The Dead World/Issue 99

A little while later things in camp had calmed down and people had returned to their usual duties and jobs around camp but the smiles were still on faces, happiness and Christmas cheer still filled the air and everyone still was in joking moods.

Seeing this around camp, Ricky couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched people do what they usually done. He felt proud that he had lifted their spirits with his speech and for once he was thinking he might actually make a good leader.

"nice speech you made back there" Angelica commented and Ricky chuckled as he turned around to look at her and he saw she had a small smile on her face. He could tell she had started to change her opinion on their situation and for that he was happy, she really did need to be a happier person.

"glad you think so, I was trying to prove a point to you, you know?" Ricky asked playfully and she nodded as she joined him in looking at all the residents walking around camp and she couldn't help but smile a bit more before she went all serious again.

"look, I am not saying I'm going to be stupid and start believing that everything could be perfect and the world can go back to how it was but....I do have a little hope that things will get better, so thank you" she admitted quietly causing him to give her a huge smile.

"your welcome, anyway its kind of what I do isn't it, give advice" Ricky joked bumping her shoulder playfully causing her to laugh slightly as she moved the hair out of her face before nodding.

"your damn good at it too" Angelica commented causing him to chuckle before he sighed as he saw his sister coming over who gave a mock hurt expression at his sigh while Angelica just smirked turning to look away.

"I need his help for a few minutes, ok if I steal him?" Annie asked Angelica who laughed before gesturing she could before Ricky could even open his mouth to speak and now happier, Annie dragged her pouting brother off to the med tent.

Now alone, Angelica shivered slightly as she pulled her coat around her further due to the cold before beginning to walk off heading over to her RV where she hoped for some peace and quiet. She may like her people but she did need a break from them sometimes.

Walking through camp, Jamie shared a couple of greetings with people in return for their greetings while he began heading towards his tent now that their little "party" was over but just as he rounded the corner to it he found himself looking down to Maria with her hands on her hips and a angry expression causing him to sigh.

"w-what did I-I do this t-time?" Jamie asked with a smile on his face obviously trying to make a joke but Maria just glared further at him making him in turn rethink his joking mood. Apparently the little girl was actually angry at him.

"you didn't meet me like we agreed" Maria stated but to much surprise of her he just grinned even more as he walked over to his tent leaving her to have to follow him curious as to what he was up to.

"because I-I was doing something else t-this t-time" Jamie replied and reached into his tent to grab his bag before he sorted through it looking something while Maria just calmly waited before he finally held out a piece of paper which she took confused.

"what is....this" Maria trailed off as she looked at it and was completely shocked at what she saw. It was a absolute perfect drawing of her and she couldn't believe it, she was completely speech less.

"i-its a little c-Christmas gift, just f-for you" Jamie told her smiling at her reaction but he himself was taken by complete surprise when Maria suddenly walked forward and hugged him tight but this time instead of standing there awkwardly, he hugged her back.

"I love it, thank you!!" Maria exclaimed giggling madly as she hugged him tighter causing him to chuckle as he returned her hug glad that for once he had done something right and made someone happy.

"y-your welcome" Jamie told her as he rolled his eyes at the smiles they were getting as other people walked past them. He didn't mind though, he was hugging his new friend and in his opinion it didn't matter who saw that.

Laying in her sleeping bed while looking at Anthony who laid beside her asleep, Karen sighed as she thought about him leaving on the supply run tomorrow. She knew exactly where the group was planning on heading and in her opinion it was suicide.

She knew that they would most likely be attacked by the herd at some point and one way or the other but no of course they wanted to do the heroic thing and get everyone supplies and what if there wasn't any?...it would've all been to waste.

Unfortunately she couldn't even go with them due to her being needed back at the camp as she was now one of its main defenders since most of their guards had been killed by Riley and Frank's group.

She knew it wasn't really the situation itself they were heading into she was worried about, she was worried that Anthony or any of them wouldn't return. They were all her family now whether she liked to admit it or not and deep down, she loved them all. She wouldn't be able to handle it if one of them died.

Shaking her head of these thoughts, Karen laid back into her sleeping bag as she closed her eyes trying to go to sleep. She couldn't dwell on thoughts like this, she'd wind up driving herself insane....

Getting her sleeping bag ready so she could go to bed. Annie couldn't believe that she was actually going asleep for a change. However it was only because there was no point in being at her med tent if she had no patients or work to do, anyway it gave her time to spend with her brother.

Smiling as she finally got her sleeping bag sorted out the way she wanted she shrugged off her coat and moved it aside before pulling over her pajamas and turning to look over her shoulder at her brother who was currently sitting in his own sleeping bag looking down at some book.

"avert your eyes" she told him and he quickly obliged and turned away allowing her to take off her shirt before putting it with her coat. However as she looked down to get her pajamas, her eyes caught sight of the scar left behind from when Frank stabbed her and she couldn't help but sigh as she gently ran her finger along it.

"you ok Annie?" Ricky asked after he heard her sigh knowing she only sighed when something was wrong. However the only response he got was silence due to Annie biting her lip as she tried to hold back her tears while looking down at her scar, the scar that would remain with her for as long as she lived.

Hearing no response from her, Ricky sighed as he turned around forcing himself to ignore the fact she didn't have a shirt on before wrapping his arms around her drawing her into a hug which she happily accepted, burying her head into his shoulder.

"what's wrong?" Ricky asked again this time in a soft whisper but she just bit her lip harder, nearly drawing blood as a tear fell down her cheek causing him to close his eyes, upset himself at what she was going through. Finally after what felt like forever she spoke.

"its....its going to be there forever isn't it?, I'm going to be reminded of what happened every time my eyes happen to glance upon this scar" Annie stated sadly and unfortunately Ricky couldn't disagree with her this time.

She was right, every time she would see that scar she would be reminded of what Frank done to her, remind her of how she is scared to be alone, partly ruin her life if she allowed it. For these reasons Ricky for once in his life hated and wanted to kill someone so badly but he knew he wouldn't have the guts to do it in the end.

"yeh I know, but you also know i'll always be here for you alright?, I am never going to leave you and I'm going to make sure you get past this, ok?" Ricky asked her and she nodded giving a little sigh as she buried her head further in his embrace, she knew she'd be ok, she just needed one of her brother's hugs right now.

At least he knew one thing. He may not have the guts to kill the person to do this to her but he knew he would always be here for her, never mind what he was going to do everything he could to make sure she remained her caring and happy person....

The next morning, Will was packing some spare guns and fuel into the truck of the car that the supply group was taking before he took a quick glance to his watch,despite knowing it wasn't working properly, wondering where the others were.

Putting the last fuel can in, Will closed the trunk and finally he saw Anthony walking towards the car making him sigh in relief before he noticed that Anthony was strangely holding a old radio.

"sorry I'm late, got distracted fiddling with this but I'm here now" Anthony stated and Will face palmed as he leaned on the top of the car watching as Anthony got in the car with the radio in his lap.

"and why exactly are you fiddling with that?" Will asked keeping an eye out to see when the three girls got here while Anthony began working with the radio again taking a moment to chuckle at Will's question.

"well last night, me and the doc were having a discussion and the topic of whether there were other camps out their making radio broadcasts came up and eventually she revealed she still had this old radio so -" Anthony started but Will soon interrupted him not wanting the whole of his life story.

"so you decided to try and fix it to see if there are indeed camps doing those broadcasts?" Will asked already knowing the answer causing him to sigh even more as Anthony nodded giving him a huge grin before returning to working on the radio.

"suppose its worth a try....as long as it don't distract you from the supply run" Will scolded lightly resulting in Anthony giving him a mock salute as he said "no sir" making Will roll his eyes before he finally noticed Bella and Emily coming over to the car.

"oh look who's finally arrived" Will announced playfully while the two girls yawned, Emily getting straight into the car blushing in embarrassment at having over slept and Bella leaning up to kiss Will on the lips, at first a quick kiss but it soon turned into a long one.

"eeewww, give it a break you to!" Angelica exclaimed as she finally joined the other four causing the couple to smirk and share a look before they and the others waved goodbye to the residents who had gathered to see them off and got in the vehicle.

"ready?" Will asked them with a smile as he got the vehicle into gear and after they all nodded giving him a smile in return to his, he drove the car out through the gates before heading down the road, starting their trip to their destination.

Watching them go, Karen sighed as she wrapped her coat further around her. She hadn't managed to get to sleep last night, she had been up all night worrying about them, even went out for a smoke around five times knowing that she was probably killing herself due to her smoking.

She couldn't help it though. It was a bad habit of hers to smoke when ether she was nervous or something like that. She didn't care much about getting cancer or anything though, she liked to smoke and she'd continue doing it never mind what. However even smoking wasn't helping her at the moment.

"they'll be ok you know" Ricky suddenly said from behind her making her jump slightly but she didn't show it. That was another problem of hers lately....she was letting her guard down too much and thinking about it, she didn't like it.

"you don't know that" Karen stated quietly but slightly deadly as if she was daring to him to disagree with her but he just shrugged as he moved to stand next to her giving her a small smile as he patted her on the back.

"I don't know for sure but I do know all five of them are survivors, they have a big chance of making it" Ricky tried to assure her but she just moved away from him and put her arms around her protectively causing him to sigh knowing he was going to get no where in convincing her that they would be fine.

However before he could say anything else he had noticed her expression had changed into one of confusion and following her gaze he could see why she was confused all of a sudden. Heading towards camp was numerous sets of cars and the two of them shared a look just as said cars came to a stop outside of their camp.

By now most of the rest of the residents had joined the two back at the front of the gates watching the vehicles with curiosity. However this curiosity was soon answered when members of Frank/Riley's group began getting out of the vehicles all wielding guns which could do a lot of damage, as well as the two leaders themselves causing all of the camp residents to have the same thought.

Oh this couldn't be good....