The Jones

-Damned!. Do you know how many times I called you?!. I thought you were dead! - (Alicia)

 On the other side, Alicia's voice is heard, although she sounds very angry. And worried?

-That means you were worried about me. I'm sorry for not calling you, I'm really sorry, I had an accident-

Daniel thought he had lost them all. At least not all.

-Who cares about you? I just want to kill you myself, do you know all the damage you did me by leaving like that and ignoring me? - (Alicia)

-I imagine it, but I don't know because it is you who suffered it, and I really apologize for that, I know I was wrong but still that is already done and it will not change. I went into a coma and woke up alone today, and as if that weren't enough, my grandmother died. Now I have to go with a friend, since it is about to get dark and I have to cycle through the streets where anything can happen. If you think you can make me feel sadder and more depressed than now then you can't-

 Daniel speaks almost everything he had to say, word after word increasingly heavy that left Alicia angry on the other side unable to speak.

 -My family also died, my brother, my mother, my stepfather, my neighbors, friends, ex-boyfriend, they all left just like you, do you think you've suffered? Now I know that you just woke up from a coma and that is very difficult. And listen because I will not repeat it again, I am happy that you are alive and I want you to continue living. Those Walkers out there are very dangerous, don't let them bite, scratch, hurt or even touch you because you will become one of those meat eaters.

 Alice on the other side sounded agitated, Daniel's words touched her. She gave him some basic survival tips.

 Daniel was very depressed but what Alicia suffered is much worse than his, her whole family died and she is alone just like him, but still she can show anger and continue living. Daniel internally thought if he could do it too, there is someone out there who has gone through more suffering than he has.

 It hurts, but the problems he has now are not as big as hers, her parents died a year ago and now her grandmother, it is devastating but at least he had a little time to recover.

 The sun was red, it was about to get dark and without lights, the moonless night would be very dark. Daniel's house or any other in the neighborhood had no electricity. After 2 months of starting everything, it is certain that there are no longer people working to maintain the energy supply in King County.

-Alicia, I'm glad to know that you're also alive and I'm sorry about your family, but I want to make things right with you. I'm here now, but I have to cut the call or when night falls it will be very dangerous for me- (Daniel)

-You better call me again or I myself will fly to where you are and even if you are dead or turned into a Walker I will bring you back to life to kill you, did you hear me? -

Alicia screams from the other side, she was agitated, talking to Daniel again after losing her family made her feel that instead of falling into the abyss, there was a new light behind her, a hope that all is not lost, And even if she doesn't want it, Daniel was that light, she wants to hold onto that light and not let go of it, especially when she has just found it after walking in the dark for a long time.

-I understand, I will stay alive and I will call you again, but what time do I call you again, I don't want to do it while you are in a dangerous situation? In addition, we will only have a few minutes to not spend too much battery, at this moment I do not have a place available to recharge it- (Daniel)

-Call me tomorrow at this time, and if you can't then call me the next day or the next or the next, you have ignored me for almost a year, a few days will not make a difference-

 Alicia still seems to hold a grudge and she is normal.

-I will make you change your mind about me and eagerly await my call every day. Please don't die Alicia, I want to hear your voice again-

 Daniel perked up a bit with the conversation.

-Who's going to wait for you?! Only in your dreams will that happen. Also do not die either, you just woke up, it is best that you take refuge in a house- (Alicia)

 Alicia seems to be a little upset. She long ago did not speak with Daniel, less in a casual way like now.

-Well. I have to go. Kisses-

 Daniel is about to cut the call, his emotions were unstable, but Alicia managed to calm him down a bit and she will think more clearly.

-Daniel! - (Alicia)

-Yes?. Tell me what's up- (Daniel)

-...-(Alicia)

"I love you idiot! You better live or I won't forgive you! ... BIPPP-"

 The short call.

 -That fool, how can she love someone like me. It seems that not much has changed despite what he suffered or at least what we talk about. Alicia, someday I'll see you again, it's a promise, to keep you safe-

 Daniel speaks in a low voice as if Alicia will hear him.

 Humans are like that, as long as they have something to fight for, their strength will be greater and they will be more likely to achieve it.

 Daniel quickly puts the satellite phone in his backpack, puts it on his back and grabs his guitar. He walks to the living room, the backpack is a bit heavy since Daniel does not have the same strength as him before, he is not comfortable but he can easily carry the backpack.

 Daniel looks at her grandmother covered with a sheet, and uncovers her, seeing her face transformed into a grotesque Walker. Daniel has not the slightest fear, there is only love and sadness in her wet gaze.

 Daniel does not want to leave her grandmother, he wants to stay with her longer, only a few hours passed, but he feels that it was seconds while he hugged her.

 But Daniel, calmer now, knows that he can't take her body away and has to go see Rick. The only thing he can do is ask Rick for help to bury his grandmother, since he now has no time.

-Goodbye granny, I know you will be in heaven with mom and dad or some paradise, because you are the best person in the world. I love you-

 Daniel kisses his granny on the head with the cloth covering her and then sadly leaves, but he will come back to see her again.

 Daniel goes into the garage where there are different great tools, but what interests him is the red beach bike with a long back seat to carry people or other things.

 Daniel leaves his guitar on the seat and then ties it with the strings on the back seat so it doesn't fall off. He presses the button to open the garage door, but it clearly doesn't work without power. Daniel has to open it manually, that's what he does now.

 Daniel gets on his red beach bike and quickly leaves the house where he lived for a year and knew him practically from the time he was born.

 It is practically night and the streets are only seen by the lights of the stars. The silence produced is terrifying in this situation.

 The Walkers, as Alicia called them, were leaving the house or other places, some with severed heads, bullet holes, burns or missing body parts, they looked like they came out of a horror movie, Daniel watches three in the street and 5 in the yards fencing around without a fixed address, but as their name says, they walk everywhere.

 But Daniel is now calm, his father taught him to be calm in dangerous situations because strong emotions are your greatest enemy in these situations.

 A Walker with half his head sunk blocks Daniel's path. He waves his arms forward and walks slowly.

 Daniel thinks quickly and releases his right hand, grabs his golf club gently, he had already made that move many times when he was fighting those bullies on the way out of school, and extends it out, preparing the blow.

  Daniel is close and feeling, hearing, smelling or whatever, the Walkers detect him and approach him.

 He passes the Walker and as if he releases all the sadness and anger from him, he screams loudly and breaks the walker's head with a swing that uses all of his strength, falls to the ground and does not get up anymore. The golf club shakes and then returns to its original position for another shot.

 Daniel passes between the other two Walkers since they are a bit far away and he is pedaling fast.

 The first walker that Daniel kills, and it is the neighbor who lived in front of his house. 

Daniel may never forget this neighbor with the plaid shirt and half sunken head.

 His body feels heavier from having killed someone, even if it is to survive and is already dead.

-Sorry Mr. Morgan, I hope you rest in peace-

 With those words, Daniel continues his journey to Rick's house with a slightly bloody golf club in his hand.

...

5 minutes passed and finally Daniel arrived at Rick's house with the golf club full of blood, he murdered 5 more Walkers, because they were blocking his way.

 The heaviness of him in his body had lightened after getting used to it, although he does not forget the first Walker of his, maybe only with time he will.

 The best thing to finish them off is to hit them above the ear, that is the soft part of the head. Daniel tried to hit them on the other side of the head, but he only knocked them down and they got back up as if nothing had happened, that is their weakness.

The night is dark since there is no electric light in the streets, but Rick's house does not have any lighting, instead the front house is illuminated on the second floor, the back room, although it is only partially seen because the light is blocked by curtains.

 Daniel gets off the bike, there is fresh blood at the entrance of Rick's house, and it is red, not like that almost black blood from the Walkers, it could be from Rick.

 Daniel looks back at the dimly lit room in the house across the street ...

 He walks fast with his bicycle to the side, and enters the patio through the large entrance that is on the side of the house, in the background there is a garage.

He throws his bike and goes up the side of the house until he reaches the second floor, where he sees the last and third rooms lit a little from the outside.

 The Walkers try to reach him but they cannot, Daniel moves away from there, the Walkers stop trying and leave, they continue walking through the streets.

 Daniel takes his utility knife out of the lower right pocket of his jacket and with somewhat awkward movements but already practiced, he opens the safety of the first window, the one that is illuminated with yellow lights is the last room, he opens gently without making a noise and enters the room only lit by moonlight.

 The room appears to be a girl's room because of the pink walls, dolls and pictures of a blonde girl.

 Daniel carefully removes his backpack and leaves it on the pink bed, he doesn't mind leaving a blood stain on the bed with the golf club.

 He walks slowly and rests his ear against the door, does not hear anything for 10 seconds, slightly opens the door, does not make noise. And he looks down the unlit hallway.

It is all dark and you can only see a little, in the staircase that used to go down to the first floor you can see some light, maybe someone is there.

 The door at the end was open, Daniel sees a dark-skinned boy with a baseball bat in his hand watching Rick, who was tied up and with his eyes closed on the bed. A dark-skinned man had his back to the door, preparing something on top of a desk.

 They kidnapped Rick and plan to torture him, or so Daniel thinks from what he sees.

 He opens the door quietly and steps out into the hallway, pulling out a sharp combat knife inside his sheath that's under his jacket at the back of his pants. He got it from Rick and it has a gleaming edge that easily cuts a piece of meat when Daniel uses it in the kitchen.

 He walks slowly, crouched while holding his breath, and arrives in front of the open door where a boy of about 8 years, with a bat, looks towards the bed. His back looks to Daniel.

 He needs a hostage to have bargaining power, it wouldn't be funny if the kidnappers had a firearm in their possession and shot him dead.

 Daniel grabs the boy by the left shoulder and places the combat knife on his neck.

-You better raise your hands or your son is dead-

 Daniel said as he pressed the combat knife but not enough to cut the meat, if possible he does not want to hurt a child, the child trembles under his power, he has never had a knife against his neck.

 Daniel only assumes that he is his son because of their similarity.

-Boy, look, I have my hands up, don't hurt my son or do something silly and let's solve this peacefully, I think nobody wants this to end badly and attract Walkers here-

 The man, who appears to be in his 35s, lowers his hand from his pistol holster and raises both hands. He confirmed that the child in Daniel's hands is his son's, increasing the power of persuasion of his enemy, it is not known if the man is honest or just did not realize.

-Rick, wake up! Rick!What did they do to him? If he is dead they will regret it-

 Daniel calls Rick, but he doesn't answer and thinks the worst, he gets mad.

-We don't kill him if that worries you, we just knock him unconscious. We think he was a walker because of the bandages on his chest, or that he was bitten, that's why we tied him up while we took care of him. We don't want to have problems with you-

 Daniel relaxes a bit knowing that Rick is fine, now that he sees it well his chest rises and falls gently, he is breathing.

-Then release him and wake him up if they don't have bad intentions- (Daniel)

-Hey, what do you think you're doing? - (Daniel)

-I'm only going to cut the ropes that hold him back, you have my son in your hands, I wouldn't risk you hurting him just for hurting your friend, stay calm-

 The man took out a knife and pointed it at Rick, while he explained his intentions and then released Rick, patting him on the face and he began to wake up.

 Daniel now knows that these people weren't that bad at taking care of Rick even though they could have let him die and not take care of him. That's why he lets him do it.

 -By the way, why are your eyes red? Do you have a fever? - (The Lord)

-I don't have a fever, I found out that my dear grandmother was dead and some tears fell-

 Daniel gets sad again but doesn't let go of his grip.

-Oh, I'm sorry, I know it must be difficult, we all have our own problems and sorrows-

 The man seems to remember something and the boy also because his body trembles, as if he were going to cry, he did not even tremble so much with the knife to his neck.

-By the way, I'm Morgan Jones and that's my son Duane Jones, could you release him?

 Morgan wipes a few silent tears from his face and relaxes his body, then asks Daniel sincerely.

-I am Daniel Villalba and that man is Rick Grimes-

 Daniel sees the sincerity in all the actions that Morgan, despite the reflex to take his gun, worried about the safety of his son at all times and was sincere when he said that he wanted to solve things peacefully. Oscar couldn't lie that well. Besides, his instinct told her to trust this man.

 For those reasons he will trust Morgan once, but not.

 But he will still keep his watch on that man.

-Sorry little Duane, I didn't want to put you through that, I was just worried about my friend, but if you want to hate me I won't blame you-

 Danidl apologizes to Duane as he pats him on the head, even though the boy has tears in his eyes, he looks at Daniel fearlessly

-I'm sorry about your grandmother-

 Duane told Daniel with a small and shy voice, but without fear in it and ran into the arms of his father, the father looks at his son and caresses his head as he smiles lovingly.

-We will be downstairs, you can talk to your friend and then join us-

 Morgan takes his son by the shoulders and leads him upstairs. Rick was already awake but confused.

 Morgan walks behind his son and stops next to Daniel.

-Listen boy, I know you have no bad intentions and you were worried about your friend, but if you dare to even think about hurting my son ... I know many ways to make you regret it, just keep it in mind-

 Danieo feels a chill run through his body, he feels that those are not just words, this man and father will fulfill what he said.

-What's going on?-

 Rick wakes up confused and sees only Morgan leave the room and Daniel standing in place with a knife in his hand.

 -Don't worry Rick, everything is fine, even if I hadn't arrived -

 Daniel explains to Rick what happened, because they beat him and the ties on his wrists.

-Thanks for coming anyway. So those 'Walkers' as you call them, because they walk non-stop, are people who died and were revived as meat-eating monsters in search of the living. It is very surreal but if I had not seen them with my own eyes I would not believe it.

 When we were in the hospital and that Walker attacked you, I just thought he was a sick person even though he didn't look like a human-

 'In the hospital, that person who attacked Daniel was not a person, instead he is a monster and I must see them as they really are, whether I want to or not.' 

Rick thinks, trying to make sense of this situation, but what he wants to do the most now is find his family.

-Don't thank me, I was about to abandon you, but I remembered how you saved me in the hospital, I'll pay you that favor and then I'll leave-

 Daniel looks at Rick with indifferent eyes.

-You came here anyway and that's what counts. And if you want to pay me that favor, help me find my family, I'm sure they are alive -

 Rick sits on the bed and touches the bandaged spot with some discomfort.

-I will help you find your family, and then I will not owe you anything. I'll go after that -

 Daniel has other plans on his mind.

-Although I don't count them. But why do you want to leave so much, isn't it better if you stay with me? -

 Rick was confused.

-I was able to contact someone important to me, but I did something that I regret in a moment of stupidity or stubbornness and that person still loves me despite all that. I'll find her and then fix things -

 Daniel looks at the yellow lamp in the room and is distracted by remembering something.

-I'm glad you could find a living relative, but are you seriously going to the other side of the country, with all the dangers there are, just for that person? -

Still not understanding Rick asks.

-You may not understand Rick, but if your family is on the other side of the country or on another continent, I think you would still go looking for them-

 Just those simple words seem to touch Rick's feelings.

-I would, it's true, that's why I won't stop you. But won't your grandmother be sad?

 If it was his family, Rick would go anywhere and do things he wouldn't think of doing for them.

-My grandmother is dead-

 Daniel's cold eyes look at Rick. He remembers her grandmother's sweet smile when he moved in with her and then her face from Walker to hers with a bullet in her forehead.

-Oh ... I ... I'm sorry, I didn't know and I said it without thinking. You know that I'll be here for you Daniel-

 Rick apologizes and with the intention of fixing it he tried to hug Daniel.

-Do not touch me!-

 Daniel takes his knife out of the sheath and points at Rick who stops with his arms outstretched, the same knife he gave her for his birthday.

-...-

 Rick doesn't know what to do and he just stays there.

-...-

 Daniel looks at him with cold eyes and anger, but he begins to calm down and keeps the knife from him. He knows that Rick is not his enemy, at least not now.

-I'm sorry, but I don't want your pity, pity or whatever ... just don't touch me and we won't have problems-

 Daniel leans against the wall and sighs.

-Okay, I won't, but still my arms are open for when you want or need a hug-

 Rick, with a stiff smile, lowers his arms but knows that he has to be clear with his intentions at this moment.

-... Our coma lasted longer than I thought, I don't know what things Alicia has seen or done but I hope she's okay. Now let's go down-

 Daniel changes the topic of conversation, he was not sure, but due to the state the town is in, not only a few days or weeks have passed.

 -You are right, although I still do not believe everything that is happening-

 Getting out of bed with a blanket wrapped around him, Rick stands next to Daniel.

-Neither have I, but I've seen comics about zombies or the walking dead and I'm a little more familiar with a post-apocalyptic world like this-

 Apocalypses are a common thing in comics, although it is not known how many techniques from the comics can be applied in real life, at least it is true that if you hit them on the head they die.

 They both start down the ladder.

-You didn't bring me some clothes, did you? -

 Rick asks, seeing that Daniel was well dressed and equipped with some weapons, but he is still wearing the hospital gown.

-Sorry, I thought you would change your clothes at your house, then you can ask Morgan if he will lend you some clothes- (Daniel)

-No, it's fine, I was also thinking of changing there. Also, this house is not his, it belongs to my neighbors, although I don't know what happened to them, I hope they are well- (Rick)

-Let's hope they are, for now I don't think they mind if you take some of their clothes, but do it later, let's not keep the Joneses waiting- (Daniel)

 They come to the kitchen and he welcomes them ...