Prevail

The fact of waking up at a certain time without using an alarm completely amazes me. I woke up about 20 minutes before dawn, giving me enough time to pack my shit before I had to meet Daryl.

I open the bed of my truck and pull out my pack, filling it with granolas and other things just incase I did find the girl. Her stomach would probably be eating itself about now, because lets face it, when you were 12, finding food out in the wilderness wasn't something that you just picked up on. They had said yesterday that today marks a week since she's been gone. The thought of the little girl makes my heart plunge into my stomach. She had to be terrified and hungry, probably missing her mother to no extent. I know I would be if my momma was like Carol.

I sigh zipping up a section of the bag and opening another. I hop up onto the tailgate and undo the rhino cover allowing me to get to the trunks of ammo. Yes, I said trunks. Jett and I raided every shop and every small base a few months ago. We just wanted to make sure that we were protected, not just from the dead but the people out there too. It was everyman for himself. Our thought was that we'd definitely die fighting, and by the sounds of it, Jett's definitely fighting his illness, whatever it was that he had, just like the soldier he is.

I open a trunk, digging around for the 3 inch mags for my sawed-off.

"You keepin' this from us?" I hear a very southern draw from behind me, snippy like always. I'm actually surprised that I haven't heard him come up behind me. Well, I wasn't exactly being the quietest person, even though I was trying to be.

"No Daryl" I say sighing "I told Rick yesterday that y'all were welcome, just to make sure it was ran by me before anything was taken" I say standing up and dumping a box of rounds into my bag. I turn around to face him, looking down at his belt. His older pistol was holstered at his hip, making it hard to get a good look at what it actually was.

"If I was keepin' it for myself, I wouldn't have given ya anything last night" I say scrounging around in the box again. Finding what I wanted, I stand up tossing him the box. He catches it, looking down at the cube of lead in his hands.

"Thanks" he mumbles, glancing up at me before placing it in his satchel.

I stand up with my quiver and my bow that my pappy gave me. It was beautiful, that's the only definition I can actually give. I don't remember what wood it was carved from, its been way to long since I've heard him talk about it. I know that the string is braided horse hair but other than that I have no clue. I go to turn around but my softball bat catches me eye, thinking that maybe it would be better to take that.

Jett had been so kind to drill 8 inch screws through the last 6 inches of aluminum, making it a pretty decent Zombie slayer.

I shut the trunk and lock it, before stepping out of the bed, making a list of what else I needed to get. Water from the cab and my hunting claw, just incase I came across some large game. It would make it a lot easier to drag back if I was a couple miles out. Well, that's if I would make it, my side still wasn't in the best shape.

I hop off the tailgate as Daryl walks past me to the hood of the truck. I sigh once more as I slam the tailgate easily, making sure not to wake anyone. Daryl not giving a shit obviously, he drug his boots the whole way to the head of the truck.

I pick up my pack walking to the back seat and opening the door. I pull out two bottles of water and my special little tin before letting the door fall close on it own.

I set the two bottles down on the hood along with my tin bucket. I push one bottle to him as I pop open the tin, the wild smell hitting my nostrils instantly. I pick up one of the already rolled cigarettes and place it between my lips.

"Want one?" I ask him, cigarette bouncing as I do, patting my pockets for my Zippo. I pull out the blingy lighter as he eyes the pink luster, also taking one.

"Really?" he asks as I hold the lighter out to him.

"It's pink, it's not corrosive" I say before breathing in the toxins. My nerves calming slightly. They've been on the fritz since I gave myself an adrenaline shot a little bit ago. I had the vial and an extra syringe in my bag, along with some pain killers, just incase I needed a boost.

"You alrigh'?" he asks taking a deep drag, holding out my lighter to take. He nods his head to my hand, which was shaking dramatically.

"Yeah, just the adrenaline" I say taking the cigarette out of my mouth and looking over the outstretched map. There was a lot of ground that needed covered that's for sure.

I see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye. Get over it.

"I covered this over 'ere" he says stretching across and showing me. The muscles straining underneath the skin on his arms as he did so. He was fit, I'll give him that, mostly from the malnutrition.

I nod my head carefully looking over the land marks, keeping note of them. If I hit them, I'll know I'm going the wrong way.

"I was thinkin' that if you took this route, I could cirlcle 'round, meeting up here" He says pointing to the quarry at the edge of the map. Shane said that they were camped at one before this, I know its not the same one, Georgia is full of them. "There's a town 'bout a mile off the map, nothin' big, jus' eight or ten houses"

"And clearin' them alone would be absolutely retarded" I say nodding my head "And if somethin' goes wrong? How does the other person know to head back? Bein' out after dark ain't the best idea" I say turning to look at him. He was staring at what was the side of my face, now that I had turned to look at him, he snapped out of it, looking back down at the map.

"Sunset" he glances back at me before back at the map "We'd wait until sunset" That's like 14 hours from now.

"That's way to much time" I say taking another drag, leaving it between my lips. "This ground would take no more than 4 hours to cover max" I pause taking the cigarette back into my trembling hand and leaning my hands on the orange hood. We're both decently tall so we could easily use the hood of the truck for a make shift table. A very expensive make shift table. I use to cringe every month when my truck payment was due. 550 was not something I let go of easily.

"Didn' know if ya could track the sun" he say breathing in more toxins.

"Let's say 2ish that gives us plenty of time to clear the ground" I say as he nods his head folding up the map and stashing it in his satchel. Maybe I can catch a little swim in the clean water there.

"Better be there Barbie, I won't think twice about leavin' your ass" he snaps at me.

"Watch the mouth boy, I won't think twice on puttin' my fist in your face" I shoot back at him. Ah, just like the good ol' days. He smirks slightly before turning on his heel, heading for the tree line, mumbling a small 'whatever'.

I grew up with men like that all my life, you just got to stand up for yourself, put them in their place, so to speak. I can be a nice and polite southern princess, but piss me off, I'll show you redneck bitch in 2 seconds flat.

Yes, I am a redneck. I grew up in the bayous, hunting and fishing for our dinner. Went mudding with the brothers and the friends, and sat around sipping homemade moonshine from mason jars on the weekends. Camo was at least half of my wardrobe, and I had more boots than anything else.

Yes, I was a girly girl from time to time. I liked getting dressed up and going out on weekends, dragging home some belligerent drunk guy just to boot him out in the morning. I have had my fair share of one night stands, much to Jett's disapproval. My mother placed me in gymnastics since I was old enough to walk. I played countless sports through school, getting myself scholarships to get out and get an education. That's what landed me my degree at the University of Georgia. I was part of the Gymnastics team, granting me boxes full of medals and trophies. I went all over the country for Volleyball and Softball games, Jett never missing a single one.

He never went to school with me, but we had an apartment where and he owned his own little construction business, taking off when I had a game to fly o or drive out with me. I'm telling you, this man is my best friend. My brothers never even acted like this about me. Yeah, they came to see me and wished me the best, but nothing to the extent of Jett. It was absolutely hilarious when some guy cheated on me, Jett would destroy them. That's probably never going to happen ever again. Forever alone I guess.

~~

I step over a fallen tree, making almost no noise as I place my foot flat against the decay of the forest floor. I circle my head, drinking in my surroundings. I've been out here for hours and I haven't seen anything, not even wildlife. That actually sort of scares me. Animals have a sixth sense, they unlike us, can sense oncoming danger, minutes before it happens. We lost that sense when our brains evolved, able hold a larger capacity for knowledge. What I would honestly do to have that back again.

I plop my self down on to rain rotted stump, pulling out the water bottle out of the side holster of my pack. This Georgia heat is killer today, the humidity making it even harder to breath and the closer I get to the quarry, the thicker the air going to be.

Twisting off the cap, I bring the bottle up to my lips, taking a generous sip of the luke warm water. This world makes you appreciate things that you'd probably never think of. Like running water, refrigeration, ice cream - Oh god ice cream. I would kill for a Frosty right now.

A rustle in the leaves behind me makes me freeze, pulling the plastic away from my lips. I turn slowly, scanning the quiet wood carefully. My eyes eventually reach multiple figures.

I drop down to my hands and knees, not wanting to be seen by the living or what used to be the living. I didn't pay enough attention to see, I was too occupied with trying not to be seen.

I lean up, just enough to peak over the trunk of the fallen tree. The stumbling of the figures was enough to tell me that they weren't living. Still taking on anymore than three at a time alone wasn't the best idea but it was doable, and there was definitely more than three.

They were stumbling towards me, I don't think that they had a clue I was here though. That's just judging by the fact that they weren't running. Just stumbling about aimlessly through the brush. I look around behind me.

Where to hide?

I have to move, an quick. These things crave sustenance and I was the only item on the menu.

Clutching my bat in my hand I silently slink towards the largest tree nearest to me, once again sinking into the rivets of the roots. Why does it always seem like I'm running for my life? Oh, never mind.

I close my eyes, trying to focus on lengthening out my breaths. When they get near I know I'll gag, I have many times before. I've learned that it's best to just not breath when they're around.

The leaves crunch as the stumble through, twigs snapping under the dead weight. The first one moves past me, struggling to keep up straight with its broken leg. I close my eyes, trying to focus on how many there actually are. Six? Maybe five, but no more than six.

The sound of something heavy hitting the ground comes from my right. I snap my eyes open and look towards the source. The sunken eyes of a walker bore into hazel of my own.

Fuck.

Its wails loudly struggling to get up. I waste no time in setting off, sprinting past the two ahead of me, leaving the one with the battered extremity in the lead. I have to pick them off one by one. There's no way I would be able to outrun all of them, besides, I have no other options but to kill them. They are way to close to the farm. They could invade the camp with out any of us knowing.

I unsheathe my knife, taking the tip of the blade between my thumb and fore finger. I had a total of half a second to make the shot. I stop, planting my feet into the soft earth, releasing the blade. The sickening sound of the steel breaking into the cranial cavity makes me smile. I'm one step closer towards survival.

I bust into a sprint again, not even pausing to grab my knife out of the forehead of the walker. I just grab the hilt midrun. I look behind me to see the rest chasing me. The slower, more injured ones falling behind everso slightly. I jump over a fallen log, making my pack smack aginst the bruises on my back. the impact of the landing makes me almost drop to my knees. I really don't know how much longer my body can do this. I can almost guarantee that the stitches have pulled.

Herschel is going to fucking kill me.

I look behind me once more, to notice the fastest, least clumsy two of the group, have managed to keep a decent tail on me. I slide to a hault, my side screaming as the muscles try to hold my body up. I faulter slightly, trying my best to keep up right. Mashing my teeth together, I bring the knife up in front of me, tightening my grip around the hilt.

The faster one of the two slowed, allowing for the other to catch up. I'm not sure of this is intentional or if I just didn't see him stumble over something when I was doubled over, but what ever the reason, it just made my life more difficult.

I quickly analyze the two Walkers barreling towards me, I'd have to think of something if I was going to get out of this alive and judging by how close they are, I didn't have long. Six seconds maybe?

Plan: Ignore the first one, go after the one behind it. Please god, let this work.

I kind of habit of saying that don't I?

The one in front flings himself towards me, arms open wide to pummel me to the ground. I love how they just blindly attack, it gives me the perfect openings. Just like this one I'm about to take.

I advance forwards, sticking my knife in the rotting flesh of his chest, giving me a better grip on his body. His fingernails scratch my skin, tearing out some previous stitches but the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins, makes me feel very little of it.

With all the might I had left, I shove him hard to the side, sending him crashing to the ground rolling a few times. I raise the muck covered blade as I turn quickly, sinking it into the cranial cavity of the other. It pauses instantly, falling to the ground in a heap of decaying flesh, finally dead.

I turn quickly remembering the one behind me. He's close, way to close. I try stepping away but I lose my footing, sending us crashing onto the forest floor. The clench onto my blade, it's my only hope at this point.

Its nails begin tearing at my skin. I throw an elbow in across the top of his chest, attempting to keep the gnashing teeth away from my face. Goo, from his mouth, drips on to my face as I attempt to keep him at bay. I turn my face away from the questionable fluid, my small attempt to keep it out of my mouth.

Its fingernails scrape against the stitches on my stomach causing me to cry out from the pain. He no doubt ripped them out. I wither underneath of the dead weight, trying to get away form the agonizing pain. I cry out again as he tears out a few more.

My shoulder falters slightly, bringing the creatures mouth closer towards my face. Crying out again, I use whatever strength I have left and push the creature back wedging my knee between myself and the creature. Bringing my arm up, I kick the creature back. I quickly pounce, ignoring the pain that radiates through my body. I land on the corpse, and sink my knife into an eye socket, twisting the blade. the creature immediately went limp, the squashing sound as I remove my knife from its eye is the last sound from the walker.

I roll myself off the body, and lay flat in the leaves and the Thidium, trying to catch my breath. The pain in my abdomen intensifies as I pick my head up to look at the damage. All I see is the blood that covered my arms and my black shirt tore open, revealing my marred abdomen.

I drop my head, starting to feel woozy. I have to get back to my bag. Where the fuck was that at?
I sigh as I open my eyes looking up at the sun that peaks through the trees. Today is going to be a long fucking day.