AN: Here is chapter 3 for your viewing pleasure. Thanks for the reviews. Sorry it's been so Long Since I updated. I've got a really bad cold and I can't concentrate for very long without hurting myself. That's also why this chapter is so short. If you would, I ask that you go and look at boondockbeauty's Walking Dead fic The Risen. That's my beta trying her hand at writing and it's her first fic.

AN2: Thanks to my beta for spotting where I was calling Shane Shawn. Forgive my brain for not working right while I'm sick.

Raising Dead

Chapter 3: Wake the Dead

I finally woke up several hours later feeling like shit. My neck hurt something awful and I really needed a good stretch. The truck was still moving, so I guessed things were going well. Well, that was until Jake started slowing down.

"Ladies, we need gas and we need it bad." Jake announced. Ayla yawned in the back seat, having just woken up.

"So? Let's just siphon some fuel from the next car we pass." I said stretching out in the seat.

"We won't make it that far. There's a gas station about ten miles up the road. We might be able to siphon fuel out of the tanks if someone else hasn't already done it. If not, we're fucked and we'll be walking the rest of the way to Atlanta." Jake sighed. I knew he had to be tired. He'd driven since we left Montgomery and we hadn't stopped much for rest. I knew what had happened back at the rest stop was weighing on his mind.

"It's just up this road right?" He nodded in confirmation. "Ok, I'll take over then. I'm sure I can try to get us there. If I have to coast in, then so be it." Jake simply grunted at me and got out to walk around to my side of the truck. I scooted across the center console and into the driver's seat.

It almost seemed like whatever bit of luck I had held out until we were close enough to the gas station to coast in. Of course, there were about seven zombies standing around it. Damn, it just figures!

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived. Problem is, we have company. Who's up for a little practice?" I asked cheerily.

"Well, it couldn't hurt for Ayla to learn how to shoot. We just have to be extra careful. Don't forget, count your damn bullets and keep your hands steady. We don't need any short zombies running around." Jake lectured. We knew not to get bitten. Sometimes that was easier said than done. In his own way he was saying he'd leave us and let someone else deal with our reanimated corpses. I didn't blame him.

"Way to be an optimist Jake." I muttered as I rolled the window down and started to climb out on the roof. Ayla snickered as she followed my lead. Once we were on the roof I slide one of my Berettas free and took aim at a zombie. I could see Ayla out the corner of my eye as she sidled up next to me and pulled out both Berettas like some old western hero.

"Oh great," I joked. "Not only do we have an old cowboy, but now we have a young cowgirl to match." I grinned at her as she frowned at me and put one of her Berettas away.

"Way to kill the moment Erin." She growled at me.

I took aim again and shot off a round, catching the zombie in the left side of its head. I had the feeling I was never going to get a dead center shot. Pun intended. I watched as Ayla took aim and fired, catching it in the top left side of its head.

"Good job. We both need lots of practice." I said as we slowly took out the rest of them, missing our mark here and there. I would have made a game of it, but I felt as though now wasn't the time. We'd play Hollywood Squares later. Right now we had gas to get.

Riding into Atlanta was one of the worst things we could have done. Jake had gotten his sleep and I'd gotten us most of the way there. We switched places in Peachtree City and continued on into hell itself. After a while I got tired of seeing zombie after zombie and fell asleep. My nightmarish dreams were interrupted by me slamming into the dashboard.

"What the fuck! Jake, what happened?" I asked, not realizing that the back passenger side door had just slammed shut.

"What's your name kid?" Jake asked, ignoring my question. I had no idea who he was talking to, until they spoke.

"Glenn. My name is Glenn. Thanks for the ride." What I now realized was an Asian guy, said as he looked around at us all.

"Oh." Was all I had to say. How was I supposed to know that we'd just picked someone up? I was asleep.

"You aren't bitten are you?" Ayla asked from beside him. She looked him over, wary but slightly interested. I rolled my eyes. Teenagers.

"No," he said. "I'd ask the same thing, but it looks like you guys are newcomers. Where did you guys come from?"

"Alabama." I said. "This is hardly the time to be asking what your home state is. So, what are you out here for? Seems pretty stupid."

"Supply run for the camp." Glenn said, looking at me oddly for the change in subject.

Ayla's eyes lit up at the prospect of other people. "There are more people? Where are they?"

Glenn laughed at how excited she was. "My path was kinda blocked on my way back. I'll show you guys the way if you want."

"I don't thi-" I cut Jake off with a look and jerked my head in Ayla's direction. "I don't think that's a bad idea." He finally said. "We have more supplies than what we really know what to do with as it is. I'm sure we can help out somehow."

"Great!" With all said and done, Glenn showed Jake how to get to the camp. When we finally got there Glenn jumped out first to get everyone together. I could see an argument starting and I decided now was the time to get out of the truck. I'd stand up for Glenn even though I didn't trust him yet. He'd led us to safety and it only seemed right. I walked towards Glenn and the guy that was yelling at him.

"What seems to be the problem gentlemen?" I asked. Jake and Ayla had followed my lead and were now standing on either side of me.

"We can't take on more people! It's hard enough as is it to feed the people we got. What are we going to do with three more?" The dark haired guy was still yelling at Glenn.

"They brought supplies, Shane! The old guy said they had more than they knew what to do with. We can't turn that down! I can only bring so much back with me at a time without being walker bait." Glenn yelled back at the dark haired guy. I guess his name was Shane. I'm not too observant when it comes to names.

"The old guy wasn't lying when he said that either." Jake commented dryly.

"Fine," Shane snapped. "Introduce them to everyone and get the supplies sorted." He walked off in a fit. I already didn't like him, but I suppose it didn't matter. It seemed like he was the leader and I so was not taking orders from him.

"Dale!" Glenn called towards an RV parked not too far away from us. An older man walked out and his eyes lit up when he saw us. "I need your help getting everyone together. These are our newest members."

They gathered everyone up and I felt like I was on display. I was the oddest member of my little group after all. I didn't like the idea of standing in front of all these people like a freak show.

"I just realized I never asked what your names are." Glenn said, embarrassed.

"Jake Whistler."

"Ayla Wolfe."

"Erin Coltz."

After introductions were made we decided to try and make ourselves useful. However, it seemed no one really wanted my help. Jake was keeping Dale company on top of the RV. Ayla was helping Carol cut stuff up for dinner. I felt useless. I decided to make the best of it and climbed the latter to the top of the RV and flopped down between Jake and Dale's chairs.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as though it was an everyday occurrence for us.

"I feel utterly useless. No one needs nor wants my help." I groused. Before all this happened I would have complained about having to do anything, but now I was twitchy if I wasn't moving around.

"That's ok," Dale said. "We could use a pair of young eyes up here. The walkers never come up here, but that doesn't mean they won't."

"What's a walker? I asked, confused.

"The walking dead." Dale replied. He looked at me as though I had lost my mine.

"Oh. I just call them zombies. That is what they are after all." I said. It hardly made sense to put a new label on something that already had a name. It didn't make sense before the world ended and it still didn't.

"Call it what you like. Some of our members just don't want to think of it that way." Dale said with a hint of finality in his voice. Apparently that wasn't a topic they talked about here.

"Ok then. So, who are the two loners over there?" I ask, pointing at what looked like a biker and a redneck.

"Oh, that's Merle and Daryl Dixon. I'd stay away from them. Both of you girls should. They're bad news." Dale said. He looked rather concerned that I'd try to become their best friend. Not a chance.

"No worries Dale. I'll definitely be staying far away from them." I said as I held my hands up in surrender. Honestly, I knew that not all bikers were bad people. Take my cousin for instance, I loved him to death and he was Wiccan. Talk about a strange combination.

"You should go warn Ayla. She's looking like she lost her best friend." Jake finally spoke. I had figured out that he was pretty quiet most of the time. Well, that's not entirely true. He's quiet around large groups of people like we were in now.

"Meh. You're just trying to get rid of me." I laughed as I stood up. "Doesn't matter. If I sit here for much longer I'll start looking like you two." I skipped away from the pair as they tried to swat at me for making fun of them. Once down the latter I made my way towards the other side of camp to find Ayla. She was sitting next to Amy by the fire.

"Why do you look like someone ran your dog over?" I asked as I walked up behind her.

"Erin!" She screamed and tackled me. I was fucking confused.

"Not that I really mind being attacked, but what the hell?" I cocked my head to the side as she pulled away from me.

"Shane told me you left. Just walked out of the camp and didn't look back. He wouldn't even let me try to find you." Ayla all but cried.

"Oh did he now?"

I was on a war path. I was about to rip into Shane as soon as I found him and find him I did. He was talking to one of the Dixon brothers about doing more hunting since there were more people in the group. I didn't care if he was arranging someone's funeral. He was fucked when I got to him. A few people had decided to follow and see what I did. That was a bad idea.

When Shane saw me he turned with a smile that was quickly wiped off his face when I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to my level. We had quite the crowd.

"Mother fucker if you so much as LOOK in Ayla's direction again I will beat your fucking teeth in. What the fuck was going through your head when you fucking told her I left? I didn't fucking leave. You and I both fucking know that. I was on top of the Gods damned RV with Jake and Dale. What the fuck were you thinking?" I screamed.

"It was a joke. It was a fucking joke!" Shane yelled back as he tried to pry his shirt from my grip.

"Don't you so much as fucking look in our direction ever again! Do you fucking understand me?" I growled.

"Or you'll what?" He snapped.

"I'll fucking hunt you down and castrate you in your fucking sleep! You bastard son of a Jackal whore." I shoved him back as far as I could and glowered at him. The elder Dixon brother laughed." What the fuck are you laughing at?" I snapped. Without waiting for an answer I stomped off toward the fire and Ayla.

"The fuck is that bitch's problem?" I heard as I walked off. I had the feeling my life here was going to get much worse, but that still didn't make it right for Shane to say something like that to Ayla. She was like my little sister. The only person I claimed outside my family. No one would hurt her so long as I was around and if they somehow did, I'd fucking make them pay for it in blood.