Risen from the Grave

when everything's made to be broken

(I just want you to know who I am)

A/N: i am so very sorry for the last chapter, this one isn't as sad, so hopefully i can make up for it (title from the song Iris)

The drive was long and silent, aside from the occasional sniffles from Luke and Julie. I couldn't even bring myself to cry. I didn't deserve to. He hated my entire existence, and we only really made up just before he died. I glanced over at Luke, who was zoned out, staring out of the car window. "God will take care of him,"Dad said, trying to sound comforting.

"God's the one who fucked up his life,"Luke spat in response. "God doesn't deserve him." Dad went silent, clearly feeling guilty. Luke sighed. "I'm sorry,"he added. "I just... I just can't." Dad nodded in understanding.

"It's okay, you're going through a lot. When my wife died at the start of all this, I didn't even want to talk to anyone. But I had to be strong for my kids. "He glanced at me through the rear-view mirror. "You're lucky. You don't have to be strong. I promise you, Luke, we will give him the funeral he deserves. We'll honour him in every way possible." I knew Dad and Reggie got along well. They spent all day together in the infirmary, working on cures and vaccines and all sorts. They must've gotten really close.

"He said he thought of you like a father figure,"Luke told him. "His dad was awful. I think you made up for that." I could see Dad smile in the mirror, his eyes watering.

"He was a good kid. He had so much potential. He never deserved any of this." Luke nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the scenery outside. Alex's car wasn't far behind ours, and I assume the mood wasn't much better in there.

Eventually it started getting dark, so Dad pulled over and Alex pulled up behind him. Whilst parking, they both positioned the cars to create almost an enclosure, using the small fence on the side of the road, creating a triangular shape. We all got out, leaving Reggie's body in the trunk and grouped together in the enclosure. Alex pulled out a map he'd found in his car and we all sat around it, aside from Caleb who ended up going back into the car and sitting in there. Owen was half asleep, leaning against Willie, trying so hard to keep his eyes open. Alex was on Owen's other side, gently rubbing his back, and I was sat beside him, Luke next to me, then Julie, then Dad. "We really need a game plan,"Willie stated, looking at the map.

"Another prison would be ideal,"Julie suggested. "Or a small community of houses. We could build up walls and stuff." Dad nodded.

"Like some kind of cul de sac? That could work well. We'd block off the road with cars temporarily, then build up walls. We could even start planting things in the gardens like at the prison,"he suggested, searching the map.

"We'd need one close to shops,"Alex stated. "So we don't need to go far to raid things when needed. And maybe a home of a full on Texas white man who owns a shit ton of guns,"he joked. Willie smiled at him, letting him know his joke was funny, but it's just everyone is a bit sad at the moment.

"There's one several miles east,"Luke said, pointing at the map. "It's near there. It's where my parents used to live."

"Are you sure you want to go there?"I asked.

"Yeah,"he replied. "They lived in a nursing home for a while before this started. It'll be nice to see my childhood home again, even if it is destroyed." I nodded and turned back to the map.

"We'll swap drivers and head east,"I said. "We'll just keep going until someone needs gas or we get there, yeah?" Everyone nodded and we got into our respective cars, Willie driving the smaller one and me in the larger one. Dad seated himself in the back behind Caleb and went to sleep, Julie in the middle sat in silence, Luke behind me gazing out of the window and Caleb next to me, eyes glued to the road, pointing out every mistake I made.