Barely Alive (#JustWriteIt #SuperCharged)

Chapter 22 - Living with Death

"I make you weak at the worst of times but in the end I keep you safe. You will sweat in my presence, even as you grow cold. I dwell with the weak and easily the brave, but without me who could tell the difference.? Who am I?"

"Fear."

It's been three hours since the group had a run in with the special walker. Kaylie was unusually quiet. Darcie was the only one to take notice. She sat down beside the small child.

"What's on your mind?" Darcie asked.

"Just thinking about Hunter."

The older girl paled.

"Kaylie-"

"I think that blue-eyed walker may have been him."

Darcie sighed.

"Kiddo, we both know Hunter is dead. I know where I shot him."

"What if you were shaky? Or if he moved at the last minute? Wasn't that thing wearing the exact outfit as Hunter when you 'killed' him?"

Darcie went silent. She hated to admit it, but the kid had some points.

"Kaylie, we shouldn't dwell on what possibly happened. We need to accept we're a few member-"

Darcie was cut off when a large truck pulled up in the driveway. Everyone went outside. The boys aimed their guns to shoot the driver. The driver door opened and a platinum blonde haired male stepped out.

"Hunter?" Darcie asked.

He looked around at the group and they lowered their guns.

"Hi," he greeted.

"What the ever living fuck?" Travis yelled. "Hunter, what the fuck did you do? And more importantly, how the fuck are you alive?!"

"Nice to see you guys as well."

Darcie stepped up to the truck and looked it over.

"I think it's pretty clear we can't stay here anymore," Leo sighed. "Shit just keeps happening."

"Where are we going to go? We exhausted all of our options by choosing this place. It was difficult enough getting here. Trying to get anywhere else is suicide," Dawson reasoned.

"That's why I'm here. Pack up everything you can carry into the trunk and we're going up North as far as we can go," Hunter declared.

The group sighed but nodded. Hunter looked at Darcie.

"Darcie! Don't forget the stuff you and Kaylie got from the military base!" Travis said.

They were loaded up and ready to go. Hunter sat in the driver's with Travis and Leo beside him. Darcie, Dawson, and Anthony were in the back. Kaylie sat on Darcie's lap.

"Wait a minute. Where's Levi?" Hunter asked.

The group went silent. Travis and Leo exchanged a look before they turned to Hunter.

"Levi didn't make it. He turned," Travis explained, purposely leaving out the fact that they killed his walker.

Hunter nodded and kept driving.

"So where exactly are we going?" Darcie asked. "I hope you have a plan of action."

"We're going up North to the mountains," he explained.

He stared straight forward for a minute before he mumbled to himself.

"Going to the mountains is going home."

The group wasn't fully aware of how long they had been driving in silence for. Darcie looked ahead and something caught her eye.

"Guys. Look up ahead!' she instructed.