HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

035: how safe is safe?

Rio woke to faint mumbling, an indistinct voice trying to wake him. Jesse's hands were on his shoulder, shaking him awake. The wooden planks underneath his head creaked, the insufferable noise making it even harder to listen to his brother.

The older boy leant back, Rio watching through tired eyes as he signed. 'We need to go'

'Why?' He complained, signing back.

"Simplemente, porque." Jesse shrugged in return.

The small boy let out a loud groan as he got up, wiping away the dirt that had followed them in. Rio hugged his hoodie tighter as he stood, the cold morning chill making its way through the gaps of the treehouse. Jesse watched him, draping his coat over the boy's shoulder. He just looked up at him and shook his head, handing it back.

'It's cold'

'I know,' the boy replied with a sigh, pulling it on himself this time.

He waved Rio over a few seconds later, standing at the trap door. He held it open, looking down at the tree trunk and the planks nailed into it hastily. Rio kneeled beside him, peering over his shoulder and catching sight of the Walker clawing at the steps.

It's face was in a permanent snarl and it's upper lip was ripped off, a fleshy mess left reaching out for them. Rio grimaced and let out a sound of disgust whilst Jesse held his hand out. The boy pulled out his knife from his pocket and handed it to his older brother.

He then shuffled back, giving him space as he threw the knife down towards the Walker. Jesse held out a hand again, telling him to keep still. Rio complied, watching in apprehension as the older boy climbed down. He crawled over the dusty planks and towards the trapdoor.

From down below, Jesse pulled the knife out from where it lay deep in the walker's skull, stumbling back into the tree. Rio signed to his brother from above, asking if it was safe to come down. He nodded in response, wiping the splattered blood from his face.

As soon as his feet hit the floor Rio looked around, scanning the woods for anything else that could harm them.

'It's safe' he frowned as he signed.

'We can't stay... too long... dangerous' The older boy's sentence was broken but Rio got the gist. Everytime they found a new place to stay they'd leave after a few days. Jesse wanted to get out of state, preferably to a more deserted place, where nothing could get them. Rio had suggested the coast. The pair just prayed that the walkers couldn't swim.

Jesse wiped the knife in the hem of his shirt, clearing the blood off before handing it back to Rio. 'Thank you' he signed, a fond smile on his face.

The smaller boy just handed him his bat back in return, a small weapons exchange. He tied it to his rucksack to save himself from carrying it before leading Rio back through the woods. They walked for a while until the pair ended up on the same street as they had the night before. A few dead bodies with caved in heads littered the road: Jesse's doing.

He winced at the sight. Rio knew that his brother did it to protect him but he also knew how bad he felt about it. He knew about how he'd throw up when he thought Rio wouldn't notice and how he never killed them unless he had to. Jesse also never killed a human.

They walked down the street and Jesse pointed out a small store. The door blew slightly in the wind so the older boy guessed that it had been broken open.

'It's open' Rio tugged on his brother's sleeve. 'It's gonna be empty'

"We don't know that." Jesse replied. "Everyone else could've thought the same."