Surviving The Walking Dead (BOOK ONE IN THE SURVIVING THE WALKING DEAD SERIES)

Fishing For Biters

     After our hunting trip, Daryl and I joined the others around Otis' grave as Hershel began the funeral. "Blessed be God, father of our lord, Jesus Christ. Praise be to 'em for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character. Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset. We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in Grace." Hershel shut his bible and turned to Shane. "Shane, will you speak for Otis?" Shane nervously rubbed his newly shaved head.

     "I'm not good at it." Shane mumbled. "I'm sorry."

     "You were the last one with 'em." Patricia whimpered. "Ya shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear- I need to know his death had meanin'."

     "Okay." Shane sighed. "We were about done, almost out of ammo, we were down to our pistols by then. I was limpin'. It was bad, ankle all swollen up. 'We gotta save the boy.' See, that's what he said. He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead. 'Run.' He said. He said, 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover ya.' And when I looked back..." Everyone remained silent. "If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive, and that goes for Carl too. It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death ever had meanin' it was his."

~~

     Daryl and I skinned and gutted our kills and handed them off to Carol to cook. Off in the distance, I saw Rick, Shane, Maggie, and Hershel standing around the truck looking at a map. "I'm gonna see if they need any help." Daryl grunted in response as I made my way over to the truck.

     "We grid the whole area, start searchin' in teams." Rick said out loud as I approached the truck."

     "Not you. Not today." Hershel argued. "You gave two units of blood, you wouldn't be hikin' for five minutes in this heat before passin' out." Hershel turned to Shane. "And your ankle... push it now, you'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody."

     "I'll go." I volunteered.

     "Hell no." Shane argued. "The last thing we need is a search party."

     "Hey, I can handle my own." I grumbled.

     "Oh yeah, says the woman who couldn't walk yesterday." Shane smiled. "'Oh, Shane, do ya have enough muscle to carry me to the ledge? It'll make it easier on me to stand up.'" Shane mocked in a female voice.

     "I don't sound like that!" I laughed as I smacked his shoulder. "And I'm feelin' better anyways."

     "Ya still need to rest some more." Hershel added. "At least for one more day."

     "Wouldn't do ya no good lookin' on your own anyways." Rick agreed. "Ya don't know what she looks like."

     "Sure I do. She looks like a little girl runnin' around in the woods by herself." I smiled. Shane chuckled.

     "Guess it's just me." Daryl said as he walked over to the truck. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there."

     "I can still be useful." Shane added. "I'll drive up to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back."

     "Alright, tomorrow then. We'll start doin' this right." Rick nodded.

     "That means we can't have our people out there with just knives, they need the gun training we've been promisin' 'em."