, stand your ground!"
Roamers began to flood through one portion of the fences as the roamers fired on it.
"You didn't tell me you were here!" exclaimed Massey.
"I just got here! Muller! Fire!"
Muller stepped forward with a wagon of Molotov cocktails. A few soldiers grabbed them and tossed them into the small portion, setting the roamers on fire.
"What are you doing?" gasped Massey. "We have to lead them away!"
"We can't," said April. "They'll just keep coming. Whoever attacked us will make sure of that."
"Are we really fighting this?"
April nodded. She then stepped forward as the soldiers continued firing across the burning fences.
"The fire won't be enough!" she exclaimed. "We will do this slow and steady!"
April grabbed her walkie-talkie.
"Santos! Evacuate the civies now! Move them over to Bravo Uniform! Boyle, get the tanks here now! Ramsey, get the Humvees in position for a northern flank! I repeat, get them ready for a northern flank! Park, give me eyes! And Bagel— wake everyone the hell up! We need soldiers here— now!"
April lowered her walkie-talkie. There were so many roamers trampling over the fire, it couldn't burn through them efficiently. The fires created by the Molotovs were quickly extinguished.
"Back up! Back up!"
The soldiers stepped back, firing their weapons at the roamers, creating a mound of bodies near the small portion. Then, another portion of the fences broke down, taking an abandoned scaffold down with it too.
A group of soldiers arrived, now handling the roamers flooding in through that part.
"Our goal is to make sure everyone inside the CHQ makes it to Bravo Uniform! No one— I repeat— no one will retreat until everyone inside the CHQ is safe! Not until my say-so!"
The soldiers backed away slow and steady, though they kept firing their guns at the roamers. A few soldiers drove over to the fences, carrying boxes of ammo. They came out of the vehicles, taking over for the soldiers low on ammo as they went on to replenish their munitions.
"Alpha Team, take Zone A! Bravo Team, take Zone B! The rest— you know— take your respective bases! Go, go, go!"
Many of the teams headed northwards while some stayed at the southwestern corner of the base with April.
Massey watched with surprise as April took command of the situation with precise decision-making and a display of courage. He wanted to smile, for he was proud of how far along she had come. However, he knew what it would cost.
Inside her bedroom at the CHQ, Angel Bell, April's younger sister, watched from the second floor what was going on outside. She could see smoke billowing where the fences were supposed to be. There was a wave of muzzle fire that shot in a semi-uniform pattern, though in Angel's eyes, it appeared chaotic.
"Well… I know one day I'd get my beauty sleep interrupted," said Diana Harris.
"Grandma, the fences are down," said Angel.
"I can see that. You're not running in those heels are ya?"
Angel looked down at the glittering pumps that she was wearing. She then looked at her grandmother and shook her head.
A soldier then knocked on their door.
"Evacuate the premises now!" shouted the soldier from the other side. "Head to Lot A! I repeat, head to Lot A!"
Angel removed her pumps and slipped into a pair of fluffy pink slippers. As she got ready to get out of the room, she looked back at her grandmother.
"Grandma, we gotta get out of here!"
"I thought the people over yonder were supposed to take care of this. Royal Woods, huh? Y'all are too smart to mess this up big time. Too smart."
"Grandma, what are you talking about? Let's get out of here!"
Diana Harris smirked before walking away from the windows.
"I see what this is about," said Diana. "Nothing we can do about it now."
Diana walked out of the room as a confused Angel followed her out.
The two joined the mass crowds of residents walking out into a parking lot. A line of buses were humming under a big sign with the letter A. The soldiers were getting the residents inside the buses as gunshots continued to roar across the distance. As some of the buses entered the road, a few tanks drove in the opposite direction, headed in the direction of the gunshots.
"I hope April's got enough brain cells in her to show some restraint," said Diana as she followed a line of people into a bus. "Else, she's going under the ground."
"Grandma! That's a terrible thing to say!"
"What? It'll happen to us eventually. Will happen to me soon."
"God, you're too dark sometimes."
Diana and Angel entered the bus. The bus then left the parking lot.
Bodies lay in the ground meters past the fence, and the herd kept progressing. With thousands more behind them, it seemed as if attacking them was a futile effort. Then, the tanks arrived. They moved towards the fences, rolling through the herd as they trampled over the mesh fences.
"Give them space! Give them space!" exclaimed April.
The soldiers jogged away from the roamers and moved closer to the walls of the CHQ as the tanks continued to roll towards the herd. The tanks were now in between the outer and inner fences, surrounded by no one but the dead.
Then, the tanks fired their guns, blowing up portions of the herd, sending body parts and blood flying around. But even then, each shot was only killing about dozens of roamers each. They were merely drops among a wave of roamers.
"Santos! How's the evac going?" asked April.
"We need more time!"
"Fuck."
"We don't have any more time," said Massey, holding a pistol and a knife. "These roamers are already pushing us against the buildings."
"Ramsey, fire a flare!"
A flare was fired onto the sky, though it was green. It was aimed away from the CHQ, but it was barely moving the herd away from the soldiers. The roamers were very close to the CHQ, pressuring the soldiers to move inside. However, April refused to send them inside.
"Move southwards!" exclaimed April. "Boyle, take the southern fence down! Now!"
One of the tanks turned and rolled towards the southern fence. April followed the tank as the rest of the soldiers followed her. The herd turned and followed them, some of the roamers hugging the walls of the CHQ. However, none of them went inside any of the doors.
The tank fired a rocket and blew apart a portion of the southern fence. It then turned to the right and allowed April and many of the soldiers to run out safely.
"Keep your distance! Let the tanks move!"
However, some of the tanks stalled as the roamers surrounded them, with some even climbing on top of them.
A frustrated April grabbed a walkie-talkie.
"Park! Get someone to fire flares near the tanks! The rest of you— kill all the roamers trying to take the tanks down!"
"What's the plan here?" asked Massey.
"We have to free those tanks!"
"Why?"
"We have to get ready to rain fire."
"I thought you didn't want to lose this building!"
"We won't."
"But the fire will spread! It's gonna burn the entire thing down!"
"Not with a controlled burn."
"Huh?"
Massey then looked as flares were fired onto the section between the outer and inner fences. Some of the roamers moved away from the frozen tanks while the others were shot dead by the soldiers on the other side of the southern fence. Then, the tanks moved out of the way, stepping over the scorched gravel, burnt grass, and crisped bodies.
Massey then realized. There was an arc of burned ground where the western fences used to be. The fire wouldn't spread past it.
"Fire!" yelled April.
Rockets were fired from the rooftop of the Chrysler Headquarters building, taking out the roamers that were attracted to the green flares. Fires were then created as abandoned vehicles burned, attracting even more roamers towards it.
An arc of fire was created, shielding the CHQ from the herd coming from the west— most of them from the herd that the Yellowjackets held in Hawk Woods or the northern section of the herd that Albert was leading.
Massey then turned around and saw a herd approaching from the south, the southern section of the herd that Albert was leading. This included thousands more roamers.
"Oh my god…"
"Head east! Now!" ordered April.
The dozens and dozens of soldiers followed April as she and Massey ran along the southern fence, leading the herd away from the portion that the tank blew up. The roamers that did go through the blown up portion walked into the arc of fire, joining the herd into their deaths.
Then, they saw the crowds of people leaving the CHQ to enter the buses from the other side of the fence. The soldiers couldn't move any further east as the fences prevented them from doing so. The only way they could leave was through a gate that could easily be opened by one of the soldiers.
"Get into a wedge position!" shouted April. "Fight with everything you got, but whatever you do, do not open that gate!"
April and the soldiers fired at the southern herd, forming a V-like formation.
April's rifle clicked, causing her to draw her sidearm. She fired it rapidly, taking out multiple roamers. Her pistol then shot nothing, causing her to draw her knife. She yelled as she knifed one of the roamers, then another.
A soldier ran up to a roamer to knife it. However, his knife couldn't penetrate through its fungal plate. The roamer grabbed the soldier's face and pulled him towards its jaw.
The soldier made sounds of panic before shouting as the roamer bit into his face.
"Keep your ground!" shouted April.
Another soldier screamed as a crawling roamer bit his ankle, causing him to fall down. The soldier was then devoured by the herd as some of the soldiers backed up.
"Keep your ground!"
A soldier smacked a roamer with his rifle before another roamer pulled her into the herd. She screamed as the roamers pulled her uniform apart, tearing her flesh along the process.
"Keep your ground!"
A soldier grunted as a roamer grabbed his rifle. April then pulled the soldier back and stabbed the roamer in the face with her knife. The soldiers were now all backed up against the fence, with some tempted to open the gate.
"We're gonna die, we're gonna die!" shouted a soldier.
Massey panted as the herd were only meters away from crushing all the teams that headed south with April. He then wondered how the teams that went north with Ramsey and the other teams were faring. They were doing okay, he hoped. After all, there was no herd coming from the north.
"Soldiers! Why are we fighting here?" shouted April. "What did we sign up for? What is our duty? To defend this place! We have to protect our home and our people! We will not lose a single civilian to these monsters! Not on my watch! We will lay down our lives if we have to! So soldiers, what is our duty?"
"To defend this place!" shouted the soldiers.
The roamers growled as they approached the frightful soldiers.
"Remember!" shouted April. "There is no mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great! Duty first!"
April's voice trembled as the roamers were within arm's length of the soldiers. The soldiers continued firing their weapons, the blood from the roamers splattering onto their clothes.
"This…! This we'll defend!"
"Everyone's evacuated!"
April gasped as she looked down at her walkie-talkie. She then turned around and saw the last bus leaving the parking lot.
"Open the gate!" shouted April.
A soldier opened the gate, allowing the soldiers to flood into the base. April smacked a roamer with her rifle before another roamer lunged at her. However, Muller grabbed the roamer and allowed it to attack him instead.
"No, Muller!" shouted April.
Sanchez dragged April through the gate as the roamer pressed Muller against the fence. The roamer then bit into his throat as he screamed in agony. More roamers bit into him, causing blood to squirt out of his wounds like a squeezed fruit.
April panted heavily as she watched Muller get eaten alive. However, she quickly regained her senses and led the rest of the soldiers northward into the parking lot. The fences behind them were quickly torn down by the southern herd, and the herd was now flowing into the parking lot.
"Where do we go?" shouted one of the soldiers.
"Just keep running!" shouted April. "Ramsey, northern flank, now!"
Ramsey and a few other soldiers drove their Humvees into Lot A, skidding against the pavement of the parking lot. They drove past the soldiers as the gunners fired their weapons at the herd. The tanks then rolled into the herd from the side, breaking apart the herd into smaller sections.
More fences collapsed, now leaving the CHQ completely vulnerable. The gunfire continued as the fog cleared up more and more. And the fate of the soldiers remained unknown as a long line of roamers continued to make their way to Auburn Hills from the south.
—
The fog was fading away as a pickup truck drove on a road to Royal Woods.
Inside was Rex with his arm on the steering wheel, moving the car at a slow pace to keep the engine at a low volume. Sitting next to him was Nadia and behind them was Clyde, who sat on the back seat with his arm laid against the window.
"You know, Clyde, sometimes we have to spend time apart from the people we love to realize how much we miss them," said Nadia. "I certainly miss Theo right now."
"Lynn spent a lot of time apart from JuJu," said Clyde. "She must have been missing him this entire time."
"Are we really sure Lynn is into JuJu?" asked Nadia.
"If you ask me, I would go as far as to say Lynn knows what JuJu tastes like," said Rex.
"Ugh."
"No, Lynn isn't into that kinda stuff," said Clyde.
"Is that what she told you?"
"Yeah…"
"Dude. You mean to tell me she didn't take your V-card?"
"Stop it," said Nadia. "Ignore this dickhead. Anyways, like I said, just because she says she doesn't have feelings for you doesn't mean it's true. But if it is, then so what? Someone else will come around."
"Preferably not cum around JuJu's—" said Rex before Nadia punched his shoulder. "Ouch! That actually hurt!"
"You're not helping!"
"Who said I was trying to help? Ow, dude, that really hurt."
Nadia took a deep breath.
"You know, Theo wasn't my first boyfriend. But it doesn't matter. I'm happy with him. He loves me and he makes me happy. I wouldn't have gotten that if I hadn't broken up with the boy before him."
"Yeah, but I was really close with Lynn…" said Clyde.
"You were as close as friends could be. But as a couple? You guys never even went on a date. You guys didn't even kiss that much. And that's okay. You guys were young. You guys are still young. You deserve to date other people— see who is truly compatible with you. And sure, the world may have gotten smaller but that only means you get to stand out more. You're smart, you're kind, you're mentally tough, and you're emotionally sensitive. You're open to talking about your feelings and you're very trusting. I know some girls who would love to be with a guy like you."
"Really?"
"For sure! I could even introduce you to a friend of mine. Tomorrow, we can head to the park and we can hang out. Give you two time to get to know each other."
"I mean… I guess it won't hurt to hang out. I got nothing to do tomorrow anyway."
"Great! Can't wait for you two to meet!"
Clyde, for the first time in days, smiled.
"Don't get your hopes up though," said Rex.
"And why would you say that?" asked Nadia.
"Well, it's not a guaranteed thing. You're acting like the two will be perfect for each other. But you know, that's why I thought when I dated Amy and look how that turned out."
"That's 'cause you kept flirting with other girls, you numbskull, but…"
Clyde turned away from the conversation and looked out the window as he noticed a small flicker of light coming from the trees. He then gasped.
"Watch out!" yelled Clyde as he ducked.
Gunfire erupted from the trees as Rex swerved the car to the side, causing it to tumble down a slope, hitting a couple small trees along the way before coming to a complete stop as it bumped into a thick oak tree.
The car, which only seconds ago had a conversation and an argument ensuing, was now lying in the bottom of a slope with trees surrounding it, in silence and in darkness.
—
A metal gate creaked as it opened. An SUV then slowly made its way inside the walled community of Orchard Lakes.
Having parked in a cul-de-sac near the entrance, Errol, Lyberti, Theo, and Vonda stepped out of the car. There, they saw two men in bulletproof vests and swords walking towards them. They had a badge on their shoulder, which showed a diamond, signifying that they were the Adler's personal bodyguards.
"Looks pretty chill here," said Theo.
"You cannot remain here," said one of the bodyguards.
"Yes we can," said Vonda. "We got permission to be here."
"Am I addressing Errol, Lyberti, Vonda, and Clyde?"
"No, I'm not Clyde," said Theo. "I'm Theo. We… we switched seats."
"Yeah, it's us," sighed Errol.
"As I suspected. We apologize for the inconvenience but the Queen has personally sent us to notify you that she could no longer provide you hospitality."
"Really?" asked Errol.
The bodyguard nodded.
"Wait, why not?" asked Vonda.
"There has been an issue regarding the plan to lead the horde to Hawk Woods."
"What kind of issue?"
"The horde has headed eastward and attacked Auburn Hills. As a result, the roads that would have compromised the safety of your trip back home are now clear of danger."
"What?" gasped Errol.
"Do not worry. They will be fine. They already are. For the most part, the herd has been effectively… taken care of."
"Ah, okay. That's a relief."
"Well, we're already here," said Vonda. "And it's nighttime out. And it's foggy. To me, the danger isn't fully gone."
"Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but you cannot remain here. You must head back home now."
"Can I speak to Miriam myself?" asked Vonda.
"You will address the Queen with her proper—"
"Yeah, yeah, can I speak to her? Or Princess Jane? She outranks you, right? Can I speak to her?"
"I will not ask again. You will leave."
Vonda growled before seeing Jane walking up to them.
"Oh, there she is," said Vonda. "I'll talk to her. Thanks for nothing, assholes."
The silent bodyguard then drew his sword and placed the blade against Vonda's throat.
Vonda gasped as she stopped in her tracks.
"My friend was asking nicely, asshole," said the silent bodyguard.
"Stand down, you two!" exclaimed Jane.
The silent bodyguard smirked before moving his sword away from Vonda. Vonda, however, remained frozen, shocked by how fast the bodyguard was at drawing his sword.
"Princess," said bodyguards.
"Vonda, I'm sorry about this," said Jane.
"Yeah, these assholes said we had to leave," said Vonda. "You could use some better bodyguards."
"Well…"
"Jane…"
"I'm sorry, it's my mom. Something's happened and… well, I can't really explain…"
Vonda crossed her arms.
"I saved your life," said Vonda.
"I know."
"I at least deserve an explanation."
"I'm sorry… I can't."
Vonda sighed. She then turned around.
"Wait," said Jane. "I promise I'll tell you another time."
"You don't have to," said Vonda, refusing to turn around. "I was just hoping to see you and maybe do a little bit of archery with you."
Jane gulped. She wanted to jog after Vonda, but could only remain frozen.
Errol, Lyberti, Theo, and Vonda entered their car. Before Vonda entered though, she looked at Jane one last time bitterly.
"Farewell, Princess," quipped Vonda sarcastically.
Vonda then entered the car. The SUV moved out of the cul-de-sac and then through the open gate, leaving Jane alone and ashamed as she watched the vehicle leave.
"I just don't understand why we can't tell them," said Jane.
"You'll just have to trust your mother," said the silent bodyguard.
"I don't even know what she plans to do with him."
"Them."
"Them?"
"It's two people."
"We found another one?"
"Mhm. And when you see her, you'll understand why we can't tell them."
The now curious Jane followed her two bodyguards back to her mansion.
—
The headlights shined onto a sparse group of thin trees and colorful leaves.
Clyde coughed as he blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurry for a few seconds before clearing up. He noticed a crack in his right lens and blood dripping from his lips to his forehead. He then noticed the car was upside-down.
He released his seat belt, allowing his body to drop to the roof softly. He groaned as he felt tiny glass fragments pinch his skin. He then looked ahead and saw Rex and Nadia with their heads lying on airbags as their bodies dangled from their seatbelts.
His eyes then widened as he saw blood seeping from Nadia's throat. Her eyes were frozen and lifeless. Her lower right arm was snapped in half with the bone tearing through the flesh.
"Oh my god," whispered Clyde.
He wiggled Nadia's body. However, her body remained stiff. Only the blood from the gunshot wound moved as it flowed from her throat down to her face and out her lips.
He turned to his right and saw Rex, whose face was cut up by glass. However, his chest was still moving back and forth and he seemed to not be seriously injured, other than a bruise on his forehead. He was unconscious, but he was still alive.
He then heard a whistle in the distance. It sounded like the Vultures' whistle. He panted as he looked around, seeing shattered glass in all the windows, even the windshield, which wasn't completely shattered apart, but had bullet holes in them. He then moved into the back seats as a flashlight lit up the area around the car.
"Oop, careful there," giggled Polly.
Polly slowly moved down the slope as she held a Mini Uzi in her hand. Instead of wearing roller skates, she had sneakers on. She still wore her helmet, though. She also wore a yellow raincoat with roamer blood on it.
"Wow, this looks terrible," said Polly. "I did not expect this to happen."
Polly knelt down and shined the flashlight through the front passenger window. It was completely shattered open like the other windows. Her flashlight revealed the back of Nadia's head. Polly reached in and turned Nadia's head around before groaning.
"Ooh, you don't look so good. Dang."
Polly then turned Nadia's head back around. She stood up and dusted off her knees.
"Oh, well. I'm sure Theo will find someone else."
She walked around the front of the car, stepping in front of the headlights. Then, multiple gunshots with one followed after the other resounded through the dark slope.
Clyde limped out from behind the tree and kept the pistol pointed at Polly as she lay in the ground, quivering as blood stained the inside of her raincoat. Her Mini Uzi lay on the leaves next to her, but her hands were nowhere near them.
"Clyde!" groaned Polly, clutching her stomach and leg. "What… what did you do to me?"
"You promised you weren't going to kill anyone else," said Clyde.
"I… Clyde…"
"I gave you a second chance… why did you waste it?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. You have to understand… I didn't want to do this! Becky made me do thi—!"
Clyde fired one last shot. His breath shivered as mist came out. He lowered his pistol and leaned against the car, in shock at what just happened.
The headlights revealed a hole in Polly's helmet as blood leaked down her forehead and into her lifeless eyes.
Then, a soft growl was heard.
Clyde looked up. He looked around. He looked down. He saw nothing. The growl remained at the same volume. Then, he heard the sound of chewing.
He slowly lowered himself to the ground, peering through the shattered windshield. He saw a roamer where Nadia sat, chewing on Rex's face. The roamer was, of course, none other than Nadia herself.
Clyde aimed his pistol at the windshield. He fired it. Then, he fired it once more.
The road was more visible as more fog cleared away by the minute.
Clyde groaned as he climbed up the slope. He then panted as he reached the top onto the road.
He huffed and puffed as he felt his body still trembling from the incident. He then covered his mouth and whimpered. Tears rolled down his face.
He walked forward, taking the road back to Royal Woods on foot.
—
The gate slid open as Albert held a rifle behind his back, Bruna held a pistol on her side, Lynn held a bow around her shoulder, Carol held Clancy's hand, and Bobby held Lori's hand.
Sully held the gate, allowing the survivors to walk in as a few residents were huddled near the entrance. Some of them included Luna, Sam, Simon, Errol, Lyberti, and Roger.
Lori refused to look at any of them before Katherine Mulligan walked up to her.
"I see you got Lynn back," said Katherine. "Many residents are wondering whether the threat still looms. Are there any updates you can provide us with?"
Katherine held the microphone near Lori's face.
Albert groaned as he walked up to Katherine.
"Leave her alone, you—" groaned Albert.
"It's over," said Lori. "Becky will no longer be a threat."
The residents gasped. Some cheered, like Lyberti and Roger, while others let out breaths of relief, like Simon and Luna. But some were unsure about how to react to the news, like Sam and Errol.
Katherine Mulligan was grinning before looking around. She saw Clancy's broken eyes and gulped.
"And can you give us an update about Kari Carmichael?"
Lori looked away.
"She's gone too," said Lori before walking away.
The cheers quickly died down as the residents watched the survivors walk towards the infirmary. Only Clancy and Carol walked towards City Hall.
As the group arrived at the infirmary, Lynn saw JuJu walking around outside with his crutches as Maria watched him. She gasped and jogged towards him.
"He's making good progress already," said Maria. "I'll leave you two alone now. You guys, come with me."
Maria walked inside the infirmary as Lori, Bobby, Albert, and Bruna followed her.
Lynn smiled and ran up to JuJu and hugged him, almost causing him to stumble back.
"W-Woah! Chill, heh. And I thought I was the one worried about you."
"Don't worry," whispered Lynn. "That is the last time I ever leave these walls."
JuJu looked at Lynn strangely.
"What went on out there?" he asked.
"Nothing I ever want to see again."
JuJu looked concerned. He could see it in Lynn's face. The fear in her eyes.
"Hey, Lynn," said Clyde, walking out of the infirmary.
"Oh, yeah," scoffed JuJu. "Clyde's here too."
Lynn turned around and looked as Clyde slowly walked towards her. His face was covered in small bandages as well as his arms.
"What happened to you?" asked Lynn.
"We got shot up," said Clyde. "It was Polly Pain. I managed to get out and stop her, but… I'm sorry."
Lynn's eyes got watery.
"Nadia was killed."
Lynn sniffled as tears escaped her eyes.
Clyde opened up his arms as he got ready to hug her, but instead, she turned around and hugged JuJu. He felt a sting in his heart as he watched Lynn sob into JuJu's shoulders.
"It's alright," said JuJu. "I'm here."
Clyde cleared his throat and walked away.
Inside the infirmary, Maria stood next to a patient's bed.
"Look," said Maria.
Lori gasped in surprise.
Ravi was drinking a cup of tea before he quickly placed it down. He then saluted.
"What… what are you doing?" asked Schoffner.
"She's our new leader, right?" asked Ravi.
"Doesn't mean you have to salute her."
"Oh, my bad."
Lori looked at the two police officers in confusion. Nevertheless, she was relieved to see Ravi fully awake.
"I'm not exactly sure how much I missed," said Ravi. "But all these… Vultures— that's it, right?"
Schoffner nodded.
"Yeah, all these Vultures are gone. Apparently you got rid of them with April Bell's help. And then they tried to attack us with a herd of roamers. And once again, you got rid of them too?"
Lori glanced at Albert before lowering her head and nodding.
"And what of Becky?" asked Ravi.
"She's gone," said Lori.
The entire infirmary fell silent.
Vonda felt a sting in her heart, despite how angry she was with Becky.
Haley continued moving supplies around while clearing her throat, wondering how Jace would react.
Schoffner swallowed hard as she looked away.
Maria felt her heart grow heavy for her daughter-in-law. It pained her to see her distraught like this.
"Geez, I'm… uh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Ravi. "You know, I wish things could've turned out differently. Despite what she's done, I know how much she meant to you guys."
Lori nodded.
Schoffner then stood up and stared at Lori directly. However, her eyes weren't one of hostility. It was one of guilt.
"I want to apologize to you," said Schoffner. "But first, I would like you to come with me to City Hall."
"Why?" asked Lori.
"We have to make your leadership official."
Lori stared at Schoffner with the same eyes that used to distrust her. But now, they could see the truth. Schoffner was being sincere.
She nodded.
Lori and Schoffner prepared to walk out of the infirmary as Bobby, Albert, and Bruna followed her. But before they left the building, a groan was heard from one of the beds.
Vonda gasped as Lori turned around.
"Oh, wow," smiled Haley. "He's awake too."
Tim groaned as he blinked his eyes open. His eyes then shot open as Vonda wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, damn," groaned Tim.
"You have to stop dying on me," whispered Vonda as joyful tears came out of her eyes.
"Come on. When have I ever died? Heh."
Vonda closed her eyes, not letting Tim go.
The survivors were relieved to see him alive, Maria most of all, who clasped her hands together and smiled. The sight of seeing her husband with his daughter warmed her heart so much that for a moment, she forgot about what happened the night before. Then, she wondered where her own daughter was.
Probably sleeping like she said she was going to do.
—
Lincoln stared at his fists while sitting down on the steps of the back porch. His eyes trembled. He palmed his hands together as if he were praying and placed his face against his hands.
The door creaked behind him. He closed his eyes as he heard footsteps approaching.
When he opened his eyes again, Ronnie Anne was standing in front of him with her arms crossed. However, she wasn't angry. She was scared. The way she held herself, it was as if she were cold.
"It's cold out here," said Lincoln. "You should head back inside."
"I'm fine," said Ronnie Anne.
"You're shivering."
"Remember that night when we lost the White House? After we ran and ran… and there was snow everywhere…. I thought I was going to die of hypothermia."
Lincoln looked to the side and let his hands hang from his knees.
"And then there was that one night when we were freezing in that cabin. I don't think any night will be colder than that night."
Ronnie Anne looked around, seeing the fog having mostly cleared away as she could see the moon.
"This cold is nothing."
"Still, I don't want you getting sick."
"I have a bed. And running water. And food. And my mom's a doctor now."
"But—"
"Enough, Lincoln. You're not getting rid of me. Not until we talk first."
Lincoln looked up at Ronnie Anne, seeing her arms uncrossed and at her waist now.
"You promised me you weren't going to be cruel again."
"I know."
"What you did to Chandler back there… what the heck was that?"
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me."
"I get it, he's an asshole. And knowing he tried to kill you, I feel like killing him too. But he's tied up. He can't fight back. And he's already given up. The only thing we can do is throw him in jail… or execute him. But we do not make him suffer. We have no right to do that."
Lincoln lowered his eyebrows.
"He's more than an asshole. He genuinely hates me and anyone I associate with. That includes you too, Ronnie. He's glad our friends are dead. And I bet he wishes you were too."
"I know. And I hate him for it. But I was able to control my emotions. Why couldn't you?"
Lincoln sighed and looked away again.
"I don't know."
"This isn't the first time it's happened, Lincoln. You can be fine one minute and then the next you lose it. It's like… you get triggered. And when you get triggered, you turn into some kind of raging monster."
Ronnie Anne pocketed her hands.
"I get scared when you do that. Even when it's never directed at me… I'm still afraid."
Lincoln stared at Ronnie Anne, feeling a stinging pain in his heart. He knew how much his rage would scare others. Luna, Becky, Ronnie Anne. It scared others just as much as Lori's rage would. But for some reason, only Lori wasn't scared of him.
He remembered that one night when he killed Nora. He remembered the warm embrace of Lori's arms. He wanted it again, for someone to calm him down when he was ready to lose it. Especially from someone like his girlfriend. But there she was, telling him how afraid she was of him.
"I'm… sorry. I really don't know what it is. I don't want to get angry but it's just so sudden, it feels like I really am not in control of myself."
"Lincoln—"
Ronnie Anne paused as she hesitated to ask him a question that she wanted a real answer for a long time now. Lincoln was attentive, but she was afraid of what the real answer could be.
She took a deep breath and exhaled out.
"Did you lie to me about what happened to Troy?"
Lincoln's eyes widened.
"Why would you think that?" he asked.
"Look at the way you're sitting right now. Look at your eyes. It's the same look you had when I asked about Troy."
Lincoln knew he couldn't avoid the truth now. The guilt returned. And it indeed was consuming him.
"Everything happened the way I told you it happened," he said. "Everything… except one thing."
Lincoln gulped.
"Troy surrendered straight away after he shot you. I was never in any danger… and I still killed him. And because he shot you specifically… I wanted to make sure he suffered before he died."
Lincoln stood up, causing Ronnie Anne to take a step back.
"I'm scared too," said Lincoln. "And I don't know what to do."
Ronnie Anne rubbed her arms as she looked away.
"You killed someone… because they hurt me?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"I thought Troy killed you."
"And you lied to me about it. You're hiding stuff from me again. And what about that promise? You promised me you weren't going to be cruel."
"It's not like I wanted this."
"We have an actual psychologist now. Someone who can really help you out. Yet… for the past five months… you didn't visit her. If your trust issues are really that deep… then how am I supposed to help you?"
"Ronnie…"
"I loved you because you were kind. Because you were patient. Because you were a good person. We were supposed to be better people when we came here. You made a promise to me… and you broke it."
Ronnie Anne cleared her throat.
"I have to go home now. I should be asleep right now."
Ronnie Anne walked up the steps before Lincoln turned around.
"Wait, it's not… it's not over between us, is it?" he asked.
Ronnie Anne placed her hands on the doorknob. She turned around, a teardrop running down her face.
"Goodbye… Lincoln."
She entered the house and closed the door. The footsteps faded away as Lincoln stood still, her eyes getting watery too. He clenched his fists and began panting. He then released his fists and took a deep breath before walking through the driveway, now headed back home too.
—
A knock was heard.
Mandee opened up the wooden door, seeing Carol and Clancy standing on the other side.
"You're here to see Melissa?" asked Mandee.
Carol nodded.
"I'll go get her. Give me a minute."
Mandee closed the door and locked it.
Carol and Clancy stared at the wooden door before the former faced the latter.
"Are you sure Melissa will talk to you this late?" asked Carol.
"Yeah," said Clancy, his voice sounding soft.
"Okay."
Carol looked back at the wooden door. Clancy then faced her.
"Do you think… it would be wrong for me to ask to have Becky buried here?" asked Clancy.
"The Yellowjackets probably took care of that for us."
"Yeah."
It got quiet between the two of them again as they stared at the wooden door.
"What were her last words?" asked Clancy.
"She didn't have any."
Clancy sniffled.
"I… I failed as a father, didn't I?"
"Not as much as I failed as a friend."
Clancy's voice broke.
"God… what am I supposed to tell Tucker?" he whispered.
"Let him sleep over for the night. Then in the morning, when we pick him up… you break the news to him. I'll be there with you."
Clancy nodded before the door opened.
Melissa looked at the two of them as Mandee held the door for them. She studied their expressions. She then knew what they were here for.
"Come in," said Melissa.
Clancy walked in while Carol remained where she stood.
"You're not coming in?" asked Melissa.
"No," said Carol. "It's been a long day. I'm going straight to bed."
"If you need to talk, you know where to find me. Have a good night."
"You too."
Carol turned around and walked away as tears rolled down from Clancy's eyes. The wooden door then shut.
—
There was a pitch-black darkness. However, voices could still be heard in the background.
"Hey, you awake?" asked Luna. "Wake up. Dude— wake up!"
Luna smacked Aiden in the shoulder, causing the pitch-black darkness to be overcome with light as Aiden opened his eyes.
"Hey," gasped Aiden.
"I knew it," said Luna.
"How?"
"I saw you smirk. Don't know what you thought was so funny."
"I was thinking of a memory of the past. Didn't know someone was watching."
Luna crossed her arms as she stood above Aiden, who was still in a hospital bed.
"I'm not very trusting," said Aiden.
"You don't say?"
Aiden lifted the sheets off and turned to get off the bed.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaving," said Aiden.
"But you're not fully healed up!"
"Yeah, come on," said Haley. "You just got shot in the gut and you lost a lot of blood. You're lucky to be alive right now."
"Did I get more blood?" asked Aiden.
"Yeah."
"Then, I'm leaving."
"You're not fully stabilized yet, though."
Aiden stood up, feeling a small rush to the head. He shook it off though and grabbed his glasses.
"I can walk fine. I'll leave."
"At least take these painkillers," said Haley.
"No, thank you."
Aiden began moving away from the bed before looking around.
"Where's my stuff?" asked Aiden.
"I just risked my life to save your ass," said Luna.
"Didn't ask you to save it."
"Well, I did and if you want to remain alive, then you have to stay."
"Am I a prisoner?"
"Well, no, but…"
"I'm leaving then. But first… my stuff."
"Look, I saw what you did out there and in here. Clearly you can hold your own. But the world's getting more and more dangerous out there. If you stay here, you can help protect this place. You can make it safer just by being here. And I promise you… my sister will trust you just as I do."
"I'm not the kind of guy to settle. I move place to place. Now, please answer my question."
Luna sighed.
"It's at the truck. Sam will lead you there. When you walk out, turn right and walk straight until you see the main gate. Sam will be there."
Aiden nodded. He walked slowly towards the entrance, feeling a dull pain in the side of his stomach. He chose to endure it. But before he walked out, he turned around, seeing Luna unhappy to see him go.
"Thank you," said Aiden.
Luna nodded.
Aiden then walked out of the infirmary.
"You really trust him?" asked Tim.
Luna turned around, seeing Tim in bed as Vonda and Maria sat next to him.
"I don't know," said Luna. "Thought I knew him better. Apparently not."
"Well, you just let him walk out unsupervised."
"I trust him enough not to hurt anyone inside the walls. But dang… I think we really could've used him."
"Sometimes, life inside these walls just isn't right for everyone. Some people are nomads by nature. And sometimes, they just don't see this place as a home. Just because a stranger gains our trust does not mean we gain theirs. Our job is to gain theirs."
"Our…?"
Tim smiled as he cleared his throat.
"Would you be interested in seeking and recruiting people into our community?" he asked.
Luna gasped. She then looked at Vonda and Maria, who didn't seem too affected.
"I thought you were done recruiting people," said Luna.
"After what happened last night, it's now clear to me that we need more people. Not only do we have many empty homes that now need replacing… we have even more that were never filled up in the first place. Red here will be joining us."
"Really?"
"Even after everything that's happened… I kinda miss being outside," said Vonda. "And you know me. I could never sit still."
"What makes you think I'll be a good recruiter?" Luna asked Tim.
"You have experience being outside the walls," said Tim. "You're brave. Your marksmanship is something we can use. And you're an empathetic person. And you have a knack for befriending strangers. So what do you say?"
"But I'm confused. You were almost killed by a stranger from outside the walls. And you think actively searching for people will be the solution to making this place safer?"
"You were a stranger too."
Tim smiled before clearing his throat.
"There is strength in numbers. But that's not the only reason why Royal Woods survived. Royal Woods survived because I went out there and showed your sister a new world. And now… she will lead Royal Woods through that new world."
Luna's eyes glittered. She then nodded.
—
Murmurs were heard amongst residents as they walked out of the church. Some watched Lori and Schoffner walk through the street as the two women made their way to City Hall. Lori herself was putting on a new coat as the air was getting colder. Bobby followed her.
The moon shined high above them as the fog was now mostly cleared away.
Bruna moved a podium from inside the City Hall building to outside on top of the stairwell. She made sure the microphone was connected to the speakers.
Lori, Schoffner, and Bobby walked up the stairwell as people gathered around the town center. People, who were inside their homes, saw this. Some walked out of their homes while others kept their windows open and watched from their windows. Some turned on their radios while others simply ignored the commotion and headed for bed.
Katherine Mulligan rushed to the town center carrying her backpack and her microphone. She dragged her way to the front, knowing what was about to come.
Melissa opened the curtains to her window, seeing a crowd of people gathered outside. Even Clancy, who was sitting at a chair far away from the window, was able to see the crowd.
Bobby moved to the side, standing to the right of Lori while Bruna stood to her left.
Schoffner walked up to the podium as Lori stood next to her, wearing a clean blue overcoat. However, the coat did little to hide the blood stains on her face and on her hair.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Schoffner, her voice amplified by the speakers. "I'm sure you heard the news. Yes, it is true that Becky and her Vultures have been effectively neutralized. But it is no cause for celebration. We lost far too much to cheer. Last night, we lost over sixty people. And no one in this town holds more responsibility for those losses than I do. Had I not removed your weapons, had I dedicated more of my forces to keeping this place safe instead of creating panic and riots, had I not been obsessed with catching Becky and effectively banning her from this place and instead just dropped the charges and made her feel welcome at home, had I just policed better… none of this would've happened. I overstepped my authority and I did so because I thought the laws were preventing me from doing the right thing. But I see now… that that was a mistake. Lori, on the other hand, was trying to do the right thing and I was in the way. I deeply regret my actions and I apologize not only to her, but to you all. I still believe in justice… but I don't believe I am the right person to deliver it. And thus, I resign, effective immediately. Officer Ravi will be promoted to Detective. And your new leader is now Lori Loud."
Schoffner walked away from the podium as the civilians murmured to each other. She removed her badge from her chest and handed it over to Lori.
"Good luck," said Schoffner.
Lori nodded as she held the badge. As Schoffner walked inside the City Hall building, Lori handed the badge to Bruna, who grabbed it and pocketed it.
Lana, who was part of the crowd, smiled as she looked up at her grandfather, who stood in a confident pose. Lily, who was holding her grandfather's hand, looked at her eldest sister with awe.
Lori walked up to the podium. The murmurs then died down as Lori cleared her throat. She looked at the crowd, seeing it extended all the way to the intersection. And even more were coming.
She took a deep breath as she looked at all of them.
"Thank you all for gathering here today," said Lori in a normal voice, contrasting Schoffner's public speaking voice. "Really, I'm grateful. After everything that's happened… I needed a reminder of what I'm fighting for. It's this. Community. It's why Royal Woods holds a special place in my heart. The walls, the food, the water, the electricity… none of it matters without all of you. Everyone here is special to me in one way or another."
The crowd of people all looked up at her, some in relief, some in distress, some in bitterness. But all were attentive.
"I went to school with some of you."
Errol nodded along with Parvana while Roger looked away with his arms crossed.
"I served some of you food."
Fiona and Paige nodded.
"I handed some of you my money so I could buy stuff from the stores you worked at or even owned."
Grant looked at Lori with soft eyes while Miguel smiled.
"I may have even babysat some of your family members."
Jackee smiled as she grabbed her little brother's shoulder.
"I even watched some of you on TV."
Katherine Mulligan smirked as Patchy Drizzle scoffed with a smile.
"I interacted with a lot of you in one way or another before all this. And every time I did, it only made this place more special to me."
Lori smiled softly before it faded away.
"But unfortunately, not everyone is here with us. Steve…"
Patchy Drizzle stroked his chin as he looked down in guilt.
"Maya…"
Paula glanced upwards upon hearing her late friend's name be mentioned.
"Nadia…"
Theo's eyes were reddened as the rest of Nadia's roller derby team were close to each other, finding comfort in each other's presence.
"Rex…"
Amy tried to look away in spite, but she couldn't help but glance at a hurt Jackee, who was looking at her. The two made eye contact, though no words were exchanged. Jackee then looked away as Amy wiped a tear from her eye.
"Leo…"
Lyberti removed her glasses and wiped her eyes before placing them back on. She was relieved in knowing that the Vultures were gone, at the very least.
"Ruby…"
Shannon was rubbing her arm as she looked at Parvana and Spencer with grieving eyes. Parvana and Spencer both looked back at her with mournful and sorrowful eyes as well.
"Whitney…"
Roger clenched his fist and lowered his head before turning around. He walked away from the crowd.
"Kari Carmichael…"
Tucker looked out the window of the guest bedroom in Albert's house. Finn was sitting on a chair next to the bed, reading a book out loud to relieve Tucker's anxiety while Quinn leaned against a wall, looking at Tucker with immense pity, knowing the truth about his family.
"We will mourn them just as I will mourn Becky… who died long before she ever took a step inside the walls."
Clancy leaned his head against his clenched hands as he cried softly into them. Melissa patted his shoulders in an effort to console him.
"And we will continue to move forward. We will strengthen our defenses…."
Luna walked to the main gate, seeing Simon standing next to his sister while she was talking to Mazzy. Sam then faced Luna and smiled before walking up to her. The two girls shared a kiss and a hug, while Simon watched, his arms crossed. He then smiled.
"We will strengthen ourselves."
Jace kept his hands on the handles while Luan held him tightly on the waist. Her ponytail waved around, though the wind simply brushed against her face as the motorcycle was not moving too fast. She looked around the road, seeing bodies of dead roamers on the ground as the bike passed them.
"We will upgrade our technology…"
Ronnie Anne walked into the infirmary, catching her mother by surprise. But before Maria could speak, Ronnie Anne ran up to her and hugged her. And while tears came out of her eyes, she turned to face Tim and Vonda, who were both looking at them. She smiled and hugged the two of them as well while an injured Chandler and an exhausted yet grateful Haley watched.
"We will create a stronger relationship with the other communities…"
JuJu arrived at his house with his arm around Lynn. He walked inside and turned around to hug Lynn goodbye. However, the two refused to let each other go, and their hug transitioned into a kiss as the two went further inside the house. With a kick, Lynn shut the door before she tossed JuJu into the couch. She then removed her shirt and lowered herself onto him.
"We will create a fair set of rules that works for everyone…"
Lincoln walked down the street before finding Clyde sitting on the front stairs. Clyde glanced at Lincoln, revealing the guilt and sorrow in his eyes. Lincoln walked up to the front stairs and took a seat next to him, placing his bandaged hands over his knees. The two remained in silence.
"And we will not only survive, but we will prosper in this new world together as a community for generations to come. Thank you."
The crowd began clapping as a few frowns turned into smiles and feelings of anxiety dissipated and were replaced with hope. Bobby smiled as he clapped. Bruna clapped too, though she appeared more serious.
Lana kissed her puppy as she looked around the hopeful crowd. Lily clapped before Albert lifted her up to his shoulders. She then clapped even harder, now having the best view of her sister.
Lori looked at the supportive crowd and began tearing up. She then looked at her youngest sister clapping for her. Her heart warmed up, though it was still undergoing immense pain and loss. A bittersweet teardrop rolled down her face.
Away from the crowd, Carol stood by the wall where the opening was before being welded shut. She placed her hand on the wall as she took out Becky's dagger. She then let out a yell as she stabbed the wall with the dagger.
The knife now stuck to the wall, Carol turned around and leaned against the wall as she placed her hands over her mouth and sobbed. And there she remained, surrounded by nothing but darkness and a wall.
The moon shined brightly and the fog was now completely gone.
—
End Credit Song
Save Us From Ourselves - Digital Daggers
—
REMEMBER THOSE WHO REMAIN:
Lori Loud
Luna Loud
Luan Loud
Lynn Loud Jr.
Lincoln Loud
Lana Loud
Lily Loud
Maria Santiago
Bobby Santiago
Ronnie Anne Santiago
Carlitos Casagrande
Clyde McBride
Sam Sharp
Simon Sharp
Tim Crowley
Vonda Crowley
Jace Taylor
Hana Konda
Haley Jennings
Carol Pingrey
And many more survivors…
REMEMBER THOSE WHO WERE LOST:
Kimi (Chapter 32)
Maya and Leo (Chapter 37)
Steve and Whitney (Chapter 39)
Ruby, Rex, Nadia, and Kari Carmichael (Chapter 40)
And many more… including Becky.
—
.
.
.
—
A brisk wind blew against the air as the moonlight shined on the city of Ann Arbor.
A flashlight pointed at what remained of Ruby's corpse in the ground as part of her head was consumed.
"Oh my god…" whispered Luan.
Jace gulped hard. He was still not used to seeing live bodies decaying in front of him. He didn't think he could ever get used to it.
"What about that tower?" asked Jace.
Luan looked up at the Burton Tower. She was breathing fast, as if she was about to cry before Jace placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know," whispered Jace. "But we still have to check."
Luan hesitantly nodded and followed Jace as they walked away from the rooftop. She looked back at Ruby's corpse, fearing she may find Benny in the same way up in the tower.
Flashlights pointed at three bodies in the floor of the top of the bell tower. One was that of a soldier, one was that of a Vulture, and one was that of a roamer. They had stab wounds in their heads, matching that of a bladed weapon. However, there was no sign of Benny.
"Let's go," said Jace.
"Where could he be?" groaned Luan.
"I don't know. The soldiers already scanned the whole area. If they can't find him, then neither can we."
Luan clutched her shirt before nodding. She followed Jace down the tower, leaving the quiet tower alone.
The bell remained still as Jace's motorcycle engine faded away into the distance.
-TWELVE HOURS EARLIER-
Benny took a deep breath as he looked up at the bell tower through a window of a small laboratory building he was inside of. His eyes then lowered to the ground, where he saw a few roamers snapping their jaws together as they wandered around. He was sweating intensely, even though he was no longer wearing his light jacket. He gripped his sword and collected himself.
After a few seconds, he darted out of the building and ran towards the bell tower. The roamers turned their heads towards him and let out a mean growl before chasing after him.
Benny panted as he looked at the grass near the Hill Auditorium. He saw the walkie-talkie that he left behind. However, there were roamers standing near it.
He let out a yell as he swung his sword at the roamers, killing them. He bent down to grab the walkie-talkie before hearing the runners behind him. He pocketed the walkie-talkie and made a spin, slicing one of the runner's head off. He then swung his sword at another roamer, covered in fungus plates. It took more effort, but Benny was still able to slice his head off.
A group of roamers, all covered in fungus plates then came out from the intersection where Benny was. However, he was too exhausted to fight them and he was almost out of breath.
He went inside the Burton Tower, locking one of the doors shut. The roamers slammed their hands against it while he went up the stairs.
Benny groaned as he reached the top of the tower. He shut the door and locked it like the door all the way downstairs. He panted heavily as he removed his sweater. It was warmer now as the clock pointed at noon, but it was still cold enough to make Benny shiver as he removed his sweater. However, he felt like he was going to overheat and faint if he kept his sweater on.
Still sweating intensely, Benny grabbed the walkie-talkie and turned it on.
"Anyone out there? This is Benny Stein, from Royal Woods."
Benny continued to breathe heavily before speaking into the walkie-talkie again.
"Hello? Is anyone out there?"
After hearing no response, Benny looked back at the walkie-talkie. He then sighed deeply as he saw the antenna. It was snapped apart.
He continued to try to reach out for anyone, even if the range was extremely short now. If it even worked.
"Anyone out there? This is Benny from Royal Woods and I need help. I am in the Burton Tower and I need help."
Benny walked to the mounted rifle and peered into the scope. He looked to see if there were still any other soldiers around the city.
It's been hours since the last bell tolled and many roamers were now back in the stadium. Benny knew there still had to be soldiers around as they were supposed to keep the Vultures from returning to the stadium. He thought about ringing the bell.
However, he simply continued to search around with the scope.
"I need help at the Burton Tower. If anyone is out there, please respond."
Behind Benny, a figure popped its head up like a mole and raised its arms up as it lifted the rest of its body up. It then crawled through the open window of the tower before collapsing to the floor of the top of the tower.
Benny turned around and gasped, seeing a roamer lifting its head up from the floor. As he reached for the sword in his sheath, the roamer lunged at him, tackling him against the rifle, knocking it down. He groaned as he tried to shove the roamer's head away, but the roamer overpowered his exhausted arms and bit into his side.
Benny screamed as he removed his sword and thrusted it downwards. The roamer's skull was pierced by the sword, causing the roamer to fall down to the floor with a piece of Benny's skin on its teeth.
"Oh no, oh no…" muttered Benny.
Benny dropped his katana and pulled up his shirt. Sure enough, there was a bite mark on the side of his stomach and small drops of blood coming out of it. He then looked at the door that was supposed to keep him secure. However, it was still locked shut.
"H-How…?"
Benny looked at the open windows. He took a slow step forward before finding himself at the edge of the tower. He then looked down, seeing a few roamers climb up the mossy side of the tower. The roamers growled as they made eye contact with him as they continued to grip the moss.
He took a step back and spoke into his walkie-talkie.
"G-Guys… there's… there's climbers!"
Benny then felt a pang from the side of his stomach. He looked down and was reminded of his bite mark.
Now feeling completely exhausted and faded, Benny slowly dropped to the floor, now lying next to the dead soldier and dead Vulture. He grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"Luan… if you can hear me… I'm sorry."
Benny then dropped the walkie-talkie as he continued to look upwards, now having completely surrendered himself to his situation as roamers surrounded the tower from the bottom and a few roamers were climbing their way to the top.
His voice became blurry as he let out heavy breaths. A voice then spoke to him.
"Do you really believe this is your end?"
Benny's eyes slowly moved around before rolling back.
"Fear not, my child. It isn't."
His vision faded and everything went black.
—
.
.
.
—
Hello, everyone, Potassium here. Six years ago today, I published my very first chapter of this story. What a long and emotional journey it has been not only for the characters, but for me as well. Writing about my favorite characters, introducing new ones, killing some… it's been quite fun. It helped me discover a love for writing stories and characters. And the best part about it all was hearing your feedback! I got to know some of you and I am not only thankful for the contributions you made, but also for talking with you. You guys have no idea how much you motivated me and inspired me to keep on going. Thank you for joining me in this journey.
As many of you guys know, I'm going to take a hiatus. I don't know when I'll be back, or even if I'll be back. I do hope to see you guys again, though. But for now, this is goodbye.
P.S. I'm glad I made the choice to type down my first word six years ago.