Highway To Hell

Chapter 4

I sit up and rub my eyes. I get up and walk out of Dale's RV. It's already dark and everyone is by the fire. I walk over and drop down next to Amy. She smiles and hands me a plate of fish.

"Thanks," I mutter groggily. My head is still fuzzy with sleep.

"You've been asleep for hours," she remarks.

"Didn't get a lot of sleep last night," I say. I pick up the fish and bite into it.

"Oh, Ivy, use your fork. Your hands are filthy," Lori says and I laugh. I make a show of slowly licking my fingers and she scoffs but laughs too. "Child, I swear," she mutters and doesn't say anything else. Just shakes her head.

Amy sets her beer down and stands up.

"Where're you going?" Andrea asks.

"I have to pee. Jeez, you try to be discreet around here." Everyone laughs. I take a few more bites of fish and swallow. I've only ever really eaten diner and take-out food, so I haven't had a lot of fish other than fish sticks. It isn't half bad. I take another bite as Amy steps out. "We're out of toilet paper already?" I turn to look at her just in time to see a walker come around the RV and reach for Amy.

"Amy, look out!" I yell, but I'm too late. It grabs her arm and bites her. She lets out a scream of pain and utter terror. More walkers appear from out of the trees and people start screaming and running around in a panic. I pull a gun and start shooting. "Lori, Carol, Miranda!" I shout. Lori is next to me with Carl in a few seconds. "Get to the RV!" I shout. Carol and Miranda make their way to me with their kids. I help them get over to the RV. A walker reaches for Carl and I pull the trigger. Nothing. I'm out. I throw myself at it as Carl starts to scream. I pull my knife and slam it into its head twice before getting up and reloading.

"Get to the RV!" Shane shouts, repeating my words from earlier. Lori kneels down next to Amy and Carl huddles next to her. The others slowly start making their way to us. I pull another gun when I completely run out of ammo and keep firing. "Inside!" I say and usher them all in. Lori tries to get Andrea to go, but she wouldn't leave Amy. "I got her, Lori, just go!" I push her into the RV and slam the door closed. Shane and I are the only ones firing guns, so when I start hearing more gunfire I look around. I spot Rick and the others. They're back. Dale had told me they'd gone to get Merle earlier today while I was sleeping.

"Baby! Carl!" Rick starts shouting. "Baby! Carl!" I look and see Shane and Morales over here. Andrea would be safe.

"Rick!" I run over to him, shooting any walker getting in my way.

"Lori? Carl?" he yells as I run over. I get to him and turn, shooting a walker sneaking up on Glenn.

"Safe! In the RV," he sighs in relief.

"Carl, baby, stop!" I hear Lori shout.

"Dad!" I spin to see Carl racing over to us. I shoot any walker that even glances at him. He collides with his dad and they hug. The gunfire soon ends as no one sees any walkers. Lori goes to Rick and he hugs them both. He looks at me and nods. I nod back.

"Are they gone?" I look over at Sophia and nod, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah, they're gone. Go back inside." She runs back to the RV. I pull out the pack of cigarettes that I'd tucked into the back pocket of my shorts. Amy's shorts. I grab the last one out and light it. I close my eyes as I take a hit. I sit on the ground and lean against a tree.

"Ain't you a little young to be smokin'?" I glance up at the man that had shot the deer earlier. Daryl. I shrug.

"I don't think those rules apply anymore, do you?" He shrugs and sits. I hold it out to him and he takes it from me.