Living Like You're Dead

The house was in great condition, someone had to have been working to keep it like this...

"Daryl someones inside." Addie said.

"Huh? Where?" he looked around at the windows and didn't see what she had seen.

"That window, there." she said pointing. "I saw someone draw the shades."

The cars were parked. Daryl stepped out of the vehicle and over to Rick. Rick kept a calm look on his face when Daryl spoke to him. Rick must have thought something like this was a possibility. He put a handgun in the back waist of his jeans.

"Well I guess I'll go say hello." he said. Shane walked over next to Rick as Addie stepped out of the car and walked over to Daryl.
"You ain't goin' alone." Shane added.
Addie stood next to Daryl for only a moment as they both watched Rick and Shane walk towards the door of the house.

There she was again, next to him. He was angered that the only person she seemed attached to was him. Shouldn't she have talked to Lori or Andrea more? She was an incredibly smart person and she was wasting her thoughts on him. She was wasting time with him. he thought. He at least needed space from her so he's stop having sensual thoughts. He would mentally slap himself every time his mind replayed his dreams or thoughts.

Oh god. Her scent - there it was again wafting through his nostrils.

He had to step away.

And so he did. Daryl stepped away from her. Leaving her just standing there, watching.
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Rick knocked on the door four times.

No answer.

His used his fist this time instead of his knuckles. He heard several clicking noises from behind the door. A locking mechanism. He waited until the door slowly opened, but only a few inches.

"What do you want?" a gruff voice asked.

"Well we've been traveling here for a few days now... we were hoping to stay here." Rick answered the man. He seemed to look well fed, he looked healthy.

"Well you best be on yer way cause that ain't happening."

"Well we happen to know for a fact that this house doesn't belong to you." Shane said.

"It don't matter in times like this." the man said sternly. He attempted to close the door, but the rubber from Shane's shoe blocked it, as well as Ricks palm pressing up against the door.

"We at least need somewhere to stay." Rick seemed to plead with the man, and all he did was shake his head, the longer they held the door open the more mad he became.
Addie decided she should intervene and walked up behind them. She placed her palm next to Ricks, and before she spoke the man looked at her and a look of shock spread across his face.

"You." he whispered. The man opened the door the rest of the way to get a better look at Adeline Mimieux.

"You are-"
"In your house." he finished.

Addie's face only read confusion.

"I didn't think you'd ever show - Thought you'd be dead by now."

"So you knew I was coming?" she asked him. He gestured for her and the two men to step inside. Addie's knapsack was slung over her shoulder and Shane eyed Ricks pistol casually.

"I got a contact from France - a man named Alderic. He sent me this file." the man held out an orange envelope. She undid the metal clasp that held it shut and dumped the contents into her hands.

First there was a photo of her. Her name was written on the back. Second was a photo of the house, with the address written on the back. Then there was a list of supplies. Supplies one would need if suddenly zombies walked the earth...

"I guess he knew what was comin'" the man said. "My name is Erik." Erik finally revealed his identity and put out his arm to shake it. "Alderic told me over the phone he was sending you here to safety. It was only a day later that whatever was happening there, started to happen here. And I never heard from him again. So I grabbed my wife and we headed here. God bless her soul."

"I'm sorry. she's past?" Shane asked. Erik nodded.

"On the way over we got ambushed by a hoard. She didn't make it." he breathed a heavy sigh into the air.

"Well we have lots of survivors - and tons of supplies." Rick said.

"Well I do too. Well technically she does." Erik gesturing to Addie. "Alderic stocked this place up for you."

"Got any fuel?" Shane asked.

"Sure down in the cellar." Erik pointed at a door underneath the stairway. Shane opened it to find a dark cellar he clicked the light switch at the top of the stairs, it illuminated his pathway. And he came back with a red plastic container filled with fuel.

"Well at least we can bring the RV up." Rick commented on the newly found gasoline.

"Well come meet everyone." Addie told Erik, she grabbed his left hand and lead him out the door.