them in a room of undead, and
they'll kill each other trying to get out. Friendships end very
quickly. So there's no point in having friends.”
Aaron swallowed hard as he thought back to
his family. “That's not true. My family died because we wouldn't
run from each other.”
“Then they were idiots.”
He stopped eating and froze completely,
holding her gaze. “Excuse me?”
“There's nothing wrong with not having
friends,” she said. “Nothing wrong at all with looking out for
yourself. That's why I'm alive today.” She was trying to convince
herself more than Aaron.
“Sam, please don't call my family idiots.
Also, the reason you're alive is because a complete stranger saved
your life.”
“Which was a stupid thing to do. You don't
even know me. Hell, even if you did. I wouldn't risk my life for
you.”
He shrugged. He didn't exactly risk his life,
but she didn't know that. “My family was killed by a man looking
out for himself. But that doesn't mean that everyone out there is
like him. I'm not a people person either, but I haven't given up on
them yet. It's a shame you have. If I can save someone's life, I
will.”
She was quiet for a moment, and just watched
him. There was a calm, a peace about him that was almost
contagious.
She struggled to find words. “I don't
understand you, Aaron. You seem like a good man, which is hard to
find now. You live out here with the walkers. Why?”
He smiled and took a drink
of water. “The basics , Sam.”
She almost hit him. She only had herself to
blame. He wasn't going to tell her anything. Ironically, she wanted
to know.
They ate in silence as the sun continued its
journey over the horizon. Sam thought of how quickly life could
change. The night before she was getting ready to walk the
Lexington fence. Now she was away from home with a man who somehow
lived with the undead.
Aaron leaned back in a lawn-chair and looked
over a pile of books and games he moved earlier to the roof. He lit
a candle and set it down carefully. Soon, that and the moon would
be the only light they had.
“Do you play chess?” he asked.
“No.”
“Checkers?”
She shook her head.
“Any games at all?”
She gave him a look. She was a little jealous
of him, of his ability to smile at everything. “It's hard to
concentrate on games, Aaron, when there are a million walkers
between me and my home.”
“And what is home for you?”
She sat in the lawn-chair next to him and
talked about Lexington. He listened to every word. She told him
about the people, and how they actually managed to work together in
the world of the dead. She told him about how Richardson had taken
an old high school and made it into something special. She even
described her room, and the little things she'd done to make it
hers.
“It sounds like a nice place.”
“Yeah, it is. I didn't really know how much
till I got stuck here.”
Sam tried to think of how she could get back.
If she could find her way to Interstate 295, she could find her way
home. She couldn't read signs, but she knew the way back from
memory and landmarks.
The biggest problem was the undead in the
way.
“So what do you do for fun?” Aaron asked.
“For fun? Well, I don't
know. Most of my fun time is taken up by trying to stay alive.”
“You don't have any hobbies?”
“Not really.” She laughed. “Maybe that's why
Richardson is always asking me to walk the fence.”
“Let's play some checkers.”
“I told you. I don't play games.”
“Eh, you're right. You'd lose anyway.”
It was a calculated statement his father made
to Aunt Denise many times when she refused to loosen up. It worked
with Sam too. She looked at him a moment, then a small smile
touched her face. “Teach me how to play.”
They played long into the night. Sam managed
to win her fair share. Aaron noticed her finally relaxing, at least
just a little.
The moon was high overhead when Sam's body
told her it was time to sleep. She stifled a
they'll kill each other trying to get out. Friendships end very
quickly. So there's no point in having friends.”
Aaron swallowed hard as he thought back to
his family. “That's not true. My family died because we wouldn't
run from each other.”
“Then they were idiots.”
He stopped eating and froze completely,
holding her gaze. “Excuse me?”
“There's nothing wrong with not having
friends,” she said. “Nothing wrong at all with looking out for
yourself. That's why I'm alive today.” She was trying to convince
herself more than Aaron.
“Sam, please don't call my family idiots.
Also, the reason you're alive is because a complete stranger saved
your life.”
“Which was a stupid thing to do. You don't
even know me. Hell, even if you did. I wouldn't risk my life for
you.”
He shrugged. He didn't exactly risk his life,
but she didn't know that. “My family was killed by a man looking
out for himself. But that doesn't mean that everyone out there is
like him. I'm not a people person either, but I haven't given up on
them yet. It's a shame you have. If I can save someone's life, I
will.”
She was quiet for a moment, and just watched
him. There was a calm, a peace about him that was almost
contagious.
She struggled to find words. “I don't
understand you, Aaron. You seem like a good man, which is hard to
find now. You live out here with the walkers. Why?”
He smiled and took a drink
of water. “The basics , Sam.”
She almost hit him. She only had herself to
blame. He wasn't going to tell her anything. Ironically, she wanted
to know.
They ate in silence as the sun continued its
journey over the horizon. Sam thought of how quickly life could
change. The night before she was getting ready to walk the
Lexington fence. Now she was away from home with a man who somehow
lived with the undead.
Aaron leaned back in a lawn-chair and looked
over a pile of books and games he moved earlier to the roof. He lit
a candle and set it down carefully. Soon, that and the moon would
be the only light they had.
“Do you play chess?” he asked.
“No.”
“Checkers?”
She shook her head.
“Any games at all?”
She gave him a look. She was a little jealous
of him, of his ability to smile at everything. “It's hard to
concentrate on games, Aaron, when there are a million walkers
between me and my home.”
“And what is home for you?”
She sat in the lawn-chair next to him and
talked about Lexington. He listened to every word. She told him
about the people, and how they actually managed to work together in
the world of the dead. She told him about how Richardson had taken
an old high school and made it into something special. She even
described her room, and the little things she'd done to make it
hers.
“It sounds like a nice place.”
“Yeah, it is. I didn't really know how much
till I got stuck here.”
Sam tried to think of how she could get back.
If she could find her way to Interstate 295, she could find her way
home. She couldn't read signs, but she knew the way back from
memory and landmarks.
The biggest problem was the undead in the
way.
“So what do you do for fun?” Aaron asked.
“For fun? Well, I don't
know. Most of my fun time is taken up by trying to stay alive.”
“You don't have any hobbies?”
“Not really.” She laughed. “Maybe that's why
Richardson is always asking me to walk the fence.”
“Let's play some checkers.”
“I told you. I don't play games.”
“Eh, you're right. You'd lose anyway.”
It was a calculated statement his father made
to Aunt Denise many times when she refused to loosen up. It worked
with Sam too. She looked at him a moment, then a small smile
touched her face. “Teach me how to play.”
They played long into the night. Sam managed
to win her fair share. Aaron noticed her finally relaxing, at least
just a little.
The moon was high overhead when Sam's body
told her it was time to sleep. She stifled a
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