The dark days

Two strangers

"Oh my gosh Zack!" Lucy squealed, shaking me excitedly. "My doll is back!"

  "Huh? Oh wait really? That's so cool!" I replied in my half awake state, instantly remembering the journey of the night before. "It looks like it did find it's way back to you didn't it?"

  "Seems so!" she replied and hugging the plush close, her eyes gleaming. "How did you find him Zack?"

  That question caught me slightly off guard; I was not expecting Lucy to immediately realize the truth so quickly. "Oo well I didn't find it actually. I think it just came to you while we both were asleep!" I answered, trying my best to sound convincing.

  "Yeah right silly. My doll may be the best doll ever but it's not magic" she giggled, hugging me tight, "Thank you so much for finding Timmy! You truly are the best!"

  "Gee thanks" I chuckled, ruffling the young girl's hair, "And it was nothing really. I'd do anything for my awesome friend!"

  "It means everything to me though" she smiled before asking, "How long did it take you to find him though? I just remember Henry taking Timmy away from me back at the that camp place."

"It took me a while" I admitted, "But it was all worth it in the end wasn't it?"

  "True! But next time please tell me if you want to go somewhere at night so I'll know! I don't want to wake up without you around to protect me Zack" Lucy said, looking up at me.

  "Alright, I promise. Though I can definitely say that this is probably the last time I pull a stunt like this for a while" I said, standing up and stretching to rid myself of my drowsiness.

  "Well even if you do I'll be fine as long as I know you'll come back" the young girl said, getting up as well and proceeding to copy the way I was stretching.

"Hey!" I said, slightly amused, "Are you copying me?"

"No! What makes you think that?" Lucy teased, "I'm just stretching!"

  "Alright you little goofball" I joked, "I think we best get going so we can find a better place to stay before it gets dark."

"I'm no goofball!" she pouted, trying to fake an angry face.

"Sure you aren't" I chuckled, "Now come on, let's get ready."

  Five minutes later I slung the backpack over my shoulder with as many tins as I could fit inside them, along with my dagger, and my gun ready in my hand. I looked over at Lucy to see if she was ready, which she was.

  She hadn't asked, even though I had imagined so, about why we were leaving this perfectly good cabin with a week's worth of supplies in it? And that was a valid question, but after seeing that corpse yesterday I was a bit uneasy. A fight had broken out between what could have partners or even friends, and to be straightforward about it I just didn't want to stick around to meet anybody hostile like the dead man's killer.

  People really were heartless in this world, and clearly it was survival of the fittest now. We had to be at the top of our game or we'd fare no better than the dead guy outside the cabin.

  We both walked out of the door and stretched a bit, before I realized I had no idea where we would go from here. So I turned to Lucy, "Hey Lucy, where do you think we should go from here? I was thinking we head further up and cross the border in to Oregon, because well..less people there means less zombies right?"

  Lucy nodded, "That does sound better, but how will we get there? I think it's at least an hour or two away by driving but I don't really know where we are." She looked down sheepishly after saying that and looked around a bit as if to try to figure out where they were.