AN: Hey all! Sorry totally didn't forget my password for a couple days. Whoops. Here ya go, we're getting closer to meeting up with the walking dead crew. Hope you all had a good week! Thank you for reviews, favs, and follows! -Z
"Holy crap Sophia, watch where you fling that thing." Ren shrieked, jumping back three feet, eyes wide as he glared at the girl. She grinned, flipping the knife in her hand. The handle was a cool metal, a sharp bite of chill as if to remind her that what was in her hands was dangerous.
"I was watching! I wasn't going to hit you." To be fair, she was confident that when she threw knives now, that they wouldn't go way off target. Ren just glared before grabbing the knife from the tree trunk.
"Uh huh. Sure." Ren pulled himself up on a branch, as soon as his legs were pulled out of the way, Sophia stepped forward, slinging the knife forward. "Hey, have you seen Royal?" Their chores for the day were done. Ren and Sophia were in charge of collecting water, firewood, and food once a week. Bella was in charge of patrols, killing off walkers, and prepping food.
Now, four in the afternoon, they could take a break. They still lived in the windmill, and it was becoming much more homely. There was now a lock on the door, only Sophia, Ren, and Bella knew the combination. Bella kept a box of back up food, ones that wouldn't go bad.
"No." She frowned, looking up to the window that the owl normally sat in during the day, sleeping. Normally, he sat there, head tucked under his wing, cooing from time to time. "Lately, he's been gone." She hummed, questioning exactly where the owl was.
"Do you think he's finally going wild?" The thought made her sad, their little owl, was he really leaving them? Faintly, she heard a groan, the gross hisses and moans from the undead. Ren sighed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got it." There was something about being within the gates, that made them feel so much safer. The monsters on the outside never seemed so scary. But, if they stepped outside, or ran into one while on a fishing trip, the fear was a hundred times worse.
There was a soft banging on the side of the fence, pointing to where it was. Ren climbed higher in the tree while pulling out his slingshot. They were both getting pretty good at climbing the trees, her hands were becoming calloused from having to catch herself, or support on the branches. The girl watched as he climbed through the branches. Carefully avoiding the newly sprouting buds, in about a month the apples would be ready to pick again. For now, they were completely out of apples, and they had to treat the tree carefully not to damage the future food.
"Holy... Sophia, stay quiet. Follow me." Ren dropped into a crouch, his eyes wide. Beckoning for his friend to follow, she did just that as Ren ran to the windmill, following behind him quickly, afraid of what they might find.
Bella froze, gun in hand as she stared out over the hill. The grassy knoll was surrounded by all lower ground, and it was only by chance that she was on the edge of the forest to see what was happening. It wasn't something she had ever seen before. There had to be at least 200 undead, all clumped together, moving as one. Headed right in the path of the windmill. Steeling her emotions, she had to get home first. Get home, pack up, and run. Pulling out her pistol, she breathed in deeply.
It couldn't stay peaceful forever, she knew that, but this reprieve was nice. And she ran, ran, and ran. Faster than she ever had. Weaving in and out of trees, she had to get there with enough time to pack up.
Sophia looked out the window, there were a few walkers, but that wasn't what got her attention. There, standing outside the gate, was Bella. Breathing heavily, eyes wild.
"Get everything we can carry, we have to leave, now." She yelled, climbing her way over the fence. Immediately, Sophia and Ren ran for their bags, packing up everything in sight, dried food was stuffed in the bags, clothes, water, everything. Just as Bella grabbed the ratty blanket in the corner, she froze, hit with deja vu. Because curled up in the blanket, was Royal, sitting on a nest of eggs.
"Crap." Breathing. What was she supposed to do? Leave the owl?
"There's a huge horde incoming. They'll be able to decimate this place. Take down the fences and everything. We have to leave now." Without thinking, Sophia secured the backpack on her, giving her free arms before looking at Royal apologetically.
"Sorry Royal, but we gotta do this." She swept up the nest, being careful not to squash the eggs. Royal squawked, screeching at her, landing on her shoulder and nipping at her head. She ignored the looks from Ren and Bella as they grabbed everything they could.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Ren pick up their stash of weapons, leaving behind the few books they collected. She ignored the twinge of pain in her chest, books couldn't kill a zombie or an unfriendly human. Cradling the nest, she ran down the steps, Bella threw open the gate, letting them run.
They were close, they could hear them. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, they ran through the trees. Inside, Sophia had to mourn the loss of their home. Gone. The sense of safety left her, and for the first time in a month, she idly wondered where her mother was, if she was safe. If she was still alive, did she miss her daughter?
By then, Royal just clung to her jacket, hooting, waving his wings around impatiently. The woods went on seemingly forever. They had mapped out quite a bit, they knew what they were getting into.
"We have to get out of the path. Come on." Bella urged for them to follow, taking a sharp right. They were running. Again. Safety gone, where could they possibly go?