#RIP nathan from AP gov you were gone too soon fr

[artemis-b-writes]

Wandering Part One

*Song title inspired by In The Woods Somewhere by Hozier- I do not own the writes to this song I am using it solely for creative purposes*

Tw: nasty gore, violence, death, strong language

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Chapter two- In The Woods Somewhere

Victoria didn’t sleep much. It wasn’t the fact that she didn’t trust Dale. Which, she didn’t trust him at all but it was a roof over the kids heads for the night. Something about that Andrea girl didn’t feel right to her. Carl and Sophia were curled up on each side of her on the RV floor. Sophia softly cried most of the night but Victoria assured her that the girl would see her family again.

“Carl, wake up, it's time to go.”

Carl groaned and rolled over. Victoria nudged his face again and he jolted up. His body relaxed when he remembered he was with her.

“Here’s your gun back, thanks for letting us stay the night but the sun's up so we’d better get going.” Victoria shook Dale's hand, she truly was thankful for his kindness as they were facing unknown territory with seemingly rabid humans running around.

Dale called out to the group that they should find him again when their families were found because a group would be safer. Victoria nodded her head and gave him a thumbs up as they kept walking through the woods. Victoria and Carl were used to hiking in rougher territory but Sophia was not so Victoria kept her on her back most of the walk.

“Maybe they went to water?” Carl asked.

“Mmm, that’s not a bad idea…plus we’ve been walking for a few hours. Let’s see if we can’t find a creek with running water so we’re not drinking anything stagnant.”

“What’s wrong with stagnant water?” Sophia asked.

“Well…if it’s standing or stagnant water it can hold a bunch of nasty things in it that aren’t good for you. But if the water is running, those nasty things can’t get a hold and live as well.”

They cut through and found a running creek, Carl and Sophia ran down as fast as their legs could carry them to the water. Carl fell to his knees and began to soak up as much water as he could. Sophia gingerly cupped her hands to the river, and then to her mouth.

“Jeez Carl, you act like you haven’t had water in weeks” Victoria couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her brother's head fully drenched in the river. She fell next to Carl and began to drink from the river as well, when the group was satisfied they decided to follow the rivers trail hoping to find their families.

After a few hours Sophia got tired so Victoria pulled the girl onto her back. It was starting to get dark and Victoria worried about not having shelter. She was relatively strong but wasn’t sure if she could take on more than one of those things at a time.

They made her think of the old zombie horror movies she would watch with her friends but these weren’t zombies they were…different. Victoria could’ve sworn the one she’d killed the night before tried to talk to her. It wasn’t just like the cartoons she’d seen where they just moaned and groaned. They still carried some remnants of life.

“I’m hungry.” Carl's pleas broke Victoria from her thoughts.

“Hmm. We’re coming back up to the road, maybe we can find a gas station or raid an empty car on the highway.”

“Isn’t that stealing?” Sophia piped up from behind Victoria

“Probably. But I don’t think there are any cops on the road and we have to worry about surviving kiddo.”

The group slowly made their way back onto the highway, scoping any source of food in the area. Victoria made sure to keep the kids close since there were crazed people running around. They found a few abandoned cars and were able to get some snacks from them: beef jerky, chips, and some canned goods. Most things people carried preparing for the unknown. This is something no one could prepare for.

“So now what?” Carl's mouth was full of chips, but somehow Victoria understood his question.

“It’s getting dark. We need to find a place to hole up for the night.” Victoria pulled Sophia onto her back as the group weaved through the cars, she tried to shake away the unnerving feeling that kept tugging at her.

They were being watched. “Here, stay here and let me check this RV and make sure it’s empty. If anything happens, scream.” The kids nodded.

Victoria tightened her grip on her hunting knife and crept into the RV, the drivers area and cabin were empty. Despite seemingly finding shelter, Victoria still felt uneasy. As she made it towards the back bedroom, a scream made her whip around and dart back to the street.

“VICTORIA!! HELP!”

Victoria jumped from the RV onto a woman who was trying to attack Sophia, stabbing her several times in the back of the head. “GET. OFF. OF. HER!” The woman crumpled to the ground. Sophia sobbed on the ground and Carl held her. Victoria inspected the woman and she looked the same as the man from the night before, except there was a nasty bite mark on her neck.

“Soph, let me look at you okay? I have to make sure she didn’t hurt you.” Victoria knelt down and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Sophia was clean.

“Hey are yall okay?” A voice came from behind, Victoria spun around and pinned the voice to the car next to them.

“Tori?”

“It’s Victoria, Nathan, you know I hate that nickname…but I sure am glad to see you! What the hell is going on?”

Victoria released her death grip on her friend Nathan. They took Government together and she was the only reason he was passing.

“I don’t know…Hey Tori you’re covered in blood, none of that is yours right?”

Victoria looked down and sure enough, she was covered in the blood of the woman she’d killed. “No no, it’s all that crazy bitches blood I promise.” Nathan’s younger brother Evan ran up and met the group, they were all staying on the road in an RV, somehow missing the herds of crazy people running around.

“Hey big ask but, can we stay with y’all for the night? I’ll be lucky if I get Sophia to leave in the morning but we’re not far from Shane’s truck and I need to find my mom.”

“Yeah sure…wait just your mom?” Nathan shot Victoria a concerned look, her features darkened and her smile became a pursed line. “Oh..yeah of course, my parents love you so we’ll make room. We’re only a couple miles down the road.”

Nathan threw Carl on his back and Victoria kept Sophia close as they walked through the dark, crowded road. They walked in silence, the only noise being Sophia’s muffled cries.

Then the rain started.

“Well at least you’re getting a bath” Carl half heartedly joked “mom wouldn’t want to see you all nasty.” Victoria couldn’t help but smile. Carl was always one to make everyone laugh when things were hard.

“So where were y'all headed?” Nathan shouted over the thunder. That thunder would haunt Victoria forever. If only she could’ve heard them coming.

“Atlanta! Although Shane kept spouting some nonsense about Fort Benning!” She shouted back. Nathan laughed, his dad had the same plan apparently. Although his dad was smart and not an asshole like Shane. She went to ask Evan about school when her steps faltered.

Evan was back behind them, he couldn’t scream because one of those things had bitten through his throat. The sight made her want to vomit. Except there wasn’t just one, there was a whole pack. Tearing his flesh off like paper, tearing through him like his muscles were made of jelly. Victoria could feel the bile raising in her throat.

“EVAN!” Nathan put Carl down and began to make his way to his brother. Victoria stopped him.

“Nate. Nathan! He’s gone.” She choked down a sob, he was only 14. Not much younger than her and not much older than Carl. But he was gone now, just a shell of who he used to be. Victoria made the decision to grab Nathan and drag him away from the growing pack, instructing Carl and Sophia to run ahead.

She didn’t have anything else on her mind but survive. Even though Nathan screamed at her to let him go, he was in a weak state which meant he was easy to drag off.

There was yelling all around her. Sophia screams were mixed with her own terrified screams and Carl was telling Sophia they needed to run and there was no time for crying.

“Nathan, give me your gun.” In their running Victoria noticed a glock on Nathan’s hip.

“What?!”

“Give me your gun Nathan please.”

Nathan stopped running, and fiddled with the holster to give it to her. When one of them came up from behind. Before she could react, a man came up behind Nathan, its jaw snapping his collar bone like a twig, he cried out in pain. Victoria stabbed it in the head and threw Nathan’s arm over her shoulder as they kept running.

“I’m…slowing you down.”

“Shut up.”

Truth be told he was slowing them down. But maybe that lady that attacked Sophia had been bitten after? She’d picked up the tip about aiming for the head from Andrea and that small tip was saving their lives. Everyone was drenched and shivering as the rain continued to pour and the pack kept following them.

“Oh my god Nathan!” An older couple ran up to the group, it was Nathan’s parents.

“What the hell happened?” His father questioned at the sight of his dying son.

“We cannot stop to talk we have to keep moving.” Thunder cracked over their heads, Sophia yelped and grabbed Carl.

“Where is Evan, Nathan, where's your brother?!” Nathan's mothers eyes were wide. Her face was a mix of confusion, pain, and sadness.

“Mrs Carter I’m sorry, we have to keep moving to shelter.” Victoria pleaded, her voice was hoarse from yelling over the storm. But the Carters didn’t keep moving…instead Mrs. Carter began to sob, her voice getting louder and louder. Mr. Carter grabbed her and told her they had to keep moving but it was like she was molded to the ground.

“Mom…mom she’s right we have to go.” Nathan was practically breathless, he was dying. This only made Mrs. Carter cry more and before they knew it the group was surrounded. Nathan threw Victoria away from him as another one of those things took him. He yelled something before he went.

And in an instant Nathan’s body dropped to the ground with the crazy man that grabbed him. Mrs. Carter fell to the ground, holding her hands over her mouth.

“Carl, grab Sophia and run into the woods!”

“Not without you!” Carl cried, holding Sophia’s hand which had a death grip on his arm. “Go, I’m right behind you!” Carl and Sophia darted off into the woods.

Victoria turned back and stabbed another one of those things trying to get away to her brother. The Carter’s held each other as they were surrounded. Victoria did them a favor and shot them both before the dead could get to them. She was just a teenage girl, where had this murderous side of her come from? Sure when she killed those things they were dead but the Carters….

She didn’t take much time to dwell on it; she needed to find Carl and Sophia. Victoria darted into the woods, killing two more of those things because they were in her way.

“Carl! Sophia!” She could hear those things all around her, a lump started to build in her throat. Carl was smart, he’d hide somewhere safe…right? Victoria kept running, hoping the kids ran into their families.

They’d essentially walked in a big circle so maybe they could’ve run into Dale, Victoria was certain he would take the kids in until she found them again. She had to keep her thoughts hopeful or the fear would consume her.

Her thoughts certainly kept her from paying attention. As she ran through the dark woods she tripped on a raised root, spraining her ankle in the process. She rolled into a clearing cursing everything around her. This is just wonderful. Stuck in the woods, separated from Carl and now she had her fucking ankle to worry about.

She attempted to get up and fell back on her ass, cursing at the hot white pain that shot up her leg. Victoria pulled herself back up and clenched her jaw, trying to keep any weight off of her foot.

“Carl! Sophia! Where are you?” She cried out. Crying out from frustration, from pain, from desperation. The storm continued to rage all around her. Then she was knocked to the ground. No. No, no, no, no.

Victoria struggled against the weight above her until she was face to face with a rotting corpse. She screamed out, pulling her arms up to keep its face as far away from her as possible. It tried to snap at her hand, attempting to pull her arms off of its body.

How was it doing that? She wished she could plead with the shell of a man who was trying to kill her. She didn’t see him as a person but truly as “it”. Victoria screamed out again for help. At this point she was begging for any help she could get. Another snap of its jaw, she could feel the hot breath against her neck.

“No, no, no, please.” She begged. In this moment she remembered she had a gun…oh fuck. She’d lost the gun she’d gotten off Nathan when she fell on that stupid fucking tree branch. Her arms were getting tired, she was tired. No. She had to keep fighting. She tried to kick her legs up in hopes of pushing it off.

Victoria pushed the side of its face as hard as she could, it’s cheek sliding off it’s face like hot butter leaving its teeth fully exposed. Blood from his bloodied tongue dripped onto her face, and she lost her grip trying to wipe the blood away from her mouth and eyes.

“Hey!” Its head was picked up and cut off, spraying blood everywhere. Victoria looked up at her savior with wide eyes. He held a machete in one hand and the things head in the other. He dropped the head and extended a hand to Victoria. “You Victoria?” He asked gruffly. She shakily nodded.

“Y-yeah I’m V-ictoria.”

“Good, they’ve been looking for you all night. Carl and Sophia are safe, they told us to look for you by the highway.” Carl and Sophia were safe, thank god. “I’m Daryl by the way.”

Victoria was silent and shaking violently. She was covered in blood, and none of it was hers. Before she knew what was happening Daryl was holding her up as she got sick. She explained to Daryl that she couldn’t walk with her ankle and so he pulled her onto his back and they made their way back to camp.

As the rain started to fizzle out Victoria started to recognize the terrain, and a certain small clearing in the hills.

And just as she’d hoped, there stood Dale at the top of his RV with a pair of Binoculars. He waved someone down when he spotted Veronica and Daryl, Daryl set her down when they got to the RV but she still kept a firm grip on him. He wasn’t much taller than she was. He seemed to have a closed off personality but she felt safe with him.

“Dale!” She hugged him tightly. “Where are the kids?”

“Over there” he pointed to Carol and her mom holding their children. “they’re pretty shaken up, what happened out there? I just saw y’all this morning.” Dale’s face held a strong look of concern.

Victoria’s shoulders slumped, where would she even start? She started to shake again and could feel Daryl grab both her elbows to hold her up. She felt sick again, and shut her eyes tightly hoping it would ease her swimming head.

“Victoria!” Before she could process what was happening, Shane was pulling her into a tight hug. And while the only person she wanted at that moment was her dad, she couldn’t help but break down knowing she was safe the arms of someone familiar.

She held both hands over her mouth as her sobs wracked her body. Everything that had happened in a matter of a couple hours- if that, was finally starting to set in.

Sophia being attacked, the Carters, the man in the woods, the blood. She cringed at the way her thoughts raged through her head. It was almost too much for one person to bare. She accepted at that moment that she would never be the same again, and it absolutely terrified her.

“Shane I- It almost,” Shane shushed her and just petted her hair until she was finished crying. Lori took her and got her cleaned up. Washed all the blood off and got her into clean clothes without question of the horrors she’d just faced. Victoria never knew her mother to be the silent type but maybe after seeing Carl she knew better than to ask.

After she was clean, Lori took her into Dale’s RV and held her while Shane stabilized her ankle. When he was done he left, Lori said that Victoria could stay on the RV couch because she’d be safe until she could put weight on her ankle.

Carl came into the rv and silently crawled into her lap, forcing himself to fit so that she could hold him. She rubbed his back in small circles with one hand and with the other played with his hair. It was something Lori always did for them. And despite how absolutely terrified she was, Victoria could feel her eyelids getting heavy.

Andera came in from her watch and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Victoria and Carl passed out on the RV couch. And while it would be the last time Victoria slept peacefully for a very long time, her adrenaline crash kept the nightmares away this night.

AN: after 50 million years and watching my tutorial just as many times I finally figured out how to copy the link for chapter one! I am actually so sorry for the gore guys but it’s only going to get worse from here I’m afraid😔🙏🏻

Hope yall enjoy regardless of how nasty this story is going to be😁

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