The Butchers - Terminus

5

Ally's POV:

"Anything I can do?" I asked Gareth as we were taking a walk around some part of Terminus.

"No, you just relax."

"I want to help, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'll do anything."

"How do you feel about working in medical?" He asked, coming to a stop.

"I can do that." I replied nodding my head. He lead me over to a room where a man was sorting out supplies, such as bandages, plasters and medical equipment.

"Lucas?" Gareth called, catching his attention. Gareth put his arm around my shoulders before speaking again, "Ally's helping out around here so, anything you need doing she'll sort it it."

"Sure, that's no problem." Lucas smiled, he seemed to be in his late forties but still looked quiet young. "Well, how do you feel about stitches?"

"I can do that." I replied.

"I'll come back for you in a hour." Gareth whispered in my ear before removing his arm and leaving the building.

"There's a man in that room, he needs checking up on." He said, pointing over at the door. I walked in to a see a young blonde man clutching his arm whilst sat on the table.

"H-hi." He smiled, poliety. He looked like he was in his mid twenties and his blonde hair was stuck up in a tatty mess. I took a seat at the table were he was at and pushed the box of medical equipment closer to me.

"What happened to you?" I giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you come here alone?"

"I've been on my own for quiet a while. My girlfriend Ana, she got took down a while ago." He started. "We met up with people, a man and a woman we were meant to be meeting them again but after seeing what happened to Ana... I just ran."

"I got separated from my group aswell, figured they'd be here but I now I don't have a clue." I said, as the man whinced in pain at his arm. "It seems, your shoulders dislocated." I said, tilting my head slightly.

He let out groan before speaking, "I've just got that fixed." He muttered. "Anyway, I'm Sam, what's your name?" He asked, polietly.

"Ally." I replied, smiling back at him.

"So, Ally. Are the people good around here?"

"Yeah, actually. At least I think they are. At first I wasn't sure but I guess they're good people."

"Is it true that you get three meals a day here?"

"Yeah, that's true." I replied, laughing that his only care was the food. "I suppose it's good if you like the food. The way I see it, you either love the food or you hate it." I added as I held his shoulder into place.

"I guessing you hate the food." He chuckled. "What is it anyway?"

"Meat. Just meat. Everyday. " I replied, whispering the last part.

"Where've they got that from? Me and Ana searched for food for months, only things we could find was fruit. We couldn't even find a squirrel to have between us nevermind a whole bunch." He finished. Sam was right, my group where going on runs every single day and the only things we were finding was a tin of food between us.

"Neither could my group. They'll have their ways."

****

I was sat down at one of the large tables outside. It was time for dinner and Mary was cooking the usual meat like she usually does. No one else was sat at the table, they were probably on their way now desperate to eat. Mary set down a plate of meat infront of me. "Enjoy." She smiled, before carrying on a conversation whilst we were the only ones here. "You look starving, dear. Have you not been eating recently?" She asked.

"Yeah, actually." I mumbled. "Do you need a hand with anything?" I asked, polietly. In an attempt to do whatever I could to get me out of eating this meat. Don't get me wrong, the idea of having actual food was amazing. But the bitter taste was something I couldn't take and there was only so much of it I could eat without feeling sick.

"No, I can handle it." She smiled, before looking back at the meat she was turning over. I guessed the only reason why I couldn't settle with the meat was because going from having no food to suddenly having a full supply was something my body couldn't get used too.

"Where is everyone?" I asked her, scanning around the property. I was trying to get rid of the food in the most discreet way possible. Mary wasn't paying attention so I figured I could hide it somewhere.

"Hey, Ally." Alex called from behind me, as he came and sat down beside me with Martin who sat opposite me.

"Hey, guys." I replied, pushing the plate further away. Them being here was a perfect excuse for me not to eat since I could hold a conversation instead.

"You're not eating that?" Martin said, in more of a statement than a question. He glanced over a Alex beside me, who furrowed his eyebrows at the plate in confusion.

"You don't like it?" Alex added.

"No, it's great." I lied.

"I noticed she hasn't been eating any." Mary interupted, placing down her utensils and walking over to us. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing. I'm just not that hungry." I answered. There was no way of getting out of this and they seemed to be so defensive about it.

"Then eat some." Martin instructed, through gritted teeth. "You have to try it."

"Fine." I answered, picking up the meat and carving my teeth into it before placing it back down onto the plate. "See? I'm just not that hungry. Anyway, I'm going to go back to my room and I'm bringing my food with me." I added, standing up from the seat and carrying the plate of meat away with me. "See you guys later."

I walked further away until they were out of sight. I scanned my surroundings, noticing no one was here. I silently tiptoed to the side of the gate where there was plantpot containing a bright yellow sunflower. I dumped the meat behind it and dropped the plate there with it being unnoticed. Like I said, there was only so much of the taste I could take.

***

Gareth's POV:

I was walking back from feeding the people locked up in traincart when Martin called me over, him, Alex and my mum where sat at one of the tables. "Everything alright?" I asked them, pulling out a seat before sitting next to Alex.

"How long are you planning on keeping Ally?" Martin asked, making his hands into a fist and placing them on the table.

"What are you talking about?" I said, in confusion. I didn't have the time for any of this, I was busy and things needed to be done.

"She's not of of us, Gareth. I know it." Alex whispered. Alex was usually shy and quiet, he always had been. He wouldn't even speak to me much, his own brother. I furrowed my eyebrows, why would he even think that? "She hasn't been eating the meat, Gareth. She's against us."

"She's not against us." I said, gently. I didn't have time for this conversation, new food was going to be prepared in the morning and things needed to be sorted before all that.

Alex chirped up again, "But how could you-"

"I know, because I haven't told her." I interupted him.

"Gareth, we need to tell her." Mary started, "We always tell them. She's tried some of the meat, it's time." She said, nodding her head. "It's not like it would be a problem if she wasn't here. She doesn't like it, she becomes food. It's simple."

"We're not eating her." I answered. "We need her here. She's stronger than she looks." I added.

"What is it about her? I keep telling you not to get too attached to people but you just don't listen to me." She added.

"I'm not attached, she just doesn't need to go like this." I said, walking off.