Barely Alive (#JustWriteIt #SuperCharged)

Chapter 19 - Dancing with Death

"I was never afraid of Death.
I was afraid of Life."

Hunter pulled out his sword. Darcie aimed the handgun.

"It's just like clearing out a horde. Only there are more screamers. You cover west flank. I'll go to the heart," Hunter said.

"Why? I'm not allowed to fight?"

"You can. They will be around the edges too, but you have to wait for my signal then let the bullets rain down," Hunter said.

The two crouched and moved to their destinations. Darcie stood slightly above the infestation whereas Hunter, covered in blood, was able to get to the heart of the infestation. Hunter stood up, and he gave a signal to Darcie, then he let loose a loud wolf whistle. All of the walkers started to make more sounds. Darcie started to shoot the walkers, she also noticed that more were falling in the heart of the infestation. She saw Hunter using two swords, but Hunter only had the one sword he had made.

What the fuck? Where does he find the shit to make these kind of things? Darcie thought.

The battle was long and bloody. Guts were sprayed everywhere. Hunter was soaked in the blood. Darcie had some blood that had sprayed onto her, on her face. Hunter brushed his blonde hair off of his face when he heard Darcie's gun cock again.

"Darcie?" he asked.

"You have a walker bite on the back of your fucking neck."

"Darcie, remember. I can't be turned."

"I don't trust you."

"Since when?"

"Since today."

"Darcie. Please. Put the gun down and we can talk."

"No. I'm done talking. All this fucking bullshit has gone way too far. I'm not taking any risks."

She aimed the gun at Hunter's head.

"Darcie. Don't do this," Hunter said, backing up.

'Fuck this shit man! She's going to shoot you!' 'Oy! Shut it lad! She's going to shoot but we still have a chance that she misses our head! Let's just hope she's shakey.'

Hunter backed up more.

"Darcie...I don't blame you for wanting to shoot me. It's your family that I'm putting in danger," Hunter stood straight. "Fire."

Darcie pulled the trigger. Hunter collapsed, blood pooling around his head. Darcie lowered the gun then dropped it. Ross wanted his gun to be the one that killed Hunter. His final wish was fulfilled. She turned and walked away, not looking back at her dead teammate.

Darcie walked through the front door. She was coated in blood and leaned against the wall.

"Darcie!" Dawson yelled as he walked into the entryway.

He pulled the girl into a hug, not caring that he was wearing walker blood.

"Wait a minute," Leo said as he came into the room. "Where's Hunter? He said you were being held hostage and he was going to save you. Where is he?"

"Hell," Darcie answered.

"What?" Travis asked, standing behind Leo.

"He was bit on the back of his neck. So I shot him."

She suddenly went limp in Dawson's arms. She would have fell if the blonde wasn't holding her up.

"Darcie?" Dawson asked.

"I shot a family member. I shot him in his fucking head."

She pushed out of Dawson's arms but her legs failed her and she fell to the ground. Kaylie came running into the room.

"Darcie!" she screamed.

She went to her "big sister's" side and held her hands. Anthony walked into the room, scared of the worst case scenario.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Hunter's dead," Leo explained for everyone.

"What?" Kaylie asked.

"Darcie had to shoot him," Travis finished.

Kaylie started to cry and she pulled her face into Darcie's side. Darcie put an arm around the little girl and stroked her hair.

"Where did you leave him?" Dawson asked.

"In the midst of a dead infestation."

Kaylie let go of Darcie so Travis could pull his sister to his feet.

"Go wash up. You're a mess."

Darcie nodded and walked deeper into the house. Kaylie followed her she she could clean herself off. Dawson didn't bother following the girls.

"Shouldn't you go get cleaned up?" Anthony asked the blonde.

"I should but I've gotta go check on Levi."

"No you don't," Leo argued.

"Pardon?" Dawson asked.

"Another fucking horde's on their way. No one bothered to unpack the bags since our last runaway so make sure everyone is here."

There was panic. Darcie, Kaylie, and Dawson weren't cleaned up but they needed to get going. The horde was too close. Travis started doing a head count.

"Darcie, Kaylie, Dawson, Leo, Anthony, Levi," Travis counted. "Let's go!"

He didn't realize he counted Leo twice in his panic to get everyone out the door.

Levi walked down the main road. He was holding his arm around his torso.

"Damn it Hunter. Why did you have to run out again?" he growled.

Levi glanced around the corner and saw a huge dead infestation.

"What happened here?"

Levi walked around the dead walkers. He saw a few screamers.

He saw what looked like drag marks on the ground, so he followed it, thinking that Hunter just missed a walker.

The marks finally ended at a tree, that's when bloody handprints clawed into the bark to pull itself up. Levi glanced over towards a small hill. He saw a walker standing there. It roared and charged him. Pain forgotten and replaced by adrenaline, Levi turned the other way and sprinted away. He didn't stop running until that walker was long gone and he was back at the base. He took a deep breath before looking at the door. If Dawson knew he snuck out and irritated his wound further, the blonde would have his head.

"I wonder if Hunter got back with Darcie. Where were they hiding her?" he wondered aloud.

He approached the building and saw the door was open. He reached into the holster on his hip and pulled a gun out.

"Shit. What happened?"

Levi entered the base, he looked around. It was too quiet.

"Anyone here?" he called.

Something started to groan behind him. Levi turned around and gasped. A military walker about seven feet tall was standing there. It was missing its left arm and had reddish hair.

"Will?" Levi dropped the gun in his hand.

The walker Will came towards Levi. The short male back up until he hit another zombie, this one was another military one, but it wasn't anyone he recognized.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise Kaylie. I won't be able to protect you anymore."

With that, the walkers attacked Levi, ripping him to shreds.