Haunted

Chapter 16

"What's taking them so long?" Lori voices everyone's thoughts. It's the next day and Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog are still gone.

"I don't know, but could you please stop pacing," I reply. She was walking back and forth across the length of the RV, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

"Well sooorry," she snaps. I hold my hands up defensively.

"Sorry, you're just making it worse for everyone," I say. I then get up. "I'm going on a hunt." I then grab my bow and my backpack, sliding my arms through the backpack's straps, and loading my bow.

"I'm coming with you," Finnick says, getting up as well. I don't protest. He gears up and we head out into the woods.

I spot a deer after a few minutes of walking. I stop and aim at it. I'm about to shoot when an infected crashes through the bushes, growling and trying to get at the deer. Needless to say, the deer is spooked and runs off. I quickly shoot the infected before it can catch our scent. I sigh loudly and frown.

"It's okay, there'll be others," Finnick reassures me, running his hands down my arms.

"That's a big maybe," I grumble. I then turn around to face Finnick. "You didn't just come to hunt, did you?" I ask with a slight smile.

"Nope," he replies as he leans down a bit to kiss me.

I roll my eyes jokingly and kiss him back, one hand tangled in his hair and the other arm wrapped around his neck. I'm close enough to feel how muscled he is, strong from so many years of hunting and sports. I suddenly feel very self conscious, afraid that I'm not good enough for him, even though I'm clearly the only one he's interested in. His arms are wrapped around me, one hand on my back and the other on my waist. Our kiss is getting more intimate when I pull away.

"What?" Finnick asks, sounding disappointed.

"Shh," is all I say. "I heard something," I whisper. Just as I'm about to pick up my bow, half of an infected grabs on to my leg, causing me to fall. The infected is pulling me closer to it, and I don't dare risk taking my eyes off of it to try and grab my bow. I try to kick it off, but it's somehow stronger than me. "Finnick!" I cry. Finnick can't shoot the damn thing without hitting me. I'm losing hope when a knife flies into its head, causing it to immediately go limp. "Who.." I start, then catch a glimpse of blue among the trees. Ella. I get up and detach the infected from my leg, and walk over to her. I hug her tightly, and she tenses up, obviously not expecting this reaction. "Thank you so much," I say, trying not to start crying. That was way too close.

"No problem, just returning the favor," she says with a wink, obviously referring to when I saved her from falling into the yard full of infected back at that house. I laugh.

"Here," Finnick says, handing me my bow.

"Thanks."

"Any time. You need anything, I'm right here," he winks. I roll my eyes and the three of us walk back to camp.