World of Anarchy/Chapter 21

This is chapter 21 of World of Anarchy entitled: How To Save A Life

Chapter 21 – How To Save A Life
2007. 8:00 am “It's gonna be alright, Teresa.” Amber said as she held her.

But she knew in her heart that nothing would be alright. This was the first time she had to deal with death of any kind. She had woken to find that their father had blown his brains out sometime the night before and had been crying her eye's out ever since. She didn't understand why her father had done it. He was always cheerful and happy. It seemed completely out of nowhere. Out of his character.

Just then the door bell rang.

Amber got up from the sofa and went over to answer it, wiping the tears from her face before opening it. An older looking man wearing a hat stood there and looked up at Teresa as soon as the door opened.

“Umm, hello?” Amber asked.

“Why, hello there Amber,” He said glancing at Amber before returning his gaze to Teresa. “And Teresa.”

The first thing Teresa noticed was his wardrobe. It was plain, the kind of clothes that make you blend into a crowed. The next thing was his voice. The man had an extremely off-putting voice. Teresa felt it was almost mesmerizing in a way.

“Do—Do we know you?” Amber asked shifting uncomfortably.

“No. But I've heard a lot about you from your father. We were in...the same kind of business. You can call me Garland.” He said walking passed Amber and into the living room. “Your mother called me here. Where is she?”

“She's...she's in the garage.” Amber said eying Garland suspiciously.

Garland nodded and took off toward the door of the garage without a word. Teresa watched through tear filled eyes as he entered the garage and silently shut behind him.

David's POV. November 4, 2014. Just barely inside Nebraska. Early morning. They all sat in a circle surrounded by abandoned vehicles on a highway that had led them to Nebraska. The had arrived there at sunset the day before and decided to stay there for the night. Everyone was eating breakfast except for David who had already finished his.

“So this safe-zone,” Omid said as he shoveled food into his mouth. “What did that guy Jerry say about it?”

Upon hearing Jerry's name, David instantly felt for the envelope he had been given. He had kept in his front-left pokect since the night Jerry and Lucas died.

“From what David told us, not much.” Riley told him.

“And you all just trusted his word and set out to get there? How do you even know the safe-zone is still there—Or if it was ever there?”

“What else could we do?” Teresa said across from her. “We didn't exactly have a chance to sit around to wait and question it—What with the bandits after us and all.”

“I guess...” Jane said as she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself.

“Hey, David,” Leo said to him, avoiding eye contact as he continued eating oatmeal. “You still planin' on goin' on that run?”

Ever since the day Sam and ditched them he and Leo had barely spoken to each other. It made things a little uneasy, but he thought is was better than fighting.

“Oh, right.” David said standing and turning to look at the road stop that lay just passed the mass of abandoned vehicles.

He had almost forgotten about the run. Claire had been going through diapers and formula like crazy, which meant for them that they would have to go on more and more frequent supply runs.

“Hold up--I'll go with.” Teresa said putting down her bowl of oatmeal, which was only half eaten.

“No, it's alright.” David said grabbing his backpack. “You should stay and finish eating.”

“Well I, uh...” She said looking to the other girls. “...kind of have to go with you.”

“Why?”

“Us girls need a certain...item.” She said with a slow nod.

“Item? What ever it is, I'm sure I can get it.”

“Uhh, trust me--I don't think you can.” Teresa said laughing.

“Why not?” David asked still confused.

“It's a certain feminine hygiene product.” Teresa said in a low voice.

He looked everyone else in the group and saw mixed reactions. Leo and Omid looked like they had already realized what she meant, while most of the girls looked slightly sorry and embarrassed for him.

“I'm...still not getting it.” David said shaking his head.

“Idiot.” Amber said with a facepalm.

Teresa sighed. “Come on.” She said leading him away from the group and toward the roadstop.

October 19, 2014. After David and Leo's return. “Abby, what the kids talking about?” Jane asked as the group approached her.

She looked at all of them then sighed and looked blankly at the ground. “I...guess it's time to tell you guys my story.”

“Damn right it is.” Leo said.

They were finally going to learn what happened to her and hopefully why they were after them. It was one of the many things that was still bugging him along with Michelle's last words and the hooded man.

“It was a month after the end. I was with my...my family. We were trying to get to the pacific coast and passed through New Mexico. O-One night we were staying in a house when...those bandits showed up. Attacked us. Ki—Killed my...” Abby said now on the verge of tears.

“You know we can do this later if you're not feeling up to it.” Teresa said sitting down beside Abby and attempting to comfort her.

“No—No, it's okay.” Abby said wiping her face and taking a deep breath. “You—You all have to hear this. Those bandits...they killed dad...my brother...my mom...were about to kill me but there was another girl with them about my age. Sarah. She stopped them. They kept me captive for awhile, and that was when I learned about the cannibalism...About half of the bandits were ones, while the other half wasn't.”

“How does that work exactly?” Omid asked shifting uncomfortably.

“Their leader is how. Occasionally, fights would break out between the two halves about how they should do things but they had a good leader. He kept everyone happy by giving the food they stole from others to the one's who weren't cannibal's, while letting the one's were...have the people they stole from.”

“Why didn't that ass-hat Ian tell us about all of this when he was with us!?” Leo half shouted.

Abby shrugged. “I don't know. He wasn't with them when I was.”

“Who was their leader?” David asked.

“Sarah said he didn't have a name. But...he was easily recognizable. He had these bandages that almost completely covered his head. That guy...is the worst person I've ever seen.”

“What...What do you mean?” Jane asked.

“He was just...a complete monster. The way he treated people, the things I saw him do...I'm still unsure why he was even their leader.” Abby said before taking a pause. “After a week of being with them I escaped. I tried to convince Sarah to come with me but she wouldn't. She told me that they were taking her to her brother. Anyway...I ended up finding the hotel...and, well, time dragged by until you guys found me.”

David's mind was trying to piece together everything she had told them as Amber and Riley returned from hunting.

“Hey guys.” Riley said to them before noticing how heavy the atmosphere was.

“What'd we miss?” Amber said as she looked over all of them.

Teresa's POV Present Day. “What's wrong?” Teresa asked David.

She could tell as soon as she looked at him that he was thinking about something big. He had that same look that he usually had. Like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Huh?” He said like he had almost forgotten she there.

They were weaving in and out between the cars as they walked to the road stop. They were about half way between the group and the pit stop now.

“You have that look again.” She said trying not to smile but ended up doing so.

“What look?”

“You know, that look where you seem to be thinking about something super important. So...what's wrong?” She asked again.

“I...I was just thinking back to Abby telling us about the bandits.”

“Oh yeah...wasn't that the day Sam ditched us and you and Leo got into that fight?” She asked getting a nod from him in response. “Well, what about it?”

“It's just...” He said pausing for a second, trying to remember everything he had been thinking about. “Parts of it don't make sense. When Ben and the bandits came to the hotel, Ben mentioned that their leader wanted us alive and they didn't seem too interested in our supplies.”

“And that guy at the mall,” Teresa remembered, thinking back to the guy who had replaced Ben. “He said something like that too. He said something about the consequences they would suffer if they didn't bring us all back alive.”

“Right—So why us? Why does their leader want us? Are they just chasing us because they can?”

Teresa paused for a second before shaking her head. “I don't know...” She said truly having no idea why. “...it's feels like we don't have any control over anything that's going on. Amber keeps saying me it's fate.” She said laughing a little. “That our destiny are written into our souls.”

“Fate, huh?” He said as they walked around another car.

“Oh, let me guess. You don't believe in fate either, do you?”

He paused a second before answering. “Fate or not, right choice or wrong, it's my life—and I want to make my own choices. I wouldn't want something like fate or destiny controlling me.” He said opening the entrance for her. “So no, I don't believe in fate either.”

“Well...regardless,” She said entering. “I'm sure that we all will make it out of this okay.”

Teresa walked away from the hygiene aisle and began to wander around while waiting for David to get the baby supplies. Along the shelf on her left was a mess of assorted items. Phone charges, ear buds, all in disarray among the shelves. She continued on until coming upon an untouched greeting card stand. Her eyes looked over all of the cards that were meant for loved ones but would never be given to anyone. Her eyes eventually found a father's day and began to tear up as she unwillingly thought back to the morning after her father's death.

2007 Teresa walked through the hall leading to the garage in her house. Careful not to make a sound, she slowly opened the door to peek through. She could see that man, Garland, and her mom were in a heated discussion about something.

“This was your fucking fault wasn't it!” Her mom yelled as she slammed her hands onto Garland's chest.

“Karen.” He said holding her arms still. “You need to calm down.”

“Don't tell me to calm down! And get your fucking hands off me.” She said pulling away. “Russel is dead because of you, I know it!”

“What happened to you husband is...tragic but--”

“Oh don't give me any of that bull shit. Ever since that whole mess with Zach six years ago...the news... everyone said that Zach was the one who killed all those people...ever since then Russel has been paranoid—Always moving us around...just tell me, what the fuck is going on?”

Garland paused for a second, his eyes scanning her mom's face. “Zachery did kill those people—Well half of them anyway. He completed his mission, and got his son exactly where we need him. But your husband was a coward. As soon as he found out what he would have to do to complete his task he left us and took you all with him.”

“...What are you saying?”

“...I'm saying we couldn't let him not complete his part—Especially considering the position your daughter holds as--” He said as she slapped him.

“I knew it! I knew you killed him!”

“Wasn't me.” Garland rubbed his cheek before looking back at Karen. “If it helps, it was our friend with the hood who actually did it.”

“Get out.” Karen said, shaking with rage as she opened the garage door.

Garland nodded and began to walk out, but not before taking a glance at Teresa through the crack in the door.

David's POV. Present Day. “Teresa?” David asked as he watched her stare blankly down at a card stand.

“Huh?” She said looking to him.

“Are you...alright?”

“Yeah—Yeah—It's just...” She said shaking away the weird memory, reaching forward and picking up a father's day card. “...It's his birthday today.”

He could tell she was holding back her tears. He placed his hand on her shoulder in an awkward attempt to comfort her and looked down at the card in her hand. Without meaning to his mind instantly jumped back to the last time he had spoken to Jayden.

2008. Denton High School. David sat in his math class and stared ahead at the calk board in front of him. Everyone else was still taking their test that he had finished half an hour ago. So he just sat. Sat and waited for the bell to ring so he could go home.

As he waited he thought about how much the school year had been a disappointment. He and his few friends had not gotten any classes together. Of course, he would see them in the halls wouldn't have time to see them other than that. Jim and Jackie were now the only of his friends that he did see everyday.

In the middle of his thoughts, his phone in his pocket went off, alerting him and everyone else in the classroom that someone was calling him.

“Mr. Andrews, you know school policy. Go put the phone up in your locker now.” His teacher said, glaring at him.

David nodded and quickly exited the room. He pulled the phone out off his pocket and was a little surprised to see who was calling.

“Jayden?” He asked as he raised his phone to his ear, begging his walk to his locker. “Why are you calling me during school?”

“...You're at school? I thought it's was Saturday.” Jayden slurred.

“It's Wednesday.” He said before hearing something like a bottle opening on the other end. “Are you drinking?! Dammit Jayden.”

“Wh—What's wrong with me havin' a little drink?”

“It's eight in the morning.”

“So? Gotta be five somewhere.”

David sighed. “Why'd you call, Jayden.”

Jayden paused for a second before answering. “...I'm getting closer to catching the bastard, David. So fucking close.”

“Jayden,” David said rubbing his eyes. “You have to stop this.”

“Stop?! And let the him get away with the murders!? The murder of your mom and brother!?”

“My dad killed himself, Jayden....I'm—I'm not even sure why I let you convince me he was still out there somehow...I just don't care anymore. I let go of all that years ago. And I think it's time for you to let go too.” He said as he hung up the phone and turned it off.

Present Day. “So...” David said choking on the words a little. “What was it that you didn't think I could get myself?” David asked trying to get his mind off of the memory.

“Oh. Right.” She said letting the sadness on her face wash away and into a smirk tossing him a small rectangular box.

“See, I could have gotten...” He said before turning the box over to read the front, only to find himself choked up. “uhh...”

“You can say it.” She nodded, still smirking. “You don't have to act so awkward about it.”

“T-Tampons. I, uh, guess it's good you came along then.”

“Told you.”

They both laughed as she handed them the rest of the small boxes. A laugh they both needed. He placed the rest of them in his already full backpack.

“Well ain't this sweet.” A voice from behind them said.

David looked to see two men holding guns pointed at him and Teresa only a few feet away.

Credits

 * David Andrews
 * Teresa Burch
 * Chris Collins
 * Leo
 * Penny
 * Jane
 * Omid
 * Amber
 * Riley Mercer
 * Claire
 * Jayden
 * Garland
 * Karen Burch
 * Russel Burch

Deaths

 * Russel Burch (flashback)

Trivia

 * First appearance of Karen.
 * First appearance Garland.