Along came Reid

6. A Girl Alone

From her rooftop perch, Jamie apprehensively surveyed the desolate streets for Reid. Dusk was fast approaching and still there was no sign of him. Apprehension gnawed at Jamie like Barron did a bone. While Reid had encouraged her to trust him, Jamie could only foresee the worst.

A swear of frustration sounded under her breath. She should never have left him alone. Not that he couldn’t handle himself; Reid was far more capable combat wise than Jamie ever hoped to be. His ability to take down six deaders was a testament to his fighting prowess.

Logic demanded that she cut her losses and assume his death. After all, someone of Reid’s strength could prove to be a threat in the long run. Just because he was amiable now didn’t mean he couldn’t turn on her. Despite his assurances, Jamie couldn’t swallow that he was only after friendship. Reid had to be after something more of that Jamie was sure.

Regardless of her suspicions and against logic, Jamie found herself worrying for him. It unnerved her to no end and tore at her like a deader horde ripping through a home in search of prey. Patiently, Jamie waited and waited. Night fell and with it, came the maniacal deaders and their screeching.

Jamie watched in horror as they mindlessly sprinted through the streets, some chasing rats, others slamming into buildings and abandoned cars setting off dying alarms. A wave of nausea turned her stomach in fear. Reid was still out there, in the middle of all of this. Memories of victims of the screeching deaders surfaced to her mind with Reid’s face on each of them.

Reid may have been strong, but no one could stand up to the screechers. They were ten times stronger and faster than normal deaders with heightened senses to boot. Remembering that she was not within the safety of her home, Jamie joined a worried Barron inside.

Sleep was nearly non-existent. Try as she might, she could not expel Reid from her thoughts. Like a looping video, visions of his death played over and over in her mind’s eye. Jamie tried to repeat his words to convince herself that she could trust him, that he’d be okay, but Jamie knew better.

Reid lied.

He was a man like any other. Other men gave her assurances of strength, and had failed. Reid was no different. Against sane logic, Jamie sort of believed his claims of immortality and superhuman strength. After all, Reid did the impossible that first night when he arrived at her window. Jamie never saw anyone travel during a screeching and live. She also never saw anyone handle six deaders by themselves so easily.

However, when it came down to it, Reid was just a man. An extremely gifted man. Perhaps he did survive...Jamie didn’t have the wherewithal to hope for such a thing. When the sun finally rose, Jamie was already awake with blood shot eyes to greet it.

Freedom Fridays. A day where she could do anything of her choosing. It started methodically; feed Barron; check traps; look out for Reid; feed herself; garden; look out for Reid; clean; look out for Reid; organize her already organized pantry; look out for Reid.

On her fifth trip to the roof, Jamie just decided to stay there. The warm spring sun at her back offered some comfort to her somber  heart. With a sigh she folded her arms atop the hard brick and lowered her chin onto her hands. At her side, Barron whined comfortingly.

“Hey Barron.” Jamie mumbled, glancing down at her dog's wide-eyed  sympathetic expression. “How could I let this happen?” she breathed, turning her back to slide down against the brick. “It was just supposed to be you and me.”

Barron moved to lick her cheek before resting his massive head in her lap. Idly, Jamie scratched through the thick shaggy fur behind his ears. “I’ve only known the guy for what? A day or two? I shouldn’t be this attached.” Another bout of silence passed. “I should've never let him in.”