Scars and Stories

by Otomefeels

Zombie AU. So original, I know.

1. Chapter 1

You don't know what the human being is capable of before you see it with your own eyes.

First, you don't believe it. People, friends, family, no matter if they're someone you've known your entire life or just for five minutes, if pushed enough, they're prepared to kill you. Once you've seen it, experienced what it's like to be betrayed, hunted and fought with for a chance of survival, you lose your faith in humanity. People go crazy, turn animalistic and you find yourself thinking and doing things you never thought you would.

It's all about survival.

Even though I've several times thought, what's the point?

They have no idea how it started but there was a sudden outbreak, starting in the country side and then quickly moving on to more populated areas. Once it reached the major cities, chaos erupted all over the world.

The movies were right, we were facing our apocalypse.

The rain was pouring down.

''Get them up against the wall!'' The soldier yelled as he pushed the last man down into the mud.

Fear made most of them panic, a few yelling and begging for mercy while other's seemed to have accepted the situation or simply didn't know how to react. They were the last residents of the camp which got attacked last night. Many hadn't made it out and several had been bitten. It was only a matter of time before they would turn and join the endless horde of walkers.

In the beginning, they would have checked the survivors first to see if any of them were unharmed. But that was a long gone method. Now, the policy was shoot first and ask later. It was a policy everyone followed.

I looked up from my hiding spot in the ditch. The dirt had turned into mud and whatever part of me hadn't been soaked from the rain, the water in the ditch took care of the rest. I pushed myself up on my elbow, careful not to be seen, and managed to stay in that position without slipping in the mud. It was a dreadful position but I had to see.

The begging voices mixed with the yelling and once the soldier's got impatient, groans and whimpers joined them. They were forced up on their feet and stood facing the brick wall. They slumped their shoulders, some still crying and yelling, and one man raised his head to look at the sky.

Then the soldier yelled the kill command.

I flinched when the sounds made my ears ring and I cringed. I lost my footing and slipped in the mud. I choked on a small gasp and slipped down, landing in the muddy water. I grimaced from the coldness and quickly tried to get up without making too much noise. Soldiers were surely patrolling the area and the last thing I wanted was to attract their attention. It was a battle to climb the steep wall of mud and even as I dug my fingers into the wall, the mud made it impossible to properly climb. Once I finally reached the top, I was breathing quickly and the strange mixture of rain and sweat running down my face made me shake.

I had to get away.

You learned a lot when a mistake could result in a painful death. Since all of this had started, I had learned how to shoot, survive without food, basic survival skills and how to judge peoples trustability. Learning how to sneak had turned out to be one of the best skills to learn. You could avoid walkers and people, making it absolutely necessary in situations like these.

I crouched down on the ground, my gaze quickly scanning my surroundings as I tried to spot any movement in the heavy rain. The rain was making it hard to hear sounds properly and the mud was making everything else harder. I struggled as I sneaked closer to a warehouse ruin. The floor had collapsed in the basement and the opening lead to the sewers. It was an infamous way of getting in and out of the now abandoned camp Salvation and it was my only way of escape. The problem was, I had never met anyone who had actually used it yet and I hadn't been here long enough to see someone come through it. Even so, it was a risk I was not only willing to take but I had to.

After making sure the coast was clear, I snuck across what had once been a small parking lot and slipped inside the open doors. The rain drummed against the metal roof, again making it hard to hear anything. The power had been gone for a while and the warehouse was left in a never ending darkness. When the sun was out, the small holes in the roof would provide some light but the dark clouds prevented that easily.

I held my breath as I looked around and listened. My pulse drummed in my ears as I judged it to be safe enough to move once I heard the sound of vehicles outside. The soldiers were retreading, hopefully, or calling in for back up. The first group had gotten here quickly after the camp had been attacked by raiders and then left with a ruined fence and walkers attracted to the sound. I had quickly seen my chance to escape, probably leaving some people I could have helped but as selfish as it sounded, I wasn't allowed to die.

Not yet.

''The warehouse is empty, sir.''

A voice above me made me stop dead in my tracks and I stayed completely still. My glance moved upwards and I quickly spotted the soldier who was standing directly above me on the stairway. I ducked down, hoping to disappear into the shadows with a racing heartbeat and wait for him to leave. It was often a game of patience but so far, I still hadn't lost.

''Copy that. Return to the assembly point.'' Another voice sounded from his walkie-talkie.

''Understood, sir.'' The soldier responded and started moving.

I listened to his heavy boots move across the metal as he started to walk down the stairs. I held my breath again, afraid to make even the slightest noise, and moved my hand to the machete in my belt. I was prepared to defend myself if necessary but if it was avoidable, it would be most preferred. I didn't move until I couldn't hear the footsteps anymore and then, I didn't waste any time in getting downstairs to the basement.

It was impossible to miss the caved in floor. The hole it had left was quite impressive. I eyed it for a while before judging it to be safe enough when shouting outside reminded me of the current situation. It would be near impossible not to make some sort of sound while reaching the sewer entrance. The steep hill was made up of broken concrete and dirt, making it hard to find proper footing and anything loose would fall down and into the sewer, which still had some water in it.

I took a deep breath before taking the first step. My assumption about the noise level quickly turned out to be true as the first piece of concrete tumbled down the side when I tried to find some proper footing. My glance shot back to the staircase, awaiting anyone curious enough to check out the noise, but no one came. My attention went back to my feet while my hands gripped the edge of the still solid concrete.

''You can do it.'' I whispered to myself before taking another step.

I stood still for one second, then I felt the dirt crumble beneath my weight. This time, I couldn't keep a surprised gasp back as I was basically sliding down the rubble. A groan left my lips as I hit the bottom and I barely saved myself from falling directly into the water. Clinging to the edge, I took a few quick and hasty breaths while trying to do some damage report.

Nothing was broken and nothing felt sprained. There was a dull pain in my shoulder and I could feel several cuts bleeding on my arms and collarbone but there was nothing preventing me from moving. I lay still and waited for any sounds from people approaching but once again, no one came. After letting out a sigh, I took a moment to recuperate and then slowly lowered myself down into the sewer. The water was freezing cold and reached my knees. It would slow me down but the darkness was the biggest of my problems.

I couldn't see a thing.

Cursing beneath my breath, I searched my pockets to find the lighter I knew I had somewhere. It was one of the last possessions I owned and it had definitely saved my life several times. My fingers located the cold metal case and I quickly brought it out. My cold fingers struggled to get it open and then managing to light the flame but once they succeeded, the small flame provided enough light for me to see a few feet ahead of me. I started walking, telling myself I would get used to the cold water, and tried to scout ahead. Despite the light provided, it was impossible to see how the sewers went in the darkness and I let my free hand touch the wall as I moved. My fingers were already feeling numb from the coldness but I could feel the bumpy concrete beneath my fingertips.

I don't know how long I walked. It felt like hours but it would easily have been mere minutes. Time was hard to keep track of without a functioning watch and finding one of those was a rare occasion. Even so, I hadn't lost all hope of seeing daylight again, not until the lighter flickered and I came to a stop.

''No, no, no, no! Shit, you can't die down here.'' I mumbled and tried working my fingers over the small wheel again. The sparks flew but no flame grew and after fumbling about for a moment, I gave up. ''Fuck.'' I groaned in defeat and threw my head back, trying to think of a plan. The only thing I could come up with was having a hand on each side of the wall as I moved. I listened to my own breathing and the water each time I took a step. Being left in complete darkness was a fear I had learned to cope with but it didn't make it any easier. My pulse was racing and I could feel sweat tickling down my neck and following my spine. All I could do was to trust the walls and blindly hope that I wouldn't make a sudden drop. The mere thought of falling again made me swallow hard and I desperately tried to push the thought away.

Then I slipped.

For the first time in a while, I screamed as I lost my footing and fell backwards. It wasn't a drop but the sewers had started to go down steeply. My back hit the ground and then my head followed, the pain making me groan, and then the water carried me downstream. I struggled not to swallow the dark water as I was being carried away by it into the unknown. I was promptly panicking and tried to stop myself but the walls were too slippery to even gain some sort of grip. As I tried yet again and reached my arm out, something sharp ran across my arm and I choked on a groan. The skin was cut across a previous and not yet healed wound, making my whole arm throb and burn as I finally reached the end of the surprise waterslide.

I used my feet to kick me up and keeping me from going completely under water. I held back sobs and groans while breathing quickly and trying to find some platform so I could get out of the water. For the first time in weeks, I felt somewhat lucky when my uninjured hand seemed to have found a possibility to my right side. I used what little strength I had left to drag myself up on the platform and then promptly collapsed, clutching my injured arm against my chest.

Despite having closed my eyes, I knew my vision was blurry and I could feel my head starting to give up. The bump from earlier was definitely not going to go unnoticed and I desperately struggled to keep awake.

''This way. I'm sure I heard something.''

Oh no.

''The sewer probably just dragged a walker down again. The heavy rain has raised the water level.''

''Even if it's just a walker, I'm not going to just leave it here. It's too dangerous.''

The voices argued as they moved closer and I could just barely make out two light cones ahead. I forced myself up while my left hand went to find the machete. I knew it was no use using my left but my right was throbbing like a bitch even without being moved. Using my left was the best I could do.

I put my feet apart; entering the only fighting stance I knew and kept my eyes on the direction the voices were approaching from. My quick breathing mixed with the sound of their footsteps and I braced myself for a possible encounter.

''See? I told you there was no-'' The annoyed sounding voice started while the two light cones swept the room but it instantly stopped when one of them found me. The light effectively blinded me and I narrowed my eyes so I would still be able to at least see something. ''Shit.''

''I swear to God, if you move one inch closer to me, I will kill you.'' I breathed and glared at the two men. They were around my age, one brunette and one ravenette, both tall and built. Their clothes were surprisingly clean and in good condition, something you rarely saw these days.

''I wouldn't be making death threats if I was outnumbered.'' The ravenette spoke while returning my stare.

''There's no need to fight.'' The brunette spoke and took a step closer to me.

''Stop!'' I groaned and pointed the machete directly at him while breathing quickly. ''I told you-''

''You're injured pretty badly there.'' He spoke and gestured to my arm.

''It's nothing.'' I mumbled and took a step back out of precaution. The machete was heavy in my hand but I couldn't tell if my hand shook because of that or because of the throbbing pain in my head and arm. ''Just… just tell me the way out.''

''Hey, are you sure you're alright?'' The worry in the brunette's eyes surprised me quite a bit but I reminded myself not to fall for any tricks. ''You don't look too good.''

''Just leave her, Kenshi.'' The ravenette grumbled. ''Boss's going to wonder where we're at soon.''

''She's bleeding badly, Riki, I'm not just gonna leave her here.''

''I-… The way out…'' I mumbled, well aware that I was losing the battle of staying conscious.

''Let's bring her back with us.'' The man called Kenshi turned to Riki as they started debating and despite wanting to protest to the idea, I couldn't say anything. My vision was turning black and I felt myself stagger. ''Hey… Hey!'' I could hear him raise his voice and then move once I felt my body hit the ground. I heard the machete land next to me as it had left my hand midair. A pair of hands grabbed me but I was too gone to move or say anything.

Then I was left to the darkness again.

''You have to run! You have to survive!''

''I can't leave you behind!''

''Do it!''

''No! I-''

''I'll never forgive you if you don't!''

My body jerked in shock as I regained consciousness, reminding me of the dull pain and sore muscles. I let out a slight groan before I let my eyes wander around the room, trying to figure out where I was, but before I could fully scan the room, my gaze met someone else's and my body tensed up. I ignored the pain as I stared at the man who was sitting next to me. His hand was closed around my injured arm while he was looking at me with a surprised expression.

I recognized him as Kenshi but before I said a word, I jerked my injured arm away from him, letting out a muffled groan from the pain.

''Don't touch me.'' I growled and glared at him.

What if he saw?

''Relax. I was just taking care of your arm.'' He sighed and then offered me a small smile. ''I'm just trying to help you, please don't cause a scene.''

I felt my body relax somewhat while my thoughts ran wildly. What if he had seen my secret? I bit lip. No, if he had, he would have reacted by now and he surely wouldn't be smiling.

''I can take care of myself.'' I mumbled once I had settled on the fact that he hadn't seen it and eyed him carefully. It had been a while since I had actually looked properly at person, study their features, notice their eye and hair color while their face wasn't covered in dirt and dried blood. The first thing that struck me was how kind he looked. He was still smiling at me, looking like someone who had no idea about what the world had become. ''Why is it you can smile in a situation like this?'' I asked, for whatever reason feeling provoked by what seemed his easy going nature. He wasn't allowed to be content in such a horrible world.

''Because I don't believe that the world has ended yet, unlike almost everyone else.'' He smiled and his eyes caught mine.

His words left me dumbstruck and I had absolutely no idea what to say. I was baffled, to say at least, how could he not have given up yet? Had he not properly witness what humans were capable of? I felt strangely angry and maybe even jealous as well. He still had something I had lost.

Unable to find any kind of reply, I escaped his gentle eyes and my eyes sought downwards. They stopped as they found my injured arm. The dried blood had caked around the wound, making it hard to estimate how bad the damage was, and it was effectively hiding the older wound beneath it. I let out an exhale of relief, there was no way he could have seen it then.

''Would you mind telling me what happened?'' I glanced back up at him and found him studying me with a soft gaze. ''You're not the first one we've found in the sewers but your timing was rather odd and you're not in a very good condition either.'' He hummed while gesturing to my arm and glancing at the cuts on my upper body. ''You're from the Salvation camp, aren't you?'' He asked me once I had stayed silent and our eyes met again.

For the first time in a while, I felt like trusting someone.

I shook my head shortly before speaking, unconsciously lowering my voice despite being alone in the room with him. ''I've only been there for a week, then we got attacked by raiders…'' I started speaking but paused as he leaned forwards and the sound of metal clinging together. The sound caught my attention and my eyes quickly spotted the dog tags hiding beneath the tank top he was wearing.

''You're a fox…'' I breathed while my hand reached for my machete. His glance followed my hand as it moved down and the tension made the air thick. We fell dead silent during the few seconds it took for my hand to reach nothing but empty space. My breathing hitched once I realized how defenseless I was and my brain struggled to come up with some sort of escape plan.

''Hey…'' He spoke cautiously while slowly standing up, looking like he was getting ready to protect himself.

If the rumors I had heard about the Black Foxes were true, then I had absolutely no intention of getting in a fight with him. I braced myself to move, still not fully knowing why or how, but I knew the situation had just turned dangerous. In the split second he started to reach for something behind him, I jumped up. Ignoring the pain and soreness, I jumped across the bad and past him, rushing through the room and pushing the door open. While huffing loudly, I found myself in what seemed to be their base and several people turned to look at me. I stared at them wide eyed for a split second or two before beginning to run again. I had to get out.

I had to get away.

''Hey!'' Kenshi yelled behind me as he followed me through the base and then he started to yell names.

By then, my attention had moved elsewhere and my focus was on finding a way out. I turned down what looked like a small hallway and made my way into the darkness, passing the remaining people who were looking at me in awe and surprise.

''Shit… Shit!'' I groaned as I was stopped by a fence twice my height and I fanatically turned around, trying to spot some other way out. Footsteps were rapidly approaching me and I didn't bother to count them as I turned around, facing them like a cornered animal. I sneered at them while clenching my hands into fists. Two familiar faces and a third, unknown one stared at me in frustration and anger. I knew it was pointless to fight them but it wasn't in my nature to give up easily.

''I told you we should have left her.'' Riki sneered and aimed his pistol at me. ''Nothing but fucking trouble.''

''Calm down, Riki.'' Kenshi mumbled to him and took a step forwards, causing me tense up. ''Look, we're not who you think we are and you really need help so-'' He spoke as he moved closer to me with a reassuring smile.

''Shut up!'' I growled and backed up, ending up with my back against the fence. ''Listen, I know who you guys are and-!'' I yelled furiously but my voice cracked the instant I felt someone grab me from the other side of the fence. I quickly turned my head and came face to face with a rotting one and I caught my breath.

''Walker's!'' Someone yelled while I finally got myself to move.

I jumped away from the fence but the grip on my arm was relentless and kept me within range. I let out a frightened groan as I struggled to get free while the walker grunted at me while its mouth moved closer to my arm. I tried yanking my arm free again but it was no use and the mouth moved closer. Teeth were inches from breaking my skin when the shot rang out. The grip on my arm was loosened before it was completely shaken off and I fell backwards. I landed on the ground and watched as the walker fell to the ground with a bullet hole right in its forehead.

I listened to my own huffing while looking upwards, finding Kenshi standing with a pistol still aimed at where the walker's head had been. He exhaled deeply and then glanced at me.

''I think you owe me the chance to explain myself.'' The bastard smiled at me, causing me to frown and press my lips together.

I knew I couldn't get out of this now.

''So, what now, you're gonna babysit me here?'' I glanced up at him as he was leaning against the door I had rushed out of earlier. He stood with his hands hidden in the pockets of the dark green military pants and one of his heavy boots placed against the door as he was watching me. I was back on the bed, facing away from him while cleaning the wound on my arm. After arguing with him for a solid five minutes, he had finally given me some space and moved to where he was currently standing.

''We're not interested in having you run off again.'' He shrugged and studied my face. ''If you're gonna be trouble then we're going to treat you like this.''

I muttered a few curse words before looking back down on my arm. The wound was edged and not too deep, but unless I wanted to wait for months, the skin had to be sewn back together for it to heal quicker. To make it worse, the cut ran straight down between the two circle shaped teeth marks, forcing me to stretch a still not healed wound. I chewed on my lip in frustration while glancing at the first aid kit next to me. I had already disinfected it so all that was left, was to sew it up.

I glanced at Kenshi again and our eyes met instantly.

''Could you leave or are you going to stay here while I'm going to sew in myself?'' I grumbled and kept my eyes on him.

To my surprise, he let out a small sigh. ''Look, I know it's not normal to be even slightly friendly anymore but you're my responsibility here. I'm not saying we should be best friends but you could at least drop the shitty attitude. I'm not your enemy.'' He ran a hand through his hair as he kept his eyes on me. For the first time, he actually looked tired and that he belonged in this fucked up world.

I felt the tension in my face fade as I watched him. I wasn't fully aware why, but I wanted to believe him. Truthfully, friendship was definitively not a high priority for me and if all the rumors I had heard were true, the Black Foxes were far from good guys. Then again, who was?

''If you knew what I've been through, you would understand why I have a shitty attitude.'' I mumbled and exhaled through my nose. In that second, I acknowledged my sore muscles, the stinging pain in my arm and the faint throbbing caused by the bump on the back of my head. I acknowledged the exhaustion which had almost become a natural part of me by now. ''I just want to get this stitched up and honestly, I'm not interested in you seeing me cry because of it.'' I sighed and, for what felt like the first time in ages, managed to smile faintly at him. How ironic, it was strange to feel my lips curve upwards and form into a smile.

His gaze stayed on me while a slightly surprised expression ran over his features. I figured the reason for that might have been me showing him that I was more than just a complete bitch.

''Are you sure you don't want any help? I noticed you're right handed, so doing this with your left…'' His voice trailed off as he watched me shake my head.

''I got it.'' I mumbled and turned around, focusing on my arm again. ''… thanks, though…''

''Alright.'' He hummed and then left the room.

Once the door had closed and I was left in silence, my eyes found the needle and thread in the box. I stared at it before reaching for it with a shaking hand. I had stitched wounds shut before but this was the first time where I could use my dominant hand. This would also be the longest wound I would have to stitch together.

I let out a shaky breath before pressing my lips together as I tried threading the needle. It took me several tries before my hands would stop shaking and my heart raced against my ribcage. I took a few quick breaths while gathering courage and readying the needle.

''This is going to hurt like a bitch.'' I breathed and braced myself for the pain.

Then the needle broke my skin.

I let out a muffled cry as I pulled it through my skin and my breathing quickened drastically. As much as I tried not to, I could feel the wetness of tears fell down my cheeks while I readied the needle again, this time piercing the opposite side of the wound. Sobs and inhuman sounds fell from my lips as I struggled to press the needle through my skin and then the following, horrible feeling of the thread sliding through it until it was tightened.

''Keep going.'' I sobbed and squeezed my eyes shut momentarily when the pain almost became too much. ''You have to keep going.''

His head bumped back against the door he was leaning against as he waited. He crossed his arms over his chest while his eyes stared at the tall ceiling. He was used to strangers coming through the camp, most of them looking for the nearby camp Salvation, others looking for shelter or to trade. Even so, she was the first to oppose them this much and refuse his help.

He frowned in annoyance. What kind of maniac stitches their own arm up?

The sounds coming from inside the room made him catch his breath as he listened. She was really doing it. The muffled screams and sobs forced a chill down his spine and he closed his eyes. He had been impressed with her the moment they spotted her down in the sewer. Despite bleeding badly and barely being able to stand, she was ready to fight. He admired her amount of willpower but he had trouble understanding why she was so stubborn.

Dirty, bloody, exhausted, stubborn and determined.

Now she was his responsibility.

He let out a sigh while listening to the sounds which made his heart race.

''What the hell is going on?''

He looked up as he heard a familiar voice and met Takuto's disgruntled stare.

''She's stitching her wound.'' His mouth felt dry as he spoke but his voice was clear.

''What? By herself?'' he sounded surprised at first, which was rather unlike him, but he quickly regained his usual annoyed tone. ''Insane woman.'' He grumbled while walking off with a scowl.

Insane, huh?

He closed his eyes again and listened to the sounds beginning to die out, replaced mostly by sobs before it went completely silent.

Yeah, he was definitively impressed.

I sat with gritted teeth and shaking hands while the warm blood tickled down my arm. Tears stung in my eyes and I shut them tightly. It was done. It wasn't pretty but the wound had been stitched up without reopening the old one too much. All that was left was to bandage it and hide it but the stinging and throbbing pain had completely reduced me to a shaking, sobbing, slumped over mess, the bloody needle still in my shaking hand.

The blood dripped on the floor as I sat there but I didn't care one bit. I listened to the dripping and my own breathing, which had calmed down by now, and waited for my body to relax again but before it could, the door opened behind me. I stayed still as I waited for someone to speak.

''… Are you done?'' Kenshi asked behind me and the door closed softly.

I reached for the roll of bandage next to me and started to wrap it around my arm. I cringed a few times and kept a groan back when I had to make sure it was tight enough before securing it. It wasn't until then that I turned around and looked at him.

A pair of worried eyes met mine and we proceeded to look at each other in silence. I wiped my eyes with my left hand and nodded briefly before exhaling.

''So, what now?'' I asked, honestly not knowing what he had planned next or why he was keeping me here.

''We're gonna have a quick talk. Depending on how that goes…'' he hesitated shortly and then started to walk closer to me. ''We'll see.'' He smiled calmly while sitting down on the chair next to the bed I was sitting on. His behavior seemed more relaxed than he had been earlier and his eyes darted down to my arm before returning to mine. ''What's your name?''

''My name?'' I blinked, surprised by what had once been such a common question but so rare now. I stared at him in silence for a short moment before I narrowed my eyes a bit. ''Look, I don't do this 'friendship' stuff so can we just-''

''Why not? Why are you so opposed to trusting me?'' His tone was unreadable and his eyes had turned neutral.

My gaze turned annoyed because of his question but for whatever reason, I decided to answer him this time.

''Because the more people you know, the more you have to lose.'' I spoke and watched as his expression stayed the same. ''That's why.''

''But you get more to fight for.''

I fell silent again, trying to figure out exactly what he was after.

''What's the point with this small talk?'' I grumbled. ''If the only reason I'm here is because you're bored, then you should find someone else to entertain you.''

''Again with the shitty attitude.'' He sighed and leaned back in the chair. ''You obviously don't see it like that but I'm just trying to help you here. You could barely stand yesterday and not to mention your arm. Honestly, it annoys me that you're this hostile to me.'' His voice lowered as he spoke the last part and it almost looked like he was sulking. ''I don't know what you've been through and I don't know what you've heard about us, but neither sounds particularly positive but we're not bad guys.''

I studied him as he spoke and stayed silent once he was done. Even if he was right, there were few things he could change but I hadn't lost all of my humanity yet, so not giving him a chance to explain himself wasn't something I was interested in. I chewed on my lip as I thought of what to say and tried to remember all the rumors. Once I did, I let out a short exhale.

''From what I've heard, you're a group of skilled raiders with no morality. You do what's in your own interest, take what you need from others and don't hesitate to kill, walkers and people. You're feared because of it and anyone seen wearing dog tags without being dressed as a soldier, is automatically assumed to be part of your group. I don't know what's true or not and frankly, I don't care. As long as I don't get into a quarrel with you then it's fine. It's the same as the rumors we hear about camps. Someone says it's to the north while others say it's to the south.'' I watched his expression falter and his eyes moved away from mine. ''But seeing your reaction, I'm guessing what I've just said isn't true.''

A bittersweet smile ran across his lips and he ran a hand through his hair. His eyes stayed down and away from mine. ''I knew some people had been using our name but I hadn't imagined that they had ruined it that much.'' He spoke, saddened by my words, and then finally looked up at me again. ''We're not raiders and we don't kill people, obviously, you're still here. We set up camps and try to protect people while creating some sort of society. We don't want people to forget how to function in this world with the current state it's in.''

''You make it sound like such a noble cause…'' I smiled faintly and looked down. ''As if you're self-proclaimed saviors of humanity.''

''Yeah, I guess we do.'' He chuckled softly.

It had been a while since I had heard someone chuckle, let alone laugh, and it was oddly nice. Or maybe it was just him as a person, refreshing to meet someone so positive in what most people referred to as our much deserved hell.

''So, you're not going to tell me your name?''

I hesitated but in the end, I shook my head and he let out a small huff.

''How long are you planning on keeping me here then?'' I asked after a short silence and let our eyes met again, but his flickered away from mine and didn't return until he had thought my question over.

''You're making it sound as if you're going somewhere.''

''I am.'' I answered shortly. It was a straight out lie but somewhat trusting one person out of a whole camp wasn't enough to make me stay.

''Where are you going?''

Shit.

''… Away.''

''You don't know, do you?'' He asked after a short silence where he had looked at me softly. When I didn't reply, sadness appeared in his eyes again. ''As I said, I don't know what you've been through,'' my left hand clenched into a fist, ''but you're welcome to stay. You don't have to be on the run all the time.'' His voice was soft and accompanied by a small smile.

I stayed silent, not sure what to reply, while he simply looked at me. I was about to cast my eyes down, hoping to find some sort of excuse or way of the conversation, when the door was thrown open. Both our glances shot to the door to see who had barged in like that.

''Kenshi! We gotta go. Hiro spotted some walkers by the south entrance.'' The man I recognized as Riki was standing in the door with a rifle in his hand and breathing quickly.

''Seriously? How many?'' Kenshi asked while standing up.

''Enough to be a problem. We have to clear them out before they get in.''

''Alright, go, I'll be there in a second.''

Riki nodded shortly and his glance flickered to me before he frowned and left the room. My glance moved back to Kenshi once I heard the clicking of a gun and watched as he checked his pistol for ammunition.

''This should be enough. Come on.'' He spoke and started to walk.

''Come on? Hold on, you're asking me to come with you?'' I frowned, obviously not understanding the way his brain worked.

''Well, I can't leave you here so you might as well come along.'' He glanced back at me. ''Unless you're scared of walkers, of course.''

His last words definitively made me frown. I stood up and followed him to where he was waiting for me.

''What are you standing around for? You're the one who knows the way.'' I grumbled and watched as he grinned to himself.

''This way.'' He hummed and started to walk.

As I started to follow him, I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was doing.

Or what the hell I had gotten myself into…