(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Meeting Bell's Nightmares (Lara)

After my run in with the... walkers I didn't find much of a reason to fight them or try to escape anymore. The reality of the whole camp being dead scared me. What if Ryan and the others were just the same just in another cell or building. They took me to a higher security room and this time my ankles were tied together as well.

They fed me and left me in the chair, always keeping guards to watch over me. I didn't fight it. I just waited until it was time to leave. When it was, a guard threw me over their shoulder and carried me out and loaded me up into the truck and we were back on the road. Went kept going toward the master where he would do experiments on me I'm sure and before I knew it we were pulling up to the largest camp ever. An entire city that was surrounded by a large wall of steel and gates to withstand a tornado.

"Welcome to hell" a guard smirked at me. I was staring with my mouth open. The gates opened up and let us inside. There I saw a world that seemed like it couldn't belong in the real world. There was this kind of smog that hung low as rippers walked around and worked to the bone. And some were ordering others around and beating them. By others I meant normal people who were just trying to stay alive. Total slavery of good people. The street was dirty with mud or possibly blood since some were fighting and others were cutting up .... Something for the meat.

There was constant chatter and often scream or screech of people communicating to each other. Then you had the heavily armored guards with rifles patrolling around and shoving around the rippers who got in they're way. The smell of death, blood, sweat, and other bodily fluids hung in the air and it would change as we went down. The main building in the whole city was easy to spot. It was the tallest building here and not just tallest...but cleanest as well.

I knew exactly where we were going and who I was about to meet and it wasn't until this moment that I realized I was not scared of him at all. Even if I died I was going to make sure I took Him with me. Once in front of the building I was removed from the car and the bindings on my legs were removed. They pulled me with them as we went inside and just like the outside it was spotless like it hadn't been touched by the apocalypse.

The floors were white marble that glistened the walls a clean white as well with furniture properly placed and covered in plastic where did they even get those? And a woman who was dressed to impress with a perfectly clean and ironed navy blue dress and combed hair. She simply pressed a button and from the hall to my right other guards came out and set a card on the desk. The woman took the card and inspected it before passing it to my captures and they shoved me to the guards.

This was an exchange. The men removed the cuffs and left without one word ever being exchanged between anyone. The guards pulled me with them and to an elevator that was warmer colored than the front lobby. The carpet was a warm cozy brown and the handrails were gold with some metal reflective plating around the small space making it look larger than it actually was. When the doors opened I was faced with another clean white room and cells were on both sides of the hall. They Led me through it and took me to a room and without any word they just threw me inside and closed the door.

I looked around to see what was around me and for a second I smiled seeing a face I had missed.

"Ryan" I whispered and rushed over to his side seeing what he really looked like. Blood covered what used to be his clean white t-shirt and sweats. They must have changed him. I felt for a pulse and did find one when his hand shot up and grabbed my hand then shoved me away "Ryan?" I asked scrambling to my feet as he looked at me with a wild look in his eye. "What did that bastard do to you?" I whispered. He stood up and moved to attack me. I didn't dodge him although I should have because he tackled me to the ground

"Stop it!" He yelled at me "you're not real!"

"Ryan it's me I'm here" I said trying to fight off his strength but his hands found they're way to my throat