until now how much his body ached from the day’s activities. “I gotta start working out again.”
“Let’s maybe start tomorrow,” she joked, seeing that he was sore.
“I see they cleaned your head wound a bit, huh?”
“Yeah. They’re good girls in there.”
“So, they got you thinkin’ twice now about leavin’ then?” Alex asked, taking her hand and leading her out to the outer grounds to their ‘home’.
Alex found Shadow lying down outside quietly. But, when Alex stood at the chapel door, he heard the moaning of the undead once again, riled up at perhaps smelling a potential meal. Shadow snarled and trotted over to the bars, snapping and growling at the many undead limbs and digits once more breaching the bars of the gate.
Alex sighed heavily, wanting something more than this for the two of them and Shadow. It wasn’t fair that Shadow had to stay locked up inside this area, large though it was, trapped within these walls.
And when it comes right down to it, so were they now. Yes, they would need to do something about this, he decided. And soon.
***
They woke the next morning at their own pace, eventually gathering in the Great Hall and sharing breakfast, as well as stories about their fallen friends. It was very uplifting and not at all emotionally similar to the night before. After they ate, as promised, they all gathered together at the rear of the castle grounds, in an area where Alex had found Nick only recently in heavy contemplation.
The roof was open above them where it appeared it was meant for a pane of glass, but none was there. It was also where someone, presumably Nick and/or Liz, had planted makeshift tombstones. It was reasonably well kept and the ground was well kept, unlike most of the surrounding area where weeds and grass grew heavily among huge dead spots of brown grass and dirt these days,
The group took turns saying something kind about both Bryan and Alexis. To Alex’s surprise, even Liz and Selina spoke kindly about Alexis, Selina specifically recalling her bravery and willingness to be the ‘pied piper’ in their plan.
Everyone laughed and cried, placing eclectic wildflowers down in a place which Nick had prepared as a memorial, and there was much reminiscing. Nick had spent the better part of the evening to make the place special for today. He had even hung a wreath on an easel, and decorated it with many of Ben’s things, including some old photos. Beside that was another crudely made cross, driven into the ground, which displayed some of Tom’s things. This space was to be used as their ‘graveyard’ to remember their fallen friends, Nick said, feeling emotionally expressive in particular this day. Though, under the circumstances, and with the many special memories and stories that were shared, they were collectively caught in the thralls of the emotional upheaval this morning,
The weather too seemed to shift wildly this day in conjunction with their mood swings. It was sunny one minute, then the clouds would roll in and threaten to rain the next. Then the clouds would disperse abruptly, leaving behind sunny skies once more.
As the group began to disperse, Alex lingered until it was only he and Nick left in the funeral garden.
“You guys wanna leave soon, I assume?” Nick asked, suspecting the reason for Alex’s choice to remain behind. He stood in silence after asking the rhetorical question, staring up at the sky pensively, his hands held behind his back with one hand grasping the opposite wrist.
“That is something that Selina and I have discussed, yeah,” he answered, moving to position himself in Nick’s line of sight. “But, as I’ve said before, we’re more than willing to help you get ready for winter.”
“What vehicle do you have to take south? You’re not gonna get that van outta the fairgrounds, I’m thinkin’” Nick said, staring back at Alex.
“Agreed. We were thinking of taking the ambulance. I haven’t really given it much
“Let’s maybe start tomorrow,” she joked, seeing that he was sore.
“I see they cleaned your head wound a bit, huh?”
“Yeah. They’re good girls in there.”
“So, they got you thinkin’ twice now about leavin’ then?” Alex asked, taking her hand and leading her out to the outer grounds to their ‘home’.
Alex found Shadow lying down outside quietly. But, when Alex stood at the chapel door, he heard the moaning of the undead once again, riled up at perhaps smelling a potential meal. Shadow snarled and trotted over to the bars, snapping and growling at the many undead limbs and digits once more breaching the bars of the gate.
Alex sighed heavily, wanting something more than this for the two of them and Shadow. It wasn’t fair that Shadow had to stay locked up inside this area, large though it was, trapped within these walls.
And when it comes right down to it, so were they now. Yes, they would need to do something about this, he decided. And soon.
***
They woke the next morning at their own pace, eventually gathering in the Great Hall and sharing breakfast, as well as stories about their fallen friends. It was very uplifting and not at all emotionally similar to the night before. After they ate, as promised, they all gathered together at the rear of the castle grounds, in an area where Alex had found Nick only recently in heavy contemplation.
The roof was open above them where it appeared it was meant for a pane of glass, but none was there. It was also where someone, presumably Nick and/or Liz, had planted makeshift tombstones. It was reasonably well kept and the ground was well kept, unlike most of the surrounding area where weeds and grass grew heavily among huge dead spots of brown grass and dirt these days,
The group took turns saying something kind about both Bryan and Alexis. To Alex’s surprise, even Liz and Selina spoke kindly about Alexis, Selina specifically recalling her bravery and willingness to be the ‘pied piper’ in their plan.
Everyone laughed and cried, placing eclectic wildflowers down in a place which Nick had prepared as a memorial, and there was much reminiscing. Nick had spent the better part of the evening to make the place special for today. He had even hung a wreath on an easel, and decorated it with many of Ben’s things, including some old photos. Beside that was another crudely made cross, driven into the ground, which displayed some of Tom’s things. This space was to be used as their ‘graveyard’ to remember their fallen friends, Nick said, feeling emotionally expressive in particular this day. Though, under the circumstances, and with the many special memories and stories that were shared, they were collectively caught in the thralls of the emotional upheaval this morning,
The weather too seemed to shift wildly this day in conjunction with their mood swings. It was sunny one minute, then the clouds would roll in and threaten to rain the next. Then the clouds would disperse abruptly, leaving behind sunny skies once more.
As the group began to disperse, Alex lingered until it was only he and Nick left in the funeral garden.
“You guys wanna leave soon, I assume?” Nick asked, suspecting the reason for Alex’s choice to remain behind. He stood in silence after asking the rhetorical question, staring up at the sky pensively, his hands held behind his back with one hand grasping the opposite wrist.
“That is something that Selina and I have discussed, yeah,” he answered, moving to position himself in Nick’s line of sight. “But, as I’ve said before, we’re more than willing to help you get ready for winter.”
“What vehicle do you have to take south? You’re not gonna get that van outta the fairgrounds, I’m thinkin’” Nick said, staring back at Alex.
“Agreed. We were thinking of taking the ambulance. I haven’t really given it much
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