Surviving, Not Living/Issue 18

This is issue 18 of Surviving, Not Living, entitled ''Everybody Hates Anthony. ''It is the final issue of Volume 3.

Issue 18:
It was mid-day, the sun was shining and the birds were tweeting. But, Amelia was still in a bad mood. She stormed across the field behind the farmhouse and back to the small camp, sitting in front of the small unlit fire-pit.

“Sick and tired.” She murmured. “Sick and tired.”

Jackie was the only one around. She was sitting by the fire reading a book.

“What’s up?” She asked, noticing Amelia’s bad mood.

“It’s Anthony.” Amelia snapped.

Jackie jumped at the name and placed her book face-down on the grass. "Does he... look at you? In... inappropriate ways? Like he'll wink at you or groan if you sit down next to him?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow, "Yeah. He does it to you too, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he's such a pervert." Jackie sighed. "I've told Jack about it before, though... I tried to get him kicked off the camp. But, he says that just because Anthony makes me uncomfortable doesn't mean he deserves to be set on his way."

"We need to tell someone other than Jack - someone who can do something."

"Doug... He's been here longer than anyone else, except Jack and Danny, of course."

"I don't know. Doug can be a bit... Oh, what's the word? Sour? Yeah, Doug can be a bit sour at times." Amelia hesitated.

"I know." Jackie sighed again. "He's just been through a lot. He's a nice guy when you get to know him."

"You like him, don't you?" Amelia dared to ask.

Jackie sighed, looking down to her lap. "I can't like him. His wife died twelve years ago and he's still not over it. Twelve, Amelia, fucking twelve."

"She did make it eight years into this crap. That's longer than most people."

"Yeah, but it's not longer than us." Jackie shouted.

"Jackie!" Amelia shrieked. "You were two months old when the apocalypse struck! People would've given their lives in order for you to live. Doug's wife would have been about twenty, she'd have been just another survivor."

"I'm sorry." Jackie sighed, looking up and running her hands through her hair. "Let's go tell Doug."

Amelia took her hand and the two walked off.

___________________________________________________________________________

Up on the porch of the house, Bobby was playing pattycake with Ava while Charlotte and Vicky spoke on the bench.

"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it, Pat it and mark it with B. Put it in the oven for baby and me." Ava sang. Bobby laughed as the two formed a rhythm with their hands.

"So..." Charlotte nudged Vicky with her elbow. "A little birdie told me that you and Bobby had a midnight smooch yesterday."

Vicky blushed, "I didn't think anyone was awake... He was comforting me and it sorta just happened."

"Are you gonna go for it?" Charlotte asked.

"Go for what?" Vicky raised an eyebrow.

"You know what!" Charlotte laughed.

"Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it up, roll it up and throw it in a pan! Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man." Bobby joined in the chanting with Ava.

"I don't know." Vicky sighed. "I mean, I've only known him for two weeks. He seems like a good guy and all bu-"

"Listen, take this advice. One sister to another." Charlotte interrupted. "Half the population of earth has been wiped out, possibly more. If you find a good guy, you've gotta go for it. I mean, it's not like you can just go out and meet someone anymore."

"Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it up, roll it up. Put it in a pan. And toss it in the oven as fast as you can!" Bobby and Ava chanted the last verse.

"Bobby, I need you." Sarah appeared at the doorway to the house.

"Vicky, you take over!" Bobby called as he quickly ran inside. Vicky walked over to Ava and commenced the repeating pattern.

"I used to do this with mommy when I was very little." Ava told Vicky. "Sometimes I do it with Auntie Char, but it isn't the same." Charlotte's ears perked up.

"Well, I'm sure that you're going to do it again with your mommy one day." Vicky smiled.

"No, I'm not she's dead." Ava bluntly replied. Vicky's eyes grew wide, she was shocked at Ava's bluntness. Charlotte began to shake her head, from left-to right, repeatedly behind Ava's back.

"Yeah, you can do it in heaven." Vicky told her.

Ava stopped clapping the pattycake tune and folded her arms. "No, mommy was a buddhist. She has been reincarnated into a butterfly!" Ava stormed off.

"Sorry..." Vicky apologised to Charlotte. Charlotte sighed and went to chase after her niece.

___________________________________________________________________________

Doug was working in the cornfield when Jackie and Amelia approached him. He whistled a classic noughties song through his teeth. He wore a torn, rolled-sleeved grey top and torn jeans.

"Come to help out?" Doug asked, not believing his own eyes.

Jackie jokily laughed, "Don't get your hopes up."

"Well then, leave. I've got work to do." He grunted and turned around, back to his work.

"No, Doug." Amelia said, still holding hands with Jackie. "We have something serious to talk about."

"Make it quick." Doug turned back around, raising an eyebrow.

"It's Anthony, he's disgusting and disrespectful." Jackie spoke.

"And not to mention the fact that he's a pervert." Amelia told him.

Doug dropped the rake that he was holding. "You know, I could take this as a personal attack on him. I could report both of you to Jack and get you kicked out."

"It's not us, I promise." Jackie whined.

"Please, just talk to Anthony. Tell him to tone the looks down a bit. Please?" Amelia asked.

"You both work in the field for two hours and I'll talk to him." Anthony blackmailed.

Both girls sighed, speaking at the same time, "Fine."

___________________________________________________________________________

Amelia and Jackie slaved away in the hot son. Doug had dissappeared long ago after Bobby had offered him a beer. They raked the soil in order to make it suitable for planting new crops. Eventually, Amelia fell down onto the floor, exhausted.

"How long has it been?" She groaned.

Jackie looked at her wrist-watch, "Fouty minutes." She sighed.

"Fourty minutes?!" Amelia exclaimed. "I'm not doing this for another hour and twenty!"

"Looks like you're going to have to." Jackie shrugged, continuing on with the work.

"No, fuck this." Amelia stood up. "What's Doug gonna do anyway? Say, 'Anthony, lay off Amelia and Jackie.' That doesn't stand for shit, it's time to take matters into our own hands. I'll trash his his tent, he won't know what hit him."

"Amelia, no." Jackie tried to stop her but she had already begun to walk off.

___________________________________________________________________________

As soon as Amelia reached Anthony's tent, she ripped the door open by the fabric and broke the zip. She smirked. Adrenaline rushed through her body - she loved it. Amelia began by ripping up his sleeping bag, using her sharp nails. Then, she grabbed his pillow. But, she stopped as a small, brown book fell out.

Amelia laughed and grabbed it. It was a diary. She began to flick through reading a few pages and then skipping a few. Her face dropped. Anthony wasn't a normal survivor. She had read all about his life during the early stages of the apocalypse. And, she wished that she hadn't.

The first few pages were of normal day-to-day life. But, the following pages were horrific. Amelia discovered that Anthony was a convicted rapist, working with the mafia. When the apocalypse struck, Anthony, his wife - 'what sorta girl would marry him?!' - and his children all group up with the mafia. However, Anthony's, thirsty-for-revenge, brother murdered his wife and children, in revenge for being framed for Anthony's misdeeds. Then, he attemp-

Amelia felt two hands grab on her legs and she was whipped out of the tent. She began to scream but a rough hand covered her mouth.

"Didn't your momma ever teach you not to go looking at people's private things?" Anthony wickedly laughed. He slided a hand down Amelia's left butt-cheek. "Oh wait, your mom died when you were eight."

Amelia lifted her hand up and went to slap Anthony but, before she could do it, he landed a right hook to her face. She fell dizzy. Grasping the oppurtunity, Anthony grabbed Amelia's hair and began to drag her into the forest.

Anthony slid a hand inside the front of Amelia's trousers. "You ready for me, baby?" He devilishly smirked. Quickly, Amelia brought her knee up and slammed it into Anthony's crotch. She then turned around and attempted to run back to the camp.

"Bitch." He shouted as he leaped forwards and grabbed Amelia's leg. She stopped mid-air and fell, slamming her face into the floor. Blood began to pur from her nose. He grabbed her head and pushed their lips together. Amelia squirmed trying to get away.

"You disgusting pervet, get-" But before Amelia could finish her sentence, Anthony covered her mouth with his hands.

"We're about to have some fun." He grinned. Anthony covered Amelia's mouth with his hands and held her body still with his upper arm as he began to undo her belt with his free hand. However, Amelia let some of the skin on Anthony's hand slip between her teeth and she bit down hard. He pulled away in pain, looking down at his now-bloody hand. Amelia sent him one last look before trying too get back to the camp for a second time. Anthony jumped and tried to grab her leg again but he didn't make it.

Amelia ran straight pass the tents and into the farmhouse where Bobby was looking over Danny with Sarah. His face dropped when she saw her dirty, blood-ridden body. She flew into his arms. He embraced her for a few seconds before asking, "What's up?"

"Anthony, h-he tried to... rape me." Amelia sobbed. She felt Bobby's limbs go stiff.

"This is the last fucking straw." Bobby said as he moved away from Amelia.

"What's going on?" Vicky appeared at the doorway.

"Come on." Sarah ran to Vicky. "Let's go outside - shit is about to go down."

"JACK!!" Bobby screamed. Jack came running down the stairs, followed closely by Doug.

"What happened?" Doug asked, noticing Amelia's bloody face.

"She was nearly fucking raped by Anthony." Bobby openly stated. All this commotion was occuring in the hallway of the farmhouse.

"No thanks to you." Jackie shouted at Doug, appearing at the doorway. She walked over to him and pressed a hard slap to the left of his face.

Bobby looked at Vicky, "Can I tell them?" She nodded. "Anthony also tried to... Well, I don't know what he was trying to do... Vicky caught him poisoning the water supply and Anthony grabbed her... He must've been trying to rape her, or murder her." Bobby explained.

"'Poison,' that's what Danny said." Ava spoke from the doorway.

"Be quiet, Ava." Charlotte hushed. "Let the adults speak."

All of the surviving farm group members were now standing in the hallway.

"Something has to be done about this." Bobby told Jack.

"Banishment, that's the only thing we can do." Jack told him.

"Banishment, fucking banishment?!" Bobby screamed. "He deserve to have his head on a stake."

"We don't have the right to do that." Jack calmly said.

"The right?!" Bobby shouted. "Who has the right to do anything now? There are no government to decide things like in your days, old man."

"I'm banishing him and that's final." Jack stood his ground. "If you don't like it. Then, you can leave too."

___________________________________________________________________________

Anthony brushed the dirt from his clothes and the blood from his face before casually walking back to the camp, acting like nothing ever happened. He stops and his heart sinks when he sees the rest of the group, standing by the campsite, looking at him. Quickly, Anthony turned around and he began to sprint into the forest. Bobby suddenly reacted and began to chase after him.

Bobby caught up to him and placed the end of his pistol to Anthony's left temple. Keeping the gun where it was, Bobby grabbed Anthony's arm and led him back to the survivors.

"Stay back, Ava." Charlotte warned. Ava hid behind Charlotte.

"Anthony Espinoza." Jack began.

"What?" He snapped, spitting on the floor.

"You are being banished from The Douglas Family Farm. If you are ever caught on the land owned by the reisdence, you will be shot on sight." Jack warned. "Understand?

"Yeah." Anthony scoffed.

"Get rid of him." Jack ordered.

Bobby lead Anthony to the edge of the forest and shoved him forwards. Anthony tripped, landiing face-first into the mud. He turned around to face Bobby, blood pouring from his eye. Bobby spat in his face.

"That's for my sister." Bobby told him.

___________________________________________________________________________

Later that evening, everyone except Bobby and Danny crowded around a large campfire. Ava was sleeping with her head resting on Charlotte's lap. Sarah was cleaning Amelia's face. The two spoke to each other in whispers. Anthony's tent lies as ashes in the middle of the fire.

Jack coughed. "It's getting cold out, you can sleep in the house for the winter." He said. The group sent him sad smiles of appreciation but no-one said 'thank you.'

Vicky's ears perked up and she looked around.

"What?" Sarah asked, noticing the movement.

"Bobby, where is he?" Vicky wondered. The group looked around.

"Bobby? Bobby?!" They called.

"He's probably gone for a walk." Amelia spoke up. "He likes to do it when he's mad."

___________________________________________________________________________

Less than a few hundred feet away, the dead leaves crunched and broke under Bobby's footsteps. His breath was visible in the cold air. He brushes his left hand through his hair, moving it out of his face. He held a small pistol in his hand, a silencer positioned on the end. Bobby stopped and smirked.

A few metres away, Anthony slept on the floor with his head rested on a tree. Bobby's presence seemed to awaken him. He rose the gun as he saw Anthony's eyes flutter open.

"Man, I'm sorry." Anthony apologised. "I mean, come on, sometimes a man needs a little action."

'She was my fucking sister' were the last words Anthony heard before a bullet through through his brain. Bobby began to laugh. He opened his mouth wide a chuckled into the night sky.

Trivia

 * Originally, Jackie and Vicky were going to sing 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men in the prenultimate scene.
 * Originally, there was a scene that included infected in this issue. However, it felt un-needed and the scene was removed. Therefore, there are no infected in this issue.
 * The title is a parody of Everybody Loves Raymond, a popular sitcom that aired on CBS from 1996 to 2005.