Death Of Me

vii

[What Lies Ahead]

         The RV was very crowded and stuffy, almost making it hard to breathe. Shane and Andrea took the two seats behind the driver, next to the built in table. I had my back against the passenger seat as I sat facing Arrow and Jasper, who were asleep on the floor. T-dog stood towards the back of the RV, his arms crossed as he leaned against the bathroom door. Caspian was sitting in the passenger seat, his conversation with Dale quieting down. Glenn was sat next to me, his head resting on my shoulder. He was tired from the harsh sun and the conditions we had to constantly deal with.

     We have little to no food left with only a little bit of water. Most of it went to the kids while the rest of us had to ration what they didn't eat. They were more important, they needed the food so they could grow enough to help us get more food.

Glenn perks up when he hears Dale's murmuring, making me turn my head towards him as well. Dale slows the RV to a stop and I notice a look of frustration making it's way to his face. Glenn stands up and reaches his hand down to me. I take it gratefully and stand up to look at what everyone else was. A sigh of annoyance escapes my lips unwillingly, and Caspian turns his head to look at me. In front of the RV was a traffic jam of multiple cars, stretched out to the point where I can't even see anymore.

Daryl circles back towards us and stops by Dale's window, "See a way through?" Dale questions, his eyes squinting as he looks at him. Daryl says nothing as he turns his bike around to look for a path for us.

"Uh, maybe we should just go back." Caspian tries to help, holding the map in his hands. Glenn had taught him how to use it whenever he had the time. "There's an interstate bypass-"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale points out as he scrunches up his nose. No doubt he was thinking this whole thing was going to be a disaster.

"What if there is no way through?" I wondered out loud, causing everyone but Dale and the kids to look at me. No one says anything and I chew on my inner cheek, anxiety running through my veins about the situation. Dale follows behind Daryl, going around cars while still on the road.

"Jesus." Glenn exhales as we navigate through the piles of cars. My eyes widen when I see a car with a walker in it, their head turned towards the RV. Half of their hair was missing, the walker opens its mouth, revealing multiple missing teeth. I recoil at the sight of it, pushing down the bile that was making its way up. I feel Glenn's hand on my back as he rubs it, trying to distract me. As we continue to make our way through the cars, a gush of white gas or air erupts from the hood of the RV. I jump back at the loud squealing it makes, no doubt waking up Arrow and Jasper from their nap.

Dale puts the RV into park and I frown, great, another problem. Dale unbuckles his seat belt in a haste and gets out of the RV. My eyes follow his figure only to meet Arrows. I give her a small reassuring smile and put my hand out to her. She stands up and grabs my hand, Jasper right behind her. I lead them out of the RV after T-dog, Caspian following shortly after.

"I said it, didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water." Dale makes his way to the front of the RV and I frown again, my hand already beginning to get clammy and sweaty from the heat.

"Problem, Dale?" Shane doesn't look at Dale until after he does a scan of our surroundings.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-" Dale stops speaking when he turns around to the sound of Daryl scavenging through the open window of a cars trunk. "Okay, that was dumb." I feel the urge to chuckle but I bite it down, not wanting to have eyes on me again.