A Candle in the Dark

She was so broken, so jaded. It made his heart ache for her. Ezra wanted to make Astrid see that there was still hope in the world; that not everything was as shitty as she seemed to think. There would always be happiness while there were people willing to create it with each other.

They’d been walking for twenty minutes, creating a loop just outside of the camp boundaries. It wasn’t safe to go further than a mile into the forest, especially with only an hour of light left. Ezra’s eyes kept drifting toward Astrid without him intentionally doing it, and every once in a while her eyes would dart away as soon as their gazes met. It was like being in seventh grade all over again.

A loud crack resounded through the trees, and they both froze. Monroe was a few feet away, her head pointed in the direction of the noise. Loud footsteps echoed, and the groans grew louder. Astrid’s eyes swung to his, a look of panic in them. This was not just one Walker. This was a pack of them.

Ezra brought his fingers to his lips and whistled three times to alert the camp. They were close enough for somebody to hear it. Astrid called Monroe to come to them, so she wouldn’t be standing alone.

A minute later, faster footsteps rustled through the forest. Because the Walkers approached slowly, there was time for Jack, Carter and Javier to reach them. Ezra breathed a sigh of relief now that they weren’t alone; taking on a pack was nearly impossible with just two people. Next to him, Astrid’s panicked expression had turned to one of complete focus. She’d loaded an arrow and had her bow aimed toward the approaching Walkers. Ezra knew he had to focus too, and that being distracted by the beautiful girl wasn’t exactly working in his favor.

Jack showed up on Astrid’s other side, holding a bat he must’ve borrowed from somebody else. It wasn’t a good idea to use a gun so close to the camp; it would only draw more monsters to their location. Ezra felt a twinge of pride when Astrid completely ignored Jack’s attempt to protect her, and couldn’t help smiling as the redhead lead the way into battle. He had been trying to stop himself from thinking of Jack as competition, but it was hard when the guy showed up like a knight in shining armor.

It was Carter who took the first swing with his bloodstained baseball bat, a gleeful expression on his face. Nobody enjoyed killing Walkers quite as much as Carter did. Sometimes the excitement boosted Ezra’s confidence, and sometimes it frightened him. The Walker’s head caved in and it collapsed in a heap of rotten flesh.

Another was struck in it’s open mouth by one of Astrid’s arrows, but it continued to stumble along. Carter, who was already close, knocked it on the back of the head. Javier, swinging his axe, cut down three Walkers with swift movements. He was caught up in everyone else’s actions, and Ezra barely had time to register the Walker’s hands outstretched toward him. With a sharp intake of breath, Ezra brandished his machete at the creature. Seconds later, it’s head was rolling along the pine needles.

They just kept on coming. At one point Astrid was completely surrounded, and Ezra jumped toward her, cutting down a Walker that was dangerously close to grabbing her. It was at that moment that Carter let out a cry. He’d been too confident, and one of the Walkers was clamped onto his hand. Blood poured from his wound, the creature’s teeth sinking deeper and deeper into his skin. Javier, who was nearer to Carter than anyone else, hacked at the monster with his axe until it fell.

While Jack rushed over to help, Ezra and Astrid killed the remaining Walkers. By the time they were done, Jack was already guiding Carter back to camp. It was lucky that they’d found medical supplies; Carter’s hand was in dire need of repair. One of his fingers was hanging by a shred of skin, and another was missing entirely. Ezra didn’t pause to think of where it could be.

Bill and Maddie were sent out to burn the remains. Ezra hovered near where Emily was tending to Carter, but he really just wanted to talk to Astrid. She’d hidden away in her tent since returning, opting out of dinner and not saying a word to anyone who passed by. It had been almost two hours now, and the camp was falling into darkness. The fire cast an orange glow over the tents, and while it would usually be comforting, the camp was on edge. Carter had always seemed like the least likely to be attacked, purely because he carried the air of someone who could take care of themselves. Ezra was starting to think that it was the others, like Astrid, who didn’t boast of their abilities but to whom they came naturally would be the true survivors.

It took him far too long to build up the courage, but he finally approached the tent that Astrid shared with Maddie. “Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I can’t believe you’ve been here for less than twenty four hours.”

“I can’t believe any of us are still alive.”