Sunlight. The sunlight isn't where it's supposed to be. That's the first thing Alicia notices as her lungs burn with the lack of oxygen. She frantically looks down, finally realizing that down is up. She releases the last few dregs of oxygen from her nose and reorients her body.
Kick. Pull. Kick. Pull.
The surface seems just out of reach. The harder she kicks, the more her lungs protest the movement. A few more feet. Alicia feels the fatigue in her muscles, the black spots flicking throughout her eyesight. She's close to passing out; she can feel it. She isn't even sure how long she's been underwater.
Kick. Pull. Kick. Pull.
With one final surge of power, Alicia finally breaks the surface of the raging river, gasping dearly for breath. The river roars, as the water no longer contained by the dam floods the once empty banks. Still clambering for air, Alicia lets the forceful current pull her farther downstream, using all her remaining energy to keep her head above water. The farther she gets, the slower the pull. Finally feeling confident enough to fight the current, Alicia frantically kicks toward the nearest shore. She heaves her battered and tired body up on the concrete bank and lets her face warm on the sun-kissed cement.
Her eyes flutter shut as her lungs finally pull in the much-needed oxygen. After only a moment of relaxation, Alicia snaps her eyes open and pushes up on her hands at the ever-familiar sound of the uncoordinated walk of the dead. She scans her surroundings for anything to use as a weapon, suddenly very aware of her vulnerable position. Her eyes fall on a sturdy branch not a few feet away from her. With pure grit and determination, Alicia rolls toward her left, dodging the slow grasp of the rotting hand coming at her. She grabs the branch and using the momentum she just generated, effectively throws her feet beneath her and stands in a ready position.
With all her strength and a guttural yell, Alicia swings the heavy branch, hard. The crunching squelch of a shattered skull would have been stomach-churning if it were the first time she had heard it. But it wasn't, and Alicia barely flinches at the sound as she drops the branch to her side and sighs in relief.
Her reprieve is short-lived as her mind races and rapidly replays the last fifteen minutes. Nick. The dam. The Zodiac. Her mother. Strand. The Proctors.
Her eyes dart down the concrete bank, searching for any signs of her mother or Strand. Nothing. Not a single living soul. The bank across the river is just as bare save for the bloated corpse dragging itself along the edge.
Alicia releases a heavy sigh and closes her eyes as she tips her head back. The afternoon sun beats harshly down on her skin. Using the branch as a makeshift walking stick, Alicia makes her way up the concrete bank, desperate for flat ground to follow. The only logical choice is to track the river back upstream to the blown dam. That's where her mother would look first. She would look for Nick first. On any other given day, Alicia would feel bitter about that thought, but today, right now, she is grateful to know where her mother would go.
Digging in with the branch, Alicia trudges along the bank quietly, her ears constantly stretching, always listening for the telltale sound of the infected. Her trek is reasonably clear. A few of the dead that were washed downstream crawl from the water, but they are far too slow and far too distant to be a problem.
After what seems like hours, Alicia finally sees the dam in the near distance. The sight makes her pause.
Nick.
The gaping hole in the center of the dam, the debris floating in the water, all of it a reminder of her brother's foolish last stand. She shakes her head, willing the tears to remain burning behind her eyes. She shouldn't think like that. She shouldn't assume he's dead. Her mother wouldn't believe it. But she's not her mother. If Nick survived the explosion, the Proctors surely would not have let him leave the dam alive.
Alicia swallows the lump in her throat and presses on. She takes care to approach the wreckage slowly, wise to the fact that the Proctors may still be in the area. The closer she gets to the dam, the more living she sees. The locals are coming out by the dozens, no doubt curious about the massive explosion that tore through solid rock not a few hours earlier. Thankfully, most people ignore her, too intent on trying to piece together tidbits of the story that's already being told.
With her high school level Spanish, Alicia can understand the bits and pieces she overhears. Rumors of an American woman teaming up with Lola, defying the Proctors, blowing the dam to return the water to the people, where it belonged. Alicia rolls her eyes at the tale being spun, but can't help the small smirk that forms on her lips. These people speak of her mother as if she was an angel, a savior, a being worthy of stories and songs. She lets out a huff of a laugh. If only these people knew the truth.
As she finally approaches the outer building of the dam, Alicia is pleasantly surprised to see that the outlying building remained undamaged. She grips the branch in both hands, ready for any surprises, as she slowly pushes open the door. It's dark. The sun is setting, and the light entering the cracked windows casts eerie shadows across the floor. She creeps along quietly, looking for any sign that her mother or Nick had been there.
Nothing.
There are no people left in the dam. It is disturbingly quiet. Not even a dead body in sight. Alicia rounds another corner and approaches what she assumes were living quarters. With her hand on a door handle, she freezes. A flash of blonde hair passes in her peripheral. Alicia quickly drops her hand and races toward the corner, following the familiar wheat-blonde hair.
"Mom," she whispers into the dying light.
The response she gets is far from what she expects. Alicia stops dead in her tracks as she hears the unmistakable sound of a forend sliding back and forth on a pump-action shotgun.
"I prefer the term 'Daddy,' but with a voice like yours, I'll take anything I can bloody well get."
The voice is husky, sultry, dripping with a unique form of smartass sarcasm, and a distinctly Australian accent. Alicia squints into the darkness as the woman steps forward. The angle in which she holds the shotgun obscures most of her facial features, but the soft orange glow from the setting sun illuminates her wheat-blonde hair like a halo.
"Who are you?" Alicia asks, her arms reflexively in the air in surrender, one hand still firmly gripping her branch.
"I think I'll be asking the questions here," the woman says, a sudden slight edge to her voice. Her posture suddenly straightens; her grip tightens on the stock of the shotgun. Alicia can almost hear the leather of her jacket stretch as the stranger stiffens her shoulders. The shift in tone undoubtedly coincided with the look of recognition plastering the woman's face. "Where's your boss?" she bites out.
Alicia stares down the woman and does her best to keep her voice calm and free of emotion. No need to add to the obvious tension in the air. "My boss?" she asks as plainly as possible.
"Don't play coy with me. I'm better at it than you are," the blonde smirks. Her face drops all playfulness as she approaches Alicia, her eyes wild, fiery, and a brilliant blue. Alicia sets her jaw and tenses slightly as the barrel of the shotgun digs into her chest. "So I'll ask you one last time, where is Proctor John?"
Alicia grits her teeth, "He's not my-"
"Don't lie to me! I saw you arrive with The Proctors. I saw him speak to you," the woman seethes. She gives her wrist the slightest of twists causing the shotgun barrel to dig uncomfortably against Alicia's flesh. She grimaces at the sensation.
"He seemed pretty keen on you, love. Not that I blame him," the woman adds with a raised eyebrow.
"Then you also should have seen him try and execute me and my family!" Alicia bites back sharply.
"What?" the blonde asks, genuinely confused. She backs off, removing the barrel from Alicia's chest but keeping her aim up.
"Miss that part, did you?" Alicia challenges, her voice calm, yet carrying just a hint of the overwhelming sadness she feels.
"I..." the blonde falters.
Seizing her opportunity, Alicia lowers her arms slowly, "Look, I'm just here to find my family." She stares directly at the blonde woman, "I don't want any trouble."
The stranger finally lowers her shotgun, her aim no longer on Alicia. "There's no one else here, love. The explosion must have cleared the place out. You're the first living body I've seen. Sorry to disappoint."
"You saw the explosion?" Alicia blurts. The blonde stranger merely raises an eyebrow in affirmation.
"Did you see anyone make it out alive? Off the bridge? Were there any survivors?" Alicia rambles.
"Sorry, love. Didn't have the best view, although I have a hard time believing anyone on that bloody bridge made it out alive with the way they were all shooting at one another," the blonde replies, her voice taking on a surprisingly earnest tone.
"Right," Alicia little more than mumbles to herself. She closes her eyes and turns her head towards the ceiling. She takes in a slow breath, willing the simple act to ease her mind.
"What's your name?" the blonde interrupts.
Without opening her eyes, she responds tiredly, "Alicia."
"Well, Alicia, I'm Elyza and seeing as how you don't seem to be a total ratbag, and I'm feeling rather altruistic myself this fine evening, here's the deal. The sun is going to set soon. I've scavenged this place as best I can, and since you claim you aren't a Proctor, I suppose you aren't a threat." She pauses, and Alicia finally opens her eyes. Elyza takes a moment to study Alicia's face.
The intense glare and once over begin to make Alicia uncomfortable. It feels as if this woman could see through her clothes, through her skin, and into her soul. It was disquieting, to say the least. Finally finished and seemingly satisfied with her acute scrutiny, Elyza speaks, "Come with me. I have a safe place to crash, and you look like you could use the company."
"I can't," Alicia shakes her head. "I have to find my family."
"Hate to break it to you, love, but you aren't going to find a bloody thing in the dark. Come on. I'll bring you back in the morning. That's a promise."
"I'm just supposed to trust you? After you had a shotgun pointed at me for the better part of 5 minutes?"
"Here, love," Elyza says as she reaches down to the thigh holster on her right leg. She deftly removes the pistol, flips the safety on, and tosses the gun to Alicia. Alicia fumbles the catch as she drops the branch she was holding, but soon maintains control over the firearm. She looks up at Elyza who smirks and barely shrugs her shoulder. "I trust you know how to handle one of those?"
Alicia can do nothing but glare. It is then that Alicia finally notices how dangerous this woman looks. The empty thigh holster on her right leg is not the only place she has weapons stored. A twin holster on her left leg contains a pistol as well as extra clips. The shotgun she still holds has a strap hanging off full of extra shells, and when Elyza tossed the gun towards Alicia, she could have sworn she saw a glimpse of a knife sheath hidden under the sleeve of her right forearm. Alicia finishes her quick assessment and looks back into the eyes of this stranger. She sees a flash of ferociousness.
Elyza suddenly throws the strap of her shotgun over her shoulder and quickly approaches. In a swift movement, the blonde pulls a knife from behind her back, holding it like an ice pick. She lifts the weapon, and Alicia barely has enough time to raise the pistol in defense before the blonde thrusts her knife forward.
Alicia turns in time to see Elyza plunge the fixed blade into the skull of an infected, now completely lifeless, inches from Alicia's side. A little blood splatters Alicia's cheek as Elyza rips the knife from the corpse. The body crumples to the floor with a heavy thump.
"You've got a little something there, love," Elyza smirks as she reaches up, and with the sleeve of her leather jacket, gently wipes away the few specks of blood. "Better."
The blonde squats down and wipes her knife on the corpse's shirt before sheathing it. Without another word, she turns and walks out of the abandoned building, leaving Alicia staring at the body. She has no reason to trust this stranger, but she has no reason not to. Elyza is right. Being alone, exposed in the dark, is a bad idea, and the woman did give her a gun.
Alicia looks at the pistol in her hand and expertly ejects the clip, double-checking to see if Elyza really had given her a loaded weapon. Surprise floods Alicia's face as she does, indeed, find a full clip of bullets. She slams the magazine back into place and tucks the pistol into the waistband of her jeans.
Alicia strides out of the building, giving one final glance to the wreckage her brother caused. The original hole that the explosion created is bigger. Debris and stone still fall into the raging river as the fierce water current continues to widen the ever-growing tunnel through the dam. It wouldn't be long before the whole bridge collapses.
With a sudden thought, Alicia reaches into her right boot and pulls out the butterfly knife she had tucked away. With a quick flourish, she twirls the blade out and begins to mark a brief message into the side of the stone building.
Satisfied with the breadcrumb, she turns, eyes scanning for Elyza. When she sees the woman, she lets out a heavy sigh. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Come on, love. She feels great between your thighs," Elyza quips, straddling a black Harley Davidson motorcycle.
"That thing is going to attract every single infected from here to Texas," Alicia chastises.
"The dead aren't the only thing it attracts," Elyza winks as Alicia slowly makes her way towards the woman and her bike. "Whoa there, love, there's no need for that."
"What?" Alicia stops in her tracks. She follows Elyza's gaze down to her still readied knife. Realization floods her face, and Alicia smoothly flips the blade in her fingers. With a few flicks of her wrist, she safely closes the knife. Replacing the knife in her boot, Alicia looks up to see the blonde's eyes wide in surprise. "What?" she repeats.
Alicia tilts her head slightly to the side and notices Elyza's gaze dip down to her lips and quickly back up again. The blonde swallows thickly before regaining her composure. "So, are you going to stand there and stare all evening, or are you going to walk over here and straddle me?"
With a roll of her eyes and a disgruntled huff, Alicia climbs onto the back of the motorcycle and gently places her hands on Elyza's waist.
"Look over my inside shoulder on turns, and don't be afraid to hold on tight, love. Wouldn't want you to take a tumble now," Elyza coos as she pulls out a pair of black aviators from her jacket pocket.
Alicia feels Elyza's arms shift, and the bike grumbles to life. It's quieter than she thought it would be; it almost sounds like a truck engine, if a truck engine purred with the ever-recognizable pop-pop pop-pop as it idled. Elyza revs the engine and without warning takes off down the road. The sudden speed of the bike startles Alicia, who can't help the audible gasp that leaves her lips as her arms tighten around the blonde in front of her.
Alicia can't hear the chuckle that escapes Elyza, but she can sure as hell feel it. Alicia ignores the sudden flood of embarrassment in the pit of her stomach and holds on tighter, surprised at the calm that washes over her from being close to someone again.
After a few minutes, Alicia feels the exhaustion set in. Her body aches from battling the current, her lungs burn from being deprived of air, her mind races from the events of the day, and her eyes sting from keeping them open in the wind. She gives in, closes her eyes, and presses her cheek in between Elyza's shoulder blades. She feels the woman's muscles tense for a moment before relaxing at the new contact. Alicia can't bring herself to care.
As the sun just begins to dip below the horizon, Elyza slows the bike to a stop. Alicia lifts her head, instantly missing the comfort of the warm body beneath her cheek.
"Best walk from here," Elyza says gently over her shoulder. She flips the kickstand out before dismounting. "The motor, even with my lollipop in place, will attract the dead," she explains.
"Smart," Alicia nods as she dismounts the bike, careful to avoid brushing her leg across the hot exhaust.
"I haven't survived this long on my own for nothing," Elyza states plainly. "It will be easier this time though. You can keep an eye out while I walk the bike."
Alicia stares at her new companion. She has always been alone? How had she survived all this time with no one but herself? And why?
"That is, of course, if you can tear your pretty green eyes from my gorgeous bod long enough to keep watch," Elyza adds with a wink.
Alicia again ignores the blatant flirting and pulls the pistol from her waistband, ready for a fight.
"You comfortable with your balisong, love?" Elyza asks as she begins to walk her bike down the road.
"My what?"
"Your balisong. Fan knife? Butterfly knife? The wicked weapon you twirled around like a bloody sexy and intimidating warrior and currently have tucked in your boot? Are you comfortable using it?"
Alicia merely nods in response, not trusting her voice at the moment.
"Let's tuck that pistol back in your pants and pull out the knife, yeah? If we're taking precautions not to attract the dead with my baby here, best not attract them with gunshots unless we have to."
Alicia doesn't voice an answer but stops to tuck the pistol back from where she pulled it. She kneels and removes her knife from her boot. As she stands, she is sure to put an extra twirl and unnecessary flourish into opening the knife. Who is she kidding? It is completely necessary to see the wide-eyed look on Elyza's face as she brings the balisong to a ready position.
"Guess that's a yes, then," Elyza gulps before continuing her trek down the abandoned road.
Alicia barely contains the smirk before it spreads on her face. She follows Elyza closely keeping just a step or two behind her, her eyes searching into the near darkness.
"How much farther?" Alicia asks after a few minutes. Though they have yet to see an infected, the sun is setting quickly, and her primal need to be somewhere safe in the dark is promptly becoming urgent.
"Not far," Elyza nods in the general direction in front of her. "Here we are. Home sweet home. At least for a little while."
Alicia stops in her tracks and eyes the abandoned building in front of them, "This is where you are staying?"
"Why so surprised?" Elyza asks over her shoulder as she eliminates the last bit of distance to the front doors.
"It's a library."
"You're a right sharp one, you are," Elyza deadpans. "Watch my back while I unlock this."
Alicia snaps out of her stupor and catches up to her new companion. She turns towards the street, scanning for any possible threat until she hears a jingle of metal. "Come on, love, hold that open so I can walk my baby in here," Elyza gestures towards the self-closing door she just unchained.
"How ever did you manage without me?" Alicia can't help but snark. She pauses only a moment, relishing in the subtle eyebrow raise Elyza gives her, before pulling the door open and stepping aside.
"What can I say?" Elyza says as she walks past Alicia and into the pitch-black library. "I'm talented."
Alicia just gets the doors pulled shut before Elyza throws the chain through the handles. With ease clearly gained from repetition, Elyza threads the chain over and through the handles and locks it with the padlock. She tugs at it, ensuring the door is secure before moving to the side.
Alicia loses her in the darkness of the building but is quickly startled by the loud sound of metal scraping against the floor.
"You don't have to help, but I would recommend moving out of the way," Elyza grunts. "Unless it's your lifelong dream to be crushed by a library bookshelf."
Alicia steps away and watches as Elyza pushes the empty bookshelf in front of the door. With the barricade set, Elyza digs into her saddlebag and pulls out a flashlight. She hands it to Alicia.
"I know my way around here, but I assume you'd be more comfortable with that. Until I get the fire started, that is."
Alicia presses the button and has to squint her eyes as the light floods the room. It's a small library, cozy even, and it smells like heaven. Alicia has long since grown accustomed to the slight scent of rotting flesh in abandoned buildings, but that particular stench isn't here. This building smells of paper and print and fantastical worlds far more pleasant than her reality.
She follows Elyza as the woman makes her way towards the center of the library. Alicia raises her eyebrows in appreciation as she notices that Elyza has similarly blocked all windows and doors as the front. Every vulnerable point in the building has been fortified with massive metal bookshelves, and even the windows have been blacked out using butcher paper and trash bags.
Caught up in admiring the care Elyza has taken with her safe house, Alicia nearly trips over said woman as she kneels to light a fire.
"Careful, love," Elyza jests using one hand to steady Alicia before she falls. "I know I'm a looker, but that's not really how I pictured you falling for me," she states as the fire roars to life.
"What is with the flirting, and the lines, and the pet names?" Alicia blurts, her filter long gone from the exhausting day.
Elyza stands from her crouched position by the fire and smirks at Alicia, "I can't help but flirt when I see a gorgeous woman." She pauses for a moment and then quietly asks, "Does it make you uncomfortable?"
Stunned by her shift in tone, Alicia practically shouts, "No!" She takes a deep breath and composes herself, and repeats, "No, it's just... excessive."
Elyza stares at her for a moment before giving her that smirk again. Alicia can see Elyza's flirtatious line form on her lips, but before the blonde can speak, Alicia quickly changes the subject. "So why a library?"
"Vastly underrated and underappreciated, libraries are. Entertainment, useful materials, usually sparsely populated, break-room kitchens. And beanbags!" Elyza exclaims with a grin on her face as she dramatically flops onto the beanbag chair closest to the fire. She gestures for Alicia to take the one across from her, and Alicia takes a seat, a little less enthusiastically than her new companion.
"It's the little things, love. Gotta enjoy them while we can," she says with a knowing smirk. Elyza then reaches for something to her left and tosses it to Alicia. Alicia catches the book and flips it over, reading the title.
"Practical Magic?"
"You read it?" Elyza asks, a hint of excitement in her voice. Alicia looks down at the cover again and shakes her head.
"That there book taught me life's five greatest lessons," Elyza explains. She holds up her pointer finger. "Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder." She continues to count on her hand. "Keep rosemary by your garden gate." Three fingers. "Add pepper to your mashed potatoes." And a fourth. "Plant roses and lavender, for luck."
"Those are your greatest life lessons?" Alicia retorts with a smirk. She shakes her head. Those are definitely not the lessons Alicia would assume this woman lived by. They are so trite and optimistic, and they feel completely out of place in this world. Alicia thinks over the list once more and smiles. This stranger certainly has piqued her interest. She scrunches her eyebrows in thought before asking, "What's the fifth?"
Elyza stiffens a little and says quietly, barely audible over the crackling fire, "Ask me again some other time."
Alicia cocks her head to the side, curious, but lets it slide. She has no right to push this woman tonight. Not when she's been kind enough to trust her and shelter her. She gives Elyza soft look and is rewarded with that wicked smirk.
"Now, you start that book," Elyza commands. "I'll whip us up a little something to eat, and then you can tell me what the hell you were doing with the Proctors."