≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾
— PART ONE of THREE —
WHEN THE DEAD COME KNOCKING
THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE THE QUARRY FOR GOOD. The previous night, Rick and Shane had hashed it out with everyone's input. They announced that the group would leave in the morning, those who wanted to come would and those that didn't, were welcome to leave.
Emerson kept watch that night. At some point, Rick found her sitting alone by embers in the fire pit.
"You need sleep." He told her.
Emerson laughed, "I'll sleep when I'm dead. I'd rather be up and awake to keep everyone safe."
"Well, then I'll join you." It was quiet for a moment. "So why'd you wanna be a cop?"
Emerson chuckled lowly, "It's ironic, actually." She began. "Uh, well, my dad beat on my mom as a kid. I wanted to put bastards like him away for a living. What about you?"
"Wanted to help people, I guess. Shane and I, ever since high school, we've always lived off of adrenaline. Probably more Shane than myself." Rick laughed.
Emerson laughed with him, "Where you a goody two shoes in high school? Good grades and everything? Maybe even captain of the cheer squad!"
Rick just scowled at the woman with a smile on his face, "Captain of the football team and Valedictorian actually."
"Gee, colleges musta loved you."
"Never had the chance to go." Rick admitted. "Right after we graduated, Lori got pregnant."
Emerson went quiet, "College is over rated anyway. Silas never went, but I went to Dartmouth."
"So I wasn't the only goody two shoes." Rick smiled, leaning over to look at Emerson.
Emerson just met his gaze, staring into his blue eyes. "Far from it, Lucky. I had a black and green pixie cut in high school."
"What I wouldn't give to see that." He cringed. "Ya look better with the natural look anyway." He told her.
"Did you just compliment me, Lucky? After I slept with your best friend and admitted it to you?"
Rick just shrugged. "Get some sleep. I'll take watch until Dale wakes up."
Emerson was hesitant, but knew that her body needed rest. She told Rick that she'd see him in the morning and then went off into her tent.
≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾
"We'll be on Channel 40 if anyone needs anything. If you don't have a radio, or yours isn't working, just honk your horn and we'll stop the caravan." Shane announced.
Emerson yawned. It was early in the morning, but Emerson had slept horribly during the few hours she got. Carl came sneaking in at some point and hogged her blankets. Not that she minded, but Emerson was a woman who loved her beauty sleep.
The nice weather kept her legs warm, as she wore a pair of jean shorts and a white pocket tee. She would give anything for ice water on this day.
Summer just drained on, in her mind.
"Uh, we won't be joining you. . . We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people." Morales spoke.
"What?" Carol asked gently.
"You'll be on your own. No one to protect ya when things get tough." Shane warned.
Morales smiled and grabbed his wife's hand. "We know."
Emerson gutted herself for thinking it, but she didn't think they'd survive. His wife could barely wield a kitchen knife, and they had two little children.
Still, Emerson said goodbye to her old friends and then they were off on the road.
They decided to leave the moving truck behind.
"No, you ask him." Silas argued.
"No way. You ask him. You're the man. You got balls, right? Use 'em." Emerson argued with her brother.
"You're older. You ask him."
"Ask me what?" Rick chuckled.
Emerson elbowed her brother to which he smacked her arm in return.
"Can we ride with you? I had to leave my car behind on the freeway and–"
"'Course you guys can." said Rick. "But you're not driving."
"You let her drive?" Silas asked Rick. "Bad mistake."
"So I realized." Rick replied.
Emerson took shotgun, while Silas rode in the backseat with Carl and the Pelletier family.
Carol and Sophia were quiet, mourning the loss of their father and husband. Although, Emerson wasn't sure how much mourning they were actually doing. Ed was abusive. Anyone with eyes could see it.
"First time we ever took a vacation, Sophia got sick. We didn't get to see the beach that whole week." Carol laughed.
"Sounds like Silas. Any trip we went on as kids, Silas had to go and get sick." Emerson smiled at her brother.
Silas shrugged, "I just don't have a good immune system, that's all."
"I'm sure military food changed that for ya." Rick joked.
"Sure did. That food was nasty as hell."
Sophia glanced at Silas. "It's heck. We're not allowed to say bad words." The twelve year old scolded him which caused the car to erupt in laughter.
Suddenly, the caravan stopped.
"Stay in here." Rick ordered.
Emerson scoffed. "Like heck."
The entire car got out and looked to Dale.
"RV is shot."
Emerson became frustrated. They had about a half hour left until they got into Atlanta.
"Can you fix it?" Shane asked.
Dale sighed, but nodded. "It'll take a few hours, but yeah, Glenn and I will."
"I think I saw a gas station a couple miles back. T-Dog and I can go siphon some gas." Shane offered, which T-Dog agreed.
"I'll come too." Silas nodded at the two of them to which they appreciated.
Emerson told her brother to bring a candy bar for her and the kids, but he only laughed and drove off with Shane and T-Dog.
Jacqui suddenly came rushing out of the RV. "It's Jim."
With a huff, Rick and Emerson made their way into the RV.
"I-I need you to. . . I need you to leave me here."
"What?" Emerson asked. "Jim, we're so close. There's a cure, I just know it." She pleaded.
"She's right, Jim. You can't hold out a little longer?" Rick asked.
Jim just smiled. "I want to be with my family.
M-My wife, my boys. . . Please."
With that, Rick and Emerson gave one another a small and sad look.
They had to respect what Jim wanted. Even if they didn't agree with them.
≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾
NOTE:
ugh we are so close to
part two. i am so so excited
for these next few chapters that
lead up to it
thanks for reading!!