Chapter Text
The trees were thick with the sunshine shining through the branches creating animated shadows. The feel of the sun on my face left me feeling warm with a smile naturally coming. With my eyes closed enjoying this moment, I see myself somewhere else. Anywhere else.
Crunch
The sound of someone walking makes me come back to reality. I open my eyes and look towards the sound.
"Is something wrong?" John asks me.
I give him a small smile. "Nothing. Where is everyone else?"
Tensing I begin looking around to get a visual of everyone in our group. I calm down when I see them. The three kids are coming from the direction that John came. The two other women in our group are the oldest. The kids call them their grandmas. They don't mind this, and even they seem to enjoy it. Giving them the memories of life before.
As they get closer Ava is coming covering the rear of our group keeping eye on everything around us. This is how we survive. One of us goes ahead of the main group, usually myself, one staying with the group, and another taking up the rear to keep the group safe. None of us are related, but we have become a family of sorts to survive.
We all stand in the middle of the forest, with the kids sitting on a log grabbing sticks and rocks whispering to each other. "We should be fine to rest here for a bit," I tell everyone. The older women give a small thankful smile. We need to find shelter for the night.
Ava is walking towards me and I just know she is going to complain.
"Do you think that is a good idea?" Ava asks.
"We have been walking since sunrise. Give them a break." I reply taking off my backpack and setting it on the ground.
"What does John think?" Ava asks pulling her hands through her blonde hair.
Fuck your annoying.
"If you care so much go find him. He is checking around trying to find some water."
Ava gives me an annoyed look and starts stomping away.
I roll my eyes and sit on the ground. Bringing my knees to my chest I rest my head in my hands closing my eyes.
We made it through last night....
"Cara..."
I lift my head and look up to see a dirty face looking at me with fear in his eyes.
With a gentle smile "what's up?"
"Are we ok now? The monsters are not coming?"
I put my legs down and open my arms for him to come to sit in my lap. The other two are close by but are too entertained with some bug that they found.
"The monsters are not near us. That is why we left so early. The monsters went to sleep so we were able to get away."
"But they come back! They always do!" He cried
"And we keep going. We keep you safe. They have to get through us to get to you and that isn't going to happen pup."
Pup looks at me with tears in his eyes
"Do you believe me?"
Slowly pup nods.
"Good."
Pup hugs me and then goes back to the others.
Pup is the youngest out of all of us. We don't even know his real name. We call him Pup because when we found him he was the only one left in the small home. Well... only one is still alive.
Going through the house still haunted my dreams. The floors were covered in blood and furniture in pieces. His family used everything and anything to fight them off. Bloody handprints painted the walls to where they tried to get away.... You can tell they didn't want to give up.
Opening a cabinet door looking for supplies we all stop suddenly when we hear a small whimper. They shouldn't be here! They never stay after a kill! John and I look at each other and nod to one another in understanding that we both heard the noise.
We hear the whimper again. It's coming from the back room. Slowly, we start walking towards the back. Stepping over the bodies we open the door to the room. It is the cleanest room in the house. There is a bed in the middle with a table to the right of the bed. Felt peaceful, apart from the fact that everyone who slept in the room was laying in each other's blood just outside the door.
The whimpering is louder in here. Walking into the room I move towards the left side of the bed and John to the right. Getting closer to the bed with the sun shining through the window I see a woman lying face down. The floor is stained with a puddle of blood that is under her. I hear the whimper again and realize where they are coming from.
"I'm so sorry" I whisper as I grab the woman on her side and turn her over
Nothing. There is nothing there. Just the blood.
Maybe I'm losing my mind.
Then the whimper again. My knee hits the floorboard and it creaks. I look up at john with a surprised look. Slowly I pull the board up and see him.
Blood spots cover him and a stuffed dog but he was safe. They kept him safe with not a scratch on him....
Present
"Knock knock. You still in there?"
I jerk up noticing John standing above me.
"Yeah. Just lost in thought."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
I'm not in the mood to have a heart-to-heart.
"About much I miss good food."
"Huh" lifting his eyebrow as if he didn't believe me.
"So, Ava tells me your in a mood."
Stupid bitch.
Ignoring him I look up towards the sky.
"We need to start moving. We only have a few good hours of sunlight left." I say getting up to grab my backpack. Everyone notices and starts to gather their things. We don't have much but what we have we hold dear to us.
Ava walks to join John and me.
"We should be closer to the border and be able to cross tomorrow if we keep up the pace," I say in a lower tone so that the rest don't hear the three of us.
"We should walk through the night! We barely survived last night!" Ava whispers.
Before I can speak John replies.
"Last night was a full moon and there were other groups near us. It brought them to us. Tonight will be better especially since we put more distance between us and others."
She scowls at him and walks away annoyed.
I look to John.
"You know if you just fuck her already she may come off as nice"
He laughs
"Sure that would work. I am taking lead."
I nod.
"I will take the rear"
Nodding to each other we all take our positions and start walking.