What We Become/Issue 37

'''Dwight punched Randall in the face repeatedly. Blood fell from Randall's mouth to the floor as he looked up at Dwight who looked down on him disgust written all over his face. Randall sat bound and gagged in a chair and struggled against the ropes but stopped when Dwight punched him in the face again.'''

"How dare you..."

PUNCH!

"Betray me...."

PUNCH!

'''"After everything I've done for you!" Dwight yelled.'''

PUNCH!

'''Randall's head slouched down as blood continued to drip from his mouth. He was missing a few teeth and bruises lined both sides of his jaw line and both his cheeks. Randall looked up, barely able to keep his head up.'''

'''"Y-you're a monster! I don't care what you done for me...not after what you did to torture so many different people...bastard!" Randall breathed out.'''

'''Dwight punched him in the face again. This time, it knocked him unconcsious. Dwight smirked and walked away towards the door. He decide to leave Randall tied in the chair and deal with him later when he was awake. Dwight opened the door and walked outside before shutting it again. He locked the door and walked away.'''

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'''Frank, Autumn and Samuel walked down the streets in silence. Last night had been...terrifying to say the least. Dwight had truly shown just how changed and evil someone could become in the apocalypse. It was shocking to see how much he smiled and chuckled at their fear of him. Frank clenched his fists at the thought of Dwight. Autumn looked over at Frank and noticed his tenseness.'''

'''"Something wrong Frank?" Autumn asks with concern.'''

'''Frank looks over with a blank expression. "N-nothing...I'm fine" he stammers out.'''

'''Samuel looks on ahead with a thoughtful expression. He stops for a moment before turning to Frank and Autumn. He thinks for moment, thinking out the right words to say.'''

'''"Hey guys..." Samuel trails off.'''

'''"What is it bro?" Frank asks.'''

"I was just thinking...what if they don't give us a car. Or even worse, what if they try to kill us when we arrive at the hotel. You did say Frank, that Adam saw you during the attack. The probably won't help us at all" Samuel tells them.

'''Frank curses to himself. "What did I think of that? Dammit!"'''

"What if we try to tell them the truth? Surely they would have to believe us. I mean look at my ripped clothes and your bruised face" Autumn tells them pointing to her clothes and then to Samuel's bruised face.

'''Frank sighs. "We could try I guess. We'll never know unless we try, plus we're not that far from the hotel now about 9 minutes".'''

The trio continues on walking when the hotel comes into view.

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'''Adam sat in the dining room eating lunch. He wasn't particularily enjoying it. Being a chef, he was use to making luxurious meals. The apocalypse had reduced him to crappy canned goods, something that as a professional cook he hated immensly.'''

Canned food is better then no food I guess, Adam thought to himself.

'''Melanie, Kenneth, Jack, James and Lilly sat beside Adam and ate their food as well. Jack was playing with his food and make disgusted looks as he picked a brown blob with his fork. Kenneth noticed this and gave Jack a glare.'''

'''"Don't play with your food son!" Kenneth scolded him.'''

'''"Ehhh...it looks like poo! I don't want to eat this, gross!" Jack said making another look of digust.'''

'''The others laughed. All of the sudden a loud shot was heard. BLAM! Adam shot up from his seat and grabbed his gun.'''

'''"Was that Harold's rifle?" Melanie asks.'''

'''Adam nods. "It was, come'on" he motions for her to follow him.'''

'''"Why won't those bastards leave us alone!" Melanie mutters to herself.'''

'''"James be careful!" Lilly calls to him as James follows Adam and Melanie.'''

'''"Don't worry, I will be!" he calls back.'''

Kenneth grabs his gun and races after them.

'''"Dad, don't go! The bad men will hurt you!" Jack says running after him.'''

'''"Stay here!" Kenneth orders his son causing Jack to stop in his tracks.'''

'''Lilly leads Jack up the stairs. Adam, James, Melanie and Kenneth come outside to see Tyler, Morgan, Alice and Harold pointing their guns at three people. Adam is shocked when he see's it's not Dwight's group but Frank, Autumn and Samuel. Adam walks to the gate and raises his gun at them.'''

'''"What are you guys doing here?" Adam sternly questions.'''

'''Frank notices some zombies walking towards them. "Please open the gate, I can explain everything" Frank begs.'''

'''Adam notices the zombies edging closer to them but turns his attention back to them. "Why should I do that? You criticized me for something that wasn't my fault and then you started hanging around with those assholes who attacked us. I should leave you outside for the zombies"'''

'''The zombies begin to close in. Frank holds his head down in shame as the zombies get closer and closer to the trio. It a moment of sympathy, Adam chooses to unlock the gate and he begins to open it allowing the trio inside.'''

'''"Adam, what are you doing?" Melanie questions him.'''

"Get your guns out everyone, we'll give them a moment to explain themselves. If they try anything, we got them outnumbered and out gunned" Adam tells the group.

'''As Adam closes the gate, everyone raises their guns at Frank, Autumn and Samuel. The trio stand in the corner of the parking lot feeling out of place. Adam walks towards them.'''

'''"Alright, now's your chance to explain. Why we're you running with them?" Adam questions.'''

'Morgan mutters Hypocrite'' to Frank but he ignores it. "Well I don't know where to begin...after we left the hotel, Dwight's group attack us and kidnapped us. When we woke up after the kidnapping, Dwight told us he would hold Autumn hostage until we helped him kill you guys...to make a long story short, we escaped and came back here".'''

'''Adam just stared at Frank, he was unsure if he should believe his story. "Do you really expect me to believe this?" Adam questions.'''

"Please Adam it's the truth, I know we didn't get along before but it's the truth. Please you have to believe me"

'''Adam sighed. "How can I believe you without any prove?"'''

'''Frank pointed to Autumn and Samuel. Adam observed Autumn. Her clothes we're ragged and dirty as if she hadn't changed clothes in a month. She also looked physically drained. Samuel had a large bruise on his face. Adam had finally begun to understand that they we're telling the truth.'''

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I actually believe them" Melanie says.

'''"Look, we'll do anything for a vehicle and some food and then we'll never come back. I swear" Frank tells them. He has an anxious look on his face. '''

'''Sweat begins to fall down the trios faces as Adam's group talks about what they should do. Adam turns around and approaches them.'''

"Well, we would like to make an offer" Adam tells them.

'''Frank seems confused by this. He nods. "What kind of offer?" Frank asks him.'''

"We want to know, if you would help us fight Dwight's group. To get revenge for what they did to you"

'''Frank scratches the back on his head. "They have a lot of people. You didn't really kill a whole lot at the last two battles. I think they could wipe you guys out. I think it's better if you leave with us"'''

'''Adam sighs. "Look, I would like to leave as well. But most of my friends want to stay here and fight and there is nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to ditch them, so I'm going to fight by their side"'''

"Alright, could we at least have the night to think about it?"

'''Adam nods. Morgan walks forward with a gun in his hand.'''

'''"You guys can stay in the hotel for the night, but..." Morgan raises his gun. "I'll be keeping watching near your room. Just to make sure you aren't lying to us, and if you are I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your face!"'''

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'''"Should we stay and help?" Samuel asks Frank and Autumn.'''

'''The trio relax in one of the hotel's rooms. It had been so long since they ever felt anything this close to comfort since they forced into Dwight's group.'''

"I'm grateful they let us back in here, especially after last time. I guess we owe them" Frank says before hopping on to one of the beds.

'''Autumn gives a long hard stare at the floor. She looks up at Frank and Samuel. "I want to fight. I want to be the one to kill Dwight as well"'''

Morgan listens to their conversation from outside the door and smirks.

Credits

 * Adam Greene
 * Kenneth Marsh
 * Jack Marsh
 * Melanie
 * James
 * Lilly
 * Tyler
 * Morgan
 * Harold
 * Alice
 * Frank
 * Autumn
 * Samuel
 * Dwight
 * Randall