Surviving the Impossible

Chapter 3: Living in Peace?

Get out, get out! I was dreaming of my mom and dad as walkers. No! Please get away from me, I don't want to be the one to kill you! No!!!  I awoke with a jerk, and I was breathing heavily. "You okay? Bad dream, huh?" Mark said softly. "Yeah, I just haven't had one like that in forever. A dream about my parents as walkers, and I had to kill them," I replied. "Well, you need to get more sleep than just 2 hours. I finished my shift less than 10 minutes ago. We need to get some sleep because we have a long day ahead of us." Mark smiled softly and kissed my forehead. "Okay," I replied. "I'll try to get some sleep." I nuzzled into Mark's arms to get comfortable, and before I knew it, I dozed off again.

I woke up to the sound of zipping bags, moving supplies, and soft chatter. I walked into the living room as people were gathering all the supplies needed for the trek. "Good morning, love. Sleep well?" Mark came up behind me and gave me a hug. "To be honest that's the best I've slept in years, after the nightmare that is." I spoke. We double checked our supply list and got ready to leave. "Everyone ready?" Rick asked. "Yes sir!" Everyone replied. We walked through the many lock doors and rooms, and we made it to the garage where the truck was. "Oh, goddamnit!" Merle said as walkers appeared from behind the truck. Judith started to scream until Jessie quickly calmed her down as more walkers appeared from what seemed to be out of nowhere. "Guys, everyone better get back! Mark, Rick, Merle, help me shoot them!" Daryl screamed over the walkers. "Andrea and Beth, you guys go get the RV and drive it over here. Be safe!" Rick shouted as he tossed the keys over 3 walkers' heads to Andrea. Jessie and I watched the lifeless creatures and consoled Judith, as the guys shot them with no expression. "Fuck, I'm out of ammo! Let me get some more." Merle weaved past the walkers to get more ammo, when a walker came from behind him and managed to bite his wrist. "AGGHH!!" He screamed trying to kill the walker. "Someone better get this stupid zombie off of me!" I ran over and pulled out my knife. I stabbed the walker right through the eye socket to make sure I fully killed this undead creature. "Thanks, now please help get me some ammo!" Merle said half screaming from the gash in his wrist. I ran to get ammo as I heard Jessie start to scream. "Judith turn around baby!" Once Judith turned around Jessie pulled a pistol out of her waistband and shot it right between the eyes. Talk about good fucking aim. She turned to Judith and hugged her to where it looked like she was squeezing her to death. "Mommy, are you okay?" Judith cried, as would any child hearing gunshots and seeing such scary creatures. "Yes baby, now you need to stay back while mommy kills more of these monsters." Jessie said abruptly before rushing over to Merle assisting him. "We need to cut it off, we can't let the infection spread!" Jessie said feeling sorry for Merle, but also, everyone there knows losing an arm is better than a life. "I don't care I just need to- AGGH!" Once he said that, Jessie took her machete and sliced his hand clean off and quickly rapped it up. "G--give m--m--me a gun n-now." Merle said trying to fight the pain. "Guys, here come Andrea and Beth, we need to get going!" Daryl shouted. "C'mon guys let's go!" Rick and Daryl kept shooting walkers as we got near the vehicles. "Anna and Mark, take the truck and follow the RV once we get in!" Merle said as he entered the RV. Mark and I ran as fast as we could to the truck and a walker tried to get me, but I kept going. Once we reached the truck we got in very quickly and slammed the door. Mark turned the keys as I locked the doors. "Thank god we made it out!" I said breathing heavily. Walkers were pounding on the windows as I regained my breath. "Okay Anna, we need to follow them to Alexandria. Can you pull out the map just in case we happen to lose them?" "Yes, I'll be right on that. We can't take any chances." I remembered a map to Alexandria that Jessie left in my backpack. We ran over many walkers on the way out, and I didn't feel bad about it at all. They are what caused Merle to lose his hand, so I don't think I'll try and fight unless necessary. I turn to look out the window once we got past the hoard. I don't think I've ever seen so many deer and birds during an apocalypse, and I have to say at least some of mother nature is okay right now. We drove, following the others in silence for about an hour. "Are you okay? You've been awful quiet, Mark." I said turning my gaze towards him. "My parents were part of that hoard back there; I panicked so I couldn't shoot them. Rick did it so easily and he showed no fear or regret." I see his eyes become glossy and he tries to blink the tears back into his eyes. "I'm so sorry Mark. I hope that you know that was not the real them. Regardless of that, I can't imagine how hard that was for you." I tried to sound convincing, but I didn't know too much of what exactly is going on myself. "Anna," Mark sniffles and wipes a stray tear from his cheek. "I really appreciate that. I'm sorry I cried a little on you. That's embarrassing." Mark glances at me with apologetic eyes. "I don't know why you are apologizing, and it's not embarrassing. Whatever is going on right now is insane and so unfair." I reach over and grab his hand resting on the center console. "All I want to do is try and survive this with you and to be by your side. Tears, blood, sweat, and all." He squeezes my hand and lifts it to his mouth, gently planting a kiss. Exchanging a glance to each other we smile, and he continues to drive on. At this point the rest of the group gained more distance on us, so we were trailing behind about a mile back. A low rumbling sounds, and gradually gets louder. Mark and I look to each other confused and trying to find the source of the noise. In the distance a lifted black truck with ram bars comes quickly into view. It had to have been going at least 90 towards us. A truck horn sounds as the vehicle approaches, and gunshots start to come our way. "Holy fuck!" I screamed as the bullets were breaking the glass of the windshield. "Speed up! I don't want to wreck from being shot rapidly!" I duck down to hopefully get more cover from the dashboard. "I know you don't Anna and I'm trying to!" Mark floored it and leaned below the wheel to avoid the bullets. I guess this person was doing it for shits and giggles because after we passed them, they continued on the way we came from. Mark's adrenaline was still high, and he was going 80, but I didn't want to be in this truck any longer than I had to be, so I put up with the high speed. Finally, we had caught up to the RV and continued to follow it for a couple more hours. "Why are we stopping?" I asked. "We are here! It's an actual place!" Mark sounded so happy that we made it to the "safe haven." We got out and people from inside Alexandria opened the gate. "We brought friends back!" Rick shouted as he carried in water bottles from the RV. He instantly dropped them once he saw that brown cowboy hat wearing brunette, blue-eyed boy. "Carl!!" He screamed and ran to Carl. "Dad! I'm so glad you are alive!" Mark and I ran over to Enid, Mackenzie, Carl, and Brad who were all waiting, mouth wide open. "Guys we thought you were dead!" Mackenzie screamed with joy and embraced me with a hug. "Well, you won't get rid of us that easy!" Everyone laughed as we all exchanged hugs. "Mark, I'm glad you made it!" Brad said and Carl nodded his head in agreement. I talked to Enid and Mackenzie and told them how we made it out, the roof, the kiss, EVERYTHING. "Ooh girl you got a nice one!" Mackenzie said excitingly. "So how long have you guys been here?" I asked. "Hmm...about a day or two and these people are great. We yelled to see if anyone was here, and we almost got killed from the watch people. We talked it out and they let us in." Enid replied. "Hey Anna, can I talk to you in private?" Mackenzie changed her expression to sincerity, and Enid got the message and left with no argument. "Yes of course, what is it?" I asked worried. "Well see, when we got here, they gave Brad and me a house. I started feeling nauseous and couldn't keep hardly any food down. So, I asked around and found a pregnancy test, and I- um I am ...pregnant." She told me this with the saddest expression on her face I'd ever seen. "That isn't that bad, right?" "I'm just worried about, you know, the prenatal care, health, and delivery of the child." I took a moment to think about something positive. "You will be fine, and you will have a beautiful and healthy baby. This seems to be a very supportive community. I will also be here for you every step of the way." I said trying to make her feel better. She smiled, so I knew I had somewhat succeeded. I embraced her in a hug, and she thanked me then left to go find Brad. I walked over to Mark, and I smiled so big. I told him what Mackenzie told me and made sure to tell him not to tell anyone yet. "Woah, I didn't really know they were a thing." He spoke. "Apparently not." I laughed and we smiled at each other. "Hey Mark, do you think we will be safe here?" I asked. "I sure hope so. The walls seem to be stable and strong, and the gate as well as the guards they have to interchange. I bet you we are. This safe haven has been around for a while now, so I think it's safe." He said as he gave me a kiss. The day passed as Mark and I were given a little home of our own to move our stuff into. No walkers ever came around according to one of the guards, Clyde, so we were even safer with the walls. "Hey, I'm going to go on a supply run with Daryl and Rick. I'll be back soon, don't miss me too much." Mark said with a wink as he got into the truck with Daryl and Rick. "I'll try not to!" I screamed to Mark as Clyde opened the gate and they left in the truck.