A/N: Updated 04/22/2017- Fixed grammar and punctuation errors

"No matter what you hear. I want you to stay. Do you understand me?" Lori searched her son's eyes silently praying he would not fight her on this.

"Yes, but why can't I come with you?" Carl was scared, but he tried not to show it. He wanted to show his mom that he was brave like his father. He wanted to protect his mother at all cost.

"It's still too dangerous outside." and as if to prove her point the sound of several gunshots could be heard outside. They weren't close, but they were close enough.

He couldn't believe what was going on outside. There was some kind of virus that was making people attack one another. They heard the first real mention of the virus about 2 weeks ago while his mom was driving him to school. Now it was a full blown pandemic. Looting and panic were everywhere. While the neighborhood was almost completely empty of people, they were currently hiding in a neighbor's home.

"I will only be gone for about 10 mins. I want to go back to the house and gather a few more things for us, and then we will leave."

Carl nodded and tried to make himself comfortable in the tight crawl space under his neighbor stairs.

"Do you have your flashlight? "

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you have your beef jerky and some water."

"Yes ma'am, but your only going to be gone for 10 mins... Soooo why do I need all of this" Lori bit her lip to hide her fear of the unknown from her son.

"You have to always be prepared do you remember that from boy scouts" she tried to smile and reassure her son.

"Always be prepared" Carl repeated with a little more enthusiasm than his mom.

"Ok I love you" she kissed Carl on top of his head and gave him a tight hug.

"Jeez, mom I can't breathe" Lori chuckled to her son's slight dislike to being hugged so tightly.

"Mom."

"Yes, baby."

"What about dad? He is still at the hospital in a coma. Are we going to go get him?" Carl waited patiently for his mom's answer. "Of course we are!? We are a family! Even if we have to drag you dad out of that hospital on a stretcher. We are going to go get him."

"I promise" Hearing his mom make that promise put Carl more at ease about their situation considering that now the dead are up and walking. He felt better knowing they weren't leaving his father behind.

"Ok, I will be back. Now scoot on in there, and remember not to make any noise. Stay absolutely quiet. I mean it not a peep. These things are drawn to noise."

"Yes, ma'am."

With that, Lori closed the door to the crawl space and latched it. She didn't want any of those things to come in the house or Carl to leave the safety of the crawl space.

It was eerily quiet outside Lori thought as she stepped out the front door onto the porch. Too quiet it made her very nervous so much, so her hands started to sweat. She wanted to turn around and go back inside she wanted to hide with her son. To escape this nightmare that has descended upon them. She wanted to close her eyes and wake from this horrible dream.

" Breathe Lori... just breathe you can do it...you have to do it" Lori inhaled and exhaled deeply to try and calm her nerves.

This would be so much easier if Rick were here she thought. Rick was a deputy sheriff. He was the strong one. He was the one who ran head first into danger, not her. Right now he was in King County Memorial Hospital in a coma from a gunshot to the shoulder. At that very moment, she needed her husband right there with her. She needed him to tell her everything was going to be ok.

"Rick I wish you were here. I need you so much right now" she almost sobbed. She needed his protection. She felt the tears begin to sting her eyes, but she hurriedly wiped them away.

She was scared shitless, to be honest. But she had to get it together for Carl's sake. She inhaled and exhaled deeply one more time, and she slowly began to walk across the porch to the steps and down to the edge of the street.

Autumn Lane looked like your typical picturesque American Beauty neighborhood. Colonial style homes with white picket fences that lined the entire street. An avenue of tall majestic oak trees lined the street with pink magnolia trees in the front yard of every house. It gave the sense of community togetherness or boring blandness. You take your pick. The street still appeared untouched a few smashed car windows but no evidence of any major carnage.

Right now Lori wished her house didn't seem so far away. Her house was located across the street and to the right 3 houses down, but to Lori, it seemed like 3 miles away.

She looked all around to make sure there were no walkers around. She could see 2 or 3 walkers about four houses down just lumbering around bumping into each other, but luckily they hadn't seen her yet.

She quickly started running toward her house making sure not to make too much unnecessary noise and to move as stealthy as possible. She jumped over her fence and damn near sprinted to her front door. Once she made it to her front door, she quickly turned the door handle and pushed the door open. The door squeaked as it was opened and Lori cursed under her breathe "Shit... damn it, Rick ". She prayed that the squeak wasn't as loud as it sounded in her ears and drew any unwanted attention.

She quickly closed the door as it squeaked loudly again Lori cursed under her breathe again and locked the door.

As she stood at the door entrance, she listened intently to see if there was any noise coming from inside the home. She looked out her front window to make sure the noise didn't attract any outside company. She saw that the 3 walkers from down the street were heading in the direction of the noise Lori hurriedly shut the front curtains.

She stood in her entry way trying to slow down her breathing and not panic.

" please don't let them come this way. Please just go somewhere else" she ran her fingers nervously through her hair as she began to scan her home.

Lori continued to inhale and exhale deeply till her heart slowed to a normal pace. She slowly made her way through her living room and right into her kitchen.

The Kitchen was a traditional kitchen very open and very inviting. The was a large marble counter space right in the center of the kitchen. The kitchen was the favorite gathering spot for her family.

Lori slowly ran her fingers along the beautiful countertop. Remembering all of the wonderful family moments they had together. She began to tear up again as she thought of all that she was losing.

Wiping her eyes, she began to quickly move through the house gathering food, water, and clothes for her and Carl. She grabbed a large duffel and put everything into it. Satisfied with gathering everything she thought they would need she headed toward the front door. She stopped short and stared at the family photos that lined the wall. Many different photos displayed along the wall each a different happy moment in time. She smiled at the family photo of her, Carl and Rick at Carl's last birthday. She placed the duff bag on the floor and removed the photo from the picture frame and placed it in the duffel bag.

"We are going to be fine." She said out loud to herself.

She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. Grabbing the now heavy duffle bag, she made her way to the front door.

As she reached the door, she saw Carl's baseball bat leaning in the corner behind the door. She grabbed the bat figuring it will come in handy till she can find something better to use as protection. Satisfied with her find she knew it was time to get back to Carl who was probably worrying about her. She didn't like the idea of locking him in the crawl space, but she wanted to protect him as much as possible.

While trying to clumsily open the door and keep a hold of the bat she didn't notice the shadow lurking near the front door. When she was finally able to open the door the walker that was outside the door lunged at Lori grabbing her by her arm and sinking its teeth into her forearm.

Lori tried to scream but couldn't. She jerked her arm away and began to hurriedly back away from the walker that was advancing on her again. The walker growled as it continued to stagger toward Lori.

Lori quickly grabbed the bat, and she swung and connected with the walkers head. The walker stumbled back a few steps but began to advance on her again. Before she could swing again, the walker grabbed onto her shirt scratching her chest. She jerked away ripping her shirt in the process.

Quickly backing away she was able to regain her footing and swing again at the walkers head. She connected and knocked the walker over her living room couch and onto the floor. She hurriedly grabbed the duffle bag and sprinted out of the house.

Her chest was burning, and her arm was bleeding profusely from her open wound, but she continued to sprint back to the house.

She made it back to the house without attracting the attention of any additional walkers.

She rushed in through the front door and locked each and every lock. She peered out the window to make sure she wasn't followed. Satisfied that she was in the clear. She went about trying to stop the bleeding of her arm.

"Mom are you back?" Carl called out.

"Yes, honey just give me a minute while I check on a few things" she tried to calm her voice. She didn't want to scare Carl

"Can I come out and help you?" he asked

"Not yet sweetie, just please give me a moment."

She went into the bathroom that was located near the kitchen and began trying to stop the blood flow. She placed a towel on her wound and applied as much pressure as she could. But it wasn't slowing down it continued to flow.

"Shit please fucking stop" she moaned

Panic soon began to rise within her along with the increased burning sensation on her chest and not being able to stop the blood from flowing her open wound. She was sinking fast into an anxiety attack.

"Mom? Are you still there."

"Yeah, I am honey. I'm almost finished" Lori tried to steady her voice

"You can not scare him. Don't make him worry" she chided herself "Snap out of it. NOW!" She looked at her now very pale face.

She tied off the wound as best as she could making a slight tourniquet.

Stepping out of the bathroom she could feel her vision going blurry, and she was suddenly lite headed.

"No.. no this can't be happening," she thought

This not what she planned. They are supposed to be fine.

"OMG Carl?!" She gasped

She slowly walked to the door of the crawl space and lowered herself to the floor.

"Mom."

"I'm here sweetie" she sniffled

"Mom, what's wrong? Open the door, so I can help you."

"I'm sorry sweetie. I tried I really did try to protect us but I got careless, and I've been bitten."

"Mom...no" "open the door let me help you."

"No sweetie. I don't want you to see me like this" "I can feel myself changing already, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Please, mom."

"Carl listen to me... please. I'm going to make sure this house is secure for you, and then I'm going to go lock myself in a bedroom upstairs don't come up there. Stay away help will be on then way soon. You just have to make sure you stay quiet, and you will be fine."

Feeling herself beginning to drift off

"I love you, Carl. You and your father are my one true loves, and I am so blessed to have been your mother."

Carl was now sobbing "Mom please. ... Please, mom, don't leave me...don't leave me here alone."

Carl stuck his fingers under the door gap. Lori grasped them.

"I love you, sweetie. Remember don't come upstairs."

Lori slowly pulled herself up and began the process of securing the house. Once that was complete. She sat down at the kitchen table and wrote a letter saying that her son was inside alive and to please help him. She taped the letter to the front door and secured the door again.

"Carl baby I am going up to check things out. I will be right back."

Carl didn't respond, but she could hear him quietly crying.

Her heart ached to hold her son and wipe away his tears, but she knew that would only make things worst.