Walking With The Dead

Closer Than Farther

We drove silently for what seemed like hours. Carl had his head rested against the window, blankly staring into the fields and trees as we passed them. He seemed distraught.

"Carl.. about the kiss, im sorry." He said nothing.

"Carl?"

"Adrian, its fine okay? It was different, im not used to that. I had no idea you were gay, i just figured you were straight by the way you carry yourself."

I had no idea how to respond to that, so i didnt. We continued to drive until we came around to a small gated community. I stopped the van at the gates and got out with my rifle. As i walked up to the gate, i noticed a walker making his way to the gate. I waited, and then took him down silently. I pushed on the gate, but to no avail. I got back in the van next to Carl, and shifted it into drive. I eased the bumber of the van up against the gate, and accelerated. The gate sure enough, busted open.  We slowly continued through the suburb until we found a nice house that we could crash in for the night. I pulled the van into the driveway and parked in front of the garage.

This suburb is really quiet, four walls, lots of things we could build the place up with.

I let the thought of that go for now, i was too stressed and tired to think too much about it. I got out of the van, threw my rifle over my shoulder, and walked toward the front door of the house and pounded on the wall. Better safe than sorry. Unexpectedly, nothing came, so i motioned for Carl to follow me in with our stuff. I opened the door, and walked inside. This was a really nice house, and basically untouched. The floors, walls, and furniture were all dusty, but looked expensive and unscathed none the less. I turned and looked for Carl, he was nowhere to be seen. He must of gone upstairs.

"Adrian! Help!"

I ran up the stairs faster than what seemed humanly possible and saw Carl trying to fight off a walker, before i even had time to think, i instinctively forced my knife into the walkers head. Carl dropped the walker and started to cry. What he did next shocked me even more than his cry for help, he hugged me tightly, resting his head on my chest.