Love Bites ~ Craig of the Dead au ~ Tricia x Karen fan fiction [COMPLETE]

2

I'm shaken awake by Karen.

"Tricia," She whispers, "there's a bird outside!"

I rub the sleep from my eyes and look over to the window, which is really just a square hole in the wood.
Just like Karen said, there's a tiny bird stood on a close branch. It's cheeping and hopping around on the branch.

"I haven't seen a bird this close since third grade. Our class got ducks." I can't help but smile at the memory.

"I bet the little guy's hungry. It's a shame we don't have anything to give him." Karen sighs.

"Pass me my knife."

Confused, Karen grabs my knife from a cushion in the corner whilst I pull out the apple from our food box. I cut out a small square, place it on the palm of my hand and slowly offer it to the bird.
It tilts its head to the side as if questioning my offer, then quickly grabs the food and flies off.

"Cute." Karen smiles.

I bite a chunk out of the apple, then hold it out to her. She takes it.

"I was thinking we could try the radio again today," I tell her, "since we almost got a response last time. I think if we find the right location we might be able to speak to someone."

" 'kay." Karen says through a mouthful of apple.

She passes the apple back to me.

"Do you think we'll run into Mark again?" She asks.

"Doubt it."

"And if we do?"

"Then we'll drive away," I pass the apple back over, "you worry too much, babe."

"I know, but I can't help it."

Karen finishes off the apple and begins pulling the seeds out. She likes to plant them wherever we go to try and bring some life back into the world. I don't think it's ever actually worked, but it's worth a try.

Once she's picked them all out and put them in her pocket, she ties her hoodie around her waist and starts loading some arrows into her quiver.

"Where did you learn to shoot arrows?" I ask, "I've never thought to ask."

"The only good Christmas present my parents ever got me was some shitty handmade bow they'd thought of at the last minute. I used twigs and stuff to shoot at the windows," she laughs, "Kevin for some reason decided to be nice one day and bought me a pack of suction cup arrows from the dollar store. Most of them broke after one use, but it taught me something useful."

She pulls the quiver over her head and puts her arm through the strap, then hooks her bow onto it with a little loop I put on a few years ago.

I wipe the apple juice from my knife, then stick it in my pocket. It's only small, but it's come in handy quite a few times.
Karen passes me my katana as I stick the radio in my pocket, then we start climbing down the ladder to head for the car.

"Trish!" Karen grabs my arm in a panic and points ahead into the front yard, where a weird figure is sat.

It looks like... a dog?