SEASON 3 EPISODE 6: Show Me On The Way Home

            Mrs. Reed hadn’t been so worried in a long time. Yet even as Hunter turned the corner around the front lawn of their house in her truck, she couldn’t help but smile and laugh seeing her son finally driving. He was actually by himself, holding the wheel and driving the car around and it was such…a beautiful moment. She looked at his smiling face and she laughed. She didn’t want this painfully precious moment to end. Her son was growing up, and he was driving a car! Her phone was almost dead, but she didn’t pay much attention to it. Her priority was capturing this moment in her mind, so she could watch it forever.

            Hunter turned the corner again and came to a stop next to the house. Mrs. Reed cheered, holding such admiration for her child. He stepped out of the car. He was so tall; taller than her now. She remembered holding him for the first time. It was a moment she’d never forget. He was so beautiful and precious and so very tiny. Her tears matched the moment she called her son "Hunter" for the first time. Now it seems like the very next day he’s much taller than she is, and yet he is still her most precious part of her heart.

            Putting the phone in her pocket, she embraced her child, and he held her back. There was always this part of her that was amazed that her child was hers…that he was a living being with feelings and emotions, and he was hers. This child that she created was her little boy forever and it didn’t feel real; it felt too good to be true.

            [Mrs Reed]: You did so good! I love you so much!

            [Hunter]: I know.

            [Mrs. Reed]: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here let me take a photo.

            Taking her phone out again, she held it in front of her son who posed in front of the truck. His smile was so beautiful. He looked just like his father. She took the picture…

            …then her phone died.

            [Mrs. Reed]: Well I’m glad I got the picture because my phone just died.

            [Hunter]: Gee, that’s a real bummer, my dude.

            [Mrs. Reed]: (Chuckles) “Dude”? How about “mother”?

            [Hunter]: Have you seen that vine where-

            [Mrs. Reed]: Sweetie I love you…but I don’t watch vines.

            [Hunter]: You should though!

            Wrapping her arm around her son and kissing his forehead, the two walked inside their home.

            Even now he was so precious to her. Even as the blood and the nasty gun wound damaged her child’s face nearly beyond recognition she still wrapped her arms around her son and kissed his bloody forehead. Mrs. Reed’s focus has faded away and she became lost in her mind. The voices leaving her lips were dead and dull, but whispered denial. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Something as intense and impossible such as this couldn’t be reality. The dead walking the earth, a bunch of kids hunkering down in a student center, and a young boy being murdered because strangers wanted fuel…it felt like a dream. But the blood soaking her hands, and the tears running down her face matched with the smell of her son’s blood and the ringing in her ears proved contrary. It was all real.

            A hand touched her shoulder, but Mrs. Reed didn’t register. She heard something that could have been a voice, but she didn’t listen closer. She didn’t care. She just wanted her Hunter back.

            Suddenly she felt a twitch between her arms as she held her son. It was subtle, minuscule, almost undetectable, but she noticed it. Her whole body shifted as she nestled his body onto the ground and leaned over him looking into his eyes.

            [Mrs. Reed]: …Hunter?

            Once again, a hand touched her shoulder, this time it was much firmer. Then she heard the muffled sound of a voice. It sounded worried. Hunter’s body twitched a second time, this time a little more noticeable and lasted barely a half-second.

            Hunter’s eye lids barely moved. Was he still alive? But, how could he? There was no way he could still be living, she thought. But no, even as Mrs. Reed told herself no one could have survived a shot to the face, she stilled leaned in closer to her child hoping for a miracle. You would think that a world so horrified and so nightmarish would also have the greatest miracles for those who believed it could happen. She had to hope for her son. She can’t give up on him so easily. If there was a slightest chance that she could have him back she wanted to take that chance.

            His eyes opened. They were glazed over in a greyish tone. Mrs. Reed smiled. Hunter’s eyes moved around looking in all directions, till they met hers. They froze in place and Mrs. Reed smiled.

            [Hunter]: Baby?

            His arms lifted from the ground. They touched the arms of his mother. His fingers were cold. They were always cold now that Mrs. Reed thought about it.

            [Mrs. Reed]: It’s okay sweetie, I’m here.

            His hands gripped tighter around her shoulders. He was so scared. It made Mrs. Reed love him even more in some strange fashion. Seeing him so scared and coming to her for comfort made her feel like the luckiest mother in the world. She wanted to repay him. She wanted to hug him back. So, she did.

            [Mrs. Reed]: It’s okay, Hunter…I’m here.

            Embracing her son tightly she ignored the blood and flesh touching the side of her face and running down her clothes. It didn’t matter to her. She was holding her son and her son was holding her. She felt his breath his on her shoulder and she felt all the stress fade away.

            [Hunter]: I love you, mom.

            She smiled and kissed her son’s head.

            [Mrs. Reed]: I love you so much.

            Rich, Sherman, and Brittany had no idea how to handle a situation like this. As they watched Mrs. Reed from the balcony of the student center, their heart sank with an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. Mrs. Reed had lost it completely. She was hit so hard with shock and grief that she must not have even registered Sherman and Rich carrying Hunter’s body away three hours ago. Now it’s almost three o’clock in the afternoon and she’s still sitting there alone in the parking lot hugging a person who isn’t even there.

            [Sherman]: How’re we suppose to handle this?

            [Brittany]: We tried everything, but she’s just stuck in that spot.

            [Rich]: I think we need to just move her. She can’t sit there forever. We gotta take her inside and let her rest and get herself together.

            [Sherman]: I think I agree.

            [Brittany]: How’s your shoulder and your leg?

            [Sherman]: Pretty beat up. It’ll be sore for a good long while, but I’ll manage. Sure good that we picked off those six guys. Now we got ourselves some arms with a fair amount of ammo.

            [Rich]: It won’t be enough to fight them when they come to wipe us all off the face of the earth. We’ll talk more about this when we move Mrs. Reed inside.

            Rich and Sherman calmly walked outside the exit door towards Mrs. Reed. She still sat there leaning back and forth embracing nothing but the cold air around her. She was mumbling. No, more of a whisper. Little could be made out except for occasional “I love you, sweetie” that escaped her lips amongst the steam that left her breath.

            Stopping just behind her, Sherman combed his thick red beard before looking over at Rich.

            [Sherman]: So, we just…grab her and pull her inside?

            [Rich]: ...No other way.

            [Sherman]: I just don’t like it…lemme get one more go at it. See if I can’t convince her inside.

            Mrs. Reed ran her hand through her son’s hair. It had gotten so long. He hadn’t had the chance to cut his hair since they came to the church. It was always dark brown, like his fathers.

            A hand touched her shoulder. It was a larger hand than before, and much firmer than the last time. Mrs. Reed ignored it. She just wanted to spend some quality time with her son. Yet even as she ignored it, the hand grew tighter. Then the blurry image of a large man squatted down in front of her. Her eyes for but one instant darted from her child’s beautiful face to the man hidden behind a veil of bokeh. His blurry form cleared enough for her to tell that it was Sherman who was kneeled down in front of her. She didn’t want to see him. She only wanted to be with her son. Her eyes darted back to her arms where her son lay.

            But Hunter wasn’t there.

            [Sherman]: Mrs. Reed…we really need you to come inside where you’re safe.

            Where was my boy? Where did he go? He was sitting right here in my arms smiling up at me and finding comfort in my embrace. He needs to feel safe, he needs to find comfort. Where did he go? Without me he won’t feel comforted, or safe…her son won’t be protected.

            Protected…alone.

            Hunter was without her mother for once. He was standing where she lay. He was with Rich and Sherman and all of his friends. They were in danger…the bad men had guns and we had bows and arrows. The bad man saw that Hunter was without protection because I wasn’t there to comfort him. He needed me and he was shot for it.

            Yes, you were watching through the window with Audrey and Bailey. The bad men saw your son and saw how unsafe he was. You weren’t there to protect him and he was violated of his protection. He wasn’t within your precious veil of comfort and they killed your child for it.

            Your son is dead.

            Your son is dead.

            Your son is dead.

            Your son is dead. 

           

            Hunter was killed by the bad men. Hunter was Mrs. Reed’s child. Mrs. Reed still lives. The bad men still live. The bad men must die. All of them.

            [Mrs. Reed]: The bad men must die…all of them.

            Sherman shuddered. He softly held Mrs. Reed’s shoulders and leaned in closer towards her eyes.

            [Sherman]: They will. They will. But let’s focus on getting inside, ma’am. That sound fine?

            Mrs. Reed slowly stood to her feet. Her face was blank, her eyes open, yet they closed to all who looked into them to find a soul. As the three slowly walked back towards the student center, Mrs. Reed looked behind her.

            There her child lay where she stood.

            Meeting her at the door was Brittany, Audrey and Bailey. They were Hunter’s friends. They were so deer to him. He loved them, and they loved him. He saw them and found the comfort he needed when I was not there for my son. He found strength standing beside Christian and Timothy. He loved these people and they were precious in his eyes. So, they must be precious in my own as well. I looked into Audrey’s watery eyes, and I saw the daughter I wish I had. I looked into the crying face of Bailey and found the daughter I wish I had. I looked into Brittany’s broken, blank, yet sincere face and found the daughter I wish I had. Maybe that wish was granted a long time ago, ever since my little boy found comfort in them. Maybe they’ve always been my unestablished children and I didn’t realize it till now.

            They all circled me and Audrey embraced me. Jenna was reluctant to follow everyone downstairs. Her face was raw with tears. She saw me, and she seemed to have broke again. Rich and Sherman took a few steps back as these wonderful young women came to me for comfort, as I came to them for comfort. I heard their apologetic whispers and all I could think was how apologetic I was for my child, that I did not comfort him as I did for his friends.

            Zach was standing far off from where I stood. He was in the gym lying on his back. His eyes covered by his hands were crying. Earlier he had put his hand on her shoulder, I realized. He was always a good friend to Hunter. Like everyone else, he cared very much for my son. My son. He was a loved child. He kept a smile on his face through even the rising of death because he had with him every reason in the world to live. He had his mother, and he had his friends, and he had his church.

            Maybe this was where you struggled. You had your son, and yet you were held back from true happiness. You lost your youngest boy and your husband from the beginning, and maybe that’s what’s prevented you from moving forward. You smiled for your son, and they were sincere. You found happiness but only a sample of what you could have had; what you can't have anymore. But now you stand surrounded by Hunter’s friends. Surrounded by Hunter’s family.

            You stand surrounded by Hunter’s legacy.

            Maybe that was the key to happiness. Maybe it wasn’t focusing completely on what you had, because what you have can also be lost. No, maybe finding happiness in a world like this means you have to focus on what was affected by what you have, and what you had. And as I stand surrounded by the legacy of my child, I can’t help but discover the meaning of true happiness and smile. It wasn’t a noticeable smile, but deep in the corners of my heart I smiled, because even as a large piece of my heart was torn away, I know there is still hope for a happy ending. There is still much to live for.

            Much, much more.

            The arrow still remained impaled in Ander’s leg. The community’s doctor told him that the arrow needed to be broken, and then pushed out through the other side. The doctor also said that because the arrow didn’t go through to the other side of the leg, pushing it through could cause serious damage that might permanently leave Anders limping for the rest of his life, or he might bleed out and die on the spot. But something had to be done soon.

            [Anders]: Let’s get this over with.

            Biting down on a rag, Anders braced himself as the doctor took pliers and snapped the arrow in two. The pain was a small jolt, but nothing Anders couldn’t handle. Now the hard part. The doctor looked up at Anders for approval. Anders shakenly nodded. The doctor took a deep breath. He placed his hands on the shaft of the arrow and pushed down on Ander’s leg.

            The sharper tip of the arrow slivered through the flesh. Black-red blood bubbled from the wound running and draining from Ander’s quadricep. It was needless to say that the pain was beyond anything Anders had felt in very long time. His screams through the rag were blood curdling and gut wrenching. But the doctor had to keep forcing the arrow out. Looking under his leg, the doctor began to see the tip of the arrow pressing the skin from inside the leg. It was moving further and further out of the leg, yet still tightly concealed under the skin. The doctor pushed harder. Blood had already soaked the doctor’s hands and formed a dark puddle on the floor. Please, just break through skin already.

            Suddenly, the skin tore and immediately, the tip busted through the folds of shredded skin red with blood. Blood now stopped bleeding through the stop and now drained through the bottom as the arrow was finally pulled from the bottom and removed from the leg. The doctor didn’t waist another second grabbing the necessary tools to save Ander’s life. He was going to live.

            Dom sat beside Pat and their friend Allie. They had been laying quietly beside their tent ever since Dom returned from the fight. Dom looked around him and couldn’t help but feel wrong. They just killed a boy today. Dom has seen Anders negotiate for trade, and this was not what happened. He didn’t try, because he didn’t care. This agenda suddenly became a personal one for Anders, and a young boy paid the price for it. The hardest part was, Dom had met this kid before. Zach always had that same kid around whenever they played airsoft. He was a good kid. He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.

            [Allie]: It just doesn’t seem right.

            [Dom]: It’s what happened. Anders knows how to negotiate. I’ve seen him before, you have too, Pat. He’s good. Very good, actually. But that didn’t happen today. He didn’t go there to try to talk business. No, he was there knowing he was going to kill someone. Deep down I knew it too. I had no idea he would take the life of a kid though.

            [Pat]: What if…we’re on the wrong end of spectrum here, man.

            [Allie]: Whoa guys, look today was rough, but you’re not actually considering leaving, are you? The community is thriving and it is growing. All I’ve heard about the church is that there are psychos living in there. The last thing we need in our area is a bunch of psychos waging war against us.

            [Dom]: Anders thinks the same way. And I think he’s getting what he wanted from the very beginning ever since he found out that this group was responsible for killing our men and destroying Denbury.

            [Pat]: What’s that?

            [Dom]: …war.

Zach had managed to hold himself together long enough to step into the cold outdoors. The weather held back the tears, but yet he still found himself breathless. This wasn’t how he pictured getting back here. He imagined walking to the doors and stepping inside and seeing everyone smile when they realize their dead friend was back. He imagined giving them all hugs and reobtaining the overwhelming feeling of being whole. He would look back at how long he was away from his friends. He imagined the memories he had with them. There was that one-time Brittany made shirts for the seniors and they all turned out to be women’s shirts that were far too small for Zach and Lee but they wore them anyway. There was also that time that Zach and Lee went to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Lee was never into those movies, but Zach couldn’t help but geek out because he loved watching them as a kid.

He would keep looking back further and further, thinking of the first time he met them. Zach remembered seeing Brittany the first time sitting in the corner of the old youth building with her blue hoody and hat. Zach remembered seeing Lee for the first time as well. He had braces, and he was the guy everyone liked and got along with. All Lee's friends were older than him, up until Zach became his friend. He was a year younger than Lee.

Zach would look back and compare them to now and find that none of the past fragments mean anything to the moment he would have shared then. But this was not how he expected to return home. He returned home because he had to save a life. He failed to do so. Now Hunter is dead.

Lee stepped outside and stood beside him. The sun was beginning to set. The air grew colder. He looked at me, and I looked at him, and then we looked back at the orange sun. We didn’t have to speak to say what we wanted to say; that we missed our brother, and that were glad to see each other reunited with the rest of the family. It was all said by the silence.

[Lee]: Hey, buddy.

[Zach]: Hey, buddy.

Audry and Jenna had broken off from the rest of the group and were sitting together in their old Sunday school classroom, which had thus been redecorated into one of the many bedrooms. Piles of blankets were layered on top of each other to form beds, and back packs of small amounts of food and supplies sat in the corners of the room in case of an emergency requiring them to make an escape. Many conversations were held in this room. Lots of “girl talk”. But this time for the last ten minutes there was no talk. Jenna was crying. Her head nestled on Audrey’s shoulder. It had been a long time since Audrey herself had cried. The loss of Hunter and Ian leaving both had broken her on many levels. Now with Hunter gone, and a possible war growing between them and a giant community…the group needed people more than ever.

Suddenly Jenna’s tears stopped and she became stone cold quiet.

[Jenna]: We need to get Ian back.

[Audrey]: I was thinking the same thing.

Rich knew this conversation was coming. Jenna and Audrey both were so certain that this needed to happen, that Ian needed to return home. If Rich was honest with himself...no. He didn't want Ian back. Ian left and chose to be a coward, and thus he should stay gone. But even still as Sherman looked at him and as Brittany began to form that look that she was gonna go get him no matter what was said…Rich felt like there wasn’t much that he could do. And that made him angry. Another reminder of how much control Rich truly had over the group.

[Rich]: Ian left. He chose to be a coward and abandon us when we needed him the most.

[Brittany]: He left to go find his friend and avenge her death. And he stayed behind because he felt like he had to. If we go to him and explain the situation then he will come back to us, I know it.

[Sherman]: Look, boss, I don’t know nothin’ about this kid. But after today…we need all hands-on deck, and then some.

[Rich]: This won’t work. We need all the adults here to protect the group. You can’t go out.

[Audrey]: Okay so me, Jenna, and Brittany go.

[Sherman]: Three lil ladies out there on yer own? Heck no.

[Rich]: I agree. Not happening.

[Brittany]: I understand your reasoning but we were out there in the heat of it for several months before we found you guys. We know how to take care of ourselves. With this situation with the people at Costco, I mean we have to start preparing. We just lost one of ours before we got one back. And as much as Zach will be helpful to us, he won’t be enough. We need Ian.

It was tough admitting he was wrong. Especially to Brittany. The group was starting to look to her now. After the herd broke our defenses, she gave the command that saved everyone. The kids look up to her, and Rich was losing power. As dark as the thought was, Rich saw the circumstance as a win-win. If they succeeded? Great. More to join the group. But if she failed…if something were to…happen to her. It would eliminate the unnecessary trouble that Rich didn’t want.

[Rich]: Fine. Be careful. I’ll fuel up one of the cars.

Rich walked away, stepping outside and down the balcony stairs. Brittany turned to Audrey and formed a small smile. Audrey did the same.

[Jenna]: Audrey…I don’t think I’m gonna go.

[Audrey]: What?

[Jenna]: It’s probably what’s best. Considering why he stayed to begin with.

Jenna was right. Brittany and Audrey both knew it.

[Audrey]: …Okay. I’m sorry.

[Jenna]: I’ll see yall when you get here.

Overhearing the conversation, Dylan steps in subtly into the conversation. Pulling his quiver of arrows behind his back, he tucks it in place and clears his throat.

[Dylan]: Um, if Jenna’s not going, I’ll go.

[Brittany]: Okay. We’ll take the car.

Jenna embraced her friends, then turned and walked away.

[Audrey]: Ian…please…we love you…I love you…

Ian’s red raw eyes slowly lifted towards hers; like an untamed demon advancing into her mind. Her vulnerable heart opened further to him, calling him and begging for a reply, begging and praying for him to return and to come home.

[Ian]: …Leave…me…alone.

Audrey’s face folded and the corners of her mouth curled as she broke. She broke into tears as the doors to the sorrowful river flowed through. Christian caught her and she began to fall.

The image never ceased repeating itself in Ian’s mind. It’s been two weeks since he left his friends and lived alone in what could have been Ian and Jenna’s home. Now he only shares it with himself. Was this the life he wanted? Was this to be his purpose? Ian faced himself in the bathroom mirror. His face looked tired. His eyes were red and his hair hung messy and damp with blood. Ian used to look in the mirror and hated what he saw looking back, but now he had given up hating, given up on loving. He had just…given up. He had just stopped feeling all together, and as less as he felt, he wanted to change. He needed to find reason to feel. He needed to go home. But was it his purpose to return home?

As Ian lowered his head, his mouth mumbling whispers.

[Ian]: God show me a sign.

Even as he prayed, he felt the urge to go back home. It was unshakable. Was it his heart telling to go home, or was it God?

[Ian]: Show me on the way home. If this is what you want, show me on the way home. Show me on the way home.

Audrey, Brittany and Dylan pulled out of the parking lot of the church and turned down 1314 towards Jenna’s old home, praying that Ian is still there. The drive was a quiet one for the first several minutes, but as Brittany steered left down one of the many roads towards their destination she couldn’t help but glance at Audrey.

[Brittany]: So, what's your plan to get him to come back? Cause…I don’t have one.

[Audrey]: I don't know... exactly. All I can do is tell him what’s going on and hope he doesn’t shut m-us out again.

[Brittany]: Yeah. Plus, with Zach being home, and the fact that the people at Costco are kinda wanting to destroy us and all…it might be enough motivation to get Ian to come home.

            [Dylan]: I heard about what happened. You think he’d stay at Jenna’s house? What if he did?

           

            [Brittany]: Honestly, we can’t really give him much of a choice. He has to come back. We’re his family just as much as he is to us. He needs us. And we need him especially now. But, I think he’ll understand and he-

            

            Suddenly a fiery explosion engulfed the underside of the car, overturning the vehicle on its side and flipping it down into a muddy ditch on the side of the back road. Creaking to a halt, the car simply nestled on its top, the under hull of the vehicle smoking bursting curls of black smoke. The clinking of glass falling from the frames of the doors, and the groaning of metal was soon joined in by a chorus of growls and raspy snarls building louder as they closed in towards the immobilized machine.

            Dylan was first to crawl out from car. Immediately raising his crossbow and holding it out in front of him for his protection, Dylan ignored the blood draining from his forehead and seeping into his eye to make sure he or the car was surrounded yet. His blurry vision told him the rovers coming towards them won’t reach him or his friends for another fifteen seconds. Just enough time to get his friends out of the car and ready to help him fight off the group of undead.

            Dropping down into the mud, Dylan reached out and grabbed Audrey rom the passenger seat and yanked her out of the car. The airbag had hit her head pretty hard. Her eye was swollen and her lip was drooling black with blood.

            [Dylan]: They’re coming, hurry get up!

            Brittany had already managed to crawl out of the vehicle just before she threw up her breakfast into the muddy sludge. Her hand quickly grasped the rifle she took with her from the back seat and she pulled herself to her feet.

            [Dylan]: Cover Audrey as best you can; she can’t see too well!

           

            Firing an arrow into a rover closing in, Dylan took two arrows from his quiver, one he loaded into the crossbow, pulling back the string and locking it in place, and the other he kept between his teeth as he prepared for another reload.

            Taking one of the handguns she had gotten her hands on from one of the six men they killed today, Audrey took aim carefully and luckily picked off one of the rovers coming in towards her and Dylan. Wow, did everything that happened all occur today? It did, didn’t it? That’s when Audrey noticed the bright yellow sun beginning to turn orange; the clouds starting to change to a more purple color. It was almost comforting.

            

            [Brittany]: Audrey, behind you!

            Before Audrey could react, the rover took hold of Audrey’s hair pulling her close towards the undead corpse’s teeth. Just before it sank its rotted biters into Audrey’s cheek, an arrow suddenly sunk into the rover’s eye socket. The body slumped into the mud instantly.

            Retrieving the arrow, Dylan reloaded his crossbow once again. There had to have been six or seven more rovers approaching. As Brittany fired off five more shots clearing the bulk of the group, and as Dylan took down his final kill just as Audrey managed to pick off the last rover, the three could catch their breath and the last of the rovers crumbled to the ground.

           

            Brittany lowered her gun and let out a sigh of relief.

            [Brittany]: The sound will draw more in for sure. We gotta go.

           

            A cold hand firmly grasped Brittany’s shoulder. She reacted as fast as she could, lifting her shoulder up and rotating, hoping that she’ll be able to get her rifle in position to take a shot, but as she rotated she knew it wouldn’t be fast enough to stop the rover that grabbed her so suddenly. She thought she got them all. She was wrong. But something intervened. As she rotated, she heard a load bang. It wasn’t her rifle that went off, and it wasn’t Audrey’s. Yet even still, the rover that grabbed her fell to the concrete with half it’s forehead missing. The blood has splashed on Brittany’s face and clothes, but she didn’t care. She ignored the smell and black gore as it soaked her clothes and dried on her scalp. She only cared to see the person who fired the shot.

            There stood the sign. 

            Ian lowered his handgun.

  [Ian]: Fancy meeting you here.

            She couldn’t see too well, but she recognized the voice, and could faintly see the dark form of Ian Kennard standing in front of his dad’s van. She smiled as she walked to him and embraced him. The tears she cried drained out the blood that had dried on her cheeks.

            [Audrey]: We’re here to take you home.

            

            [Ian]: I’m here to go home.

            Dylan stood beside Brittany. He tried to hide it as much as he could but he couldn’t fight the joyful smile. His face turned red when he realized Brittany saw him smiling.

           

            [Brittany]: What are you smiling about?

           

            [Dylan]: Ok, it’s an emotional moment. Plus, like…we lost someone. I’m gonna miss Hunter…but we’re gonna be okay, I feel like we are.

            Brittany nodded. She looked at the ground, and then back at Ian and Audrey as they let go of the embrace.

           

            [Brittany]: Let’s hope so.

            [Dylan]: Um…also you got a little something on your face…

            Running her fingers across her face, Brittany felt the blood and immediately wiped the gore off her with her sleeve.

            [Ian]: What happened to the car?

            [Audrey]: No idea, honestly. It just blew up and flipped over magically, I suppose. Oh, also, Zach is back.

           

            [Ian]: Wait, Zach Golden?!

            [Audrey]: Also, there’s a giant community wanting to blow us off the face of the earth…kinda.

           

            [Ian]: Okay what?

            [Audrey]: Yeah cause Brittany kinda killed six of their men.

            [Ian]: What?!

            Butting into the conversation, Brittany’s face suddenly went from careful to grim.

            [Brittany]: It wasn’t just me, okay, but listen…a lot has happened. We need you home. Hunter’s dead.

            Ian’s face suddenly lost all expression. That was the sign on the way home.

            Ian’s white van pulled into the church property. It slowed to a stop in front of the student center. Ian and his friends stepped out from the van. Ian’s eyes lifted to the balcony. He spent lots of his time resting up against that balcony. He was either beside Jenna, or he was alone. Either way, he enjoyed his time nestled up above the many vehicles, breathing the air as it blew across his face.

            Meeting his gaze from the balcony, however, was Mrs. Reed. She looked at him, and Ian smiled back. Why did he smile? He didn’t understand why, but it just happened. Mrs. Reed smiled back. She was going to be okay in the end. Just then, the doors of the student center below her opened up. Bailey was the first one out. She ran to Audrey and tightly embraced her. She turned to Ian, and embraced him. Jenna was the next one to come out. She smiled at Ian. Ian was reluctant to smile, but he did anyway. He didn't think he loved her anymore, but maybe he still did. Maybe not the same love but love all the same. As he felt this way, this new type of love was met with a hug.

            Lee came out next. He went straight to Lee. They didn’t talk often. Bit it took the end of the world to bring them much closer than they ever were before. Maybe that wasn’t a negative thing. Maybe that was just door to a strong brotherhood. Ian and Lee’s hands clasped together. The gripped firmly and they pulled in close. Lee’s free arm wrapped strongly around Ian’s back. He leaned in and reassured Ian that he was home. Ian smiled. He was home. And he was glad to be home. Dylan smiled as Lee attacked him with punches and tickling jabs.

            Maddy came out next. Brittany met her in the middle and wrapped her arms around her. Maddy wasn’t much of a hugger, but she hugged her sister back nevertheless. After Brittany, Maddy embraced Audrey. She felt obligated to. Afterall, it was Audrey Nichols who came home. Because it was the depressed, and tired form of Audrey who left to get Ian. It was a celebration of rebirth just as much as it was the return of a prodigal brother.

            Following Maddy came Christian. He wrapped arms around Ian, and Ian did the same. “Welcome back, brother” he said. The words felt like gentle knives in Ian’s heart. All he could say in return was thank you. He wanted to say more but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

            Timothy and Kelly came out. Before this, there was always this barrier between them and the youth group. But when the world fell down, so did the barriers. Kelley had opened up and learned to genuinely love Brittany, Bailey, Maddy, and everyone else in the youth. She had a spiritual love for them before, which had been more of an obligated love. But now as she hugged Ian and hugged Brittany and hugged Audrey and Dylan it was official that she was more a member of the youth group than she ever was. The same could be spoken for Tim as he grasped forearms with Ian. He muttered the words “Strength and honor” to Ian. He used to say it often to his guy friends before the world ended. Ian always wondered why he stopped. Maybe because there was no room for honor. But if that was the case, then things were changing. There was strength, and there was honor amongst the boys.

            Slowly stepping out from the shadows was Lauren. She was broken, but she could be mended. She wasn’t sure about her biological brother, but standing in front of her right now was one of her many brothers. She welcomed Ian with a warm embrace, and then she focused her attention to Brittany. She was the only thing keeping her from giving up right now. She smiled at Brittany. Brittany broke into tears and wrapped her vulnerable arms around her sister.

            Finally, Zach stepped outside. He looked at Ian, and Ian looked back. There Zach stood with that dumb smirk he always had. Ian missed that dumb smirk. There stood Ian with that emotionless look that he had missed so much. Zach firmly walked towards Ian; his friend; his family; his brother. He wrapped his arms tightly around Ian, and Ian firmly grasped back, Zach let go, gripping his right hand with Ian’s in a firm clasp. Pulling Ian’s head close, Zach looked sternly at his friend. His words falling into a whisper as the group closed in wrapping arms and hugging and laughing and smiling.

           

            [Zach]: I missed you, brother.

            Zach let go and smiled as he wiped the tear from his face. From there, he turned and was met with hugs and smiles from his friends. Finally, a moment where the students were reunited, where they could forget about the horrors of the world and remember what they used to be. The volleyball games, the dodge ball, and tap in the gym every Wednesday night, the praising songs that Lee, Brittany and Lauren brought to the group, the ping pong games after Sunday school, the stupid things Lee and Zach did every time they met up, the marathons of DORK ball played on the pool table continuously, and the crazy amount of times Brittany had to explain what DORK ball was to new comers. The talk sessions in the ladies bathroom, the nerdy conversations, the dirty jokes, the funny puns, the silly talk, the worship, the studies, the ministries, the missions, the camps, the volunteering, the nursing homes, the host homes, the servitude, the uniting of the young against a common purpose, and that purpose being: to represent God and his power through all odds.

            This. Was a youth group.

               Ephesians 4:11-16 ¹¹So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

THE END