Our Sanctuary

Leaving Alexandria

The boy waved at Sam again. He watched sit perched on the top of huge wall of Alexandria. He liked the boy. They must have been about the same age.

Sam opened the window and waved back and the boy smiled. The door then creaked open and in walked his older brother.

"Sam! Mom sent my to check on you to see if you're ok. She's worried about you. You're always in your room. Did Carol drop by today?"

Sam jumped up excitedly from his bed and pulled his brother towards the window.

"Look at this." Sam shouted.

"What is it? Keep your voice down."

"There's a boy just sitting on the wall. He was waving to me."

Sam pointed out the window and both he and Ron looked out but Ron couldn't see anything. He could only see Sasha keeping watch in the bell tower on the far side of the town.

"There's nothing there." said Ron. "It's just your imagination."

"No, I'm telling you, there was a boy there. I want to go meet him."

"What? Are you crazy?"

Ron knew well about Sam's over-active imagination. It had gotten him into trouble more than once. Their dad always hated it when he was off in his fantasy land, often striking him and their mom. He was just an eight year old boy with no real school and no friends his own age. Of course, he was going to imagine things, especially other people and friends.

Sam motioned to climb out of the window and Ron raced to stop him.

"What are you doing, Sam?"

"I'm going. Are you coming with me? I'm going with or without you."

Sam wriggled out of Ron's grasp and clambered out of the window. Ron couldn't stop him but then realised the danger he was in. He spun around and quickly tied two old sweaters together. He dangled them out the window and told Sam to hang on. He did the best he could as Ron gently lowered him to the ground.

Ron climbed out after him. He knew it was a stupid idea. But he couldn't let Sam go out alone. Sam looked up as Ron jumped, crashed and rolled on the grass below. The boy was there with a concerned look on his face.

Sam and Ron hid from Sasha in the bell tower. Then against his better judgement, Ron showed Sam a small hole and tunnel that he had dug for himself and Enid to escape one night. Ron looked up at the top of wall. For a second he thought he saw something too. Maybe he was the one with an over-active imagination.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sam, dinner's ready." Jessie shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

There was no reply so Jessie called for him one more time, this time a bit louder. Still there was no reply.

Jessie thought it was strange and climbed up the stairs and into Sam's room. His room was a mess, sheets and toys scattered all over the floor. It was the typical eight year old boy's bedroom. Jessie felt the cool breeze coming through the open window. She went to close it. Sam was always in his bedroom. Jessie thought it was very strange he wasn't there.

As she went to close the window, she thought that he might have escaped out of the window. But that was ridiculous. Why would he do that?

"Ron?" Jessie called out. "Do you know where Sam is?"

Yet again there was silence. Jessie began to get nervous. The world was so dangerous now and Rick had scared her with stories of the outside world beyond the walls. She was terrified of anything happening to her boys. She looked out the window below. It was a good twelve feet. There was no way he could have jumped, she thought. The cookies Carol baked were left half eaten on the side next to the bed. A lump formed in Jessie's throat.

She turned and darted out of the room and down the stairs. Her hair waved in the wind as she stormed out of the front door without so much as a second thought.

Jessie ran down the street and saw Rick running towards her. He was panting heavily and seemed to be in as much a panic as she was.

"Rick!" she shouted.

"Jessie! What is it?"

"Sam, Ron, they're gone!"

"Carl, I can't find him either."

"Oh my, what happened?" said Jessie starting to cry.

Rick hugged her and stroked the her long, blonde hair trying to calm her down. She was shaking but so was he and he also had to fight back the tears.

"Do you think someone kidnapped them?" Jessie asked, fearing the worst.

"No one could get in here without Sasha or I noticing. No one!"

"We've got to keep looking!"

"I'll get them back." said Rick his eyes now gleaming with murderous intent as he pulled his revolver from his holster. "Even if I have to kill someone."

Rick put his arm around Jessie's shoulder and they consoled each other as they walked down the street together still flustered in a panic and wondering where their children were.

The whole way Rick kept screaming for Carl.

"Carl! Caarrrlll! Caaaarrrrlllll!"