The Dead Are Among Us

The things you get us into.

DAWSONS POV

As soon as my hand hit her face I regretted it, I know it was the wrong thing to do, but I let my temper take control. I should have never put my hands on her, she wants to be independant, I should have respected that. Maybe she's right about me being obsessed with being in charge, the marine core does strange things to a person. When she looked up into my eyes from the floor and her mouth was bleeding, I've never felt so low in my life. I felt like shit. I guess in a way she triggered it, bacause talking bad about someone who served for your country is definatly not right, but hitting a 120 pound girl is so much worse.

"Rylie! Where are you? Can we talk please?" I begged, walking around the porch like an idiot. I didnt run after her for many reasons, one I wanted to give her some time to calm down, but one hour should be enough for a girl, the foods getting cold. Two, I didnt want her to think I was going to chase her down and beat her, because although theres no doubt I would dominate, she would probably put up a good fight. I could tell in her eyes she was doing everything in her power to keep from hitting back me when she snatched her tight muscular little arm out of my grasp. "Rylie, I didnt mean to lose my temper, please come back inside, its dangerous out here." I tried everything I could to convince her to come out from hiding wherever she was. I searched the barn high and low, and came up empty handed, so I headed for the pasture behind the barn in hopes that she would be out there with her dog. I gave her the sleeping medicines earlier, I really hope she hasnt drifted off out here in the dark open feild, that would be potentially deadly, considering the creatures stalk the night with whatever muscle fibers they have left holding them intact, I had been watching them from afar before I met Rylie, I have only come to the conclusion that their senses peek off at night, rather than the daytime when they only rely on sound and vision, but at night their sense of smell is emaculate. As I walked through the feild I had time to think about things, I thought to myself what a badass Rylie really was, that day in the street I hadnt watched for so long because I was determining who was in the wrong, I watched because Charlie was an ex marine like I was, I overheard him say it one day while I stalked his headquarters, and for him to have had that sort of training, he should have easily been able to dominate Rylie, but she put up such a fight, I wasnt sure he would be able to get her back to that truck, even if he had raped her beforehand, the thought of him putting his hands on her made me cringe. So I stopped it before anything could happen to her. and when we argued at the truck in the middle of the road, the way she faught off that zombie and then shot, splattering his brains all over the concrete before I even had a chance to react. She's the bravest girl I've ever met, I felt connected with her, like it was my job to protect her, but I would never reveal that to her. She would think I was some sick pervert just looking for a play toy to take my mind off of the world around us, like Charlie.

Something made a sound in the woods a couple hundred feet ahead of me, past the fencing. I had a flashlight but the moon was nearly full and I had not determined if light attrackted zombies at night, so I chose to leave it turned off. I took barley three steps towards the sound, and stopped when I reached the fence. The sound got closer, It was running, I readied my Glock. then just a couple feet away Daxx jumped clearing the whole fence and skidded to a stop beside me growling. "Bad dog." I scolded, "I almost shot you, stupid mutt" He lowered his head and shoulders stalking closer, his mouth was pulled back into a snarl. "Daxx, chill out, its me." I said putting my hands in the air defensivly. He suddenly lunged towards me and I stumbled back, the only thing that went through my mind is the look on Rylies face if I told her I had slaughtered her beloved Doberman, and in an instant he was past me, I could only hear the knashing of teeth and gurgling moans, I flashed my light on, flooding brightness around the mangled unmoving body of the zombie that laid feet from me, with a bloody Daxx hovering over it. He turned his head to me and strode past out into the feild, my mouth still hung wide open. I couldnt wrap my mind around the fact that a dog had just saved my life. "D-Daxx? I called still shocked at what had happened. I walked to where he was and realized he was hovering over another mound, but this was no zombie, it was Rylie. "Oh my god, Rylie, look at me." I said grabbing her shoulders and shaking her, I searched her body for any sign of distress, I guess they hadnt found her.. yet. "Rylie, look at me" I held her face in my hands, cringing when I saw how swelled her red cheek was. Yeah Im an asswhole. "dawson?" she asked droggily, I must have given her to much pain medicine, she's out cold. "Yeah its me, I'm gonna take you back to the house now ok?" I asked. But just before I could pick her up she was on her feet, "I dont need you to carry me, I'm fine." she said in a low cold voice. Her eyes looked sleepy in the moonlight, although it was dark out I couldnt help but notice just how beautiful her blue eyes were, you could tell she had been crying. "Look Rylie, I'm-" "I dont want your appolegies." She held up her hand cutting me off. I stopped her from walking off, "Please dont touch me." she said, her arm tensing up under my hand. Her muscles were definatly more solid than any girl I had ever touched, but I cant be distracted by that at the moment. "Please, just let me talk" she looked at me, eyes full of hurt. "Fine, talk." she said. "Can we just go inside first its dangerous out here, Daxx just killed a Zombie on the inside of our fence, only about a hundred yards that way." I pointed to the woods. She turned and looked at him. "You good?" she questioned the dog. he just wagged his nub and licked his lips. "I take that as a yes." she turned back towards the house and began to walk. I trailed behind her, keeping my distance. I watched the way she walked, it was gracefull, but with purpose, my eyes trailed downward. I had to stop, I should be more controlling of myself, but I was only a man. She stopped dead still in the middle of a stride. Daxx and I did the same. "Do you see it?" she whispered from the corner of her mouth. I squinted to look up at the house, and on the porch where the lights from the house were the brightest, there were about fifteen or sixteen Zombies bumping into the windows over and over, just staring at the light. I guess that answeres my question about the light. "Yeah, I see" I whispered back. "Lets quietly make our way to the barn, There are a few rifles we can use to snipe them out." She didnt object or ask why I was being bossy, she just did what I said, slowly and quietly. When we reached the barn door she stopped and put her small hands on the cold metal and slid the door open, she slid into the door but as she did a piece of jagged metal hung out from the doorway and caught her upper arm, it cut into her tan skin immidiantly drawing blood, she made a face and cupped her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream, but there was no use, the zombies had already smelled the rich fresh blood flowing down her arm and drippin off her elbow, I could see their eyes glinting as they ran towards us, I slammed the door shut and locked it, all of the other doors were shut but not locked. "Load the animals in the trailer." I said tiredly under my breath. "Whats going on?" she questioned. "They smell you, and it wont take them long to find a way in here, I didnt have time to lock all of the doors today, if you want them to survive this then you need to put them in the trailer, they cant break into the horse trailer, they'll be safe there. She ran to open the trailer, grabbing texx and cowboy, leading them up into the trailer, and then Dallas, followed by every little pig. she shut the door and bolted it. "What about the chickens?" I wondered if she had forgotten. "The chickens can fly.. kinda, they will be fine." she said opening the door to the horse trailer with a shotgun strapped to her back, and MR in her hands with a side pouch packed full of ammo. Damn she looks hot like that, I should have my mind focused on preparing for the doors to give, but instead im worried about how the sweat gleaming off of her chest makes me feel. I have to snap out of it, I grab a couple of grenades, an assult rifle and a pistol. I climb in behind her, shut the door, and lock it.