I do not own TWD or it's characters. Slightly AU, because I disregard the story given for Summer.
Summer fiddled with her cereal, not interested in eating it.
"Do I have to go to school?" She asked her mom. Her mother glanced over at her.
"Yes, sweetie."
"But people are getting sick. What if I get sick?"
"How do you know people are getting sick?" Her mother asked, concerned. Summer looked down, refusing to answer her mother. "Summer?" Her mother persisted.
"I heard you and dad talking about it," she whispered to her cereal.
"You're not supposed to eavesdrop , Summer."
"I know. I'm sorry." Her eyes stayed glued to her cereal. Her mother sighed, causing Summer to glance up.
"That's far away from here, sweetie," her mother finally stated. "I don't want you to worry about it, okay?" Nodding, Summer ate a bite of her cereal.
"I'm full," she told her mother.
"Go brush your teeth and I'll take you to the bus stop." Summer jumped out of her chair and ran to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she ran back into the kitchen clutching her backpack.
"Ready?" Her mother asked. Nodding, she lead the way out the front door. The bus stop was only a few houses down. Her mother waited with her until the bus came. Giving her forehead a kiss, she whispered, "see you later, sweetie." Summer climbed onto the bus. She waved at her mother from her window seat.
As the bus pulled away, she glanced around her nervously. No one seemed to be sick, but she wasn't sure what to look for. She knew coughing and sneezing could mean someone was sick. No one was coughing or sneezing, so she settled back in her seat waiting for the ride to end. The bus stopped a few more times, picking up various kids. Examining each in turn, Summer determined that no one at her school was sick.
Pulled forward by gravity, she nearly fell off the bench when the bus driver braked suddenly. Righting herself, she peaked over the seat in front of her. There were people in the road, all crowded around something. The driver honked, getting their attention. A few looked up. Standing, they ambled over to the bus. Smacking and clawing, they tried to get on.
Summer looked back at the road. She began to cry as she saw what the people had been gathered around. It was a dog, but it had blood all over it and thick ropes coming out of its torn belly. Scared, she recognized that this was what her parents had talked about the other night. These were the sick people. Other kids around her were crying. A scream pierced the air as the door started to inch open. Summers body slammed into the seat in front of her as the bus shot backward. A taste like pennies filled her mouth, and she swiped a hand across her lip. It came back bloody.
The driver lost control of the bus, causing it to tip over. The back door window shattered. Looking out the front window, Summer saw the sick people coming toward the bus. She didn't want to get sick. Leaving her backpack where it was, she climbed out the back window. Glancing around to get her bearings, she took off running toward her home.
She made it home without running into any more of the sick people. However, upon reaching the locked door, she sat down on the stoop and cried. Her key was in her backpack, which she left on the bus. She wasn't sure how long she sat there crying, but a car engine made her glance up. Her tears stopped as she saw her mothers car pull into the driveway. Jumping out of the car, her mother ran over to her, clutching her arm.
"Oh thank god!" She whispered into Summers hair. Tears of relief drenched Summers blond hair. Straightening, her mother unlocked the front door and ushered her inside, closing and locking the door behind them.
"What's wrong with your arm?" Summer asked. Glancing down at it, her mother rushed her to her bathroom.
"Just a little bite, sweetie." Summers eyes filled tears as her mother began stripping her clothes off, hunting for injuries.
"You can't get sick, momma," Summer cried.
"I won't baby girl. Now get in the shower and wash that blood off." Doing as she was told, Summer washed the dirt and blood off her. When she was finished, her mother was waiting with pjs and her favorite bathrobe. Her arm was bandaged in white. Changing, she flung herself into her mothers arms to cry.
"Shhhh. No need to cry, sweetie. Mommy's fine." Summer let her mother comfort her until her tears ran out. Finally exhausting her tears, she pulled back.
"What are we gonna do?" She asked. Her mother thought for a moment before answering.
"I want you to go pack a bag with some clothes and your tooth brush. We're gonna go on a little trip."
"And get away from the sick people?"
"And get away from the sick people," her mother reassured. Summer quickly packed her Barbie suitcase with clothing. She threw her toothbrush in, as well as some books. Grabbing a stuffed bear from her bed, she clutched it to her chest, waiting for her mother to get her. Moments later, her mother appeared with her own bag. Sweat beaded on her forehead, worrying Summer. Her mommy couldn't get sick.
"Ready sweetie?" Summer nodded. Dragging her Barbie bag, she followed her mother to the front door. She watched as her mother peeked out the window beside the front door. After a moment, she turned to Summer. "I'm gonna take your bag. When I open the door, I want you to run to the car. Hop in and shut the door. Then lock it, okay?"
Summer nodded her understanding. When the door opened, she ran to the car. Opening the door, she jumped in, slamming the door behind her, and pushing the lock down. Her mothers door slammed shut a moment later. Summer screamed when a man started pounding on her window.
"It's okay, baby girl." Her mother had tears in her voice. She put the car in reverse and tore out of the driveway. Putting her seat belt on so she wouldn't fly around the car, Summer glanced out the back window. The man who had been pounding on her window was coming after them. But her mothers car was faster than him, and soon he was no longer visible.
They drove for a long time. Summer was beginning to get bored and wish she could reach the books in her suitcase. But they were in the front seat next to her mother. And her mother was concentrating on the road. Clutching her stuffed animal, Summer watched the trees go by her window.
Sometime later, the car stopped at a gas station. Her mother was sweating badly. She turned around in her seat to speak with Summer.
"I need to get us food, okay? I want you to stay here. Keep the door locked. I'll need you to crawl up here so you can unlock my door when I come back."
Summer nodded, fear tightening her belly into a knot. She crawled into the front seat beside her mother. Her skin was pale, sweat dripping down her face.
"Are you okay, momma?" Summer asked, worried.
"Just worried, baby 'll be fine. Lock the door." With that, her mother got out of the car. Once the door shut, Summer locked it. She watched as her mother slowly swayed across the parking lot. People were running in and out of the store. One ran into her mother, knocking her to the ground. Summer chewed her lip nervously, watching for her mother to get back up. The penny taste filled her mouth again, her lip cut opening back up. Frowning, she tried to figure out what to do. Her mother wasn't getting back up. It didn't even look like she was moving. None of the other people helped her. Gathering her courage, and her stuffed bear, Summer climbed out of the car.
She glanced around her nervously, but didn't see anyone who looked sick. She ran over to her mother.
"Momma," she whispered when she was standing beside her mother. Her mother didn't answer. Her eyes were open and she was staring blindly at the sky. Kneeling down beside her mother, Summer buried her head in her chest.
"Wake up, mommy!" She continued crying, oblivious to the people around her. She heard a groan come from her mother. Smiling, she picked her head up and smiled down at her mother. "Momma?"
Her mother looked at her with white filmed eyes. Then, she leaned up, biting Summer's lip. Screaming in pain, Summer pulled away, pieces of her face torn off into her mothers mouth. Her face felt like it was on fire. Standing, she took off running. Her mother was sick, like all the other people. Finding an overturned box, she climbed in, hiding from the world around her.
Silent tears tracked down her face, burning as they passed over her bite. As much as the tears hurt, she couldn't stop herself from crying. Her mommy was sick and bit her. Now she would get sick.
Later, after sleep had taken her under, she awoke shivering. Her body felt heavy and her head ached. Gingerly, she touched her face. Pain laced through her as her fingers brushed over her bite. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She began to cry. This happened to momma, and now it was happening to her.
Sleep claimed her again. Fevered dreams tormented her, until her heart finally stopped. Waking, she began crawling out of the darkness. A white film blurred her vision. So hungry. Walking unsteadily, she weaved between the cars. So hungry.
A blurry silhouette created a flash of remembrance. Bending down, she picked up the stuffed bear. Crunching sounded behind her.
"Little girl? Little girl?" The sound was muted and foreign. She turned around, the bear still clutched in her fingers. A new, blurry silhouette stood in front of her. So hungry. And this was food. Reaching for it, she began walking toward the food. Distantly, she heard a bang before everything went black.