A Gunshot to the Head and an Arrow to the Heart.

“Tiffany, baby, you’ve gotta come home as soon as possible. This disease is getting really fuckin’ bad.” My boyfriend of three years, Shane Walsh, pleaded, “I don’ like you bein’ out there by yourself.”

“I’m sorry but there’s not much I can do at the moment. The cars are not moving at all.” I was currently sitting in traffic on my way home from Raleigh, North Carolina where I had been visiting an old friend. The drive from Raleigh to home was a little over six hours. I had made it three hours into the drive before the traffic came to a complete halt.

“There’ve been more attacks. This thing is spreading like the plague now. I can’t see this getting much better. I just wish I had you here in my arms so that I know your safe.”

I sighed, “I know, baby. But I promise that I won’t leave this car and I’ll try making it home as soon as possible.”

“Tiff, my battery’s about to die. I better go. I love you and I’ll call you later.” Shane said, his voice cracking. It pains me to know how much he is worrying.

“I love you too, Shane. So much. I’ll see you when I get home.” And with that we hung up.

The traffic inched up little by little, taking about six hours before I reached the Georgia state line. I sighed with relief knowing that I was somewhat close to home. The Low Fuel light was flashing for the past hour, but I refused to stop. Even though getting broken down would have been a lot worse than stopping to fill up. I just didn’t want to take a risk with this crazy disease going around. When I finally stopped for gas, I gasped in horror at the length of the line. The line went on for miles and miles. She had never seen anything like it in the state of Georgia. It was like when Florida would have hurricanes and everyone would be evacuating and stopping for gas. And I knew all too well what usually happened in that case; the gas would run out. I banged my head on the steering wheel and screamed, letting out all the pent up anger. I’ve been in a car for 9 hours with no food or water, and now I’m almost out of gas and my car is going to run out before I can even get to the damn gas pumps. I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself down before picking up my cell phone and dialing Shane. It rang and rang, but he didn’t answer.

“Fuck- fuck- FUCK!” I yelled. I scrolled through my contacts and found Lori Grimes, Shane’s best friends’ wife. Lori and I didn’t get along too well, but she lived close by to Shane and I and could possibly let him know what’s going on. Of course, she didn’t answer either. Then I tried my best friend Jennifer, whose house I just left. No answer. I let the tears fall now, knowing that I was going to be stuck here for quite a while.
All the people in the gas line were getting out of their cars to stretch their legs, and see what was going on. I thought about getting out, but hesitated since I promised Shane that I wouldn’t. Apparently being bitten by an infected person spreads this disease, and who knows who’s infected and who’s not. I stared at my phone, not believing that it had been almost ten hours since I left Raleigh. Usually visiting Jen was a quick drive back and forth, but this time had turned into a nightmare.

I sighed, and reclined my seat back. It looks like I’ll be here for a while. I stared out the window at the little group that gathered next to their cars, and started to drift off to sleep. A piercing scream jolted me awake. I made sure the car doors were locked and secured, before looking around for the source of the scream. The little group that was standing there minutes before was now demolished. The diseased people had descended upon them and there was a blood bath. I covered my mouth and screamed when one of the diseased ripped off a little girls’ leg. The tears ran down my cheeks as I buried my head in my hands. I didn’t want to see this. All these innocent people being ripped to shreds was not something I could look at without having the urge to vomit.

A knock on the passenger side window caused me to look up, coming face to face with one of the diseased. I gasped as it growled and lashed it’s teeth at me from the other side of the window. It didn’t have the strength to break the glass, did it? I shrieked as it repeatedly ran into the door. My phone’s shrill ringtone started up beside me. Relief flooded over me when I read the name on the screen. Shane.

“Shane, baby, I love you, but one of those diseased people are right at the car window right now and I have no idea what to do.” The words tumbled out so fast that I’m not sure if he even understood.

“Okay, Tiff. Get into the backseat and feel around under the seat. I left one of my guns in there and it should still be there.”

I crawled into the back like he said.
“Okay, I’m looking.” I said as I patted around under the seat. My hand landed on cool metal and I knew I found it. “I’ve got it, now what?”

“Drive. Get out of there.” He said, demandingly.

“My car is practically out of gas. That’s what I was doing, waiting in line for gas.”

“Fucking hell, Tiff. Where are you? I’m comin’ to get ya.”

I sighed with relief, “I’m just past the Georgia state line at the little Shell gas station.”

“Okay, I’ll be there. Love you Tiff and don’t do anything stupid.” He hung up before I could respond.