chapter one.
Shit. Shit shit shit.
My breathing comes fast and short, a lose peice of hair floating in the front of my mouth. The walker shuffles around me, it's moans and growls echoing through the house like an omen. I squeeze my eyes shut quickly and re-open them, silently wishing I hadn't agreed to leave Rebecca by herself in the house next to us.
I slowly reach for my knife, it's jagged edge in need of sharpening. The knife is the length of my fingertips to my elbow. I grasp the handle with my callused hands and flex my fingers. The walker reaches my hallway, no doubt following the sent of life.
I crouch on the side of the bed, waiting for the stinch of decay to reach my nostrils. The shuffling moves closer, the squeeking of the floorboards making me wince.
Just as the walker rounds the corner, I stand. It's lifeless eyes seem to light at the sight of me and bile rises in my throat.
"Come on." I whisper. It moves quicker and begins to reach for my body but I throw my body to the right and slam the knife into the walkers skull. Blood flies from the wound, covering my hands and the side of my face. I use my booted foot as leverage as I pull my knife from the rotten flesh. The walker falls to the ground with a thud and I slam my boot down into it's head for good measure. You can never be too sure.
I run from the room, grabbing my backpack on the way out. I had filled it with canned vegetables and meat, juice packets, and a jacket for Rebecca. I fly down the stairs two at a time, wiping my light blonde hair from my face and scrubbing at the blood at the same time. When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I round the corner. My face slams into something solid, knocking me onto my back and my knife flies from my hand. A walker drops immedietly to the ground and snaps at my face. I hold my breath against the stinch and slam my forearm into it's throat, hoping to block it's mouth as I reach desperately for my knife. It's just outside of my reach.
I snatch my hand back and build my strength to push the walker off of my body. It falls to the side and I don't waste my time in getting up and lunging for my knife. I bend to reach for it but feel a hand wrap around my ankle. A scream flows from my mouth and I begin to kick at the walker, trying desperately to shove my boot into its face.
I claw at the ground just as the door behind us slams open. I can't turn my head enough to see what has come in, but I let myself accept that it's another walker. Just as I feel my boot begin to slide off of my foot at the walkers attempt to sink it's teeth into my flesh, the hand holding me goes limp. I scramble quickly to my knife and turn around with it pointed at the doorway.
The walker lies on the ground, motionless. My eyes find the arrow that connects to it's brain and the hand that yanks it out. My breath freezes in my throat as I trail my eyes from the hand, to the muscular arm, all the way to the eyes that meet my own. Dark hair falls across the man's forehead and light scruff covers his chin. I subconciously take in his slim but strong build, and crossbow that now hangs over his shoulder.
His eyes trail over me, from head to toe, looking for any sign of bitemarks. When his eyes reach mine again, I gulp.
"That was a close one, sweetheart."