HEART OF GLASS¹ ━━ the walking dead ✓

[ 006 ] highway from hell

HEART OF GLASS
CHAPTER SIX !

[ season two, episode one ]

The next few days after the CDC's destruction passed silently — full of unspoken grief for the members of the group they had lost in such a short space of time. Amy, Jim, Jacqui . . . Their deaths hit some much harder than others. Sage was particularly affected ( having grown inordinately close to Jacqui over the course of the apocalypse ) and she barely glanced up from the sophisticated book Dale gave to her during the first three hours.

Marley made sure to give her some space.

Nevertheless, they were headed to Fort Benning. It was a last resort, wasting fuel and food and important supplies on the long trip, but spending another moment in Atlanta city was like deliberately continuing to step into Death's destructive path, knowing what It was capable of — the devastation and grief It could cause. They weren't willing to lose anyone else. That inevitable brutal death Jenner mentioned . . . well, everyone was evidently trying to steer clear of it by reluctantly agreeing with Shane's idea of taking the precarious endeavour to Fort Benning. It was time to begin a new chapter, in a new place.

This was their chance and they were taking it.

"So, we're here?"

During the trip, Marley had situated herself at the front of the RV beside Glenn. He was studying a road-map, sporadically glancing out of the window and nodding in approval when the vehicles turned a corner that would indefinitely lead them to Fort Benning — according to the map.

Marley tapped her finger against the rippled paper, tracing a thin, red-line with her nail. A road, which she assumed would take them onto a highway in just a few minutes time.

"Yep. That's us." Glenn said. He looked at the map pensively. "We should be . . . right about there."

He prodded a singular point in the red coil. Marley imagined that was the RV, bobbing along the road.

She sighed, leaning back in the seat with crossed arms. "I've never been able to read maps. My mom used to stick a GPS on the windshield and she'd follow that instead."

For a split second, Marley was slightly taken aback by how openly she mentioned her mother. Without hesitation. That hadn't happened before with anyone other than Sage. She pressed her lips together as if forcing the onslaught of words to dissolve on the tip of tongue, withdrawing from the conversation. But, Glenn didn't seem to mind. He merely shrugged, scratching the back of his head where his slightly dirtied cap rested.