Elyza and I set off early the next day, we still had many hours of driving until we reached Santa Fe. I still had no idea who we were meeting or where our specific destination was in Santa Fe, if there even was one.

'So this group of people we're meeting, what are they like?'

Elyza chewed thoughtfully on her gum, pushing back a strand of loose blonde hair that had fallen into her face when a particularly strong breeze had gusted through the open window. It was too hot to keep them closed even as the summer months began to draw to an end.

'Some of the best people I know, they're a crazy bunch but a good kind of crazy,' she said with a smile. 'You'll like them, at least I hope you will.'

It was about the best I could get from her, possibly because she didn't want to build our expectations only to find no trace of them. I had once asked what had happened to separate the group but she had been reluctant to answer, something I was getting used to.

If we did meet up with them in Santa Fe I would get more answers, but for now we just had to focus on getting there. We had been driving for around four hours already, almost half way to our destination when we stopped for a short break. I hopped out of the passenger seat and stretched out my stiff muscles. The road we were on extended in front and behind us in a seemingly endless stretch of abandoned cars. I shielded my eyes from the sun and couldn't even see where it ended in the distance.

'Don't go far Alicia, there could be walkers anywhere.'

Elyza had her head bent over the hood of the car where she had laid out a map to reminded herself of the route. It was with a familiar bubble of annoyance that I was reminded of my mom's constant worry over my safety. She had never felt it necessary for me to use weapons, relying instead on my brother or Daniel to keep an eye on me. It was only with a huge amount of persuasion that she had allowed me to go on a supply run and even then it had been with Nick's assurance that he would keep me safe.

I was done being protected. It was about time I learnt to defend myself.

'Can you teach me how to fight?' I said suddenly, blurting the words out before I could change my mind.

Elyza looked up from the map, regarding me silently before slowly standing upright. I braced myself to receive all the reasons why it would be unnecessary, mentally arguing every point in my head so that I would be prepared. The one thing I didn't expect was to receive a wide grin in response.

'Finally, I thought you would never ask!'

My nervous anticipation at how well the idea would be received melted away in an instant, finding no reservations in Elyza's expression. For whatever reason she was more than willing to share her knowledge and I couldn't have been more relieved.

'It makes sense,' she explained, seeing my surprise at her acceptance. 'I wasn't going to force any kind of training on you, it had to be your decision. Some people embrace the apocalypse and learn to survive in this new, unforgiving world. Though there are those who prefer to hide from it, not wanting to bloody their hands in the fight against the undead. It's up to each individual to decide where they stand.'

She was right as usual. Elyza was a perfect example of the first statement, more than able to fight her own corner in the apocalypse. I had however met people who cowered behind others for protection, more than happy to stay behind the danger line and find a safe place to shelter until a better solution made itself known.

I had been pushed into the second category for so long now, and I couldn't stand it any longer. The apocalypse tended to change people, and now it was my turn to step up.

'I know you'll teach me well.'

'You'd best believe it,' she replied with a grin, moving forwards to stand in front of me. 'Let's run through the basics.'

I hadn't been expecting such immediate action but there was nothing stopping us. We were on an abandoned stretch of road with some time to kill before setting off.

She first ran me through some basic fighting stances before moving on to the more important rules of fighting the undead. Our sessions would be more multi-purpose than anything. There was no saying that I wouldn't be fighting off a someone as well as a something.

'Needless to say go for the brain. A strike to the temple is always a good one to go for. Though never assume it's dead, always check. You don't want to turn your back and find it chewing on your ankle seconds later.'

It was all good advice and I listened carefully to every word, she hadn't survived this long by being careless. We focused on the use of blades for the time being. Firing shots was always a way of attracting more of them, besides I was more comfortable with a blade in hand than a gun.

With our short session over in around thirty minutes, Elyza pulled out the duffel bag of weapons and unzipped it.

'Pick something, anything you want.'

I looked down into the bag and pushed aside the ammo and guns to find the close contact weapons at the bottom. With little hesitation I pulled out the knife, still in its sheath, which got an approving nod from Elyza.

She shoved the bag away and rooted through the trunk of the car to pull out a belt holder which she passed over to me. I strapped it around the waist of my jeans and found that the knife settled comfortably at my hip.

'We've got incoming. Best to make a move before they get here,' Elyza noted, already returning to her side of the car as I glanced over my shoulder.

The long stretch of road gave us the advantage of being able to see further into the distance and I identified a small group of walkers shambling towards us, their figures still small dots at such a distance.

'Always be aware of your surroundings,' Elyza advised, turning the keys in the ignition as I slid into the passenger seat. 'Always assume there's a walker close by and you're prepared for anything.'

We were driving for a few more hours along the seemingly never ending route when Elyza finally pulled off at an exit, the road narrowing asI frowned in confusion.

'Is it not quicker if we continue straight on?' I asked.

'It would be faster yes, but it would also be dangerous going straight through Albuquerque. Best to avoid cities where possible.'

'She says, driving us to one of the largest cities in the state,' I teased.

'Lets call this an exception then,' she grinned. A frown crept onto her face a moment later and I felt the vehicle slow as she gazed out of her window. 'What the hell is this clown doing?'

I lent forward in my seat to peer around her to see what had caught her attention.

A collection of houses were situated just off the road, their boundary marked with a high chain link fence. A man stood at the entrance, desperately pushing against the gates which were the only thing standing between him and at least ten walkers.

He was attempting to secure a chain around the gates to hold them in place but was having no luck with the undead grasping at him through the gap with guttural groans. The thrum of the engine alerted him to our presence and with a quick glance over his shoulder he turned and fled from the creatures.

'You think we're giving you a ride buddy?' Elyza murmured to herself as she watched the walkers force their way through the gate with no opposition before stumbling after the panicked man. He looked to be middle aged, round cheeks burning a bright red as he staggered towards us.

'You're not seriously considering leaving are you?' I exclaimed, reminded of my last attempt to rescue someone. Elyza shook her head, remaining completely relaxed even as they drew closer.

'Don't worry, I'll be nice,' she replied, turning back to flash me a quick smile. My pulse was rapidly picking up speed and almost stopped when the man tripped over his own feet in his rush, thankfully regaining his balance before he became the walkers next meal. 'Though if he falls on his face and gets eaten, I am not responsible.'

The walkers appeared to be fairly fresh from what I could make out. Their movements, although jerky, were surprisingly fast on the slight downhill slope and I silently urged the man to move faster.

When he finally did arrive at the car, his face looked like it was about to explode from the exertion, clearly not a man who kept in shape. He collided with Elyza's door and cast a fearful look over his shoulder before slamming his hands against the metal.

'Help me! Oh God please, let me in!' he cried, rasping breaths accompanying the plea for help and I waited expectantly for Elyza to unlock the doors and allow him access. Instead, she wound the window down, staring him dead in the eye as she raised her handgun and pointed it at him through the gap. His eyes widened and I could almost imagine the conflict in his head as he wondered if he had just stumbled across someone just as dangerous as a walker.

'Elyza,' I breathed quietly behind her, wishing she would just let the poor man in so we could get out of here.

'Hi there, you injured?' Elyza asked him, her tone flat as he stared back in first despair and then annoyance.

'Just let me in, they're going to kill me! Have mercy!' he cried, almost sobbing as the group of walkers closed the distance.

'Yes, they will rip through you without a drop of mercy. Or I could just shoot you right now. So tell me, are you injured?' she repeated, not seeming to care either way what happened to the man.

'No, I'm not. I swear on my children's children! For the love of God will you just let me in!' he shouted, shaking visibly as he faced death from either the barrel of a gun or the walking dead.

I couldn't just sit there and watch the man be devoured right outside the car, so I leaned past Elyza and flicked off the safety latch without a word. The man seemed to forget the gun pointed at him and threw open the back door to launch himself into the passenger seat.

'Now drive,' I instructed the blonde, who tucked her gun away in her jacket with a shrug before stepping on the gas. The grasping hands of the walkers must have been mere inches away when we pulled out onto the main road again, their hisses fading as we left them far behind.

I sat back against the my seat with a deep breath, not yet having mastered Elyza's ability to remain calm no matter what crisis was taking place. A few moments later and the man would have joined the walkers. That, or been shot by Elyza. Not an outcome that I had been willing to let play out.

'Are you okay back there?' I called to the man. He was gasping in deep breaths of air as if he had been deprived of oxygen, his face still a bright red as he held up a thumb in the mirror.

'Yeah, yeah, just catching my breath. No thanks to that psycho,' he muttered, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the headrest with a sigh. Elyza tensed at the insult but made no remark, fixing her gaze ahead on the road.

'That was you being nice?' I growled, unable to believe her reluctance to help this poor man. Without us, his chances of survival would have been slim at best.

'You can't always trust people Alicia,' she retorted, glancing in the mirror warily every few seconds as if he might jump up without warning.

'You can't just let people die because you don't trust them!'

That caught her attention and a flash of annoyance crossed her face. She knew that I was referring to the lady back in California as well as the more recent incident.

'You may think it's harsh, but it's how we're going to survive in this apocalypse.'

This just kept on happening though and I knew that if in that position I would want someone to show me kindness. In fact when I had been in danger, Elyza had saved my life multiple times without any idea who I was.

I was about to launch into another argument as to why she should try harder to help people but was stopped short when the cold, metal muzzle of a gun pressed firmly against the back of my neck.

'Sorry sweetheart, but I'm afraid your friend here is right. Can't trust nobody these days.'

I stopped breathing for a second, pressing my lips together as I realised what a fool I had been. Elyza automatically reached for her own gun but her hand stopped mid-air when the man behind me clicked his tongue in warning.

'Don't even think about it,' he growled, 'and if this car slows down even a fraction, I will blow your girls brains all over the windshield.'

Elyza's expression darkened at the threat but she slowly brought her hand up to the steering wheel, glowering at the man in her mirror.

'What's your name?' she asked tightly, switching her gaze between the road and the mirror.

'Steve,' he grunted after a slight pause, thrown off guard by the question.

'Well then Steve, listen closely. I will kill you for this, and then I will kill you again when you rise as a walker' she told him, the man shifting slightly at the pure anger in her tone but made no effort to respond. I gulped as the gun continued to press against my neck, fearful that the slightest jolt in the road would cause his finger to tighten around the trigger.

Elyza reluctantly handed over her gun when instructed, not wanting to risk defiance with a weapon pointed at me. Her hands were clasped tightly around the steering wheel as he told us what he wanted.

'I'm glad I bumped into you girls,' he said almost cheerfully, as if we were all best of friends. 'Things were getting a bit out of hand back there.'

'Yeah, you were doing a pretty pathetic job,' Elyza agreed, feeling nothing but fury for this man. I couldn't say I felt any different, though it was accompanied by a heavy sense of disgust.

'I bet you don't even have children do you?' I said without even realising, remembering his earlier promise.

'I swear on my children's children!'

I closed my eyes briefly at how naïve I had been. The world certainly had changed since the apocalypse, and not all for the better. Steve chuckled behind me, apparently finding this whole situation very amusing.

'Of course not, little brats. I can't believe you-'

He grunted suddenly and grasped at his chest with a free hand, scrunching his face up in pain before continuing.

'I hate running,' he hissed, massaging his chest firmly. 'Anyway, as I was saying. I need a lift and you're going to provide one. I would ask nicely but it seems we're past that now.'

Elyza bit her lip to stop herself blurting out any insults that would only be rewarded with a bullet in my head. I flicked my eyes in her direction and could see just how tense she was.

'Why don't you just lower the gun now, I'm not going to try anything so-'

I gasped when the gun pushed even harder against my neck, my words cut short by the sudden movement.

'Enough of that, this is your final warning before-'

It was his turn to stop talking when his words morphed into a pained groan and I thought for a second he was going to shoot me by accident when he doubled over on the backseat with panting breaths.

'No, this can't be happening!' he shouted, a glance in the mirror revealing his face now almost a deep shade of purple as he gurgled in pain. He tried to choke out some more words but was unable to, holding his chest with a agonised grimace as he began to writhe in pain.

'Elyza, I think he's having a heart attack,' I whispered, terrified as the heavy weight of the gun remained at my neck. Even in such a state he knew what dropping the weapon would mean for him.

'Yep, I did notice,' Elyza replied, still not able to make a move against him with the weapon still aimed at me. 'The second he turns you're going to have to take him out.'

The road ahead of us was littered with the undead, taking all of Elyza's concentration to weave us through the bodies at such a speed. If she stopped now then it was more than possible that we would not only have one walker to deal with, but several.

'Not if I have anything to with it,' Steve screeched, shaking his head as if to clear his vision. 'If I'm dying then you can...'

His words trailed off as he slumped back into the seat, gun falling from motionless fingers to hit the floor with a thud. I sprang to life a second later, twisting my body around to grasp for the gun but was jerked back by my seatbelt.

With a string of curses falling from my lips, I fumbled at the buckle with shaking hands. Once free of the restraint I grasped for the gun again, desperately stretching out my hand to brush at the weapon with my fingertips.

'Come on Alicia,' Elyza urged next to me, swerving to the left around three walkers who were blocking the road. That momentum was all I needed to get a secure grip on the gun and heaved myself back into my seat without a second to spare. What was once Steve suddenly jolted back to reality with a low moan, his milky eyes rolling around in a crazed manner as he regained the use of his limbs.

This was the short window in which I had a chance to take him out and swiftly raised the gun to point at his head. Go for the brain, I remembered and with barely a second to prepare myself I squeezed the trigger.

Click.

I stared in horror and pulled on the trigger again.

Click. Click.

'Son of a-'

My words turned into a scream when the walker lunged forwards with a snarl, it's clawed fingers attempting to grip my shoulder before I pulled free and fell back against the dashboard. In a panic, I grasped at my knife and unsheathed it as the walker switched its attention to Elyza, who was unable to do anything other than duck away from its flailing arms as she drove.

She shoved an elbow back into its distorted features, but that didn't stop it for long and it darted forwards for another try not a moment later. It's gnashing jaws didn't even get close to latching around her arm when my dagger was shoved firmly into the side of its head, causing it to shudder before falling still once more.

I heaved out the dagger with a grunt of effort before shoving hard against its shoulders so that it fell back against the seat, head lolling before It dropped to its side. I kept my eyes fixed on it for a moment until I had convinced myself that it really was dead this time, then twisted back to slump into my seat.

Elyza was easing her foot off the pedal as we came to the end of the tide of walkers who had been spread over the road, all of them now having changed direction to follow our vehicle. We continued on in the near silence for a good few minutes until they were a safe distance behind us. I was still somewhat dazed from the turn of events, everything having happened so quickly I could hardly keep up.

We finally drew to a stop at the end of another lane, this one having no walkers or men running towards us. Elyza threw her door open immediately and hopped out, opening the passenger door so that she could grip the corpse by it's legs and heave it out of the car. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud and Elyza grimaced as she used all of her strength to haul it to the side of the road.

I stepped out of the car, adrenaline still racing through me after the close encounter. I placed a hand on the hood as I steadied by breathing, unable to take my eyes away from the slumped corpse. Elyza dusted off her hands with a disgusted expression and returned to stand at my side.

'And that Alicia, is why we always ask questions before we let just anyone get into the car,' she said, not angry or disapproving as I had anticipated.

'Lesson learnt,' I replied, shuddering as I realised just how much worse that could have gone. One of us could've died, or even both of us. 'I'm sorry I questioned you, it was stupid to think I knew better.'

'Never stop questioning Alicia, as long as you learn from your mistakes.'

She turned her back on the corpse and put a hand gently on my shoulder to turn me away from the sight. Still somewhat in shock, I resisted the motion and turned back to face her.

'It was my fault this happened. I should've known not to trust him. I almost got us both killed.'

It was all coming out now, the blur of words falling from my lips before I could even process what I was saying. The realisation of what had just happened was now becoming clear, Elyza knew better than to let anyone in without questioning their motive. She had been right not to grant the man access so easily.

'It was about to bite you. You would have been turned,' I said in horror, remembering how close the snapping jaws had been to tearing through her arm. I could've rambled on, and most certainly would have if Elyza hadn't taken a single step forwards and pulled me up against her, my face buried in her shoulder as her arms tightened around me.

'I'm fine, you're fine, and that's what matters in the end,' she said soothingly, the worry in my chest easing moments later. I relaxed my grip after a few seconds, aware that I had been clinging on like my life depended on it. No sooner was I relaxed did Elyza step back again, if only so that she could see my face.

'Not everyone is as kind or honest as you Alicia, the world can be cruel like that,' she told me, and it was a truth that I was slowly coming to terms with. As much as I wanted to see the best in people, it wasn't always there to be found.

'Thank you,' I said simply, not just for what she had done today but ever since we had met. I honestly didn't know what I would do without her.

'Let's get going,' she said softly, aware that we were losing daylight and we had planned to get to Santa Fe before nightfall. We returned to our seats, a comfortable silence settling between us as we drove on through the dry landscape.

This certainly wouldn't be a lesson to forget. I had more trust in Elyza now than ever before, she knew what she was doing and I was certain that I was going to learn a lot from her.

About half an hour later we took an exit off the highway, a sign reading Los Lunas with an arrow directing us to the right. I was concerned at how far we still were from Santa Fe, with night drawing in we would soon have to stop and wait for the morning.

I was about to inquire what Elyza was planning to do when a puff of smoke began to trail from the hood and the engine stuttered weakly as we rolled to a stop.

'Crap,' Elyza muttered, slamming one hand onto the wheel before getting out to inspect the engine. I followed close behind, taking a step back when she lifted up the metal cover to release a billowing cloud of smoke.

'Think you can fix it?' I asked, the fumes tickling my throat and bringing about a few sharp coughs. We backed up further, Elyza waving her hand through the air to clear the smoke.

'I have many talents Alicia, but mechanic is not one of them,' she sighed, looking sadly at her beloved vehicle. My concern lay with the two heavy suitcases that had been shoved into the trunk. We could hardly continue on foot to the city anyway.

'Now what?'

'We can always scout around on foot for a bit, doesn't look like we'll be getting to Santa Fe today. We can find another car and set off again in the morning.'

Moving on foot didn't exactly appeal to me after the relative safety of travelling by car, but it didn't seem we had much choice. From the amount of smoke currently billowing up from the engine, I doubted it would be in a fit state to travel anywhere.

We left our bags in the car so that we could move faster, planning on returning for them once we had found a suitable place to stay. I had my dagger firmly strapped at my waist and Elyza had her usual blades and handgun. With a last glance back at the broken car, we set off on foot into the village of Los Lunas.

Leave a comment and tell me what you thought :)