Hope

Silence

Bryan looked at me again 'Do you have any scopes?' he said, obviously talking about the contents of the bag. 

'Bryan I didn't come from a damn military camp' 

Bryan walked back towards the car, for a moment I thought I had insulted him as he opened the door and reached under the seat. Though when he reappeared, he appeared with an assault rifle scope in his grip, one untouched for quite some time. He was asking me a genuine question unrelated to the bag. 

'Give it to Aaron' I suggested 'He's a better aim with a rifle' 

Bryan handed over the metallic scope to Aaron who held it firmly in his hand, peaking through with his right eye. Aaron was good enough as it is, with a scope we should have enough protection from the darkness creatures. 

As Bryan walked back to the car he turned to face Aaron and I again 'And whatever you do' he said 'Don't talk... don't even whisper'

The girls got out of the car with Callum and joined us on the road. Bryan grabbed our bags from the back of the truck, feeling the weight as he dropped them to the ground, he questioned us. 

'What do you have in there?' he questioned. 

'One with food and clothes, one with weapons and ammunition' I replied with full trust in them that I could tell them what was in the bags honestly. 

'Leave the clothes' he said 'We have food in the town' 

'We have family pictures in there' said Aaron 'Memories' 

Bryan confronted him face to face and looked at him with a grunt that came across to be slightly intimidating, even to Aaron who took a small step away from Bryan who was right up in his face 'My entire family were infected and I had to put every one of them down using a damn steak knife. I had to cut the throat of my seven year old sister and slash the arteries in my step fathers neck' he snarled 'Learn to let go' 

Aaron looked at him for a moment in all seriousness before making the group decision to leave the bag, grabbing only the one with weapons and leaving the clothes and pictures behind. 

As Aaron walked past Bryan their eyes met again with a grudge, one I hope will not last long... not in this world, not with these people, these strangers. We need trust, without it we might as well be walking in circles.

I led on in front alongside Bryan, the torch firm in my left hand, and the pistol in my right, over lapping my left hand which shone the flashlight on the road ahead, scouting every direction. Alongside me, Bryan kept an eye down the scope of his rifle, the torch lighting up the pathway ahead for him as he kept a finger near the trigger, waiting to fire.  

Aaron was at the back with his rifle firm in hand, scouting the woodland alongside the main country road for any sign of movement. All weapons were equipped with a suppressor for silent fire. Our movement was slow and steady, though there was no evidence of anything nearby we did not want to make any noise, we wouldn't risk it.  

Next to Aaron was James in the same steady stance half crouched and moving silently with his shotgun in hand, the one weapon with a shot so loud it would be near suicide to use it.  

Callum was holding onto his mother's hand as they both walked very slowly down the desolate road alongside Ash who looked around at everything that the flashlights shone upon, taking in every last sight the real world had to offer. 

I saw much more than I had seen while moving in the jeep and in the car yesterday morning. Now, walking on the desolate road, I am beginning to fully realise how long it has been since I have last seen the world.