(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

An Elevator Ride to Hell (Lara)

The drive was so much longer than I had planned and wanted it to be. Then again all the land we had crossed before we had to cross again just to go all the way back to ... wherever the hell it was. Every other day we stopped the night to make a little camp and they reluctantly fed me any leftovers they had. And they burned it for me just because I was the guest of honor. They even had at least three guards on me at all times and I was forced to ride in the back of the truck after what I did to the last one.

I felt just a bit smug thinking about that fact. That lasted for just a day and a half. The other days seemed hard to get by. Even ran into some walkers. Literally they just plowed through a horde of walkers. After about day five I had blacked out too tired from the lack of sleep and not even my stiff arms that were tied behind my back the whole time could keep me awake.

I woke up when I heard some noise. As I focused more and more I could make out some words and certain sounds that I remarked. Rippers. I looked around to see the skill was high up but the truck was still moving. It wasn't shaking me around but was nice and smooth making the ride more enjoyable.

"She's awake" a man beside me announced to the driver.

"Just in time. The rippers are going to have fun". The second said and I moved to sit up. Where was I? What rippers? Looking around I saw a city. I remembered this place. The city with all the traps set up. Shadow's second home. We were making great time. Not great for me. Now I wanted to slow down and take the scenic route, not the shortcuts. I turned to see around the truck and looked through the window. There I saw a massive gate made of nothing but sheets of leftover metal and the cheering of Rippers hearing of my arrival.

"You ready to meet your fans?" One chuckled. These people knew exactly what they were doing and still found this fun. Then again if I knew I could call on rippers to help knowing I was safe I would Be a smug bi**h to. I had a lot of sarcastic answers I wanted to tell him but Ryan's sage voice came in again 'pull an Annabelle and don't say anything' so that's what I did.

They slammed on the breaks and I slammed into the cab and winced from the impact. I tried to move and stretch my arms but nothing worked. Sitting with my hands tied made it ache. They all got out of the truck and one garaged my shoe to the edge of the bed and released me then dropped down before pulling my arm to make me sit up then get out with him.

The noise of the Rippers surrounded me and some even tried to touch me but my new best friends shoved them away and warned them that if they touched me then they would be reported to the master. Still some tried to push how far they could go before I finally kicked one and the guards dragged me away as the crowd roared with excitement.

"You really are stupid" the leader of this group shook his hand as we walked into a tall building and down a maze of halls until finally getting into a working elevator and hit the button 35th floor.

They were even labeled for certain floors. One being labeled holding cells. I wonder. When we got off the elevator I saw the whole building was filled with rippers and some areas were organized with assembly lanes where people who were like my security guards were making weapons. Some kind of gas grenades or smoke bombs. What the hell were they up to? This was the best place to make these. People from camps like mine would avoid the rippers as much as possible so why not make weapons there.

I was even more nervous now. This was something so much more. They were up to something and I needed to find out what. I tried to lean over and see what it was but was yanked around a corner and into a room where they sat me into an old worn down office chair

"Stay " they ordered me then left and I heard the door lock. No windows other than the one that surrounded the outside of the building where the wind blew through. 35 floors up and it was very windy.

I didn't wait long before fiddling with my ties in hopes of loosening them with no luck. I got out of the chair and started to pull my arms around my body and down my legs hoping to pull my legs through and with some work and nearly pulling a tendon I managed to get my hands in front of me.

"Stupid handcuffs" I couldn't break through them unless I had a bobby pin. Then again I couldn't pick the lock on anything. So plan B. Find other prisoners that were on a higher level then me. I needed to get to the elevator. No they'll be watching those. "Stairway" I whispered and smiled.

I knew there would have been a guard outside and knocked and hid behind the door. When the door opened the guard walked in and for a second was confused until I closed the door and jumped on then and threw my cuffed hands around the neck. He flailed and coughed as he tried to get me off. And the harder he tried the tighter I held on. I wasn't going for a knockout. This guy was dying today.

After a second he had lost consciousness and fell to the floor limp. I grabbed his knife he had on his belt and with one swoop I stabbed him into the heart making it quick and clean. I didn't waste anymore time as I left the room and snuck around avoiding the guards and the detection of others who were working. I found the stairs and headed down

"Thirty, thirty, thirty" I whispered to myself. Thirty had all the holding cells. It was just one floor as well. I looked around but it wasn't anything. I got to the door and saw a pipe holding it closed. I removed the bar and stepped in but froze. All that was in here were walkers. They all heard me and started to reach through the bars toward me. "This is so-" I was grabbed by a wandering walker not inside his cage. I took the knife and made a swipe landing in the skull and it was gone.

It dropped like a rock and I looked to see the Ripper guarding the cell had been overrun and was now being eaten by fifteen walkers. They all turned their eyes to me snarling. I turned and ran the other way knowing there was a second set of doors that went to the stairs or maybe an elevator. I found the elevator first and hit and slapped the call button.

"Come on, come on!" I hissed as I hit the button over and over as if it was going to do anything.

20

21

22.

I heard the zombies round the corner and move faster. I punched the button cursing it and then turned to run the other way.

"This was the dumbest thing I could have done in my whole life" I told myself. I moved and saw the door that led to the stairs and ran for it yanking on it "it's locked" I snapped at myself. The only way out was the door I came from. I had unlocked that one and if I wasn't mistaken this whole floor looped around itself. I took off and managed to loop all the way around to the door with a dead walker in front. I moved to run for it but saw the door burst open and heavily armed guards came in with full automatic weapons aimed at me.

"Human! Very human!" I yelled, holding my hands up.

"Get down!" They ordered and I dropped as the barrage of gunfire rang through the room. I screamed and covered my head and closed off my ears. The shots rang in my head and the metal casings hit the floor that it sounded like wind chimes blowing in the breeze.

Then it stopped. I dared to look behind me and saw the pile of bodies behind me. All dead walkers.

"Get up" the guards ordered me irritated that I had pulled a stunt like this but I was limp. I couldn't find the will to move. There was one body in the pile I knew.

"No..." I whispered looking at their faces. The guards grabbed me and yanked me up. I fought them in tears "get off me!" I yelled. It couldn't be. That couldn't be.

"Get her out of here!" Another yelled and it took two to drag me out of the room. I kicked and screamed angrily.

Chief. My camp. Gone. It was....they were all gone.. they found our camp and finished them.