𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘 || 𝘙𝘐𝘗𝘗𝘌𝘋 𝘈𝘞𝘈𝘠
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[ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜ
ɪ'ᴅ ꜱᴜʀᴇʟʏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ
ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴀʀ
ɪ'ᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ʙʏ ᴍʏꜱᴇʟꜰ ]

FOR AT LEAST a week now Emily and Roland had been on the road together. And in a week, Roland had experienced more migraines than he'd ever expected. What he also didn't expect was not minding the company of the fourteen-year-old who could be a snappy teenager like Roland once was. Creating more relatability between them since they were four years apart in age.

"Emily, c'mon." Roland hollered from the front of the car as the girl pulled away from the vehicle with one can of food. "Stop rushing me, old man. I found some." She told him, passing the can to which he caught it and inspected it. Nodding with a tiny hum as he shrugged off his backpack and stuffed the can into his bag. "We should keep moving. We still gotta cover some distance before nightfall." He told her as he shrugged his bag onto his back before they kept walking.

They had come upon a town that Roland hadn't been able to figure out. It was quiet and since they hadn't run into any bandits or any other survivors for the past week, he was cautious. As if they had became the last people left on the earth, and for Roland, it was quite a possibility of that being true. It sure felt like it for months now since he was on his own.

But even if Roland didn't like to admit it, taking Emily with him hadn't been a complete waste of time or a horrible decision. She had helped him with whatever he needed and he appreciated her contribution. She also had been able to at least bring some form of light into the days that they had spent together. Although she helped quite a bit, Roland didn't like the idea of her coming in and helping with clearing out walkers. The last thing he needed on his conscience is having to kill a fourteen-year-old because he needed her help. He preferred himself getting bit and her having to kill him.

He cared about her and her safety a bit, so he been apprehensive about the idea of her getting her hands dirty. As long as she was helping with other things, then he was happy. Even if that was just helped with setting a fire or searching a vehicle or two as he kept watch. Everything that they did help each other and it would continue that way until they made it back to Roland's group. Then that weight would ease off of them and they would be left with smaller responsibilities.

The girl beside him glanced around in curiosity before looking up at him. "What are we looking for again?" Emily asked and Roland sighed as he glanced around while rubbing his gloved hands together. "A map or something that could help us." He told her and she huffed. "Well, I have a good feeling about this place." She told him and Roland nodded in agreement. "I like your optimism."

As they walked further into the town, Roland took in the abandoned street they were on. Cars were scattered on the sides of the road. Some of the doors partially opened with snow slowly drifting inside them covering the seats. Glass from the windows of houses was shattered with some of the doors wide open and letting in the cold. A few walker corpses scattered all over the sidewalks with them being frozen It was a ghost town full of memories of the world before this one. Something Roland had tended to forget if he was too focused on just surviving.

His eyes caught Emily who let out a yelp as she stepped onto some ice and began slipping. Right when her feet were about to shoot up right from under her, he caught her arm. "You alright?" A little teasing was in his tone as he helped the girl walk off the ice and the normal patchy snow covering everything they walked on. "Yeah, I'm good." She assured him before he let go of her arm and glared at him, slapping his stomach. A grunt slipped Roland's lips as he saw the girl smirk in amusement before they continued walking and looking around.

A sound from inside one of the houses got the pair's attention. Both turning in the direction of the house before Roland held his arm out for the girl. "You stay here." He ordered and Emily looked at him incredulously. "I can help." Like many times before, Roland looked at the girl sternly. "Stay. Here." He ordered lowly and the girl huffed before nodding in submission.

This was a continuous thing that happened between them and Roland knew he would hear about it later. He knew Emily wanted to help in any way she could, but this wasn't what he was willing to put her in. These types of things were the things Roland has to deal with since from what Emily had told him, she hadn't taken down that many walkers. So, Roland couldn't put her at risk because she wanted to learn, but later on, he would probably trust her and teach her everything he knew. It was the least he could do to help her survive in this world with him.

Turning away from the girl, Roland took careful and slow steps up the steps of the house. The quietness of the house made Roland's hands tighten around his pistol that he pulled out halfway up the stairs. When he walked up the front door, his gun was raised, ready to shoot whatever popped out of nowhere.

Walking further into the household, Roland could only hear the thud of his boots. His eyes glancing around all over to see if anything really seemed out of place. And as he walked into the kitchen, he caught sight of a bag. It was dusty or dirty, it looked fresh and clean. Almost as if it was brand new.

So, taking slow steps towards the bag, he crouched down and began searching through. Until he stopped, feeling the cool metal of a gun pressing to the side of his head. "Put the gun on the floor." The man ordered sharply as Roland sighed, placing his pistol down on the wooden floor. It was a few moments later that a scream ripped through the air catching the pair's attention.

Roland didn't waste a second to take his gun back and run towards the door. "Get down." The man ordered as he pulled Roland down behind cover. "Roland! Roland, please!" Emily's plead shook Roland to his core as pushed the man off of him and ran out the door. Losing his footing and nearly falling on his face as the sound of an engine roared to life before it took off.

"Em!" Roland yelled as he got to his feet quickly and began running after the black truck. It was a few moments later when a gunshot cut through the air and Roland was knocked onto his back. His hand grasping his shoulder as he groaned in pain. For the first time in a while, his heart was hurting as he tried getting up to his feet. The pain from his shoulder licking up and down his arm as he felt the warm blood trickle down his bare arm and soak into his shirt and jacket. That was the last of his worries since all he was focused on was Emily who was being driven away by people he didn't recognize.

The man from before ran over and stopped him. "Woah, man. Take it easy." Roland pushed him away and struggled to get to his feet. But once to his feet, he tried walking in the direction of where the truck went. His mind only focused on the fact of Emily being ripped away and how he had gained the responsibility of protecting her. "You won't make it to their camp." The man called out.

Stopping his feet, Roland turned around and pointed his gun at the man as he walked towards him. "You fuckin' set this up, huh? You were waitin' for us, huh, asshole?" He accused sharply as he ignored the soaring pain in his shoulder as the man lifted his hands in surrender. "I didn't do shit. Also, the name's Matt Crawford, by the way." The man Roland knew now as Matt corrected before lowering his hands to his sides.

"Those assholes have been travelling down here for weeks looking for her." He explained as Roland had a permanent snarl as he glared at the man. "How would you know that?" Roland questioned sharply as he slowly walked towards the man. "I've been scoping out their camps for weeks. Was actually on my way to their main base. Fuckers been killing survivors left and right." Matt said as he reached into his pocket, stopping when he saw Roland take a closer step forward. "I'm just grabbing a map. I'll show you where they're held up, but I would like to kindly ask you to lower the damn gun."

There was no reason for Roland to trust this man, but this was Emily's life at stake. She had been taken away from him because he wouldn't just let her help him. She was his responsibility and she mattered more than she would understand. He was desperate to get her back, and he would do anything to do so. So, he lowered his gun and Matt nodded in thanks before pulling out the map.

Only stopping at the sound of walkers approaching from all around. Their presence is made when emerging from the treeline. Stumbling and even a few falling over from the frost on their flesh and bones. "We need to move," Matt told Roland who nodded in agreement, swallowing the lump in his throat. "We'll get you patched up when we're safe. You know anywhere we could go?" He asked and Roland groaned as he placed a hand over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know a spot."