Broken strings---➤ Daryl Dixon

6

The others leave to investigate the generator room, and Dr Jenner is nowhere to be found. I should have known that this place was too good to be true, that we couldn't just live out the rest of our lives here on cheap wine and powdered eggs, but we've been here less than twenty-four hours and it starting to look like it won't be for much longer. Also, I have noticed that Daryl has been avoiding me, more than usual, and it's starting to annoy me.

Suddenly the lights go out and then the emergency ones kick back up. It causes me to jump slightly and I grip one of the many desks to calm down. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn and face Lori with Carl standing beside her.

"The air conditioning has turned off as well." She sighs. We both have a look of concern on our faces, but I can see she's trying not to let it show for Carl.

We walk over to try to find out directly from Jenner what's going on. "Energy is being prioritized." Dr Jenner explains, "It's not up to me but zone 5 is shutting down.

"What does that mean?" Daryl starts yelling at Jenner. However, the doctor seems unfazed by it all.

Rick then starts asking questions too and Jenner still gives vague answers. I'm getting pretty tired of this and the clock has reached the half-hour mark.

"The last to withstand were the French, but even then with no power-" Jenner laughs to himself. "The world runs on fossil fuels. How stupid is that?"

I run my fingers through my hair and tap the handle of my knife.

"Guys, why don't we just leave?" I turn to the group and look at Rick with pleading eyes. I'd rather not keep wasting time with a cryptic doctor as we suffocate to death. Rick nods at me

"Yeah, Lori pack our things, everyone get your stuff, we are going."

Right as we move, an alarm starts blaring and the doors to the main computer room slam shut.

"What the fuck?" I say to the Doctor.

"He just locked us in!" Glenn shouts. In that moment, panic erupts. Everyone is yelling or screaming, Carl and Sophia are freaking out. Shane has to stop Daryl from attacking Jenner. I rush in as well to try and help, even if I think the doc deserves it.

"Open that door now." Rick says in a calm yet assured tone.

"The emergency exits are sealed. I can't open them. I told you that when you first arrived."

"What happens in twenty-eight minutes?" Rick asks.

Abruptly, Jenner stands and starts shouting at us about how the CDC protects people from terrible stuff which we are lucky it never gets released. And that in the event of failure, H.I.T.s are deployed.

When he doesn't define that, I ask the talking sound system.

"High-impulse thermobaric fuel-air explosives, consist of a two-stage aerosol ignition that produces a blast wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear. The vacuum-pressure effect ignites the oxygen and is used when the greatest loss of life and damage to structures is desired."

I feel that rising sense of nausea in my throat again. The air will be set alight. Glenn stands next to me and we look at each other. I can feel tears forming.

"It's painless." Jenner says as if that brings comfort.

I don't even focus on the others shouting for Jenner to open the door. I just bring Glenn into a hug. He hugs me back. The reality that we are all going to die in twenty minutes is one that is difficult to process.