- closer

"You okay?" Nick asked as he slowly closed the door and he felt his heart sink a little as a frown crossed Joanna's features in the soft candelight. "Alright, you don't need to say it, I get it, you're sick of people askin' if you're okay" his voice took on a harder edge and he sat down, his head and back resting against the wall as he examined the palms of his hands.

"I'm not okay" she said quietly.

"What?" Nick blinked in surprise as he looked at her, the overbear tree outside casting an ominous shadow on the curtain behind her, like a scraggly arm about to reach in.

"I said that I'm not okay, christ did you not hear me the first time?" Joanna said irritably, feeling like this was now a mistake following Travis' advice.

"I heard what you said – " Nick scooted over beside her. " – I just didn't figure you'd actually say it. You wanna talk about it?"

"No" she shook her head, her dark hair falling over her face.

"Hey" Nick leaned in. "You can talk to me. I'm serious." There was a few moments of silence and he watched closely as she fiddled with her hands before speaking.

"I feel – I feel like there's no point anymore, to anything I mean, it's not that I want to kill myself or anything, it's jus' being alive right now just doesn't seem – " her voice trailed off and she looked into the candle, her eyes glazing over. " – I don't even know what I'm saying."

"Yeah you do" Nick cut in quickly, his tone softer. "What you said, I get it, I do. You know what I tell myself?"

"What?"

"I will survive" he sang in a high pitched voice and his unexpected response made her suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. It felt good to laugh, the tension between her shoulderblades eased and she forgot about that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach for a moment.

"You like my Gloria Gaynor impression then?" he shouldered her gently and she playfully raised her hand to slap him across the back of the head.

"You're an idiot" she grinned and he ducked, both of them giggling as he caught her hand instead. The laughter ceased and was replaced with silence as Nick thread his fingers threw hers. Joanna felt her heart skip a beat as his eyes searched hers, then he leant in to kiss her. She froze for a moment, his lips rough as they brushed hers, his tongue pushing into her mouth and she surrendered herself to him then as she let him in. Nick's kisses grew more hungry as he pushed her onto her back and she felt her breath catch as his hands reached under her tank top. It was all moving too fast "Nick - " she said as his lips moved to her neck.

"Nick!" Madison's shouts drowned out what Joanna was about to say and Nick sat back, closing his eyes, frustration building in him. "Nick, where are you?"

"Not now" he muttered to himself and Joanna watched as he climbed onto his feet, both fists clenched as the door was thrown open.

"Why was the door shut?" Madison asked, suspicion laced in her voice as she met Nick's glare. "You know what? it doesn't matter, we need to leave – "

"What?" Joanna climbed onto trembling legs, her heart still racing as she tugged at her tank top.

"Come on, we need to go now" Madison repeated as she came around and grabbed Joanna by the forearm.

"Why? Why do we have to leave right this second?" Nick snapped, trying to shake off the hardness in his groin area.

"Because we do! Don't argue with me Nick!" Madison raised her voice and Nick shook his head, suddenly reaching over and grabbing Joanna's hand. Madison held her breath, her suspicions confirmed that something was going on between her son and Joanna, something she was not thrilled about.

"Come on Nick!" Travis was waiting at the back door and Joanna could hear the engine to their people carrier running outside.

"Don't even start with me Travis" Nick pushed past him, Joanna casting Travis a sympathetic look as Madison stalked down the steps. Nick pulled open the back door to the people carrier, bundling Joanna into the vehicle first before following.

"What's goin' on?" Nick asked Alicia who was seated in the middle and watching them from the back of her seat.

"There's a herd comin' this way, mom could hear them."

"Why are we leaving then? Why wouldn't we jus' stay inside and hide? I mean what if we run out of gas?" Nick raised his concerns.

"We won't" Travis cut in as he climbed into the drivers seat, Madison climbing in beside him. "Everyone get their seat belts on!"

"Are you serious?" Alicia eyeballed him but the look he gave her made her buckle in. Joanna gripped onto the back of the seat infront of her as Travis pulled the car around and swerved onto the road, knocking over an overflowing bin filled with garden waste. She felt terror grip every fibre of her being as she looked out the window as they pulled onto the main road and she saw them. The dead. Moving as one, unstoppable force. "Hold on!" Travis put his foot down and they sped forward, Nick's hand suddenly grasping hers and she squeezed tightly in return as they left the house with the white porch to survive another day.