Machete Carrying Sweet Talker (Cluke)

Missing

(Hey I fixed it from where it said "cabin" to "ski lodge")

*two days after the last chapter*

I held the rifle I was carrying tightly, but also being cautious to not have my finger anywhere near the trigger. I was going out hunting with Nick, since Alvin got tired of eating pineapple and Rebecca needed meat in her system for the baby. Well, scavenging, as you should say. It's not really hunting, since the population of about every wild animal has gone down halfway. The walkers have already gotten ahold of them, or desperate civilians who were starving found the first. Instead, we're going to be finding food, and possibly stealing it from an abandoned camp site or something.

Luke wasn't the most excited about me going into the woods alone with someone who technically harassed me in a shed with walkers surrounding the place. But, Kenny told Luke to man up after Luke was going on his rampage about how I'm not safe with Nick, Nick will try hurting me, blah blah blah.

I know Luke loves me and that he's just trying to protect me, but sometimes I feel as if he forgets that I'm a grown woman and not a child. At least Lee had the decency to treat me grown up, even though I was really young when I met him. I'm Luke's girlfriend for god's sake, not his daughter.

It might be the jealousy within him, too. I mean, Nick did say he loved me a few nights ago, and I didn't object to anything he said. Maybe Luke thinks I have feelings for him, too. I understand completely if he's jealous. Jealousy is a terrible thing. I would always get jealous whenever Katjaa held her son during his last few moments alive after he got bitten, or whenever Kenny got to feel the grief over the death of his family. I shouldn't feel jealous since Katjaa committed suicide and Duck got shot in the forehead by Lee, but I feel jealous that Duck got to see his mom right before they both died, and I feel jealous that Kenny knew what happened to his family, even though it was a god awful way to die.

I stare at the small dirt path in front of me. Nick is walking beside me, but keeping a distance of around 3 or 4 feet since we're not exactly on good terms. I want to make up with Nick, because all of this awkward silence is terrible. But, if I were to even smile at Nick and Luke found out, all hell would break loose. Rebecca would have even more reason to dislike me, Carlos would try to keep Sarah out of my reach for god knows how long. I couldn't bear to hear Rebecca say, "She's caused more problems for this group than Carver did." I cringe as I hear the name Carver. That man has such a creepy aurora to him, and I don't know what's so off about him. Maybe it's the fact that everyone has told me so many bad things about him, or maybe its because he said the people I've surrounded myself with are dangerous.

Nick stops dead in his tracks and stares ahead of him. "What are you looking at?" I ask, puzzled by his shocked appearance.

"Shut up!" he growls at me. He points ahead of him and snarls, "Look!"

I turn my head to the direction his finger is pointing to and grin. There's a large tent, almost completely ripped to shreds, and what looks like an old fire pit. I look over at Nick and hold my index finger over my lips, and he nods in response. I crouch down, trying to be as small as possible. I slowly make my way towards the camp, and hold my rifle out in front of me.

"Is anyone there?" I say, loud enough so if there were people living here, they would hear me, but not completely shouting.

No response. I creep closer, my hands shaking from the suspense of the abandoned, well, most likely abandoned camp site.

"Hello?" I hear Nick call out from behind me. I glance at him, and he's in the same position I'm in. Crouched down, legs and feet moving with caution, and his pistol aimed right past me.