Sparks usually loves sleeping all alone. It’s often she does now anyway, considering the amount of time spent alone in this ungodly apocalypse. This time around, when sentience returns to her being, immediately she senses the cold spot beside her and it instantly fills her with dread. It had only been one night. They had never spent a night together but her eyes crack open to see no one beside her. Her body tore out of bed any lingering fatigue vanishing without a trace, just as her new found friend had done.
‘Seth’
Sparks spoke aloud, uttering his name in a barely audible whisper. If only to simply remind herself that he was once here, and that he had once existed. Because as of now, she was starting to think he’d never been real at all. Memories began coming back to her like cursed gunshots, each piercing a wave into her sudden headache. A hangover, a voice said in the back of her head that eerily sounded like Seth’s and could almost see that small smile form at the corner of his irresistible lips.
and with that her memories all returned. The rain, the whiskey, the schnapps and the way his lips had possessed her own. Her cheeks burnt now remembering how quickly things escalated. Curiosities wandered and her memories returned; she’d backed out of any further intimacy. A string of apologies and awkwardness followed. The surprise led her to cover her mouth and then nausea kept her fingers tightly on her mouth as she ran into the bathroom, spilling contents of last night. Her mouth was dry, and any lingering taste of Sethsico had poured into an broken toilet.
What happened to taking care of my hangover?
More questions began filling her head- why did he leave her? Another sudden jump to another realization, Sparks bolted to the room to see if anything had been stolen. Had he been against her all along? Her heart dreaded this, but a look around the room made it clear that all her things were here but none of his. Even the whiskey was gone.
Seth had left her behind on purpose, but not with ill-intent. Could it be because of what happened? Sparks had to explain, she needed to tell him everything her drunken tongue couldn’t tell him last night. With that resolve, she picked up all her things. (It was noted her lighter was missing, but the thief would be caught soon enough) The duffel bag that once was full with snacks, some which were wrecked by the rain and some she could tell Seth had taken for himself. There were only a few things left and those she packed away in a backpack, leaving the rest behind. Sparks wanted to travel lightly.
Once everything was finally completely collected, on her way out she slammed her shoulder into the door. On further inspection, she noted there was something blocking her from exiting.
That jerk , She thought to herself even though a smile formed as she pushed her way out.
Leaving the hotel was easy. The floors were wet and slick. The walkers they killed on their way up here remained in place, and stunk up the halls. When she finally reached ground zero, it was when it was realized there was nothing to go on. Sparks heart sank even deeper than it already had, which she couldn’t have imagine happening.
Is he really gone? It was a bright day, but it smelled of the rain that had poured the night before. As her eyes scanned the scenery for walkers or anything, she caught sight of a tiny whiskey bottle. A grin formed on her face, as her fingers pulled her curly blonde hair into a ponytail, so the chase begins…
Oh Seth, I will force you to take care of me.
At first, she wasn’t sure there was any thing at all, but instinct led her to finding out of place things and fresh deeply made footsteps. In the first day the clues were small, and hard to find so often it seemed the trail went cold and so she’d have to backtrack go in a different direction to find the next marker to her runaway partner. Sooner than desired, the sun went down. Pavement turned to dirt. Every extra step taken after sundown was sworn would be the last one, and then rest would be allowed. But after every footstep came another, and the search didn’t end. A pattern of restless followed even when the sun rose again.
The second was the hardest on her, fatigue began setting in. Nothing could make her rest though until the grand elusive Seth was found. Sparks didn’t stop to sleep and she didn’t care to eat. Her body already carried overdue exhaustion from the night of drinking, and it only worsened by her own self ignorance of her body. Any trip or fall that caused skinning or bruising was ignored. Only the anger that was beginning to form (mostly due to all her exhaustion) kept her from shielding away any decomposing body bag that lunged at her.
On the third day, once night had fallen, the tracks became easier to follow which led her fully believe the idea she’d been nursing in her head, he wanted to be found. The walkers that were all taken out in the same way came one after the other, and she’d noticed there hadn’t been many bitters on the deeper path. After a mile without indicators, through the trees the warmth of a fire could be seen.
Which lit her up just the same, the trail had ended because she found what it lead too.
Once a the silhouette of a person could be seen, that was enough for her. Sparks did not have to call out to know, she just knew. With all her remaining energy she pulled back her bloodied arm and slapped her every worry onto Seth’s face.