(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Riding with a Traitor(A&L)

~~~~~Lara

I jumped hearing the door open up and she jumped in. I had the gun ready to hit the possible intruder but stopped seeing Annabelle and a wolf tail hitting me in the face.

"Lara" I heard a voice and held the tail down

"Shadow?" I asked but he was walking away. I got a stupid idea. Good in our condition but stupid nonetheless. "Shadow! Wait, get in the back!" I called to him earning a very obvious 'WTF' look from Belle "trust me" I said and he turned back and tilted his head at me then looked to Belle as she slouched into her seat before casually walking back

"Told you I'd see you around" he smiled at her then with one hand and no effort at all he jumped into the back of the truck and hit the roof with his hand signaling he was ready. I put the truck into gear and drove with Billy the walker strapped to the front bumper

"What happened out there?" I began to question her like a mother was asking where they're child had been because it was past their bedtime. "I was about to pull a fast and furious to find you-and where did you find Shadow?" I asked. I couldn't believe he was here. Secretly I thought he was always following me and this was just another piece of my evidence.

The window in the back slid open and Shadow stuck his head in

"Lara you haven't told me how charming this mute was" he smiled at her. This was weird

~~~~Annabelle

I pushed on the head coming out the back window. He didn't budge. That laugh of his was really getting to me. It made me want to roll my eyes, yet it also made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. It was a contradiction of reactions and I hated it. No way in hell did I like this guy. I absolutely was not going to like this wack job.

I crossed my arms, I felt like I was a pouting child. I couldn't help it, he just drove me nuts. Attacking me one second then hitting on me the next. He was giving me whiplash. How the hell did Lara even know this guy? Lara was looking between the two of us with a confused expression. Shadow spoke up from the back, "I met your wonderful little Annabelle in the woods, she has quite the kick. Anyway we fought, killed some walkers and now here we are. Riding in this truck with you. Why are we in this truck anyway?"

~~~~~Lara

"Well Bell and I are in this truck and you are a volunteer to help me rescue my friends from the master" I told him putting it all into a crazy little nutshell just for him. He smiled more

"And the Rippers?" He asked

"All you can kill" I replied.

"I am so glad to have fought with you" he told Annabelle as he laughed and leaned back out to take in the fresh air. This gave Bell and I a second to talk alone.

"Now I've seen It all. An already crazy guy got even crazier," I said, not sure how I felt about his interactions with her. "What did you do to him?" I asked her and giggled seeing her face. I couldn't help teasing her.

~~~~Annabelle

This was not funny. Lara was getting a kick out of this, and it was soo not funny. I signed, I did not do anything to him. He was crazy when I found him. I could tell from her face that she didn't get all of that. I sighed and wrote it down. Reading while driving was not a good idea but until she could learn asl better this would have to do. I held out the paper to her and put a hand on the wheel just to make sure that we didn't go off the road.

~~~~~Lara

I turned and read the message and smiled more. I could tell from her hand writing that she was very angry.