Carter eased himself into the sofa, letting out some air as he finally found some time to relax. It'd been a while since he'd given himself the luxury to enjoy any kind of comfortable cushioned seat. Despite how sub-par the couch was to other's he'd seen in his life, he found it to be a God send. For that brief moment, it was in fact the most comfortable couch in the world. He could feel the tension in his muscles being to fade, his breathing evened out and even the pain in his leg seemed to disappear almost entirely. However, there was this chill that ran through his body straight to his bones. It seemed the storm they had to wade through to get to the cabin had taken it's toll on him. His clothes were soaking wet from his jacket down to the socks on his feet and since he'd come down from his adrenaline high, he could feel each shiver as it coursed through him. It was at times like this that he realized how old he was. Sure, a man in his late forties didn't have much to worry about when it came to their health but then again, those men didn't have to fight for survival every day just to reach fifty. He felt like he'd finally gotten over the hill, slipped and hit every rock on his way down. Still, he was in the presence of company now, friends and faces he hadn't seen and he needed this just as much as the rest of them. He straightened himself out and began to collect his thoughts as he recalled that night nearly nine months ago. [b]"Trust me, I'm surprised we made it out ourselves."[/b] ---- [i][center]...Nine months ago...[/i][/center] [b]"Did you hear that or am I imagining things!?"[/b] The sounds of heavy rainfall and thunderous clouds were drowning out Nero's voice and even as they picked it up, they were too preoccupied with what they were seeing to respond. Before them and surrounding their small camp was a herd... and not just any herd. Hazlehurst had fallen to the dead that were now at their doorstep and no matter how far they tried to run, it seemed they kept catching up. As lightening flashed across the sky, the clearing lit up and the faces of thousands of walkers became clear as day. They stepped out from the surrounding forest, their mouths hanging open and their eyes set on their prey. [b]"Help us!"[/b] This time the voice was clear, the feral scream piercing through the night and cutting through the moans of the dead. Immediately they both recognized who it was. [b]"Skylar!"[/b] Clover screamed, taking off in the direction of her tent and pushing past some of the faster walkers that had already made it up to them. Their feeble attempt at grab her nimble body ended in their falling over one another. She kept moving, her head low and her legs in constant motion as she cleared the distance to Skylar. She was standing there outside her tent holding off two of the dead with her rifle across her chest, three surviving kids from the airfield behind her. Without hesitation, Clover bolted to the closest one, jumping on it's back and stabbing her knife straight into it's skull. The walker immediately went limp and fell to the floor relieving much of the weight pressing Skylar and giving her the opening she needed. She took a step back, letting the second walker work against itself as she twisted sideways and watched it fall forward and onto the ground. It landed in the grass in front of the kids, it's arms flailed out and it's head spinning. Before it could do anything else, Skylar brought the butt of her rifle down hard on it's skull, crushing it completely. The kids screamed, turning their heads as blood and brains were splattered everywhere. Clover pulled her knife out, looking around to see if there were anymore nearby. Luckily some of the other survivors had left their lamps on which helped to illuminate the area between flashes of lightening. Twenty yards away she could see David dumping rounds into the dead, dropping them like flies. Every time his gun would go off, the burst illuminated his face highlighting the anger in his eyes, the fear and the hatred that he left in each walker he put down. However the more he killed, the more that came after him. The men surrounding him had been those that decided to tag along during their escape from the airfield. They each tried to hold off the herd but their bullets were quickly drying up as was their hope. It wouldn't be long before the group was overrun. [i][center]...We need to get out of here...[/i][/center] [b]"Nero! We need to leave! Now!"[/b] Carter yelled out amid the gunshots and the rain. But before either of them could move, one of the dead lunged at each of them from the darkness. Unlike the other half of the camp, Nero and Carter had already turned in for the night, turning off their lamps and bathing their side in the pitch black. They hadn't seen either of them coming. Nero fell back, the walker landing on top of him and biting at his face. It's teeth clamped down hard a mere inch from his nose, it's stink filling his lungs as he breathed and rotted liquid dripping all over his head. He'd managed to keep the thing off him with his arm and quickly used the same arm to push it to the side. Carter had been backed up into a tree, a female walker gracing him with her presence but pushing a little harder than he'd like. Unfortunately for him, his armed had been pinned awkwardly behind him preventing him from going for his machete and leaving him to keep the thing at bay with his one free hand. His fingers were wrapped around it's neck, the skin slowly peeling away as she twisted and turned before him. In a few short seconds, she'd wiggle free of his grasp and sink her teeth into his shoulder. Carter cursed himself for getting into this situation. He knew that the dead never sleep and it was only a matter of time before the herd eventually caught up. Now his overconfidence was going to be the death of him and everyone else depending on him. He'd let the guild set in but he figured he wouldn't be alive long enough to do anything about it... until a flash of lightening illuminated a familiar face. With the sickening sound of bone being split in two, Nero drove his sword through the woman's head and straight into the tree next to Carter's ear. She immediately went limp, her head held up by the sword. [b]"Thanks."[/b] Carter grabbed his hand accepting the help as he was pulled away from the tree. Suddenly a third and fourth walker appeared but this time they were ready. Carter pulled the machete from his hip, swinging it horizontally across the nearest walker's neck. The blade sung as it sliced through the air and cut clean through. He watched the skin and bones and muscles separate from the the body below and the head roll off to the side. Nero tugged on his sword, his intent to pull it from the tree and use the same motion to cut the last walker's head in half. However the sword remained where it was. [b]"Shit!"[/b] Nero tried a second time to pull his sword out but his efforts were in vain. He'd stabbed it too far into the tree and the bark held it in place. The realization that he'd have to abandon his weapon set in but he didn't have the time for remorse. With the walker quickly clearing the distance between the two, he left the sword and went straight for it's chin and the top of it's head with his hands. A quick and powerful twist motion broke it's neck before it had time to grab him. ---- Clover was finding it difficult to follow along with Carter. It's wasn't because she already knew how the story unfolded or because she was becoming bored. In fact, it had nothing to do with Carter but more so because Shawn had been stealing glances at her ever since they'd first introduced themselves. Every now and again she could make out the whites in his eyes in her peripherals as he looked in her direction. The first couple times she figured was pure curiosity but when he continued to do so, she realized he was no longer just curious. The kid was looking at her... and not just staring but actually looking. He could see her and it made her uncomfortable. For the first time in a year she suddenly found herself feeling self conscious. His gaze was heavy, as if he was actually touching her and she couldn't help but feel naked in a way, like he was trying to read her thoughts. Or maybe she was thinking about it too much? Maybe he was just looking at something on her face that she'd hadn't realized was there. Her eyes immediately began to search the room for anything reflective, something that she could stare into and check for herself. As she looked around, questions that never mattered to her began to invade her space, things she hadn't thought about since her school days. [i][center]...Do I look stupid?...Maybe I smell or something?.... Jesus, when was the last time I washed my clothes... Wow, when was the last time I showered?...What the fuck is he looking at?!...[/i][/center] The only thing that pulled her from her thoughts was the sudden realization that it had gotten quiet in the room... and that everyone was looking at her. Shawn's face had begun to redden. [i][center]...Fucking idiot!... You said that out loud!...[/i][/center] [b]"Sorry... I didn't mean t-"[/b] The sound of a horn going off outside made everyone jump. All four of them immediately got to their feet, Carter and Clover with their pistols in their hands and their eyes on the door. ---- [b]"Katrina."[/b] Carter held the flashlight up to her, basking her in a strong white light. She held her hand up as she tried to keep it out of her eyes. [b]"What's going on out here?"[/b] The tone was a little more accusational than intended but given that the group was still fresh and the term trust was still up in the air, he had to assume every scenario. He walked over to her slowly, moving the light from her figure to the open door of the truck and back to her... and then back to the truck again. When he'd gotten close enough, he panned the light toward the ground observing the footprints in the mud. As the rain was still falling hard, Nero's and Shawn's prints from earlier that night had already been washed away leaving just two sets. One of which obviously belonged to Katrina. Clover followed swiftly behind Carter, her mind already forgetting the awkward situation she'd put herself in only moments ago. Instead it returned to contemplating the woman that was now a part of their group, Katrina as her name was. [i][center]...Katrina...[/i][/center] It hadn't been Skylar. Carter followed the second set of footprints with his light to the rear of the truck, his eyes catching Katrina's as they both came to the same conclusion.