What Really Happened: A Memoir from the Apocalypse

Chapter 5: Save Them

The bright sky blinded me from outside the RV's windows. Andrea sat across from me. I tried to fall asleep on Mom's shoulder, but my mind raced.

"I miss my panda," I said.

"I know," Mom said. "But we just need to be glad we got out; even if our things didn't. Sleep. We don't know when we're gonna be on our feet again."

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Mom pushed my shoulder to wake me up.

"What is it? What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. "There's just a jam up ahead and we're stuck."

The engine of the RV sputtered, making a loud noise. I jumped.

"It's okay, it's just the engine," Mom said.

We stepped out of the RV. Twenty or thirty cars were parked in front of us; some with the dead inside of them. We stayed alert and close together, in case a walker got close to us.

"Walk right behind me," Mom said.

Carl and Lori walked ahead of us.

"Can I go catch up with Carl?" I asked.

"No. Stay with me," Mom said.

Mom and I walked alongside the cars. In one of the passenger's seats, a hollowed-out skull attached to a body sat above the wheel. I was curious, instead of fearful. It looked different from a regular walker; as if it moved onto a new stage of decay.

"Get under the cars, now!" Rick whispered loudly.

Mom grabbed my hand and squeezed the both of us under the car ahead.

My heart raced, and I turned my head towards her. "Mom? What's going on?" I whispered.

She hushed me harshly. The moans got closer; and the legs and feet of walkers moved past us. First, in a single-file line; but eventually there were more and more of them. I impulsively wanted to grab one of their legs; like when you look over the edge of a balcony and you want to jump. The sound of my heart pumping annoyed me. Eventually, the walker legs stopped coming. I looked at Mom, and she held her finger up, signalling to wait a minute.

Sophia screamed. Mom hurried to slide herself out from under the car first, and I slid out after her. Lori grabbed Carol and held her back as she cried. Sophia ran away, and a walker chased her into the woods.

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Shane, Daryl, Glenn, and Rick went into the woods to find Sophia. I helped load the shirts, bandages, and cans of food that the adults found from inside the cars into the RV. Shane walked back towards the group, with the news that he couldn't find her.

Mom leaned against one of the cars and bowed her head.

Carol met Shane. "We're not going anywhere until my daughter gets back."

I walked over to Mom. "You think the same thing that happened to Sophia happened to Phoebe. It didn't. Rick's out looking for Sophia."

"I'm not thinking about it like that, and neither should you. Drink some more water," she said.

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Carl and I walked side to side as we examined the cars. A blue truck was parked in the middle of the grass, and a walker sat in its driver's seat. We moved closer to it.

"This looks exactly like the truck my grandpa used to have," I said.

"Do you wanna go inside it?" he asked.