This is based on chapter 1 of "When the Riders Depart" By Jaydon Scott. Go read it NOW! If you want the link just ask! Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Wait! Please stop!" Alice hollered as she sprinted across the beach chasing a shadow. It could've been dangerous but she didn't care. It was something alive out here, something other than herself. She ran until she was back amongst the planes. She stopped and looked around. There was no sign of whoever it was she'd seen. "Hello?" she said desperately.

She walked over to the creaking door of a plane, hoping that they'd gone in there to hide. When she leaned her head in to look, she had to whip away fast as a horde of birds flew outwards. Shrugging, Alice turned around. She'd lost them.

THUNK!

She found herself on the ground a second later with a wild person trying to stab her. Her hands flew upwards to snatch her attacker's arms. They both grunted and struggled to defeat the other. Alice managed to fling them over her and they crashed to the ground. She scrambled to her feet quickly as her enemy got up.

They were too grungy to see who it was or even if they were alive. Alice managed to kick them hard into the plane beside her. They slid onto the ground, unconscious. She walked over and rolled the person over with her foot. Then her heart stopped as she saw who it was.

Claire Redfield.

A whole whirlwind of emotions flew at her. The first was relief, Claire was okay. But then she should've expected that, Claire wasn't going out without one hell of a fight. The second thing she felt was a rush of happiness twisted up with pain. It made Alice feel like she wanted to be close and far away at the same time. Claire was the first person Alice wanted to see and yet the last.

She reached down to see something attached to Claire's chest. Whatever it was, she needed to get it off. Alice wasn't sure when Claire would wake up again and she didn't want to take any chances so she tied her up to a plane's landing gear.

For a moment Alice stood there silently, drinking up the sight of Claire. She looked so calm when she was asleep, so vulnerable. For a long time, Alice couldn't even remember Claire's face; it was just a blurry image in her mind no matter how hard she tried to remember. Seeing her again so vividly made all that buried attraction float up to the surface. There it stayed and taunted her, teasing her because she couldn't have Claire.

She knew it was only a matter of time before her memories hit her like a speeding car, leaving her breathless and crushed once again. Better to get it over with now while Claire was asleep. That would just make things easier. So she let herself remember for one tiny moment.

Her body tingled as she recalled the feel of Claire's soft lips on her own. She remembered the way her heart pounded so hard in her chest she thought it'd break free. Only for a second later to have it feel like it had been frozen and shattered with a hammer.

I can't.

That's all Claire said and then she walked away. From that moment Alice tried to forget the unhelpful-utterly useless-feelings that had sprung up in the few days she'd known Claire. She tried to act like they weren't there but there wasn't a day she didn't think of that kiss. Alice shook her head, shoving the thoughts out of her mind. That was enough for one day.

It was dark when Claire woke up with a jolt. She looked around to see she was in a dark field filled with planes. There was a lantern giving off a faint bit of light beside her. She tried to move but her hands were tied above her. Frantically, she kicked her legs and struggled to get free. Then a satiny voice filled the air.

Claire twitched at the sound. She'd heard that voice before. She couldn't place when or where or who it even belonged to. At this point it was like a voice she'd heard in a dream a long, long time ago.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." the voice said softly. A woman stepped closer, the lantern's light falling on her. She was very pretty-beautiful more like it. Her eyes were a piercing blue and her dark brown hair was a bit in a shaggy mess but it suited the woman. She crouched down so she was on eye level with Claire. She held up a strange silver spider, the thing that had been attached her before.

Claire had slowly calmed down but she still tugged at the rope. Not that she was so eager to get away. The longer she looked at the woman the more curious she became. There was something about that face, those eyes….those lips.

"Who did this to you?" the woman asked. Claire was too caught up in staring, struggling to remember. A concerned look fell over the other woman's face. "Do you even know who I am?" Claire didn't have any answers and she was partly angry because of that. "My name is Alice. We met in the Nevada desert eighteen months ago. Does any of this sound familiar?"

Alice…the name sparked a flood of jostled images; Alice sitting by a fire in the desert staring quietly at her, Alice setting a sky of birds on fire, and most of all Alice's lips on hers. That memory came in crystal clear as if she'd fused it into her mind, determined that it could never be forgotten no matter what. She could almost feel the pounding heat on her skin, the way Alice smelled like sand and canned soup that day, and the delicate, gentle lips moving against hers with such care. Claire blinked in confusion, her heart racing wildly.

Alice had mentioned a bunch of other things but it never reached Claire's ears. She was too busying running over the one memory she managed to recall. Alice shrugged and stood up, tossing the spider-like device into the darkness. The brunette seemed more frustrated than a stranger ought to be over Claire's memory loss. But then again…maybe not? Claire didn't know. She watched Alice wander off to a red plane and searching the insides for the little bit of food she must've brought.

What happened in that desert? Claire wondered.

Alice came back, she was holding a can of food and swirling the insides around with a spoon. "Hungry?" she said as she came closer. Claire just eyed her. She can't be serious. Apparently she was. Alice held up a spoonful before Claire's lips. She wasn't gonna take a bite but her stomach growled at the most inconvenient time. Grumpily, she opened her mouth and let Alice feed her.

Alice let her have two thirds of the can and ate the rest; it was written on her face though that she was still hungry. Claire wondered why she didn't just do half and half. After that, Alice searched around. Claire couldn't see her but she could heard Alice's feet shuffling around. She came back with a bucket of water and a handful of clothes.

"We should get you cleaned up. You look like you had a rough couple of weeks lately." Alice said. She dipped a rag in the water and reached out towards Claire. Claire flinched away, she may have one pleasant memory of this woman but she still felt like a stranger. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

Claire flared her nostrils and grit her teeth, giving Alice a back-off expression. Alice leaned her head forward giving Claire a look of her own. "If you wanna walk around looking like a mud ball be my guest." Alice said. Alice had a point there; Claire had been so dirty for so long she'd forgotten what clean felt like. Claire shrugged and gave in. Slowly, Alice reached forward brushing the cold went cloth against Claire's cheek. She shivered. "Sorry…I know it's cold."

Alice ran the rag gently across each curve of Claire's face as if she was memorizing each feature with her fingers. Then her hair, her arms, her hands, and the part of her chest that her torn up tank top didn't cover. Alice became tense as she appeared determined to keep her eyes on Claire's collarbone and not let them travel down any further. Claire could only stare, the way Alice touched her was they someone would've handled a very delicate, very beloved work of art.

"There, much better." Alice gave a small, comforting smile. Claire eyed the clothes beside Alice and lifted her chin towards them.

"What about those?" she asked almost daring. She wanted to see how Alice would react to that. Maybe it would give her a hint at something or jog another memory. Alice froze in place for a second before quickly recuperating.

"I thought those could wait until I thought you were ready to be untied." Alice said.

"And when will that be?" Alice didn't have an answer. "Exactly," Claire whispered. "These rags aren't very warm." She looked at Alice's jacket, wishing she had one. Alice swallowed uneasily for moment before letting her fingers fall to Claire's shoes. She hesitated, glancing up at Claire to see if this was okay.

Claire felt her ears burning up like they'd been set on fire as she realized what Alice was gonna do. She was cold but was she that cold? She was going to kick Alice in the face but those bright blue eyes just stared at her patiently with each passing second making Claire's tough exterior turn to jelly. At last, she managed a barely noticeable nod.

A touch of amusement filled Alice's eyes as she pulled off Claire's shoes. It quickly faded as Alice's fingers found the top of Claire's pants. She watched Alice become so tense she was surprised the woman got her arms to move again. The air went deadly silent; the only sound was their uneven breathing. Alice lowered her head, her eyes looking as far away as she could as she pulled Claire's pants free. It looked almost painful for Alice. After an eternity, Claire pulled her feet free and tucked her legs close to her in an attempt to preserve her dignity. Alice wasn't a perv but she did seem to have some kind of longing hidden in her face.

Alice shook out the clean pair of trousers she'd found and slipped them over Claire's legs. Her fingertips brushed against the sides of Claire's legs. Claire shuddered and she saw a smile trying to twist its way onto Alice's face. Claire grit her teeth in frustration that she couldn't just do this by herself.

She got more frustrated at how wonderfully fast Alice was at putting her boots on. When Alice finished lacing them, she started to reach for Claire's shirt next. Claire's foot whipped up and rested on Alice's chest. "Huh-uh." Claire glared and shoved Alice back.

Alice held up her hands. "Alright, calm down." She climbed onto a plane's wing. "Goodnight." Alice said in a teasing sing-songy tone. Claire watched her roll onto her side and she guessed fall asleep. Alice was so quiet Claire wasn't sure if she was really asleep or faking it. She waited at least an hour before attempting to sleep herself.

Claire bolted awake at the sound of a plane starting. She'd been untied from the landing gear but her hands were still bound. When she sat up, she saw she was in a fresh shirt and a red leather vest. "Dammit!" she hissed frustrated. That sneaky little bit-!

"Good, you're awake. Let's go." Alice said behind her. Claire narrowed her eyes angrily, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Go where?" Claire demanded.

"Well, I thought we'd head down the coast. Maybe we'll find some survivors or at the very least what happened to you." Alice said as she tilted her head back to squint up at the clouds.

"That seems like a waste of time." Claire mumbled under her breath. She did want to know why she couldn't remember anything but she didn't want to go with Alice.

"I can't leave you here." Alice said. "And it's safer to keep moving."

Claire looked around. There was nothing out here. No bears, wolves, and definitely no people. Claire had been eating fish the past…however many weeks it was. Alice looked at her confused.

"We have to keep moving because of the Infected." Alice said. Claire shook her head. "…you don't remember…" Alice rubbed her forehead like someone had dropped a huge uncomfortable weight on her shoulders. Alice glanced at her, contemplating. Claire thought she was about to explain but Alice let out a deep breath instead. "Let's just go. I have to find a place to refuel."

Alice pulled Claire onto her feet and led her over to the plane. Claire looked around, she didn't know if going with Alice would be safe but the woman hadn't killed her yet. The eerie silence of the field made her feel unsettled. What were these Infected Alice talked about?

They were in the air for a short while. The further south they went the more Claire could spot little houses and cars, although none of cars seemed to be moving. Alice found a small town that had a landing strip, so she figured that also meant fuel. When they landed, Alice looked around quickly before climbing out. Claire started to move but Alice turned to her.

"Stay here." Alice ordered firmly before jumping down and wandering off. Claire lost sight of her as Alice walked behind a building, for some reason that unsettled Claire. She felt a sudden longing. It was like her heart was whining don't leave me…not again. Claire shook her head, baffled at this unexplainable emotion.

Claire waited for a few minutes but there was absolutely no sound and no signs of life other than herself. She didn't know why but she was starting to worry about Alice. For one thing she hardly knew the woman and she was still angry about what she'd discovered this morning. The longer she stayed put though the more she feared Alice wasn't coming back. Screw this, I'm not a kid, Claire thought. She struggled a bit to push back the cockpit window but she managed it. Claire climbed out and began heading in the direction she saw Alice go.

There were empty fuel barrels strewn all over the place as well as a bunch of other trash. She could see the buildings nearby were hangers. Past them was a chain link fence that had a huge hole in it, like several cars drove through it. The small town beyond the fence was silent. She wondered where all the people had gone.

She turned into one of the hangers, wondering if Alice had gone in there. It was dark and dusty inside. The only light came from the tiny windows near the ceiling. There were a few private planes parked in there. Tools and barrels cluttered up most of the space. She heard a shuffling noise coming from a room on the other side of the hanger.

"Alice?" she whispered. The shuffling paused for a moment before continuing. Claire got mad that the woman had ignored her. She walked forward a little faster, now sure that she'd found Alice.

Her eyes wandered around and she gasped as she saw three bodies lying on the ground. They looked like a small family. Their flesh was rotting in several placed but that's not what made Claire's stomach twist up. She covered her nose to block it from the smell. The worst part was that the bodies were torn up like they'd been eaten. She could see bite marks all over them, human bite marks. Maybe that's why the town's people were all hiding, so they could catch their next victims.

"Alice!" she said worriedly now. She reached for the door of the room the shuffling noise was coming from. It was pitch black inside. An unnatural snarl destroyed the silence, the sound echoed around the hanger. Something snatched Claire's shoulder. She looked to see the hand was gray, rotten, and dead looking.

She jerked away and took several fast steps back. Whoever grabbed her stepped out of the dark room and into the hanger where Claire could see them. It was man in a shredded pilot's suit. His eyes were sunken into his head, his skin was a dingy color like rotten meat left to bake in the sunlight for years, and blood was running down his chin. That's not Alice. He growled and charged towards Claire.

Even though she was shaking all over, she didn't hesitate to sprint towards the nearest exit. But then she remembered the door had knobs and with her hands tied it took a minute to get it open. She cursed and turned left rapidly before getting trapped. She looked around for anything she could use as a weapon.

The man stumbled a few times but didn't give up chasing after her. Claire spotted a screw driver on the table. She snatched it and turned around; she stabbed the man right in the chest. He spat and twitched but seemed relatively unaffected by a screw driver in his heart. Claire took off again, putting as much distance as she could between them. Why didn't that stop him?

Claire spotted an emergency axe hanging in a case on the wall. She busted the glass with her foot and grabbed the axe, cutting her hands a bit. She managed to get it and with one good swing forward cleaved the man's head in two. He dropped dead…or dead-er…onto the floor. She stood there in shock, gasping for air as her heart pounded in fear.

"SNNAARRRRGGGG!"

She turned around to see another one standing there. Suddenly, an ear piercing gunshot filled the hanger. Claire watched as the creature's head was blown straight off. Terrified, Claire turned around to see Alice standing there. Alice lowered her gun and glared at Claire furiously.

"I told you to stay put!" Alice said. Claire didn't care how angry Alice was; she came towards her quickly and buried her face in Alice's shoulder. Claire could hardly breathe and her heart was racing so fast she thought it would never slow down. She felt like a scared little kid who just wanted a hug from their mom to make it better. Her mom wasn't there so she guessed Alice was the next best thing.

Alice looked at the top of Claire's head in confusion. Then she remembered how frightened she'd been when she first saw the Undead. Alice sighed and wrapped her arms around Claire.

"It's okay." Alice whispered and rubbed Claire's back comfortingly. Claire was grateful for it. She wanted to stay like this, forever safe in Alice's arms.

"Can we go?" Claire asked shakily. A horde of growls erupted from outside.

"I don't think we have a choice." Alice said as she snatched Claire's hand. "Come on!" they ran out of the hanger and Claire could see a mob of Undead running towards the hole in the chain link fence. All of their eyes were hungrily fixed on them.

They reached the plane as the first of the Infected ran through the hole. Alice helped Claire up to the plane before practically throwing herself into the pilot's seat. She started the plane with her legs still dangling outside. One of the infected jumped onto the plane's wing as it began to drive down the runway. Alice was holding onto the plane with one hand and driving with the other. She watched the infected kid wiggle its way onto the wing and try to bite her leg. She kicked it off and pulled her legs into the plane. She pulled the yoke back and the plane lifted into the air.

"So much for fuel," Alice muttered.