"Kryse! Wake up!"
Kryse opened her eyes, glancing around the room. Kacie hovered above her, picking her up, supporting her by the waist.
"We don't have much time. Don't say anything, okay?" The little girl nodded, while Kacie smiled, but just for a second.
Kacie hurried down the staircase, only taking the time to grab a pair of old boots. She rushed to her car, putting Kryse in the front seat.
"Put your seat belt on, Kryse." The little girl complied, and latched her seat belt around her chest.
Kacie quickly backed the car out of the driveway, not baring any looks to the frantic people. Kryse eyed her mother curiously, wondering where they were going.
"Mommy?" Kacie glanced at Kryse and grasped the steering wheel with both hands.
"Something happened, and mommy doesn't know what the problem is. We're are going to get Joel and Sarah, okay?" Kryse asked about Tommy and Kacie answered, "Tommy is with Joel and Sarah, okay sweetie?" Kryse nodded, looking out onto the road. Joel was Tommy's brother. Kryse had only met him once, but she had seen Sarah only recently; Sarah babysat Kryse when Shane and Kacie had gone to couples therapy.
Tommy and driven to Joel's house, an emergency job related issue after Kacie and Kryse had fallen asleep. The outbreak reached Texas lines at about midnight, right when Kacie and Kryse left Shane's. It had spread to Dallas only when Tommy left.
Kacie drove into Joel's driveway, at the exact moment Joel, Sarah, and Tommy rushed out of the house. The three climbed into the backseat of the car, breathing heavily.
"Hey, Kacie, Kryse. How are y'all holdin' up?" Kacie kept her eyes on the road.
"Just fine. You?" Tommy shrugged, and Sarah said, "Can we turn the radio on?" Kacie nodded. The radio went to static.
"Oh great." Joel told Kacie where to go, filling them in with the details.
"Where are we going?"
"Some where far away," Kacie muttered. Kryse sighed, playing with the hem of her pajama top.
A sudden realization hit Kryse, and she said, "What about Shaggy? Aren't we going to get Shaggy?" Tommy sighed, leaning forward.
"Shaggy is good. Shaggy's waiting for us. Don't worry Kryse, we haven't forgot about 'em." Kryse nodded.
After passing a burning house, Kacie started to panic. After everything they had gone through, would this really be the end of them? She worried about Kryse, wondering what will happen. People had been talking about a zombie virus, but she refused to believe zombies existed. She wasn't even sure if they were zombies. She only knew that they were infected with something.
After seeing that the highway had a lot of traffic and seeing two infected attack a guy in his car, Kacie quickly pulled the car in reverse, and drove to Armadillo Square, hoping for a short cut.
Looking to her left, Kacie saw a bus coming her way.
"Watch out!" Everything went black.
Kryse opened her eyes, groaning in pain when a pain shot through her right leg and arm. She felt something solid pressed against her left side and looked up. She saw Tommy's beard, sweat dripping down his throat.
"Joel, over here!" Kryse saw Joel running in front of them, a pistol in his hand. Sarah followed behind him, eyes shifting behind them.
Something came from behind the gate, grabbing at Kryse's arm.
"Joel!" Joel turned to Tommy, shooting the thing in the head.
Tommy looked down to Kryse and said, "Keep quiet and close your eyes, darlin'. 'Don't want you to see this." Kryse closed her eyes.
Tommy, Joel, and Sarah ran towards a bar from the back, barely escaping the grasp of those monsters.
Once the door closed, Joel held the door shut, and yelled, "Go on, Tommy, you got Kryse. Keep Sarah safe, okay?" Tommy nodded, and said, "Meet us at the shore line." Joel wanted to protest, but nodded reluctantly.
Tommy went out the porch door, Sarah following.
"Stay close, Sarah." Seven monsters went after them, but shot down by an arising light. Tommy saw a military soldier, gun in tow.
"Please help us, her-her leg might be broken." Tommy walked towards the soldier.
"Stay back."
"Please-"
"I said stay the f*** back." Tommy growled, but wanted to get Kryse medical care.
The soldier's talkie rang, and he said, "Found three civilians," Tommy sighed in relief, "But sir- there's a little girl," Tommy held Kryse close, knowing what will happen, "Yes, sir."
The light shined on them. Tommy turned his back away, shouting, "Get down, Sarah!" Tommy fell down to the end of the hill, the light still shining bright.
All of the sudden, a figure shot the soldier. Joel came into view, eyeing Tommy.
"Are you alright?" Tommy nodded, and searched for any wounds on Kryse. Joel gasped, and muttered, "Sarah..." Joel ran to Sarah, muttering things to her.
"You're going to be fine, baby girl, you're going to be fine..." he replaced her hand with his, covering the gunshot, "Shh, shh, baby girl, I know it hurts. Stay with me, stay with me, come on. Come on."
"Where the f*** are we going next?"
Joel, Tommy, and Kryse had been holding up at an abandoned warehouse for four months. After Sarah died, they went to find shelter. Only when they found the warehouse, a sudden realization hit Kryse.
"Where's mommy?" she had said. Tommy had to break the news to her, telling her the mommy was in heaven now. Kryse broke down crying, hugging onto Tommy as if she was holding on for dear life.
"No! No! Mommy can't be gone!" After the wreck, Tommy went to find Kacie. When he found her, a monster was ripping her arm apart. Her parting words were, "Keep Kryse safe."
Tommy hated seeing Kryse like that, but knew he had to be strong for her. After leaving Sarah, Joel had gotten into a big fight, Joel later on having a break down, crying all night, mourning his lost daughter.
Afterwards, Joel learned the importance of people close to him. Joel had become closer to Kryse, helping her out through her hard times. Joel had never held Sarah's death on Tommy, but he couldn't help but think what would've happened if he was there instead of Tommy.
In the four months, Kryse had turned five, a little taller. Her hair hadn't grown as much, but she looked older. They had come across a Goodwill, finding new cloths for all three of them. Tommy had taken a golden necklace from Kacie after she died, vowing to give Kryse the necklace when she grew older, so that she could appreciate it more. Kryse had become more quiet, but more compassionate; more compassionate than any other five year old.
The three had come across an old veteran's house, loading up on guns and weapons. Tommy now carried a shotgun and Joel a pistol. Tommy took an extra pistol, wanting to keep it for when Kryse was old enough to handle a gun.
The warehouse was a good ways away from where Sarah was shot, almost reaching Wichita, Kansas. The warehouse was metal gray outside, but brown inside. It was small compared to other warehouses, about the size of three master bedrooms combined. There was a bathroom but one room, which they assumed was a conference room. There was not water, but there were water bottles that Tommy found, located in the small storage closet. Kryse had a small cot, sheltered with blankets that acted as walls. Even though she was five, Tommy wanted her to have her privacy. Joel slept on a mattress, and Tommy slept on the couch. They had found the mattress in an abandoned shack. They had to rid some of the dirt and grime of of it, but it was still in fair condition.
On the road, Tommy and Joel had found an old blue truck, empty of gas. They had siphoned enough for a 2/3 full tank of gas, so they took that with them, caving into Kryse's pleads.
"Fill up the tank, Kryse." Kryse nodded, grabbing the can, walking towards the door. After the door closed, Joel turned to Tommy.
"I don't know, Joel. We can't load up, go to Nebraska, and expect to find Aunt Jane!" Joel huffed, standing up from the couch.
"Tommy, if we stay here... I don't know. People have been talkin'." Tommy's eyes narrowed.
"What people?" He seethed.
"Traders, Tommy. They're talkin' about the government, and how they are starting to build."
"Build what?" Tommy was curious. Never in the first four months had the government showed any interest in the people whatsoever.
"They're talkin' about building some zone, quarantine. They're goin' to build them in what used to be the five most populated areas, hoping to overtake them, starting to create some stability."
"Rumors are rumors, Joel. We can't just assume they're coming to our rescue."
"I know Tommy. Think it over, it's not like the government can clear out the five most populated areas by tomorrow. It's just that we're a good ways away from the closest city, and I know there will be a limit to how many people are allowed in."
A scream filled the air, and Tommy's eyes widened.
"Kryse." Tommy and Joel grabbed the guns and ran outside to find Kryse. They soon found her, trying to fight off a Runner.
"Kryse, watch out!" Tommy shot the Runner in the head, running to aid Kryse. He knelt to her level, scanning her arms and legs.
"Did it scratch you? Bite you?" Kryse shook her head, tears filling her eyes.
"Mommy, Tommy, I saw mommy. I saw mommy. Mommy hugged me..." she wept, "mommy... Mommy talked to me... Mommy talked to me. Mommy was here, I saw mommy, I saw mommy, I saw..." Kryse wept into Tommy's chest, Tommy knowing what she meant. When Kryse faced death, her mother's vision appeared, assuring Kryse. Kryse had only imagined Kacie, but that scared Tommy the most.
"It's fine, Kryse." Tommy shushed her cries, picking her up.
Tommy glanced at Joel, signalling him to keep his mouth shut. He carried Kryse into the warehouse, sliding the light blue curtain out of the way. He set her down on her cot, pulling her shoes off, and the blanket over her small frame.
"Close your eyes and count to fifty; aloud. Can you do that for me?" Kryse nodded. Tommy smiled, and kissed her on the forehead.
"One, two, three, four..." she continued counting as Tommy stood and moved to leave, "where are you going?" Tommy smiled, "I'm still going to be here, remember? The blanket makes me not see you, I can still hear you. Continue counting." Kryse nodded, and starting over.
"One, two, three, four..." Kryse continued to count as Tommy spoke to Joel.
"Alright, we'll go." Joel nodded and gestured to Kryse's cot.
"Change of heart?" Tommy nodded.
"Kryse isn't as safe here as I thought." Joel scoffed.
"No where is safe."
A/N: Hope y'all enjoyed this! Please please please review!