"Kenny, Riley! Go back!" Lee screamed, his voice filled with urgency, before retreating back from the gruesome scene.
He looked upon the lifeless body of David on the ground, a smile still on his face. The zombies closed in, mercilessly tearing into the remains of the once good man.
Back at the motel, the group was busy with their respective tasks. Larry was fortifying the fence, Clementine played soccer with herself, kicking the ball against some barrels. Lilly sat in a chair on the RV, keeping watch. Duck lay on the floor, engrossed in drawing on a board, while Katjaa knelt beside him. Doug was fixing the bells, and Carley was busy cooking the rabbit and birds.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell ringing shattered the air, instantly putting everyone on high alert. Lilly swiftly grabbed her gun and aimed it towards the forest. She whistled, signaling for everyone to hide. The group quickly abandoned their tasks and sought cover.
Travis, Mark and ben burst out of the forest in a hurry.
Mark screamed, trying to catch his breath. "Lilly, open up!"
Lilly lowered her gun, her expression a mix of surprise, concern and anger "Sh*t, what the hell are they doing?!"
The rest of the motel group rushed to the gate, joining Lilly as Mark and the other two survivors entered.
Amidst the chaos, everyone began speaking at the same time, their voices overlapping and blending together.
In the middle of the commotion, Katjaa's worried voice cut through the noise. "Where's Kenny?" she asked, her concern evident.
Suddenly, Lee emerged from the forest, alone. He quickly entered inside the gate, calling out for Kenny and Riley.
Looking around, Lee failed to spot their faces. Worried, Lilly spoke up, demanding answers. "Lee, what happened?! Where's Riley and Kenny?"
"They baited themselves to the zombies. I-I expected them to be back here by now," Lee explained, his voice filled with concern.
As Lee spoke, Kenny and Riley emerged from the forest, relieving the tension in the air. Katjaa and the others let out sighs of relief.
They quickly entered inside the gate, and Kenny remained quiet. Larry, ever protective, pushed the gate closed.
I approached Kenny, feeling guilty for running off. "I'm sorry for running off like that," I said, my voice filled with remorse.
Kenny caressed my hair gently and reassured me, "Don't worry about it."
But tensions were still high. Lilly's fuse had snapped, and she confronted Lee, demanding answers. "What the hell, Lee? You can't just bring people in here!"
Lee tried to calm her down. "Calm down, we already left one of them behind."
Lilly's anger flared. "Another one?! Jesus, Lee! What if there are more of them?! What if they followed you here?!"
Ben interjected, trying to diffuse the situation. "There wasn't anybody else! Just us!"
Lilly's father, Larry, voiced his concerns, always siding with his daughter. "How do you know he's not lying?"
Travis stepped in, trying to reason with Larry. "We just lost someone! Can you please..."
Larry interrupted, his anger boiling over, and he almost threw a punch. But Lilly held him back, restraining him. "Don't try me, kid. We don't care if you lost someone. We're not risking taking a dead man into our space," Larry snapped.
Kenny couldn't bear the escalating tension any longer and intervened. "Everyone, calm down! We can discuss this peacefully. Don't waste your breath on this pointless argument."
Lilly retorted, clearly displeased. "Pointless?! You were supposed to bring food, not bring more mouths to feed!"
Kenny fired back, frustration evident in his voice. "So you're suggesting we just leave these kids out there?"
Lilly remained firm. "YES! We are not responsible for every struggling survivor we come across! We have to focus on our group, right here, right now! And I believe you know that well."
"Those choices are not yours to make alone," Kenny countered. "I'd rather die of hunger than live with guilt. You like to think you're the leader of this little group, but this isn't your own personal dictatorship."
Carley, tired of the escalating drama, walked away and returned to her cooking, seeking solace in the task. Same with doug who went to work on his bell.
Larry, displeased with Kenny's words, snapped back at him. "Hey! Watch your tone!"
Meanwhile, Katjaa took a more peaceful approach, seeking ways to calm the group. "We still haven't talked to them. Maybe they could be of help?"
Lilly replied, her anger not subsiding. "How? Didn't you hear that they were about to die if it weren't for those impulsive actions of bringing more people? Let's see how you'll feed this number, Lee."
Tensions escalated as Kenny closed in, defending his wife. "Hey! Don't you talk to my wife like that!"
Larry pushed Kenny, and a fight seemed imminent. Lee swiftly intervened, trying to diffuse the situation. "I understand your worries, but fighting among ourselves won't do any good."
Lilly's anger subsided slightly, and she spoke softly. "Those people need to leave, Lee. You know how short we are on food. I don't care about their circumstances. You already did them a favor, so..."
"You cruel son of a-" Kenny struggled to contain his anger, unable to believe what he was hearing. He understood her point but didn't agree with it.
Katjaa swiftly called the kids. "Clem, Duck, Riley. Come here. And you two as well," she said, gesturing to Travis and Ben.
Travis and Ben went over to Katjaa, and they all sat under the shade of the RV. Travis was on his knees, silently sobbing, while Ben seemed lost, staring blankly into nothing.
"Why do adults always fight?" Duck innocently questioned.
Katjaa smiled and replied, "You'll understand when you grow up. For now, let's just stay away from it."
Clementine covered her ears, clearly upset by all the arguing.
Travis slowly raised his head and apologized. "I'm sorry for all the ruckus we caused."
Katjaa responded in a gentle tone, "Don't worry about it."
Lilly's voice resonated strongly. "Hey, I didn't ask to lead this group! Everyone was happy to have me distribute the food when there was enough, but now that it's running out, suddenly I'm a goddamn Nazi!"
Lee remained neutral, trying to maintain peace and ease the tense atmosphere. "Look, they're here now, and we can't change that. Chasing them away isn't the solution. All I know is that someone raided their place, and we need every hand we can get to fortify this place."
Kenny added, "Worse, we might need to be ready to leave this place. We can't stay here forever, and everyone knows that."
As the heated conversation continued, Katjaa and the other kids found solace in their own activities. Clementine joined Duck with his drawing, finding solace in doing something rather than listening to the arguing and waiting for it to end.
Travis asked, "So what's with the zombie calling? Why do you call those biters 'zombies'?"
Katjaa happily answered with a smile, lightly laughing. "Riley influenced them. She's a creative kid. Before, everyone called those things 'walkers' until Riley came up with the term 'zombie.' She didn't explain why she called them that, but I guess it just caught on with the others whenever she went on their expeditions."
"She seems like a bright kid in your story, but she's braver than any of us back there," Travis remarked.
"Reckless, you mean," Katjaa corrected.
After a few moments, the arguing came to a halt. Lilly handed the ration control to Lee, observing how he would distribute the food. It was a heavy decision to make, knowing that some would have to go without a meal that day.
Lee started by prioritizing the kids. He gave Duck, Clementine, and Riley some rabbit meat and fruits. Next, it was Mark and Kenny's turn, but Kenny refused. So he gave kenny's ration to Larry instead. Doug and Carley received a bird meat, the meat carley was working on. each of them getting one. Lilly was offered a biscuit, but like Kenny, she also refused to take it.
Then, Lee remembered that he had given the last piece to Travis and Ben, which made Lilly even more unhappy.
Lee, Kenny, Lilly, and Katjaa ended up without a meal.
Doug walked up to Lee, offering him a chocolate bar "Here, I already ate. I hid some food before. Don't tell Lilly"
Lee accepted it gratefully. "Thanks, Doug. That's much appreciated."
"You're welcome," Doug replied.
Everyone went back to their tasks, doing what they were supposed to do. Mark and Larry were on the walls, Doug was occupied with his own things, and Carley was trying to get any news on the radio.
They spent the next few hour cooling off, trying to calm down. Suddenly, Doug's bell alarm went off.
Some people triggered the bell in which alarmed them all, going defensive.
"Shit, where did this string come from?" exclaimed the guy who trip on the string set up by doug.
Mark whispered excitedly, "Doug, it works!"
Proud Doug chimed, saying, "Of course, it works! I told you!"
Lilly immediately grabbed her gun and pointed it at them, while one of the strangers held a gasoline can. Carley and Mark also had their guns out, ready to defend themselves.
The strangers raised their hands in surrender. One of them spoke "Whoa, lady, relax! Me and my brother, we...we just want to know if you all can help us out."
Lilly demanded, "Name yourselves."
Lee turned to Ben and asked, "Are they the people who raided your camp?"
Ben shook his head, denying any knowledge of these people. "I don't know. All of their heads are covered, so I can't tell."
Kenny walked up to the fence, firmly holding his hunting rifle, while Lee stood in front. "We don't want any trouble"
The older-looking stranger outside said "Of course, neither do we. I'm Andy St. John, and this here's my brother Danny. We're just out looking for gasoline. It looks like you folks have the motel locked down, which is fine. But if you could spare any gas, we'd be much obliged."
Lee observed their attire, which appeared cleaner than theirs, suggesting they might have a better station with running water. However, for clarification and to assess possible dangers, Lee asked, "Are you armed?"
Andy replied, "Yeah, for protection. Those walking dead's could be anywhere."
While it seemed like a reasonable explanation, it also marked them as potential threats, so none of them lowered their guard for a moment.
Andy glanced around, realizing they were outnumbered. But he made it clear that they didn't come here to fight or steal. "But, uh, I think you've got the upper hand here."
Lee tried to convince them to leave. "You're outnumbered here. Just turn around and go back."
Andy sighed and nodded. "Okay, that's fine. But you'd really be helping out a fellow survivor if you could part with some extra gas before we leave..." He raised the empty can of gasoline, emphasizing their need.
Andy continued, "Looks like you folks got the motel locked down, which is fine, but if you could spare any gas?"
Carley finally spoke up, curiosity evident in her voice. "Why do you need gas?"
Andy explained, "Our place is protected by an electric fence. Generators provide the electricity..."
The mention of electricity piqued everyone's interest. The thought of having electricity again opened up countless possibilities. While it wouldn't change the fact that they were living in a zombie-infested world, having access to electricity would make a significant difference in their daily lives.
But kenny and carley only show's suspicion at their words.
"Our generators run on gas. Look, we own a dairy farm a few miles up the road. If y'all be willing to lower your guns, we can talk about some kinda trade" Andy tried to negotiate
"How y'all doing on food? We got plenty at the dairy" Danny added
The mention of food strongly triggers most of the group, they would not let this chance slip by.
Lee thought about it for a moment, weighing the risks and potential benefits.
Lilly turned to Lee and says "Why don't you and Mark check the place out? See if it's legit."
Everyone lowered their guns as the tension eased. Andy and Danny also visibly relaxed. Carley and Doug volunteered to accompany Lee and Mark.
"I'm going with you. I've got your back if anything seems fishy," Carley stated.
"I'll go too, to increase our numbers in case we run into any walkers" Doug added.
Lee contemplated his decision. He had hesitated at first, concerned about the additional risk, but he ultimately decided to take the chance. "Fine. So, anyone else want to come?"
Carley and Doug raised their arms, confirming their earlier commitment to join the expedition. They just wanted to reiterate their willingness to go.
I couldn't help but notice that Doug and Carley seemed to have a special connection. It seemed like there was something more between them, even though the others may not have picked up on it. They were always close to each other, most of the tine spending time alone by themself.
Lilly stepped out momentarily, and while she was gone, the remaining group-consisting of Carley, Doug, Riley, Mark, Travis, and Lee-formed the team that would accompany Lee on the mission to Andy and Danny's place.
As the team prepared to leave, the others stayed behind to keep watch, ensuring the safety of the motel. They understood the importance of having some members stay on guard in case anything were to happen.
Lilly returned, with a full can of gas in her hand. She spoke "Well, check the place before we add numbers. Consider this single can as a sign of goodwill."
Andy nodded, appreciating the gesture.
Lee said "You've got a deal. We'll bring some gas to your dairy. In exchange, you give us some food to bring back. We'll see how it goes from there."
"Sounds fair," Andy agreed. "A couple of gallons should power one of our generators for a while."
And so they proceed on along with the team. Going inside the depth of the forest