-Ariel's POV-
I kneeled down and poked the newly dead corpse of a young child, maybe between the ages of 6 - 8? I covered my nose with my bandana and stood up.
I can't let her turn...
I placed my foot down on the child's head and stepped down, crushing the head along with hearing the bones crushing in that child's skull...
Stepping away, I nearly wanted to puke. Never in the time span of surviving in this 'new world' have I ever had to kill a young child.
After calming down I continued my walk but kept my survival knife out, searching the forest like a hawk, it seemed to have been clear. Thankfully...
Should I actually go with that group? I mean... They seemed alright? They were kinda friendly, well Rick was, not so much the dude with the crossbow...
I groaned then noticed the mall in the distance, as my walking picked up speed and turned into a all out run; I jumped up onto the dumpster then started to climb up the side of the brick building.
-Rick's POV-
We pulled into the store's parking lot where we got out of the car last time, taking out my gun and seeing Daryl pull into the parking lot, the rumbling noise of his motorcycle stopped.
Kicking out the stand Daryl leaned his motorcycle as Maggie got off and went over to Glenn.
"We all ready?" I asked the group as they nodded; "Then let's go get that girl."
As we all walked towards the store, it seemed pretty empty.
I opened the door as the little bell went off for a moment.
"Keep your eyes open." I whispered to the group and walked around, stepping on some glass as I seen the note on the counter and read it.
"What is that dad?" Carl stood beside me, trying to read the note as I crumpled it.
"She's gone to the mall."
"Wait, that little pip squeak is going to the mall? That's a over run zone!" Daryl shouted over.
"I know!" I shouted back while running towards the door and opening it for the other's to get out of the store.
"She gave us those supplies, the least we can do is save her from getting eaten!"
I motioned to the other's towards the door as they all ran out.
Daryl and Maggie on the motorcycle, the rest with me in the car.
Putting the key in the ignition the car started up as I reversed out of the parking lot and drove off towards the nearby mall.
-Ariel's POV-
First time ever being here... Should be alright? I mean it didn't seem so bad when I checked the front of it a while back, sucks that I didn't go in though.
I sighed then opened the roof hatch, making my way down the stairwell I kicked down a Roamer down the stairs as it smashed it's head against the wall.
Making sure it was dead I stomped down on it's head and found myself being in a Athlete's Shop.
Well this is just perfect. New equipment would be lovely.
I smiled then walked around, there was sneakers, combat boots, basketballs, baseballs, baseball bats, hockey pucks along with hockey sticks, jersey's and jackets, bows for archery and some isle's that tipped over...
I shrugged then looked over at some of the combat boots, looking at a pair I seen solid black ones that seemed about my size so I took them off the display shelf, slipped my old sneakers off and tried them on.
"Perfect." I smiled as I kicked my old shoes to the side and tied up the laces to the combat boots.
After tying them up I walked over and seen a neat crossbow.
Hm... Maybe that guy would like a new one?
I looked through them all and picked out of the 10 that were on the wall, I packed in my backpack, 2 high priced and highly rated crossbows along with a decent amount of arrows.
I adjusted my backpack so it would be more comfortable for me and procecced to walk through the isles. Passing by the hockey gear, basketball equipment and volleyball equipment.
Didn't seem like anything else was in there that I would need so I poked my head out of the store, looking around the area; it seemed fairly empty. I was surprised about that.
I stepped out and walked over to a survival gear store, making sure that the Roamers down the area didn't see or hear me.
As I entered the store, it was like survival heaven. Guns, More Crossbows, Knives, Ladders, Flashlights, and more.
Oh this is beautiful.
Smiling; I walked over to the guns rack, some were missing as I expected.
I jumped over the counter and took a few of the guns that were there and packed along an amazing amount of ammo.
Perfect and now for some knives.
Jumping back over the counter I walked to the back of the store where I seen a crazy amount of Roamers.
Okay... Bad idea... Just get out.
I took a step back when I hit my arm off the shelf.
"Oh no." My eyes widened as they looked over and started walking towards me.
I turned around and sprinted out towards the athlete store when I seen some Roamers coming out of there as well.
God dammit.
I turned and ran towards the exit door which was all the way at the other end of the mall; stopping halfway I seen a huge pack of Roamers.
This place is over run!
I groaned then ran into a store, running inside I ducked down behind the counter, this store seemed clear enough that I didn't need to worry as much in here about a Roamer attack.
I sighed then took my bag off my back and looked at the supplies, filled the guns up with ammo I exchanged my pistol for a more up-to-date one. Zipping my bag back up I heard a gun shot that echoed through the mall.
Are those people suicidal?! Who is this freaking idiot...
I opened the curtain and looked out the window, the Roamers were slowly making there way towards the gun shot.
I'm gonna be stuck in this store if I don't run now...
Moving the curtain back I got out frm behind the counter and got out of the store, running in the other direction of the Roamers I took out my pistol to clear out some Roamers infront of me.
One.
Two.
Three.
"Ariel!"
Four Roamers.
I looked over and seen Rick stabbing a Roamer in the head with a knife as I ran over.
"Got my note, eh?" I laughed slightly while trying to catch my breath when I was pulled into a store while the doors were being locked.
"Yes we did and why would you even think of coming to this place?!"
I took my bag off and layed it down on the counter without saying a word I took out the crossbows and showed them to the man.
"Found these, choose."
The man looked over at Rick and smriked; "Looks like we got ourselves a scavanger."
The man took the more expensive crossbow as I took the one he was using before.
"The names Daryl."
"Ariel."
Looking away from the group I packed the things away and put the backpack on again.
"So uhm... Are we just gonna have a little campfire in here or are we going to get the hell out?" I raised my eyebrow as the group walked towards the back.
"We're getting the hell out of here."
I smiled; "Good."
As we climbed up the staircase and onto the roof of the mall I ran over to the side of the mall's roof; looking over there had to have been hundreds, if not thousands of Roamers gathering around.
"Woah." My jaw dropped as my arm was pulled back over towards the group.
"Hey gentle!" I shouted at the boy and pushed him off of me.
As I jumped down from the roof top, the rest followed but were being more careful.
"So are we running or driving?" I asked as the group pointed over to the car and motorcycle; "Sweet."
I ran over along with the group as Rick opened the car, I jumped into the backseat and layed my backpack on my lap as the boy and the korean man sat beside me. The woman with the katana sat in the front seat and Rick got into the driver's seat.
Daryl and the other woman went onto the motorcycle and before I knew it, we were driving away from the place.
"Who are you people?" I questioned to break the silence.
"Just a group trying to survive." Rick continued to drive, he sounded slightly pissed as well.
"I meant as people... Your name's."
"Michonne."
"Carl."
"Glenn and the girl on the motorcycle is Maggie."
I smiled slightly; "Nice to meet you all. So where is this 'prison'?"
"Just down the road. You'll like it Ariel." Carl smiled at me as I looked away and out the window. Holding tightly onto my bag I watched as we drove past a field with one Roamer walking in it.
It seemed so lonely... Reminded me of me in a way. Those 3 years, all alone... Scared of the world that I was living in. Now that there's people, it's not so bad. I don't feel as scared anymore but still, who knows how long this will last...
I pulled my hoodie over my head as my eyes slowly started to shut when we hit a bump in the road... Turning out we hit a Roamer and more were surrounding the car. I looked around the grabbed a gun out of my backpack; "Open the sun roof."
"What? Why?" Rick looked back at me as I waved the gun with a smirk on my face.
He sighed then opened up the small sun roof, I moved the bag off my lap and stood up as best as I could in the car and snaked my way out ontop of the car's roof; sitting on the edge of the sun roof, I told Glenn and Carl to hold onto my legs to make sure I didn't get pulled away by a Roamer.
As I was putting the ammo into the guns I looked at the crowd that formed around the car; "Damn these buggers are coming in fast!" I yelled into the car as I started shooting, either getting a direct headshot on the first try or hitting them in the shoulder then shooting again and hitting them in the head on the second try.
I even counted out how many I killed that were around the car.
...12...13...14...15...16... All dead.
I smiled then tossed the guns inside, Glenn and Carl let go of my legs as I crawled my way back onto my seat; "It's clear."
As Rick stepped on the gas but we were still stuck on the dead Roamer we hit.
I sighed then opened my door, looking down the road I could see Daryl and Maggie coming down so I had to push the car quick before more Roamer's showed up.
I slammed my door shut then crawled over the dead bodies and started pushing on the car, I hated the feeling of my legs being so close to Roamers... I mean what if one wasn't dead? And it bit me right now?
My eyes widened as adrenaline kicked in, I got a boost in strength as I started to push even harder against the car when it finally got over the Roamer body, instead of letting the car stopped I jumped up onto it and climbed my way to the sun roof.
I took a minute while Rick was slowly driving to catch my breath, I poked my head inside and smiled; "Mission Acomplished." I laughed and dragged myself inside the car and layed on the floor of it.
As the car started to go faster down the road I looked through my bag and took out my water canister, taking a swig out of it; I closed it back up and placed it back into the bag.
"I think I'll just lay here for the rest of the ride..."
The group laughed expect for Michonne, I wasn't so sure she even had emotions...