We're not living, we're surviving

2

This is dedicated to KiarahPhillips for being my HUNDREDTH FAN!! omg. :D <33

Sorry it took so long, I've been lazy. :L

I was driving the pickup with Rebecca beside me, Daryl was on the motorbike, Rick and his family along with Carol and Sophia were in another car and everyone else was in the RV travelling in convoy to find a shelter.

“You look tired, when did you last sleep?” Rebecca asks concerned.

“Erm, when I was unconscious?” I smirk.

“That’s not funny, Emilia, you need to look after yourself! Let me drive.” Rebecca said, “Stop the car and I’ll drive.”

“I’m okay, Becky, trust me. Sleep is the last thing on my mind right now.” I kept my eyes on the back of Rick’s car, following exactly where they were going.

We’d hit the highway shortly after setting off and it’s been a game of weaving in and out of cars from the beginning. On more than one occasion we’d had to get out and move the abandoned vehicles so the RV would make it through.

“If you won’t look after yourself I will, failing that I know Daryl will.” I can feel her eyes boring holes into the side of my face.

“Oh yeah?” I say breaking sharply as not to hit Rick’s car. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, we care about you, Emilia. Daryl cares about you. And though you may not care much for yourself, or anyone else, you still need to look after yourself. Now more than ever before.”

“You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine. Worry about Daryl, or Carol or even the children if need be. I can take care of myself.” I reply, softly.

“You can take care of yourself, huh?” She repeats and I nod and step out of the car after turning it off. I don’t want to say anything else to her; I don’t want to lose her friendship. She means too much to me for that.

I head over to where the group have gathered to find out what’s going on.

“The radiator hose is shot, been using duct tape to hold it together but I’m all out. I’m sure we can find something in one of these cars that’ll replace it.” Dale explains.

“And plenty of other stuff,” Daryl adds.

“Siphon more fuel out of these cars for a start.” T-dog says.

“We don’t want to spend any more time here than necessary, Dale, get started on the RV. The rest of us can look through these cars for anything useful.” Rick says.

“Now would be a good time for a cigarette, but I ran out.” I mumble.

“I don’t know if I like this. This is a graveyard,” Lori says looking in the windows of the cars.

“The whole world’s a graveyard now,” Rebecca replies sadly.

“Okay, let’s get started.” Rick says, clapping his hands together. The group dispersed to go and search different cars.

I walked to the edge of the road and popped the door open of a silver hatchback. There was a body inside, though they were dead. Someone had made sure they wouldn’t return as there was a bullet hole through their forehead.

I grimaced as I reached down to the side of the dead person and pulled up the small lever to pop the boot open. Walking to the back of the car my hand immediately shot up to block my nose; I could never have expected anything like what was in front of my eyes.

A blizzard of flies cleared to reveal what was behind it.

A dog with malting fur, bald patches and prominent bones from starvation lay unmoving except for the very slight rise and fall of its chest with each breath. How the dog had survived this long I don’t know, but I couldn’t just leave it. I pulled out a knife and stabbed the dying dog through the brain.