Chapter 3
As Alicia made her way as silently as she could down the alley and towards the sunlit street now just 30 yards ahead of her she could feel fear slowly growing in her chest, but she did her best to push the feeling down. She focused instead on keeping her breathing and heart rate as steady as possible while straining her ears for any noises that were out of the ordinary. She slowed to a stop when she reached the exit of the alley, pausing briefly to catch her breath and regroup.
Slowly Alicia poked her head around the edge of the alley to look to left and right down the street ahead of her. There were multiple abandoned cars left in various states of desertion, some still parked as though their owner would return in a matter of minutes, others with their doors flung open wide, and some were even smashed to pieces. Alicia let out a small sigh of relief when, after scanning the area for about thirty seconds, she still didn’t see or hear anything outside of those abandoned cars and a loose street sign creaking in the wind. However, she also couldn’t see the beach from here so she had no idea what direction she would need to head in order to return the boat. Both ends of the street she was looking down ended in a ‘T’, connecting with other streets that would lead her god knows where. She pulled her head back into the alley she stood in and leaned against the wall behind her, breathing deep and trying to plan her next move.
She decided that, given she had no idea how to get back to the marina from here, her best bet would be to turn right down the street in the direction her family had been heading in hopes that she would be able to find the exit to the alley they had been running down. There was no guarantee she would ever be able to find them, but she had to try and frankly she didn’t really have any other options besides wandering aimlessly through the streets. At least with this plan she had some idea about what direction she needed to go.
She steeled herself for a moment longer, pushing her fear further down within her chest before stepping into the direct heat of the sun and walking down the street to her right. She was careful to stick close to the buildings on her right, not wanting to leave anymore of herself exposed than was necessary. She kept her ears open and eyes peeled while her right hand subconsciously gripped and re-gripped the bat it held. Sweat was dripping from every inch of her skin, both from the heat of the unobstructed sun and the stress of being on her own in what she was sure was major walker territory. Who was she kidding, everywhere was walker territory.
As she approached the end of the street, her heart rate quickened rapidly as she heard faint shouting in the distance to her right.
Relief flooded her as she picked up her pace and turned right once more down another street towards the sound, assuming it was the rest of her group making the noise. Her relief was short lived however, as she soon realized the shouting was that of a girl’s voice. Fear gripped her chest as she flattened herself against the building behind her and once again began to think out her next move.
While she wasn’t close enough to hear what the voice was yelling, it was clearly a human voice and not the guttural groans of the dead. Though that didn’t mean much, Alicia had learned quickly that in this new world the living could be just as dangerous as the dead. Still, Alicia couldn’t stifle the curiosity she felt growing in her chest. It had been so long since she had spoken, or even seen anyone who wasn’t with her on the boat and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t slightly starved for some new human contact. Plus, the longer Alicia stood there and listened the more she realized that the girl’s voice was the only one she could hear. She was alone, much like Alicia now found herself.
Fuck it. She thought lamely. The girl’s voice was in the direction she was planning on heading anyways, and maybe this girl needed help. Killing those two walkers earlier in the store had heightened Alicia’s confidence in her ability to defend herself and if she could help this girl she might as well try.
Pushing herself off the brick wall with a newfound sense of determination, Alicia began jogging in what she believed was the direction of the girl she was hoping to help.
As Alicia grew closer to the source of the voice, she was able to make out what the stranger was saying and she quickly realized the girl had a very thick Australian accent and absolutely no filter.
“… mother fuckers! Come and get some you little bitch.” Alicia felt herself grinning at the girl’s words before the sounds of the dead began to mix in with the Aussie’s profane shouts. Putting two and two together Alicia realized this strange girl must be fighting walkers and she quickened her pace to reach her.
This was a horrible idea, Alicia was well aware. She didn’t even know this girl and she was most definitely going to be walking into a very deadly situation if she continued on her path towards her. But as the girl’s vulgar shouts continued to fill the air around her, Alicia couldn’t find it in herself to make what she knew to be the smarter choice and turn away. She didn’t know where her family was, but she knew where this girl was and she couldn’t just leave her to be swarmed by walkers. She couldn’t do anything about her missing family, but she could certainly try to help this stranger.
“Come on mate don’t be shy! I just want to say hi.” The girl’s voice was loud now, Alicia could tell that the girl was just around the corner down a street a little ways ahead of her. Turning left down the side street Alicia was stopped dead in her tracks while a shocked gasp escaped her cracked lips at the sight before her.
Halfway down the street stood a lone girl with her back to Alicia, her blond hair flowing lightly in the breeze that rippled through the street. She was dressed all in black, a leather jacket draped around her torso as tight black jeans hugged every curve before disappearing into black lace up boots. Around her laid at least six dead walkers in a pool of blood and entrails, walkers which Alicia assumed the girl had killed herself. The blonde didn’t appear to have heard Alicia approach or the gasp she had let out as she was much too focused on the five still ‘living’ walkers that were quickly making their way towards her.
Alicia watched in silent awe as the girl began to calmly and easily take out the remaining walkers with the katana that Alicia hadn’t noticed her holding earlier. She moved with confidence, swiftly swinging her blade, fists and feet through the air without hesitation. Everything about the way she moved was beautiful, powerful, deadly. Alicia though back to mere minutes ago when she had first heard the girl’s shouts and had thought she might need help. That thought was laughable now, this girl could clearly handle herself.
The blonde had already taken out two of the approaching walkers before Alicia became aware of more groans filling the street. She looked to her right and watched in horror as a lone walker stumbled out of one of the stores lining the street before it began making its way towards the blonde.
Alicia knew there was no way the Aussie was aware of this new threat. She was far too focused on the other three walkers in front of her, punching one in the face while slicing another’s arm off swiftly. The new walker was now just five yards away from the girl.
Without pausing to think it through, Alicia was sprinting towards the chaos before her. She reached the newest walker just as it began reaching for the blonde who was now focused on the last attacker in front of her. Not bothering to get into her proper stance, Alicia lifted the bat behind her head and brought it down on top of the walkers head like and axe with as much force as she could muster. She had closed her eyes mid swing, but the sickening (and somewhat satisfying) crunch that reached her ears and the vibrations that ran down the bat and through her arms told her she had hit her mark.
Blood and brain matter had sprayed across her face when her bat made contact but she didn’t bother wiping her face as she opened her eyes to see her bat embedded in the top of the zombie’s head.
Alicia wrenched her bat out of the now still walker’s head as she looked up just in time to see the blonde girl before her spin around after pulling her blade out of the last walker’s skull, clearly now aware she wasn’t alone given the commotion that she must have heard behind her.
Alicia studied the girl across from her as the blonde’s eyes looked down to the walker with a crushed head now slumped at Alicia’s feet.
She’s beautiful. Alicia found herself thinking. Shut up. She mentally scolded herself. Now is so not the time. But there was no denying it, even with the blood that coated the other girl’s face and what Alicia assumed used to be a white shirt, her beauty was irrefutable.
Before she could think any more on the attractiveness of the blonde bombshell that now stood before her, the other girl’s slightly shocked gaze lifted from the walker between them and up to Alicia’s face. Sky blue eyes met forest green, and suddenly Alicia forgot what she was thinking a moment ago. Her mind went blank and her breath caught in her throat as she found her gaze locked with the blonde’s across from her.
Alicia wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, eyes locked both in shock and perhaps a little bit of awe. But just as her brain began to function normally again, she saw the blonde’s eyes quickly snap away from her own and lock on something behind Alicia.
“Run!” the Aussie said quietly but urgently. Without hesitating or offering any further explanation she grabbed Alicia’s arm with the hand that wasn’t holding her katana and pulled her beside her as the two began running down the street in the opposite direction Alicia had come. Alicia was momentarily confused before she snapped completely out of the haze she had been in moments ago and heard the loud moans coming from behind them. She didn’t turn around to look, she didn’t need to and it would only serve to slow her down. Only a very large hoard of walkers could make a noise as loud as the one that reached her ears now.
Once she was sure Alicia was going to stick with her, the blonde let go of her arm and sheathed her katana in the holder strapped to her back without slowing down even a step. The two continued their sprint down the street before the Aussie grabbed Alicia’s left arm once more and pulled her towards another alley Alicia now saw ahead on their left.
“This way.” The other girl said as she dropped Alicia’s arm. “We can lose those fuckers down here and it’ll take us back to my place. Two birds with one stone, pretty smart eh beautiful?”
Alicia glanced to her left at the girl beside her who was now grinning widely. Is she flirting with me? She is. She’s flirting with me while we are literally running for our lives.
Alicia didn’t respond, she simply rolled her eyes and continued forwards. She wasn’t sure if she could respond even if she had an appropriate counter to this strange girl’s comment. She hadn’t done anything remotely active since the world went to shit, and that fact was now painfully apparent. Alicia was gasping for air through burning lungs as they bolted down the alley the blonde had pointed them towards and continued twisting and turning down other dark passages here and there. The bag containing the few supplies she had managed to grab before everything went to hell smacked painfully into her back with each step she took. Alicia could no longer feel her legs beneath her, her mouth was dry from her desperate attempts to heave as much air as possible into her lungs and she was certain she was moments away from passing out before the blonde mercifully slowed her sprint to a walk.
Alicia bent over at the waist and put her hands on her knees as she tried desperately to catch her breath.
“I just… I just need a minute.” She panted at the other girl who hadn’t noticed Alicia had stopped and was now a few feet ahead of her.
“Wee bit out of shape are we? That’s alright love take your time, it’s not like there’s a hoard of walkers on our tail or anything.” The girl said, looking down at Alicia’s exhausted form with an expression that clearly showed she was enjoying teasing the girl immensely. She also didn’t appear to be the least bit winded from their sprint, a realization which Alicia found made her feel both annoyed and impressed.
“Funny you should mention it, I went to the gym just last week to get a membership but for some reason they were closed.” Alicia replied sharply, sarcasm dripping from each syllable she spoke. The blonde may be incredibly good looking, but Alicia was now learning she was also incredibly annoying.
A laugh escaped the blonde’s lips. It was lighter than Alicia was expecting given the Aussies rough voice and Alicia tried to ignore just how beautiful the sound was.
“I’m just messing with you gorgeous. Besides we lost those stupid dead fucks a few streets over. It’s smooth sailing from here to my place.” The blonde said as she crossed her arms over her bloody white t-shirt and continued to study Alicia with a slightly bemused look on her face.
As her breathing and heart rate began to return to a somewhat normal rhythm Alicia straightened up to face the girl in front of her properly. She was about the same height as Alicia, maybe an inch or two shorter, and despite the loose t-shirt she wore Alicia could tell the girl was very fit though still had a few curves if the tightness of her jeans was any indication. Alicia quickly brought her eyes back up to the Aussies face as she felt her face burn white hot when she realized she had just been essentially checking the other girl out.
She forced herself to speak before the blonde could make some comment that would cause her face to burn even hotter than it already was.
“Your place?” She asked.
“Yes doll, my place. Unless you’d like to spend the night out here?” She finished by gesturing absently with her hand at the obvious lack of shelter on the street around them.
Alicia had to bite back the response to being called ‘doll’ that sprang onto her tongue, and chose instead to focus on the latter part of the girl’s comment.
“Look, I really appreciate you helping me get away from that hoard back there but I can’t come back to your place. I have to find my family. If you could just point me in the right direction then we can go our separate ways and that’ll be that. No need to drag this out.” Alicia said.
The girl simply continued staring at Alicia, a light smile playing along her perfect pink lips as her tongue darted out to wet them before she spoke.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this love, but we are a long ways away from where you found me kicking ass and taking names earlier today. The sun is already starting to set and even if your family is still back there you’d never find them before dark. So it looks like, for the time being, you’re stuck with me.” The Aussie said.
Alicia felt anger burning deep in her chest, not at this girl (annoying as she was), but rather at the fucked up situation she now found herself in. She was right, there was no way Alicia would be able to find Nick, Travis and Daniel today and she was sure they were now just as far from the ship. It didn’t seem she had much choice but the follow the beautiful blonde back to her place for the night.
The thought briefly crossed her mind that she probably shouldn’t trust this girl so easily, this new world was a dangerous place after all and this could easily be some kind of trap. Especially since she knew nothing about the Aussie besides the fact that she was inhumanly attractive, swore like a sailor, flirted like a teenage boy and could wield a blade better than any TV character Alicia had ever seen. But her wariness about this girl and her intentions was quickly taken over by the understanding that Alicia currently didn’t have any choice but to trust her. This girl and wherever she was planning on taking her were her best shot at survival, whether Alicia liked it or not.
“Don’t look so upset sweet cheeks, I’ll help you find them tomorrow once we’ve had a good meal and washed off the rest of those undead bastards. We better get a move on though, the dead are always hungry.” She finished with a wink before turning around and walking down the street away from Alicia.
Alicia clenched her jaw and closed her eyes briefly, breathing deep and attempting to calm herself down.
This girl is going to be the death of me. She thought absently. But what a beautiful way to go. Another voice piped up. She promptly told that voice to go to hell before opening her eyes and moving to catch up to the blonde.