Two weeks. It had been fourteen days, 336 hours, and plenty of restless nights. Char was exhausted and on the verge of tears when she closed her eyes. The picture of her mum, da', and sister were still there.
Char didn't know when her hips began to get too skinny or when her fingers began to blister from twirling the necklace of rings on her neck too much. She would stop by a stream every day and shave as a reminder to herself that her humanity was still there. Humanity. There was honestly none left. People began to eat each other and feel no pain or guilt. It was hard to get past them at some times. They would crowd around Char and try to sink their disgusting teeth into her fresh skin. Besides the zombies, the smell was dreadful. Terribly dreadful.
Char had scavenged for a bandana, she found a black one with a skull pattern on a dead biker, and a bottle of axe. Once she found the items the bandana was sprayed and tied around her mouth and nose. It was an okay solution for the most part. It would slow her down when the knot was loosened or when it slid up her face during intense battles with the undead.
She sucked at fighting for someone who took hunting lessons and machete classes. She barely paid any attention to the instructions and courses because she was busy watching or obsessing over Tyler. Her machete, Joanne, did most of the work while her back up knife, that had been scavenged and taken off of a boy scout that was trying to eat her, was sitting comfortably in her boot.
She was currently sitting on top of a hauling truck, machete in hand. She twirled the weapon in between her pointer finger and thumb on the opposite hand. The setting sun glinted on the blade which partially found its way into her eyes. The sun was beautiful and Char really missed moments like this. The sky was exploding peacefully into shades of green-blues, light pinks, and electrifying oranges. It was beautiful to watch the colours mix and separate and just block out the loud gurgling of the zombies that were passing by her. They shuffled along, oblivious to the lovely sunset before them and teenage girl above them. Moments like these made Char wish for a pencil. She had her sketchbook but no pens or pencils to use. Without them it was useless to carry around the burden of dark memories, sad nights, and glorious days before this all happened.
A body stirred next to her, they were sleeping peacefully as Char kept watch. He was adorable. Keller was his name and he was barley even seven. They'd met after Char had run off from her dead family. She had found him in gas station, he was talking to his obviously dead mum and was crying about losing his stuffed rabbit to a "meanie in a suit." Char had reached the child before the zombie could sink her teeth into the small child. After killing his own mother in front of him he found it hard to trust her. Char had later found out about his autism and tried to explain the situation to him. He slowly understood and quickly changed moods. He was begging her to get his stuffed rabbit that was named Marius from the "meanie in a suit." She had nearly died saving the autistic child's rabbit before grabbing him and running out of the pumps. He reminded her of a smaller, male Sydney. His eyes were big and brown and his hair was shaggy and curly like her sister's. He was a few inches shorter than Char and constantly made fun of her "boys' name" and Irish accent. (She got back at him by calling him out about his German name meaning basement.)
Keller death choked his rabbit in his arms as Char slowly caressed the boy's hair. He was the innocence that was spared by the disease to Char. He kept her going when she was craving for another razor in her hand, sliding across her veins. He smiled in his sleep and mumbled names that were incoherent to her ears. A horrid screeching brought Keller out of his nap and Char out of her day dream.
Char stood quickly while Keller clung onto her leg. She looked into the distance and looked for any dangers. "Keller," she said while kneeling to his sleeping position, "Take this." She handed him her pocket knife and jumped onto the hood of the hauling truck. "Please don't go." Keller whimpered, "Keller doesn't want Charlie to leave." Char kissed his forehead and jumped off of the hood. She cautiously walked down the road and watched her every surroundings. Her arms went weak as she gripped the rubber handle of Joanne, "Please don't be anything bad."
The hill at the end of the road was a cliffhanger for Char's suspense. There it was. It was a sick scene that made Char run back to get Keller. A pregnant woman and her husband, most likely, were being eaten and torn apart by the monsters. "Keller!" Char shouted at the small boy. Keller got the hint in her voice and grabbed his Barbie backpack and Marius. She stood on her tiptoes and tried to reach for Keller's waist. She wasn't close by any means. "I won't let you get hurt Keller, please jump." she pleaded as she watched a few zombies slump over the hill. "Keller," she threatened as the zombies began to grow closer. Keller whimpered and shook his head, "No! Keller doesn't want to!" Char bounced on her toes nervously before jumping up and grabbing Keller's ankles and pulling him into her arms. Keller squealed and giggled as he handed the pocket knife back to Char, "Friends are coming Charlie!" Char turned around to see the zombies more clearly now, they were so close. Char bounced Keller up a bit higher and ran towards the woods where a set of railroad tracks sat. She knew there'd be a map somewhere which would lead her to a different city or town.
Char avoided the twigs and branches clumsily as she managed to carry all of Keller's weight towards the tracks. "We're okay, it's all okay." She whispered to herself and Keller. "We've got this under control," she smiled to Keller as she put him down, "We've got this little man."