Starting Over

Been lookin’ for you for a long damn time, you know that? Scared the everlasting hell out of me when I found you gone, your place all thrashed.

What happened to that girl used to live there with you?

Nah!

Well, I know it sucks and all, but at least I know what happened to Old Joe.

No, you don’t want to know. Let’s just say it wasn’t good.

You kidding me? They wouldn’t let you off work, with all that going on?

I just don’t know what to say about all that.

Never really did like you havin’ to work in such a shit-hole. You’re too goddamned smart for all that.

Did I tell ya, Hawk, she used to study law?

I think we did the best thing we could’ve, leaving that damned shelter. I think maybe we got a chance to start over here.

Fishin’

How’d you stay alive up here all by yourself for so long?

Cistern?

Huh. I guess this place is pretty old. Didn’t even think of ‘em having one of those here.

What about food?

You know, I forgot all about high tide cuttin’ this place off from the mainland . Yeah, them zombies can’t swim for shit. So how many hours a day you got to go out and catch you something?

Good thing me ‘n Old Joe used to take you out fishin’ so much when you was a kid. Looks like it really paid off.

You’re right about that.

That and the other thing’s probably about the only reason them bastards kept you alive.

Gina

Oh, sweet leaping Christ! Can this be true?

Never thought I’d live to see the day.

Gina?

Is that really you?

Well, get over here and give me a hug, then. You look like shit, girl.

You wasn’t here when those helicopter guys got here, were you?

They didn’t hurt you, did they?

What?

Holy Christ!

Every one of ‘em?

God damn it!

God damn it, I wish I could bring those sons of bitches back to life, just so I could kill ‘em again!

Twice!

No, three times!

A hundred times!

All right, all right!

I’m calm now.

Get your goddamned hands off me, Hawk.

I’m calm now.

I just can’t believe somebody could do such a thing to such a sweet kid, is all.

By the way, Hawk? Wil? Kids?

This here’s my niece, Gina.

People

There’s the goddamned lighthouse!

Finally!

You guys cover me. I’m going in first, and if anything happens to me, I want you to take care of them kids, all right?

Aw, shit, I forgot how many stairs there was to climb.

I don’t think there are any zombies up there, but there might be something even worse.

People.

Fall in behind me now, and let’s prepare for the worst.

When I get to the top of them stairs, I’ll kick the door in, and you guys better be ready to react, you hear me? Else it might be your own asses on the line here.

I’ll count to three, but you guys let me know when you’re ready first and I’ll hold off ‘til then.

One.

Two.

Three…!

Prison

You kids get up on that damned roof and take a load off, you hear me?

We’ll stand watch down here.

Don’t like to say this shit in front of them kids, but this thing at the lighthouse don’t work out, I’m not sure what else we can do.

I mean, only thing else I can think of is, we go to the prison, but that’s a long goddamned walk, and we might find the place infested with those fuckers.

You gotta admit, though, at least the place is fortified.

Sure, no doubt it’s risky, but at least them zombie shit-bags can’t get in there, and there are probably plenty of weapons there.

Think you guys can handle that?

Another Mile

You guys notice anything funny about them elk zombies, though?

Like how they move so much faster than the goddamned human being kind?

Looks like we’d all better watch our asses.

I don’t guess the buck could’ve bit very hard, what with his jaw hangin’ by a thread and all, but we’d better be pretty damn careful, from here on out.

Good thing that damn lighthouse is only another mile or so away.

Rule Number Two

Rule number two? There ain’t one.

‘Cept try not to get killed, I guess.

Now you kids look alive, you hear me? They run in herds, so there’s bound to be more than one out here.

Lucky you got the buck, Wil. I imagine they can really mess you up with those antlers, if they’ve a mind to.

Now we should only have the cows to contend with.

A Damned Good Man

Holy shit!

I’m standing here socializing, and that goddamned thing nearly took a bite out of my arm!

Good job, Wil.

I take back all that shit I said to you earlier. You’re a damned good man.

Wasn’t for you, that thing would’ve got me for sure.

Maybe this is a good time to review rule number one.

Anybody here gets bit–and I mean anybody–they got to go down.

Yeah.

Anybody.

Wil

So why’d you want to go joining us, anyhow? You know we don’t hardly stand a chance, don’t you?

Fair enough. I guess I wouldn’t want to end up like that, either. Go down fighting’s what Old Joe would’ve said.

So what’s your name? Wilfredo?

Yeah, they probably would’ve ate you up pretty fast back at that shelter, with a name like that ‘n all them tattoos. How’d you end up in this shit-hole, anyhow?

Not trying to be rude or anything, but you don’t exactly look like you grew up around here.

No shit?

Fresno?

Then you made it pretty far, I guess. Too far to end up on the plates of a bunch of redneck assholes like the folks we just left.

Welcome to our little group, Wil.

Allysa

 You want to join us?

Well, then, grab yourself a weapon and come on.

Let me warn ya, though, you try one fucking thing and we won’t hesitate!

You see that little girl right there?  

Well, let me tell you something, since you got to the shelter kind of late in the game.

She’s been special-trained by me.

You think she won’t kill you?

Well, trust me, she ain’t had the kind of time to be feelin’ sorry for your ass like some of us older folks might’ve, so you just better watch yourself.

Allysa, this asshole makes one false move, you’d better blow him away, you hear?