Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was a storm coming. I could see distant lightning, the thunders were getting louder and louder with every second. I needed to find shelter. The night was pitch black, except for the closer now, sudden lightning across the sky, which lit up my path through the trees. Well, it’d be scarier if dozens of rotten corpses would be following you trying to tear you apart and eat your guts, I thought. I’ve been around in the woods for a couple of days or so and fortunately I haven’t seen that many Z’s. Lightning strikes, freezing drizzle starts hitting my face and walking becomes harder since my boots keep getting stuck in the mud. Suddenly, throughout my blurry wet vision I see a little cabin just about as 20 meters.

The place was scavenged; you could simply tell that. The wooden door had signs of opening by force and there was a huge mess inside. I aimed my gun at the darkness, waiting, but no one or nothing showed up, the place was clear. The living room furniture was covered in what once where white sheets. All the cupboards and drawers were open and all their containment were spread across the floor. It was hard to walk not stepping on something. There was a crashed mirror next to a little chimney and next thing I know, I’m staring myself into it. My long wavy golden hair was soaked and messy along with my lips which turned more pink due to being chapped by the cold. My light brown eyes were decorated with that purple tone beneath them as usual and my white skin contrasted my scruffy dark jeans and leather jacket more than normal. As I turned back from the mirror I stepped on a destroyed picture frame facing down in the middle of the living room covered in its own glass fractals, which I resisted to turn around.

Now the rain was pouring heavily and the thunder were more constant. “Kid, where are you going?!” some voice shouted in the distance. I picked up my backpack, settled my gun in my thigh holster and grabbed my bow, my quiver already set on my back. “Go get everyone Doc, there’s a place right there!” someone answered, the voice of a young man. “Well I’ll be damned kid, you’re a god!” the other man screamed. I freaked out and started to tremble, nevertheless, I opened the cabin’s door firmly, took a few steps forward and aimed at the young man who was right in front of me about to climb the wooden stairs of the cabin’s entrance. “Don’t make a move” I pronounced, nervous as hell. The young man was probably in his twenties just like me. He had a sniper rifle in his hands. His hair was black and messy, and he was using a grey handkerchief beneath his goggles on top of his head. His scruffy dark jeans matched the shirt he had beneath a grey military-like vest. He was also wearing a black round scarf around his neck. He didn’t mind my words, because he DID move, his emerald green eyes locked into mine, his hair dripping. He raised his sniper rifle and shot. “One thousand five hundred fifty five” he mumbled to himself.

I turned to my right as I saw a Z collapsing on the floor. Did the young man just saved my life? Out of nowhere, the growling and the dizzy-like steps from the Zs made the thunder quieter...there were too many of them. The damn herd Citizen Z warned to run away from. I raised my gun and started killing them one by one in the head, and so did the boy with his rifle. “One thousand five hundred fifty six”, “One thousand five hundred fifty seven” , he kept counting in a very at ease but firm voice. I kept shooting at the Z’s as I acknowledged the fact that he was counting his kills but all of a sudden I felt a huge pain on my head and fell to the ground. The young man knelled beside me and before losing consciousness, I swear I could hear him say “Ma’am?” .

Chapter Text

The rays of sunlight bothered my eyes even though they were closed. My head felt heavy, swollen. I opened my eyes barely, it was all blurry, too much sunlight. There’s a silhouette contemplating me by a wooden door, like frozen, a daze of green in its eyes. As my eyes begun to focus, all of a sudden, it was gone.
I jumped out of the bed where I was lying trying to figure what the hell happened. I was in the cabin, second floor, in a room with a huge bed, and a little balcony. The windows were opened, fresh air blew through my hair, the sun shining..the sun! The storm, the boy, my head?. “I'm sure he’s cheating chief!” someone shouted, interrupting my thoughts. “ Murphy you cheatin' bastard!” a woman with a strong voice yelled. I wasn't alone, one of the voices felt familiar...the old man with the boy. Nervous, I reached for any of my weapons, realizing they were on the wooden floor, besides the bed. My bow and my gun, were left at my reach, so i figured out that if someone wanted to kill me, they would've already done it.

I started going down the stairs, with little to no idea, that decision would change my life. There were four people around the kitchen table, an old white haired man, a pale red headed girl , a dark skin tone woman with dark hair and..a blueish skin man, they were playing cards. They all looked at me. “Hi there kiddo” the guy with a long white beard and hair said. “You got hurt so we decided you nedeed some rest”. I couldnt figure out what was happening. “Honey, my name is leutenant Warren” the dark skin woman said, “this is Doc, this is Addy..”. “This bluberry here, Murphy, was the one who knocked you out!” Doc said, pointing to the bluish man. I ran to Murphy, put him against the wall and grabbed him by the neck. “ Kid, believe me, we would have already killed him if we could, he thought you were dangerous” Doc said, touching my hand so as to release the grip, Addy was laughing out loud. What does that even mean, I thought, killing is easy these days. “I am” I replied, loosening the grip. Murphy got pissed and backed away from me. “ Thank you very much for taking care of me, I've got a place to be”, which obviously was a lie. “ Don't leave”, Addy said, “we need another girl in the team”. The guys seemed friendly but.. I just couldn't, so i grabbed my backpack which was next to the little chimney, secured my gun, bow hanged on my back. I nodded to them, in gratitude, and opened the cabins door.

I began walking through the woods, clear skies, cold fresh air, delicious pine tree smell and wet dirt. A few minutes later, as I was wondering what I was leaving behind, I heard the sweetest of sounds, water running. Not so far away, there was a little river which led to a small lake, where there was a beautiful waterfall. I took a bottle from my back pack and filled it up. Kneeling, I lifted my gaze to watch the blinding light reflected on the water, when suddenly, it caught my attention. The same silhouette from the room was standing still, across the river, sniper rifle in his hands. His eyes lifted from the ground, meeting mine. I stood up quickly, aimed my bow, he caught me off guard. He saved my life, I remembered as i lowered the bow and hanged it between my chest and back. I walked towards him, the soft grass caressing my boots, and said the first thing that popped into my mind “ thank you for not letting me die ”.

“Ma’am you should be resting” he said, calmly but firmly. “I'm fine, really, I should get going” I stated. “There's another horde coming from the east, you're still recovering from that wound, it wouldn't be safe to leave”. He was right, light headed and dizzy as I was, I wouldn't make it on my own, but i was not going to stay around people either. As I’m about to turn around to leave he said,“There's no way I'm convincing you right?... so lets make a deal. If you win, you can leave,..but if i win, you stay”.
Win what? I wondered, confused but intrigued. Slowly he started taking out empty cans of his bag, he ran a few meters and slowly started to settle on the rocks along the river, the last two, he ran up the hill by the waterfall and he put them right at the cliff, slightly visible from where I was standing. Easy, I thought. “ We’re shooting the cans from back there” he said, still seriously. Putting my hair out of the way I grabbed my bow, and aimed. “Whats with you and bows?” he asked, startling me. “you saw me, a grieving danger in the storm, and aim me with an arrow?”, almost smirking, he’s eyes wide opened, his eyebrows raised. “Not everyone is a sharp sniper like you” I replied, ”I get along with bows”. I was a bit mad, so I secured my bow and grabbed my gun instead and we started shooting at the cans . He shot every single one of his. His eyes shined, focused, as he shoots, no effort at all, like if it was breathing, the tip of his uncovered fingers gently squeezing the trigger. He reloads, and shoots at the last one on top of the hill, the can falls into the lake and mine is still standing there, meaning I lost.

“OK that's it”, he hands me his rifle, his dark finger less gloves calling my attention ,“aim”. He was a man of few words, his eyes focused on mine. I went with it, aiming at the farthest one, having fun now. “Try breathing calmly just like you do with the bow, but instead of aiming facing your side, face forward”. Gently but firmly, he grabs me by my waist, facing me forward, lightly brushing his cold uncovered fingers through a hole in my shirt, sending me shivers. I turned my face to him, by reflex, his deep emerald eyes focusing on the target, his hands still on my waist. I squeeze the trigger and the can falls to the lake just above the other one, the bullet making echo in the woods… and that was the first time I saw 10k smile.