Dead USA (DrTrollinski and Elwin)

[DrTrollinski]

".. I'm okay now, Coden." He whispered to him, smiling as Phil came up and ruffled his head of hair. He smiled shyly at Beth as well, seeing as he hadn't really been around her all that much. She seemed friendly enough, and he'd noticed that she'd been spending a lot of time with Phil over the past couple of days. Was Phil Coden's daddy, or something? Daniel wasn't sure, but he didn't think of asking about it, either. Daniel went back to hugging Coden once he saw Phil making the breakfast. That confirmed that he wouldn't have to get Coden to feed him again. ".. I like it here, too." He added after a long silence. He did enjoy being inside a warm building with people that looked after him. It was kind of like school, in his eyes - even though he hadn't started school yet.


"Ah, that's good." Phil said as he stuck the large bowl of beans into the microwave and flicked it on. There was enough for everyone in there, which was good. A big old Christmas breakfast. Phil was really looking forward to today. Daniel was glad that Coden didn't tell him anything about how he had to help him in the bathroom - that would have been humiliating.


Greg soon came wandering in shortly after waking up and smiled at them all. "Hello, everyone. Happy Christmas." He said, sitting down on the side of the table and then smiling at Coden and Daniel.


--


"Yours are good, too!" He grinned and then showed her the completed cards in his collection. His dad's was a simple snowman card, she'd seen Clay's, and Jacob's was a picture of an elf holding a bow and arrow. It was quite suitable. The elf's clothes were colored green, with tinges of yellow and black here and there. There were presents and mini Christmas trees going around the border, just to hint at the fact that it was one of Santa's little helpers. He looked at the card for Keeva for a moment and then thought for a second. "Wait." He said, and then dashed upstairs to his room. He grabbed a nice drawing of an owl he did one time and then ran back to Luna, placing it in front of her. "Put that in Keeva's card." He smiled, warmly. "Then we can go get somethin' to eat." He said.


--


"The challenge here's always going to be surviving, Keeva..." He sighed a little and put his whiskey away as he made his way down the metal steps that lead into the building. "At least stay for a little while, until it warms up outside - You know, January time. Please." He begged. ".. I know you might have things to do, but... I think there's people here that'll be upset if you leave any time soon." He explained. He was one of those people, but he didn't tell her that. The smell of beans was sifting through the building, and Clay finally woke up.

 

[Elwin]

Coden spooned out some beans into two bowls for him and Daniel. He was starving and assumed Daniel would be the same. He personally was sick of the taste of beans but it was better than nothing and he didn't want it to dampen his Christmas spirits. Coden turned to Greg and nodded at his greeting then returned to aiding Daniel with whatever he needed.


~~


Luna tucked the picture into Keeva's card gently. It was nice that they had made a little bond. "Come on then, chump!" Luna teased and helped Jackson up so they could go to the kitchen. She piled all of the cards together and passed them to Jackson to hand out. She had written that they were all from him, as it wasn't really necessary to put her own name instead.


They arrived to the kitchen and Luna's stomach grumbled at the smell of hot food. "Good morning everyone.." She smiled and helped herself to some breakfast. She walked over to Greg giving him a warm smile. "Coffee?" She asked, gently pulling out two cups. "Also, where is Clay? I thought he'd be excited this morning.."


~~


Keeva chuckled at his comment. "That is crap, Jacob. I don't know anyone and I'm not making relationships. I'll miss the little one though.." She thought about Jackson. He was a really sweet kid and he was lucky to be close to Jacob. Jacob was so humble. "Come on.." Keeva said, changing the subject. She teasingly shoved Jacob a bit, smiling. "I'm f**king starving."

 

[DrTrollinski]

Speak of the devil. Clay walked in not too long after Luna and Jackson and smiled around at everyone.


"Merry Christmas, everyone..." He said, weakly, as he rubbed his forehead and then walked over, hugging Jackson and Luna and then greeting everyone else.


"Everyone! I've got somethin' for ya!" Jackson called out with a grin as he started flicking through the cards. Phil looked at him, as did Greg and Clayton and Daniel. They were all quite surprised at his sudden excitement. Then he started handing them out. As soon as Greg got his, a warm smile lit up his face - he had tears come to his eyes but he didn't let them out. 'To the best dad in the world.' It choked him up. It had been a long time since he'd read or heard those kinds of words. It meant a lot to him, and anyone that looked at him could see that through his emotion. Jackson was all heart, though. He proceeded to give out the cards to Daniel, Coden, Clayton, Phil, and Beth.


Jacob walked in alongside Keeva and instantly had Jackson run up to them and hug them both, just like he did to everyone else. He handed them both their Christmas cards, and Jacob couldn't help but laugh when he looked down at his one.


"Christ..." He shook his head in amusement and then reached out and ruffled Jackson's hair. God, that really did uplift things.


"Alright, everyone!" Phil called out. "We've got something we need to talk about, so eat up, and then we'll get to it." Phil added, scooping some beans into his own bowl and then one for Beth, then he started eating his own. He was really looking forward to all of this, and now it was all going to come together.


Jackson suddenly ran up to Luna and tugged frantically on her shirt, a massive frown on his face. "Luna! I forgot to make a card for you, too!" He said in desperation. God, he suddenly felt bad.

 

[Elwin]

Luna bent down to Jackson, pretending to be shocked. "Hey hey, chill dude!" She said, taking his shoulders and gently shaking them, teasingly. Luna took the card from Jackson. She was pleased she had one too, but she kind of expected it - Jackson couldn't help himself, he was an explosion of love. Luna glanced over at Clayton to make sure he was okay then turned back to Jackson, giving him a hug. "Thank you, man.." At this point the nameless dog ran in and gave Jackson a Christmas lick.


Keeva opened her Christmas card. It was neat, definitely not done by Jackson. She sighed a little then opened it. A picture dropped onto the floor. Keeva bent down and picked it up. It was a drawing of an owl. This cheered her up and she looked at it for a while scanning every pencil line. He was actually quite talented for his age.


Beth munched on her beans, keeping quiet. She was so excited for everyone, especially Coden. She wanted him to have a Christmas surrounded by people who actually cared about him this year, including herself. It had been too long since Coden had been shown a true Mother figure.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Once breakfast was done with, Phil took them all upstairs so they could 'talk' about that 'matter at hand' he spoke of before. When they reached the little office room, the kids just gasped as huge grins stretched across their faces. The adults were hugely surprised, too. Even the nameless dog joined them up there, and he seemed to notice the happiness that they had. Daniel looked at him for a moment and said one word while pointing at him.


'Brody' - It was good enough, right? The name was quite suitable for the dog, seeing as the name itself seemed rather... easy-going. Oh well, back to the main point. The kids were the first to start opening them, but Phil gifted Coden and Clayton the two biggest gifts there that were addressed to them, upon opening them, what they saw was quite a surprise. Two rifles, clean, new, alongside two boxes of ammo for each one. Clay was thrilled - His very own rifle! Hunting trips were going to be fun with this.

(They both got one of these - .300 Win is the ammo type.)

​

Alongside that, Clayton got a bit of everything including a very special gift. A St. Christopher pendant attached to a chain. He loved it, and had Beth put it on him almost immediately. He gave a big hug to Beth and Phil and then went over to enjoy some of the gifts he got, like the books and little toys that were designed for boredom and such. Coden got similar stuff, but he also got the morph cube - a little small metal cube made up of dozens of magnetic balls. It could be morphed into any shape, and this gift was very appropriate seeing as he was apparently into Geometry. Phil also got him a simple silver chain to wear - Coden didn't look like the sort of guy who'd wear gold.


Daniel dragged all of his presents over to Coden and started to open them with him. He was thrilled by the toys he got - the little toy cars and the action figures. Most of all, he loved the nice soft teddy bear that Phil and Beth picked up for him. He was so excited, but sadly he couldn't shout as loud as he wanted to. He ran up and hugged Beth and Phil as tight as he could manage, thanking them both, and also wishing them a Merry Christmas.


Oh, and the cute thing was, Phil got a gift for Beth - a little golden necklace that had a small diamond entrenched in a little pendant that hung at the bottom of it. He thought it'd look beautiful on her. The adults were pretty impressed with their gifts, with a lot of them finding them all quite funny and uplifting. It was a good Christmas Day, no doubt, and it all went on to an even better evening. Phil got Beth and Luna to help him make dinner while the others spent some time with each other - Greg sort of tried to clear the breeze with Keeva - seeing as it was Christmas, he didn't want to be sore with anyone. But anyway, they cooked the turkey that Phil and Coden had caught on the previous night, and when it came to dinner time, all it took was some water and some gravy granules, and then some canned vegetables being thrown into the microwave, and then suddenly they had themselves one cracking Christmas dinner - to finish the night off, a bit of alcohol and some friendly conversations.


Phil was so content with what he'd held do that day, so content that he became a different man. He'd done two things - He'd helped make everyone happy by preparing a huge Christmas surprise alongside Beth, and he helped out Daniel in the bathroom. Daniel later decided he needed to go again, so when Phil excused himself to use the restroom, Daniel followed right behind him. Phil was worried about assisting him, and he saw how much it embarrassed him, but he was happy that Daniel entrusted him with that sort of stuff.


Over the Next Two Months...





After Christmas, things were going well. Everyone was in high spirits and they were all feeling pretty good about themselves. Let's talk about some of the changes in the group, and then we'll go on to talk about the changes that happened around them, oh, and the shit that one person managed to land them all in. He was never going to admit it, though. Regardless...


Greg managed to settle down after Christmas, at least for a little while. He started spending a lot more time with Luna and the boys, and made sure that they all got some time together as well - that could have been anything, whether they went out for a short walk or even helped each other prepare food for the group, and after Jackson's Christmas gifts, some group drawings to express things were plausible, too - Clayton wasn't a huge fan of that, but he still joined in whenever they did it just so he could spend some time with the people he considered family.


Daniel started... Well, he livened up a lot once he fully got his voice back. He was possibly one of the most active kids any of the group had ever seen. He was so happy and cheery, and loved running about and playing games with Coden or Clayton or Jackson whenever he had the chance. He liked playing with Jackson a lot - he was nice, and he was close to his age, a little. He loved playing with Coden, though, seeing as he knew everything about Superheroes, and a lot of the action figures Daniel got were superheroes that originated from comics, so Coden was the best person there was to play with when it came to stuff like that. Other than that, he did alright, and had one hell of an appetite. Any talk of his parents lead him to just shake it off and change the subject - he didn't want to talk about them or remember them, evidently. Phil instantly suspected that his parents weren't very nice people. What sparked his parents being asked about again? Well. Occasionally, only once or twice over the months, he did call Phil and Beth 'mommy and daddy'. He didn't really realize, though - the fact that he was so attached to them as his parental figures only proved Phil's suspicion about the kid's actual parents. Daniel didn't advance any further when it came to potty training, though. He was no good at cleaning himself - once he got closer to Phil and Beth, they actually both had a try at teaching him whenever he came to one of them telling them that he needed to go, but the closest he got was when Coden tried to help him learn, but he still gave up and nearly started crying. After that, Phil decided it'd be best for him to develop at his own speed.


Greg tried to become more friendly with Keeva over the months - simply sitting down and having a chat with her was better than nothing. He didn't force any friendships on her, though, he just tried spending some time with her and letting her warm up to him if she wanted to. Jacob spent most time with Keeva, though - she may not have realized it, but he was the person who wanted her to stay most. He liked her, and she knew what she was talking about. They had a lot in common, as well.


Jackson spent more time with Keeva, too. After he got his awesome gifts on Christmas Day, he spent a tonne of time with her, learning new tips and tricks on artwork with all of his new art gear. He loved sitting down with Keeva and drawing trees that they could see out the window, or drawing a bird that they occasionally saw perched on the windowsill. He was becoming a good little artist by the end of the two months, and one of his best friends here was easily Keeva, seeing as he always asked her if she had time to sit down and show him some stuff or do some drawing with him. She was a good teacher, and he was glad he ever went and introduced himself in the first place.


It was Clayton's birthday on February 3rd. Thirteen years of age - Greg did everything he could to ensure that he had a good birthday party. It wasn't spectacular, but Greg went out and got him a new revolver - A Colt Python - and some new tools that were mostly made for survival. A hunting knife, stuff like that. The night of his birthday, he had a 'few' drinks that were mostly shots of whiskey, and the next morning, he had a very violent hangover that left him to be found nearly passed out with his head down the toilet. Oh well, it was all worth it. Before his birthday, the early signs of puberty were hitting, such as the voice cracks and the uneasy patience levels. Oh, god. Oh god oh god oh god. This was going to be fun, wasn't it?


Oh, and with Phil and Beth, being in a relationship for two months, you can imagine what sort of stuff they started to get up to. The quitting of smoking continued, too. Good lungs were nice, and Phil was doing good at quitting and kept encouraging Beth to do the same.


Also, someone fucked up. They had a rotation schedule where they had to leave town to find food, but something happened one night when Jacob went out with Phil and Coden. They had to shoot down a crowd of the undead, but hidden among them was one man covered in blood and guts - he was alive, and someone must have been watching, because not too long after Jacob unknowingly gunned this man down, a car sped away into the distance. This could only mean one thing, and that's exactly what it did - it came back to hit them. Hard. With the rotational thing, everyone ended up going out, aside from the people who weren't too good outside of the place. Daniel - much to his displeasure - had to stay behind, and there were several nights where he needed to use the bathroom, but Phil and Coden were gone. His most trusted bathroom buddies to help him out. He went to Beth sometimes, but then others, whenever Beth was busy doing whatever, he went to Greg, and then on some nights he got Clayton to help, and seeing as Jackson was his closest friend, when no one else was around, he once called for him to come and help out. Jackson didn't like doing it, but he didn't want Daniel to get upset.


By February 15th, shit had hit the fan. A group that was larger than them had attacked. They hadn't killed anyone on either side, but they still attacked. They lured the undead to the station to try and draw them out, and one day, Greg decided that it had finally been enough. Everyone was in too much danger to risk staying. A lot of the windows had been shot out, so everyone was cold inside. No one knew why these guys attacked, they only spoke of a 'murderer within the group'. Greg was clueless, but Jacob wasn't. He knew who it was.


It was himself that shot that man.


---


February 18th, and they were finally getting ready to leave.


Daniel was holding Coden's hand and walking alongside Beth and Phil. Phil had already decided that the four of them would go in one car, so that could be arranged. Daniel brought along as many action figures as he could carry in his backpack, as well as some gear the group gave him, just in case. Of course Daniel was going to be awkward, though, right as they were about to leave. He tugged at Coden's sleeve and then looked up at him with wide eyes, his legs jiggering a little.


"Coden... I gotta' go pee... Can we go back inside really really really really quick?" He begged. Phil sighed and then nodded at Coden.


"Go on, pal. Take him to go, I and your mother can wait in the car." He smiled at him and then climbed into the driver's seat of the police cruiser they'd found across town. Getting the right amount of cars for this was essential.


--


Jackson was sitting on the hood of the car that Jacob and Keeva were apparently meant to be travelling in. He just wanted to talk to them both for a while before they all embarked on their car journey to New Hampshire. He didn't know that Keeva was in fact planning to leave, but Jacob was going to explain that later on. He'd miss Keeva, he'd become close to her. Or maybe she'd decided she would tag along? Who knew. Jacob knew that she had something she needed to do, and he wasn't going to stop her.


"I used to live in New Hampshire before everythin' happened." Jackson smiled, making sure his backpack was over his shoulders properly. "It'll be cool to go back there - I like it out there. It's cold, colder than here, but... It's a good State to be in." He grinned. As soon as Greg called him over, he'd be off.


--


Greg had told everyone the address of his old house. That was where they'd be going first before they went anywhere else. If anyone got lost, they had an individual address to travel to. He expected everyone to be just fine in sticking together, but he didn't know what the enemy team had planned for the group today. He didn't know that they were watching. Any minute now, and the bullets were going to start raining down on them.


Clay was sat in the back of the car, pretty tired with himself. He'd already done everything he'd needed to do this morning - including the one thing only guys could do. Oh yeah, if Clay woke up before everyone else, he went and done that little 'trick' that most boys around his age discovered. He never spoke about it, though, and neither will I. If his dad - or anyone, for that matter - ever caught him doing it, let's just say it would be very embarrassing. He was waiting for Greg and Luna to hop into the car and then get Jackson over here. This was going to be one dull drive.


"You all good to go, Luna?" Greg asked as he dropped himself into the driver's seat and smiled at her, and then looked at Clay who was sat in the back. He had his rifle with him and his backpack - Coden had his rifle, too. If something went wrong, those two were good shots, and Greg made sure they were both armed before they left the building.

 

[Elwin]

Coden rolled his eyes at Phil and took Daniel's hand. "You gotta' try hold it in when we travel, buddy..we can't keep stopping every five minutes." He paused as they walked, feeling bad. "But if you do need to go, desperately..let me know. Don't feel shy or hold it in." They walked back into the building. Coden was walking a little too fast for Daniel so he turned around and quickly picked him up to quicken their speed. Once they got to the toilet Coden made sure to do everything at double the speed. He was anxious staying here, especially after the bond him and Daniel had developed, he didn't want anything to happen to him.


Once the toilet had flushed Coden remembered to tell Daniel to wash his hands, although not too necessary, Coden liked to make sure he taught Daniel little hygienic things, since hygiene probably was something people didn't think of anymore.


~~


Keeva simply smiled at Jackson. She had a lump in her throat about leaving him. Him and Jacob had been her companions the past two months, she hadn't really connected with anyone else, merely making amends. Keeva preferred to see herself as more of an asset than a friend to the rest of the group as she had extensive survival skills that cover a lot of areas. She still believed there was much to learn however, one of the small reasons she was a little excited to leave and move further through Georgia. She wanted to find the prison then she could be on her way to making her new life with her Father, hopefully. Either that or she was absolutely delusional. Probably the second one.


She pulled her backpack in front of her and an envelope. Inside the envelope Keeva had put a picture she drew of a bear with Jackson's new art supplies and a note which read:

Jackson,


Thank you for being my friend. I'm not very good at saying good bye in person, but I want you to know that I will never forget you.


Blair (Keeva)

​

She planned to give it to Jacob before she left, which would be soon.


~~


Luna nodded at Greg and slipped into the front. She had prepared snacks and blankets for everyone so hopefully the ride wouldn't be too painful. In-fact she had gone out a few nights earlier alone in secret and picked up some candy bars and soda for the boys. They knew this but Greg didn't, so it was their little secret.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Thanks for comin' with me, Coden." He smiled up at him and dried his hands off on his pants. He was nice and wrapped up in a coat, so even though it was cold, he'd be fine. He gripped Coden's hand again and then waited for him to walk. ".. I didn't wanna' come back in here alone... I like it here, but I think it's haunted." He said, looking quite sincere. ".. I heard noises down here before." He shrugged a little. God, kids. Now that his voice was back, his character really shone. He was so sweet and innocent. Also, Greg made sure that everyone had what they needed in the backpacks - that even included toilet paper. He made a joke with Clay and told him to 'only use it for the important thing' - Clay knew what he meant, so that meant Greg knew what Clay got up to on some nights when no one was around. It actually upset and embarrassed Clay, and that wasn't what Greg intended.


--


Just as they were waiting for everyone, that's when it happened. Gunshots started raining down on everyone, and Greg pretty much shit himself. He knew that they were back. He looked at Daniel, whom of which had been ripped off of the hood of the car in front just in time for them to miss an array of bullets. Fucking hell. Not the boys.


"JACKSON!" Greg screamed. "Get in the car, son!" He cried out. Jackson couldn't hear him. He was too busy clinging onto Jacob. Greg had to pull away even further to avoid getting shot, and his heart only sunk more when he did so.


--


"Fuck me. Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me!" Phil yelled as he whipped out his gun and then looked at Beth. "Sweetheart, don't you fuckin' move. I'm gonna' go and get the boys." He quickly sprung out of the car and fired a bullet up at someone on the roof of a building opposite the station. They were mostly on the rooftops, so Beth was safe from any fire.


He ran to the door and then looked at Coden and Daniel. Daniel was terrified. A line of gunshots followed Phil right through the door, and he couldn't help but grab Coden and Daniel and drag them outside and back over to the wall. Both he and Coden were smart enough and old enough to know that having them all run for the car was going to get them killed. This could only go one way. Phil pointed to the East of the station and over towards the edge of town that lead right into a forest.


"Coden... Daniel... You need to run." He whimpered, tears lining his eyes. He had them both crouched down and he hugged them both as tight as he could. ".. It doesn't matter where you fuckin' are. You are always gonna' be my boys..." He sniffled and rubbed both of their backs. Phil had spent so much time with the two of them over the two months, and now that the news about himself and Coden's mother was known, that kind of instantly brought them closer. ".. I promise you I'll be waiting in New Hampshire." He said, right as a bullet ricocheted off the wall beside them. "Go!" He said.


--


"Keeva!" Jacob yelled, holding Jackson as close as he could. "Keeva! Get your ass out here! We need to go!" He screamed, hoping that she could hear him. He needed her out here right now.

 

[Elwin]

Beth whimpered in the car, ducking down and looking out the window. In the swarm, she was looking for Coden. She couldn't lose him. She rolled down the window and ducked her head out. "Phil! Phil! Get Coden please.." She called in the air. She worried for Daniel too, but she knew if Coden wasn't safe then neither would he.


~~


Luna jumped out of the car with her pistol and ducked underneath the door. She shot out into the crowd. It was difficult, all of the attackers were adults with rifles and they had a massive group of kids to protect. She jumped back into her seat and turned to Clayton who was in the back. Brodie was laid on his knee barking and trying to get out of the car. "Clay keep hold of that rifle of yours, boy.." Luna said, sternly. She was looking about frantically, trying to spot attackers as well as Jackson and Greg. "God Greg, we need to get Jackson.."


~~


Keeva was hidden around the corner of the building with a rifle. She had shot down one of the attackers but they were pretty good at keeping out the way of her bullets. Nobody had spotted her yet, but it wouldn't be long before they did. She shot a few more times, hitting a leg. She could see Jacob and Jackson, but she had no plan to go over to them. She wanted to help the group get to safety then she was off. She dropped the envelope written to Jackson on the ground when she ran to hid, so it was likely that he'd probably never see it.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"I've got you covered. I'm sorry. You need to run - We'll be there, I don't care how you get there, but look after each other. Now go!" He shoved Coden's shoulder and quickly jumped up, waiting for them to start running. As soon as they started he sprung out of cover and then instantly got shot in his left arm; he staggered back with a yell of agony. The bullet went straight through and out the other side. He scrambled over to the car and dived into the driver's seat. Him getting shot bought Daniel and Coden enough time to make a break for it - as soon as he got in the car he started speeding off, almost crashing intp Greg and Jacob's vehicle. He felt bullets rain down on the side of it, but he kept going. He was completely sobbing his heart out, he was devastated. He wanted his boys back at his side. Not out there alone.


"They ran." He blurted. "They got outside and they fuckin' ran!" He sobbed. ".. They're--.. They're safe..." He bawled. Blood was absolutely pouring from his left arm and going all over the seat and all over him, but he didn't care about that right now. They were going straight North. That was the only way he could think of going - North of the station, I mean. Not towards New Hampshire.


--


"Coden!" Daniel sobbed, holding onto his hand and running as fast as his little legs could carry him. They both knew that they were being followed. "We need to go back for mommy and daddy! We're not safe!" He sobbed to him, barely being able to keep up. He said mommy and daddy again, but he meant it this time. God, he was in a state, and he was absolutely terrified.


--


"Keeva!" Jacob cried out again. No. He couldn't wait. Jackson was crying, and they'd get shot if they didn't move. "Keeva! God-fucking-damnit!" He cried, and then quickly shoved Jackson into the back. "WE'LL FIND YOU, GREG! I SWEAR TO GOD!" He yelled, and then jumped into the driver's seat and instantly took off down the Western road away from the station. They were going to wait outside of the town for her. As they were going West, they'd actually be going Southwards through Georgia due to the location of the station. They'd wait a safe distance away.


--


Greg watched in horror. "NO!" He sobbed, he watched Jackson disappear into the distance with Jacob and instantly pulled out. He was going to follow down the road, but men instantly came around the corner and sprayed the hood of the car. Greg could do nothing but head down a Southern road. He was sobbing. He was crying. He could barely drive and the car was going all over the place. His amazing and charismatic little boy was gone, possibly forever. "Jackson..." He sobbed weakly. "God. Fuck me! Jackson!" He cried loudly.

 

[Elwin]

Coden slowed down a little and flung Daniel into his arms; it was faster this way. He sped away from the building. He remembered the field around the back, so they could head there. He hadn't felt any emotions since Phil had been shot, there was just no time to get sad until he knew Daniel was safe. He was agile and had strong legs so keeping his speed wasn't too difficult, but harder with a little boy in his arms. "Close your eyes, Daniel.." He said sternly. They were running through grass now, making distance. He knew they'd be followed but the enemies would try clear the area first.


~~


Beth screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She ripped off her sleeve and wrapped it tight round Phil's wound, between sobs. "Phil..Phil we can't leave them..Coden has no chance on his own..we need to go back!" She was pretty hysterical, but managed to keep herself sane enough to try and treat Phil's wound the best she could while he drove. "This is a disaster.." She whimpered, trembling.


~~


"F**k!" Luna screamed hitting her hand again the car window. She banged her head against it, crying aggressively. She turned to Clayton, wiping her eyes and climbed over the sit jumping into the back. She threw her arms around him and pulled him close to her tightly.


~~


Keeva remained behind the building silently. This was a good time to make her way round the back and get them another way. She ran through a back door that they hardly used. She knew it was open because she would sometimes sneak out and go for walks in the night before residing to the roof. She made her way up there now, climbing up the stairs and onto the roof. It was safe up here at the moment, until the fires that had been created caught up with it. She had a plan for when that came around too. She laid down and focused in on the attackers. After a few shots she killed two of them. There was still a fair amount left and she couldn't take them all with fire spreading. Keeva crawled to the side of the roof and used the edge of windows to make her way down, taking quite a high fall. She ran, making distance before she was eventually spotted by some attackers.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Daniel shut his eyes tight and hugged Coden as hard as he could, sobbing and crying. God, that was probably the most second terrifying experience he'd had thus far. He felt ready to talk about his parents now. It was high time that Coden knew the truth, but not right this second. He kept crying, but as quietly as he could manage. He just wanted Phil and Beth to find them and give him a nice big hug and tell him it'd be okay. That wasn't going to happen, though. They were heading North out of the town, in terms of the USA map, but they were heading East away from the station's front. Odd. ".. Coden, I'm scared." He blurted out. ".. Da--.. d-d-daddy got shot! Is he--.. Is he gonna' be okay?!" He bawled in question.


--


"We can't go back, Beth!" He cried out, and then suddenly there was a slight silence. "We can't... go back..." He blurted. God, he realized how horrifying that statement sounded. It upset him so much. God, why did this happen to them? Who the fuck had doomed them so much that they were attacked like that? So ruthlessly. ".. Coden's a strong boy... As long as he's got Daniel, he's capable. You know that." He sniffled, wincing as she treated his wound. Since it happened, he only started to feel pain as they sped out of the town, both in his arm and in his heart. ".. He--.. He'll be okay... They'll see us in New Hampshire... God, Beth... I know I wasn't their dad, but--.. They were sons to me. God, fucking hell... I want to go back, but we can't." He whimpered.


--


Clayton was bawling. He wanted his brother. ".. God damn it, stop the fucking car and let me out!" He cried, trying to escape Luna's grip - He was so weak and upset now, so he couldn't. He kicked the back of his father's seat and yelled at him, but weakly. ".. Stop! I need--.. I need to find Jackson!" He bawled. Greg didn't say anything, and that was when Clay knew it was too late and just turned to Luna, burying his face in her chest and continuing to give off his agonized cries. He was heartbroken. The brother he'd been through everything with, even before the apocalypse, was now gone, and nothing hurt more than that.


--


Jacob was speeding as fast as he could go. Driving as far from the city as he could manage. He knew that Keeva would be heading in this direction to go further South to Atlanta. He did it out of selfishness. He went this way so he could find her, but he realized soon that he'd stopped a young boy from maybe ever seeing his father and brother again, and that destroyed him.


"Go back! Go back, Jacob! I need to find them!" He sobbed, coughing and spluttering as he collapsed onto the back seat.


"We can't go back! We'll find them!" He said back in response, his voice shaking.

 

[Elwin]

Coden kept running through the fields, gripping Daniel tight. He wasn't going to cry, not while he had Daniel to look after. "He'll..be..fine..Daniel.." Coden said between breaths. He knew he would. Phil wasn't knocked down and he wouldn't be in spirit either. At least that is what Coden hoped. They got to a forest area after a while of traveling. They'd lost the attackers but Coden had definitely slowed down. He was panting vigorously and as soon as they got through the trees Coden dropped to the floor, letting go of Daniel.


~~


Beth frowned at Phil, tears streaming from her eyes. Her cheeks flushed a deep red with frustration. "Be realistic, Phil." She spat at him, with anger. "A sixteen year old boy and a four year old out in the world where walkers roam every corner and other humans are dying to attack anyone who looks resourceful.." She turned away from him, looking out of the window. "My boy is gone and so is Daniel."


~~


Luna made sure Clayton couldn't escape her grip. She put her legs around his body and cuddled him close, let him cry on her sweater. She sniffed, rocking him as if he were just Daniel's age. "Shh.." She whispered, soothing him. They cuddled like this for a while.


~~


Keeva panted as she rushed through blocks of abandoned houses, heading South. She kept running, her survival instincts kicking in. She had a hoard of about three behind her trying to gun her down. With each shot, Keeva stumbled trying to move directions as she ran as to make it harder for them to shoot. Eventually she slowed down, and panic kicked in. As they caught up the shooting slowed down and one man ran forward in an attempt to make a grab. They looked really angry and she had no idea why. They seemed like more than enemies, as if they had an actual issue with her. Keeva turned suddenly, pulling out her handguns. She had left the rifle on the roof as it was too big to carry. She pointed at them, walking backwards. "Don't f**king shoot.." She said, pointing the gun at a woman who only had some kind of dagger. How useful. They walked forward trying to grab her and she shot at a man, only hitting him in the hand. Another man growled, storming forward and grabbed Keeva by the neck, pulling her closer. The woman stood behind her. She appeared to be shaking, as if scared, which confused Keeva. Keeva spat in the man's face who squeezed her neck harder.


"What the f**k do you want? If you are going to kill me, do it?" Keeva hissed, struggling to breathe. The man stared straight into her face.


"You..your group murdered our leader.." He growled back. The woman behind Keeva burst into angry tears.


"YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND!" She screamed, with rage. Keeva looked confused and coughed a little from the slight choking.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Daniel sat down on the ground beside him and kept sobbing, his head tucked into his knees. ".. I wanna' see mommy and daddy..." He sobbed to him, lying down and setting his head on top of his chest. ".. I don't--.. I don't wanna' die, Coden..." He bawled, hugging him tight again. This was too heartbreaking for him to even cope with. He was young, and it was a good thing he didn't try and hold it when he got Coden to take him to the bathroom, or he'd have gone all over himself by now.


--


"You can't give up on him..." He sobbed. "In the time I've known him, he ain't never given up on you!" He said, his true southern accent coming through. ".. He--.. He'll be okay... God damn it! They'll be alright!" He sobbed, but then he broke down into tears and his driving became shaky. They were out of town, at least. They weren't going to crash into anything.


--


"Luna..." He sobbed. ".. I want Jackson back... I want my little brother back!" He bawled loudly, squeezing her to the point where it would have began to hurt. "I want him back but dad won't stop!" He added, beginning to cough and choke from how much of a state he was getting himself into.

 

[Elwin]

Coden put his arm round him and pulled him closer. He couldn't cry, just couldn't. "Daniel, stop talking crap." He said sternly, holding his head close to his chest. "We aren't going to die. You're not going to die, not whilst I'm around to make sure you're okay.." He said, a little more soothingly this time. He kept forgetting Daniel was extremely young, but he didn't want to lose his head around him, not whilst they were out here alone.


~~


Beth put her hand on Phil's, steadying him. "Let me drive Phil, you're hurt.." She said, weeping. He must be in so much pain, but he hadn't even mentioned it. "Phil, we need to save them, we can't just expect them make their way by themselves. I'm being serious Phil, they will not make it alone." She tried to speak sternly, but she was no good.


~~


Luna stayed silent, taking hold of both Clayton's hands. She rocked him continuously, as no words could really help. Not that she knew of anyway. She was angry, but Jackson wasn't alone. He had Jacob with him so it wasn't the worst situation it could have ever been.


~~


Keeva continued to cough as the woman screamed behind her, hysterically. "What..the..f**k..are you..talking about.." She choked. Keeva turned her hand downwards and point her handgun at the man's foot, shooting it. He let go of her suddenly, along with an array of curse words her way. Keeva made a run for it as she was chased by the woman. The man with the injured hand tried to follow, but he was in pain. The girl caught up with her and Keeva turned pointing the gun in her face. "Back the f**k off.." She said, her voice steady. The woman stood there silent. Keeva hadn't been paying attention to the man with the injured hand, mistakenly and before she knew it she fell to the ground unconscious. The man was stood there with a rock in his free hand. He dropped the rock, panting and clutched his bleeding hand.

 

[DrTrollinski]

He kept on crying, but upon hearing his soothing words as opposed to his more stern ones, he finally did relax just a little bit and then just lied there, hugging him and sobbing. That was when some words slipped out of his mouth that Coden had never heard him say before.


"I love you, Coden..."


--


"They're gone, Beth..." He whimpered, his voice was weaker now and he shook his head. "Even if they're alive... The area they ran to, we'll never find them there." He whimpered, wincing as he gently turned the driver's wheel to turn on the long country road they were on. "It's down to Coden now... I need to ask you to rely on your son to get back to you. To protect Daniel... In this world, I understand that it's hard to do, but..." He slammed the car to a halt and turned to her, quickly hugging her as tight as he could with his unhurt arm. "We need to try!" He choked. "Please... I'm begging you to just have faith... That boy is capable. I promise you with all my heart and soul that he WILL find us." He sniffled.


--


Clayton couldn't say anything. He was in too much of a state. He wanted to go back and kill every last person that separated he and his brother. He was furious, but he knew his dad would never let him go back.


"We need to head straight to NH..." Greg stuttered. ".. They--.. Everyone will meet us there..." He sobbed.

 

[Elwin]

"I love you, Daniel.." Coden said back, holding the little boy. They remained like this for some time, and Coden actually ended up falling asleep, probably from exhaustion of running straight for a long time. It was freezing outside, but they were lucky to be wrapped up in warm coats and scarves, or else they'd probably freeze.


~~


Beth just looked at Phil, still weeping. She wanted her boy back. She couldn't believe the transition in luck over the past few months. Everyone had been so happy. I mean, sure they were running low on supplies and would have had to move anyway..but not like this. Not split up. Everyone was so close, like a family.


~~


Luna didn't respond to Greg. She wanted to support his decisions, but she struggled to justify not going back for Jackson herself. She liked to think that he knew better as she was younger and she knew herself she was pretty naive, but secretly she was on Clayton's side decisions wise.


~~


About half an hour went by, and Keeva felt herself regain consciousness. It was barely functional, her body felt paralyzed. Her eyes opened and what seemed like a blur focused in on a sweaty yellowing shirt that her head was repeatedly hitting. She was upside down? The paralyzing feel was real as she attempted to move her hands and feet, which had been bound. Of course. How did she not know the similar feel of harsh ropes digging into her skin. She could hear the woman sobbing and the cries of pain from the larger man with the bullet in his foot. It must have been the injured hand man carrying her. She kept quiet, as at this point it was no use struggling. Surviving would be easier if she just bided her time.


"What are we going to do with her?" The man with the foot injury askied, between groans of pain. "We should have just shot her in the head."


The woman spluttered, struggling to talk between sobs. "I need..I need to find out what..what happened to Teddy.." She spluttered some more. "She'll know, the bunch of f**king murderers. Then we'll let the group decide on the next plan. We can't spill anymore blood tonight..we need to get them f**kers with strategy and planning.." She sniffed. Keeva felt the man carrying her nod his head in agreement. Brilliant, she was going to be questioned about something she had absolutely no idea about. As they walked Keeva noticed blood dripped on the floor. It was coming from her head. Even better.

 

[DrTrollinski]

Daniel fell asleep with him. They didn't get to sleep for long, though.


"Well, would you look at you." A voice boomed. When Coden and Daniel awoke, they saw a man standing over them. He didn't look like he was from the attackers, though. He was wearing clothing made out of pelts of animals. He looked older than Phil. Sixty, maybe? "Ain't safe to lay around on the ground out here, boys..." He murmured, a rifle in hand.


--


Jacob turned back a mere five minutes ago after Jackson had sobbed himself to sleep in the back seat. Jacob didn't like the fact that they left Keeva behind, so he at least wanted confirmation on whether or not Keeva had gotten out alive. Did she really throw her life away for the rest of the group. He sighed and stopped the car for a moment, taking his revolver from his belt and placing it beside Jackson. The kid was going to need to be armed.


When he arrived back in the town only ten minutes later, he took a glance around at the fine layer of snow that still coated the ground. He saw footprints at one point, and that was as good of a place to start as any.


"Jackson. Get up and take that gun." He whispered. Jackson sat up with a sniffle and took the gun in confusion, and then was soon following him out of the car. They followed the said footsteps, but very reluctantly. Soon they found fresh blood dripped into the snow. It was too little to be a gunshot wound or a stab wound, so what was it? They had no choice but to follow.

 

[Elwin]

Coden jumped as he heard the voice and immediately pushed Daniel behind him. "What do you want?" He said, sternly, holding Daniel completely away from the man. He was unarmed and he prayed the man would let them go or they were screwed.


~~


Keeva silently fiddle with the ropes on her wrists. The attackers clearly weren't experts as they had done a loose knot and not even done her hands behind her back, they were at the front. The woman and other man weren't paying attention to her so she spat allover her wrists, loosening them up. This hadn't actually been the first time Keeva had been in this situation, she had experienced something similar before. The ropes started to loosen as she wiggled her hands. Pretty easy, actually. She wasn't dumb enough however, to try and escape now her hands were practically free, so she remained idle, still pretending to be unconscious.

 

[DrTrollinski]

(Greg actually gave Coden his rifle he got at Christmas before they left. I mentioned that in the time skip post )


"I don't want nothin'." He said with a murmur. "I do wanna know why you boys are lyin' out here all by yourselves ready to get killed. Ya' lucky it's me who found ya." He said, scratching his head. "I heard gunshots down there in that there town. You boys been up to know good?" He asked with one eyebrow raised.


--


Jacob continued leading Jackson onward until they came to an end of the blood and footsteps. Odd. A building. Had these people been hiding out in the same town as them this whole time? Who knew. Jacob just prayed that he'd find Keeva alive, or at least some of her remains.


Jackson tugged on his shirt before they did anything more and shook his head, his eyes lined with tears.


"I don't wanna go in there." He whimpered. Jacob felt bad, but they had to. He patted his shoulder and then sighed as he nodded towards the door.


"Come on, buddy..." He smiled. "We'll just check the place out and then we'll leave." He said, Jackson quaintly nodded and then slowly followed him in. It seemed quiet so far. First thing they needed to do was scan around the lower level and make sure it was safe to go on.

 

[Elwin]

(Aye, but I assumed he'd drop it if he was carrying Daniel. It doesn't matter though c: )


"No!" Coden said defensively. "We got attacked and..who are you?" Why was it that people were suddenly popping up out of no where? Out of all the months they had been here, they'd had barely any run-ins with anyone and now they seemed like they were all coming at the same time.


~~


They arrived in a building where there was more of them. It clearly wasn't their hideout, or at-least their main one as there wasn't enough supplies for all of them. Keeva found herself sat in a room alone. The idiots still hadn't noticed her untied hands. She used this opportunity to undo her leg binds but the next dilemma was the locked door. She knew they'd be coming in soon and she actually felt quite nervous for once.


It wasn't long before they did. A man, perhaps a similar age to Greg dressed in all black stormed through. His hair was long and he had cuts all-over his face. "I want to know every-" He paused. "Why are you untied.." He rolled his eyes, clutching his rifle tighter and turned to the door. "You idiots, do you not know how to do a knot properly?" The woman and man with the injured hand both stood there looking awkward.


"Sorry Kristoph.." The girl said. Her voice was a lot sweeter than before. Keeva snorted but then her smile faded as the man bound over to her. He grabbed her wrists pulling her to him. "We know it was your group, so there is no point lying.." He held her wrists so tight, she actually felt like they were going to break. "Our team has patrolled your base since it happened..shot him down and left him to die!" He was shouting now, right in Keeva's face. She blinked, rolling her eyes. She was a little scared, but keeping her cool was all she could do.


"I have no idea, actually no f**king idea what you're talking about!" The man smacked her hard around the face. She fell to the floor, hitting her head against the wall. A small woman was also stood at the doorway whimpering.


"Kris.." She mumbled. He turned to her and she shook her head. "Don't be too rough..she sounds sincere.."


The girl who had attacked Keeva turned to the whimpering woman. "They killed my husband." She said simply. The small woman kept quiet.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Name's Frank. Been sitting out here since everything happened in my little cabin. Lived off the land, and all that." He sighed and then readied his rifle, just in case. Daniel was cowered right behind Coden, peeking out from only behind his leg. "I'm a hunter... Ain't much out here, but I've got food and water back at my cabin... Why don't you two boys come back before you freeze to death? I've got warmer blankets and clothes you can take if you ain't gonna be stickin' around. Got some food, if you want it." He said. Daniel simply looked up at Coden. He seemed indifferent to it. They had food in their backpacks, but it was Coden's call if they took the opportunity while it was going, or used the canned food they had.


--


"Give me that gun." He said, Jackson handed the gun to him and then they both slowly climbed the stairs. Jacob was being as quiet as he possibly could, scanning around. He'd heard everything they were saying.


He saw the one man with the rifle. He was the priority here. He lined up the barrel with the man's head and then pulled the hammer down. A second later he pulled the trigger.


"YOU attacked US. If you didn't, you'd have lost no one. I'm sick of playing fucking goose chase. So get the fuck on the ground." He demanded, running the gun over the both of them. Maybe he acted a little too early. Jackson was watching the flank. He looked away right after the shot was fired. Jacob was full of adenaline, but since that time where he killed those people with just his bow, he'd lost his ability to trust anyone who did something like this to people.

 

[Elwin]

Coden looked at Daniel. He wanted to say no as he didn't know the man, but did he have a choice? He was only sixteen and less than a years worth of survival skills, but even then he had things done for him. He hesitated then nodded. "If that would be alright.." He mumbled. He hoped Daniel didn't think he was a coward, or feel scared of the man. Because Coden was scared, but he definitely wouldn't admit it.


~~


Keeva jumped at the gun shot. Blood sprayed her face. "F**king hell, Jacob..do you want to make more of an entrance?" She said as she reached for the man's rifle and stood up quickly. She pointed it at the three people at the door. She knew there was more around the building and they had weapons. "Right, get out of my fucking way all three of you.." She commanded. The smaller woman was hysterical but they moved out of the doorway slowly. "Let's not make this a bloodbath shall we.." Keeva said, nodding at them sarcastically. She was actually shaking with nerves, but she'd never show it. "And thank you for your co-op and your fantastic binding skills." She hadn't noticed Jackson was in the building, so she wasn't too careful on her language and sarcasm. It was actually quite a morbid situation, but after a year they had become numb to it. She slowly backed out of the door, pointing the rifle. She was lucky as hell they didn't have any other weapons in that room, but she wasn't looking forward to facing the rest of the group in the house.


She turned to leave but paused as someone spoke up. "You're wrong." The taller woman said, walking slightly in front of her teammates. "You started this. You killed my Teddy.."


Keeva frowned again, looking confused. "What are you talking about??" She didn't wait for the answer, she slipped out of the doorway to where Jacob stood with Jackson, who she had just noticed.

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Then follow me." The man murmured in a gruff tone. He turned around and began leading Daniel and Coden deeper into the forest. Daniel simply held Coden's hand and walked with him - Coden seemed tired, so he wasn't going to ask him to carry him. It didn't seem like it was that far, anyway. This Frank fellow walked them right into the forest where it only seemed to get darker under all the trees and the foliage. Within ten minutes of walking, they came across a little log cabin in a small empty space. It was hidden well - there were groans that echoed through the forest which made this a perfect horror scene, but before they knew it, the door was open and they were being invited inside. A fire was roaring in there, and was bellowing smoke out of the stone chimney.


--


Within ten minutes of driving, Greg finally hit Route 19 which was going to lead them further up through the country. He felt terrible. He left his son behind, and that made his stomach turn over and knot up. He felt sick - In fact, he felt absolutely dreadful. He looked in the rear-view mirror at Clayton, whom of which was still sobbing, but more quietly now. He wanted to say something, but he quite literally felt his stomach coming into his throat. They were heading North through Georgia right now, but he had to stop. He slammed his foot down on the brakes and then dived out of the car and ran off to the side of the road to vomit down a small slope. He felt dizzy, like he was about to pass out, but he couldn't stop throwing up just yet. He was stood there for at least a couple of minutes just letting it all out, and when he was finally done, he leaned over and put his hands on his knees and continued crying.


--


As Phil had gone out of town Westwards, the first thing they hit - the long country road - was Interstate 53, they could get right onto the 515 from there, and they'd be able to go North from there, if they so desired. Phil had a feeling that it was going to be either Jacob or Greg that arrived in New Hampshire first - providing they had no interruptions. The world had become a much more shitty place since the apocalypse started over seven months ago. All he needed to remember was that one address. 47 Heritage Hill Road, Windham, New Hampshire. Greg's old house, eh? Fun times - He was just praying that everyone made it out alright. He and Beth only stuck around long enough to see if the boys made it out without trouble.


Then all of a sudden, Phil passed out at the wheel after the world started to spin. His head slammed down on the wheel, but thankfully, Phil felt himself slipping away, so he took his feet off the pedals. The car's speed gently fell down to nothing.


--


"Accidents happen." Jacob said. He knew what she was talking about now. It dawned on him that all of this was his fault. He walked up right after he spoke and struck her over the side of the head with the gun. He might have hit her a little too hard, and his heart stopped when he realized that she might have died instead of being knocked unconscious. He shoved the small woman down and then grabbed Jackson whilst nodding at Keeva. "Let's go." He said, weakly. He was ready for anyone to jump out at him now.

 

[Elwin]

Coden looked around, still protectively standing in front of Daniel. The man seemed nice enough and what motives would he have for hurting two children anyway? Well that was a dumb question. Coden sighed with relief when he saw the spitting fire that warmed the cabin and beamed against his skin. It was bliss. He couldn't deny is anxiety, however, he was only sixteen and making rational decisions wasn't one hundred percent with him just yet. "..Thank you..sir.." He choked up, as they walked in. He was grateful for his hospitality purely for Daniel's sake. It killed him to think the little boy would freeze all over again in the cold.


~~


Luna stayed in the car, shivering. She was paler than usual but she tried to keep her cool for the boys who were pretty hysterical. She had the potential to be the calm one in the group so she couldn't cry or break down. She kept her arms around Clayton, he seemed younger than ever as he sobbed over his lost brother.


~~


Beth yelped a little and threw her arms around Phil. "Phil? Phil wake up please.." She fussed, shaking him then grabbing at his wound. She had no idea what to do. When they needed Greg the very most, he wasn't here to help them. Beth fully regretted her seven months of dependance on everyone in the group as she sat beside Phil, he head rested on his back, crying.


~~


Keeva flinched as Jacob hit the girl. She clutched her rifle tight and frowned as he turned around. "F**king hell, that was a bit brutal.." She commented, staring at the unconscious woman. The man and the woman were fussing over her, shaking her and shouting in her face. No matter, there was nothing they could do. Keeva nodded at Jackson, but there wasn't much time for small talk as she bounded through the house, shooting down various men. She knew there was more, she could hear them, but she didn't want to go on some sort of murderous massacre, instead she lead Jacob and Jackson out of the house as silently as they could managed. She had started to feel a little dizzy but was ignoring her pains as blood dripped down her face. Keeva simply wiped it off and kept moving with urgency.

 

[DrTrollinski]

".. Uh-huh... Thanks, Mister..." Daniel said, politely. God, he was naturally a polite kid to start off with, but since he and Phil got closer, he'd been taught even more manners. He shot the man a sweet little smile as he hugged Coden's leg; the hunter turned to them both and mumbled a little alongside a nod while he dug through a wooden chest and pulled out two large blankets, all made up of tanned hides. He tossed them over to both the boys and then pointed over towards the fire.


"Ya'll can take a seat down there... You're lucky you had warm clothes on. Ain't good to spend too much time out there." He mumbled, and then he went over to a little cooler box beside the fire and opened it up, pulling out two slabs of what looked to be finely-cut venison. He put them on some skewers, and then put a grill on top of the fire. He placed both of them down and instantly sent a sweet aroma into the air. Daniel instantly put the fur blanket around him and then dragged Coden to sit down by the fire and watch the food cook. Mm. That certainly did look good. "So... You boys caught up in all that shootin'?" He asked. "What happened to ya' both, anyhow? Didn't have parents with ya'?" He asked as he sat down on his old wooden rocking chair.


--


Once Greg was done he wiped his mouth and then slowly and shamefully made his way back over to the car, dropping himself back into the driver's seat.


"Sorry." He choked weakly. He'd stopped crying, but as soon as he spoke it sounded like he was on the verge of it again. ".. Right now we're on Route one-three-six... We'll come off onto Interstate Nineteen... Make our way up from there..." He said. He felt unable to speak. He just felt so filthy and useless, and Luna was the only one who was currently capable of seeing that. His voice was weak, and his face was even weaker. He was pale, covered in goosebumps, and looked like he'd just been dragged through hell and back.


--


A few minutes went by and then Phil spluttered, choking a little. He slowly sat up and looked around out of the windshield, and then rubbed his arm in pain. He looked at Beth and saw that she was crying and then simply put an arm around her, holding her as close as he could manage. He sighed and then looked back to the road as he set one arm down on the wheel and gently started accelerating again, but kept Beth in a one-arm hug. ".. I must have lost it for a minute there... I'm sorry..." He gulped. ".. We'll go straight along the fifty-three to Chevron... We can stop there for some time, then we head South and start to loop around to get up to New Hampshire..." He said.


--


Jacob left them both back to the car and pretty much threw them both into the back before running to the driver's seat. He flicked the engine on as quick as he could and then floored the gas pedal. The wheels spun on the wet ice for a moment, but then the car shot off down the road and before they knew it, they were going straight back out of the town. Jacob said nothing to either of them. He was lost in thought.


"Keeva..." Jackson whimpered, instantly flying to her side and hugging her tight. ".. We lost my dad. We need to find my dad!" He sobbed. Oh, dear. Suddenly her and Jackson had something else in common.