Endurance ∞Carl Grimes∞

1

Emma Long

We've been surviving for about 2 years now. It's just me, my younger brother Ethan and my mom. My dad died in a motorcycle accident when I was 10. We were close but I've gotten over his death since then.

We have been living on a boat since the world ended and the dead came back to feast on the living. We're on a lake about an hour or so outside of Atlanta. The boat is not that big but it's not cramped since it's only the three of us. The interior is mostly white with old red couches.

My mom thought it'd be best if we stayed away from the big cities. Which was smart. More people means more danger right? Once we get low on supplies we drive to shore and raid houses and stores. Once our bags are full we get back on the boat and keep driving. If we don't get enough food we fish off of the boat. So far we've been safe, no incidents but you can never let your guard down, not anymore.

During the night we anchor the boat away from shore. We've been sleeping on the three couches inside the boat which are quite small and uncomfortable. It wasn't a boat that was meant to be slept on so I guess I can't complain . We stole it when everything first began.

I haven't really slept at all since the apocalypse began. Not because I'm afraid of the biters, but because we might be the only ones left. We haven't encountered another person since the outbreak occurred.

Afternoon.

We were getting low on food and bottled water, so my mom drove the boat to shore.

I grabbed my knife off the small table to my left and tucked my gun in my holster. Then, I picked up my almost empty black duffel bag and throw it over my shoulder.

I looked over to Ethan, who was sitting on the small couch in front of me. His blonde hair just above his eyes and his light blue eyes staring into my brown ones. His dirty, plain blue shirt was getting a little to small. I crouch down so we're eye level.

"Remember to stay by mom, okay?" I remind him.

"Okay. I will." He says.

I give him a weak smile before standing up to walk outside the boat and wait for mom who was gathering her stuff.

He's only 8 and I hate seeing him being forced to grow up in this awful world. Kids are too innocent to have to carry around knives and kill just to stay alive.

I leaned against the boat while I waited for my mom. Soon, she came out of the boat, Ethan following behind. A knife was in her right hand a bag identical to mine in her left and a pistol in the waist band of her jeans.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Mhmm" I replied blankly.

We walked off the boat onto the yard of a large 3 level cabin. I walked behind my mom and Ethan and saw his hand holding tightly onto a pocket knife.

I sighed as we reached the door to the house and my mom knocked 3 times onto the door. We waited for any biters to stumble up to the sound.

As I waited, I looked around and saw thick woods surrounding the house, making it easy for anyone or anything to hide behind them.

"Alright, me and Ethan will look upstairs, Emma you try to find anything downstairs. Food, water, anything useful. Be quick and stay alert. I'll meet you back here once were done." My mom said as she put her hand on the door knob.

I pulled my knife out putting it in front of me getting ready to stab anything that wanted to harm me. "Okay. I'll be quick."

My mom threw the door that opened to the living room. She held her knife up in front of her. She looked around for biters or other people as well as me. I watched as she quickly went upstairs after seeing nothing harmful.

I walked into the bathroom first which was right next to the kitchen. It was quite small. To my left was a large mirror above a sink which no longer worked.

I looked in the mirror to see my dark brown hair was tangled due to not brushing it today. I've always hated my hair. It's extremely thick and curly. It's dirty due to not being washed in so long. My pale skin was even paler than normal from not eating enough. I give Ethan a lot of the food I find since he's more important to me than myself. My white tank top is no long white and it's getting looser and looser on me as the days go on. The bags under my eyes were getting more and more noticeable, and making me even more ugly than usual.

I walked into the kitchen and slid my knife into my belt. I began to open the cupboards and drawers, grabbing anything and everything edible that would fit in my bag.

As I neared the small window above the sink, I began to hear low moans and growls and smelt an awful stench. All of those are way too familiar.

I let go of the knob attached to the cabinet and quickly shook my head towards the sounds.

Dozens of biters came tripping over themselves as they walked towards the house, looking for their next victim.

I cursed under my breath as I flung my bag over my shoulder which was a little heavier than before.

I jogged to the the spiral staircase and pulled myself up, using the green railing.

I made it to the second floor which opened up into a large entertainment room. "Mom?" I shouted in a whisper.

There was no response. Instead, there was a thud coming from the third floor.

I spun around on my heel and headed towards the sound.

The third floor consisted of one long hallway with black and white picture frames along the white walls. The white carpet was clean, no blood or dirt was coating it like most of the houses we raided.

"Mom? Ethan?" I asked again while look down each side of the hallway.

"In here." My mom replied. I heard her voice through an open door down the left side of the hallway. I jogged to it and saw my mom standing in front of a dresser loading Radom articles of clothes Ethan's size into her bag as Ethan sat on a kids bed behind her.

"Biters. There coming. We have to go." I said, out of breath from anxiety.

She dropped her bag and walked over to the window, peeking through the blinds.

She turned around to look at us.

She looked at me first. "We'll go out the way we came in. Get your knife out." Then she looked to Ethan who's eyes were wide with fear. "You too. And stay by me at all times." She said.

Ethan pulled his pocket knife out of his pocket with his shaking hands and opened it.

I slid my knife out of my belt as my mom did the same.

She looked at me once again. "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Is all I said as she picked up her bag and walked past me then opened the door.

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A/N: I'm a terrible writer but I had an idea for a new story so I decided why not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Even though I suck at it I still like writing
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