Bullets & Arrows

Cherokee Mountains

We arrived up to the quarry and began setting up the tent and blowing up the air mattress throwing the pillows and blankets down on top of it. We carried our suitcases inside and stacked them in the corner out of the way. We walked back out and decided to make us something to eat I figured Matt was getting hungry so I heated us the little gas stove top and began preparing us some rice and chicken. We heard a vehicle pulling up so we jumped behind the car waiting to see who it was, Coming up the mountain was 3 vehicles a beat up blue ford truck, A silver KIA SUV and a red mustang. The driver of the SUV stepped out and it was a man we had seen earlier that morning it was the police officer who visited the sheriff but this time he had a woman and a young boy maybe 3-4 years older than Matt with him.

We walked out to speak to him and he recognized us, asking us if he and a few others could camp out here with us until things calmed down we agreed. The others 2 vehicles pulled up and  stepped out the officer introduced himself, "My name is Shane Walsh as you know I work with the Kings County Police Department, I'm the deputy there this here is Lori Grimes and her son Carl, Rick the sheriff you were taking care of was her husband and Carl's father"  He said shaking our hands. "I'm Isabella but people call me Izzy this is Megan and that's my son Matthew as you know we are nurses at Grady Memorial"  I told them.

"The others are Glenn, Daryl and his brother Merle, Andrea and her sister Amy and Carol her daughter Sophia and her husband Ed"  Shane said as we walked over to where I was cooking dinner for us. They set up their sleeping arrangements and walked over joining us, When we heard someone coming up the hill again. "That must be Dale he had to come the alternate route he couldn't make it up the gravel hill we did in that ole junker RV of his" Shane said as we gathered the plates getting ready to eat.

I grabbed a plate throwing some chicken & rice on it before handing it to Matt making sure he ate well before grabbing mine and Megan's food. It was near dark and we decided we should turn in early so we can decide what to do about tomorrow. Megan and I changed into some pajamas before I put Matthew in his, I grabbed the big book of stories he had brought and picked one out to read to him. I had been reading for about 10 minutes when I see Matt sound asleep I leaned down giving him a peck on the cheek pulling up the extra covers around him before going to lay down in the bed.

I laid down on the thin blow up bed an looked over at Megan "You know what, after seeing all that fucked up shit today I don't really know what to think" I said to Megan "We left all those helpless people in the hospital to die like Rick, knowing Lori is without her husband and Carl don't have his father anymore" I whispered to Megan trying not to wake Matt.
"I know Izzy but there wasn't anything we could do, It was either our lives or there's we had to leave or the military would have killed us too" Megan said giving me a slight hug. "Get some sleep, okay" I said "Goodnight Izzy" Megan said "Goodnight" I told her.

I woke up early the next morning I glanced down at my watch 4:29 am, Megan was still asleep I sat up grabbing my sweater off the side of the bed. I stood up and my movements must have woke Megan who asked me what I was doing. "I'm going to go have a smoke want to come?"

I asked her quietly since Matt was still asleep "Yeah sure"  she said as she stood up. We tip toed out of the tent and went and sat around the fire with Carol who was crying having a cigarette. "You okay?"  I asked her while taking a seat on the log near the fire "Yeah, I'm fine" she said before wiping her tears away taking another draw off of her cigarette.

We finished 2 cigarettes before I looked down at my watch it was nearing 5:30, I we figured we could slip in a couple more hours of sleep before needing to be awake. So we headed back to the tent were we passed the man who I think was Daryl "Tell'em I stepped into the woods to hunt be back this evenin" he said in a raspy growling tone I nodded and headed back into the tent. I looked to see my beautiful baby boy still sound asleep, I crawled back into the bed huddled down under the blankets to drift off. I woke up and looked at my watch 9:47 I stretched my legs out and looked over at were Matt was sleeping to realize he was gone, I looked behind me to see Megan wasn't behind me neither. I jumped up slipping on my shoes and grabbing my sweater running out of the tent looking around for them, I see Megan who is sitting in the dirt playing cars with Matt, Sophia, and Carl.