sin and sawdust

9

The heat was unbearable on Eve's back, sweat falling in rivulets from her forehead. She needed shelter from the scorching sun, she needed water.

She'd been on the road for months, no real way of knowing how far she'd travelled since, well... Since. The bike had only gotten her so far before she'd finally ran out of fuel and any means of acquiring more. She'd had to abandon it, the act tearing at her heartstrings over again as she'd walked away from the last part of Daryl she had left. She'd gone back to the spot where she'd lost him, intending to put him down if he'd become one of them. She had cleared the dead that were left but found no trace of him in the area. She'd travelled North from there, not really stopping other than to eat, sleep and refuel.

Now she was here, once again on a dirty, dusty, dry abandoned road, alone and hungry. Oh, and so fucking thirsty. The heat was relentless, it had been days since Eve had started walking, dodging the dead ones as best she could. It seemed like the intense heat was making them lethargic too, perhaps dehydrating them enough to slow them down more than usual.

As she trudged along the road, Eve spotted a small swarm up ahead on the road, walking the same direction she was. The heat waves on the ground gave the gathered dead ones an ethereal look, so much so that Eve wondered if she was starting to hallucinate through the lack of food and fluid. As she watched them walk, she noticed one of the stragglers stoop down, as if to retie a lace. Eve blinked, she was definitely starting to see things. Or at least she thought she was until another dead one stopped to take a drink, another she noticed was holding a machine gun.

Eve's stomach lurched. They weren't dead, they were all every much alive and all very much armed to the teeth.

She ducked rapidly and quietly into the tree line, quickening her pace to catch up to them but still maintaining a safe distance. She daren't let them become aware of her presence, she'd had far too many run ins with people on the road wanting everything she had, and she had very little.

A small rumble of thunder rolled overhead and Eve's heart skipped a beat. She loved a storm but in these conditions, a storm was just dangerous. She looked to the sky, dark clouds had formed on the horizon. A blot on the bright blue background, rolling in like an omen. Eve needed shelter, fast. She had at most half an hour.

The group up ahead had stopped, gathered in a circle on the road. She took the opportunity to skip through the trees unseen alongside them and further back into the woods as the rain began to fall, disappearing into the silence.

Luck was on her side, a few hundred yards in she spotted a barn, intact, sturdy and most importantly, empty. Eve set down her bag as the thunder rumbled louder. The storm was overhead now, bringing with it high winds. The doors crashed and banged as it picked up speed, as Eve made a move to secure it she heard voices outside. She froze still, through the gap in the door she saw the group from the road heading straight for her.

Instinct kicked in and Eve scanned the rafters for a place to hide. She saw a small ledge, just enough to allow her to lay down. Swinging her bag up onto it, she jumped up and pulled herself up after with every ounce of strength she possessed, just managing to tuck herself away as the doors crashed open and the group fell into the barn. Eve lay there in the dark, adrenaline pumping through her body, her heart beating so fast and loud, she was sure they would hear it.

They settled in below her, Eve noticed they'd had the good sense to secure the doors. They had a baby with them, a young kid. Eve eased her body round as lightly as possible to get a better look at them all and her heart stopped.

Rick.

She clasped her hand over mouth, muffling the gasp that rose from her chest. It was definitely him. He looked like utter shit though. She recognised the Asian guy too, the one who has brought her the bike. Also looking like shit. In fact, the whole group looked like they were on their last legs.

Good, Eve thought unkindly, she hoped none of them made it through the night.

Why them? Of all the fucking people left in this world, why. Eve rolled gently onto her back, staring at the lightning storm that raged outside through gaps in the barn.

Memories she'd kept buried ripped through her mind, feelings she had suppressed demanding to be dealt with immediately. Silent tears fell from her eyes, saturating her hair, grief rolling through her body in wave after wave.

-------------------

Eve jerked awake to crashing and yelling, she rolled to the side, catching herself before she fell from the ledge.

The whole group were holding the doors shut, the snarls and groans of many, many dead ones on the other side punctuated by flashes of lightning and heavy crashes of thunder. The wind howled through the barn, a scene straight from a horror movie playing out before her own eyes. Eve stayed put, not moving an inch to help them. She was safe where she was, tucked away from danger, from the dead at least.

She watched them struggle for a good hour, the entire group weakening more and more by the second. A huge bolt of lightning cracked across the sky, followed by a deafening bang and crash. The groaning from outside started to fade almost immediately.

Eve watched the group sag to the ground as the doors stopped banging, the threat outside eliminated by an as of yet unknown help. She pushed herself further into the ledge space and watched as the group split off and started to relax. It didn't take them long to fall asleep, they must have all been exhausted. Foolish of them to not have at least one lookout but it made Eve's escape a damn sight easier. She dropped silently from the ledge and tip toed her way through the sleeping group. She picked up anything she could see of use as she went, careful not to disturb anyone as she moved.

She reached the door and edged it open enough to squeeze through. Dawn was beginning to break, bringing with it calm and peace in the wake of the storm that came before.

Eve turned back to take one last quick look at the sleeping group.

"Hi," came a quiet voice, "I remember you,"