Cowboy

63) Bite

Alicia could still her gunfire as she ran. Sure she could have brought Glenn and Tara with her, but Glenn was still weak, he couldn't run this far.

All she had to worry about was her shoulder, and it was ok enough she could make it. Her heart pounded as she ran until the gunfire could no longer be heard.

She slowed to a jog, trying to put some distance between Abraham and herself. She didn't need them trying to get her.

Finally she stopped, putting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "Shit." She groaned.

A twig snapping caught her attention. She looked up to see a walker coming toward her. She reached for her knife, pulling it from its little holster. She plunged it into the walkers head, but a pair of cold bony hands grabbed her.

She tried to fight off the second walker, groaning as it pushed her onto the ground. Her knife flew from her hand, landing a few feet away from her.

"Hey!" A voice called out to her, distracting her. She looked over to see a man running towards her. She felt relief flush over her before she let out an ear piercings scream.

The walker had taken a large bite out of her left arm. The man reached her, killing the walker before kneeling down beside her. "Cut it off." She ordered.

"What?!" He said panicked.

"My arm! Cut it off!" She yelled. "If you do it now I won't turn!"

He hesitated for a moment before sighing. He quickly undid his belt making a tourniquet above the bite. He took out a small hatchet from his back, giving her a small smile.

"This is gonna hurt like hell." Before she could respond her brought the hatchet down on her arm. Alicia screamed out in pain. I'm me more clean hit and it was over.

She tried to calm her breathing as he tightened the belt, trying to cut off blood flow. "Do you... do you have a lighter?" She breathed, clenching her teeth. He nodded, turning to grab one from his bag. "You have to cauterize it."

He furrowed his brows. "Are you sure?" He asked.

She nodded. "It's the only way to stop the bleeding fast." She said quickly. "Just do it."

"Here." He grabbed a stick from the ground, placing it between her teeth. "Bite done on this."

She did as told, biting down as hard as she could. She closed her eyes, focusing on the pressure on her jaws from how hard she was biting.

A few tears rolled down her face as the man worked to stop the bleeding. Finally it was over, and Alicia was left with a stinging pain just below her elbow.

She opened her eyes to see him tying a rag around it before duck taping it closed. He took the belt off of her arm. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She took the stick out of her mouth, laying her head back on the ground. "Peachy." She nodded.

They sat there for a few minute in silence, Alicia trying to comprehend what had just happened. After a few minutes she let the man help her onto her feet.

"Damn." She groaned. She looked down at the stump that stopped below her elbow. "I'm missing an arm." She breathed.

The man chuckled. "You are." He nodded. "I've got a place to take you, it's a safe community." He told her. "I'm Aaron by the way."