infection | D. Dixon

chapter sixteen

dog

It had been three weeks since we first arrived at the small town parking lot. Sophia had woken up and was just about ready to be up on her feet. I spent most nights with her, reading to her until she fell asleep, then I often slept across the foot of the bed.

Today, though, Rick and Dale decided that it was time to move into the strip mall across town. The group had been stocking it and turning it into a place we could stay for the winter.

I was in charge of going across town before the group with two people of my choice to set up an infirmary where Lori could have her baby.

I decided to take Merle and Glenn.

The three of us packed up everything I had to take care of people into the Jeep and took off before anyone else woke up. By the time we arrived, it was sunrise.

Glenn smiled as he opened the front door. "Home sweet home!" He cheered, throwing his arms in the air triumphantly.

I laughed and hung my head as I wheeled the suitcases in behind me.

"That it is!" I heard Merle cheer. He grinned and grabbed me by the waist, spinning me around.

I squealed and held onto his arms tightly. He spun around in circles, laughing. When he finally set me down I had to lean against the wall to keep myself up. I wiped tears from my eyes.

There was a loud bang from the other side of the store. The three of us immediately stopped laughing.

I grinned and walked towards the sound, knife in hand. Making sure to move slow, I pressed my back against the wall.

There was another loud noise and before I could round the corner a large black mass hurled itself at me.

I was pushed back against the ground. My arms immediately took a defensive stance. My knife skidded across the ground and clattered against the wall as I fought off the thing that was on top of me.

It's teeth tore into the skin on my arm, jaws moving side to side in rage.

I gave the dog a large kick to the stomach and it slid back enough for me to roll over onto my stomach.

As soon as my fingers wrapped around my knife there was a large bang, and the dog was dead. Merle stood over the dog with his gun in his hand.

I sat up against the wall. My arm was bleeding, but I got off lucky. It was a small bite, and the dog didn't look rabid.

Glenn helped me up from the wall. "Jesus, Reaper! You scared the crap out of us!" Glenn yelled, assisting me until I was sitting on a couch from the furniture store.

"Sorry... Reaper?" I questioned him.

Glenn's face flushed. "It's what the kids are calling you. Because you've been shot at, stabbed, attacked... you're pretty much invincible," he shifted on his feet.

I laughed. "I like it. Reaper it is!"

Merle laughed from across the room and began moving all of the store equipment out of the way.