Previous Chapter: "You're done hurting people," Mikael spat as he pulled out the spear and flicked it.

"Mikael," Lau said, walking towards him. Streaks of dried tears where it used to fall, but her face was calm. Right behind her was Lincoln.

"Lau," Mikael smiled, kneeling down on one knee and embracing her tightly, "Everything's going to be okay, I promise. Everything will be alright."

"I-I... just want Ariel... please," Lau begged, holding on to Mikael tightly.

Augusta, Georgia

Friday, January 25, 2019

Dawn - Apocalypse Month 4

Mikael, Lincoln, and Lau made their way back to the camp right before sunrise and just in time to see Carlos snuffing out the rest of the dying campfire and packing up the tents, among other things. Ariel had used one of the spare spears to prop herself up and help Carlos with the menial tasks at hand, only to stop at first sight of Lau. Tears of joy filled Ariel’s eyes as she saw Lau run up to her. 

“Ariel!” Lau screamed with glee.

“Lau! You’re okay!” Ariel smiled as they hugged, her eyes at the brink of crying.

“I was so scared. It was so dark, and everything happened so fast. I thought they had...” Lau couldn’t finish her sentence. The lone thought of her leaving her again was just too much. Memories of her parents and where they could be made her even more sad, not wanting to lose her family once again.

“N-Not so tight, love,” Ariel winced at Lau, squeezing her waist tightly. 

“What happened? Are you okay?” Lau looked her up and down trying to scan the situation.

“I’m fine. We were just surprised and shaken up. I got snagged by one of the cannibals,” Ariel cleared up.

“Lau, we’re just glad that you’re okay. Especially, Ariel. She was worried sick about you the whole time Mikael and Lincoln were out looking for you,” Carlos explained.

“Really?” Lau asked. Ariel only nodded in response, and both of them embraced each other, not wanting to let go ever again.

“Okay, kiddos. I know we want to soak in this blissful moment but we have to get going. I don’t want to be here any longer,” Lincoln said. “This place is no longer safe… obviously.”

“Alright, alright,” Ariel grunted, getting into the carriage holding Lau close. The group set-way for the town of Augusta and the other small towns on the list to figure out what other people have done in the apocalypse. 

“Hopefully no other people are cannibals,” Lau joked, only to be met back with half laughs and weird shuffles. Last night had to have been one of the most traumatic experiences for everyone there… especially Lau, but that night something had clicked with her. First, the day went to shit and now. Both times, she’d been helpless and a burden. Today that changed, Lau promised herself that she’d no longer be helpless and instead she’ll be strong and never be a burden again.

Madison, Georgia

Monday, February 4, 2019

Midday - Apocalypse Month 5

Welcome to Madison, the sign stated in its weathered condition. Luis and Sara had made it to their next pit stop, the town of Madison. There were roughly four thousand people in what used to be a growing town from the statistics given. At first glance, it was like any other town they had come across in the last month: burned, dirty, and filled with stray animals wandering the streets. Though, as they rode deeper into town, people glanced out their windows, staring from the porches of their homes with curiosity and fear. Delving even further into this haunted town, there were even more people they saw looking outside their windows until finally, a group of armed men had confronted them.

"Stop right there!" The leader said with his group as they knocked their arrows into their bows, "State your business or meet your fate with the heavens!"

"There's no need for that!" Luis yelled urgently. "We are just travelers, and are here to pass through town!"

"Where do you come from!? Give me your names!” The man commanded, holding a proper posture in front of them to signify status. 

"My name's Luis! We're from... a place some distance away! All we want to do is talk to whoever is in charge! Who are you?" Luis yelled, trying to make sure his voice was heard.

"The man in charge, Mayor Higgins," He said as he and his men released the tension from their bows and walked closer to them. He was bald with bushy eyebrows and a prominent nose. His eyes told everyone that he’d been through a lot and this apocalypse did not help at all. "I lead this town of around 300 people. If you want to talk then talk with me."

‘That’s a lot less people than what the stats showed…’ Luis thought.

Sara smiled, "Great, where can we begin?"

“Drop your weapons in front of us and raise your hands where we can see them!” The mayor ordered.

“We’re not going to-,” Luis laughed off before being interrupted by the mayor.

“If you’re not willing to cooperate then leave the town and never show your hides here again or it will be the last thing you see,” The mayor warned.

“We need the info. Come on, just do it Luis!” Sara hissed.

“Fine,” Luis groaned as he set his axes down on the ground and walked backward a couple of paces to give room.

“Great, welcome to Madison,” The mayor said as if he was in a commercial.

...  

"So, you're from Holm Castle? A real-life castle?" Higgins asked hysterically, pouring hot southern tea into three small porcelain cups for them and himself. “Honey? Sugar?”

“Two sugars, please!” Sara said and Luis nodded in agreeance.

Luis smiled at his first comment and picked up his cup of tea, "It's quite a miracle that we found that or we wouldn't have survived such a harsh winter."

"Ahh, God really saved you guys, huh?" Higgins asked.

"I guess you could say that," Luis agreed.

"What is it like out there? Is it as bad as the roamers say?"

"Roamers?" Sara asked, setting down her tea and relaxing back onto the couch.

"Uh... people who come in and out of town. Usually, they're here for just a few days and then leave to another location, but if not they're a mess to deal with and sometimes come in hordes. That's why we were so hesitant to greet you," Higgins stated.

"Makes sense, it seems like they're frequent here. What are these hordes you speak of?"

Higgins groaned, "The hordes of people that come in waves sometimes?” He paused as if that was a tell-tale sign of what hordes meant. He sighed and then continued, “It’s happened here twice but it puts other communities in shambles. When food and medicine went scarce people had to leave the cities and find a source that could sustain them. That meant the towns outside of those big cities."

“That doesn’t seem good at all,” Luis whistled.

"Well as of between here and Holm Castle... nothing much. Just charred buildings and roamers as you would call them." Sara replied. "Except for the group in Atlanta. They call themselves A’lanna."

Higgins raised an eyebrow, “I’d understand as much up north, the Mountainous regions up north make it not suitable for people, epsecially during the winter. Though, the group in Atlanta?”

Luis cut in, "They usually wear black kevlar armor and have a burned marking in their skin of a laurel leaf crown?"

Higgins sighed and nodded, "They’ve been a nuisance to my people for a while now and other small communities. Trying to force us into servitude with them or make us give them food."

"Yea, we got a whiff of that when we entered their home," Luis smiled. He gathered himself and walked around the living room, and observed out the dirty window. No one was outside; it just seemed like a deserted town.

"We usually stay inside. Keep to ourselves." Higgins explained. "But, there are times that we have festivities. Especially during Sunday's as it is the Lord's holy day."

Sara took that as a mental note, "So, what have you learned from these roamers? Are there any other communities like this one?"

Higgins sighed and took the last sip of his tea, "We've heard of other communities around us, but as of right now you're the only community that has actively searched for others." Sara and Luis breathed a little bit more easily, knowing that more people had survived further south and that it wasn’t just wastelands.

Higgins continued, "The Amish live somewhere along the Alabama-Georgia State line... if that even exists anymore. For them, it's like nothing happened. There’s also the Kingdom of Havenstead or Haven as they call it."

"Kingdom?" Sara asked crazily.

Higgins nodded, "It's crazy how things change in an instance, right? The world has simply gone mad."

"Yea… wow, a kingdom," Luis awed, his eyes lighting up really interested in what it’s like there.

“They’ve grown quite a bit especially because of their reputable and selfless queen.”

"But the Bubonic Plague has affected everyone in the region and stunted everything. It's killed more than the actual... whatever that was."

"You mean The Regression?" Luis clarified.

"Sure, if y’all call it that," Higgins sighed.

"Bubonic Plague? I thought that was gone?" Sara asked.

"Well, it's back. Probably due to the scarcity of antibiotics in the area," Higgins replied, "But that's about it. All you have to do is watch out for roamers and the plague."

Luis nodded and considered their next place, "Thank you so much for your patience. Is it alright if we stay here for a night or two? We've been traveling for a while and haven't had a bed in a while."

"Of course!" Higgins smiled, then called for his wife, and out came a woman who looked around his age, "Sweety, could you please show them to their rooms? They're going to be staying the night."

The wife gleamed with happiness, "Of course, I'll go set up their rooms now!"

"That's my wife, Sheryl. The light of my life."

"Aw, she seems like a very nice woman," Sara awed.

"She is," Higgins smiled. "Shall we get ready for dinner?"

At the pure thought of eating a home-cooked meal, the siblings smiled, and their stomachs growled.