Invincible Ones [A Walking Dead Story]

Chapter 34- Shadows

Joanna's POV

The search group looked and saw no one who matched Ember's descriptions and drawings. So they head back before they send out a search party to search for them.

"Alright, let's go back." The leader of our search group, Hunter, announced officially.

   Joanna silently nods while Nate next to her mumbles in agreement.

  They start hiking in the direction of the town when Joanna hears a distant growling growing closer. "I got it." She claims as she draws her knife.

  Joanna walks in the direction of the sound and when she sees a figure emerge from the webs of tree branches. Joanna's step falters and she backs away.

"Jo?" Nate asks as Joanna continues to back away.

  "Nate, you do it." She tells him, handing him her knife.

  "Okay?" Nate mumbles as he goes to stab the deader. He plunges the knife into its skull. It collapses, dead. Nate tells everyone to go ahead and stops Joanna. "What the frick, Jo?" He knits his eyebrows together. "Did you know it?"

She sighs and takes the knife out of his hand. "You should really carry your own knife, Nate."

"I do—and did you know him?" He indicates towards the dead one.

"Yeah," she meets his eyes and frowns. "It's my uncle."

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Ember's POV

Aviva had taken me to see the dogs. I mean that they have actual dogs. And they help with hunting and defense and being overall the coolest companions. A hunting dog named Willa is Aviva's favorite. I can see why, because Willa is so friendly and won't stop licking the both of us.

Nate had came in to say the search party came back empty handed. I hadn't seen where Joanna went, but I'll be seeing her when it's time to go to bed anyway. I am almost preparing myself for the news of them discontinuing the searches. It must be such a waste of resources to them.

After my dusk shift on the makeshift wall, I settle into my mattress sheets in Joanna's sanctioned off area of the library.

"Hey, Jo?" I whisper. If she doesn't respond she's either sleeping or pretending to.

"Yeah?" Okay, so she's awake.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

"...Well, I'm fine. But you wouldn't know because I haven't told you."

"...What?"

"Oh, right. I mean as in when Aviva found me when she was hunting with her dog." Joanna starts and from there she goes to explain her entire backstory. "...And today I just found my Uncle Gary as a Deader."

"Oh..." I say dumbly. Sympathizing with people was never my strong suit until everyone had the shared problem of the dead slowly closing in on us, threatening to bring us down along with the demised. "Joanna...I'm so sorry."

"I guess I always kind of knew...But the fact I had to actually see him as a deader..." Joanna's voice trails off. And by some mutual agreement hanging loosely in the air, we understand exactly what it's like. Like Sofia and like now. Like Joanna's Uncle Gary, lost and found yet lost again.