Before the Wolfpack (Self-para)
Summary: Ravenswood had elected an inexperienced party boy as their Mayor and they were finally paying for it. Death and disease plagued the town, their population dwindling rapidly. Just as the infection began sucking all the hope out of the town, army men approach Ravenswood’s chain link gates. The soldiers’ strength and impressive collection of weapons fuel a new optimism within Ravenswood and Nikolina. This is a prelude that leads into Ravenswood’s present. All these events took place in the past.
The temperature and stench of Ravenswood’s latest deceased combined to create a dizzying heat. Nikolina had stopped wiping the sweat from her brow. Her handkerchief was already heavy with the moisture it had mopped off of her forehead earlier. The drenched cloth dangled precariously from Nikolina’s pocket, slapping noisily against her thigh with each movement she made. This had been the third burial of the week. However, with the infection spreading and the body count rising, Nikolina suspected it wouldn’t be the last. She loved the Mayor dearly, but if Alexander didn’t start leading the town to safety, Ravenswood would be reduced to nothingness within the next month. He was trying, truly he was. Alexander had abandoned his more hedonistic ways for the reins of leadership. But, the reins continued to slip out of his clueless fingers. He wasn’t his father, after all. Alexander no longer had the steady hands of his parents to lead the town for him. ‘Mayor of Ravenswood’ was no longer a privilege, but an occupation. An occupation Alexander was clearly terrible at. Despite these obvious truths, Nikolina wouldn’t stop believing in him. Nikolina had seen glimpses of Alexander’s father in him: in his stride, the way he ate, even in his dimpled smile. She knew that somewhere deep inside of Alexander was the untapped potential for leadership. Nikolina just wished he’d tap into that potential soon.
Nikolina looked down at the newly-dug grave in front of her, leaning on her shovel until she caught her breath. Her eyes wandered toward the body. It was swaddled in sheets and tied off with rope. Ravenswood had run out of body bags after the fourth week the infection broke out. The town’s small population and lack of protection was the perfect host for the infection. It took one lone walker stumbling into Ravenswood for the entire town to be affected. Though chainlink fences had been erected in order to ensure the citizens’ safety, they weren’t very sturdy. Children had also developed a deadly curiosity that encouraged them to poke their fingers through the holes in the fence. Nikolina had buried so many kids she’d almost become desensitized to it. Almost.
Nikolina kicked the body into the grave, she was much too tired to show the dead much respect. The body hit the dirt with a “clunk!” The sheets wrapped around the corpse’s head were stained scarlet. Nikolina hadn’t had to kill this one, someone else must have stabbed it. She sighed and began shoveling dirt back into the grave. Along with her usual duties as the Mayor’s bodyguard, Nikolina had apparently adopted the role of Ravenswood mortician. She didn’t like being away from Alexander for so long, he couldn’t protect himself for shit. Though Nikolina had tried many times to teach him how to shoot, her efforts proved useless. “I have you, why do I need to learn how to shoot? You know how to shoot, that’s enough,” he’d always insist. Alexander never considered a world without Nikolina. While it flattered her, it was impractical thinking.
After giving the grave a finishing pat, Nikolina surveyed her work. The mound would settle out soon enough. She ran a hand through her hair, trying her best to untangle the sweaty, blonde knots. Nikolina squinted at a figure in the distance, at first believing she was having heat-induced hallucinations. However, she quickly realized her mind was quite clear. A figure was barreling toward Nikolina at full speed. Her gun was in her hands within seconds. The gun’s transition from Nikolina’s holster to her fingers seamless. Before she could aim the gun, the sprinting individual came into focus, arms waving wildly. Alexander. Nikolina’s blood went cold, had Ravenswood finally fallen? Would they have to abandon their home? Was Alexander… bitten? “Nik! Nik!” he yelled, his voice lacking its usual weariness. Nikolina let out a breath she hadn’t known she had been holding. As he neared, she opened her mouth, curious at his sudden excitement. However, instead of providing any explanations, Alexander grabbed her hand, towing her back toward the town. “Alex—Alexander, what’s going on? What’s wrong with you?” she asked, her heart beating fast. Alexander said nothing, his mind somewhere else entirely. However, her question was quickly answered as the two of them came upon Ravenswood. The men before them looked like G.I. JOES that had come to life. They were all enormous, their muscles outlined under the tough material of their army uniforms. Nikolina’s eyes widened at the heavy weaponry that clung to their backs. They stood confidently together, as if they were one body, one unit. “Look at them!” Alexander whispered, as if Nikolina wasn’t already. “They could help us, they have to help us. They’re military!” Yes, Nikolina thought. They’re military. More importantly, however, they exuded the self-assured aura of leadership that Alexander lacked. These men could teach Alexander how to be a leader, how to run Ravenswood right. With their ammunition and with Alexander’s new found enthusiasm, Ravenswood would survive. “What do you think, Nik?” Alexander asked, his eyes bright. Nikolina thought of the bodies she’d had to bury, of the bodies she wouldn’t have to bury in the future if these men joined them. Nikolina and these action figure look-alikes could protect this town. Ravenswood wouldn’t be a graveyard for the fallen but a haven for survivors. What did she think? She thought these men were fucking godsends.
Nikolina stepped forward, stuffing her gun back into its holster. Compared to the arsenal these army men carried with them, her gun looked pathetic. Since she couldn’t address them all at once, Nikolina focused her attention on the man at the front of the pack of green, black, and gray. His hair was short, cut close to his head. The man’s dark eyes reminded Nikolina of a predator, a wolf. He was silent, clearly waiting for her to speak. A grin suddenly spread across Nikolina’s face, she hadn’t smiled in so long it felt abnormal. “Welcome to Ravenswood,” her eagerness wasn’t subtle. For the first time in a long time, Nikolina felt hopeful.