infection | D. Dixon

chapter fourteen

goner

The flare lit up the skies, and the walkers began separating towards the walls. Rick pushed open the door, and the rest of us began running towards the vehicles.

A walker grabbed me by the arm and I stabbed it in the head. I was behind the rest of the group.

Rick climbed into the RV, but I was in charge of the ambulance. It wasn't much farther when I tripped over a walker on the ground. It's jaws started snapping at me and it latched it's teeth onto my boot.

I quickly kicked off the boot and ran barefoot into the ambulance. I slammed the large doors just in time.

The sound of a car horn broke through the moaning of the dead. The sound of the horn was letting us know it was time to start shooting a path out.

I sat in the drivers seat and loaded my guns. Walkers were throwing themselves against the ambulance in hopes of a meal. I rolled down the window a little and started shooting.

The gunfire sounded like fireworks. The flares had died and the whole yard was enveloped in silence. I could just see the gate, where it was clear the walkers had come through. The metal bars were hanging off their hinges.

The RV moved up against the wall to collect the people firing the flares. Daryl's truck pulled out of the dead infested lawn and onto the road.

Once the RV was on the road I smiled and started the ambulance. The engine sputtered.

"No!" I cried out, slamming my hands against the dash.

I gathered everything I could and threw it in my bag. "Okay, okay, think."

I threw open the back door and kicked the first infected to the ground. My small window of time was closing.

I was on the road within minutes.

The wind blew through my hair as I ran. Hundreds of walkers trailed me, dead arms reaching for me, jaws snapping in hunger. I didn't chance a look behind me, I just ran. My chest constricted the more I pushed.

In the distance I could start to see the rest of my group. They were starting their cars to leave. Out of bullets and time, I started yelling, hoping to catch their attention.

A couple of the vehicles pulled away from their place on the highway and began driving away from the horde behind me. The only vehicle that stayed was the Jeep. My hopes raised and I found it in myself to run faster.

Daryl was in the drivers side of the Jeep. I threw myself in and he was driving before my body hit the seat.

"That was close!" I panted, leaning my head against the back of the seat.

+

A couple hours past midnight the group stopped at a gas station off of the highway to collect themselves. Daryl and I had been arguing nearly the entire ride. He was taking first watch, and I was going to corner him into talking with me.

I walked up to Rick with a thin smile.  "I have got to stop doing that," I chuckled half-heartedly.

Rick laughed, "Yes, you do."