This Is How We End It

Chapter One

The car slowly approached the house. It was quiet, that's for sure. Wind chimes were blowing in the small breeze. As the car stopped, the engine did as well. The car groaned for gas. The sun was tucked behind some of the mid-day clouds, as Rick, a former police officer, opened the door of the car. His boot stepped on the dirt, making a loud crunch. In uniform, he looked like he was still doing his job. The police car and all. However, he wasn't. It was different now, as everything changed. He shut the car door, and walked to the small, white farm house.

It was quaint. Small, probably big enough for a small family. Small farm. It did have a small farm, as he saw a barn in the back. The wind made an eerie nosie as he approached the house, his boots making soft grinding noises on the sand below his boots. The sound changed as his boot touched the wooden boards on the porch. He knocked on the door, making three distinct knocks.

"Hello?" He asked, looking at the small screen door that was on the house. No answer. The wind answered with the same eerie sound. Rick's boots traveled to the other side of the porch, noticing a small window. He cleared it, and looked inside to see a small girl. Not older than fifteen, by the looks. She was short. She huddled over a woman's corpse. The girl put a blanket over the body as flies swarmed around it.

"Little girl?" Rick's voice sounded the same. He thought of before he got shot. The little girl that approached him in the gas station. He pushed the memory aside, and saw the little girl look up. She was alive. The girl's eyes widened at the sight of him, not expecting to see anybody.

She quickly ran to the door, making sure it was locked. It was, as she locked it again just to make sure. Rick, still a little shocked to see someone alive, walked to the door and knocked on it again.

"I just need some gas. I'm uh, going to Atlanta." He said, making what he wanted, clear. He didn't want anything else, but he just needed gas.  He looked up at the peephole and sighed. The girl inside reluctantly opened the door, figuring the man was a cop. What harm could he do?

Rick watched the door open slowly. The small girl stood there, bright green eyes looking up at him. She was young, but not too young. Not younger than Mikaela, but not older than Ethan, so she must've been about fourteen, he thought. 

"I don't have any." The girl said quietly, looking up at him. He was a stranger, and she wasn't sure how to react. She studied him, almost. She'd never seen him before in her entire life. 

Rick nodded at her. He was unsure how to continue the conversation. She looked down, then back up at him.

"We have horses. Well.. a horse. Just one." She said, a little quietly.

Rick nodded again. "Mind if I take it?" He asked looking at her through the screen in the door.

"I don't mind as long as you take me with you." She said still quiet.

He sighed a bit, not really wanting anybody on this trip, but he needed the horse. Badly. It was his last chance, and he needed it. Rick paused before nodding once more at her. She smiled a bit at him and sighed. 

Outside Atlanta, it was a little more sunnier. The group had a commotion as the radio had a voice come through, and people were stirred. Lori had threatened Shane that she would leave to put up signs to warn people away from the city, but he denied her. He wasn't ready to lose anyone else. Especially her. He wasn't going to let Rick's wife, now his girlfriend, just slip away and die. After a make-up kiss between them, Mikaela walked toward the tent.

"Mom?" Mikaela asked, as Shane quickly pulled away from the kiss, as the relationship was a secret to the kids.

Shane walked out of the tent, and looked at Mikaela.