The Walking Dead: Season 1.5 RPG

[Keyser Soze]

THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1.5​

THE STORY SO FAR...

When sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes was shot in the line of duty, he fell into a coma. When he woke one month later, the world he knew was gone. In its place was a wasteland, where society had crumbled and much of humanity had been wiped out. Worst of all, the dead were walking. Corpses were rising into some horrid mockery of life, and feeding on the living.

Rick set off to Atlanta, Georgia, in search of his wife and son. What he found was a city overrun by these walkers. He barely escaped with his life, aligning himself with a group of other survivors. Upon arriving at their camp – in a quarry a few miles outside Atlanta – Rick was reunited with his family and his best friend and police partner Shane, who had all joined the group. Days went by, and some of the group’s number were killed in attacks by the walkers. Eventually, they made the decision to head to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, in search of answers, protection and a possible solution. When the survivors arrived at the CDC, all they found was Dr. Edwin Jenner. Jenner could only tell them that there were no answers, no explanation, and that as far as he knew, the whole world had fallen to this plague of the walking dead.

With the destruction of the CDC, the survivors went back in the road, in search of a safe haven, striving to keep hope alive...

ABOUT THE RPG

The Walking Dead: Season 1.5 takes place within the continuity of the TV series, beginning right at the moment Season 1 ends. The game will run until October 2011, the beginning of Season 2, to further the sense of this being "what happened between seasons". We can work in elements from the comics, or go off in our own direction completely, taking these characters into unfamiliar territory.

The game will be heavily directed by the GMs, with them setting up scenarios for the survivors to get put through, locations for them to find. Outside of that, the focus will be on intimate character interaction, with a limited cast of core RPers working as this united group, and acting out the complex, conflicting group dynamics.

GAMEMASTERS:
Byrd Man
Keyser Soze

THE RULES

• Adhere to the rules and continuity established by the TV show.
• Situations will be largely guided by GMs, but player input is welcome.
• In general, players are only allowed one character at a time. However, those playing a core character are allowed to play a second character.
• Those not playing core characters can play as their own original characters. Characters from the comics that have not appeared in the TV show can also be used.
• Those only wishing a short-term role can be “guest stars”, filling a specific role required for a sequence in the game – PM a GM for details.
• Killing an established character is not allowed without permission from a GM. However, players with their own created characters can kill them whenever they wish.
• There should be MINIMAL cussing and swearing in posts. There will be NO By-passing the censors. This is a Hype rule, and NO exceptions will be made for the RPG.
• If you apply to join the game, try to post at least once a week, but preferably more often.
• If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact a GM.
• The most important one: HAVE FUN!

 

[Keyser Soze]

As soon as I step out into the corridor, I know something’s not right. The hospital is empty. And I don’t mean “it’s past visiting hours” empty, either. It looks like people left in a hurry, with the mess that’s lying around. Then I notice something on the ground. Is that... blood? I can feel my stomach tightening and the cold fingers of dread crawling up my spine as I realise that yes, there are streaks of blood all over the floor, and the walls. What the hell happened here?

I walk out of the ward, trying to find signs of anyone. As I turn the corner, things get even more unnerving. The lights are flickering, casting me into total blackness for seconds at a time. So what – I’m not afraid of the dark, right? That feeling in my gut says otherwise. Hesitantly, I keep pressing forward down the hallway.

It looks like the walls have been hit with sprays of rifle fire, like the army had torn through here. Was there a terrorist attack on this place while I was out? But that makes no sense. Why would al-Qaeda want to attack some old hospital in Georgia? And if there was an evacuation, surely they’d have taken me along too. They didn’t forget about me, did they? Am I all alone, in an empty hospital?

The flickering lights go out completely, and I’m in the dark. Crap. I fumble around in the dark until my hand presses against the wall. I just have to feel my way through the darkened corridor. I shuffle down through the blackness, my breath echoing all around me. And all the time my heart keeps beating like a hammer against my chest, and I get that feeling again like it’s telling me, GO-BACK, GO-BACK, GO-BACK. Screw that. No way I’m going back into that room now, I need to find out what’s...

The lights flicker back on, and I see I’m pressing against a glass window. I look through it, and wish I hadn’t. I only get a glimpse of it as the lights go off, and I tell myself I just imagined it, but then the lights come back on long enough for me to get a good look. It’s a corpse lying on the floor, and whatever killed her, it sure as hell wasn’t a terrorist. Her entrails are splattered out across the floor, as if she’d been mauled by some wild animal... eaten. And then I see a cavernous hole in her head, like something a bullet would make. I feel the sick rising up from my gut and I have to swallow it down. Without even processing what I’m doing, my legs carry me forward, taking me away from that awful dead woman. But even as I turn another corner, I can’t get her face out of my mind. It was like she was looking up at me, asking for help...

“What happened here?”

At the end of this hallway is a large double door, with a message roughly scrawled onto it. At first I think I must be reading it wrong, but I’m not. It says:

DON’T OPEN – DEAD INSIDE

What kind of disaster hit this building that was so bad, that they had to pile all the corpses into one room? Was that lady lying on the floor one they left behind in their rush to get out and go wherever they went? And why didn’t they want anyone to get in to the dead?

The only way to move is forward, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to go any nearer that door. It’s like death is hanging in a cloud over it, like something tangible. Every fibre of my being is trying to make me stop, turn back, but there is nothing back there. Nothing but that dead girl, looking at me. No, I go forward. As I get closer, I see the measures whoever wrote the message took to make sure this door wasn’t opened: a wooden plank through the door handles and a chain wrapped around them. Funny, that wouldn’t be too difficult to handle for someone trying to get into the room. It would only really be effective in... stopping anyone getting out.

The door shakes. Just once, a single, slow back and forth movement. I stop dead on the spot. I tell myself that maybe I just imagined it, but I didn’t imagine it. I know I saw that door move. And to confirm what I already knew, the door shakes again, harder this time. Someone is shaking it from the other side. But... but the sign says there is “dead inside”. And last time I checked, dead people don’t get up to try and open doors. I spot a small door adjacent to the large, sealed double doors, a small door marked “EXIT”. That’s how I get out of here. Steeling myself, barely daring to breathe, I start slowly walking forward, trying my best to ignore the now continuous rattling of the door. But then a hand stretches out from the slight, shadowy gap between the doors that the chain allows. A pale, skinny arm reaching and grasping. There is someone in there! The logical response of any moral human being would be to let the poor soul out. But for some reason, I don’t. Something tells me no, don’t let them out. Leave that chain locked, and keep walking. Keep walking and for the love of God don’t look back. And that’s what I do.

I walk through the exit door, and find myself in a dim stairwell. I need to get out of this hospital, I need to find someone out on the street that can tell me what went on here. What if the whole building is... under quarantine or something? What if I can’t get out? I make my way down the stairway, until finally I find myself standing at a heavy door, also marked “EXIT”. This is the real deal, though, the one that will take me out of the building. I get the image of armed men in hazmat suits waiting to shoot me the second I try and step outside. But at this stage, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. Taking a deep breath, I push open the door.

The light is blinding. I actually let out a cry of pain and cover my eyes. How long has it been since I last saw daylight? I stumble blindly down the exit stairs, and out onto the street. When finally, my eyes adjust to the light, my heart just about stops in my chest.

Rows of corpses, all neatly laid out in lines, all of them with bullets in their heads. I have to walk through them, hyperventilating as panic starts to flood my senses. At first I’m walking, and without even realising it I’ve started running – a clumsy, gangly run, but the best I can muster as I get used to walking on my legs again. I scramble up the hill, my fingers and toes digging into the dirt as I try and haul myself up, and once I get to the top, things just keep getting more and more hellish. More corpses strewn on the street. Upturned vehicles. A crashed helicopter. It’s not just the hospital. It’s everywhere.

I scramble away from the hospital grounds, moaning and yelling inarticulately. What could I say that would begin to cover all this. It’s like I fell asleep and missed Armageddon. And why is there no living soul around to talk about it?

I need to get far away. I... I need to go home. Home! Carl! Lori! Are they okay? Oh please God, let them be okay. I need a car, some kind of transport... there! I spot a bike, lying in the fields, and run towards it. I grab it by the handles, lift it up, and...

“Gluk! Gakk!”

It’s a decayed corpse, missing its lower torso. It stinks something awful, as if it’s been lying out here baking in the Georgia sun for some time. Only... it’s not a corpse. It’s gurgling, it’s alive. It sees me, and... it starts to snarl... rolls around on its torn-open belly, and starts pulling itself forward. No legs, just flesh-stripped arms that it’s using to crawl in some sick mockery of life. Crawling towards me. But I can’t move. I just stand there, my hand held to my mouth. I can feel tears running down my cheek, but I don’t care. This is not an injured person. A human could not survive those wounds. Whatever this thing is, it’s not a human being.

I snap out of it, starting to back away. I imagine that it’s started moving faster, that it’s still chasing me. That... thing! I keep walking, fast, towing the bike along with me. I don’t want to look back, I can’t look back, I...

And I snap back into the present. I'm back on the road, back with my family. Lori and Carl are by my side, and everything is okay.

Only it's not okay. I think of all I've found out, all the nightmarish things I've seen since coming out of my coma. I've barely been awake a week, and already my past life feels like an eternity ago. I thought we'd find answers at the CDC, but all we found was more horror. So we're back on the road, looking for answers, looking for safety, looking for... something.

Everyone looks to me as if I'm supposed to know what we're doing. But I don't. All I know is the same thing my gut was telling me when I ran from that first monster, all I know to do now.

I don't want to look back. I can't look back.

 

[Byrd Man]

I look in my rear-view mirror at the fiery remains of the CDC building as it starts to fade from view.

****ing Rick. It was all his idea to come here in the first place. Wasted valuable time, gas, and supplies chasing a goddamn pipe dream.

It figures, though. I'm always second banana, that's the story of my life. My older brother Luke was always the apple of my parent's eye, growing up I was always Luke's little brother. I went out for football in high school hoping to get popular and get some girls. And what happened? The coaches stuck me at left guard. I spent four years blocking for quarterbacks and running back. I got Jimmy Drysdale to the state championship game and got him that scholarship to UGA and what did I get? Honorable mention for all-conference my senior year. No thanks from the coaches, no girls, nothing.

I joined the sheriff's department once I got out of school. But even there I was nothing but a sidekick. This time to Rick Grimes. Rick's a nice guy, but he's the type that always has to be in the spotlight. He has to have control. Ain't his fault, really, just the way he is.

Then Rick got shot and slipped into a coma just days before all this **** started happening. I tried to save him, I really did. I just didn't have enough time. Lori, Carl, and I were on the way to Atlanta when I had this thought, almost like a vision, I realized all this chaos and confusion was finally my chance. A freshhttp://forums.superherohype.com/private.php?do=showpm&pmid=1954444# start and a chance to be the top dog, take control like Rick and show Lori that I'm a damn sight better than Rick could ever be.

And, for a a few weeks, I was. Then Rick came back and it all went to hell. Rick has to be in control. And his need to lead sent us right to a crazy man who came close to blowing us all up.

Nope, I've waited too long for this chance. Now that I got it, I ain't giving it up. I'm leading this group, Rick needs to realize that. And I realize that during my during my daydreaming, I've been falling behind all the other cars.

I speed my jeep up and catch up with the rest of the convoy.

 

[wiegeabo]

I look out the window as we pull away from the burning building. Probably our last real hope, and it's burning away. A few hours ago, we were happy for the first time in what feels like forever. And we had hope. That's the important thing. We. Had. Hope.

There's no hope anymore. The whole world's gone to hell. Literally. And I don't know how we're gonna make it. Jacqui couldn't. She couldn't stand living in a world with no hope. And the thought of turning into one of the geeks, and killing some other people...that's probably what killed her even before that place blew up.

I get it. I don't understand it, but I get it. Life's a *****, and then you die. That's the way it used to be. Now, life's a *****, and then ya get to suffer until you fall apart. I look at the gun in my hand and wonder if Jacqui wasn't wrong after all..

 

[MadRhapsody]

The plumes of fire continued to burn after the destruction of the CDC. Their flickering colors reflected in Lori's eyes as she looked on in an entwine of relief and despair. Relief because they were able to escape with their lives. Despair because they were once again lost on a journey with an unknown destination. God only knew if there was a safe haven left on this forsaken world...

She held her son, Carl, close to her, shaky yet strong. More and more, she wondered how she was going to preserve her son's childhood. Was there even a glimmer of hope for a brighter future? She didn't want to accept this. She wanted him to grow up in a better society than she had. Her hopeful wish was for him to become a better person than her; grow up to be a real man who was respectful to all and strong enough to become a leader like his father.

That would mean more than the world to her.

"...mom?"

Lori blinked and glanced down to meet Carl's eyes. "Yes sweetie?" she tilted her head.

"Please don't cry."

She was taken aback when one of her son's small hands reached up to her face and brushed a couple of tears away. She had spaced out so much that she didn't realize she had started to cry. She feigned the warmest smile she could for his sake and kissed the top of his head. "I'll do my best not to," she reassured him and rested her chin on his crown.

She needed to be stronger, not just for herself, but for her son. For her husband. For those that needed a shoulder of moral support to lean on.

What a life she had to bear...

 

[Optikal]

Tyreese angled the truck down the hill and spotted the small convoy just disappearing into the distance.

"Dad, do you think they're survivors?" Julie asked.

"Probably Cannibals" Chris muttered next to her.

Tyreese ground his teeth as he mulled it over. "Whoever they are, they've just made that huge flare for the walkers to see. Every shuffler within miles of here is going to be swarming all over this. I'm reckoning our best bet is to tail them. We'll check them out and see what's going on".

"Great" Chris mumbled again, "I never thought I'd be lucky enough to choose whether to be eaten by the dead, or the still living!"

Julie rolled her eyes but said nothing as Tyreese weaved the truck around the wreckage from the blast and pointed it in the direction the convoy had just travelled.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Rick hadn't spoken a word since departing from the CDC 15 minutes ago. But finally, he broke the silence.

"We're pulling over. We need to all get together, figure out..."

He trailed off. He didn't know what the hell they needed to figure out. Where do you begin? He'd tackle that when he got to it.

Hitting his indicator, Rick drew the RV to a stop at a stretch of farmland - flat, empty, good visibility for seeing any walkers approaching. This was as good a place as any for a group talk. Turning the key off and cutting the engine, Rick didn't immediately step out of the vehicle. He sat for a moment, staring ahead, before turning to Lori.

"It's all gone to hell, hasn't it?"

 

[Neverless]

((OOC - ugh sorry guys that im late to the posting party. theRP just HAD to start on the week before christmas. :P I'm uber busy with stuff. I've got my original entry post from the CDC, just to fill it in. Ill try to get another post in tomorrow after work, but then im out of town for a couple days. -__- Will be regularly active after that. Just bad timing.))




Daryl could feel the heat of the CDC wash over him as he sat in his pickup. Setting his crossbow down on the seat next to him, he leaned out the window screaming at the top of his lungs.

"C'mon we have to go NOW."

He knew every walker in the whole city of Atlanta would have seen that explosion, and they'd be on top of them if Dale and Andrea didn't get off their ****'s and get in the RV. He gripped the steering wheel with intensity as another heat wave blasted over them. Finally as Dale and Andrea climbed into the RV he started up the engine and shifted into gear. He didn't mind the heat, it got his blood pumping, and when his blood was pumping he was ready for anything. As he turned the truck onto the road, second to last in the line, with Shane following in the back he knew neither Shane nor Rick had a plan.

"To hell with them.."

He muttered to himself. All he knew was that if they left Atlanta, the chances of finding Merle would drop to near nothin, and there was no way he was going to let that happen. For now it is all about survivin, its the only reason why he hadn't killed Rick...yet. He knew they needed every able bodied man if the walkers came down on them, hell it was the only reason so many people died at camp, because he wasn't there sooner, and if Rick hadn't handcuffed his brother and left him to die in the first place, none of this would have ****in happened.

He slammed the dashboard with his right fist as he kept steady on the road, the heat hadn't done him any good, his blood was still pumping, he needed to kill something.

 

[MadRhapsody]

Rick hadn't spoken a word since departing from the CDC 15 minutes ago. But finally, he broke the silence.

"We're pulling over. We need to all get together, figure out..."

He trailed off. He didn't know what the hell they needed to figure out. Where do you begin? He'd tackle that when he got to it.

Hitting his indicator, Rick drew the RV to a stop at a stretch of farmland - flat, empty, good visibility for seeing any walkers approaching. This was as good a place as any for a group talk. Turning the key off and cutting the engine, Rick didn't immediately step out of the vehicle. He sat for a moment, staring ahead, before turning to Lori.

"It's all gone to hell, hasn't it?"

She wanted to know what to make of all this. The walkers, the ambushes, the desperation, the relief, the anxiety... it almost felt like this whole time, she was holding her breath, hoping and praying that she'd wake up and this would all be some crazy dream.

It was never going to happen. Lori knew that and fully accepted it. It was just a matter of finding an escape somewhere in this poor world.

She lifted her head up when she felt the RV begin to crawl before it came to a complete stop. A few strands of dark hair fell before her, a hand instinctively tucking them behind her ear. Looking over at Rick, she saw the uneasiness in his eyes. They've become so vulnerable over time, perhaps more so since the explosion.

"I... I don't know..." She offered him a fragile smile. "I don't believe that it's impossible to escape. It's just... difficult on all of us."

 

[Keyser Soze]

Rick nodded distantly.

"Yeah.... very difficult..."

He got out the RV, and leaned against it with his arms folded - waiting for the rest of the convoy to pull over by the roadside.

 

[Byrd Man]

I scowl as the RV pulls off to the side of the road. I slow down in the jeep and pull off to the side of the road behind Darryl's pick-up.

I get out, my shotgun in my hands.

"What's the problem?" I ask Rick as I walk up beside the RV.

 

[Keyser Soze]

As his former partner and best friend approached him, Rick couldn't help but think that Shane was different now. This world had changed him, made him harder.

But hell, maybe it had made them all harder.

"We need to talk," I reply to his question, "All of us. We need to figure out what to do next."

Rick paused. He hated to admit this part, but it was true.

"As things currently stand, we're in the same boat now as we would have been if Jenner had never opened those doors. On the road, low on fuel..."

 

[MadRhapsody]

"Carl?" Lori glanced back towards her son and unfastened her seatbelt. "Would you like to step out and get some air?"

"Sure mom," the young man was quick to unfasten his seatbelt with his response. "I wanna hear what dad has to say too."

She nodded, moved out of her seat and joined him. They opened the door on the right and stepped down onto the dirt. She took a brief observation of the area they were in. It seemed to be safe, but she didn't let her guard down regardless. With her son beside her, they walked around the front of the RV and stopped beside Rick.

Seeing Shane, however, made her a little uneasy.

Just stay calm, she thought to herself, your husband is right here...

 

[Byrd Man]

As his former partner and best friend approached him, Rick couldn't help but think that Shane was different now. This world had changed him, made him harder.

But hell, maybe it had made them all harder.

"We need to talk," I reply to his question, "All of us. We need to figure out what to do next."

Rick paused. He hated to admit this part, but it was true.

"As things currently stand, we're in the same boat now as we would have been if Jenner had never opened those doors. On the road, low on fuel..."

"Yeah, I know. Back to square one.Except we're lower on fuel than we were before we left camp. But, uhh...you know, some folks just want to be in charge."

She nodded, moved out of her seat and joined him. They opened the door on the right and stepped down onto the dirt. She took a brief observation of the area they were in. It seemed to be safe, but she didn't let her guard down regardless. With her son beside her, they walked around the front of the RV and stopped beside Rick.

Seeing Shane, however, made her a little uneasy.

Just stay calm, she thought to herself, your husband is right here...

I look over at Lori and quickly look away. I'm ashamed of what I did last night. I was drunk and out of my mind, but it still don't make it right. I turn away from Lori and look back at Rick.

"What now, fearless leader?"

 

[Keyser Soze]

Rick pushed himself forward from the RV, getting into Shane's face in a momentary flare-up of anger.

"I never asked to be the leader! All I wanted was to do what I thought was best for my family. If the title of leader means so much to you, please... take it!"

He turned away, pacing a few steps back and forth to regain his composure. When he spoke again, his tone was more measured.

"You want me to say it? Fine. You were right, I was wrong. We should never have gone to the CDC. We should follow your lead, and head to the military base in Fort Benning."

I look out at the others, who are starting to gather around.

"But before we do... we need to find fuel."

 

[Optikal]

The old GMC crested a rise in the road and brought the convoy into view in the distance. Tyreese slowed the truck to a halt and stared ahead. Beside him neither Julie nor Carl spoke.

"Pass me the binoculars" he said, glancing at the youngsters. He could see they were both scared. It was understandable. The whole world had gone to ***** and every day was a battle to survive. Every man was out for himself and yet here they were, pursuing a large group of strangers with nothing but a pistol and a couple of melee weapons between them.

Chris clicked open the glove compartment and tugged out the binoculars, handing them over to Tyreese.

"What do you see, dad?" Julie asked.

"They've stopped. I see three of them so far, possibly four. They're just talking".

"They look like cannibals?" Chris asked.

Tyreese lowered the goggles and gave the boy an unimpressed look. "How in the hell do you 'look' like a cannibal?"

Chris shrugged but said nothing.

"So what do we do now?" Julie asked, her eyebrows raising as she spoke.

Tyreese gritted his teeth and passed Chris the hammer he kept down the side of seat. The young man took the weapon and rested it in his lap whilst Tyreese loaded his last six bullets into the mag of his pistol and chambered the first. Turning the key, the GMC spluttered into life and he turned to the kids. "We go and say hello".

 

[Byrd Man]

Rick pushed himself forward from the RV, getting into Shane's face in a momentary flare-up of anger.

"I never asked to be the leader! All I wanted was to do what I thought was best for my family. If the title of leader means so much to you, please... take it!"

He turned away, pacing a few steps back and forth to regain his composure. When he spoke again, his tone was more measured.

"You want me to say it? Fine. You were right, I was wrong. We should never have gone to the CDC. We should follow your lead, and head to the military base in Fort Benning."

I look out at the others, who are starting to gather around.

"But before we do... we need to find fuel."

I sigh and nod my head. "You're right. I seen some cars on the side of the road a little bit back. We can siphon off some gas from them. Hell, I can take the gas from my jeep and put it in the RV. Just ditch the jeep here."

 

[Eddie Brock]

When I open my eyes, the RV's come to a stop. I must've dozed off after we left the CDC - not that I had any pleasant dreams or anything. The images of that burning fire, of my dying wife continue to haunt me. I rub my unshaven chin, turning to Andrea. "Andrea, I think we've stopped," I announce softly. She doesn't respond. "Andrea?"

She opens her eyes slowly, like she's being woken from a good dream and doesn't want to wake up. My heart breaks at the sight of her. Back at the CDC, I saw the hopelessness in her eyes. I couldn't let her take the easy way out. Admittedly, I was being selfish. I just hope she's not too far gone.

"Come on. Let's see what all the fuss is about," I suggest.

Andrea shakes her head. "I'm not going, Dale. I want to stay in here." She doesn't look at me when she speaks. Her voice is hollow and devoid of all emotion. She holds her knees against her chest like a frightened child in the middle of the night.

I shake my head. "Well, this could be important. Don't you want to see what's going on?" She holds her tongue. I stand up, putting my hat back on. I give a little sigh. "You know, this could affect you, too."

"Just go."

I hang my head as I step out of the RV. What have I done? I've saved Andrea, but at what cost? The poor girl's got next to nothing left to live for. Well, I can't live without her. I push those thoughts away as I approach the group. "What's the news?"
​

 

[MadRhapsody]

The tension between her husband and the man she once confided in... she hated it. They were a small group of humans trapped within a zombie apocalypse; this was not the time for senseless arguing. Although they seemed to be settling down and refocusing on what was important, she wanted to reassure such importance.

Lori placed a hand on Rick's shoulder and gave it a firm yet gentle squeeze. She looked him in the eye with a stern gaze and shook her head. Through body language, she wanted him to realize that he needed to stay calm and psychologically keep his head on his shoulders.

Do this for me and our son, she mentally asked of him. Even though he couldn't read her mind, it was likely that he would understand her gestures. At least she hoped so.

She released her husband's shoulder and looked towards the others. Carl was standing between her and his father. Dale had just joined the meeting, his face touched by weariness. He must have been concerned about Andrea, whom did not join them on this empty plain. She was probably the most emotionally exhausted out of all of them. Daryl was more than likely standing by in his vehicle, either attempting to suppress his violent urges or thinking about his brother, Merle. Maybe even both. The other survivors were idling about on their own.

And then... there was Shane. Rick's best friend, the man that informed her that her husband was dead, the sole figure who became her strongest support and even acted as a surrogate father for Carl...

He seemed to be the one with the most drastic changes.

Lori took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Having a leader is not the most important thing. What's important is that we work as a team and make agreements in terms of group decisions together."

She made sure that last word resonated very clearly throughout the group. She did her best to smile, even just a little. "I know the CDC didn't end well, but if you think of the bright side, at least we were able to replenish ourselves with hot showers, food, drink and a good night's sleep. None of that should be thought of as wasted."

Of course she mentioned nothing of one particular "event" last night before retiring for the night. It was not for the others to know, not now. Even in the darkest moments, she wanted to do her best to keep the morality up.

Her mind decided to focus on their situation at hand. "...I do agree with Shane's idea of siphoning gas from the cars we passed on the side of the road," she admitted. "as well as sacrificing the jeep for the RV. There's enough room..." Mentally, that was a little tough to accept, but she didn't want to come off as selfish.

 

[Keyser Soze]

"Okay, then. Some of us will head out with cans to siphon off gas from the cars. The rest remain here with the convoy."

Rick armed himself with an axe. Best not to use guns - save ammo, stay quiet.

"Who's coming with me?"

 

[Byrd Man]

"I'm up for it. Might need to get up some hoses, but we can manage."

I sling my shotgun over my right shoulder and manage a small smirk. "Might need some breath mints after we're done, but what can you do?"

 

[Eddie Brock]

I turn back to the RV, picturing Andrea sitting in there, quiet as a church mouse. "I'll stay with the RV. I can keep watch from the roof." And it'll give me a chance to stay close to Andrea in this trying time.

 

[Keyser Soze]

"I'm up for it. Might need to get up some hoses, but we can manage."

I sling my shotgun over my right shoulder and manage a small smirk. "Might need some breath mints after we're done, but what can you do?"

Glenn stepped forward.

"I'll come too."

Rick exchanged glances between Shane and Glenn.

"That should be enough. The rest of you, keep well-armed, and make sure the convoy is protected. Shane, Glenn, we all need to stick close together, and keep an eye out for walkers."

Rick silently cursed at himself. Within minutes of vowing to relinquish any claim to leadership, he was already giving out orders. He just couldn't help it. He picked up his hatchet - and made sure his pistol was in its holster just in case - and the three of them headed off.

 

[wiegeabo]

Even after we stop, I don't get out of the truck of a while. I just sit behind the wheel, my hands tight on in. My mind's a crazy jumble, and I just don't feel like talking to anyone right now.

It's not fair. None of it. First, the city goes to hell. But we survive. And we start to get into a routine. And while nothing's normal, it was a start. We had our methods, and we were surviving. There was hope to making it through whatever was going on.

Then Rick showed up. At first, it seemed great. More people is better. And the guy's trained, just like Shane. And he had guns. That's the important part. Sure he could help keep guard, help find food. But guns. That's the priority right now.

But his arrival really screws everything up. I know it's not his fault. I like the guy. He's got balls as well heart. The last thing he wants to do is let people down. And he sure saved our asses back in Atlanta.

Yet, it sort of is his fault and Glenn's. If Glenn hadn't shown up in that car with the damn alarm blazing, the zombies wouldn't have found the camp. If Rick hadn't dropped the guns, we wouldn't have been away during the attack. If Shane had made sure more people were keeping guard, we wouldn't have lost so many people.

Who am I kidding? It's not Rick's fault. Or Glenn's. Or even Shane's. It's all of theirs. And mine. And none of ours because we shouldn't have been put into this damn situation to begin with. Jacqui shouldn't have. I smack the steering wheel with my hands in frustration.

We didn't ask for this, goddammit! It's not ****ing fair!!!

I scream silently until the rage finally passes. But all that's left is a big hole in my gut. I get out of the truck and make my way towards the others.

"So...what's the plan?"

 

[Optikal]

Tyrese dropped the binoculars and headed for the truck where the kids were waiting for him. He glanced at Julie and then at Chris. "Pass me that hammer from the footwell" he odrered.

Chris did as he was asked and Julie grabbed her fathers arm. "What're you going to do dad?" she asked.

Tyrese looked up the road and saw distant movement. "I'm going to meet them. I want the pair of you to stay here". He pulled the gun out of his jacket and threw it into Chris's lap. "Use this only if you need to. If anything happens to me, I want you two to get the hell out of here. Do you understand?"

Julie shook her head and grabbed at Tyrese "don't do this dad! Please, we can go together or we can get out of here. Just leave them to it!".

Tyrese shook his head and gritted his teeth. He hated putting the kids at risk like this. But then since the world went to hell they were constantly at risk anyway. They had no food left, limited ammo and hadn't seen a bed in weeks. Tyrese knew that their survival relied on taking a gamble. He still didn't like it though. Leaning into the truck he kissed her forehead and handed her his binoculars. "Take these. Keep an eye out".

"You're only taking a hammer, dad?"

"The gun would attract the walkers. And besides, it's never let me down before". He looked over at Chris and gave him a nod. "You look after my little girl ,you hear?"

"Yes sir" Chris nodded back, clutching the handgun.

Without another word, Tyrese turned away from the truck and started heading towards the convoy.