Guilt (A Zero Spin-Off)

Eight - Kyle

We walked as a close bunch, Ella securely in the middle. I don't think she was aware that she was muttering to herself that she could do this aloud, but her words echoed my own thoughts. Joel was being optimistic when her told her that we might be able to sneak past them. That wasn't going to happen. But he'd known that. We made it past a few milling around as we entered the grit of the town and Ella started to relax, like maybe she thought we could. I wanted to tell her not to, being one edge... it was kind of a good thing. As long as she wasn't panicking or anything. Instead of outright telling her to get ready for shit to go south, I tried for a different approach.

"You still got that knife?"

"Mhmm," I heard her hum behind me.

I glanced back at Ella. She was looking all around as if she thought zombies were sneaky like the boogey-man and were going to pop out of the blue and attack. She noticed me and tried for a confident smile. "Get it out."

Her face blanched but she reached down and grabbed the knife I'd given her.

"I don't really know how to use it."

"Aim for the head and stab," Joel said earning a quick glare.

"You probably won't have to."

I turned back around before she could see any hint of the lie in my eyes. I hoped she wouldn't have to. As we followed the curve of the I stayed close to Ella, standing in front of her to block her sight as we approached Winchester. The first highway running just outside the town was coming up and though it wasn't giant, it was lined with cars. Probably people trying to get out of their city, evacuate further from the capitol, because, at only an hour and a half drive away, Winchester was too close to a few million zombies. Some may have even been coming this way from D.C. trying to get further west where it was less populated. It would be worse the closer we got and it would become more difficult to avoid highways for back roads.

"Oh my God," Ella said. She had stopped moving forward and was standing in front of a minivan, staring through the window. I didn't have to look to know the occupants were still in the car. Most of the cars on the road were abandoned, but not all of them. Someone infected was inside, or the people were too scared or unable to safely get out of the car so they sat in it until they died. She lifted her hand to the glass window and did her best to blink away tears. "There are kids inside." Her eyes darted around, looking at each of us though I don't think she saw much of anything. Her haunted eyes met mine and she said it again. "There are kids."

"We have to keep moving."

She blinked a few times and looked back at the car.

"They don't deserve that. They should be buried or... or something."

Joel cursed under his breath. From behind me, I heard the slow shuffling footsteps that could only mean one thing. Joel nodded when I met his eyes and walked forward to take care of it before it could get any closer, but we needed to move. Staying in any one spot was a bad idea when the cars made it impossible to know all possible dangers. Ella wasn't getting it though, she was stuck on the family in the car. I could almost feel her heartbreak as she looked on. Her eyes were out of focus and filled with tears. I wanted to comfort her. Know what was going through her head. But we didn't have time for all that. Miles tried talking to her, but I wasn't even sure she could hear him.

I stepped closer and grabbed her face in my hands, gently forcing her to look at me. Her brown eyes finally focused on my face.

"We have to keep moving," I said slowly.

Her cheeks rubbed against my palms as she nodded in my hands. "Just focus on getting through, nothing else but getting through this town, okay?" She nodded again. "Can you do it? Are you good?" She nodded. "You have to say it, Ella. I need to hear you say it."