Escaping the Dead ~ H.S

Chapter Eight

A/N: Hey....I'm sorry, but I was battling some really tough Writer's Block for this one, so I hope you like it :/

CHAPTER EIGHT: WIND

Eric

"Eric, you are such a sweetheart," Allison smiled as soon as she saw me hand over my dishes, "you didn't have to bring these out. I was gonna come and collect them for you."

"It's fine," I smiled back at her faintly, "it's the least I can do after you took us in and fed us. And I can't possibly thank you enough for helping Lilly. I don't know what I would've done with her knee if you never found us."

"Aw...it was a privilege to help you guys out. Especially a little angel like her," Allison's smile grew, "it's been so long since any of us saw a girl her age. And meeting her almost felt like...like everything that happened was finally over. She's like a breath of the freshest air in a world that reeks of the dead. You almost forget everything else around you when you see her smile."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said with a soft chuckle, "but...Lilly hasn't actually been this happy in a while. Ever since we got separated from our parents, she..." I lowered my eyes and sighed, "she hasn't been taking it too well. So...I have that to thank you for, too," I tried to smile again.

"I can't even imagine what that little pumpkin's going through," she sighed as well, "she's so, so brave...you and your parents must be raising her so well."

"She misses them a lot more than she shows," I admitted softly, "but yeah, her bravery is...it's unbelievable, sometimes."

"How do you do it?" She asked me, "How do you keep her calm in a situation like yours?"

"I...I don't know," I admitted, "I suppose that...one of the biggest things I do is tell her that we'll all be reunited someday...me, her, and our parents," I said, "I always promise her that I'll find them again. Not just for her, but also for me. I guess it's my way of coping, too...by saying that," I lowered my eyes, "because I miss them, too..."

"I bet you do," her voice was thick with sympathy for me.

"Sometimes our separation can really take its toll on Lilly...and she can really start to freak out when that happens. When it does, I...I actually have two shirts – one belonging to our mum, the other belonging to our dad – and I give them to her so she can cuddle up with them and stuff. Being close to their scent really helps a lot."

"I'm sure it does," Allison broke out a soft smile, "and I think it's amazing how dedicated you are to bringing your family back together."

"Thanks, Allison," I smiled back at her.

"And...if I can hopefully convince you to stay for a while, your mission to reunite with your parents isn't gonna change," she promised, "you can still go out to look for them, or find out what happened to them – we won't stop you. But...if you stay...at least you'll always have a place to come back to for a rest and a good feed when you're done."

I bit my lip. "I...I don't know..."

"It's not safe for you and Lilly to constantly wander around by yourselves on the road," Allison continued, "not only because of the walkers, but because of bandits and wild animals, too. There are so many things out there that could hurt you two if you're not careful."

"I am careful," I insisted.

"But if you continuously travel without a proper place to go to for rest and food, you get tired, Eric. And your amount of focus could easily and rapidly deteriorate – thus making you less careful," she argued, "Eric...you don't have to feel tied down and trapped here. You can still find out what happened to your parents, even if we want you to come back here at the end of each day."