The Boy

Randal

Alexis Pov
I've been looking into the campfire ever since the others got back this morning. I'm trying not to cry but its hard not to when he was the the last thing from my previous life. I don't even know if I'll get to see him again. Even though there is all of this pain and sorrow flowing in my head, I just feel numb to everything. Maggie came out a little while ago to try to get me to eat something, but when I refused to even look at her or speak she left. My eyes are starting to hurt from the orange hew of the flames so I finally divert my eyes in a glance around me when a flash of light at the edge of the forest catches my attention.

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Wesley Pov
I can see the farm through the edge of the trees and I let out a sigh of relief. I slow to a walk as I get nearer the edge of the forest when I'm tackled to the side. My gun and sword went flying from my hands and I look above me to see a man with broad shoulders, blonde hair, an angry look on his face and a knife in his hand.
"Look man I don't know who you are or what you want but I'm sure we can talk this out." I say while trying to catch my breath.
The big man doesn't reply before bringing his knife in a downward plunge toward my chest. In a quick movement I roll out of the knifes way while bringing my foot in an upward arc that even though I missed hitting him it propelled my body enough for me to be standing. With his knife sticking in the dirt I spin around and with all my might throw a right hand hook at the side of his jaw. The hit landed but it didn't even faze the giant man. He pulls the knife from the ground sending a wild horizontal slash aimed at my mid section. I leap back knocking myself slightly off balance before regaining what footing I can, stepping into a defensive fighting stance. I wait for his next strike, which is a slice at about neck hight so I lean back away from the knife, letting his force carry his body around in a slight spin, turning his back to me. Using this chance I leap on his back wrapping my arms around his neck in a chokehold. The sudden movement and restriction of his breathing made him drop the knife. He is reaching over his back trying to get ahold of me. So I bring my legs up and wrap them around his body before straightening my spine, stretching his body out as much as I can to restrict his movements. The giant is starting to get more desperate and is slamming us around into trees and anything he can. The pain in my body is getting worse but he is slowing down as well and is having problems getting any air. With the man's strength leaving him he falls to his knees and then eventually onto his belly when he passes out. As his body falls down I let go and search around for my sword and gun. Grabbing both from by a rock that was about 5 feet away from where I was originally tackled. I put the gun in its holster before holding my sword in a reverse grip and sending it through his skull. I pull my sword and use his shirt to wipe it off before putting it in its scabbard on my back, kneeling down I start searching the dead body. I didn't find much but his knife and a empty backpack which must be why he attacked me, wanting my stuff. I stumble to my feet, the fight and blood loss saping my energy. I force my way through the remaining foliage and start up toward the camp seeing someone on the RV call out for the others. Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Shane come running toward me, weapons in hand. They must think I'm either dead or someone else.
"Easy now fellas. I'm just trying to get up to the fire." I explain. The group all relax and lower their weapons spreading enough for me to get by.
"Alexis was worried about you." Glenn informs me.
"I figured she would be but there is more pressing things to deal with. Those guys we encountered in town, last I seen they were heading South away from us but I'd still recommend having someone on watch at all times." I share with the guys as we make our way toward camp. We get there and I stop at my pickup as the people say how nice it is to see me back. The only few people I don't see is Alexis, Maggie, and Beth. I take my trench coat off and leave most of my weapons with it at my pickup. I now start toward the fire with the big guys knife in hand.
"Speaking of the guys in town" Rick starts. "We have one of them down in the shed, he jumped off of a roof and landed on a spiked fence so his leg is bad."
"His name is Randall." Glenn helpfully throws in.
"He is an obvious threat." Shane adds. Now that I'm at the fire I pull my shirt up and over my head and put the knife in the base of the fire. With my bruises on display for everyone along with my gunshot wound.
"What happened to you?" Glenn asks.
"Well the gunshot is probably from Randall, not quite sure. I sewed it shut but I pulled the stitches on my way here. The bruises are from a different altercation." I cryptically answer.
"You know how to do stitches?" Rick asks.
"I know how to do many things, it's part of what I had to learn growing up."I honestly answer. Grabbing the knife handle I pull it out of the fire, bunch up my shirt and bite on it, then place the glowing red blade along the exit hole then using the other side I place it against the entry hole. The hole time I do this the group just watch on in shock and mild horror. With the skin sufficiently cautarized I take the shirt out of my mouth and let out shallow pants.
"Now back to this Randall guy, whats the plan with him?" I question.
"We are still undecided on that." Rick says giving Shane a pointed glare.
"Well whatever you decide let me know. Now unless you have some need for me at the moment I'm going to go get a clean shirt and find Alexis." I say, throwing my blood soaked shirt into the fire.
Making my way to the house is painful to say the least but my concern far out weighs my pain. Slowly making my way up the stairs and into the house I see Maggie first in the kitchen. Upon hearing the door close the brunette turns around and smiles so brightly at me.
"Its good to see you back, we thought we lost you." She says.
"I'm glad I made it back and you aren't the only ones to think I wasn't coming back. I wasn't so sure myself." I honestly speak.
It's now that Maggie takes in my appearance in full that she sees I'm in bad shape. The brunette covers her mouth in shock.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me." I try to sooth her worry. Maggie just kind of nods before pointing up stairs in an attempt to tell me where Alexis is. I give a simple nod in return before walking out of the living room and toward the stairs.
Moving slowly and cautiously up the stairs so as not to hurt myself even more. Making my way to the room me and Alexis have been staying in. The door was slightly open so I just pushed it a little further and there she is sitting on the bed facing the wall with obvious tear tracks down her face.
"Hey sweetie there's no need to cry." I sooth wrapping her in a hug.
"But we- I thought you were gone. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't coming back." She sobs.
"Let me tell you something that I was raised to believe. 'I live for those who can't, I fight for those who live, I die so others may live.' That is the mantra I was raised on. No matter what there is life and there is death, tomorrow is never guaranteed so we make the best of today." I let the crying brunette continue to let it all out even as her tears slide down my body onto my wound. The petite girl cried herself to sleep and I lay her down pulling the blanket up before kissing her forhead. I walk over to the dresser and pull out a blue long sleeve button down, sliding it onto my shoulders but not buttoning it. Laying down beside the sleeping girl carefully so as not to wake her.
Having dozed of myself, I'm woken up by a nock on the door. Without thinking I've drawn a .22 from where it still hangs on my hip. Looking over I see that it's only Beth at the door. Placing my gun back in it holster I realize that Alexis is curled up against my side with her head on my shoulder and arm across my chest.
Looking back up at Beth I see she is holding a tray of food, so begrudgingly I nudge Alexis awake.
"Hey sweetie, Beth is here. It looks like she has food." I softly say as Alexis sits up. As the brunette sits up she raises her hands in an upward stretch as she yawns.
I stand up and walk over accepting the tray as Beth offered it.
"Thank you Beth, we really appreciate this and your family for everything they have done for us." I wheeze out, while holding my side.
"It's no big deal, daddy likes having you around and so do the rest of us. So take it easy and rest." The blonde haired girl says with a smile. Turning around and walking toward the bed with the tray of food I sit back down on my side of the bed and set the tray down between Alexis and myself.
"Eat up sweetie, you need your strength after crying so much." I tell the brunette as I lay my head back against the headboard.
"You need to eat as well." She argues.
"I will, I just want you to eat first so you don't loose your appetite after I tell you something." I whisper out. The girl perks up at this and stops eating.
"What do you have to tell me, you didn't get bit did you?" She worriedly asks, with wide eyes.
"No I didn't get bit, but it's just as equally unpleasant." I stop there but the look in her eyes urges me onward. "17." I say vaguely.
"17 what?" She asks while cutely tilting her head to the side.
"I've killed 17 people, granted 9 of them were turned but, they were still our families."
"Who were the others?" She asks while looking deep into my eyes, conveying that she needs to know.
"I couldn't tell you names but, I for sure killed 4 in town, I killed 1 just at the edge of the woods here, there was the ex soldier. 1 was a father I found in the woods his two girls on the ground at his side, he practically forced me to kill him. The last 1 had tried to rob me while I was out scavenging." I list off.
"I don't know what you want me to say Wes." The girl utters out.
"I don't expect you to say anything, I just don't want your view of me to change." I inform.
"From the way I understand it each event was self defense and so you did nothing wrong." She explains.
Nodding I say "Ok, that's all I ask. I'll be at the edge of the woods for a while if you need me." Walking to the door I look back over my shoulder "I love you."
She smiles brightly, "I love you too."
Walking down the stairs and out of the house was a struggle and a half but I still managed. When out into the open air I take a look around then walk over to the barn where the Greenes keep the horses. Getting to the building I notice that the saddle from the horse I was riding is here along with my gun. Great full that they were both there I walk over and grab the .308 slinging it over my left shoulder so I can put it away. While in the barn I also grab as shovel before starting my way toward my pickup with the hopes of running into no one. I manage to get lucky and am starting to head toward the edge of the forest where I emerged earlier when Dale calls out to me from the top of the RV.
"Hey Wesley, where are you going?" The old man questions. Looking around again I walk toward the RV and closer to the man.
"I'm just going to the edge of the forest" I point where I'm going. "Right there to be exact." I inform him.
"Then what is the shovel for exactly?" He again questions.
"I'm setting something right, with hopes of retaining what little humanity is left." I honestly reply.
"There is a body down there, isn't there." The white haired man states more than asks.
"Yeah, my body doesn't look like this entirely from town." I state pulling my shirt open to show him my bruises.
"At least you are showing human decency." The elderly man claims.
"Don't get used to it, when I get done I'm going to speak with our guest." I coldly answer.
"What are you going to do to the boy?" The old man asks.
"Just have a little chat, see if he proves me right on something." I answer. Walking down into the tree line I start digging, it won't be a deep hole but deep enough no human can find the body.
With the hole dug and the body unceremoniously thrown into the 3 foot deep hole, I start the grueling process of covering it. Knowing well enough that an animal will smell it and dig it up for a meal I only put half of the dirt back on it. As I'm getting ready to exit the tree line Bagheera walks into the area.
"Sorry buddy but this isn't for you, I'll get you something else to eat though." I speak to the wolf letting him know not to eat the big fella. Speaking of meat though gave me an idea. "Come on buddy I could use your help with a little scare tactic."
On my way to the barn I pass through camp and drop the shovel off. Making my way across the open space between the camp and the shed I pull my knife out and check just how sharp it is, when I pull my finger back from its edge there is a fine line running through my skin that tells me the knife has a fine edge. I open the door to the shed where Randall is, the sudden increase of light makes him turn his head away from the door. Stepping in and closing the door after Bagheera enters I squat down in front of the scared man just staring at him. After a few seconds he starts to squirm and dart his eyes anywhere that I am not.
"So they tell me you jumped off a roof." I state while still staring at him. He's starting to sweat now.
"I-i did." He stutters out.
"Why, did you take that jump." I ask
"I jumped because my friends were leaving." He utters out.
Still staring him down I reach out and grab his wounded leg.
"Such a shame you had to jump. You should learn to choose your friends wiser. Now I have a few questions that you will answer or you can become a chew toy for my wolf over there." As I said this I snap with my left hand which tells Bagheera to start growling. The deep rumble from the wolf gets the reaction I wanted, with a little added vigor apparently.
"Did you just piss your pants?!" I'm surprised a little by his reaction.
Snapping again Bagheera stops.
"So where is your main camp."
"We move around a lot never staying in one place for to long." Randall is so scared he'd share anything I ask.
"How many of you are there, and what kind of weapons do you have?" I inquire.
"To many to count. Men, women, and children, but it's only the men that go out scavenging. We raided a military base not to long ago, picked up some big guns and stuff." His voice was cracking during his little rant. However something caught my attention.
"What happens when the men go scavenging?" My eyes turn into a steely glare.
"We look for things but one time we stumbled across a man and his daughters, couple young good looking girls. I swear I didnt touch them."
My face starts to contort into a look of disgust.
"You disgust me, it doesn't matter if you touched them. I saw what that place looked like after you all had gone, that father begged me to take his life. Now you're going to do the same." With that I take and slam my fist down as hard as I can on his leg. The kid screams out in pain, I start delivering volley after volley of punches all over his body. After a few minutes of beating on him I send a strong hook to the side of his face knocking him out. Standing up I flex my knuckles and leave the shed.