User blog:Joeaikman/Wiki: Apocalypse - Chapter 25 - Have Faith

Jose is stood in the garage, in front of his truck. He has his hands on his hips. Joel and Rob then enter. Jose turns to them.

Joel: Leanne sent us in here to help you.

Rob: Don’t know how much help I can be with one hand.

Jose: Should you even be up?

Rob: I lost one hand, man. Not both my legs. I’m fine to be up. Leanne said so.

Jose: Well, if Leanne says it…

Joel: What do you need our help with?

Jose: We have to fix the van. It will make it easier to go search for supplies, if we need to do that. We won’t have to rely on horses, or people walking or running in the heat.

Rob: Sounds like a plan. What’s wrong with it?

Jose: Nothing much. Just a couple of minor tweaks that we have to make. Should only take an hour or two at most.

Joel: It’s not like we have anywhere else to be.

Jose: Good. So let’s get started.

-

Neil and Jack are hunched besides an open fire. Neil’s face is red, and he is holding the carcass of a dead rabbit.

Jack: What are you doing with that, daddy?

Neil: We’ve gotta cook it, son. Do you know how?

Jack: On the fire?

Neil: Exactly.

Neil places the rabbit on a spit that is positioned over the fire, and slowly starts to turn it.

Jack: How long will it be?

Neil: I don’t know.

Jack: When will we get where we are going?

Neil: I don’t know.

Jack: What’s going to happen to Miss Sierra?

Neil: I don’t know. I don’t know anything, okay. I don’t even know where we are going. All I know is that we have to survive.

-

Davis and Tommy are stood together, outside the house. Tommy is staring down at the ground, crying.

Tommy: I- I don’t understand. Why?

Davis: I don’t want to be unhappy. I don’t want you to be unhappy either.

Tommy: Do I make you unhappy?

Davis: No.

Tommy: Then why? I don’t understand.

Davis: Love makes people unhappy. My mum loved my dad, but she cried all the time. I don’t want to be like that.

Tommy: We- We don’t have to be.

Davis: I’m sorry, Tommy. We can still play together, if you want.

Tommy’s lower lip starts to wobble, and he runs off. Davis watches him go, and makes no move to follow him. Her face is emotionless.

-

Gabriel is wandering through the forest. He keeps looking around. There are no zombies anywhere near him, but he keeps his gun drawn. His brow is covered in sweat, and his clothes are dirty.

Gabriel: Where the fuck am I? I could swear the farm was this way, but the forest just seems to be getting thicker. I can’t even hear the stream now.

He wipes his brow off with the sleeve of his left arm.

Gabriel: Great. Now I’m talking to myself. That isn’t a good sign. Lord, please show me some of your guidance. Which way should I go?

Just then, a brush of wind ruffles through his clothes, and the branches blow in front of him, as if indicating where he should go.

Gabriel: Thank you, my Lord.

He carries on going, and after some time, he comes across a clearing full of graves. Some of them are stone, whilst others were makeshift wood markings. Beyond them was a church. He looks to the skies, and then heads forward.

Gabriel: I can’t believe it. This must be the local church that Dirk mentioned. It looks abandoned.

He opens the door, and it creaks open. The room inside is dark. He steps inside, and walks to the altar. He hears the door close behind him. It makes a slam, and so he turns. He finds a man pointing a gun at him. He is black and skinny, with long, scraggly hair, and wild eyes.

???: Who are you? Are you from the Nation? I don’t have anymore to give you. Haven’t you people already taken enough from me??

Gabriel puts his hands up to show that he was not there to fight.

Gabriel: Woah, dude. I’m not with any nation. I- I’m a priest. I saw this church, and thought-

???: You’re a priest? Prove it. What are the words of Daniel Twelve Two?

Gabriel: Erm… I know this… Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt? Something like that.

???: That- That’s exactly right. You are who you say you are.

The stranger lowers his gun, and Gabriel puts his own in the holster at his waist.

Gabriel: So who are you then? My name is Gabriel, by the way.

???: Maybe you are my angel, here to save me from the monsters.

Gabriel: Only if you tell me who you are and I decide that I can trust you.

???: Yes. Yes. Of course. My name is Forest. Forest Rex. I was the priest for this church, before- Well, you know. Before God’s will occured.

Gabriel: What happened here?

???: N- Nothing. I am away from the main path. I see some of those monsters, but never many, and not very often. Usually they just ignore me and let me pass. I’ve had to go to the local village a couple of times. For food. I’ve seen what this world is like.

Gabriel: Do you know Dirk Cyan?

Forest: Dirk? Yeah. He lives nearby. He’s a good Christian. He used to come to services. Is he-?

Gabriel: Yes. He is keeping me and some of my friends safe at his farm. I got lost. Could you tell me the way back?

Forest: I can do better than that. I can show you.

-

Life is starting to settle at the Four Stars camp. We see Dev on the guardpost, then Judith and Jordan washing clothes, and then Morty and Tigar slicing up vegetables.

Tigar: I hate being stuck at camp. I like being out there and on the run.

Morty: Must be better than being a prisoner, though.

Tigar: Absolutely.

Tigar looks over at Dev from a distance, and then turns back to Morty.

Tigar: Why do you trust him so much? What has he done to deserve it?

Morty: He helped us kill Dennis, and with Duke gone and Joel away…

Tigar: You could use the extra hands. I get that.

Just then, Sam shows up, looking frantic and worried.

Sam: Hi guys. Have you seen Elvis? I haven’t seen him all day.

Tigar: Not since yesterday, no. Has his bunk been slept in?

Sam: No. I went there and checked first. He didn’t show up for our meeting this morning, and he’s always there. Sometimes before me.

Morty: I ain’t seen him, dude. I’m sure he’ll turn up.

Sam frowns, and then hurries off. Tigar sighs.

Tigar: Another disappearance. This is getting weird.

Morty: What do you mean? Another?

Tigar: Been happening ever since I got here. People just disappear at random. Sometimes when out on a run, othertimes on site. We usually find their bodies a few days later, chewed apart by the dead.

Morty: Guess that’s what happens when you don’t have walls.

Tigar: yeah… I guess...

-

Sarah and Mendes are walking together, tentatively holding hands. Sarah keeps looking at Mendes, to make sure he is still there and to try and gauge his feelings.

Sarah: You have such a strange face. I can never tell what you are thinking. Not even whether you’re happy or sad.

Mendes: Me neither. Me in middle. Me like you and being with you, but no like this place.

Sarah: Why not?

Mendes: Bad people. Justin. Jacob. Justin friends.

Sarah: I don’t like them either. Maybe we could leave. You, me and Hacks could make it in the wild.

Mendes grunts at that, and Sarah sighs.

Sarah: We are almost there.

Mendes: Where we going.

Sarah: You promise you won’t be mad?

Mendes stops and looks at Sarah. His face is still unreadable.

Mendes: Why? What you do?

Sarah: Well, Sierra has had nothing to do since the kids all left. I was wondering if you would let her teach you better English. You’d both benefit from it, I think?

Mendes: You want me to?

Sarah: I like you the way you are, but this is something that I think would make you better. Easier to understand. Plus there’s some fun in it if you do it.

Mendes: Then yes. I do it.

Sarah: Good.

-

Tommy is sat on the porch stairs of the farmhouse. Joel and Rob come out of the building and sit either side of him. Tommy wipes the tears from his face, and so just stares at the ground, angrily.

Joel: Woah, kid. What’s got you going? The ground kill your parents or something?

Tommy: No. Go away.

Rob: Ignore him, Tommy. He’s a dickhead. We want to help.

Joel: Yeah, sorry kid. Didn’t want to upset you more.

Rob: So… What is wrong?

Tommy: Davis dumped me.

Joel: Christ, is that all? My boyfriend is dead. At least she is still alive.

Rob: Joel, he’s only ten. This must seem like a massive deal to him.

Tommy: No. He’s right. It’s wrong for me to feel like this. People die here everyday. I lost both my parents, and then Barry, too. This shouldn’t hurt me as much as it does.

The two adults look at each other. Rob indicates to his missing hand, and so Joel rolls his eyes, and then puts his arm around Tommy’s shoulder.

Joel: Look, man. You love her right? She loves you, I think. That girl was wild and untameable before. She likes being around you. You just have to wait and let her understand these feelings. They will all be new to her.

Tommy: You- You think?

Joel: We know.

Tommy: Thanks. Thank you.

Rob: It’s fine. That’s what we are here for.

-

Kung is stood outside the door to Justin’s office. Inside are Justin, Felco, Cam and Mind. He is listening in on their conversation.

Mind: Killer and Eyes went to check out the farm that Kung told us about. It’s a decent way away, so they will be gone a week.

Cam: That’s perfect. They’ll be back just in time for-

Justin: Shut your mouth, son. We haven’t got that plan perfected yet. Did you find anything in their houses, Mind?

Mind: No. It seems they were well packed. They must have been planning this. Just fortunate for them that it clashed with Neil’s escape.

Felco: You don’t think they were working together?

Mind: I do not. Neil went too early. I doubt they would have had the person with two kids with him cause the distraction.

Felco: I suppose…

Justin: I don’t care about Branwen. He can go. I want the others.

Mind: Killer and Eyes will find them, sir. When have we ever let you down?

Justin: True. Very well. Dismissed.

Kung bites his lip, and then slips away down the corridor, into the darkness.

-

Brandon is stood at the gate to the farm. He is holding a rifle. Dusk is starting to settle, and the dark is coming over the farm. Just then, Gabriel and Forest appear down the track. Brandon initially raises his gun, but lowers it when Gabriel waves to him.

Gabriel: It’s me, Brandon! No need to fire!

Brandon: Where have you been, man? People have been getting worried.

Gabriel: That’s sweet. I’m sure that you’re lying. I know people here don’t care about me that much. Jose still hasn’t forgiven me for betraying him.

Brandon: Give him time, man. You’re a good guy. He’ll see it.

Gabriel: I sure hope so.

Brandon: Who’s your new friend?

Gabriel: Oh right. Brandon, this is Forest. He’s the local priest. Dirk knows him, and he showed me the way back. Forest, this is Brandon. He’s our leader.

Forest: Hi.

Brandon: I wouldn’t say that I’m-

Just then, Brandon is interrupted by a gunshot. The three of them turn quickly, and Brandon starts to run towards the farmhouse, quickly followed by Gabriel.

-

Dirk is sat on his bed, with Davis to the side of him. She looks sad, and Dirk has his arm around her.

Dirk: There there, my dear. Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?

Davis: It- It’s Tommy, daddy.

Dirk: What about him? Did he hurt you? Tell me if he hurt you, darling.

Davis: No, I- I broke up with him.

Dirk: Oh. Erm… Why did you do that?

Davis: I think I might love him. I- I didn’t want to end up like you and mummy. She was always crying.

Dirk: Davis, there is something I have to tell you. We didn’t think you were old enough to understand at the time, so we didn’t tell you, but, well, you’re much more mature now. Your mother was dying, Davis. She was ill, and there was nothing we could do. That’s why we cried so much. We were in love, and we were going to lose each other. That hurt. We didn’t want to hurt you, too.

Davis: Dad, I-

Dirk starts to cry a bit, but he wipes away the tears.

Dirk: God, I wish this was your mother talking to you about this. She was always so much better- I’m so sorry, Davis. We thought we were making you happier by not telling you.

Davis: Daddy, do you miss mummy?

Dirk: Every day, darling. There isn’t an hour that goes by where I don’t wish your mother was still with us. She made everything so much better. This world is deader without her. All I have is you.

Davis: We have Jose and Leanne.

Dirk: They aren’t family. Not in the same way.

Davis: Did mummy die happy, daddy?

Dirk: She died knowing that you would be safe, sweetheart. That was all that she wanted. She wanted you to live. That’s why I’m so protective. That’s all I want, too.

Davis: I promise that I’ll stay safe, daddy.

Dirk: Good girl- Argh!

Dirk winces back, and Davis sees blood on the floor. There was a zombie under the bed, and it had bitten into Dirk’s ankle. He scooches up to the head of the bed, and starts to moan and groan, as Davis backs away and whimpers.

Dirk: Dav… Davis… You have to kill it…

Davis: Daddy, I don’t know how. I don’t know how.

Dirk: Knife… Bedside drawer….

Davis spots the knife, and jumps to pick it up. The zombie is is still on the ground. She closes her eyes and plunges the knife into the zombie’s head. He stops moving.

Dirk: God… Good girl… Davis…

Davis: Yes, daddy. Should I get help/ Should I get Leanne? Or Jose?

Dirk: No need, child… They won’t save me…

He groans, and bites down on the pain he is clearly feeling.

Dirk: It’s… It’s my time… You have to promise me… Promise me that you will live…

Davis: I promise. Daddy, I promise.

Dirk: Leanne… Jose… I was wrong… They are… Family… They will look after you.... They promised me… They promised… There’s one… Last thing Daddy needs, darling…

Davis: What is it? What is it, daddy? Anything. Can I save you?

Dirk… Gun… In my desk… Send me away… To your mother… Don’t let me… Become one of them… Not one of them…

Davis starts to whimper, but she goes and fetches the gun from the desk, and pulls it out. She points it at Dirk, who nods weakly. She closes her eyes, and she shoots. The camera goes black as she does. When she opens them again, Brandon, Leanne and Gabriel are in the room. Leanne has her hand over her mouth, whilst Brandon goes to Dirk’s side.

Leanne: Oh, Davis…

Leanne runs forward, and Davis embraces her. She starts to sob, and she just can’t stop.