In The End

Chapter XVII

After waiting for about an hour, Nick saw a small group of people walking towards the house he was in. They appeared to be collectively carrying something big. He said, "Jerry. I think your people are here". Jerry jolted up from his nap and said, "Oh, well that's good. Let's go out and meet them" as he rubbed his eyes. Together Jerry and Nick walked outside to meet the group. As they approached, Nick noticed the big object they were carrying was a person, likely the person they were hunting. A woman appeared from behind the crowd to meet with Jerry. She said, "Hey Papi. We got her. She put up a fight but we got her". The lady looked at Nick and said, "Who's this"? Jerry said, "This is Nick. He also appeared from the railroad. Don't worry he won't cause trouble. He's been here for a while waiting for you". The lady said, "Papi why did you let him stay here? He could be dangerous regardless of what he has or hasn't done". Nick said, "I can assure you, I mean no harm". The lady looked him up and down and said, "So your names Nick"? He nodded his head. She looked back at the group of people and said, "Tráela al sótano".

As the people walked past Nick he caught a glimpse of the person's face. It was Suzy. He was shocked but tried to hide it from the lady. However, she noticed Nick's reaction and said, "Do you know her"? Nick lied and said, "No. I was just shocked that such a small lady put up a huge fight". The lady looked skeptical but ignored Nick's statement. She looked at Jerry and said, "Alright papi, I'm going home to rest. I'll see you tonight". As she walked away, Nick said, "What's your name"? The lady looked back at him in a slightly confused way. She walked back to Nick and said, "Come with me".

Nick walked with her. She said, "So what do you plan to do now"? Nick said, "What do you mean"? She responded, "I mean you can't stay here so what do you plan to do now? Move on? Go back where you came from"? Nick said, "I'm trying to find my people. We got separated and all I know is they're headed for Mount Vernon". The lady almost seemed to ignore what Nick said and said, "Why did you stop here"? Nick said, "These homes looked almost too perfect to be real. I was checking them out when Jerry spotted me". The lady said, "Yes. Most of these homes are torn up. It's only a few homes that are pristine. Only the homes that matter anyway. I grew up here. I just wanted to make it last. I wanted to feel like the world didn't end, y'know"? Nick listened closely. The lady continued, "My name's Scarlett". Nick said, "And you're Jerry's daughter"? Scarlett said, "Oh no. My father died years ago. I just call Jerry my dad because he was my neighbor and after my father died, he helped me and my mother out in any way he could. When this all started I didn't know how this disease spread. One of them got my mother. Another one tried to attack me but Jerry saved me. He's the only family I have left. I have to keep him safe". Nick asked, "What about the others"? Scarlett said, "Most were drifters looking for safety. I don't care much for any of them. The only one that matters to me is Jerry". Nick said, "That's why you went looking for that girl? Because she threatened Jerry"? Scarlett said, "Yes, actually. I'm guessing Jerry told you"?
Nick said, "Look I'm not trying to start any trouble. I just ask for anything you can offer to give away. I'm on my own right now and I'm trying to reconnect with my people". Scarlett looked toward the house where Jerry was sitting in and said, "I'll think about it tonight and will have an answer for you tomorrow. I can offer you a bed for tonight in Jerry's house on the second floor. But please don't go in the basement". She then walked away into a nearby house.

Nick walked back to Jerry's house and up the stairs. Once he entered the bedroom he was aloud to sleep in, he laid down on a soft mattress. As he laid there, he thought about how these people kidnapped Suzy. He knew they were keeping her in the basement. He pondered whether or not he should go down there to see if she's ok or not. He decided to wait until everyone went to bed to check.

Meanwhile, Ronny looked at the sky and saw the sky darken. He and Shaun had been walking all day. They were tired but they kept pushing on. As they walked, the forest began to thin as a clearing appeared. They noticed they were near the coastline. Ronny looked at it and thought of an idea. Ronny said, "Look it's the ocean. Maybe if we can find a boat, we could get the Whidbey Island without having to go to Mount Vernon". Shaun said, "What about the group? Aren't they all headed to Mount Vernon"? Ronny said, "Yes, but at this rate we won't make it. We need supplies quickly and if we can find a boat, we can get to Whidbey Island and find Omar". Shaun seemed resistant about the idea but ultimately agreed to follow Ronny. They began to walk along the coastline in search for any boats. Ronny said, "Judging by how long we've been walking, we shouldn't be too far away from a town". As they continued walking, they saw a semi truck along the coastline. The front of the truck was in the water. As they looked at it, they noticed it was a truck that delivered food to grocery stores. Both of them were really hungry so they decided to try and open it. They walked to the back of the truck and lifted the lock mechanism. The mechanism was loud and annoying. Once the door was unlocked they pulled it open as the rusted metal swiveled the door open with a loud thud. Before entering, both Ronny and Shaun turned around to make sure nothing was nearby. They then climbed in and saw boxes filled with canned food as well as some non canned food that still appeared to be edible. Ronny looked at it with joy and said, "Shaun. Were eating good tonight". As they began to open the boxes and cans to eat. They heard a muffled growl but thought nothing of it as it appeared to be far away. After a while the growl grew louder. This time Ronny stopped eating and peeked out of the truck to find the biter. Instead, he saw a herd of them heading towards the truck. Ronny dropped his food and said, "Shit! Shaun, help me close this door". Shaun sprung up and ran to Ronny to help close the door. Once again the door made a loud, annoying sound as it closed. However, to avoid a loud thud, Ronny and Shaun guided the door to its original resting place. They quietly walked to the front end of the truck, far away from the door. Ronny whispered, "They must've heard the door when we opened it". Shaun asked, "What do we do"? Ronny said, "Were gonna have to wait it out. Maybe they'll just pass by and not worry about us". Ronny and Shaun sat there observing the small crack between the two doors. They saw the shadow of bodies move past. Occasionally, a thud would be heard as a biter walked into the side of the truck. Shaun whispered, "How many did you see out there"? Ronny said, "I don't know. I didn't have enough time to count". For the next hour Ronny and Shaun remained as quiet as possible as they heard the growls of the undead. Finally, it appeared as though the growls grew distance. Ronny walked slowly up to the door and peeked through the crack to see if he could see any. He saw none so he carefully and slowly opened the door, being careful not to make it creek. He opened it enough for him to squeeze through and get out. He scoped the area and then signaled for Shaun to come out. Ronny held the door open as Shaun got out. However, as Shaun was about to walk away from the truck, a biter from beneath it grabbed Shaun's leg. Ronny panicked and let go of the door prematurely and it made a loud thud. Shaun tried to pull away as he tried to find his gun. The biter was mere inches from Shaun's ankle. Then Ronny stepped on the biter's arm and stabbed its head. Ronny asked Shaun, "Did it get you"? Shaun said, "No. It was close but no". Then Ronny and Shaun looked in the direction the herd headed towards. They all apparently heard the thud from the door because they were headed back to Ronny and Shaun. They both ran away, despite the fact that the herd wasn't running. Ronny said, "I guess it's a good thing they weren't headed in the direction we needed to go".

Elsewhere, Frank was scanning the road for any biters. However, it was a difficult task as it was now the night and Frank could only see clearly as far as his headlights reached. He, of course, had to stay awake, not only because he was driving, but also because everyone else had fallen asleep. Or so he thought. Sarah was also awake. She had just been staring out of the window. She looked at Frank and said, "I feel like the group's gonna split when we get to Mount Vernon". Frank said, "Split? More like Xavier's gonna go off on his own. 'Cause that's all he is, is a coward". Sarah sighed, "There aren't many of us left. We don't even know if Ronny, Shaun or Nick made it out. Why can't we all just cooperate with each other like we did back in Seattle. Go back to the way it was". Frank said, "Because, now the truth is out. Now I know what Xavier thought about me back then. Things will never be the same. I don't know why I'm still letting him ride with us. I should've kicked him off back in Seattle". Sarah sighed again. Frank looked at her and said, "Do you trust him"? Sarah looked at him and said, "Yes. Why wouldn't I"? Frank said, "This whole time I thought me and him had a decent standing. Then the truth came out. Who knows what he really thinks about you. In my opinion. I don't think he likes any of us. I think he's with us just until he can get to Mount Vernon. Then he'll find a way to get rid of us". Sarah could hardly believe what he was saying. "So you're saying he's using us and then going to kill us"? Frank looked at her and said, "You said it not me". After a brief moment of silence, Frank stopped the van and said, "I guess here's where we find out. Because there's Mount Vernon". He pointed out of the front window to a city in the distance. Sarah saw lights glowing up the city as search lights observed the surrounding area. Frank said, "So how are we gonna do this? Sneak up or just walk up"? Sarah said, "We're gonna ask to come in".