Savior

(1) Escape

   This story is heavily influenced by the great MicaelinMarie , I hope you take the time to read this, thank you for your inspiring words. ❤️

     The smell of smoke and burning bodies filled the harsh, crisp air of late October.

Chaos had over taken our safe haven, a place we thought was safe. Walkers were piling in, attracted to the burning barn in the distance. Who had set the fire? Rick and Shane weren't back yet, were they the ones who started it?
     "We have to leave." Carol said, her voice shaking, staring at the dancing orange orbs of light that had consumed the old wooden barn.
     "I'm getting real tired of these bastards." Daryl snapped, pumping the shotgun held in his tight grasp.
     "This is my farm, I will die here, I'm not leaving." Hershel said, putting shells in a shotgun and staring into the horde.

"Has anyone seen Carl?" Lori said as she stormed out of the old screen door, the hinges squealing as it shut.
"He was in the house last time I checked." Carol said, her face going white– she still wasn't over losing her own child. "Did you check upstairs?"
"He-he wasn't there."
"Carl!" Carol yelled through her cupped hands.
"Carl! Baby, where are you?!" Lori screamed, running her hands through her hair as her breathing became rapid.
       "Let's go." Carol said, grabbing onto Lori's sleeve.
   "Not without Carl and my husband." She spat as she grabbed one of the small magnums and took off into the herd, firing shots and calling out for Carl and Rick. Daryl held out a small pistol to me, not bothering to make eye contact. Things have been on edge with us since the huge argument we got into days before, but now wasn't the time to discuss it.

   I hopped over the porch and started running towards the barn–whoever started the fire more than likely needed my help.

      Walkers began to notice me as I dashed through them, pushing them away as they began to surround me. I reached into the holster strapped to
my back–the metal screeched as the machete was revealed.

  The sound of multiple engines roaring mixed with the sounds of the walkers, their groans so loud I could barely hear Glenn yelling for me.
     "Alice! Go find Carl!" He fired his shotgun and I started fighting my way through, slicing and stabbing at the swarm. A small path began to open as the walkers were being thinned out, I took it as my opportunity to run as fast as I could.

Adrenaline pumped through my entire body, sending me into overdrive. I pushed another walker and drove the machete through another skulls. As I began approaching the barn, the heat from the flames made me break into a sweat.

My skin felt like it was burning off from the scorch.
    "Carl!" I screamed into the night, tears fighting to flow out of my eyes.
     "Alice!" I looked up to see Rick and Carl standing on the roof of the burning barn, Rick's arm was around Carl's shoulder, holding him close.

There's no way they could jump without snapping a bone.

The RV began speeding its way through the pasture, stopping inches from where Rick and Carl stood. Rick was the first to jump across, Carl soon following him. Walkers hands grabbed and pulled at their clothes as they climbed down the ladder of the RV. I began driving my machete into their skulls, making sure neither of the two were scratched.
      "Lori? Is she-." Rick said, his hands shaking as he looked down at them, they were stained  with blood. Was it walkers blood?
"She's fine, we can take the RV." As I began walking towards the door, whoever was inside was being torn apart. Their blood curdling screams were almost inaudible from the snaps and pops of the flames. He pulled on the sleeve of my jacket and shook his head.
     "We'll find another way." He looked around and began running towards the farm house, Carl right beside him, I began to follow but I looked around, scanning the darkness for the silhouette of Shane, but had no such luck.
     "Shane!" I yelled into the night. A pair of hands grabbed me and rotting teeth were inches from my face. I plunged the sharp machete into its temple and tried to slow my heartbeat. Another one started coming my way, snarling and snapping its teeth–like it was ringing a bell for their next meal.

I was exhausted, I wouldn't make it if I stayed to fight, so I began running towards the house. Something lying in the grass tripped me, my nose taking most of the impact. I groaned and held my bleeding nose as I turned to see what had tripped me. A sob escaped from my lips as I saw that it was Shane, his face was covered in blood and his skin was pale.
    "Shane?" I towered over his body, trying to find out what had happened to him. He was already turned, his eyes were cloudy– he had to be bitten. Tears were rolling down my face as I picked myself off the ground and darted back towards the RV– not caring that walkers were right on my heels.

--
  I slammed the door shut and saw that the driver was Jimmy–Beth's boyfriend.
"I'm so sorry." I whispered aloud even though he couldn't hear me.

I pulled Jimmy's body out of the drivers seat and laid him in the small walkway to the bed. Walkers were pounding on the sides of the RV making my heart beat out of my chest. I turned the key and the RV sputtered and then roared to life.

I took a couple seconds to collect myself and began speeding through the fields, hitting the dirt road that led away from Hershel's.

As I stared into the rear view mirror, I began to think about what all has happened: the people we've lost, how I felt after the CDC, I began to give up. I didn't think there was anywhere safe enough for us, then we discovered Hershel's. It was safe for a little while, but as soon as our guard was down, we lost our camp. Just like what had happened back in Atlanta.

   After Hershel's house was a few miles behind, I pulled over to the side of the road and all the emotions I had been bottling up finally blew over. I began sobbing with my head in my hands.