After The Fall

A Plan For Our Future

After a few days, Mark and his friends dreadfully pack up their supplies, now refilled by the supplies left in the house. Honestly, Mark doesn't want to leave. They're safe in the house, and they have enough supplies to last them at least two weeks now, so why should they have to get back on the road? They've never really had any destination, they've just always kept moving.

But Mark's sick of it, and he just wants to be able to relax and pretend things are okay now, if only for a little while. They've found something good here, so why abandon it? It's all these thoughts that stall his packing and plague his mind. There's a knock at the door of the bedroom he's been staying in and he turns from the bed where his backpack lies.

Facing the door, he calls out softly, "Come in."

The door opens and Jack's standing in the doorway. He smiles lightly as he steps inside and shuts the door back behind him. Mark gives him a questioning glance, "Everything okay?"

Jack nods, "Yeah, why?"

Marks shrugs, "What's up?"

Jack sighs, crossing his arms, "I don't want to go.."

"What do you mean?" Mark asks.

Jack stares pointedly, "This place is safe, it can be fortified, too. And we have plenty of supplies for now. I don't want to keep going, having nowhere to go."

Mark stares at Jack, surprised, but also not, that he's not the only one thinking this way. Jack's eyes soften, "We could make a home for all of us here. There's three bedrooms, we'd have to keep doubling up, but it works. This place can work, Mark."

Mark swallows, looking thoughtful as he averts his gaze. It is tempting to agree, as he wants the same thing. But what do the others want? Is this place good enough for them? Do they have a better place in mind? It seems that Ken might, as he's the one that's been leading them. Mark takes a breath and turns back to Jack, "I agree with you, I do, but I'm not the one calling the shots."

"So let's talk to the others," Jack suggests, "If the majority of us all want to stay, we can convince anyone that doesn't."

"And if we're the only ones that want to stay..?" Mark asks softly.

Jack looks conflicted, and his eyes shimmer like he might cry, "I.. I don't know.."

"We'd just have to leave anyway," Mark states, shrugging.

Jack takes a tentative step towards him, "Or we could stay.. Just.. Just you and me.."

Mark's eyes widen, this is so unlike his friend. He frowns, "Are you serious? You'd happily abandon our friends just to stay here?"

Jack looks hurt and he looks away, "Well.. When you say it like that.. I see how stupid this was.."

Without another word, Jack turns and opens the door. He leaves and closes the door back before Mark can figure out how to fix the problem he accidentally made. He groans softly and turns back to his bag, staring at all the things around it he had stalled packing. Among them was a small photo of him, Amy, and Jack, taken the last time Jack had visited. Amy had surprised them by printing out one each for them for when Jack had to go away again.

Mark lifts the photo gently and his breath quivers as tears fill his eyes. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. After he's calmed down, he sets the photo back down and leaves the room, seeking out Ken. He finds their leader in a room with Mary-Jane, helping her pack. Ken turns to him, hearing Mark coming from his heavy footsteps, "Ready to go already?"

Mark frowns lightly, "Can we talk?"

Ken stands and turns to him fully, staring at him questioningly. He nods and leads Mark out to the living room, empty of their group members as everyone is busy packing in their rooms. They sit on the couch and Ken smiles lightly, "What's up?"

"Why are we leaving exactly?" Mark asks softly.

Ken looks confused, "What? Because we have all the supplies this place has to offer."

"I get that," Mark speaks carefully, "But why.. Where are we going now? Do you have a plan?"

Ken stares at Mark, trying to read him in silence. After a few awkwardly tense moments, Ken sighs, "You want to stay, don't you?"

Mark looks surprised and Ken just stares expectantly. Mark clears his throat, "Uh.. Yeah.."

"It's okay," Ken replies softly, a knowing smile on his face, "You're the first to ask, but I've seen the looks some of the others having been giving me all morning when they didn't think I was looking."

Mark looks sad, "And you still want to go..?"

Ken sighs, "It's not that simple, Mark. Sure, this is a good house with a strong foundation, and there's a lot of land around. I'd be stupid not to see the potential in it, but that's not all we'd need to stay here long-term."

Mark's eyes soften and he watches the sadness creep across Ken's face as his friend continues, "We need specific supplies and tools, because winter's almost here. We'd need to build a lot before the snow starts, and I don't really know how far this place is from the nearest stores we'd need to get our special supplies from."

"So.. If we could get all of that, we could stay?" Mark asks.

Ken looks at Mark with sad amusement, "Technically yes, but we have no idea where to get that stuff, plus extra food and clothes still for winter. Not to mention there's no telling how long we'll have until it starts snowing, getting too cold to travel on foot."

"So, we'll send a scout team, maybe today," Mark smiles, "Some of us will stay and protect this place, and the others will travel out to get the stuff we'll need."

Ken frowns, "That's a nice thought, Mark, but we don't have the manpower for that. Only three of the seven of us are fit enough to put themselves out like that."

"So, send us." Felix's voice suddenly rings out from the hallway behind them.

They both turn and they're surprised to see Jack with him. Jack smiles softly, "Felix and I were just talking about the same thing."

Felix grins, "You, me, and Jack, what do 'ya say, Ken? Ready for another adventure?"

Ken chuckles softly and Mark looks away, looking down at his ankle. He may be immune to the Infected, but it's not worth how useless he is to his friends. He looks back at his friends, watching how excited Felix and Jack are that Ken's agreed. He wants to go with them, but he knows they won't let him with his ankle in the condition it's in.

Ken turns to Mark, smiling fondly, "You think you can hold down the fort and take care of Mary-Jane while we're gone?"

Mark smiles softly, saluting Ken with a promise, "You can count of me."