Taking The Easy Way (SH)

"Taking The Easy Way" is the fourth episode of the first season of Surviving Hell. It is also the fourth episode of the series overall.

Plot
Ray struggles after the loss of his brother. The Motel Survivors find themselves in a dangerous position.

Summary
Day 23

Everyone was sitting at a campfire at night, starring at the dancing flames. Ray Turner was thinking of something else. The man was still torn apart due to his brother’s death. Chris looked around. Jordan was playing with Ruby, and Emily and Alice were having a chat. “I really loved it. I wasn’t very good at it, but I tried it out with my friends.” Alice told Emily, discussing a certain hobby.

Ben was kissing Sarah. “Why are you so beautiful and amazing?” He asked his wife, to which Sarah smiled. “Maybe because I’m your wife?” Albert and George were laughing about something. Everyone seemed to make the best about it, apart from Ray Turner, who then walked away. “What are you doing?” Chris asked. “Hold watch.” He responded, and left, without further saying something.

Day 24

The group was filled well with supplies, so they didn’t have to go out to get more this day, also thanks to some guns they got from Ray and Drew, more people were armed. Elsewhere, Nathan was again out in the woods, since he was tired of sitting on his ass, as he described. While he was cleaning himself in a river nearby, he heard a sound.

He quickly turned around, pointing his gun in the direction he heard the sound come from. It was Ronald. “Well, you should stop pointing that thing at everything you see or hear.” Ronald said. Nathan rolled his eyes. “Well, you should stop sneaking on people like that.” Nathan said, to which Ronald jokingly replied: “Only did it once to a dirty bastard named Nathan.”

Nathan didn’t laugh. “Call me that again and I’ll strangle you in your sleep.” Ronald was silent. “Not that funny now, right? Now, clean yourself too, you almost smell worse than me.” Ronald did so. “Why do you always have to be so serious.” He said, saying his thoughts out loud.

At the motel, Chris woke up in his room. He looked around, to see Jordan was still sleeping, but Emily had also woken up. “Good morning.” Chris said, giving her a quick kiss. He then dressed himself and left the room.

Chris looked from the balcony to the motel. Several people were already awake. It was a rare time where Albert wasn’t holding watch. It was George instead. Chris thought about the people in his camp. He had bonded with all of them. The Hughes family and the others were fantastic people, even Nathan, and Chris was always afraid that at least one of them might die sometime, like Thompson or Ray's brother had.

Vincent and Ben were taking a walk outside of the motel and saw a zombified man. Vincent was about to shoot him but Ben stopped him and pulled out his knife, stabbing him in the head instead. “We don’t want more of them coming to us.” He said. Vincent agreed. “Alright. I’m just wondering, where is the bite? I don’t see it anywhere.” Ben came to investigate too. “Why bother looking? We better get back to camp.”

Albert was sitting in the chair, reading a book, when he saw Ray Turner approaching Chris. “Hey Chris. I still have some supplies left at the neighbourhood. Could I get it.?" He asked. “Sure.” Chris responded. “I don’t see why not. It’ll do good for you.”

As Ray left, Albert shook his head. “That man will get himself in trouble.” He said to Chris. “No, that man is recovering from his brother’s death. It’s for the best that he does this.” Albert sighed. “You might be the leader, Chris, but a leader should listen to their group’s advise. Don’t let Ray do this. He won’t return.” It was too late anyways, Ray already left with one of their cars and a gun.

Alice was talking with Emily and Zoe. After a while, Zoe noticed Ruby wasn’t there. “Uhm, Alice. Where is your daughter?” Alice looked around, but she was nowhere to be found. “Ruby?! I don’t get it, I saw her play right here!” Emily quickly rushed to Jordan, since he had been playing with Ruby. “Sweetheart, have you seen Ruby?!” She asked. “Ruby said she was going to pick some flowers.” He responded. Emily and Alice quickly ran out of the gates, to which Chris confusedly looked at. “What’s going on?”

Out there, Ruby was picking flowers while she was singing a song she remembered. Suddenly, she heard something. She turned around, to see it was one of the dead. She screamed loudly and crawled away, while the dead man chased her. Eventually, Alice and the others arrived and Alice grabbed the dead man, pulling it away from Ruby. She stabbed it in the head, over and over again, until she stopped after a while and hugged Ruby. “It’s okay, Ruby. I’m sorry. Mom is here. I’m right her, my sweet little girl.” She said, with tears in her eyes, while hugging Ruby.

She then turned to the group, who had all arrived, apart from Ronald and Nathan, who hadn’t gotten back yet. “Take Ruby away.” She told Emily, who did so. Vincent also returned and went with. “In case a dead one attacks.” He said. Alice then furiously looked at the group. She walked to George, before punching him hard in the face. She looked like she would do it again, but Mark pulled her away. “Alice, please. What are you doing?” Alice pushed him away, but didn’t hit George again. “What kind of guy let’s a little girl walk out of the gates in a fucking zombie apocalypse?!”

George seemed scared and swallowed. “I’m sorry…I didn’t see her. I’m so sorry, Alice, it will never happen again!” He said. Alice didn’t feel sympathy for him. “Then what’s the point in having a lookout who’s blind?! Anyone could’ve seen that, or were you too busy doing other things?! I’ve got enough of this. Let’s go home.”

In the neighbourhood, Ray had arrived. He stepped out of the car, with his gun in his hand. He went to the food store, where some walkers still roamed around. He used two bullets to shoot two walkers. There he was. Drew as a dead one. The undead Drew slowly walked to Ray, and once he reached him, Ray said: “I’m sorry.” He shot Drew in the head, and carefully laid his brother's corpse on the ground. He looked at the other walkers and looked at his gun. He kneeled, pressing the gun against his head. He decided to take one last look around to see Earth, and then pulled the trigger. Ray had found peace.

Co-Stars

 * Madison Lintz as Ruby Hughes.

Uncredited

 * Michael Zegen as Drew Turner (Zombified)

Deaths

 * Drew Turner (Zombified)
 * Ray Turner

Trivia

 * Last appearance of Drew Turner. (Zombified)
 * Last appearance of Ray Turner.
 * The episode title "Taking The Easy Way", is a reference to Ray committing suicide.
 * The line: "Call me that again and I'll strangle you in your sleep," is a reference to a similar line Cersei Lannister told Margaery Tyrell in the eight episode of the third season of Game of Thrones.