Willow and Jodie Hunter, two sisters who are thrown into a new world order, must rewrite their odds. Everywhere the sisters may turn, cold rotten hands reach out for their flesh. Threatening their lives and moral compass. Survival is their priority...
"He walked out in the gray light and stood and he saw for a brief moment the absolute truth of the world. The cold relentless circling of the intestate earth. Darkness implacable. The blind dogs of the sun in their running. The crushing black vacuum of the universe. And somewhere two hunted animals trembling like ground-foxes in their cover. Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."
~ Cormac McCarthy.
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~♡~
Hunger.
That is what I feel the most as my fingers frantically search empty shelves upon shelves. My hands trembled with anticipation with every touch of a can or box; only to be disappointed by the vacancy. My arms, bruised and weak, toil to keep moving. My lips are entirely dry and cracked. Desperate for anything that could quench my thirst and hunger.
"Shit," a weak whimper flew from between my lips whilst expecting another disappointing shelf.
"Will, you find anything?" Jodie conversed from the front of the small grocery store.
With frustration, I rub my face with these unsteady hands, stepping away from the skeleton remains of this aisle.
How long had it been since we've found anything adequate for consumption? Perhaps too long. Raw dead dog meat lying on the corner was starting to look delicious at this point. Our luck couldn't get any better.
"No .... you?"
Jodie prods around the end of the aisle, her dark curls fall around her round face as she raised a few cans and packages in front of her. "Yeah. Canned corn and a box of condoms." Jodie says with a sly grin, throwing the box at me. I catch the box awkwardly and glare down at the front of the ultra-thin 20 pack.
"This," I raise the box next to my face with narrowed brows, "Is not what we came here for, Jodie!"
Jodie Marie Hunter.
My only sister hadn't lost her sense of humor. Not one bit. Before the dead began to walk among the living, Jodie always found it humorous to pick at my love/sex life. Being one of the top lawyers in Georgia did not give me the time or energy to have any kind of relationship. Usually, I would simply shrug the jokes aside. Now, especially now, is not the time to joke.
"Besides, who am I going to use these with? Those freaks?" I hissed, throwing the box back at Jodie.
With a shrug and a snigger, Jodie pushed the few canned corn and condoms into her shoulder bag, "would be the most action you've gotten all your life." Jodie retorts, pulling her old softball bat from out of her bag.
I watch as she swings it onto her shoulder, straddling one hand onto her hip. With nothing to say, my green eyes only roll, and I walk past her.
"Let's go. It feels like hell in here and I'm sick of smelling mold."
Outside felt no better than it did inside these eerie buildings. The Georgia sun made it intolerable to not only walk under but breathe as well. Heatwaves seemed to stack upon each other and the clouds could never bless us with rain.
We walk cautiously out of the building, searching the once busy street for any freaks. Jodie step behind me whilst I shrug my bow from off of my shoulders and snatch an arrow from out of its quiver attached to my belt. The air feels stale, uneven, and silent. Nothing moves. Nothing changes while walking past shops and empty cars.
Jodie moves before me, peeking in car windows with curiosity. She covers her hazel eyes with her right hand to get a better look. I take a moment to watch her as she attempts to open the driver's side door, only to come up short by the realization that the prior owner had locked the old vehicle up.
"We could break the window. Take the car. Getting to Atlanta would be quicker," Jodie proposes, placing her hands flat against the car window.
"Can't risk it. Could set off alarms. We don't know how many freaks there are in this small town," I reply truthfully. Keeping my eyes alert and my arrow ready. "We shouldn't even be in the street. It is too dangerous."
"Willow, I don't think walking among the trees is any better," Jodie says. "It wouldn't hurt to try."
"I said no! Now let's go!"
Jodie moves away from the car to give me a look of resentment. With her bat in her left hand, she swings it up to her shoulders, perching it there for a moment.
"You need to take risks. All you do is make life unbearable and completely difficult on purpose. We could use this car and get to Atlanta quicker!"
"Jodie, stop arguing with me like you're a teen again. I said no. We stay quiet and we stay low. We do -"
Before I could continue my reasoning for not taking a vehicle, Jodie took her bat into both her hands. With one swift motion, she bash's the end of her bat against the glass window with some force. The glass shatters and seconds later, the alarm on the vehicle began to scream without mercy. We both react, panicking.
"DEE TURN IT OFF!" I yell.
Jodie frantically drops her bat and stuck her hand into the car. She unlocks it and opens the door quickly, slithering inside to only look out moments later with a look of fear.
"I don't know how!"
"Dammit! What did I tell you? You need to learn how to listen!"
"But -" Jodie began, but she stops herself from continuing. Now standing next to the loud car, she snaps her head to her right. I look over my shoulder to see mindless freaks slowly make their way towards us. Too many of them for both of us to take on our own. Their groans unable to be heard over the alarm but we both could see their mouths gnaw at a nonentity. Hoping to dig their teeth into fresh living skin.
I run to Jodie, pushing her away from the car. She at first resist to pick up her bat. We then run down the street, dodging the lone freaks who came crawling from out of buildings and alleyways.
It wasn't long before we found ourselves inside a small clothing shop for middle-aged women. I lock the double doors with shaky hands, stepping away whilst freaks ran into the door. Scratching and pounding their rotten hands in hunger.
"Will..." Jodie spoke behind me, however, her voice held some warning mixed with uncertainty.
I turn around, coming face-to-face with the front of a crossbow. Something I wasn't expecting to be within the shop. Behind that crossbow stood a man with sandy blonde short hair with a gaze of anger. His eyes completely locked on me.
We stare at each other for what feels like forever until something flicks within those blue eyes. The archer slightly lowers his crossbow and his mouth tightens. It was as if a ghost from his past had come to haunt him. I, on the other hand, stood with my hands slightly raised. Unsure of his indefensible gaze.
