Love & Death

Strangers?

"I'm not sure if it was a good or bad idea to follow this group of strangers," I said to Eric as we trailed the black jeep carrying Shane, his wife, and child, which was following the ARV. "Come on, sis, lighten up. How bad could it be?" he replied with a smile and a nudge to my shoulder. I scoffed but then smiled back. "Whatever you say, dear brother," I responded, nudging him in return. The jeep ascended higher and higher until the city was no longer in sight.

Upon reaching what seemed to be a safe location, everyone got out of their vehicles and instinctively formed a circle. A brief silence ensued until Shane broke it. "Alright, some of you may know me, some may not. I'm Shane, a police officer. I'm not sure what's happening, but until help arrives, we'll set up camp here and make plans," he declared. With nods of agreement, people dispersed to their cars to retrieve supplies and tents. I lingered momentarily before mingling to learn names, then headed to my car with Eric trailing behind. At the car, I pulled my brother aside. "What's our plan?" I inquired. "We stay, of course," he replied confidently. I nodded. "And our supplies? Do we share or keep them?" I questioned, opening the trunk to reveal our stash. He pondered, then suggested, "Let's take what we need and leave the rest. If we need to leave quickly, it's better to be prepared." I considered his advice and concurred. "Okay, let's set up the tent and then return for the supplies," I proposed.

Without disagreement, Eric quickly takes the tent bag and walks away, with me following. I stop to open the door for Rogue to come out, then follow my brother, who has already set up and secured the tent. "Good thing we were prepared, huh, dear brother?" I say. "Yeah, sis, thanks to good old dad," he replies. We nod before returning to the car. At the back, I grab his bag and mine, handing them to him. "Here, take your bag and mine, and I'll grab the guns and Rogue's bag," I tell him. He nods, takes the bags, and walks to our tent. I then grab the gun bag and Rogue's bag before following him.

Once everything was inside, we proceeded to set up, beginning with Rogue's bag. I opened it and took out his dog food, water/food bowl, toys, and his comfortable bed, which I grabbed along with his blanket. After Rogue was all set, I arranged my sleeping bag, quilt, and pillow. Eric did the same, and once we were both content with our setup and night had fallen, we left the tent and joined the others by the fire, quickly taking a seat next to Glenn, whom I had met earlier.

I glanced around, smiling as everyone greeted us. "So, where is everyone from?" Dale inquired, scanning the group. My brother and I stayed silent, listening as each person shared their origins. When all eyes turned to us, I squirmed in my seat, uncomfortable with the attention. My brother then spoke, easing the focus off me. "We're originally from Russia, hence the accent. We moved here a few years ago. Our parents passed away in a house fire two years ago," he explained. I looked down, feeling a wave of sadness, but before anyone could respond, Eric chimed in. "We're fine now, though. We're both 26. I was a firefighter before everything changed," he paused, then gestured towards me. "And I worked as a server in a cafe," I added. Everyone nodded in understanding, and then their gaze shifted to Rogue, who was lying next to me, his head in my lap. I looked down at him and smiled, stroking his head gently.

"This is Rogue; I've had him since he was a pup, a gift from my dad before he passed. He's been by my side ever since," I said, smiling as I continued to pet him. As we were introduced, the conversation picked up, and as the night progressed, I glanced around at everyone. My gaze settled on the rugged and distinctive man I learned was Daryl Dixon, standing at 5'10" with blue eyes, unkempt shoulder-length brown hair, and a scruffy beard. My eyes trailed down to his muscular frame, accentuated by a sleeveless brown button-down shirt, then to his worn jeans and sturdy boots. His crossbow lay beside him, enhancing his lone wolf aura. My eyes darted back to his face, only to find his gaze locked onto mine. Flushing from being caught staring, I quickly looked away. Once the food was cooked and everyone seemed satisfied, I scanned the group and noticed Shane's lascivious gaze on Lori. Feeling uneasy, I stood up with Rogue in tow, but my brother stopped me. "Where are you going?" he inquired. "I'm turning in for the night," I replied. "Alright," he said, releasing me, and I walked to the tent.

Upon swiftly arriving at our tent, I quickly unzipped it and climbed inside, with Rogue following and settling into his bed. I changed into my pajamas, a tank top and shorts, suitable for the Georgia heat. After grabbing a water bottle, toothbrush, and toothpaste, I walked a short distance from the tent. I poured water over the toothbrush, applied toothpaste, and began brushing my teeth. Once done, I turned to head back to the tent but collided with a solid figure, nearly falling before strong arms caught me. My eyes met the captivating blue ones that had ensnared her. "Oh, uh, sorry about that," she stammered, extricating herself from his grasp in a panic and running a hand through her hair. "Tis no problem, girl," he responded gruffly, prompting her to rub her arms. "Well, thanks anyway," I said, nodding and walking away.