Leaves crunched on the floor as Bonnie and Jesse walked silently as they walked towards the gas station. Jesse was a bit uncomfortable by the silence as she looked up to the other woman. Even though Jesse was a hard 5'8 and the woman was at least two inches shorter, maybe with her boots, she felt like she was looking up at the serious and solemn woman. But she had to admit, she was an attractive in a serious, take no shit, strict teacher way.

"You're from Texas?" Bonnie said, breaking the the silence.

"Uh, yeah. Guess the sweater is obvious."

"Yeah." After that, another long moment of an awkward silence came through, the only noise passing through was the sound of trees swaying with the mild breeze. "What brings you here to Indianapolis?"

"Visiting my roomie's family, she was from out of state." Bonnie have a quick 'ah', before she looked away again.

Jesse felt uncomfortable with the silence again before she saw the fuzzy image of a gas station, though still a distance away. "I see the gas station!" Jesse excitedly yelled.

"Yeah, me too. That doesn't mean we're alone, so keep your voice down." Bonnie nonchalantly said. "Besides we're just checking if it has any food or anything, maybe even a car." She finished, the leaves crunching under her boots.

"Hey, where are you from?" Jesse asked. Bonnie didn't look back but she answered regardless. "From California, Los Angeles. Came out here because I...I made a promise. To someone." Bonnie hung her head, but she sighed. "But that was the past. Before all of...this." Jesse noticed her sadness and recalled her question. "I'm sorry to hear that, Bonnie."

Bonnie sighed and never took her eyes of the growing building. But something in the bushes started to rustle as the wind had stop and only the the grass on the floor shook. "Stop." Bonnie told Jesse and backed her away with her hand. She unstrapped her gun and aimed it into the thicket, eyes down the scope. After a few moments, Bonnie gave a sigh of relief and lowered her gun. "What was it?" Jesse inquired, a bit shaken up.

"It was just a fox, I saw the red bastard and it scurried away." She slung the rifle over her shoulder and proceeded to walk down the road again. "You got a weapon?" The brunette asked.

"Yeah, I got this bat here." Jesse replied, bringing out a long, aluminum bat. How did I not notice that thing? Bonnie thought. Jesse manage to fit it, somehow, into her bag, which was full of clothes and some supplies. "Pretty good with it, I played baseball a lot. It's easy to get rid of those monsters if you pretend they're baseballs." She cheerily said.

"Hm, I'll take your word for it." After a minute or so of more walking silence, Bonnie stopped and unslung her rifle. "You see any of those walkers?" Jesse asked.

"What? No, I'm just gonna take of the scope and get a quick view before we step in." Bonnie did so and looked around the gas station quizzically, seeing no "walkers" around the area. "Walkers, huh? That doesn't sound half bad." Bonnie lit the scope on her gun and began walking again, the gas station in good view.

"There's a good looking truck parked near the station. Maybe if there's gas cans we could fill her up and get to Georgia faster." Bonnie announced.

"How long has that truck been there?"

"No telling, it's pretty dirty, muddy, and bloody. Whomever owned it must be gone by now."

The two walked in a faster pace as they neared the station. It was your typical gas station, gas out in front and a minimart in the building. Bonnie and Jesse went to the truck and inspected it before anything rash. "Four seated, but it looks like the doors are locked." Jesse said after trying to open the door.

"Let's hope the keys are somewhere inside. Breaking a window would bring unwanted attention if the alarm still works. And we'll get any food while we're at it.

"Right, I'll stay out here."

"No," Bonnie stated, "You follow me after I enter. You'll be covering me." The two walked to the door and with her pistol drawn out, she opened the door swift and silently. Bonnie slowly took close steps inside the littered store. The place hasn't been upkept and was dirty with leaves, mud, and trash. Thankfully, there was plenty of canned food.

"Looks like there's a God after all. C'mon, let's get some of this things in the car outside, we-""

A loud, male scream came through the store as Jesse was tackled down by a big, Broad man. The wind was knocked Jesse as the man brought out a knife and easier it high, ready to strike down. However, his arm was caught by the artist and was handled into an armbar and he was kneed to the floor by a strangely calm and nonchalant lookin Bonnie. Jesse immediately began gasping for air as she kneeled down.

"Aah! Let go!" The man screamed. As Bonnie looked down, she noticed him and got a good look at his appearance. He was a caucasian male no taller than around 5'10, with short, trimmed brown hair and blue eyes. He wore simple jeans and hiking boots with a generic jacket and a shirt.

"Tell your name or I'll break your arm." She threatened, applying more pressure. He grunted in pain as he began spilling his information. "Ow! My names Ryan! Get it my arm!" Ryan yelled, as Bonnie gave a look at Jesse. Jesse just nodded and Bonnie released him, Ryan grabbing his arm for comfort.

"Will you play nice?" Bonnie said.

"Yes, whatever. My name's Ryan, Ryan Mattson, I'm a mechanic. My truck broke down here and I decided to check the place out, but then I saw you two come through the door and I thought you where those things."

"Walkers." Jesse added, pointing out their newly founded name. "Where did you come from?"

"Me and my...my fiancee, Cheyenne, where out in the woods living in some well stocked cabin. We stayed for a few months before a shit ton of those walkers came in a herd and ambushed the place."

He sat down on an overturned box and stared at his hands. "My... Cheyenne. She panicked, and-and she left, she took our car and went to the closest highway. I never saw her again. After that, I found this truck and drove here." Bonnie and Jesse gave a look of pity and sympathy for the man. It especially hit Bonnie, she could understand what the feeling of losing someone you love. "I am sorry." She replied.

Jesse signaled to Bonnie and the turned away from Ryan to talk. "Can we trust him?"

"We kinda have to. He knows where the keys are. Unless you want to put this guy out,we have no choice." Jesse looked away and thought it over. If they could still be human, they must act human as well.

"You got the keys to the car?" Bonnie turned and asked.

"Yeah."

"Going anywhere specific?"

"No. Nothing else but trying to survive."

"Good, you're coming g with us to Atlanta!" Jesse joyously announced. "Help us pack whatever food is here and we'll get going!"

After a few minutes of picking up any remaining scraps of food, the trio went outside to start the truck. Ryan unlocked the door and started the ignition. It just sputtered unenthusiastically and died off. Bonnie opened the hood and checked it out. "Like I said," Ryan said, "It broke down, still seeing if the problems have to do with the-"

They heard a loud hissing as they tried their heads towards the mart. In the shadows, a silhouetted hunch figure stood at the door before stepping into light, revealing his decayed state. "I got this one." Bonnie stated, bringing out her pistol. The creature hissed louder and started shuffling towards them before a plus fwhip! killed the creature, his head bowling in different directions.

"Piece of cake." Bonnie smirked, she was putting away the gun before she saw two more come from the mart. Then another two from the other side of the road, then another three from behind the mart. "Get the car working!" Bonnie gritted as she brought down another walker with a clean headshot.

"I said this car had problems! Just keep them off us and maybe I could-" Jesse gave a hard kick to the front of the car blindly. And, in a weird and fortunate miracle, it purred normally and started. "Of all my years of being a mechanic..." Ryan muttered. "Just gotta believe!" Jesse simply added. She hurried inside the car as more of those decayed monsters began emerging.

Bonnie fired another round, missing at it them as she climbed her way into the car. "Hang on!" Ryan yelled as he pulled out into the road and started turning. One of the walkers got dangerously close to the window and swung at it, leaving a bloody scratch.

"Drive!" Jesse shouted. Ryan pulled the car into drive and sped away from the gas station, walkers tripping over and stumbling chasing after them. Inside the car, the three relaxed a bit before they discussed their next step in their new plan. "Where are we heading again?"

"Atlanta. CDC headquarters."

"Why?"

Bonnie relaxed on her arm. "Rumor before the outbreak was that they were doing lots of construction, especially selfsuffient energy and barricades."

"You hoping that the place will be empty?" Ryan said.

"Even if it isn't, better in there than out."

"Yeah, I guess so." Ryan finished, as the gray road continued with the green nature, never ending as they went towards their new objective

A/N: new chapter yeah! Just saw the new star wars movie on Friday. It was awesome! But the feels! And the wait for the next movie, Argghh! Thankfully I have SWTOR, Battlefront, Rebels, Rogue One and Uprising to keep me busy.

Enough of Star Wars! How did you enjoy the chapter? I've decided to keep these chapters shorter so I could write them faster, a they won't be as long as Spark Of Fire. Did you like Ryan? What do you think will happen next? And what's up with Bonnie's past? Stay tuned for more!

Leave a review, follow/fav, do whatever. -Big Bravo (1/17/16)