Officer of the Dead

Chapter Eight

Notes;

Hi everyone!
We're about to get started on our most dramatic, heartbreaking, fluffy, action-packed chapters!
I reckon this fic *might* be completed by chapter 15?!
Hopefully, you'll stay with me till the end and see how everything plays out.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!

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It had done nothing but rain since you left the cabin, leaving you wet and miserable. You missed the simple things in life that you had taken for granted before all of this; clean clothes, dry footwear, an umbrella, transport. That was the only issue with experiencing a zombie apocalypse in a small town, once you got out, it felt like you were traveling on the road to nowhere and without a car, you were vulnerable to the elements, but you knew you had no choice but to keep going. You just hoped each mile passed was a mile closer to shelter, food, water, transport, or all of those things at once if you were lucky.

You decided to walk with Lucy in the hopes it would create some distance between you and Ronnie after the dream, but you couldn't help from glancing over at him. You found yourself counting the number of times he had to pause to wipe the rain from his glasses, amused as you watched him fumble at his clothing, pulling his black undershirt from under his uniform to wipe them clean. He had done it six times so far but it wasn't enough to distract you from the niggling twinge of jealousy you felt as he walked with Sarah, especially when you would overhear them laughing.

Your gaze quickly shot to the ground as Ronnie unexpectedly turned, pausing to address the group.

"Respite?" he asks, much to your relief, once again you were exhausted. You couldn't remember the last time you had walked such a distance. You were quick to sit down on the side of the road, the wet tarmac wasn't an issue seeing as your clothes were already drenched. Lucy gave you a brief smile before leaving your side to sit with her sister.

"What's wrong with you today?" Ronnie asks before sitting down beside you.

"I'm just fed up with all of this," you reply, gesturing to the vast nothingness around you. It wasn't untrue, the realities of life and the new normal were beginning to sink in. Your dream was still playing on your mind too, and each time you thought of it you found yourself more annoyed by the realization that even if you wanted to act on those feelings, even if Ronnie felt the same, it didn't matter. There would never be a happily ever after in this world.

"I get it, I'm fed up too... Fed up with death threats especially," Ronnie sighs glancing towards Steve.

"I wouldn't worry about Steve, he's just grieving," you say, trying to reassure him.

"Hmm, I get the feeling he means it though," Ronnie mumbles.

"You know he's all talk but anyway, you and Sarah seem to be getting on. Must be nice walking with someone a bit more upbeat," you taunt with a smirk, trying to hide your jealousy from slipping through.

"It's not like that," Ronnie tuts before continuing, "You know I'd prefer to walk with you, but you wanted to walk with Lucy,"

"Hmm," you reply, causing an awkward silence to fall between you both as you sit in the pouring rain, glancing into the distance.

A deafening crack of thunder rips through the sky, startling you as you feel your body jump from the sound. You squeeze your eyes shut, terrified of catching a glimpse of the bolt of lightning you knew would come next. Thunderstorms were your biggest fear, they had been since you were a child. You knew it was a silly fear but you couldn't help it, you'd rather battle zombies than have to endure this, especially sitting out in the open.