sticking around? He already saved me enough times not to feel like he owed me anything. Part of me wanted to tell him to just go already, to stop dragging it out. Of course, the part of me that desperately wanted him to stay, stuck her damn nose into it and vetoed that. I just wanted it to go back to the way it was, to hit the rewind button and go back to that night in his arms, to the night I thought he might kiss me. I was starting to think I imagined the whole thing now.
I brought the arrow back, sticking it in the bag with the one Will pulled from the Mother and Kid. At least I didn't have to pull the arrow from her dead little neck.
"Are we done now?" All I really wanted to do was go back home and take a shower. Splattered zombie blood was not the fashion statement I wanted to make.
"You think there's a chance you are going to actually hit anything today?" The irritation in Will's voice clearly evident.
"Probably not." I wasn't about to argue that it certainly was not intentional right now.
"Then we're done." Will gathered our bags and started off for home. I had to practically jog in order to keep up with him. Being about a foot taller than me, his stride easily covered twice the distance than my much shorter legs would carry me. That coupled with his intentional fast pace, left me having a difficult time just staying ten or so yards behind. He didn't usually let us get so far apart. Poor little Andi, she just might get herself killed, or kidnapped, or infected by flesh eating zombies. This pace was too much for me to keep up all the way back to the basement. I was about to call ahead to Will to slow down when I realized my mother's charm bracelet was missing from my wrist. It was there when I took the shot at the kid zombie. I remembered pushing it up my arm a bit to keep it out of the way. My heart beat hard in my chest. I couldn't lose my mother's bracelet. I had to find it!
"Will, stop!" I yelled out to him, unable to actually move from the stop I was standing in.
"What's the problem?" He turned, raising his bow, scanning for any danger in my direction. I was afraid he would be angry with me but there was no choice. I had to find that bracelet. When I didn't speak, he walked toward me confused. "Andi, what's wrong?" Confident we were alone, he lowered the bow. I opened my mouth to speak, but words refused to come. I couldn't bear losing my link to my mother and having Will mad at me at the same time. "Andi?" Will repeated, a little concerned this time. All I could manage was to point to my wrist where the bracelet had been, before I broke down, tears streaming down my cheeks. Everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks boiled up to the surface, leaving me a crying mess in the middle of the street. Will knew right away what was missing. He didn't like me wearing it to begin with. Anything that didn't help us survive, was unnecessary in Will's book. I was sure this was about to turn into a fight. There was no way I was going back without it.
"Your bracelet?" Will asked, his voice more gentle this time, no irritation at all. The most I could manage was a small nod, tears still streaming down my cheeks. Will lifted my chin, looking into my tear soaked eyes, surprising me with his sudden gentleness. "It's okay. We'll find it."
"Really?" I managed, just barely audible. Trusting this unexpected kindness after the past weeks frigid shut out, was difficult.
"I promise." He said, wiping tears off my face and smiling sweetly. It was like the old Will was suddenly transported back, which for some reason, only made me want to cry more. He wrapped his arms around me, holding my tear soaked face against him. "We'll find it Andi. I promise."
We traced our steps back to the field where I remembered last seeing the bracelet. Neither of us spoke since the hug. We searched a good 45 minutes in the grass before Will found it under the dead zombie kid. I'm not sure I would have been able to flip her over to check
I brought the arrow back, sticking it in the bag with the one Will pulled from the Mother and Kid. At least I didn't have to pull the arrow from her dead little neck.
"Are we done now?" All I really wanted to do was go back home and take a shower. Splattered zombie blood was not the fashion statement I wanted to make.
"You think there's a chance you are going to actually hit anything today?" The irritation in Will's voice clearly evident.
"Probably not." I wasn't about to argue that it certainly was not intentional right now.
"Then we're done." Will gathered our bags and started off for home. I had to practically jog in order to keep up with him. Being about a foot taller than me, his stride easily covered twice the distance than my much shorter legs would carry me. That coupled with his intentional fast pace, left me having a difficult time just staying ten or so yards behind. He didn't usually let us get so far apart. Poor little Andi, she just might get herself killed, or kidnapped, or infected by flesh eating zombies. This pace was too much for me to keep up all the way back to the basement. I was about to call ahead to Will to slow down when I realized my mother's charm bracelet was missing from my wrist. It was there when I took the shot at the kid zombie. I remembered pushing it up my arm a bit to keep it out of the way. My heart beat hard in my chest. I couldn't lose my mother's bracelet. I had to find it!
"Will, stop!" I yelled out to him, unable to actually move from the stop I was standing in.
"What's the problem?" He turned, raising his bow, scanning for any danger in my direction. I was afraid he would be angry with me but there was no choice. I had to find that bracelet. When I didn't speak, he walked toward me confused. "Andi, what's wrong?" Confident we were alone, he lowered the bow. I opened my mouth to speak, but words refused to come. I couldn't bear losing my link to my mother and having Will mad at me at the same time. "Andi?" Will repeated, a little concerned this time. All I could manage was to point to my wrist where the bracelet had been, before I broke down, tears streaming down my cheeks. Everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks boiled up to the surface, leaving me a crying mess in the middle of the street. Will knew right away what was missing. He didn't like me wearing it to begin with. Anything that didn't help us survive, was unnecessary in Will's book. I was sure this was about to turn into a fight. There was no way I was going back without it.
"Your bracelet?" Will asked, his voice more gentle this time, no irritation at all. The most I could manage was a small nod, tears still streaming down my cheeks. Will lifted my chin, looking into my tear soaked eyes, surprising me with his sudden gentleness. "It's okay. We'll find it."
"Really?" I managed, just barely audible. Trusting this unexpected kindness after the past weeks frigid shut out, was difficult.
"I promise." He said, wiping tears off my face and smiling sweetly. It was like the old Will was suddenly transported back, which for some reason, only made me want to cry more. He wrapped his arms around me, holding my tear soaked face against him. "We'll find it Andi. I promise."
We traced our steps back to the field where I remembered last seeing the bracelet. Neither of us spoke since the hug. We searched a good 45 minutes in the grass before Will found it under the dead zombie kid. I'm not sure I would have been able to flip her over to check
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