Take On The World

27. The Not So Convenient Store

      The walkers started pouring out of the building so quickly that everyone except for me and Jessica tries to push it shut. Our job was to watch everybody's backs. She looked about ready to wet herself.

"You good?"

"No! What kind of question is that? Of course I'm not good?!" She screams.

Yup she's panicking, and probably about to have a panic attack. Not knowing what to do I pat her on the back awkwardly. And stand ready for the walkers who start flooding in from every direction once they heard all the racket.

I shoot as many times as my gun will allow me and after that I grab my knife, And throw it into a walker a little harder because it's obviously fresh. I grab my knife and when I see another one and one behind that one. They are both gross and look like they've been dead for quite a long time and that gives me an idea.

I throw the knife as hard as I can and it goes right threw the first one right into the second. It doesn't kill the second one because the first one slowed it down. I run over and stop his head in with my boot.

I turn around to see Daryl looking at me with a look of pure pride. My head and heart fill with confidence. I made Daryl proud and I always want to see that look.

The group secured the door and we are all fighting the smaller but still dangerous horde. Daryl shoots one and I grab his arrow and kill another one with it before handing it back.

I smile when I see Zach struggling to kill a walker because It has him pinned. I realize I'm smiling like a crazy person and pull myself together. This is the perfect opportunity to show him that I'm not just a little girl. I grab my knife and throw it right into the skull of of the agitated walker. And Zack looks directly at me with astonishment.

   "Mason!" Daryl yells.
"Get over here and help me now!" I run over to him with surprise how quickly the look of pride was gone. What did I do wrong?

      After it's obvious we aren't going to do anything besides get worn out by fighting them Daryl jumps into action.
"Y'all follow me!" He leads us out threw a back door, but not with no complications. Jessica is freaking out... just baggage slowing us down. I feel a little bad for thinking such a mean thing, but I'm in a bad mood so whatever.

    After a hard struggle for the escape we are finally outside feeling the hot Georgia sun on our sweaty skin.
"Get In!" Daryl orders and we all pile into the vehicle.

I smell the burning rubber and hear the squeal of the tires ripping out of the parking lot onto the road home. And I must admit it's a great feeling of safety and relief when I realize my first run is over.

We didn't get a ton of supplies, but we were able to score some food including some granola bars, oats, and water bottles that rolled under shelves. There's a lot of random things like a pop tart packet and can of stale Pringles. I grabbed Carl and myself some m&m's while we were running to make it to the exit. Daryl didn't see lucky for me.

Speaking of Daryl he keeps giving me dirty looks threw the rear view which I expertly ignore and avoid any awkward eye contact. I hear him growl which means he probably knows I'm ignoring him. I wonder what made him so irritated. Welp no sense worrying about it I suppose.

I close my eyes and lean my head back onto the seat. The others said since I'm youngest I have to sit in middle, but I don't mind because that means Zach is right next to me. Wait what?!

"Hey Mase, thanks for what you did back there." Zach says and I immediately open my eyes and sit up. I can feel my face getting red and hot.
"It was nothing."