Chapter 2

Erinn stared blankly up at her ceiling, bored out of her mind. Due to the Infection her mother had forbid her from going outside without a weapon or alone. And of course they had no guns or anything, although she had used their butcher knife a few times. You would think being best friends with a weapons dealers daughter she would have some type of weapon. But no, none what so ever. She also didn't have anyone to go outside with. She couldn't go to Care's because they lived opposite sides of the city and neither her annoying little brother or her mother would walk with her to Care's. So here she was stuck at home just waiting to get infected or for the already infected to get her.

She had tried to call Chad but she couldn't reach him. She feared the worst but when she had talked to Care she had said Chad could damn well take care of his own ass. And that was the edited version of what she had said. Even if it had be sorta rude strangely Erinn felt a little better. Although she was still upset that Care was answering her phone but Chad wasn't.

"I'm about to whip somebody's ass~ Oh I'm about to whip somebody's ass~ " Speak of the devil.

"Hey Care what's up?" Erinn asked flipping open her phone.

"Nothing really, some weird guys came into the shop."

"Weird, that's nothing new though."

"Yeah be these guys were like scary weird." Care said. "This one guy was like six foot seven or eight."

"Wow." Erinn didn't think she had ever seen someone that tall before. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The other one was sorter but was still kinda tall, maybe six foot two." Care said.

"Hm. Have they ever been to the shop before?"

"No I would have know." Care said matter-of-factly.

"O.k." She knew Care was right, she hardly left the shop only to go to the movies or, before they graduated a few mouths ago, to go to school. Erinn had to force her half the time, Care wasn't a people person. She even went out of her way to be sure no one came near her, which would be mean being rude, give evil glares, or just leave.

"So what? Do they bother you?"

"It's not really that, I don't know what but I do get a strange feeling from them." She said. Erinn sighed and shock her head.

"You just need to learn to trust people."

"Yeah maybe." Care said but Erinn could tell she wasn't really agreeing she was just deep in thought.

"Yeah whatever. Have you seen anymore infected?"

"A lot I haven't gone out in a while."

"Me either. I'm starting to get really worried. What happens when we run out of supplies?" Care didn't answer for a while, then Erinn herd a gun shoot on the other end. "Care?"

"Hu oh sorry I just shoot down an Infected that was to close to the house." Care said and Erinn could hear her reloading her shoot gun. "What did you say?"

"Never mind." Erinn had just got her answer, if Care did run out of supplies she would just go out with a gun and get more. She wished that she was like Care sometimes, she was never afraid to be herself and not afraid face danger.

"I got to go Dad wants me to go something. I check up on you later."

"I'm not a child." Erinn said but before she was done there was a click on the other end. Figures. Care had a bad habit of cutting people off before they were done talking. They we done when she decided she was not going to listen anymore.

Erinn closed her phone and put it in the front of her shirt. She leaned back onto her bed pillows. She allowed herself to relax more and more trying to ignore and forget about all the shit that had happened up to this point.

"Sis?" Erinn looked over at her brother; his dirty blond hair was greasy and matted down, his eyes blue-grey eyes were down cast, and he was pale.

"What is it Tanner?"

"I don't feel to good."

"Then go take some medicine."

"We don't have any." He said looking at her with tired sad eyes. Erinn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then I don't know what to tell you bubby. Go get some sleep." Erinn said her voice breaking ever so slightly. Tanner nodded and left closing her door with quietly. Erinn started to cry as soon as the door closed fully. She knew what was happing to Tanner and she was scared for herself and her brother. She sobbed quietly and rapped her arms around herself, it was her only comfort. She eventually cried herself to sleep.

A few days later Erinn awoke to screaming. She bolted up in her bed and quietly got up. She opened her door, only a small crack, then closed it quickly and ran inside her walk in closet. She blocked the door the best she could with boxes and other junk. Outside her room in the hall was a swarm of Infected and they were tearing apart her mother and part of that swarm was her brother. It was too much for her already fragile psyche, she brook down and cried hard. Not the quiet sobs from earlier these were hard snot filled, deep breathing, hiccup filled cries. She didn't care if the Infected heard her anymore, as far as she could tell she was dead meat.

There was scratching on the door and moaning and groaning outside it. Then she heard banging and growling. Hunter? She curled up close to herself and buried her face in her arms not wanting to face what was coming for her. The door smashed in and a figure blocked out the little bit of light that came through the cracks in her arms. Heavy foot steps filled and echoed in the small room. Sounds of boots hitting the hard wood floor and they stopped right in front of Erinn. Then something hit her when nothing happened after a while, do the Infected actually still walk like a normal person does? That heavy of evenly placed foot steps? No.

She cautiously looked up to see the one person in the world she was glad to see at this moment. It was Care. She was covered in blood, had her shoot gun out and a war axe on her back. She held the shoot gun in her left hand and had her right extended towards her. Erinn looked at her friends hand then at her face. It was grim and sullen and her eyes were cold and dark although Erinn could see the depression and hurt in those mud colored pools.

Erinn, instead of taking Care awaiting hand, lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Care's waist. She buried her head into Care's stomach and continued to cry. Erinn's nose was filled with Care's sent; she smelled of gunpowder, blood, dirt, and smoke. It wasn't anything like her normal sweet pea smell but it was still Care.

Erinn felt Care's hand rest on her head and she slowly petted her head, in an attempt to calm her down. She could hear Care smooth, even, calm voice saying soothing words of encouragement to calm her. It worked eventually and the tears stopped giving way to small hiccups. Care gently brought Erinn to her feet and brushed her off.

"You o.k.?" Care asked. Erinn nodded and whipped away the tears from her face. "Good. We have to go." Care grabbed a hold of Erinn's hand and pulled her along like a mother would a child. Erinn looked around and saw the bodies of dead Infected that Care had most likely killed. She stopped seeing her mutilated mother and brother. Care stopped as well and looked to were Erinn held her gaze. Care squeezed Erinn's hand firmly but not harmfully. Erinn looked at her sadly and Care returned her gaze. Neither said anything, didn't have to both had nothing to say.

"It couldn't be helped." Care said after a long while.

"I know." Erinn said. Care nodded and stared to walk pulling Erinn right along. Erinn looked back on finial time at her family and tears fell again.

"I'm so sorry."