Broken Sundown

"I'm sorry." I whispered to Rick as we made our way to the camp.

"For what?"

"Atlanta wasn't what we thought."

He sighed and nodded. "It's fine."

I reached over and put a hand on his. "We'll find them Rick, they're still out there."

Glenn raced past us in a stolen race car, he was yelling and waving his arm out of the window, speeding and driven like he was in The Fast and the Furious.

"At least someone is having a good day." Morales said, shaking his head.

Rick looked over at me and smiled at me with a genuine smile, holding my hand in hit.

It didn't take nearly as long to approach the camp where the rest of their group was settled. We passed the quarry and the lake that Jacqui had told me about, and Rick said he couldn't wait fo go for a swim. He followed Glenn up a dirt road that led into the mountains, and soon Rick and I saw an RV and cars set up. Glenn had made his way to the camp before us and was already talking to his group, the car alarm finally off.

"Come meet everybody." Morales said to the two of us and patted Rick's shoulder.

The small group climbed out from the truck, and I noticed that Rick seemed really uncomfortable beside me. Andrea got out and started yelling for her sister, running towards her embraced. We watched from the hub of the truck as Morales' kids and wife ran toward him too and hugged him. I gave Rick's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be okay." I said.

"Come on." He nodded and opened the door.

"Hey helicopter boy," Morales yelled. "come say hello!"

Rick and I climbed out and began walking toward the settlement. Rick had his hands on his hips and his head down. We were both disappointed that we hadn't found what we were looking for in Atlanta, and watching the others reuinite with their loved ones didn't particularly help.

When Rick looked up, he froze and stared in disbelief. I followed his gaze and first saw Shane, who I rememebred just by looking at him. Shane had the same stunned, disbelieving face as Rick.

"Oh my God." Rick whispered and began running.

"Dad!" A little boy screamed, running toward Rick.

Rick was in tears as he fell to his knees and pulled the boy into his chest. A woman followed the boy, looking at Rick as if she were witnessing a ghost. But Rick was real, and very much in her arms. The three of them held each other in a large embrace, all crying and all happy and shocked.

As I watched Rick hold his family in his arms again, I waited for my reunion. I waited for my mom, my dad, my brother to come running and crying and pull me into a hug. I waited, but I felt my heart crumbling inside my chest, because they weren't here, and I was alone again. I felt hot tears run down my cheeks but I wiped them away and went to the back of the van to retrieve my bags.

"I'm sorry." I hear from my side. I looked over to find Glenn, who probably felt just as lonely as I did.

"For what." I said more than asked, pulling my bag onto my back and sliding a pistol into the back of my shorts.

"I know you were probably hoping your family was here too." He sighed. "I hope that too, everytime I come back from a run. It's hard."

"Well then, I'm sorry too." I said, wiping more tears from my cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry." Glenn frowned and pulled me into a hug.

I didn't even know Glenn. I didn't know more than his name or his face. But I held onto him tightly, as tightly as our bodies would allow and I let out all of the tears I had been holding in for weeks.

"You'll find them." He encouraged me, just like I had encouraged Rick only moments ago.

Glenn's grip on me was just as tight, and I knew that he was feeling the same pain.

"Thank you." I whispered to him and pulled away, wiping off my face. "I think I'm going to go down to the lake, I need to cool off."

Glenn nodded, clearly unsure of what else to say. I grabbed my other bag and bow and walked down the dirt road that brought us into camp. I wasn't prepared for more introductions to people I would probably lose soon too. I was stupid to let my heart start loving Rick again like that, and foolish to think he would do the same in return. I was selfish for wishing her were mine, and not her's.

An hour or two passed and the sun was finally beginning to set. Down in the quarry, the air was chilled, a pleasant relief from the harsh Georgia heat. I had cleaned some blood from my hands, accumulated at some point in Atlanta and sat on the rocks with my feet in the water. Sooner or later I would have to face these people, introduce myself and avoid the man I loved. But there was an alternatice. It wouldn't be that difficult, I was used to the loneliness. Rick was the only person I really had left that I knew, and now that his quest was over, how could I even so much as think that he would help me finish mine?

"Should I break the news or just leave." I asked myself quietly, drawing flowers in the dirt beside me.

"Break what news?" A voice behind me asked.

I turned over my shoulder and glanced up to find Rick in a fresh shirt and clean jeans. I looked back at the water away from him.

"What's going on with you?" He asked, sitting next to me. "What's going on up here?" He pointed at my temple.

"I'm leaving Rick, in the morning." I stated plainly.

"Why?"

"Because Ricl, my family is still out there. Your family is here and mine is still out there. Dead or alive, I need to find them." I said, tears burning in my eyes.

"Well I'll go with you, they can't-"

"No Rick," I cut him off. "your family is here and they need you."

"Just give this group a chance." He said. "We'll go on runs, we'll find them."

When I didn't answer, he put an arm around me. "It'll be less lonely." He smiled slightly. "Finding you was a blessing too, you know."

"How do you figure?" I scoffed.

"I've known you the longest. Well, besides Shane. You were the first person from my past life that I found, the first familiar face in this hell."

I frowned and looked up at him.

"Don't let me lose another familiar face."

"Fine." I whispered after a few minutes of silence between us.

"Come up and meet everyone."