Keep Holding On

The map was press out on the hood of the car, as Jamie and Angela tried to create a plan on where to go. Layla was running around the field beside the car, throwing a stick for Samantha, the two enjoying their game of catch. Everything looked so peaceful as Angela watched her sister, but peaceful sure doesn't last long during a zombie apocalypse.

Angela noticed people walking up the hill, heading towards where Layla was playing, only they weren't living.

"Shit." Angela muttered her language grabbing Jamie's attention as he quickly turned from looking at her to Layla while Angela grabbed a gun. "Layla get over here now!" Angela shouted at her sister who noticed the threat and ran as fast as her legs could take her.

"What do we do?" Jamie asked watching the freaks approach them rather quickly, gaining on poor little Layla.

"Car doesn't have any gas so diving's not an option, we can't outrun them, so there's no other choice but fight." Angela said pulling out her machete and running to her sister who had a walker on her tail. "Get away from my sister!" She shouted slicing through the zombie's head.

"Angela!" Layla cried scared to death as she clung to Samantha who stayed loyally beside her, growling at the oncoming freaks.

"Layla get back to the car and hide in the back with Samantha, while Jamie and I take care of the freaks." Angela ordered stabbing a zombie in the head, blood splattering on her clothes and face. Layla did as told and took Samantha back to the car, while Jamie and Angela fought off the herd as best they could.

There weren't as many freaks like when they were escaping the city, this was a different group that either heard the car or just happened to be stumbling by. Either way there was little hope at surviving, but the eldest Morrison's were determined to protect their sister.

Jamie sunk his knife into the eye of another freak watching as it fell and was replaced shortly by another. Taking that one down fairly easily as well. The numbers weren't as large anymore, slowly dwindling down to none, but they were able to keep the freaks in front of them and away from the car, or so they thought.

A terrified scream pierced the air, and the siblings took a moment after killing two other zombies to look back at the car that had freaks banging on the side.

"Dammit, Layla!" Angela screamed turning to cut the head off another zombie.

"You go save her, I'll take care of these guys!" Jamie shouted to his sister. She nodded, sinking one last zombie, before rushing to the car. She took down the freaks banging on the window and noticed one stumbling around the car. She cut its head clean off, then stabbed the thing in its brain. That's when she noticed the door.

The car door was open and looking inside, Angela found it to be empty. Layla was missing; did one of those things get her, did she just get scared and ran for it? Angela shook her head, willing the tears to leave her as she took in her surroundings.

"Layla!" She shouted looking towards the woods not far from her. "Samantha!" Nothing; no running to her, no yells. Angela turned and began to head back to Jamie, only to see three walkers left. There was one behind him, and Angela ran as fast as she could towards it, but it was too late. The zombie grabbed Jamie from behind and took a bite out of his neck. Jamie's screams of pain echoed around them as Angela killed the zombie responsible and they finished the rest off.

Holding his neck, Jamie walked back to the car. Tears mixing with the blood on his face. Angela's tears finally escaped her eyes and cascaded down her face as she tried to get Jamie to stop walking and sit down.

"Is she alright Angie?" He murmured eyes locked on the back window of the car.

"Jamie, please sit down you're hurt please." She pleaded tugging lightly on his arm her bravado fading. Jamie turned to her, dropping his knife on the ground and grabbing her shoulders.

"Angela, sitting's not going to help me. I've been bit, just like dad, just like mom, jut like most of those freaks out there. There's no helping me, I'm going to turn and I don't want that to happen, before I die though, I want to know if I'm dying because I saved our little sister."

"I don't know Jamie. She's gone-"

"They got her?!" Jamie interrupted becoming pale from blood loss and his temperature began to rise from being infected by the bite.

"No, I-I don't think so. I looked in the car, but I didn't see any blood, so I think she ran. Jamie please sit down." They had begun walking again and were at the car now. Finally Jamie listened to her and sat down, leaning against the car.

"Samantha gone too?" Jamie asked softly, and Angela nodded in response as tears continued to flow down her face and sobs began to shake her body as realization hit her hard. Jamie pulled her to him, wrapping his sister in a hug.

"They're both gone." Angela finally whispered.

"She's alive Angie, don't give up hope, don't ever give up hope. Mom trusted you to take care of Layla and that's what you're going to do." Jamie said in sort of a rush, but Angela heard every word sitting up to look at her brother. "Samantha's with her, just like always, all you have to do is find her. I know you can; since the world went to hell, every plan has worked out for you. You kept us safe in Atlanta, dad's survival skill he taught us as kids stayed with you and you've been able to use them to your advantage. You have to find her and I know you will." He wiped the tears from his sister's face. "Now get packed, take what you need to survive and leave the rest, don't over pack yourself."

"What about you?" Angela asked holding his hand tightly.

"I'll be okay for a few minutes while you pack, but you gotta shoot me before you leave, I don't want to become one and that was our deal remember?"

"Right, I'll get packed." She said giving his hand a squeeze before looking through everything and getting what she needed. Just as Angela was about to close the back, after getting everything she need, her eyes landed on the bow her father cherished. It once belonged to her grandfather and before he passed away, long before the apocalypse, he gave it to her father. She couldn't leave it here, she would learn to use it well when she could and it would come in handy; so she grabbed it and the quiver of arrows slinging them onto her back then looking shortly at the bow, admiring it before going back to Jamie.

"I'm done, I'm ready." Angela said as tears sprung to her eyes again at the helpless sight of her older brother, the guy she looked up to for so long.

"Good, be careful Angie, and find our baby sister."

"I will be."

"Don't stay in one place for to long, keep moving. Don't use you're gun unless you have to." Jamie was listing off things to remember, coughing every so often, and he soon ran out of ideas. "Guess this is it then." Angela dropped to her knees and hugged him.

"I'll find her Jamie, I just wish you could come too."

"Yeah so do I. I love you Angela, I know you'll find her."

" I love you too Jamie." Angela began to cry again knowing what she had to do. Jamie pushed her back so he could see her face.

"Don't cry sis, be strong, for me, for Layla. Okay?"

"Yeah, I'll try my best."

"You need to go, Layla is probably a good ways away from you so you need to hurry." Jamie said beginning to shake.

"Right, I love you Jamie."

"Love you too sis, tell the princess that I love her too when you find her, give her a hug for me."

"I will." Angela responded fumbling with her gun.

"You know what you have to do Angie." Jamie said, a few tears falling down his face as he closed his eyes. "Bye sis, stay safe." Angela pointed the gun at his head, wondering why it always came down to this, her shooting her own family.

"I will be, goodbye James."

The shot rang out, and Angela didn't waste anytime, moving out as fast as she could without looking back at the lifeless body of her brother.