End of the Line | Part 1

by Levi, Casey

  15

  Chapter Fifteen

  Darkness had consumed Kristen, and she could not see anything. ‘Am I dead?’ She thought. She was not sure, but if she was, it was not what she had imagined it to be. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. No golden gates or waiting arms to run to. Yet, in a way, she felt at peace. Everything became eerily quiet though, and she could feel a cold chill crawl its way up her spine, and then the darkness began to fade. She tried to wrap it around her. She was not ready to leave yet. Then, the darkness faded in one swift movement, and she opened her eyes.

  Looking up, she could see the twinkle in the dark sky above as all the tiny stars shined bright. The ground beneath her felt soft and warm, and she could not seem to remember what had happened. How had she gotten here? And when had it gotten dark?

  Closing her eyes, she tried to think of the last memory she had, but nothing came to her. She felt confused. She opened her eyes again and tried to push herself up in a sitting position, but a wave of nausea crawled up her throat, and everything began to spin in a circle. She fell back to the ground and closed her eyes.

  A soft touch pressed down on her shoulder, and she looked up to see two Julie’s swaying in front of her. “Kris?”

  Kristen felt like she needed to keep her eyes closed- between the swaying and spinning she was going to throw up. “Julie? What happened? Why am I on the ground? And why does my head hurt so badly?”

  “You don’t remember?” Julie’s voice cracked, and Kristen turned to look up at her. A lone tear slid down Julie’s cheek, and Kristen reached out to wipe it away.

  “Jules? Why are you crying?” If she had not felt confused already, she could not even explain how lost she was now. Julie never cried, so what had happened?

  She watched as Julie tried to compose herself, and then looking back at her, Julie said. “Kris you’ve been out for a few hours…”

  What? How was that possible? And why couldn’t she remember anything? “Julie? What do you mean I have been out for a few hours? How long is a few hours?”

  “Almost a day Kris…” Julie suddenly leaned down and wrapped her in a hug. Her sobs soaking Kristen’s neck and hair. “We thought you weren’t going to wake up…”

  Her sobs became heavier against Kristen’s shoulder, and she tried to sooth her friend. Suddenly it had hit her like a ton of bricks- Aran, Reed, the rock and- She gasped out like she could not breathe and sat up straight. The pain in her head sending the world around her spinning like a merry-go-round.

  “Julie where’s Reed?”

  “He’s been talking with Aran…” Julie looked over her shoulder, and then back at her. “I don’t know what happened between the three of you, and I don’t really care to. But Aran thinks he killed you, and Reed…” Her voice trailed off as she looked over at the two men.

  “Reed’s what Julie? Is he okay?” Kristen needed to talk to him. She did not know what to say, because she knew that saying she was sorry was not going to be good enough. What she had said to him was wrong. “Julie, I need to talk to Reed, please?”

  Julie nodded, then stood up to leave. Kristen rested her head back against the pillow she had been resting on and tried to think of what to say to him. She was not sure where to start. She had, had a moment of weakness, and look at the mess she had caused. She had no one to blame here but herself. She had not been able to talk to Reed, so he had shut down. She could not let Aran go, and pushed him to the point where Reed had to hit him. And now because of that, here she was, the one lying on the ground, and waking up from a day coma.

  Reed appeared next to her, and suddenly she was afraid to look at him. She did not want to see the pain, or anger that she knew would be in his eyes when she looked up at him. Taking in a deep breath, she tried to find the words to say, but everything she had thought about saying to him suddenly escaped her, and she did not know what to do.

  “Do you want to talk or not?” His voice was low but filled with so much bitterness that the words were stuck in her throat.

  “Reed, I am so sorry…”

  A long silence grew between them, and all Kristen wanted to do was be back in the darkness that had given her peace. She had a splitting headache, and the night air was beginning to send Goosebumps along her arms. Even with the hoodie, and the blankets she was under was not helping. This was a bad idea. It was too late for them. Had she ruined the best thing that had ever happened to her? She tried to wipe away her tears, but more kept falling in their place. Kristen grabbed at the blankets and pulled them up around her shoulders. She rolled to the side away from Reed. It was obvious he was not going to talk.

  “I don’t know what to think right now Kristen… I’m hurt, confused, but most of all I’m angry.” She could hear him sigh from behind her. “Honestly, Kristen, I’m livid. I can’t even begin to process what the hell had happened back there…” Before she could say anything, he spoke up again. “I just have to ask though. Do you really think I only slept with you now because of what’s going on?”

  She slowly turned over and looked up at him. “No…”

  “Do you regret it?”

  She bolted up straight, and the world began to blur around her again, but she did not care. “God Reed! No! I don’t regret anything with you, and especially not that.” Kristen fought to get to her feet so she could face him, but when she stood up, she began to sway back and forth. “I want you Reed, and I am so, so sorry for what I said. I am sorry that I have made you feel like you did something wrong. I’m sorry that I shut you out, and I’m sorry that I waited so long to tell you how I feel…”

  Kristen felt her knees buckle under her, and she felt herself falling. Reed’s strong arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her into his body. “Kristen, I know that it seems like I haven’t wanted you, but in all honesty… I have been running from the truth about how I feel about you. I was so afraid that you didn’t share the same feelings.”

  She tried to bite back the smile that was starting to form on her lips. “I know what you mean. It’s stupid that we couldn’t just tell the other how we feel.”

  Reed cupped her face with both of his hands, and softly pressed his lips against hers. Things might be different, and in a lot of ways things have changed, but for right now she needed this and so did he. She needed him in every way possible, and she was not going to hold back. There is something that changes inside of a person when the heart begins to break. When you genuinely love someone, you better hold on tight because they could be ripped away from your life in a split second. Kristen was going to do everything she could to not let that happen.

  She pulled away from him, needing to catch her breath from the intensity of their kiss. She swayed and thought that she needed to lay back down instead. After she had sat back down, she looked up at him and patted the spot next to her. “Reed, there is something else I need to talk to you about.”

  He eyed her, skepticism crossing his face. “About?”

  She looked away from him. She did not want to look at him to admit what she was about to. “I’m afraid…”

  “I think in a way we’re all afraid.”

  “No, not about that. Hell, I’m terrified over this.” She brought her knees up to her chest and looked over at him.

  “I’m not following Kristen. If you are terrified of this, then what are you afraid of?” He furrowed his eyebrows. She was making no sense.

  “I’m afraid of losing you, jeez.” She threw her hands up and covered her face to hide her embarrassment.

  Reed pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “You think you can scare me away that easy?”

  “Reed I’m serious.”

  His expression became serious. “I’m being serious too. We are all in this together as friends, and we stick together no matter what.”

  “Friends?” She pulled away and looked up at him questionably. They were more than friends, right? They had to be.

  Kristen did not have time to over think it though as Ree
d slowly brought his lips to hers and brushed them over her mouth before kissing her deeply. She opened up to him, and his tongue slid in her mouth with ease. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. His weight rested lightly on her as he put his hands by her head. She felt the fleet of butterflies awaken from within her stomach, and the desire for him burned deep. She wanted to get lost in this moment forever. To feel his bare skin on hers, and to feel the masculine touch of his hands running along her body. She was not sure if she would ever get used to this, to being with him, but she hoped she was not dreaming, but if she was, then she never wanted to wake up.

  16

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Reed woke up that morning, he felt the tug of a mischievous smile pull at his lips. He had made the sweetest love to Kristen last night, and on some level, it had brought them closer. He had held her in his arms all night, and their conversation turned deep. He loved listening to her talk about her life and getting to know her on a whole new level. She had wanted to know about him and his life, but there were still a few things he had to leave out- like his minor criminal record for grand theft auto. He had not thought that would go over to well with her.

  He watched as Kristen stood in the middle of the empty highway, staring out into the nothingness. Slowly he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You ready?”

  She leaned her head against his chest and nodded. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to be walking?”

  “We don’t really have a choice.” He turned her around so she was facing him. “I won’t let anything happen to you Kristen, I promise.” And with that, he kissed her. It was not the slow sweet kiss, no, it was the kind of kiss that held more meaning. A meaning to a man who intended to keep his promise.

  “Come on you two! You think after last night you would need a break.” Kristen pulled away from him and buried her face in his shirt. Julie sure knew how to ruin a moment.

  Reed chuckled and pulled her in for one more kiss. “I will never get enough of this.”

  Letting her go, he picked up his bag. He was ready for the journey that awaited them, and he knew the chances of someone driving by was very slim. The supplies they had would not last them if they stayed, and now that they had to walk, they had to leave a lot of stuff behind. He was not sure how long it was until the next town, but he knew that they needed to get there, and fast.

  He swung the straps of his pack over his shoulders and grabbed Kristen’s hand. He interlocked their fingers and stared ahead at the road. They were about to begin a trip that could change their lives. One thing that gave him confidence though, was knowing that they had not run into any of those things for a while, but Vegas could be a different story.

  * * *

  Reed wiped away a bead of sweat as he walked along the deserted highway. The morning chill slowly fading and promising to bring the afternoon heat. They have walked about five miles already, and still they have not run across a car. He could see the exhaustion taking a toll on them, but he knew they had to keep pushing on. The thought of spending another night out here, in the middle of nowhere, well, it was risky. Those things could come from anywhere at any time, and with nothing to defend themselves with would not help keep them alive.

  “I think we should stop and take a break.” Aran stopped by a shaded tree and dropped his bag.

  “Good… my feet are killing.” Julie dropped her bag and sat under the tree Aran had stopped at.

  Reed hesitated for a moment, but knew they needed to rest. “Let’s not sit for too long though.”

  Everyone settled onto the ground and began to rest. Reed took in a huge gulp of water as he settled down under the shaded tree. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up. The sun began to shine brighter as it rose in the sky, and the heat was giving no sign of cooling down anytime soon. He took another gulp of his water and pulled out a fruit bar from the bag he has been carrying. He was thankful that they were able to salvage some food from that house they had been at.

  As he stretched his legs out, his gaze landed on Kristen. He watched her as she helped Zac open up his fruit bar. A small smile tugged at his lips as thoughts of last night came to the fore. The love that he had made to her was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and a reminder that all the others could not even compare to her. It really was a different feeling when you loved someone, and you shared that passion together.

  He knew that he would never admit these feelings to anyone else- after all, he was still a man. But damn, he was becoming addicted to her. The feeling of her bare skin on his. How his heart rate kicked up speed every time he kissed her perfectly full lips. But mostly, the way her body fits perfectly against his, and the curve of it. Reed felt himself shifting uncomfortably as his lower anatomy grew. Leaning his head back against the tree, he closed his eyes to rest for a while.

  Reed slowly opened his eyes against the blinding of the sun. They had rested longer than he had meant, and with only a few hours left of the sun, they would have to pick up their pace. He slowly climbed to his aching feet and pulled his pack on over his shoulder.

  “We need to get going.” He called out, and everyone stood to follow his lead.

  “Do you think we can make it to a town before it gets dark?” Kristen was at his side, and as much as he wanted to reassure her, he knew he could not lie.

  “I don’t know…”

  The walking had become a slow and steady pace for them, and Reed did not mind. After a while he began to not feel his feet. The setting of the sun and its dreading heat began to subside. He watched as the sun faded into the depths behind the mountains. The rays spread across the desert sky, as the blue began to drown out the mixture of colors. The air started to cool down and had a chill to it.

  Reed looked over at Kristen and put an arm around her to help keep her warm and himself warm. He did not think that they would make it to a safe place, but he still hoped. They tried to keep pushing and tried to walk as far as they could before they were completely surrounded by the darkened sky.

  A rush of wind swirled around them, and he could feel the icy chill crawl down his neck and into his shirt. Most of their walk had been spent in silence, and he wondered why. He knew that everyone was tired, but to not talk about what was happening did not make sense to him. The world was ending, there are crazy people out there eating others, and a mad man that tried to kill his friends was on the loose.

  “You guys we need to stop for the night. We can’t go much longer.” Aran stopped to face them. “We can set up in the shade of those trees there, and we should be alright until morning.”

  Too tired to argue, everyone nodded their silent agreement, and began to lay out the blankets for the night. He was glad that they could rest for the night. He was not sure how much longer they could have walked. He laid out a blanket for him and Kristen on the ground not too far from Jesse and Zac and laid down. Kristen laid down next to him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  A yawn escaped his lips, and he tried to fight the sleep that was taking over him. He was not sure he was going to be able to sleep, and as his eyes began to close a sudden rustling nose came from behind the tress. He froze, his heart rate kicking up as he stared at the trees surrounding them. Not wasting time, he jumped up to his feet, and stood back pushing Kristen behind a nearby tree. The noise became louder, and everyone steadied themselves for the attack of those things.

  He turned to see Kristen pick up a nearby rock and steadied it in her hands. Turning back around, the rustling grew louder, but what walked through the trees had Kristen dropping her rock with a loud ‘thud.’

  “You!”

  17

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kristen froze as Brady walked through the tress. The expression on his face was just as confused as hers. She could not believe that they had found him, or better yet, he had found them. Brady began to slowly start backing up, but as the realization dawned on everyone, Aran grabbed a hold o
f the professor by the shirt and sucker punched him. Brady fell to the ground, and chaos began to break out.

  Everyone started yelling at each other, and Kristen stood there as they all turned on Brady. She could not watch her friends try to tear Brady apart when they needed him for answers. She picked up a stick that laid next to her on the ground and started smacking it against the tree she had hid behind.

  “Stop. Fighting!”

  They all froze and looked over at her. Her breathing hitched when she looked at Brady, and she pointed the stick right at him. “You have some explaining to do.”

  Brady stumbled back as Aran let go of his shirt. His eyes darted from side to side, and she knew he was looking for a way to run. She was not about to give him the time, and walked up to him, poking him in the chest with the stick she had found. The action caused Brady to stumble more, and he fell backwards, landing on the ground.

  “Wait! I… I.”

  “You better start explaining, or so help me!” Kristen raised the stick up as if to hit him.

  “I, um…”

  “Now Brady!”

  Brady looked at them with pleaded eyes. “Okay, okay. Just please don’t hurt me. In fact, can someone please get her away from me?”

  “Hurt you? You almost got us killed asshole!” Kristen felt so tempted to hit Brady with the stick, but Reed walked up to her in time and grabbed a hold of her by the waist.

  Kristen shivered against him as he breathed into her ear. “You look so damn sexy doing that.” She had to bite back the smile that began to creep across her lips. “Alright, let’s just take a moment, but you better start explaining soon, or I will let her beat you with this stick.” Reed took the stick from her and stared pointedly at Brady.

  Kristen looked down at Brady, a devilish smile on her lips. She would get answers out of him one way or another.