Emilia's story.

New found trust.

We were running, Sophia and I. There were walkers on our trail, catching up to us. Fast. They don’t tire. I thought, panicking; but only inside my head. On the outside I remained calm, strong. Not for me but for the little girls who’s life remained in my hands. She was breathing hard, fatigue causing her to trip but my grip on her hands kept her going. I mumbled words of encouragement to her, but they were also helping me, assisting me to continue. I was sure she’d long since given up listening to me, but if I stopped now we’d both have no hope.

I needed to find somewhere safe for Sophia, somewhere she could stay and I could get rid of these walkers following us, but there were only trees. Nothing that may be of use to us. Then I saw it, a small cabin off to the left.

“Sophia, do you trust me?” I asked and she nodded, whimpering slightly, tears staining her cheeks. “I need you to run for that cabin, there. See it?” I asked and again she nodded. “Get inside and lock the doors, push any furniture you can in front of it, find somewhere to hide until I come back.”

“What about you?” She whispered.

“I’m going to get rid of these walkers. I’ll call for you when I’m there, we’ll be safe then.” I assured giving a small smile feed her hope. A small child like her needed hope. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She whimpered.

“Then go.” I said and let go of her hand before turning to the three walkers following us. “Ugly, I’m here.” I called out to the walkers, keeping their attention trained on me rather than Sophia. I watched, making sure she made it before I turned back to the walkers, getting myself into a fighting stance, holding my bat up ready to swing. “Who’s first?” I mocked with a sadistic grin on my face.

A short male walker stumbled forwards; almost as if he understood what I was saying. I swung my bat at his head. Hard. The walker fell to the ground with a satisfying thud, its skull almost completely caved in. I smirked and let out a small laugh, turning to the other two walkers, only there weren’t two. There was only one. I looked around desperately for the third, but couldn’t see it anywhere.

Cold, dead hands touched my shoulder and I whipped around so fast, taking my knife out from inside my jacket as I went, embedding the knife into the side of the walkers head. I lost my balance, and fell to the floor with the walker on top of me. In an attempt to shove it off I thrashed out with my limbs, but I was too slow. By the time I’d kicked the walker off, the third and final walker had made its way over to me and collapsed on top of me, its jaws slamming together, only inches away from my face. My hands pushed up at the walkers face, trying to keep its jaws away from my skin. The slime of the walker’s drool dripped onto my cheek and I almost gagged, at the stench of that alone.

Blam!

Someone fired a gun through the walker’s brain, causing it to fall limp against me. I squirmed to get free from the dead weight of the walker, but to no avail. This walker was at least twice as heavy as the last; I wouldn’t be escaping on my own. But the walker’s weight was lifted to reveal a young woman holding a small pistol. She held out a gloved hand to me and I accepted the help of standing up.

“Are you bit?” She asked straight away before I could even thank this woman.

“No, it was a close call. Thanks, by the way.”

“Don’t mention it, got to look out for others in this world.” She said.

“Do you have like, a group or anyone you’re currently staying with?” I asked. She didn’t seem to have a group, but if she did, maybe they were as nice as her; maybe Sophia and I could stay with them since we’d lost our own group.

She shook her head before responding, “I’m on my own. I was with a group once, but they weren’t good people, I had to leave.” She said, her facial expression growing cold and guarded.

“We lost our group. They were good people, and if we can find them again then maybe you’d be able to join us.” I replied, almost asking her a question.

“We?”

“Me and Sophia, she’s in that cabin right now.” I said. I knew I probably shouldn’t have told her all of this, but it didn’t seem like it could hurt; besides Sophia and I were practically dead already. “What’s your name?”

“Georgia.” She replied. She seemed to be quite untrusting and closed off, yet she also seemed as though she wanted to join Sophia and I. This girl can’t be any older than twelve or thirteen, but she had proven she was capable of surviving by herself. “And you are?”

“Emilia, it’s nice to meet you.” I smiled, trying to reassure her. She was young, not quite as young as Sophia, but still too young to have to live in a world like this, but then I suppose the older people in our group like Rick or Shane thought that about me too, that I was too young to be living in a world like this. “Would you like to stay with us for a while, Georgia?”