Nooooooooo I was not able to vote in the time And I would have voted for option 2 because it sounds better. Sorry for not voting and I hope the situation will not get too bad because of this.
Voting is closed!
(!) The group will wait until sunup to begin approaching the radio station.
This decision will spell many unforeseen… more consequences that will certainly be unexpected. Really, it feels a bit unfair. Anyway, both of the options would ultimately see them arrive Colorado Springs. However, the chosen option isn't just a little sidestep without progress. Valuable information will be garnered. And now they're approaching their destination from a slightly different direction, which has irreparably changed the course of events. Let's just say... you've picked your poison.
I've always been a fan of despairful situations.
But no despairful situation can replicate the despair that I'm feeling after that.
But, at least we get valuable information.
Arguably, the expedition's chances have improved. And I'm really sorry about closing the voting before you got a chance to vote. It slipped my mind that you hadn't voted yet. I'll try to give you a larger window or maybe a warning in advance next time!
Nooooooooo I was not able to vote in the time And I would have voted for option 2 because it sounds better. Sorry for not voting and I hope the situation will not get too bad because of this.
Its okay. I do an apprenticeship in another city and I am currently home for only one or two days every week and never know when I can come online. I dont have internet access at the room where I stay for my apprenticeship. When I miss a voting, it is okay and cant be prevented because of my work. You dont need to wait for me. Maybe just for the most important votes because I dont want to miss them
Arguably, the expedition's chances have improved. And I'm really sorry about closing the voting before you got a chance to vote. It slipped … moremy mind that you hadn't voted yet. I'll try to give you a larger window or maybe a warning in advance next time!
I won't make special accommodations, as you wish, but as a rule of thumb, I will definitely start leaving very important votes open longer to allow everyone to vote and others time to change their minds.
Its okay. I do an apprenticeship in another city and I am currently home for only one or two days every week and never know when I can come … moreonline. I dont have internet access at the room where I stay for my apprenticeship. When I miss a voting, it is okay and cant be prevented because of my work. You dont need to wait for me. Maybe just for the most important votes because I dont want to miss them
Sorry for my recent absence. I've been preoccupied with something which I'll go into in a second, but I don't like having long periods of silence, so I'm breaking it now. I'm hoping to resume Monument sometime next week. Anyway, I recently joined a class—nothing too time-consuming or extensive, but the overall assignment has been to create a theater play. I'm part of a small team working on it, and that has been eating up a lot of my creative time and focus, even though it's not the least bit serious. It's over Sunday, though. So, things should return to normal next week. : )
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 4: James watched the horizon with his full attention and was rewarded with another glimpse of light. It flashed and for the briefest of moments the surrounding clouds glowed an electronic red, then darkness enveloped it again. The others saw it, too. He shut his eyes, lowered his head, and thought on the issue until he came to a verdict. “At sunup”—he lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking at them with a reassuring confidence in his expression, then continued, “we’ll make our way towards the radio station. There, I’ll make contact in the softest way possible. Alone, I might add. If it’s my decision, it’s my skin on the line.”
The majority of the group accepted his answer without protest, silently acknowledging his choice with tired nods. As almost everyone left the road to set up camp, Maria remained there with James. Danny lingered in the darkness, waiting for her.
She massaged the bridge of her nose, frustratedly. “What’s the point of this side step?” she asked. “Seriously, it’s like you’re engineering a situation just to put yourself in danger. That’s what this amounts to.”
“What’s wrong with playing hero?” James smiled. Based on her grimace, he realized it was sadder looking than it should have been.
“Just be frank, asshat.”
For a moment, James was reminded of his niece. He got a little teary-eyed, but luckily the darkness hid it. His tone grew serious. “Okay. Look, I’m worried as shit. Like I’ve said, I expected to run into my friends a long time ago. Either we've been really unlucky and missed their outposts, or… they didn’t expand south at all. We’ve seen jack between here and the Oklahoma panhandle, so it’s possible.”
“Or,” Maria murmured, aware it would definitely be a sensitive subject, “the horde we’ve been following trampled their outposts.”
“That… has me worried, especially.” James looked off. “The horde’s trail is just too close to Colorado Springs. I…” He sensed the edge in his tone and made an effort to speak calm and clearly. “The corpses gravitate to any sort of population center. When I left, there were about three hundred people.” He swallowed hard. “Listen, it may not seem this way—it may seem like an unnecessary risk, but I think it’s a hell of a lot more cautious than heading straight to our destination. We’re too worn out to put up a fight if something happens.”
Maria seemed to look for the red light, but it didn’t show itself. She sighed in such a way that seemed… remorseful, and said, “We trust your judgment. All of us do, even when we have our disagreements, or when you’re being a shit head… We trust you.”
James nodded slowly. He looked her in the eye and decided he didn’t want to keep it to himself anymore. “My niece died, thanks to me. I... failed to protect her. You know, you’ve got similar attitudes.”
“I… don’t know how to take that,” Maria said, shifting her weight awkwardly.
“Take it as a compliment, I guess.” James exhaled heavily in the cool night air. “I’ve just been reminiscing a lot. Too much, really. I needed to get that off my chest if I wanted to go in with a clear head.”
“So… head cleared?” Maria asked.
“I’m not really sure yet,” he replied.
“Then,” she murmured, untensing, “can I ask you what part of my attitude reminded me of your niece?”
“Among a few other things, you’re always cursing me and the others out. It sort of developed on the expedition, but… it developed the same way as I traveled with my niece.” He chuckled softly and sadly. “It dove me nuts. Absolutely hated it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“I mean it as one,” he said truthfully. “It’s one of those things you kinda miss once it’s gone.”
“I’ve lost people, too,” Maria said. “I get ya.”
“Well, thank you for chatting,” James said. He sighed and adjusted his heavy backpack. “If we don’t join the others soon enough, one of us is gonna get stuck with watch duty.”
“We better get going, then,” Maria said to Danny. He gave James an sympathetic smile and walked with her. She called from over her shoulder, “You better hurry, too. C’mon, we can make it a race. Loser gets watch duty.”
James smiled in the darkness, the moon illuminating the right half of his face has clouds drifted. “I’m just gonna accept defeat now. Tell the others I’ll be there in a minute, I’m gonna take a moment to think.”
“Heh. Alright, slowpoke,” Maria called back.
James studied Fairweather’s scarred facade from a distance as he approached, a little disheartened that he remembered nothing of the storm. He woke a few times during his trip downriver, or once at the very least, sufficient enough to fabricate enough unpleasant dreams to last a lifetime.
He passed under the broken archway on his crutches, then through the double doors that were propped open. To his understanding, the lobby was hardly ever used for communal purposes, much less manned by a clerk; it was essentially a very wide-open shed occupied by the occasional gardener. Since the tower’s collapse, lots of cutting tools and scrap metal now littered the floor and shelves, leaving the place in disarray. He had been told by Josephine that the room keys were kept elsewhere by the council, providing the residents of the hotel with privacy and a modest level security.
*James rested by the second set of double doors that opened to the garden. Outside, he saw an older gentleman standing so still that he almost missed him. Jefferson Mclannon, he thought, but was unsure. *
James sucked up the indignity and pressed his body against the glass to push it open, then awkwardly slipped through while balancing on his crutches. He make all kinds of noises that made him wince and shuddered at the thought of having to get the door open again.
Jefferson gave no indication of noticing him, but James was sure he had heard him fumbling with the door. He scanned the gardens, looking for the gravemaker, and realized that Jefferson was standing in front of it.
“Hey!” James shouted from a distance to hopefully not startle the old man if he was hard of hearing. Jefferson looked at him. James went on, asking, “Should I come back later?”
“Don’t mind me,” he said with a very neutral tone. It was a step up; many others in Laredo regarded him with distrust, some even with hostility. He couldn’t really blame them. Nerve ran high at the moment, and he was a stranger. Jefferson’s expression wasn’t quite discernable underneath his large mustache, and his wide-brimmed cowboy hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but nothing suggested animosity.
He sidled up to the older man. He tried to focus on the maker, but that grew painful. It stood upright out of one of the larger plant beds. There was a thick coat of flowers piled on top of the grave, so much so that the recently turned earth and even the chiseled letters were not visible.
“Wish I could have known him,” James whispered. He indicated toward the wilted flowers with a hand. “Guess he was pretty exceptional.”
“He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor,” Jefferson intoned quietly. “Calvin was a rare kind. He didn’t deserve this.”
“Hmm-hmm,” James agreed, unsure of himself. “I... owe him a lot. I kind of feel at a loss.”
“Lookin’ for advice? Just help his friends,” Jefferson said. James nodded to this, but he was already set on it. “And never forget him.”
Oh yes, a new part It was a very great part as well. I seriously enjoyed that interaction between James and Maria and we also saw a return of Jefferson, who left some impression through that talk he had with Josie ages ago. With every passing part, I start trusting James more, especially after this talk between him and Jefferson and I wonder if this builds him up as a hero and ally to the group, a likeable guy who dies tragically, or if he ends up as a traitor after all, which would probably be the most shocking outcome here. But yeah, I like him and I hope that won't turn out to be a mistake. Although I get the feeling that something is not right with his community. This stuff about them not expanding south, that sounds an awful lot like foreshadowing of something really dark. Maybe his community got overrun, or taken over by hostiles and I don't know which would be worse.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 4: James watched the horizon with his full attention and was rewarded with another glimpse of light. It fl… moreashed and for the briefest of moments the surrounding clouds glowed an electronic red, then darkness enveloped it again. The others saw it, too. He shut his eyes, lowered his head, and thought on the issue until he came to a verdict. “At sunup”—he lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking at them with a reassuring confidence in his expression, then continued, “we’ll make our way towards the radio station. There, I’ll make contact in the softest way possible. Alone, I might add. If it’s my decision, it’s my skin on the line.”
The majority of the group accepted his answer without protest, silently acknowledging his choice with tired nods. As almost everyone left the road to set up camp, Maria remained there with James. Danny lingered in the darkness, waiting for her.
She massaged the bridge of her … [view original content]
Jefferson is back! Awesome part, I am so happy to see him again. And Maria and James have great interaction together, hope to see more of it! And I agree with Liquid, James community is in trouble. I hope they find out what it is soon.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 4: James watched the horizon with his full attention and was rewarded with another glimpse of light. It fl… moreashed and for the briefest of moments the surrounding clouds glowed an electronic red, then darkness enveloped it again. The others saw it, too. He shut his eyes, lowered his head, and thought on the issue until he came to a verdict. “At sunup”—he lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking at them with a reassuring confidence in his expression, then continued, “we’ll make our way towards the radio station. There, I’ll make contact in the softest way possible. Alone, I might add. If it’s my decision, it’s my skin on the line.”
The majority of the group accepted his answer without protest, silently acknowledging his choice with tired nods. As almost everyone left the road to set up camp, Maria remained there with James. Danny lingered in the darkness, waiting for her.
She massaged the bridge of her … [view original content]
I honestly think the former would be worse, being as there's already a horde and James mentioned there was around 300 people in the community when he left. There's more to add to the horde they're already following.
Oh yes, a new part It was a very great part as well. I seriously enjoyed that interaction between James and Maria and we also saw a return … moreof Jefferson, who left some impression through that talk he had with Josie ages ago. With every passing part, I start trusting James more, especially after this talk between him and Jefferson and I wonder if this builds him up as a hero and ally to the group, a likeable guy who dies tragically, or if he ends up as a traitor after all, which would probably be the most shocking outcome here. But yeah, I like him and I hope that won't turn out to be a mistake. Although I get the feeling that something is not right with his community. This stuff about them not expanding south, that sounds an awful lot like foreshadowing of something really dark. Maybe his community got overrun, or taken over by hostiles and I don't know which would be worse.
I'm not so sure about this. I mean, a horde (or a walker in general) is relatively easy to avoid, it can't set up an ambush, it's not intelligent, it is easy to outrun a walker and they don't use guns. And if the worst happens (which I seriously don't hope), then a walker will never ask questions like "Where is the rest of your community located?" If James' community got overrun, then they will possibly see it long before the walkers in there will become a danger, but if they have been taken over by hostiles, then there is the chance that they won't notice it until it is too late.
I honestly think the former would be worse, being as there's already a horde and James mentioned there was around 300 people in the community when he left. There's more to add to the horde they're already following.
I agree with you, however, the one thought that keeps coming back to me is how Christian and Jordan got ambushed, even though they were aware of the herd coming about. Ten is a bigger number than two, that is true, but that could actually make things more dangerous if they were to ever get pushed in by a horde.
I'm not so sure about this. I mean, a horde (or a walker in general) is relatively easy to avoid, it can't set up an ambush, it's not intell… moreigent, it is easy to outrun a walker and they don't use guns. And if the worst happens (which I seriously don't hope), then a walker will never ask questions like "Where is the rest of your community located?" If James' community got overrun, then they will possibly see it long before the walkers in there will become a danger, but if they have been taken over by hostiles, then there is the chance that they won't notice it until it is too late.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mostly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided to ruminate over matters alone and they watched the horizon until James grimly called everyone together. He felt the knots in his stomach tighten with sudden anxiety as he stood.
“I got the files you asked for,” Josephine said unhappily.
“Thanks, Josie,” Jake said, kissing her on the cheek as he took them. He walked back into the room—leaving her at the door—and tossed them, carefully, onto a cluttered pile that was not contained to the table. In fact, the entire room relegated to their planning was a disorganized mess.
“I’ve got a few concerns.” A little disgruntled, she added, “If you’re willing to listen to me, of course.”
James briefly looked up from reading a chapter on topography, , his crutches nearby, wondering if this was going to turn into an argument and attempted to promptly shrink into his corner of the room.
Tapping Domenick’s file, which lay at the top, with his pointer and index finger, Jake sighed. “Sure,” he whispered, ghostly quiet.
“Violet Moore, first and foremost,” she said.
“Yeah, I figured that’d be it.” He awkwardly scratched an unshaven cheek. “Look-- uh, we’re not simply in the position to turn down-- uh, applicants. Josie, I get your objection, but she wouldn’t be in Laredo if she wasn’t harmless.”
There was a long spot of silence. “I’m not objecting to her involvement, I just think she’s running,” Josephine said finally, almost sadly.
“From?” he managed, a little surprised.
“Not too long ago, I learned that she gets harassed frequently by some of the other residents.”
“Yikes... That’s your department. How come you never heard?”
She nodded glumly. “It’s never been reported by her.”
“What else do we know about this?”
“It’s in there. I suggest you read it,” and she indicated the sloppy stack of files. “By the way, I agree that she is harmless, but that’s the part of the problem. Harmless . . . passive . . . not exactly material built for live on the road. Added to that, it’s possible some of the others might not get along with her. I know I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her—of course, that’s not her fault.”
James had picked out Violet Moore’s dossier and was in the process of flipping through it. The most recent addition pertained the harassment report. He read it. “Well, Christ, I don’t blame her wanting to get outta here then.”
“Me neither,” Josephine said softly.
Filed by a woman named Gretchen Pritchett, the account outlined the ending pieces of an encounter overheard by Pritchett between Violet Moore and a man that the witness identified as William Dillard. Dillard threatened Moore verbally before Pritchett intervened. Dillard lef, then Moore thanked Pritchett left as well.
“Have you spoken with her yet?” Jake asked. “Or with him?”
“Yes, both,” she replied, “but I don’t think it’s been resolved.”
“Well, she shouldn’t feel the need to join the expedition just to get away from this,” Jake said. “Do you want me to give you a hand with this?”
“I’d appreciate it,” Josephine said genuinely. “We gotta make sure this is a safe place for all of our residents. Regardless, beyond this, the decision to join your expedition is hers.”
“Of course,” Jake agreed. “And your other concerns?”
“Danny, Maria and Asher—fuck it,” Josephine suddenly snapped, “I bet Kurt sighed up because of the those goddamned kids. I know exactly how much time we have left, and how limited our options are, but ‘unideal’ doesn’t cover it.”
He understood, but found it a little odd considering each of those ‘kids’ were just three years younger than her. Maybe he found it sweet; however, he kept it to himself, because it didn’t seem to be an appropriate time to joke. “I know, Josie,” he replied. “But we’re about to implode. I got Domenick on board. Between him, Kurt, James and me, we’ll do just fine with the kids.”
Josephine sighed frustratedly. “Well, thanks a bunch for the reassurance. But someone is gonna die out there. I don’t want that to happen to you, or anyone else for that matter.”
“We’ll do just fine, love.”
To be continued...
A few things of note:
I want to clarify that these flashbacks aren't appearing chronologically or reverse-chronologically. I pretty much just write them as they're relevant.
Recently, I've been managing a part once a week if you count Silicon County. If not, it's barely biweekly. Despite a few hiccups, it's been a little more consistent than I have been in the past. Right now, my goal is to start producing one part, for each story, once a week. And I actually think I've discovered a few things/conditions that help my write easier, so I think it's possible!
Part 6 will cap off this chapter. It's mostly been exposition, setting up chapter fifteen and ultimately Act IV, and filling in the time skip. Unless there's a choice at the end of this chapter, which is a very small possibility, there will have only been one. Although that one choice has greatly affected what's to come, I would have preferred to have more. I feel like it was a little skewed because I closed too so soon (especially because I didn't get the continuation out until a while afterward), but it was the better option, in my opinion. It's still kind of like picking your poison, but this poison happens to be a little less vague and sudden—this one has a list of symptoms. You're still gonna have to drink it, but you'll know what to expect. It's a dark analogy, but I'd say it's accurate. Anyway, on the other hand, I plan to make chapter fifteen very choice driven. Really, the important one has already been decided. Now, it's a matter of grappling with consequences and, of course, survival.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mos… moretly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided… [view original content]
Gawwd how can these two always be so adorable? The serious nature of their conversation aside, they are a delight every time they share a scene together. It's strange to think that my initial opinion on Jake has been very negative, because he and Josie fit together so perfectly, not only as a couple, but as a team as well. If I could draw, I'd do fanart of them. Sadly, I can't draw if my life would depend on it, so all I can do is to squee whenever they share a scene And I found their talk in general not only cute, but interesting. I see now why Violet hasn't been seen for so long, considering that she really seems to prefer remaining in the background and not getting any attention. And it's funny how Josie considers Danny, Maria and Asher kids, considering their very minor age gap. I guess she really gained some huge emotional maturity after all the crap she lived through, while at least Danny and Maria seem far more light-hearted and playful. Can't say the same about Asher though, as I honestly never saw him as a kid or teen, even if he is in the same age. I guess his introductory scene of killing Zafir did wonders about that. But in any way, I consider all three highly capable, so while it is cute how worried Josie is for them, I think they are well-suited to go, at least out of the characters we have met so far. Especially Danny and Maria seem to have become some sort of a supply runner team during the timeskip, so I am not concerned for their capability. Still concerned for their lives though, but I'd feel the same about any other main character on that expedition.
And I think the present scene was the first time we saw things from Nightcrawler's PoV, as short as it was. I still hope I am not wrong about liking him, but I like that he seems to get slightly more screentime in this expedition
At the same time, I do notice that, if I have gotten the correct impression, Jake implied that he would leave as well and Josie outright called it his expedition. This is highly concerning, since he hasn't been around in the present parts at all. If I haven't misunderstood him, then this leaves up two concerning possibilities: First of all, he did accompany them, but for some reason, he isn't anymore. The most likely, if terrifying explanation for that would be that he died. The second possibility is not much better. Maybe he didn't even leave in the first place, because something happened in Laredo that forced him to stay. At best, he simply decided that his leadership will be needed. At worst, some sort of crisis made it impossible for him to leave. And worse than worst, something happened to Josie that caused him to stay. I just hope I am wrong with that last one, as this would imply she got either killed or seriously injured Oh god, I must be wrong on this one.
Also:
Recently, I've been managing a part once a week if you count Silicon County. If not, it's barely biweekly. Despite a few hiccups, it's been a little more consistent than I have been in the past. Right now, my goal is to start producing one part, for each story, once a week. And I actually think I've discovered a few things/conditions that help my write easier, so I think it's possible!
This sounds awesome! I am so happy you found a schedule that sits right with you. Both stories are among my favourites (and Monument in particular is the favourite), so I am very, very excited for the next parts in either story!
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mos… moretly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided… [view original content]
I guess I accidentally unfollowed the thread, my bad. Anyways, I think this part holds my favorite for the chapter so far, mainly for the flashback. I'm pretty excited for the return now
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mos… moretly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided… [view original content]
Nice part! Jake and Josephine are always nice to read about I love them together and I like that there was more info on Violet. I feel bad for her, she didnt do anything bad and everyone still treats her like shit. It was a good idea from Jake to send her away. And I have the feeling that something big is going to happen in the final part of this chapter, maybe in Laredo in the flashbacks or in James group in the present time.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mos… moretly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided… [view original content]
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have traversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it spurred him further out of the sidelines, sped up his recovery, and kept him going. A few had given him doubts at first, but he was impressed—and maybe a little proud—by how well all of them had functioned on the road for as long as they had, especially given the conditions they were forced to whether.
While he wasn’t sure he particularly subscribed to the thought, they had certainly gained a mutual respect on this adventure. It seemed to be a strong bond, definitely—maybe even a lasting bond, too. Brothers and sisters, a few fatherly/motherly types, one or two couples—hell, Domenick was the stern but cool uncle.
One big family.
It was a pleasant thought, he finally admitted to himself. The part of his enteral wiring that had been soldered by the grimness of survival attempted to tell him it wasn’t such a good idea to establish ties; for once in a long time, he had to disagree. Pleasant thoughts were too far and few between; he’d savor this one. He tried to remember that as they began the ascent of the western wall and his legs began to burn their reluctance to go on. Once again, as they summited, the radio tower became partially visible, maybe a half a mile away. At this distant, it appeared to be in good condition. It blinked it’s taunting little light in the clear sky. This was the treat being held over his nose, but just out of reach—and he undeniably felt a little taunted.
Jake couldn’t remember that last time he visited Gilbert Hotel—his schedule didn’t exactly accommodate sneaking off-base to touch base with friends—but here he was. Jerry still called this place his home, even if he was calling himself Jerome when in public.
His hands weren’t quite steady after everything Josephine dropped on him, but he slipped through the first and second sets of doors, entering the lobby. He scaled the stairn then left the stairwell at Jerry’s floor—traversing a long hallway full of rooms that would likely never be occupied again—and found his door. He banged on it, feeling the instability of his knock ring out. “Jerry?” he shouted.
About ten seconds passed. Sasha cracked open the door and gave Jake a displeased frown. “Jerry’s a little tied up right now.”
“Look, it’s really important that I speak to him--”
“Alright, let me get the key.” She chuckled. “You might wanna wait outside.” Jake’s brow furrowed and the door shut. A second later, it opened all the way and Sasha was standing there smirking. “I’m kidding. Come on in. Jake, right?”
“Thanks,” he muttered and stepped inside. He wasn’t in any particular mood for jokes. She got him, admittedly.
Jerry, having previously been reading a book before craning his neck to see who was at the door, had sat it aside and stood. They met each other at the foot of the bed, sharing a hug before it dissolved.
“What’s brings you out here?” Jerry asked.
“Problems, a whole bunch.” Jake sighed. “She and Natalie decided to have a really candid conversation. A small part of me disagrees with doing that, but it was probably for the best if we want to keep this place from falling to pieces.”
“What’d she learn?” he asked.
“Natalie knows that you’re here. And she knows exactly who you are. And she has . . . motivation to be very angry with you.” Jake glanced over and saw that Sasha’s expression had taken a genuine decline. He looked back over at Jerry. “This hotel isn’t safe for you. We need to--”
“Move me?”
“Yeah.” He glanced off, scratching the scruff of his neck. “San Antonio might--”
“I could join your expedition,” Jerry said suddenly. “Maria and Danny are going, right?”
Jake looked up, a little startled. “And Asher.”
“And who else is going?”
“Uh, you haven’t met Domenick or his brother, Tommy, but they’re going. There’s James, of course. And you’ll like Kurt. Everybody likes Kurt. Un, Violent Moore is the only one I could see you not getting along with.”
Jerry nodded, and he looked at Sasha for her opinion. She crossed her arms, said, “If we have to hightail it either way, I’d rather be with a group.” She looked at Jake. “We’ll get back to once we make a decision.”
Jake nodded.
“What else did Josie tell you?” Jerry questioned.
“Oh man.” The shaking got worse.
“We’ll rest here for a bit,” James muttered as he collapsed onto his haunches beneath one of the trees that dotted the hillside of their last hurdle before they’d reach the radio station. Escaping the heat of high noon, everyone settled into the shade a little haphazardly. James, who was trying with difficulty not to outwardly pant, added, “Now . . . it’s time for a final, frank discussion.”
The faces of his people were all terribly overtaxed. Although it was proved that crossing the plain at night would likely not have been suicidal (a major worry considering that they had each suffered some degree of harming damage, allowing walkers to get too close for comfort if you couldn’t see them), day had posed its own troubles. Namely, the heat and the openness. And while he still couldn’t shake the feeling of having a target painted on his back, James realized it had begun to subside at last. A new worry had taken its place: the thought and implications of making contact.
“In as long as it takes me to get on my feet again,” James explained, “I’m gonna walk the remainder of the way by myself. I’ll be going unarmed to not create any needless problems for ourselves.”
As he begun to disassemble his assault rifle (that he, in addition to others, had been lunging around) for one last checkup, Domenick offered James a glance. “If things go awry, this hill is a real barrier between you and us. Things go wrong—with everyone down here—you’re screwed, to be blunt.”
“Follow me by a few hundred feet or so on the way up, then hunker down somewhere about that distance from the top.” James frowned as he looked at the scratched casing of the rifle. “And if something seems to go wrong, don’t rush into anything. If they’re awfully hostile, we won’t have much of a choice but to fight . . . but let’s try to do this smoothly and peacefully. I-- well, I might be shot reactively—but maybe not fatally. Now, if I’m put on my knees and executed, you should . . . survive, and that means capturing the station through whatever means necessary.”
A silence took over as they all imagined storming the station, fighting, even killing the inhabitants. It sat well with no one, even the those who’d already taken a life, and maybe it unsettled those few the most.
Breaking the silence, Maria said, concern in her voice, “It’s stupid to go alone. Someone has to go with you and so they can back you up.”
“That’s got its own problems,” James countered. “Assuming there’s only one operator, one man’s intimidating enough—two is downright threatening. And if they see two of us coming up, and only I come to talk, they’ll think someone’s trying to get the jump on them—they’ll doubt everything I have to say.” He shut his eyes, felt indecisive for a fleeting moment, and opened them again. “No, I go alone.”
“Christ, and what are the other problems?”
“I’m pregnant, Jake.”
“Oh shit.”
The sun was irksomely hot on James’s back, the inclination the hardest it had ever been on his legs, but worst of all was the apprehension that tried to stonewall him. The others would be following at a distance. James made sure not to repeat the same mistake of Orpheus by making sure not to give anyone watching him an indication as to where his people might be. That unwillingness to go on swelled as he neared the point where the hill leveled out—a veil of an angle that didn’t tell him jack about what he was climbing toward, except for the tower that rose out of the hill about a couple hundred feet away from the path he’d chosen.
As he scrambled up the remaining dozen feet rather ungracefully and rounded the top, the bubble of apprehension burst. Here was the radio station, a simple cabin with a chain link fence that formed a front yard around its forward-facing exterior. A dozen assorted trees, offering plenty of shade to make this a comfortable living place, seemed to have been planted there by the cabin’s original owner.
James threw his arms over his head and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Hello! I’m unarmed! I need to speak with whoever operates this place!” The black mass at the center of the yard had already captured his eyes as he joined the trail that led to the gate and wrapped around the hill and out of sight. There was still no reply, so he added, “It’s James! James Wilson! I was one of the scouts they sent out! Got lost, you could say!”
The front door moved subtly and his eyes quickly snapped to it, but he recognized it was only the wind pushing it noiselessly, not closing fully as the wind relented. His attention returned to the black mass, and he realized unsettlingly that it was the charred remains of a massive fire.
He nearly bumped into the gate but stopped short. The gate had been closed but not with care, and he easily nudged it open with a boot without lowering his arms. This was all very worrying to James. On such a steep hill, the fencing didn’t need to protect against the walkers, but he couldn’t imagine the operator behaving so casually as to leave the gate open. Something was obviously wrong.
He slowly approached what was left of the bonfire, the unsavory smell of burnt food wafting from it. It’d been set in a fire pit that was far too small for something so large—charred, flaky debris overflowed onto the ground surrounding, scattered by the wind past the semicircle of lawn chairs, and now littered the yard. All James could discern were some half-burned labels of food products.
Arms still raised, he first prodded it cautiously, then kicked the pile. A cloud of ash and flakes were sent into the air which was quickly swept away by the breeze, dissipating in a matter of seconds. He dug around with his boot for a moment and uncovered the blackened, leathery body of a human corpse.
He lowered his arms, certain the station was abandoned. The screw in his stomach was stripped and it twisted horribly, grinding metal into flakes. Well, this is a crock of shit.
Congratulations, Hope. You did it again. After reading this part, my jaw hit the floor again. I also had to pause everything I was doing for a couple minutes. Because, well...
“I’m pregnant, Jake.”
First of all: Ohmygodohmygodohmyogd it's happening ohmygodohmygod oooohmygodohmygod I did not see that coming, but I'm so happy about it! Perhaps I should be concerned, but no, NO, not right now, I refuse. Now, I can only be happy. Josie's getting a baby and that means, in some way that makes me feel like an honorary grandfather! Ooooh, can I be proud? 'Cause I'm totally proud right now! Oh god, I can't even begin to express my utter happiness. Here, take this gif for reference, because this dog is far better at expressing happiness than I am, but the general feeling is the same. I am this dog. This dog is me.
Now... to my deep shame, I must admit that in the slightly dizzy state I was in just a few minutes ago, after having a particularly hard day at university, I kind of misread that scene. I was like "Oh, that's great, Sasha is pregnant, congratulations, I like that!" and generally happy for her, but more or less composed. After just starting to write exactly that as a comment, it finally sunk in that it was not Sasha who spoke there. I regret that my reaction has not been seen by anyone, because I'm pretty sure it has been hilarious, especially when my facial expression slowly changed from ordinary happiness over a new Monument part to being absolutely baffled and just generally speechless, with a blimey, shit-eating grin on my face. I'm not saying I did a happy dance, but I totally did a happy dance. And I'm fully awake now. Screw coffee, I'm just going to read that part again.
Alright, I guess this explains why Jake is not with the expedition. I have been fearing for something much, much worse, but no, it makes sense that he's obviously not going anywhere when his girlfriend is pregnant. Of course, I know, the apocalypse is dangerous for a child, we know how badly it ended for Lori in the show and well, Calvin really chose a bad time to get murdered. God, this is totally going to shatter, no, pulverize my heart in a later chapter, isn't it? At the same time, there have been examples for positive outcomes as well. Maybe it will work, it is not impossible. They can make it work. They made less likely things work. Argh, I will certainly be very concerned later on, but now, it is a moment of happiness and I am going to cherish it. I'd like to marry this moment and raise a family of tiny little moments.
Now, even if my emotional reaction for this part is obviously a mental bluescreen of overwhelming joy, I must comment on James' part as well, because that is already concerning. I was expecting the radio station to be taken over by hostiles, or walkers maybe, but it has not only been deserted, it has obviously been attacked, by someone who has no interest in taking over the community and who simply wanted to destroy and to burn down. This is obviously a very bad thing, but I am glad that the group is warned now that something is not right. Perhaps now they can take the necessary precautions when approaching James' old community. I wonder if Fox Mask Guy had his hands in that. After all, it has been him who caused James to get into his miserable position during his introduction part.
Aaah, there is so much more I'd wish to comment on, but it is so hard to focus on them. Couple of other highlights: Jerry and Sasha are cute. I love Sasha, she is great and I am glad my initial bad feeling was unfounded. It also warms my already overheated heart to see how well Jerry and Jake are getting along. Nathalie meanwhile concerns me, I am not sure if it has been a good idea from Josie to tell her everything, but maybe it was necessary and maybe it will lead to a new and positive beginning for Laredo. Also, Jake confirmed what I have been thinking all this time, everyone likes Nightcrawler. And now back to the most obvious matter at hand... I'm just... this is literally the most happy I have been in quite a while. Can I... thank you for writing? Yeah, I'm totally going to do that. Thank you for writing! And now excuse me, I have to read this part again and squee, like a bloody cheerleader.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have t… moreraversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it … [view original content]
I've been reading for awhile now. I honestly have to say that I love this story and there always seems like something is hiding around the next corner.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have t… moreraversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it … [view original content]
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have t… moreraversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it … [view original content]
Congratulations, Hope. You did it again. After reading this part, my jaw hit the floor again. I also had to pause everything I was doing for… more a couple minutes. Because, well...
“I’m pregnant, Jake.”
First of all: Ohmygodohmygodohmyogd it's happening ohmygodohmygod oooohmygodohmygod I did not see that coming, but I'm so happy about it! Perhaps I should be concerned, but no, NO, not right now, I refuse. Now, I can only be happy. Josie's getting a baby and that means, in some way that makes me feel like an honorary grandfather! Ooooh, can I be proud? 'Cause I'm totally proud right now! Oh god, I can't even begin to express my utter happiness. Here, take this gif for reference, because this dog is far better at expressing happiness than I am, but the general feeling is the same. I am this dog. This dog is me.
Now... to my deep shame, I must admit that in the slightly dizzy state I was in just a few minutes ago, after having a… [view original content]
Once again, you ever cease to amaze.
I've been reading for awhile now. I honestly have to say that I love this story and there always seems like something is hiding around the next corner.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
Poor James, all his people are likely dead.
"Oh shit."
Please tell me that was Jake's exact reaction. XD
Best way to react to… more your girlfriend being pregnant.
Jokes aside the pregnancy makes me happy and concerned at the same time.
Seriousness aside I'm disappointed that Jerry wasn't tied up.
Another great part, it gets more interesting everytime.
Liquid, this was incredibly satisfying to read. Everyone's support and enthusiasm has been overwhelmingly positive. Honestly, it's a little strange and at times I can't help but feel that it's a little unfounded. But... this is all very reassuring. So... you can thank me if you want, but I also want to thank you and every other user who has at any point followed this story or submitted a character. This simply wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for your and others' assistance.
I don't talk about it much, but I was borderline uneducated when I started writing here in late 2014. This site has not only taught me how to write and spell (opening the way to reading, which is now probably one of my favorite hobbies) but it's also fulfilled me in a strange way. It honestly scares me to think of where I would be if I hadn't started writing here. So, let me thank you. All of you, of course. Here's to a long road ahead!
I'm glad you loved the part, Liquid! Honestly, I was expecting a different kind of reaction—I expected sheer panic rather than such honest to god enthusiasm—but it's all the more gratifying. I do want to say that the purpose of Monument isn't to whittle you down to an emotionless husk of sadness. It's about building things, I think. Not destruction. If it were, I understand fully that it would make a thoroughly unpleasant and ultimately unsatisfying trek. Don't get complacent in Monument; the world's still a dangerous place. But I'm not gonna rip you heart out and eat it; the worse I might do is kick your shins or stomp on a few precious toes. You can take all that for what you will. At the end of the day, there will likely always be thick layers of depression, anxiety, violence, and anger in Monument, but there's another end to that spectrum that, in my opinion, is under-explored.
The flow of chapter 15 will depend heavily on the choices that are chosen. So it can lean heavily in either direction. I seem to remember hinting way back that chapter 3 was going to present opportunities for a large number a character deaths. Ultimately, it didn't really fulfill that promise. Never Forgotten, however, is all that and more.
Congratulations, Hope. You did it again. After reading this part, my jaw hit the floor again. I also had to pause everything I was doing for… more a couple minutes. Because, well...
“I’m pregnant, Jake.”
First of all: Ohmygodohmygodohmyogd it's happening ohmygodohmygod oooohmygodohmygod I did not see that coming, but I'm so happy about it! Perhaps I should be concerned, but no, NO, not right now, I refuse. Now, I can only be happy. Josie's getting a baby and that means, in some way that makes me feel like an honorary grandfather! Ooooh, can I be proud? 'Cause I'm totally proud right now! Oh god, I can't even begin to express my utter happiness. Here, take this gif for reference, because this dog is far better at expressing happiness than I am, but the general feeling is the same. I am this dog. This dog is me.
Now... to my deep shame, I must admit that in the slightly dizzy state I was in just a few minutes ago, after having a… [view original content]
I felt a giant range of emotions during this part. I worried as James made his expedition to the station, I felt incredible joy when Josie announced her pregnancy, but I can't really describe the emotion I felt after the last paragraph, so I'll use the words I thought. "are you kidding me." So I'd say it was utter disappointment. I mean a two month journey only to come to this. Man, if that's how the radio station was in, I'm not looking forward to how the central station is.
But it was a good end to the chapter, I'm excited for more!
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have t… moreraversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it … [view original content]
I don't talk about it much, but I was borderline uneducated when I started writing here in late 2014. This site has not only taught me how to write and spell (opening the way to reading, which is now probably one of my favorite hobbies) but it's also fulfilled me in a strange way. It honestly scares me to think of where I would be if I hadn't started writing here. So, let me thank you. All of you, of course. Here's to a long road ahead!
That is something I am very happy to hear! I think I have followed your writing for the longest out of the current readers here and I can definitly confirm that you have insanely developed as a writer. It's always been great to follow your writing, I mean, I still fondly remember the Raining days, but seeing just how finely detailed your writing has become makes me incredibly excited for the future parts and how they will develop from the current ones. This story constantly blows me away and no matter how high I put my expectations, you exceed them on a regular level.
I'm glad you loved the part, Liquid! Honestly, I was expecting a different kind of reaction—I expected sheer panic rather than such honest to god enthusiasm—but it's all the more gratifying.
Well, I mean, the panic is probably going to come eventually. I mean, even if this ends well for Josie and the baby, there's almost guaranteed to be complications of some sort. At the very least, the lack of a doctor can be dangerous, so that is something where I hope they'll find a replacement for Calvin in time. But no, my immediate reaction is a very happy one and I still am happy. I leave the concern for when it is more necessary
I do want to say that the purpose of Monument isn't to whittle you down to an emotionless husk of sadness. It's about building things, I think. Not destruction. If it were, I understand fully that it would make a thoroughly unpleasant and ultimately unsatisfying trek. Don't get complacent in Monument; the world's still a dangerous place. But I'm not gonna rip you heart out and eat it; the worse I might do is kick your shins or stomp on a few precious toes. You can take all that for what you will. At the end of the day, there will likely always be thick layers of depression, anxiety, violence, and anger in Monument, but there's another end to that spectrum that, in my opinion, is under-explored.
Hm... this sounds hopeful, I think. I mean, I hope so at least. Oh, this comment is filling me with a strange mixture of anxiety and hope like only Monument can do
The flow of chapter 15 will depend heavily on the choices that are chosen. So it can lean heavily in either direction. I seem to remember hinting way back that chapter 3 was going to present opportunities for a large number a character deaths. Ultimately, it didn't really fulfill that promise. Never Forgotten, however, is all that and more.
I remember you mentioned that about Chapter 3 and it was one of the reasons it had me so anxious. This time, I can totally see how at the very least James' expedition might be in serious danger, depending on our choices. I mean, they are warned now that something is not right, but this still means I will make sure to think about the coming choices especially careful. Half of the expedition group is among my favourite characters and some of the other half are on a good way, so preventing as many deaths as possible will be my primary goal in the next chapter.
Liquid, this was incredibly satisfying to read. Everyone's support and enthusiasm has been overwhelmingly positive. Honestly, it's a little … morestrange and at times I can't help but feel that it's a little unfounded. But... this is all very reassuring. So... you can thank me if you want, but I also want to thank you and every other user who has at any point followed this story or submitted a character. This simply wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for your and others' assistance.
I don't talk about it much, but I was borderline uneducated when I started writing here in late 2014. This site has not only taught me how to write and spell (opening the way to reading, which is now probably one of my favorite hobbies) but it's also fulfilled me in a strange way. It honestly scares me to think of where I would be if I hadn't started writing here. So, let me thank you. All of you, of course. Here's to a long road ahead!
I'm glad you loved the part,… [view original content]
Long time lurker here. Just wanted to tell you how great this story is, and just how excited it makes me when a new part comes out! Seriously can't wait for the next chapter!
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have t… moreraversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it … [view original content]
Long time lurker here. Just wanted to tell you how great this story is, and just how excited it makes me when a new part comes out! Seriously can't wait for the next chapter!
James Wilson, 15-01: Having thoroughly scrutinized it inside and out, James retrieved his nine compatriots and brought them to the radio station—after he’d given them a straightforward description of the circumstances. James wandered, as they climbed the rest of the way, how many were staring daggers at him. He couldn’t blame them for they condemning him now. He assumed responsibility for everything that happened—no matter how far out of his control the situation was.
James’s exhaustion made climbing that hill feel like an eternity, but in less than ten minutes that challenge was once again accomplished and they had all arrived outside the station’s yard. He pulled the gate open then led the others through. Once everyone was inside, he saw Danny latch the gate shut. He was reminded that some pitiless asshat rolled right through here, killed the operator, destroyed a pantry’s worth of food, then left the goddamned front gate open.
He sighed an uneven sigh as he tried not to fume about the gate of all things. Scanning the faces of his companions and getting ready to address them, he was surprised no one outwardly glowered. Sasha wasn’t happy with him, clearly; Domenick never looked particularly cheerful in the first place; Maria and Danny couldn’t hold his gaze, but neither could he quite meet theirs; and the others were fairly neutral. It was likely their emotions were muted by the weariness.
He’d been silent too long, James realized. He nearly spat out another apology, but swallowed it. Instead, he projected an authoritative demeanor. “Domenick, I want you to examine that body and garner whatever you can from it. I need a volunteer-- no, two volunteers to shift through all that ash. The cabin’s been ransacked, and whoever did it could have also burned important documents. Something may be partially intact, so be gentle.” Domenick, along with Violet and Tom, set out toward the firepit without a word.
“There’s a bucket on the radio tower,” James went on. “Asher, I want you on watch up there. Grab a buddy to hang out below and rotate when you feel the need to. Get a ration for each of you, some water, and two walkie-talkies. And grab a pair of binoculars and one of the umbrellas.”
“Will do,” he mumbled, smiling glumly and repositioning his sniper rifle’s shoulder strap. He took Danny with him and they descended back down the path after passing through the gate.
Maria, Kurt, Jerry and Sasha remained. “Maria, they’ll have a blind spot thanks to the station. Go through the cabin and you’ll find a deck. Keep watch on that angle from there.”
Maria nodded and started on her way. “I’m on the case,” she threw back with no humor in her voice.
“The rest of us are on cleaning duty.” There were two fires burning in James at that moment: one of guilt and one of anger. While debating which to tend, which to fan, he reminded himself that some fucker rolled through here, murdered a human being, tossed the body onto a fire, destroyed precious supplies and valuable information, ransacked the cabin, left the gate open, and killed them all in the process. There would be hell to pay, indeed, if he ever got his hands on that fucker.
You know, I think even though I already commented on this, I haven't quite realized how severe this incident at the radio station actually is. That wasn't just someone who wanted to kill people and destroy this station, that someone didn't even care for the supplies. That probably means it is someone so powerful that he or she doesn't have to worry about starving. Or it is someone who is too insane to care. I don't know which option I prefer. In any way, I have the bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen. For some reason, it made me nervous that Danny and Asher went on guard duty. I think this currently holds the biggest potential for bad things to happen. In general, the group needs to be super careful. At the very least, James is aware how serious this situation is, so I think he is the right guy to lead this group right now.
James Wilson, 15-01: Having thoroughly scrutinized it inside and out, James retrieved his nine compatriots and brought them to the radio sta… moretion—after he’d given them a straightforward description of the circumstances. James wandered, as they climbed the rest of the way, how many were staring daggers at him. He couldn’t blame them for they condemning him now. He assumed responsibility for everything that happened—no matter how far out of his control the situation was.
James’s exhaustion made climbing that hill feel like an eternity, but in less than ten minutes that challenge was once again accomplished and they had all arrived outside the station’s yard. He pulled the gate open then led the others through. Once everyone was inside, he saw Danny latch the gate shut. He was reminded that some pitiless asshat rolled right through here, killed the operator, destroyed a pantry’s worth of food, then left the goddamned front gate open.
He sig… [view original content]
Well now I'm pretty excited for the new chapter. But I'm also dreading it, for the warning we received. Looks like I won't be jumping to conclusions when it comes to choices, because I really don't want anyone to die.
Also, I agree with Liquid. However, I think Josie's previous calling Asher and Danny kids are what worries me. But, there's likely a reason James chose Asher and didn't say anything when he chose Danny, so I guess they can't be too immature. Actually, James allowing all three of the "kids" to have some form of watch duty kind of shows their maturity, in my opinion.
James Wilson, 15-01: Having thoroughly scrutinized it inside and out, James retrieved his nine compatriots and brought them to the radio sta… moretion—after he’d given them a straightforward description of the circumstances. James wandered, as they climbed the rest of the way, how many were staring daggers at him. He couldn’t blame them for they condemning him now. He assumed responsibility for everything that happened—no matter how far out of his control the situation was.
James’s exhaustion made climbing that hill feel like an eternity, but in less than ten minutes that challenge was once again accomplished and they had all arrived outside the station’s yard. He pulled the gate open then led the others through. Once everyone was inside, he saw Danny latch the gate shut. He was reminded that some pitiless asshat rolled right through here, killed the operator, destroyed a pantry’s worth of food, then left the goddamned front gate open.
He sig… [view original content]
James Wilson, 15-02: Once the station was secured and made hospitable, it was time for the second stage of their occupation of the mountain: a group discussion to formulate a plan. James had sent Tom to retrieve the two at the tower, and he presently watched the trio sidle up to the gate, the sun hovering above the horizon. It had begun to dip once they were all settled in the station’s main room.
The main room easily fit them all, though people were sat all over places that were not intended to be used as seats: Where the room transitioned into a kitchen, Kurt sat cross-legged and hunched over on a countertop; Maria, legs sprawled outward, sat beneath him with her back to the cabinets; Sasha had found metal folding chairs that she and Violet laid claim to; Tom, Danny, Asher—the latecomers—were sat on the floor; Domenick and Jerry stood, leaning against walls on opposite sides of the room; James inhabited an office chair. He was bent forward, elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together. This was the confrontation that they’d delayed, he realized.
“The situation is fucked,” James said, echoing the obvious. “However, we’re not down for the count, and our goal hasn’t changed—it’s just taken on a grim new urgency. Whatever condition it’s in, Colorado Springs is our last hope.”
His eyes danced around the room, capturing their expressions, snapping to Kurt when he spoke. “Our goal’s changed,” he muttered tiredly, his normally strong grip on the English language faltering, his words slurring with his German accent. “The destination’s the same.”
James nodded a stony acknowledgment. Every acquaintance of his here was likely dead, likely murdered. He tried not to sulk outwardly but knew he couldn’t even attempt to hide the sadness in his eyes. “You’re right,” he told Kurt, then to the rest of the gathering: “We set out with the goal to establish ties between Colorado Springs and Laredo because stuff was getting grim back in Texas. That’s no longer possible. I’m sorry I can’t sugar coat this, but we’re not capable of going back.”
The statement passed over a few of them like a disorientating wave with several exceptions who should unaffected. Maria was the only exception that surprised James.
“Maybe not now,” Maria whispered. She was tapping the floor, looking like she was going to be sick, looking a little manic. “We got here, we can get back.”
“We don’t know if they’ll be anything to come back to,” Domenick said, reverberating one of the things they all had come to accept before leaving on the expedition.
Maria glared at him, but it fizzled out quickly. She shrugged, adopting a smaller profile against the cabinets, seemingly shrinking.
“Whether we can ever consider the possibility of going back to Texas depends heavily on what we decide to do now,” James said. “For now, let’s go over everything. Dom, you’ve got something for us?”
Domenick pushed off the wall and, unfurling his crossed arms, revealed a charred pocket book that had been tucked under his armpit. “It’s a diary, as far as I can tell. The corpse sunk of kerosene, and I found it on him, so it’s a miracle it didn’t get soaked. A few dozen pages are burnt but intact toward the center. Lucky for us, it was about half full.”
James hid his shock well, but it showed momentarily when his hand shook upon taking the little book. The soot-covered, leather exterior dirtied his hands as he carefully fingered it open. The outer, brittle paper cracked and fell apart as he turned pages. Eligible handwriting appeared in the center of the page and expanded outward as he progressed. The first readable section appeared around the seventy-fifth-page mark—about half-way in, as Dom had said—though it was still incomplete. It concerned him.
“‘--ern and eastern scouts’ last beacons and caches were finally found,’” James read, his stomach stirring grossly. “‘No other signs of them. The transcripts Bobbi couriered up here for me to read reflect our leaders’ optimism, or rather the lack thereof. Bobbi says there’s no future excursions on the horizon back at the homefront. I can’t say I--’”
No more of that entry was readable. He didn’t think he could have read anymore. James stood, handing the book to Violet, who was nearest since Dom stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the others, then he was on the deck, away from the worried and confused glances they were casting him. He braced himself on the wooden railing and cursed.
Violet stepped out a few moments later. James glanced at her, saw she still carried the diary, and returned his gaze to the northern vista, an amalgam of fading orange light and growing blackness as the sun was devoured by the far western wall of mountains.
“What was the scout’s name?” she asked, leaning on the railing to his right.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he snapped angrily. “That’s why I came out here, for fucksake.” She didn’t recoil or show any outward signs of being hurt, but James quickly regretted the outburst. His tone softened, but retained its unsteady quality. “The past is in the past, alright? Let’s just leave it where it should be left. There’s more pressing matters.”
“You can blow up at me,” she said.
He looked down at her, not saying anything.
“You’re shaking. Quit bottling it up. Let out exactly what’s bothering you. You’ll feel better later, I promise.” Her jade eyes stared up at him, but he felt much smaller.
James shut his eyes and thought. That grew painful. “No,” he decided. “Go back inside and wait with the others. I’ll be back there in a minute.”
She stared at him for a while longer then left without further comment, the door falling shut behind her. She’d left the book on the railing. He ignored it for the moment and rolled the sleeve of his flannel shirt up to his elbow to reveal a basket-weave of scars the laced his foreman. Turning it over to look at the pattern on the soft underside revealed a long scar that ran the length it, interrupted by circles of various sizes. His right arm laid home to an entirely different set of patterns. He had become some psycho's abstract art project and plaything before being discarded down a river.
What the hell happened to Jessica? he wandered, and the possibilities that flooded his mind made him vomit off the side of the deck. This is the world where love went to die. With that thought, he spat and wiped his mouth with a rag from his pocket, flung it off the deck, and headed back inside, carrying the charred little book. His moment of emotional instability had passed much like the bile and he was ready to resume his responsibilities. He declared silently to himself that he would never let them lapse again.
To be continued . . .
Post-part notes:
The diary will be read/fully explained in the next part. It will also mark the true beginning of a choice-heavily chapter. This impending part will feature two choices. Depending on what's chosen, another very brief part may appear with a choice to determine something integral to the stories progression. See ya around!
James Wilson, 15-02: Once the station was secured and made hospitable, it was time for the second stage of their occupation of the mountain:… more a group discussion to formulate a plan. James had sent Tom to retrieve the two at the tower, and he presently watched the trio sidle up to the gate, the sun hovering above the horizon. It had begun to dip once they were all settled in the station’s main room.
The main room easily fit them all, though people were sat all over places that were not intended to be used as seats: Where the room transitioned into a kitchen, Kurt sat cross-legged and hunched over on a countertop; Maria, legs sprawled outward, sat beneath him with her back to the cabinets; Sasha had found metal folding chairs that she and Violet laid claim to; Tom, Danny, Asher—the latecomers—were sat on the floor; Domenick and Jerry stood, leaning against walls on opposite sides of the room; James inhabited an office chair. He was bent forwa… [view original content]
I get an increasingly bad feeling about this situation and feel like this is building up something really major and nerve-wracking very soon. James seems to prepare for the worst, but I somehow think that what they will get is going to be even more. I mean, whoever attacked this station basically did so out of purely evil reasons and with brutal force. On top of that, I am afraid that they will find out who did this and probably even meet this person.
I am also curious about this diary and who Jessica is. As far as I know, that name has not been mentioned. Unless it is James' niece. But hm, I feel like the name is somehow connected to the diary, as just reading these relatively normal sentences in there caused him to get seriously upset about something.
Anyways, as always, this was a great part. The tension is severe and I can't wait to go crazy over trying to pick the right choice once they come up
James Wilson, 15-02: Once the station was secured and made hospitable, it was time for the second stage of their occupation of the mountain:… more a group discussion to formulate a plan. James had sent Tom to retrieve the two at the tower, and he presently watched the trio sidle up to the gate, the sun hovering above the horizon. It had begun to dip once they were all settled in the station’s main room.
The main room easily fit them all, though people were sat all over places that were not intended to be used as seats: Where the room transitioned into a kitchen, Kurt sat cross-legged and hunched over on a countertop; Maria, legs sprawled outward, sat beneath him with her back to the cabinets; Sasha had found metal folding chairs that she and Violet laid claim to; Tom, Danny, Asher—the latecomers—were sat on the floor; Domenick and Jerry stood, leaning against walls on opposite sides of the room; James inhabited an office chair. He was bent forwa… [view original content]
Jessica is presumably the scout who ventured east. The diary confirmed a dreadful suspicion. As you know, James led the expedition back up the trail that particular scout made. That path was chosen quite deliberately, I might add, in hopes of finding this scout. She definitely isn't his niece, who would have died long before he joined the community in Colorado. We'll learn more about Jessica, James, and their community in an upcoming One-Shot entitled We'll Meet Again.
The identity of the diary's writer will also be revealed soon. Though, you should already have a good idea who this character might be.
I'm happy to hear we've enjoyed it! But if you think the tension is taut now, just wait until the banner makes sense.
I get an increasingly bad feeling about this situation and feel like this is building up something really major and nerve-wracking very soon… more. James seems to prepare for the worst, but I somehow think that what they will get is going to be even more. I mean, whoever attacked this station basically did so out of purely evil reasons and with brutal force. On top of that, I am afraid that they will find out who did this and probably even meet this person.
I am also curious about this diary and who Jessica is. As far as I know, that name has not been mentioned. Unless it is James' niece. But hm, I feel like the name is somehow connected to the diary, as just reading these relatively normal sentences in there caused him to get seriously upset about something.
Anyways, as always, this was a great part. The tension is severe and I can't wait to go crazy over trying to pick the right choice once they come up
I am back! Sorry for having left for so long, I moved closer to the town I work in and had problems with installing my internet connection. Now I can be online much more. And I missed so much cool things. I am happy for Josephine and Jake but also worried if this pregnancy will lead to problems. But they are cute and this is cute and I love it. And James is one of my favorite characters now. He came a long way from the guy no one here really trusted and we knew nothing of. I also like that Violet gets a bit more to do, she really had nothing to do in Act 2. But I have the feeling that she might die in this chapter now, because James group is definitely going to get into some bad stuff with this.
James Wilson, 15-02: Once the station was secured and made hospitable, it was time for the second stage of their occupation of the mountain:… more a group discussion to formulate a plan. James had sent Tom to retrieve the two at the tower, and he presently watched the trio sidle up to the gate, the sun hovering above the horizon. It had begun to dip once they were all settled in the station’s main room.
The main room easily fit them all, though people were sat all over places that were not intended to be used as seats: Where the room transitioned into a kitchen, Kurt sat cross-legged and hunched over on a countertop; Maria, legs sprawled outward, sat beneath him with her back to the cabinets; Sasha had found metal folding chairs that she and Violet laid claim to; Tom, Danny, Asher—the latecomers—were sat on the floor; Domenick and Jerry stood, leaning against walls on opposite sides of the room; James inhabited an office chair. He was bent forwa… [view original content]
Comments
Nooooooooo I was not able to vote in the time
And I would have voted for option 2 because it sounds better. Sorry for not voting and I hope the situation will not get too bad because of this.
you may have actually dodged a bullet
for now
Arguably, the expedition's chances have improved. And I'm really sorry about closing the voting before you got a chance to vote. It slipped my mind that you hadn't voted yet. I'll try to give you a larger window or maybe a warning in advance next time!
I'll think of that in a literal sense, honestly.
More accurately, you expertly dodged a bullet...
...and landed right in the path of another bullet.
you know what I change my mind there is no winning in this choice
Its okay. I do an apprenticeship in another city and I am currently home for only one or two days every week and never know when I can come online. I dont have internet access at the room where I stay for my apprenticeship. When I miss a voting, it is okay and cant be prevented because of my work. You dont need to wait for me. Maybe just for the most important votes because I dont want to miss them
Okay, this is good to know.
I won't make special accommodations, as you wish, but as a rule of thumb, I will definitely start leaving very important votes open longer to allow everyone to vote and others time to change their minds.
Quick update
Sorry for my recent absence. I've been preoccupied with something which I'll go into in a second, but I don't like having long periods of silence, so I'm breaking it now. I'm hoping to resume Monument sometime next week. Anyway, I recently joined a class—nothing too time-consuming or extensive, but the overall assignment has been to create a theater play. I'm part of a small team working on it, and that has been eating up a lot of my creative time and focus, even though it's not the least bit serious. It's over Sunday, though. So, things should return to normal next week. : )
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 4: James watched the horizon with his full attention and was rewarded with another glimpse of light. It flashed and for the briefest of moments the surrounding clouds glowed an electronic red, then darkness enveloped it again. The others saw it, too. He shut his eyes, lowered his head, and thought on the issue until he came to a verdict. “At sunup”—he lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking at them with a reassuring confidence in his expression, then continued, “we’ll make our way towards the radio station. There, I’ll make contact in the softest way possible. Alone, I might add. If it’s my decision, it’s my skin on the line.”
The majority of the group accepted his answer without protest, silently acknowledging his choice with tired nods. As almost everyone left the road to set up camp, Maria remained there with James. Danny lingered in the darkness, waiting for her.
She massaged the bridge of her nose, frustratedly. “What’s the point of this side step?” she asked. “Seriously, it’s like you’re engineering a situation just to put yourself in danger. That’s what this amounts to.”
“What’s wrong with playing hero?” James smiled. Based on her grimace, he realized it was sadder looking than it should have been.
“Just be frank, asshat.”
For a moment, James was reminded of his niece. He got a little teary-eyed, but luckily the darkness hid it. His tone grew serious. “Okay. Look, I’m worried as shit. Like I’ve said, I expected to run into my friends a long time ago. Either we've been really unlucky and missed their outposts, or… they didn’t expand south at all. We’ve seen jack between here and the Oklahoma panhandle, so it’s possible.”
“Or,” Maria murmured, aware it would definitely be a sensitive subject, “the horde we’ve been following trampled their outposts.”
“That… has me worried, especially.” James looked off. “The horde’s trail is just too close to Colorado Springs. I…” He sensed the edge in his tone and made an effort to speak calm and clearly. “The corpses gravitate to any sort of population center. When I left, there were about three hundred people.” He swallowed hard. “Listen, it may not seem this way—it may seem like an unnecessary risk, but I think it’s a hell of a lot more cautious than heading straight to our destination. We’re too worn out to put up a fight if something happens.”
Maria seemed to look for the red light, but it didn’t show itself. She sighed in such a way that seemed… remorseful, and said, “We trust your judgment. All of us do, even when we have our disagreements, or when you’re being a shit head… We trust you.”
James nodded slowly. He looked her in the eye and decided he didn’t want to keep it to himself anymore. “My niece died, thanks to me. I... failed to protect her. You know, you’ve got similar attitudes.”
“I… don’t know how to take that,” Maria said, shifting her weight awkwardly.
“Take it as a compliment, I guess.” James exhaled heavily in the cool night air. “I’ve just been reminiscing a lot. Too much, really. I needed to get that off my chest if I wanted to go in with a clear head.”
“So… head cleared?” Maria asked.
“I’m not really sure yet,” he replied.
“Then,” she murmured, untensing, “can I ask you what part of my attitude reminded me of your niece?”
“Among a few other things, you’re always cursing me and the others out. It sort of developed on the expedition, but… it developed the same way as I traveled with my niece.” He chuckled softly and sadly. “It dove me nuts. Absolutely hated it.”
“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
“I mean it as one,” he said truthfully. “It’s one of those things you kinda miss once it’s gone.”
“I’ve lost people, too,” Maria said. “I get ya.”
“Well, thank you for chatting,” James said. He sighed and adjusted his heavy backpack. “If we don’t join the others soon enough, one of us is gonna get stuck with watch duty.”
“We better get going, then,” Maria said to Danny. He gave James an sympathetic smile and walked with her. She called from over her shoulder, “You better hurry, too. C’mon, we can make it a race. Loser gets watch duty.”
James smiled in the darkness, the moon illuminating the right half of his face has clouds drifted. “I’m just gonna accept defeat now. Tell the others I’ll be there in a minute, I’m gonna take a moment to think.”
“Heh. Alright, slowpoke,” Maria called back.
James studied Fairweather’s scarred facade from a distance as he approached, a little disheartened that he remembered nothing of the storm. He woke a few times during his trip downriver, or once at the very least, sufficient enough to fabricate enough unpleasant dreams to last a lifetime.
He passed under the broken archway on his crutches, then through the double doors that were propped open. To his understanding, the lobby was hardly ever used for communal purposes, much less manned by a clerk; it was essentially a very wide-open shed occupied by the occasional gardener. Since the tower’s collapse, lots of cutting tools and scrap metal now littered the floor and shelves, leaving the place in disarray. He had been told by Josephine that the room keys were kept elsewhere by the council, providing the residents of the hotel with privacy and a modest level security.
*James rested by the second set of double doors that opened to the garden. Outside, he saw an older gentleman standing so still that he almost missed him. Jefferson Mclannon, he thought, but was unsure. *
James sucked up the indignity and pressed his body against the glass to push it open, then awkwardly slipped through while balancing on his crutches. He make all kinds of noises that made him wince and shuddered at the thought of having to get the door open again.
Jefferson gave no indication of noticing him, but James was sure he had heard him fumbling with the door. He scanned the gardens, looking for the gravemaker, and realized that Jefferson was standing in front of it.
“Hey!” James shouted from a distance to hopefully not startle the old man if he was hard of hearing. Jefferson looked at him. James went on, asking, “Should I come back later?”
“Don’t mind me,” he said with a very neutral tone. It was a step up; many others in Laredo regarded him with distrust, some even with hostility. He couldn’t really blame them. Nerve ran high at the moment, and he was a stranger. Jefferson’s expression wasn’t quite discernable underneath his large mustache, and his wide-brimmed cowboy hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but nothing suggested animosity.
He sidled up to the older man. He tried to focus on the maker, but that grew painful. It stood upright out of one of the larger plant beds. There was a thick coat of flowers piled on top of the grave, so much so that the recently turned earth and even the chiseled letters were not visible.
“Wish I could have known him,” James whispered. He indicated toward the wilted flowers with a hand. “Guess he was pretty exceptional.”
“He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor,” Jefferson intoned quietly. “Calvin was a rare kind. He didn’t deserve this.”
“Hmm-hmm,” James agreed, unsure of himself. “I... owe him a lot. I kind of feel at a loss.”
“Lookin’ for advice? Just help his friends,” Jefferson said. James nodded to this, but he was already set on it. “And never forget him.”
“I never do.”
To be continued...
Oh yes, a new part
It was a very great part as well. I seriously enjoyed that interaction between James and Maria and we also saw a return of Jefferson, who left some impression through that talk he had with Josie ages ago. With every passing part, I start trusting James more, especially after this talk between him and Jefferson and I wonder if this builds him up as a hero and ally to the group, a likeable guy who dies tragically, or if he ends up as a traitor after all, which would probably be the most shocking outcome here. But yeah, I like him and I hope that won't turn out to be a mistake. Although I get the feeling that something is not right with his community. This stuff about them not expanding south, that sounds an awful lot like foreshadowing of something really dark. Maybe his community got overrun, or taken over by hostiles and I don't know which would be worse.
Jefferson is back! Awesome part, I am so happy to see him again. And Maria and James have great interaction together, hope to see more of it! And I agree with Liquid, James community is in trouble. I hope they find out what it is soon.
I honestly think the former would be worse, being as there's already a horde and James mentioned there was around 300 people in the community when he left. There's more to add to the horde they're already following.
I'm not so sure about this. I mean, a horde (or a walker in general) is relatively easy to avoid, it can't set up an ambush, it's not intelligent, it is easy to outrun a walker and they don't use guns. And if the worst happens (which I seriously don't hope), then a walker will never ask questions like "Where is the rest of your community located?" If James' community got overrun, then they will possibly see it long before the walkers in there will become a danger, but if they have been taken over by hostiles, then there is the chance that they won't notice it until it is too late.
I agree with you, however, the one thought that keeps coming back to me is how Christian and Jordan got ambushed, even though they were aware of the herd coming about. Ten is a bigger number than two, that is true, but that could actually make things more dangerous if they were to ever get pushed in by a horde.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 5: Kurt took a second watch after James and was then forced by Domenick to retire. He hadn’t slept and mostly passed the time by watching the eastern vista for the sunrise while on lying on his side, his back facing their destination. He felt a combination of sleep deprivation - manifesting as a deep grogginess - and nervousness as the first sliver of the sun appeared on the horizon. It wasn’t long before a few others started moving around camp, anxiously waiting for their departure. By this point he had sat upright to add a little to his diary—he wrote down his more recent misgivings on the situation, but was careful to not get repetitious.
A little while later, he put the diary away and hoped someone might start a conversation. Eventually, it was Violet who approached him. She stood a fair distance away but she never said anything. She wasn’t talkative and looked even less so at the moment, so he decided to ruminate over matters alone and they watched the horizon until James grimly called everyone together. He felt the knots in his stomach tighten with sudden anxiety as he stood.
“I got the files you asked for,” Josephine said unhappily.
“Thanks, Josie,” Jake said, kissing her on the cheek as he took them. He walked back into the room—leaving her at the door—and tossed them, carefully, onto a cluttered pile that was not contained to the table. In fact, the entire room relegated to their planning was a disorganized mess.
“I’ve got a few concerns.” A little disgruntled, she added, “If you’re willing to listen to me, of course.”
James briefly looked up from reading a chapter on topography, , his crutches nearby, wondering if this was going to turn into an argument and attempted to promptly shrink into his corner of the room.
Tapping Domenick’s file, which lay at the top, with his pointer and index finger, Jake sighed. “Sure,” he whispered, ghostly quiet.
“Violet Moore, first and foremost,” she said.
“Yeah, I figured that’d be it.” He awkwardly scratched an unshaven cheek. “Look-- uh, we’re not simply in the position to turn down-- uh, applicants. Josie, I get your objection, but she wouldn’t be in Laredo if she wasn’t harmless.”
There was a long spot of silence. “I’m not objecting to her involvement, I just think she’s running,” Josephine said finally, almost sadly.
“From?” he managed, a little surprised.
“Not too long ago, I learned that she gets harassed frequently by some of the other residents.”
“Yikes... That’s your department. How come you never heard?”
She nodded glumly. “It’s never been reported by her.”
“What else do we know about this?”
“It’s in there. I suggest you read it,” and she indicated the sloppy stack of files. “By the way, I agree that she is harmless, but that’s the part of the problem. Harmless . . . passive . . . not exactly material built for live on the road. Added to that, it’s possible some of the others might not get along with her. I know I couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her—of course, that’s not her fault.”
James had picked out Violet Moore’s dossier and was in the process of flipping through it. The most recent addition pertained the harassment report. He read it. “Well, Christ, I don’t blame her wanting to get outta here then.”
“Me neither,” Josephine said softly.
Filed by a woman named Gretchen Pritchett, the account outlined the ending pieces of an encounter overheard by Pritchett between Violet Moore and a man that the witness identified as William Dillard. Dillard threatened Moore verbally before Pritchett intervened. Dillard lef, then Moore thanked Pritchett left as well.
“Have you spoken with her yet?” Jake asked. “Or with him?”
“Yes, both,” she replied, “but I don’t think it’s been resolved.”
“Well, she shouldn’t feel the need to join the expedition just to get away from this,” Jake said. “Do you want me to give you a hand with this?”
“I’d appreciate it,” Josephine said genuinely. “We gotta make sure this is a safe place for all of our residents. Regardless, beyond this, the decision to join your expedition is hers.”
“Of course,” Jake agreed. “And your other concerns?”
“Danny, Maria and Asher—fuck it,” Josephine suddenly snapped, “I bet Kurt sighed up because of the those goddamned kids. I know exactly how much time we have left, and how limited our options are, but ‘unideal’ doesn’t cover it.”
He understood, but found it a little odd considering each of those ‘kids’ were just three years younger than her. Maybe he found it sweet; however, he kept it to himself, because it didn’t seem to be an appropriate time to joke. “I know, Josie,” he replied. “But we’re about to implode. I got Domenick on board. Between him, Kurt, James and me, we’ll do just fine with the kids.”
Josephine sighed frustratedly. “Well, thanks a bunch for the reassurance. But someone is gonna die out there. I don’t want that to happen to you, or anyone else for that matter.”
“We’ll do just fine, love.”
To be continued...
A few things of note:
People seem stressed...
Gawwd how can these two always be so adorable? The serious nature of their conversation aside, they are a delight every time they share a scene together. It's strange to think that my initial opinion on Jake has been very negative, because he and Josie fit together so perfectly, not only as a couple, but as a team as well. If I could draw, I'd do fanart of them. Sadly, I can't draw if my life would depend on it, so all I can do is to squee whenever they share a scene
And I found their talk in general not only cute, but interesting. I see now why Violet hasn't been seen for so long, considering that she really seems to prefer remaining in the background and not getting any attention. And it's funny how Josie considers Danny, Maria and Asher kids, considering their very minor age gap. I guess she really gained some huge emotional maturity after all the crap she lived through, while at least Danny and Maria seem far more light-hearted and playful. Can't say the same about Asher though, as I honestly never saw him as a kid or teen, even if he is in the same age. I guess his introductory scene of killing Zafir did wonders about that. But in any way, I consider all three highly capable, so while it is cute how worried Josie is for them, I think they are well-suited to go, at least out of the characters we have met so far. Especially Danny and Maria seem to have become some sort of a supply runner team during the timeskip, so I am not concerned for their capability. Still concerned for their lives though, but I'd feel the same about any other main character on that expedition.
And I think the present scene was the first time we saw things from Nightcrawler's PoV, as short as it was. I still hope I am not wrong about liking him, but I like that he seems to get slightly more screentime in this expedition
At the same time, I do notice that, if I have gotten the correct impression, Jake implied that he would leave as well and Josie outright called it his expedition. This is highly concerning, since he hasn't been around in the present parts at all. If I haven't misunderstood him, then this leaves up two concerning possibilities: First of all, he did accompany them, but for some reason, he isn't anymore. The most likely, if terrifying explanation for that would be that he died. The second possibility is not much better. Maybe he didn't even leave in the first place, because something happened in Laredo that forced him to stay. At best, he simply decided that his leadership will be needed. At worst, some sort of crisis made it impossible for him to leave. And worse than worst, something happened to Josie that caused him to stay. I just hope I am wrong with that last one, as this would imply she got either killed or seriously injured
Oh god, I must be wrong on this one.
Also:
This sounds awesome! I am so happy you found a schedule that sits right with you. Both stories are among my favourites (and Monument in particular is the favourite), so I am very, very excited for the next parts in either story!
I guess I accidentally unfollowed the thread, my bad. Anyways, I think this part holds my favorite for the chapter so far, mainly for the flashback. I'm pretty excited for the return now
Nice part! Jake and Josephine are always nice to read about I love them together and I like that there was more info on Violet. I feel bad for her, she didnt do anything bad and everyone still treats her like shit. It was a good idea from Jake to send her away. And I have the feeling that something big is going to happen in the final part of this chapter, maybe in Laredo in the flashbacks or in James group in the present time.
Chapter Fourteen: Red Cloud, Part 6: The landscape inclined after several hours of walking west. On a good day, any one of them could have traversed the terrain without much issue, but this could not be called a good day. With the combination of malnourishment and sleep deprivation, most of them were already on the cusp of exhaustion, making travel ungodly slow.
As they were climbing a somewhat steep hill, James observed that Domenick and Jerome were by far faring the best out of them all. After summiting the damned obstacle, it proceeded to decline into a sort of two-wall dale that stretched south to north; the west wall ahead rose sharper than the last hill. The descent offered very little relief of the burning sensation that engulfed his legs. He soldiered on, but he wished once again he’d had more to recuperate.
In fact, he wished they all had more time for preparation. However, their utter commitment had shocked him—and perhaps it spurred him further out of the sidelines, sped up his recovery, and kept him going. A few had given him doubts at first, but he was impressed—and maybe a little proud—by how well all of them had functioned on the road for as long as they had, especially given the conditions they were forced to whether.
While he wasn’t sure he particularly subscribed to the thought, they had certainly gained a mutual respect on this adventure. It seemed to be a strong bond, definitely—maybe even a lasting bond, too. Brothers and sisters, a few fatherly/motherly types, one or two couples—hell, Domenick was the stern but cool uncle.
One big family.
It was a pleasant thought, he finally admitted to himself. The part of his enteral wiring that had been soldered by the grimness of survival attempted to tell him it wasn’t such a good idea to establish ties; for once in a long time, he had to disagree. Pleasant thoughts were too far and few between; he’d savor this one. He tried to remember that as they began the ascent of the western wall and his legs began to burn their reluctance to go on. Once again, as they summited, the radio tower became partially visible, maybe a half a mile away. At this distant, it appeared to be in good condition. It blinked it’s taunting little light in the clear sky. This was the treat being held over his nose, but just out of reach—and he undeniably felt a little taunted.
Jake couldn’t remember that last time he visited Gilbert Hotel—his schedule didn’t exactly accommodate sneaking off-base to touch base with friends—but here he was. Jerry still called this place his home, even if he was calling himself Jerome when in public.
His hands weren’t quite steady after everything Josephine dropped on him, but he slipped through the first and second sets of doors, entering the lobby. He scaled the stairn then left the stairwell at Jerry’s floor—traversing a long hallway full of rooms that would likely never be occupied again—and found his door. He banged on it, feeling the instability of his knock ring out. “Jerry?” he shouted.
About ten seconds passed. Sasha cracked open the door and gave Jake a displeased frown. “Jerry’s a little tied up right now.”
“Look, it’s really important that I speak to him--”
“Alright, let me get the key.” She chuckled. “You might wanna wait outside.” Jake’s brow furrowed and the door shut. A second later, it opened all the way and Sasha was standing there smirking. “I’m kidding. Come on in. Jake, right?”
“Thanks,” he muttered and stepped inside. He wasn’t in any particular mood for jokes. She got him, admittedly.
Jerry, having previously been reading a book before craning his neck to see who was at the door, had sat it aside and stood. They met each other at the foot of the bed, sharing a hug before it dissolved.
“What’s brings you out here?” Jerry asked.
“Problems, a whole bunch.” Jake sighed. “She and Natalie decided to have a really candid conversation. A small part of me disagrees with doing that, but it was probably for the best if we want to keep this place from falling to pieces.”
“What’d she learn?” he asked.
“Natalie knows that you’re here. And she knows exactly who you are. And she has . . . motivation to be very angry with you.” Jake glanced over and saw that Sasha’s expression had taken a genuine decline. He looked back over at Jerry. “This hotel isn’t safe for you. We need to--”
“Move me?”
“Yeah.” He glanced off, scratching the scruff of his neck. “San Antonio might--”
“I could join your expedition,” Jerry said suddenly. “Maria and Danny are going, right?”
Jake looked up, a little startled. “And Asher.”
“And who else is going?”
“Uh, you haven’t met Domenick or his brother, Tommy, but they’re going. There’s James, of course. And you’ll like Kurt. Everybody likes Kurt. Un, Violent Moore is the only one I could see you not getting along with.”
Jerry nodded, and he looked at Sasha for her opinion. She crossed her arms, said, “If we have to hightail it either way, I’d rather be with a group.” She looked at Jake. “We’ll get back to once we make a decision.”
Jake nodded.
“What else did Josie tell you?” Jerry questioned.
“Oh man.” The shaking got worse.
“We’ll rest here for a bit,” James muttered as he collapsed onto his haunches beneath one of the trees that dotted the hillside of their last hurdle before they’d reach the radio station. Escaping the heat of high noon, everyone settled into the shade a little haphazardly. James, who was trying with difficulty not to outwardly pant, added, “Now . . . it’s time for a final, frank discussion.”
The faces of his people were all terribly overtaxed. Although it was proved that crossing the plain at night would likely not have been suicidal (a major worry considering that they had each suffered some degree of harming damage, allowing walkers to get too close for comfort if you couldn’t see them), day had posed its own troubles. Namely, the heat and the openness. And while he still couldn’t shake the feeling of having a target painted on his back, James realized it had begun to subside at last. A new worry had taken its place: the thought and implications of making contact.
“In as long as it takes me to get on my feet again,” James explained, “I’m gonna walk the remainder of the way by myself. I’ll be going unarmed to not create any needless problems for ourselves.”
As he begun to disassemble his assault rifle (that he, in addition to others, had been lunging around) for one last checkup, Domenick offered James a glance. “If things go awry, this hill is a real barrier between you and us. Things go wrong—with everyone down here—you’re screwed, to be blunt.”
“Follow me by a few hundred feet or so on the way up, then hunker down somewhere about that distance from the top.” James frowned as he looked at the scratched casing of the rifle. “And if something seems to go wrong, don’t rush into anything. If they’re awfully hostile, we won’t have much of a choice but to fight . . . but let’s try to do this smoothly and peacefully. I-- well, I might be shot reactively—but maybe not fatally. Now, if I’m put on my knees and executed, you should . . . survive, and that means capturing the station through whatever means necessary.”
A silence took over as they all imagined storming the station, fighting, even killing the inhabitants. It sat well with no one, even the those who’d already taken a life, and maybe it unsettled those few the most.
Breaking the silence, Maria said, concern in her voice, “It’s stupid to go alone. Someone has to go with you and so they can back you up.”
“That’s got its own problems,” James countered. “Assuming there’s only one operator, one man’s intimidating enough—two is downright threatening. And if they see two of us coming up, and only I come to talk, they’ll think someone’s trying to get the jump on them—they’ll doubt everything I have to say.” He shut his eyes, felt indecisive for a fleeting moment, and opened them again. “No, I go alone.”
“Christ, and what are the other problems?”
“I’m pregnant, Jake.”
“Oh shit.”
The sun was irksomely hot on James’s back, the inclination the hardest it had ever been on his legs, but worst of all was the apprehension that tried to stonewall him. The others would be following at a distance. James made sure not to repeat the same mistake of Orpheus by making sure not to give anyone watching him an indication as to where his people might be. That unwillingness to go on swelled as he neared the point where the hill leveled out—a veil of an angle that didn’t tell him jack about what he was climbing toward, except for the tower that rose out of the hill about a couple hundred feet away from the path he’d chosen.
As he scrambled up the remaining dozen feet rather ungracefully and rounded the top, the bubble of apprehension burst. Here was the radio station, a simple cabin with a chain link fence that formed a front yard around its forward-facing exterior. A dozen assorted trees, offering plenty of shade to make this a comfortable living place, seemed to have been planted there by the cabin’s original owner.
James threw his arms over his head and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Hello! I’m unarmed! I need to speak with whoever operates this place!” The black mass at the center of the yard had already captured his eyes as he joined the trail that led to the gate and wrapped around the hill and out of sight. There was still no reply, so he added, “It’s James! James Wilson! I was one of the scouts they sent out! Got lost, you could say!”
The front door moved subtly and his eyes quickly snapped to it, but he recognized it was only the wind pushing it noiselessly, not closing fully as the wind relented. His attention returned to the black mass, and he realized unsettlingly that it was the charred remains of a massive fire.
He nearly bumped into the gate but stopped short. The gate had been closed but not with care, and he easily nudged it open with a boot without lowering his arms. This was all very worrying to James. On such a steep hill, the fencing didn’t need to protect against the walkers, but he couldn’t imagine the operator behaving so casually as to leave the gate open. Something was obviously wrong.
He slowly approached what was left of the bonfire, the unsavory smell of burnt food wafting from it. It’d been set in a fire pit that was far too small for something so large—charred, flaky debris overflowed onto the ground surrounding, scattered by the wind past the semicircle of lawn chairs, and now littered the yard. All James could discern were some half-burned labels of food products.
Arms still raised, he first prodded it cautiously, then kicked the pile. A cloud of ash and flakes were sent into the air which was quickly swept away by the breeze, dissipating in a matter of seconds. He dug around with his boot for a moment and uncovered the blackened, leathery body of a human corpse.
He lowered his arms, certain the station was abandoned. The screw in his stomach was stripped and it twisted horribly, grinding metal into flakes. Well, this is a crock of shit.
End of Chapter 14: Red Cloud
Congratulations, Hope. You did it again. After reading this part, my jaw hit the floor again. I also had to pause everything I was doing for a couple minutes. Because, well...
First of all: Ohmygodohmygodohmyogd it's happening ohmygodohmygod
oooohmygodohmygod I did not see that coming, but I'm so happy about it! Perhaps I should be concerned, but no, NO, not right now, I refuse. Now, I can only be happy. Josie's getting a baby and that means, in some way that makes me feel like an honorary grandfather! Ooooh, can I be proud? 'Cause I'm totally proud right now! Oh god, I can't even begin to express my utter happiness. Here, take this gif for reference, because this dog is far better at expressing happiness than I am, but the general feeling is the same. I am this dog. This dog is me.
Now... to my deep shame, I must admit that in the slightly dizzy state I was in just a few minutes ago, after having a particularly hard day at university, I kind of misread that scene. I was like "Oh, that's great, Sasha is pregnant, congratulations, I like that!" and generally happy for her, but more or less composed. After just starting to write exactly that as a comment, it finally sunk in that it was not Sasha who spoke there. I regret that my reaction has not been seen by anyone, because I'm pretty sure it has been hilarious, especially when my facial expression slowly changed from ordinary happiness over a new Monument part to being absolutely baffled and just generally speechless, with a blimey, shit-eating grin on my face. I'm not saying I did a happy dance, but I totally did a happy dance. And I'm fully awake now. Screw coffee, I'm just going to read that part again.
Alright, I guess this explains why Jake is not with the expedition. I have been fearing for something much, much worse, but no, it makes sense that he's obviously not going anywhere when his girlfriend is pregnant. Of course, I know, the apocalypse is dangerous for a child, we know how badly it ended for Lori in the show and well, Calvin really chose a bad time to get murdered. God, this is totally going to shatter, no, pulverize my heart in a later chapter, isn't it? At the same time, there have been examples for positive outcomes as well. Maybe it will work, it is not impossible. They can make it work. They made less likely things work. Argh, I will certainly be very concerned later on, but now, it is a moment of happiness and I am going to cherish it. I'd like to marry this moment and raise a family of tiny little moments.
Now, even if my emotional reaction for this part is obviously a mental bluescreen of overwhelming joy, I must comment on James' part as well, because that is already concerning. I was expecting the radio station to be taken over by hostiles, or walkers maybe, but it has not only been deserted, it has obviously been attacked, by someone who has no interest in taking over the community and who simply wanted to destroy and to burn down. This is obviously a very bad thing, but I am glad that the group is warned now that something is not right. Perhaps now they can take the necessary precautions when approaching James' old community. I wonder if Fox Mask Guy had his hands in that. After all, it has been him who caused James to get into his miserable position during his introduction part.
Aaah, there is so much more I'd wish to comment on, but it is so hard to focus on them. Couple of other highlights: Jerry and Sasha are cute. I love Sasha, she is great and I am glad my initial bad feeling was unfounded. It also warms my already overheated heart to see how well Jerry and Jake are getting along. Nathalie meanwhile concerns me, I am not sure if it has been a good idea from Josie to tell her everything, but maybe it was necessary and maybe it will lead to a new and positive beginning for Laredo. Also, Jake confirmed what I have been thinking all this time, everyone likes Nightcrawler. And now back to the most obvious matter at hand... I'm just... this is literally the most happy I have been in quite a while. Can I... thank you for writing? Yeah, I'm totally going to do that. Thank you for writing! And now excuse me, I have to read this part again and squee, like a bloody cheerleader.
Once again, you ever cease to amaze.
I've been reading for awhile now. I honestly have to say that I love this story and there always seems like something is hiding around the next corner.
I can't wait to see what happens next!
Poor James, all his people are likely dead.
Please tell me that was Jake's exact reaction. XD
Best way to react to your girlfriend being pregnant.
Jokes aside the pregnancy makes me happy and concerned at the same time.
Seriousness aside I'm disappointed that Jerry wasn't tied up.
Another great part, it gets more interesting everytime.
Maybe we should start recording our reactions.
This is great to hear! I'm very glad you've enjoyed the story. By the way, I really like the character you submitted.
I'm excited for what's to come, too!
Those were his exact words, coupled with an "oh shit" face, of course.
Anyway, it's great to hear you've enjoyed the story! I can't wait to delve into some stuff down the road.
Liquid, this was incredibly satisfying to read. Everyone's support and enthusiasm has been overwhelmingly positive. Honestly, it's a little strange and at times I can't help but feel that it's a little unfounded. But... this is all very reassuring. So... you can thank me if you want, but I also want to thank you and every other user who has at any point followed this story or submitted a character. This simply wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for your and others' assistance.
I don't talk about it much, but I was borderline uneducated when I started writing here in late 2014. This site has not only taught me how to write and spell (opening the way to reading, which is now probably one of my favorite hobbies) but it's also fulfilled me in a strange way. It honestly scares me to think of where I would be if I hadn't started writing here. So, let me thank you. All of you, of course. Here's to a long road ahead!
I'm glad you loved the part, Liquid! Honestly, I was expecting a different kind of reaction—I expected sheer panic rather than such honest to god enthusiasm—but it's all the more gratifying. I do want to say that the purpose of Monument isn't to whittle you down to an emotionless husk of sadness. It's about building things, I think. Not destruction. If it were, I understand fully that it would make a thoroughly unpleasant and ultimately unsatisfying trek. Don't get complacent in Monument; the world's still a dangerous place. But I'm not gonna rip you heart out and eat it; the worse I might do is kick your shins or stomp on a few precious toes. You can take all that for what you will. At the end of the day, there will likely always be thick layers of depression, anxiety, violence, and anger in Monument, but there's another end to that spectrum that, in my opinion, is under-explored.
The flow of chapter 15 will depend heavily on the choices that are chosen. So it can lean heavily in either direction. I seem to remember hinting way back that chapter 3 was going to present opportunities for a large number a character deaths. Ultimately, it didn't really fulfill that promise. Never Forgotten, however, is all that and more.
I felt a giant range of emotions during this part. I worried as James made his expedition to the station, I felt incredible joy when Josie announced her pregnancy, but I can't really describe the emotion I felt after the last paragraph, so I'll use the words I thought. "are you kidding me." So I'd say it was utter disappointment. I mean a two month journey only to come to this. Man, if that's how the radio station was in, I'm not looking forward to how the central station is.
But it was a good end to the chapter, I'm excited for more!
That is something I am very happy to hear! I think I have followed your writing for the longest out of the current readers here and I can definitly confirm that you have insanely developed as a writer. It's always been great to follow your writing, I mean, I still fondly remember the Raining days, but seeing just how finely detailed your writing has become makes me incredibly excited for the future parts and how they will develop from the current ones. This story constantly blows me away and no matter how high I put my expectations, you exceed them on a regular level.
Well, I mean, the panic is probably going to come eventually. I mean, even if this ends well for Josie and the baby, there's almost guaranteed to be complications of some sort. At the very least, the lack of a doctor can be dangerous, so that is something where I hope they'll find a replacement for Calvin in time. But no, my immediate reaction is a very happy one and I still am happy. I leave the concern for when it is more necessary
Hm... this sounds hopeful, I think. I mean, I hope so at least. Oh, this comment is filling me with a strange mixture of anxiety and hope like only Monument can do
I remember you mentioned that about Chapter 3 and it was one of the reasons it had me so anxious. This time, I can totally see how at the very least James' expedition might be in serious danger, depending on our choices. I mean, they are warned now that something is not right, but this still means I will make sure to think about the coming choices especially careful. Half of the expedition group is among my favourite characters and some of the other half are on a good way, so preventing as many deaths as possible will be my primary goal in the next chapter.
Long time lurker here. Just wanted to tell you how great this story is, and just how excited it makes me when a new part comes out! Seriously can't wait for the next chapter!
Wow, this is unexpected but incredibly great to hear! I'm you like the story! It'll continue very soon.
James Wilson, 15-01: Having thoroughly scrutinized it inside and out, James retrieved his nine compatriots and brought them to the radio station—after he’d given them a straightforward description of the circumstances. James wandered, as they climbed the rest of the way, how many were staring daggers at him. He couldn’t blame them for they condemning him now. He assumed responsibility for everything that happened—no matter how far out of his control the situation was.
James’s exhaustion made climbing that hill feel like an eternity, but in less than ten minutes that challenge was once again accomplished and they had all arrived outside the station’s yard. He pulled the gate open then led the others through. Once everyone was inside, he saw Danny latch the gate shut. He was reminded that some pitiless asshat rolled right through here, killed the operator, destroyed a pantry’s worth of food, then left the goddamned front gate open.
He sighed an uneven sigh as he tried not to fume about the gate of all things. Scanning the faces of his companions and getting ready to address them, he was surprised no one outwardly glowered. Sasha wasn’t happy with him, clearly; Domenick never looked particularly cheerful in the first place; Maria and Danny couldn’t hold his gaze, but neither could he quite meet theirs; and the others were fairly neutral. It was likely their emotions were muted by the weariness.
He’d been silent too long, James realized. He nearly spat out another apology, but swallowed it. Instead, he projected an authoritative demeanor. “Domenick, I want you to examine that body and garner whatever you can from it. I need a volunteer-- no, two volunteers to shift through all that ash. The cabin’s been ransacked, and whoever did it could have also burned important documents. Something may be partially intact, so be gentle.” Domenick, along with Violet and Tom, set out toward the firepit without a word.
“There’s a bucket on the radio tower,” James went on. “Asher, I want you on watch up there. Grab a buddy to hang out below and rotate when you feel the need to. Get a ration for each of you, some water, and two walkie-talkies. And grab a pair of binoculars and one of the umbrellas.”
“Will do,” he mumbled, smiling glumly and repositioning his sniper rifle’s shoulder strap. He took Danny with him and they descended back down the path after passing through the gate.
Maria, Kurt, Jerry and Sasha remained. “Maria, they’ll have a blind spot thanks to the station. Go through the cabin and you’ll find a deck. Keep watch on that angle from there.”
Maria nodded and started on her way. “I’m on the case,” she threw back with no humor in her voice.
“The rest of us are on cleaning duty.” There were two fires burning in James at that moment: one of guilt and one of anger. While debating which to tend, which to fan, he reminded himself that some fucker rolled through here, murdered a human being, tossed the body onto a fire, destroyed precious supplies and valuable information, ransacked the cabin, left the gate open, and killed them all in the process. There would be hell to pay, indeed, if he ever got his hands on that fucker.
To be continued . . .
You know, I think even though I already commented on this, I haven't quite realized how severe this incident at the radio station actually is. That wasn't just someone who wanted to kill people and destroy this station, that someone didn't even care for the supplies. That probably means it is someone so powerful that he or she doesn't have to worry about starving. Or it is someone who is too insane to care. I don't know which option I prefer. In any way, I have the bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen. For some reason, it made me nervous that Danny and Asher went on guard duty. I think this currently holds the biggest potential for bad things to happen. In general, the group needs to be super careful. At the very least, James is aware how serious this situation is, so I think he is the right guy to lead this group right now.
Well now I'm pretty excited for the new chapter. But I'm also dreading it, for the warning we received. Looks like I won't be jumping to conclusions when it comes to choices, because I really don't want anyone to die.
Also, I agree with Liquid. However, I think Josie's previous calling Asher and Danny kids are what worries me. But, there's likely a reason James chose Asher and didn't say anything when he chose Danny, so I guess they can't be too immature. Actually, James allowing all three of the "kids" to have some form of watch duty kind of shows their maturity, in my opinion.
James Wilson, 15-02: Once the station was secured and made hospitable, it was time for the second stage of their occupation of the mountain: a group discussion to formulate a plan. James had sent Tom to retrieve the two at the tower, and he presently watched the trio sidle up to the gate, the sun hovering above the horizon. It had begun to dip once they were all settled in the station’s main room.
The main room easily fit them all, though people were sat all over places that were not intended to be used as seats: Where the room transitioned into a kitchen, Kurt sat cross-legged and hunched over on a countertop; Maria, legs sprawled outward, sat beneath him with her back to the cabinets; Sasha had found metal folding chairs that she and Violet laid claim to; Tom, Danny, Asher—the latecomers—were sat on the floor; Domenick and Jerry stood, leaning against walls on opposite sides of the room; James inhabited an office chair. He was bent forward, elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped together. This was the confrontation that they’d delayed, he realized.
“The situation is fucked,” James said, echoing the obvious. “However, we’re not down for the count, and our goal hasn’t changed—it’s just taken on a grim new urgency. Whatever condition it’s in, Colorado Springs is our last hope.”
His eyes danced around the room, capturing their expressions, snapping to Kurt when he spoke. “Our goal’s changed,” he muttered tiredly, his normally strong grip on the English language faltering, his words slurring with his German accent. “The destination’s the same.”
James nodded a stony acknowledgment. Every acquaintance of his here was likely dead, likely murdered. He tried not to sulk outwardly but knew he couldn’t even attempt to hide the sadness in his eyes. “You’re right,” he told Kurt, then to the rest of the gathering: “We set out with the goal to establish ties between Colorado Springs and Laredo because stuff was getting grim back in Texas. That’s no longer possible. I’m sorry I can’t sugar coat this, but we’re not capable of going back.”
The statement passed over a few of them like a disorientating wave with several exceptions who should unaffected. Maria was the only exception that surprised James.
“Maybe not now,” Maria whispered. She was tapping the floor, looking like she was going to be sick, looking a little manic. “We got here, we can get back.”
“We don’t know if they’ll be anything to come back to,” Domenick said, reverberating one of the things they all had come to accept before leaving on the expedition.
Maria glared at him, but it fizzled out quickly. She shrugged, adopting a smaller profile against the cabinets, seemingly shrinking.
“Whether we can ever consider the possibility of going back to Texas depends heavily on what we decide to do now,” James said. “For now, let’s go over everything. Dom, you’ve got something for us?”
Domenick pushed off the wall and, unfurling his crossed arms, revealed a charred pocket book that had been tucked under his armpit. “It’s a diary, as far as I can tell. The corpse sunk of kerosene, and I found it on him, so it’s a miracle it didn’t get soaked. A few dozen pages are burnt but intact toward the center. Lucky for us, it was about half full.”
James hid his shock well, but it showed momentarily when his hand shook upon taking the little book. The soot-covered, leather exterior dirtied his hands as he carefully fingered it open. The outer, brittle paper cracked and fell apart as he turned pages. Eligible handwriting appeared in the center of the page and expanded outward as he progressed. The first readable section appeared around the seventy-fifth-page mark—about half-way in, as Dom had said—though it was still incomplete. It concerned him.
“‘--ern and eastern scouts’ last beacons and caches were finally found,’” James read, his stomach stirring grossly. “‘No other signs of them. The transcripts Bobbi couriered up here for me to read reflect our leaders’ optimism, or rather the lack thereof. Bobbi says there’s no future excursions on the horizon back at the homefront. I can’t say I--’”
No more of that entry was readable. He didn’t think he could have read anymore. James stood, handing the book to Violet, who was nearest since Dom stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to the others, then he was on the deck, away from the worried and confused glances they were casting him. He braced himself on the wooden railing and cursed.
Violet stepped out a few moments later. James glanced at her, saw she still carried the diary, and returned his gaze to the northern vista, an amalgam of fading orange light and growing blackness as the sun was devoured by the far western wall of mountains.
“What was the scout’s name?” she asked, leaning on the railing to his right.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he snapped angrily. “That’s why I came out here, for fucksake.” She didn’t recoil or show any outward signs of being hurt, but James quickly regretted the outburst. His tone softened, but retained its unsteady quality. “The past is in the past, alright? Let’s just leave it where it should be left. There’s more pressing matters.”
“You can blow up at me,” she said.
He looked down at her, not saying anything.
“You’re shaking. Quit bottling it up. Let out exactly what’s bothering you. You’ll feel better later, I promise.” Her jade eyes stared up at him, but he felt much smaller.
James shut his eyes and thought. That grew painful. “No,” he decided. “Go back inside and wait with the others. I’ll be back there in a minute.”
She stared at him for a while longer then left without further comment, the door falling shut behind her. She’d left the book on the railing. He ignored it for the moment and rolled the sleeve of his flannel shirt up to his elbow to reveal a basket-weave of scars the laced his foreman. Turning it over to look at the pattern on the soft underside revealed a long scar that ran the length it, interrupted by circles of various sizes. His right arm laid home to an entirely different set of patterns. He had become some psycho's abstract art project and plaything before being discarded down a river.
What the hell happened to Jessica? he wandered, and the possibilities that flooded his mind made him vomit off the side of the deck. This is the world where love went to die. With that thought, he spat and wiped his mouth with a rag from his pocket, flung it off the deck, and headed back inside, carrying the charred little book. His moment of emotional instability had passed much like the bile and he was ready to resume his responsibilities. He declared silently to himself that he would never let them lapse again.
To be continued . . .
Post-part notes:
I completely forgot how they found James, he really has been through a lot. And that psycho has yet to appear.
I get an increasingly bad feeling about this situation and feel like this is building up something really major and nerve-wracking very soon. James seems to prepare for the worst, but I somehow think that what they will get is going to be even more. I mean, whoever attacked this station basically did so out of purely evil reasons and with brutal force. On top of that, I am afraid that they will find out who did this and probably even meet this person.
I am also curious about this diary and who Jessica is. As far as I know, that name has not been mentioned. Unless it is James' niece. But hm, I feel like the name is somehow connected to the diary, as just reading these relatively normal sentences in there caused him to get seriously upset about something.
Anyways, as always, this was a great part. The tension is severe and I can't wait to go crazy over trying to pick the right choice once they come up
Jessica is presumably the scout who ventured east. The diary confirmed a dreadful suspicion. As you know, James led the expedition back up the trail that particular scout made. That path was chosen quite deliberately, I might add, in hopes of finding this scout. She definitely isn't his niece, who would have died long before he joined the community in Colorado. We'll learn more about Jessica, James, and their community in an upcoming One-Shot entitled We'll Meet Again.
The identity of the diary's writer will also be revealed soon. Though, you should already have a good idea who this character might be.
I'm happy to hear we've enjoyed it! But if you think the tension is taut now, just wait until the banner makes sense.
I am back! Sorry for having left for so long, I moved closer to the town I work in and had problems with installing my internet connection. Now I can be online much more. And I missed so much cool things. I am happy for Josephine and Jake but also worried if this pregnancy will lead to problems. But they are cute and this is cute and I love it. And James is one of my favorite characters now. He came a long way from the guy no one here really trusted and we knew nothing of. I also like that Violet gets a bit more to do, she really had nothing to do in Act 2. But I have the feeling that she might die in this chapter now, because James group is definitely going to get into some bad stuff with this.