TENACIOUS DISPOSITION ─ The Walking Dead Universe

CHAPTER SIX | Asia

CHAPTER SIX
Asia
September 2010

Dihydrogen Monoxide.

The universal solvent.

A chemical compound comprising two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. A polar molecule, capable of existing naturally as solid, liquid, or gas.

Water.

Essential for all known life; water both sustains and destroys—scarcity brings death by thirst, excess brings death by drowning.

Unfortunately, it was a luxury neither of them had.

It had been a little over a day since Walter had consumed the last sip of water. Their throats were dryer than the desert they had been walking through. Rosalía was beginning to regret not taking the last of it for herself.

They had decided to venture inland, towards the city of Phoenix, in search of more supplies. They followed the 202 until they reached a blockade then they had to divert to the Grand Canal River.

Rosalía and Walter followed the trail along the water's edge, until they came across the ramp up onto Washington Street, which had been blocked off.

Walter had the ingenious idea of heading towards one of the many bottled water distribution warehouses scattered throughout Phoenix.

The company—White Water—had stood out to Walter, if only because the name was similar to his own. 

Rosalía managed to find the warehouse on a map.

It wasn't quite in the city center itself, but still sat in a heavily populated area so they'd have to be cautious.

Rosalía helped Walter around the blockade of cars, and up the concrete ramp onto what had recently been a bustling city street.

They stood still for a moment, taking it all in. The silence of it all.

Instead of cars and pedestrians, the street was deserted.

The roads were clear, the cars had been moved to line the footpath, forming a makeshift wall on either side of the road, boxing them in. Every step was dictated by the steel maze, a channel the military must have put together to control movement.

A barricade had been made behind them stretching across the road from the community college to the other side of the road.

The message was clear; Stay out.

Rosalía glanced toward Walter with a raised eyebrow.

The double lane spread out wide and empty, sun glaring off the cars that lines the street. A plastic bag caught on a broken sign post, waving in the breeze.

No traffic. 

No voices. 

No motion.

Just an unsettling silence thick enough to feel unnatural. Absent were the rush of cars, and people honking impatiently.

Now there was nothing, except her and Walter, walking alone in a dead city.

They had made it two blocks before the stillness broke with a rumble. It was low at first, more of a vibration than an noise.