FLAMES WITH FIRE

CHAPTER ONE: ONE LAST NIGHT

The glowing embers leaped and twirled in a fiery dance, like fireflies flying in the twilight hours beckoning potential mates or prey into their grasp. The air was thick with smoke, with all inhabitants - which had accumulated to a considerable amount over the last couple of weeks - finding shelter outside amongst the dead, which at that moment in time was the safest option. The flames licked the air ferociously and hungrily, surviving only on oxygen and on the furnishings in the once much loved, historic farmhouse that had been passed down through the Greene family for many generations.

The fire took no prisoners as it ripped through century old antiques, devouring family heirlooms, old photographs and well used furniture. The house that had stood proud on the same spot, surrounded by acres and acres of beautiful farm land and woodland, was burning to the ground and nothing and no one could stop the flames.

The memories of generations living within the walls of the Greene Family Farm perished in the fire, and the future generations would never get the opportunity to see the farmhouse in all its splendour, feeling the warmth that radiated from the family, as it would become nothing but ash that would soon seep into the soil. As the early morning sun began to make an appearance, it illuminated the smoke filled air and gave all those in the surrounding area a glimpse of the true devastation the fire had caused.

Though the sadness was felt in every one of them, the survivors were busily trying to fight off the dead who had, over the previous few months, had crept closer towards them, like moths to a flame. They fought like their lives depended on it - and it did, and all the while trying to ensure their friends and family had made it out of the fire and not being ripped apart by the dead.

She was alone. She had run as far away as she could, obeying her father's orders to find a safe place. The farm in which she had grown up seeking adventure in, playing for hours in the wildflowers just a stones throw away from the house, was betraying her in that very moment. Each turn she made, every direction she looked, the dead were there, waiting for her. Grasping hungrily at her, jaws smacking together as they made a bee line for her. She moved away from them, muttering to herself, and she found safety behind the chicken coop.

And that was when she allowed fear to overwhelm her, where she felt frozen to the ground, her feet stuck in invisible concrete. She couldn't move, she found breathing to be difficult, she felt the overwhelming sensation of dizziness. All she could do was stand there, and hope that she would snap out of it sooner rather than later.

She moved slightly and looked around at her surroundings; the fire was blaring in the distance, having seeped into her own bedroom and destroying everything she loved; her family which now consisted of her father and sister were shooting the walkers that were inching closer and closer to them; the squatters who had taken refuge outside with their vehicles, tents and large RV were tackling the dead as best they could.

She knew the new world would never be safe, with the dead now claiming every aspect of normal life. She never realised just how fearful she was, how emotional she would be, and how those close to her could never rely on her protecting them. She was young, but she was never prepared for such a world. They trusted her with everything else, as Maggie had enlightened her in a few secrets regarding the Korean man who had arrived with the group, but when it depended on their life, they knew that Beth wouldn't be able to do much.

She wanted to protect her family. But she couldn't.

Screaming filled the air and she closed her eyes tightly, her anxiety gripping tighter around her throat. She knew she needed to help. She knew she needed to do at least something. But she stayed where she was until the screaming behind her stopped. She didn't know just how long she had been hiding near the chicken coop for, but the sun was now high in the sky, its rays beating down on her. The air around her was silent now, except for the crackling of the fire in the distance.

She turned slowly, her eyes adjusting to the brightness of a new day. Bodies were strewn across the farmland. She was able to see that some of the dead were still standing, their attention fixed solely on the burning farmhouse, and some had ventured inside and had immediately caught fire. The stench of the air was what came next to Beth, as she stood watching the scene in front of her. She looked around, the sighting she had of her father and sister having gone and disintegrated with the night.

She moved out from behind the chicken coop, her legs heavy and her head still as dizzy. She was sure to stay as quiet as possible, but she was aware of just how heavy her breathing was. But it was as if her movements and breathing were a sensor to the dead, as the ones who were devouring the family animals snapped their heads towards her. They climbed over the dead carcasses, capturing the attention of the dead who were close to the house, and all began to amble towards her.

She turned and ran.

She knew the direction of where she was heading was not the ideal one. The woods would be as equally as dangerous, if not more, and as she hadn't ventured out into the woods ever since the world has ended, she had lost her navigation skills. She knew there was a highway close by - the one her father and Sheriff Rick had told everyone to head to if circumstances meant they had to abandon the house and get to safety, which was over a large hill and through thick bushes. As she ran however, her mind was focused solely on getting away from the dead who despite their decayed states, were hot on her tail.

She found a large tree, and hid for a moment. Her breath was hard to catch, and her legs and lungs felt as though they were on fire. Branches snapped behind her and she found herself running again, slower than before. A flurry of scenery passed her by, and she was aware of more walkers being in the woods already. Her movements had caught their attention too, and she fought the urge to give up and succumb to the dead, knowing she was outmatched.

She stopped, coming to the bottom of the large hill that she would have to climb in order to truly escape. She looked to her right - the way she had come from - and saw the dead closing in on her. The sound and smell of them was something that sent shockwaves down her spine. She had never been so close to them before.

A hand grabbed her arm, and she turned, and a silent scream escaped her. She ripped her arm out of the grasp of a walker and moved quickly away.

The dead were everywhere. She couldn't do anything except stumble backwards and hope that she didn't stumble into anymore.

"Please... no.." she whispered, her voice hoarse and foreign to her. Her pleading fell on deaf ears as the dead continued to stumble towards her, their hands trying to grab her, their dead eyes staring hungrily at her, as their teeth and jaws snapped in her direction. She took a deep breath, knowing there was no way out, and closed her eyes-

An arrow flew through the air and penetrated the brain of the walker in front of her. Before the walker could fall to the ground, gunfire erupted around her, and instinct told her to move quickly out of the way. As the gunfire ceased after a few moments, she found it difficult to breathe.

A familiar face came into view, and she tried to focus on their features. She had never spoken to him before but had seen him on the farm a few times. He kept himself to himself, only seeking conversation from his brother or Sheriff Rick.

"Ya bit?" He said, his voice abrupt and hoarse. She realised in that moment that she had never heard him speak before. His voice was different to what she had expected it to be.

She stared into his eyes for a moment before shaking her head. "No... I don't think so," she said quietly.

He kept his eyes on her for a brief moment, before laying his crossbow down beside him and grabbing her wrists. He pulled each sleeve up, moving her arms as he checked for scratches or bite marks. He moved her blonde ponytail out of the way, and checked her neck and collarbone for bite wounds or scratches. When he was happy that she wasn't marked, he glanced at his brother for a moment. He was aware of her attention being on him still, and as he moved his attention back to her, he knew he had her full attention.

"Beth, we need to get to the highway," he spoke clearly. "Ya family will be there. The group will be there. Can ya stand?"

She nodded, knowing her voice would only just fail her.

"More's comin'," Merle's southern drawl could be heard. "We gotta move or they'll be munching on our asses."

Daryl glanced at Beth, his eyes watching as staggered forward. He shouldered his crossbow and moved her into the middle of him and his brother. Merle would lead them out of the woods and onto the highway, Beth would be protected in the middle, and Daryl would ensure they were all safe from behind.

He watched Beth's footing, pulled her back in line when she strayed too far off course. Any walkers in their way were taken down by Merle's homemade bayonet arm which was a relief for Daryl as his attention was wavering slightly as he concentrated on the young, inexperienced girl in front of him.

The hill was steeper than she remembered, and her legs felt as though they were going to collapse under her. As twigs and branches caught her clothes thus grazing her skin, her eyes fell upon the large ash tree with its overhanging branches and leaves looming over the woodland floor. She saw the scrapes in the bark, the familiar names etched in the tree trunk.

Beth. Jimmy. 2009. A crooked love heart encased their names forever in the memory of that day.

As they climbed the hill, the two men who she had grown used to seeing around the farm would never know the significance of that tree. They bypassed it without a second glance, and continued on the trail to the highway.

The highway held so much hope and promise. The promise of her family being alive and well, which was a strange concept to comprehend. The new world took no prisoners, and the safety of her family was even more paramount. She was a worrier anyway, but even more so now. And being away from her family, watching her childhood home burn to the ground as the dead invaded her only safe place in the world, it was all too much.

And it was gone. The house, her belongings, her safe place.

Her family was missing, and all she wanted to be was in her father's arms being reassured that everything was fine. She wanted her sisters calm voice in her ear telling her she was safe. But she was with two men she barely knew, who had taken it upon themselves to take her to safety and she was grateful for that. She knew that without them, she wouldn't be alive and making her way to the highway where her family would be. Where her family had to be.

But as they came out of the clearing, the highway was empty. No signs of life were evident on the long stretch of road. Just beat up, abandoned, dusty vehicles blocked the road, with strewn clothing and old supplies upon the hot concrete. They waited and waited for hours, with no one coming out from the tree line. A few walkers made an appearance, but were quickly taken care of before they became a problem. As the day was transitioning into evening, and with no sleep and no food, Daryl called out to her that they need to be on the move. They needed to find shelter before nightfall, and they needed to make sure they ate something.

Seeing the defeat and panic on her face, Daryl promised they would return the next day.

As they left the highway, Beth felt inexplainable pain.