DIRT AND DECAY ⸻ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝 ( ON HOLD )

1| salt, water, rust.

CHAPTER ONE  ⎯ 
SALT, WATER, RUST.

                      AUGUST STOOD IN THE
       bathroom of Dale's cluttered RV, his hands still, as the faucet belched out its own steady stream of water; a low, rhythmic; drip, drip, drip to fill the surrounding silence. It echoed loudly in the confined space, bouncing off the walls and the small mirror above the sink, and August figured that this is what death must be like ⎯⎯ the feeling of being trapped underwater.

The world would collapse under his feet, the ground swallowing him whole as a deep void opened beneath him. The sounds of the world around him echoed and bounced back onto him, filling his head with endless noise as he tumbles into the abyss.

The air would be thick and heavy, his lungs aching for a breath he'd never reach. He wouldn't be able to breathe, yet the desire to sink and sink further pulled him down, like a siren's call. The darkness closing in around him, and he falls deeper and deeper, the weight of the world bearing down upon him like a thousand crushing blows.

August Dixon was merely thirteen years young, yet he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. The apocalypse that had engulfed the earth had taken a heavy toll on his mental health. He let out a long, deep breath as he leaned against the sink.

For a few moments, the only sound was the dripping water from the tap, but then a distant noise started to fill his ears. It was the sound of a car approaching and the blaring alarm echoing through the trees.

August stood up straight and turned off the tap, listening to the sound of the car getting louder and louder. He exited the RV to be greeted by a red car skirting into the pathway. As the car came to a stop, Glenn flung the car door open, exiting it with a wide smile. "Holy crap." Dale scolded. "Turn that damn thing off!"

"I don't know how!" Glenn laughed.

The sounds blur together ⎯⎯ between Amy's shouts, Dale's scolding, and Shane hitting the car hood as he yells, merge together in August's mind until they dissolve, leaving nothing but ringing behind. Shane turned off the car alarm as Amy overburdens Glenn with questions. "Where is she? She's okay?"

"Yes!" Glenn exclaimed, annoyed. "Yeah, fine. Everybody is. Well, Merle not so much."

August's attention snapped towards Glenn at the mention of his uncle. What happened to Uncle Merle?

"Are you crazy, driving this wailing bastard up here?" Shane judged. "Are you trying to draw every walker for miles?"

"I think we're okay." Dale spoke up.

"You call being stupid okay?"

"Well, the alarm was echoing all over these hills. Hard to pinpoint the source. I'm not arguing, I'm just saying." Dale turned his head to Glenn. "It wouldn't hurt for you to think things through a little more carefully next time, wouldn't it?"

"Sorry." Glenn says softly. "I got a cool car."

A truck approached slowly ⎯ Andrea and Morales exiting it. "Amy." Andrea spoke as the two sisters ran towards each other. "Andrea!" Amy cried into her sister's embrace.

"Papi!" Morales's kid's screamed as they rushed towards their father.

"How'd y'all get out of there anyway?"

"—New guy." Glenn said. "He got us out."

"New guy?"

"Yeah, crazy, Vato just got into town." Morales told him. "Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello."