Chapter Text
The sun was going down faster than Leah thought possible. It would soon be dark, and she would be stuck in the middle of a backwater road, centred right in the hick-infested bowels of rural Georgia. She almost wished she was back at the camp- but it was too late to turn back now. She’d left them all behind.
Her only consolation was the fact that there didn’t seem to be too many of the dead roaming about the roads. She supposed it made sense, that the walkers would be greater in numbers around areas that had been lived in by lots of people, and that woods, roads and fields out in the middle of nowhere would be comparatively empty. There were still more out in isolated areas than she could reasonably account for, but she supposed endless, idle wandering would eventually lead them anywhere. They had an uncanny ability to turn up wherever least expected, and some even to lie seemingly motionless, as though waiting to be chanced upon by an unsuspecting victim whom they could then pounce upon and devour as a nice reward for their patience. She shivered to think how much their brains might still actually work; they did seem, sometimes, to be smart in a kind of way. She hoped, for the sake of the poor victims, that it was just some neurones firing off randomly and giving the appearance of sentience and intelligence, and that any last awareness had died off along with their bodies. Being trapped in a corpse was a fate worse than death.
And to think that 6 months ago, her biggest worry had been finding work. She’d just graduated as a business major, and was looking to put some applications in at a selection of decent firms. She hadn’t been lucky enough for an internship, much to her disappointment- though none of that mattered anymore, she guessed. It seemed laughable, what perspective can give to a situation: she’d have done anything to be out of her bartending job back then, but now she would give anything to be back there, wiping down the bar-top and listening to Colton and Jamie bickering for hours on end in the background. Her only concern now was getting to a family friend’s house- alive, that is.
Just as she went to unfold her map, the distant revving of an engine reached her ears. She turned in a start, and could see five bar lights and a single, undamaged headlight approaching from the horizon, all attached to what seemed to be a dark blue pickup truck- rapidly gaining ground, too.
Her blood turned to ice. She’d rather the moans and grotesque contortions of dead people to having to deal with another living person. The dead were predictable, at least. They didn’t toy with your emotions, give you the illusion of safety and security and then whip around and betray you at the last second. She considered jumping into the leafless thicket behind her, which backed onto a ditch.
[Stand your ground]
[Hide]
But rationalising that any reasonable person would have already seen her by this point, and not wanting to give the impression of weakness, she chose instead to stand her ground. The truck blared rock music as it squeaked on its brakes to a halt, allowing Leah to see the driver- a man in about his mid-thirties, wearing a dirty denim jacket and blue trucker cap.
“Bang! I just killed you,” he exclaimed, a sardonic look of cruel amusement taking over his face as she jerked in fright. "Now, fancy seeing a pretty girl like you out in a place like this? And all on your alone, no less? You don't happen to charge rates, do you? If so, how much?” He remarked, laughing at the dirty comments and ogling Leah up and down in a way which made no effort to disguise his obvious interest in her body- coupled with a sardonic, taunting expression that made her uneasy.
[Fuck off]
[I don’t want any trouble]
[I need a ride]
[…]
“Fuck off, you creep. Why don’t you just get back on the road in your hooptie and leave me alone, you hillbilly,” she scolded, folding her arms in an attempt to hide her chest.
?) You chose to be direct
“Calm down- I ain’t no creep. If I wanted to do something to you, I would’ve done it already. In case you haven’t noticed, there aren’t exactly too many “witnesses” around here, unless you count dead guys- which I don’t.”
Leah shivered as a cold fall breeze rustled the dying leaves and passed through the road- empty, aside from the occasional corpse or broken-down car.
“So you’ve got an attitude about you, princess?” He added, laughing, “Or is it just the chip on your shoulder? You one of those women who think they’re better than everyone else, and have no goddamn sense of humour?”
“Just fuck off and leave me alone," she muttered and turned away.
“You’d best be careful what you say ‘round these parts- these ain’t the times to be pissing off strangers,” he cautioned in a low, serious voice, his mood having shifted suddenly, “’Specially not the kind that make this here their home- these woods are damn swarming with rapists and thieves, and they don’t take too kindly to people who mouth off like that, least of all girls like you. You might not be so lucky next time, if you don't start being careful.”
“I’m not sure I’m so lucky this time,” she quipped back, narrowing her eyes at him. They spent some time in silence, surveying each other each other- there being fascination on the man’s part, and obvious suspicion on Leah’s, until he broke his stare and turned back towards the road.
“When I saw you, I was damn near certain it was gonna be the oldest trick in the book- and I’m not talkin’ about prostitution. You know- put a nice young girl out by the side of the road, and have her beg for help until some bleeding-heart dead-brain stops by to see what's up and gets jumped by a bunch of cracked-up bandits that come outta the woods. I was just thinking: how stupid would someone have to be to fall for that?.”
A pause settled into the air, with Leah staring in disbelief at the man’s complete lack of self-awareness.
“Well, I think you just answered your question,” she snarked in a monotone voice.
This guy’s a complete psycho, she thought.
“So, you’ve got a deathwish on you, just standing out here in the middle of nowhere, without a weapon or group. You got a name, sweetie? Is it… Penelope? Rita? Diane?” He asked, taking in the blond hair which curled behind her ears, tucked into compliance by the efforts of several pink clips, as well as the pastel blue windbreaker which hugged her chest.
[I have a group (Lie)]
[I have a weapon (Lie)]
[I know where I’m going (Lie)]
[…]
“I have a group,” she insisted, “And they’ll be here any second now.”
“Really?” The man asked sarcastically, turning his eyes over to her in a manner that indicated obvious scepticism as to the truthfulness of the claim. “And I bet there’s heaps of people in it, with plenty supplies, guns and ammo?”
“Tons,” she nodded.
“And they just left you here alone by the side of the road, with no way to protect yourself?”
Leah didn’t know how to respond, instead turning her eyes towards the ground as she tried to think of something to say which might support her answer.
“If you’re gonna wanna lie, then you'd better start getting good at it. I mean, that was bullshit if I ever heard it! Funny, I guess, but still- anyone with half a brain could see right through it. Hell, even the zombies could’ve called that one, stupid as they are…” The driver teased, smirking in a wry, knowing way, “So, about that name?”
[It’s Leah]
[Bite me]
[(Lie)]
[…]
“My name is: bite me, asshole” she grumbled and looked away.
“Usually women make me take ‘em out to dinner first before they ask me to do that, but I’m guessing that isn’t your style. Hell, I’m not complainin’ if you wanna cut to the chase- I like a girl who knows what she wants, and can boss me around some in the sack,” he remarked in a teasing tone, pleased at the chance to turn the girl’s insult back against her. “I take it there are certain… needs… that you might need some help with, and I’d be more than happy to give you some “relief,” if ya want it, sweetheart.”
Leah was shocked into silence for a second.
"You're fucking disgusting. Where do you get off talking to women like that? Don’t you have any fucking respect?” She spat, unable to tell whether he was joking or sincere.
“Hey now! I ain't no misogynist! And I’ve got plenty respect- my mama raised me right, and I've got sisters, too- well, had ‘em, anyhow. Not to mention the fact that I haven’t done anything to you yet, now have I?” He tried to appease, appearing to somewhat regret his comment.
“Wow- the bare minimum. I’m smitten- and I’m sure your “mama” would be real proud to see you now. I didn’t realise the bar was set so goddamn low nowadays. Whatever happened to common fucking human decency?”
“Ain’t no such fucking thing. Least, not anymore. I mean, it is the end of the world,” he added defensively.
“Well, there’s going to have to be better justification than that,” she glowered, making no effort to hide the way she looked him up and down with displeasure, clearly conveying that she took just as little joy from his outward appearance as she did from his delightful personality.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them after that, only disturbed after some time by the driver’s questioning:
“Well, are you getting in or not? You’re gonna get eaten out here otherwise, and not in the way women like to have it done, if you catch my drift.”
He couldn’t help himself, and eyed her with the frisky look of a cat playing with a skilfully cornered mouse.
"C'mon, get in. I'll take good care of ya..."
[Where are you headed?]
[No way]
[Alright]
[…]
“When hell freezes over,” Leah enunciated in a terse fashion, her face deadpan serious.
“Oh, c'mon. You’d rather have your face eaten off than catch a free ride?”
She thought for a second, sarcastically mimicking the action of deep thought, before responding “Yes,” in a definitive fashion.
“Geez, you need to lighten up some and quit being so uptight- it’s the goddamn apocalypse for chrissake. Would it make you happy if I told you I’m… “sorry,” for making you uncomfortable? I didn't mean nothing by it-”
“Shove it up your ass, sicko- I said I’m good, alright? So why don’t you take your little fuck truck back on the road and go find some of your redneck friends to play with instead.”
“Have it your way, then,” the man ceded in frustration, accelerating up the road.
Leah sighed in relief to be done with the stranger, who she felt at first certain of never being rid of. His comments and looks made her uncomfortable beyond belief, and she was assured of the worst possible scenario being a guaranteed with him. However, much to her dismay, she noticed the dead beginning to crawl about out of their hollows and ditches, attracted by the conversation and loud music in the truck, and felt her luck beginning to run out again.
Great, she thought, just fucking great.
The truck, some ways up, reversed back at a good speed. As it reached her, the man unwound the window again and grinned at her.
“So, blondie- how ‘bout now?”
She groaned, reluctantly entering the car as walkers began to surround them.
“Hell yeah! Let’s tear it up!” He laughed ecstatically, almost mocking the girl's prior sense of resolution in refusing the ride.
Leah repeated a silent prayer in her head as the truck sped off- knowing herself to be now stranded with the strange, disturbed man.