Blackbird Song [On Hold]

Chapter Two

The next morning , I walked outside. A few rays of sunshine hit my face. I looked around. I didn't hear any gargling sound of the Walkers. I held onto my crossbow tighter as I walked further from the barn. I hear a crackling sound. I aimed towards the direction where I heard the crackling. I walked up silently. The crackling stopped, I stayed still. A few moments later, the crackling sound started again. I walked closer to the sound. Then, a deer appeared. I sighed. There's breakfast.

I walked back into the barn, tugging the deer behind me. Tiana was still sleeping. I placed the deer near the ashes of the burnt out fire. I reached in my pocket and grabbed my pocket knife. I started to skin the deer. Then, I realized that I didn't have water. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. I looked at Tiana, I didn't want to leave her again...Just in case a Walker shows up. I continued to skin the deer, which didn't take very long. But I knew I had to start the fire again. I walked to the back of the barn and grabbed a small bail of hay and carried it back to the ashes. I grabbed the pack of matches and ignited the hay. When the fire started to illuminate the barn, I started to cut up the deer. I found a few sticks nearby and I placed the pieces of deer that I cut up and stuck them through. I placed the sticks near the fire. The smell of the deer soon filled my nose. I was starving. My stomach felt like it was eating itself and made a loud noise.    

Tiana opened her eyes and looked dead at me. I stared at her. I was embarrassed about the awful noise my stomach made.

"Good morning." She said and smiled.

"Morning." I said and I started to focus on the deer.

Tiana looked over and saw the deer skin that was beside me.

"Where did you find the deer?"

"Outside."

I gave her a did-you-really-ask-me-that-question look. But she didn't say a word and sat up and looked at the cooking deer meat.

"What are you going to do with the rest of it?"

"Leave it here."

"You're just going to leave it? It's going to decompose and what if those...Walkers start to smell it?"

I turned the deer meat for the other side to cook. "We-I'll be out of here before it decomposes."

"We'll get out of here before it decomposes." Tiana smiled.

"Heh, yeah."

It's not that I did not want to have her with me, I just don't want anything to happen to her. I watched the meat start to turn brown. Eventually, I picked up one of the sticks and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said as she stared at the meat, "I've never had deer before."

"I hope you like it." I said.

Tiana started to eat and looked at me. "Are you from here?"

"Born and raised."

"I'm from South Carolina. Just a state over."

I chuckled and Tiana gave me a confused look.

"Nothing." I kept chuckling. 

Tiana squinted her eyes at me. 

"It's just seems like you're the everyone-knows-my-name type of girl."

Tiana raised her eyebrow. "I am not the everyone-knows-my-name type of girl. Sounds like you pre-judged me." She stood up and walked over to me. I watched her closely.

"Before I moved to Atlanta, I was an actress for the local theater. So a few people knew my name but not 'everybody.' I got an offer to move here to pursue my career and it was just too good to refuse." She sighed. "But last year, my life turned upside down."