Don't Fear The Reaper (R. Grimes & D. Dixon)

31

Kit groaned as she felt her sore body repeatedly bouncing. "mom?" the bouncing halted; kit slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing, the light immediately stinging. She slammed her eyes shut again, grunting out a fuck. She squinted this time, seeing a sideways banged up Jody in front of her, Ty behind him holding Judith without a carrier, surrounded by woods.

"what happened," she asked, her voice husky as she was carefully lowered to her feet, everything going back to right side up as she came face to face with t-dog who, it would seem, was carrying her. Again.

"We had to make a run for it. I didn't even have time to get stuff. We found you and the kids in some rubble." t-dog explained, handing her some water that she happily took a small sip of her throat, feeling less like cracked dirt that's been through a drought.

"how long was I out?" "almost 12 hours"

"Jody, you ok? Judith?" "we're good, mom."

"what about Beth? Mika? Lizzie?" their solemn faces were enough for her to get an answer. She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Right, well, we're gonna need some shelter." kit mumbled her thoughts now on her missing boys hoping the three of them were ok and well. Jody took off kits bow and quiver, handing it back to her but kept her med bag on him after she took her hoodie off, tying it around her waist, leaving her in her red tank crop. Kit kissed both kids' heads before taking point, killing a few squirrels along the way. After a couple more hours of walking, they found a terminus sign. As a group, they figured they would head there if anyone else survived, so they did as well.

However, the next day, they found a white farm on what appeared to be a pecan farm. The only walkers were two adults and a teenager, and they assumed a baby, but there were no remnants of it left. Kit was secretly thankful; it would have shattered her if she had dealt with a walker-fied baby. Thankfully after getting everyone situated and cleaned up for the night, the place had well water. They cooked up the squirrels, some rice they found, and pecans on the gas stove.

That night while kit was on watch, she took items she raided earlier from inside, starting with the pearl chain and a good chunk of underlayer hair; she created a braid tying it off, then took the pearl rings looping them into the braid. Next, she took the cord necklace off the jade circle pendant and a decent amount of beading wire she found in the craft room, securing the wire to the bottom of her braid and the hairband before she looped the wire and small tail of her hair in and around the pendant just like it was on the necklace before taking the remaining wire securing it in place. Lastly, she took the original cording cut off the eye hood and chain, and wrapped it around the tail of her hair, hiding any exposed hair and wire, so only the jade was showing before tying it tight. It had some weight to it, but kit could adjust, and Judith needed something to occupy herself so she wouldn't attract walkers. Losing her means of distraction, her mind returned to her missing boys. Small rebellious tears ran down her cheeks as she thought of worst-case scenarios.

The following day after changing her clothes to the ones she still had in her bag along from the farm when she was hurt, along with a white scarf that was hanging on the coat rack, she left early to hunt after letting ty and t-dog know since Jody was still asleep. After about an hour, she found deer tracks; she followed them out a bit and back over the train tracks till she spotted it. Crouching low, she crept as close as possible before drawing her cable back. Aiming just behind its front legs where the heart is, kit exhaled before releasing; the deer took a few staggered steps before crumbling. Kit wasted no time retrieving her arrow, wiping it off before inserting it back into the quiver that was now resting on the ground with her bow as she worked to gut it since she'll have to carry it back; the last thing she needs is the extra weight. after a lot of struggling, and huffs of annoyance kit was able to get the deer across her shoulders but had to hold her bow and quiver as well as the legs as it was too large and awkward it would have damaged them or could risk losing her arrows if it just dangled from her shoulder. As kit came back to the tracks, two vehicles were now sitting there a blue truck and a silver car. Four armed men were standing there silently, kit halted her movements, but it was already too late.

"why don't you just come on out here" one ordered. Kit walked out slowly, stopping a couple of feet from them "put the bow and deer down so we can have a decent conversation" kit hesitated. She really didn't like this, especially being outnumbered with no free hands; she reluctantly did as asked.

"Our scouts saw you this morning. You alone? Got a group?" a mousy-looking man asked; kit was sure he was trying to put on a friendly face, but he gave her the heeby jeebiez. There was no way she wanted this creep near her kids; she shook her head.

"shame," he tsk, " well we'll have to take you back to our group, either way, can't be too unthankful about only a little meat ya know, scarce times and all.." a sick smile twisted on his face " no one ever said we couldn't play with our food though." 

~~ warning brief assault~~

that was it. Kit had enough. She turned to run only to get shoved down by someone who had snuck up behind her; the gravel dug into her back and the backs of her arms. A balding man climbed on top, straddling her, another trying to restrain her arms, as he tossed her scarf and cut open her tank top and bra, her sweat sheen skin feeling briefly cold now in the exposed air, kits screams were futile as they laughed, large gross hands roaming her bare chest.

"turn it off, Lil bird. Flip the switch." so she did.