Disclaimer/AN: You know the drill. I own nothing from the Zombieland franchise except my OC. I really hope you like it and please take a minute to review, I am open to any suggestion. I´m not a native English speaker so let me know about any grammar or spelling mistake.
"It happened about two weeks ago, maybe three. Buck and I were driving west from New Mexico, just about to cross over to Arizona. Our supplies were practically nonexistent. The only thing that was keeping us alive was a half empty bottle of blue Gatorade we managed to find. The clouds grayed the sky and I remember a storm was on its way. Buck was sleeping in the back seat when I noticed we were approaching a small town along the highway. We stopped to get some rest in a house right next to a gas station, that way I'd fill up the tank and then we'd go right inside to get supplies and rest. I was so tired… I was afraid I'd fall asleep in the car and crash it in the middle of nowhere. I remember how hard it was to get Buck to sleep. He cried and cried and I could hear his belly grumbling, he was so hungry…" A tear began to break the still look in Amaya's face. Her deep brown eyes were staring into nothing and her head hung slightly low, at just the right angle for a moonlight stream to hit her eyes and make them seem almost surreal. Like the last glance of a woman who had dared to look straight into a basilisk's eyes. No one dared to interrupt her.
"I parked the car right next to the gas pump and I thought it would be best if I just left it there for the night. The first thing on our checklist was food and water; and we'd better find some in that old house. I woke him up and we got off the car. I had my rifle hanging from my shoulder and my pistol ready in my hand. The front door was locked but it was old and rusty enough to break in. I was sure I'd have a horrible bruise on my right arm after the third time I hit it before it opened. Inside there was a long hallway, the living room was at my right; I closed the door behind us. It was pitch dark and terribly silent. It was obvious that the people that used to live there had tried to board the windows. I double checked the living room before I looked up. There it was… the kitchen. From where I was in the living room I could see the doorless cabinets with a few boxes of supplies just sitting there, waiting. And water, so much water, there was a full water carboy on the floor. My stomach grumbled and I just stopped thinking. I called Buck in front of me and we just kept walking to where the food was. My mind was racing, my vision became blurry and the subtle sound of raindrops was muted. I could only think about how bad my hands and feet were shaking." Buck shifted awkwardly against Wichita's embrace. This was something he had never talked about, not even to his dad, and it was hard for him to relive it.
"When I looked down to Buck I saw something. He was walking along the counter dividing the kitchen from the dining room, I guess in the same muffled state I was because he wasn't looking ahead of him... It was my fault… At the end of the counter there was something on the floor, something pale green, slightly moving. By the time I realized what it was, Buck had already passed the counter... If you had seen the look on his face…" Amaya closed her eyes and brought her left hand to her face. "The horror on his face brought me back to Earth. I used every ounce of energy I had left in my body and lunged forward. I put my arm around him and picked him up from the floor just as a zombie's hand reached out for him. The bitch was ripped in half and his legs were piled up far in a corner behind his body. He must have been dragging himself around with his arms... Buck was fine off the floor. I wasn't fast enough…" Amaya was trying her hardest to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to show them how vulnerable she really felt. "By the time I was holding Buck with both of my arms, I felt the zombie's hands gripping and pulling my leg. I was so weak I couldn't even keep myself standing against his pulling. He knocked me down and I fell with Buck in my arms. I let go of him and he ran behind a tipped table… That's when I felt it." She paused, briefly looking up to see everyone's faces staring at her with shock and anticipation.
"He got my leg and as I looked down I could see his teeth burying themselves in my skin. I knew that was it. I screamed like I had never screamed before in my life. The pain was unbearable, like getting stabbed, but even worse than that was knowing my life was over. Its a painful slap in the face, you see? Knowing that your time is limited and running out with every heartbeat… I had enough sense to put a bullet through his head before he could take a second bite. I looked down and all I saw was red and black. There were teeth marks seeping blood through my pants and onto the tiled floor… There was so much of it... I searched for Buck and found him looking out from behind the table, crying. My leg was dripping blood and all I could think about... was how sweet and innocent Buck looked. I was more worried about memorizing each detail of his expression than about the throbbing pain that wasn't letting me get up. I just stayed there… lying down, letting everything sink in. I felt my eyes falling heavier and heavier but Buck pulling at my jacket kept me awake. I realized I was giving up. On him, on me, on everything, and I couldn't let that happen before I made sure my little boy was safe. Somehow I managed to sit up and tie the strap of my rifle to my leg. My hands were trembling too much to make a proper tight knot. I told Buck to pull one side and I pulled the other. That was going to slow things down a bit. I had to think of something to keep Buck alive… from myself." Amaya made a quick pause to pick up the small, half empty bottle of rum from her supply bag. She needed the warm comfort to finish her story. She made a light 'cheers' gesture and took a gulp. Placing the bottle back on the nightstand with a wince from the burn in her throat, she carried on.
"The first thing on the list was packing everything for Buck and whoever found him next. I stuffed all the food I could into the supply bag until the zipper couldn't go all the way up. Buck had his first real dinner in God knows how long and I ate and drank only what was strictly needed… No use wasting supplies on a dead girl. Things became quiet between us and I just didn't know how I was supposed to tell him… that I was dying. That whether either of us liked it or not… he'd be alone again and someone would have to put me down like a mad dog." She let a sob and a sniff escape to release some of her emotions, her voice cracking at the last bit. She was feeling guilty for not talking about it with Buck; he was so young and she hadn't helped him wrap his mind around the way this new and sick world operated now. Had been too worried about preserving the last bits of his innocence. She didn't even know what he'd been thinking or how it affected him. Amaya took a mental note to work on that.
"I ripped a long strip of old wallpaper from the living room and wrote *HELP, SURVIVORS INSIDE* with a marker. I was too weak to place it high on the house so I just pasted it outside on the boarded windows next to the front door with duct tape. I know it sounds like a lame attempt for help but I didn't have enough time to work a proper plan. I was starting to feel lightheaded but I just couldn't stop now. That little boy was looking at me from the couch with uncertainty... It felt so wrong just leaving him to fend for himself… Suddenly my wounded leg just gave out. I fell to the floor and Buck ran to me. I held on to him for the longest time just crying into his hair. I was holding him so tightly I thought we'd fuse together. My time was running out but at least I wasn't gonna regret not saying goodbye. I limped my way to the second floor to the master bedroom and into the walk-in closet. I lit up a few candles from downstairs for the night before I grabbed a few belts from the rack and tied my ankles together and kneeled facing the wall; then I made a tight knot around my wrists using my mouth and secured them to the closet rack tube that seemed sturdy enough. Buck simply watched me do it from the huge bed. He looked ready for a trip to the mountains with his little sweater and his massive bag with food and water. I told him everything he needed to know, about locking the closet door when the time came and using my weapons if he ever had to defend himself. I hated myself for it… no kid should hold a gun at his age…" When Amaya eyed Buck from her place at the bed her loving gaze was returned. He had been forced to grow up that day but he was a smart boy, he understood more than she thought. Amaya smirked and let a tear roll down her face.
"He refused to sleep on the bed despite my insistence. I remarked how he had to get away from me the second he noticed I was… gone, replaced by a monster. He dragged a blanket to where I was in the closet and laid down beside me. He was't going to leave my side. I kept telling him silly jokes to liven up the mood and he kept laughing. That sweet, honest laughter… that was the only thing I needed to hear to go in peace… The night fell and my condition got worse when the fever reached its highest. It was still dark outside and the candles we found were still burning. My clothes were drenched in sweat but I felt I was freezing solid. That's when I told him everything I wanted him to know. How much I loved him, more than my own life. How he saved my life by giving it purpose and how his company kept me sane. He cried and told me he'd miss me and how…" Amaya couldn't keep it in this time. She brought her hands to her face and let out a wail. Buck untangled himself from Wichita's arms and scrambled to her. Tallahassee reached out to stop him and bring him back to his safety. Columbus placed a hand on his shoulders and stopped him. He shook his head and mouthed 'Let him'. Tallahassee hesitated but pulled his arm back. The little blond jumped with open arms to her. She placed him on her lap and they both held each other, crying together. With muffled words she continued her story.
"…he told me how I'd been like his mama… And I gave him something to remember me."
"The dreamcatcher." Tallahassee interrupted. He had discovered an improvised leather string necklace with a tiny silver dreamcatcher around Buck's neck when he was giving him a bath. When he asked his son about it he simply answered it was a gift and avoided every other questions about it. This was something strange to Tallahassee since Buck had always been so open to him but decided to let it go.
Amaya nodded. "I told him to take it off my neck and put it on himself. That it was his to keep forever." She uncovered the amulet hidden under Buck's t-shirt and sweater for everyone to see. It glinted in the moonlight on Amaya's palm before being put back again under the boy's layers of clothing.
"I had to let my last moments be all about what gave my life meaning all this months. So I sang to him the way I used to sing back at home." She remembered the song, replaying it in her mind. This wasn't one of the lively songs she used to play at her workplace; no, this was something she remembered singing to Ismael, her nephew, a few nights before her journey to Florida. He loved watching Disney's Dumbo despite his mother crying every time. The tender moment between the baby elephant and his chained mother seemed rather fitting for a last song.
"The second I stopped singing everything went black. I could still hear Buck calling out to me but I couldn't force my eyes open. I feared how he would have to get himself out of this one. He was alone and defenseless the way a bear cub is left next to his dead mother after a hunter has shot her... Then I felt nothing. Not even Buck's voice. I felt replaced by someone else, my thoughts turning completely opposite, filled with... madness and disturbance. My eyes darted open and all I could feel was… hate, like I would kill anyone I could lay my hands upon... It all seemed like a nightmare. Every color I saw was either red or black; and a smell, taunting me and making me squirm and try to pull myself free. I can only remember bits of it, like separate scenes of a horror movie pasted together... I could feel a sharp pain in my wrists but I didn't care. I screamed my hate and hunger out. That smell, coming from the slits in the closet door… At that moment I wasn't aware the the only sound I could hear wasn't just my growling but also crying and sobbing." She looked down to Buck. They had both calmed down and the only evidence of their sadness were their reddened eyes. It was late at night and it had been an exhausting day. Buck settled himself to sleep in Amaya's arms.
"I can't remember when I lost consciousness again but when I woke up it was daytime. I was even more tired than when we got to the house, my eyes barely opening to slits. My legs had given out and I wasn't kneeling anymore, more like hanging from the tube. I realized the red vision was gone and that the carpet returned to its original camel tone. I was so thirsty and my lips felt dry and cracked open. I didn't know where Buck was or if he had been rescued or not... I pulled my tied legs and tried to push the closet door open but it was too far and all I could manage were a few light knocks... Then I heard him, calling out my name questioningly. I tried to scream 'help' but it only came out as a hoarse mumble. My throat was killing me. I heard Buck unlock the door and open it, letting the sunlight hit my face until my eyeballs felt like they were melting. He didn't come to me immediately and hesitated when he called my name again. I forced my face into a smile and... next thing I know his arms were around my neck. I was so dry I couldn't even make tears as I cried again. Buck helped me cut the belts with my knife. My wrists had been bleeding from the deep chafing. Once I was free, it took me a couple of hours to walk again so I ate and drank on the floor what I hadn't since I got bit. I thought I had slept for the rest of the previous night, until Buck told me I'd been a zombie for an entire day after that first night, then I went quiet and came back to myself after a second night at that house. I can only assume that I was simply passed out during that second night." Buck was now cradled in Amaya's arms, exhausted from the agitation and sleeping placidly. "We stayed there for a couple more days until there was nothing worth the trouble left in that town, and we drove off." Mexico realized she'd been stared at for the last minutes, and they all had pity faces. She'd been starved, run over and returned from the dead; like hell she was gonna let them feel pity for her.
"I-I'm sorry... We didn't know you had..." Columbus was trying to calm things down, before anyone lifted their guns again. Amaya dismissed him with a had gesture and an easy smile.
"No, no. I understand. Perhaps I should've told you sooner..." She stood from her spot carefully to lay Buck down again on Tallahassee's bed and kissed his forhead before standing straight. "I'm... I'm just gonna go outside for a bit. I need some air." Her voice cracked a bit at the end. Everyone could see she was trying hard to keep her tears at bay. Amaya grabbed her knife from under the pillow and a beaten up cigarette; her lighter in the front jean pocket. Then outside, began walking down the hallway and stairs to the wide main garden.
Everyone was left speechless after she stepped outside. Tallahassee was sure she was hiding her bite because she'd turn at some point. He never expected to hear Mexico had ALREADY gone that way. Wichita gave Tallahassee a scolding look.
"You should go talk to her. Apologize for pulling a gun on her." Wichita turned her head towards her little sister. "You too. And don't give me that look. That was crossing the line ever for you."
Little Rock rolled her eyes and stepped away from the wall. "Did you hear what she called me?!"
"Yeah, a girl flipping out at two guns aiming at her head!" Wichita countered. Tallahassee remained quiet, too busy re-tucking his son in bed.
"Guys, can we do this outside? I don't think it'd be a good idea to wake Buck up again..." Columbus was worried about Tallahassee's reaction. He was never this serious or quiet, he always had a sarcastic retort. They all agreed silently and stepped outside to the railing overlooking the garden. A loose brick was put on the floor to prevent the door from closing entirely.
"Alright lil spitfuck, whats yer plan?"
"I say we give her a moment, then you should talk to her. Let her know she's in the group."
"Whoa! Are we seriously letting her in?"
"Lil Rock, I ain't just shooin' her away after literally givin' up her ass for Buck. She deserves a chance."
"Yeah, she does. And she also deserves to watch your face say 'I'm sorry for being such a dick.'"
"Ya just ain't letting that go, are ya?"
"I think the same. Tal, you gotta go talk to her. Maybe Little Rock should wait until tomorrow."
"Man, yer girfriend really has ya tied on a leash from your weenie balls, don't she?" Tallahassee's sense of humor was back. Columbus gave him a stern look but ignored the comment.
"Still, I don't think she's letting go of Buck anytime soon so we better start off with her with the right foot... After all..." Columbus looked down the railway and saw her figure pacing around the garden, the only light coming from her lit cigarette. "... we're the only family she's got now." He felt a pang of empathy. He knew very well what it felt like to want to return home and see your family but knowing there'd be nobody left.
"Fine... But I'm still keeping an eye on her!" Little Rock's anger had faded enough. She turned around and headed back to her motel room. Wichita, Columbus and Tallahassee stayed outside.
"So? What are you waiting for? You're not gonna leave her out here." Wichita insisted.
"Alright, alright, I'm going!" Tallahassee raised his hands surrendering to Wichita's orders. He began walking down the stairs, leaving Columbus to watch Buck while Wichita went back to bed.
As he was nearing the bottom of the stairs he glanced out to the garden. Mexico was nowhere near him. He began walking and looking around, trying to locate her. Finally he saw a thin smoke trail coming from beside a tree, an orange sparkle giving out the location of her face. She was lying down on a hammock, right beside the pool area fence.
I´m awful at making cliffhangers, I know. Review plz! It really helps to know what kind of writing choices I should make.
