Chapter Ten: Helping out Glenn

Chapter Ten

Helping out Glenn

▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬  

     “After fifty days of being in camp you failed to tell me you brought some of my stuff from the house?” Electra asked searching through the black trolley bag packed to the brim with her and some valuable family stuff. 

     “I don’t know Ellie,” Shane shook his head sitting down in the corner of his tent with his hands in his thick, dark, curled hair. “Guess it just skipped my mind,” he shrugged casually. “To be honest with you, I’m still overwhelmed that we found each other during this,” Shane admitted. 

     “Overwhelmed and hella thankful,” Electra looked at her brother over her shoulder with a smile on her lips before turning back around to search through the suitcase again. “Is this what I think this is?” Electra asked in surprise as she took a tape out of the suitcase.

     “Yeah,” Shane responded as Electra held out the tape so that he could see it without having to turn around. “Yeah it is,” Shane nodded.

     “Well,” she exclaimed. “I’ll be damned,” Electra laughed out of taking the tape in between her two fingers examining it. “Those were the days, huh?” she commented with a small smile before placing the tape back on the pile in which she had looked at.  

     “Yes they were,” Shane agreed looking down at the green base of his tent. “So….” He started awkwardly. “Glenn’s off today,” Shane stated as he looked back up, only seeing Electra’s back as she was bent over the suitcase, searching thoroughly through it.

     “Yup,” Electra nodded as she came across a little black ring box with a white ribbon around it. “Oh wow,” Electra opened it revealing a plain silver ring. “Gramps wedding ring,” she smiled before snapping the ring box shut and placing it on the pile.

     “Who do you think he’s gonna take with him?” Shane asked, not meaning to ignore Electra’s comment but his mind was focusing on something else.

     “Whoever offers I guess,” Electra shrugged. “I mean, he wants a small and select group of people who are useful and I doubt they’ll be many volunteers,” Electra explained. “Thea was thinking of volunteering, don’t get me wrong, she’s a lovely girl but she’s not fighter material,” 

     “And……” he trailed off. “Are you going to…..volunteer?” Shane questioned causing Electra to freeze, close her eyes and take a deep breath in. 

     “Yeah,” she nodded facing a side of the green tent. 

     “Ellie, please,” Shane pleaded, causing Electra to turn around and meet Shane’s eyes who were now boring into hers. “I only just got you back, I don’t want to lose you again….I can’t lose you,” Shane frowned at her causing her to reach out to him and grab his hand. 

     “If the tables were turned, if I was the leader of this group and you were in a position to go, would you?” Electra asked attempting to reason with him. “That’s what I thought,” Electra stated when Shane remained silent. “So you know why I have too,” Electra smiled. 

     “But-”

     “No buts Shane,” she cut him off. “I can look after myself, have been doing so for God knows how long,” Electra stated. “I mean, Glenn does it pretty much all the time on his own and let’s face it, I can take myself better than Glenn can. Plus I’ll be with a group who’s got my back,” Electra assessed. “The odds are in my favour, I’ll be fine,” Electra assured him squeezing his hand. 

     “Electra?!”

▬ First Person- Glenn’s P.O.V ▬  

     “Electra?!”

     I wandered around the survivor camp aimlessly, calling out for my friend. 

     God? Where the hell was she? Why did she always seem to disappear whenever I needed her help the most? Since the moment I met her I knew she was trust worthy, there was something about her, an aura.

      I felt as if she was the one to ask about anything….above everyone in the survivor group. I respected Shane and her a great deal but I liked Electra more. Not at all in a romantic way, sure she was drop dead gorgeous but it didn’t feel right to think about her in that way. I looked up to her way too much. 

     “In here!” Electra voice sounded from Shane’s green tent, commencing with the unzipping of the entrance and a shattered Electra emerged from it. “Hey Glenn,” she greeted me with a sleepy smile. “Turns out Shane brought some of my old stuff back from the house, was sorting through it,” she explained before catching my blank expression. “What’s up?” she asked. 

     “I ur….” I trailed off looking past her shoulder at Shane who was looking at us out of his tent in curiosity. “I need your help with something…” I stated. “Walk with me?” I asked her causing Electra to look over her shoulder at Shane then back to me again. 

      “Sure,” she looked back at me.      

►►►

     “So…I need your help,” I explained as we walked side by side down by the lake which we had planned to use for fishing but currently used for washing clothes. 

     “Yeah, I think we’ve already established that Glenn,” Electra nodded casually before digging her clenched hands into her pocket. 

     “Well, ur, everyone’s volunteered…” I mumbled under my breath and an instant later Electra’s head snapped upwards turning to look into my eyes. Her violet eye seemed to have flecks of silver hidden in it today to match the golden flecks normally found in her brown eye. 

     “What?”

     “Well….all of the men anyway: minus Shane- for obvious reasons and Daryl,” I elaborated for her. “And Andrea, Thea, Jacqui and Amy volunteered too,” 

     “But that’s a good thing isn’t it?” Electra raised an elegant eyebrow at me. “I mean, it would be worse if no one volunteered, I assumed you needed my help drumming up volunteers…” she stated.  

     “Nope, not at all. These are good people we have here,” I smiled at her. “I need your help picking the people to actually take with me,” I stated. And I was wondering if you were planning to come too? Glenn thought.

     “Well…I was just talking to Shane about how I wanted to volunteer,” she informed me. Oh no, no, no. Please no, I do not want Shane to shoot me in the head or better yet, beat me to death. “After a lot of persuasion on my part he agreed to it, but believe me- he is not exactly happy about it,” 

     “Well…..” I trailed off, pausing for a moment. “Thank God for that, I didn’t feel it was my place to ask you to come but I’m glad you volunteered,” I explained. “Of course, I’d be happy to take you with me as I intended too, as long as Shane doesn’t put a bullet through my head for accepting your offer,” 

     “He won’t,” Electra assured me with a laugh. “So…how many people have you got in mind, to take with us?” Electra questioned. 

     “Seven seems like a good number,” I stated. “Seven’s about the right number which could get around the city quietly enough but can still put up a hell of a fight if needed,” I decided. 

     “Okay then,” Electra nodded taking in my words. “So that’s me, you and five more volunteers,” she said to herself. “Well I say Jacqui for one,” Jacqui? She was quiet, didn’t seem like a strategic person, or incredibly cunning. She was a Christian woman, not much of a fighter… “A few weeks ago she mentioned that she worked in Atlanta before all this started, for the city’s zoning department,” she elaborated. 

     “Wow, I didn’t know that,”

     “Not many people do, she only really talks to the women and T-Dog,”

     “Okay so that’s me, you and Jacqui……four more,” I assessed. “I had two in mind…” she raised an eyebrow for me to continue. “T-Dog and Morales.”

     “Good choice,” she nodded. “T-Dog and Morales are both solid guys, both can knock a couple of heads together also,” she assessed.

     “Two more,”

     “Andrea,”

     “Andrea?”

     “I’ve never seen her in action, but she seems like the sort of person who would be able to put up a fight if needed,” Electra elaborated. “We need as many guns as we can get, excluding Shane’s and she’s got a gun,” she stated level headedly. “Her dad gave it to her in case her and Amy came into any trouble on the road before all of this happened,” Electra explained. 

     “Okay, Andrea’s in,” I agreed. “There’s one other gun in camp….but I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like who has it,” I frowned.

      “Merle,” Electra spat. “He’s not much of a team player, no one particularly likes him, I hate his guts, he wouldn’t give you a glass of water if you were dying of dehydration,” Electra listed the reasons why Merle shouldn’t come. “But….. he’s got a gun and I’m not gonna lie he could defiantly take out a hoard of walkers alone, tough as nails that one is. It’s the only reason Shane hasn’t started something with him,” 

     “And the fact that you asked him not too,” I pointed out. 

     “And the fact that I asked him not too,”     

     “Well, we’ve got our seven,” I stated happily. “Andrea, T-Dog, Morales, Merle, Jacqui, you and me,” I recorded in my mind. “Thanks for the help,” 

     “No problem,” she replied with a smile. “When should I be ready?” she questioned. 

     “As soon as possible, daylight’s burning up,”  

     “I’ll see you by the camp fire,”

▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬  

     “Electra!”

     “I’m here honey!” 

     Stacie skipped towards the ruby red tent which belonged to her and Electra dragging Rory along with her before she began unzipping the opening. Peeking through, she saw that Electra was frantically stuffing things into her backpack. 

     “What are you doing?” Stacie asked with an awful feeling kicking in the bottom of her stomach. “Please don’t leave me,” Stacie’s voice cracked, Electra turned her head just in time to see the lonely tear roll down her face. 

     “I’m not leaving you Stacie,” Electra assured the girl, scurrying over to her. “Now stop those tears little Missy, I can’t bear to see you cry, especially over nothing,” she stated.

     “Then why are you packing a bag?” Stacie asked confused the tears continuing to pool out of her clear light blue eyes and roll down her pale cheeks. 

     “I’m helping out Glenn,” Electra explained. “Joining him and a few others on a trip down to the city…” she explained the girl, reaching out to her. 

      “See!” Stacie jerked backwards from Electra’s touch. “You are leaving me! she exclaimed at her. “You said you would never leave me!” she shouted at her. “You lied! Adults always lie!” Stacie said accusingly. 

     “I am not leaving you Stacie! I’m coming back!” Electra argued back. “I just need to help out Glenn, Glenn’s my friend….yours too. We help out friends, don’t we Stacie?” Electra stated, Stacie kept silent. “Don’t we Stacie?” Electra asked in a stern tone. 

     “Yeah,” Stacie said reluctantly. “Sorry,” Stacie mumbled apologetically. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Stacie offered. 

     “Naw,” Electra shook her head. “I’m alright now thanks,” Electra smiled whilst zipping up her black back pack with ease. “Just need to go get my gun off of Dale and then I’m ready to go,” Electra stated, holding the flap open so that Stacie could exit. 

     “My mommy and daddy said that guns are bad….” Stacie explained after a short silence on her part whilst Electra exited the tent. “Are you bad, Electra?” Stacie asked on their way to the R.V. 

     “Well, they have every right to believe that guns are bad Stacie but…” Electra started. “I don’t think I am a bad person for handling one, not in this time at least. Gun’s aren’t bad if they are used in defence, I don’t intend to attack anyone Stacie,”

     “Electra,” Dale emerged from the R.V climbing down the R.V stairs. “I heard that you were going down the city along with Glenn,” Dale stated. 

     “You heard right Dale,” Electra nodded. 

     “Well then, you better take this,” Dale said offering out her gun. Electra went to take it off of him but Dale didn’t release it causing Electra to look up and meet his eye. “You be careful out there, alright?”

     “I will,” Electra nodded causing Dale’s grip on the gun to soften. “Thanks Dale,” Electra tucked the gun into her jeans belt before pecking him on the cheek. 

     Electra walked into the area where all the survivors had parked their vehicles to see everyone hugging and wishing luck to the survivor group going down to the city to gather supplies for them. Electra joined in hugging those who she was leaving behind: Amy, Lori, Carl, Sophia, Carol. But she still welcomed others to wish her luck. 

     “I’ll see you when I get back honey,” Electra smiled as she came too Electra who had just given Glenn a hug. “You be a good girl for Shane and Lori, yeah?” 

     “I will,” Stacie promised. Electra crouched down and enveloped the girl in a hug which was as equally as warm and welcomed on each side. Electra turned around to come face to face with Shane. 

     “Lori suggested that you guys put up some road blocks, you know? Stop other survivors from entering the city,” Shane stated. “Would you be able to do that?” he asked her.

     “Of course,” Electra nodded. “If not we’ll find another way of warning people away from the city, it’s the least we can do,” Electra stated before being pulled into a bear hug. 

     “You be safe,” Shane whispered. “If one comes at you, you don’t hesitate…you hear me?” Shane said, still engulfed in the hug. 

     “I hear you Shane,” Electra stated. “I hear you,” she repeated coming out of the hug. “You too, keep all these people in line,” Electra smiled. 

     “I love you,”

     “I love you too,”