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SHANE DRAGGED THE dryness of his palm across the cool plastic of the water containers, the hairpin of his lips suddenly greeted by menace. He swallowed hard at his success, suddenly choked by his vision that had been coming true by the second.
Shane Walsh, the hero of everybody's story, where he was the one they had relied on. He was to be their saviour, their opportunistic guardian sent to raise them from the ashes of burned memories up into the thrones of Gods. Though, arguably, his vision had seemed more like delusion than determination.
The quasi-saviour whirled to face Glenn and Dale at the RV, and boomed eagerly, "Uh, Glenn? Were we short on water?"
His words had entirely enticed Glenn from his hunched position, drawing home over in a brisk jog, his eyes suddenly widening as such a sight. Shane did not hesitate to firmly grasp the first container in his hand, yanking the cap off to sprinkle the hydrating water down his thirsty skin.
His cries of pleasure enticed Ellie to join him at his side, overwhelmed with the purified water ahead of her, abundant in its supply. The memory of water had lingered only at the back of their minds, with only remnants behind, until that very moment. Shane's saving grace. Containers of water in their glory, relieving the fear of starvation and dehydration that the group simply drowned in. As Glenn approached the delight, he released a slight squeal. Happiness became him.
As her attention fell upon the scene, Ellie followed after the men, and immediately tore the container from Shane's rough hands. She took a gargantuan swig, allowing the clean water to consume her whole as it battled against all pressing lumps of sorrow in the back of her throat; all distant fears of not making it suddenly seemed so far away.
The aqua pools trailed down her pale skin; leaving patches against the dirty patches she had accumulated as a survivor, decorating her body with small goosebumps. She let out an involuntary squeal as the water trickled down the back of her clothes, leaving droplets against the ridges of her starving spine. Despite the unity amongst the trio, Dale shot a disapproving glare from his stance above the RV, entirely baffled at their childish behaviour. His sniper rifle hung loosely around his rigid shoulders as his scowl remained on the plight.
Dale hadn't felt disappointed in the very group often, but wasting valuable water had been where he drew the line.
"It's like being baptised, man!" a small, joyous squeal escaped Shane's chapped lips as his eyes landed upon Ellie as she laughed freely, for a fleeting moment.
After shifting his scowl upwards towards his handy par of binoculars, Dale proceeded with his duty of being on watch, and peeked through the small glass windows, to observe his usual perimeter surrounding him. Only this time, his observation proved an anomaly.
Approaching the group had been stumbling walkers with sunken eyes of tireless hunting; shreds of skin dangling through bloodied teeth from a succulent meal of delicious human flesh. Dale felt the hairs begin to rise on the map of his skin, instantly losing grip on his binoculars as he stumbled backward.
