Ceasefire

Lost

The flesh eaters are after us. My dad and I run into the woods. crank! I get pulled up into the air. I'm trapped in a net hanging from a tree.

"DAD!!" I scream. "EMMA!" I stare into my dads eyes. The flesh eaters are coming closer to us. "DAD RUN!" I scream. "I'm not going to leave you! I'll find a way to get you down, I promise!"

"No! Dad they're coming! Run! Please-" Before I can say anything else, the flesh eaters sink their teeth into his neck, his arms, his legs, anything they can sink their teeth into.

"Dad." I whimper. I'm stuck in the net. I dropped my knife while running from the walkers. I have no way out. I cry for what feels like hours. Day turns to night. Night turns to day.

"Go straight." I hear a man say. I look down from the net.

"Hey! Up here! Help! Please!" I say.

The man looks up. "How'd you get up there?" He asks. "I was running away from the flesh eaters and wasn't watching where I was going. I got pulled into the net and my dad-" I start to cry. "Hey! Don't worry I'm going to get you out!" He says.

He climbs up the tree to the closest branch to the net. "Swing a little so I can catch the net and cut it." I swing. He catches and cuts.

He grabs my hand to help me out. "Thank you." I say.

"What's your name?" He says. "Emma. What's yours?" "Rick."

We climb down the tree. "Sorry about your dad." He says. "I couldn't save him. I told him to run but he wouldn't listen!"

"It was because he loves you."

"Yea I know. But he could've ran and just came back for me. Now he- he can't come back." I say, tears coming down my eyes.

"Do you have a group?" He asks me. "No. My dad was all I had."

"You're more than welcome to join mine." He says. I nod and smile. "Don't worry. There are kids there too."

I smile. I haven't interacted with people my age since this whole thing happened. Which was a year ago. It was just me and my dad.

"I just need to ask you three questions first. We ask these to every newcomer. If you answer in complete honesty, you're in." He says.

"Okay." "How many walkers have you killed?" Rick asks the first question. "You mean flesh eaters?" I say.

"We call em' walkers." I guess I should get used to calling them walkers. "Oh. Well then.. um I don't know. A lot I guess. I never really counted."

"Okay next question. How many people have you killed?"

"One."

"Why?"

"He charged at me."

"Well, welcome to the group."

We get to a farm.

"We have an extra tent for you."

We walk through the gate.

"Everyone! Meet Emma. She'll be staying with us. She just lost her father and I asked her the three questions."

Some people walk away. Other people welcome me.

"I'm Glenn. Welcome to the group." He smiles.

I think I might like it here.