"I'm so hungry K." Hazel tugs on my sleeve as we walk through the forest, slowing down and letting Diane and Harold pass us; I crouch down to look in her huge brown eyes.
"I know sweetie," I pull her into a tight hug. She was so small to start with, and every day we go without food, is another day that she's wasting away. At this rate we'll all be dead long before "they" get us.
"Hurry up you two!" Mary crackles though the Walkie-talkies. Lifting it to my mouth I say,
"On the way M, just dealing with H-U-N-G-E-R." Hazel gives me a look.
"I can spell K." She can't, but I nod like I believe her and hang my head in shame. There is a rustle on the other end and David crackles in.
"Well maybe-"As I give the volume a quick turn silencing David's views on having Hazel with us, she lets out a big yawn, which is understandable seeing as we were left on watch last night while the others slept.
"Want a lift?" I say. She shakes her head as I crouch down and yet she clambers onto my backpack to sit on my shoulders. As I stand up, Hazel clamps her hand over my opening mouth, giving me a near heart attack.
"What?!" I hiss at her, taking deep breaths to try and resume my usual heartbeat.
"One of those things is at the bottom of the hill." I stop breathing completely and slowly turn to see it. The "thing" that we are all still too scared to give it's true name.
It must have been a man at one point, but it is so hard to tell sometimes. The clothes (thankfully) are mostly intact, but they are ripped and blood stained. Its face and shoulder have large chunks missing; making it look like someone had been very unsuccessful in re-killing it.
Setting Hazel down, I slowly draw out my cross bow, and as I click a bolt into place I feel Hazel remove the talkie from my belt. Turning the volume up a tiny amount we hear the chatter from the others who must be quite far ahead now.
"We've got one here," she whispers and the chatter on the other end stops immediately. "There may be more so keep your eyes open." As she places it back on my belt I breathe out slowly and ease the trigger down, sending the bolt flying for its head. The clean shot sends it tumbling to the ground. Checking that there aren't any more of them, I slide down the hill towards the mass of rags and blood.
It's lying in a pool of it, thick dark blood. It's oozing from the whole in its head, slowly leaking.
I force my combat boot down into its mostly fractured skull, forcing it to break apart completely, a thick grey and red mass coats the underside of my shoe but I shake my head and retrieve my now free bolt.
A gargle, followed by a small high pitched scream, makes me jump, turning I see one of them atop the hill, slowly but surely making for Hazel. Breaking into a sprint my feet soon slide out from under me as I climb the hill. I fall backwards, the crunch of the leaves all around me blocking out all else. I try desperately to slow down and right myself but fail to do so until I reach the flats. I stumble again, this time on the ooze leaking from all sides of the corpse.
Hazel screams again as the bloated basted lunges at her, pinning her to the ground. Her hands desperately scrap with it, as she tries to keep its teeth away from her. As I finally reach the top I forget my bow and kick the bloated thing away from her. Its caught of balance and falls down the other side of the hill where the entire group is stood, all but David and Lisa have their guns drawn.
Bang. Bang. Mary lets two go, straight into its head. I help Hazel to her feet, not even bothering to apologise or expected thanks. This is the day to day shit that we have to deal with now.
"Is she bit?" David draws his gun as we walk down the hill and points it at her, she slides behind me, and I can feel her shaking with fear, fear of him.
"She's six, asshole, she'd be cryin' if she were bit." Dianne pushes David's gun down and he, slides it into his pocket, muttering words that I didn't even know, Hazel, I think, goes to cover her ears.
Mary promptly scoops Hazel up onto her shoulders. I want to object, but I know that she needs Hazel, she's using her to fill Charlie's void, and it's my fault that he's gone in the first place. She needs Hazel or she'll just break down.