After the end of the World

Others

I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard the thud. It could have been a undead, maybe, but my gut twisted into knots as I didn't think so.

Freddie was playing with an incomplete jigsaw I'd found in the desk and I leaned in towards his ear to whisper: "Get under the bed." Once he was out if sight I considered bluffing with the empty gun, but opted for the knife instead, just in case. I knew that the strangers were definitely human now and I could hear them moving around and checking draws. "Carl, check the bedrooms." A voice yelled.

I moved around so I stood with my back just to the left of the door frame and I leant back against the wall to take the weight off my right leg, as I had stitched up a gash that was beginning to bleed again. Breath in. Out. In. Out. I could hear the creaking of steps as the stranger reached the top of the stairs and I readjusted by grip on the knife. A door slammed open and I winced as he began checking rooms. "Clear." He shouted each time.

As the door swung open the boy didn't have time to react before I had swung him around and pinned him against a wall with the knife to his throat. He was around my age, two hand guns, no visible knives and not quite enough muscle to throw me off. Perfect.

I could hear someone else begin to climb the stairs calling "Carl? Is the room clear?"

"Don't make a sound." I breathe into his ear and he looks at me with pure hatred, as if that alone would kill me. I glance back towards the door. "Carl!" The voice calls again.

I drag Carl into the middle of the room, still pinned against me as the door swung open. The man was pointing a gun at my head so fast I was surprised he didn't shoot me straight away. Presumably because he might hit the kid. "Woah, girl. Just let go of him, okay? We can talk then. Where's the rest of your group?"

"Drop the gun or I will slit the kids throat."

"Hey, there's no need for..."

I pressed the knife against the boys neck until a bead of blood ran down towards his collar. I know I could do it. It would haunt me later but right now, it would mean they wouldn't see Freddie.

Move footsteps and another man came into sight behind the first, this one a bedraggled red neck carrying a cross bow.

"No. Stop." One of them said just as Carl threw his head backwards into mine and pulled away. Shit. Blood streamed down my face and filled my mouth with the taste of copper coins and I stumbled for a moment before one of the men pinned me to the wall. The other man, the redneck, began to walk further into the room and I felt panic build in my chest as he saw the two cans, the jigsaw and a fingertip peaking out from under the bed.

The redneck reached out and grabbed Freddie as fast as a snake strikes as I used Carl's move, throwing my face forward into the man's nose and then grabbing the handgun out his holster and pointing it at the back of the red necks head. I tore all the stitches in my leg in the process.

He had a hold of Freddie's wrists and Fred was hanging with his feet not reaching the ground and utter terror etched on every muscle. I clicked the safety off. "Drop him. Drop him right now or I swear I will blow your fucking brains out." I could hear my voice break as I said it and the tears began to fall as I realised how completely hopeless this was.

"Drop the gun, girl. Drop it now." The man with the crossbow said and, as he could easily splatter Freddie's brains across the wall, I did. To my surprise, he then lowered Freddie and released him, so the child ran across to me and stood between me and the wall, just as I had taught him to do.

"What's your name?"

"Caitlin." I replied, a name didn't mean anything now, anyway.

"I'm Rick and this is Daryl and the boy you just threatened is called Carl, but I guess you worked that one out already. What's the child called, Caitlin?"

"Freddie."

"Look, I guess we got off on the wrong foot but we really don't want to hurt you. We have a camp, a whole town and this was just suppose to be a supply run but we could take you back too. It's safe there and you're clearly a survivor, it would be good to have you around."

"No."

"Why?"

I could see black dots dance in front of Ricks face, which blurred in and out of focus. Blood was soaking my jeans and I began to sway gently. Rick glanced down at my leg just as it gave out and I dropped into the peace of the unconscious.