Protector || Shane Walsh

Chapter 34

Running for Your Life (feat. Butterfly Boucher) by UNSECRET

I spot red tail lights in the distance and give chase through trees.

But the lights only grow smaller and smaller.

In my desperate haste, I trip over a log and come crashing down.

I'm able to roll with the fall, using the momentum to jump back up but when I do, the red lights of my salvation disappear completely.

I'm alone..

Hisses and snarls sound off behind me.

Well, maybe not quite alone..

I stare into the darkness where the lights disappeared for just a moment longer, breathing heavily.

No one knows I'm missing.

So no one is coming back for me.

I'm borderline hyperventilating when the walkers gargle behind me, louder than before.

A quick glance over my shoulder shows me they're closing in fast. I can't see much but I can see multiple dark figures coming for me.

I grip the gun bag tight and resume running. 

But in the dark of night, I cannot run full pelt.

Branches poke, prod and scrape at my skin as I pass by and I snap a lot of twigs off branches, with the help of the gun bag, while my feet crash loudly through the leaf litter.

There's little to no grace or stealth in my escape.

And the walkers don't stop pursuing.

They don't get winded, they don't need rest.

I do.

It had already been a big day. I was in no way prepared for my evening to take this turn.

Throw in my erratic breathing and my brain trying not to spiral deep into panic, the walkers are keeping up with me easily.

I have zero bearings right now and no proper plan of evasion.

I just have to stay ahead of them.

But soon there's a slant in the flow of the land and I'm moving downhill.

The walkers begin to gain on me, even faster.

I roll my ankle in an unseen ditch and fall, tumbling for a good few metres.

The gun bag does nothing to break fall, instead, makes it hurt even more. When I finally come to a stop, the wind is knocked right out of me.

I hear the snarls approaching and try to sit up. My ribs ache from landing on the guns with each rotation of my tumble.

Looking up at where I just fell from, I see two walkers rapidly approaching.

I jump up and let out a grunt as my left ankle throbs under my weight.

I shift my weight to my right leg as one walker comes tumbling down in front of me.

Guess it hit the same ditch I did.

I jump back out of it's way as it rolls to a stop near my feet. I quickly stab it in the head and turn and run, with my newly acquired limp.

Fuck.

It's too early in the night for me to already have a limp.

At least the ground's evening out again.