*This chapter is a lot shorter than the last two. The next one is longer. Enjoy!*
The hot Georgia sun sits at its peak, relentless with its blaring stare. The overhead canopy of thick green locks the heat into the forest and sweat pours down us like rain. Sam's blue and grey striped sleeves are rolled up tight against his muscular biceps and Dean shed his button up tying it around his waist. His light grey shirt is dark with sweat. My once white shirt is light beige from the dirt and blood, and the sweat makes the oversize shirt cling to my wet back making me even more miserable. My long waves are pulled into a messy braid that hangs over my right shoulder so that the dead sneaking up behind me don't have something to grab.
We walk through the forest for hours finding nothing, no water or food. Our bodies are dehydrated and the extra weight of me on the boys is wearing them down. I try putting some pressure on it while we walk, but end up making the pain worse.
"Hold up, I need a break," Sam breathes out. His long hair is damp; his fingers pulling it back from his red face. Dean grunts in response and the two lead me to the closest tree, setting me down against it. The woods are silent save for the insects and our heaving pants.
"Sit, you guys need to rest your feet," I command in a tired voice. Sam plops down immediately while Dean takes one last sweep of the area before settling down. Sam lays his head in his hands staring out into nothing, deep within his thoughts. Dean has his knees up with his arms resting on the tops of them, his head down. We're wiped and I allow my eyes to close for a second. Even if the ground is rough and my leg throbs it's relaxing. I bask in the moment enjoying the tranquility.
A loud crack in the distance snaps my eyes open, head whipping around for the source. Nothing to my right, but looking left I see them. At least seven of the undead have found us. Their decaying legs trudge through the underbrush, spurred on by the live meat sitting just feet ahead.
Dean and Sam are up in seconds, grabbing me roughly and dragging me forward. I almost stumbled, but Dean's arm snakes around my waist pulling me upright. The boys try running, but I can't keep up. We slow to a light jog with me hopping along to put as much distance between us and the walking corpses. The three of us manage to put a fair gap between them until my foot catches on a rock sending me to the ground, the boys tumbling with me. "Shit!" I moan, digging my scraped palms into the dry earth to push myself up. Sam lifts me but I'm spent. The lack of water, the heat, and the pain are too much for me to keep moving. "No, stop. I can't go any farther. We've got to take them out."
"Aria, we need to move now," Dean growls wrapping his arm around me, pulling me forward. Only my legs don't want to work and he ends up dragging me. Sam comes up behind me, sweeping my legs out from under me, and lifts me to his chest. I wrap my arms around his neck as the brothers start moving again.
I listen to Sam's heart pump wildly as he tries to keep up with Dean's pace, but we only get so far before the two of us fall behind. "Dean!" he calls out, "Aria's right. We got to take these suckers out. We aren't making progress with her hurt and as weak as we are."
Dean's eyes are wild with panic. He doesn't know what to do. If we fight, he and Sam will have to take on more corpses than they can handle while protecting me. "No, we keep moving. Hand her to me, I'll carry her."
The moaning grows louder. Sam sets me down on my good leg as I shake my head. "No. Prop me up against a tree. I'll distract them while you guys take them out," I order, unsheathing my machete. We don't have time to debate this. The fall earlier allowed the dead to close the much needed distance. Dean's mouth opens in protest when I pull my gun from my waistband. "If they get too close," I say with finality.
The two help me to a tree and I press up against the bark heavily, leaning on my right leg. The boys back away, Dean shaking his head and Sam's eyes filled with unwillingness. We're family. They're not just my friends, but my brothers. I know they hate putting me in harm's way but it's best. I press the large blade to my palm, dragging it across the soft skin releasing a trickle of red.
"Hey!" I call out towards the walking dead, "Come and get it!" I squeeze my hand, blood dripping to the dry earth. The corpse's noses go straight in the air as they all rush towards me.