America in catastrophe

Chapter 26

The storage locker shutter rattles inwards on its track while chandler screams again, his arm bleeding profusely.

"Shut up! Bite down!" I demand over his screaming, shoving a random book between his teeth. I wrench the belt tighter around his bicep, cutting off the blood to his arm before snatching up my discarded hunting knife. I toss it back at the sight of walker guts and grapple for another weapon. A butchers knife.

Chandlers tears mix with the splattered blood as he desperately tries to slow his breathing. But he doesn't stop screaming.

I pin his arm down with my foot, tightly holding the belt between my teeth. "Deep breath!" I demand before bringing the blade down on his wrist. It strikes bone on the first swing, fresh blood sprays.

Chandler stops screaming. He goes limp beneath me.

I pull tighter on the belt and swing again, severing almost all of his hand. One more swing.

I shove his dismembered hand away and quickly tie his arm with the strips of my shirt. I forget to care about the cold air on my torso, nipping at my stomach. I tie his stump over his head in an attempt to slow the bleeding.

I wipe my hands on my jeans, pull my jacket over my arms quickly and then snatch up the flashlight. I need to cauterize his stump before he bleeds out. I need to get him back to carols.

The banging on the door echoes my racing heart. How many were out there now? Had they found horse and Jesse? If they had it would be half a days walk. Even at a full blown sprint. That's too long.

I quickly grab the knife, and chandlers severed hand. It's a risky strategy but it might work.

I lay on my belly and after taking a deep breath, haul the door up enough to see feet. Six sets. I slide the hand down the hall opposite the way we need to go. Two sets of feet shuffle after it, four remain. I can handle four.

I shove the door up, slicing clean through rotten flesh and bone as I rise. And again as I bring the blade back down on the second. I drop the blade, hunting knife and throwing knife together the last two fall.

As they fall I run for chandler, pulling my bow over his shoulder before dragging his limp body over my shoulders. I sprint down the hall, two rights and a left and we'll be outside.

One right and a left.

Walkers moan behind me, in all the wrong halls.

One left.

I round the corner and nearly barrel into a horde.

I stumble back, chandler shifts on my shoulders but I don't fall. The hall behind me is empty. That's all I need to keep going.

A broken window is now our exit. Pale twilight cresting the sky. The parking lot is full enough to keep me from slowing. Into the alley, I stumble back into a run.

I hear horse before I see him, broken free from the knot I used to tie him and Jesse to a loading bay post. Both unharmed stomping walkers into the dust.

I toss chandler over horse's saddle and heave myself into the saddle behind him. I wind jesse's reins around the horn and drive my heels into horse's sides.

Horse bravely charges on to the road, Jesse matching his thundering pace. His breath clouds in his face with each powerful gallop. He's racing the moon.

Chandler slips and slides in his own blood until I haul him up against my chest, smearing blood across my chest, my neck, my face.

"Carol! Carol!" I scream jumping from horses saddle as the small house rolls over the hill. A single cracking glow escapes the curtained windows.

My ankle barks and I stumble as the door flies open. I throw chandler over my shoulders and limp for the door.

"I need to cauterize his arm!" I demand not quite seeing her as I push inside. I drop chandler onto her table. Later I'll worry about the mess I'm leaving.

"Why didn't you take him to kingdom?!" She demands rushing for the fireplace with an iron.

"Too far. He's been bleeding since the self storage." I bite back shoving my hair out of my face. Blood is streaked up my forehead but I don't care.

"I need more bandages too!" I call looking at the soaked homemade bandage around his arm creeping up his long sleeve. The belt came loose in my haste.

"Bathroom!" She calls back. I run for the hall and slam into a body.

Two firm hands catch my biceps, holding me up. I fight to shake free, eyes burning as I look up. Into Georgia blue eyes.

Any breath left in my lungs is knocked from me with one swift punch to the gut. Oh god, Daryl. Daryl's here. Holding me, looking at me, swimming in chandler's blood.

Chandler.

I push out of Daryl's grip and into the bathroom. I bring the entire first aid kit back just in time to watch Daryl pin chandler and carol to cauterize his stump. Chandler doesn't flinch as his skin sizzles like bacon. The image burns into my head.

Once he's wrapped up carol hands me a cloth and a bowl of water to wash myself up. I don't bother to move from chandlers side before peeling off my jacket, my skin crawls from the cold. My chest and bra soaked in his blood.

"What happened?" Carol asks, sitting down beside chandlers head. I make note that Daryl is in the doorway behind me. In full view of all my scars.

"The storage lockers, chandler tripped I think. I wasn't looking. He screamed-" I shake my head scrubbing my arms. "Fuck." I hiss as the blood doesn't come off my hands. I toss the rag into the bowl.

"Can I put the horses somewhere?" I head for the front door. Jacket dangling from my fingers.

"Sure. Around back. I'll make a bed for you." I'm gone before she moved from her seat. A second set of footsteps crunch through the grass as I guide the horses around back, and begin pulling their tack off.

"Shade." I shiver, hearing my name pass over his lips. It's not the same. Nothing is.

"What?!" I snap. Dropping horse's saddle to my feet. Bloody handprints are splattered along his flanks.

"I'm sorry." I whisper turning to look at him. He stands in the shadows of the house. Radiating cold. He reminds me of how he was before. It stings.

"Carol told me about Alexandria. And the saviors-" I see him flinch. My heart drops. "What did they do to you?" I creep foreword, searching the haunted look in his eyes.

"Enough."

I don't follow him back into the house.