Jude, Dax, Ezra, and Kyle all walked out the front door, locking it behind them.
"The electric fence is on, right?"
Jude asked in a hushed tone, giving a lingering glance at the window to Rory and Alaina's room.
"It should be, but just in case, I think Dax should test it and make sure."
Kyle chuckled at her own joke, earning a glare from the heavyset man.
"I think you should suck my balls."
"Shut up, fat ass."
"You shut up, ginger!"
"Would both of you shut the fuck up."
Ezra interrupted their loud voices with a whispered yell in their direction. If they were too loud they wouldn't even make it past the fence without being attacked by the flesh eating dead. Kyle raised her hands in defeat and Dax only pouted, tightening his grip on his 270 Winchester.
"Jude and I will take the woods, you two take the city."
The group nodded in agreement at the usual grouping. Ezra wanted to be with Kyle to make sure she was safe. He knew he couldn't trust that dumbass to make sure a z didn't bite his girlfriend's arm off. The problem was Kyle couldn't shoot for shit. She could, however, scavenge.
Jude, on the other hand, could track like a pro. A skill much needed to hunt for the small, fast, uninfected animals they relied on for protein.
The two survivors turned towards the road and Ezra grabbed Kyle's wrist before she could get too far, pulling her back and pushing their lips together.
"Be safe."
Kyle nodded, her cheeks tented a light scarlet and her fists balled with Ezra's worn brown jacket.
"Yeah, you too."
"Groooooss. Can we leave now?"
Dax commented with a roll of his eyes.
"Well I think it's sweet."
Jude commented with a small smile.
"No one cares what you think asswipe."
***
Kyle twisted her hands on the handle of her barbed bat. Her nerves always got to her when they went on runs like this. One mistake. That's all it took to become a meal for the walking dead.
"Would you chill out? I can see your balls shriveling up as we speak."
"First off, at least I have balls. Secondly, I have a reason to be nervous, and so should you."
Dax only rolled his eyes as they continued to walk side by side. They had gotten into town after less than a two hour walk. If all the gas weren't gone, it would've taken 20 minutes.
"You don't have to be nervous when you're as talented as I am."
"Dax, you act like I don't already know what a pussy you are."
"Says the ginger who can't even hold her weapon steady."
It was Kyles turn to roll her eyes, a deep aggravated sigh following.
"Whatever."
Kyle and Dax checked store after store, finding nothing but a roll of duct tape, one water bottle, two cans of beans, and a jar of peanut butter. Not a total loss, yet not enough to survive. Dax hummed quietly as he searched the empty shelves for anything they could use.
"What're we doing Dax?"
Kyle asked in a low tone, sadness hidden well behind her voice.
"What do you mean? We're getting supplies, dumbass."
"That's not..." she sighed deeply, rubbing her freckled face with a hand.
"You know what I meant."
"We're trying to survive. That's what we're doing."
Dax grabbed something, carelessly throwing it into Kyle's plastic bag. The red head suddenly stopped,
"Shouldn't life be about more than just surviving?"
Dax turned around, prepared to tell Kyle what a pussy she was being, and how none of them wanted to eat a bean and a half for supper instead of a four course meal but too fucking bad. Instead he was met with gloomy eyes staring at the pathetic amount of supplies in their plastic bag.
Dax cleared his throat as he turned away,
"I think we've got just about everything we're gonna find. Let head back to the house."
Kyle nodded in agreement and they made their way out the store. They walked past abandoned car after abandoned store after abandoned restaurant and Kyle didn't say a word. It was driving Dax insane.
"You suck at shooting a gun."
It was a work in progress but at least he'd get a rise out of her.
"Yeah, well, I'd never used one until my whole family died."
Morbid.
"I could... teach you? I guess."
Kyle paused, her brows knitted as she looked in Dax's direction.
"I know how to shoot a gun Dax."
She stated sternly, her hands landing on her hips.
"I didn't say you don't know how to shoot a gun. I said you suck at shooting a gun."
"I'm better than you."
She quickly shot back in a defensive tone.
"Oh-ho, is that right?"
"Yes."
"Okay."
Dax looked around, a few empty cans on the ground catching his eye. He bent over and picked the litter up, having no problem finding a car to set them on top of. Kyle only watched, an eyebrow raised in question as Dax walked at least fifty yards away to place the trash on top of a car.
"What're you doing?"
She asked in a bored tone, examining their surroundings for zombies as she spoke. Dax finally made his way back to Kyle, a smirk on his lips as their eyes met.
"I bet you my portion of dinner tonight that I can shoot more of those cans down than you."
Dax pointed to the three cans he had lined up on top of a silver Pontiac a short distance away.
Kyle scoffed,
"That's a terrible idea."
"Why?"
"Multiple reasons, r-tard."
Wasting bullets, loud noises, and not to mention, she was awful at shooting a gun.
"Come on Kyle, we only passed a few zombies on our way here and none since we got into town. I thought you said life should be about more than just surviving?"
He took a step closer,
"Why not have a little fun? Learn a thing or two?"
Dax pulled the shoulder strap of his gun over his head, holding the weapon out in Kyle's direction.
"Live a little."
Kyle sighed, shoving her bat's handle into Dax's hand.
"Fine, I could use some extra food on my plate."
Dax's smile grew immensely before he moved out of the way, gesturing in the cans' direction.
Kyle lifted the gun to her face, aiming it at the center can.
"You get three shots."
"Shut up, dumbass."
Kyle took a deep breath through her nose and out through is mouth before firing.
Miss.
Aimed again.
Miss.
"God damnit."
She took a deep breath, aiming it one last time before pressing the trigger.
Miss.
Dax chuckled,
"My turn."
Kyle handed the gun off, a sour look on her face.
Dax lifted the semi-automatic, pressing it comfortably against his shoulder. His expression became blank as he aimed.
The sound of a bullet hitting tin echoed in the sky.
Then he did it again with the can to the left.
Once more to the can on the right before he turned to Kyle with a shit eating grin.
"I don't want to know why you're so good at this."
"Because it's an apocalypse, get with the times."
The red head only scoffed.
"I can show you how. I mean it usually just takes practice, but from what I've seen it'll take more than that for you."
Kyle punched him hard in the arm, definitely leaving a bruise.
"You're a dick."
She ripped the gun from Dax's hands.
"Now, show me how to shoot people."
Dax's smile grew wider.
"Alright, alright."
He ran over to the car, picking the cans up and putting them back up top before coming back.
"Position yourself to shoot, shoulders facing your target with your right leg back for support." Kyle did as she was told, lifting the gun up to eye level.
"Hold the gun tighter against your shoulder,"
Kyle tightened her grip.
Dax walked up behind her and hesitantly wrapped his arm around her, resting a hand on her stomach.
"You're too tense."
His hot breath tickled the shell of Kyle's ear.
"You're taking your breathes but you aren't actually loosening up. You keep jerking or flinching every time you shoot. Squeeze the trigger in between your breaths rather than afterwards."
Kyle tried to relax her muscles but found it difficult with the large man invading her personal space.
"Keep your shoulders relaxed."
Kyle rolled her shoulders before letting them rest loosely.
"Aim just below the target."
Kyle closed her eyes. She breathed in through her nose, her stomach expanding under Dax's warm hand before she opened her eyes.
Aimed.
Fired.
Kyle lowered the gun as the sound of the bullet connecting with tin echoed though the air, a shocked expression soon turning to a bright smile.
She turned her head, her face inches from Dax's. His eyes were dark but in the sunlight, being this close, Kyle could see one eye was brown and one eye was a dark blue. Huh. Why hadn't she noticed that before?
Dax licked his lips, his eyes boring deep into Kyle's.
"Um.."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You can... let go now."
Dax's eyes widened.
"Right!"
He practically threw Kyle from his arms, backing away quickly.
"See, stupid, I'm so good I can even make someone as awful as you make a perfect shot."
Kyle rolled her eyes.
There was the Dax she knew.
The sound of something crashing to the ground alerted the two. Dax quickly took his weapon back and Kyle grabbed her bat from where it had been tossed to the concrete.
"What was that?"
Kyle examined their surroundings with wide eyes. The street was empty, eerily empty. A sudden scream from behind her caused her to jump and she quickly turned to see a zombie inches from Dax.
She slammed the end of her bat to it's head, blood spewing onto Dax's face.
"Run."
As soon as she said it they saw them. At least 20 zombies where running straight towards them, as fast as humanly possible. Scratch that. They weren't human, at least not anymore.
"Come on,"
Kyle helped Dax to his feet and they began to run. They ran past their small bag of supplies, past the stores they had searched for hours, and in the opposite direction of the base. They couldn't lead them anywhere near there.
They ran as fast as they could, Dax's hand locked onto Kyle's.
He couldn't breathe.
His legs weren't as fast as Kyle's.
He was going to be sick or worse faint.
"Kyle," He panted.
She turned her head to face Dax, glancing at the dead running behind them.
"Come here." She turned a building to the right an abandon car catching her eye.
She let go of Dax's hand and ran up to it trying to open the door.
"Come on!" She growled, attempting to open the locked car.
"Fucking open!" She slammed the window with her elbow in an angry failed attempt to break the glass.
Dax quickly got to the ground and rolled under the car, pulling Kyle down with him, just as the dead rounded the corner.