IRRESISTIBLE | ABBY ANDERSON x FEM OC

Chapter 1: Food Run

It was a tedious day, the sun was setting and Seattle was coated in an orange, syrup-like glow. Marlow and I played rock,paper, scissors  to choose who'd be doing the next food run. She lost.

We were passing through Seattle to find better shelter, after the location of our last makeshift home was revealed and our lives were compromised. Our new place was decent- an abandoned gym which luckily had working showers. However, Seattle was different from everywhere else we had been; the grass seemed taller and the shadows seemed to obscure our usually clear sight. The terror of the unknown was heightened and our new environment seemed to work against us. There were so many places to hide, and even more people to hide from.
Marlow and I had cleared the area two days prior, however, infected would show up every once in a while. Every time it's her turn for a food run I worry. I worry that infected will bite her and she'll turn and I'd be left with nobody. I worry that she'll be abducted or killed. I even worry that sometimes her combat skills and marksmanship are no match for the skilled shooters and agile fighters of Seattle, who seem to feed off of the element of surprise.

This time I was slightly worried about Marlow's whereabouts.

She had been gone for almost an hour when it would usually take half the time (as the old supermarket was only five minutes away).

I waited five more minutes just in case she couldn't find enough food. However, it was taking too long for just a food run. Contemplating my decision, I jumped off the gym receptions counter and grabbed my gear.

Just as I opened the doors of our temporary home I heard three deafening pops emerge from the south.
BANG! BANG! BANG!

I immediately ran up to the sounds source. The more I ran the more trees I found myself passing by, soon I was enclosed in a thick wall of forest and the sound of gunshots was fading away. As is searched for my best friend, her deafening screams for help haunted me "LYN! LYN HELP!"

The setting sun spilled through the gaps of the trees as the thick snow slowed my pace. My legs grew tired after three hours of tracking Marlow and a sheen of sweat began to engulf my body. Collapsing to the floor in defeat, I panicked for our future. Will I ever find Marlow? Is she alive?

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It's been three days since Marlow disappeared.
I've lost her trail and I have strayed extremely far from our home. I don't think I'll be able to find my way back and I'm running low on supplies. The panic is setting in now; there are too many infected and I'm starting to think I've trespassed into unfamiliar territory. This last day looking for Marlow has been terrifying, not only am I worrying about the infected but I've noticed too many people around, specifically armed and scarred people. They outnumber me significantly and I'm almost out of ammunition. The thought that she may already be dead is becoming more rational by the second.

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Just as I began to fall asleep -in an abandoned log cabin I luckily discovered- I heard a crunch of snow coming from the outside of the house.

My eyes jolted open into the darkness and my sense of hearing heightened as I focused on the exact source of the sound. It was coming from the backdoor.

I grabbed my pistol and quietly slipped out of my sleeping bag. Positioning myself behind a wooden pillar in the cabin, I prepared myself for whatever or whoever would open that door. As I waited in anticipation, I noticed the earthy smell of the house and the chilly breeze entering through the cracks of the windows.
Please be Marlow.

As if I had just manifested her return, she struggled to take a step forward after opening the door. Her gun was aimed straight ahead. She hesitantly cleared the house and as she stepped into the moonlight that poured in through the smashed window, I noticed the blood dripping from her body.

I rushed forward in concern and I was met with a gun to my forehead. Marlow scanned my body for weapons; her dark eyes fixated on my hand and then down to my thigh, she commanded "Slowly drop your weapons!".

Perplexed, I stepped forward, thinking this was some sort of sick joke. I opened my mouth to speak but she just repeated what she said, this time with more fear and anger in her voice.

I obeyed and  gently dropped my pistol to the floor, then I unclasped my knife from its sheath on my thigh and dropped that too.
She weakly commanded again "Slide them over to me".
As I played along with her weird game, bending down to hand over my weapons, my face was illuminated by a patch of moonlight that leaked in through the window. Marlow suddenly stepped forward in relief as she exclaimed "Fuck, it's you!".
A tear escapes her eye as she sighed "I am so happy to see you right now".

She apologetically explained that she couldn't tell who I was behind the shadows. I laughed and gave her a long awaited hug. Her arms wrap around my waist tightly and her broken breathe fanned over the back of my neck. We stepped away from each other and my face dropped at the sight of her wounds. The right side of her body was scattered with scratches and gashes. Her clothes were ripped and blood seeped through her wounds, staining the fabric that clothed her.

I sat her down causing her to wince in pain. As I rummaged through my backpack for supplies to clean her up she told me about what happened. I was bewildered at the horror that she'd been through. I uncomfortably imagined the scenes in my mind: infected constantly chasing after her, running for hours with fresh injuries, falling down a steep hill and encountering merciless people (who also had scars on their faces).It sounded like hell.

After comforting her and ensuring she fell asleep, I grabbed my rifle and stationed myself in front of the house. I kept watch for intruders the whole of the night.

I can't risk losing my best friend again.