Survive: The Walking Apocalypse - Pt. 10

I wipe the steam from the bathroom mirror and stare at my reflection. A young boy of eighteen, his dark brown hair an unruly, wet mess, looks glumly back. Two staring green eyes peer from the other side, dark bags resting under them. His face is layered with cuts and bruises, although luckily most are very small.

I am a mess.

My hair is quickly dried and flattened until it looks presentable enough and my old, bloodstained clothes are thrown back on. I really wish I had brought a spare shirt at least.

I make my way back downstairs just in time to see an already washed Lucy and Lydia talking avidly at the table.

"What are you two ladies talking about?" I ask, taking a seat.

Lucy's head perks up at my voice and she turns excitedly, "Lydia said she'd teach me how to read!"

I raise an eyebrow and look quizzically towards our new friend. Lydia blushes under my confused stare. "Well, if we had the time and things weren't crazy and if you didn't mind and if there were bo-"

I cut her embarrassed rambling off with a short laugh and a wave of my hand. "That would be really sweet of you, actually. It's about time she learned how to read."

She gives me a shy smile and sips at a cup of coffee. I notice there's still some left in the machine and pour myself a mug. Might help remove the bags from my eyes, I think as an afterthought.

"Do you not find it strange that none of the people outside have attacked the house yet?" Lydia asks, frowning into her cup.

I pause for a second, coffee half way to my mouth. Now that she mentions it, that is rather odd.

"I don't think there's that many around this part of the street right now," I say slowly, "It was dark when we arrived, but there didn't seem to be that many." I take a sip of coffee and relax my back into the chair. "It was eerily quiet last night, actually. For most of the day, there was constant screaming, crashing and gunshots going off throughout the entire neighbourhood. Then as it got later, things began to die down."

Lydia appears to be in deep thought, mulling over my words. "It was the same for me, mostly. Though when I arrived here, the streets weren't overly crowded. I guess a lot of the things outside just wandered off towards the other distant noises."

I sigh into my cup. "Maybe."

It is now around noon. We have to leave. Uncle Raymond's isn't far from here, but who knows what stands between us until we get there. We must make it before nightfall.

I take the bag Lydia had packed and sling it onto my back. Gathering our weapons, I scoop Lucy up into my arm, baseball bat held tightly in my other hand. Lydia grips the lead pipe in her hands fiercely, her hands shaking with fear. I smile softly at her and she smiles nervously back.

"Don't worry," I whisper, saying this to reassure myself as much as her, "I'll protect you both."

With that, holding Lucy tight and Lydia standing just behind, I thrust open the front door and step into the glaring sunlight.

That was my first mistake.