Scarlett Rose

I scanned the trees, quickly but thoroughly. I heard and saw nothing. The four walkers on the floor, 2 with arrows in their heads, one with a stab wound- caused by my brother’s military knife, which he gave me for five minutes- through its left eye and the other with my throwing knife directly through its forehead.

“Scar! You Okay?” Nick came running back in my direction worry in his blue eyes.
“Yes Nick,” I sighed walking up to the walker with the knife through its head and removed it wiping it clean on a cloth and then slipping it back into the empty sheath on my thigh. “ I can take care of myself” I collected all of the arrows.
“I know you can Scarlett Rose Alexander, but you are my baby sister, you always will be” He gave me one of his lopsided grins.
“I know Nicky” I hugged him tight I heard the clink of his dog tags and Dads wedding ring.

I took the ring it rested in the palm of my hand it was a simple golden band. The chain Nick wore it on also had his cross. I wore my mother’s wedding band and engagement ring on one of the two chains around my neck, the other held my cross.

Nick and I weren’t just brother and sister we were best friends. At one point, before the Apocalypse, I would sit with him and talk about boys and school and stupidity that really mean nothing now. He was never the brother that made his baby sister go away. He enjoyed my company like I enjoyed his.

“We need to get back to camp,” He stated simply
“Yup, We do” I replied
Nick held up his Pistol and made sure the Safety was off and checked his ammo. I removed my Crossbow From my back and loaded it, the arrows, a bright contrast to the brown forest, most of the trees were dead, shrivelling, blackened, burned, diseased –just like the majority of the population. There must have been a forest fire here I absentmindedly thought.
We began walking quick, quiet, sturdy steps. There were ten of them in a group walking to the left of me. I had just noticed them when one of them stopped dead in their tracks lifted its rotting head in the air and sniffed. It growled and turned to face our direction, its dead eyes trying to spot us.
“Oh shit…” Nick hissed removing his gun from his holster.
I knew he had about 16 bullets in the mag. We should be okay. I calmed myself. I hoped they wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the scent. I could feel the fear seep into the air- into my bones. Predators could smell fear, I was positive the dead, walkers, biters, zombies, - whatever you wanted to call them-could too.
After the longest 5 minutes of my life the walkers turned and walked away from us.
After the walkers were out of sight, Nick and I both let out a breath neither one of us knew we were holding.
“Thank god” he sighed and we kept walking