We took off, me and my uncle road in the truck while my dad tailed ahead on his motorcycle. He drove on the interstate, following my dad closely. To be honest, I'm glad to have this truck back, I missed it. The familiar scent of cigarettes and occasionally pot, filled my head and I thought back to when times were normal.
My dad was prescribed medical marijuana a while back and he started to abuse it, both he and my uncle started using it and I can't be so upset because it actually mellows out my dad and puts him into a good mood, like all his other drugs do.
Uncle Daryl digs through his CD case to find something good to erase the silence between us. With everyone gone, it's just me, dad and uncle agents the world of walkers and chaos. He chooses a CD, he likes old country or folk music, while, I am a hard rock fan, well only Marilyn Manson I like and because the bitch is Mexican, I do like some Mexican music or Spanish, one of the two.
The CD he picks is old, Johnny cash I believe. I been listening to this CD for years and I never get sick of it. My grandfather, from my... anyways may he rest in peace, he always listen to Johnny Cash and I guess he grew on my. I loved him. When I lived in Mexico I stayed with him, then he got really sick. He couldn't take care of himself anymore. And later, he ended up dying of a strange disease I never heard of before.
So, that's where I am, driving in my uncle's old beat up truck listening to country music, bring back some happy times that no longer exist. I look over at my uncle, and he is looking out the window at the world around him. He has his finger near his mouth, so I know he's thinking. We ride, listening to Kenny Rodgers, and the air from the open window feels good.
"Daryl pull off." I hear my dad say, riding next to the truck. My uncle pulls over to the side and we get out. "There's no way through that, might have to double back." I look in the direction my dad is pointing and I see a lot of cars, he's right, there isn't any way to make it through it.
"Camp here. Leave at day break." Uncky suggest my dad looks around.
"Leave ourselves to the walkers?" Dad nearly yells, well he does yell.
"Damnit Merle. Keep your voice down." Daryl whispers. "Listen, stay here for the night, keep moving in the morning."
"Yeah, whatever baby brother." Dad places his motorcycle into the bed. Then he climbs in. "Wake me when morning hits." And just like that he leaves me and uncle to keep watch. My uncle sighs and tells me to get back inside. I obey of course I do. I climb back into the truck. My uncle is tired, I can tell.
"You should get some sleep." He tells me, he is in the truck now head on the steering wheel, before throwing it back onto the head rest. "Alice, you're gonna be alright, you hear me?" He's giving me side look and I can't help but smile at him.
"I know." I say and I don't know if I believe myself, but as long as he does, that's all that matters. I place my head on my uncle lap, and close my eyes, try to sleep. I pull the blanket over my body and I feel Daryl adjust it. "I love you." Is all I remember saying to him, before I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
I did wake up sometime later. I had a really weird urge to get out of the truck and search the woods. My gut told me too, and a skilled thief always go with the gut feeling. I look up to see my uncle sleeping with his head on the hand and resting it on the window. I untangle myself from him and the blanket, and quietly opening the squeaky door, he didn't even stir as I shut the door. I checked the back to see my Dad still sleeping in the bed of truck.
I leave the truck, I go alone into the woods, and I know if my dad wakes up and sees me gone he is going to have my head for it. But honestly, I don't really care, I'm ten, that's pretty grown up right? I mean in this world anyways, but I had to grow up before that. I had to learn to survive on my own since I was eight years old, living with the bitch in Mexico.
I walk along the woods, listening and keeping my footsteps low. I look off into the distance and see a faint glow. I crept closer and closer, keeping my feet and movement very minimal. I hid behind a tree as I get closer. I peek from behind and see people walking around, an actual camp, with real people. Then, something grabs me, I went to scream, but someone covered my mouth quick.
"Where the hell did you run off too?" my dad, it's my dad and ain't happy. "Having me and your uncle out here looking for you and you've been here the damn time." He's yelling and the people of the came come near us. "Daryl! Found her."
"Excuse me, but can you keep it down. We don't need walkers here." A man comes into view. "Look, we have room and supplies," the man says and I see my uncle coming into view. His crossbow ready to fire. "Why don't you stay with us?" he's offering us a place to stay? Glad I didn't steal from them. "We have food, shelter and water."
"We have our truck, just down there." My uncle says pointing down the path he walked up from.
"Go get your truck and whatever else belongings you have and come back here with us." The man told my father and uncle. My uncle nodded and headed down to his truck my father telling me to wait here, went with him.
"So you got a name?" The man asked. "I'm Shane."
"I'm Arialice, but I like Alice better." I told him. My uncle and Dad came back with the truck and motorcycle. My dad called me over, most likely to yell at me for taking off on my own.
"Before you start yelling, I had to pee, found a light, and was seriously thinking of raiding the camp for their supplies, so be grateful you came when you did." My dad glared at me but didn't stay anything for a while.
"This conversation never happened." I nod in agreement and followed my dad back to my uncle. He was talking to Shane about a few things and what now.
"Yeah I guess we'll be staying for a while." My dad says to Shane. "Yeah, well be like little bugs cuddled up in rug." He take the tent and sets it off into the distance, away from the group.
So this is where we spend the night. Dad, Uncle Daryl and me, all curled up in the tent, me in the middle, using my dad's arm as a pillow, like I've been doing for years. Even when his arms starts to hurt, he would never move it, because that's how he is.