Edited.
Kali POV
We had packed up our lives in a hurry. Daryl's encounter with three of those dead things at the hardware store had left us with no choice but to leave our town. My mind was in a daze, not fully registering everything that was happening. The life I had known just that morning had been upended, and now I was hastily packing my belongings with my brothers.
As I looked around at the empty house, I realized I didn't have much to take with me. Some clothes, a few personal items, and the old MP3 player and headphones that had been my constant companion. But there was nothing truly memorable or valuable, no keepsakes from my parents that I wanted to take with me.
The reality of what I had done to our father was still sinking in. Part of me felt a sense of relief that he wouldn't be able to hurt us anymore, but the other part was filled with guilt and sadness. As I loaded the last of our supplies into the bed of our dad's rusty blue pickup truck, I couldn't help but wonder if this was a dream come true or a nightmare waiting to unfold.
Daryl and I sat in the cab of the truck while Merle trailed behind us on his motorcycle. Before we hit the open road, we had to make a pit stop at the gas station to top up on gas.
Seemed like everyone else had the same idea though, a solid five cars in front of us. Merle, always one to take matters into his own hands, strolled ahead towards the pumps on his bike, ignoring the queue.
"He better not start something," I mumbled under my breath, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach. Daryl, who was driving the truck, grunted in agreement.
As Merle was trying to skip the line on his bike, my heart skipped a beat when I saw one of those things lurking near the gas station. The employee was covered in blood, with pale, cloudy eyes. I was not in the mood for any more violence today.
"Shit, Daryl," I hit his shoulder and pointed at the creature.
He stuck his head out of the window and banged on the side of the truck to get Merle's attention. We had enough gas for now (about half a tank), and it wasn't worth the risk of facing the unknown.
Merle surprisingly got the message this time, although not without shoving over a guy for his jerry can and speeding off on his bike. I rolled my eyes as Daryl quickly backed up the truck, and we finally left town. I turned on the radio, hoping for some news or information, but all we got were ominous warnings.
"The government is urging everyone to stay indoors as the police handle the ongoing attack. If you are bitten or scratched, make your way to the nearest hospital. Do not engage with infected individuals," the announcer warned.
I glanced over at Daryl, and his furrowed brow told me that he was just as concerned as I was. The radio continued, offering some hope, "If you're looking for a safe haven, Atlanta is being converted into a quarantine zone."
Daryl abruptly turned off the radio. "It's all bullshit," he muttered.
"What do you mean? You don't know that," I protested.
"Ain't no such thing as a safe zone," Daryl replied firmly.
But then the thought hit me, "Wait. We have to get Mom." I knew it had been years since I last saw her, but our family motto was "blood is thicker than water," and I couldn't just leave her behind. "The radio said Atlanta is safe. We have to go get her."
Daryl shook his head, "No-"
"Yes, we have to go," I insisted, feeling a wave of frustration.
"I get it, okay?" Daryl growled, frustration etched on his face. "But we gotta look out for ourselves first. Going back for your mom is risky, especially if the shit hits the fan like the radio said."
"Thought the radio was bullshit," she countered in a pissy tone. "We have to at least try to get to her."
Daryl let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. "Look, I'll think about it, but we need to find a safe place to hole up for a while. We'll see if we can contact her from there, okay?"
"Good," I said biting the inside of my lip. "Where are we headed, anyways?"
"The quarry," he replied. That brought a smile to my face, it was probably my favorite place on earth. Of course, I hadn't been to many places, let alone left the state, but something about the quarry just spoke to me. It's one place I only had good memories, mainly of Daryl taking me camping but it counted, even if those were rare occasions.
I plugged in my headphones and cranked up the volume, drowning out the world around me. The beat of the music pulsed through my body, blocking out the world. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep, the music still blasting in my ears. It would be a long enough drive and I figured why not catch some sleep?
Daryl glanced over at me and shook his head, but I could see a hint of a smile on his lips. He didn't understand the power of music like I did. But that was okay, we all had our own ways of coping in a world gone to hell.
I slowly opened my eyes and removed my headphones, feeling disoriented for a moment. As I stretched my arms and legs in the cramped truck, I realized that the sun was just starting to set. They were on a long stretch of highway that seemed deserted, with nothing but open fields on either side of the road. In the distance, I could see what looked like an abandoned motel, with only a couple of other vehicles parked outside.
"The sign isn't even on," she commented, looking at Daryl. He grunted in response pulling into a parking stall.
We got out of the truck, and Merle pulled up beside us, instantly lighting a cigarette when he stopped.
"Kali, stay in the truck," Daryl said, turning to me.
"What? Why?" I asked, confused.
"Just let us check the area first," he stated.
I looked up and down the parking lot. "Looks pretty abandoned to me," I said, grabbing my bag from the back of the truck and making my way to the main lobby doors.
Merle followed suit. "You gonna let her walk all over you, little brother?" he teased, leaving Daryl behind. I could see his annoyance growing as he followed us, grumbling.
As I walked in it was a dingy little lobby with an office door closed behind the front desk to the left, and a breakfast area that had a closed sign in front of the entrance to the right.
"Right, so dangerous," I joked, "I'm going to the bathroom, gotta pee." Daryl wasn't amused but I ignored it and Merle was digging into his 'medicine bag'.
I quickly scanned the area and saw the bathroom doors on the left next to the breakfast area. As I approached, I noticed the women's bathroom door was open slightly ajar, but I paid it no attention as I quietly went in. I heard a running tap as I rounded the corner. Maybe there were people here? Suddenly, I froze in my tracks. Directly in front of me, before the stalls, was a female employee practically slurping up the intestines of another woman on the floor. The employee looked worse than my father had; her eyes were clouded over the same way, but her face looked like it was starting to peel off. On one side of her face, all of her teeth were exposed. I was quickly reminded why we had left our small town. I couldn't look away, I couldn't move. What the hell was happening to people? So much for the fight or flight response that psychologists always talk about. I just freeze.
Okay, I should move, I should move. But I couldn't, I was frozen, my eyes locked onto the grotesque figure in front of me. Blood was all over its face, dripping onto the floor, and the sickening sounds of flesh tearing echoed in the small bathroom. The stench was overwhelming, making me want to gag. The sound of something crashing in the lobby caused the dead lady. Undead lady? Whatever she was, to look up, and it felt like her clouded eyes were staring right into my soul. I let out a small squeal as I stumbled backward into a wall.
"Kali!?" Daryl's voice called out from the other side of the door, causing me to turn my back towards the creature, ready to bolt. But for a moment, I couldn't tear my gaze away. Was the real woman still trapped inside, trying to fight off whatever was controlling her body? It was a terrifying thought.
Once her growling grew louder and more intense as the undead woman advanced towards me. Panic set in and I turned to run out the door, only to collide with Merle and Daryl who had just arrived. I stumbled and fell onto the ground, hard on my butt, my bag tumbling under the sinks.
As I tried to scramble to my feet, I felt her cold, clammy hand grab onto my hair. My heart pounded in my chest and I let out a very loud scream.
I grabbed at her hands, desperately trying to pry them off me, but it was no use. Thankfully, my brothers reacted quickly. Merle pushed the woman away from me, giving me the chance to scramble to my feet. Daryl was by my side in an instant, helping me out of the washroom. I tried to steady my breathing as I looked over to see Merle pull out a knife and plunge it into the woman's head. The sound of the knife slicing through flesh and bone made my stomach twist. He stabbed the woman just like I bashed my father's head in. The reality was starting to sink in a little more around me, I didn't want to panic, and I didn't want to cry. Dixons don't cry. I was trying not to shut down, I really was and now more than ever I realized we really did have to go and get my mom... If she wasn't dead yet...
Once back in the lobby, I saw that one of the waiting chairs was flipped over and there was yet another person, a man dressed in a suit, the manager I guessed, lying on the ground with a pool of blood from his head. I felt frozen again, I felt the blood rush from my head as I paled. My mind was having a really tough time processing everything, was the world always going to be a violent place, was it ever going to change? Was my life ever not going to be full of this shit?!
"Look away, Kali," Daryl got in front of me, he knew this shit was too much. I turned away from the scene as Merle came out of the washroom.
"What the hell, girlie, you can't just freeze like that. It'll get you fucking killed," Merle practically yelled in my face. My body tensed up at his outburst, I did freeze at first but then I realized something.
"Are you kidding me, you blocked my way," I pointed my finger at him and got in his face, letting anger take over despair, "You were in my way!"
"I came to save your ass, little lady," he retorted.
"Wouldn't have needed saving if you didn't block the door, dumbass," I shot back, feeling my own anger boiling up. Arguments weren't unusual for us, but he seemed particularly heated this time, and I couldn't help but shrink back as he towered over me.
"Don't you-" Merle started to say, but Daryl cut him off.
"Enough, both of you!" Daryl's voice boomed through the lobby, and both Merle and I went silent, looking at him.
We cleared out one of the motel rooms after that, but by "we," I really meant Daryl and Merle. They hauled the gear and backpacks while I trailed behind, sulking and avoiding eye contact. I hated arguing, I hated conflict, and I hate violence, but it seemed to be making up the majority of my life right now. The room was simple yet cozy, with two queen-sized beds draped in vintage green bedding. I hastily dropped my bag on the one closest to the wall, silently claiming it as my own before heading to the washroom. Despite my reluctance to speak to my brothers, my need to pee was greater, and I hoped to avoid any further confrontation with Merle for now.
As I entered the washroom, I breathed a sigh of relief to find it finally clear. The image of the undead lady was still fresh in my mind, I couldn't help but double-check behind the bathroom curtain. Once satisfied, I quickly took care of business. I then twisted the tap and a smile stretched across my face as clear water gushed out of the faucet. Approaching the tub, I was relieved to find that it was free from any unseemly stains. With a deep breath, I flicked on the showerhead, letting the hot water cascade down my hand, and filled the bathroom with steam. I hastily undressed and stepped into the warm embrace of the shower, letting the soothing sensation of the water wash away the grime and stress of the day.