Red Georgia Hills

Zach’s car slowed down in front of a gas station, “I need to fill her up” he said, eyeballing the cars that had been left behind. “Do you think they have gas in them still?” Becky asked a few of the cars had busted windows and looked raided. “I’m not sure, but we should at least look” Zach said opening the car door. He exited and went to the nearest vehicle, a 85 Camaro. As Zach took off the gas cap, Emit brought the tool to collect the gas. Annabelle too got out of the car, and stood with her Bow ready, while Becky kept watch from inside the car. It was a disturbing silence lingering in the air, and the hairs on the back of Annabelle’s neck prickled with the shifting of the breeze. Her sharp blue eyes darting this way and that. Her heart raced, thumping loudly in her chest. Did it know something she didn’t?

“Guys you should hurry” Becky called an uneasy quiver in her voice, she felt it to. “We’re trying” Zach called out focused on his task. Emit faintly heard a gurgle, he looked up and spotted a walker hobbling from behind the gas tank. Shocked he didn’t think clearly and withdrew him gun. “Emit wait!” Annabelle called but the loud pop of the bullet tearing free from the gun barrel had already sounded. “Shit!” Emit cried as he realized what he had done “forget it lets take what we have we’ve got to go now!” Zach said screwing the top on the jug he poured the gasoline in and darting for the car. Piles of walkers made their way through the woods and out of the station heading for the sound. Annabelle got into the car quickly after Zach and Emit before they pulled back off down the road.

“So why are you out here anyway” Emit asked Annabelle as they flew down the road, Annabelle watched as a lone walkers hobbled out in an open yellow field. “I told one of you before, that’s not for you to know” she said dully. “We have a right to know, you’re traveling with us” Emit said mimicking her tone. She side glanced at him “Find me” she could hear her sisters voice “I’m looking for someone” She admitted slowly, hesitant of releasing any information. “Who?” Zach asked looking at her briefly from the rear view “My sister” Annabelle sighed. “Where’s your sister at which town?” Becky questioned, to this even Annabelle was puzzled “I don’t” she sighed closing her eyes “I don’t know” Becky nodded “if you want, we can help you” Zach offered “you know find your sister” He added as if the statement hadn’t made sense before. Annabelle shook her head “No, I just want to get to Atlanta, and see if she’s there” Annabelle spoke hinting at the fact she had no intentions of staying with the three friends for long. “You can roam this world alone” Becky said with a sympathetic smile. “If you don’t find your sister, you should stay with us, let us help” Annabelle ignored the girl’s words and looked out her window, to the open field and the trees beyond it. “Not a chance, I won’t make that mistake again” she thought in her mind an image of a man in her head he had a stern face he was young, mid 30’s maybe, brown hair and eyes. Annabelle frowned more and shut the image out of her head.

Hours they had been driving, they had finally reached Atlanta, it looked like it had been bombed, not a soul was out, just a few scattered ‘Stinkers’ here and there. Annabelle frowned “is there anything left to even raid?” she questioned It looked like one of those old episodes of ‘The Dusk Zone’ that one about the last man on earth. Annabelle watched as trash tumbled down the street. “I don’t know there’s got to be something left over in one of these buildings right?” Zach asked, Emit gave a brief nod “at the very least we can hot wire one of those” He said pointing to an abandoned Military Hummer, it had a sniper riffle in the center of it popping out of the roof. “But…do you know how to hotwire?” Becky asked, Emits face became smug “I’m from Detroit…do you think I can hotwire?” He asked as Zach pulled the car over and the four of them piled out of the car, eyes carefully scanning their surroundings.

“Alright, Annabelle, would you go with Becky and check the surrounding stores?” Zach asked “Emit and I are going to work on that Hummer over there.” He added, Annabelle frowned, the last thing she wanted was to be counted on to protect another Life. Zach took notice of Annabelle’s blank gaze as her mind panicked. He rested a hand on her shoulder “please, you look like you know how to handle that thing” he said with a nod to her bow “Becky’s not good with weapons…but she’s fast at gathering, it won’t take her long” Zach assured. Annabelle shook off his hand “yeah, yeah fine” Annabelle muttered her gaze to the ground. “Come on Becky, lead the way” Annabelle called swinging her bow off her back she followed behind Becky into the nearest store.

“Touchy feely there aren’t you?” Emit asked as he pried open the hummer door. “I don’t know what you mean” Zach laughed crossing the street to the Military vehicle. “You know what I mean” Emit said with warning “give a guy a break, it’s been months since I’ve seen a chick that wasn’t Becky or Samantha” Zach said with a glint of pain in his eyes. Samantha had been in her first year of college, and had been the little sister of one of the others they had lost a few days ago. Had been, she was dead now. “Yeah well watch out…It’s been a while for Becky too, and that girls just her type” Emit mused with a smirk, Zach rolled his eyes and went to help Emit by holding a flashlight. “But seriously” Emit said after a pause “we aren’t sure if we can trust her” he added, Zach tilted his head “she’s the president’s daughter” He stated “who else can we trust if not the first daughter” Zach asked, Emit lifted his head and glanced back at his friend “ourselves”

“So hey Annabelle” Becky called as she dropped some finding into the sack that Annabelle held out “they call you Annie on Tv right? Whenever the president mentioned you?” She asked, Annabelle nodded “it’s a childhood nickname” she paused and arched a brow “what of it?” she asked “well, can we call you that?” Becky asked Annabelle blinked a few time and looked down at her, she’d just notice how little this girl was, 5 feet exactly maybe? Annabelle grimaced in distaste and looked around casually “Like I said” she paused “it was a childhood nickname, it’s personal, it’s bad enough the news media misused it without asking me first.” She said and Becky got the hint “oh ok” she spoke in defeat “I can understand” she added before swiftly walking off to gather more supplies. Annabelle muttered to herself, even she had taken noticed of the snobbish pampered brat tone she had taken with Becky.

Before long the sack was full, Annabelle struggled to carry it, she wasn’t strong, not in the least. Glancing around she noticed a black fold out cart, with wheels. “Thank god” she thought as she struggled to unfold it and place the sack inside. “Good Idea!” Becky praised, before shoving another sack into Annabelle’s hands “now let’s fill up this one” Annabelle grumbled to herself, she didn’t like having to work extra for something she would have to end up sharing. Becky spotted an employee’s lounge and headed that way Annabelle’s eyes were caught by a pretty bracelets sitting on a shelf. It was full of blue beads, Blue had been her favorite color. As Becky went to reach for the doorknob, it suddenly flung open, Becky screamed, and Annabelle dropped the sack to the floor, darting for Becky’s direction.

“Annabelle!”

Becky screamed as she lay on the floor a ‘Stinker’ female trying desperately to get at least one bite, but Becky held her away with her arm to the ‘Stinkers’ neck. Annabelle took an arrow form the arrow off of her Crossbow and jabbed it into the dead girl head, she fell limp, and Becky quickly kicked her off. “Are you ok?” Annabelle asked stiffly “Yes, thank you” Becky stammered, pulling free Annabelle’s arrow she handed it back to her “here” Becky said in a soft tone a small smile on her face “come on lets go, it’s not as safe as Zach thought” Annabelle said walking back to the cart, she followed Becky out of the shop.

“Are you know ok?” Zach called Annabelle looked up to see him running over to them “we heard a scream” he added, Becky smiled sheepishly “A Stinker attacked me” Becky said before turning to Look up at Annabelle with shimmering eyes “But Annabelle had me, so I’m ok” her words were doting, and Annabelle began to worry. “I did what I was asked to do, besides, there are too many dead things walking around as it is to add one more” Annabelle said brushing off Becky’s words she walked past Zach and over to Emit. Zach looked back at Becky who held a hopeless frown “she’s just hurt, I’ve learned already not to take anything she says seriously” He added, Becky nodded a bit and sighed.

“Damn” Emit muttered rejected by the Hummer as it refused to start. “Having issues?” Annabelle asked leaning against the large green car. “The bomb must have messed it up, it won’t start up” Emit muttered crawling out of the Hummer he gazed at it almost longingly as he exhaled “it would have been so much more useful that that stupid crossover of Zach’s” he mused. Annabelle looked over to Zach’s car, “at least his Crossover is better on gas” she paused and headed back across the street “which by the way needs gas in it, in case you’ve all forgotten” she added. “That’s right” Zach said digging in the car he pulled out the jug of gasoline and went to pour it in the gas tank.

Zach road down the street, and Annabelle’s eyes listlessly watched their surroundings. She had learned those few living that chose to stay in places like this were the most dangerous, as they were isolated and typically not sociable. “most of the places have been fried by the fire form the bombing” Zach muttered looking over every store and blown out window. As they passed a large building Annabelle sat up in her seat “Zach wait” she called out calmly, Zach stopped the car “what do you see?” Emit asked leaning over to her a bit so as to see out her window. Annabelle pointed at a staggering figure, He was trying to keep up another man, but from the looks of it, that other man was already dead. “that guys gonna wake up and chomp that kids head clean off” Becky stated, Zach nodded “you’re right” He muttered getting out of the car “Hey man! You gotta get him in the head or!” Zach called but stopped as the boy raised up a gun “Don’t come near us!” he called out his hand shook as he pointed the gun. Zach threw his hands in the air “wait, wait!” he called out “I’m just trying to help, that guys dead, if you don’t get him in the head, he will” The boy’s eyes flared “No he’s not!” He yelled Zach backed up a bit “yes, yes He is, look at him” Zach reasoned still remaining calm. The Man the boy was holding up was in fact slowly starting to turn. “He’ll kill you when he wakes up” Zach added. The boy raised his gun higher and aimed it at Zach’s chest, at that moment, the man he had been caring lifted his head. His eyes were milky and quivering growls came from his mouth as he pawed at the boy’s neck and shoulders “Guillermo?” the boy questioned. “You idiot you’ve got to shoot him!” Zach called “Guillermo? You ok?” the boy asked, Zach muttered under his breath and drew his gun “Screw it! I’ll do it!” he yelled “No!” the boy called and the two fired their guns simultaneously as Guillermo the ‘Stinker’ bit down on the boys neck.

Annabelle watched with wide eyes as, instinctually she got out of the car with Emit and Becky. “Zach!” Emit called as Zach stumbled a bit. “Zach!” Becky called as she and Emit stood at either side of him. Zach held his side and pulled away his hand revealing blood “well at least it’s not fatal” He said with a scoff. Annabelle tipped over to them quietly standing behind Zach she folded her arms “you’re just about as stupid as that kid was” she muttered, she walked around Zach and the others as they watched her, taking her pistol out she aimed at both the boy and Guillermo’s heads. With one shot she took out the boy and with another Guillermo.
Annabelle’s stare was blank as she looked down at the dead bodies, Flashes in her mind bubbled up again, something like when making oatmeal or rice in a pot on the stove, that thick murky bubbling. Annabelle touched her head and closed her eyes.

“This is footage of the test runs in Africa” A voice said this voice was taciturn and stale. (It belonged to Senator Dulanca) a video scratchy and filled with video snow, people screaming, running for their lives, Villagers, of a small African tribe. They’re screams were as if they had seen the very devil himself. And then a site that had stopped her heart, a ghastly rotted face, with hallow milky eyes leaned into the camera, as if warning the viewers on the other side. “They are testing without authorization…but the project” that Stale voice. Those milky eyes. Screaming. Warning. Dying. “is a success”. A beat “Daddy!” all the men in the dark room turned around and the video footage was turned off.

“Annabelle?” She jolted and looked back to find Zach standing behind her, cradling his wounded side. “Are out ok?” he asked “yeah come back down to earth” Emit chuckled, Becky covered her mouth and scurried over to Annabelle’s side “stop it, Emit!” She barked resting a hand gently on Annabelle’s arm (much in a way a young girl would if touching the arm of her favorite boy band member) “what if she hit her head jumping out of the window.” Becky pointed out “we’ll watch you for more blank outs” She turned looking up at Annabelle. With a grunt and a sneer Annabelle shook her off “I’m fine” she hissed walking off past the three friends and back to their car, “come on, those gun shots are going to draw every ‘Stinker’ in about a mile radius or more to us” Becky and Zach glanced at each other hopelessly “she’s right” Emit spoke wrapping Zach’s arm around his shoulders he helped him into the back seat. “Let’s go Becky” Emit called back, the small girl nodded and ran to get into the passenger’s side.

As they rode further and further away from where Guillermo and the boy lay dead, Annabelle’s mind could imagine the scene they were leaving behind. At first it would have been one or two of them, those ‘stinkers’ and they would gnaw on the boys unturned flesh, then a handful more would hobble along. Some without legs, some half torn apart, and some fully intact, they would pile up on top of the two already there, desperate for food, unknowing that behind them more, and more of them were coming. None of the aware with the brain power enough to know it was only one boy’s body and not enough meat for the masses. “her minds always been so creative” she could remember her mother praising her as she looked out the window, fully aware of the wounded boy watching her.

“You should hear her stories! Oh they are so vivid!” Her mother’s voice again. Annabelle cringed as she imagined the scene again, she wasn’t guessing she knew what it would look like, what it would smell like, sound like.

“So” Annabelle paused and closed her eyes leaning her head against the window, she hadn’t much sleep and exhaustion was taking her “vivid” she muttered and with that sleep took her.