Newcomer
-- closed thread for @thedauntless --
There was always a buzz around the community whenever newcomers arrived. Most people didn’t get to see the newcomers until they had completed their mandatory quarantine which took a few days. Those few days allowed rumours to spread around where they may have come from, what they might’ve seen, and why they come here. Zen tried to not focus on the gossip but it was difficult to remain immune from it, especially when she was hoping that one day, by some miracle, Kallie was going to be one of those newcomers.
Zen tried not to think about the last time she saw Kallie. Instead she tried to focus on the good times they had shared. But the vision of losing Kallie in a crowd of walkers still haunted her to this day, a lingering feeling of guilt for having survived when Kallie might not have. Gods, she hoped with all of her might that Kallie was still out there somewhere. But this world was cruel, crueller than ever before and the chances of survival were limited.
Zen had managed to miss the whispers that the latest newcomer was coming out of quarantine that morning. So she wasn’t expecting to see a new face as she walked towards the classrooms. She especially wasn’t expecting to see a familiar face as she crossed the courtyard. But as soon as she saw the newcomer, she stopped in her tracks. She dropped the books she was carrying as tears welled in her eyes. it was like she was seeing a ghost and she couldn’t believe what, or more accurately who, she was seeing right now.
“Kallie?” She whispered the name, as if saying it any louder might shatter the illusion. “Baby, is that you? Is it really you?”
