☆ All the Stars ☆ (rarl)

Vol. 10 | Shiva

Ron sat on the hood of his truck, waiting for Ezekiel and his people to show up. He took out a cigarette and lit it, trying his best to stay awake. Maybe stay up all night wasn't the best idea.
"You need more sleep." Both Jessie and Pete had told him separately years ago.

"I know momma. I know daddy. I do." Ron whispered to himself now, finally admitting they were right.
Momma and daddy huh? I haven't called them that in forever. Ron thought to himself, judging the childlike way he referred to his parents.

He sighed unhappily, a few walkers gathering around him. They seemed to like just being near him, and he didn't know why. And he most certainly didn't like it.
"Fuck off! Come on guys." Ron said, knowing they weren't going to listen.

"Well hello! We meet again." Ezekiel said happily, riding up on his horse.
"Hey. Sorry about them. They just like.. show up. It's like moths to a light." Ron said as the walkers moved from him towards the kingdomers.
"It's nothing. That must be quite annoying." Ezekiel said, a few of his people killing the walkers.
"It definitely is." Ron said, hopping off his truck.
"It's gotta be better than them trying to eat you. That sucks, I'll tell you." Dianne claimed, not even considering that they had definitely tried to eat Ron before.
"Yeah I know. Imagine they spit you out though. That hurts your feelings. Like, what's wrong with me? Do I taste bad or something?" Ron joked.
"I'm sure you taste fine." Jerry said with a big smile.
"Wow. Thanks Jerry." Ron said, not really sure what he was supposed to say to that.
"Anytime little man." Jerry replied, still smiling.

"So, twelve melons." Ron said, looking back to Ezekiel.
"Of course. Richard, will you get them?" Ezekiel said.
"Sure." Richard said, heading over with a few other people.

"One, two, three.." Ron quietly counted the melons after they were in his truck.

"Eleven. There's only eleven." Ron claimed, looking back at the others.
"Really? Can i see?" Ezekiel asked, finding it hard to believe it was miscounted by his people.
"Sure." Ron said, allowing Ezekiel to count.

Eleven. Ron was right.

"Oh my god. Ron, I'm so sorry. This was an accident, I swear." Ezekiel said, shaking his head.
"Ezekiel, come on. I know accidents happen. But now this is on me. You know what I have to do." Ron said hesitantly. He had never had any conflict with the kingdom.
"Ron, we don't need to do that. I will get you your melon. Come on. Let's go to the kingdom." Ezekiel said, inviting Ron with them.
"You're going to bring him home? He just said he was going to kill one of us!" Richard whispered not so quietly.
"He's reasonable. If we get his melon, nobody will be harmed. Right Mr. Anderson?" Ezekiel said, an uneasy smile on his face.
"Yes sir." Ron said, not knowing Ezekiel's last name.
"See? Everything will be fine." Ezekiel said, mounting his horse.

-

"So.. this might be the stupidest fucking thing you guys have ever heard, but there's this rumor at the sanctuary." Ron started, riding a horse for the first time in his life.
"Yes?" Ezekiel said, thinking he might know what this is about.
"Story goes that you have a tiger. I know it's ridiculous. I don't know who came up with that." Ron said, laughing at how unlikely it was.
"Oh.. well it's true. Her name is shiva. You want to meet her?" Ezekiel said, smiling.
"What?! It's true?! I thought it was some dumb shit someone came up with to keep themselves entertained! Like this one time when someone said Beyoncé lived in hilltop. I knew that wasn't true though." Ron said, maybe having believed it for a moment.
"No it's true. She's a cutie." Jerry said, riding in the carriage.
"I bet." Ron said, feeling a tiger would be more scary than cute.