p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc83e8c10a8f75e9147d6254ffd10dba"My hair stood on end, a shiver raced down my spine and a lump came to my throat. It was them. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Why do I have to see these things?!" /emAngry, frustrated, cold, and wet... and seeing the ghosts of my family. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Mom, Dad, and Lukas. Standing there, like the damn apocalypse didn't even happen! Clean and groomed, looking at me with concerned and scared looks. I just stared blankly, no emotion on my face at all. It felt as if electricity was splintering in my eyes, boring holes into trees, and the faces I held so dear. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Go. Away." I seethed at them. They still stood there, the same expressions sending stabs of pain through my style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"They were scared of you anyway, it was only a matter of time before they left you. /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I t-thought I told you to shut u- up." I stuttered out, the coldness of the night causing goosebumps to travel across my body. Every breath made my chest scream in pain, and moving my arms made my whole body shake. I could nearly stand, my legs feeling like static. Bruises covered my chest and back, multiple lacerations rubbing against the torn shirt. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /It was a struggle, but I had finally gotten it off. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The contents of my bag sat on the other side of the small fire, my attempt at drying them. I threw more wood into the fire, watching as embers shot into the air. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I scooted closer to the fire, moving my arms from my chest to expose it to the radiating heat. I didn't have a mirror, but I could feel the warmth on my face, blood dripping from different cuts, and bruises there to. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I really just look like I took a beating from the Hulk." /emI thought to myself, easing the tension. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My eyes averted from the fire, the dented first aid kit sitting beside my shirt. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Everything in it is probably destroyed... /emThe voices commented. I thought this too. And it's why I'm hesitating to open the damn thing. I don't want to believe that I'm helpless out here. I can imagine the box, open, the contents wet, tattered, in ruins. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Go on, baby." My mother said from behind me. I didn't bother to turn around and met her eyes, my body to fatigued. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I scooted, and half rolled, to the drying items. I grabbed the white box, a bloody handprint staining it. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I'm sitting cross legged in the middle of the forest in my boxers. I chuckle to myself, my body vibrating with every laugh, then they turn to quiet sobs. And I'm holding my face, trying to hold myself together. But I'm failing. And I'm falling away. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I open the lock, my hand just holding the metal for a second, before pushing it open. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /There was water, but it wasn't a lot. Everything seemed to be okay. "Thank god for individual wrapping." I mumbled between saddened breaths. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I poured out the water and closed the box, deciding to wait until morning to fix myself up. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Better to bandage up a cleaned wound."/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ca5d59d4287676779048cda3ccfc17f1"I didn't sleep well, or rather, at all. My senses were heightened, and my ears focused on every sound I could hear. Crickets chirping and passing animals. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Survived the night though, props to ya', J." /emThe voices almost feel sentient. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I kneeled at the edge of the river, looking at my reflection in the water. I was right. Cuts and bruises decorated my face. I had massive bags under my eyes. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Must be the insomnia. /emI put my hands together, forming a bowl, and scooped up some water. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I looked at it before I did anything, checking for anything that shouldn't be there. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Clear. /emI splashed my face, rubbing at it, the wounds starting to bleed again. I watched as the stream carried away the droplets of blood. I did that more until I felt it was enough, even wetting my hair. Taking more scoops of the cold water, I washed myself off the best I could, paying careful attention to the cuts. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I walked back to camp, immediately patting my clothes. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Dry, Thank you. /emI thought to no one in particular. I moved over to the first aid kit, pulling it closer and examining the contents. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I grabbed the alcohol pads first. I nearly used all of them disinfecting all the cuts. It burned like hell, but I wasn't going to let an infection slow me down. I then grabbed the bandages. I put the adhesive bandages on my arms and legs, but the cloth one I would use for my back since I couldn't see it properly. My shoulders ached from having to stretch in odd positions to reach my back, but I managed. After I was all wrapped up, I grabbed my clothes and slipped them on. Followed by my shoes that I had sat out in the sun while I style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I picked up the padding that once covered my body. Cracks ran up the head plastic, a huge hole in the middle of the chest plate. The arm and leg pads were still usable, and I slipped them on. Scratches covered the black surface of them, reminding me of my glocks kill count. I rubbed it with my thumb, the memory of that damned bridge forever burned into my style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Crouching near the river, I looked at myself in the reflection. I definitely looked better after cleaning up. The cuts were now covered with adhesive bandages, and the bruises had lightened up due to the cold water. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Less of a mess, but still a mess./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I started putting everything back into my bag, thanking the sun for drying it. In the process of doing so, a photo fell out of the side pocket. I picked it up, just realizing that it was our family photo. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The faces looked unfamiliar, but it was them. They were civilians then, not the survivors I know now. Or used to at least. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I slipped the photo into my pocket as I finished packing. Turning and looking, deciding which way to go. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Let's try up." I said to myself, grabbing the bag and slinging it over my shoulders. I ignored the throbbing pain it sent through my body as I began my ascent. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I fought, finger and nail, to climb it, almost slipping here and there, before regaining myself and continuing. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Finally pulling myself up on to flat ground, I laid on my gut for a while, the warm cement soothing against my face. I stood, looking back at the steep hill I had just conquered. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Fuck you." I breathed out, turning on my heel and walking up the road, following the river upstream. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;"You don't even know how far you went. How do you expect to find them? I'm willing to bet that when, or if, you find them, they'll be trying to take a chunk of flesh out of your face./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Ignoring the voices, I continued walking, pulling out a watch from the backpack and situating it on my wrist. "12:38" I read aloud. "Most of my day is gone already."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0b073ea1c409fb0f8f39345b4259cb8""3:07" I read with a raspy voice. Walking for all these hours, my feet had to be blistering in my boots. I stopped on the side of the road, hiding myself in the brush to take a breather. My hair protected my neck from the sun, the waves of it cooling my skin as it conformed to the curve of my neck. About shoulder length, bangs of it protecting my eyes from the sun as well. I pushed it out of my eyes multiple times, frustrated with it. "I can't wait to cut you." I told my hair as if it was a living thing, then laying flat on my back on the shaded, cool, earth. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I haven't seen a lot of walkers lately." /emI thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Maybe their congregating somewhere." /emI looked up at the leaves that blanketed the forest, sun shining through them. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Gotta keep my guard up though./embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I shuffled through my bag, inspecting the rations I had. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I could eat the crackers, but my mouth would be dry then, making me drink the water. I want to try and save it for as long as possible." /emI frowned in annoyance. I need to find some place to scavenge. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I shot up to my feet, the distant growl of walkers getting closer. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Just when I thought I had peace." /emIt doesn't sound like many, maybe I can take them. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""3 or 4? I hit my head pretty hard, how can I count on my senses?" /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I picked up my bag, shoveling everything back into it before starting back on the road. My body ached badly all over. My hands instinctively held my gut, the bruises and cuts screaming at me. As I walked, I noticed that I had started to limp. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I hope this'll go away by itself." /emA limp meant that it would be harder to run when I needed, and when I needed to fight I'd have a disadvantage. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""This is all just grand!" /emSarcasm is something that will never die. With the pain screaming at me to stop, I realized that I won't be able to protect myself if/when I get attacked. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I have a style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I have a knife. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A knife I can't use right now, and a gun with only 5 rounds left. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I really need to scavenge."/embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I'm going to die out here if I can't get my shit together. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Walking for hours on end now, the sun going down, and the sharp pain dulling out and becoming numb. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I can't stop. If I stop I die." /emI thought repeatedly. span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"That's right, keep walking, survive. /spanMom, Dad and Jonah have joined me now, walking along side me. I could feel myself losing energy. I pulled a rubber band out of the bag, double twisting it on my wrist. I snapped it a couple times, waking myself up. I felt my senses spring back to life, and it stayed that way for about 25 minutes before I felt myself fading again. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I'm not sleeping. I'm not sleeping. I have to keep moving. I have to find my family." /emI silently encouraged myself. The snapping rubber band leaving red marks on my wrist, making it go raw after so long, but I didn't stop. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Keep walking. They could be in trouble. You could be a minute too late, and they'd be dead because you weren't there to help them. Don't stop. That's a waste of time. Time is precious. /spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I take a couple drinks of my water, eat a couple crackers, losing the feeling in my legs and everywhere else. I couldn't see the water, but I could hear it. Still following it. No sign of walkers, or worse, people. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /em style="box-sizing: border-box;""Maybe if you stop being so guarded you could find a group that will help you." /emMy Dad chuckled. "You're not dead. Go away." I grumbled. "I only see dead people. Lukas and you aren't dead." I thought about what I had said and how insane it sounded. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"I see dead people." I quoted in a whisper that even creeped me out. I snapped the rubber band, wincing as it hit, breaking the skin. It didn't bleed, just turn bright red, form a couple welts. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"BOOM/em/spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /A gunshot echoed through the forest. I stopped cold in tracks, standing completely still in the darkness, waiting for someone to end my life right where I stood. "That was only a warning shot!" I heard someone yell. "Put down your weapons!" br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I turned toward the sound, hastily, yet silently, entering the forest. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"You don't have to do this." I heard someone negotiate, a strong hick accent sticking to his words. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Just put down the crossbow, Daryl." I heard another voice, a strong southern accent sticking to his voice too. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Rick..." Daryl seemed to style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Yeah, that's right." The first man teased a second later. I assumed they complied with his orders. "One of y'all looks all nice and cleaned up," He pauses."You gots yourselves a group?" He asked. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"What we got ain't none ya' business!" I heard one of the men, Daryl, shout. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"Don't make me blow your head off, hick!" I could hear the gun rattle with the threat. "Your packs look pretty full. Hand em' over." He demanded. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /Flashbacks attacked my head, the moments when things like this happened to my family, being held at gunpoint, and having things taken from style="box-sizing: border-box;" /In my hand, my gun sat, locked and loaded... I don't even remember grabbing it. Peaking from behind the trees, I could see them, the moonlight showing me my target. Suddenly, my vision blurred, the exhaustion starting to take over. I snapped the rubber band, muffling the sound as best I could against my gut, but it wasn't working. em style="box-sizing: border-box;""I need to help them." /embr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"They aren't them./spanbr style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I heard the voices, but I couldn't process them. I saw the two men, Rick and Daryl, as my family, watching as their bodies blurred and changed to look like dad and Lukas. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /I raised my gun, and I pulled the trigger. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /The man fell to the ground, and Rick and Daryl flinched at the sudden bullet. The shock from the gun made me stumble out from behind the tree, my feet tripping over themselves. br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /My right shoulder hit a tree, my balance returning slightly, but my vision still a mess of shadows. My body shook, the gun falling from my hand, clattering between the thick roots. I could feel my breathing, heavy and desperate, as I slid down the tree slowly, sitting on my knees. Then I realized these were people I didn't know, and they could be capable of anything, but also realized I can't run or fight, span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"sleep deprivation/span. My vision focused, their faces looking at me shocked, but curious. One, who I assumed was Rick, had short curly hair that was slicked back with a thin beard growing on his face. The other, Daryl, was the complete opposite. He looked like he hadn't taken a shower since the world fell. I could see their eyes moving, scanning me, assessing if I were a threat, then looking at my blood stained clothes and bruises. I opened my mouth to say something, maybe "hi!" Or "are y'all okay?", but before I could utter anything but a "huh.." , I fell back, blacking out./p