CASUAL | rosita espinosa

chapter 1, US

AMELIA AWOKE on train tracks, head pounding. She sits up, rubbing her eyes. "Hello?" She calls out, confused, her vision blurry.

"She's awake." An unfamiliar voice called out. Amelia's vision cleared up and she could see a brunette kneeled next to her, and a few people walking towards her.

"Well hello there, darlin'." A smug ginger man said, rifle in hand. Amelia didn't respond, she just stared at him, confused.

"Do you talk? Hello?" The brunette kneeled down next to her said, waving a hand in front of her face.

Amelia swatted her hand away. "Yeah." She said. "Oh, sorry." The short haired woman said, getting up.

"Who are you people?" Amelia questioned the group, sounding annoyed.

"The people who saved your life." A sassy brunette striked up, her arms crossed, wearing a cap. Amelia stood up.

"Thanks." She said, sarcastically, rolling her eyes, walking away.

"Where are you going?" An asian man, seemingly on edge, called out to her. She turned around. She shrugged.

"Well you're alone, aren't you?" The brunette said.

"I can handle myself." Amelia bluntly replied.

"Didn't seem like it when we found you." The sassy woman piped up again, Amelia rolled her eyes.

"Why do you care?" She questioned these people, why would they care so much for a stranger, who clearly doesn't care about them? They all looked at each other, before the asian man stepped forward.

"Because no one should have to be alone during all this." He paused.
"Look, you either stay with us or you don't, those are your options." He paused again, before adding to it.
"And..please..make a decision quick. I'm trying to find my wife, and I don't have time for this." He gave a tight smile.

Amelia's heart ached for him knowing he was searching for his wife. She knows the pain of not knowing the whereabouts of a loved one, and even losing a loved one, which made her as cold as she is now.

This guy seems sweet, kind, and she doesn't want him to turn stubborn and mean like herself.

Part of Amelia wants to help him, and part of her wants to tell him to give up, that it'll be worse if he finds her dead.

"I-I..I happen to have a reason why you should stay accompanied by us." A man, who Amelia hadn't noticed yet, striked up from behind the tall ginger man.

He had a long back mullet, and was on the bigger side.

Amelia stared at him blankly. He looked around like a nervous child.

"I-I am Dr Eugene Porter and I have reason to believe there could be a potential cure for this...disease...that we have come across in Washington DC." He finished, the ginger man smirking.

"We are attempting to take him over there as swiftly and efficiently as goddamn possible." He smiled.

Amelia chuckled, having been in Washington DC only a year ago, aware of the state of it.

"What?" His smile faded.

"Washington?" She questioned, the men both nervously nodded. She shook her head, chuckling.

"It's overrun by a herd." She paused, looking down, remembering the events. "A herd that came and just-." She cut herself off, thinking about what that herd did to her former girlfriend.

"It's gone. The city, everything, everyone. Completely overrun."

Everyone was stunned. "Well, I have to ponder the possibility that the cure could still be available there. Just, prolifically difficult to attain." The mullet man spoke up.