One Cream and Two Sugars // Joel Miller

Chapter One

    Run. Faster. FASTER!

    "Get to the horses!" Her scream nearly a whisper against the blizzard.

    Keep running. Don't stop. Whatever you do, don't stop.

    Dozens...no hundreds of infected hoarded behind them. The sound of them all was deafening. One fall, a slip over the snow, or trip over their own feet meant they weren't coming back to Jackson that night.

    "Oh man, this is stupid..." The girl wasn't even thinking. She picked up speed, attempting to create more distance. "Maria, keep running!" All her logical thinking was completely gone now. The decision was already made. It would most likely cost her own life, but she didn't care. Maria had a family; she needed to get back more.

    Maria spun around, eyes wide. "What the fuck?! Are you crazy?!" She fumbled for her pistol, nearly dropping it. Firing what she could, mostly as an attempt to get her patrol partner to get up and move...the rest to try and keep her alive.

    "I said to keep running!"

    "Stop trying to be the hero and get up!" She couldn't lose another. Shot. Not again. Another shot. Jackson couldn't afford another lost patrolman, and she couldn't afford the loss of another friend. "For the love of God, Ashley get the fuck up, and let's move! It's useless!" At this point, Maria was going to have to plan a funeral.

    But Ash remained in the snow, the hoard nearly at her feet. Her heart was racing, arms rushing around in her pack. Her hands gripped a bottle, now mere feet away from the wall of infected. "This better work." She got up and made from more distance before finally tossing the Molotov.

    WHOOSH

    A wall of flames swallowed the first few rows of infected, and with that, she kept running. "That will give us some distance." She called out to her partner, admiring the fact that she was still alive. "Oh, man, I am so lucky." She commented as finally, she caught up. Maria did always run faster than her. Granted, she has been doing this longer.

    "You're insane." The older woman scolded, "That was nearly suicide!"

    Ashley couldn't help but laugh again. She was always getting reprimanded by her patrol partners. Maria was clearly no exception. "I learned from the best." The adrenaline high had indeed clouded her judgment, but shock was setting in for both her mind and body. Running in a bitterly cold wind? Not the best idea.

    Maria shook her head, "Remind me to never let you and your trainer on patrol together ever again. He's gonna get you ripped apart." The pair finally reached their horses, and as if their lives depended on it (which it really did) on they got, and off they went. Back home. Back to safety. Getting away with their lives by just the skin of their teeth.

~~

    "Open the gates! The girls are back!" The gates shut just as quickly as they opened. Horses glided to a stop. Hearts? Still pounding.

    "Y'all were out for hours!" The stableman commented as he walked towards them. The women hopped off, both trying to catch their breath. What had just occurred doesn't feel real. It couldn't have been. There was no way they survived that. "You both look like hell." He commented as he took the horses away.

    Ashley had already sat herself down on the ground, incredibly grateful to be behind the walls of Jackson. "We should be in hell." She fell back, letting her head rest on the muddy snow. She didn't care. She was at home. Safe at last.

    Maria looked over and rolled her eyes before turning up to the gate staff, "There's a hoard about fifteen miles northeast, easily one or two hundred of them. Make sure to not let any new recruits on any route that way. Hop on the radio and tell the center to clear Joel and Tommy's schedules. I want them out there as soon as possible. They can handle it." She paused, looking back at her friend on the ground, "Ash is no longer allowed out-"

    She instantly sprung up at hearing this news, "Maria, what the fuck! I am the best recruit you have, and that is a solid fact." She folded her arms in defense, 'Total bullshit.' She thought. Maria was totally unreasonable! She saved both their lives, and now she isn't allowed to do her job?

    "Let me finish." Maria sighed and turned back towards the gatemen, "No longer allowed out with Lake. His bold 'teachings' nearly got Ashley here killed."

    "Take that out on him, not me. I practically saved our asses. In fact, a thank you would be nice. ya know."

    "Oh, trust me, I plan to. He is getting a damn earful, he's a firebird, and that's rubbing off on you. Don't want it rubbing off on anyone else."

    Ashley brushed the dirt and mud off of herself and began to walk back home. She needed three things, a meal, a nap, and a long hot shower. 'God, I'm sore.' She thought, looking around the town as she walked. The occasional wave at a familiar face, smiling at the children throwing snowballs and making sure to pet Buckley. All of it apart of her after patrol routine. It was all so familiar, and just to think she had only been here no more than six months.

    Tommy had welcomed them back as they had never left for Colorado in the first place. It was indeed a blessing. Ellie was finally around people her age, Joel had his brother back in his life, but this time for good, and Ash? She had a group again at last.

    Sure, it was nice to be a trio; she had that with Henry and Sam too. But there was something special about big numbers. Not only was it safer, but it was comforting. The memory may be foggy, but before the outbreak, she can remember her big family and how happy it made her when she got to see them. Big groups, like Jackson, makes the world seem like less shit. Almost like a silver lining.

    Her hands shook as they had just an hour before as she reached for her front door. "I'm hooommmee~" She sung out, despite the fact, nobody ever called back to her. Her bag, like usual, was tossed onto the floor. Along with her boots and winter coat. "Fuck I hate wet socks." She complained aloud as she walked toward the kitchen. "At least now, I can enjoy some peace and quiet."

    Knock. Knock. Knock.

    "Are you serious?!" Ashley turned at the heel, reluctantly walking back to her door. "Maria, after that, I am not in the mood for an 'oh don't be a hero' lecture again!" She called out to the door, attempting to put her boots back on, assuming it would be for a new assignment.

    "It's not Maria." The familiar soft voice made her breathe a sigh of relief.

    "Come in, kiddo. It's not locked."

    Ellie walked in, the familiar look of boredom on her face. "Joel and I were going to do a guitar lesson, but Maria showed up and ruined it. Are you busy?" She asked, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side. She did that often now, at least from what Ash had taken note of.

    She shook her head, "No. Thank fuck." She laughed a bit, still in shock of the events earlier that day, "I was just about to make dinner. You hungry?" She stood, not bothering with her boots anymore—no wearing them in the house, she always said. Cleaning the floors is a waste of water.

    The little girl nodded, "Always. Something hot, please. Im freezing." She shivered as she placed her boots by the door, following Ashley into the kitchen. The two had grown close over their adventures; no notice visitations were frequent now that everyone had settled in Jackson.

     It was almost a daily occurrence. One shows up at the other's house (or shed in Ellie's case), sometimes it was a race. Whoever got to the other's place first on days when they had no assignments or rotations, the loser had to make dinner. It was fun, mostly because neither of them could cook in the beginning. It was a lose-lose situation, but a great tradition they created nonetheless.

    "Coming right up, kiddo."