The Ruins Part 2 (Sequel to The Ruins)

Chapter 59

Mal, Negan, DJ Derby, and Dreaded Skillz stood in the road and watched the three Infected shuffle up the hill.

Dreaded Skillz pulled down his sunglasses and peered over the dark lenses at the dead monk and sisters. "That's a bummer. Brother David's trippy but totally boglius."

"I can't understand anything you're saying." Grumbled Mal irritably.

"Yeah, okay," Dreaded Skillz chuckled, "the Derb and me are friends with Brother Dave. Between you and me, cutie, I think Derby's sweet of Shanti."

"She's bootylicious-," began DJ Derby.

"English," insisted Mal.

"She's fine." Then DJ Derby looked down, and his goody surfer grin drained away to reveal genuine sadness. "She was fine. Sweet, too."

"I'm sorry," said Negan. "They were good people. They didn't deserve this shit."

"Hey, Negan bro. You said to meet you here and then cruising to Wawona, so we caught the wave and here we are."

"Nice timing to save our asses," said Negan appreciatively. "Thanks."

"Hey, our pleasure," Dreaded Skillz said with a grin. "You saved our butts enough times."

"Totally," said DJ Derby. "Wawona's not far from here. Good place to kick back. We'll head there after to find our scavenger team."

"Okay. We'll meet you then, again." Mal said.

"Wawona's only six or seven miles." DJ Derby looks at the dead old friends. "This way they are killed? That's got Charlie's tag on it, back in his days."

"Totally," said Dreaded Skillz. "Charlie or White Bear. They used to run in the same pack; they got a whole lot in common."

"Yeah, and I don't like the idea of the kahuna running those hills." He glanced at Mal and Negan. "White Bear's no friend of you, Negan, and that's for sure."

"Well, I'm about to blast through his door with my huge dick."

Dreaded Skillz gave a toothy grin. "Totally, dude. Even you, I'll bet you're fierce as a tiger shark, Blonde, but this is about speed, too. We're gonna boogie like banshees. We got tricks for this, and believe me, you don't know 'me."

DJ Derby nodded. "We got to catch a monster wave, dig?"

"But-" Mal began, but left the rest unsaid because without a single additional word, Dreaded Skillz and DJ Derby turned and began running down the road. They ran with the easy grace of athletes. Mal knew that her and Negan could never match their speed.

Mal took a few steps after them, but it was more out of frustration than any hope of catching them. Then she turned to Negan. "God, people are crazy."

He chuckles. "Even you?"

Mal giggled. "I know you're crazy, but not crazy to be like them. Now what do we do?"

Negan sighed and adjusted the bat over his shoulder. "We go to Wawona. At least we have time to think and have good news on where the KillGames are." Then he added, "Dudette."

Mal giggled, and that laugh was worth more to her than all the homespun comforts in the world. With Negan, he knows how to make her laugh and feel at home. They turned and headed down the road to Wawona.

-:-:-:-:-

It hurt to ride her horse, but Sally managed it and rejected the offer from the Saviors to ride in their vehicles. She swallowed the pain and discomfort and kept moving. There were four horses following her and three cargo vehicles up the winding mountain path; other figures moved through the forest to either side of the road. Bud walked beside Sally's horse.