Don't Lose Faith (Ashley Purdy Fanfic)

Chapter 23

"Well lets get going. Need a leg up?" Ashley said and I shook my head, hooking my left foot in the stirrup before pulling myself up by the saddle and swinging my right leg over and into the other stirrup. I grinned down at him. "No, I think I got it but thanks." Ashley chuckled and got on gypsy and with that, we were off.

"I can't tell you how nice this is, Ash. Being on a horse, riding through the woods on hot day, wind blowing through my hair. Especially since I get to share this with you." I said smiling softly at him and winking.

We were currently on a path in the woods to the mountains. There was a clearing just ahead of us. We could see the sunlight gently peaking through the cracks in the tree branches as the light hit the ground below us and occasionally us.

Ashley was ridding beside me, he had (not a big surprise here) taken off his shirt and currently had it hooked in the leathers you'd attach saddle bags to. He reached over and grabbed my free hand. "Darlin you took the words from my mouth."

I blushed. "Alright, enough with the puppy dog stuff. I can only deal with so much of it." He laughed and squeezed my hand, shaking his head. "I swear, you're one of a kind." I winked.

"Im glad you see that, so are you. But on another note, I can't wait to kick your ass at Black Ops after the concert. Buddy you're going down!" I told him. He raised a brow at me.

"I will beat you tonight. No more computer automated guns allowed, though. That's a rule." I sighed, sticking my tongue out at him. "You, my good sir, are no fun. It's ok though, I'll still kick your white ass. Ill tell you what, how about we play zombies in co-op to warm up, you'll need it." I grinned, taunting him.

"Whatever you say cowgirl. Without your gun your no match for King Purdy." I laughed as he winked at me. We had gotten to the clearing just then and boy was it pretty. "You know, I remember back in high school my friends and I made a plan just in case there was a zombie apocalypse. We had it all planned out, our place we'd live, where we'd meet, where we'd get guns and knives. Man we use to do stupid shit just to entertain ourselves." I chuckled, shaking my head before looking at him.

Ashley seemed interested in this. "Where would all this take place?" He asked with a smirk. "Well, since you asked, we'd meet at our church. Gather weapons, transportation, gas, food, clothes, everything. We'd live there, get our weapons at the pawn shop and (taking this last part from PTV) Line the outer perimeter with self-propelled treadmills so they wouldn't be able to get past them, they'd only think they were getting somewhere." I told him, we'd made it about a quarter of the way through the clearing at this point and the sun on my skin felt amazing.

"You went to church? Didn't peg you for the type." I only shrugged. "I don't know what I believe in, Im undecided, I mainly went as an escape. Hell, we never really (the guys and I, our parents never went) went to service. We hid out in a closet in-" I cut off as Rider suddenly crow hopped.

"Woah, easy boy." I murmured staying calm and taking my hand from Ashley's to hold the reins. Rider kicked out his back feet and shot across the field, full gallop, kicking out his back feet every so often.

I gripped him tightly with my thighs, not daring to let my heels touch his sides as I pushed them down hard and leaned back in my seat. "Easy boy, your alright." I muttered, staying calm. I pulled back and the reins and suddenly rider jolted to a stop, knocking me off balance. He then bucked and I knew I was a goner.

I shot off the saddle, landing on my side in the dirt, my hip smacking the ground harshly as my head ricoched off the hard, sandy ground. I laid there in pain, not daring to move. "Scarlet!" I heard Ashley shout and soon heard the pounding of hoofs on the ground.