Status: Am still trying to write, but school is keeping me really busy
Hopeless Wanderer
Four
My body screamed out for rest. My feet ached. A slight burn nestled into my calves and thighs while my shoulders slumped in fatigue. I probably could have fallen asleep standing up, but luckily I spied a car sitting in the ditch. I cautiously approached it, wary that more of those monsters might be around. I slowly circled it once, ensuring nothing remained inside. Once satisfied, I bit back a prayer and checked the door handle. It swung open. Relieved, I crawled inside and locked it up. Memories of those things haunted my last thoughts before sleep claimed me.
Glass shattered, raining down by my feet. I tried to sit up but my body protested after sleeping curled up in the backseat for God only knows how long. My eyes stung from the sun but I could see the silhouette of another person as I blinked lazily. My ears perked up, waiting for that telltale groan. What I heard instead chilled my blood. A low, short laugh emitted forth. Only, it wasn’t a genuine laugh. I quickly sat up and huddled against the door at my back, as far from him as I could. He reached through the broken window and unlocked the door.
“You don’t have to worry, child. We’re not going to hurt you,” a deep voice spoke. The door fell away behind me and I tumbled into a woman’s arms. She carefully pulled the rest of me from the backseat and helped me to collect myself. “Bingo!” That deep voice spoke again. “Mary, look what I found!” I turned to face him in all his glorious triumph as he held my duffel bag up high enough for Mary to see.
“That’s mine. I need it,” I complained. He just laughed, this time genuinely, but at my stupidity.
“Child, if you need it, don’t you think we might find use for it too?” I started to lunge towards him, but Mary held me back. She wrapped my arms behind me and held tight, reaching around my upper arms to keep me from hitting her. Clearly, she’d done this before.
He dumped the contents of the bag out on the ground, trying to get a better look at what I carried. As he rummaged through everything I owned, I tried to ask questions. I at least wanted to get my bearings for this new world. “Child, what rock have you crawled out from under?” My cheeks flamed red in anger at being teased by this stranger.
“Please, just tell me what’s going on? I saw something tear out my boyfriend’s neck. I saw a boy and girl who looked like that man who did it. Just, please, what happened?”
As he moved the contents from the ground into his own empty pack, Mary spoke. “They’re dead, girl. They die and come back and start walking. If you’re not careful, they’ll catch you and you can join them.” I tried arguing with her. It just wasn’t possible. Once you die, you’re dead. That’s it. Nobody comes back from that. “They’re just shells. They don’t love you. They don’t remember you. If you ever forget that, for even one minute...” Surely they were fucking with me. Except we had thought Jeremy was dead when he came back. It could also explain why I couldn’t find Will’s body anywhere. But the dead don’t just come back and walk.
“Child, you’re going to sit right here. We’re going to take your bag with us down the street, and I’m going to leave it under that oak tree. As soon as we move out of sight, you can get your bag back. We might be desperate, but I’d like to think we’re not murderers. I left a few things in there you can defend yourself with if you remember that you have to attack their heads. Don’t let them bite or scratch you, but make sure you destroy their head. If you even think about coming after us, I promise you I will not hesitate to kill you.” I could only stare.
Mary slowly let me go. I stood rooted next to the car, staring dumbfounded as the pair walked away. They both wore heavy boots caked in mud with denim jeans tucked into the top. He had a jacket while she wore a long sleeved shirt. Didn't they realize it was ridiculously hot out here?
He kept his word and stashed my empty bag at the base of an old oak tree. I reminded myself several times that I would have to be patient to keep myself from running at it to check what I had left. His threat to kill me certainly helped steady my feet. Once they turned a corner near the horizon I dashed to the tree to rip open my bag.
Inside, a knife, Will's picture, a solitary bottle of water and just enough food to get through tomorrow if I was extra careful remained. I sat against the tree, feeling defeated. I spent a lot of time packing that bag and in one day I'd lost nearly all if it. I didn't sit long, knowing I'd need to cover as much ground as I could to get away from this damned city and make it to safety. With the day half over, I didn’t expect to very far. Just far enough to agitate my feet and keep my muscles sore.
Glass shattered, raining down by my feet. I tried to sit up but my body protested after sleeping curled up in the backseat for God only knows how long. My eyes stung from the sun but I could see the silhouette of another person as I blinked lazily. My ears perked up, waiting for that telltale groan. What I heard instead chilled my blood. A low, short laugh emitted forth. Only, it wasn’t a genuine laugh. I quickly sat up and huddled against the door at my back, as far from him as I could. He reached through the broken window and unlocked the door.
“You don’t have to worry, child. We’re not going to hurt you,” a deep voice spoke. The door fell away behind me and I tumbled into a woman’s arms. She carefully pulled the rest of me from the backseat and helped me to collect myself. “Bingo!” That deep voice spoke again. “Mary, look what I found!” I turned to face him in all his glorious triumph as he held my duffel bag up high enough for Mary to see.
“That’s mine. I need it,” I complained. He just laughed, this time genuinely, but at my stupidity.
“Child, if you need it, don’t you think we might find use for it too?” I started to lunge towards him, but Mary held me back. She wrapped my arms behind me and held tight, reaching around my upper arms to keep me from hitting her. Clearly, she’d done this before.
He dumped the contents of the bag out on the ground, trying to get a better look at what I carried. As he rummaged through everything I owned, I tried to ask questions. I at least wanted to get my bearings for this new world. “Child, what rock have you crawled out from under?” My cheeks flamed red in anger at being teased by this stranger.
“Please, just tell me what’s going on? I saw something tear out my boyfriend’s neck. I saw a boy and girl who looked like that man who did it. Just, please, what happened?”
As he moved the contents from the ground into his own empty pack, Mary spoke. “They’re dead, girl. They die and come back and start walking. If you’re not careful, they’ll catch you and you can join them.” I tried arguing with her. It just wasn’t possible. Once you die, you’re dead. That’s it. Nobody comes back from that. “They’re just shells. They don’t love you. They don’t remember you. If you ever forget that, for even one minute...” Surely they were fucking with me. Except we had thought Jeremy was dead when he came back. It could also explain why I couldn’t find Will’s body anywhere. But the dead don’t just come back and walk.
“Child, you’re going to sit right here. We’re going to take your bag with us down the street, and I’m going to leave it under that oak tree. As soon as we move out of sight, you can get your bag back. We might be desperate, but I’d like to think we’re not murderers. I left a few things in there you can defend yourself with if you remember that you have to attack their heads. Don’t let them bite or scratch you, but make sure you destroy their head. If you even think about coming after us, I promise you I will not hesitate to kill you.” I could only stare.
Mary slowly let me go. I stood rooted next to the car, staring dumbfounded as the pair walked away. They both wore heavy boots caked in mud with denim jeans tucked into the top. He had a jacket while she wore a long sleeved shirt. Didn't they realize it was ridiculously hot out here?
He kept his word and stashed my empty bag at the base of an old oak tree. I reminded myself several times that I would have to be patient to keep myself from running at it to check what I had left. His threat to kill me certainly helped steady my feet. Once they turned a corner near the horizon I dashed to the tree to rip open my bag.
Inside, a knife, Will's picture, a solitary bottle of water and just enough food to get through tomorrow if I was extra careful remained. I sat against the tree, feeling defeated. I spent a lot of time packing that bag and in one day I'd lost nearly all if it. I didn't sit long, knowing I'd need to cover as much ground as I could to get away from this damned city and make it to safety. With the day half over, I didn’t expect to very far. Just far enough to agitate my feet and keep my muscles sore.