Dead Weight/Issue 15

**Issue 15** is the fifteenth issue of Dead Weight. It is entitled Us, The Living.

## Previously on Dead Weight

Flake, Grace, Cooper and Robbie met Abreham. Drake spotted a horde in the forest. Melissa revealed her worries to Carlos.

## Story

“What do you mean you’re pregnant?” Carlos asks, leaning down until he was sitting on the floor next to her.

“I said maybe, dipshit,” Melissa says, sitting on her behind now with him. “I don’t know for sure.”

“Oh, s--”

“Sorry. It’s just I’ve been feeling really unwell.” Melissa tells him.

“Maybe it’s just… Greif?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to help. If you really don’t know, I could go find you a test.”

“Don’t bother. I already checked.”

“Oh… I could go out tomorrow morning and get one for you.” Carlos suggests instead, taking ahold of her hand. “If you want me too.”

“I mean, sure, whatever. I guess. Just… Don’t tell nobody.” Melissa says, squeezing his hand once before pulling away from him.

“I won’t, but if you are pregnant… That’s a big deal.”

“There’s no other mothers here, Carlos. I can’t handle being pregnant.”

“That’s true… I’m sure Cooper could help you? Maybe Flake knows his shit?”

“Yeah, whatever. Fuck him.” Melissa rolls her eyes, turning to Carlos and crawling over and wrapping her arms around him. Carlos, surprised, hugs her back. “Just… Don’t worry about it.” She tells him.

“Why would I be worrying?” Carlos asks.

“I just know you are. You don’t have to. This is my problem.”

“You’re a member of a group, If it’s your problem it’s--”

“Oh cut out the positive bullshit, Carlos. Just…” She takes a deep breath, “Figure things out before getting everyone up in arms.”

“Okay, Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Do you wanna go for a walk, or something?” Melissa asks him, breaking from the hug.

“Sure.” Carlos smiles, standing and holding out his hand to help her up. Melissa takes his hand very lightly, pulling herself up and letting go again. She dusts off her clothing as they make their way along the grass.

Drake stares out into the night, holdign a pair of binoculars in one hand and a rifle in the other. He taps his foot impatiently, waiting for Flake’s group to return from the forest.

He pulls the binoculars to his face, scanning the horizon as the sun’s light just gently touches the ground, almost fully set now.

Drake stops in his tracks, his blood running cold as he spots figures moving among the trees, as he watches them bob in and out of the trees, he faintly notices the pattern they’re moving and the noises, the noises growing closer and closer. He pulls the binoculars down, taking a deep breath and placing them on the side.

“Shit.” He curses, taking off down the stairs of the guard post, jumping down several steps as he stumbles to the ground, he bumps into Melissa and Carlos, his breathing rather heavy.

“You two have to get inside. Warn the others, there’s a horde coming.” Drake tells them. Their eyebrows raise, their faces full of shock.

“I thought this place was secluded?!” Melissa argues.

“Does it look like I have time to argue with you?! The helicopter must have drawn them. You have to make sure the camp is dark when night comes.” Drake spits, annoyed as he makes his way back towards the guard tower. “MOVE.” He commands the couple.

“Come on.” Carlos says, taking Melissa’s hand as they quickly make their way up the camp.

Drake climbs back upto his post, checking his binoculars and spotting the dead still moving in the same place he had checked last time.

“Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.” He growls to himself.

Cooper, Robbie, Flake, Grace and now Abreham make their way across the grass.

“We should be back by nightfall. Hopefully.” Flake tells them as he pushes through the trees, wiping a spiderweb out of his face.

“Did you not bring a car?” Abreham asks.

“It’s too risky. It’s very slopey down here, we could have toppled over.” Cooper says.

“Understandable.” Abreham comments as he stumbles against a tree slightly, hissing in pain as his leg seers with slight pain.

“You alright?” Robbie asks him, stopping to check him.

“Oh, yeah I’m fine.” Abreham tells him, “When we get back, you better have some drink.” He jokes, continuing to walk again.

“I don’t think so, actually.” Cooper says.

“... Really?”

“Sorry.”

“Ah… It’s fine! I’m sure we can find some.”

“So, did you really hide out in that airport this whole time?” Grace asks.

“Yeah, it felt like the… Only logical solution.” Abreham tells her, leaning against her slightly as they walk.

“Sounds rather busy, was it? In such a public place and all.”

“It was alright. We had a group of around eighty, maybe more, living there. The good thing was it was a huge place.”

“What made you leave?” Cooper asks.

“Some idiot got into a plane, the last plane, and took off. He didn’t know how to fly it, I don’t think, and almost crashed. The wing hit off the side of the building and let the freaks in.” Abreham explains, “If it wasn’t for Wesley, I don’t think I would have gotten out, I’m greatful.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Grace tells him.

“I only knew him for an hour. It’s fine.”

“You got into a helicopter with someone you’d only known for an hour?” Flake questions, taking out his sword as a stray undead stumbles towards their voices, he slices it’s head off easily.

“Well, with the dead coming down on top of you, wouldn’t you?”

“That’s true.” Grace agrees.

The group continue walking, talking as the night grows closer.

Jessica leads Scrap into the back bedroom.

“Stay here, okay boy?” She whispers, pushing him inside as she shuts over the door, returning back to the living area where Nancy, Tanya, Carlos and Melissa are. Carlos extinguishes all the candles.

“So… What? We’re just going to sit in the dark, wait for them to pile on top of us or what?” Nancy asks.

“We have to wait them out.” Carlos tells her.

“That’s stupid, we’ll be trapped. It’s only a matter of time before they get around the back, too.”

“It’s the best thing Drake has planned for now.”

“We’re sitting ducks.” Melissa comments, sitting down herself and crossing her legs, “But… Hopefully this plan will see us all survive.”

“What if it doesn’t, Mel?! What then??”

“We run.”

Nancy sighs, Tanya moving towards her and wrapping her arms around Nancy’s waist from behind, putting her head on her shoulder.

“We’ll be fine. Don’t even worry about it.” Melissa says, eyeing Carlos before looking back to Nancy. Carlos nods,

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” He repeats.

Sally stands in front of a table, looking through the pile of supplies and clothing that sit on it.

“Do you need anything?” A woman asks from behind the table, Sally looks up, not expecting anyone to be there. “Don’t you think you’ve got enough?”

Sally’s eyes widen, looking at her with confusion. “Sorry, what?” She asks innocently.

“My name is Alison. I’m sure you already know that.” She tells her, folding a t-shirt before sitting it neatly on top of a pile of clothes.

“Oh, I don’t… Nice to meet you, I’m S--”

“Does he scream it?”

“What?” Sally asks, seriously confused as Alison’s face seems to screw with rage, her blood appearing to boil inside her as she tries to conceal her anger. Alison, in a sudden fit of rage, suddenly reaches over and slaps Sally hard on the face, causing her to stumble backwards until she hits the floor.

“FUCK YOU!!” She screams, attracting the attention of several people around them as they come to help, or spectate. “YOU’RE A WHORE.”

Sally feels an arm tangle around her, helping her upwards as the person hold their hand out.

“Leave her, Allison.”

“DON’T YOU SEE IT. SHE’S GOING TO RUIN THIS PLACE FOR US ALL.” Allison yells as Connor comes through the door behind her, suddenly witnessing a chaotic group of people in front of him. “FUCK HER!! SHE DOESN’T LIFT A FINGER A--”

“What the hell is going on here?!” Connor yells out as Sally looks up, seeing Sam protectivly holding her arm, Sally shakes, holding her cheek.

“Wh--” Sally starts, shaking her head as she disappears into a frightened state of shock. Allison turns to face Connor, staring him down as he approaches everyone.

“What the hell is going on?!” Connor repeats, looking around as the group begins to slowly dissipate, leaving Connor, Sam, Allison and Sally standing in the middle of the previously crowded room.

“He attacked her.”

“You shut your mouth, she came at ME.” Allison yells, pointing her finger towards Sam and spitting her words. “I was defending myself.”

“Don’t you point that finger at me.” Sam spits back, half mockingly. Connor steps inbetween the two.

“Sam… Go back to whatever you were doing.” Connor tells him, rather directly as Sam’s fingers suddenly untighten from Sally’s arm and he nods, slinking backwards and going back to a table only a few feet away. “Are you okay?” Connor asks Sally, who just nods, trying to hold back a tear as her cheek stings.

Connor turns to Allison.

“We’ll talk later.” Connor tells her, giving her a glare before turning back to Sally, he slides his hand into hers and runs his thumb across her red, hot cheek. “Let’s tend to this.”

Allison watches as they walk away, her mouth gaping as she clenches her fist, blood boiling. Sam, curiously, approaches Allison.

“What was that about?” Sam asks her as he picks up a T-shirt, making himself look busy as he unfolds it and then begins to refold it as Allison just stands, staring at the door which Connor and Sally had just left through, long gone, as it slams shut behind them.

“That bitch thinks she can do nothing around here? Steal him from me…”

“Let’s not get over our heads here, Allison.”

“Are you on her side?!” Allison yells as Sam puts the re-folded T-shirt down again, sighing.

“No, I’m not.” Sam says, obviously lying, Allison scoffs.

“Whatever. She’ll get what’s coming to her. God will find a way.”

Grace bursts into a fit of laughter, grabbing Abreham’s arm to steady herself as they follow behind the group. Abreham chuckles, having just told a ridiculously stupid joke to Grace, Robbie snickers from in front of them, having caught it.

“That was so bad.” Robbie comments, causing Abreham to chuckle again.

“Remind me to tell that to Sabrina sometime.” Grace says, “That was… A hilariously bad joke.”

Flake and Cooper walk alongside eachother in front, Flake carefully cutting away leaves as he passes.

“Do you think the kids are okay?” Cooper asks, not really thinking before letting the words flow out of his mouth.

“Why would you think they weren’t?” Robbie asks, picking up his pace to walk beside Cooper.

“I just always wonder, every day, every night. I know they’re safe, but… Do we?”

“Don’t get my anxeity up, man.” Robbie comments, a light sense of joking in his voice. Flake cuts away at a branch, letting it fall to the ground before he looks ahead of him, suddenly hearing something as footsteps begin coming towards them. As Robbie and Cooper talk, as do Grace and Abreham, Flake suddenly spots several of the dead making their way up the forest, right towards them. As his eyes scan the horizon, he spots many more, more than he can count. He is stunned for a moment, frozen in shock as he tries to assess the situation until he snaps out of it.

“Run.” He simply states, swinging his sword as the footsteps reach them, a runner coming straight out of the darkness and running into Flake’s blade, it’s head partially coming off.

“Holy shit.” Grace curses as she, along with everyone else, notices the horde advancing towards them. The group quickly make their way from the horde.

“D’you think they saw us?” Robbie asks, turning around to check their status, realising they most likely did, as they begin advancing at a rather fast speed.

“Just keep running.” Flake demands, almost tripping over himself. Abreham stumbles against the tree, trying to keep his speed faster than the dead, but finding it troubling as Grace tries to support him.

“Come on!” Grace yells as she practically shoves him up the hill, their camp not that far away now.

“What do we do?!” Robbie asks, stumbling over himself and landing in the mud, Grace grabbing at his shirt to yank him upwards as he gets on his feet again, hands and knees covered in dirt.

“We keep running, we’ll make it.” Cooper says.

“We can’t fight them.” Flake says through puffs, “Just… We’ll make it.”

Bri leaves the nursing room, stretching her neck as she makes her way down the hallway until she reaches double doors, pushing them open and finding herself inside a large, warehouse-like room. Many tables lain out.

She walks in, looking around rather suspiciously as she still doesn’t feel 100% safe in The Specifics. She continues walking until she reaches a table, meeting Sam on the other side.

“How’re you feeling today?” She asks.

“Alot better actually, actually got my strength back today so… Back to work, I guess.”

“You look tired.” Bri comments.

“Well, I think I need a lie down after earlier.”

“Did you overwork or somethin’?”

“Did you not hear? Sally got into a little scrape with Allison.”

“Who’s Allison?” Bri asks blandly, seemingly not caring as she looks through the items on the table.

“Some woman who lives here, she is incharge of the laundry,” Sam says, “She seemed pretty upset at Sally, I don’t really blame her, actually.”

“Why? Why don’t you blame her?” Bri asks, suddenly rather interested.

“Well, Sally does seem kinda... And Connor is, you know.”

Bri nods, “Excuse me.” She says politely, slipping away from the conversation and making her way out of the marketplace again. Sam watches as she leaves, heading through the double doors and marching up the stairs.

She turns down a hallway, and then another one before going up a small flight of stairs, opening the door and heading down until she spots her room at the end of the hallway.

She makes her way up the hallway until she reaches her room, pushing the door open, she freezes as she notices Sally and Connor inside.

“Are you alright?” Connor asks, gently dabbing at her cheek as a small cut appears from the red, a light amount of blood staining her cheek.

“I’m fine,” Sally says, sounding rather sad as her head hangs downwards. Connor takes her chin in his thumb and index finger, pushing her face upwards so they’re looking into each others eyes.

“I’ll do something about her.” Connor says. Sally’s face is expressionless before his words set in.

“Oh-- No, Don’t hurt her.” Sally protests.

“I won’t hurt her, don’t worry.” Connor says, chuckling slightly as he kisses her cheek, Sally smiles.

Bri steps back from the door, shaking her head slightly as she left the hallway, noticing Connor beginning to leave. She pushes her way into the flight of stairs again and makes her way down a few stairs before stopping, leaning against the wall. She appears to go into a daze, her mind not thinking straight before she’s snapped out of it by the sound of the door opening.

“Bri?” Connor asks, looking down at her from the top of the stairs. Bri shakes, jumping out of her skin as she snaps back into reality. She looks up at him as he just looms over her, rather eerily.

“Hi.” She merely says. Connor makes his way down the stairs, stopping on the stair that Bri stands on as she shuffles over a little.

“Shouldn’t you be working?”

“Vicky let me go for the day.”

“S--”

“I have to go.” Bri abruptly announces before skipping down the stairs, taking a turn and leaving through one of the fire exit doors, making her way outside as she enters a farm-like area. She inhales deeply, her hands shaking. She looks over her shoulder, looking through the window on the door to Connor, who briefly looks at her before pushing his way into the market. Their brief eye contact sending shivers down her spine.

Drake stands on his guard post as he keeps a lookout for the group coming back from the wreckage.

Carlos walks towards Drake, Sabrina right behind him.

“Stay down here, okay,” Carlos tells Sabrina as he begins climbing the stairs to the tower. Sabrina nods, her face full of worry as Carlos disappears onto the wooden platform.

“How’s it looking?” Carlos asks as he reaches the top, looking out towards the forest as Drake sighs.

“Not good. They just keep comin’.” Drake admits, realizing it would be best not to lie.

“Sabrina’s worrying, on edge.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think they’ll be back soon?”

“I don’t know. They might not come back.”

“Ssh, man.”

“Lying won't do us shit, just speaking the truth, honestly.”

“I know, I know… Just be ready to let them in, I’ll keep by the gate to help out if you want.”

“Sure.” Drake says, biting his lip slightly. He lifts the binoculars up and looks out across the darkness again. Carlos climbs back down the tower, Sabrina staring at him as he does so, she smiles, hopeful, as he approaches.

“Has he seen anythin’?!” She asks, her smile fading after a second as her face returns to a serious look.

“Not yet, but don’t worry, they’ll be back soon. They can’t be that far away. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay… Thanks. Is it okay if I chill here?” Sabrina asks.

“Sure, you can help me let them in when they arrive,” Carlos suggests, Sabrina nods hastily, quickly making her way towards the gate and looking out, seeing nothing but darkness.

Cooper hits against a flashlight angrily as it begins fading, the light glowing in the dark once again.

The group had been running for a good hour now and exhaustion was picking up the pace behind them, as well as the undead. The snapping of the undead’s jaws right behind them as Robbie slices his knife into a runner’s head, causing it to collapse to the floor in a mess of blood and mud.

“I’m gonna hang back,” Flake suggests, putting his sword out in front of him as he turns back, slicing ahead of another runner.

“Are you dumb?!” Grace snarls, “Come on!!”

Flake turns, running once again as he’s almost overwhelmed by several of the dead. Cooper turns, gunning down some of the dead, suddenly Flake lets out a loud yell as he feels himself being pulled off of his feet, Grace and Robbie halting in their places to turn and watch as Flake’s ankle is grabbed at by one of the dead.

## Cast

### Main

* Drew Van Acker as Robbie Starn
* Melissa Benoist as Jessica Starn
* Allie Lewis as Grace Berry
* Brooke Hyland as Sabrina Berry
* Imogen Poots as Sally Middleton
* Liam Hemsworth as Flake
* Josh Pudleiner as Carlos
* Melissa Kirk as Melissa

### Supporting

* Q'orianka Kilcher as Tanya
* Katie Findlay as Nancy
* Andrea Boehkle as Bri
* Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Cooper
* Malina Weissman as Amy
* Sanai Victoria as Sammy
* Ariana Greenblatt as Molly
* Harry Styles as Drake

### Also Starring

* Billy Burke as Connor
* Janel Parrish as Haley Reed
* Antonia Thomas as Vicky
* Brock Brenner as Harry
* Noah Schnepp as Mark

### Guest

* Jackson Rathbone as Abreham
* Troye Sivan as Sam
* Jennifer Lawrence as Alison
* Unknown Dog as Scrap