I slowly opened my eyes at the sound of the engine cutting off, and I heard the door next to me open a moment later before I was hauled out of the passenger seat.
'Ow,' I mumbled, grasping my chest with my free hand as the stranger ignored my complaints and continued to drag me up the few steps that led to the front door of a house, pushing it open to pull me inside before kicking it shut with ease behind us. We moved through to the sitting room where I was deposited onto the couch, the girl retreating through to a different room where she dropped the car keys on a table with a clatter.
I cast my gaze around the dark interior of the house, taking note of the dusty photos spread throughout the room as the blonde girl opened some windows to allow fresh air to circulate through the stuffy building. Shifting into a more comfortable position sent another wave of pain through my chest and I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for it to pass, opening them once more when the blonde girl lowered herself onto the couch beside me, a small bag in hand.
'Lift up your shirt,' she told me bluntly, raising an eyebrow when I regarded her cautiously and made no move to do as she said.
'I'm not going to steal your damn organs, lift up your shirt already,' she instructed a second time and slowly I did what she asked, holding it out of the way as she lent forwards to probe my chest gently, only removing her touch when I jerked back in pain.
'Ow!' I exclaimed, wondering if she even had any idea what she was doing.
'You've got a cracked rib, here,' she said briefly, removing a tub of painkillers from the small bag and chucking it into my lap. 'Don't go over the dosage.'
With that she stood abruptly and without another word left the room to disappear upstairs. I watched her go with a frown, I knew nothing about this girl but here I was doing everything she told me without question, what the hell was wrong with me?
Another wave of pain prompted me to open the plastic tub and swallow two of the pills with some of the water that the blonde had placed on the table beside me. After a quick look at the dosage I took a third as an afterthought, fed up of the aching in my chest. I soon regretted that decision when I was overcome with tiredness, the mixture of painkillers and lack of sleep taking effect. The last thing I wanted was to leave myself vulnerable in this strange, unknown place but there was nothing I could do as my heavy eyes shut and I fell into a deep sleep.
Upon waking I had no idea where I was, my sleep had been deep with none of the usual nightmares that plagued my mind, my slow return to reality met with confusion as I stared up at the painted ceiling above me.
'Well look who's finally awake, took you long enough,' a voice sounded close by with a familiar Australian accent. I tipped my head the slightest bit to see my rescuer sat with the back of a chair facing me, her legs wrapped around either side as she rested her head on her wrists.
Slightly disconcerted to find her staring at me, I pulled myself slowly up into a sitting position, having stretched out over the couch at some point during my sleep. My chest held a dull ache that matched my throbbing cheek where the man had backhanded me yesterday. I brought a hand up to feel the tender area, running a hand through the mess that was my hair and groaned at my predicament.
'You've been out all of yesterday and last night, talk about rough,' the blonde girl commented from her position on her chair, an eyebrow arched when I threw her a dark glare. This was not how I had planned things to happen, I should've been back with my family by now, not here with this stranger. I jumped slightly when a cereal bar flew through the air to land beside me, startled by the unexpected movement.
'Thought you might be hungry,' the blonde stated, rising from the chair and moving into the kitchen to rummage for some food for herself. I stared down at the food blankly, grabbing it a moment later before standing and turning to face the girl as she emerged from the kitchen, an identical bar in hand.
'I need to get to the coast, I can't stay here,' I told her firmly, watching as she walked back around the couch to her previous position on the wooden chair.
'Well good luck fighting those walkers with a cracked rib and no weapons,' she retorted ripping into her cereal bar as she settled back onto the chair, taking a large bite as she waited for my response. Aware that she was right I slowly lowered myself back onto the couch, watching the girl warily as I wondered what she was hoping to achieve from all of this.
'You live here?' I asked after a moment, opening my own cereal bar to take a tentative bite, soon realizing just how hungry I was.
'For now,' she replied, both of us watching the other carefully as we kept all personal information to the minimum, she was still a stranger despite having saved me. In the apocalypse people were never all that they seemed. They could be nice to your face and then plan to rob you blind when your back was turned. It was self profit and made each and everyone person left paranoid about others intentions.
'What makes you so desperate to return to the coast?' she asked in response, tipping the chair beneath her at a ridiculous angle and I wondered how she managed to balance it in such a way.
'My family are meeting me there,' I offered, not willing to go into any more detail until I knew more about who I was revealing the information to. 'What about you, any family?'
'I don't need anyone else,' she told me bluntly, rising from the chair to throw her wrapper onto the table. I didn't push for anything more, we were both testing the other at this point and I was hardly forthcoming.
'And how are you planning on getting all the way back to the coast?' she inquired, making me uneasy as she moved out of my line of sight. I did not know how far I could trust this girl yet.
'You drove me here so you can drive me back,' I snapped, irritated at how hopeless she made the idea sound, I would get back to the coast even if I had to walk. Though a car would be far more efficient.
'And why would I do that?' the other girl asked, her voice icy in retaliation to my commanding tone. I took a small breath before replying, I really didn't want to get on her bad side quite so soon.
'You're the one who kidnapped me,' I exclaimed.
'If that's what you call saving your life multiple times,' she scoffed, indignant that she hadn't done anything wrong.
'You drag me out here without my permission, and I don't even know where we are!' I bit back, the feeling of irritation rising with every word the blonde spoke.
'You shouldn't be complaining, most girls only get invited back after the third date' she replied smoothly, winking meaningfully as I gaped at her in astonishment. What the hell was even happening right now? Shaking my head at the unexpected turn in conversation I attempted to return to my train of thought.
'Please, can you just take me back to the coast?' I asked wearily, tired of the back and forth between the two of us.
'Sure, seeing as you asked so nicely,' she agreed, and it made me wonder what the catch was. I regarded her suspiciously as she adjusted the leather jacket she wore and dropped a pair of sunglasses over her eyes with a mysterious smile.
'Hey, where are you going?' I inquired, twisting in my seat to watch her disappear out into the kitchen and through what I could only assume was the back door. She was so difficult to deal with. The sooner I was back with my family the better. For now I could only wait and hope that she returned.
After at least an hour of mind numbing boredom where I had eventually relented to making up stories for the old occupants of the house did my kidnapper finally return, whistling under her breath as she kicked off her knee high leather boots and unstrapped the blades from her back to place on the small table.
'Where the hell have you been?' I demanded, annoyed that she had just sauntered off without even letting me know. It was also to mask the relief that I felt when I heard her return, no way was she knowing that.
'Why? Missed me?' she purred softly as she passed by the couch, collapsing gracefully down into one seater chair on my right, resting her legs on the arm of the chair as she sprawled over the cushions. Her blades showed no sign of being used so she hadn't encountered any trouble wherever it was she had been.
'You're making it difficult for me to trust you,' I told her, regarding her suspiciously. I knew next to nothing about this girl and she was hardly open regarding her actions.
'I don't need you to trust me, you need a lift and I can provide one,' she said with a smirk, a private joke that I was not included in and I was instantly wary of the meaning behind her words.
'Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to you,' she assured me, not that it eased my worries in the slightest.
'Like yesterday, when you killed anything that moved?' I remarked, remembering how effortlessly she had disposed of the walkers and the cruel man. It had hardly seemed real.
'Yeah my bad, I totally should've let that creep haul you off and sell you for a bottle of water,' she said sarcastically, placing her arms behind her head in what looked like quite an uncomfortable position though it didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. 'That is, after I let the walkers devour you.'
Couldn't argue there, a silence fell between us and I couldn't understand why I felt so reluctant to thank this girl for her help. Without her I would not have survived, though something stopped me from expressing my thanks even if I was secretly grateful.
'How do you survive alone?' I asked quietly after a moment, I was so used to having all of the others around me on the boat. My mom, brother, even step-dad. How she could be okay with being so alone I couldn't understand, let alone know where she had picked up such impressive fighting skills.
The girl shifted in the chair and lent forwards, resting her elbows on her knees as if seriously considering how best to answer.
'Being aware of danger at all times, not being afraid of facing impossible situations and being an exceptional fighter with killer looks also helps,' she replied with a wink, kicking her legs up on the chair with a chuckle at her own humor.
'Well someone clearly isn't insecure,' I muttered, annoyed by the girls boasting. It struck me that she had yet to show any kind of vulnerability and a thought occurred to me as I looked up and regarded her closely.
'Is all this just an act? You make yourself seem so invulnerable yet still you saved me. Distancing yourself like this is-'
'Don't act like you know me,' she interrupted sharply, standing abruptly from the chair and leaving the room after sending a chilling glare my way. I had barely started what I was about to say yet it had drawn out such a strong reaction. Whoever this stranger was, there was certainly a lot more to her than she was letting on.
'When do we leave?' I asked tentatively when the girl finally came back down, unsure of where we stood after her earlier outburst.
'Tomorrow morning,' she told me, perching on the arm of the chair as if nothing had ever happened. 'I was on my way to Santa Fe when you showed up, you're lucky I was around.'
'Santa Fe?' I inquired, frowning at her destination. Why was she going so far? 'It'll take you days to travel there.'
'Not from here it won't,' she replied, settling down to pull out her weapons and take stock of how much ammo she still had.
'Wait? What do you mean not from here? Where the hell are we?' I asked, scrunching my face up as her wording caught my attention. For all I knew we were just down the road from where she had picked me up. The girl looked up at me in surprise as if she thought I knew.
'Well you're not in San Diego anymore cutie, this is Arizona,' she told me, looking back down at her weapon as I gaped at her in astonishment.
'Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with you?' I exclaimed, hardly able to believe how far she had taken me from the coast.
'I said I'd take you back didn't I? Hell, as if saving your life wasn't enough,' she bit back, clearly having expected more gratitude. It was hard to be grateful when I was hundreds of miles away from where I needed to be, I wasn't even in the same state as my family. How I had stayed unconscious in the car for so long was beyond me, it would have taken hours to drive such a distance.
The next day I woke early, having done nothing but sleep for the last few days. Now I just wanted to get back on the road. More than ready to leave this house behind, I stood from the couch and stretched tentatively, feeling only a slight ache from my ribs as I did. I rifled through the kitchen to find a cereal bar and could do nothing but wait for my companion to rise. I was ready to go up and get her myself when I heard what I assumed was her door open and shut with a click.
'Morning cutie, ready to go?' she said whilst descending the stairs, a smirk forming on her lips when I scowled angrily at her.
'It's Alicia, and I've been ready for hours,' I snapped, annoyed by this girl's carefree attitude.
'Let's get going then,' she replied brightly, flicking her aviator sunglasses down over her eyes before holstering the hand gun at her waist. Knives strapped to her inner thighs and leather jacket firmly in place she looked like she was born for the apocalypse.
I watched with a confused frown as she walked through the kitchen and out the back door, biting my lip as I followed cautiously behind. I was certain that we had left the rusted car outside the front of the house when we had arrived.
'Hey, what are-' I began, only for my words to die away when I emerged to see the girl leaning casually against the wall of the house next to a gleaming motorbike, blonde hair flowing freely over her shoulders as she waited for my reaction. I had to admit it suited her image perfectly. I gaped in astonishment for a moment before shaking my head clear of any admiring thoughts and realized exactly what was expected of me.
'Your ride awaits,' she said dramatically, gesturing elegantly to the motor bike which she clearly adored.
'No way in hell,' I objected immediately, no way was I getting on that death trap. The blonde frowned at my refusal as if unable to believe why I would be opposed to the idea.
'You wanted a ride and here it is,' she added, gesturing again to the machine at her side. I shook my head a second time, tensing slightly when the blonde pushed away from the wall and prowled towards me.
'You wouldn't be...scared of anything right?' she asked sweetly, moving out of my line of sight to whisper in my ear as she circled me. I cleared my throat when I felt her breath on the back of my neck. I could only shake my head as she came around to my front again, a half smile on her face as she returned to the bike and pushed it out into the road.
'Then hop on,' she directed, watching through her dark sunglasses as I slowly approached, not wanting to look weak in front of her. She lifted her leg over the seat and settled into place, kicking the bike into life as she gestured for me to do the same. I moved closer to the metal bike as she watched me in the side mirror, hovering my hand over the shining surface before stepping back with a shake of my head.
'Your loss,' she announced, shooting me a roguish smile before the bike roared to life beneath her and the next moment she was off in a blur of blonde hair as she sped down the road, not even glancing back over her shoulder as she disappeared around the corner. The sound of the bike faded into the distance and I gaped after her, unease growing stronger with every second that ticked by. Surely she was not just going to leave me here?
I had almost convinced myself that she was truly gone when she rounded the corner once more, blonde hair flowing wildly at her back, though my relief was short lived when she showed no indication of changing direction and the bike continued to barrel straight towards me.
Jesus, this girl truly was insane I thought in a panic as I jumped clear of the oncoming vehicle, throwing out an arm to catch my fall. Pain shot up my arm at the unplanned landing as the blonde pulled sharply on the handles at the last second, slamming on the brakes as she circled back to where I lay on the ground.
'Shit,' she mumbled, kicking down the stand before hopping off the bike to jog over to me, reaching down to help me up.
'What the hell are you doing? Don't touch me,' I snapped, pulling away from the outstretched hand as I rose somewhat unsteadily to my feet .
'You okay?' she asked with a concerned frown, watching as I rubbed my now tender arm.
'I'd be feeling a whole lot better if someone hadn't just tried to run me down with their motorbike,' I muttered, wincing in pain at my newest injury. 'Let's just get the hell inside before any walkers come to see what the noise was.'
The girl looked like she wanted to say more but merely nodded and led the way back inside.
'How's the arm?'
'Hurts,' I told her briefly, still far from pleased about the earlier incident with the bike. I had honestly thought she was going to run me down if she hadn't pulled away at the last second.
'Oh come on, how many more times do you want me to apologize?' she huffed, throwing her arms up in exasperation as she went to and fro, picking up any small items to fit into the already bursting rucksack.
'Until you actually mean it,' I retorted, glaring at the girl as she checked in the drawers under the broken TV for the third time, surprising us both when she pulled out the car keys with a triumphant smile.
'I knew they were here somewhere,' she insisted, because god forbid she put them on the table top like any normal person. In fact I quite clearly remembered her putting them in the kitchen the night we had arrived, so why she had moved them was a complete mystery.
After pocketing the keys in her tight fitting jeans, she threw herself down beside me on the couch with a sigh.
'I really am sorry about your arm, why don't you let me take a look at it?' she offered, turning her head on the plump cushion to face me though I refused to even look at her. Sensing my continued annoyance she twisted in the chair so that her whole body was tilted towards me.
'It's perfectly fine,' I told her, relaxing my arm in an attempt to show that there was no need for any poking and prodding on her part. It soon backfired when a sharp pain shot up from my wrist and I drew in a sharp breath as she continued to watch me patiently.
Sighing in defeat, I finally relented with a small nod and she scooted even closer to gently look over my arm, her eyes focused in concentration. I glanced over as she worked; surprised to see her usual tough exterior fall away as she became distracted in her evaluation and again I wondered where she had picked up her medical knowledge.
A twinge of pain burned through my thoughts and I jerked my arm back as the girl smiled apologetically, rising to her feet as I rubbed my arm irritably.
'Nothing broken or in need of amputation so good news, it's just a sprain, though I would recommend wearing a sling for a few days,' she reported, not waiting for a response before she shot upstairs and came running back down with a piece of ripped material in her hands, wrapping it over my arm and shoulder before I could even protest.
'All good to go,' she said with a broad smile once the sling was in place, walking into the kitchen to strap the two blades across her back and equip herself with the wide array of knives that she was in possession of.
I pulled myself up from the couch and was only waiting for a few moments before she came back in, looking ready for a war as she bent to pick up the bag of spare weapons and slung the backpack over her shoulder.
'I'm telling you right now that there is no way in hell I am getting on the back of that metal machine, so if-
'Jeez Alicia, no need for lecture, we're taking the car so don't stress yourself,' she cut in, gesturing for me to follow her out of the house. Glancing up to the end of the street I saw a group of walkers ambling down towards us, pointing them out to the blonde as she came out behind me.
'Looks like they heard you complaining from miles away,' she teased lightly, pausing at the bottom of the steps before quickly running back to lock the door, shoving the keys away as I continued on to where the car was parked a few metres away. I didn't know why she bothered to lock up the house, I supposed it was a sense of normality from the old world that we all wanted to cling to.
I stopped abruptly on the pavement as a thought occurred to me, and I heard the blonde swear softly when she collided straight into my back, placing a hand on my shoulder to steady us both before sidestepping around me to the rusted car.
'What the hell is your problem?' she inquired as I watched her circle to the driver side of the car, keeping my gaze on her as I moved to the opposite side of the vehicle.
'I still don't know your name,' I said, wondering how I had been in her presence for so long without even thinking to ask. She glanced over her shoulder to where the walkers where steadily approaching before turning back to me impatiently.
'It's Elyza, now get in the goddamn car,' she growled, sliding into her seat and slamming the door shut as I followed suit, my door barely closing as the engine stuttered to life and we were quickly pulling away from the house and oncoming walkers.
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