Eyes Closed [TWD]

°•sixteen•°

-SIX YEARS AGO-

No POV

"Here, just take a drink, Jen," the man pleads, holding the water bottle up to his wife.

"No, no," she denies, "Jeremy should have it."

"We can't keep moving if you're exhausted. Just one drink, please," he continues.

She sighs, looking up to him as he pushes the bottle closer to her with an urgent look. Surrendering, she nods and takes the drink, keeping her intake low.

"Thank you," he relaxes, placing the bottle back in his pack.

"Ryan.. I don't think we can keep going. At least not at this rate."

Growing frustrated, he brings up their week old argument, "Maybe if we went to-"

"Don't start that," she begs.

"Benning is a lost cause. We're too far," Ryan says, standing by the point he's been trying to make.

"You heard that noise last night! Sounded like a goddamn nuclear bomb! We're not going near Atlanta."

"Right, right. We'll just follow the great 'what would Shane do?' and hope for the best," he scoffs.

Before Jennifer could defend her ex-husband, her current grabs his bag and returns to the motel room his son was sleeping. Also known as their camp for the night.

--

It was a week later when they saw new faces for the first time since the start.

No weapons were drawn on each other, instead both families showed a sign of relief to seeing living people.

"Sorry to barge in on you," Ryan nods his head.

"Nah, man. It's good to hear a new voice," the man admits as they make their ways to each other.

"I'm Ryan. This is my wife Jennifer and my son Jeremy," he introduces.

"Morales. This is my wife Miranda. That's our son, Louis. And our daughter, Eliza," the man points down the line.

The four adults trade handshakes as a proper greeting before moving the conversation.

"You been on the road long?" Morales asks.

"Since the start," Ryan nods and Morales sympathetically frowns.

"Sorry to hear that," Morales says.

"We've managed. Luckily, we have a goal in mind," Jennifer speaks up.

"Us, too! Having a goal makes the journey much easier," Morales graciously smiles.

"Where's you goal? If you don't mind me asking, that is," Ryan wonders.

"Birmingham. We've got more family there," Miranda says, knowing most of those in Birmingham were her relatives.

Hopeful, Jennifer looks to Ryan with wide eyes. But, he only sighs in response. With his attitude, she turns to the other couple.

"We're heading for Fort Benning. It's a couple hours from Birmingham- same direction. Do you want to tag along?" she asks, desperation in her voice.

"Fort Benning," Morales laughs, "That sounds familiar."

"It's an army post. We think-"

"No, I know what it is," Morales assures, "It's just.. ironic is all."

"Ironic? How so?"

"There's this guy.. We were just in a camp with a whole group. It uh, it got overrun. But, he was damn persistent on going to Fort Benning," Morales explains.