The forgotten- sound of innocence
A/n- Sorry this chapter is a bit late. I really didn't know where I was going with this chapter and had a bit of a last minute change of heart and switched the storyline up a bit. Hope you enjoy it :)
Ps; special shout out to 'CoffeeLover19' for all the really kind reviews! Thank you so much:))
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Darkness. No nightmares. No dreams. Just endless darkness consumed Alex as she slept. The room was lit up brightly with the afternoon sun shining through the window but the coldness of reality seeped back into her mind as she started to stir. She could feel the soft blankets beneath her and the hard buttons on her creased shirt digging into her skin. She kept her eyes shut, hanging onto to the faintest hope that it was all in her mind. Deep down Alex knew. This was the world now. And there was no escaping it. She opened her eyes and squinted against the light, the world coming back together around her.
Muffled shuffling and voices came from next door and Alex peered at the clock 11:57- she'd been asleep most of the morning. She swung her feet off the bed and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. As if it was natural, she reached for her knife and gun and fastened them to her belt as she got to her feet and made her way to the room next door.
Billy, Tobias and Zoe were sat among various boxes and piles of clothes, folding and sorting as they chatted.
They all turned as the door opened.
"Hey, you need any help?" Alex asked slipping in the room and sitting next to Zoe.
"We're near enough done sorting. There wasn't much worth keeping" Zoe explained pointing to one of the smaller piles "there was a few bottoms, t-shirts and stuff that will fit you so I put them aside"
Alex held up an ugly mustard coloured vest from the pile and held it against her body
"What do you think?" She wiggled her eyebrows sarcastically at the others- the boys chuckled and Zoe held her hands up in defence
"Hey! There's no time for fashion statements"
Alex scrunched up the shirt a hurled it to the other side of the room
"I don't care. There's no way in hell that I'm wearing mustard"
"Well I thought it brought out your eyes" Billy mocked smirking at his new friend.
Alex reached for another item of clothing, throwing it at Billy, hitting him square in the face. The kids erupted with laughter and sent various items of clothing across the room at each other. They didn't know why they found themselves laughing so hard, but all of the sudden, they couldn't stop. Breath came in quick gasps between unstoppable giggles. Tears gathered in the corners of their eyes, threatening to spill over. The horrors of that morning fizzled out of their minds and the mood generally a whole lot lighter- the room filled with the sweet sound of innocent laughter.
"Stop! Stop!" Zoe wheezed, still laughing "we spent ages sorting these don't ruin it now"
"It's Alex's fault!" Accused Tobias putting down the balled up socks he was about to launch at Billy. "She started it!"
"I didn't even hit you!" Alex bickered between giggles "you can't blame me"
Just then the door swung open, revealing a very angry looking Layla glaring disapprovingly at them all.
"Will you guys shut up?!" She huffed putting one hand on her hip "why do you have to be so noisy and childish?"
"Just having a bit fun" Billy spoke still breathless from his previous laughing fit.
"Well just keep it down will you. It's annoying"
"Why?" Tobias provoked "we're not bothering you"
"Yes you are." Layla ranted, still glaring at them all "I'm trying to read my magazine..!"
"WOW! Lay... I didn't know you could READ?!" Zoe exasperated sarcastically sending everyone (apart from Layla) into another fit of laughter.
Layla opened her mouth to argue but Alex spoke up- recovering from her giggles- "Lighten up..." She started
"Lighted up!?" Layla hissed cutting Alex off mid sentence "I don't think you realise but while you were catching up on your beauty sleep my phone ran out of battery AND the waters stopped working so I can't even have a shower!"
"I don't think your phone or you not being able to shower are our biggest problems right now" Tobias retorted coldly, with a glare to match Layla's.
"FUCK YOU! What do you.." Layla began heatedly
"OKAY OKAY ENOUGH!" Alex diffused the situation before it got ugly. Not many people could get into a scrap with Layla and come away on top- especially if they didn't really know her- so it was best to end it quickly.
"We're sorry okay?" Alex carried on "we'll keep the noise down so you can get back to your reading and we'll try not to disturb you again okay?"
Layla huffed in response and stormed out the room slamming the door behind her. The others stayed in silence for a few seconds until laughter consumed them again. They sat snickering for a few moments until Alex broke it up
"Why weren't she helping you guys anyway?"
"Because she's selfish and inconsiderate" Tobias mumbled folding up the clothes that were lying around him.
"Okay I get it, she's a bitch you don't like her" Alex explained "but she's our friend and she doesn't mean it"
"Yeah but I don't get it- you are nothing but kind to her and all she does is complain about everything and throw it all back in your faces. She won't help with any chores and when she does she moans the whole time"
"She's not like that all the time" Zoe defended "she's just a bit unsettled at the minute"
"Yeah aren't we all" Tobias sighed
"So...why didn't she help?" Alex asked again- this time to Zoe
"Because apparently it 'wasn't fair' that she had to 'slave away' while you got to sleep" Zoe replied- Tobias scoffed
"Pathetic" he murmured "why is she like that?"
"Well let's just say only-child-syndrome and bitch-itis isn't a well balanced combination" Alex joked
They all smiled at the remark, continuing to fold the cloths that they had jumbled up. They worked quickly and soon had the room in a state of organisation and headed out to give out the distributed clothes and bagged up the rest to be used as rags. Soon the room was cleared of boxes and bags and left the room (which used to be Alex's brothers') with two single beds and the furniture. Tobias yawed as he and Billy finished making one of the beds.
"You don't need you're beauty sleep too do ya?" Billy joked earning a warning (but mocking) glare from Alex and a chuckle from the others
"Nah" he smiled sitting on the bed and running his hands through his hair "Rae was up nearly every hour crying. She usually sleeps through the night-only waking up once or twice- but it just must be with everything going on. Mom was on watch as well so i had to look after her"
"I've got an idea. Why don't we have a sleepover." Alex suggested "it will give you a break from your sister and we can all get to know each other some more"
"Yeah that'll be fun" Zoe agreed
"But won't the army be back by then" Billy offered looking at his friends "we could be down at the coast by tonight"
"You don't believe that do you?" Tobias asked, almost pained
"Why not, they said they'll be back and..."
"There not coming back" Tobias snapped. "Never trust people with power..never. They're not coming back. We're stuck here and it's probably better that way."
These words hit hard for Alex. Her mom, her sister, her brothers, her dog. All of them gone. Her stomach knotted and heart dropped as the words sunk in. They sat in silence not wanting to speak.
"He's right" Alex swallowed, fighting back tears "it's harsh but he's right. We're here now and we can take care of ourselves."
She looked up and made eye contact with Tobias who just nodded at her response.
"But my mom.." Zoe started, eyes brimming with tears
"I know." Alex said hugging her friend. "But they're safe...they have to be"
Alex trailed off and bit back her own tears as Zoe sniffled into her chest.
'I don't cry. I don't cry...' Alex repeated inwardly to herself- a little motto she had stood by for a while now. Billy stood off to the side head hug. Tobias sat on the edge of the mattress twiddling his thumbs as Zoe sniffled and Alex held her.
A few moments past and soon the children were sat in silence once more. This time Billy broke the silence.
"I'm up for a sleepover.." Billy awkwardly putted in looking at Alex "we'd have to ask the parents though"
"I can't I have to look after my sister" Tobias shook his head
"I'm sure your mom can manage on her own for one night." Zoe argued leaning against the wall opposite them
"C'mon man it'll be fun" Billy persuaded nudging Tobias in his side.
"Yeah Toby. One night. They'll be fine" Alex added throwing a sock that was left on the floor at him-which he caught.
"Alright" he sighed in defeat earning a chorus of "yes"s from his friends.
Tobias couldn't help but to smile to himself. He only ever had a few real friends in his life time. At school he was always the 'new kid with funny bruises'. He never stayed at a school longer than a few months before moving on to the next so never found the point of making new ones. But suddenly, he felt accepted. Yes he was older than all three of them but only by a few months in Alex's case but he never felt so accepted in his life. He was never bullied at school but he never was accepted into any friendship groups either but these three children (four if you included Layla when she wasn't being a stubborn bitch) made him feel welcome. It took the world to end for Tobias Mathews to make real friends.
"Hellllooooo. Earth to Tobias?" Alex droned waving her hand in front of his face, snapping Tobias out his trance "you coming or not?"
"What?" He asked confused standing up. He just realised that Billy and Zoe were no longer in the room.
"Lunch time." She stated plainly opening the door "then we'll ask about the sleepover and hopefully persuade my dad into giving us some shooting lessons"
"Oh okay" Tobias said following her out the room
They caught up to the others who were chatting with Layla, who was acting like their little argument didn't happen. Tobias sighed as they all made their way next door. When they entered they were greeted with a table full of bread, butter and cheese.
"Hey kids!" Christine greeted with little Rae sat on her lap. Her face lit up at the sight of her brother who returned the excited smile and lifted her off their moms lap.
"What you all been up to"
"Not much" Tobias answered vaguely "we sorted through the cloths next door and tided the room"
"Great" Christine said standing "well everyone else has eaten so this is all yours"
She gestured to the table of food "It isn't going to keep long and will go off soon so it's better than it going to waste"
Without hesitating, the kids grabbed at the food hungrily and filled their plates with the food and topped their glasses with water out of the jug.
"Oh and go easy on the water." She putted in "we've got some but it won't last forever. We have to ration it until the military is back"
The kids nodded but shared a glance, beginning to fill themselves with the meal.
"Tobias..do you mind watching your sister for a few minutes?" Christine asked "I need to see when I'm on watch and check some stuff with the others"
He nodded through a mouthful of food to which she mumbled a thanks and left the room.
Alex was first to finish and carried her plate through to the sink before re-joining the others at the table. Tobias was sat next to her trying to one handedly eat his food with his wriggling sister supported in the other. She could tell he was struggling so she wiped her hands on her jeans and held them out.
"Pass her here." She offered "I'll hold her while you eat"
"Nah it's okay" he declined through a mouthful of bread "I can manage"
"I know you can but you need to eat so pass her to me Toby" Alex said more sternly, annoyed at how stubborn he was being "anyway I had 3 younger siblings...I think I can manage"
At that comment Tobias passed over his sister with a muffled 'thanks' and turned back to his food. The others chatted as they ate, polishing off nearly the whole table of food. Alex just watched Rae who was chewing on a piece of bread, babbling unintelligently. She thought of her own siblings. They were gone and she would never see them. She then thought of the walkers and how scared little Freddie must have been. Alex held Rae a little closer. Her siblings may be gone but she vowed to keep this little girl safe. Even though Alex knew Rae would have Tobias to take care of her, she could tell her mom was naive. Christine- and the rest of the adults for that matter- believed the army was coming back for them and they would all be fine. Alex had her doubts. She vowed to protect this little girl and her innocence for as long as she could. In the last few days, Alex had to shed the last of her childhood innocence and become numb to the world. Tobias learned to do that a long time ago. Billy, Zoe and Layla were tough but still were slightly bling to the way things would have to be from now on.
Christine came back and took Rae off upstairs to be changed and put down for a nap. They all sat chatting about the sleepover they were hoping to have and Tobias cleared the rest of the plates into the kitchen. Alex could hear the kitchen cupboards opening and soon Tobias called her name.
"Alex come here for a sec will ya!" He called through the door "I need a hand with something"
Confused Alex slipped into the kitchen closing the door behind her
"What?" She asked standing next to Tobias and looking into the cupboard which he had opened
"We definitely brought all the food into here when we cleared all the houses?" He asked still studying the cupboard
"Yeah. Why?"
"We've hardly got anything left" he observed pointing to the nearly empty cupboards "I mean there wasn't much to start with but it went fast"
"Well with 15 people to feed 3 times a day it will"
Tobias looked like he was thinking up some sort of plan
"The parents still think they're coming back don't they?" He asked sighing
"Yeah" Alex nodded, exasperated at there utter blindness. They weren't coming back. They had to fend for themselves now. They were the forgotten.
"We hardly have enough food to last us the next few days let alone the next few weeks. If we leave it too them. We will starve to death"
"So...what's your plan" Alex raised her eyebrow.
"We need to get food somehow right?" He started in a hushed voice obviously not wanting the others to hear.
"Well there's two supermarkets within a 10 minute walk from here. We go. Get food. Get back. No one has to know we were gone." He explained his plan "we have one problem..."
"The walkers" they finished it unison
"Yeah" Tobias agreed "we can't get past them without the people on watch seeing us and the infected have been banging at that gate since you set off that gun"
"We could use the alley way" she offered pointing through the window beyond her bottom garden fence. "We have the fence and the walkers at one end but the other is where they came from. But if it means getting us food it's worth a shot"
"I agree" Tobias said "I found a few big backpacks we can use. Fill them with whatever we can grab and get out of there. As long as we're quiet and keep an eye out for each other we should be fine"
"Okay when we gonna do this?"
"Meet back here in twenty minutes and we'll head out. Okay"
"Okay..." Alex agreed. Tobias turned to walk out the kitchen "Tobias wait..why me? Why not ask Billy to go with you or persuade one of the adults. It would be a lot safer?"
"Because I trust you to take care of yourself and I know you can take care of them things" stated tobias opening the door.
"Well I'm flattered" Alex mocked, dramatically placing her hand in her chest before turning to finish off the dishes as Tobias turned to leave.
"Oh and Alex?"
She turned to face him again
"I know you can shoot like a bitch"
With that he winked and left.
