Deadland

Chapter 85- Reunited

(TW!! A lot...) (Long chapter!!)

Walking through the woods, I can feel my legs begin to give out and the world tilting under my vision. Alyssa notices too because I put all my weight on her, "You okay?" She asks, out of breath. 

I nod, "Awesome." 

We're right behind the group, Rick and Abraham carrying the cot with Maggie on it. 

Abruptly, men's whistles ring loudly through the trees. 

High, low

Just as I hear it, my heart stops. We all quickly stop in our tracks and listen, looking around quickly. 

"Go!" Rick yells. 

Our steps quickening to as fast as we can run with two injured people. 

The air I inhale turns cold, burning my lungs and causing the world to spin more. The men continue to whistle, almost as if we're following them.

Suddenly, everyone stops as bright fluorescent lights turn on. Hundreds of men begin to whistle in that exact pattern.

High, low.

We all stop, spinning and looking around. Alyssa grips me tighter, fear coming in little droplets on her face. 

I spin around, men standing firm and bold, staring at all of us. Angrily, hungrily, looking for blood. Cars surround us and the R.V. is in front of us.

The trees around us cast an eerie shadow over everything, even with the bright lights. 

Eugene is kneeling near us, bloodied and beaten, trying to hold in tears but visibly trembling. 

Fuck.

"Good," A man says, stepping forward into the light. 

He's got a thick mustache and a receding hairline with grey hair surrounding it; a bright smile and a tall, lanky body. 

"Welcome to where you're goin'." He smiles, his chocolate eyes scanning us. "We'll take your weapons." He grabs his gun and aims it at Carl, resulting in a quiet squeak of fear from Alyssa. "Now." He orders.

"We can talk about-" Rick tries, his voice quivering.

My hands tremble with fear, my heart pounds loudly in my ears, and I break out in a cold sweat. I can't imagine what Alyssa is feeling. 

"We're done talking. Time to listen." The man interrupts him, his smile fully gone and replaced with an angry frown.

Then, several men approach all of us, striping us of our guns, knives, and every other threat.

The man stands in front of Carl, grabbing his gun. "That's yours, right?" 

Carl doesn't respond, he just glares into the man's eyes. 

"Yeah, it's yours." The man decides, flicking Carl's hat. 

"Okay. Let's get her down and get you all on your knees. Lots to cover." The man says, backing up and allowing everyone to set Maggie down. 

Alyssa walks me over to the rest of the group and helps me kneel at the end of the row. 

The man looks at all of us before looking at the other men, "Let's get the other ones, right now." 

Others?

If my heart could drop any lower than my toes it would've. 

A few men approach a van, creaking open the doors and grabbing something or someone out of it.