Never Let Me Go

“Damn Georgia bugs,” Dakota muttered, swatting away a pesky mosquito as she continued down the highway. Her car had run out of gas a few exit’s back, and the tired woman decided to continue on foot, hoping to find a city nearby. She needed a new car and more supplies before the sun went down.

A low whine came from her only companion, Rusty—her neighbor’s Doberman that had been left for dead. He was a smart dog, and for the time being, a great friend. His wet nose pressed against her open palm and she smiled. “I know, Rust. I’m tired, too.”

It had been a couple months since the outbreak first happened—since Dakota was left to fend for herself. For the first few weeks, she couldn’t close her eyes for more than ten minutes without seeing her brother’s face, her gun aimed at his forehead. She couldn’t kill a damn walker without remembering how it felt to pull that trigger and put an end to Nick’s life.

But that quickly changed.

Rather than cry about everything, she got angry. Instead of running away from the walkers, she embraced them with a raised weapon and a violent sneer.

She wasn’t afraid anymore.

She was pissed.

A deep rumble left Rusty’s lips, pulling Dakota from her thoughts. She glanced up and noticed a pack of walkers, about six or seven, making their way towards her and her dog. Letting out a sigh of aggravation, she pulled out her handy machete and raised it in front of her face. This weapon was her lifeline. Of course she had guns, but they were too loud and would do more harm than good. Her machete, (she called it “Betty”), was silent, sharp, and very deadly.

Dakota locked her jaw and narrowed her eyes. “Let’s get messy,” She muttered to herself, before swinging “Betty” and swiftly landing a blow to the first walker. She sliced and diced her way through the pack until there were only a couple left.

That’s when Rusty started barking.

What the hell? she thought to herself. Rusty rarely barked. He had learned how sensitive the walkers’ hearing was, so he only spoke in whines and growls, the occasional snarl here or there. But this was obnoxious barking and it needed to stop. “Rusty,” Dakota called, approaching the dog from behind after finishing off the last of the walkers. “Hush!”

But he just continued to bark. Dakota shook her head and searched in the direction he was barking, right at the forest’s edge. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, until a small, shaking figure emerged from the woods, nearly causing Dakota’s heart to stop.

The little girl couldn’t have been older than twelve, and she looked like she hadn’t eaten in days. Her blue eyes met Dakota’s and she shrunk back a few steps, noticing the woman’s large knife and Rusty’s insane barking. Dakota quickly quieted her dog before raising a hand to the little girl, showing her that she was safe. The child hesitantly took a few steps closer, slowly making her way to the two.

“Is your dog nice?” The girl asked quietly. If Dakota wasn’t so concerned about the young girl’s health, she probably would have laughed. Instead she offered her a small smile and a nod, patting Rusty on his head.

“He’s very nice,” She replied. The girl took a small step forward and was met with Rusty’s tongue. He lapped at the girls face lovingly, drawing out a giggle. Once Rusty pulled away from the girl, Dakota fixed her with a concerned look. “What’s your name, kid?”

“Sophia,” She replied, petting Rusty’s head. He was definitely enjoying all the attention. “What’s your name?”

“You can call me Kota,” Dakota replied, giving Sophia a small smile. “Sophia, can I ask you something?” The young girl nodded so Dakota continued. “Where’s your momma?”

Sophia instantly recoiled, tears springing to her eyes. “I don’t know,” She whispered. “I got chased away from the group by the dead people and Mr. Rick told me to stay but I couldn’t. They were gonna get me.” Her quiet whimpers soon turned into violent sobs. Dakota awkwardly rubbed the young girl’s back, jumping when she wrapped her arms around the older of the two, crying into her dirty flannel shirt. Dakota shushed the girl, trying her best to be comforting and patient, but she was concerned that Sophia’s crying would draw more walkers.

“Okay, okay. Relax, kid,” Dakota told her, pushing her back by her shoulder’s gently. “I’ll help you find your momma, alright? But you gotta calm down.”

Sophia nodded and wiped away her tears. “Yes, ma’am.”

Dakota slightly grimaced. “Don’t call me that, alright? Kota’s fine.” She winked at the younger girl before tugging on her pink shirt. “C’mon, let’s get you something to eat.”

Deciding to stay on the highway, just in case Sophia’s group came looking, they ventured towards an uninhabited RV. Dakota checked the cabinets and found a couple canned goods, but nothing too useful. The RV was completely out of gas and any weapons or medical equipment that they might have used was gone. Dakota sighed in disappointment, handing a can of beans to Sophia.

“Have you always been by yourself?” Sophia’s small voice pierced the air. Dakota turned to her, watching as the younger girl looked at her intently while she ate her beans.

“Since all this sh—I mean, stuff happened? Yeah,” She flushed lightly. She wasn’t used to watching her mouth, but for the sake of the younger of the two, Dakota went easy on the expletives.

Sophia frowned and set her can of beans down. “Sorry,” She said quietly.

Dakota chuckled, patting Sophia’s hand. “It’s not your fault, kid,” She replied and gave Sophia and curious glance. “Tell me about your group.”

Sophia grinned and nodded. “Well, first there’s me and Momma. My daddy was with us but he died a little while ago when one of those things bit him,” The look on Sophia’s face when talking about her father wasn’t sad, but rather relieved. Dakota assumed he was a shitty parent. “And then there’s Mr. Rick and his wife, Mrs. Lori. They have a son named Carl who’s my best friend. Mr. Shane is Mr. Rick’s best friend. They knew each other before all this happened. They were both cops…” Sophia proceeded to tell Dakota about a few other characters: Mr. Dale with the funny hat and kind smile, T-Dog who was always nice, Glenn, a young Asian boy who helped a lot, and Andrea who was close to Dale but lost her sister to a walker bite. “And then…well then there’s Mr. Daryl.”

“You don’t like him?” Dakota assumed, since the girl wore a look of displeasure on her face.

She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. His brother was pretty mean, though. Mr. Rick had said something about leaving him on a roof in the city because he said some mean stuff. But Mr. Daryl’s okay. He brings us food and things like that.”

“Well, they all seem very nice,” Dakota grinned.

Sophia fixed her with an innocent look. “You know, maybe you could stay with us once we find them. They’re all really nice and Momma will love you.”

“I don’t know, Soph,” Dakota felt herself getting uncomfortable. She had been on her own for so long that she wasn’t sure whether or not she could survive with a group of people, especially ones she didn’t even know. Don’t trust anyone, Dakota, her brother’s advice sounded in her head. Maybe he was right. She would just hand Sophia back over to her family, receive a couple thank-you’s, and then be on her way. No need to stay and get attached.

She glanced outside through the window and sighed. The sun was setting behind the tree line, and Dakota knew that they needed to wake up early in the morning if they wanted to find Sophia’s group. “It’s getting late. You should get some rest, okay?”

Sophia nodded and stood from her spot on the chair, laying down on the small couch opposite of Dakota. “Goodnight, Kota.”

Dakota smiled and patted Rusty’s head, who was curled up at her feet. “G’night, kiddo.”

---

“C’mon, kiddo. Time to rise and shine,” Dakota muttered the next morning, shaking Sophia awake. Dakota was never a morning person, but for the sake of Sophia finding her family, she pushed herself to wake up at first light.

Dakota had been extremely worried about Sophia’s health. The young girl was only twelve, not to mention had barely any meat on her bones. That, plus the fact that she hadn’t eaten or had any type of nourishment in a couple days, left her vulnerable. She could easily get sick, or even get mistaken for a walker and end up getting killed. It was scary to think that if Dakota hadn’t of come along this girl could’ve been a walker’s meal.

Sophia glanced up groggily and frowned. “It’s morning already?” Dakota chucked and nodded as she received a small kiss from Rusty. The two girls stretched and yawned before Dakota grabbed the rest of their stuff. She tossed her backpack around her shoulders and placed “Betty” in her rightful place on her hip. The feel of the knife slapping against Dakota’s thigh made her smile. The two exited the large RV, Dakota making sure to check around.

“No walker’s in sight,” She murmured to herself. “They must not be morning people either.”

Sophia giggled at something Rusty did before glancing up at Dakota. “So, now what?” She asked innocently.

“Well,” Dakota glanced around and sighed. She was never a good hunter or tracker. Her Grandfather had tried to teach her and her brother, but it was only Nick who could master it. She was better at cutting open animals and skinning them. If Nick was here he’d know which way to go, She thought to herself bitterly, but quickly shook the thought away. Now was not the time for her to start feeling sorry for herself. “Let’s start off going south. I’ll leave small marks in the trees so we can find our way back if need be. You said that one guy—“

“Mr. Rick,”

“Yeah, Mr. Rick. You said he left you near a river?”

“Yeah, he led those things away from me but I got chased by another one and I had to keep running.” Sophia said and followed Dakota, staying closely behind the older girl as Rusty tailed the two.

It would be a long day for the both of them, considering the blistering heat and deranged cannibals lurking around, but Dakota could see the hope Sophia had written across her face, and that made her want to try harder to reunite this girl with her family.