Twist of Fate

8

They had 125 miles ahead of them.

That sounded like a lot. If they went at a steady pace of 60 mph they could make it in 2 hours. But the world ended, why it would be that easy?

Aurora squeezed into the station wagon with Rick's family, Carol, and Sophia. The two kids were attached at her hip now, trailing her like puppies. She didn't mind, they weren't bad company, and if she could do anything to make what their life had become just a bit better she would. Like joining them to visit the Grand Canyon, she doubted they would ever go, but she had a feeling if things ever got better, that was the first thing they would do.

The RV slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. There were abandoned cars on the road, they couldn't see ahead of the massive motorhome but could guess that there wasn't a clear path.

Daryl circled around on his bike, stopping to let them know he would lead them through. Rick slowly followed Dale, weaving in between cars. They passed vehicles with corpses in them, doors wide open and things strewn about.

As if things couldn't get worse, There was a loud clank and the engine of the RV started sputtering, smoke billowing out as it came to a sudden stop.

They all got out to assess the damage, Dale was going on about being dead in the water with no hope when he realized they were surrounded by spare parts. They could siphon fuel from all the cars and take whatever was left in them.

"This is a graveyard," Lori announced, and everyone turned to look at her. She glanced at her husband, in a more hushed tone voicing, "I don't know how I feel about this."

Aurora looked at the woman and the unease on her face, "Dead people don't have opinions, they don't care if we take their stuff. We need it more than they do."

Lori sighed as Shane instructed everyone to look around and grab what they could.

Lori and Carol told their kids to stay in their sights as they started to pull away from their mothers and follow after Aurora. She was digging through the front of a car when she heard them shuffle up behind her. She turned at smiled at them as Carl looked up at her, "What are you looking for?"

She stepped back from the car empty-handed, "I'm looking for cigarettes and magazines. You guys gotta look for more useful things though."

Carl questioned her, a quizzical look on his face, "Why are you looking for them if they're not useful?"

"They're useful to me and I want them. C'mon" She nodded to the car a few feet away, "Let's go this way."

Aurora was kneeling on the front seat of a truck when an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her out, she was about to scream, the sound dying in her throat as a hand came up and covered her mouth, she turned her head to look at whoever it was. Daryl was staring at her with a panicked expression on his face, he whispered for her to get under the car as he let go and ran away. She dropped to her knees, lowering herself to the ground and sliding against the asphalt, her sword scraping against it as she maneuvered herself under the truck.

She could see Carl, Sophia, and their moms hiding under the cars in front of her, the feet of the dead approaching them. A bunch of walkers limped, groaned, and dragged past them.

They waited until it cleared, she could see Sophia ahead of her, pulling herself off the ground when a walker crouched down and growled at her. The little girl screamed, shuffling in the opposite direction as the walker started to crawl under the car to get her. Sophia inched away from the car and under the highway barrier. Aurora rolled out of her spot, springing up and watching as Sophia slid down the dirt bank and the walkers followed her.