Chapter 2: Consciences and Consciousness are Dangerous

With a hand to her chest, Cress could feel her heartbeat pounding against her palm and through her fingers. Deep breaths, Cress. Deep breaths.

There could be any number of reasons as to why there could be blood in the sink. With a second glance, she convinced herself that it didn't even look that fresh. She was just overreacting, as always. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Maybe a wounded animal had crawled in here recently and…? And what, Cress, washed itself off in the sink and left, closing the door on its way out? Stars, get a grip, Cress. There had to be a reasonable explanation that she just hadn't thought of yet.

And besides, she had bigger problems to worry about. An undead could have easily heard her with all of the commotion she had made between the shower and the sink, and if an undead had picked up on even the smallest of sounds with its radar hearing, then it wouldn't be long until it followed the sound to its source-her. She cursed herself. Now put the rest of your clothes on so that you don't look like a complete idiot when the undead find you, kill you, and you are resurrected into a half-naked zombie.

Cress really hated her sarcastic conscience sometimes.

After awkwardly pulling her dress over her head and managing to not slip on the wet floor while hopping around trying to put on her still-damp pants, Cress walked cautiously towards the sink.

She couldn't tell if this sink had ever truly been white porcelain because of the years of mildew, other unknown dried substances, and now the even more noticeable red blood that covered the sink in its entirety. The blood wasn't splattered, but instead lay in a small pool over the clogged drain. It was almost as if someone had carefully cleaned a wound. Probably not a wounded wild animal as Cress' mind had first suggested, but a person.

A real living person.

Cress' head automatically filled with thoughts of a friend. Someone who wasn't a stuffed bear missing an ear, but an actual human being with whom she could have a two-sided conversation.

Cress caught herself staring into the pool of blood as if it were a wishing well and was reminded of how much she really did need human companionship, or at the very least, human contact.

With renewed excitement at the thought of a companion to share the journey that had become surviving the zombie apocalypse with, Cress bounded into the main room of the shack to find her backpack. It held all of her belongings now. Not that she had ever owned much to begin with, but at least that fact made it easier when on the run.

Picking up her sack off the floor, she sat on the cleaner side of the little brown couch in the middle of the room and started taking inventory of her belongings.

She pulled out two pairs of wool socks, placing one pair aside and putting the other over her cold feet in an attempt to warm them. She also took out and placed next to her an extra pair of underwear, her soap and toothbrush she had retrieved from the bathroom, a couple of Band-Aids, and a lighter. She set aside the knife and bit of rope she had found in the cabin.

Food-wise she found her supply of two bags of fruit snacks, a half full can of peanuts, her metal water canteen, the fruit preserves she had discovered, and a container of Altoids (She absolutely hated bad breath). At the bottom of her bag she found exactly three elastic hair bands. Cress pulled her hair up into a (very) messy ponytail with one of the bands and put the other two on her wrist. To add to her very sad pile of supplies, Cress dragged her hoodie from where it was lying over the back of the couch and picked up Little Cress from the warped wood floor.

Scanning her pile, Cress sighed. It wasn't much, but it could be worse. Cress looked down at the raggedy bear in her lap and for the first time since she had left the orphanage, allowed herself to think about the life she had left behind.

"Crescent! Pick me up, pick me up!"

"You are way too big for me to carry you around like a baby anymore," Cress stated firmly.

"But, please," the little girl cried, drawing out the last word.

"Don't you dare give me the eyes," Cress sighed, knowing she was fighting for a lost cause. She could never to say no to the eyes.

The little girl twisted her face into a hopeful look and squeezed her eyes shut. She moved closer to Cress and rose up on the balls of her feet. When she was content that she had Cress' full attention, the girl opened her eyes as wide as they could go, taking a deep breath in. Cress peered down into bright blue eyes that were mirrors of her own.

"No!" Cress exclaimed. The girl just smiled and stepped back because she knew she had won. Cress loosed a breath of despair, but couldn't help the small smile that grew on her face. She scooped up the girl, catching her by surprise. The little girl shrieked and Cress finally allowed herself to break into a wide smile and laugh out loud. "You should have seen that coming from a mile away!"

Cress waited for a response, but after a few seconds she quieted her laughing, opening her eyes and looking into the face of the only person she could never deny anything from.

"Crescent," the girl whispered. Her eyes were downcast and the giddy grin had disappeared from her face.

"What is it? Did I hurt you? Oh gosh, I hurt you, didn't I? I'm so sorry! I-" Cress stopped abruptly when she heard a giggle.

The small girl looked up at the quizzical look on Cress' face. "Oh Crescent, of course not. I just had to get back at you somehow."

"I hate you."

"No, you loooove me," she said with a sly smile.

Cress just gave her an annoyed look.

"You know you do!" the girl persisted.

"Whatever. But I swear this is the last time I carry your dead weight around."

"That's what you say every time."

"Well, this time it's true."

"Suuuure we'll see how that works out for you. But it doesn't matter, I know you love me and guess what? I love you too."

Cress looked up from the bear and towards the door at the front of the cabin, a sad smile on her face because she knew there would never be a next time when she could carry the little girl and feel her small hands tightly wound around Cress' body.

And that's when he walked in.

AN: as promised, I returned! Sorry for the wait, lost track of time! Sorry for the second cliff hanger in a row but I promise it will be worth it next chapter!

Thank you Guest, PennTheWriter, and naillanai for reviewing y'all really make my day :')

Anyways happy anniversary of the 2017 Women's March and happy TLC shipweeks! follow me on tumblr bc I art sometimes ekamuel