Half past alive

Chapter 1

1

I walk into the old abandoned house, shaking the rain out of my hair. The rustling of the dead outside Remind me to be quiet and make it in and out grabbing supplies that can be useful. I walked into the kitchen of this old Victorian house and started raiding the cupboards for canned goods that will put food in the peoples mouthes. Going out on a group trip is one thing but going alone is another. After going through the cupboards, coming up with nothing I hear a scratching noise coming from the pantry behind me. I froze, paralyzed by fear and curiosity at what, or who, was in there. Gathering up all the courage I possessed I quickly turned around, pulling my knife out and placed a hand on the handle slowly turning until I hear a click. I quickly pulled it open and step back until my backside hit the back counter. A bird flew out near hitting me. I cringed

and ducked just in time. Letting out a nervous sigh I looked into the pantry. I come up with a few cans and one package of uncooked spaghetti, the bird ate the rest while it was sealed away from the world that was falling to pieces. Lucky bird, I thought as I searched the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, coming up with a half empty bottle of aspirin.

I checked the rest of the house only finding some candles and a flashlight. I threw it in the duffle bag I was carrying and checked the windows to see where the safest exit point is.

Looking out the front window the rain making it hard to see, I Counted at least a dozen, maybe more. The back looked safest, only three or four corpses, six at the most.

Without second thoughts I whip open the door and make a run for the Forrest. The extra weight slowed me a little allowing them to catch up. I quickly stab one in the head ending it's undead life as it crumples to the ground. The next one ran up and shared the same fate. The third never even noticed me yet so I let it be and took off running out of the abandoned yard, past the iron fence someone left open allowing them in and letting me out. I headed into the forest, slipping and tripping on twigs and falling in mud.

I slowed to a quick walk, wishing I had the luxury of a car. We had plenty in camp but gas was a different story. I followed the markings I made when I first came through.

When I asked around the camp for old tee shirts and rags no one asked why they just handed them to me and went back to what they were doing, knowing that I was going on a run and they didn't want to get attached, just in case I don't make it back.

After a while i started to see the light of the campfire through the trees. I picked up speed and ran through the forest, straight into sam's arms.

"Hey there, good to see you again, sloan. Find anything good?" He lifts the duffel bag off my shoulder, which was terribly aching.

" not much." I say looking at my mud covered boots, pulling my curly black hair to the one side. He riffled through the bag, sighed and rubbed his neck.

" better than nothing. Are you okay? No bites, scratches or cuts?" He looked at me concerned. He had a fight with the leaders about me going out alone, said I wasn't ready but they turned a blind eye. To them I was just another mouth to feed. With a camp of twenty-five, things were not friendly as some would think.

I looked up, and stared into sam's honey brown eyes. I shook my head and gave him a small smile and picked up the duffel bag.

"I'm going to go to the clan and show them what I got. See you around?"

He smiled, " of course." And I started walking to the r.v positioned in the middle of camp.

I knocked on the door and waited for a response. I heard shuffling and muffled talking and the door cracked open.

" who's there?"

" sloan." I nearly whispered. The door opened and James looked down at me, a smile playing at his lips.

"You're alive." I raise my eyebrows at him and he moved out of the way, allowing me in. I slowly walked up the steps and set the duffel bag on the floor in front of him. He opens it and looks at the little supplies I collected.

"This is it. Tell me there's another duffel bag."

" that's it" I look down at my boots not meeting his stare of disbelief. The door behind me opens and Jackie steps in.

"Hey there, runt. Get anything good?" I grimace at my nickname. Behind me James shakes his head, Answering her question. Her fierce green eyes meet my blue ones and and she lets out an irritated sigh.

"Well, obviously you're useless." anger is clear in her voice. I turn around and start to walk towards the door, but someone grabs the back of my leather jacket and throws me against the wall. The air is knocked out of me and my nose starts to bleed.

"Let her go she didn't do anything wrong!" James shouts but Jackie didn't care.

"I'm not going to starve because of you!" She flips me around so my back is against the wall, blood running down my face, her tall frame shadowing my small one.

"Out of the two of us, you're going to die first. I come first, do you understand? Do you understand me?!" Her fists tighten around my jacket and I nod once. The blond wickedly smiles at me and let's me go. I quickly run out of the door, hearing it slam behind me. I slow down and pull a handkerchief out of my skinny jean pocket and wipe my bloody nose. I walk past the big campfire, hoping I won't be seen.

"Hey sloan, wait up!" Sam runs up to me. Damn, so close. I stop and turn around, meeting his eyes. He sees my nose and his eyes go wide.

"She did it didn't see? Is it broke? Come here."

"I don't think it's broken." I step closer to him and he runs his hands over his brown hair. he Takes a look at my nose. After awhile he confirms it's not and leads me to our shared tent.

The four person tent, shared by us two, was at the end of the camp, near the other side of the forest. In one group run Sam and I found it and we couldn't agree who would get it so we decided to share. I didn't mind, we are friends and it would be better than sharing it with a Stranger or what I was doing before, sleeping on the ground. Sam was the only person I trusted lately, everyone is on edge, waiting for another attack.

As soon as I got in the tent I instantly curled into my sleeping bag and fell asleep.