Room for Pain (Shane Walsh love story)

Chapter one: When The Dead Come Marching

Chapter 1: When The Dead Come Marching

I slammed my foot down on the pedal. Nothing. I tried again. Still nothing. The car wouldn't budge or move even the slightest. There wasn't enough fuel to keep the thing going. I tried again, double pumped the clutch and pressed my foot to the pedal yet again. Useless. It won't move. It's not going to move. How can a car possibly move without any fuel?

I looked up from the stupid machine and observed the surreal greenery of my surrounding. I missed this place. Hell, I never thought I'd say this, but I missed going to school too. I missed being seated next to cute guys and making small talk. I missed mucking around after class in the art room with Lola. I missed it all. I even missed detention, which is a place I wound up every so often.

"Nothing?" Asked Shane as he strode up to me empty handed.

"Yeah." I replied, "you too then I guess."

He shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands the air, "sounds about right."

I gave up trying to get the car to work and stepped out, Shane offering me his hand to balance myself on as I got out of the car. I politely declined and dusted off my butt which I didn't even need to do. The seats weren't dusty. In fact, they were brand new.

"We just gonna leave Suzka here?" I asked him, placing my hands on my hips.

"You gave the car a name?" Chuckled Shane.

"Who doesn't give their car a name?!" I exclaimed, "I thought of name is Suzka because number one: it's a Suzuki, and number two: because it's cute."

"Makes sense." Laughed Shane, "well, I guess this means we'll be travelling in the RV then, huh?"

"Guess so."

I turned and left the car for the last time, walking with my main squeeze, Shane, over to the Caravan where we took a seat behind the table at the soft sofa seats. Lola and Andrea sat huddled up next to each other on the opposite side, the two of them taking apart a gun and then trying to piece it back together like a puzzle.

It wasn't just us four travelling in the caravan, for Dale and Glenn were up front driving the thing, T-Dog having a nap in the beds up the back. Daryl was leading the way on his motorbike in front of us whilst Carol, Sophia, Carl, Lori and Rick were in the car directly behind us.

"You taking the gun apart for fun or cleaning it?" Asked Shane, pointing at the gun in Lola's hands.

"Cleaning it." Replied Lola casually, "Zelda said that's what you have to do with guns. You have to clean them. She showed me once so I'm just going by what I remember."

"What did she tell you?"

"She said that all we have to remember is to put the gun back the exact same way that you took it apart." Said Lola, looking off into the distance and reciting the words as though she was practising for a part in a play.

Shane looked over to me and nodded his head once, "smart girl."

I thanked him and continued to watch as the girls tried to clean the firearm.

"I can help you if you'd like," offered Shane, "you've both got a piece on you, aye? Lemme clean one of yours and you copy what I do."

Andrea twisted her body around to reach down to the pocket of her brown Capri pants. She tugged out a pistol I didn't recognise and handed it over to Shane. He nodded in satisfaction and admired the piece, the corners of his mouth twisting upwards every so often out of enjoyment I'm holding the firearm.

"That's a sweet piece you got right there." Said Shane with a wink.

"Thanks." Murmured Andrea as she took the bullets out of the gun and dropped them into her pant pockets, "it was a gift from my father. He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said that two girls out on the road by themselves should be able to protect themselves."