The Walking Dead, On My Own

I saw red, then i saw you

Without thinking I get up shaking and adrenaline courses through me like it had the first night the world ended. I fall to knees and scream like I never have before, all the pain and anger I've pushed down this past year rises to the surface. The screaming and tears intensify as I see my parents dead bodies, my sisters absence, the innocent lives I've mercied, the little boy from the car, the half eaten baby, all of it flashes in my mind and the church doors start bangning. I look up sniffling.

I grab the guns and strap one on me and have my hand held one in my belt and the young woman's gun in my back, I have my knife in hand and I swing open the doors. Ready to die or fight like hell I just start slashing, all I see is red and rotting flesh.

I can't even hear my own screaming over the sound of growling and my knife plunging into skulls, they're backing me in but I don't give up or let a zombie past me.

I see the other zombies start to turn around and I just keep going, then I grab the gun from my back and start blowing off heads until not one zombie stands.

Beyond the 50 plus corpses stands a small group, all my age. Two boys and one girl. They helped me clear the zombies or heard me screaming? Either way I was too heartbroken to pay any attention to them, I walk over to pooh.

He's moving a little oh sweet boy you've turned and I didn't get to you in time I throw my body over his and sob until I feel a little lick on my cheek. I sit up fast and he's coherent but how? He was limp when I held him..he only knocked him out? I didn't know dogs could be knocked out but either way I was happy and was able to seal my just spilled emotions. The three stand there looking at me like I'm a bomb about to blow, so I turn to them.

"Don't try anything if you don't wanna end up like the people at your feet" and I see them look and asses that a couple of those corpses aren't walker ones.

The tall muscular kid with black slick hair says, "You did this? Alone?"

"All I've ever know is being alone, when your alone you protect yourself at all costs. Funny what your capable of if you have a big enough will to live." I respond.

They look at me shocked, the girl looks to the other boy with black hair and speaks up.

"I need to learn that..can you teach me?"

"it's not something you learn or practice, you just do it because it's what your capable of."

I've been in this world alone since day one, I've had no choice but to turn this way..not that I was bad. Badass maybe but I wasn't plain out evil...
She reddens and kinda hides behind the boys.

The slick haired boy put out his hand "im Derek, this is my brother chance and his girlfriend mina" I didn't take his hand.

"I'm lauren, this is my dog pooh" and I pet him smiling, I'd never let anything like that happen again..I love pooh already he's my destined companion for this world.
Mina, with her long strawberry blonde hair and freckles, smiles and inches towards me and pooh.

"can I pet him?" She asks and i nod and he leans into Minas hand, nice but growling to let a warning out.

Maybe he felt the same way I did after this encounter, to protect me no matter what.

"Where did you guys come from?" I asked Derek.

he said they were waiting on the horde to pass until they heard screaming and saw the zombies coming my way so they figured I could've used some help...which I did. I was actually thankful for once after seeing another human, and I thanked them.

"Do you just set up wherever the day takes you or do you have a home?" Derek asked me.

"I'm just a traveler I don't settle...for reasons like this." I say and pointed to the bodies.

"Us too," said chance. I offered for them to come with me, they agreed, of course. If we weren't going to kill each other, we might as well live together or travel together. We started walking to where they came from; it wasn't too far; it's just before the mall.

I don't think I could lose another person, not pooh....I don't wanna lose these people either. They lost their family like me, we're all young adults just trying to survive. They were inadequate though, zombies scared them to the point of shaking. Me? They're just another part of this world, I've grown so used to them they don't faze me unless there's more than I can handle or like that fat one I had to deal with.

I've killed so many, while they're avoiding killing if they have to, they hide behind trees until three zombies pass. Not with me around, I ran towards them and killed em all in a couple quick swipes. When I returned back they looked at me like I was crazy.

"What?" I say because Chance looks baffled.

"Why would you do that, it's suicide!" He yells.

"I don't think suicide applies anymore, now a shot to the head is mercy from living in this hell. And killing zombies is just purely survival, one less zombie on this planet to deal with. " I shrugged my shoulders and pooh was prancing along side of me.

We reached this thrift store, large windows in the front but it's a little dark from the clouds above, so you can't see all the way in the back. We went in and their sleeping bags were on the floor, nightfall was coming and I was tired but I'm not sleeping around new people.

I stayed up and took watch with Derek, even in the apocalypse, people don't mind getting their rocks off. I rolled my eyes, hearing mina and chances dirty escapade in the back. What happens if you get pregnant in this world?...well, I guess you end up like that woman in the car.

I must've looked dazed when Derek spoke up

"Please tell me what you're thinking about. Anything to get their sounds out of my head." He looked desperate, so I told him what I found in the red car; he looked horrified. I guess he's never seen tragedy up close like that from his response.

He looked at me like I was a war vet. I laughed a little, he'll see enough in due time. When he was done being astonished he yelled back to them, "Better hope you have condoms no one wants a baby eating their ribs from the inside out!" Mina gasped, and that stunted everything they were doing and I laughed more.

Being around people was nice, I don't want it to end. Derek reassured me I'd be okay and me and pooh curled up on his sleeping bag and he kept watch. I actually felt safe around another person...this is nice. I must've fell asleep with a smile on my face because I was happy, for once since this all started I was happy.