The Real Apocalypse ★ Chandler Riggs/The Walking Dead [Book I]

[Epilogue] Hurt Me With the Memories

"I have a will for survival / So you can hurt me, and hurt me some more / I can live with denial / But you're not my troubles anymore / Somebody stepped inside your soul / Somebody stepped inside your soul / Little by little they robbed your soul / 'Till someone else is in control.

<Connor's POV>

I sat in the chair across from the bed, Caroline laying unconscious in the bed. My body was without a shirt, but the new bandages covered most of my torso, with the supplies I found in a chest in the other bedroom under the bed. I stared down at the floorboards, my elbows resting on my knees while my hands held my head up.

"I have a will for survival."

Memories of that place flashed in my mind and I winced with every sight of it. My body ached horribly as I thought about the pain.

"Don't touch me!" WHAM!

I gripped the sides of my head, holding onto the greasy locks of hair upon my head. I pulled my head closer to my body, trying to rid myself of the horrible memory.

"Don't you dare." The man scoffed at me. He turned to the guy behind him. "Tell H.H. to get the Surfacers."

"But, Jamison, they're on-" The guy stuttered, but the Jamison guy cut him off.

"I don't give two shits if those assholes are across the country!" He said, his teeth clenching together. "I want their asses down here in the next minute, or they're going to be patrolling the lurker pits for the next two weeks!"

The guy nodded and ran off. The Jamison guy turned back to me.

"I will ask you again," he started. "Where is your camp!"

"I don't have-" I replied, spitting out some blood as I felt some pain among my jaw. "A goddamn camp, I was by myself!"

"You lie!" WHAM!

"So you can hurt me, and hurt me some more."

My eyes tore themselves from the floorboards and planted their colored irises on my younger sibling, who was in still an unconscious state. I changed the shirt wrapped around her wound into a clean bandage where now little blood seeped through. I dressed her in a new flannel which was found in the other bedroom as well, which was just a bit big on her.

Just looking at her helped push those old memories, even if she was passed out.

I watched as her chest rose up and down, indicating that my sister was still alive and breathing.

"Someone as weak as you just doesn't survive out there."

"I'm not weak."

"Not completely, I'll give you that one." He cringed a bit for some reason.

Two tall guys suddenly appeared in the door way and Jamison smiled devilishly.

"Stop!" I wailed. "Please!"

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

I watched my sister intently, and her breathing suddenly slowed and a big breath she took out. I sat up straight, until I realized she stopped breathing.

"I can live with denial."

I quickly burst out of my chair and stumbled toward her body.

How the hell do you do CPR?! I wasn't trained for this!

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" I said, my hands running up to my hair.