The Dead Among Us

Scouting Out

"We're sorry to interrupt your scheduled broadcast, but we've been alerted with breaking news from government officials. With the outbreak of the newest disease which has yet to be given a confirmed name, officials have issued a national emergency. All flights and transportation outside of the U.S have been--"

"Sam?"

The brown haired girl found herself blinking out of her daze, before turning around to the three stopped behind her.  Her three best friends stood about 5 feet away from her,  each with a concerned expression.  Hannah nervously cleared her throat before she said. "Sorry, I was just thinking again."
"You've been in and out of zoning out like, all day." Mackenzie said as she walked over to Hannah. She was quick to cup Hannah's face into her hands, and squishing her face. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared to her friend before saying. "Tell us what's wrong."
Hannah looked to Mackenzie, her face smooshed between her hands before her head tilted back, being freed from the grasp as she said. "I was just thinking about some stuff from high school, nothing that important."
"Well if it's causing you to loose focus, I think it's something important and should be discussed about." Lakota pushed, soon walking to Hannah, Dradyn following along.
"You normally don't act this strange, Sammy." Dradyn also added as he jokingly poked her nose, and found himself smiling at the reaction of Hannah scrunching up her nose before she swatted them all away. "No, it's fine. Just thinking about old times, I like to go back and just think about how life used to be." She said, pushing some of her hair out of her face before she turned, looking at the long road ahead of them. It was nothing but high grass in what used to be cornfields. Nothing much really was left, after everything had happened. 

"Do we even have a plan of where we're going?" Dradyn asked as Hannah continued to stare down the road. Mackenzie pulled her map out of her pocket, which had been folded up. Unfolding it, and letting her hands hold onto each end of it, she said. "Well, the last time I checked we walked off that intersection...we're really in the middle of nowhere. But I can't be for sure." She informed the group, as Hannah placed hands on her hips. "We gotta try to find somewhere to stay for the night, those fuckers get crazy." Hannah said as she glanced over her shoulder to stare at the group. She then pinched the bridge of her nose, her eyes closing a moment as she attempted to think.  Though as she went into a trail of thought, Lakota butted in.
"Mack, there's a small town there, look." She said, her finger pointing to Evansville that was printed in a small red font. It was understandable seeing Mackenzie missing it, Lakota barely caught it herself. Mackenzie let out a huff as she turned from Lakota. "I'm sorry I didn't see it, it was tiny." She whined out, before Lakota was quick to say. "I wasn't being mean, I was just pointing out--"
"We don't really have that much time, how long do you think it's from here?" Hannah asked as her hands gripped onto her backpack, looking to the girls who's attention shifted to Hannah. 
"I'd assume an hour, honestly. We just need to keep heading east."  Lakota said, watching as Dradyn took the  map, his finger pointing to the name and located where they were at. "I'd say about an hour at most, we're not that far from it, if you look at it." He said aloud, then showed Hannah, who was quick to perk her head over to look. "Alright, seems good enough." She said, before she nodded. "Let's get going then, so we can get somewhere for the night, and maybe find food for the road."

The walk soon began, and the group of four fell into silence. Nothing more than the footsteps that hit against the gravel of the dirt road they were walking on. Hannah had taken her bat from her bag that was on her back, and dragged it along the road, listening to the noise and stared down at it, as a sense of entertainment. All internet, electricity, gas, anything that helped power their once society was all gone. Everything was gone, and now depended on nothing more than basic survival skills and card games for a sense of entertainment. Frankly, the fear of death and fighting to live took over the boredom. But in moments like these? Nothing to cure that hint of boredom that lingered among the group. As they walked, Hannah found herself stopping. By accident, Dradyn had nudged into her, and soon asked. "What's wron--" though Hannah was quick to reach up to put her hand over his mouth, listening. The sound of groaning, and tall grass being stepped on. They knew what groaning meant. The dead.
"Shit--" Hannah hissed before looking to her right, seeing one of the lurkers step out of the grass, limping. An older woman, now decaying. Missing a jaw, and a limb. It had been hard for Hannah to do this at one point in her life, seeing how it looked to be hurting an innocent human, but it now was seemingly a routine. To wind the baseball bat back, and take a swing at the head, easily taking the lurker down.