the day starts with me climbing into a tree to put a knife through the head of a squirrel, which would be mine and my brothers lunch. not exactly appetizing, but who knows what that is anymore?
"Alan!! Guess what I got!!" I yell as I jump down from the ten-foot limb.
his eyes widen. "shhhhh!!! you're gonna attract them!!" he whispers loudly, putting an index finger up to his lips.
I knock his hand away and laugh. "relax bro. you think I didn't scope this area out before I let you lay down there last night?"
he shrugs. "hey Alan, start a fire for me would ya? I'm gonna go try to catch a few more of these jokers." I say, thing the dead squirrel's tail around my belt loop.
"you're disgusting, Alexis."
my brother still wasn't used to not having microwaveable dinners every night. Easy Mac and Ramen Noodles now? in my wildest dreams.
I'm halfway up another tree when I hear Alan calling me. "A-A-Alexis.. walker.."
I sigh. "why are you just standing there? get in a tree, stupid. I'll take care of it." I slide back down the trunk and pick up my bow off the ground. I draw the arrow back, and let it go, watching it fly into the empty eye socket of the dead man approaching me. "bullseye!" I yell.
"listen, I know you miss Archery practice, but you're kinda scaring me." he said, walking closer to me and shaking.
"kinda scaring you huh? I need to teach you how to use it, actually. you might need it."
"no way! I'm not holding that thing!"
"this THING will save your life, Alan. now chill out"
"alright fine, but not today. I got lunch to prepare."
I roll my eyes. 'preparing' lunch wasn't really a custom anymore. yeah, I miss our mom smiling and laughing as she stirred the hamburger meat that would be our dinner. I still remember how the smell filled our entire 2-story house, making my mouth water. That's just a dream now though, because my mom was killed two months ago by one of these things. I don't know what they are really, I just know I hate them. Alan does too, he's just too scared to fight them.
~~~
four hours later and I'm stoking the embers that remain on the logs we burned. I heard growling in the distance. "Alan, tell your stomach to shut up. we just ate."
"what? that's not my stomach.." he said, the growling getting louder. I snatch up my bags and load an arrow into my bow. I make a come-here motion with my hand towards him.
he runs towards me, but keeps going.
I grit my teeth. "Alan.."
he stops in his tracks and screams.
"Alan! Run!"
I catch up with him and see why he was scared. in a field stands a stampede of the dead, probably 50 of them. I glance to the left and see Alan holding up the pistol I gave him. "Don't!-"
but it's too late. he's already shot an arm off, and the walker still stumbles closer, reaching out with his one arm. stunned by the noise, the others follow quickly, a great big mass of growling, rotting flesh.
I grab Alan by the shoulder and pull him with me as I run. I don't know where to, but somewhere.
