Chapter 4 - The Next Morning
Santana stayed awake the whole night leaning against Brittany, who kept falling in and out of sleep.
The sun was shining through the cracks evident in the window. When Santana, consciously became aware of how beautiful the reflection looked against the plain wall across them, it made her smile for the quickest and briefest of moments.
San gently shifted against Brittany who was fast asleep behind her. She knew she had to keep an eye out to see if there was any of those infected freaks, so that they could head back to regroup and continue on their journey as fast as they could. San turned softly against Brittany to get a better look at her. Her soft features and freckles shined through as San watched her, her blond hair flowing freely, with little waves here and there covering a portion of her face, She was sleeping peacefully, knowing Britt when she wakes, she will be hungry. She always was, when waking up but would not hesitate to share her food with little Michael and wait until dinner to eat again, which even then would she share with the little monster again.
We both loved Michael, when we found them he was just a baby that we carried on our backs with a backpack. He was so cute being carried on Britt's back, San would always be one step behind making sure he wouldn't fall out, she also could not wait until he could walk on his own, so they dedicated the 3 years that followed to teaching him how to walk. What they didn't know was the trouble of having a walking 3 year old in such a dangerous area. It wasn't fair; both of them looked and watched over this little boy knowing that they could possibly never have their own family. So from 6 months old, San and Britt treated the little boy as if they were his mothers. Of course James was there but he was always out scavenging or hunting the infected who were too close for comfort.
"Baby," San cooed at Britt until she was slowly waking up, "we need to get back" placing her hand on her face San watched her open her eyes smiling softly and nodding.
It took them around half an hour to get back to the street with the miraculous house. With their packs full, they started walking cautiously towards the house. It was always the most daunting time going back, not knowing if anything has happened to them, if they are still amongst the living. Britt and San are surrounded by death every second of every day, with memories of those who they've killed and the people they left behind, and of course those who want to kill them.
Slowly shuffling towards the house they walk past the 5 infected they saw last night, "are they following us? Like a scent?" Brittany questioned as she looked down at the dead walkers and then up at San "I don't think so Britt, maybe they were loud" San raised a brow and looked at the house and quickly shuffled towards the door. Knocking three times. The anticipation of waiting for someone to call out that everyone was okay. She slowly unhooked her machete from her belt and twisted the handle to add force on the other side, pulling the door fully open.
"Holy fucking shit" San whispered, out of breath as James stood there with a gun pointed at the both of them. "James, it's us" San slowly put her hand on the barrel of the shotgun and pushed it towards the floor so it wasn't pointing at them. She didn't want a trigger-happy idiot killing them for entering their own hideout. "Give me the shotgun James," San said as they entered the make shift living room where everyone but Michael was awake. "What are you talking about?" James scuffed and looked at her. "It's my gun Santana. Plus, who will protect you four without it?" James hurried to put the gun around his back causing Santana to growl and give off her known killer stares at James the moment he refused, "if one of us dies by your hand I'll personally see to it that you get eaten alive" she said walking towards Michael and softly waking him up too. Scooping him up in her arms, it was all decided that they needed to leave this place as fast as they could, not knowing what was around the next corner.
Walking along the street Brittany on one side, the other two in the front and Michael buried in her arms, she felt a bit safer knowing that number in groups are more safer than an individual trying to win this war against the Infected. Maybe there were others out there, but they haven't come across life for the past 4 and a half years. Not a single soul, even animals seemed to be nonexistent. All that's left are memories and broken homes. Britt put her hand in Santana's and walked with her, following Jen and James. Could there be others, other survivors? Is it possible that they are not alone?