TWD: The Burden We Bear

**Time Skip**

Maria walked beside Eddie, gripping his hand tightly as they trekked through the dense woods. Towering trees surrounded them, their thick leaves blocking out most of the sunlight. The air was cool and damp, filled with the sounds of the forest—the cheerful chirping of birds and the rustling of small creatures skittering through the underbrush.

She glanced up at Eddie, squeezing his hand for reassurance. "Yuh sure dis a di right way, mon? It feel like wi a walk fi eva since wi lef di last road." Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty. Despite her trust in him, the woods looked the same in every direction, making it all too easy to feel lost.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, raising her hand to signal Eddie to halt as well. Her heart raced as a chilling sound reached her ears—the groaning and shuffling of zombies in the distance. "Yuh hear dat, mi love?" she whispered, reaching for her knife. "Sounds like a big herd, yeah?"

Eddie sighed in frustration. "Of course it's a fucking herd. Just when I was hoping to enjoy some vodka." He turned to Maria, his expression serious. "The herd is behind us, thank our luck. Let's run; I'm sure we'll find a place to hide." With that, he started sprinting.

A chill ran down Maria's spine as the sounds of the zombies' groans and shuffling footsteps grew louder behind them. She tightened her grip on Eddie's hand, signaling that she was right behind him.

With a surge of adrenaline, she matched Eddie's pace as they raced along the road. The thumping of walkers' footsteps and their guttural moans pushed them onward.

As they ran, Eddie spotted a large cabin not far ahead, perched on a hill. He hesitated, not wanting to struggle with the incline, but he noted to himself that it looked like a ski lodge. Up the road, not far ahead, there was a bridge, but even from their distance, he could see it was rickety and unsafe.

Fortunately, they soon came across a small building, likely connected to the ski lodge. "Come on, here!" Eddie urged Maria.

They dashed over to the structure, and without bothering to turn the door handle, Eddie slammed into it, flinging it open. Maria entered first, followed closely by Eddie, who quickly shut the door behind them.

"Alright, alright...Mek wi hide yah, an wi haffi be completely silent," Maria sighed, slumping into a chair.

Eddie nodded, sitting down as well, but he leaned against the door for support.

They fell into silence, and moments later, the air was filled with the moans and groans of the walkers passing by the building where they hid.

Maria carefully rose from the chair and crawled on her hands and knees to join Eddie by the door. They remained quiet, listening to the walkers outside.

Eddie took out a half-empty bottle of vodka, uncorked it, and took a swig, a smile creeping across his face.

Since escaping from Savannah, he had developed a fondness for drinking alcohol.

He glanced at Maria and then at the bottle, silently asking if she wanted a sip.

Since they had met, she had never touched alcohol, and she had told him that even before the outbreak, she had avoided it. However, she had enjoyed smoking ganja, joking, "Mi a Jumiekan, lov. Ganja a fi wi culture."

Maria contemplated taking a drink, thoughts of Alla Pugacheva—a Russian singer she had admired before the outbreak—flooding her mind. She remembered that Russians were known for their vodka drinking, at least she thought so.

Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the bottle, her heart racing. It was her first time drinking alcohol. She took a small gulp of vodka and immediately returned the bottle, struggling to suppress a cough.

Eddie covered his mouth, stifling laughter, his body shaking with restrained mirth.

"Shet up...!" Maria managed to whisper through her cough, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"You're just too adorable," he replied softly, a teasing grin on his face.

She blushed and looked away, trying to hide her smile.

"How can you smoke weed with no problem but almost choke on a tiny sip of vodka?" he snickered, taking another swig from the bottle.

She smiled shyly and playfully punched his shoulder, but instead, her fist connected with his stump. He winced in pain.

"Oh no!" she gasped, wrapping her arms around him in an apologetic embrace. "Mi so sari Hush...!"

"I'm fine," he chuckled, taking another gulp of vodka before capping the bottle and stowing it in his backpack.

He lay his head down in her lap as she absentmindedly played with his long hair.

"We really need to take a bath soon," he said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, wi shuda..." she agreed with a nod.

"You smell down here," he teased, only to immediately regret it when she slapped the side of his head. "Ow! I was just joking!"

She huffed, a frown crossing her face, but continued to run her fingers through his hair, their earlier tension easing into the comfortable intimacy they shared in that hidden refuge.

———

As the sun starts going down, the small building grew darker, the forest outside cloaked in shadows. Maria and Eddie had settled around a table, the worn wood surface marred by years of neglect but still sturdy enough to hold their meager supplies. They had each managed to scavenge a can from their earlier explorations—Eddie had a can of baked beans, while Maria had found a can of peaches that she was particularly excited about.

Eddie popped open the can of beans with a can opener he had found, the faint metallic clink echoing in the small space. The smell wafted up, rich and savory, and he grinned as he spooned the beans into his mouth.

Maria spooned the sweet, syrupy fruit into her mouth, savoring the flavor.

The two talking about what they should do after leaving this place. As they continued to discuss their plans, the faint sounds of the forest gave way to an eerie silence. The sound of their conversation filled the space until a creaking noise interrupted them. The door swung open slowly, revealing two figures silhouetted against the darkness outside. Maria and Eddie instinctively reached for their pistols, aiming them at the newcomers.

"Hey! Easy there!" one of the men said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "We're not here to cause any trouble."

The other man stepped forward, a calm smile on his face. "Yeah, really. We just got caught up in the same mess you did. I'm Matthew, and this is Walter."