Neo Soul King Yhwach

[Third Person Pov.]

Lee shifted his gaze between Carley and Kenny as he knew that both of them had valid reasons for this situation. He knew he had to make his decision fast as he knew how low they were on time right now. He nodded his head to himself as he made his choice a few seconds later. He knew he couldn't give up without making sure that the person who needed his help right now was really dead, even if it was Larry out of all people who needed his help right now.

"Quick, open his mouth!" yelled Lee.

It didn't matter that Larry hated Lee's guts. It didn't matter that he knew his secret. Lee's conscience wouldn't allow him to kill someone without even trying. He wasn't that far gone.

"Lee, you dumb sonuvabitch! You're going to get us all killed!" yelled Kenny. Lee chose to ignore the man and forced some pills down Larry's throat before making him swallow. He didn't know if it would be enough, but he prayed to whatever God that was listening that it would.

Kenny moved towards the salt licks. He wasn't having any of this stupidity cost him a chance at seeing his family again. Carley moved in front of him and blocked his way.

"Get the hell out of my way!" exclaimed Kenny.

"No. I'm not letting you kill him." Carley retorted.

Lee kept administering CPR while waiting with bated breath for any signs of Larry surviving. Suddenly, his mouth opened.

"Holy Shit!" yelled Lee.

"Wait, you idiot. He's alive!" stated Carley. Larry sat up and started gasping for air while everyone looked on in awe. Kenny looked like he was incredibly guilty as he just stared down at the floor. Clementine ran over to Lee and hugged him.

"Larry, can you hear me?" asked Carley.

"Wha-what...the...fuck?" groaned Larry.

"Holy shit! You're alive!" yelled Lee.

"What…happened?" grunted Larry.

"You had a heart attack and almost died. Lee and I were able to save your life by giving you nitroglycerin pills. You really need to calm down. You could have almost died!" Carley explained.

"What? Lee?" asked Larry in a dumbfounded expression. He turned towards Lee and studied the man. Larry's face was a mixture of confusion, slight gratitude, bewilderment, and annoyance all put into one. Lee didn't really know what the old man was thinking about his heroics. Maybe he just didn't care and thought Lee was trying to curry favor with him.

I'm glad that he's alright. Even after everything he's said to me, I'm glad that he's alive. Lee thought.

"Whatever. Now that he's up, let's find a way to get out of here," muttered Kenny. Carley simply glared at the man but didn't say anything untoward. Larry was more focused on calming himself down than having an argument, which Lee appreciated.

Alright, now we need to figure a way out of this fucking place.

Lee surveyed the room once more. Maybe there was something he missed. The salt licks, shelves, and pallets were all a no-go. Lee looked at the walls and saw something that gave him hope. An air conditioner was sitting near the top of the wall.

There oughta be an air duct behind this unit that one of us could fit through.

Lee took a closer look. Similar to the barn door, the air conditioner was held in place by a couple of screws underneath it. He needed a way to remove them and he didn't have a multitool this time.

"Does the air conditioner come off?" asked Carley.

"I think I could take it off if I had something to remove the screws," said Lee.

"We could use something else. I have a rock," said Clementine.

"A rock won't work, but a coin might do the trick. Do either of you have coins?" asked Lee.

"No," said Clementine.

"Me neither." Added Carley.

"Wait. I have...coins." gasped Larry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of quarters. Lee walked over and took them from his hand.

"Thanks for your help, Larry." smiled Lee.

Larry opted not to say anything. He was too deep in thought, so Lee left him to his own devices. Now, he had a way of getting them out of this blasted place. Once they were out, all they needed was a couple of weapons and they could overpower the St. Johns.

Of course, nothing is ever that simple.

Lee took one of the quarters and started to unscrew the air conditioner unit. Kenny was beginning to get a bit impatient.

"Hurry up, Lee! We don't have all fucking day!" yelled Kenny.

"I don't see you fucking helping." retorted Lee.

"Here. Just give me the other quarter," said Kenny. He took the quarter from Lee's hand and started unscrewing the other side of the air conditioner. Before long, the two were able to take the air conditioner off the duct and place it on the floor.

"Looks like it will probably lead into that back room." mused Kenny.

"It's too small for us to fit through," said Lee.

"I can do it," said Clementine. Lee approached Clementine and kneeled down in front of her. He admired her bravery, but she needed to know exactly what was expected of her. If things went south, this could end very badly for everyone.

"You think you can do this?" questioned Lee.

"I'm scared," admitted Clementine.

"It's okay to be scared." soothed Lee.

No one's more scared than me. Lee thought.

"Clementine, we need you for this," said Carley.

"...Okay." sighed Clementine. Lee grabbed Clementine and lifted her up into the vent. It was a perfect fit. She had enough room to move around freely without the possibility of getting stuck.

"You're gonna be just fine," Lee said.

"What do I do when I get out?" asked Clementine.

"See if you can get to the other side of that door and open it," ordered Lee.

Clementine nodded and started crawling through the vent. Everyone waited in anticipation as she kept crawling towards the other side. She seemed to leap down and gasp before the door handle turned. Lee turned around as Clementine slowly opened the door. Thankfully, there seemed to be nothing wrong with her physically speaking. She looked pretty nervous, however.

"Are you okay? Did anyone see you?" asked Lee.

"No, but there's a man outside. There's also another woman in the room, but she's tied up," said Clementine.

"Another woman?" questioned Lee.

Kenny didn't pay attention to Clementine and immediately started to leave. Lee could tell that the man was still sore over what happened with Larry, but he needed to understand that getting out of there would take a group effort.

"Kenny. Where the hell are you going?" asked Lee.

"What do you care?" spat Kenny.

"Kenny!" yelled Lee. The man left anyway and Lee grumbled to himself.

He's going to get himself killed doing something stupid.

Lee paid no mind as he left the meat locker with Carley in tow.

"Yeah. This is good," mumbled Kenny as he looked at a couple of sickles that were on the ground. Lee picked up another one while Carley decided to grab a hay hook. Now that she was in the room, Lee looked around and saw jars of human meat, machines that were most likely used to cut up humans, and lots more blood.

It looks like something out of an 80s slasher movie.

Comically, the woman that Clementine had described seemed to be in perfectly fine condition. She was bound by both her hands and legs and had also been gagged. Thankfully, she was also knocked out, so Lee didn't have to deal with her potentially giving their position away.

Kenny partly opened the door to the barn and started peeking out.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Lee.

"Getting my family back!" retorted Kenny.

"What are you gonna do, walk up and grab his gun?" questioned Lee.

"Good a plan as any." mused Kenny.

"Well, hang on. Before you do that, what are we going to do with her?" asked Lee who motioned to the unconscious woman.

"Who, Jolene? Fuck her. We're going to leave her here. She ain't our problem!" Kenny replied.

"What? You were the one who decided to bring her back for information. She could still be useful to us." Lee argued.

"Yeah. There was no risk if the St. Johns were the ones who were taking care of her. Now that we know they're assholes, they have no incentive to get any type of information outta her. Ain't no way in hell I'm letting her sleep under the same roof as my family!" said Kenny.

"I think she would still be valuable, right? Once we deal with the St. Johns, we still have to worry about the bandits. If she knows where they're located or anything else about them, that works a potential confrontation with them in our favor." Lee said.

"You want to hold hands and sing kumbaya with her, then be my guest. You never listen to me anyway." pouted Kenny.

"Come on man, don't be like that. I'm not saying we let her into the group and I understand the danger she possesses, especially with her fixation on Clementine. But all we do is lock her in an unused room, make sure she doesn't escape, and we could get something out of her. The bandits wronged her as well." Lee explained.

Kenny chose to say nothing and instead peeked out the door once more to see where the farmers were. Lee turned to Carley who had been surprisingly silent.

"What do you think about this, Carley?"

"I don't really know. I see both sides of it. I personally wouldn't take the chance, but you knew better than me when it came to the whole Larry situation. I'll let you decide on this one. Also, if we're doing a stealth mission, maybe I should grab more weapons and head back to the group."

"Really? Three is better than two."

"The less of us, the better. We can get around quicker that way." disagreed Kenny.

"Alright. Let me tell you what we're doing with Jolene so the whole group knows," said Lee.

This is a situation of high risk, high reward. The woods are a big place and the bandits have the potential to be a big threat. Assuming we survive this, we're going to need to deal with them next. Jolene would be our biggest source of information.

But what if she escapes and hurts someone? What if she kidnaps Clementine and runs away with her? Can I really take that chance? I took a chance with Larry and it worked. Should I not give Jolene a chance to redeem herself as well?

[Scene Break Location: August 2003, 1 Month After The Outbreak, St John's Dairy]

"Andy, those damn bandits killed everybody but us!" yelled Hank.

He was the St. John's foreman and was quite scared at what happened. The farm hands had been working outside and chatting with each other when bandits appeared and started shooting at the laborers.

Most of them had been killed while Hank and Andy were able to escape back into the house. Brenda was currently fussing over Andy's minor wounds while Danny was sitting in the kitchen watching the pair with interest.

Probably jealous that Mom never gave him as much attention as Dad did.

"I'm well aware of that Hank. We'll deal with it."

"How? An electric fence can stop the dead, but it ain't goin' to stop humans. Especially those with ranged weapons. It's only the 4 of us against an entire army of those nutjobs. How are we going to deal with it?" demanded Hank.

"Panicking ain't goin' to do it. We will find a way out of this. The Lord will be there for us and show us the right path." Brenda soothed.

"I would be surprised if God still roams this Earth. There ain't nothing heavenly about those creatures that appeared on our doorstep a month ago." retorted Hank.

"Hank, don't use the Lord's name in vain! He's always there with us even if we can't see him!" chastised Brenda.

"Mama, you know he didn't mean anything by it. What are we going to do about these assholes? The next time they come back, we're going to be the ones that are killed. We need to be prepared for those sons of bitches when they return." emphasized Danny.

"I know, Danny. I'll figure out a way to deal with it. We just need to make sure that we're more careful when we're outside. We can't stop doing our daily chores just because these guys are trying to scare us. If the dairy stops running, then we're dead anyway." Andy stated.

Hank looked at Andy with an incredulous expression. "Why are you acting like this is business as usual? These people were trying to kill us, Andy! Just because they didn't succeed today doesn't mean they won't come back tomorrow."

There ain't no fucking right way to handle this. I can think of something, but I doubt it will go down well with Hank and Mama.

"Hank, we don't know where they're located! What the hell are we supposed to do? Gear up and go off to war?" asked Andy.

"I just want us to be proactive, so this shit doesn't happen again. The next time, we might not live to tell the tale." finished Hank. He stomped towards the front door while Andy looked back at Brenda and Danny. His brother still had the same monotone look on his face almost as if the conversation bored him. His mother seemed a bit more emotional at what had happened, but she wasn't on the verge of crying or anywhere close to that.

"Oh, Andy. We lost so many good men today. I'm worried that what Hank said is going to come true. We need to start fending for ourselves, or we're going to become a footnote in someone else's story." said Brenda.

"Yeah, that's what Dad always said," muttered Danny.

I wish Dad was here. He would know what to do against these bandits.

"I have an idea. I'm going to need Danny's help with it, Mama," revealed Andy.

"What sort of idea?" questioned Brenda.

"Look-I...do you trust me?" asked Andy.

"Of course."

"Then I can't tell you. It involves having a conversation with the bandits, but I can't tell you much more than that. I promise, when we get back, I'll explain everything to you." promised Andy.

Brenda sighed before looking sternly at both Andy and Danny.

"You boys get back as soon as possible."

"You got it," replied Andy.

He walked outside with Danny following behind him. The two men still had their pistols on them for protection, so they weren't going in completely defenseless. Even still, Andy's plan was a huge gamble that might hurt the family more than it would help them.

Hank was busy piling the bodies of the fallen farmhands into the center of the clearing. Most of them had been shot in the head with Hank finishing off the rest to stop them from turning. Andy had learned that people turn no matter what when a farmhand, Bruce, had decided to kill himself by hanging himself from the rafters of the barn.

Andy had found him thrashing away as a dead man when he went to start his chores the next day. Luckily, he wasn't bitten, but Brenda had warned everyone to be more careful. The woman had also instituted regular prayer sessions that served as both comfort and a place for people to talk about their mental health.

If people on this farm start going crazy, that will be the end of us. Of this family. Of life on this farm.

That's what his Mom always said. She was a comforting woman during these troubled times, but Andy got the feeling that she was getting restless and that she couldn't do more to help the family out. She wasn't particularly skilled with firearms besides the basic use of a pistol and she didn't go out to hunt animals like the boys did.

She's probably the most valuable person on this farm. I'd kill 1,000 bandits if it meant that she was safe.

"So what exactly are you planning on doing?" asked Danny.

"Well, we can't take out the bandits by brute force. We don't know where they're located and, even if we did, there are too many of them for us to take on. That's why we need to use our words a little bit. We're going to strike a deal with the bandits." Andy explained.

"What kind of deal?" asked Danny who raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"We give them food and, in exchange, they leave us alone. Everyone has a price including these dumbasses. We just need to negotiate what it is and we're golden." communicated Andy.

"And what if they just want to kill us because they feel like it?" challenged Danny.

"That's just a risk we'll have to take," responded Andy.

Danny scoffed. "So, we're just going to base this plan of yours on blind faith? You sound more and more like Mama every day."

"What's wrong with that?"

"If I came up with a plan like that, I would be getting my hide tanned from both you and her. But since YOU'RE the one who came up with it, it's a great plan that will totally work. Just because you're smarter than me doesn't mean you're always right."

"I don't think I'm always right. How the hell did that idea get into your head?"

"Mama always takes your side for everything. It doesn't matter what it is. I'm always the screw-up while you're the golden boy. At least when Dad was around things were somewhat fair."

Andy knew that Danny had taken his dad's death harder than anyone else. His mom loved Andy while his dad loved Danny. He wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed, but his dad never let him feel left out or inferior. Everything changed once he passed away.

I didn't think Danny was holding this much resentment. He just needs to get over it.

"Look, there's bigger things at stake here. If you really feel that way, then have a talk with Mom. Right now, we need to make sure that we don't get ourselves killed trying to deal with these idiots."

That's how the two brothers found themselves walking in the woods. They didn't know exactly where the bandits were located, but they figured that walking in the direction they attacked from would probably be as good a bet as any.

The forest was completely silent. Since the dead had risen, Andy hadn't seen many animals in the woods. No, the only animals out here were humans.

Now I have to play nice with those fuckers. I wish I could rip them apart with my bare hands. But you need to be smart, Andy.

Brute force wouldn't get him anywhere. He needed to bide his time and wait for the right opening to strike. If his plan worked, he would get the bandits to think that they were submissive and willing to do his bidding. Then, he would have to wait. Wait for the perfect moment.

We can't be the only people they've raided. Sooner or later, they're going to run into someone that they can't handle. That could take weeks or even months. But when they're weak, we'll be ready.

Andy quietly motioned for Danny to stop walking as they heard footsteps coming from the shrubs in front of them.

"Whoever's out there, we just want to talk. If you're part of the bandits, we have a proposition for your leader. I'm sure he would be willing to listen to what we have to say." announced Andy.

Nobody moved for a good 10 seconds before the bushes parted and 2 men came out with rifles. Each was wearing a ski mask with gloves and goggles to boot. The rest of their outfits were pretty plain, but Andy had a pretty good idea that these guys were part of the bandits.

"Who the hell are you?" questioned one of the bandits.

"A man who is here to offer a deal. Someone who can help your group and also help you survive." Andy replied.

"If you don't want to bring us to your leader, you can bring 'em here instead. All we want is for him to hear us out," added Danny.

The two bandits looked at each other before one of them addressed Andy.

"Fine, you want to see Jake so bad? You can come with us. Don't try any funny business or you're going to regret it."

Andy and Danny followed the two grunts for a while. The pathway in the woods kept twisting and turning before the group came upon a small camp. It didn't really seem like it was anything major, but there were a few more bandits sitting around at the camp.

"This is your main base?" asked Andy.

"No, we're not taking you there. You wait right here and we'll get Jake for you."

The two bandits left while their friends just looked at Andy and Danny with suspicious eyes. Andy took a closer look around the camp. There was a lone campfire in the middle with a few chairs lying around it. Some of them were occupied by bandits while others weren't. There were a few tables where some others were moving around boxes full of supplies.

This Jake guy isn't a complete moron. He's not having his men show his hand that quickly. Still, it should not be hard to manipulate him.

Very soon, the two men came back with a few others. In front of them was a man with dark blue eyes, a ski mask, and a white shirt saying "Hard Ass" on the front of it. He was holding a crossbow, but Andy could tell that he didn't need the weapon to assert his authority. Jake scrutinized the two men almost like he was trying to size them up. Maybe even intimidate them.

"Do they have any weapons?" asked Jake.

"Uh, we didn't check." said one of the men. Jake just looked at him like he was the biggest idiot in the entire universe.

"So, you bring people to one of our camps and you don't check to make sure that he isn't packing?" asked Jake.

The man just put his head down and shrugged.

"Fucking idiots…" mumbled Jake shaking his head.

"You can keep your guns on you at this point. Even if you try to do something stupid like killing me, what do you think my men are going to do to you afterward?" asked Jake rhetorically.

"We don't want to kill you, Jake. Rather, we want to work something out with your gang." Andy replied.

"Work something out? Do I know you two from anywhere?" asked Jake.

"The dairy that your men attacked this morning belonged to us," explained Andy.

"Oh. That place. Yeah, I remember it. We killed a bunch of people over there, right? Were any of them related to you? I apologize for your loss." said Jake. His apology did not seem very sincere at all. If anything, he seemed to be mocking the two men.

"Look, it's water under the bridge. We're here to make you a proposition so that nobody else gets hurt," said Danny.

"A proposition? I'm listening," said Jake.

"Since we run a dairy, we have a lot of food that we produce with the vegetables that we grow and the animals that we hunt. We can provide you with some food for your group and make sure that everyone here is well-fed. In exchange, you don't attack our dairy any longer." proposed Andy.

"Haha! So that's it. You want to keep your little group safe. What's to stop us from just killing you right now and taking all your shit by force?" threatened Jake.

"If you kill us, you might get all our stuff now. But who's going to give you new stuff when you run out of it? Everyone wins long-term from this deal. We don't have to deal with you trying to kill us anymore and you have an easier time getting food. Unless you guys want to try and become farmers yourselves?" questioned Andy.

Jake just stared at the two men with an unreadable expression. Danny had chosen to stay silent for most of the conversation, but Andy could tell he was ready to shoot at a moment's notice. Thankfully, it didn't have to come to that.

"Fine. We'll accept your deal. But I don't just want vegetables or whatever other crap you grow. I want meat. That's what a real man should eat. You folks do hunting, right? I'm sure it won't be a problem for you." said Jake.

"It's going to be colder in a couple of months. I don't know how much meat we can provide you. We run a dairy, not a ranch." said Andy.

"You'll find a way. And if you don't, then we're just going to consider the deal void. Unless you don't want to accept my terms?" asked Jake.

This fucking guy is a real pain in the ass. Unless I want my brother and I to die right here, I better accept his deal. Maybe we can start breeding animals or something. I'll have to go over the details with Mama.

"Yes, we accept your deal."

[Scene Break Location: 2 Weeks Later, St John's Dairy]

"Andy, we're not going to have enough meat to keep the deal going after this." cried Brenda. Adhering to Jake's demands had been harder than he first envisioned. It was now the start of September and the St. Johns were struggling a little bit.

"That asshole was smart trying to add to the deal. Now he knows we're going to work twice as hard to provide for him and barely have enough for ourselves." mused Danny.

"You couldn't have just renegotiated? This deal is going to slowly kill us," said Hank.

"I'm pretty sure he would just kill us and then you two if we even attempted to change what was already promised. Besides, we live in Georgia. We'll still have good weather for at least another month." reassured Andy.

"What about winter? Lord knows we won't be able to find any meat then. We certainly can't butcher Maybelle." retorted Brenda.

"I'll think of something," said Andy. He put his head down in his hands. It was hard enough trying to stay one step ahead of the dead. Now, they had to deal with a bunch of assholes who were ruthless in number and extorting them.

To think you did this to protect your family. You might just end up killing them, Andy. What kind of worthless family man are you?

"Hey, we'll get through this, Brenda. You've always had faith that things will get better. Don't give up hope now." said Hank.

"You're right, Hank. I just need to keep praying and the solution will come to me. I'm sure of it. We will prosper once again just like the old days. God is putting us through a tough trial because he knows that we will be victorious in the end." Brenda stated.

Danny shook his head in denial as if he didn't believe a word that Brenda had said. Andy didn't know if his mom really believed what she was saying either, but they needed to have faith that things would get better. His mom always knew what she was doing and things did eventually get better. Why would this time be any different?

"I'm going to go check the electric fence. We had a couple of dead ones get stuck on the fence yesterday," said Hank.

"Ok. Andy and Danny. Hang back for a second. I may need your help with something around the house." said Brenda.

Hank left to accomplish his task while Andy looked expectantly at Brenda. She seemed a bit nervous which confused Andy since she had no reason to be nervous when asking the brothers to do some household chores.

"What is it, ma?" asked Danny.

"You know, all I can think about are those damn monsters. All they do is eat the animals that we're trying to hunt. And for what? So they can rot away and eat some more. It's disgusting. Think of all the meat that's being wasted." complained Brenda.

"That has been a problem. I can't tell you how many animals we've been tracking only to find chunks of them eaten from the dead. That's a lot of time and energy wasted. Combine that with the fact that it's going to get colder and our future isn't looking too bright." said Andy.

"What we need to consume and trade is meat from animals who are able to fight back against the dead. Animals that won't get injured. Animals that are in plentiful supply no matter whether its spring, winter, summer, or fall."

"Where are you going with this?" asked Andy.

What possible animal could there be that fits this criterion?

"You know I'll always do what's best for you boys. I'll always do what's best for this family. Your father sacrificed too much to have us meet our end, because we were stupid. That's why we need to change our lifestyle. It's going to be hard, but we'll make it work." said Brenda in an ominous tone.

Her face darkened a little bit as she finished speaking. Andy was still confused on what was causing this sudden shift in her mannerisms. She was always such a happy and go-lucky person. What could she be about to propose?

"What animals are you talking about, Mama?" asked Andy.

........

"People."

...

"What?! You want us to kill other people for food? You want us to…become cannibals?!!" Andy cried.

What the hell is wrong with her?

"Andy, please listen to me. I've given this a lot of thought over the last few days. I don't like it any more than you do. I wish things could be different. But this world has given us no choice. If we want to survive, we need to adopt this lifestyle." pleaded Brenda.

"Mama's right," said Danny. He had a dark glint in his eye and a deadpan expression as he defended Brenda's idea.

"You're just willing to give up your humanity that easily?" questioned Andy.

"This ain't about humanity, dumbass. This is about survival. Those people are barely human and we're next on their hitlist if we can't produce any meat. There're so many dumb sons of bitches out there that are just going to die for nothing. At least their death actually can be used to help keep us safe!"

Some part of me is glad that Danny and Mama seem to be working together. I just wish it wasn't about something like this. He does make a good point though. People are going to die to the dead and just have their potential wasted. They're going to come back and start eating others. Why can't we use that meat for ourselves?

Pragmatically speaking, Brenda and Danny had pretty good logic for becoming cannibals. Andy could almost laugh at the morbid undertones of that thought. People were smart enough to kill the dead, but also dumb enough to be trapped by other humans and killed for the meat on their bones. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle to lure other people into a false sense of security. After all, the dairy looked pretty good from an outside point of view and its idyllic nature welcomed many people to its borders even before the turn.

Ethically and morally speaking, this was an outright horrible decision to make. Andy always prided himself on being better than the people who had taken away the lives of his friends and entrapped them.

Could he really say that he was better than the bandits by resorting to cannibalism?

Right now, both sides were battling it out for control of his mind. He was unsure of what the best course was. Family or ethics? Survival or certain death?

"What would Pa say about this? He wouldn't agree with this at all," said Andy.

Brenda had a sorrowful look on her face at the mention of her husband. Clearly, she knew that he might not be as keen to adopt this lifestyle as she and Danny were. Andy wondered if that would be enough to pull her back from this decision. To pull him back from the edge.

"I know he wouldn't want this family to die over something so stupid when we have the solution. I'm aware of how big a sin this is, and I will accept my punishment when Jesus calls me. I will not accept the fact that I could have saved you two boys and chose not to because of fear. Fear that you two will not accept what needs to be done. You two boys are my priority. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe." Brenda earnestly replied.

It wasn't an act. Brenda genuinely wanted the best for her kids. She had agonized over this decision for a while and came to the conclusion that it was the best thing to do. Danny had come to that conclusion pretty quickly and Andy was starting to get there.

"What about Hank? What are you going to say to him?" asked Andy.

Brenda looked downward at the countertop and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"He's going to be our first victim, isn't he?" asked Danny.

Brenda slightly nodded her head. "He would never go for this. He's too noble for that."

"Hank? He's done a lot of good work for us. Is this how we should repay him? Can't we just..,try and convince him?" asked Andy.

"Andy, if you think he'll do it, then by all means, try. You and I both know he won't. Hell, he didn't even like the fact that you dealt with the bandits. You think he's going to accept the fact that we're going to start eating people? Innocent people, might I add?"

"There ain't no other way, Andy. We gotta do this," added Danny.

Andy shook his head. As much as he didn't want to admit it, cannibalism was starting to become more sensible by the minute. Hank would never go for it, but that didn't mean Andy couldn't give him one last chance.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Okay. Remember we need to keep him alive when we cut the meat off his bones. We want to make sure it doesn't spoil." reminded Brenda.

Andy grabbed his own baseball bat from the living room and walked outside. Thankfully, Hank was near the generator, so he didn't have to go too far to find him.

I know how to work the generator. He's expendable.

"Hey Hank, did you finish checking up on the fence?" asked Andy.

"Yeah, there weren't as many husks out there as I thought. Did you already help Brenda out with your chores?" asked Hank.

"Well, I got one more thing. I need to get something from the meat locker. Do you think you could help me move it? It's an older piece of machinery that should be stashed in the back somewhere. For some reason, Mama decided that now would be the best time to bring it out." explained Andy.

"Yeah, sure. What's the bat for? You trying to play baseball afterward?" joked Hank.

"Nah, I was just getting a feel for it. You know, I used to play baseball, but I never thought how accurate a baseball bat would be as a weapon. We don't really have any type of melee weapons, so I figured it would be good to carry for a little bit."

"Not a bad idea," said Hank. The two men walked towards the barn. All the while, Andy was nervously shitting himself. He had never killed another person and he sure as fuck had never eaten another person. Poor Hank was going to be the victim of both.

Don't murderers say it gets easier after your first kill? Maybe it will be like that.

Andy could almost laugh at the fact that he was using murderers as inspiration. This wasn't how he wanted things to go down. Hank opened the barn door and the two walked to the opposite end of the barn. Between the meat locker and the barn was another room that had a bunch of sharp tools. They were usually used to cut up animals that the brothers would bring back.

They're going to have a different purpose now.

"What do you think about this whole bandit nonsense? You got any ideas for how we could get more meat?" asked Andy.

"I never agreed with that bandit shit, but I understand why you did it. As for ideas, I'm a foreman. Not a hunter. I'll leave the hunting to you boys." Hank replied.

"Yeah. The thing is, our situation seems a bit desperate. But I think about all the people who don't have what we have. A home. Food. Water. A cow for dairy products. Those people are probably so desperate that they start thinking about doing crazy things."

"We do have to be grateful with what we have. It could be a lot worse. I'll have to count my blessings that I'm with folks who care about me and want to see me safe."

"Yeah. You know, I was thinking about the dead. How all they do is eat people. If they're like people, then its pretty much cannibalism. Is it not?" asked Andy.

"Well, I guess. I never considered them people. They're dead. There ain't nothing human about them."

"Of course. I believe that they aren't human anymore, either. But others might not feel that way. I mean, you're lucky to be among like-minded people that are sane. What if you came across someone who wasn't so well-adjusted? I mean, there's probably a lot of batshit crazy people out there. For example, maybe they think they're already like the dead, so they start eating people for food. Would you still hang your hat around those types and do what they do if it meant survival?" asked Andy.

"When the hell did you get so morbid? What's bringing all this on?" asked Hank.

"It's just everything that's gone on. I keep thinking about the bandits and how they used to be people who didn't try to rob and kill others. Now look at them. I'm trying to figure out where someone's limits should be. Survival vs. Ethics. If you were down on your luck and came across a group of cannibals, would you do what they do?"

"Hell no. I ain't going to bed with a bunch of cannibals. At that point, I'd already lost whatever humanity was inside of me. I couldn't live with myself if I voluntarily ate people for survival." answered Hank.

That was your last chance. You're going to have to die now, Hank.

As Hank opened the meat locker, a voice that sounded like Andy's dad popped into his head.

Once you go down this road, Andrew, there's no going back.

"Hey, so where is that thing?" asked Hank.

"Uhh…should be just behind the pallets. Can you start moving them while I search this other corner? I don't remember exactly where it is." lied Andy.

Hank nodded and started moving the pallets aside. Andy just stared at the man's back for a few seconds before readying his bat. He took a few quiet steps forward as Hank started to speak again.

"Hey, I'm not really seeing anything here. Are you sure that-"

Andy didn't let him say anything more as he whacked him in the head with the bat. Hank crumpled to the floor and Andy dropped the bat in shock. The foreman was knocked unconscious, but that didn't do much to calm Andy's nerves.

I'm sorry that I have to do this.

Andy had no idea if he was trying to convince himself that it was true or he really meant it.

[Scene Break Location: Sometime Later, St John's Dairy]

"No, please! Don't do this!" screamed a woman.

"Just shut the fuck up already," complained Andy. He inserted a syringe into the woman while Danny held her down. Soon, she stopped thrashing and was knocked unconscious. Danny had a sadistic smile on his face as he saw the woman's eyes flutter shut.

"Are you sure that we had to knock her out? We could have told her that she was free to go and set a bear trap at the front of the barn."

The St. John family had made use of modified bear traps in recent times. Basically, they worked like normal bear traps, but there was no release latch. Once the prey was caught inside the bear trap, there would be no chance that it could free itself.

It worked well for both animals and humans, but the chilly fall winds signified that there would come a time when it would only be used to hunt humans. That was its main purpose after all. The brothers would plant them in the woods to trap unsuspecting travelers. Then, they would take them back to the dairy and use them to replenish their meat stocks.

Those fucking meth heads in the woods don't realize that they're eating human meat. Serves them right for putting us in this position.

Since Hank was killed almost 1 month ago, Andy had found it easier to kill innocent people and come to terms with the new life he was leading. This was protecting his family. There was nothing personal about it. It was just business. He didn't derive any type of pleasure from killing others.

Unfortunately, his brother did not feel the same way. He constantly talked about torturing their victims and giving them the false hope that they would be freed before they ultimately killed them. He seemed to view it as a sick game where he was the predator and everyone else was the prey. His declining mental state had worried Andy to the point he had brought it up to his mother.

She didn't really help him much. If anything, she just told me to keep a better eye on him. I shouldn't have enabled him during the first couple of weeks. If he knew that he shouldn't act that way from day one, he never would have.

"What the hell are you doing, Danny?" confronted Andy.

"What?" asked Danny.

"Why are you enjoying this? We don't do this because we want to. We do this because we have to. You would do well to remember that." chastised Andy.

"Great. Now you're going to preach to me about HOW I do things? I swear you and Mama always have some kind of fucking issue. If there isn't one already there, then you make one up just to put me down." Danny complained.

"Oh, here we go again."

Andy rolled his eyes. He loved his brother, but he felt that he had a bit of a persecution complex. Whenever he was confronted by either Andy or Brenda, he would always make himself the victim.

"Why the hell are we trying to hide who we are? Huh? This is our true nature, Andy. Just because you say that you only do it because you have to doesn't make you better than me. We're all doing this to these innocent folks because we enjoy it." Danny said.

"I don't enjoy shit." denied Andy.

"Maybe at the beginning, you didn't. But you don't give one shit about the morality of this lifestyle anymore. Killing people for food is nothing to you nowadays. Stop trying to act like you're better than me, because we're both doing the same shit for the same reasons."

"I do THIS to protect my family. That's the same reason Mama does this. You do this to satiate whatever sick fantasies you have in your head. We are NOT the same."

"Andy, you're a cannibal. I'm a cannibal. Mama is a cannibal. Why are you trying to hold some moralistic high-ground bullshit over me? Is it because you can't handle being on the same level as little ol' Danny?" antagonized Danny.

"Damnit, man. It ain't like that!" retorted Andy.

"What's it like, then? You mad that you can't just control me to do your bidding? Are you mad that my presence is a stain on this family name because I didn't go to a big fancy college like you? All of the above?"

"You know what, I'm not having this argument with you. Just drag this bitch into the room and cut her up." dismissed Andy.

Danny just looked at him in utter contempt, but he listened to his brother and started dragging the unconscious woman to one of the saws. Andy left the barn and looked out at the sky. The sun was setting and the cold air marked the chills of autumn. If the calendar was accurate, it was late September which meant that the weather would only get colder. The days would only get shorter. The animals would only become scarcer.

This could work in our favor. We can lure people in by promising them food and refuge during the winter months. Most people will fall for the bait instantly.

Indeed, the cannibal business was something that could be done year-round. Once again, his mom had come up with a great idea to keep the family going. At first, Andy's actions haunted the man. They barely let him sleep. Now, it was like getting up out of bed in the morning. He didn't really think much of it. In fact, they probably didn't need to kill as many people as they did. Still, Andy voluntarily maimed as many people as he could. It was just easier to do than hunting animals who may or may not show up.

Did that mean his brother was right? Was he just as much of a psycho as Danny?

No, I'm not a psycho. I'm a family man.

In an ideal world, Andy wouldn't have to resort to cannibalism. Nothing about this world was ideal It was like Hell on earth. And it was all the bandits' fault.

Those stupid fucking pricks. Honestly, I don't see why we should keep trading with those ungrateful fucks. Mama rarely leaves the property and Danny and I are smart enough to not get caught off guard. Why don't we just keep the extra meat for ourselves?

So many questions and not enough answers. He entered the house and saw Brenda was busy cooking dinner.

"Mama, can you talk to Danny when he's finished up in the barn?" asked Andy.

"Have you two boys been fighting again?" asked Brenda.

"No, it's his attitude. He enjoys what we do a bit too much. It's like he's trying to be Ted Bundy or something. I was trying to tell him that we're cannibals out of necessity, but he doesn't want to listen to me. He keeps saying that I'm trying to victimize him or some other bullshit, and I just can't get through to him."

"Honey, I understand where you're coming from. Look, it hasn't been easy for Danny since Terry passed away. You know how close he was to your father. Family fights all the time, but we always make up in the end because we know that family is all we have in this cruel world. I'll talk to him, but I'm sure that his behavior won't be a detriment to us." soothed Brenda.

Her calm words reassured Andy a lot, but he was still worried that Danny wouldn't see reason. That he would continue to hold a grudge and descend into madness just because it made him feel good. He didn't really see their actions leading him down any other path.

"I've been praying a lot…y'know. Ever since we started eating people, that's what I've done every night. I've prayed to God, Terry, whoever is listening. Don't punish my boys for what they have done. Punish me because I am the one who pushed them to do this. When our judgment comes, please have mercy on my sons. They've only done what their mama wanted them to do."

Brenda started crying and Andy pulled her into a hug. It was a strange sight seeing his mom break down, but he knew that he needed to be there for her now. Rather than focus on his argument with Danny, he had to focus on the one thing that kept him going.

Family. Protecting his family.

After all, that's the whole reason he agreed to any of this. He didn't want his family to go down for nothing just like the people they killed. He might not have agreed with it on a moralistic level, but the time for morals was over. Morals just made people weak. And people who were weak were killed by those who weren't.

"Don't worry, Mama. It'll all be okay. I'm sorry for bringing this to your attention right now. I know you must be having a tough time. No matter what, Danny and I will do everything we can to keep the family name strong."

He meant every word. But deep down, Andy knew the truth—those who kill, even in the name of survival, are bound to face their end. Murderers, whether saints or devils, meet the same fate. Taking a life is like signing your own death sentence.

Still, Andy St. John had accepted that. If protecting his family meant walking a path of darkness, with no way back, then he would do it. No matter the cost.

[Scene Break Location: Present Day, St John's Dairy]

Katjaa and Duck cowered in fear once Andy pulled out his gun. He had instructed them to stay put while Danny and Brenda led the rest of the group to the barn. If they didn't comply with his wishes, he was going to kill the kid. That served as enough incentive for his mother to not try anything.

I know I could kill that kid if I really wanted to. Before, that would have scared me. Now, I've made my peace with it. Funnily enough, I've done what Danny always wanted me to do. Embrace who I am.

The front door opened and Andy quickly aimed his gun at the intruder before realizing it was Brenda.

"Sorry. I thought it might have been one of them." Andy apologized.

"It's okay, honey. Danny and I locked the rest of them up in the meat locker. As for this fellow, we need to dispose of him." Brenda stated pointing to Travis.

"I'll take him upstairs and deal with it," said Andy. Brenda pulled out her own gun and aimed at the other mother-and-son pair. Andy picked up Travis while he was facing downward and carried him upstairs. As he got to the bedroom, he heard a commotion from downstairs.

Is there a problem? Fuck, I'll be damned if one of them tried to hurt Mama.

Racing out of the bedroom, Andy ran down the stairs and looked into the living room. The kid was still sitting in his chair crying, but Katjaa was in the midst of a shouting match with Brenda.

"How can you do this?! You have a son of your own. How can you threaten to kill my child and not even feel bad about it?" asked Katjaa.

"This isn't about feelings, Katjaa. I have tons of feelings about what I do. But my family's safety is more important to me than whatever I feel. I'm sure you care about your family too. This ain't personal. It's just the way the world works now." defended Brenda.

"You should consider yourself lucky. We need someone to take care of Maybelle and we also need someone to make sure you don't step out of line. That's the only reason you and your son are here right now. If you want to keep it that way, you'll shut the fuck up and do as we say." Andy stated.

"It doesn't have to end like this. You can let us go and we can all move on with our lives." Katjaa pleaded.

"I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that, Doc," replied Andy.

"Speaking of that, we need to have a discussion on the other folks in the barn," said Brenda.

She motioned to Andy to follow her out of the doorway. They had already taken the weapons off of everyone in Lee's group and had stashed them away. Danny had taken the multitool with him. The only thing left on the table was an old camcorder that Kenny had apparently found while he was out looking for the bandits with Danny.

"If you try anything, remember what will happen to your son," warned Andy.

Andy and Brenda stood in the doorway just so they could keep an eye on the two.

"We're going to have to figure out what to do with the rest of the folks in the barn. They're going to try something. I just know it." Brenda stated.

"Well, we need to keep at least one person alive in there to do our bidding. Maybe the husband of the vet. Or maybe one of the sniveling teenagers. It's gotta be someone who won't put up a fight. Definitely not that Lee fellow. He's too strong and smart to be kept in a cage for long." Andy replied.

"Pick one to keep and kill the rest. I know this group is a lot larger than what we're used to, but it's not that far from how we deal with people on their own." Brenda said.

"Alright, I'll let Danny know what's going to happen. Are you okay with watching over these two?" asked Andy.

"I'll be fine, honey. I know how to use a gun." Brenda said. Andy walked to the front door and opened it. It had started raining by that point and the rain did nothing but dampen Andy's spirits. The plan had been so perfect. Everything had gone to perfection.

It was bad luck that neither of them was touching the electric fence when I turned it on. I could have labeled it as an accident. I can't believe the bandits actually attacked the dairy. That was a huge stroke of luck. Now, I have to deal with this bullshit earlier than expected.

Obviously, the group would have started asking questions and had to have been taken care of sooner or later. Lee had already found a way to open the barn door and take a look inside before Andy came up with some bullshit excuse. He could tell Lee didn't really buy it even though, ironically, that's what the original purpose of the room was. There was really no other way this could have gone down.

My family over theirs. It's nothing personal. Just business as usual.

[Scene Break Location: Motor Inn]

Darkness had settled in at the motor inn, but Lilly had never been more awake. Sure, she had to take the entire watch shift because Ben didn't know how to shoot a gun. That wasn't the most worrying thing to her.

What worried her was that the group hadn't come back yet.

Dinner should be over by now. I doubt that the St. Johns are letting them stay for the night. Even so, someone would come back to let me know about the change in plans. Something isn't right here.

She knew that Yhwach's group could stay at Hershel's farm for the night if they were running late. Based on what she had heard of the man, Hershel was a good guy who could be trusted. Something in her gut was telling her that the St. Johns weren't so nice. Brenda seemed friendly from the outside and the two brothers seemed like your average farmers.

Yet, Lilly just couldn't shake the paranoid feeling she had. Their setup was almost TOO perfect, their attitude is TOO friendly.

Maybe that's just how they decided to cope. Just because they're nice doesn't mean they're weak.

Maybe it was because her dad was among the people who left. Lilly didn't really want him to go by himself since she was afraid that he might cause an argument with Lee or someone else in the group which could lead to issues if no one was able to calm him down. Of course, he was an adult and she couldn't exactly force him to stay without looking clingy, but that still didn't stop her from worrying.

Sometimes I feel like I don't tell my dad how much I care about him.

It wasn't the family tradition to act vulnerable. Her dad was tough so she had to be tough. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben walking up to the RV. Since the kid couldn't go on watch, he decided to head to the room that Lilly assigned to him and catch some sleep.

If any more people show up, we might not have enough rooms to house them all. We got Travis and Ben in one room, my dad and I, Clementine and Lee, Carley and Doug, Mark and Jugram, and Kenny's family who sleep in the RV.

"What do you want?" asked Lilly.

"Uh, I was just wondering when…the group would be coming back. It's been a while," said Ben.

"What, you think they gave me an itinerary? How am I supposed to know?"

Ben just blushed in shame and mumbled an apology.

"Look, they should have been back by now. If they don't come in the next 30 minutes, we may have to go look for them." Lilly said.

"Both of us?" squeaked Ben.

Lilly narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. I'm not leaving you alone at the motel. You can't even defend yourself and you're still new here. Once you learn how to handle a gun, you MAY be trusted to stay here on your own, but that's a huge maybe."

"How am I going to be any use at the dairy if everyone else is in trouble?" asked Ben.

"If they're in danger, I can't save them on my own. I'll find a use for you," said Lilly.

He's right, though. The kid's practically a sitting duck.

Suddenly, Lilly heard the sound of an engine rumbling down the road. She immediately aimed her gun at the noise, but it was a bit hard to see without any electricity. The only light sources that were present were some LED lights near the entrance and the common area that Doug had rigged up.

As the car got closer, Lilly noticed the familiar paint job of Glenn's car that Yhwach had taken out earlier. The car stopped and Yhwach got out of the car with Mark and Doug just behind him.

"Lilly, it's us. Don't shoot!" yelled Doug.

Lilly hopped down and walked over to the entrance with Ben following behind her. Yhwach got back in the driver's seat as Lilly and Mark started removing the dumpsters from the driveway. Once the path was clear, Yhwach drove the car into its usual parking spot. There looked to be crates of food in the backseat of the car and the trunk which pleased Lilly.

"So, I'm guessing your mission was a success?" asked Lilly.

"Success. That's one way to put it." chuckled Mark. His laugh seemed forced and without humor.

Did something happen on the way there? Mark doesn't seem particularly happy.

"What happened?" asked Lilly.

"We stopped in a small town before reaching the farm for supplies. That decision was mine alone. Mark and Doug followed my lead. At a bar, we encountered two men. They made threats, and I advised them to leave. They didn't. They followed us to Hershel's farm. In the ensuing conflict, they took hostages. There was a shootout. I devised a plan that led to one of Hershel's sons being caught in the crossfire. He didn't survive."

Yhwach explained. He shook his head in dissatisfaction as he finished his last sentence. 

"But we still got the food that was promised? None of you got hurt, right?" asked Lilly.

"No, Hershel still gave us the food. Everyone here is fine." Yhwach confirmed.

"Then you did good, 'Jugram'. You took care of our people and you helped feed them. I don't see what the problem is." said Lilly.

"The problem?! The problem is that he got one of Hershel's sons killed because of his poor judgement. He had to watch his own son die. Don't you have a heart, Lilly?" asked Mark.

Lilly held her hands up. "Hey, don't take it out on me. I didn't even know the kid. What do you want? A funeral for him? It's sad that he died, but shitty things happen. What's done is done."

"Speaking of groups, why are you and the kid the only ones here?" asked Mark.

"That's a long story. Basically, after you three left, these two brothers happened to run into the Motor Inn. Their names are Andy and Danny St. John. They own a dairy farm a few miles up the road and we agreed to exchange gas for food since their place is protected by an electric fence. I went with Ben, Kenny, and Travis to check the place out and it seemed legit at first glance. They have a cow who was supposedly having troubles, so their mother, Brenda, offered to feed the entire group dinner if they brought her to see what was wrong with her. Ben and I went back, but we ended up eating some of the food they gave us, so we stayed to watch the motor inn." explained Lilly.

Yhwach stood still, absorbing Lilly's explanation as his eyes briefly flicked between her and the crates of food they had managed to gather. His mind, however, was already turning over the information she'd just provided. The St. John dairy sounded convenient—too convenient.

A place with an electric fence, livestock, and seemingly generous hosts in the midst of a crumbling world? The odds of such an arrangement being anything but a trap were slim. It was a classic tactic. Offer the desperate something they need, and they'll walk into any situation blindly, unaware of the strings attached.

Yhwach glanced at Lilly. She appeared competent but overburdened. She carried herself with the aura of someone forced into leadership, making hard decisions while balancing her personal fears. Then there was Kenny, a family man—emotional, driven by passion rather than logic. The two of them sticking together long-term would only lead to more chaos. A leader ruled through calm, unshaken resolve. If Lilly's decision-making was based on protecting her father or reacting to Kenny's impulsiveness, they were already lost.

A bad pairing. Eventually, they'll tear each other apart.

Yhwach dismissed those thoughts for now and focused on the key point.

The dairy.

His intuition gnawed at him. Farmers or not, they had an upper hand here. They controlled resources vital to survival. Food and protection. And if they were offering so freely, it could only mean there were hidden motives. Lilly had just described the perfect bait.

"And these farmers, the St. Johns..." Yhwach spoke finally, his voice calm as his eyes fixed on her, "You trust them?"

Lilly met his gaze, frowning slightly, "They seemed decent enough. Brenda was nice, and the place is secure. It's not like we have a lot of options, do we?"

Yhwach nodded, but his thoughts continued racing.

You want to trust them because they offer what you need. The more dire the need, the easier it is to overlook the cracks. This is the weakness of those who lead out of necessity, not choice.

"Let me offer you some advice, Lilly," Yhwach said, his voice steady but carrying an underlying weight. "People who give too much—whether food, protection, or promises—often have something to take in return. Always be cautious when the gift is too generous."

Lilly opened her mouth to respond, but Yhwach's eyes drifted toward the RV.

"And the others?" he asked, turning back to her. "They aren't back yet, I assume?"

Lilly shook her head. "No, I was planning on going with Ben to check the place out soon. Now that you guys are here, I can leave him behind and travel with one of you guys."

"You suspect foul play?" asked Yhwach.

"Something about their whole setup just rubs me the wrong way. It almost seems too good to be true. Maybe I'm just being overly paranoid, but I'm getting a bad feeling about the group's absence. That's why I'm going over there." Lilly explained.

Yhwach's expression remained unreadable, but there was a slight narrowing of his eyes. "I'll go. I need to settle unfinished business from the farm." 

"I'm in, too," Mark chimed in. "If our group's in trouble, we'll need all the help we can get."

Doug, standing off to the side, shifted nervously. "Wait, so you're leaving me alone with… uh, what's his name again?"

"Ben," the young man mumbled, clearly uncomfortable.

"You're leaving me here with Ben?" Doug sounded incredulous. "Let me come with you. I'm better off out there than babysitting."

"Doug, we can't leave Ben alone. He's still new and I don't particularly trust him to watch the motor inn while we're gone. He doesn't even know how to shoot a gun. Plus, if something happens to you, Carley's going to lose it. I can't risk that either." said Lilly.

Without a word, Yhwach tossed his car keys to Doug. "If we don't return within twelve hours, take Ben and as much as you can carry, and leave. Don't waste time waiting for us."

Doug caught the keys, a heavy silence falling over the group as the reality of Yhwach's words sank in. "Right... twelve hours. Got it."

Yhwach turned his attention to Ben. "Do you know how to use a weapon?"

Ben stammered, clearly intimidated. "Uh, no. Not really."

Doug let out a frustrated sigh. "Great."

"Alright, let's move. We're wasting time here," said Lilly impatiently. She led Mark and Yhwach out of the motor inn and on the road towards the dairy. The night owls were singing their ominous tone almost as if the group was marching off to war.

Yhwach walked slightly ahead, his thoughts sharp as ever. War, he mused. It has always been war. The enemy has only shifted.

"I forgot to mention, but the St. Johns might not be the only people we have to worry about. There's a group of bandits that live in the nearby woods," announced Lilly.

"Bandits?! In our own backyard? As if things couldn't get any worse. Do you know anything about them?" asked Mark.

Yhwach, walking slightly ahead, remained silent, listening to the conversation but focused on the task at hand. His mind dissected the situation—bandits, the St. Johns, and the missing group. Every angle was a potential threat, every unknown a risk. But one thing was certain: whatever stood in their way would be dealt with swiftly and without mercy.

"We don't know their exact numbers, but they seem to be quite large if what Danny and Andy told us is true. They're definitely not the type looking to make friends. We're probably going to have to deal with them soon." Lilly answered.

"Could it be possible that the bandits might have invaded the dairy and are holding everyone hostage? Maybe the St. Johns are innocent in whatever's going on." Mark theorized.

"That would be nice, Mark. But things are never that simple, are they?" asked Lilly rhetorically.

Don't worry. I'm going to make sure my people are taken care of. If the St. Johns are innocent, that's great. If they're not, they're going to wish they never tried to fuck with us. Lilly thought.

_______________________________________________________________

What does [M] (Lee Everett) do?

A) Take her (as a prisoner)

B) Leave her

C) Kill Her

D) Nothing

_______________________________________________________________

Relationships [M] (Lee Everett):

Clementine: 13/15

She's glad you didn't kill Larry. Helping the group escape from the meat locker has made her feel a lot more useful.

Kenny: 4/15

He's completely disgusted that you didn't back him up when he needed you to. He does feel a bit guilty that he almost killed Larry when he was alive, but he'll never admit it.

Carley: 12/15

You did the right thing in her eyes. She appreciates that you're keeping the group together.

Larry: 6?/15

He's completely confused about why you decided to save him. Surely, you would kill him at the first opportunity, right?

_______________________________________________________________