Chapter 1: Deaths Waiting Room
Abby sat back against the warm leather seat, she was tired but john was too tired to drive, in fact he'd already fallen asleep next to her. She looked over at the old man beside her and smiled in spite of the previous days events. There was still life in that out World War 2 veteran who had been her neighbour for the last twenty years.
24 hours ago:
Abby sat beside John and the two watched their fellow campmates wander ominously about. This was all they were capable of; it was as though they were just waiting for it to happen,
' Feels like we've been here years doesn't it?' john said in his raspy voice that without fail always comforted her,
' You read my mind, I just cant stand the sitting around it's like being in deaths waiting room and I saw enough of that at the hospital'
' I saw faces like these all those years ago when I was stationed in France, right before D-Day, all the men had faces like that' she held his hand and squeezed it comfortingly, john had seen terrible things during the war and rarely spoke about his experiences.
The sky had started to darken; Abby hated the dark. She lay across the seats in john's pick up truck and wrapped her arms around her body. 6 months ago she didn't have to worry about shit like this, she had her family, her friends and her job. No one for a second thought that an apocalypse brought by the walking dead was even possible let alone right on the verge of becoming a reality. And to this day no one knew what had exactly caused the dead to rise and consume the living. She shuddered as she thought of the first time one f them was brought in to the hospital, the look in that woman's eyes still haunted her –
' Kiddo get up I think something's wrong!' the panic in john's voice seized her heart and she moved faster than she would have thought possible considering how tired she was. John stood beside the truck door looking out into the darkening trees that surrounded their makeshift camp.
' What is it john?'
' Don't call me crazy or senile…I just…I have this terrible feeling that we should all leave now' the few campmates they had left had all stopped and were listening, some with wide fearful eyes and others with unconvinced looks on their faces.
' Did you see something?' Carrie piped up, Carrie was only 17 and Abby knew her from the hospital. Carrie had been brought in one night after sustaining an ankle injury cheerleading.
' I don't need to see it to know I'm right, we've stayed here too long they'll come for us'
' Well fuck me he's finally flipped!' Chris shouted as he laughed
' Shut the fuck up Chris, john do you want to go?' Abby said trying to keep her voice calm, he nodded and she smiled at him,
' Ok, I'm going with john whoever else wants to come feel free'
' Seriously! You believe this crazy old fuck…you know what fuck it go, two less mouths to feed' Chris said laughing and sitting down next to the fire. No one in camp was fond of Chris; he'd taken a stance as leader from day one and had made bad choice after bad choice. Carrie shifted and looked around before moving to join Abby and john, one other person joined them, Simon, he had been a doctor at the hospital where Abby had worked. He came from a privileged background, he'd spent the last few months terrified and had refused to put himself in any situations he deemed to be " health hazards ". No one else moved, Abby wasn't surprised, she suspected half of them welcomed death and wanted to rejoin their families but she wasn't ready to give up yet,
' Ok if that's it me and john will take his truck, Carrie you and Simon take Simon's jeep'
' Oh you taking all the cars then princess? You stranding us here?'
' One, these are our cars you have your own and two were not abandoning you here you chose to stay so go fuck yourself Chris and good luck' she waved to the others and headed over to the truck with john.
They had just opened the doors when they heard it, Farrah, Chris's girlfriend and grade A bitch, shrieked with fear and began yelling. Panic engulfed the camp as six walkers emerged from the trees, Carrie yelped as Simon shoved her out of the way and climbed into his jeep, locking the doors behind him,
' Asshole' john muttered as he passed Abby one of his shotguns. Abby pulled Carrie up and forced her into john's truck. The walkers had the advantage, now out of the ten of them there had been only herself, john and Chris were still fighting them off, Chris had taken out one walker and now three were advancing on him. Abby sat on the back of the truck and fired, she took out one walker while john got the other, Chris managed to take out one more before both Abby and john heard his yell as the last two overpowered him.
Abby turned around in her seat, empty highway behind and in front; Carrie was nestled in between her and john and whimpered occasionally in her sleep. Abby stroked carries head to sooth her every time she let out a moan in her sleep. She'd driven all night and had been forced to stop, the tank was empty so she climbed out and grabbed a jerry can from the back of the truck. John climbed out of the truck and joined her, she replaced the lid on the jerry can and threw it back in the truck,
' Are you alright?'
' Not really…don't suppose anyone is though' he nodded in agreement and lit two cigarettes handing one to her,
' Where do you think rich boy went after he ditched us?'
' God knows, I'm amazed he ditched us he'll never survive alone'
' He panicked'
' We all panicked…not all of us ran though' he nodded
' You should change, she's already traumatised if she sees you looking like that you might finish her off' he smiled and pulled her bag from the back, she looked down at herself, her jeans and top had turned a horrible brown colour and felt crusty. She nodded, tossed her cigarette and began rifling through her bag for new clothes, removing the dead and making sure the others didn't start walking about had been a messy job. She changed quickly and wiped herself over with a damp towel, she left the clothes by the side of the road and climbed back in the truck.
' Where are we gonna go?' Carrie asked drowsily
' Well we're close to Atlanta?' john said
' No we stay out of city's we'll head that way but we're not going into the city'
' Why not?' Carrie asked
' Think about it Carrie how many walkers do you see now?'
' Well…none'
' Exactly they're not exactly grouping up in the woods are they, they're in the cities I just know it'
' Well you trusted my gut instinct, so I'm trusting yours I'll get the map' john said rubbing her arm.
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