Put your hands in my pockets
Chapter 1
Her feet pounded against the earth that lined the forest, heavy and quick just like her breathing. She was running for her life, and she didn't know how long it had been since she started. It was always running these days, always. If you weren't running, you were hiding holled up in some hell hole; starving and exhausted.
Sweat dripped from the bridge of her pointed nose, and stung her eyes.
Her entire body was drenched, and she could feel the waistband of her jeans rubbing against her slick skin where she'd tied a piece of rope around herself to keep them up. The last thing you needed during a zombie apocalypse was for your pants to end up accidentally around your ankles. Her pack was getting heavier and heavier as it bounced with soft thuds against her back, her jacket doing nothing right then but keep the heat in.
It was Georgia, and it was as hot as anything, but sleeves and a thick jacket was what kept you alive. If it rained, you'd have some protection if you were caught out in the open, and if you got bit it was less likely you'd actually get bit.
The trees were starting to become less and less dense when a scream in the distance caught her attention, echoing above the sound of blood rushing through her ears; sending a small flock of birds up into the air. Gunfire followed, and she changed her direction; whoever it was had weapons and if she could get there quick enough to help she might convince them to let her travel at their side. Living on your own these days, didn't last long; for multiple reasons.
She ran faster, pushing harder as she weaved in and out of trees. A road became just visible in a gap between the trees, a woman trying to fight off a small group of walkers; her companion collapsed. That for one was certain.
As she ran she pulled her knife from where it constantly lived against her thigh, it's blade curved and rusted. Pushing harder still, she burst out of the edge of trees; surprising the girl trying to survive, enough to set her off guard and get knocked backwards allowing the corpse to take it's chance to grab her.
Taking her own chance, she took a running kick and her foot smashed through the walkers skull; splattering blood and what was left of it's brains everywhere. It had been a long time since the fall of civilisation, and she had a lot of practice just like everyone alive these days. Before she had a moment to say anything to the woman on the ground, she turned slammed her knife into another's skull, and again and again. Blindly attacking the re-animated corpses for all she was worth until there wasn't anything left to attack.
She stood, for a moment in silence watching as the woman she'd almost gotten killed and then saved was bludgeoning a corpse to it's final death. Though the silence didn't last long, and the young woman finally relented and looked up her dark eyes full of anger as she yelled.
"Enjoy the show Asshole?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She stood up, the gun she'd been beating the walker with still in her grip, their gazes meeting for a moment.
"I... Um, you seemed like you needed help" The young stranger spoke, rubbing the back of her sweaty neck that ached from having the sun beat down on it for days on end. "I'm Kay, by the way" she introduced herself when the girl she'd burst out on just continued to stare at her dumbfounded.
"Tara" She said shortly, though her anger seemed to ebb as she continued to stare. "Now if you'll excuse me, we're trying to get somewhere" she stated, and pushed past the stranger to kneel beside her companion who had passed out. The girl was short, well at least shorter than Kay was. She had dark hair tied up, and dark eyes to match. Her jeans were just as torn as the blonde's though that wasn't surprising, and she looked exhausted.
"I don't think you're going to be getting him anywhere fast" Kay stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, pushing the sleeves up on her jacket to fold her arms across her chest. Her knife still firmly held in her grip as she watched the girl struggle with both the unconscious man and his things.
"I'll manage" Tara spoke, her voice full of sheer determination. Determination became a double edged sword after the collapse of society, it was the only way to survive, and a good way to die.
"I'll help" Kay stated, pushing her knife back into it's holder before she took the unconscious man's other side. "You'll die on your own"
"I'll manage" The shorter woman replied, a small grunt following as she stumbled over herself; very nearly dropping everything including her companion onto the hot and broken tarmac.
"I'll help" The taller woman spoke more firmly this time, stopping to put the still unconscious man down. Pulling a water bottle that hung across her chest up and over her head. "I've got nothing better to do, and I'm sure I'm just as likely to die on my own as you are with him. So really, I'm sorry but you're stuck with me" She stated simply, cracking a grin as she handed the bottle of water to the girl who was looking at her curiously. "Got a problem?"
"No" Tara spoke, and begrudgingly took the bottle from the girl. The last time she trusted a stranger it ended in slaughter, unadulterated murder and the loss of her family. She was wary of the girl who could be no older than twenty, but she had a kind smile and had helped save her life and her mission at the same time.
Kay seemed to pause uncertainly, and nodded towards a man jogging towards them a machine gun in hand; clad fully in army gear. His red hair shaved into a crue cut, and he wore a moustache that hid his mouth. "You got one hell of a mouth on you girl, what else you got?" He stated as he got closer, a massive army issue vehicle parked a few hundred feet down the road.
"We're heading towards washington, got a package here who's gonna save us the world. Lost us some protection, need some more." He explained and two more figures stepped out of the truck he'd come from. Another man, and a woman, both geared up just as the redhead was.
It seemed like a good deal, and the truck looked more than safe, it was huge and well armoured.
"Look, sleepy's not going anywhere anytime soon, we might as well" Kay added, her loyalty already set with the young woman and her companion; just because she'd come across them first.
Tara seemed to think about it for a moment, her dark eyes flicking between her unconscious friend and the road then settled on the truck. "Fine" She stated, "Help me with him" And that was that.
"We're in" Tara stated as she watched as Kay hoisted the unconscious boy and his gear all in one. She was big for a girl, height wise anyway. Six foot tall, and that always came in handy in times like this. It was easy to use it as leverage, and that's what she did just then.
"Get in the back!" The red headed driver called, and that's what they did; Tara leading the way. Kay didn't know what she'd gotten herself into, but had somehow managed to join not one but two groups in the span of fifteen minutes. But all she could think about was the chance of sleep the back of the huge truck offered.
Tara had helped her drag the unconscious man onto the back of the military vehicle, and finally Kay climbed up herself and collapsed in a heap of exhaustion against the cabin's window; running a shaky hand through her short shaggy dirty blonde hair.
Her jacket was heavy and hot, and her shirt was still stuck to her damp skin. The rope belt had rubbed her raw, and she stunk; but none of that mattered as the truck started and a breeze she'd not felt in weeks whipped past.
"Do you want some peanut butter?" She asked the dark haired girl who was sat switching between watching her and her friend. "I've not got a lot left, but sharing is caring and all that lovely stuff?" She stated as she pulled a jar from a pack that had been on her back.
"Why do you care? You met me twenty minutes ago, and now you're offering me peanut butter like you've known me your entire life?" Tara asked, perplexed by the blonde's attitude. Unable to stop the curiosity from bubbling up.
"Because there's way too much shit already around. I don't see why I need to be a bitch on top of it. I've got some peanut butter, and you look hungry. So would you like some or not?" Kay asked, an eyebrow rose in question as she held the jar out with one hand and reached for her water bottle with the other.
"That type of attitude gets people killed" Tara stated indignantly, but took the jar none the less. Keeping her impossibly dark eyes trained on the girl sat chugging water like there wouldn't be tomorrow.
"You're not gonna kill me are you?" She asked after she'd wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"No" The dark haired girl spoke simply as she focussed on dipping her finger into the very bottom of the jar.
"There you go then. I won't kill you either, If I was going to I'd have let the walkers get you and sleepy over there." The blonde cracked another smirk, and this time it lit up her entire face. Almost as if she was just happy to be alive, to be breathing.
Tara stayed quiet, she had a point really and that annoyed her more than anything. She wanted to argue, she wanted to tell the blonde that she picked the wrong person to help. That she was a piece of shit, and was only helping Glenn because she needed to make up for what she had done. To try and ease the overwhelming guilt that threatened to consume her every time she took a breath.
"Where are we going then?" Kay asked finally, her eyes shut and her head was back against the cabin window. Her slender neck and squared jaw exposed to the breeze.
"We're trying to find a bus that was heading this direction. Glenn" she paused the nod at the unconscious man laid out on the metal sheeting high above the road beneath them, "needs to find his wife, and I need to help him." The dark haired girl finished.
"Righty-o sounds good to me." Kay added with a smaller smile this time, folding her arms across her chest.
Tara was left staring at the woman who had come out of nowhere and proclaimed herself as part of their twosome. But things happened fast in this life, everything did. She hadn't known Glenn much longer, and now she was in a huge military issue truck hitch-hiking with someone who apparently knew how to fix this mess. Her first priority was Glenn, whether or not the stranger that had leaped from the trees was going to come with them once they left the protection of the truck and these people.
From the soft snores vibrating out from the blonde girl's chest, Tara assumed she was asleep. She settled down for the ride, and watched the road for any signs of the school bus they were searching for. They had no idea how far it'd gone, but she couldn't let herself rest until they'd at least gone past it. Her mind swapped between all that she'd lost, and all that she'd gained in almost the same amount of time. She had a genuinely good feeling for once since the apocalypse happened. This girl that had shot out of the forest to come to her aid, and insisted on accompanying her and Glenn seemed like someone she'd like having around; at least that's what first impressions told her.
