Ellie Dixon

Don't Trust Him

The prison fell three days ago. Sophia's condition had worsened due to exposure. I had to take a shopping trolly from a local shop since walking made her worse. She sat in there, her head against the handlebar with our bags at the front of the trolly. She always had Teddy and Dolly in her arms to help her sleep. She did a lot of that... Sleeping, I mean. When she was awake, she was dazed. We just needed a safe place with supplies to hold up while she got better. 

We'd moved on to another town, Sophia was keeping guard by the front door while I scavenged the house. I met Sophia at the front door. She was leaning against the door frame, her machete barely being gripped in her hand, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Hey." I greeted her quietly.

"Hey, find anything?" She responded, weakly.

"Yea." I handed over the two protein bars I'd found.

"I'm so sick of protein bars." Sophia sighed, taking one from my hand.

"Oh, I found four. I've had my two already." I lied, handing her the second bar. She nodded gratefully before I helped her back over to the cart and helped her get in there.

"I'm not sure how much more of this moving I can take." Sophia replied.

"We can't stay here. Who knows the next place we'll be able to scavenge is. I've checked this whole town and only came up with protein bars." I responded, starting to push the cart.

"You've found twelve protein bars. That's six each. It should keep us going." Sophia said, adjusting the pillow I'd gotten from one of the other houses. I'd only found six protein bars.

"I can't risk you not eating for the next few days. When you wake up, I'll give you medication three." I told her.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Sophia said, softly.

I hummed. "Just get better soon, Soph."

"I'm trying." She laughed under her breath before closing her eyes. I looked down to her with a frown on my lips. I didn't know how much longer I could keep us alive. I hadn't eaten since the prison, I was trying not to cry every second of every day, Sophia was getting worse, I hadn't slept since the prison and everyone else we knew was dead or didn't even know we were out here alone.

I'd walked us four hours, in the silence, fighting off walkers. When everyone you know has died, being alone with your thoughts was a dark place to be. I was finally getting to another town. This town looked very abandoned, the more abandoned the place the more stuff there usually is. "Soph, wake up." I gently touched her head.

She stirred and coughed before seeing the town we were walking into. "Where are we?" Her croaky voice asked, she leaned forward for a water bottle before drinking from it.

I noticed a sign. "Bluebird."

"We gonna stay here tonight?" Sophia questioned.

I looked at the sun. "We'll have too. We only got about two hours of sunlight left. I'll find you somewhere safe to stay and then I'll go out scavenging."

"By yourself?" Sophia turned looking up to me.

"You need your rest." I nodded.

Walking further into the town, I could hear walkers in the distance. "Ellie." Sophia got my attention quietly and pointed. Following her hand, I saw one of those roadside mirrors that was showing me a road around a corner we were about twenty feet from.

"Shit." I let out as I noticed a herd of at least three hundred walkers. I noticed a shop to our left, dragging the cart, I opened the store and dragged in the trolly behind me before slamming the door shut. I turned the lock before pulling down the blinds on the door and windows.

"Ellie." Sophia let out.

I turned and saw her looking at something at the back of the store. When I looked, I saw a man. He had brown hair, brown eyes, looked late twenties. I immediately pulled out my gun and aimed it at him. "Who are you!" He yelled.

"Shut up." I whisper yelled at him. "There is a herd that could possibly turn down this street. Once they've passed, if they come down this street, I'll explain everything. You send us out there while they're passing, we'll all die."

He nodded. "Sorry." He said quietly.

I was right. The walkers turned down this street. I watched the three-inch gap at the bottom of the glass door between the floor and the blind. Nearly ten minutes later, all walkers had gone past the shop. A sigh of relief left my lips before I turned back to the man who was already staring at me. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." I stated, still holding my gun in my hand but no longer aiming it at him.

"It's okay, I yelled first." He shrugged, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

"What's your name?" Sophia asked, a cough following.

"James. Who are you two, ladies?" He questioned, eyeing Sophia.

"I'm Ellie. This is Sophia."

He nodded. "Sophia? Are you okay?"

"She will be. Just needs a bit of rest." I answered. I eyed the store and noticed there were quite a few cans as well as other sustainable foods. "You live here alone, James?"

"I found it a week ago. I was gonna stay here until there's only travel size food left and then take off. Find the next place to hold up, you know... Sorry, I didn't answer your question. Yes, I'm alone. Have been for half a year, ever since my girlfriend died." James explained.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sophia said, softly.

He nodded. "Two girls alone. I'm sure you've lost people as well... You are alone, right? No men with you."

"No, it's just us." Sophia shook her head, another coughing fit following.

He smiled. "Good... Sorry, I just... My people skills are a little rusty. I'm not good at responding no more."

"You need all this food, James? Sophia's sick, you see." I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm good to share... If you stay here. I need the company. Strength in numbers as well, you know. I could help you girls too; two little girls won't survive long out there against the elements." James explained.

"Sure, you can-" I interrupted Sophia.

"Soph, can we talk about this?" I folded my arms over my chest.

"What's there to talk about? He's a person who needs help. We've been alone before, just praying for someone to come along and help us. It'll take some of the pressure off of you." Sophia explained before turning back to James. "We could use the extra company too."

James grinned, looking between us. "There's a bed in the back. My guess is that an employee was crashing here before the fall. It's a double so two people could share the bed while one person stays on watch."

"What about the other houses and apartments in town?" I questioned.

"Pretty much all of them got the freaks in. Not sure what happened here, but everyone locked themselves in. Doubt there would be any food left in there because of that too." James responded. 

"There a pharmacy in town? Sophia could use a refill on medication." I wondered.

"Uh- yea. Hey, why don't you go get the medication and I'll get Sophia some food and get her set up in bed?" James offered.

"Thanks, but uhm... Why don't you come with me to get the medication. I'll take care of Sophia." I stated, giving Sophia a handout of the trolly, her almost tripping when she got to the ground. 

"You sure-" James started.

"Positive." I responded, quickly. "Where's the bed?"

"Back room." James stepped aside and pointed. "I'll crack open a soup."