Look At The Flowers [c.grimes]

Chapter Two: The Way Station

TW: Mentions of molestation

"Er, we need to stop. Mika and Lizzie can't keep walking." Dad said.

Before all this shit, I was a calm child. Behaved, quiet, and calm. I liked to sit and read. But since losing Mom, I had never felt more agitated. And every time Dad spoke, I wanted to claw my eyes out. "We can not stop until we reach a safe place. We walk during the day, and lay low at night. It is our safest option."

"And who put you in charge of us, Eria?" Lizzie asked.

"Considering I am the only person being smart, it was an obvious choice."

I could tell by the look on Dad's face that I had struck a nerve. I think he was exercising patience, he knew I was grieving. We all were, and we all channeled it differently.

"Eria, this isn't you. You've been on some sort of adrenaline rush since ... since she left. I have seen you do things on end without pause and that isn't healthy. One day the high is going to go away and all you will be left with is the crash."

"Would you stop saying she left? She didn't leave, Dad! She died and no one else was strong enough to kill her, not even you!" My voice cracked, laced with pain and shame. Not shame of my family but my own self-shame. I was ashamed of who I became. Who was I? I knew my name and I knew who I used to be but at this moment I knew that I wasn't her anymore, not even a shell of that person.

Maybe I was no better than the corpses that walked around us.

"Why would you say that?" Lizzie asked with pure disgust. "At least Dad cried over her you heartless monster! You killed her. Maybe there's a cure out there for this but we won't ever get that chance because you killed her, Eria!" She yelled, throwing the closest thing to a temper tantrum that an 11 or whatever-year-old can throw.

"Lizzie shut up. I am being practical. Mom wouldn't want us all dead because we were distracted by grief. I'm protecting you. Despite you acting like a brat, I want you safe!"

"Can we please just rest?" Mika sighed, flashing me with her big 'ole chocolate button eyes. I don't know if she knew the hold she had over me, but I did. Lizzie was always a brat, but Mika was pure and innocent. She was too good for this world.

"Fine," I sighed. "There was a shack a block or two back. Looked abandoned."

"Thank you," Lizzie groaned and wasted no time turning around.

We hastily made our way and I checked for any dead ones, thankful there were none. We hadn't come across too many since Mom died. Before Mom died, we were on our own for several months until our neighborhood was overrun by the dead ones. We took off with whatever our packs could hold and made camp in empty buildings, but then she was bit. Now all we do is run.

I set my pack down while the rest of my family took a deep breath and relaxed. I sat down, leaning against the wall, and closed my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep because a noise woke me up and Mika was pulling on my arm.

"Er." Mika whimpered and ran to my side. "I heard pops outside. Like fireworks, but like a gun."

I pushed Lizzie out of my way and grabbed my knife, carefully and quietly walking to the doorway. I held my hand up and then put a finger over my lips to signal them all to be quiet.

I heard the first set of footsteps on the south side of the building, snaking around the wall slowly. I heard the second set of steps stop on the other side of the wall stop and I could practically hear their breathing through the wall. My own breath stopped, tears stalling in my eyes. This was it, this was the crash of the adrenaline. Now I was just a terrified girl that was seconds away from death.