Armoured

Carl

I've been running for the past two days.

No. Never mind, running isn't the right word. I mean, damn, that would be exhausting. So I guess I've been 'walking' from the dead for two days. That sounds so weak but, whatever.

I'm alone in these woods. We were separated two days ago when things went to shit in a hand basket. Not like they haven't already but we were just settling in. There we eight of us taking shelter in a small trailer part around the outskirts of Atlanta. We had traveled there to see how bad it was. Things haven't cleared up much in that city. After clearing the walkers from the park we took the three trailer houses in the middle. Of course they were grimy and some downright uninhabitable but given the class of people found there we weren't surprised. Hell, we've lived worse. In our three groups we had Lori, Rick, and I, Carol, Mika, and Lizzie, and Merle and Glenn. We were fewer in number than we had been but still getting along. The rest of the people I knew were gone, not dead, but had split off into another group to head into Atlanta. They thought they could clear it up a little and find a safe spot.

I hope they don't find out that they've landed themselves in a Walker orgy.

After we got into the small homes and ransacked the other ones we found water sources and scopes out the immediate area. Yeah, or we tried. We got a whole four days before we were invaded by a big group. They must have followed from Atlanta. Slowly along their way to us. We woke up to a woman's shout that night. Carol was on watch and she had let them get closer than she should have. We all rushed to grab out weapons and supplies and load the two cars. It didn't seem to be that we could fight them off, the whole time I heard my dad yelling commands . He still had a handle on the group, but his face showed the stress. We had things ready to go.

So how did I get separated?

I'll tell you.

Mika had found a toy a while earlier. A stuffed bear, a little beaten up bit still soft. She just wouldn't let it go. Carol had shoved her and Lizzie into a car and locked them in when Mika started screaming about the bear, drawing walker attention. The adults fought to quiet her but I knew she wouldn't be shushed. So I got out and ran back to her trailer and found the bear shoved halfway under the bed. I held it in one hand and hurried back to the car. I was to late.

The walkers were swarming the area and had already reached the cars. Some of them had heard the door behind me slam and blocked my way to safety. Looking past them I locked eyes with my parents and mouthed the word, "Go." There wasn't any other way. Then I started running. I ran in the opposite direction. Away from my family, away from my friends, away from any measure of safety.

When I took off through the woods I expected to reach a road where I could wait, until someone - anyone - came by. I never did. I've been walking for two days and all I've seen are trees and the occasional walker that I avoided. I'm getting tired. I had a little food and water in the bag on my back but it was dwindling.

Can't a guy catch a break? It's been weeks without a steady safe spot. These trees are driving me crazy too, to much time to think.

I'm thinking of my parents. Half about how I hope they're okay, the other half pitying them. Before I ran, Merle was the one I saw stepping into their car. I didn't hate the guy necessarily. He was just... Merle. An annoying hard-ass who didn't have the best history with the group. He was decent with a gun though and we didn't want to loose him. Plus he kept Daryl coming back. To bad Daryl had joined the Atlanta group.

I wish I had.