breakout✗d.d

Chapter 30 - The Forest Walker

It was really difficult to do. Layla still had her crossbow on her back with was slowly digging its way into my arm as I held her. The bag slipping off my shoulder so I'm having to hitch it back up every few seconds. The trees getting thicker, meaning it was harder to dodge them and I still didn't know if Lacey or/and Rob were after us. I had been running for a good 5 minutes. In that time walkers had begun appearing from all directions but I managed to dodge most of them or get away before they laid hands on me or her.

That was until I felt a cold hand grab my ankle. I went flying, toppling over but the hand wouldn't let go. Layla landed in front of me on the floor lying on her back. Must hurt with her crossbow still there. I looked to my ankle and saw a walker's hand clasping onto it. It was lying on the floor, covered in dirt and moss, gnashing its teeth up to my ankle slowly. Its movement restricted as all its skin was stuck to the forest floor so as it got up, its skin peeled off its skull. I kicked my leg ferociously making it lose grip just as it was about to bite me. I got up and crushed its skull with my foot by viciously stamping on its head. Blood covering my boots.

It took me a second to realise that I was still surrounded by walkers and they were all ganging up... On Layla! I instantly rushed over and began stabbing and slashing at any that came to close, clearing about a dozen that were nearby. I put her crossbow over my shoulder with mine which to be honest, was really difficult and uncomfortable but that didn't matter. What mattered was keeping her alive. I put the bag over my head and shoulder so it wouldn't fall off this time the stabbed a few more on coming walkers before scooping Layla up in my arms again and continuing to run.

I had been running for a few more minutes, walkers still trailing behind us. My legs and arms ached and I was so breathless but I couldn't stop running. Even if I wanted to, something inside my compelled me to carry on and work through the pain. So that's exactly what I did. The walkers getting nearer and nearer when suddenly I passed what looked like a sort of ditch. It was either gonna be just a little ditch, or it could be deeper and be used as somewhere to hide. Should I take the chance? I thought to myself. I had to take the chance. We were gonna die either way. I changed direction, bumping into a few walkers but I knocked them out my way easily. I got to the ditch and looked down it. Yes! It looked like a cavern! I took off the crossbows and bag, dropping them down onto the stone floor beneath. It looked only about a 2 meter drop but it was very dark. I then gently lowered Layla down before swiftly joining her. A few walkers had noticed but not many.

I moved Layla to the side of the cavern along with all our things, away from the opening as a couple walkers begun to fall through. Only 4 fell, the rest wandered past. I stayed by the opening in case anymore fell through for a few minutes but once I was sure they didn't know we were in here I went to attend to Layla's wounds.

I lay her down on her back and checked her breathing then her pulse. She was still alive but still unconscious. Now it was just the wait for her to wake up. I mean, I couldn't really go anywhere without carrying her and I was damn as hell sure not leaving her after what happened last time. I've no idea how she'd been when she woke up. She'd change so much since the start of this. I couldn't pin point it but I knew something had changed, like the flick of a switch. Everything's that's happened and everything that's happening had triggered something in her, something about her. I can't explain but she's... Different. Obviously that doesn't change anything to do with me and her apart from the fact that if I picked up on it she'd probably scold me for it and say she was the same. She could be so stubborn sometimes but there's probably tons of things she could list about me. She puts up with me and I put up with her. The world ending sort of made that difficult.