Dead city: survival instinct

Chapter 12: Cherokee rose part 2

Flashback to 5 months ago when the outbreak began as we see cars on the refugee highway as horns are honking helicopters whirring
Chloe: are we gonna go soon ?
Mary: I don't know baby I sure hope so.
Johnathan: I'm hungry.
Laura: I know Jon we all are.
Mary: why don't I get him something to eat I think we got enough MRE's to feed a small army.
Laura: are you getting anything?
Matthew: there's nothing.
Laura: big surprise there.
Matthew: No I mean there's nothing emergency broadcast system stopped,and the recording about the refugee center it's all gone I'm gonna go up the road, see what I can see.
Laura: I'll come with you.
Mary: Richard must have forgot to pack those MRE's there's only enough for 2 people at the moment.
Laura: listen do you mind keeping an eye on John and Caleb for a bit Matt and I are gonna go scout up ahead a little bit and see if we can find someone that knows what's going on.
John: I want to come with you.
Laura: huh uh huh uh.
Matthew: hey we'll be back before you know it okay,little man,huh?
Laura: why would they stop broadcasting about the refugee center ?
Matthew: I don't know why.
Laura: think they're turning people away?
Matthew: they're gonna have a riot on their hands if they try I can try and radio mason again and try and see what the military plan on doing about what's going on in the city while Shawn guards the main gate.
Chloe: your dads nice?
John: Matthew's not my dad my dads dead.
As we hear explosions in the background as people shouting
Chris: alright people let's back away from the gate and let these people by alright we're gonna need to stay calm alright?
Harold: calm! You want these people to stay calm then tell us what the hell is going on out there!!
Chris: we don't know for sure.
Harold: what the hell do you mean you don't know!
Jake: okay people we need you to step back just a little bit okay?
Laura: what do we do?
Matthew: come here we're gonna do what mason would want us to do get you,Caleb and John out of here!
As fast speeding jets speed up and start to bomb the city
Matthew: that ain't lightning you stay with me now come on.
As the jets start dropping bombs into the city destroying half of the dead ones as explosions go off as people are screaming
Matthew: they're dropping napalm into the streets.
Laura: Matt?
Matthew: come here.
As Laura begins to sob
As we cut back to present day:
Mary: morning.
As pots and pans are clanging against eachother
Laura: morning can't believe I slept in.
Mary: must've needed it feeling alright ?
Laura: next time wake me up alright especially on laundry day.
Mary: I can manage I had an idea I wanted to run by you.
Laura: what's that ?
Mary: the big kitchen of theirs got me thinking I wouldn't mind cooking in a real kitchen again, maybe we all pitch in and cook dinner for Phillip and his whole family tonight ? Kind of looking for things to keep my mind occupied, after everything they've done for us seems like the least we could do you mind extending the invitation? Would feel more right coming from you.
Laura: how so ?
Mary: well you're mason's wife it sort of makes you our unofficial First Lady.
Mason: morning,guys let's get going got a lot of ground to cover, All right everyone's getting new search grids today if she made it as far as the farmhouse deacon found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far.
Jimmy: I'd like to help, I know the area pretty well and stuff.
Mason: And Phillip is okay with this ?
Jimmy: yeah, yeah he said I should ask you.
Mason: alright then.
Jimmy: thanks.
Matthew: nothing about what deacon found screams Chloe to me anyone could have been hol'd up in that farmhouse.
Mason: anybody includes her,right ?
Deacon: whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high.
Mason: it's a good lead maybe we'll pick her trail up again.
Deacon: no maybe about it, I'm gonna borrow a horse head up to this ridge here,take a Birds Eye view of the whole grid if she's up there I'll spot her.
Mason: good idea
Shawn: hey maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too. As Shawn grins
Mason: chupacabra ?
Matthew: you never heard this ? Our first night in camp, Deacon tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and saw a chupacabra.
As they all chuckle
Deacon: what are you braying at jackass ?
Jimmy: so you believe in a bloodsucking dog ?
Deacon: believe dead people walking around.
As jimmy swiftly picks up a shotgun mason stops him
Mason: hey,hey ever fire one before ?
Jimmy: well if I'm going out, I want one.
Deacon: yeah and people in hell want slurpees.
Matthew: why don't you come train tomorrow? If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor for now he can come with us.
Mason: he's yours to babysit then.
He lightly chuckles
Mason: Anna, Mike I want you guys...
As we see Noah on the porch lightly playing the guitar Harold found
Lightly strumming
Jennifer: nice guitar.
Noah: Harold found it on the highway, you know we still have 11 condoms.
Jennifer: yeah, you see 11 condoms I see 11 minutes of my life I'm never getting back.
As he chuckles
Noah: it wasn't that bad was it ?
Jennifer: look I don't know if I like you ?
Noah: but you're thinking about it, you should.
As she just walks away
Matthew: you remember the name of the waitress at the Dairy Queen when we were in high school?
Mason: I know you, Matt well enough to know that there is only one sure-fire way of engaging you in a conversation,and that is to start asking you about girls you did in high school.
Matthew: I don't want to, but I'm willing to do it if that's what it takes, maryanne I told you about her?
Mason: In excruciating detail.
Matthew: excruciating my ass you used to live for those details back in the day.
Mason: yeah I was impressionable.
As Matthew just laughs
Matthew: and I may have been living vicariously through you.
Mason: why wouldn't you.
Matthew: with my impressive list of accomplishments? I was an artist in his prime a protege.
Mason: you mean prodigy?
Matthew: maybe is prodigy what you call a young high school stud that bangs 30 year olds on the regular ?
Mason: what 30 year olds were you banging in high school?
Matthew: The P.E teacher.
Mason: Mr Daniel?
Matthew: Mrs Kelly.
Mason: the girls volley ball coach wasn't she married.
Matthew: cmon man.
Mason: you know what I just remembered why I never asked you this stuff.
Matthew: why don't we talk about your high school love life then huh ?
Mason: Well that's a short conversation it may already be over.
Matthew: that right ?
Mason: there was holly,right ?
Matthew: nope that was me too, then there was Sheila that's the one you lied to me about.
Mason: I never lied about Sheila I just got mixed up about what the bases meant.
Matthew: just so you know, a home run that usually means a sexual act that's intercourse.
Mason: yeah I realize that now I think what you did was more like a ground rule double or something.
Matthew: I'm aware of the judges ruling, shouldn't be talking about this stuff that life it's gone and everyone in it Sheila Maryanne Mrs Kelly it's like we're old folk all the people in our stories are all dead.
Mason: we can't just forget them.
Matthew: the hell we can't it's hard enough accepting what's happened without digging up the past I'll tell you what it is it's nostalgia it's like a drug keeps you from seeing things the way they are that's a danger you got people depending on you.
Mason: you don't think I know that ?
Matthew: I don't know what are we doing you got every able body at your disposal out scourging these woods for a little girl we both know is likely dead.
Mason: you think we should abandon the search ?
Matthew: it's not my call is it.
Mason: I'm asking, I'm asking!
Matthew: survival mace, it means making the hard decisions but you've got this knack you spread us thinner and thinner I'm trying to save lives here and you're out here saving cats from trees.
Mason: is that what you think Chloe is a cat in the tree ?
Matthew: don't do that man don't twist my words how many times we get called up to look for a missing child man ? You got 72 hours and after that you looking for a body that was before I mean you honestly think we're gonna find Chloe alive ?
Mason: are you that sure we won't ?
Matthew: we being completely honest ?
Mason: I'm counting on you to be.
Matthew: it's math man alive or not Chloe only matters to the degree in which she don't drag the rest of us down I thought you wanted honest.
Matthew: we'd be halfway to fort Benning right now if John wouldn't have gotten shot you said so yourself were out here were risking lives your own son almost died Otis he paid that bill what the hell we still doing out here for ?
Mason: I had her in my hand Matt she looked in my eyes and trusted me I failed her, if I hadn't she wouldn't be out here I think she's still alive and I'm not gonna write her off.
Matthew: it's blue, it's Mike and Anna looks like we've wandered into their grid you know she's avoiding me.
Mason: any reason why ?
Matthew: no reason.
A crossbow twangs
As deacon is on a horse
Deacon: whoa.
As he yells out Chloe's name
Deacon: Chloe! As birds are screeching
Deacon: whoa,easy, easy.
As a snake startles the horse as the horse knocks deacon off its back as deacon struggles to get back up he falls down a creek as it is a long way down he lands in the water on one of his arrows piercing through his back side as he lays there still bleeding out
Deacon: son of a bitch!!
As he groans as he takes a look as one of his arrows is stuck in his side as he is breathing heavily
As we cut back to the farm
Laura: mind your own business Noah!
Noah: you're pregnant.
Laura: You can't tell anybody okay ?
Noah: You haven't told him yet?
As Noah walks off
Laura: something wrong ?
Mason: I just had a long talk with Matt.
Mason: he wants to call off the search.
Laura: what do you think?
Mason: what if it was Jon or Caleb would you want us to keep looking ?
Laura: if it either one of our children yes I'd want to know one way or another.
Mason: Matt says my good intentions are making us weaker,that I can't make the hard decisions for the good of the group they're all hard decisions, but maybe I'm holding on to a way of thinking that doesn't make sense anymore he says it's math basic survival how much fuel,how much food, how much ammo not much room in that equation for being soft it's pretty simple when you start thinking of life like that.
Laura: hey? None of us were prepared to be living life this way you are making the best decisions you can with the information you have I don't see soft in that.
June: Mr Briggs my dad wants to talk to you.
We cut to deacon struggling to walk on his own he finds a branch to help guide him through the creek as he climbs and climbs and climbs as he starts to get tired as his side starts to hurt even worse
Deacon: oh come on you've done half stop being such a pussy, come on!
As he breathes more heavily as he loses his balance once more he falls down again
Phillip: one of my horses is missing, did one of your people take it ?
Mason: I was given the impression you knew about that.
Phillip: I did not.
Mason: I'll have a word with deacon.
Phillip: And Jimmy you took him out today did he also give you the impression of my consent?
Mason: No,he said it outright I took the boy at his word.
Philllip: Jimmy is 17 he's not my kin but I am responsible for him these things need to be cleared with me.
Mason: sounds like we need to work on our communication what do you suggest ?
Phillip: keep it simple I'll control my people you control yours.
As we see deacon layed out on the ground tired and burned out from all the climbing as he has hallucinations of Greg
As he slightly sees him
Greg: why don't you pull that arrow out dummy ? You could bind your wound better.
As deacon just smirks
Deacon: Greg.
Greg: what's going on here you taking a siesta or something ?
Deacon: a shitty day,bro.
Greg: like me to get your pillow ? Maybe run your feet.
Deacon: screw you.
Greg: huh uh you're the one that's screwed little brother from the looks of it all them years I spent trying to make a man of you this is what I get ? Look at you lying in the dirt like a used rubber you're gonna die out here little brother and for what ?
Deacon: A girl they lost a little girl.
Greg: so you got a thing for little girls now ?
Deacon: shut up.
Greg: cause I noticed you ain't out looking for Greg no more.
Deacon: tried like hell to find you bro there was gunfire and smoke everywhere you were no one where to be found.
Greg: like hell you did you split man lit lit first chance you got.
Deacon: you lit out all you had to do was wait but with all the debris and gunfire and smoke and walkers everywhere we couldn't find you we went back for you mason and I we did.
Greg: hmm you his bitch now ?
Deacon: I ain't nobody's bitch.
Greg: you're a joke is what you are, playing errand boy to a bunch of pansy ass law men and democrats. As he chuckles
Greg: you're nothing but a freak to them redneck trash that's all you are they're laughing at you behind you're back you know that don't you ? One of these days they're gonna scrape you off their heels like you was dogshit hey! They ain't your kin,your blood hell, you had any damn nuts in that sack of yours you'd let out first chance you get and shoot your pal mason in the face for me now you listen to me ain't nobody gon care about you except me little brother ain't nobody ever will come in get on your feet before I have to kick your teeth in let's go come on!
As his legs starts moving like it's being forced he looks it's a a walker trying to bite at his foot as deacon quickly forces himself away from the walker as he knocks the walker down with the branch as he caves the walkers head in with the branch as another walker approaches as he quickly attempts to pull the arrow out of his side he screams aloud as he attempts to pull back the drawstring on his crossbow as he aims and shoots the walker in the head as he lays there all tired and exhausted
As he wakes
Deacon: son of bitch was right?
As deacon still struggles to get to the top as he grabs onto loose branches and piles of dirt as he hears another voice he thought he was rid of
William: please don't feed the birds? As he laughs
William: what's the matter darylina that all you got in you throw away that purse and climb.
Deacon: liked it better when you was missing.
As will laughs
William: come on,don't be like that I'm on your side.
Deacon: yeah since when?
William: since the day you was born somebody had to look after your worthless ass.
Deacon: you never took care of me you talked a big game but you was never there hell,you ain't here now some things never change.
William: well,I'll tell you what I'm as real as your chupacabra.
Deacon: I know what I saw.
William: and I'm sure them shrooms you ate had nothing to do with it right ?
Deacon: you'd best shut the hell up!
William: Or what?! You're gonna come up here and shut my mouth for me come on and do it then if you think you man enough hey,kick off them damn high heels and climb son.
As he laughs some more as deacon starts to hallucinate about jesse and Greg and his father and mother all in one
William: you know what if I were you I'd take a pause for the cause, cause I just don't think you gon make it to the top come on come deacon. As he laughs sinisterly
William: grab your friend masons hand!
As deacon makes it to the top and grabs onto dirt for balance as he struggles and grunting,groaning,panting
Deacon: yeah your better run!
As we cut back to the farm
Laura: nice to be cooking in a kitchen again.
Mary: oh, yeah? I never thought I'd be so happy to see a potato peeler.
Laura: I'm just glad we're not roasting squirrels over a fire in the woods thank you so much Patricia for letting us into your house.
Phillip: what's this ?
Jennifer: Laura and Mary are cooking dinner for us all tonight.
Phillip: that's the first I've heard of it.
Jennifer: well,I didn't think it was that big a deal,they want to thank us for Helping them.
Phillip: we need to be setting clear boundaries with these people they're getting a little too comfortable here.
Jennifer: it's just dinner.
Phillip: what's going on with you and the mexican boy ?
Jennifer: Noah he's a friend.
Phillip: rather he wasn't bad enough I have to chase June and Jimmy around.
Jennifer: well you don't have to chase me around I'm not 16.
Phillip: I know you're not but I'm counting on you to be the mature one can't say the same with you're brothers you know how I feel please don't make things harder than they need to be.
Jennifer: I'm a little old for us to be having this conversation.
Phillip: don't get close to them they're not going to be around forever.
As we cut to outside
Harold: whats with the Annie Oakley routine ?
Anna: I don't wanna wash anymore Harold I wanna try and keep camp safe and keep my mind off things can I tell you something Harold and you can't mention this to anyone?
Harold: yeah okay what's going ?
Anna: you know how Matthew got back here without Otis and told a hero's story I think he killed Otis?
Harold: who told you that did he tell you that ?
Anna: he didn't have to I'm an attorney remember the way he explained killing a person like he had experience like he enjoyed killing him by turning off a switch in his simple terms I don't know what to do with this type of information ?
Harold: you can't tell anybody who knows what he'll do if anyone found out he might flip out or Phillip might find out and kick all of us off the farm immediately.
As Harold goes inside the R.V
Noah: sorry just returning your book.
Harold: oh no I'm sorry if I had known the world was ending I'd have brought better books.
Noah: Harold do you think Anna is on her period I'm only asking cause it's like all the women are acting really weird and I read somewhere that when women spend a lot of time together their cycles line up and they all get super crazy hormonal at the same time.
Harold: I'm gonna advise you to keep that theory to yourself.
Noah: yeah.
Harold: who else is acting weird ?
Noah: Jennifer.
Harold: Ah Jennifer.
Noah: she started off being mean to me then she wanted to have sex with me and now she's being mean to me again and I don't even want to know what's going on with Laura.
Harold: what's going on with Laura ?
Noah: nothing I don't know.
Harold: All right,let's take a step back how do you know that Jennifer wanted to have sex with you ?
As Noah just looks and smiles
Harold: oh son you didn't, did it even occur to you how her father might feel about this ?
Noah: she's 22
Harold: and he is out host.
Noah: He doesn't know.
Harold: well,see that it stays that way Jesus,Noah what we're you thinking ?
Noah: I was thinking that I might be dead tomorrow thanks for the book you're right,it sucks.
As Anna is on top of the RV as she sees Deacon waking across the field but the sun is blinding her she thinks it's a walker because deacon walks with a limp
Anna: walker! Walker!
Mason: just the one ?
Anna: I bet I can nail it from here.
Mason: No,no Anna put the gun down.
Matthew: you best let us handle this.
Mason: Matthew,hold up Phillip wants to deal with walkers.
Matthew: what for man we got it covered.
As mason runs inside the rv and grabs his gun
As Matthew grunts and as Anna points her rifle in the distance with a sun glare in the way of the scope she doesn't realize it's deacon
Harold: Anna don't.
Anna: back off Harold
As mason points the gun at deacon with walker ears around his neck as he's all bloodied up from the fall
Noah: is that deacon ?
Deacon: that's the third time you pointed that thing at my head you gonna pull the trigger or what ?
As a gunshot goes off in the distance as the bullet hits deacon
Mason: No! No! Stop!
As Phillip hears a gunshot they all rush outside
Laura: Mason!
Phillip: what on earth is going on out here ?
Mason: oh,god come on.
As mason sees it just grazed the skin on the side of his head
Deacon: I was kidding. As mason picks mason up with Matthew's help
Anna: oh my god, oh my god is he dead ?
Mason: unconscious you just grazed him.
Noah: but look at him what happened? He's wearing ears. As mason rips the ears off his neck
Mason: let's keep that to ourselves.
As Mike picks up a doll
Mike: guys isn't this Chloe's ?
As they get deacon inside on the bed as Phillip is stitching him up
Deacon: found it washed up on the creek bed right there she must've dropped it crossing there somewhere.
Mason: cuts the grid almost in half.
Deacon: yeah you're welcome.
Mason: how's he looking ?
Phillip: I had no idea we'd be going through antibiotics so quickly any idea what happened to my horse ?
Deacon: yeah, the one who almost killed me ? If it's smart it left the country.
Phillip: we call that one Nelly as in nervous nelly I could have told you she'd throw you off if you bothered to ask, it's a wonder you people have survived this long.
Mason: he'll be alright.
Matthew: hate to say it,but I'm with Phillip on this one can't keep going out there,not after this.
Mason: you'd quit now ? Deacon just risked his life to bring back the first hard evidence we've had.
Matthew: that's one way to look at it the way I see it deacon almost died today for a doll.
Mason: yeah I know how you see it.
As mason storms off
Matthew: I'm not out to be a hard case I'm just being realistic he's just got to start making the tough calls you know I'm right.
Laura: I may not agree with all of his choices but I respect him I know yours and mine and your way isn't harder it's the easiest thing in the world to cut out losses and not help you keep telling yourself you're making the tough calls you're really just trying-
Matthew: only thing I care about in this world is you and the boys so I apologize if I appear to be insensitive to the need of others but you see I'll do whatever it takes to keep the two of you safe.
Laura: even abandoning a lost child Really ?
As he nods his head
Laura: my sons and I are not you're problem anymore nor you're excuse.
Anna: how's he doing ?
Harold: he'll be fine what about you ?
Anna: I shot deacon.
Harold: don't be too hard on yourself we've all wanted to shoot deacon. As she just slightly smiles  
We cut to Laura by Jon's bed side as she sobs as angry enters the room
Mary: dinners ready are you coming ? As a look of concern comes upon her face
Mary: you need anything ?
Laura: huh uh I'll be right there.
As we cut back to downstairs as everyone is eating in awkward silence as Noah sparks up a conversation
Noah: does anyone know how to play a guitar Harold found a cool one somebody's gotta know how to play ?
Patricia: Otis did.
Phillip: yes and he was very good too.
Mary: how are you feeling?
Deacon: as good as I look.
Mary: I brought you some dinner you must be starving.
Deacon: watch out I got stitches.
Mary: you need to know something you did more for my little girl today than anyone ever did in my whole life.
Deacon: I didn't do anything mason or Matt wouldn't have done.
Mary: I know you're every bit as good as them every bit.
As we cut to the dinner table as Jennifer is writing a note to Noah as he reads it and blushes as he responds to the note writing on it as her dad notices as he passes the note back to her minutes later as Noah goes out to the barn on the outside he investigates a strange noise as he's trying to get in as he hears moaning and groaning going on from the inside of the barn as he makes his way inside the barn is full of walkers as the growl at him as he makes his way back outside in a hurry as Jennifer rushes her way out the door to Noah by the barn
She blurts out
Jennifer: you weren't supposed to see this.
THE END