Entry 2: Meet
A glare of puzzled features carefully ingested the remote interstate, two long blinks, then three to test the validity of an aged vision, yet the peculiar image that engrossed his being had not faded. Ash grey eyebrows furrowed along a wrinkled forehead as a pair of binoculars lifted to enhance the view beyond what a naked sight could perceive. His crouched position leaned forward as eyes of a pale hue narrowed in on the enlarged vehicle born from the distant Georgia hills.
"Guys, I think we may have some company here," Dale's speech erupted in an awestruck tone, the intent on drawing the attention of his fellow group members had gained success with ease.
"Oh god, please don't tell me….more walkers," Andrea replied, her words tangled in an exaggerated sigh. Fatigued, hungry, and low on rations, the blonde grimaced at the thought of a second encounter after having narrowly escaped a large herd previously that day.
"You know any walkers that drive an SUV?" Dale answered, which provoked an instant discomfort amidst the group as faces twisted in alarm and concern. To share company with one not led by bloodlust was a rare occurrence indeed, yet walkers were simple to handle, their motives, their desires, their actions all predictable, a conscious mind was something of true mystery.
"You serious?" Glenn inquired, swift to fall victim to his laden curiosity, the young male's form readily joined his friend atop the RV. Arms extended to retrieve the binoculars from the elder man, and no sooner were the telescopic lenses set before him did Glenn's gaze befall the newly parked vehicle nearby, "Whoa, he's not kidding," he confirmed.
"How many we got?" Rick questioned, his weary frame yielded a taut and guarded stance as he positioned himself alongside the nose of the RV, a single hand rested at his hip as he examined the mass of cars that plagued the roadway. His actions soon mirrored by Shane and Daryl as all ears remained vigilant for the release of more information.
"Uh…" Glenn uttered, a widened stare eagerly traced the inside of the vehicle in search of multiple figures hidden within, yet he only managed to spot one. "Just one!" he revealed, his vocals roused to a near shout as a continued watch carefully studied the outsider's movement. A car door flew open, and the figure of a slender young woman stepped outside the safety of her metal carriage, and into the iridescent glow of the setting sun, "It-it's a girl…" Glenn stated in a surprised, almost questioning tone. As her arms lifted heaven bound in an innocent stretch, it was then that Glenn noticed a staggering detail, "She's armed!" he announced, a serious expression overwhelmed his features in seconds as his voice reflected the same, "And she's headed right for us!"
"Better make sure she ain't a threat then if she'll be gettin' close to our group," Shane proposed, his gruff vocals aired loudly amongst the rest as the former officer drew nearer to his best friend.
It was only moments ago that Rick and Daryl had returned from their hunt for the missing twelve year old girl Sophia, their search unsuccessful, which left the man exhausted and overwhelmed with ill sentiments of failure and defeat, Carol's plea to him, the tears she shed over her daughter's absence only intensified that bitterness in him. Rick was hardly in any decent frame of mind to deal with another potentially hazardous situation, and feared he may act unreasonably if their company soured his mood any further, yet he knew it was in their best interest to approach her first, if only to gain the upper hand.
Rick gave a single nod in approval, the strong desire to protect his loved ones reigned over all else. After instructing Lori to seek shelter inside the RV with their son, he ordered the rest to take cover as well. Some joined their leader's wife inside the oversized vehicle, while others crouched down behind the abandoned cars strewn out along the highway. Multiple sets of eyes followed Rick's form, blunt weapons clenched tightly in bare fists as a once faintly sprouted curiosity flourished into a tickling nerve too potent to drown. Rick's gaze met with the rugged male on his opposing side, a muted signal cast towards him to verify his readiness, causing Daryl to raise his crossbow.
Though she tread but a short distance away, the exchange over Evelyn's sudden appearance had failed to reach her, their varied pitches and differing tones perished along the cool breeze. The echo of dark leather boots creating a rhythmic discord with each step was perhaps the only sound to befall the female's ears, a cruel reminder of her lonely state on a forsaken earth. With a gas container in hand, and both her father's hunting blade and a loaded pistol within reach, Evelyn wandered leisurely down the paved route. By now, the young woman recognized that a serene environment only served as a guise, peace never lasted, at least not in this ugly new world.
A faint sigh of displeasure fled from parted pink lips as a single hand strayed upward to tousle the gentle waves of her dirty blonde hair. There were far more cars than she cared to deal with, yet a clever mind sketched a potential escape through the wreckage.
The first vehicle was cast aside with ease. As slender fingers gripped the handle, the door was swung ajar with force, and as Evelyn released the breaks, her hands tightly clutched the steering wheel from the exterior of the metal body. With a grunt, a struggle, and a quick sprint, the car soon veered off towards the grassy divider. That was one. Olive green eyes then set upon a newer model that lay ahead, and the well-manicured condition held the potential of engine oil to nourish her SUV with. Once Evelyn had approached the face of the car, finger curled upward to blindly explore the undercarriage of the hood, until her smooth fingertips located the tab that would release it.
With arms stretched high above her head, Evelyn propped open the heavy sheet of metal that would expose the nude engine. As her hands busied themselves with an allotted task, there came a sudden movement nearby that captured her immediate attention, a movement too graceful, too agile for the dead. Evelyn's spine straightened, her head tilted to the side as she swiftly encountered a man in a dirt and blood soaked shirt. His hand raised slightly as he approached to establish he meant her no harm, his footwork slow and cautious as eyes of a brilliant blue fixed firmly on her petite figure.
"Excuse me, miss," Rick spoke, his tone low and calm, and the southern drawl that lay thick in his polite words suggested him a Georgia native.
The idea that he could end her life and take her possessions as his own had not once crossed her mind. Fear and anxiety were vastly overshadowed by far more optimistic sentiments, and this dark haired man, though she knew not his name, was the first human contact she had in what felt like an eternity. The relief that embraced her and the hope that overwhelmed her small frame caused a large smile to dance across her lips. He was alive, and she was no longer alone, and she'd be damned for feeling anything less.
"H-hello," Evelyn greeted in a friendly tone, her sweet voice elevated towards unknown ears.
As her small stammer slipped through unwittingly, a small chuckle was quick to follow. The first time she conversed with another, and already, she felt she made a fool of herself.
"Sorry I…I hardly expected to meet someone else here," she said gently, the same smile playing along the corner of her mouth as eyebrows furrowed in light embarrassment.
A hardened blue gaze peered at the young blonde, head cocked as he studied her warily. Rick had confronted others along the way, a gun often pointed in his face with threats ventilated and bodies trembled with dread, yet this was something different, something new, and hardly the brand of salutation he anticipated. Rick's once strained features softened, tensions began to fade as he realized her relaxed posture bore no evidence of intimidation, and the fingers that graced the silver metal of his revolver drifted.
