How We Live Now

Chapter 25

The Georgia heat was brutal. As I navigated through the trees, I was grateful that I at least had shade. I had been walking for about an hour and a half before I heard a twig snap behind me. I took out my knife and was ready to swing it when I recognized the walker that was coming towards me. I released a shaky breath.

"Randall," I said.

My eyes went to the blood stain that had remained on his shirt. He approached me slowly. Growling and snapping his teeth at me. I backed away until my back was against a tree. He came closer and closer.

"I'm sorry," I whispered before I drove my knife into his skull.

His body fell with a thud and I placed my hands on my knees trying to steady my breathing. The tears fell which made that harder. My tears eventually subsided and I had to turn to keep going. I had said that I wanted to be the one to end him. He'd been wandering the woods all this time. The guilt of not killing him permanently sooner, ate me up inside. Afterwards I just kept walking. Unsure of which direction to take, I just walked until my feet were killing me. Eventually, I could see that the sun was getting ready to set. Being out here at night was not smart. I regained my focus on finding a place to hold up for the night. As the light from the sun started running out, my pace started to pick up. I needed a place. Any place that would shelter me from the living and the dead.

Just when I thought I'd never find a place, the trees opened up to reveal a house that was worn down. It would have to do. I pulled out my knife once I reached the door. Opening it, I pulled out a flashlight I had packed and looked around. The first floor was clear. I went upstairs to see if there was a room I could stay in. Luck was on my side a second time when I found the first room was clear. I closed and locked the door and decided to make this my home for the night. The room had a bed which was good enough for me. I laid down, looking up at the ceiling and caught my breath. I knew that it was only gonna get harder from here. But I was ready and I was determined to see my family again. I curled up, closed my eyes and waited for sleep to find me.

I was slowly regaining consciousness the next day when I heard screams coming from outside. It took me awhile to realize that I wasn't dreaming. I quickly sat up and crawled toward the window.

"Hurry, Ed! They're coming closer!" a woman shouted.

She came into my sight and seconds later, a man did as well.

"Can't we just stop here?" the man asked.

"No. They'll get us. Now come on," the woman said.

Right as she turned a walker was right in front of her. I had raised my gun and was about to fire but then another walker came out of nowhere.

"Alice!" the man shouted.

I sat back down and covered my mouth. The man screamed once more before his screams went silent. The walkers had silenced the both of them and all I could hear was flesh being torn apart. I covered my ears and stayed like that until I felt it had been long enough. I sniffled, not even realizing I had shed a few tears and looked back out the window. There were two groups of walkers that were huddle in two separate spaces. Blood could be seen clearly within the two groups. There was a lot more walkers around than I had anticipated. Dammit. It was another horde. Where the hell were all these walkers coming from? First the one at the farm and now the one here? Maybe there was a change in the weather or something that was drawing more of them together. Either way, this new horde was gonna make things even more challenging. Was this how it was gonna be everywhere I went? Was I gonna have to accept the fact that getting back to my family was gonna take longer than I had originally planned and wanted? Lightly banging my head against the wall, I sat there and thought. How was I gonna get past them without them following me? There was too many of them for me to take on alone. How long before I got tired and let them have me? I looked around the room. It wasn't much but it was something. I could make this place my home for a while longer. Who knew how far my family had gotten. I just kept hope that they had better luck in finding a place to settle down in than I had.

The growls suddenly got louder. I quickly went over to the window and looked to see what was going on. Some of them were now entering the house.

"Dammit," I whispered harshly.

I looked around to see what I could use to block the door. There was a bookshelf to the right of me. I sighed.

"Screw it," I said.

I grabbed the bookshelf and dragged it in front of the door. I didn't care if it made noise and brought the rest of them up here. I was not gonna chance any of them getting me. I would not allow that. I heard their footsteps come up the stairs. They went back and forth down the hall, trying to find the source of the noise they had heard. I waited in silence for them to start banging on the door. It didn't take them long to do just that. I sat against the bookshelf and kept the door from opening. All the banging eventually caused the books to get knocked off the shelves which of course brought more of them. I was not gonna let them come in here. They'd get tired and eventually move on like the others had back at the farm. I just had to wait it out until then. The question was how long would I have wait this time? However long it took to keep me alive I guess. The banging continued outside of the door until I eventually tuned it out altogether. I closed my eyes and kept seeing my family. And I kept seeing Rick and his. And finally, I saw Daryl. Daryl. I wished we had had more time to get to know each other. Everything happened so fast. I wondered if he thought about me as much as I did him. I opened my eyes and shook my head. Now that was a stupid thought. Just as long as he was helping to keep my family safe, it didn't matter what he was thinking about. I hoped I'd be able to see him again. Him and everyone else. I missed them like crazy. The banging continued and that made me roll my eyes.

"Just wait it out," I whispered and repeated to myself.

Just wait it out...