Losing Hope *EDITING*

Chapter 31; Claire Curvel

I stared curiously at the items laid in front of me. The dim light of the candle besides them barely giving me enough light. After searching through the house twice, I managed to find some things that a normal family like those people dead in the bedroom wouldn't have. Things that made me fear someone else has been here. That maybe that someone else might come back and they won't be so happy to find some stranger here touching their things.

In front of me laid two Beretta 92Fs, both loaded and with extra clips of ammo, a shotgun, a water filter, and a small first aid kit with a sewing kit for stitches. I also managed to find another lighter to match the first one I found, a flashlight, and an ax with a minimal amount of blood on it.

Why would someone just leave all this gear here though? Surely they'd come back for it. It wouldn't be fair of me to take their things...but I have nothing. No weapons, light, or anything close to the little bit of medical supplies here. It wouldn't be wrong of me to take it.

'Wrong. You're a thief, a damn thief Claire,' my mother snarled.

"Shut up," I spat. She seemed to make up my mind for me. I unzipped the pretty full backpack, stuffing the first aid kit and sewing kit into it, one of the lighters, the water filter, and the end of the ax.

Zipping the backpack back up so only the red handle of the ax showed. I stood up, slipping both of the guns in the waistband of my jeans behind my back so my belt kept them in place. I looped the string of the flashlight around one of my belt loops and stuck the other lighter into my pocket.

If this stuff is somebody else's, I ain't sticking around to greet them. I switched the flashlight on so I could see the floor as I bent down and blew the candle out, slipping it into the smaller pocket of the backpack and picking up the shotgun; slinging the straps of the backpack around my shoulders and tightening them. The light of the flashlight moved all over the place as I made my way to the front door, peeking out the small window besides it.

I squinted my eyes as I strained to see if anyone or anything was lurking around out in the dark. I waited a couple of minutes before moving the table, making a face as the wooden legs scraped loudly against the floor. I rushed back over to the window, peeking out once again for a couple of minutes. Clear.

Just as I was unlocking the front door, I could hear the rattling of the back door. I didn't waste a second as I swung the front door open, hearing a knocking at the backdoor and voices. Whoever was here, did come back and I was not going to greet them. I held on tightly to the shotgun as I ran for the woods, the same way I came from, but instead of going right, I took a left and didn't dare stop running as I heard gunshots ring through the air.

Keep running. Keep running. Whatever you do, don't stop.

My thoughts screamed at me, mixing in with Dale's words to get far away as quick as possible. I'm not going to lie, the voices of the dead scare the shit out of me, but hearing them when I'm alone and terrified, is actually kinda soothing. Like now with Dale. Like at that barn with Randall.

I don't know how long or how far I got, but by the time I stopped, I couldn't move another muscle. I collapsed to my knees, curling myself into a ball as I fell to my side. My lungs felt like they were on fire, my legs going numb, my eyes trying to roll to the back of my head. Sweat made my clothes cling to every possible part of my body, but my hands did not let go of the shotgun in them and my heart didn't stop beating. I was still alive and that's all I needed.

"Get up, get moving," I pressured myself.

I carefully rolled onto my stomach, breathing heavily as the cold night air cooled me down. I closed my eyes, trying to enjoy the few moments of rest I would get --my mind unwillingly thinking about Rick's group. I miss them like crazy and I've only been on my own for a day. I don't know how I ever thought I could survive without them when Randall was alive. Look at me now, I'm a mess. A psychotic mess.

I froze, not moving an inch as twigs snapped behind me. My hand clutched onto the shotgun, my finger moving to the trigger. More twigs snapped behind me as whatever was around got closer to me, the sound of heavy breathing alerting me. If it was a walker, it would have moaned by now. I waited for a few more twigs to snap closer to me before quickly rolling onto my side and lifting the shotgun up, aiming right at my target.

I yelped as I pressed down on the trigger, barely tilting the barrel up enough to miss the small animal and hit a tree instead; the kick back of the shotgun burying right into my shoulder. I dropped it, sitting up on my knees in disbelief as the shotgun laid in front of me.

"Franco?" I whispered in confusion at the small dog. It wagged it's tail, barking loudly as it ran towards me, its tongue hanging out its mouth sloppily. "Oh my goodness, Franco!" I exclaimed.

He climbed up on my knees, licking my face excitedly as I pulled him to me in a hug. I laughed out, his slobber getting all over my sweaty cheeks. I ran my hands through his fur; tugging on it softly to make sure it wasn't a dream.

"How?" I whispered in disbelief. "Have you been looking for me this whole time boy?"

I fell to my back, laughing with tears of joy welling in my eyes as Franco continued to attack my face with dog kisses. I couldn't believe my luck. To think I was going to be alone for who knows how long. I pulled the dog to my chest, hugging him tightly before letting him go and sitting up. "I've missed you boy, where'd you go?"

I leaned in front of him, picking the shot gun back up and standing up. "The others will be so glad to see you."

I felt weird having a full on conversation with the dog as if he could answer me, but right now he was the only living thing I knew personally. He was the only one with me still, even though he found me somehow. I bent down to scratch behind his ear, the smile never leaving my face as he wagged his tail at me.

"You must be hungry," I whispered. "We'll find you some food."

I was only halfway back up in my standing position when multiple twigs and leaves crunched behind me again. I froze, this time my breath hitching in my throat as I could hear a voice getting closer. My hands gripped on the shotgun, my eyes widening in fear as my heart pounded dangerously in my chest. Oh god.

"Get up and slowly and turn around," a woman hissed.

I did what she said, not once letting go of the shotgun as I turned around cautiously to face her. "Hey, I'm not looking for any trouble," I promised. "Me and my dog here were just leaving fo-"

The lady spat at me, her spit landing a few feet in front of me. Disgusting. "You already found trouble when you raided my house you little bitch. Them weapons is mine."

My heart seemed to sink in the pit of my stomach, my eyes widening even more in realization. This woman followed me all the way here. She tracked me and didn't stop. What the fuck did I get myself into?
"You can have your stuff back, I thought the ho-"

"Shut the hell up, I'ma get my things back and I'ma kill myself a pretty little girl tonight while I'ma at it," she snarled dangerously low.

I shook my head slowly. "I can't let you do that. I'll give you back everything I took, I haven't used any of it, but I won't let you kill me," I rushed out so this time she wouldn't interrupt me. I kept my tone calm and steady so she couldn't tell just how terrified I was. I've never actually been in a situation like this. I've never had someone actually want to kill me on the spot.

The woman chuckled sadistically. "No you see, I'ma kill you because it's in my nature to kill people I don't want aro-"

"I said we'd be on our way. You wouldn't have to see us again," I spat, interrupting her crude logic.

Before I could actually comprehend what was happening, a gun shot rang through the air from the light skinned woman, a scream following after and the kick back of the shotgun smashing into my shoulder once again as I pulled the trigger again in the last five minutes. And the only thing I saw was red.