Rock and a Hard Place Seven
The Hitchhiker
Tasha
Knight had been walking for nearly five days straight. She had been unable to
find a working car or truck. Her foraged two-way radio went silent only two
days ago. She had been communicating with a group of survivors holed up in a
church in town; they said they had supplies and protection from the walkers,
sounded like salvation to her. At least she wasn’t completely alone; she picked
up a male hitchhiker on the road.
His name
is Carter and he said he’s been walking this lone road for more than a week. He
had meager supplies but he was willing to share with her. Tasha had been burned
before; a young couple weeks ago stole all her collected supplies while she was
sleeping. She had been pissed but still had hope that there was still good in
mankind. Tasha always found herself quoting The
Diary of Anne Frank lately. It was one of her favorite novels and seemed to
apply to her current situation.
“So you
think they have enough food and water there, Tasha?” Carter spoke, his voice
gruff from her waking him so early. She knew they had to keep moving. She
spotted a large herd moving North and she didn’t want to get surrounded.
“Well,
he said they had enough supplies and that any survivor that could hear their
message should make their way there.” Tasha replied.
“I’m
just a little leery of those with their hand out in supposed friendship. You
should be too, remember Bonny and Clyde?” Carter was referring to the couple
that stole her supplies. Come to think of it, Tasha couldn’t even remember
their real names, so Bonny and Clyde would have to do.
“Yes,
Carter, I remember. It took me weeks to gather that much food. Even still, we
can’t just give up on all of mankind because of a few desperate people. There’s
not many of us left; and that’s all they were….desperate.”
“And
what does that make us?” Carter had a good point. Will there be a time where
Tasha would steal from someone? The world is in a state now that stealing
someone else’s provisions especially weapons will lead to their deaths. Without
food, water, or guns walkers will surely make a meal out of them. Tasha hoped
she would never be faced with that decision.
“That
makes us…human.” They walked in silence for two hours before stopping for rest
at an abandoned gas station. Carter checked around back while Tasha took the
front entrance to make sure it was clear of walkers. Sitting against an empty
rack, Tasha took stock of their supplies. They were dwindling fast and with
nothing else between them and the small town that housed the church, they
needed to get there fast if they were going to survive.
Tasha
could already feel the effects of little food; she didn’t move as quickly and
her muscles strained at every little task. Carter, at least, seemed to be
holding up. They shared a meal and started a small fire on the floor to keep
the cool afternoon at bay.
“We’ll
rest for an hour then get back on the road.” Tasha let her heavy eyelids close
as if gravity itself targeted them specifically. In the back of her mind, she
wondered if Carter would still be there when she opened them. Her faith in
humanity shaken but not broke; she still trusted that he would be there.
She
awoke with a start; dreaming of when the outbreak first occurred and the
confusion afterwards. The campfire was out and Carter was gone. Tasha still had
her pack because she slept with it on her back, a habit she quickly developed.
“Carter?”
She asked the empty air.
“Here; I
found a stream nearby and filled up our canteens.” Tasha felt a rush of relief
that shocked her. She had been alone but being with another human being sharing
in this terrible situation made her feel…safe. Unshed tears pooled in her eyes
and she quickly turned to hide it. “Should we get going? We’ve been here for
two hours. I let you sleep; you looked like you could use it.” He quickly
explained when Tasha looked at him.
“Thanks.”
She allowed herself to smile faintly. “We should get going.” The pair walked
for miles, the church in town never seeming to get closer to them. They would
check abandoned cars on the side of the road but pickings were slim. There was
a small truck ahead that Carter was peering into. He broke the glass and seemed
to get excited.
“Tasha,
do you still have that Swiss Army knife? This truck has a little gas left;
maybe I can get it started.” Tasha ran to him and produced the knife with its
many different gadgets. Her hopes soared. With a truck, they may be able to get
as far as the town, depending on the gas. After some fiddling, the engine
roared to life.
“Here,
give me your pack.” Carter threw her pack into the empty truck bed and Tasha
made her way around the passenger side only to see the truck speed off.
“Hey!”
Carter never looked back. Tasha stood there and watched the truck slowly
disappear over the horizon. Her body was numb and her mind blank. If a herd of
walkers came up behind her, she wouldn’t even notice them. She may even welcome
them. Tears silently fell from her eyes. She felt foolish, naïve, and worse…defeated.
She struggled so hard to stay alive but for what? Only to be taken for a fool
not once but twice?
The
thought of giving up was substantial in that moment. Tasha started to feel like
there was no point anymore. Perhaps the good of mankind died when the initial
outbreak began. And still, Tasha found her feet moving forward; down that
lonely stretch of road towards the church. She had nothing now, no food, no
water, no shelter, and no weapons. It would be only a matter of time before the
inevitable.
Tasha
didn’t give up though. In a matter of four days, she found herself walking into
the church and was met by a Priest. Eight others were there with enough food
and water for them all. She had lost faith, but the Priest helped her to find
it again. She didn’t see Carter there and she never would. Tasha didn’t know
it, but Carter got lost and took the wrong road. His truck broke down and he ended
up back on foot. He would soon try to flag down a car with a man, a boy, and a
black woman in it.
He would
yell for their help, they would not listen but drive off leaving him to die on
the side of the road when a herd passed through. The pack the group would
return and pick up would be Tasha’s.
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