Falling into the Undead
Chapter Three
Up A Creek...
IMPORTANT! I fixed the mistake. So, if you haven't already, please go back and read the last chapter first. Everything will make so much more since after that.
So, I will update this weekly for the next ten weeks. I'm sure I'll be able to keep up the weekly updates as chapters for this story have just been flowing out. I'm also about halfway done with part one (Season One). I'm excited to show you guys my plans for this story.
This will also be the last super long chapter for a while. All my future chapters so far have been relatively mid-size. I think it's the reason I've been able to get so far ahead, so I plan on keeping that up.
Also, I really love my OC's. I'm having so much fun writing them! I've just fallen in love with them.
I hope you enjoy this chapter. It won't be much longer now, and we'll be meeting everyone from the Atlanta Group.
But baby it's a jungle out there
The ones you counted on are all but gone
Baby its a jungle out there.
-Last Man Standing, People in Planes
The end of their stay had been right around the corner. They managed almost two weeks before her hand was forced. In that time, she had built a stockpile of supplies, most packed away inside of her car, while she kept three bags in the room with them. One pack, the largest, held her clothes, some medicine, two water bottles, a map, and food that would last her two days. The two smaller packs were full of the same supplies, but for each child. A bear was strapped to the outside of the blue bag, this one was Landon's, while the pink bag's only difference was that it held dog food for Nala alongside the girl's own food. This was their emergency supply, the packs went with them wherever they went, in case they got cut off from the rest of their stuff, or even, heaven forbid, each other.
Remington knew Nala would stick like glue to Maisie and would die trying to get back to her. The girl would be the safest of the two children if something were to split them apart. The thought alone scared her, she had grown attached to the boy in the brief time they had spent together, even though Nala and Pixel enjoyed spending time with the boy, Remington knew where their true loyalty lay.
If only dog shopping was as easy as it used to be, Remington would have gone out and found the boy one as well.
As it was, Remington had figured out where they were going right as everything had gone to hell for them. Landon had ended up being a well of information about the surrounding area, and where he, and his dad, were going before everything went to shit. She wasn't sure how long exactly it had been since the world had gone crazy, but she expected going into the woods would still be safer than where they currently were. It would do, for now, to get them out of the hot zone, because she suspected the town, they were outside was bigger than she had originally thought. Walker activity had picked up.
What had been the catalyst to push them out the door ended up being the sighting of other people. Remington grew anxious about the thought of meeting a group, terrified of what it could mean. Would they be nice, the kind that would take in a woman, and her two children, or would they be the opposite? The ones from nightmares stole her breath with just the mere thought, who hid in the shadows and took what they wanted.
It wasn't safe.
They would be moving soon.
Off to the hunter cabin that Landon's dad had been going to spend the summer in. The boy had it drilled into him where the cabin lay on a map. How to get to it if he was ever lost.
Remington woke early in the morning, disappearing into the bathroom to get changed into a fresh pair of clothes, before gathering their bags by the door. The dogs watched her from their place on the bed that the kids had taken. Grabbing the gun, she had found in Landon's room, Remington placed it into the holster at her hip. The machete she had found in another room was lying on the bedside table as she moved to wake the children up. Maisie blurrily stared up at her mother as she reached out toward her. Remington leaned forward to kiss her cheek before handing the girl their rations for the morning. Then moving to Landon, she did the same, kissed his cheek, before handing him food.
"I need to go up to the roof," she said, taking a bite of the slim jim and muffin that had become her morning breakfast most days. Grabbing her water bottle, she took a swig from it before placing it back in her pack. The water from the hotel had shut off yesterday, along with the electricity, the motor running dry. They had been dunked back into darkness, but with her careful planning, it had lasted longer than it normally would have. She had filled three, five-gallon jugs of water the day before last, in preparation for this event, knowing it would be useful, and needed it more than food if it came down to it. They were down waiting in the car, a car she had moved to be better hidden after she had heard an engine echoing from somewhere in town.
"Without us?" Landon asked, his eyes already moving to where she had placed the knife. He was a smart boy. At first, Remington had been reluctant to leave the machete with him, but he had assured her that his daddy had taught him how to use it safely. That he wouldn't hurt himself and knew how to use it to protect himself, and Maisie.
"Yeah. By myself. Want to go up there and take a view of the surroundings before we head out." Because they were going to head out. That itch under her skin had become more intense, telling her that she needed to move them, that something bad was gonna happen, and Remington always followed that itch. It had saved her in the past and she hoped it would continue to do so.
"We'll be safe," Landon says while he pets Nala. "I'll help keep Maisie safe." Smiling, she gave them both hugs before whistling for Pixel to follow. She jogged up the stairs, ignoring the way her breathing had become haggard at her fast pace. The door burst open as she exited onto the roof, the Georgia sun hot, baring down on her, even in the early morning hours. It promised to be a hot day, one that wouldn't be easy to travel in, but she didn't care. She could hear the distant moans reaching her ears sounding like a buzzing that never truly stopped. A few wandered down in the parking lot, not close to her car, where she had moved it and would be easy to make it there and be gone before the Walkers arrived.
Looking back toward town she didn't see the glint of sun off a moving car like she had the other day. They had been heading back into town, not toward her, seeming to have appeared from a road that led off into the woods, connected to the main road somewhere down the line.
The kids, dogs and herself would be moving in the opposite direction, taking the most direct way toward the highway, before heading in the direction Landon had shown her on the map. Taking a few minutes to scan their surroundings Remington made sure the area was safe enough to venture out into. Darting back into the building she made her way quickly down to her room where the kids were. Grabbing the three bags she handed each kid the one that belonged to them.
"We're gonna head out," she told Maisie as the girl gave her a small smile. "You stick close to me, and Nala, all right?"
"Yes, momma," she said as she reached out to grab Nala's collar.
Turning to Landon she motioned the boy to come closer to her. Grabbing the machete that still lay on the bedside table she hooked it to his belt, sending him a tight smile.
"I want you to keep this close to you. For protection, but if I notice you playing with it, I will take it away. I want to know I can trust you with this."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, confidence shining through as he wished to show her, he wouldn't break her trust.
"Stick close to me."
Grabbing her own bag, she strapped it to her back as they made to leave the room. If something were to happen, she wanted to have quick access to the second machete she kept on her other hip. Moving through the building would be the safest part of the trip but Remington still took all precautions she could. When they reached the front of the hotel where the door, she had jammed closed with a chair leg was, Remington made quick work of unblocking, and then unlocking it. This is where her heart began to stammer in her chest as they moved out into the open.
Anything could happen.
She had never allowed the kids to come out here with her, always fearful of what might happen, and had only ventured out when necessary herself. It wasn't something she would ever say to the children, but this world scared the shit out of her. Walkers roaming about eating people, never knowing if a human you ran into would be one with a moral compass, it was all a nightmare in her mind, and she hated venturing out into it. This was not a world she wanted to live in, not permanently, and definitely not with two kids to look after, who depended on her to stay alive. Everything she did was always planned thoroughly, with a backup plan if that one went to shit, and another one lined up right after it. She cleared a space completely before deeming it safe, and even then, she was always checking that it stayed that way. Remington Solace had to be one of the tensest people left on the planet.
The car she had parked underneath the awning was close by, only a couple of feet to walk before they made it to it. Never before had Remington been more thankful for the space the car provided. It held three rows of seats and a small place for baggage if they were all up. She had laid down the last row, making room to cram all their supplies into it, happy to know they would be set for at least two months with food if she used it smartly.
Crammed in with the food were jugs of water, a couple of blankets from the hotel, medicine she managed to scavenge, clothes for the kids, and herself, along with plenty of dog food. She piled some things for the kids to do, a few dishes to cook with, the bat that had been her first weapon in this strange world, and two cans of gasoline she siphoned from the other cars in the parking lot. She packed what she could at the feet of the kids as well, extra stuff they would need that wouldn't hurt to have.
Landon immediately jumped into the front passenger seat as Remington and Maisie walked around to the driver's side back door where Maisie's car seat was. Her eyes roamed the area repeatedly, scared that something would jump out at them. Nala jumped in with Maisie as she quickly went to buckle her daughter into the seat. Pixel stood on guard behind her, allowing her to turn her back on whatever danger might be out there, she trusted the dog to warn her.
As she was buckling the last piece a shot rang out.
Her body froze in fear before spinning around, searching the area for danger. The shot had sounded far away but the fact that it was even needed worried her. Like her, the people in the city seemed to avoid using guns. She hadn't heard a single gunshot in the weeks they had been here. To hear it now, out of nowhere, she knew something was going on, and it wasn't good. Either way, she needed to get her family out of here. Whistling, she motioned for Pixel to hop into the car, easily moving under Maisie's feet and back behind the passenger seat. He settled in between the girl and the other dog. Remington quietly shut the car door, not wanting to bring attention to them. By the end of the parking lot, she could see two of the Walkers she had spotted from up on the roof, their attention captured by the noise from the gun. They stumbled around, turning back toward the hotel, and at the sight of Remington, began to move with determination in their direction. Frowning, she pulled herself into the driver's seat, turning the car on, before driving off, leaving the undead to wander after them.
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They had been driving for three hours, the gas in her tank going from full to a little over halfway. The map she had been reading signaled that they had just a little under an hour to go, but the snare of vehicles, no more than five on the stretch of road, was too important for her to ignore. They had been lucky not to run into any trouble, to have any of the roads blocked, or waste gas meaningless. She was hoping that would keep up. Pulling the car off to the side of the road she turned to Landon.
"I want you to keep watch over Maisie. Neither of you are allowed to leave the car."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't take long momma."
Pixel followed her as she exited the car moving to the back to fill up the gas tank, and hopefully scavenge up some replacement. Tugging the canister to the first car Remington made quick work of draining it of what little gas was left. Three of the other cars were empty, but the last had been a little under half full, filling up the canister. Remington twisted the cap back on it, deciding to leave what was left for whoever stumbled across it next. She didn't have any way to carry more as it was. She would need to invest in more gas cans for the future. After storing the gas, she began to search the vehicles, looking for anything that would be helpful. Most were empty, full of random useless objects, that she shoved back in, but one, in a pack of clothes, was a small bag full of medicine and make-up. She discarded the make-up quickly, before glancing over the medicine. The basic pain and sleep meds were inside, but she found a bottle of antibiotics, barely used before its owner had left it behind. Remington shoved it into the bag she had brought along, happy to have stumbled across it.
Finding a couple of cans of food in the same car Remington moved to the last car, the farthest one away from where she parked. She hadn't glanced inside of it when siphoning the gas, had just been focused on the objective as she kept an eye on her surroundings. The area had been clear of Walkers, only a single dead body inside of the vehicle she had just left. As she grew closer what she had once thought was a pile of blankets turned out to be a single blanket, draped across a car seat. Remington stopped as she stared. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest as her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes closed against the sight. An unwillingness to touch the car hummed in her veins but she forced herself to take another step forward. Finding any item to keep her family going was important. Allowing for her own fears to keep that from happening wasn't an option. With shaking hands Remington opened the driver's side door, forcing her gaze to roam over the back of the car, but not to hesitate on the blanket.
Inside she found loose change, a couple of empty wrappers of candy, and a bag of moldy fast food. A quick search of the backseat told her there would be nothing but heartbreak to find back there. Remington held no wishes to find out if the car seat was empty or not. Instead, she let out a relieved breath when the trunk popped open as she pressed the button.
Here she found little of anything else. The only useful thing was a bag that people kept in their cars for emergencies. Inside was a thick blanket, some batteries, a rain poncho, a flashlight, some emergency flags, and a med kit. At the very bottom, she even found a couple of flares that had been thrown in carelessly. Zipping the bag back up she swung it over her shoulder, deciding to take it all and get rid of anything useless later when they were safely at their destination. Her hands gripped the top of the trunk when she heard the first growl.
It had come from Pixel, a low warning of danger. The second was louder, more animalistic. It wasn't as close, telling Remington that the Walker that had made the sound wasn't near her yet. Spinning around she saw that it was a couple of hundred yards away, breaking free from the tree line, two more following slowly behind it. Gripping the bag tighter she left the trunk as it was, beginning to move back toward the car. She had very little experience with the undead, having only killed the one, and the rest experiencing them from a distance. It wasn't something she wished to change today.
For all the courage she had managed to snatch up in the last couple of weeks, none of it ever stuck, always slipping away at the sight of them. She struggled to keep a hold of it.
Remington knew that she had always been just a little bit fearful. The world, back when it was normal, held dangers that would have her tensing on the darkest nights, but coming face to face with a nightmare, there had been nothing to prepare her for the feeling that washed over her every time. The iciness that froze her veins, the way her breath would hitch, her heartbeat galloping a mile a minute, and the way her body wanted to freeze. She would once again feel like a small child who was caught between running away and being far too terrified as she made the decision to run and jump onto the bed, to avoid being caught by the monster under the bed.
If it hadn't been for Maisie and Landon, Remington wasn't sure how she would have fared in this new, terrifying world.
Making a clicking noise with her tongue, she signaled for Pixel to fall back as they both made a quick getaway toward the car. They were driving away just as the Walkers made it up the incline to the road.
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It was evening by the time their small group had made it to the cabin. Landon grew excited as they turned off onto the barely visible trail that wound up to a small wooden cabin nestled back surrounded by woods. It was hidden, the turn-off almost completely overgrown, telling Remington that most people would overlook it. Unless someone knew that it was there, she doubted anyone would be bothering them anytime soon.
In the back, she could hear Landon telling Maisie all about the cabin as she parked in front of it. With a warning to stay put until she knew it was safe Remington once again left Nala to protect the kids, as Pixel joined herself. The only other vehicle she had noticed was a rundown old pickup in the back. It looked like it hadn't been moved in years, but she knew appearances could be deceiving. As she moved carefully to the front door Remington could feel the familiar chill run up her spine, as the whispers of potential danger tried to overrun her mind, to make her turn back and leave.
She couldn't.
There was nowhere else that was safe.
The Dead walked the earth.
She could no longer fear everything, couldn't let it control her life. If that meant forcing herself to clear a cabin out in the woods by herself, then so be it. It wasn't like she had anyone else to help her. Two children depended on her.
That was the mantra repeated to herself as she moved to lay her ear on the door and listen for any movement on the other side. Her hand raised to knock loudly against the wood, hoping that if there was a Walker on the other side, the sound would draw it out and prepare her, and if it was a human, to signal that she meant no harm.
Whispering to herself she sent out a prayer that there would be neither.
Another loud rap against the wood and she listened silently again for a few extra moments. Nothing jumped out at her from the other side. Not knowing if it was one big room inside, for if it held a bedroom closed off from everything else, Remington could only assume by the silence that there was nothing to fear on the inside. Twisting the knob, she was surprised when it didn't give way. Turning again, the knob mocked her as it stayed locked. Feeling frustrated at the lack of ease she had expected Remington turned around to ask Landon if he knew where a spare key was. She felt no need to break the door, or a window, wanting both to be fully functional in keeping anything out of the place while they occupied it.
The boy continued to be a well of information as he told her to look in an old drum can on the other side of the house. If she lifted it the spare key should be hidden under it.
Feeling better at the prospect of inside being empty Remington made quick work of locating the key and unlocking the door. As she swung it open and peered inside a wave of dust billowed out at the gust of fresh air entering the sealed room. It hadn't been opened in a long time she noted as she stepped into the building. Keeping the gun in her hand, trained carefully in front of her, Remington surveyed the empty room. The cabin had an open plan, barely big enough for the full-size bed shoved in the corner, a bathroom, and a kitchen. A couch was pushed to settle against the section of the wall across from the bed, a small TV nestled in the corner between the bed, and couch, as the kitchen took over what was left. The bathroom was placed off of the kitchen, cramping the space, but a smile lit up her face.
It wasn't as big as the hotel, but the cabin was still bigger than the room they had been piled into. It was safer out in the woods.
For now.
Remington knew she would have to take stock of the surroundings around the cabin. Figure out what was close by, but she decided to leave that for another day, after they had eaten, and slept. Tomorrow she would pull out the map, take another look, and plan to survey the nearest town or locations of interest. After all, being well informed was only part of the way Remington kept the kids, and herself, safe.
With the sun beginning its descent she knew they would have another hour or so of daylight, and she wanted to be settled beforehand. Giving the all-clear to the kids she watched as they dragged their packs to the cabin, as she grabbed her own. Afterward, she made to get rid of the sheets, and blankets on the bed, replacing them with her own, so they would have a clean place to sleep. She decided the kids would take the bed, and she would settle herself on the couch. The next thing she did was grab the line of cans she had painstakingly put together in preparation for them to leave. It was the only warning system she could come up with, with her limited supplies, and knew that it should work to tell her when anything got close by. Between it, and the dogs, she felt she would be alerted to anything remotely dangerous. It didn't make her feel as safe as she would have been if she had another pair of eyes to keep watch, but maybe she would be able to manage a few hours of sleep later tonight.
With all the preparations of safety she could manage, Remington grabbed their meal for the night from the car, leaving the rest of the supplies inside her vehicle, as she moved to join her children inside.
As night descended and everyone's stomachs were full Remington listened as light snoring filled the space around her. As expected, she didn't feel safe enough to close her eyes. Every breeze that shuffled the limbs outside, or made the cabin shift, would jolt her awake, her heart speeding a mile a minute, as she stared up at the ceiling. The shadows from the trees twisted the moonlight causing thoughts of reaching Walker limbs to invade her mind.
The next several days had fallen into the same routine. During the day she worked on getting the cabin in living condition, and at night she would lay wide awake, terrified, until the early hours of the morning, when exhaustion would take her.
It wasn't any way to live, and her body had begun to protest, but Remington simply didn't feel safe with her being the only adult in sight. She was wound up, constantly thinking of what could go wrong, and had thrown herself into planning, surveying, and coming up with ways to keep the dead from the cabin. One thought that had been thrown away was the knowledge that she knew the undead would leave them alone if they smelt like them. She had remembered this from the Walking Dead, but since she didn't know where she was at, not wanting to assume that she had somehow fallen into her old favorite series, Remington hadn't put it to the test. She also hadn't wanted to test Maisie's ability not to accidentally ingest some of the gore. A few days into their stay Remington had decided it was time to start surveying the area. She had left both dogs with the kids, making them promise they wouldn't leave the cabin, as she placed the gun at her hip and a machete on the other. The other, as usual, was left with Landon, with another reminder of being safe and not using it unless necessary.
Silence followed her trip deeper into the woods, moving toward where the map had stated would be a quarry. It was a way away, enough that it would take her most of the morning to reach by foot. She wasn't planning on going all of the route today, not without a vehicle to get there faster, as she didn't want to leave the children alone for a day, but she needed to see how the woods were. She had to know if the dead were still in the cities and towns, or if they had ventured out into the woods.
It was partway to the point of turning around that she had run into a few of the Walkers. She counted three. More than what she wanted to deal with by herself. As she had begun to walk backward one of the Walkers noticed her. It keened lowly, far enough away from the others, that none turned toward them. Remington stumbled back, trying to draw it far enough away, that when she killed it, the noise wouldn't attract more. Instead, her foot caught on a root, causing her to sprawl onto the forest floor, pine needles digging into her back, as she watched with wide eyes as the undead walked closer to her. Fumbling for the machete at her side Remington forced it from the sheath as she raised it up, gutting the Walker. It reached out towards her, his bloody fingernails wishing to dig into her flesh, as it snapped its teeth hungrily. Grunting with effort she forced it back and away, gaining ground, as she heard the sound of the other two Walkers catching sight of their struggle. A small noise of fear escaped her lips as she grabbed at its forehead, keeping its teeth away from her, as she forced the machete out of its stomach. Pushing it back she swung her machete up, cutting into its neck, as she forced the blade to keep going, until it connected with the brain, as blood smeared across her face and torso, gushing out from the wound. Closing her eyes, she felt as if the blade broke free, and the body fell with a thump to the ground, the body dragging her down with it.
The others were on her. She could hear their growls. Remington clutched her blade, feeling fear, only for the Walkers to stumble on by her. A strangled sort of surprised noise escaped her lips, the sound too low to be heard, as she realized the blood covering her face, and the front of her shirt hid her from their senses. She had been too afraid to try this before. Without it being a life-or-death situation, Remington did not want to make that mistake and force herself into one.
Taking a deep breath, to center herself, and draw up courage, Remington shoved the body from on top of her, and stood up, beginning to move slowly behind the first one, her blade lashing out, slicing into the back of its head. The remaining one slowly began to turn around, hearing the commotion behind it but was only met with the machete. Breathing deeply, Remington could hear her pulse pounding in her ears, as her body shook with the adrenaline and fear that had flooded her. The machete clattered to the ground as she bent over, hands on her knees, as she breathed deeply, in and out. It was almost too much. Forcing more air through her lungs, Remington knew that she was only having a panic attack, that her anxiety had peaked. She just needed to breathe to move past it. That was all. Remington kept repeating that in her head, not hearing the shuffling behind her.
A deep moan caused her breath to hitch as she felt fingers graze her arm. Throwing herself forward Remington moved to dodge the bite that had been aimed at her arm. Another flood of fear overwhelmed her as she tossed herself forward, blindly crawling through the grass as she moved to grab the machete, only to curse under her breath when she didn't come in contact with it. Why had she decided to go alone today, to leave Pixel behind? It was an idiotic thing to do, even if she had only been worried about the kids, and not wanting to leave them alone. To leave them without adequate protection in a new place, and one she realized was easier to get to than the hotel.
Letting out a sob Remington pushed herself to her feet, over calculating how much power she had used, and not seeing the drop-off in front of her. Her body began to overbalance, stumbling forward, the only thing saving her from rolling down was her hand darting out, grabbing at a root of a tree. A screech caught in her throat as the body of the creature behind her lunged forward, tangling with her, as they were both thrown backward, over the ridge, and down. The breath was forced from her lungs as her back hit the ground, and another body tossed on top of her, refusing to allow her to catch her breath. They were tossed over and over, locked together, as they rolled down the hill. Rocks dug into her body, causing her to cry out in pain, as she fought with the Walker who gnashed its teeth at her. At the bottom when they came to a stop they were thrown apart.
Her shoulder hurt, her back was bruised, and her side had been jabbed with a particularly sharp rock. All of this had to be shoved to the back of her mind as she listened to the groans that came from her left. It was pulling itself back to its feet.
Huffing, Remington scrambled to her feet, wavering, as her body felt too weak to keep itself standing. She ignored all of these problems, focusing only on the creature of death in front of her, baring down on her. Making to grab for the gun Remington hesitated. It would be loud. Would draw more to the area and become a problem later for her family. She had to find a way to silently take it out. Moving to push it back Remington dove for the hill, trying to climb back up, but sliding. The Walker moved to grab her foot, to tug her back down, as its teeth gnashed against her boot. Biting her lip to keep from screaming she slammed the heel of her foot into its head. It stumbled back before diving forward. Raising her leg she slammed it back down, shoving it to the ground, as she moved to repeat the action. Over and over, she stomped on it, watching as blood splashed to the ground, mucking her boots, but she didn't stop until it ceased to move.
Breathing heavily Remington swayed as she fell backward. Leaning against the dirt the ache of her body slammed into her full force.
She hated the dead.
Hated that she had to go up against them, kill them. Couldn't stand the way they caused her to feel terror in a way she had never experienced before.
Remington didn't understand how she came to be here. Why had she been forced into such a desperate situation? Why, whoever, or whatever, had brought her here, had forced Maisie here as well. It was by a stroke of luck that they had run across Landon, the boy, whom she didn't want to think of what would have happened to him if she hadn't stumbled upon him by accident.
It brought on another wave of despair and helplessness.
How was she going to make sure they all made it through this?
The idea that neither of those kids would make it caused a wave of anguish and anger to course through her. They needed her to survive. Without her, they would have no one to look out for them. She had to stick around until they were old enough to take care of themselves. That thought terrified her and she trusted no one that she would meet to be responsible for them.
Staring down at the dead Walker Remington felt the burden over her shoulders grow heavier. She needed to be tougher. Had to get over her fear of them. Couldn't freeze up or react too slow. It would get her killed. She couldn't allow herself to lose focus even when she thought none of them were around. Even Walker's blood wouldn't keep her safe if she moved like she was alive. Calling out to them that she was dinner.
Sighing, Remington forced herself to climb the hill. Up top, she staggered over to where she had dropped her machete. Fumbling until she grabbed it Remington slid it back into its sheath. Making her way back to the cabin she could feel that she may have hit her head during the fall. The ground in front of her swam, rolling, throwing her off course as she grabbed at a tree. Now that the adrenaline was fading away, she felt weaker. The need to get back to the cabin was overwhelming.
By the time she had made it back, the sun was high in the sky, and she had been gone longer than planned. A curtain rippled, slipping back into place, just as the door to the cabin swung open. Out ran Maisie tears running down her cheeks as she took in the shape her mother had come back in. Landon was only a second behind her, his arms reaching out to grab the smaller child, the machete strapped to his hip, as he stared at her wearily, and worriedly.
"Maisie, wait," he said. "You're supposed to stay inside. You promised."
"It's momma!"
A flood of pride rushed through her as she watched Landon with the little girl. He was protecting her, keeping her safe like he promised, even if it was against a worrisome sight as herself.
"Maisie, you weren't supposed to leave the cabin," Remington spoke, her voice faltering, as she wavered. Landon's eyes widened as he rushed forward, his hands coming up to steady her before Remington lightly pushed his hands away. "I'm covered in Walker guts. Don't want you to get any on you."
He didn't seem to agree with her opinion but continued to only hover behind her, as she walked unsteadily into the cabin. Maisie followed closely behind.
"Are you hurt, momma?" she asked fearfully.
"I'll be fine."
"Did a Walker get you?"
Feeling tired and weak, all Remington wanted to do was lie down, get clean, and rest, but she couldn't stand to see the fear in her daughters' eyes.
"A Walker didn't bite me," she said calmly. "I had to take a couple down and got hurt while doing it. I'll be fine, but mommy needs to get cleaned up."
Maisie nodded her head, moving closer to Landon, as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.
As soon as the blood was cleaned from her skin, and her clothes changed, Remington could barely keep her eyes open as she stumbled over to the couch where she slept. Waving her hand, she beckoned Landon closer.
"No one leaves the cabin. Understand? I just need to close my eyes for a bit."
"I'll keep us safe."
"Good boy," she whispered. "There's a couple of cans of fruit you both can eat with peanut butter crackers for lunch." He nodded as he grabbed the blanket, pulling it up to her chin, as she closed her eyes.
Exhaustion cascaded over her, and she lost the fight to stay awake.
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Landon sat on the edge of the bed, between where Maisie was curled up asleep at the head of the bed, and Remington was on the couch. She hadn't woken all afternoon. The sun had dipped down hours ago, and Landon had begun to feel uneasy. He managed to soothe Maisie to sleep an hour ago but doubt and uncertainty kept him from following. He listened to the steady breathing that came from Remington, relishing every breath that was taken, as he wondered which one would be her last. When she had arrived back home, she had been covered in blood, limping, looking half dead. Landon had worried she truly was, had turned into a Walker, and found her way back to them. When Maisie took off out of the cabin, he felt nothing but fear as he chased after her. She had promised to stay put while he dealt with anything, but one glance at her mom, had her taking off.
The terrifying thought that Remington had turned into a Walker and was only waiting to take a bite out of Maisie had him fearing the worst. The thought of having to protect the younger girl from her was not a calming idea.
After Remington had fallen asleep, she didn't move even an inch for the rest of the day, let alone wake up.
Landon did as told and at lunch fed them what had been laid out for them just in case, she hadn't made it back. The rest of the afternoon was spent with him trying to keep Maisie from growing worried and distracted from her nonmoving mother. He managed to find an old game board that he remembered his mother bringing back before she had passed away. It had been a favorite between the two, Candyland. This excited the girl for a while before she had grown bored once more. Three times he had to keep her from trying to wake Remington. He knew she needed the sleep, but deep down inside himself, he was worried that she would randomly turn into a Walker and didn't want either of them near her in the meantime.
Eventually, Maisie had roped him into playing with the dogs, the two animals hardly looking amused at the idea of their nails being painted. Landon was confused about how she had managed to slip any of the nail polish past her mother but accepted it easily as it kept her distracted. By nightfall, Remington still hadn't woken, and all Landon had managed to feed them was potted meat and cold beans. He was afraid to start a fire without permission and to make it up to Maisie, he had given her one of the little Debbie cakes for dessert.
When it was time for bed Landon had tucked her into bed like Remington usually did for them. Nala lying on the girl's other side, once Landon went to sleep himself, the dog would be between them.
Maisie had been scared, stating her fear of the dark, though Landon knew that wasn't the reason for the sudden anxiety, his own eyes sliding over to where the only adult was still passed out. He had climbed into bed beside her, shooing Nala over, to tell her stories his mother used to tell him in this same cabin. It had taken some work to ease her worries and to make her comfortable enough to sleep, but eventually, the younger girl nodded off.
That left Landon where he was currently staring at Remington, a fear suffocating him in the dark, as his fingers latched tightly onto the blade, as he desperately kept an eye on her breathing.
Before he knew it his own exhaustion took over his body, having him fall asleep at the edge of the bed, his weapon clasped protectively at his side.
The next morning, he was startled awake when a small body jumped onto him. A yelp escaped his lips as he scrambled up, the machete clattering to the ground, as his eyes darted blurrily around the room.
"Momma hasn't woken up," Maisie said. She had been what plowed into him. Her tiny fingers gripped onto his own as blue eyes darted back and forth between him and her mother.
"She's probably just sick," Landon said, not wanting to worry her.
"Sick like she'll die?"
"No, sick as in she just needs to sleep." He frowned, wishing the girl wouldn't ask so many questions, especially since he was just as confused, and only keeping together because Maisie needed him to be. He was the older one. He had promised Remington he would keep her safe. It was his job. Leaning down to scoop up the blade he held it in his hands as he tiptoed over to where Remington slept. Her breathing had become lighter overnight. He could barely make out the rise and fall of the blanket. Forcing himself not to shake, he didn't want to scare Maisie, Landon reached out to shake the woman awake.
She didn't stir.
He did it again, feeling a bit more confident when she didn't roll over and try to take a bite out of him.
When he was once again met with silence, her eyes didn't even flutter, Landon knew she wasn't going to wake up.
Behind him, there was a chorus of whimpers.
"Pixel and Nala have to potty," Maisie said softly. Her eyes were wide as she watched Landon, a sad tint to them when her mother hadn't woken up.
"I'll take them," was his automatic response. He didn't want Maisie outside where it wasn't safe, but his paranoid mind also told him it wasn't safe inside alone with Remington. He would never forgive himself if he had left her inside alone and Remington turned. Frowning, knowing it would scare and upset Maisie, but not having a better idea, Landon told the small girl to hide in the bathroom.
"Why!?" she cried, small tears beginning to fall as she begged to go with him.
"It's not safe," he said glaring. "What if a Walker came by?"
"You're just a kid too! What are you going to do?"
"I'm a bigger kid than you. I can protect myself."
"Can not!"
The little girl had begun to irritate him. He could feel the anger rising in his chest as the anxiety took over at how loud her voice had gotten.
"Stop being a baby," he said angrily. "You can't be loud. Until I get back go hide in the bathroom. I can't be worried about you. Your momma put me in charge."
Tears were falling freely from Maisie's eyes now, wetting her cheeks, and making the blue in her eyes brighter than before. The anger deflated from Landon as he hung his head.
"I'll let you have another cake if you go. You can color me a picture while you wait."
"Your stupid." The little girl was hurt, and scared, but she did as he asked, clutching at the little Debbie cake as she heard the door close behind her.
Now feeling guilty Landon quickly pulled the dogs outside so they could use the bathroom and run. They both darted out instantly sniffing at the ground. Landon noticed how Pixel spent more time in the area Remington had come back from while Nala did her business and waited by the front door. Easing some of his worries, Landon let the dog back into the house and put her in the bathroom with Maisie. The girl perked up at once, instantly dragging the dog to sit by her side, and happier than when Landon first left her.
Deciding that since Remington was still down, he would be in charge for the day, then that meant he would need to do the daily chores. Climbing into the back of the car Landon rummaged through the food to find the oatmeal he knew would be in there. They needed to eat but he would have to fire up the old wood stove. His father had taught him how to do that last summer and watching Remington had only refreshed his memory. He felt confident that he could make them a warm breakfast to eat. There was already wood chopped from the other day, and though he knew it would need to be replenished, he could put it off until later in the afternoon. If Remington wasn't awake by then, then he would be forced to do a little extra to keep them going. Especially since last night had been cold without Remington lighting the stove. She usually always did it every night to keep warm.
Allowing Maisie out of the bathroom Landon began to make work of the stove. It took him several attempts but eventually, a fire was going and soon he was using the teapot to warm up water for their oatmeal. He managed to burn himself as he was balancing the teapot and trying to climb down from the chair, he had pushed up to reach the stovetop. Hissing in pain he quickly moved his grip properly on the pot before filling their bowls. Once the oatmeal was cooking, he grabbed his water bottle, poured some of the water on a clean rag, and applied that to the burn. Maisie watched him in worry, but he put up a charade of nonchalance to keep her from crying.
As the day dragged on, he continued to try to wake Remington, only for every attempt to fail. She never stirred, or made a noise, only continued as if he never shook her in the first place.
By the time the sun was high in the sky Landon knew that he needed to check the perimeter. He had watched Remington go out and do it every day, several times a day. She always stated it was better to know what was out there than to allow it to sneak upon them. It could be a matter of life and death.
Maisie refused to go back to the bathroom but promised to keep an eye on her mother, and if she woke up, regardless of whether she looked normal, Maisie would run and get Landon. If Nala barked or made any sign of unease, she was to do the same thing. Feeling that it was a little unfair to her mother, Maisie eventually relented, telling him that she promised, as long as it kept her from having to go back to the toilet.
He managed to get Pixel to follow him out the door, feeling more at ease with the dog being with him, but entirely unsure of the commands that Remington used for him. It was always hand signals, and whistles, rarely ever words, and he didn't know what each meant. It forced him to rely heavily on worded commands himself, like come, and heel, two he knew from when his father had their bird dog. Pixel responded easily enough to them as he and Landon ventured off into the forest.
He remembered Remington telling him to never come out here alone, but he decided to push that command out of his head. She wasn't awake, hadn't been in twenty-four hours, and that was enough for him to feel comfortable making his own decisions.
He needed to keep them safe.
Remington had saved him once. He would make sure to repay the favor.
He followed the path he had seen Remington take. He knew out here she only went a certain distance away, usually past the point of the children being able to see, and made a circle around the cabin, to make sure there were no signs of the undead. The idea of running into one of the creatures brought a stab of fear to his heart, nearly forcing him to stop walking, but he knew it was important. The thought that he could take one down with his machete seemed laughable, but he could run. He wouldn't even run back to the cabin, knowing how bad that could be, if he led the Walker back, they could be trapped. No matter how scared it made him feel he would lead it away before running back.
Landon could only hope that he didn't run into any of the Walkers while he was out there.
The presence of Pixel's fur under his hand had a calming effect while they walked further away from the cabin. Eventually, he couldn't see the building when he turned around and though there hadn't been any signs of moaning, or shuffling bodies, he wasn't at peace in the trees like he had been last year. He reminded himself that last year there hadn't been creepy undead people either.
As they continued to walk, Landon silently counted the minutes, so he knew when to turn back, Pixel gave a sudden growl and began to lead the boy in a new direction. It was frightening, and though honey-brown eyes searched for any sign of what was upsetting the dog, he couldn't find anything. He walked off in the direction happily, deciding to follow the dog's command, knowing it was for the best, as they began to make their way back to the cabin.
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Daryl grunted as he stopped in his tracks, a look of irritation gracing his features as he glared at his brother, wondering what the hell he was stopping for.
"Merle, what-."
The older man held up a hand to silence him, motioning in front of them, where Daryl made out a flash of white, and red before it disappeared behind a cluster of bushes.
"The fuck do yah think a child that small is doing out here all alone?" Merle said, his brow raising in interest.
"There was a kid?"
"Had a damn beautiful dog with him. Some kind of hunter breed I bet. Could be useful."
Daryl senses his concern wasn't for the boy, no more curiosity. The dog had caught his interest, but Daryl wasn't a complete asshole like his brother, and the thought of a child out alone was concerning. He especially had no interest in stealing a dog from the kid but could only follow as Merle took off in the same direction. Whether or not Merle saw a kid didn't matter cause the kid had apparently taken off as the two hunters didn't catch back up with him until the trees gave way to a small clearing with a cabin settled at the center of it. The boy Merle had seen was at the front step, his hand on the handle of the door, when the dog growled a warning of their arrival.
The boy spun around, his eyes wide in fright, as his hands gripped the machete at his side tightly. The dog growled deeper, placing himself between them, and the boy.
"Now, now," Merle tutted. "Call the dog off boy. We're not here ta hurt yah. Just curious about why a small thing like yah is doing out here all alone."
"Merle, leave the kid alone," he muttered.
"Shut up, baby brother," he hissed under his breath.
"Leave the dog, we should be seeing if the kid is alone and if so take him back to camp to the others."
"Oh? Are we delivery boys now?"
"We're not assholes who mess with kids. For all, we know you're about to get us shot by the kid's parents."
"Boy, where're the adults? Old Merle's got a proposition for 'em."
Daryl let out a groan.
Landon stood not moving, his eyes narrowed, as he stayed tight-lipped. The curtain shimmered, telling Daryl that someone had been watching. The boy opened his mouth to speak, to tell them to fuck off, a word that would have gotten his ears boxed by his pa back when he was still alive, but the door to the cabin behind him was forced open. He stumbled back, as he had been leaning against it, as Maisie, with wide blue eyes shining, walked out. Landon could only grunt in annoyance as he turned his glare onto the girl.
"What did I say about stayin inside," he grumbled, as he made to grab her arm. He was scared that she would be hurt. It was his job to keep her safe. The words repeated in his mind's eye as she slipped away from him. "They could be dangerous!"
The little girl paid him no mind as she stepped away from the small porch and toward the men. She recognized them, their faces familiar, from back before scary creatures existed around her, but Maisie remembered those same creatures had been around these two men. They had killed them, keeping themselves safe, and if she remembered right, they had kept others safe as well. Her momma would even agree with her on thinking that they weren't strangers. Maisie was sure the younger man had even been called a favorite by her mother. She just couldn't place how she knew them, other than the fact that her young mind sparked with hazy memories, and the sense that she was safe, and they would help her momma.
"Are you here to help my momma?" she asked curiously, a look of desperation tinting the light blue eyes.
Merle, who had opened his mouth to yell out again, stopped at the sight of the girl throwing herself out of the house, and toward them. A smile lit up her face as she stared up at them expectantly like she knew who they were, and this was normal.
"What the hell are yah talkin about?" Merle grouched as he glared down in confusion at the girl.
Maisie reached out to grab at his hand, the older man flinching away from the sudden movement, as his agitation only grew. Normally this action would have caused the man to lash out, and hit whoever it was, but this was a little girl, a child, and even Merle had a rule against striking a child.
"You shouldn't curse in front of her," Landon said, having sprinted across the lawn to catch up with her. His hand shot out to grab once again at the girl and tug her away. Maisie frowned but having noticed the way the man moved away from her touch; she allowed the boy to lead her a few steps away.
"Do I know yah girly?" Merle asked, ignoring the other kid completely. Kids never ran up to him and he couldn't see a reason why that would change even after the world ended. Hell, even if the kid knew him, which he doubted, he knew she wouldn't be running up to him even then. He wasn't friendly enough with anyone that had kids.
Maisie didn't have the chance to answer as a presence at the cabin suddenly stepped out onto the porch.
Surprise! Dixon brothers. I know it wasn't a lot of interaction, but I felt it was just the perfect place to stop.
We will be seeing more of them next chapter I promise. And in most of the future chapters.
I love Merle Dixon. For those of you that don't, I'm sorry to say that he's going to play a big part in this story.
How do you guys like the OC's so far? What do you think is going to happen next?
Please, review and tell me what you think of it so far!