Outlast (1) - The Walking Dead

Chapter 12

Today our quest to find Marion started.

"Quest?" Evan questioned with a smile.

I shrugged "it sounds more badass that way."

So far we had tracked the blood out of the old house, but became stuck when the trail stopped and tyre tracks began.

"Great, they took off in a vehicle." And so it was a long walk following the road where the tracks continued.

"Do you think we would've met if this whole thing didn't happen?" The question had been playing on my mind for a while. Before the apocalypse I'd had a few crushes and a few boyfriends but none of them worked out. But with Evan it seemed different, he was always so selfless with a protective streak. Something drew me to him that I'd never experienced before, it was intoxicating, addicting even.

"I hope so. I know we both live in different states but I'm sure somehow we would've met." He smiled at me.

"Fate has a funny way of changing things." I shrugged.

Sol had been walking idly besides me for a while until she suddenly raised her head, ears pricked and nostrils flared.

"She hears something." I noted. Evan pulled out the binoculars and looked over the horizon. He lowered them and I saw a waver of uncertainty in his eyes.

"What's up?" He passed me the binoculars and I looked through. Coming down the main road towards us was a herd of walkers, not just any herd, hundreds or maybe even thousands were coming our way.

"In there!" Evan pointed to a house which had the garage door ajar. Evan hoisted the door as I led Sol inside and let it shut after us.

A few minutes passed as the groaning increased until the first walkers were right outside the door. I stood back from the door as they crashed and banged past.

The door was a little flimsy and each walker that smacked into it left a small dent.

"It won't hold long." I whispered to Evan who looked to be thinking the same thing.

He started looking around for things to barricade the door with but the only thing in the garage was a set of shelves which would easily be pushed over.

"You look for a way out, I'll keep her steady." I instructed Evan and grasped Sol's halter tightly. Her muscles began twitching with every walker that crashed into the door and she restlessly pranced about on the spot.

"It's ok." I stroked her black coat and noticed my hands were shaking slightly too.

One walker crashed into the door and made a gap where it met the wall. The hole showed a small piece of the outside and I could see the heart of the herd moving forward.

Sol snorted in fright as the walker's face appeared in the gap, it was enough to blow our cover. The undead looked directly at me with it's cold, lifeless eyes and began trying to crawl through the gap.

Sol became more frantic and started pawing the ground with her hoof, the sound echoing out through the garage. The walker was getting closer, pushing through the gap, the saggy grey skin on its face being torn by the sharp edges of the metal door. Other walkers had been attracted and were also trying to break through.

"I found a way out." Evan came running through the back door. I quickly stripped Sol's saddle off as she wouldn't fit through the door with it on. Evan followed suit and shut the door just as a loud crash sounded on the other side.

It was hard trying to slalom a horse around furniture but somehow we made it into the back yard.

The yard boarded a field and was separated by post and rail fencing. I looked behind and saw a walker wandering by the big bay windows of the kitchen.

"C'mon, looks like they got that door down too." I threw Sol's saddle and blanket on her back, cincing the girth and led her over to the fence where I hopped on.

Thumping sounded, I looked back to see a lot of walkers crowding by the glass door of the kitchen.

"We can't out run them." Evan said, I could tell he was panicking slightly as the walkers broke through the glass.

"Not on foot." I turned Sol towards the walkers and trotted to them, spinning her in a circle and pushing her into a canter aiming at the fence.

She bounded over the fence as if it were a crosspole. I pulled her up on the other side and stuck my hand out to Evan.

"You want me to get on?" His eyes boggled slightly as he eyed Sol prancing restlessly.

"Unless you want to be walker food." I nodded at the walkers which were now only a few feet away. Sucking up his courage, Evan grabbed my hand and swung his leg over Sol's rump.

Before he had time to think I'd grabbed his arms and secured them round my waist. Sol took her cue and darted forward as the walkers made a snatch for her tail.

My hands were cramping from straining against Sol, she was fighting for her head to gallop but I had to be mindful of Evan who'd probably never ridden a horse before.

We rode towards where the walkers had come from. Gaps inbetween  the houses allowed me to see where the walkers were thinning out.

"Can I get off now?" Evan asked. I looked back and saw his face was paler than usual and his grip had increasingly become tighter, almost suffocating me.

I giggled and brought Sol progressively to a halt. As soon as she was stood for a split second Evan was off and lying on the floor.

"Are you ok?" I raised an eyebrow. He sat up and looked at me with a skeptical face.

"I've been better." We took a break, almost becoming walker chum was oddly tiring. I stripped Sol's tack off and she nibbled at the grass nearby as me and Evan went through our supplies.

36 rifle and 14 pistol ammo I had left, Evan had similar in his guns. I still had my clothes and food in my backpack and most of my provisions were in Sol's saddle bag.

"How long do you think this will last?" I gestured to the pile of food sat between us.

"A few days max." I sighed. It wasn't enough.

The groaning from the walkers was fading into the distance as the last few stumbled out of sight.

"Where do you think they came from?" I asked Evan, peering round his head at where the walkers had just left.

"Honestly, I don't know. I've never seen so many at once though. They must have a destination in mind?" He questioned. His voice had a slightly bitter tone to it, one I'd never heard from him before.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Feeling as though I'd upset him. I knew he wouldn't know where the walkers came from, I just liked talking to him.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. That... thing that just happened freaked me out." He shivered in disgust slightly.

We stayed sitting on the grass for a while longer, not talking until Evan decided it was time to get going.

"We should get moving. See if we can find anything useful." He stood up hastily and held his hand out to me. I took it and he helped pull me to my feet.

I went over to Sol and loosely girthed the saddle. The bridle was slung in the saddle bag and the halter came out. I led Sol along in the footprints of Evan who was already a good few meters ahead.

"C'mon girlie, maybe I could find you another apple." Sol nodded her head as if agreeing with me. I giggled and we followed on behind Evan. He still looked tense and alert with his rifle held out in front of him.

Feeling the need to watch his back, I grabbed my own rifle. I had to look after him the way he looked after me, that's how we made such a good team.