T U C K E R × twd

ten

.ten
TAINTED MEAT

DAD AND CAROL still hadn't returned from where they'd disappeared to and that's why I found myself nervously pacing around outside of the church. I'd walk all the way to the edge of the trees and then back to the steps of the church, repeating this path over and over again. I was in my fifth rotation when I heard someone crying in the distance, I froze and stayed silent to try and locate the cry. I started to move once I had a slight idea where the crier was, making sure to use my hands to help me navigate through the trees.

A snapping of a twig made me freeze again, I knew I hadn't done it meaning someone was following me. My hand fell on the gun in my belt and I slowly pulled it out, cocked it and held it in front of me. I pivoted around on the spot, my eyes taking in everything I could as I went. I could hear my heart pumping in my ears, a fast panicked rate, and my breathing was laboured and heavy as I span around. It was silent for a couple seconds before there was another snap and I swung around to it pulling my gun up as I span.

A sharp pain erupted from the back of my head and I fell to the floor with a grunt, my gun falling from my hands and moving out of my reach. Someone grabbed my ankles, making me thrash out, with a shout for help, to try and get away from them but they just held them tighter. I could hear them grunting as they tried to tie my legs together, my wriggling making it very difficult for them.

I carried on shouting desperately for someone to help me but I was too far in the woods for anyone to hear. I heard muffled voices and was rolled onto my back, my throat closed up when I saw who was standing above me with a sadistic grin on his face.

Gareth.

He held a bag in his hands, along with some more rope. I tried to shuffle away from him frantically pushing my arms against the forest floor, wincing as the sharp twigs started to cut into my palms. He was advancing onto me, enjoying the view of my struggle like the deranged maniac he was until I'd hit my back against a tree where he then lunged forwards.

My view of the world suddenly stopped and was replaced by darkness, I knew I wasn't unconscious so that means I had a fucking bag over my head again. A muffled scream was left hanging in the air as something was tightly wound around my neck, not tight enough that I was choking but just enough that I found it difficult and uncomfortable to breathe. I coughed under the hood, my hands flying up to try and loosen the binding that was pressing painfully against my windpipe every time I struggled, panicking as I heard his manic laugh.

It was like he'd finally snapped, a laugh more like Norman Bates than someone more or less sane. There was an edge to it that sent unwanted shivers down my back, set my hairs on end, and as much as I hated to admit it, it scared me.

I felt rough hands on my ankles and suddenly I was being violently dragged. The back of my head smacked hard against a thick tree root, making a deep thumping erupt around where it collided and making me exclaim in pain. Gareth kept dragging me, my hands flying to my sides trying frantically to grab onto something. Under the hood suddenly got incredibly hot from my terrified breathing that had escalated to hyperventilating.

Twigs and rocks shredded my back as my t-shirt rode up, and I already felt the blood trickling down onto the floor. Hopefully, it left a line that someone could follow to find it but something told me I wasn't that lucky. I felt my hand grab something before I was shouting in pain again as it was ripped off of me. A sting like fire erupted from my palm, engulfing it fully. I held my hand to my chest, cupping over it with the other to try and stop it from spasming like it was.

Still, Gareth dragged me on.

It wasn't apparent where he was taking me until I heard the low crackling of a fire and the distinct growl of a swarm of walkers banging against something.