The Lone Survivor

Hunting

"That's what my childhood was like. Scared of a man who I tried to believe was my father." Jaxxson finishes as Charlie stares at him. Charlie stands up and immediately feels sick. "I'm so sorry, Jaxxson. I- I shouldn't have asked." "The scars on my back are from my father, relentlessly beating me if I did something wrong. Hell, if the sum bitch wasn't drinking, he was smoking. He would leave cigarette butts all over the living room. If he wasn't beating me, he was putting cigarettes out on my neck. I'm glad that asshole is dead." Charlie looks at him. "What about your mother? Didn't she take care of you after your father-" he stops. Jaxxson turns around and looks Charlie in the eyes. "No, from what I heard, my mother was a drunk and would lay with the next man she laid eyes on. She was just a drunk whore." Jaxxson replies. Charlie feels sad. "My grandfather was more of a father than my father. My grandfather showed me how to hunt, how to track, how to skin, hell, he showed me everything I needed to know about survival. That's how I got this knife." He reaches into the sheathe and pulls the military knife out. "He used this when he was serving. He got me to serve when I was only 18. I came home when I was 23, and my grandfather had a job for me. He told me about this motorcycle club that he was a President in and asked me if I wanted to join. I just came back home from the Marines and had no job, no house, no car, I had nothing so I agreed. Everything was going fine for years. Then the dead rise from their graves and begin erasing the human race. The club and I were dealing with business when some girl came to our clubhouse and killed a lot of us and looted our supplies. She took a jean jacket from Brent, our Sgt At Arms. We went looking for her and tracked her prints, but never found her. Instead, we got surrounded by the biters and lost many crew members. Hell, I even lost my grandfather as he risked his life for the club. I watched as he was slowly dying. I had to make sure he couldn't come back, so I stabbed him in the head while he was still breathing. I killed the only father I had." Charlie stares into Jaxxson's eyes, refusing to break contact. "We should be getting back." He suggests. "Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute." Charlie nods and walks off as Jaxxson watches him then glances down at his knife, as the sun shines on it. "I really hope you're proud of me." He looks up and stares at the blue sky.

Late Afternoon

As Charlie, Jaxxson, and Max were hunting, Jaxxson was tracking prints in the dirt. "Think we'll find something?" Charlie asks. Jaxxson stops and lowers himself, closely staring into the print. "What do you think it is?" Max questions while approaching Jaxxson. "Definitely a rabbit. You can tell by how small the print is." Jaxxson assures. "Could mean anything." Max snarls. Jaxxson looks up Max with disgust. "We're gonna need more than just a rabbit." Max comments. Jaxxson stands up immediately, getting into Max's face. "You think I don't know that, asshole? You got a whole camp back there and you think one rabbit will feed everyone?" He asks. Max shoves Jaxxson. "I don't give a fuck who you are or who you think you are, but don't you dare step up to me, you little punk." Max snarls. Jaxxson approaches him again, staring him down. "You think you're some tough shit just because you're in a gang?" Max questions. Jaxxson shoves him hard, making Max fall onto the dirt. "It ain't a gang, asshole, it's a club." Jaxxson responds. Max gets up quickly. "We don't need to do this right now. We need to focus on our food." Charlie steps in. "Not my fault this bitch wants to act like the alpha. Acting like he's tough as shit just because he was in a club." Jaxxson stares at him with hatred. "What? Did you ride with your crew and deal drugs and guns?" Max comments. "Best not to run your mouth about shit you don't know about." Jaxxson growls as he approaches Max. Max goes for a swing, but Jaxxson ducks and hits him in the stomach then in the face with a hard right. "Enough!" Charlie yells as he pushes them both. "We are here for one thing only! To get food! Now you two better knock it off before I knock your heads together, understand?!" Max stands there with his fists clenched. He scoffs and turns around and walks away as he leaves Charlie and Jaxxson behind. "You've had training." Charlie comments as notices the dog tags on Jaxxson's neck. "I taught myself how to fight when I was younger, the Marines just taught me new things about combat." Jaxxson responds. "So you were a biker and a soldier in the Marines. What were you before?" Jaxxson bends over and picks up his crossbow and they continue to walk. "I was nothing but some redneck asshole who was trying to survive. I had two cousins that I was looking for when this shit started, but I haven't found them." Jaxxson replies. "Who were they?" Charlie asks. "Merle and Daryl." Jaxxson answers. "I seen that you had a red Dodge Challenger at the quarry. What's that about?" Jaxxson asks. "I don't know. It's a message to some guy named Morgan. Says to stay away from the city and that they're heading to the CDC. Left by some guy named Rick." Jaxxson stops Charlie, as he places his hand on his chest. "What is it?" He asks with a whisper. Jaxxson points to a tree, as there was a squirrel on it. Jaxxson raises the crossbow. Before he can squeeze the trigger, a shot is fired and the squirrel falls, dying as it hit the ground. "Hello dinner." Max calls out as he approaches the dead squirrel. Max picks it up and stares at Charlie and Jaxxson. "Come on, ladies, let's go." He jokes. Jaxxson lowers the crossbow and looks over at Charlie. They continue to walk. "He always like this?" Jaxxson asks. "No, not always. He just has a temper." Charlie answers. "Yeah, well that tempers gonna get a knife through his chin." Jaxxson snarls. Charlie chuckles as they continue to hunt.