(Unedited) Stage One: Hope in Darkness

Killing and Snipers (Annabelle)

"Why do we Have to stay out here while all the others get to have fun?!" I could hear the screeching voice from behind my bush. Hannibal had moved to hide with me. There not ten feet from us stood two rippers and three walkers.

"The master wants us to keep an eye out, make sure none of the goodies from that camp get away." The other one made a whining noise and flailed his arms about like a child throwing a tantrum.

"But I wanna go killing!! Those people take good care of themselves, I bet they taste delicious!!" he punctuated his statement by licking his lips and giggling.

"Awwww don't feel bad slash, one could come this way. Then they are all ours, no having to share" The one called slash shivered in what appeared to be delight. The other one spoke again,

"Unless it is the girl. The one with auburn haired mute that the master wants, he wants her unharmed. Who knows what he would do to us if we hurt her." They both shivered but this time in fear. They are looking for me? Why would a bunch of ripper walkers want me? Unless, I suppressed the gasp of horror that wanted to escape my lips. He must be behind this. I don't know how he got the rippers to do his dirty work but there was no other person that could be behind this.

I had to get out of here! not just this situation but this forest. I would have to leave everything. My beloved house. I had spent so much time making it, but if he was desperate enough to work with the rippers he would find me if I stayed.

I thought of the camp, I had known there was a camp on the other side of the city. I had avoided them, I had no desire to live in their little space. After everything that had happened I couldn't make myself trust anyone anymore.

First I had to kill these rippers, couldn't risk leaving them alive to follow me. I had to kill them. I carefully checked how many arrows I had. Thirty six, plenty for now. Thank god I knew that Hannibal couldn't get infected. No matter what happened, he would not turn. I didn't know why animals could not contract the infection, I'm not sure if anyone did. Well at least the animals that I had seen. You never knew in this crazy world.

I took a deep breath, well it's now or never. I pulled back the cord of my bow, my first arrow hit one of the walkers right through the eye. I had another arrow notched before he even hit the ground.

"What?! the hell!!" their screams were hellish. My second arrow found its mark in the second walker.

"There!! it came from those bushes!" The third walker made a screeching sound before diving for me. I rolled swiftly out of the way and whistled, loud and hard. I could hear it when Hannibal's jaws clamped down on it's throat. I didn't look behind me, keeping my gaze completely focused on the rippers now raising their makeshift weapons.

"You're gonna pay for hurting our babies!!" The sound was rabid, almost unintelligible.

They were too close for my bow, so I pulled in over my head and grabbed the knife strapped to my leg. Close combat it was. Hannibal growled behind me, one of the rippers, slash the other one had called him, looked in that direction. I used his lost focus against him and quickly slashed out with the knife. I caught him in the neck. He fell down clutching his neck with a gurgle.

I turned to the last one but I didn't need to do anything, Hannibal had already snapped his neck. I could have smiled at how much I loved his wolfy butt. It didn't feel quite right, considering what I had just done. Could I risk going back to the house? No choice, I had to get more supplies and cover my tracks. Like grabbing my journal, why had I thought that keeping one would be a good idea? Ahh right I remembered, I had been frustrated that I couldn't speak. I needed a way to vent.

Well that would have to stop, leaving detailed notes of your thoughts was not a good idea while running from bad guys.

I ran back to the house, Hannibal keeping pace beside me. I quickly got the basket down and got up into the tree. Hannibal stayed on the ground, no need to bring him up just to go back down. I rushed around the house, started a fire, grabbed all the jerky and water I could without slowing us down. Hannibal was wearing his harness, he would carry some of our things. Once the fire was well and going I reached under the cot and grabbed my journals, quickly tossing them into the fire. I almost smothered the flame with the notebooks, but the fire should be enough to take care of them.

Turning back from the fire I saw it, the picture! The only thing I had left of my best friend. I had found it in my wallet after I had climbed out of the lake that night. I grabbed it, we both stood there, arms draped over one another. Smiles on our faces. She had been right that day, the red shirt really did make my green eyes pop. I smiled at the memory before placing the photo between the pages of my favorite book and stuffing it into my pack. Back on the ground I looked up at my house one more time. Goodbye my little sanctuary. "Let's go Hannibal"

I made a move, ready to leave. I swallowed, trying to force down the guilt. The camp. They had done nothing to deserve this, the rippers had come for me and they were paying the price. Could I leave them? A flash of memory entered my vision, Lara. The crowd pushing me, and Lara getting pulled out the car window by one of those things.

I couldn't leave them. The guilt of leaving Lara still haunted me. I had enough baggage to carry around, I didn't need anymore. But getting close would only make the rippers more frenzied, since they were looking for me.

I felt the heft of my rifle pressing into my leg, Hannibal had it strapped to him and he was rubbing against my leg. Great idea boy! I couldn't get close but that didn't mean I couldn't help. The ridge by the river! I moved fast, running.

We reached the river in no time. I quickly pulled the rifle out and laid down. I aimed my scope towards the camp. Walkers swarmed a building, pounding on it's doors. I could see shapes in the upstairs windows, I couldn't make out any faces from this distance. I breathed deep, as I let out my breath I squeezed the trigger. The shot rang out.