Majesty POV
Pain flooded my body before I could see, hear, or smell. I couldn't even pinpoint where the burning sensation was coming from because my entire being felt like glass.
The second I opened my eyes there was blur shrouding my vision and it took me more than a few minutes to adjust to the sun burning in my eyes. I was freezing and… floating. I recognized the sound of water rushing in my ear almost instantly, and the soft swaying of my body against whatever I was perched up against.
After getting familiar with my surroundings, I used my hand to try and flip my body over, noticing quickly that moving my legs felt impossible. My hand got met with much deeper water than I expected, the depth making me flip and lose my balance completely, the pain in my body flaring as I did. My body felt so lightweight as I floated along the strong current until I hit another rock, a small yelp escaping my mouth from the collision.
I'd never broken a bone before, barely even had any major injuries, so I was in complete shock with how much the feeling actually hurt. I just wanted to get to the edge of the river but I was scared to move again. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath to give myself some courage. I considered screaming for help, and I really wanted to, but the circumstances of my situation hit me and I realized I had no idea what could be in the woods at that point.
I tried to scoot up against rocks holding me in place and glance down at my leg. Aside from the scratches and blood being washed away by the river water, I could see my left ankle was sticking out unnaturally on the opposite side and swollen as fuck. The sight made my heart drop, getting sick to my stomach immediately.
My head got hot, anxiety swelling in my brain until my vision got blurry from panic. Maybe I was better off right here considering the position I was in. Images of a roamer stumbling upon my floating body and tearing into me while I was defenseless played behind my eyes as well as a different scenario where I was stumbling through the woods on a dislocated ankle just to have the same fate.
Water splashed on my face, forcing me to pull myself up more, taking in the woods surrounding me. There was grass I could walk on, but with the state of my ankle there was no way I could climb up the sides of the ravine. I felt like walking down the path was not guaranteed either- I literally had no clue where I was.
My mind was so close to going back to just giving up, the only drive I had was of course thinking of my boyfriend. Glenn would probably be so hurt if I died but if he knew I just gave up and let it happen… no I couldn't.
I bit my lip, breathing deeply through my nose to muster up any remaining strength I had. With a loud groan, I dragged my entire body over the rock bed, using the slippery surface to help glide my skin. My eyes stung as tears began to form and cloud my tear ducts. Fuck this shit really hurt, and every time I moved, my torso felt like I was getting stomped on.
Every inch of movement caused a hot pounding in my head- I was sure I was going to pass out if I kept trying to maneuver to the dirt line. Again, I had to picture Glenn finding me and somehow finding somewhere where I would be safe enough to recover this ankle injury. I was lucky to only have an ankle injury, too. Just from looking up I knew I dropped at least 12 feet, and thank god there was water to stop my body from slamming on nothing but rock. The floating was honestly helping but the bone would have to be corrected- even I knew that.
Finally I just decided to fuck the slow movements and turned over onto my knees, keeping my swollen ankle elevated as I crawled to the grass. Once I was there I threw myself on my back, writhing in pain as my vision started blacking. I clasped at my hair, giving myself a little shout to keep myself grounded. My ankle was burning even more now that the water wasn't holding it up- I had to snap into place by myself.
The sickly and out of place look of my ankle alone made me want to throw up and the more I imagined having to push it back- I just kept getting more nauseous. Oh my god. This is so insane. I reached down and softly touched the inflated skin, not feeling anything until I applied some pressure- a small yell falling out of my mouth as I did. This was not gonna be easy.
"This is fine," I said aloud to myself, "just gonna push it into place it's not that hard." I breathed steadily, flexing my knee to brace myself for what was to come. I shut my eyes tight, gripping hard on both my foot and ankle and with one quick movement- snapped it straight. Within a second, my vision blacked from the intense pain and I threw myself back- eyes fluttering until I lost consciousness.
When my eyes opened again it was dark, and a cool chill blew over my body, instantly making me shiver. My clothes and hair were still damp and were contributing to the cold running over my skin, causing goosebumps. I looked down at my ankle, not being able to tell the difference even after I did my botched self assertion.
Now that it was dark and maybe officially a day or two, I got some fire under my ass and went to work on trying to get the fuck up. I tore my shirt with my teeth, ripping a long strip from around my waist and tightly wrapped it around the swelling to keep it aligned. Next, I shimmied my way back to the edge of the water, choosing a large branch that was bobbing on the surface. I broke the extra little twigs sticking off and used the branch to get my body up to a full stand, ignoring the throbbing I felt in all my muscles.
I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to go, obviously, so I started stumbling in the way I was naturally facing. The sound of the water next to me was calming and was the only thing keeping me from freaking out about being injured and alone in the woods in the dead of night.
It felt like forever until I approached a clearing, the water thinning out and going more uphill. Using the stick, I gave myself a little extra leverage to hobble up the small hill, fighting off the urge to give up right then and there. Even in the dark I could tell I was still extremely deep in the woods and there was absolutely no sign of life.
After a little more walking, I was practically forcing myself to continue on- just thankful that my body was numb at this point and the burn had subsided enough to where if I didn't think too much about it I could barely feel it. I definitely had noticed that the trees felt less and less dense so as confused and lost as I was, I refused to turn around or even stop till I broke the tree line.
Finally, after just trekking it forward for at least half the night, the trees broke, revealing a large plot of grass. When I squinted, I could make out a big farmhouse, a barn, and fences. Just the sight made me want to cry and collapse right then and there. I wasn't sleepy, the anticipation and anxiety was sending jolts of electricity through my body- but that same energy was lacking when it came to actually moving towards my goal.
I closed my eyes, picturing myself being somewhere safe and finding any kind of supplies that could help me make it back to Glenn. I imagined his happy eyes and full smile, the feeling of him kissing my forehead and me melting into his embrace- the sight giving me enough motivation to start hopping across the large plot of grass- zeroing in on the dark house.
I fell when I reached the house, biting into my lip to suppress any screech of pain that was threatening to come out. Silent tears rolled down my face as I shakily reached towards the back door, taking in the large stained glass panel that was blocking my view of the inside. I tried the knob. Locked. The disappointment depleted that last little bit of energy I had. Completely helpless, I dropped the branch and let myself fall asleep on the doorstep.
Birds chirping sounded in my ears, raising me from my slumber. I shielded my eyes from the beaming sun, gathering myself for a moment and taking in the farm now that it was sunny. There was so much land surrounding the house and barn, and again, not a walker in sight. But that didn't mean the inside was safe. I got up slowly, grabbing at my makeshift crutch and limping around the side of the large farmhouse. It was blue and had a beautiful churchy vibe to the style of the house. The front side revealed a large wrap around veranda that I stepped onto and followed to the front doors. This door was unlocked and left slightly ajar.
"Hello?" I croaked out as loud as I could into the front entrance. I waited. Nothing. Stepping inside, I gave another warning shout for anyone or anything that might've been in the darkness. Nothing, again. I walked through the house, finding the kitchen first and trying the sink. Running water. Holy. Of course, I rinsed my hand and then made a cup with it, lapping at the cool water until my throat didn't feel coarse anymore.
Limping through the kitchen, I searched the full cabinets for anything I could eat, my stomach growling as I did. I found cans of tuna, popping it open and devouring it with my bare hands. My hunger was far from satiated and my next move was to shovel some stale cereal from the top of the fridge into my mouth. When the box was done I went back to the sink, drinking more water.
Running water meant I could actually take a shower! The thought in my head made me eager to cleanse myself of the mud, dirt, and grass stains covering me, and I hopped around to find a bathroom. I found it pretty quickly and immediately tried the water. Bingo. It only took a few seconds for me to strip and stumble into the shower, moaning as the hot water washed over my naked flesh. I used the soap in the bathroom, scrubbing and scraping at my skin until it felt raw and hurt to touch. Even when I was clean, I stayed under the spray of the water to let it soothe my aching muscles.
My fingers were raisins when I finally got out, dried up and walked naked through the house, now using the walls to keep me upright and steady. I found a room, decorated with dark blues and gray tones on the walls and cloth. There were school materials, drawings, and even a toy car collection hung up on the wall. I searched the dresser. The room definitely belonged to a teenage boy. Oh well. I pulled out a large shirt and cargo pants, sitting back on the bed to get dressed. I raked my fingers through my wet hair until it was tangle free and put it into a braid that disappeared inside of the shirt. His shoes definitely would not fit my small feet so I opted to stay barefoot as I continued to make my way through the home.
I stopped to admire a family picture. Looked like these people had hella kids and maybe even grandkids. My stomach turned as I thought about what fate might've happened for them and now here I was on their farm and going through their things. Weird feeling. As much as I enjoyed the idea of being safe, I knew I had to find that highway again. I'd be lucky to find a map here. I should've paid attention to that dumb map Glenn was talking about. Glenn. All I wanted was to see him again. If I had anything to trade to see him again it would've been gone already. I have to get back on the road. Being at a house gave me hope because there had to be a town somewhere around here.
As quickly as I could, I emptied out a book bag from the boys room and filled it with another bag of cereal and any other cans I found in the house. I emptied a large soda bottle in the fridge and rinsed it, filling it with the sink water and stuffing it into the bag. More searching allowed me to find a revolver and a handful of bullets in the master bedroom and I took that as well. In another child's room I grabbed a baseball bat and in a closet I grabbed a hammer and crowbar. I was starting to feel extremely confident about leaving, and like God was on my side- I found a boot that was in a teen girls room. She had just so happened to be a cheerleader for the small town high school. A beautiful beaming blonde who had broken her leg before and was not doing me a great service.
I placed it around my aching ankle, ignoring the intense pain that came from my ankle being pushed even more into place. As heavy as the boot on my foot was, I had to push through the hurting. I slipped a large pair of house slippers on my bare foot and kept limping through the house until I found a car key. Even better. Just in case, I took a large kitchen knife and put it into a side pocket of the bag. This would have to do for now.
Back outside, I scanned the area for the car the keys had to be for. A silver Chevy truck sat parked on the dirt road leading out of the farm. I hopped as fast as I could to the car, swinging it open and pulling myself inside. I was practically praying for it to start as I turned the key. The car sputtered and stuttered as it fought to come to life but eventually it did, the dashboard lighting to show a gas tank on e. Whatever. This must be why the car was still here. I still slid the seat forward and put it in drive, rejoicing as the car started rolling forward. I would drive this baby as far as it could go.
With haste, I turned the car around and sped down the dirt road, following it until I got to a backroad surrounded by trees. I shuddered as I remembered where I was before I was able to find that house. God was really on my side. I noticed pretty quickly that there weren't even any signs that could give any indication of where I was going, so again I didn't turn or veer off the straight path of the road, even when I came across intersections and turns. I hummed to myself to replace the background noise a radio could provide.
Pretty quickly I did come across signs that there just so happened to be a town connected to the road I was driving down. I crept forward as I drove the old southern ghost town, not missing the eerie feeling it had as I took in the old timey empty businesses lined up on one side of the road, the woods on the other. It was so weird to see as a girl straight from Atlanta. And to say I was anxious would be an understatement. As much as I would've loved to stop and search through every property I saw- that wasn't something I'd ever done without my boyfriend- let alone handicapped on one foot.
I slowed my driving to about ten miles an hour, cruising down the road trying to see if I could spot any gas station or even a car really. Seemed like everybody in this town was prepared when the worst hit, and no one was in their little downtown area at the time. A bar and hardware store were the last things I saw before I finally got to regular non-farm houses, street signs, and smaller houses that had cars and actual signs of personality. I had to see if one of these houses had a map or any indication of where I could be. Would they have left by now? By now. I don't even know how long it's been. With Sophia and I both lost- unless they were able to find her -I doubt they would leave.
A sick twisted thought boiled in my brain as I hoped that the little girl wouldn't have been found because she could easily say I ran off being followed by walkers. She would probably give the idea that I spared myself for her. Which I did. But not to be left stranded in some 1900s looking old western town in the country. I actually wanted to see a walker at this point. Anything to prove to me that I didn't somehow wake up the last woman alive.
I was unsure where I wanted to stop, my anxiety sparking at every thought of any of these random houses. There were small and large houses, some had cars in the parking lots and some had the doors wide open like the residents had rushed out in a hurry. I decided to keep the drive going until the truck slowly came to a stop, finally running out of gas and refusing to move anymore. I inhaled deeply, sighing at the idea of getting out of the car. Not knowing the time brought my mind to Dale. How much I missed his old wise ass and his fucking watch.
As I threw the book bag around my shoulder, I glanced around the neighborhood to decide where I would start. All I really needed was a map. I remembered something about an interstate. Something like that. I kept my eyes tight tryna to picture any kind of landmark that could help me find my way. Tears started to sting at my eyes as that same idea of never seeing my boyfriend again settled in my brain.
I sighed again and gathered myself to step out of the car. After a quick glance, I chose a house at random, beginning to hobble towards the mid-sized off white home. That eerie feeling didn't subside as I hopped up the steps and tried the knob, getting met with a locked door. I groaned in annoyance but didn't press the issue, taking painstaking steps from the stairs and turning farther into the neighborhood, crossing the distance until I got to the neighboring house.
The door was closed but the window was open. Even from out here through the curtain I could see that it was pitch black in there. As I stood staring into the window, I tried to shake off the unsettling feeling under my skin. I dropped my bag, sticking my heavy booted foot in the window and shimmying the rest of my body inside. Immediately, a rotted dank smell filled my lungs, making me break out into a fit of coughs.
As I coughed, I could've sworn I heard a creaking noise which made me stop, falling still and silent. I squinted in the dark, reaching back now to find and pull the curtains open with shaky hands. The little bit of light that shined in the living room didn't reveal much but some dirty dusty furniture that I could still barely see. I stared at the dust flying around that was visible through the light, the sight putting me in a little bit of a trance for a second.
Another creaking sound broke my attention, and I held my breath. I was sure that was coming from above me. It sounded small, too, like it was a little animal taking refuge. As I took more cautious steps into the dark house, I kept my arms extended outward to feel for the dark furniture in front of me. I was sure I was crossing into another part of the house, the rank smell of death getting stronger, now bathed in close to pitch black.
I squinted, keeping straight and heading for what I felt was a back door. I ran my hand down the wall, feeling for some locks and a knob. "What the hell?" I said to myself.
"Arghhh!" I jumped, turning face to face with a geek as it charged at me, hands extended and clawing for me. The sudden attack brought a scream from out my mouth and I threw my body back, my backside colliding with hardwood. The walker was quick to use my situation to his advantage, fumbling atop of me and extending his teeth to my face. I pushed hard against the rotted, moist chest of this grown man who was strong in his pursuit even in death.
The chomping of decaying teeth and snarls from my attacker beat against my ear drums- the sound of my struggles trying hard to combat him. It had just crossed my mind that I left the book bag I had with any means to protect myself outside while my stupid ass went inside a pitch black house. Now this walker was so close I could feel his hot and stank breath on my face as he inched closer and closer.
By some miracle, the table flipped, pushing us both onto the floor and getting him off me for just a second. I started crawling away, knowing I had absolutely no time to try and get myself up with my sprained ankle. I flipped on my back, squinting at the man who had brought himself to a stand in a matter of seconds. With haste, I crawled back into the little ray of light I had created in the other room, never taking my eyes off the thing in front of me.
As soon as I backed into a hard brick wall, it was like the walker knew he had me in the perfect position to get back down in my face. The second he even tried to lean down on me, I used my good leg to kick him backwards. Even with the little distance I had gotten, he grabbed my foot and tried to take a big chunk. A gut wrenching scream erupted from me, my heart dropping to my toes as I pulled my foot back with as much force as I could muster, using my whole body and banging right back into the brick again.
Something heavy fell off the wall- I only took a second to look to my side before I had to put my attention right back onto the geek. I kicked at his face again and again, the slipper covering my foot not doing much to keep me feeling safe from his teeth. I pulled myself back into the wall again, shouting a shrill scream as I threw my booted leg up to shove into the walker's face. The second he was distracted enough, biting at the material on my sprained ankle, I snatched up the wooden object that had dropped next to me and got a good grip.
I felt the piercing grip above my leg where the boot was not, looking down at the walker wrapping his mouth around my calf to take a bite.
A scene of Glenn gripping my face, caressing my cheek and kissing my lips gently flashed in my brain. The idea of him stumbling across my dead body, now disfigured and no longer being able to kiss him but only being a mindless monster wanting to rip him apart settled in my head.
I screamed again, pulling and swinging down as hard as I could into the side of the walker's head, the wood breaking instantly against his skull. Springs and glass broke in my hand, but I pushed through the feeling, placing my palm down and letting the glass tear into my skin as I finally got myself up onto my knees. The walker definitely wasn't dead, and got up to continue following me almost in a daze from the head trauma. With a little more light I noticed the fireplace poker to my side, realizing that was exactly what I had been sitting up against.
For the last time my assailant dropped down, and with a final thrust, I stuck the fire poker upwards and right into the soft tissue of the man's eye. He gave a little protest as his brain slowly shut off, still clawing for me while he was dying. I growled out myself, mustering up some strength to push the corpse off of me, finally calming down as the adrenaline began to wear off.
My heart pounding began to hurt against my chest, pain ripping through my hand and sore body. In a panic, ignoring my bleeding hand, I undid my pants and shimmied them down, scooting to the light and observing both of my legs. Free of any scratch or bite. I allowed myself a sigh of relief, just trying to steady my breathing as I sat still, soaking in the situation.