the golden hour

"I guess that depends," Jean said. "I can’t go north; nothing but devastation there. I figured I’d better stop here before I keep moving south." There was a pause as he threw a leg over the CJ750 and Andreia followed suit by jumping into the sidecar. "I guess that kind of brings me to why I wanted to stop here," he said. He reeved his engine and passed the few feet needed to enter, braking beside Chloe.

Turning back to the woods to be sure nothing was following, Jean gave one more careful look. Satisfied, he gave Andreia a gesture and the dog jumped out of the sidecar and approached Chloe, sniffing her. Her tail began to wag as she seemed to find no harm in Chloe, circling around her legs before planting on her behind and returning her gaze to the surrounding woods. Andreia’s ease around the woman made Jean feel optimistic for a change. If the other prisoners were anything like her, then perhaps this trip was more than worthwhile. 

"There’s worse dangers out there than walkers,” Jean said. He could feel his mouth grow dry, remembering the trail of burnt corpses that motivated him to travel this far. 

Chloe crouched down as the shepherd circled her. The woman smiled as she stood up, hoping that the wag of the dog's tail was the equivalent to an approval. 

Chloe then took a step toward the outer gate. She tugged the metal barrier, barring the way into the prison once more. The brunette made quicker work of the lock than she had before, securing the entrance before. Afterwards the woman crossed her arms and to the spot next to Jean's motorbike. 

Chloe frowned and poked at the ground with her heel. Before stumbling upon the prison, Chloe had been considerably lucky with surviving on her own. Her mediocre survival skills and the walkers she had worked to dodge or kill aside, she hadn't had any trouble with anyone looking to do any damage. Though she had heard stories from her co-inhabitants of their travels. She knew that walkers, dangerous as they were, were just one of the major threats in the world they lived in. It was why she had been so wary of Jean. 

"So I've heard," she pursed her lips, "You can't really be too careful these days," she told the man as she began to the inner gate, "I'm sure you'll be put through a game of twenty questions," she glanced over her shoulder as she began on the second gate, "We have a council here and they sorta take care of that."

Jean leaned into the fence, resting his arm on to the bar that range along the center. It was cold to the touch, but it was a welcome sensation after the day spent under an unrelenting Georgia sun.

"Her name’s Andreia," Jean said, motioning to the dog as she paced around the CJ750. "And I’m Jean. We’ve come a long way, all the way from the City of Brotherly if you can believe it."

Xuězǐ had re-modelled the bike to last. She had some kind of fantasy about going on a road trip. It was only a fantasy though. No doctor could manage that kind of time off.

Andreia whined as she looked in the woods around them. Something was probably stirring out there, drawing near to the commotion of the motorcycle’s engine and the barking. Jean kept his eyes peeled at Chloe went about unlocking the gate, satisfied to find that whatever was coming probably wasn’t close enough to be of any real concern.

When Jean told her where he had originally come from, Chloe's lips parted a bit and she looked at the man, brows raised, "During all this?"

 A few of the prisoners hailed from other parts of the country, but, by chance, they had been in the peach state when things had taken a turn for the worse. Chloe had had yet to meet another survivor that had taken such a journey in the midst of the apocalypse. Her short lived life on the road in Georgia had been hard enough with the fear of walkers or other people and lack of food, Chloe knew she didn't have the skills to make the trek that Jean and Andreia had already made. She was impressed. And, looking at the duo, they seemed no worse for wear. Physically, at least.

" That is quite a ways," she added,  "Are you planning on going any further or what?" she asked, pushing open the gate for the man and his dog to come through. 

"Most people here in the prison would be happy to help you out especially with something so basic," he replied, feeling as if he should reassure this woman that it really was okay to ask for assistance around here. "So don’t ever be afraid to voice your needs or concerns. Everyone here is living in tight quarters after the end of the world so I imagine very few people around here would take offense to wanting to brush your teeth." Liev titled his head back slightly and gave her a smile and a light-hearted laugh at that one. 

"Nice to meet you Chloe, I apologize again that I haven’t learned your name before," he said warmly, grasping her hand firmly and shaking for a few seconds before letting go. When she asked about the state of his project, he couldn’t help but get excited at someone taking an interest in his work, but tried to keep it brief to avoid boring her to death with details.

"Basically, I am trying to take the thin lead plates and separators from this old car battery and combine two of each together to make them thicker. Then I can start working on creating a lead acid deep cycle battery which can store energy for the prison," his words tumbled out with thinly veiled excitement, "Car batteries provided strong current for a short period of time but I want to create a deep cycle battery that provides a steady one for a long period of time so that the prison can have hot water and electricity." Liev decided to shut up there before he really did bore this poor woman to death like he did with Everly. 

When her hand was released, Chloe snaked her thumb through one of her belt looks and shook her head, "It's fine! This prison's pretty big and it's pretty understandable. I don't think I could name half the people here," she chuckled.     

Chloe listened intently to Liev's words. She couldn't helped but smile, amused by his obvious excitement. His voiced matched hers whenever she would spout off the details of a surgery she had been lucky enough to scrub in on to her fellow residents. She recalled how they listened, their eyes full of wonder, a clear passion for the job alive in their hearts. When he finished, Chloe shook her head amazed, "You're going to do all that," the woman gestured toward the battery, "with that?" her brows raised in amazement, "Well I am thoroughly impressed," she gave a short laugh, "How do you know how to do all that?" she asked. The man surely had some sort of engineering background or else he was just really smart. Either way, Chloe was thankful that he had a plan to make the prison feel more comfortable.

He raised his index finger and moved his other hand to his back, slowly revealing a handgun. With his free hand, he then dug through a pocket to reveal a pocket knife. Gently, he placed the weapon on the ground in front of him. "That’s all I have on my person," Jean said. "I have a rifle and a lot of ammunition in my sidecar." Jean lifted his shirt and jacket, turning in a circle to show the woman that he wasn’t hiding anything out of sight. He was careful to hide his chest though, not ready to answer any unwelcome questions about his body. The smirk on his face surprised him, recalling memories long past. The only person to really see him was Xuězǐ and he doubted anyone would look at all of him with that kind of longing again. Andreia circled around, Jean following his movements and wagging her tail as she did. Jean found himself snickering, though he tried to be serious. For all the training and discipline Andreia had gone through, she still had her moments that reminded him that she was just a dog and not just his furry guardian angel. Nodding to the woman, he bent down to take his weapons from the ground.

Satisfied with what the man had showed her and that he would remain honest, Chloe nodded her head and continued backing toward the tower until her body met the door, "I'll just be a second," she told the companions before reaching down and turning the knob. 

Once inside the tower, Chloe ascended the stairs. At the top, she headed toward a small folding table that had been set up. Grabbing the keys in her right hand, the woman turned quickly on her heel and made her way town the stairs. Pushing open the door, she exited the tower's stairwell, back into the sunlight. And, on her way, she reached for a crowbar that hung on the inner fence.  

It was bad enough that every walker in the state of Georgia - or at least within a one mile radius - seemed to know that the prison's occupants were living, breathing human beings. They didn't need to add another Eat Here sign with any unnecessary noise. 

"Just a precaution," she informed the man as she unlocked the small gate that lead into the area between the first and second gates.Then, not a second later the brunette held her right hand up toward the man, the keys jangling as she did so, "Not against you or anything," she assured him before entering into the dirt-paved area and continued on to the larger, first gate. The woman then hung the crowbar on the mesh next to the vehicle-accommodating gate and, after fumbling a bit with the keys, began her work to unbar the way and allow the man passage. 

When the woman mentioned that there were ‘plenty more’ than her, Jean had to wonder if it was a bluff or if they had developed into a thriving group. It would be nice to see a large group of survivors making ends meet and thriving. Too many people he came across were struggling without the order and amenities they were once afforded. A big group also meant more eyes on him; a mob was harder to sway than an individual. Regardless, the woman’s demeanor put him at ease. The people inside were probably a lot like her. Too much division was apt to make people splinter off or desert. He had to choose his words carefully to win her trust; she was undoubtedly only the first gatekeeper he’d need to pass to get inside. The truth was best.

"There was a group living near Lake Lanier. I don’t know how they heard about you, but they told me they had hoped to make contact and possibly trade resources. That is, they would have probably reached out to you folks, but they lost a lot of people recently and headed north," Jean said. He paused, losing eye contact for a moment before he continued. "That’s part of the reason why I’m here."

He loosened his grip on the fence. Andreia eyed him, her tail no longer wagging as it had been. 

Chloe studied the man's face as she absorbed what he had to say. When he had finished, the woman placed her hands on her hips and bit her lip in deep thought. There hadn't been any sort of deceit in his features as he'd detailed how he heard about the prison and Chloe appreciated his honesty. The woman's eyes passed between the stranger and his dog once more.  It was then that she decided she would brief the stranger on the council and their role in his future at the prison after she let him. 

Walkers were often drawn by sound and Chloe wasn't sure if the shepherd's barking had been heard by any walkers wandering around in close proximity, camouflaged by the dense Georgian woods. It was best, Chloe determined, to get the man and his companion safely behind the prison fence before discussing anything further. 

"Alright," she started, backing away slowly from the outermost fence, her boots crunching against the gravel as she did so, "If I'm gonna let you guys in, I'm gonna need some keys," she gestured over toward the guard tower she had been situated in, "They keep a set in there. Get whatever you need and be ready at the gate when I get back," Chloe tossed the man a pointed look, "I wanna see whatever weapons you're carrying with you, though." 

Listening to Chloe speak about her family thankfully took Eva’s mind off of her own. To keep the conversation going, she continued to reciprocate the questions she was asked to the other woman. “So where were you when it happened?” she inquired, “Were you with them— your family?”

Chloe chewed at her bottom lip. Her grandparents on both sides had passed away before the world had gone to Hell. For that, part of Chloe was thankful. She was thankful that they hadn't been subjected to what the world had become, that they didn't have to live day-to-day in fear, but she had always been close with her grandparents and there were times where she wish that she still had that support system. 

"I was in Georgia when this all happened," there was a brief paused as Chloe's eyes flashed from the woman to floor and back again, "There was no one to be with. Everyone was gone before all this went down," she pressed her lips together before continuing, "Maybe it was for the best, though." 

He nipped slightly at her finger, but she ignored it, grasping him gently and lifting the small, white rat into the open. Braden had simply requested he stay with her at all times, which he did anyway, but more often than not, Antoinette allowed Boo to sleep as long as he desired. He was safe. 

"His name is Boo," she explained softly, holding him close to her chest. "After To Kill A Mockingbird.”

Then, looking up again, she bit down on her lip. She blinked absentmindedly; she hadn’t thought much of what sort of genres she read. “I just read whatever my dad gave me, I guess. A lot of classics.”

There was a brief silence as Chloe placed the books on the ground and crouched, eye level with the blonde. Then, she spoke, "Boo Radley," she nodded in appreciation to the reference and peered at the white rat that sat in the younger girl's hand. When she was satisfied that she had gotten a good look at the rat, the woman grabbed the books and stood up straight once more, "He's pretty cute. Where'd you get him?" she asked.

The blonde's words were enough to make Chloe pause. The woman's eyes traveled down to the grey carpet of the prison's library. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. Chloe's father, a man who had always loved literature, had had an extensive book collection in his office and would always share with Chloe. But, as she did with most of the fleeting moments of sadness she still felt, Chloe shook her head as subtly as she could and the wave passed. Chloe met the girl's eyes, "What about something by Mark Twain?"

If the Russian-American was being honest though, his heart truly wasn’t into it as he was so exhausted already by the heat and he found himself wondering what his girlfriend Everly was up to. When he heard light footsteps approaching the door, Liev just assumed it was Everly returning to their cell, but was taken by surprise when his curtain began to wiggle. His eyebrows drew together in confusion as he knew his girlfriend would have busted in like she owned the place (which she sort of did), but still welcomed the distraction even if it wasn’t the one he had currently been daydreaming about. When the curtain was pulled back, Liev saw a woman standing there that he sort of recognized.

"Hello there, and it’s no bother I’m not really making any progress here anyways," he gave her a small smile, putting down the car battery and clamp gently onto his bunk before standing to reach for his bag. "Here, we have a lot of travel sized tubes that I snatched up last time we went on a run." He held out two baby tubes of toothpaste in his hand. 

"And don’t worry it’s not gross to ask, actually I think it would be more gross if you didn’t," he laughed a little, figuring he probably should introduce himself, "I’m Liev, I think I’ve seen you around here before, but I’m absolutely terrible with names."

Her eyes lit up immediately at the sight of the travel-sized containers. The woman reached for the tubs, grabbing them, while giving the brown-eyed man a thankful nod. She then shoved them in the pockets of her Levi's, chucking a bit at the man's words, "I suppose so," she agreed, looking up, "But you never know how some people can be," Chloe rolled her eyes. 

"Liev," she repeated, stepping forward, "I'm Chloe," the brunette held out her hand for a 'proper' introduction, "It's nice to meet you. Can I ask, though," the woman jerked her head toward the battery that lay on the man's bed, "What kind of progress were trying to make?" 

With that, Andreia quieted down, turning her attention to their surroundings. Jean did the same, pleased to find there were no walkers in sight. He hadn’t seen any close by on the highway, but there was always a chance that they might come from another direction and surprise him. When he turned back to the prison, he could see the figure from the tower approaching through one of the fences in the distance. She looked to be an attractive woman, perhaps older than he was, with long hair that danced with the eastern breeze. There was too much distance between them to tell what the expression on her face might mean, though her exclamation seemed to be a friendly one.

Jean rolled his white shirt up into a ball and threw it to Andreia, who caught it in her jaws and placed it on her seat.

"Fēicháng hǎo, Andy," he said, audible enough for the dog to hear. He wondered if he had the tones right without someone to correct him. Andreia seemed to understand from the wag of her tail; that was encouraging enough to see. He signaled for her to come. Andreia leaped from her seat. 

Jean waved a good exaggerated wave, as he approached the outermost fence with Andreia at his side. As the woman drew nearer, he tried to put on a warm smile that might disarm any fears or apprehensions the woman might have about a stranger in her midst—careful not to lay on his charms too thick as to appear disingenuous. Resting his hands against the chain-linked fence, Jean watched her approach. She moved with a purpose, but she didn’t run. It was same kind of walk Xuězǐ had, the kind that a demanding clinic would require of a doctor making her rounds.

"Hey there," Jean said. "I heard rumors of a group of survivors holding up in a local prison. Glad to see there’s at least one soul here." 

The woman stopped a couple feet from the outer fence and listened to what the stranger had to say, nodding her head slightly, "Well, you found it," she gestured toward the brick building that sat behind her, "And I assure you that there are plenty more of us inside," she made a note, looking the man in the eyes. The information she gave him was mostly to let him know that she had 'back up', though based upon his tone and mannerisms, she did not think he was a threat. 

"I'm curious though," Chloe began, crossing her arms, "Where did you  hear about the prison?" she asked, adjusting her weight from one foot to another. 

The prison had plenty of space to occupy a community of the survivors, and, it wasn't an influx of friendly faces seeking the refugee they had heard about that woman was worried about. As far as Chloe was concerned, it was the more the merrier. More bodies meant more protection. But it was thinking of those who might journey to the prison for the wrong reasons that worried Chloe. If word of the prison had spread to a group of survivors who were looking for a secure place, but weren't looking to share, then conflict was sure to arise. It was better for the group to be prepared then to lose the place they called home. 

Even the help of with a makeshift muffler, Jean’s CJ750 still attracted a lot of attention as it burned down the highway at top speed. Luckily, he moved much too fast for walkers to be of any concern. He had a mission in mind, one that required quick action. Few communities were thriving in Georgia. The few that had been surviving for a time were already wiped out from sickness or worse by the time Jean had reached them. Now was the chance to make a real difference, or so Jean hoped as he neared the prison, unmistakable from the sight of the tall chain-linked fences circling its oppressive concrete blocks. The survivor he met in Atlanta had spoken of a community that had taken the prison for themselves. A wise choice, Jean had thought. He knew the series of fences could keep the dead out and make it hard for robbers to penetrate.

As he came to the padlocked gate of the first fence, he braked and took a careful look at the facility. There were corpses of walker lined against the fences, no doubt dispatched by the prison-dwellers. There didn’t seem to be signs of any active walkers though. That would probably change soon since he barreled down the road with such thunder. The untamed grass inside the first layers of fences seemed to hold large gardens where vegetables were growing and cornstalks lined the next fence in. Jean could even see chickens clucking about in the prison yard, but there didn’t seem to be a person in sight. As his eyes scanned from window to window, he saw a silhouette at the first guard tower. Whoever it was, they seemed to be looking through a set of binoculars.

Upon taking a white shirt from his duffel bag, Jean began to wave it over his head to get the attention of the figure in the tower. As he waved, Andreia whined from the sidecar. He turned, scanning the area once more to be sure no walkers were sneaking up on him. He wasn’t sure what troubled her. When it seemed that the person didn’t see him, he said, “Andy, shuō. Shuō.”

The dog began to bark at the command.

In the time she had been a resident at the facility, the woman had offered to help with just about everything in the hope that she would find her special niche. From laundry to helping the usual team with clearing the other side of the mesh fencing, Chloe had done her fair share of work. And, while a child could do some of the chores she had done and the woman liked some more things than others, nothing had clicked with her.

So, when she had been put into rotation for watch duty, Chloe was hopeful. Most of the other prisoners whom she had become acquainted with and told her that a solo watch was boring and tedious, but Chloe didn't mind. She preferred the quiet. She preferred to gave a chance to think and get away from everyone else. 

Sitting up on the tower, she was enjoying herself. The quiet, however, was disturbed a faint rumbling in the distance. Furrowing her brow, Chloe shot up and immediately tensed. Nobody had told her what to do if something actually happened. The woman grabbed the binoculars that had been laying idle on the platform beside her and peered through them. She first looked toward the trees for any sign of movement, whether it be another living person or a herd of walkers. She had just finished scanning perimeter of the prison for a second time when she heard the unmistakable sound of a dog barking.

Turning her attention toward the source of the noise, Chloe noticed a large dog sitting in the sidecar of a motorbike. The dog was not alone. Standing several feet away from the bike was a man waving a t-shirt in, what Chloe assumed, attempt to get her attention. 

Bringing the binoculars away from her face, Chloe bit her lip in thought. The man didn't seem dangerous. But, then again, the human race had changed.  After a few more seconds of silent debate, Chloe began down the guard tower. It wasn't her job to pass judgement. Not at least until she spoke with him.

"Hey!" she called out warily as her boot-clad feet treaded over the gravel in between the first and second fence. 

It truly was unfortunate for her to have never finished her medical training— it was unfortunate to lose everything all together. But everything happens for a reason, and Evangeline truly believes that. In response to the girl’s comment, the redhead simply nodded and shrugged.

"Well, mom was from England, dad was from Atlanta, and so I grew up here— in Georgia. I eventually left to go do my studying, but when I came back to visit that’s when all of this happened,” Eva explained. It wasn’t much of an interesting story, there was nothing else to it. “What about you? Are you from around this area?”

"Your mom was lucky," Chloe said at length, "I've always wanted to go to England. See the sights and stuff," she let out a small sigh, "Did you get to see them? Your parents or family before things happened?" she asked, tilting her head a bit. Her question was teetering on the edge of personal, but Chloe hoped the answer was 'yes'. 

The brunette nodded at first in answer to the question, "I was born and raised in Georgia. My mom was from New York and her and her parents packed up and moved to Savannah when she was sixteen. My dad lived in Georgia his entire life," she told the other woman.