Brains

Chapter 12: Alone Again

I pressed on, coming to a huge tree with crazy, twisted branches. It was taller than all of the other trees around it, so I decided to climb it in order to see where I was. I stepped up onto the lowest branch and then swung my leg around, getting my self on the top side of the branch. I shakily stood, then swung my arms around the next one. I continued this until I was on the highest branch that could still hold me. I balanced for a moment on my knees, then slowly and steadily shifted so that I was sitting with with my feet hanging over the branch in front of me. Suddenly, I saw smoke lingering over a clearing in the distance. It could be the gang! I thought to myself. I slowly began to climb back down the tree until I was safely on the ground again.

I began to walk in the direction that the fire was until I could see it through the brush. There were chairs and buckets on the ground by the fire so it was clearly inhabited. I walked towards it; every inch of my body was screaming, telling me to turn around. I didn't listen. Suddenly, my body was thrown against a tree, causing my head to slam into the trunk. Dizzy, I looked up to see two big, burly with scraggly beards staring down at me. Thatcher.

"Damn." I mumbled.

"Why are you here, girl. You know what you did back there?" I scoffed as he said this.

"I pulled my knife out because I saw those zombies. You let six of my men be devoured by zombies." He snarled.

"No. You let that happen. You should have explained yourself instead of seeming like the bad guy. You brought that upon yourself. Instead of just pulling out the knife and running in our direction, you could have warned us first." I spat at him.

Then, he slapped me.

With my hand on my face, I slowly looked at him in the eye. Then, I kneed him, and ran. I didn't stop running until I had completely ran out of the forest and was back where I started. Not a zombie in sight. I was still running when I heard Craig yelling for help. He came bolting out of the woods, Amanda cradled in his arms. I froze. Not Amanda.