Apocalypse Now

Chapter 15: Patrol

Sorry I left it on a bit of a cliffhanger before. Hope you are enjoying it so far...

Love to hear what you think!!

I jerked awake, a hand still gripping my shoulder. It was still dark, the fire still burning low, everyone still here and asleep.

“You alright?” a familiar southern voice asked beside me.

“Yeah bad dream” I replied, re-checking that everyone was still there.

“Go back ta sleep” he whispered to me, squeezing my shoulder. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head against his shoulder. He dropped his hand and I fell back asleep again.

The next morning everyone was on edge waiting for Rick's orders.

“Alright Rick what's the plan?” Lori asked.

Rick stood at the head of the group, hands on his hips looking serious, “Ok Daryl, Glenn and Maggie will take the car and scavenge for some gas and supplies. The rest of us will stay here. T-dog, Camille and I will be on watch, everyone else is to stay here at the camp, no wandering off” he said sternly.

Maggie gave her father and sister a big hug before grabbing Glenn's hand. Daryl looked over at me and held my gaze for a few seconds before walking off towards the car.

“Let's go” he drawled towards Glenn and Maggie. They took off quickly towards the car.

“I'm hungry” Carl whined to his mother.

“I know baby” she said sympathetically to him.

I walked over to my bag and fished round for the small packet of crackers. I handed a couple to Lori. She smiled warmly at me, Carl grinned. I handed one each out to the rest of the group and one for myself and put the rest back in my bag and made my way over to the wall facing the woods. It wasn't much but it was something.

I stood on the wall slowly pacing, bolt in one hand, bow in the other. Looking out to the woods beyond the stream. It was pretty quiet out and that was unnerving. Rick paced below, everyone else sat round the now dead fire, twitchy.

I heard the sounds of branches being broken. Everyone below froze.

I scanned the woods to my left, I could see movement through the trees. Rick held his rifle tightly and then looked to me. I signalled towards the woods and gestured for him to wait. I lowered myself to the ground slowly and quietly. Rick put his finger to his lips advising the group to be quiet. I looked to T-dog and nodded to him, he understood me and kept watch, rifle at the ready.

Rick followed close beside me as we scanned the woods. We both spotted movement further ahead, the recognisable sound of shuffling feet. A walker appeared from behind the tree. I signalled to Rick to halt, I lined up the shot and took the walker down, the bolt piercing the rotting skull. Another two walkers appearing behind it. They both looked down at the fallen corpse, then started shuffling forward, the lead walker noticed us and started growling and moaning, riling up the one behind it. I quickly grabbed another bolt this time the walker stumbled and the bolt grazed past him and into the walker behind him, plunging into his shoulder, only angering the creature. I took a third shot hitting it right between the eyes, causing the lead walker to fall back, taking the other walker down, pinning the agitated corpse. Rick quickly walked over and plunged his knife into its skull. He grabbed my bolts, wiping them, and handing them back to me.