Claiborne Bonder - Morgantown - Nathan/Rob/John/Others
"Now I'll take care of this, hey you, come on out, you don't wanna do this. Why don't you put that knife away, take you and your friends on home?" Claiborne stated, stepping next to Nathan while pointing at John and his followers. He turned towards Rob who had his weapon raised with ambition, eyes locked on their current enemy. Claiborne took a puff of his cigar, then wiped his eyes with the base of his palm. He noticed the military uniform, but was unaware of the origin.
"Have you met Rob?" he asked the stranger with ease all while looking at this comrade. He noticed the guns were already passed on, so the only weapon remaining was indeed that knife on John's side. Claiborne then signaled Rob to move forward towards the gate in order to retrieve the sharpened blade. He gave him a look as if to tell him to be cautious.
"Turn over you weapon, or you just keep on headin' down the road now you hear? We got your firearms so I'm not sure how far you gonna get there boy, but you can try and run as fast as you can. Them boots gonna go far I'm sure, but not far enough. Now see, them skin eaters gonna get here before you can count down to three," Clay explained, trying to convince the man that his only option was to hand over the weapon. In reality, he could probably run off to wherever he deemed safe, but wherever he ended up would be in no way as safe as Morgantown.
"If I were in your shoes I'd swallow the little pride I have left and hand my knife over before thangs get heated."
"What's it gonna be?" Claiborne finished, placing his cigar back between his lips and staring at their strangers and the surroundings behind him. Swiftly though, Claiborne turned around and told the other two to begin heading back inside. He didn't even wait two seconds for the soldier to answer - he was being arrogant and uncooperative. Those were two traits they didn't want the people of Morgantown to have.
"Well, let's go then," He told Nathan and Rob.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hank - Walmart Super Store - Jon/Imogen/Turisa/Heather/Jess/Joe/Aubrey
The people surrounding him seemed to get closer and closer - eyes not even looking at his aching body. He felt a shivering down his spine and inside his skin cells, but it was only his nerves. Not being in charge of the situation made Hank uneasy especially in times like these. In addition, his own family was turning against him. Imogen had this disgusted look in her face, as though Hank was a complete stranger. All Hank wanted was to keep them safe - he didn't care what methods he used. He didn't think he was going overboard, he knew it was necessary to sacrifice some people in order to keep others alive. He was protecting them, that's what he'd been doing all along.
In their eyes though, he was changing into one of the people he hated the most. He was becoming Trembly, becoming Richard. Turning to his right, he hoped to see Heather coming back in order to stand up for his behavior - to back him up in this feud of blind mice. Nobody knew where they were going, they were acting upon instinct.
"We don't know if his community is safe. We don't. We saw that girl from earlier and how they pointed their weapons at us!" Hank urged for them to listen. They had to hear him out, they had to understand.
"You people haven't seen what I've seen. Everyone I've trusted, all the hope we've encountered, it'll all false. They're all liars and thieves, killers out there. And it starts with 'decent' people like him," he paused, pointing at Redhawk. He looked at the man with red blood eyes, wanting to just put an end to his life and this convention.
"They're trying to trick us. I bet you all they have Tyler and those who went with them locked up in some chamber! They'll take our weapons, they'll take our supplies. They'll strip us of everything we have, then they'll kill us all!!" Hank continued. He wasn't screaming, just highly active and irritated at these people's lack of realism. Did they truly not understand this world?
"I promise you. That if we go through their gates, we'll find nothing but fire and blood."
Hank then noticed Jess and Heather returning from their little supply run. He could see the worry on both their faces and reaction to Joe being untied.
"If we're doing this, I want to first find Floyd and the others. They're out there. They can't be far. We'll need the man power. I don't care what you think Jon. Those people out there....." Hank pointed in the general direction of Morgantown Plaza.
"......those people out there are not our friends. When we least expect it, they'll stab us in the back to save their own. That's how this world works. If you can't see that, then you're blind."
He then turned back to Heather, looking at how exhausted she looked. He turned to Jess and her child. To Imogen and Turisa. He could see them all wishing to just get a day's worth of rest in order to reconfigure.
"We'll head out tomorrow," Hank finished, walking off from the group and heading to his own little area. He was tired of all the fighting within his own people. He just couldn't understand why they didn't see the world the way he did.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Floyd/Abram - Gift Shop - Samantha/Matt
Grabbing Sam by the sleeve, Floyd tugged her back a little and got in front of her. Abram slowly backpedaled with his rifle pointed at the door. Outside the gift shop walls, walkers roamed the dark streets, their moans echoing in the silence of the night. The moonlight caused the shadows to appear bigger through the barricaded windows. There were so many out there, so many walkers in conjunction - it was nightmare to witness. Floyd gestured Samantha to move towards the back to where they had been earlier.
In the meantime, Abram gave Matt his secondary weapon and told him to guard the front door with him. The two men covered behind the register counters and just aimed at the door before them. There was no speech, just pure silence. At times, Abram was worried that the walkers would hear the footsteps coming from inside the gift shop. It was still unsure what these walkers could do, their ability to sense was a mystery.
Floyd stopped Samantha before they got to the back door. He moved first, checking everything yet again to make sure nobody or nothing was inside. He peeked through the peephole of the exit door. There was no sign of walkers in the back either which was good. The man had his knife attached to the sheath clipped on his belt. His hand gripped the handle tightly, preparing to use the weapon whenever the time came.
He looked up at Sam and sensed she was a bit afraid. Slowly he moved forward without alarming her in any way. He took her by the hand just as she did him prior to the appearance of the walkers and nodded.
"We're gonna be just fine," he whispered in his rough voice, assuring her they'd survive.
