The others saw what Alex had done and immediately did the same. It made taking out the other walkers easier. Matthew thought it was a little gruesome, but he was proven wrong when he attacked his own walker. When he tugged the helmet off, the walker's face came with it and Matthew would have hurled if his stomach wasn't still mostly empty. You'd think after dealing with all these zombies all winter he'd be used to it, but there was always something...always something that reminded him that it could be worse.
Once the walkers were all down, save for the ones locked into the smaller yard, Ren headed back to the gate at a jog, but stopped at the sound of Matt's voice. "Stop, wait." Matt said, looking all around the area, up top and down below, everywhere his eyes could scan.
Ren did stop, and walked back to the group. "It...looks secure..."
Lars pointed with his weapon, "Not from the look of that courtyard over there." Then, he pointed to one of the walkers they'd taken out. "And that's a civilian. Which means the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison."
"Well, if there's walls down, what are we gonna do?" Ren asked. "We can't rebuild this whole place. There's no way we have the energy, the time, or the resources to do so."
Matthew knew that, but he also knew they couldn't risk anything, either. "We can't risk a blind spot. We have to push in..."
Ren was less than thrilled and exchanged a look with Alex that said so, but he followed anyway. Could be worth it. But they could end up dead, too...
Matthew quickly found an entrance and they all reluctantly followed him inside. Alfred brought up the rear, shutting the metal door behind them. He almost wished he hadn't. It was dark in here, with only the light from the windows to illuminate the dingy, concrete space. An eerie silence settled in the room. No moaning or growling though, so that was a good sign. He wondered how long it would last.
It was obvious that Matt wanted to push further into the prison, but they were faced with another gate. This one seemed to be locked. Alex tried tugging on it a few times, but it didn't budge. She looked at her cousins and shrugged. They couldn't go any further without a key... That's when Alfred noticed the guard post, and one look at his brother told him they were thinking the same thing- if the keys were anywhere to be found, that's where they'd be.
Matthew nodded at Alfred and carefully started to climb the stairs up to the guard post. Lars aimed high, near the door, in case the body that was in there was a walker, and not completely dead, but after a moment, he lowered his bow and kept looking. Matthew could handle whatever was up there, he was sure of it.
The blond took the stairs slowly, but took the last few quickly, blade at the ready. But the body didn't move. He poked it in the chest, but still nothing. It looked like the guard had shot himself, likely when things got really bad, likely because he saw no way out of the prison.
Keys were then Matt's priority, and they weren't hard to find hanging off the guard's belt. He slipped them off, then headed back downstairs to the rest of the group. Finding the right key wasn't difficult if you knew what you were looking for, and as a police officer, Matthew did. It didn't take long to open the next gate. Lars stepped in first, bow raised as they swept the area for walkers.
Matthew approached another gate at the far end of the room, but it was also locked, which was fine with him. It meant this area was just as secure as the last. Leaving the gate, he followed Lars to the second floor, no one said anything, just looked in each cell. There were a few dead bodies on the ground floor, but on the second there were two walkers, still locked inside their confines. Without having to say anything, clean up began.
While Alfred dragged out the last of the walkers they had killed, the others brought in their things. He thought he heard Ren mutter "Home sweet home," and he laughed. It didn't really look like much, but cell block C was home, at least for now. At least they'd all have locked doors to keep them safe, and they'd each have their own bed to sleep in. They hadn't had that since before the apocalypse; even on the farm, most of them were sleeping on sofas or on the floor. This was a good change- he believed that. He shot a reassuring smile to his mother as she came inside. She took a quick look around, then turned to Matthew. "So... it's secure?" she asked warily.
"This cell block is." Matthew said, coming back down the stairs and towards the group. He had a small, tired smile on his face. One that was hopeful and just a little proud.
"What about the rest of the prison?" Andy asked.
"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary." He explained.
"We...sleep in the cells?" Maddie asked, not sure if she wanted to by the looks of some of them. But one she spotted upstairs didn't seem too bad.
Matthew nodded in response to her question. "Found a set of keys on a guard. Lars has a set, too."
"I'm not sleeping in a cage..." Lars muttered, then nodded to the landing at the top of the stairs that led to the other cells up there. "I'll take the perch."
Matthew didn't argue with him. He wasn't sure where he would sleep that night, maybe in a cell, maybe next to Lars. It would only be temporary anyway, until the cells were cleaned better and room was made for the two of them in one of them. Or, at least, he hoped that would be the case.
Alex picked up her stuff from her sister and walked with Ren into the nearest available cell. There was a bit of blood on the back wall, but it didn't look any better or worse than the rest of the cells. She shook her head as she set her stuff on the top bunk. "You know, I'm so exhausted, I don't even care. I pick this one." With a sigh of relief, she plopped down on the bottom bed and motioned for Ren to come sit next to her. It had been a long day, and she just wanted to sleep, but she didn't want to sleep alone, especially not on their first night in a prison.
As everyone else fanned out to pick their cells, Ren followed Alex into their own. It was dingy, and needed cleaning, but that could wait for another day. He, too, put his stuff up on the top bunk, then sighed and sat next to his girlfriend. "Here, let me see." He spoke softly, leaning a little behind her and carefully looking over her back, his fingers just barely brushing along her skin.
The soft touch of Ren's fingertips against her skin sent a chill down her spine, and she giggled- she had always been a little ticklish. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking back at him slyly. Not that she didn't enjoy it. In fact, she sort of hoped he'd keep going as she leaned into his touch.
"Looking for scratches..." Ren mumbled, letting his fingers trail over her skin, feeling for any abnormalities; it was hard to see through the blood caked on her skin. He found nothing, though, and felt incredibly relieved. "Nope, nothing. All clear," he said, kissing her shoulder and wrapping his arms around in a half hug.
"Now you," Alex whispered, running her fingers along Ren's arms. Though this was more for her own comfort than for his safety, Alex took a moment to check for scratches. She found nothing, of course- only soft skin and lean muscle. Perfectly defined biceps, tense shoulders, a strong embrace. Ren's embrace... Yes, everything was just how it was supposed to be. "All clear," she said quietly.
Alex leaned in and gave Ren a short but sweet kiss on the lips before pulling him down onto the bed with her. It was a little difficult laying side by side on such a small bed, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. Nuzzling her head into his shoulder, Alex wrapped an arm around her boyfriend and closed her eyes... Her boyfriend. When had she started calling him that? When had sleeping together become such a normal occurrence? When had Ren's steady heartbeat become the sound she would listen for to help lull her to sleep? She didn't know when any of this happened, only it happened. And as the others retired to their cells for the evening, all she could think about was that she was so glad that it happened, whatever it was.
"I love you," she mumbled quietly into his shirt, and then she drifted off to sleep.
Once the walkers were all down, save for the ones locked into the smaller yard, Ren headed back to the gate at a jog, but stopped at the sound of Matt's voice. "Stop, wait." Matt said, looking all around the area, up top and down below, everywhere his eyes could scan.
Ren did stop, and walked back to the group. "It...looks secure..."
Lars pointed with his weapon, "Not from the look of that courtyard over there." Then, he pointed to one of the walkers they'd taken out. "And that's a civilian. Which means the interior could be overrun with walkers from outside the prison."
"Well, if there's walls down, what are we gonna do?" Ren asked. "We can't rebuild this whole place. There's no way we have the energy, the time, or the resources to do so."
Matthew knew that, but he also knew they couldn't risk anything, either. "We can't risk a blind spot. We have to push in..."
Ren was less than thrilled and exchanged a look with Alex that said so, but he followed anyway. Could be worth it. But they could end up dead, too...
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It was obvious that Matt wanted to push further into the prison, but they were faced with another gate. This one seemed to be locked. Alex tried tugging on it a few times, but it didn't budge. She looked at her cousins and shrugged. They couldn't go any further without a key... That's when Alfred noticed the guard post, and one look at his brother told him they were thinking the same thing- if the keys were anywhere to be found, that's where they'd be.
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The blond took the stairs slowly, but took the last few quickly, blade at the ready. But the body didn't move. He poked it in the chest, but still nothing. It looked like the guard had shot himself, likely when things got really bad, likely because he saw no way out of the prison.
Keys were then Matt's priority, and they weren't hard to find hanging off the guard's belt. He slipped them off, then headed back downstairs to the rest of the group. Finding the right key wasn't difficult if you knew what you were looking for, and as a police officer, Matthew did. It didn't take long to open the next gate. Lars stepped in first, bow raised as they swept the area for walkers.
Matthew approached another gate at the far end of the room, but it was also locked, which was fine with him. It meant this area was just as secure as the last. Leaving the gate, he followed Lars to the second floor, no one said anything, just looked in each cell. There were a few dead bodies on the ground floor, but on the second there were two walkers, still locked inside their confines. Without having to say anything, clean up began.
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"What about the rest of the prison?" Andy asked.
"In the morning, we'll find the cafeteria and infirmary." He explained.
"We...sleep in the cells?" Maddie asked, not sure if she wanted to by the looks of some of them. But one she spotted upstairs didn't seem too bad.
Matthew nodded in response to her question. "Found a set of keys on a guard. Lars has a set, too."
"I'm not sleeping in a cage..." Lars muttered, then nodded to the landing at the top of the stairs that led to the other cells up there. "I'll take the perch."
Matthew didn't argue with him. He wasn't sure where he would sleep that night, maybe in a cell, maybe next to Lars. It would only be temporary anyway, until the cells were cleaned better and room was made for the two of them in one of them. Or, at least, he hoped that would be the case.
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Alex leaned in and gave Ren a short but sweet kiss on the lips before pulling him down onto the bed with her. It was a little difficult laying side by side on such a small bed, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. Nuzzling her head into his shoulder, Alex wrapped an arm around her boyfriend and closed her eyes... Her boyfriend. When had she started calling him that? When had sleeping together become such a normal occurrence? When had Ren's steady heartbeat become the sound she would listen for to help lull her to sleep? She didn't know when any of this happened, only it happened. And as the others retired to their cells for the evening, all she could think about was that she was so glad that it happened, whatever it was.
"I love you," she mumbled quietly into his shirt, and then she drifted off to sleep.
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