Afraid of Being Alive (Shane Walsh Love Story)

Chapter 4: Guts

I pushed gently past Shane and kneeled at the dead-ones side before reaching into its open and bleeding stomach and ripping out what I could. I smeared the blood all over my clothing, taking in the smell of death. The reddish-brown liquid stained my clothing as I lathered it over me, Lola, Rick and Shane watching me as though I was mad. I wrestled with the dead-ones intestine for a moment before taking it and adorning my neck with it, continuing on to lather as much of the things guts as I could onto me.

As soon as I was done, I looked over at Shane whom had an impressed look on his face.

“Come on sweetheart, we don’t have all day.” I leered, mocking him, before turned around and getting up onto the table that was still parked in front of the open window.

Shane, Rick and Lola did the same as me, Lola getting creative and forming a limp bow around her neck out of the second dead-one’s intestine, something I found totally sick. I on the other hand simply hung it around my neck without much fuss. All we needed to do is to smell like them and act like them; if we did that we’d sneak past them perfectly.

As soon as we were all bloody, covered in guts and smelt puke-worthy, we all headed out onto the streets of Atlanta for what would be the last time. I let Rick and Shane walk faster ahead as I walked backwards from the apartment, wanting to catch a couple of last glances at our home. Lola held my hand tightly. When I looked at her beside me, I caught her trying not to cry.

“It’s for the better.” I said with a nod as she looked over at me.

“What if it’s not,” she said with a sad look upon her blood-spattered face “what if this is all just one big, fat mistake.”

“It’s not going to be,” I sighed as I turned away from the apartment, attempting to pull her along behind me “I promise.”

“Don’t keep promises you can’t keep.” She growled as she let go of my hand and walked up ahead of me, her blood stained blonde hair swishing gracefully down her back as she caught up to both Rick and Shane. I decided I would lag behind and try and get into character.

Finally, it was time to make the big moves down the main road of Atlanta that lead to outside the city. It was crowded with dead-ones as they all moaned and snarled, making throaty noises as they limped across the street. It was a frightening experience if I do say so myself. I couldn’t brave this alone and I needed someone beside me.

I jogged quietly up to Shane as we all peered around the corner of the alleyway we were in and into our very overcrowded exit route.

“We should go in pairs,” I whispered “you know, in case something happens.”

“I agree.” Said Shane before telling Rick my idea.

“Good plan,” said Rick quietly before explaining to us how this whole escape from Atlanta would play out. There was a supposed car parked just outside the metal fencing of Atlanta that they had used to drive into the city yesterday and that all we had to do was act like a dead-one and climb into the car with Rick driving us back to the group.

“I’ll take Zelda,” said Shane as we were the first to walk out onto the street “stay close, and don’t make any sudden moves.”

I nodded and off we went into the heavily congested exit street of Atlanta.

Shane and I walked slowly through the city, a limp in our step as we did so in an attempt to move like the living dead. I walked as close to him as I could, afraid of straying a mere centimetre away. I felt weaker with Shane alongside me, but I also felt safer. I felt like the damsel in distress clinging to her only hope, but that wasn’t like me at all. I could kick anyone’s ass if they provoked me enough to, doesn’t matter if they’re dead or alive.