A/N: SO I HAVE BEEN ASKED WHAT "They" ARE. AND THEY ARE TECHNICALLY ZOMBIES BUT IM TIRED OF THAT WORD. SO IN THIS, THEY WILL BE CALLED CREATURES. AND THEY WILL BE EXPLAINED.
Chloe walked down the center of the debris covered street. Her gun held down at her hip, her finger on the trigger, just in case.
Her eyes scanned the few stores that lined the street. Most of them had been completely cleaned out. Literally nothing left and Chloe could tell this frustrated Beca. She moved much quicker than Chloe, going into the stores and looking for anything useful. Chloe remained outside, keeping lookout. Only to be greeted by an increasingly more agitated Beca after every store she left empty handed.
She should be used to the quiet, but even after all this time she was still unnerved by it. Of course, in the world like it was now, the quiet was good. It was when it was loud, that she should worry.
She stopped, about fifty feet away from the store Beca had entered moments before. She could tell it had been some kind of pawn shop. A place they would have needed in the beginning. It was those shops that were raided quickly, as they had guns, bullets as well as other weapons.
The windows were broken out, and Chloe could see that it had been cleaned out from where she stood. However, Beca still searched it, not willing to miss anything.
She let out a breath, looking up into the clear sunny sky. She knew it wasn't going last, it was getting late in the year. Cold was coming. Rain, freezing temperatures. Ice, sleet and more that make surviving even more of a task.
She was broken from her thoughts by a loud banging. Not a gun shot, but metal against metal. It came from the shop Beca was in and she tensed before raising her gun and jogging toward it.
XXXXXX
"Aubrey!" Stacie called dropping beside her. "Aubrey! It's okay look!" She said and the blondes terrified screams stopped. It was then, that she realized it was dead weight on top of her. It wasn't attacking her, it was dead.
"Jesse, help me get this thing off of her." Stacie said and looked down into the terrified eyes below her.
"You're okay." She said gently and Aubrey nodded slowly as she felt Jesse and Stacie begin to roll the creature off of her. As soon as the pressure was gone, she sat up and moved backwards away from it.
It was then she saw the arrow in the back of its head. She looked at Stacie.
"Thank you." She said softly and Stacie smiled standing up and offering her a hand.
Jesse stood up as well, brushing his hands on his pants.
"What the hell is this thing?" He asked looking down at the body.
Stacie looked at him. "You're just now asking that? After all this time?"
Jesse shook his head, "No I mean, I know what they are, but this," he motioned to it. "It's huge, I've never seen one this big, or powerful."
Stacie blew out a breath. "That makes you lucky." She said.
"You've seen them this big?" Aubrey asked nodding at it.
"A few." Stacie nodded. "They are like the others, the slow ones, that aren't much stronger than us. Except, they have been around longer. This one," she said kicking it lightly with the toe of her boot. "Has probably been around since the very beginning. So over a year. It hadn't been killed, so it kept feeding. They seem to get bigger, and faster. It's almost as if not being killed is like giving it steroids. They become monstrous. More aggressive." She said.
Jesse took in this info, and looked at Aubrey who was studying the corpse.
"I guess that makes sense. It's really unfortunate, but it makes sense. Have you seen anything bigger?" She asked.
She shook her head. "No this is the biggest so far that I have seen." She said. "They still die the same way, though." She said walking over and stepping on its back as she yanked her arrow out of its head.
Aubrey looked at Jesse who seemed to be bothered by this information.
"Jesse? You okay?"
He looked at her. "No." He said. "It's bad enough the world has been practically taken over by these fucking zombie things, now we find out that if they aren't killed, they get bigger and stronger?" He asked. "What else could possibly go wrong?" He demanded before storming out of the room.
Stacie looked at Aubrey. "He doesn't take bad news well, does he?"
Aubrey smirked a little before shaking her head toward the door and the two of them left the room.
XXXXXX
Chloe stepped over what had once been the door to the shop. Now it was just a frame, the glass broken out of it. She looked around the messy shop, seeing no sign of Beca. She took a few hesitant steps, cringing as her boots crunched on the broken glass.
"Beca?" She whisper yelled. "Beca are you in here?" She knew that was a dumb question. Of course she was in there, she would have seen her leave, also, did she really expect a verbal answer?
Still, there was no sign of her and this gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
"Hello?" She called out in a louder but weak voice.
She took a few more steps and felt the floor shift beneath her feet. She gasped slightly and looked down. What she saw made her stomach drop. The floor was rotted, and sinking in. A pipe must have burst and ate away at the floor, making it weak. Her weight on top of it, was making it crumble.
"Shit." She muttered and let go of the gun, holding it with one hand so she could use both arms for balance as she tried to make her way off of the floor.
She only took a few steps before she heard a cracking noise and the floor began to give out. Her eyes widened and she let out a terrified yelp as her knees buckled and she fell onto all fours, the floor taking her down with it. To where? She had no idea.
"Help, please?!" She screamed. As she let go of her gun and clawed at the ground, trying to pull herself to more stable flooring.
"Beca?!" She screamed as she felt the floor finally collapse and she was falling along with all of the rotted wood from the floor.
XXXXXX
"They should be back by now. Right?" Aubrey asked as she paced nervously around the fire. Jesse who was adding wood to it, making it bigger as the night got colder looked up at her with sympathy.
"Not necessarily." He said. "We only hope for day long supply runs. They may not have even found a town yet, Beca may have stopped to camp somewhere for the night. She usually tries for at least two days, before heading back. I'm sure they will be back tomorrow. The day after, at the latest."
"Why didn't you tell me that? Did Chloe know that?"
Jesse shook his head. "No, but I'm sure she has figured it out by now." He said. "She knows how to communicate with Beca so well." He said and looked back to the fire.
Aubrey looked from him to Stacie who was currently using a knife to open a can of mixed fruit, then back to Jesse.
"Don't sound so bitter." She said and he looked up at her, his expression first angry, but quickly dissolving into apology.
"I'm sorry." He said. "Just not used to having anyone but Beca, you know?"
Aubrey smiled slightly. "Yeah kind of. I've been with Chloe, day and night, since this started. And tonight, she won't be here. And I don't know how to handle that."
He nodded. "Makes sense. I guess most people don't really like change."
She shook her head. "So much has already changed. Some was good, most hasn't been the most pleasant."
Stacie listened quietly as she portioned the mixed fruit into three separate small bowls she found in the house. It wasn't the most filling of meals. One can of fruit split between three adults. Still, it was more than she was used too and she was most definitely not going to complain.
She silently passed out the bowls and got a thank you from Aubrey and a an appreciative nod and smile from Jesse.
"I guess, it's hard for me to accept that there might be someone else, that might get through to Beca." He said. "Chloe has already got Beca to do things that I have struggled with for nearly a year. She is comfortable with Chloe, and it scares me to think, I might not be enough for her. I know it's selfish."
He looked down into his bowl and Aubrey looked at Stacie who was eating silently. She seemed to be uncomfortable but Aubrey didn't want to ask her about it right then.
"Beca is all I have had for a really long time. Even before all of this. She has been my family, since we were kids. She's like my sister." He said.
Aubrey nodded. "I understand. You care about her. But, Jesse, this is a good thing. Beca obviously needed more." She said carefully. "She needs what Chloe is more than willing to give."
Jesse nodded and looked up. "And what is that?"
Aubrey could hear the edge in his voice, but knew it wasn't something she should worry over. "Security." She said. "Chloe makes her feel safe."
"And she told you this? Beca the selective mute?"
Aubrey didn't answer right away. His last comment, stirring up a little anger of her own. He was jealous, that is all. She didn't see the need to be rude about her, seeing as she was the reason he was being so protective.
"No. She obviously didn't tell me. However," she spoke, her voice taking on a certain authority and Stacie looked up, the tone of her voice seemingly getting both of their attention.
"She goes off alone with her. She allows Chloe to banter on about nothing for hours. I'm sure she doesn't know it, but I have seen her, on multiple occasions, let her gaze linger on Chloe. She smiles at her. She smiles at her back. When Chloe isn't aware. How often did she do that before?" She didn't give Jesse the chance to answer her before she carried on.
"She slept with Chloe. You yourself said you couldn't remember the last time Beca slept for more than a couple of hours. Tell me, when was the last time she let you hold her, comfort her the way Chloe did?"
Stacie looked at Jesse, her eyes slightly wider, hoping he didn't react angrily.
He glared but looked down. "Not for years. Even before this."
Aubrey sat back. "This isn't a bad thing. If you love and care for her like you say you do. You should be over the moon, knowing she has found some sort of comfort in this shitty excuse for a world. You should be thanking Chloe, for being so willing to be that person for her."
Jesses face relaxed and his shoulders slumped. Stacie watched, her eye shifting between the two.
"You're right." He said. "I'm sorry. I guess I have a small case of Luke-itis." He smiled apologetically. "I do appreciate everything Chloe is doing for her."
Aubrey smiled. "That's more like it." She said and Stacie relaxed. Jesse chuckled and shook his head, as he turned his focus onto his dinner.
XXXXXX
It had been nearly two hours, since they finished their small dinner, and Aubrey sat on the end of the couch, her eyes on the long driveway that lead to the road, hoping to see a truck drive down it.
The fire wasn't large anymore, but it was big enough to give off the warmth they needed. Jesse had laid down on the ground, his arms behind his head. He had done a perimeter check after dinner, and found where the creature had gotten through.
He repaired the broken line and using the recently emptied cans, made it stronger in places. He had felt pretty good about his work, and was able to drift off into a light sleep.
She didn't hear or feel Stacie sit down beside her. "Hey, Aubrey?" She jolted slightly and turned her tired eyes to look at Stacie.
"Yeah?"
Stacie looked nervous. "I was just wondering, if you wouldn't mind sharing the couch? I have a bad back and I'm afraid if I sleep on the ground-"
Aubrey cut her off. "Oh no, no, of course you can." She said, "Please make yourself comfortable."
Stacie smiled. "Thank you."
Aubrey nodded as the taller girl laid down. She looked back towards the road, to find it was still empty.
"She will be okay. She is with Beca." Aubrey turned to see Stacie looking at her. "They will keep each other safe."
Aubrey nodded. "It's cold. Chloe's immune system crashes so easily. I hope wherever they are, they have a fire, and are keeping warm."
Stacie smiled, Aubrey seemed to be more of a mother figure than anything.
"You really care for her."
"She is my best friend," Aubrey said looking down at her hands. "She is all I have."
Stacie sat up. "Hey." She said gently and reached out taking her hand. "You aren't alone, Aubrey. Beca is lucky to have Chloe, but Chloe is lucky to have you. Trust that she is okay. Beca wouldn't have taken her along if she didn't think Chloe would be okay."
Aubrey smiled lightly. "I know. I still worry though." She said. She couldn't help but think about the previous winter, and how sick Chloe had been. She was terrified she would get sick again. She was used to being there with her, looking after her. She knew she could be overbearing and she knew she wasn't her mother. But she couldn't help it.
"Try to relax." Stacie said.
Aubrey let out a breath and rolled her shoulders. This elicited a small chuckle out of Stacie. "There you go."
Aubrey laughed lightly. "Hush."
"It's kind of cold out here." Stacie said, "Would you maybe want to,"
She trailed off nervously and Aubrey smirked.
"I mean you don't have too, but I thought we could stay warm if you wanted to lie with me?" She asked. Aubrey couldn't help but smile at her shyness over the innocent question. She would have never thought the girl who survived the apocalypse alone, with a crossbow as her weapon, could be as sweet at Stacie was.
"Scoot over." She smiled and Stacies face relaxed as she made room and Aubrey cuddled in next to her. Smiling as Stacies arm looped around her and she laid her head on her chest, as they intertwined their legs.
"Is this okay?" Stacie asked.
"It's perfect. Thank you, Stacie."
She felt her nod. "Thank you, for not thinking me weird, for asking."
"Of course. This is nice." She said. "And much warmer, than sleeping separately."
"Aubrey?"
"Yeah?" She asked softly, already feeling sleep begin to take over, as she relaxed into the warm embrace.
"Uh, sleep well." She said. Aubrey could tell that isn't what she had originally planned to say, but her eye lids were heavy and she decided to leave it for morning.
"You too Stacie. Sweet dreams."
XXXXXX
The temperature dropped drastically and the moisture in the air from multiple busted pipes, and flooding. Made it even colder.
Chloe slowly opened her eyes. It was dark, and damp. She could hear dripping. A steady rhythm and the pain in her head pounded angrily. She was able to look up, just enough to see the gaping hole she had fallen into. The debris was all around her. Covering most of her body, and she could feel the familiar sensation of blood running across her face.
It was so cold, and she was so tired. She couldn't see much in the dark, and she tried feebly to move under the debris that covered her. It was heavy and she was weak. She didn't know where Beca was, or if she was okay. If she was even still alive. But she could tell that it was night time. She couldn't hear anything than dripping and her own pulse pounding in her head. She was shivering, and so tired.
"Beca?" She called weakly. Her voice was rough and scratchy, and didn't carry far. She felt her eyes drifting closed again, and tried to keep them open, but it was a losing battle. Wherever Beca was, she hoped she was okay. She hoped she was warmer than she was. She hoped she was alive.
She finally gave into the pull of her eye lids and let them fall closed. Losing consciousness once again.
A/N: OH SHIT. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED?! WHERE IS BECA? Please review! I could use some good feedback on this story! And THANK YOU to those who review every chapter! You are the real MVP's you keep me going!