Life After the Undead (Completed)

PART 8: Road Trip .9

Melissa's P.O.V.

I had no idea how long I was in that closet but I can tell you that it was too long.

The boredom kicked in almost instantly. I started first by making myself a splint for my leg. I used two mops that I broke apart and then places along the side of my leg, trying very hard not to see the crooked way in which is lay. Then I tried it all together with a bunch of old rags.

Once that was done I practiced walking, pacing the small 7 steps from wall to wall until the pain numbed out a bit.

Then I read the label on every single product on the shelves, I learned a lot about chemicals I'd never use ever again. Did you know you're supposed to wear goggles when handling glass cleaner? I didn't before that point.

I counted the ceiling tiles, the floor tiles, the bricks in the walls and then added all those numbers together.

After that I sat and looked at the ceiling. I came up with weird stories to explain why there was a water stain on the ceiling tiles that no one bothered to fix, or why there was paint spatters along the walls.

But once the banging had stopped, and I no longer heard random grunts or the occasional bump into the door I counted to 1000 eighteen times before braving whatever was outside.

I was in luck there was nothing waiting for me out there, but I had been in there a very long time, the sun was going down. But the sun did go down earlier in the winter, I'd guess it was around 5 in the afternoon maybe close to six.

I hobbled through the hallway, the short way to the door I had originally dashed through. It took way too long but I made it nonetheless. When I got to the street it was empty, that stampede that had overtaken us not that long ago was gone. But Evelyn's car was still standing there, completely untouched.

Was I surprised? Fuck no.

I looked back and forth before I soundlessly hobbled over to the car. I didn't have the keys but that didn't mean I couldn't jimmy it open with something. Maybe break a window and get in that way? I honestly didn't care what happened so long as I got the hell out of this city and back home. I felt like I could take on Steve if he showed up then and there.

Except not really. I was injured not crazy.

I went to put a hand to door, just to check if it was unlocked and heard a gun cocking. I immediately thought Drifters but when I turned it was Evelyn standing behind me. She looked bad. She was covered, from the knees down, with dirt and there was blood on her jacket and god knows what smudged on her face, and through those smudges I could clearly make out tear tracks.

There was none of the calm vagueness about her face or any sign of any emotion that could have brought her to tears. Her face was hard and calculated, she had a plan and it was most likely shooting me or leaving me here to fend for myself.

"Get away from my car," she ordered her voice level and unfeeling.

I put my hands up. "You can't leave me here."

"Get away from my car," she repeated.

"You need me!" I cried suddenly desperate to somehow get the upper hand.

Evelyn glared at me over the rifle in her hands. "I do not need a traitor! Now back away from the car."

I knew it then that Evelyn wasn't going to let me talk her into anything.

I was injured, weaponless and about to get left behind or shot. I guess that made me pretty desperate because what I did next was probably the stupidest thing ever. Well, the pettiest.