Discernment

Chapter 16

Elliot and I were waiting for Washington to arrive in the room, and as he walked in, Elliot sighs. "I know this is going to be a talk about Craig. So get to the point." Washington says. "Well, you're right about the Craig part. Thomas here tells me this isn't the first time he's acted up. He told me he ran off before, why did he do that?" Elliot questions. "He always acted up.. Even before the apocalypse. He would never leave his room and always insulted his mother. When the apocalypse happened, his mom would be so strict on him, but for his own safety. He obviously didn't like that, so he felt the need to do whatever he wanted. Which is probably what led him to do such things as run off, and attempted to Murder Devan there.." Washington says, making a hand gesture to Devan lying on the floor.

"That's a real downer, Washington..." Elliot says impatiently. Me, getting frustrated with Elliot and his rudeness, looks to Devan and back to Washington. "Let's cut to the chase, we need to do something with your son, Washington. He's becoming unstable.." I say to him calmly. "I say we kill him." Elliot bursts out. "What?" Washington asks in shock, and I frown at Elliot. "He's just a boy, Elliot. We can't kill him.." I say. "Think about it, Thomas. How many more will he attempt to kill, or will eventually kill? Elliot says. "We can't let this happen. Y-You can't kill my boy." Washington says.

Craig sneaks away from the train while the other group was distracted with putting up the new tents they found in the corners of the giant empty room. He climbs up the stairs to see what his father was doing, though he overheard Elliot suggesting they should kill him. "Kill me? They can't kill me. That's fuckin' insane.. I can't let them kill me.. No.. I-I should leave before they get the chance.. Yeah.. I could survive on my own. I don't need them.." Craig mutters to himself. He then silently goes back down the stairs and slips back onto the train.

"There's gotta be another way, Thomas.. We can't possibly kill him." Washington begs. "We're not going to kill your son, Washington. There is another way we can handle this, we just need to find it out." I try calming him down. "I'm telling you, we need to kill him. He's obviously not fit to be around other people, so there's no other way to handle this." Elliot says. Washington's silent for a few moments, then sighs. "I-I'll take Craig and we'll go off on our own.. We don't have to be in the group.. If that's what it takes to keep the group safe and keep my son alive. That's what I'll do." Washington says. "You sure about this, Washington?" I ask him. "Hell, I say let him do what he pleases. As long as that kid isn't around us, it's fine by me." Elliot says. "Yeah, I'm positive. I'll do this.. For the sake of the group and his young life." Washington says. "Alright then.. So it's settled.." Elliot says.

Craig is on the train, with no one else, preparing a pack. He's going through the food, taking around seven cans of food, and two jugs of water. He then grabs his knife that he stabbed Devan with, puts it in his knife holder. He grabs a rifle from Fay's guns and a pocket full of bullets, and throws the rifle around his back. Lastly, he goes through Eddy's weapons that he had mostly made for everyone. As he's going through that, he picks up a gator pro. He's looking at it, shining in the light. Observing the hook on the end of it. He then takes that and closes the weapon bag.

He peeks his head out the door of the train, seeing everyone was busy, and his father, Elliot and I were still up in the room, he sneaks out through the front. He starts heading back the way they first came from. He passed Fay's house, seeing it was still overrun. "Stupid bitch.. Thought we'd fix her fence.." Craig laughs to himself. He then continues to walk along the hills, avoiding there at all costs. As he continued along, he arrived the town that him and his parents were originally staying at. He notices the building with the huge hole in it, and also noticed that all of the biters were gone from there and the building. He then heads down the hill and over to that building.

Slowly, he climbs up the stairs to the second floor. He looks up, seeing the sun beat through the open hole in the building. Slowly, he looks around. That's when he found the corpse of his mother, lying on the ground. The flesh was chewed off her bones, and a huge chunk of her face, missing. "You.. Fucking deserved this.." Craig mutters. "You careless fucking bitch!" He continues. He shakes his head and turns away from her. "I'm glad I got to see you this way.. Too bad I didn't get to do it myself.." Craig says. 

He then walks out of the building, and sees a delivery truck loading up biters in. Soon after, they take off. Craig tries catching up, but only got to where they were parked. He was out of breath, then looked down to see a blood trail. Possibly from a walker within the back of that truck. He follows that. Most likely for ten miles. After a while, he sees a place.. A factory. He's confused whether or not to enter it, then he sees someone - no, he sees people. That's when he starts sprinting full force toward it. Then stops a good distance as soon as he heard a voice and the sound of a bullet hitting the floor next to him. "Stop! Put your bag and weapons on the ground. We'll have people to greet you shortly!" A man up in a tower says. Craig does as the man says, and waits.

Shortly after, two men come out. One with a hook for his hand, and another one with dirt all over him, who also looks anorexic. Craig looks back at two oncoming trucks that drive passed him and the two men. The skinny man walks up to Craig and smirks. "I've seen you before.. Come.. Come inside kid. I want to talk to you." He says. He then grabs Craig's wrist and pulls him into the building. "Come.. Up here boy." He continues as they walked up the stairs. Craig looks over the railing and sees men with guns, and other people pulling around infected, putting them in the trucks. He happens to glance down the hallway to see people in cells. "Come.. Sit down.. My name is Joel, and you are?" Joel greets himself. "I'm.. Craig." He says nervously. "Well, Craig, I know your last group.  They're wanted people within my group. I'm kinda glad I came across you, why are you off on your own?" Joel asks. Craig sighs and almost speaks. "Nevermind. I get it, they don't want you there, I take it. You felt threatened by them, so you ran off. Listen, here, you won't feel that way. In fact, since you gave in, and came to us.. You can be a soldier, I'll raise you right. That is.. If you tell me a few things." Joel adds in. "What.. do you mean?" Craig asks. "Tell me about that group you were with, everything about them." Joel requests.

"They're still in the city.. I know you know they're there. I saw you people watch us enter it though I never said anything.. I stabbed one of them, right before I left. His name was Devan. They don't have much medical supplies after this incident." Craig informs him. Joel begins to write this down. "What are the names of them, I already know of Fay, Eddy, Erin, and now your friend Devan. Who are the rest? Who's the leader?" Joel questions. "Thomas.. Thomas is the leader. I'm sure you saw him. He's always in his hoodie. Fay.. She's the one with medical history. Washington.. That's my father..  Then Elliot and his crew recently came in.." Craig says slowly. "Where are they located at the moment?" Joel asks. Craig sits there, not replying.

Back at the subway, Washington left the room sortly after our discussion. Soon after, he returns. "Craig's missing, no one saw where he went. There's a few cans, a gun, a melee, and a pack missing. I think he ran away, this time.. He's not coming back.." Washington says. "Damn it Thomas! If we would have killed him like I mentioned, he may not have run off, and possibly hiding in the tunnels waiting for us to sleep so he could slit our throats! I.. I think you should just let me be leader from now on.." Elliot suggests. I shake my head.. Not sure what to think. Finally, I look up to him. "Fine, Elliot. You're leader again. But when you make a major decision like executing someone, you consult the whole group, and we vote.. together. But overall, you're the leader. I can't handle it anymore. At least when some shit hits the fan within the group, it won't be my fault." I say to him, then storm off.

"Well, Craig, where are they? It wouldn't hurt to tell. I'd just like to know." Joel says. Joel then grabs Craigs shoulder and looks him dead in the eyes. "Tell me, kid." He says sternly. Craig sighs, and looks up at him for a few moments then sighs again.

"They're in the subway..."