Aim for the Brain

Frankie climbed the large Sugar Maple tree. She made it all the way to the top before Merle yelled at her:

“Ya climb like a damn girl.” He said.

“No shit!” she yelled back, “Shut the fuck up or you’ll get us killed.” They had seen a lot of walkers today. These woods, for some reason seemed to be crawling with them.

Frankie and Merle both decided to leave Atlanta as soon as both of them felt better. Merle’s hand was taking a while to heal, and Francis, she just didn’t feel like she could move on quite yet. For some reason the both of them stayed close.

They each spent a couple nights in the hospital, but Merle stayed the first few nights on a different floor. Although he had been sure to tell her he’d be within yellin’ distance. Both of them talked about where they’d go. Merle wanted to look for his brother, while Francis wanted to head west and find a secluded home. However they had both chosen to leave the same day, and as they headed out together, they seemed to have decided to stick together.

Some days Frankie regretted staying with him. His constant racial slurs and abrasive conversation would take a toll on her social personality. But she was happy to have a bit of muscle around when she had to drive a metal rod through the eye of a walker. Frankie was quick, but not strong, and Merle helped with that.

“What ya see?” he yelled.

Francis lowered herself down a couple branches before dropping to the soft dirt ground below her.

“Fuckin’ house.” She said. “Look’s abandoned.”

“Well let’s go look!” he said drawing his gun and looking excited.

Francis followed behind him, slightly irritated that he was so excited to explore the house. She was tired. She was still weak, but they needed a place to stay, they hadn’t taken a tent, and she didn’t like sleeping in the open.

In his only hand he carried a small hatchet, but both of them were carrying packs full of supplies. Frankie took out an axe that she’d pulled from an abandoned fire truck. She slung it over her shoulder while she waited for Merle to finish peaking in the windows.

“I don’ see no one!” he said. “Let’s let ourselves in.”

“Should we knock?” she asked him. He turned around just to look at her sarcastic face.

“I ain’t never been a knocker, I ain’t startin’ now.” Merle said before kicking the door in with the heel. The frame of the door was now broken.

“You don’t think a door is necessary to out safety?” she asked. “Maybe we should try and keep them intact?”

“Shh!” Merle said as he ran into the house. Frankie didn’t understand what he’d seen or why he was now running away from her. She only knew that she needed to be ready to cover him. But by the time she had seen where he was going, she realized he was chasing something out the back door.

“Merle!” she yelled after him. She jumped over a knocked over table and ran out the back door. Now she could see, he was chasing someone, a little girl. Frankie stopped and almost fell over as she watched the healthy little girl run from a man that scared her. Frankie could only think of her little girl.

Frankie watched as Merle easily caught her with his long legs. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, obviously unaware of how to handle a small child.

“Quit runnin’!” he told her, “I ain’t gonna hurt ya. I ain’t dead.” He told her. The little blonde girl was breathing hard, and the forceful grip he had on her arm was making her whimper.

“Merle!” Frankie said again, this time she was behind them both. “Merle you’re hurting her.”

Merle let go and she fell back. Frankie bent down to help her up. The little girl obviously felt more comfortable with Frankie’s kind face than Merle’s frightful demeanor.

“Look sweet girl, we’re just passin’ by. We don’t mean no harm. What you doin’ all the way out here by yourself?”

She didn’t say anything.

“You got a mom? Dad? Or are they gone?” Frankie asked. Frankie was startled when she heard the little girl begin to cry. She was sobbing now, tears running through her dirt stained cheeks.

“You from around here?” Frankie asked her. They’d brought the little girl back inside, it seemed that she had been sleeping here for a while now, and when Frankie held out some food, she quickly took it as though she were starving. She still hadn’t said anything, but Frankie kept on asking questions.

“Come on Frankie, she ain’t talking.” Merle said.

‘Well I wouldn’t either if you had nearly tackled me. I woulda ran too.” Frankie said. “You’re like a terrifying bear!”

Frankie made the girl giggle.

“He is isn’t he?” Frankie said again. “See she agrees with me.”

Merle rolled his eyes and went in the next room.

“He doesn’t know me.” The little girl said. Frankie was now startled; she hadn’t expected the little girl to speak so suddenly. “He used to be at our camp.”

“Camp? So others? Are there others?” Frankie asked.

The little girl shook her head, “I don’t know where they are.” She said beginning to cry. Frankie gave her a swift hug and smoothed her hair.

“We can help you find them.” Frankie said. “It’ll all be alright.”

That night Frankie slept next to the little girl, she hadn’t stopped crying since she’s admitted she was lost. The only other thing Frankie learned was that her name was Sophia.
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“You from around here?” Frankie asked her. They’d brought the little girl back inside, it seemed that she had been sleeping here for a while now, and when Frankie held out some food, she quickly took it as though she were starving. She still hadn’t said anything, but Frankie kept on asking questions.

“Come on Frankie, she ain’t talking.” Merle said.

‘Well I wouldn’t either if you had nearly tackled me. I woulda ran too.” Frankie said. “You’re like a terrifying bear!”

Frankie made the girl giggle.

“He is isn’t he?” Frankie said again. “See she agrees with me.”

Merle rolled his eyes and went in the next room.

“He doesn’t know me.” The little girl said. Frankie was now startled; she hadn’t expected the little girl to speak so suddenly. “He used to be at our camp.”

“Camp? So others? Are there others?” Frankie asked.

The little girl shook her head, “I don’t know where they are.” She said beginning to cry. Frankie gave her a swift hug and smoothed her hair.

“We can help you find them.” Frankie said. “It’ll all be alright.”

That night Frankie slept next to the little girl, she hadn’t stopped crying since she’s admitted she was lost. The only other thing Frankie learned was that her name was Sophia.
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Frankie didn’t tell Merle what she had learned from Sophia. It made sense that the girl waited for him to leave before talking, she was afraid of him. Frankie wondered why Merle wouldn’t recognize a girl that he used to share a camp with. But Merle had been on his own for quite some time now, perhaps the girl had changed too much for him to recognize her.

Frankie still didn’t know a lot about Merle, he kept quite a bit of his past locked up, including what happened to his hand. But Frankie had grown accustomed to his vulgar language and sexual references, because truth be told: both of them were so mentally wounded, they knew it was all for show. They almost always slept in different rooms, and despite working together, they might as well been complete strangers, and sadly, they liked it that way.

Frankie handed him an apple, it was bruised, but still good. Merle ate it quickly; they were both hungry, and running out of food. Sophia said there had been food at one point, but it was gone while she stayed here.

Later a plan had been made to leave and search for more food. Frankie and Merle were ready to go out and look for some rabbits, or a deer if they were lucky. But when the time came, Sophia refused to leave.

“Damn girl, leave her then!” Merle said.

“She’s scared to death, and what if one of those geeks finds her here huh?”

“Not my problem.” Merle said.

“I’m staying with her.”

She saw for the first time Merle actually seemed angry with her for choosing the girl over him. Frankie couldn’t leave a child alone while she was so frightened. Frankie knew though that she would’ve felt the same way Merle did if he chose to leave her. She didn’t understand why, she was socially awkward, she kept the anxiety of being alone to herself and hoped it wouldn’t replicate in other ways. She watched as he walked away with their only gun.

“Better on my own anyway.” He said. Frankie knew that was a lie. Both of them needed one another, strictly because Merle was handicapped with only one hand – and when Frankie was left alone she’d succumb to panic. She could only hope she'd be all right without him.