Hellooo! Sorry my chickpeas, I know it took long for this chapter but so much has happened I haven't really had much time to write. I'm juggling college work, health problems and other stresses, but don't you worry I will update! I hope you enjoy this Chapter, I want to get Callie's 'Grr' starting :) Love you lots like Jelly Tots!
Elly xxx
"Dixie" Callie whispered, happy to see him back. He licked her on the leg, almost in a response, and the two crouched behind the bench together. Callie noticed something on the floor ahead of her that looked familiar. So familiar she had to get it. She stood up slightly and shot a walker in the head, its body slumping neatly to the ground. She was surprised at how empty the street was, only a few walkers around walking aimlessly to find something.
She guessed it was because of the sudden mass of cars leaving, and had realised hey were attracted to noise. She looked around quickly and ran up to the walker, pulling her arrow out of his head and sweeping the object off the floor. She continued running with Dixie to the wall between two shops, and hid down the little alley way after checking it was clear. She opened her hand and her eyes immediately filled with tears as if they were programmed to.
She looked down at the little bracelet her sister wore with her name on it in pretty beads. Callie remembered the day they had made it together, how excited Zephy was about having a bracelet with her name on it so no one else could have it. Callie slipped it around her own wrist - her wrists were tiny like her sisters so it fit perfectly. She took a deep breath in and bent down to Dixie's level. "Dixie, we gotta find her. She's dropped this here and she was wearing it when she ran off, so she has to be here" Callie said quietly.
Dixie licked his lips in agreement, and Callie stood up, her arrow already clipped to her bow. The two of them walked out the alley way, Callie checking down the road for walkers. The two ran towards the convenience store and Callie pushed her back against the wall by the door as Dixie ran in to check if it was safe. He trotted back out and jumped up at her, before walking back in with Callie following. She looked down every aisle, ignoring the stacks of food on the shelves.
Her sole intent was to find her sister, and she hoped with all her heart that she was there. Callie's heart sunk as she looked around the last part of the shop, and walked back over to the aisles. "We gotta get her Dixie" she said darkly as she grabbed tins of food and put them in her bag. As soon as she had zipped it up, the two were back outside the shop and heading for the next one along, hoping they would find Zephy alive.
After scouring all the shops in the town again and again, and even standing on top of a roof and calling out her sisters name, Callie sadly headed back towards her house. All she could think about was how she left her sister, how she had just gone without her. Even Dixie walked with his ears down, his nose trailing along the floor in sadness. Callie sighed and walked in through the front door, looking at the dead body of the walker on the stairs. She turned her nose up at it and shut the front door behind her, making sure she wasn't followed.
Dixie ran up to the food bowl that was on the floor and snuffled at the food in it. Callie felt a sadness wash over her - Zephy had filled the bowl with fresh food every day in hope that Dixie would come home. She dragged the body of the walker down the stairs by its hair and slumped it in front of the door, hoping it would ward off any other walkers that tried to come near her house. She smiled sadly at Dixie and picked Zephy's shoes up that were by the front door.
"C'mon, let's go up to bed" Callie said, and Dixie followed as Callie bought the food bowls and his bed up the stairs with her. She walked into Zephy's room and picked out some clothes, summer and winter ones, and took them back into her room. "Just in case we find her, she can change her clothes" Callie said as Dixie looked on at her quizzically. She sighed and pulled the box back in front of her door, before shutting it and turning the key in the lock.
She walked over to her bed and spilled the contents of her bag out onto the sheets. Dixie snuffled at the sheets and Callie looked at him. "He left me..." she whispered, and Dixie looked up at her sadly. Callie sniffed once and moved back to the stuff on her bed. "So we have canned fruits, lots of beans, dog food for you and lots of tinned meat. Should keep us going" Callie said placing it all back in the bag. She clipped her water bottle to the side of the bag, put Zephy's clothes in and zipped it shut.
It was getting dark and the lights were dimming slowly as the electricity started to shut itself off. Callie sighed and flipped the switches in her room, taking out candles and using them as a light source instead. She felt a sudden determination and grabbed her arrows, checking each one individually as she sat on the bed. She was frightened, but the determination to find her sister, her father and Daryl pushed past the fear. She put the arrows back and placed them by her bed, along with her bow and her bag.
She pulled her clothes off and grabbed a pair of black jeans and a white top, putting the others in the bag and pulling those on instead. She pulled her socks on and left her khaki boots until last, zipping them open and leaving them next to her bag. She ruffled Dixie's fur and he rolled over on the bed, exposing his tummy in a hint for a belly rub. Callie smiled and scratched his tummy, looking out the window and into the forest.
"We're gonna find her Dixie. We're gonna find Zephy and Dad, and then we're gonna find Daryl. We can do this, just us" she said, and Dixie sat up in front of her. She gently cupped his sweet face in her hands, his whiskers tickling her hands. "We're gonna do this together" she said, and Dixie licked her nose in agreement. Callie smiled and looked out the window again, her determination spreading over her face.