Post by Remy LaCroix on Jul 26, 2015 19:45:43 GMT -5
The ride, complete with plenty of stops to refuel and scavenge, was fairly uneventful for them. She rode in the SUV with Luca but the conversation was minimal. The intensity of what happened in Oklahoma did not wear easily and they both knew it. Luca tried to make her feel better with lighter conversation, but they both knew the consequences of their actions and the impact it had on the group that formed after Colorado. It was maybe, one of the longest drives she had yet. Almost fifteen hours, or so she thought, of moving through the nothingness of Oklahoma and Texas. The only thing she knew is that it was dark when they got to Baton Rouge and they had to take another night in the outskirts before reaching their destination. Luca, Dallas and Anthony all agreed that pressing into New Orleans at night would be a deadly mistake and they talked her out of continuing.
Remy so was close to home, she could practically taste the jambalaya even though the only scent in the air was sweet swamp and the dead.
When the sun came up the next morning, she urged everyone to get up and they immediately hit the road. Luca could easily see a change in her. Her melancholy turned to excitement as she spoke about areas around New Orleans. She showed them a side road that would have taken them to the Zoo and another that would take them to the city gardens. Not that anyone would have cared to stop at any of those place, or even really give a shit about her hometown anyways, but it was clear she knew where she was and where to go. She wanted to get them to her apartment on St. Charles, which was right outside the heart of the Quarter. They would be in the garden district where houses were large and when there was the living, egos were even larger. She took them down roads and they moved through the tree-lined streets with heavy oak branches that had gone untouched for a few years. They had to move around fallen branches from storms, some blocking the entire road. They had to get around groups of walkers that were left and cars that had been abandoned across the streetcar tracks. It was far more deserted then she thought it would be. She was almost shocked to see there were no hordes here. The only thing she could imagine is that they herded north, away from the Gulf and the storms that came with the warm, salty air.
It took a lot longer once they got off the highway but she knew her way. She knew the landmarks and as she looked out the window, she saw the old beads hanging from the trees and old power lines. Signs of good times past. Times that will never happen again.
When they finally got to her street, she motioned for Luca to pull up slowly and quietly as she saw her building, clear as day. It looked the same. Just a little wear and tear, but everything seemed in place aside from the overgrowth in the courtyard. New vines had started to grow up the stucco outside and everything was dark inside. She saw no people or walkers in the windows, but that didn’t mean anything. She loved living there. She missed her home. When they finally stopped, she sat in the front seat for a long, quiet moment before she heard Luca speak.
“Let’s go. Ain’t no better time than now to see why we came all this way,” said Luca.
“I know. I just...you know. Let’s go.”
Stepping out onto the sidewalk that was upended from the roots of a large, old oak, she knew how to get in. However, something curious caught her eye. She grabbed her bat out of the car and was about to approach the walker that was limping towards them, but she stopped. She looked to Luca and started laughing.
“You gotta see this. Luca, welcome to New Orleans.”
The walker was a woman, older looking dressed in a mini dress of gold sequins. She had one high heel on and a raggedy, wet, feather boa strangling around her neck. She had a gaudy necklace and one earring that looked as if it were dangling by a thread hanging from her ear. She felt sorry for this one. She thought it was ridiculous, but she also thought this woman was probably quite the gal when she was still alive.
“I swear, if I had a camera right now, I would take a picture of that. I’d take a picture of you with her. Looks like her party never stopped.”
She started towards the woman with her bat in hand, but stopped herself. She couldn't bring herself to take her out. In a way, having this oddity walking down the street was what made this new world more tolerable. It would be a different story if there were a lot of walker party girls shuffling around, but one? She didn't feel threatened.
Remy so was close to home, she could practically taste the jambalaya even though the only scent in the air was sweet swamp and the dead.
When the sun came up the next morning, she urged everyone to get up and they immediately hit the road. Luca could easily see a change in her. Her melancholy turned to excitement as she spoke about areas around New Orleans. She showed them a side road that would have taken them to the Zoo and another that would take them to the city gardens. Not that anyone would have cared to stop at any of those place, or even really give a shit about her hometown anyways, but it was clear she knew where she was and where to go. She wanted to get them to her apartment on St. Charles, which was right outside the heart of the Quarter. They would be in the garden district where houses were large and when there was the living, egos were even larger. She took them down roads and they moved through the tree-lined streets with heavy oak branches that had gone untouched for a few years. They had to move around fallen branches from storms, some blocking the entire road. They had to get around groups of walkers that were left and cars that had been abandoned across the streetcar tracks. It was far more deserted then she thought it would be. She was almost shocked to see there were no hordes here. The only thing she could imagine is that they herded north, away from the Gulf and the storms that came with the warm, salty air.
It took a lot longer once they got off the highway but she knew her way. She knew the landmarks and as she looked out the window, she saw the old beads hanging from the trees and old power lines. Signs of good times past. Times that will never happen again.
When they finally got to her street, she motioned for Luca to pull up slowly and quietly as she saw her building, clear as day. It looked the same. Just a little wear and tear, but everything seemed in place aside from the overgrowth in the courtyard. New vines had started to grow up the stucco outside and everything was dark inside. She saw no people or walkers in the windows, but that didn’t mean anything. She loved living there. She missed her home. When they finally stopped, she sat in the front seat for a long, quiet moment before she heard Luca speak.
“Let’s go. Ain’t no better time than now to see why we came all this way,” said Luca.
“I know. I just...you know. Let’s go.”
Stepping out onto the sidewalk that was upended from the roots of a large, old oak, she knew how to get in. However, something curious caught her eye. She grabbed her bat out of the car and was about to approach the walker that was limping towards them, but she stopped. She looked to Luca and started laughing.
“You gotta see this. Luca, welcome to New Orleans.”
The walker was a woman, older looking dressed in a mini dress of gold sequins. She had one high heel on and a raggedy, wet, feather boa strangling around her neck. She had a gaudy necklace and one earring that looked as if it were dangling by a thread hanging from her ear. She felt sorry for this one. She thought it was ridiculous, but she also thought this woman was probably quite the gal when she was still alive.
“I swear, if I had a camera right now, I would take a picture of that. I’d take a picture of you with her. Looks like her party never stopped.”
She started towards the woman with her bat in hand, but stopped herself. She couldn't bring herself to take her out. In a way, having this oddity walking down the street was what made this new world more tolerable. It would be a different story if there were a lot of walker party girls shuffling around, but one? She didn't feel threatened.