El Cazador

Once everything was off the shelves, Ricky jogged back to the aisle end. He glanced back to the door, grimacing at Ariel’s words and the zombies getting closer. “Push,” he said as he put all his weight on the shelf. It wobbled in place for a moment until it slowly teetered towards the doors, falling down in a large crash. “Think it’ll do the job?” He asked, breathing ragged as he kept his gaze on the door. At least to him, it looked like the two would be safe.

When he pushed, so did she, and with a bit of force the shelf fell down, landing perfectly against the door. “I think so,” she answered with a nod, looking between Ricky and the zombies. “But I it might still be a good idea to try and find a way out of here.”

Ricky's gaze stayed transfixed on the zombies on the other side of the glass windows for a moment longer, slowly nodding at the stranger's comment. "Yeah... yeah, good idea," he said, looking back to her. "Back door, fire exit?" He suggested with an arch of his brow.

Ricky scanned the shelves for something to help block before a small smirk grew on his lips. At the girl’s words, he nodded, walking to aisle end. He pressed his weight against the end, it barely moving. “Push everything off of the shelves, we’re moving this,” he stated, already tossing items off.

While Ariel wasn’t sure if she actually be strong enough to help push over a shelf, she nodded her head in agreement, figuring it was probably her best bet at the moment. So, running over to the shelf where the man was, she began to move things off the shelves. There wasn’t much, but whatever it was didn’t seem exactly useful to anyone, apparently. By this time, the zombies were already at the doors to the store and she was suddenly glad for her slip second decision to shove a broom through the handles. “We’d better hurry,” she said, getting ready to try and push the shelf over. “I don’t think the door is going to hold much longer.”

Once everything was off the shelves, Ricky jogged back to the aisle end. He glanced back to the door, grimacing at Ariel’s words and the zombies getting closer. “Push,” he said as he put all his weight on the shelf. It wobbled in place for a moment until it slowly teetered towards the doors, falling down in a large crash. “Think it’ll do the job?” He asked, breathing ragged as he kept his gaze on the door. At least to him, it looked like the two would be safe.

Ricky nearly chuckled out of joy before turning his glee into an earnest, sad smile in the blonde’s direction. “You’re too kind,” he said with a nod of his head, taking a few steps into the room. While he had traveled around the world, he had never seen such a beautiful room for just one person. For a moment, he was awestruck, taking in his surroundings. “Right, no need for unwanted attention,” Ricky agreed with her, looking back to her. “I’m Richard, by the way.”

Glancing back to catch him looking around the room, the blonde slowed her steps as she headed toward the door that led to a long, wide hall. The entire house was rather extravagant. Decor from all around the world, antique but with a modern look. Like royalty lived there, and they certainly had the money to consider themselves just that, not that money or possession really mattered now. But a nice big, gated house did. “Richard,” she echoed, a small smile gracing her features. “I’m Christine, Christine Winters. Now, come. You must be starving,” she gestured for him to follow as she guided them into the hall.

Ricky didn’t know what to focus on as the two walked out of the room. Everything was too beautiful, he couldn’t look at just one thing. But, he tried to focus on the blonde, offering her a meek smile at her name. “Pretty name,” he said, following her through the hallway. “… And, yeah, I am pretty starving,” Ricky agreed with her, wondering what on Earth could be in the kitchen. “I do have a couple cans of food in my bag, but it’s… outside.”

Ricky hadn’t noticed the girl behind him until he reached the store he spotted earlier, exhaling a sigh as he looked back at her. He had been hoping the walkers got her and he would have been able to flee with going unnoticed by them, but like most of his life, his hope was crushed. “Help me find something to barricade the door,” he said, already searching the area beside him.

“Right.” Ariel nodded her head, immediately setting off to search for something. It didn’t take long for her to find a broom, and she stuck it through the handles of the doors. It wasn’t much, but it would at least help until they could find something better to put up against them. “Found anything yet?” She asked, looking over at the man.

Ricky scanned the shelves for something to help block before a small smirk grew on his lips. At the girl’s words, he nodded, walking to aisle end. He pressed his weight against the end, it barely moving. “Push everything off of the shelves, we’re moving this,” he stated, already tossing items off.

Ricky nodded at her answer, offering her a sad smile. “That’s a long time,” he stated, bowing his head down. Safe for so long. He hadn’t felt genuinely safe in forever, even since before the apocalypse. The life he led before was a dangerous one. At her question, he hesitated before saying, “since the beginning. It’s terrifying out there.”

“You must be so…” Christine began shaking her head slowly. “Here, come inside —- we have food, running water…” she rambled, stepping through the sliding door into a pristine pink, white, and gold room. “Electricity, too, but we don’t turn on the lights… it attracts too much attention.”

Ricky nearly chuckled out of joy before turning his glee into an earnest, sad smile in the blonde’s direction. “You’re too kind,” he said with a nod of his head, taking a few steps into the room. While he had traveled around the world, he had never seen such a beautiful room for just one person. For a moment, he was awestruck, taking in his surroundings. “Right, no need for unwanted attention,” Ricky agreed with her, looking back to her. “I’m Richard, by the way.”

Ricky’s gaze bore into the brunette as she voiced her threats, about to take a step forward. But, as she agreed to his suggestion, he smiled, shuffling a few steps back. “I’m glad you’re thinking clearly,” he stated, adjusting the strap of his backpack. He turned away again, giving her a wave of his weapon before calling out, “Hopefully I won’t see you again.” However, as he continued to walk, he stopped in his tracks when he heard something. Growing closer. He cranes his neck to the right. A mini horde of zombies came right towards him and the girl. “Shit,” he breathed out, turning around to where the girl stood and started running past her. From what he could remember, there was a small store close by he could hide in.

“I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you,” Ariel replied with a smirk, taking a few steps back. She was about to turn and walk in the opposite direction of the stranger, but stopped when she heard the familiar moaning of zombies. “Great,” she muttered, watching as the man ran past her. She quickly followed behind him, hoping that he was headed somewhere to hide.

Ricky hadn’t noticed the girl behind him until he reached the store he spotted earlier, exhaling a sigh as he looked back at her. He had been hoping the walkers got her and he would have been able to flee with going unnoticed by them, but like most of his life, his hope was crushed. “Help me find something to barricade the door,” he said, already searching the area beside him.

Ricky stared at the blonde, eyes wide as he took her in. “I can’t imagine what would had happened either,” he said, allowing himself to ramble to her for a moment longer. “I mean, I can handle a handful of those… things at a time, but that was just so many… huh?” He furrowed his brow at her question before looking down at himself. He knew he was alright, but it wouldn’t hurt to check in front of her. “I don’t think I’m hurt, no. I’m fine… How long have you been in here?” Ricky asked, curious to know.

“More than there have ever been here,” the blonde replied, looking out to the long stretch of a front yard she used to play in as a child. At his next question, she hesitated. Naturally. “…since the beginning.” While the entire world was out there facing those monsters in the front line, she’d had the opportunity to hide away. And now everyone was one step ahead of her, adapting and understanding. “How long have you been… you know, out there?”

Ricky nodded at her answer, offering her a sad smile. “That’s a long time,” he stated, bowing his head down. Safe for so long. He hadn’t felt genuinely safe in forever, even since before the apocalypse. The life he led before was a dangerous one. At her question, he hesitated before saying, “since the beginning. It’s terrifying out there.”

At the sound of the voice behind him, Ricky rolled his eyes, his grip tight on the machete handle. Thinly veiled threats never scared the man. “How about,” he started, slowly turning around to face the girl, “you drop your weapon, and I won’t have to gut you.” Blue eyes went from her face to her weapon, a dinged-up golf club, before back to her with a bored expression. “Or, we can just pretend you didn’t say that at all.

Admittedly, Ariel was a little surprised by how un-threatened the man seemed to feel, and it kind of annoyed her. “You try to gut me, I’ll bust your kneecaps,” she replied, though she honestly didn’t want to get into a fight. She decided her life wasn’t worth risking for a machete; she could probably find something better elsewhere. “But, we can just pretend I didn’t say anything at all.” She lowered her weapon, but still kept a tight grip on it, just in case. “I happen to like my guts. And I’m sure you like your knees.”

Ricky’s gaze bore into the brunette as she voiced her threats, about to take a step forward. But, as she agreed to his suggestion, he smiled, shuffling a few steps back. “I’m glad you’re thinking clearly,” he stated, adjusting the strap of his backpack. He turned away again, giving her a wave of his weapon before calling out, “Hopefully I won’t see you again.” However, as he continued to walk, he stopped in his tracks when he heard something. Growing closer. He cranes his neck to the right. A mini horde of zombies came right towards him and the girl. “Shit,” he breathed out, turning around to where the girl stood and started running past her. From what he could remember, there was a small store close by he could hide in.

At the sound of the voice behind him, Ricky rolled his eyes, his grip tight on the machete handle. Thinly veiled threats never scared the man. “How about,” he started, slowly turning around to face the girl, “you drop your weapon, and I won’t have to gut you.” Blue eyes went from her face to her weapon, a dinged-up golf club, before back to her with a bored expression. “Or, we can just pretend you didn’t say that at all.

Ricky watched the stranger, the blonde, point to the trellis. He immediately made his way to it, about to start climbing when she spoke again. Leave his things? While he didn’t want to do that, he figured that the woman was telling the truth - at least, hoped. So, he dropped his machete to the ground, his bag following suit, and shouted, “I’m coming up!” to her. He climbed, as quick as he could without losing his footing. Once at the top, he slung his leg over one side of the balcony, his other coming over after. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he breathed out, looking back to the yard before to her. Pretty. “I really cannot thank you enough.”

In complete honesty, when Christine witnessed the man drop his weapon and bag, a bit of relief washed over her. While she understood having a weapon was necessary with the dead walking around, trying to pick off the living, guns and knives and everything in between still made her uneasy. As he made his way up to the balcony, the blonde hopped back a bit and kept her distance, wide blue eyes set on him. The first living human she’d been in contact with in so long. “Are you alright…?” She inquired, worry washing over her features. “I’m… I’m glad I heard you, I can’t imagine what would have happened if…” she let her words drift off, head shaking slowly. “Are you hurt?”

Ricky stared at the blonde, eyes wide as he took her in. “I can’t imagine what would had happened either,” he said, allowing himself to ramble to her for a moment longer. “I mean, I can handle a handful of those… things at a time, but that was just so many… huh?” He furrowed his brow at her question before looking down at himself. He knew he was alright, but it wouldn’t hurt to check in front of her. “I don’t think I’m hurt, no. I’m fine… How long have you been in here?” Ricky asked, curious to know.

The moans of the undead were getting louder, but the voice of an angel rang through. “Shit,” he huffed out to himself, glancing over his shoulder. If he had to, he could ran away, maybe only have to kill a couple more before darted. But, hearing her next words, the man nearly laughed out of relief. But he held it in, taking a few steps back off the porch and up to the balcony. The only thing he saw was a flash of blonde hair. “Yeah, I can!” He answered, his tone still in faux-worry as he looked around the area. “Where can I climb up? They’re getting closer!”

Rushing to the other end of the balcony, Christine reached out to the rose covered trellis. “Over here!” It was sturdy, thankfully, hopefully attached to the house enough to hold the man. “It’s steady, leave your things if you have any —- we can get them later, don’t let them weigh you down!” She stayed at the edge, leaning over just a bit to signal him.

Ricky watched the stranger, the blonde, point to the trellis. He immediately made his way to it, about to start climbing when she spoke again. Leave his things? While he didn't want to do that, he figured that the woman was telling the truth - at least, hoped. So, he dropped his machete to the ground, his bag following suit, and shouted, "I'm coming up!" to her. He climbed, as quick as he could without losing his footing. Once at the top, he slung his leg over one side of the balcony, his other coming over after. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he breathed out, looking back to the yard before to her. Pretty. "I really cannot thank you enough."

The moans of the undead were getting louder, but the voice of an angel rang through. “Shit,” he huffed out to himself, glancing over his shoulder. If he had to, he could ran away, maybe only have to kill a couple more before darted. But, hearing her next words, the man nearly laughed out of relief. But he held it in, taking a few steps back off the porch and up to the balcony. The only thing he saw was a flash of blonde hair. “Yeah, I can!” He answered, his tone still in faux-worry as he looked around the area. “Where can I climb up? They’re getting closer!”