The search

Two

I wake up and stretch my arms out. I look next to me and see nothing. Wait. What? Where is Judy? I feel a sinking feeling come into my stomach. The sinking turns into a big bottomless pit when I look around some more and finds her bag is still here.
"Judy?" I say out loud.
"Where are you?"
"This isn't funny stop hiding," I say. The tears want to come out but I won't let them.Emotions are supposed to stay in. That's what I've been told.
I walk around the small cubed gas station and find nothing. As I turn around to grab my stuff I see the glass back door in broken and there is blood on the floor. My heart stops.
I just stare at the door in shock. I close my eyes to stop the tears that are threatening to fall. Like I've always been told. No more crying. Crying is for the weak and weak people die.
I put my hair up into a new ponytail and grab both mine and Judy's bags . I get on the road and  start heading to Atlanta. That was the pact. I one of us was gone the other had to continue. We had to. For the other one.
"Remember Kathrine," I start to my self," the pact. Don't trust anybody. Kill walkers. Survive. Continue. Everybody is a threat. Your childhood died a long time ago. No where is safe. Even if things do go back to normal."
I keep walking until what seems like noon. I hear what sounds like a horse's hooves galloping and take off. As I start to run I see a bunch of walkers come from all directions and all different streets. I look around hoping to find somewhere to stay. This is not how I am going up die. Not now. Not this way. I spot a tank and run straight to it.
I crawl underneath and heave myself up. I start to coward into the corner but I stop myself . No. If anyone or anything comes in her I need to be prepared. I set both bags on either side of me and just sit there. I listen to the sound of bullets ringing and just look straight ahead. The sound stops and all I hear is the groans of walkers I load my gun and wait. The safety is still on and I definitely don't plan on turning it on until a walker comes in.
I hear the sound of something trying to get in. My heart drops to my stomach.
I clip the safety on my gun off and wait for whatever it is to come in. A man in a sheriffs outfit heaves himself up and shuts the latch. He breathes out then looks around. His eyes land on me and he freezes. I stare back at the man and stop any emotion from showing. This dude probably thinks I'm a stone. I take a deep breath as my heartbeat starts to speed up and my blood runs cold. I look at the man as he takes a deep breath and comes a little closer. I point the gun right in between his eyes.
"Just put it down and calm down. I was a police officer. I am a good guy I am not going to hurt you, I promise."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," I say.
"My name is Rick," he says cautiously. I lower the gun a little. He was a cop. Then again no cop saved me before the world ended why would they now.
"Kathrine." I say quietly as I click the safety back on
"Kathrine, that's a pretty name.It goes with your pretty blue eyes," he says with a smile. When he smiles I see he has blue eyes that are almost identical to mine,well from what I remember mine looking like.
"Thank you."
"Kathrine how old are you?"
"Why does it matter? I'm still alive aren't I?."
"I was just wondering."
"I'm eleven. Sorry sir."
"It's okay, And you have been surviving by yourself?"
"Sure you could say that,"I say as my heart aches. Rick talks to me about the outbreak and how he had a son my age. I smile as he talks to me about life before. It's somewhat calming. It makes me feel better.
Minutes after he begins to talk we hear a voice over a walkie talkie. It goes on about a plan that will get us out of here and to safety. I kind of zone out and I put my gun back into my bag and throw the bag over my shoulder . As the plan goes into action Rick grabs me and starts to lead me out of the tank.I realize I am forgetting Judy's bag and turn around to reach for it.
"No Kathrine it will add to much more weight and we need to go now," Rick says calmly.
"Yes I need it I can't leave it. I can't leave her. That's apart of her. I can't ," I say as I pound on Ricks back to get him to let go. I finally reach far enough to grab it and embrace it.
"Ok come on let's go," Rick says as he picks me up and takes off out of the tank. I hold on tightly to the backpack in my arms as Rick holds me tightly. I see a Korean man running with us. He leads us to an alleyway and I look behind me as we run and see walkers. The Korean boy yells at Rick to climb the ladder. Rick puts me up first and I climb as fast as I can for an eleven year old with two backpacks.
Once I get to the top ledge thing I stop. Rick and Korean boy,who I learned is named Glenn, stop and talk until the walkers start getting somewhere with this situation.
We climb the rest of the ladder the same way we did the first time. We run across a building before going down one. Once inside we run down stairs into another little alley.
We run into a building we are greeted by different people. A women with blonde hair,she looks nice.A man who seems like he would be cool, I think someone called him T-dog. A black women name Jacqui. Then there is Korean boy. The lady with the blonde hair yells at Rick for having Glenn risk his life to save him. She then says we are the reason we will all die and blah blah blah.
I don't think she notices me since I am right behind Rick. I still have both backpacks and feel satisfied with myself so I honestly don't care about her talking.
We all hear gunshots then run up to the roof. A Redneck man takes over and gets into a fight with T-dog. "Merle Dixon " hits almost everybody he can until he pulls a gun out on T-dog. I freak out a little and start to hide behind Rick. I stop myself though.
"Ok.Ok," he starts as he puts his hands up," let's have a little powwow." He goes on a rant on how he should and wants to be leader. After his rant he says
"all in favor?" Everyone looks way to scared to say anything. I look to Rick and decide to distract redneck. I click the safety off my gun and point it at him. He hears this and turns around and looks for the noise.
Everyone still raises their hands until I look to Rick. I distract Merle with the constant clicking and moving until Rick hits him in the head with his rifle then handcuffs him to a pipeline on the roof. Eh he deserves it.
Rick walks away with a man and talks to him. I just sit and watch Merle struggle. I personally find this hilarious. The big and mighty want to be leader is handcuffed to a roof. We are stuck on the roof for awhile until we go down stairs since they seem to have some sort of plan.
"Rick I know this is a bad time but I am tired," I say as I tug on his shirt. I have my backpack on my back And Judy's in my embrace.  Rick walks me to a place where I can sleep.
"Awe who is this?" Blondie asks.
"Kathrine," is all Rick says. I wake up because Rick sets me down in a corner as him and Glenn put clear rain ponchos on then walker guts. I stretch my arms.
"Rick,what's going ?"
"Stay here until we get back. Then when we do you will get in the front of a big van with me and we will go ok?"
"Ok?" I say as I stay in the corner.
"Hi.My name is Andrea your Kathrine right?" Blondi - I mean Andrea asks. I nod my head and look at her.
"You know, we do have some kids back in our group I think you will get along with," she says with a smile. I don't want to be rude but I really don't plan on staying with them. I told myself everyone is a threat that means these people too. I sit there and think.
"Oh.....," is all I can get out. I stay in my corner hugging Judy's backpack until I fall asleep.
I am shaken awake by Andrea running with me in her arms. I make sure I have both packs, my bow , and gun and thank the lord I do. Andrea hands me off to Rick who sets me on the seat next to the drivers side. I curl up into a ball and just hold onto the pack the whole way there.
Once we arrive I don't move. Everybody gets out and is greeted by someone, even Rick. Me though, I just sit in my spot. I'm alone. But that's nothing new. I don't need people. I used to search for help and comfort but I have learned you can't trust anybody. Not even your parents.
Rick had tried to get me out at first then gave up after I fell onto the floor board and curled up into a ball. I now sit up so my back is against the door and think about how I am going to escape this group. As I finish coming up with the solution the door behind me opens and I am pulled out. I scream to be put down and bang against the persons back.
I start to fight even harder when I realize I no long have Judy's pack. I scream at the top of my lungs and the person flinches then puts me down. I run back to the truck and grab Judy's pack. As I get back in I am pulled back out, but now that I have Judy's backpack to it is harder to pound on the persons back. I realize the person is Rick and give up.
Rick sets me down. Well only to have me sit on the rocky ground.
"Kathrine please stop this," Rick says pleadingly. I simply just shake my head and remain where I am.
"Ok," he says as he picks me up and carries me the rest of the way. Once we are where he wants us to be he sets me down again. There's no use in sitting, he will just pick me up again. I look around and I see a pair of piercing blue pretty eyes. I look at the boy with the blue eyes and he smiles at me. I don't move for a moment. I finally give a small smile back.
People come over and keep asking who I am and I just kind of stand there. Rick finally gets rid of everybody and leads me to a women with the boy with blue eyes.
"Kathrine, this is my wife Lori and my son Carl," Rick says with a smile. I look down and don't know what to do. I look to Rick for help and he looks confused. Well I guess he doesn't understand that I am not a group person.
"What am I supposed to do?" I whisper . Rick nods understandingly then sets me down. He opens his mouth but is cut off by Lori.
"Hi sweet pea I'm Lori," Lori says with a smile. I force a smile and shake her hand. Good smile.
"Hi, I'm carl," blue eye- I mean Carl says with a smile. I give a good enough smile and shake his hand.
" Want to come meet Sophia??" Carl asks. I look up to Rick and he nods and pushes me forward a little bit.
"Uh.....uhm sure?," I say as Carl excitedly takes my hand and takes off running. I smile as we run but my smile falters when I realize what I have really gotten myself into. Welp. This is bad.