Reformation

20: Broken

"Just a few more! Until we can get Danny up!" I yelled over thunder at Orpah, Kiera, and Chase who are frantically killing creepers.

"There are way too many!"

If time could freeze for a moment so I could catch my breath, that's all I wanted. Instead my ass was freezing off in this cold weather while my heart pounded at a mile a minute.

"If we could just-"

All of a sudden, I heard a car. Headlights appeared before me, illuminating the sight of Finn pounding his dad's face, Jill screaming for him to stop. It knocked at least a dozen creepers to the side, giving Chase, Kiera, and Orpah some time to catch their breath.

Somebody jumped out of the small sedan, a woman, maybe sixty. The moment her car's headlights illuminated her scared, worn face, all I could do was smile. Chase tackled his mother, almost knocking her over. He lifted her up and spun her around. The woman I knew as Elanor stepped out of the car too, hugging Kiera.

The creepers were closing in on us. Ryan shoved Hunter into Anne's arms and shooed her into the car. Jill, Danny, and Wendy got in the car with them. The rest of us chased behind the vehicle as it drove, killing creepers as we went. I kicked up mud against my calves. The rain felt like bullets shooting down on us now, I could barely see anything in front of me except the blurry tail lights of the car.

We made it back onto to main road, less creepers were here. The car didn't go very quickly down the road, but we still had to run to keep up. We turned down a few side roads until we saw a high school. It looked overrun, but behind it I saw a fenced in tennis court and Gia's red hair. Allen opened the gate for us and I collapsed onto the court, rain splashing my face. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth, the cool water trickled onto my tongue. Ryan flopped down next to me, laughing. I laughed with him.

"Shit happens." He chuckled.

I laughed. "Shit happens."

***

"Should we give him some water or something?"

"I feel bad, can't we just give him a few bruises and call it even?"

"We have given him enough, he can take care of himself."

I looked out the car window at Sean who was riding a bike pulled by Orpah's car. Sweat glistened on his meaty forehead as the sun beat down on him. We had decided his punishment for the rest of the trip was to ride on a bike. Ryan had been merciful and allowed him to be pulled by a car. He had been doing it for the five days we had been on the road. In a few days, we would be in Cleveland.

Hunter started crying in Kiera's arms.

"His diaper is full," I said.

"How do you know?" She replied as she laid him down on the seat.

"He has a cry for everything." Ryan answered from the driver's seat.

I smiled as I looked back out the window, Sean stretched his feet out on the bike. Suddenly, a creeper stumbled out from the trees and Sean kicked it away, looking frazzled.

"Let's take a break." Kiera suggested.

Chase stuck his hand out the window, signaling a stop.

"You've got him?" I asked Kiera.

"Yeah, chill out, momma, take a break."

"Thanks."

I opened the door and Gia sprinted by, exclaiming, "Gotta pee!" As she ran into the woods. I laughed and Ryan helped me out of the car. Kiera slid Hunter into the chest baby carrier she had brought.