There's Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 16

"Sunshine..." He says with tears in his eyes

I hug him tightly.

"Don't ya worry, I love ya way more than he ever did"

"Ya already do" I kiss him

"I know. We only got each other now. Even if we still had our families, I'd love ya more" He says looking into my eyes.

"Me too"

I dont' mention my daughter, I don't need to, do I?

"Come on let's go out, calm ya down some and y'all be alright"

I nod and grab my crossbow and knife. He does the same.

We hunt for awhile, bring back a fox, few squirrels and a rabbit. There's not many deer left, we don't shoot them so maybe they can repopulate.

I take the game inside, and start to skin them in the sink. He's got something on his mind.

"Love, what's wrong?" I ask, he is sitting at the table playing with his knife.

"Nothin'"

I put the squirrel down and sit next to him.

"Ya can tell me"

"I know about her..." Referring to my daughter

"...How...?"

He takes my hand, "Ya always talk 'bout 'er in your sleep. Do ya remember ya boyfriend?"

"Yeah, he was stuck up and blonde. Nothin' like ya. I like my hicks"

"Sunshine, that was me..."

I blink and try to comprehend what he just told me.

"I dyed my hair blonde, I used ta be like that 'cause I never fit in"

"Nah... it couldn't a been ya..."

"Ya sure?"

My old boyfriend had a tattoo on his right shoulder blade. It was like tribal, he said he wanted the same thing on his left shoulder.

"Yeah"

He stands up and shows me the tribal thingy on his right shoulder blade. I'm speechless...

"I had ta leave when I did. My pa was slippin' inta addiction, I didn't have money. I regret leavin' ya and her, I do. When I found ya in the woods, I didn't think it was ya. But those nights, I knew it was ya. Ya said ya didn't know nothin' 'cause ya wanted ta start over, I get it. Ya probably hate me now and don't wanna be with me. I understand..."

I quickly try to gather words but I can't. Words can't describe how happy I am to be with him again. I kiss him passionately. Our lips move in sync just like they used to high school. Those nights we shared, they were familiar but I couldn't figure out why.

"I thought I lost ya forever..."

"Ya can't get rid a me that easy" He smiles

"Before ya coulda"

"Yeah, maybe. But ya made me stronger"

I smile, "Every get ya left shoulder done?"

"Yeah ma brother bought it for me. It was ma Christmas present"

"The Christmas after we split?"

He nods, "Ya never told me how she went"

"Ya really wanna know?"

"If ya don't mind tellin' me..."

"She was bit. In the quarantine when it got overrun. It was my fault..."

"No it wasn't..."

"Yes, it was. Ya weren't there how would ya know..."

"'Cause I know ya wouldn't let 'er die"

"But I did!" I start to cry again

"Baby, ya didn't purposely let 'er die"

"I didn't but I watched..."

"Ya couldn't save 'er could ya?"

"I coulda if I watched 'er!"

"Ya was killin' the rest off... Ya couldn't watch 'er while savin' the day now could ya?" His dark blue eyes look deep in to my hazel

"No... But I could have done somethin'..."

"Ya can't all the time sweetheart"

"'m sorry..."

"Don't be it ain't ya fault, it's mine. I left ya's"

"True but I ain't blamin' ya"

"Ya want another lil girl?"

"I ain't ready n I don't wanna let 'er down again..." I look down

"It won't I promise ya"

"Ya won't leave again?"

"Where am I gonna go" He smiles and kisses my forehead

He carries me upstairs, you can figure out the rest...

The sun is setting, "Can we go look at the stars?" I ask

"Cold out though"

"So? We got blankets n coats n clothes"

"We ain't stayin' out long"

"Fine" I get up and get dressed.

My sweatpants and sweatshirt should be enough. I go out back and sit on the porch. The cool air hits my cheeks and I shiver a little. Not a cloud in the sky, perfect night for star gazing.

"What ya fly down 'ere?" He teases and sits next to me

"I did" I smile and lay my head on his shoulder

I watch thensky, pointing out constellations and galaxies. He has no idea what I'm talking about but that's alright. He goes inside to grab something to drink when something starts coming out of the woods. A walker maybe? I sit there and wait until it gets closer. I shine my flashlight at it, a walker, but a child...

She looks about the age of four, long brown hair and hazel eyes... Her shirt blood stained and ripped, shorts bloody too. A nice gash is...taken out...of her shoulder.... She stumbles close to me and I just sit there. I become paralyzed, she looks just like my daughter... She is roughly ten feet away from me now... I still don't move. My flashlight is still on her.

"Sun-...." He stops and sees her, slowly making her way towards me

Her tiny and quiet moans come closer and closer.

"Baby ya gotta come inside" He says grabbing my arm to help me up

I can't move. My baby girl is standing in front of me, coming to eat me.