DOOM DAYS 【 carl grimes 】

chapter four

doom days
chapter four

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Riley's head throbbed, a harsh migraine at his temples as he slowly came to. Blinking away his blurry eyes he found himself trapped within a suffocating space, his arms barely able to move. Panic swelled within him.

He was in a row of empty, room-temperature freezers, within the Walmart on Harding Highway. The shelves that had once held goods had been stripped clean. The only gap that remained was the back wall and the sealed exit door which sent more panic through him.

Riley's heart raced as he reached out, pushing against the freezer door yet it wouldn't budge. The once easily breakable glass has been reinforced and Riley let out a sigh of anger and frustration as he grew more panicked.

As Riley's panic subsided, he noticed a shaggy-haired man sitting forlornly at the opposite end of the freezer. The man's strong arms rested on his bent knees. He wore a sleeveless flannel beneath a tattered vest, and his brown pants were torn at the knees. Beside him sat a woman with similar hair, her beige tank top in shreds, revealing cuts along her arms. Her black pants were muddied and marred by cuts, and blood trickled from her scraped knees.

Riley's gaze settled on the pair, and it didn't take long for recognition to dawn on him. Taylor and Jessica. Questions raced through his mind. Where were they? He searched the confines of the freezer, fear clawing at his insides. He couldn't decide if it was a relief to not find them there or another layer of uncertainty in this nightmare.

He stared warily at the strangers and crept away, knowing he had nowhere to run if they attacked. The man appeared careless of his presence, though. His back was against the width wall, so his lower limbs had enough room to stretch ahead of him. His hands were smudged with dirt. The woman seemed more curious than anything, her eyes on Riley every few seconds.

"You're up," a young male suddenly spoke.

Jumping from the abrupt approach, Riley swiveled his head in the direction of the voice, and standing on the other side of the glass was a man, just a few years older than himself he guessed. His copper hair was coifed in the front, and he was carrying an assault rifle.

"Calm down there, kid. What's your name?" he asked, his rifle calmly to his side

He tried to keep as distant from the door in front of him as possible, but the elongated freezer was too thin for him to go any farther back. His eyes darted between the three people near him. The other two caged now had their head raised to witness the engagement happening.

"Not up for talking, huh? That's fine. I'm Wally," He introduced "I'm with a group, the Martyrs. We're not gonna hurt you so long as you listen to what you're told to do; that's just how these people survive."

Riley gulped, his pupils huge from anxiety and the darkness of Walmart. Behind Wally, the wicks of wax candles were sparkling on those that remained.

"We were told about how you got here. Sorry about that. I went through it myself not too long ago. But Flora was just doing her job of being a Martyr; do you know what that is?"

Still, Riley refused to talk, whether it was fear or anger, he couldn't decide. There was a metallic bang in the background, and a woman cursed, her profanity echoing throughout the structure. Seconds later, more conversing commenced, and before long, a pack of people began bickering.

"Don't worry about them. They've been working on getting the back as secure as the parking lot before it gets too cold. All the shelves they took down, they're used for protection now." Wally informed, using his head to point in the direction