Off to the Races
Disclaimer:If this story gets a good response I'll set it on a priority list, if not it'll likely collect cobwebs like half of my stories on here. I own nothing that pertains to AMC's hit-show, The Walking Dead, I only own my OCs (Original Characters) and a bit of the plot line. Enjoy!
1.
She was so tired, if she had half a mind she'd fall asleep on her feet as she dragged them down the cluttered asphalt road. It wasn't that she had a fifty-pound backpack weighing her down; it wasn't that she hadn't rested in over fourteen hours; it wasn't the fact she hadn't eaten anything in three days; it wasn't that she hadn't slept longer than ten hours in the past week. It was the simple fact that she had to keep up with her brother as he marched on ahead. Griffin was a 6'5", two-hundred pound mass of muscle that was perfectly sculpted by the Marines for eight years; however, Keira was five foot nothing, verging on one-hundred and thirty pounds that had nothing but a degree in electrical engineering. On her off days she'd spend them in front of the television playing an assortment of video games while her brother ran fifteen miles for fun. She regretted never going with him on his mini-marathons, but who expects the world to end? Obviously not Keira, and obviously not the seven billion people who populated the earth.
"You're falling behind again Keira," Griffin stopped to look back at her, his shoulders square and Keira couldn't spot any shimmer of sweat on his brow while she was positively drenched, "you know how fast one of those zombies could walk up on you? Tear into your jugular? God." He rubbed his right jaw, scratching at the black scruff that was building up there. She shifted the backpack, trying to balance out the pain before narrowing her eyes at him.
"Oh shuddup Finn, I'm carrying a backpack that is about half my weight, cut me some slack." His jaw clenched, she watched the vein in his neck protrude and pulse before his Adam's apple bobbed.
"I cut you some slack and I'll be burying you six feet under." Threats like this were a daily occurrence; Griffin liked to call it 'motivation'. Keira rolled her eyes and easily caught up to him.
It had nearly been three weeks since the infection spread nationwide; people started turning on each other whether they were dead or alive. It was utter chaos in the larger cities like Atlanta, and from what Keira saw she'd dubbed that this was no longer Earth, but instead it was Purgatory.
"Get your head outta the clouds Sunshine, we've got some zombies up ahead; we're taking a detour." Griffin ducked behind an SUV, making several hand motions to Keira which went over her head, and finally with eyes narrowed he mouthed to her: get down and take cover. She listened of course, just like any other little sister, but even more so now: like someone who wanted to live. She never got used to seeing those things (she had no proper name to call them, and she felt that 'zombie' was a bit derogatory) and never got used to killing them. She followed Griffin like a shadow, only taking steps when he did, and only breathing when he did; she learned the hard way she needed to be more like him. Tougher. Stronger. Bolder. Everything she wasn't.
They hopped from cover to cover, even scavenging the cars that had their doors wide open before they were a safe enough distance to stand again. He clasped a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it before giving her a tired smile.
"Good job, especially with the scavenging; I didn't see that med-kit under the driver's seat. Good eye Sis." Keira beamed, it was the first compliment she had received from him, the first smile since this all started.
Normally, Keira never saw Griffin anyway. He was off doing his own thing since he was stationed in North Carolina, she hardly saw him unless it was the holidays or she made the incentive to see him. Besides that, Keira and Griffin never really saw eye-to-eye; after all, Keira was the youngest of six while Griffin was the oldest. The age gap was almost twelve years, him being thirty-five and Keira at a young twenty-two. Griffin was gruff and hot-headed, always the kind to "shoot and ask questions later," while Keira was the sincere and level-headed child who spent her time asking questions and never shooting. At the time this all started, Griffin was out visiting their parents in Riverdale, and it just so happened that Keira had moved back home; that was the only reason why they were together at this point, a mere coincidence that, at the time, seemed like bad-luck.
The two carried on silently for what seemed like hours, the sun was quickly setting and the pink clouds slowly submerged behind the hills. Griffin suggested they make camp in the large SUV that was parked just a few clicks ahead, the back windows were tinted, and Griffin said it looked like the model that had the fold-in seats. Keira didn't care if she had to sleep on top of the car at this point, they had walked non-stop for the last three days and she was literally one step away from being one of those things; she agreed hastily, only wanting to shut her eyes for more than a few minutes. He instructed her to stay behind, to watch his back, as he went to search ahead. He came back a few moments later, muttering: "The coasts clear." They settled into the SUV, having no trouble getting into it since it wasn't locked (must like most of the cars that had been abandoned on the highway) and as Griffin suspected, the third row collapsed down. While Keira could comfortably stretch out, Griffin had to curl up in a ball; it was only on advantage she had found thus far for being short.
Closing her eyes for what seemed like seconds, she was being shaken awake again. The sun was already set high in the sky and Griffin looked even more tired than before they laid down to rest.
"Lets eat and carry on." Keira was trusted with the food and cooking supplies, what little they could find. She carried the dry firewood that they had collected a few counties back, and the matches as well. She carried only a bundle of clothes, hygiene supplies, the roll of her sleeping bag, and an extra pair of two-sizes-too-big boots. Easily enough she pulled out a bag of beef jerky and a bottle of water, handing him the jerky while she twisted the cap off the bottle and took a sip.
"Did you sleep well?" She tried to make polite conversation, trying to clear the awkward atmosphere that surrounded them.
"No, I was restless. I slept for a good two hours." Griffin tore at a piece of jerky as he spoke, his legs dangling out the back of the trunk. Keira nodded, sipping on the water again before switching with him. She fished out a piece of jerky before tearing into it; God she was hungry. "What about you? No nightmares or anything?"
"They stopped a while ago," Keira said softly before sucking in her bottom lip and chewing on it, "I slept well though. Your snoring is still bad." She couldn't tell if he was red from the heat of embarrassment, but she heard a silent: "Shut up," before he chugged half the bottle, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, and handed back to her.
They began walking once again.