Red Georgia Hills

Zach hovered over Fry as he checked over Annabelle “and you said it looked like she hit her head when she jumped?” Fry asked Becky who was biting her finger nail. “Yes, the back of it” Becky said “but there wasn’t any blood” she added. Fry frowned “there doesn’t have to be blood to be damage” he replied, “help me lean her up” Fry said to Zach, Zach nodded and carefully lifted Annabelle up, Fry examined the back of her head, ruffling his fingers through her honey blonde hair. He touched the back of Annabelle’s head pressing lightly and her body flinched. “There it is” Fry muttered parting her hair, her scalp was slightly bruised.

Fry backed away and Zach laid Annabelle back down. “What did you see?” Emit asked “well I can’t tell much, it may just be a bruise, she may have cracked her skull, or she may be on the verge of serious brain damage…I honestly cannot say without an X-ray machine and there’s not a chance in all of hell I’m going to find a working one of those” fry sighed, “at most treat it as a concussion, her memories probably a bit foggy, heavy information returning to her could have cause her to black out” Fry added. “You sure you’re just an EMT?” Emit asked rising a brow “from one medical student to another, you sound an awful lot like a doctor to me” Emit added. Fry smiled and laughed “oh god no, I’ll take that as a very nice complement though” he said brushing Emits comment off. Emit eyed him even still.

Zach sat in the bed next to Annabelle, he watched her and sighed. She was such a complicated girl, he didn’t understand her all the way, but even in such a short time, He wanted to. Zach focused on her face, while she slept she looked so scared, her face held not that peaceful sleep, her brows knitted in a sad tilt, and her eyelashes shut as if afraid to cry. He brushed her hair out of her face a bit and smiled, her face always seemed so rosy.

His heart thumped.
So alive.

He wanted to protect her, whatever her mission was to be, he wanted to help her. If she had no one, He wanted to give her someone to be around. “Were is this coming from” he muttered laughing at himself as he stroked her hair one more time. As he did so Annabelle opened her eyes and tried to sit up.

“Fry says you should rest” Zach said quickly trying to lay her back down. Annabelle looked up at him in confusion and irritation “trust me I’m fine” she muttered brushing his hands away and sitting up. Zach watched her. “Mother” he remembered her whispering. A sharp pain shot in his heart for her. Getting up off the bed he walked around to her side and held out his hand “Come on” he said with a smile “Everyone’s worried about you” he spoke gently.

Annabelle watched him, He stood in the rays of sun that crept into the poorly boarded windows. It bounced off his fading sandy hair, and shadowed half of his face, the early morning light made him look so cold she wanted to shiver, but his smile seemed like it was causing the rays of light itself. Zach gave a short soft laugh and squinted his eyes a bit, smiling wider. “What?” he chuckled reaching out his hand a bit more “come on? Is there something on my face?” He asked. Annabelle looked at his hand, and then back up to him. She shook her head and grabbed hold, Zach pulled her to her feet. “No” she spoke awkwardly, this tone took Zach by surprise he couldn’t help but laugh as she walked ahead of him. He smiled and watched her go ahead of him.

“Annabelle!” Becky called as she got off the sofa next to Emit and ran to Annabelle. Annabelle tensed as Becky hugged her tightly, slowly Annabelle returned the hug “Fry said you could have had brain damage” Becky cried. Annabelle stiffly patted Becky’s back. “She’s too damn hardheaded for that” Emit muttered. Annabelle gazed up at him blankly and Zach held a proud smile “well, well, well” Colin’s voice chimed “she’s a lot tougher than she looks” he said leaning in the kitchen entry way. “How long are we going to be here?” Annabelle said relaxing she rested a hand on top of Becky’s head.

“Just until we receive a letter” Colin stated “Letter?” Becky asked looking up pulling back from Annabelle slightly. “Yes we’ve got an Informant…He knows about Allison’s whereabouts” At these words Annabelle’s heart sped up. “Allison? Who is he?” She asked, her tough exterior gone, in that moment all she was was a girl desperately in search for her Big sister.

“He won’t say, never does” Colin sighed the four students could tell that he was frustrated with this it was all over his face. Annabelle deflated “Oh” she muttered “yeah so you should all just chill, the next letter should come soon from there we know where to go next” He said walking out of the room. There was a temporary silence until Emit sighed heavily.
“I’m not so sure we should hang around for the next letter” he muttered. “Why not?” Becky asked as Annabelle had released her. “Because, this sounds like one big mess, we’ve enough problems with the dead walking…we don’t need government shit too” at Emit words Zach’s expression became hard “But what about Annie? We’re all in this now Emit, that guy and that crazy lady know our faces!” Zach called. “You’re not important to them, they’ll forget you as long as you don’t head that way, this is my business, not yours” Annabelle spoke coldly her eyes Locked onto Emit.

“No it is our business, we’ve been shot at, and now we probably know too much, besides we can’t just leave you with these men” Zach reasoned turning towards her, “you may not like us but we’re here now and we’re not going anywhere” He added grabbing her hand “I don’t know what happened but not all the people left in the world are bad” his tone was soft and took Annabelle by surprise. “Yeah and you’re one of us now, we’re friends, even if you don’t know it yet, we’re in this together now” Becky said with a affirmed nod. Zach and Becky turned to Emit expectantly. He grunted “I can care less about the stray but, you two, I’m responsible for you two” He said, Becky smiled and turned back to Annabelle “we aren’t going anywhere”

It had been two days and the letter never came, Annabelle stalked through the woods with Zach and Jude, it may have been a farm but the livestock were long gone. “I hear something large” Jude whispered as something in the distance was cracking the sticks on the ground. “sshhhh!” Annabelle hissed as they continued on quietly “a big sweet gamey deer” Jude muttered rubbing his hands together “you’re special forces?” Zach questioned, expecting a person in his line of work to be more adept at this sort of thing. “Would you two hush” Annabelle whispered, suddenly she could see something through the trees. Something blue, and small.

“that’s no deer I’ve ever seen” Annabelle muttered gaining the boys attention, leaning around her they peered in between the trees, it wasn’t visible but it was wandering hopelessly almost as if deranged. “Here” Annabelle said slowly as she handed over her bow to Zach. “What are you?” He asked but she held up her hand silencing him. Bracing herself she crept through the trees.

It was thin, it was frail, dirty, and shaking. “Little girl?” Annabelle called out as kindly as she could holding out her arm reaching for the child. She withdrew her hand for a moment what if it wasn’t a child at all but one of those horridly rotten things.

No.

It wasn’t making that noise. The child had frozen, almost as if afraid to turn around. “Little girl where did you come from?” Annabelle asked grabbing the girls arm. Still warm, gripping tighter Annabelle could feel a faint pulse. But the action scared the child, she turned around to face her, fighting Annabelle’s grip. “No, no, no, it’s okay I’m here to help!” Annabelle called grabbing both of the girl’s arms. They were boney, almost skeletal. “Hey, hey! See I’m breathing, talking, alive!” Annabelle called steadying the girl holding he still. The girls tried dull eyes darted between Annabelle’s blue ones “what’s your name?” She asked her, the girl narrowed her eyes and thought hard. Tears came to her eyes “I can’t remember” she cried.

Zach and Jude steps from the trees gawking at the girl she looked like death, but was still standing, and not corroded. Annabelle stroked the little girl’s hair “sure you do, just think carefully” Annabelle spoke gently, the girl trembled and closed her eyes “S-Sophia” She said, and opening her eyes she looked into Annabelle’s who had stooped down to her height “Sophia?” Annabelle questioned the little girl nodded. “What are you doing out here Sophia?” she asked “Looking for my mom…I got lost, walkers were chasing me” She said, Annabelle glanced back at Zach and Jude. “Hey Sophia, let’s get you got of these woods okay? I bet you’re really hungry” Zach said offering a friendly smile as he walked up to Annabelle and the girl. Sophia nodded timidly, weakly. Zach turned around “here you can ride on my back” He offered, Sophia with Annabelle’s help climbed onto Zach’s back. And the four headed back to the Barn quietly.

Annabelle, Zach, Colin, Fry and Emit watched as Sophia sat at the dining room table. Becky was brushing the girl’s hair with a wet wire brush working out the dirt, twigs, and tangles. “You just found her wandering?” Colin asked Annabella and Zach nodded “yeah, she looks like she hadn’t seen another person in weeks….maybe months” Annabelle stated Zach shook his head “Months, definitely months. Look at her she’s nothing but bone and skin” He added watching as Jude placed a bowl of spageti-Q’s on the table before the child. Sophia grabbed and spoon and shoveled the hot food down her throat. “She’s starving” Fry said sadly as they watched amazed at the scene. “I wonder where her mom is” Zach asked “If she still even has a mom” Annabelle muttered walking past the four of them in a brisk stride.

She put on a smile and sat beside Sophia. “Hey” she said, the girl eyed her and continued to plow food into her mouth. “So about your mother?” Annabelle asked cautiously “She’s still alive” Sophia said between slurps “I know because she and the others left signs for me” She added, Annabelle lifted her head “Others? Signs?” She asked curious now “Yes there was a lot of us, we got attacked by a bunch of walkers on the road, I got scared, one chased me so I ran, I was told to go back to the road but…I got lost and more of them chased me” Sophia ate the last Q out of the tomato soup “and then when I found the road they were already gone, I tried heading the way they told me to, but I never found them so I came back here thinking they might come back but they never did” Sophia explained tears burned at her eyes.

“I miss my Mom!” she cried out, Annabelle scooted the chair back and wrapped the girl in her arms, letting her cry into her. She couldn’t say it was okay because it wasn’t. She hadn’t any comforting words because, there was none. You can’t tell an Orphan it’ll be okay, not now. Annabelle rubbed Sophia’s back and picked her up with a grunt. She might have been a bag of skin and bones but she was still heavy. “You’re probably tired right?” Annabelle asked stiffly. Sophia nodded, wrapping her arms around Annabelle’s neck. Annabelle turned back “Becky, would you mind bringing Annabelle a glass of water?” she asked, Annabelle could remember the days when she used to babysit many children would ask for something to drink. Becky nodded “ok no problem” she said waving Annabelle off.

Zach followed behind Annabelle as she went through the hall back to the room she had been laid in. “there, this beds really soft” Annabelle said laying the little girl down and tucking her in. “Miss Becky should be here soon with the water” she said going to leave, as she turned away little fingers grabbed her hand “wait!” Sophia called, Annabelle halted and Zach smiled at her “please stay” Sophia pleaded “I don’t want to be by myself” Annabelle turned to face Sophia kneeling at the bed side. Sophia’s big eyes followed Annabelle’s every move “not any more please” She asked. Annabelle nodded “right, of course” she murmured Sophia watched her and turned over on her side, her hand still grasping Annabelle’s.

“No one’s going to leave you Sophia, you’ll be safe here, and you’re with a pretty tough bunch of people” Zach said kneeling next to Annabelle. “Almost all of us are looking for someone, Jude’s looking for his girlfriend, Colin’s looking for his wife and her brother, Annabelle and the rest of us are looking for her sister.” Zach added offering a faded smile “we can all help each other, we can help you look for your mom too” As he spoke Sophia turned her eyes back to Annabelle, she reminded Sophia of someone, although her mind was so foggy she couldn’t remember who.

But they have the same eyes.

“Is that true?” Sophia asked a light of hope in her eyes and in her voice. Annabelle nodded “Sure, we can do that” Annabelle said with a cardboard smile but even still the child smiled at her right back. “Thank you” she said, if she had not been so exhausted it would have been a yell of excitement. But all Sophia’s strength was gone. Annabelle nodded as watched as the little girl’s eyes closed and sleep took her.

Becky entered the room and sat the glass of water down on the side table. “Poor little thing” she sighed holding her hand to her heart. “Do you think we can find her mother?” she asked. Annabelle shook her head “no I don’t but we can at least try” She said, Zach smiled “she said we” he thought glancing up at Becky he saw she also held a smile. She’d noticed too.