Surviving This Life

by Rodgers, Salice

  “Do you think Tony is cheating on me with Becky the Bimbo?” I look to her hoping she doesn’t see the same things I do. Maybe I am just a jealous girlfriend and making something out of nothing. “I know it seems stupid for me to be thinking about this at a time like this but I can’t help it,” I sigh and my eyes tear up as I spill my insecurities.

  “I would be lying if I said no Liv,” Wil says turning from the mirror looking at me.

  “What should I do? I love him Wil. I know we have had a rough time lately but I don’t want to be without him and I sure as hell will not share him,” I say wiping the tears away as they fall. I am supposed to be the strong one and here I am crying over a damned boy. But he is so much more than a boy to me.

  “Ask him Liv. Y’all have been together long enough that you can tell from the look in his eyes if he is lying or not. Pay attention to the signs,” she says.

  “Thanks Wil.” I say with a half-smile. “If he is I am going to feed bimbo to the flesh eaters,” I chuckle.

  “That would be a beautiful sight.” she laughs with me.

  After my talk with Wil I am finally able to fall asleep. But as soon as the sun comes peeking through the glass doors I am up. I need to talk to Tony now. I glance around our little camping spot and notice his and Becky’s sleeping bags are empty.

  I walk in the direction of the bathrooms to relieve my about to bust bladder. When I am finished I will find Tony. I promise myself. As I near the bathroom I hear soft moans coming from the men's bathroom. I instantly think it is flesh eaters so I bang the door back and I see Becky’s naked ass on the sink with her legs wrapped around Tony’s waist. He is balls deep in her just pounding away and I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces.

  “WHAT THE FUCK?!” I half scream and half cry.

  Tony jumps back his eyes landing on my face. Becky’s legs quickly fall to the floor and her eyes grow huge. She quickly grabs her clothes and holds them in front of her like I didn’t just see her naked body.

  “Babe, let me explain please,” Tony says picking up his pants and sliding them on quickly followed by his shirt.

  “Explain what? How you tripped and your dick landed in her pussy?” The tears I was trying to hold back invade my face. I look over to Becky and anger shoots right through me.

  “You knew he had a girlfriend and still you chose to fuck him!” I say as I march my way toward her.

  She jumps at the sound of my anger filled voice directed toward her and runs to stand behind Tony like he is going to save her from the ass beating she is about to get.

  “He ain’t going to save you bitch because I am going to kick his ass next!” I bark.

  “Fighting us is not going to solve anything Olivia.” Tony shakes his head and slowly walks towards me.

  “It will solve a lot of things. Take one more step and you will be the first to find out,” I say as my whole body trembles and tears fall down my face. I think I would have rather seen him as a flesh eater than fucking some bimbo while I slept.

  “Please Olivia, isn’t there enough bad in the world? Just let me walk away and neither of you will have to see me again,” Becky says trying to reason with me.

  “Don’t even talk to me right now,” I snap at her. “The best thing you could do right now is cover your store bought tits and get the fuck out of my view.” I hurl the words at her.

  She frantically puts her clothes on and quickly runs past me. I look at Tony the hurt and anger clear on my face.

  “Why Tony?” I choke out.

  “I was stupid Olivia, I don’t even have a good excuse.” He shakes his head and looks to the floor.

  “How long has this been going on? And don’t say this is the first time because I have seen the looks y’all have been given each other, I am not stupid nor blind.”

  “Since you and I started having problems,” he whispers.

  “And your solution to our problems was to fuck another girl? Did Dev know?” I ask not really knowing if I want the answer.

  “I said it was a mistake Olivia. He found out the day the world went to shit. That is one of the reasons he walked out without waiting on me. He wanted no part of it. Even if it was the end of the world.”

  As much as I don’t want for him to witness me losing it I can’t hold back any longer. I sink down on the floor pulling my knees to my chest and my face in my knees as the sobs take control. I really miss Dev, he would know exactly what to do in this situation and that would be to kick Tony’s ass. It should have been Tony that got bit not Dev. My body shakes as the sobs demand to take over my body. My heart is completely broken and I don’t know where to go from here.

  Tony sighs and walks over to me. He wraps his arms around me pulling me close to him. I can still smell her on him and that causes me to break down even more. As much as I want to scream and push him away right now I let him hold me as I cry into his chest.

  “Liv?” Wil says behind me, her voice sleepy.

  I look up with a tear stained face and see the only true person I can count on. I push myself out of Tony’s arms and stand up running into Willow and unleashing more tears on to her new shirt.

  “What is going on? Are you okay?” she asks.

  “I...I walked in on him,” I point to Tony, “and Becky. You were right.” I manage to get out between the sniffles and the tears.

  I feel her body jerk at the sound of my confession and her body goes tense. “Bitch is fucking dead,” she says.

  I nod my head in agreement on her shoulder.

  “It was a mistake Wil I’m sorry,” Tony says.

  “Damn right you are!” she yells.

  Before I can stop her she pushes me from her arms and slaps Tony across the face so hard his back hits the stall behind him. I know it shouldn’t, but a smile creeps over my face as I see Tony stumble back. Serves that bastard right! I wipe the remainder of the tears from my eyes ready to knock the fuck out of him if he even thinks about hitting her back.

  Tony’s hand flies to his cheek as he looks from me to Wil. Wil has always been the soft spoken one. The one who would never hurt anyone. Wil shakes her hand and turns back to me blushing. She shrugs her shoulders and walks back towards the bathroom door.

  “We should go,” she says to me before she opens the door and walks out.

  I look over at Tony, “You need to go get your things together and tell your whore to do the same,” I say before I walk out and follow Wil.

  We thank Clint and Bobbie Sue for everything and as I am about to raise the door and leave, Clint surprises me by giving me his double barrel shotgun and a bag full of ammo.

  “Are you sure? What will you use?” I ask him.

  “I got plenty more back there. Y’all just keep that baby girl safe,” he says.

  “Are y’all sure y’all don’t want to stay here with us? It’s safe and we have food and showers,” Bobbie Sue asks.

  “Thank y’all so much, for everything,” I gesture toward the big duffle bags of food and clothes and sleeping bags. "But we really need to be going now. She has family in Florida,” I point to Becky, “That she really wants to get to and she wouldn’t last two seconds on her own.” I roll my eyes showing my disgust for her.

  Bobbie Sue chuckles and Clint smiles. “You are tough as nails gal.” Bobbie Sue and Clint go one more round with hugs and well wishes for everyone then they disappear back to the home they have made here.

  “Em when this door opens there may be some scary people on the other side. You just hang tight to Wil and she will get you to the car safely. Do you understand?” I bend down getting eye level with her.

  “Yes,” she replies reaching up for Willow to pick her up.

  I turn and glare at Becky. “You think you can handle the bags there princess?”

  “Yeah I got them,” she answers quietly.

  I look at Tony. “Gun or Bat?” I hold them both up.

  “Gun, you seem to know that bat pretty well,” he smirks.

  God that is hot.
I shake my head. What the hell am I thinking? He just fucked another girl. Get your head in the game LIv!

  I reach over and motion for Tony to help me lift the door. I can feel that the amount of resistance on the other side and that can only mean one thing, a lot of flesh eaters are waiting for us.

  “Get ready there is a lot!” I say looking at Wil. She nods her head. I close my eyes and say a silent prayer that we make it to the car. I know it is just on the other side of this door, but from the feel of this door I am going to have to say at least ten flesh eaters are on the other side. I take a deep breath.

  “You open and I’ll get the closest ones out of the way.” I look at Tony.

  “Open the door Liv,” He says annoyed, “I will go first.” He takes a deep breath and gets ready.

  I roll my eyes and reach over and quickly lift the door. As it shoots up three flesh eaters stumble right on top of me knocking me back and almost to the ground. I swing as hard as I can and knock one back into the others and they fall.

  “GO AROUND THEM!” I shout at Wil and toss her the car keys.

  “I’m not fucking leaving you!”

  “I got this! You worry about Em.” I bash another flesh eater in the head causing blood to splatter on my new shirt.

  Tony is firing shot after shot and only hitting their head about one in every fourth shot. But I guess it’s better than nothing.

  “Keep them away from the car!” I yell to Tony as I stumble my way out of the door motioning for Becky to hurry up. She looks like a regular pack mule with all those bags draped over her tiny frame. She is hesitant at first until I knock the last flesh eater that is in front of me to the ground.

  “I’m not going to let you die while you have our things,” I snap at her.

  Wil is at the car trying desperately to find the right key to unlock the doors as I see a flesh eater staggering up behind her. Emily screams as it gets closer to them. I run as fast as I can, dodging the other eaters to get to them when I hear a loud bang and the eater drops behind them.

  “I got them covered you get Becky to the car,” Tony shouts.

  I look back at Becky as two fleshes eaters are slowly approaching her. She backs up until her back hits the now closed garage door. She is screaming and closes her eyes tight. I could just let her die now, but she has our supplies. “Fuck,” I mumble as I sprint to her rescue. I yank the first one back and bash him over the head. The second one is now grabbing at her arm as she swings it from side to side trying to free from his grip. I rear back and knock it over the head with all of my might. My bat smashes through its skull like a knife in hot butter. Brain matter and blood splash all over Becky.

  “EWW! GROSS!” She hisses as she tries to wipe it from her face.

  I turn around and walk to the car in the now flesh eater free zone. I can’t help but have a huge grin on my face as I slide into the driver seat.

  Once everyone is in the car I crank it up and make my way back onto the road.

  Chapter Seven

  Willow

  A few days ago I would have been getting up and getting ready for work. I had my dream job and the dream boyfriend any girl could ask for. I was working my way up the ladder at the coffee shop and soon I would be able to have my own and could make new kinds of coffee and snacks. Not everyone’s dream, but it was mine and I was slowly getting there day by day.

  Now I am sitting in the back of Tony’s car looking out the window watching flesh eaters as they walk around with no destination in mind until they hear a noise or see something moving, with no boyfriend and no job. The world has gone to hell and I am fighting to stay alive in it.

  “How much farther till Florida you think?” I ask Liv.

  My tail end feels numb because I have been sitting on it for so long. And what would usually be a normal stop at the store for a soda is now a fight to make it out alive.

  “I am not sure. Becky how much farther once we hit the Florida state line?” Liv ask.

  “Umm not too far, maybe another four or five miles,” she speaks up.

  “So we have about another ten miles Wil,” Liv answers as she looks at me through the rearview mirror at me.

  “My rear end is dead,” I say and squirm in my seat giggling. Emily joins in laughing at the funny faces I am making and leaning up rubbing my butt cheek.

  “Do you want me to see if I can find a place to stop and stretch our legs?”

  “No, let’s just get there. So when we stop it will be the last one for a while I hope.” I smile.

  “Okay.” Liv steps on the gas pedal a little harder.

  The rest of the ride to Florida is in silence with neither Becky nor Tony talking unless someone says something to them first and in Becky’s case it is not very often.

  Becky leans in between the seats and points to a long road to the right. The road has orange trees lining both sides making a canopy over the gravel road.

  “Down this road. It’s the only house on the road.” She speaks to Liv quietly.

  Liv nods her head saying nothing as she drives down the road. Emily stirs beside me and rubs her eyes looking out the window. I feel a calm come over me as we drive down the driveway. Like maybe we will be safe here.

  Liv comes to an abrupt stop in the middle of the driveway.

  “There is a gate.” She turns to Becky, “Your house so you open it,” she says with a smirk.

  “Fine,” Becky says.

  She looks all around the car before she takes a deep breath and quietly opens the door. I look out my window and see the closest flesh eaters coming down the driveway. Becky makes it look like a process as she takes another deep breath and slides out of her seat running to the front of the car and unlocks the gate. She pushes the doors and it creaks open. Liv inches the car forward and through the now opened gate. I look back and see Becky frantically trying to push it shut but it looks too heavy for her to move. Tony sighs and grumbles something under his breath then gets out and jogs back to Becky helping her close the gate as the first flesh eater makes it to them. Becky jumps back as it reaches through the bars to try and get at them. Tony shakes his head and finishes locking the gate then jogs back to the car and gets in with Becky hot on his trail.

  Liv drives the car forward and I see a big stone house slowly come into view. It has a rounded driveway with a beautiful fountain in the middle. Liv parks the car in front of the huge oversized steps. This is the type of house I have only seen in magazines or movies.

  “I guess the help isn’t here to help with the bags or parking the car so this spot should be fine,” Becky says as she gets out of the car and scurries up the steps not bothering to help with any of the bags.

  “I guess the help isn’t here to help with the bags,” Liv repeats in a mocking voice while shaking her head.

  “Hey Malibu Barbie! Grab a damn bag!” I yell to the back of Becky’s retreating head.

  I have never had thoughts of murder ever. I have always tried to live by the golden rule of loving everyone. But seeing as the world has gone to hell I would like to think those same rules don’t apply. Becky ignores my yelling and walks in the house anyway which only makes me want to hurt her more.

  “You sure know how to pick em,” Liv says to Tony as she gets out and makes her way to the trunk and starts grabbing bags.

  Tony rolls his eyes and gets out going straight inside not bothering to help with the bags either.

  “Way to go Ken!” I yell at him as I get out and go to help Liv.

  I grab a bag from Liv and I climb up the stairs to the house and step into the foyer running into a hard muscular wall. The bags in my hands hit the floor and Emily giggles causing me to blush.

  “Shit sorry!” I say and bend over to pick up the bags.

  The wall laughs and bends down to help me with the bags. “It’s no problem. Any friend of Bec’s is a friend of mine.” He picks the bags up and extends his hand.

  “Hi I am Cade, Becky’s brother.”

  Cade is tall, with l
ong brown hair the same color as Becky’s, that seems to reach down his back. His arms are covered in tattoos from his shirt sleeve down to his wrist. He has a long beard that reaches down to his chest. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of him. He is gorgeous.

  “I...uhm….I am..”

  “Willow. Her name is Willow,” Liv says laughing behind me.

  He laughs and looks at me. "Nice to meet you Willow.” He shakes my hand.

  Chills spread across my body as he takes my hand in his.

  “Nice to meet you...too,” I say shaking his hand.

  “Well follow me ladies and I will show you around and to your rooms, since Bec seems to be too busy with her new boy toy she brought in.” He laughs not knowing he just set a fire off in Liv.

  I hear her take a deep breath behind me and as gorgeous as Cade is I kind of want to smack him in the back of the head for that remark.

  Liv closes the front door a little too hard and the pictures on the wall vibrate. We follow Cade up the spiral staircase and down the hall. He is calling off which room is what until we reach the end of the hall.

  “And this will be your room,” he says looking to Liv.

  “Just mine? Where are Wil and Em going to be?” she asks.

  “Willow will have this room.” He points to the open door across the hall. “And little Emily can share with one of you, or she can have this room,” He says opening the room right next to Liv’s.

  I hear Emily let out a big gasp as the door opens. She runs inside and I am right behind her. The whole room is pink with a big canopy bed right in the middle. There is a huge Barbie house in the left hand corner and a rocking unicorn in the right corner. Emily squeals out.

  “Can I really have this room?!”

  Cade and I both chuckle. “Yes you can. It was my niece’s room, but…” He trails off looking at the floor.

  “Becky has a kid!” Liv blurts out from behind us.

  “No not Becky. We have...had another brother but…” He chokes up and I want nothing more than to wrap him in my arms and comfort him.

  Liv reaches out and pats him on the shoulder. “Sorry,” she whispers as she walks away into her room.