Left For Dead

Shot

My organs start eating each other in the inside. My heart sank when Reed tells me shes not back yet. I can't believe she didn't listen to me. Her mother cries in agony, trying not to scream out in horror.

"I'm sorry... she was supposed to follow the trail. I had to leave her or she would have died." I stutter, not sure how to say the proper words.

"Walkers!" Carl screams, turning towards the direction where the herd had headed to before.

Everyone turns their attention onto the highway, seeing clearly that the herd had returned. "Run!" Rick orders us, making his way from the road and into the ditch.

I do the same, stumbling down like the klutz I am.  I look over my shoulder to see Trigger and Chris following shortly behind me. "Trigger! Your fucking gun shot lured them back! Sound attracts them!"

We duck underneath the same tree I hid Sophia under, where she was supposed to stay. Maybe she'll come back, or is hiding somewhere close and away from danger? A pair of legs jump into the water, giving out in the progress. Recognizing the person, I shout, "Carl! Get under here!" I whisper a yell. He wipes around, startled, and runs under. I grab him and pull him down beside me.

After some time, nothing seems to show its ugly face. I'm guessing we all got lucky and the herd followed the others. Well, I guess not lucky in general, but the adults probably have more of a chance to survive than us kids. "We should look for Sophia, see if anyone else went this way. Stay close, don't use guns unless your back is up against a wall and surrounded. Keep an eye out for anything," I command. Everyone nods and follows me out from underneath the tree.

Something stops me in my tracks. Footprints. I lean down to examine them, noticing they're the size of a little girl's foot. "She defiantly went this way. Stops about here." I say.
Carl leans down beside me, "A walker stop her?" He asks.
I shake my head, "No, there's only one set of footprints. They don't go further, they just stop right here. I can't explain it..."

All of a sudden the bushes start to rattle. I ready my knife, waiting for watch ever it is to pop out of the bush. Noticing antlers, I smile as I see a white tail buck step into view. Staring in awe, Carl comes up from behind me, creeping closer to the creature. I feel my cheeks warm up at the sight of such the majestic creature, considering I haven't seen a deer in what seems like forever. When all this shit went down, I was in a military base camp for teenagers. The one Merle left me at a year ago. Chris pulls out his gun and aims for the heart. I push the gun down, signaling him not to shoot. He lowers his gun. and stares in astonishment. Carl moves closer, but the deer stands still. Like its stuck there in place, like maybe some sort of symbol of peace.

You know this is all too good to be true.

My ears ring from the sound of a gun being fired, as if some sort of devil had just appeared into our lives. Blinking slowly, I try to focus my eyes on the scene of the deer and Carl on the ground with a bullet wound in his stomach. Before I can even react, Trigger falls to his knees in front of the kid, cradling his upper body in his arms. Chris points his gun in the direction the bullet came from, as a man steps into view with a rifle in his hands.

"Oh shit!" He shouts, raising his hands in front of him as he surrenders.

"Help!" I scream, finally snapping out of my paralyzed trance. "Help him!"
"Run! There's a farm not far from here, four miles. Ask for Hershel, he'll help you!"

Trigger picks up his body, dashing towards the direction the man pointed towards. Without looking back at the man, I follow closely behind, hoping Trigger is going to be able to carry Carl the rest of the way. Fuck. What's Rick and Lori going to think of this? I just lost Sophia, and now I let Carl get shot!