Snippet #2552818

The group trudged through the snow with Jamie leading the way while Patrick and Rose watched for threats. Patrick wore a puffy, dark green winter coat and Jamie wore a red jacket that was more fit for fall than winter. Fall. It occurred to Patrick that his birthday had already came and went. It also occurred to him that he was now fifteen, which explained the faintest hint of a moustache. Patrick shuddered from the cold and watched his breath float away. They were running out of stolen supplies. The group was doing much worse than when they were with Zach and Kira. He couldn't block out the occasional memory of them. How could he just make off with the supplies and car like that? Jamie. Everything Jamie did was stupid, but Patrick couldn't hate his brother. Jamie was probably the last person alive from his family and the only thing that reminded him of what life used to be like.Patrick scanned the area with tired eyes as they walked and saw only a few undead who were doubly slow from the cold.

"Here," Jamie said lowly, stopping in front of a convenience store that only seemed partially looted.

The group scanned the aisles for whatever they could. Patrick found a couple water bottles at the bottom of a freezer and Jamie found a few jerky sticks. It seemed like everything else was either spoiled or junk. The brothers muttered curses as they frantically looked up and down the aisles but could find nothing else. Patrick sighed and looked for Rose.

"Hey Rose, what did you fi-" Patrick was cut off by Jamie putting his hand up.

They listened and heard steady footsteps walking through the snow. Jamie motioned for them all to duck behind a row of shelves. The footsteps continued at their pace and sounded like they were getting closer. They were the heavy, controlled steps of a man. Not the stumbling, erratic steps of a dead person. Jamie grinned and whispered to Patrick.

"Sounds like there's only one. Think we can take 'em?"
Patrick looked and Jamie in disbelief. "What?!"
"They couldn't survive this long on their own if they weren't stocked up, man."
"Yeah, I know, but it's that person's supplies."
They started to bicker in sharp whispers as the footsteps grew closer, seemingly oblivious.
"We gotta do what we can to survive. We're starving."
"Look, can we at least talk to this person?"
"No one trusts each other any more, dude. Especially when times are tough. We try talking to him and he could be gone along with our hope of not fucking starving to death. Worse yet, he gets the drop on us before we get the drop on him."
"This isn't right, Jamie," Patrick whispered desperately before looking over to Rose. "Back me up here and tell him we can't do this."
Jamie stared hard at Rose. "You know we're starting to run dry. You wanna survive, don't you?"