"I hope it's alright, because I need to get this off my chest, and you need to know you're not alone."
He pauses, inhaling heavily. Norman's gaze moves around the room, not staying fixed on any one thing.
"I'm just so worried about Jack. We never would've made it as long as we have without him. He's what keeps us together, keeps us going. I know that you feel like you have nothing, that no one sees you, but we do. We are here for you, in whatever way you need us to be."
He catches himself, feeling the lump quickly rising in his throat. He pauses to collect himself again.
"We're not your real family, but we care about you as though you are. Isn't that what makes family anyway? A feeling of care for another, a sense of comfort and closeness? I've always thought about it that way. This world is, it's..."
He trails off, not finishing his thought. A slight chuckle billows out of him.
"It's hard, really hard. It's overwhelming, it's sad, it's painful, it's dangerous, but it's the one we live in now. I'm not sure that's ever going to change."
His eyes move back to Patrick.
"We can though. We can be better, we can fight against it, we can refuse to let hope fade, refuse to let love die. That's what I'm going to do, and if you don't think you can, that's alright, I'll do enough of it to cover us both."
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Sweetie anxiously paces in the living room, anticipating Rosaline’s return. After the capable woman’s declaration that The Family needs her, she indeed took the bath she wanted. It wasn’t her day on the schedule, but she’d earned it. Once clean and ready for the day again, she set out with Hawaii and Rad to scout the perimeter, to ensure there weren’t any other unwanted guests waiting in the wings.
It’s a couple hours after lunch, and only a few until dawn, so Sweetie estimates the scouting party should be returning any moment now. Zee stayed with her for a while, keeping her tension at bay. The nerve racked woman suspected that their headstrong caretaker knew why she was waiting for Rosaline.
Sweetie was able to escape her unease once more when lunch time was approaching. Mikey assisted her in preparing meals for those of them that stayed behind on the farm. The boy had previously been friendly, but today was different. He was cold, and short with her, and kept their interactions to the bare minimum. She suspected she knew why he was upset with her, and she didn’t blame him.
Hawaii and Zee decided it was a good idea to skip chores for the day, given all the excitement that had already happened, and the need for them to ensure their safety more thoroughly. Without daily tasks Sweetie is once more left to her own thoughts, pacing between the couch and the front door, her mind nervously playing out the conversation to come.
The sound of boots stamping on the deck jolts her head to the door, and freezes her in place. As the door cracks open, her emotions rise, like a tide flowing over her insides, then deflate upon seeing Rad enter the house. He stops, halfway inside, his brow raised, and his eyes curiously fixed on her.
“What-what're you doing?”
She shrugs her shoulders
“Just standing in the living room, like a statue?”
Her bottom lip curls under, her teeth clamp down on it. She doesn’t react to his question, audibly or otherwise.
“Okay” -he resumes his entry, leaving the door open- “never mind.”
He bounds past her, his boots leaving behind loud thuds as he ascends the stairs. Looking through the doorway, Sweetie can see Rosaline and Hawaii in the front yard, just far enough away to not be able to make out what they’re saying. Her gaze catches sight of the young warrior, her tanned skin glistening in the sunlight. Sweetie’s lungs fill, her heart skips, for a moment her mind clears, then the raven haired fighter's head turns, their eyes lock, and Sweetie melts.
All she can do is wave awkwardly, regretting it immediately. She’s never wanted Hawaii to be somewhere else more than she does in this exact moment. She silently waits for their conversation to end, each passing second feeling more excruciating than the last.
Finally, she sees Hawaii’s head bob up and down, then Rosaline turns away from him and approaches the deck. She walks up the stairs, and into the house, stopping just beyond the doorway. Both women share the same uncomfortable demeanor, each of them fidgeting in place, a deafening silence resting between them. Rosaline brushes hair from her forehead and speaks softly.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” Sweetie says in return, lacking the vibrancy she’s known for.
Another long quiet moment hangs in the air, before Rosaline breaks it again.
“So-”
“I wan-”
Sweetie’s face scrunches, Rosaline’s hand grips her own arm. A strained chuckle emits from the tiny fighter.
“Sorry.”
“No nena, I’m-I’m sorry.”
Rosaline’s brow raises, curiosity mixing with her sadness.
“Did you want-”
“Yeah.” Sweetie responds, interrupting her, “Sorry, again, can we, um, can we go somewhere to talk?”
Rosaline’s head inclines, uncertainty orbiting around her.
“Okay?”
“The barn?”
“Sure.”
Sweetie follows Rosaline out of the house, closing the door behind her, turns left off the deck, then across the grass filled patch between the house and barn. Rosaline pulls the large barn doors open, allows Sweetie to enter before her, follows her in, then closes the doors.
Away from the prying ears of others, Sweetie doesn’t let the moment linger as before. Wasting no time, her words race from her before Rosaline has even finished closing the door.
“Nena, I-I don’t really know how to say what I wanna say, so Imma just say it, okay?”
Rosaline’s lips purse to the side.
“Okay.”
Her chest quivering, Sweetie takes a deep breath.
“I’m sorry about the other night. I was scared, and not even just cause of you, cause of-of myself, cause of how I feel. I haven’t known too many good things in life, you know? I mean, I got my brother, and The Family, and the farm, but those aren’t mine, they’re not just for me. What I feel for you, that-that’s mine, that’s for me, and I don’t know what to do with that, or what I should do with that.”
The hazel haired woman’s thoughts come to an abrupt stop, her gaze searches the floor for a moment, then her attention returns to Rosaline.
“I’m scared to give into this, to give into you, and not because you’re different, I like that, I mean you saved me today, saved my life. I’m not worried that you’ll hurt me or any of us, I’m worried that you’ll get hurt, and I’ll be left missing another person. Or, I don’t know, we-we stop liking each other, and that-”
A lump erupts into her throat, her chest fills in an instant, then flutters.
“That would be worse. I-I really like you, I mean really like you, and today has reminded me that life is short, and it could end any second. I don’t wanna waste time fighting my feelings, but I’m scared nena, I’m scared of-”
Suddenly, without warning, Rosaline closes the gap between them. Her hands gently grip the Latina’s face, and their lips press together tenderly. Taken back by the unexpected event, Sweetie’s brow raises, but her eyes close as soon as Rosaline’s hands touch her cheeks. It takes a second for her to register what’s happening, but once she does she basks in it.
Sweetie grabs Rosaline’s waist, pulling their bodies into each other. A synchronized connection forms between them, and they breath in deep together, as though their bodies have become one. Their tender kiss holds for a long while, neither of them wanting the bliss of this first to pass them by. Sweetie feels Rosaline pull away, her eyes open to see a beaming smile in front of her.
“That-that was bold nena.”
“I figure I’m bold at everything else I do, why not this too?”
“I wasn’t complainin’.”
Rosaline takes a half step back as their hands find
each other, clasping together.
“I’m scared too, but I want this, I want you, and it could be a mistake, but I’m willing to take that risk, if you are.”
Sweetie’s lips curve up higher, and broader, than they ever have.
“Kiss me again.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Karo holds his hand up to Jack, signaling for him to stop. They’ve reached the edge of the thick brush. Karo kneels down. Jack watches, silently, as Karo’s head scans over the bushes. Roughly thirty minutes ago the sun began to set, dimming their surroundings.
The two men fled the abandoned buildings at a full sprint, never slowing their pace until this moment. Jack waits a considerable amount of time before kneeling down next to Karo.
“What’s the plan here?” Jack whispers.
Karo’s gaze continues to bounce from tree to tree.
“Listening, making sure we weren’t followed.”
Another long moment passes before Karo speaks again.
“Our smartest move would be to double back around the brush, then take the long way back to the others.”
“It’ll be dark soon.”
“That’s what gives me pause.”
“If we are being followed, are they smart enough to stop when we stop, to wait it out and see where we’re going?”
“I’ve never known them to do that, usually they’ll attack as soon as you slow down.”
“I don’t want to worry the others, we’ve been stopped for a while now, about an hour I’d say.”
Karo rises back to his full height.
“Doubling back is our best move.”
“It’ll be long after dark before we return, and it’ll be hard to see anything out here.”
“You’re right about that.”
“What if Norman or Daisy come looking for us?”
“Would they do that?”
Jack’s head shakes, a worried anxiousness creeping into him.
“I don’t know. We told them to wait, but Norman worries and he’s stubborn.”
“We’ll go back then, slowly.”
Jack hastily nods, eager to get moving again.
“If we’re being followed, it will be hard to know once it gets dark. They don’t have to be close. They can sense us somehow. Not sure if it’s our blood or our hearts, but they smell or hear something on a level that we don’t.”
Jack’s eyes bolt open, the whites around his pupils nearly glowing.
“I didn’t know that.”
“Not all of them, but some can, it’s safer to expect all of them are able to.”
The two men resume their travel, with a more methodical approach. Every few minutes Karo stops them and they listen, his head constantly on a swivel. He doesn’t voice it to Jack, but he’s uneasy with how they fled the grocery store. He’s never been one to aimlessly run. He learned early on to always check his surroundings, but Jack was frazzled and afraid, and Karo wanted to get him out of there.
Once the old trailer is in sight their pace picks back up, a certain level of confidence that no strangers lurk behind them having been reached. Jack knocks on the door lightly, following up with a soft announcement. The door is promptly opened by Norman, who wraps his arms around his husband. Karo, left standing outside the trailer, glares at them.
“Inside.” he says sternly.
The embraced lovers step back allowing the irritated traveler’s entry. Daisy rises from the floor, happy to see they’ve returned.
“It’s about time.” she says.
“There was, an issue.” Karo replies.
Daisy’s brow furrows.
“What happened?”
“We were attacked in those buildings.”
Norman stumbles over his own breath, Jack rubs his partner’s back.
“It’s alright honey, we weren’t hurt. It was terrifying, but we made it out just fine.”
Jack can see from his husband’s inquiring look that an explanation is needed.
“The larger building was once a grocery store. When we searched the stock room there were some infected in there. We got out and blocked the doors.”
“What kind of infected?” Daisy asks.
“Not the smart kind, I don’t think. It was dark in there, tough to know how many exactly, but Karo killed two of them.”
“Nothing followed you?” Norman’s hold on himself slips, shaking as the words flow from him.
“I don’t think so. We took extra care on the way back.” Jack assures him.
“Well, that’s good.” Daisy says.
“We need to move camp at first light.” Karo interjects.
“That’s not so good.” Daisy replies, her sarcasm getting away from her.
“Jack, Patrick isn’t doing well. He’s, having an episode.”
“We’ll carry him if we need to, but we move at first light, no matter what.” Karo says flatly, intercepting the conversation.
Daisy shoots an uncomfortable glance to Norman as Karo continues.
“I suggest we all get some rest, we’ll be traveling until sundown tomorrow.”
Jack and Norman retire to the bedroom in the back, the area on the floor still clear from where they slept the night before. Daisy joins Patrick in the other room, the boy still unresponsive. Karo pushes the dresser back across the front door, blocking the ability to open it, then he sprawls out on the floor.
The night passes with an eerie calm. Karo manages to get three hours of sleep before his mind jolts him awake. The days of sleeping more than a few hours at a time are long past for him. While the others rest he packs up all their things, making sure they’re as ready as possible to leave when the sun breaks the horizon.
He wakes Daisy first, anxious to know whether or not Patrick will be able to travel on his own accord. Their day starts with a good omen. Patrick rolls over as Daisy wakes him, makes eye contact with her, and nods in response to her requests.
Karo and Daisy wake Jack and Norman after. She informs them that Patrick is on the move this morning. Norman arises with a smile on his face, happy that Patrick is mobile. In less than five minutes they’re all ready to depart. Karo moves the dresser, and they exit the foul trailer. They’re greeted with a morning dew, caused by the light drizzle during the night.
The group doesn’t make it more than ten feet from the trailer before the most horrific sound they could imagine slams down upon them.
“Where you headed?”
The question comes from behind them. Daisy tenses, gripping Patrick’s arm. Norman freezes, the strength to turn around not within him. Karo whips his body in the direction of the question, having fully faced them before the words finished. Jack follows his action.
Two Adapted stand between them and the trailer. Both of the diseased creatures are wet and trembling, their clothes torn, their appearances unkempt. The hint of a smirk resides on the taller, more brutish one.
“Saw you before.” the taller one says, its words almost having to be forced out.
Karo grits his teeth, “Shit.” he mutters under his breath.
“We been waitin’ for you.” the shorter one says.
Karo puts his arms out, ushering the group behind him. He glances to Jack, keeping the Adapted in his field of view.
“Crowbars.” he softly says to the food enthusiast.
This time Jack does not hesitate, quickly sliding his backpack to his chest and removing the weapons.
“Daisy, quickly take the gun from my belt. Shoot them if it gets out of control, but the less noise the better.” Karo says, a hurried rush to his words, but still keeping his voice low.
The Adapted take off from a dead sprint. Karo returns the action in kind, raising his voice to the group as he separates from them.
“Back up! Get clear!”
He swings the crowbar mid-level, connecting with all his might against the chest of the shorter one. The impact brings forth a wheeze, stunting its movement. Before Karo can make another move, a lumbering arm smacks against his f
ace, the larger one knocking Karo to the ground.
Karo rolls as he hits the ground, putting a few paces between him and the infected. As he springs up to his knees he sees Jack charging. The older man barrels into the larger diseased, the impact forcing it off its feet and sending it crashing to the dirt.
“Stay back!” Karo commands.
Jack ignores the warning, swinging the crowbar wildly at the short one. His ungauged motions manage to connect on the final two attempts, one to the arm and the last to the head. The short one staggers.
Daisy’s pulls the gun up, her hand shakes as she watches the horror unfolding before her. She breathes in deep, counting inside her own head. After a short moment her tension eases, and her arm stabilizes. Norman clutches Patrick close, burying the boy’s face into his chest, shielding him from the terrifying scene.
Karo joins his battle companion, runs at the brute, and brings his weapon down from over his head, against its shoulder. To the grizzled man's dismay his attack has little effect on the tall infected. Like a great ape, it throws its heavy arms up in a fury, knocking Karo back with such force that his feet leave the ground. His arms flail as he momentarily soars, then collides with the mushy earth.
As the arms of the brutish monster come back down from delivering its blow to Karo, it leaps forward and snatches Jack up in its grasp. The beast traps Jack's arms to his side, its head comes forward in a blaze, its teeth latch onto the struggling man's neck, then pull back in a storm of rage, a chunk of his flesh ripping from him.
Norman's world shatters, he screams in agony. The brute heaves Jack high up into the air, then slams him to the ground. The breathe knocked from him, Jack gasps for air. The pain on his neck zips through his body, he grabs the wound, covering it tightly. The fist of the brute comes down upon Jack's face like a bolt of lightning, smashing in his nose.
A roaring blast rings through the air, followed by another, then another. The brute jerks back, two holes torn open on its chest. Daisy strikes toward it quickly, pulling the trigger once more, opening another crater in the brutes torso. Her arm raises slightly, her final shot blows the back of the creatures head out.
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