THE DISTANCE

Chapter Thirteen- WANT A CIGARETTE??

Carson's pov-

We packed up some of our chosen weapons and loaded them into a small gym bag Ryann had in her home workout studio. Wylder grabbed a holster and strapped his gun into it. I threw the dusty goodlife fitness bag over my shoulder and hollered at Ryann and Spencer. "Let's go lovebirds, we gotta get there before it closes." I say sarcastically. "We are in an apocalypse Car, nothing closes." Ryann hollers back. For a sarcastic spoiled brat she surely doesn't get it when it comes from other people. I turn to see Ryan wrapped around Spencer's Lanky waist walking down the stairs. I look slightly to my right to see Sam sulking in the corner. I know it was fear, I felt it too. "Sammy, my boy, come here." I called over to him. He walks over to me, more slumped than usual.

I lean in to kiss him on the forehead and before I could pull away, he wraps me into a hug. Just to think a week ago he didn't care to show me any affection leaving for school. It touches my heart that right now he can't let me go. "I don't want you to go." He whispers. "I won't be gone long, I will be back before you know it." I whisper back. "Come help me decide on dinner knucklehead!" Elena calls. "The sooner you guys get back with some parts, the sooner I can start it up, yeah?" With Sam's back turned, I grabbed Wylder's hand and followed Ryann and Spencer out the front door.

We decided to walk, it was only a half a mile down the road. The beat up mom van, and rusty SUV would make too much noise. Ryann reached for Spencer's hand to follow me and Wylder's lead, that's when he pulled out a bent up pack of Daumier cigarettes and turned away from her to light one. I knew then and there this would be a long half-mile.

The street was nearly empty besides some abandoned cars and scattered trash bins along the strip of dirt country road. Not a sight or sound. It made me feel almost more uneasy then I did when I was leaving. I leaned my head on Wylder's shoulder while we walked. This was my opportunity, so I took it. He noticed me glancing up at him and he gave me his signature smirk and I instantly blushed. I placed a peck on his neck, and looked straight ahead to see exactly what I expected. I'm never surprised with these two anymore.

Ryann had a bag of garbage in her hand she picked up from the side of the dusty road and was about to throw it at him. "What the fuck!" I shout. "What are you doing?" Spencer cries. "I'm giving you the girlfriend you deserve! Since you're fucking trash!" Ryann screams back at him. I run over to them in a hurry, we don't need to draw attention to ourselves. Biters love to eat horny angsty teens. Wylder rushed to pull the bottle filled bag from Ryann's hands, while I attempted to calm Spencer down. We finally got them both to settle down without drawing attention to our part of the street. I decided for the sake of time I would walk with Ryann, and poor Wylder would get the chance to know the wonderful Spencer better.

"I don't know what I am going to do, I just wish he showed he cared more, like he used too. Things used to be so good, we were super happy at one point." "Where did it stop?" I ask, fully engaged. "I guess we have both done each other dirty." Ryann replied, sulking. I could feel her genuine hurt and pain. She doesn't deserve this. "Do you think we should break up again?" Ryann asked after hitting her stlth. "You know you're just gonna get back with him." I reply. "It was the cheating that ruined it, and you know it Ry. Is there really a point in breaking up for like the hundredth time?" I responded while taking her vape.

I left mine at the house. I took a long hit, I knew this was just the beginning of her long overdue Spencer rant. By overdue I mean the last one was four days ago, I'm surprised she's lasted this long. Wylder looks in my direction and rolls his eyes. I couldn't tell if that was because of the walking drug dispensary that is Spencer Mcgilby, or if it was him finding out I'm an occasional stress smoker. I say occasional because I am literally always stressed.

"That's true." Ryann continued. "I mean it's not like I got any other options for guys though, like bitch why did the world have to end before I could find a decent guy!" She shouts. I assume it was to get Spencer's attention and it worked. A subtle "fuck you" came from behind us. Shortly followed by me and Wylder reminding them, rudely I might add that we do not need to deal with any Biters right now.

The rest of the walk was just silent. We could see some Biters off in the distance in the fields but, thankfully they didn't pay any mind to us. I could see the big Home Hardware sign a couple hundred feet away. "Oh thank god we're almost there my legs are so sore." Ryann sighed. "Could it be from all the dick you're riding behind my back!" Spencer screams. With that another fight ensued."Ry we have only been walking for not even a half hour." I shouted in their direction. As we get closer I swing my arm over Ryann making us stop in our tracks. "Holy fuck how are we supposed to get through that?" Ryann says in response to what we were seeing. A huge group of Biters, probably about a hundred of them roaming around the store fronts. I had no idea how we were gonna pull this off.

Wylder's pov-

Me and Spencer just walked in silence the entire time besides his occasional "wanna cigarette?" Of course I rejected him each time. He probably went through fifteen smokes the entire thirty minute trek. I saw the Home Hardware sign and thought thank god. That was cut short by seeing Carson and Ryann frozen in their tracks. I didn't know why until we got a little closer and I saw the hundreds of Biters that were shuffling around the strip of store entrances.

"Carson." I whisper screamed. She turned around and started walking towards us with Ryann following her lead. I point to the small patch of trees to our left and we all hurry over there to take cover. "Take off the bag and everyone grab something." I direct. We all rummaged through the bag and chose what we thought was the best fit for each of us. I noticed right away that Carson picked up the black steel machete she was so fond of the other day. That showed me she wasn't playing any games. I watched her as she secured the holster along her upper thigh in complete awe. Shit I'm really falling for this girl.

"Strap up bitches. I'm in the mood for blood." Ryann whispers. We turn and see the herd of hundreds still stumbling around. It's go time.