Gas station

Its been a while since I've seen them. They're just memory now, but I cant give up now just because they're not here anymore. The stores around here would are looted already so I'm taking a ride out into the middle of no where. A place where most people wouldn't think of. The drive here is silent, Taylor is silent, she knows I dont want to hear her voice, so when we slow down there is only the sound of sqeeking breaks. A whistle until we came to a complete stop. I wait for a moment, am I really about to do this? I need to prepare myself, but I have no time left or else she might suspect, she already does but knows she has no choice.

"Check what they have." I say.

Her hands slowly and hesitantly move towards the door handle. She opens the door and quietly steps out. As she walked to the door she turns back watching me. I know exactly what she's thinking, and she's right but she has no choice in this situation. I can see her take a breath before entering.

While looking in between the isle for any left over food, I put the car into drive and press the pedal to the metal. I have to, I dont want to be near her. Looking through the side view mirrors I see her running out. The dust from the dirt road covers her from my view but before it does I can see her drop to her knees. She suspected, was afraid, and it happened.

A minute into my escape from Taylor I can't help but fight myself. My mind turns into a mess. Guilt, thats the main thing I feel. Why? I hate Taylor, its because of her they're all dead. It her fault, but I know she can't survive on her own, not with those monsters roaming the streets like starving tigers. She won't survive a day, knowing her fragile body. She's weak, she needs me, but I cant I dont want her near me.

Maybe someone else will take her in? Maybe she finds food, and weapons.... Weapons I took them all, and for her other people will be a threat. I kill, and kill, but she can't.... Yes she can... No she will die.

I... I feel alone, why? Ill get over it maybe? Or maybe I won't, at least even when she was quiet I wasn't alone. I've always had the others around, but now I dont.

I press the breaks, and swerve off the road. Putting the car in park,  and gently lying my head on the wheel. I dont know, was it really her fault? I need to decide. I've killed so many, but they've all deserved it, does Taylor? Does Taylor deserve to be alone, does she deserve to be out there. It was her group that killed them, yes yes, the group not her. What am I saying? It was her, well... wait am I just lonely still?

I can't, I just can't, she doesn't deserve to be killed out there by those things, nor taken by some fat sack of shit man that will use her and throw her away. I know the new world, the way it is now. What I has become after the virus.

Looking over into my rear view mirror, nothing but dust and desert. One road leading back to the gas station, the place I left poor Taylor alone. Turn, and head back, U turn this fucking car and get back to her. She must be afraid.

Making my way back, I can see her. She's still in the middle of the road, and on her knees. Driving passed her, she doesnt even notice me. She stares down the road frozen in time. Her expression stabs me in the heart. I've hurt people like this and scared them countless times but her face, in this situation just hurts and I dont understand why.

I park behind her, and wait for her to come to, but she doesn't. I leave the car and slam the door as hard as I could, not even a flinch. 3 bullets, rare to find now, but I can use one on her right? The revolver clicks. If I do it now, she won't feel a thing right? Right into the back of the head, she won't even see it coming. I can't, so I sit infront of her. I dont know how to treat her. Will she kill me, like if I give her the gun? Let's see, I've been tired of life since 19, and now isn't any better.

I take her hand, its stiff, and place the gun into her hand. She wond grasp it, she just holds it like a mannequin would.

Finally she notices me, she drops the gun instantly and goes for the collar of my shirt.

"How could you! How could you leave me!" She shouts tears running down her face.

I don't know. The same thing that made me murder her group and anyone that stood in my way. I simply don't know, but the answer isn't the one that exit my mouth.

"Because I hate you..." I whispered in her ear.

The answer shocked me, and ran shivers down my spine, and made her let go. She turned away, and looked at the floor.

"If you hate me so much, GO, leave me again! I'll live on my own!" She exaggerates.

I know she won't, "lets go inside. See what they have."

I'm not looking back, if she leaves, she leaves, if she follows I promise I won't ditch her again. I may hate her, but deep down I know she's innocent, it the thing thats stopped me from pulling the trigger so many times, and brought me back.

*Ding*

I enter the gas station store and look around. The register is in tact, means money must be in there, or maybe there hasn't been any to begin with. Its useless now, but still works for gas and some other things, but people aren't that smart. They think only of the present, never the future, thats how I was, and thats why they're all gone.

Crackers, chips, soda, beer. Garbage, none of this is useful. All stale, all useless. Dog food, 3 cans. Hate to say it but the day is looking up. Oh and some peas and corn! Yes! Perfect. Beef jerky, but I dont know how good it is, it has been out here for a while now.

*Ding*

Taylor walks in slowly holding the revolver but not correctly. She sits down on the stool at the register and watches me bag food among other things. Gum, toothpaste, brushes, comb. I dont know, anything else that can come to be useful.

The cigarettes seem to be all taken, idiots took something else to kill them before taking something that will save them. I dont smoke anyway, but a lighter would be nice. Maybe 4, wait how about 6, or let's get 10? Why not, lets ruin someone's day when they come around here.

"Hello, I'd like to purchase these items..." I smile while slapping bags full of items on the counter.

Taylor looks at me, and then back at the items. Nobody bothered to turn the electricity off here so the register opens with a click of a button.

"I was kidding, this is a robbery!" I pretend holding up a finger gun.

Not a single smile from her, but I chuckle. Taylor puts the money in the bag and I keep pretending to be robbing. A hum from the distance gets our attention. We look out the window to find an RV parking right behind us. I know whats going down so I hide the revolver behind the register, in my reach, but not in the view of anyone that enters through the door.

2 men, a skinny bearded man and a fat red man with white hair and a mustache. They both enter the gas station pointing their guns straight at us.

"Well well, look what a perty lookin girly we got here Rick." The skinny man says with an intense southern accent.

"You're damn right Cleitus! She is a mighty fine girl. I haven't seen one of them in a while." Rick says pulling his pants up. "Alright boy, if you want to live, you gotta give us your girly friend there and we will leave you alone, how does that sound?"

I climb on top and over the counter, then take Taylor by her shirt, "you got yourself a deal, but she's fresh so I want something else too, a gun maybe?"

Taylors begins to struggle.

"Your life ain't enough?" Cleitus says, his accent so strong i barley understand.

"Look, this girl is brand spanking new. She 21, pretty, blonde and looking at her she's most likely a virgin, so I think a find like this one..." I say before being cut off my Rick.

"Listen boy, we got 2 guns pointed at you, and we got 2 more men inside the RV, so give us the girl and we will be on our way. This is your last offer." Rick says sternly.

I look over at Taylor and send a wink towards her. I dont know if she caught it, but her struggling seemed to subside a little, "I guess I cant fight it, here you go."

I swing Taylor at Rick who puts his hands out to catch her. Cleitus, none the wiser lowers his gun, but unfortunate for him, at a terrible time because as he lowered, I lifted and blew a hole through his neck.

I jump over the counter, 2 shots left while Rick blows through 8 rounds missing every one. I cant pop up in the same area, gotta make these last shots count without killing me, or getting Taylor kidnapped or worse killed.

I can hear the struggle between Rick and Taylor. She's fighting to get out of his grip, while he's fighting to keep his gun straight. This guy, stupid. How has he survived so long. Hit Taylor with the gun, knock her out walk to me and kill me, but instead he just sits there. Wait, maybe its just to get the attention of his buddies? Maybe he is smarter than I thought.

I pop out and take a shot, but I missed this lardo head, but not his shoulder. He drops his gun, and lets Taylor go, but is too fat to bend over quick enough and take the gun with his other hand.

Taylor kicks it into my direction. I pick it up and point it at Rick, "You're a fucking pig." I blow his mind.

Taylor runs towards me, so I take a look at the RV. 2 more men run out, and they're running guns blazing. Not shooting at us though, but at something else. The groans get louder. The sound of someone gargling on balls intensifies. I look over behind me and Taylor and one of those corpse fucks is walking towards us. However it falls to the floor and feasts on Rick. Lived as a pig, died as one too.

I take Taylors hand and as I run out I pick up Cleitus' gun. I open the door and bash a zombies face with it.

"C'mon out, get to the RV, the corpses won't miss it!" I shout at Taylor.

She does as I say, but I forgot the food. I cant leave it, so I run back in and grab it. A corpse man takes my foot tripping me. I turn over and it begins to climb on top of me.

I throw its rotting body at Rick, and it forgets I ever existed. Get up and get out. Get up and get out. Get up and get out is all I can think of as I start running out the infested store. The 2 buddies of Rick are hanging on and fighting off the corpses. Aim, shoot and go, I think and then re-enact.

They fall to the ground and to the monsters. Taylor is in the RV, so I should be there to now. I run in and Taylor is here but throwing knives at a zombie. I take the zombie by its jacket, and walk it to the steps of the RV and finally throwing it out the door. I then quickly close the door, and drive off. Those idiots shouldn't have messed with me. I gave them a choice, gimme a gun but they decided to be greedy. Guess I'll just find a better group for Taylor.