Authors Note: Here is chapter 5. I'm working on another fic and ran away to this story to help with my writers block. I got so far into the next chapter I forgot this one was done so here ya go! Review/rate is always loved! 3

Chapter 5

Pearl

It had been two weeks since they had come to the compound and nothing has been easy. Dewey had up'd his pressure game so bad that no one could get to Pearl other then Steven. Not even her own sister. Dewey hadn't been fazed by Jasper's beat down. It only made him more psychotic. He lost his mind to the point of raping Pearl 2 more times, both while she was asleep, being woken up to it, and being handcuffed to the bed so she couldn't get away. He also made it so she wasn't allowed out of the room without himself. It has gotten so bad Pearl had to resort to sleeping in the bathroom, sword in hand, and not coming out unless she was alone in the room. She was trapped.

Pearl herself felt like she was a prisoner, and she basically was. She felt sick and disgusting. She refused to eat unless Dewey was not in the room and only when Steven was with her and alone. At first Dewey had refused Pearl's demands but after four days of her not eating he caved in, the fear of Jasper finding out knolling at the back of his mind. Pearl was playing her hand the best way she could in Dewey's sick game. His own father thought his son was taking things too far but was too preoccupied with other things to really stop him. The rest of her group had no clue what room Pearl was in but knew the floor she was on. It was heavily guarded and not just anyone could come up to it. Pearl had been able to get messages to them by writing them down on paper and putting them in Steven's pocket before they would come to take him back to the others. At first she wasn't sure that they were getting them until Garnet had written a note back to her. Pearl was able to keep up with them all and there plan to learn how to get out of this hell and she was able to tell them Dewey and his fathers sleep schedules from here plus what he was doing to her, per her girlfriends request. To say Jasper was on a murderous rampage every time she saw Dewey was an understatement. It took the reminder of her whole group that killing him right away would end in them never getting to Pearl and being trapped here forever. Every. Time.

She also was able to tell them everyone important to them that was running the compound was kept on her floor so she knew when most people would come and go by the sound of doors clicking and shuffling in the hallway. The last note told her of there plan in the next two days to make there break out attempt. They had done a test run with Lapis to see if she could get in and out without going noticed and it seemed like they had everything together. The only thing remaining was to get to Pearl before running. They had all there stuff, including Pearl's, so she was the only missing peace.

Pearl was sitting on the floor, letting Steven play with her hair, when gun fire came to her ears. At first Pearl paid no mind to it. The guards would shoot zombies here and there for target practice or when they were board. This time however, there was more then the gun fire and zombie moans and screams to fill the air. There was a deafening roar that made Steven stop and Pearl's heart pick up.

Pearl got to her feet, Steven death gripping her hand, and made her way over to the window. Looking out into the darkening world she saw it. A hoard bigger then she had ever seen before was attacking the compound walls. The bodies of the walking dead stretched for three city blocks and they were so loud that she almost missed it. The mass in the center and making its way towards them.

The monster.

It was roaring so loud that it hurt Pearl's ears, even when it was over a block away still. It shoved zombies out of its way as it raced towards the wall. The more it roared and screeched the more zombies attacked the defenses. The guards were doing a good job of keeping back the masses but it was evident that they wouldn't be able to do it for long.

Fear ran through Pearl's body as she twisted around and kneeled in front of Steven "Steven. I need you to be brave for me again." She said as he shook under her grip "The second the door opens I need you to run out and go to the others. Find Blue and stick by her and Jasper. Do not leave there sides no matter what ok?"

"Are you coming to?" Steven asked as the roaring of the monster got closer, the sound of metal screeching as the wall started to give. Cars buckling under the press of dead bodies. The yelling of people to keep the masses back.

"I'll be right behind you but you need to look straight ahead no matter what and run ok? Can you do that for me?" Pearl asked as she twitched from a buckling sound and shouting out in the hallway.

"I can!" Steven said with a smile and flexing his tiny arms, his eyes shinning brightly up at Pearl.

"Good boy." Pearl said kissing his head and giving him a quick hug. "Now go hide so you can run out the door, I'll be right behind you."

Steven nodded as he ran out of the bed room. The second he was gone Pearl shut and locked the door. She dragged a chair infront of it and went over to the window. As she pried it open she could hear Dewey and a few others shouting as they ran into the suite. Pearl grabbed her sword tight in her hand kicked the screen of the window out as the bedroom knob jiggled.

"Pearl, open up!" Dewey shouted from the other side. "We need to go!"

Pearl sat on the windowsill and swung her legs out as she watched the wall give. Zombies poured into the compound and the fighting began. There was screaming and shouting as the living and dead clashed. The living were putting up a good fight but it wasn't going to last very long without more help. Pearl looked down to see several zombies gathering below her. She was four floors up. If she timed it just right the dead could break her fall, or she could only break a bone or two. Neither choice was appealing but staying wasn't any better. As the door banged in behind her Pearl curled her legs up so she was crouching.

"Pearl!" Pearl glanced behind her at Dewey as she hung partly out the window. "Come back inside this instant!"

"Why?" Pearl asked.

"Steven will get hurt if you don't." Dewey said giving her a crazy smile and taking a step towards her.

"How? He isn't here." Pearl said mater-o-factly. She smiled a bit as Dewey looked around surprised and confused before turning back to her.

"Come my love." he said holding out his hand to Pearl. "Is death worth letting me go?"

Pearl looked him over for a moment before turning back and jumping out the window. Dewey yelled behind her as she fell the four floors straight down into the waiting zombies below. Peral was certain she broke several arms and legs with her landing but she was ok. Only after she got to her feet and brushed the dirt off herself did the gravity of her impulse decision sink in.

Pearl looked up slowly to see zombies in front of her. Oh, fuck, Pearl thought taking a step back, did not think this through. They were moving towards her when the monster let out an ear shattering roar. Pearl covered her ears and flinched as the zombies suddenly stopped. They stopped everything. They stopped trying to eat the living and just stood there. The guards quickly cut down the zombies in front of them but soon stood stone still like the dead themselves. The monster slowly made its way to the whole in the wall and stopped. Its many eyes looked to Pearl then around the compound. It stared at Pearl for a moment before letting out a deep rumble from its chest and backing up a bit. Pearl's heart was beating in her ears so loud that she almost didn't hear Dewey yell down at her.

"Pearl! Come back inside this instant!" Dewey snapped hanging out the window like an idiot. Pearl looked from him to the monster then back again. Dewey could see Pearl questioning her options as he yelled down to her again "I can't protect you from down there!"

"Thank god." Pearl said facing Dewey and flipping him off "Get fucked you no good low down raping peace of fucking shit!"

Pearl turned on her heals and with all the courage she could muster she walked off towards the hoard. There was no way she would go back to Dewey. She rather die. Pearl marched right up to the monster and with all the gusto left in her blood she spoke. "Move."

The monster knelt down and roared right in Pearl's face. Pearl closed her eyes and internally screamed but her body held ferm and unfazed. Oh god, Pearl thought as she opened her eyes to see the monster level with her face, Oh boy that is too close for comfort. The monster looked at her and grunted with pained sounds before moving back a step. It let out a deep growl before turning away from Pearl. Pearl watched in amazement as the hoard of dead before her parted like the red sea. She stood there like an idiot. Her body was then moving before her mind had time to catch up with it.

Pearl slowly followed the monster into the zombie hoard. She could feel there glassy eyes on her form. She could hear them shuffling all around her as they parted out of her way. Pearl walked at a semi slow pace. Only when the monster growl deeply again did she stop. Pearl glanced over her shoulder to the compound. She could see the walls lined with the living, watching her go. From here she couldn't make out anyone in particular but she felt her friends eyes on her. I'll come back for you, she thought as she turned back around to see the monster had stopped as well, This isn't goodbye.

The monster watched Pearl until she walked up to it and stopped a few feet away. The zombies started to close in the circle around them. It made Pearl finally start to shake in fear. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword. She readied herself incase one decided to attack. Pearl's heart was pounding in her ears. She was scared. Scared she was going to die. Scared she was never going to get back to her family. Afraid that she would never see the sun again.

As if the monster sensed Pearl's fear it let out a horrid screech. Pearl yelped in surprise and pain, covering her ears and slamming her eyes shut. Her body tensed and she readied herself to fight until her last breath. When it didn't come she opened her eyes again. To her surprise the hoard was... leaving? They had all turned and walked off in all directions. She could hear there dead moans and grunts as they left. Behind her she could hear gunfire start again as some had turned back to the compound. Pearl didn't dare turn around though. She knew she would run back and that would more then likely make the monster angry enough to kill her. It had went to a lot of trouble to keep her alive so far so it must want something... right? This made Pearl think as she lowered her hands. The monster attacked her and Steven at the light house. It tried to kill them. At Peridot's it followed them. It didn't attack when Pearl pulled her sword from its shoulder. Running away from it it tried to catch them. Now it followed the group all the way here and hasn't brought Pearl all this way to just kill her. No it could of done that at any time. It wanted her alive and it was taking her somewhere? Maby? She didn't understand what it was after, what it was doing. Its behavior and existence itself was out of science fiction and horror movies. Nothing made sense to her!

It's the apocalypse Pearl. Just go with the crazy, Pearl thought before speaking "What now?"

Her voice was so small that at first she thought that the monster didn't hear her. She took a breath again when it rumbled deep from its chest before turning away and continuing its walk forward. Well it was more of walking on its hands since the top half of its body was horribly disproportioned to its human bottom half. Pearl had half a mind to just run off down an ally or into a building but she weighed her options and decided that following the monster was the smarter option. She hadn't died yet or been bitten so why not? Not like she had much choice anyway.

Pearl followed behind the monster for what felt like forever. She had no idea where she was going or what part of the city they were in. The monster had chased off other zombies who did not heed its roars and groans as warning when getting too close. Pearl herself had to kill several zombies that tried to eat her while the big thing was too far away. In an ironic way she felt like she was walking an oversize mutt with no leash and the need for human flesh. Yea, totally normal.

After a while Pearl stopped walking. A yawn escaped her lips and she couldn't help but rub her eyes. The monster growled and she frowned in response. "I'm tired." She said running a hand through her hair.

She looked up to see the monster looking at her with some of its eyes while the rest were moving around. Pearl herself tried not to sway on her feet. She was exhausted. Between the adrenaline to the long hours of restless nights it was finally biting her (pun intended) in the butt. The monster tried to get Pearl moving again but she just couldn't bring herself to move forward another step. It growled and huffed at her and Pearl rolled her eyes. Just like a puppy, she thought "No. I said I'm tired."

The monster growled again and stormed over to Pearl. It bent down to be eye level with her and it roared again. Pearl couldn't help but flinch and stumble backwards. She didn't have it in her to be brave anymore. She barley had it in her to still function. The monster in response was to...whimper?

Pearl looked at it a bit confused before she yelled in surprise. The monster reached out and wrapped its clawed hand around her slender frame. She kicked in panic as she was lifted from the ground. Pearl trembled in the monsters grip as it pulled her uncomfortably close. She actually forgot how to breath as the monster grumbled lowly in the back of its throat. Pearl would puke if she had anything in her to do it. She was terrified.

"P-Put me down!" Pearl said reaching out and smacking one of its eyes. "Now!"

The monster flinched back and the puples of its many eyes shrunk small.

Oh shi-

The monster let out a roar so loud several buildings windows shattered. It turned in on fluid motion and threw Pearl. She screamed pretty loud as she few down the street and tumbled down into a hole. Pearl hit several peace's of concrete and cars on her way down. She grunted and tried to get her footing with each hit and spiral her body did.

The last thing Pearl saw was a wall of collapsed street before its all went dark.

Jasper

She felt her blood run cold when a roar echoed through the air. There was shouting about zombies at the wall but when she reached the top of one she couldn't believe her eyes. There were thousands of them! They stretched on forever! Her bat in her grip suddenly felt like not enough of a weapon.

"Oh boy." Jasper glanced to the side to see Bismuth vocalizing what she thought "I'm gonna need to do line to do this."

"Think we waited too long." Garnet said coming up on Jasper's other side with Lapis.

"Ya think." Lapis said turning on her heals and running back down to the ground "Dammit!"

None of them moved as they watched the wall give and the zombies start to pore in. There eyes were focused on the ear shattering roar coming there way. Shoving its way through the hoard was the monster. It was screaming and racing right towards them all.

"That thing doesn't fucking stop dose it?" Bismuth said turning away. "I'll get the others ready, don't take too long."

Out of the corner of her eye Jasper saw a flash of movement. She looked to see her girlfriend jump out a window and fall onto several zombies. She was across the wall in an instant but slid to a stop when everything stopped around her. She watched as Dewey yelled out the window at Pearl. She couldn't help but laugh at the string of profanities that left her girlfriends mouth. Dewey must of really sent Pearl over the edge mentally for her to lose her calculated manners and proper mouth. A sailor would blush at her words right now. She watched as Pearl turned on her heal and did the dumbest thing she ever could do. She marched up to the monster and snapped at it. She just watched on in shock as Pearl stood firm at the monsters roar in her face before... What the hell is she thinking?!Oh my god she's finally lost it, Jasper thought in her head as she watched Pearl walk off into the zombie hoard.

A lot of people in the compound flooded to the walls as they watched Pearl walk off following the monster. The dead parted like the sea around them. As they got further and further away the whispering started. Jasper and Garnet glanced around them as the whispered words came to there ears.

Why did she follow it?

Did it come for her?

Does she control it?

Did she come here to kill us all?

Her friends in with the monsters too?

They watched with strained eyes as Pearl slowly started to shrink away. When she paused and looked back Jasper just wanted to jump down and run after her. To yell at her for being stupid right now. To lavish her in kisses for telling Dewey to fuck off. Watching her turn away and continue walking reminded Jasper that they weren't safe. That all this wasn't over. She looked down to see the zombie still standing at the clear opening to them all.

"We need to go." Jasper said nudging Garnet's arm as she took a step back from the wall. Both girls walked briskly down to the ground and into the hotel as the monsters roar echoed through the air. They weren't even through the main doors before the shouting started. They took off across the hotel loby as gun fire started to fill the air once more and people started flooding into the hotel for cover. Both girls ran through the once fancy dinning room and sprinted through the kitchen. They waisted no time in flying through the back doors and b-lining for the wall. Lapis and Blue sat on top of the wall as the two giants came to a stop under them.

"Where are the others?" Jasper asked as she laced her fingers together and helped Garnet to the top of the wall.

"Here!" Bismuth called from the other side of the wall as Garnet helped Blue down on the other side. "Were all ready. Lets go!"

Jasper world around as the kitchen door banged open behind her. To her surprise and dismay Dewey came stumbling out with two zombies chasing after him. Jasper watched him stumble around in a circle babbling like a baby. She would of watched him all day but a shoe to the top of her head made her frown and look up.

"Lets go you brick house-hey what are you doing?!"

Jasper tuned out Lapis as she stepped forward and swung her bat. She crushed one zombies skull in while she kicked the other back through the door. Dewey was a babbling mess of gratitude until he saw who had saved him. Jasper was all smiles as she walked over to Dewey, who was scrambling backwards as fast as he could. She grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. He looked like he was about to cry. Good. She wanted him to cry.

"Don't worry Dewey." Jasper said dragging him back over to the wall. "Your coming with us."

"Are you serious?!" Lapis snapped.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jasper said looking down as Dewey with a smile that would scare a monster "I have a promise to keep after all. Besides if we need, he can be great bait."

"W-W-W" Dewey couldn't form any words for how hard he was stuttering.

"He can still run." Garnet said.

"Not if he has a broken leg."

The cry Dewey let out, to say the least, was very loud and high pitched. Jasper put all her strength into her swing as she brought it around and shattered Dewey's kneecap and most of his shin. Oh how she wanted to just keep swinging her back and breaking him into tiny peace's but now wasn't the time.

"There, I fixed the problem." She said.

Jasper took a step back and literally threw Dewey over the wall. Hearing him cry when he hit the ground on the other side was music to her ears. She handed her bat up to Lapis and her and Garnet helped her up to the top of the wall. Jumping down to the other side she started laughing as she watched Blue kick Dewey as hard as she could in the face. Blue wasn't a fighter but she had her sister fighting spirit when it came to protecting the ones she cared about. Steven was the only one who told her to stop hurting Dewey, his innocence unintentionally ruining the fun.

"We need to move." Garnet said as Jasper took her stuff from the others. They could hear the chaos on the other side of the wall and getting louder. It was only a matter of time before the dead found them.

Jasper grabbed Dewey by the arm and dragged him along as they moved. To say there trip through the city was hard was putting it nicely. Around every corner, in every building, down every ally, there was no escaping the hoards. The city was flooded with them. They were getting tired and running out of time. They had no idea where they were. The only indication was passing a street sign a few feet back. Third and Fredriksson street that Sapphire had pointed out.

"We need a plan, fast." Bismuth said as they all gathered in a circle. They were in the middle of the street and almost out of breath. Blood was splattered across there cloths and small cuts and bruises blooming on there skin. There were over a dozen zombies around them and closing in.

"Use the blubbering baby." Lapis spat as she swung and knocked a zombie back "He's been screaming this whole time and telling everything within ear shot where we are."

"Too many for bate, too far apart." Jasper growled taking down two zombies who attacked her.

"Then why did we bring him?" Lapis snapped.

"Because I haven't broken every bone in his body yet." Jasper said "And I have a promise to keep."

She didn't know who was crying harder. Dewey who was a blubbering mess behind her or Ruby and Steven who were clinging to Blue. There circle got smaller as more zombies came onto the street and towards them.

"Garnet." Bismuth said as they collectively started to back up "Were gonna need a plan here."

"Working on it." Garnet growled kicking a zombie back.

"Work faster." Jasper growled.

They moved back and were nearing an alleyway when Sapphire spoke up. "This way!"

"Wait Sapphire!" Ruby said.

Jasper looked to see Sapphire disappear down the ally dragging Ruby behind her.

"Don't run off!" Garnet snapped turning on her heals and running after them.

"Garnet!" Lapis yelled after her.

Jasper rolled her eyes and reached down and grabbed Dewey by the arm while shoving Lapis forward with the other. "C'mon, go! Move!"

Blue picked Steven up in her arms and soon they were all running down the alleyway. They ran behind Garnet a few feet with her chasing down Sapphire and Ruby a few feet ahead of her. She was shouting at them to stop while the others were yelling at them all to slow down. They ran through back streets and alleyways following Sapphire until they hit a dead end. Before they could say anything grunts and growls echoed against brick walls at them. They turned around quickly to see a hoard shuffling towards them.

"Quickly!" Sapphire said. They looked on as she quickly climbed up onto a dumpster and onto a rusted fire escape. She climbed up to the third level and stopped at a barred window.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked as Garnet helped her up onto the escape.

Sapphire said nothing as she seemed to pull a key out of nowhere and unlock the bars on the window. In one fluid motion she had the window open and disappeared inside. No one had time to question as a zombie lunged at them.

"Hurry up!" Bismuth said as Jasper threw Dewey on the ground behind them and both shoved the zombie back into the others. As it fell back it knocked some of its dead companions over, giving them a bit more time. "Help them."

Jasper let Bismuth take the front while she took a few steps back to the others. She helped Garnet lift up Blue then Steven onto the escape. As the hoard got there bearings and started towards them again they literally threw Lapis up. Jasper didn't give Garnet a chance to say anything as she threw her up there next. "Bismuth, lets go!"

Bismuth backed up to Jasper's side as the giant picked Dewey up off the ground. Instead of passing him off to the others she jumped up onto the dumpster and hug him up by his shirt like a ornament on the railing.

"H-H-Hey!" He yelled kicking his one good leg as Jasper and Bismuth climbed up past him to join the others. "W-What are you d-d-doing?!"

Jasper turned back and leaned on the railing as the others were going through the window above her. She simply smiled down at Dewey as the zombies made it to the dumpster. She had a wild crazy smile on her face as Dewey started to cry. He kicked his good leg at the hands reaching up at him and tried to hold his shattered leg up with little success.

"If it were up to me, I would bring you up here and break every bone in your body." Jasper said swinging her bat back and forth, tapping it off the railing over and over.

"W-Why?"

"Because I know everything you've done to my girlfriend." Jasper said darkly leaning over and getting very close to Dewey's face. She patted his head as his shirt ripped a bit, causing him to drop just a bit lower. The zombies could brush against his toes now and he death gripped the railing above his head.

"If it was up to me I would drag you along until we found her again. Id break every bone in your body for every tear she shed. Every bruise and hickey I would find I would pull out one of your teeth. Very. Slowly."

There was a clearing of a throat over head and Jasper looked up to see Garnet sitting on the windowsill, rotating her finger in a circle, silently telling her to wrap it up. Jasper huffed annoyed before turning back to Dewey.

"Or I would let her hurt you." Jasper said continuing with a shrug "But this is all that will happen to you."

"What's g-going to h-h-happen to me?" He stammered looking up at the giant.

Jasper said nothing but a smile. She leaned over and curled her fingers into a fist. She brought her hand up and slammed it down into Dewey's fingers. He cried out and let go of the railing, allowing a zombie to grab his foot. Jasper grabbed his shirt where it was stuck on the railing and yanked back, ripping him free. As he fell into the zombies below Jasper quickly climbed up to where Garnet was and disappeared through the window. Dewey's screams were muffled as she turned and shut the window behind her.

"Where did that mean guy go?" Steven asked as they all backed away from the window a bit.

"He ran off to draw the zombies away." Jasper said ruffling Steven's hair from where he was latched to Blue's side "So we will be safe for now."

"He ran off to help us? Even after he made Pearl cry?" Steven asked confused "I don't like when Pearl cries."

"Sapphire." Garnet's voice cut through the silence as all eyes turn the smaller girls "How did you know about that window?"

Sapphire was looking anywhere but at Garnet. She was digging the toe of her shoe into the floor and holding onto Ruby's hand tightly.

"Where are we?" Lapis asked as they all took a good look around.

This building was old. It looked run down, before the apocalypse even happened. Cobwebs hung from the tall ceiling in this narrow hallway. The dark floor covered with a carpet holeyer then the pope spanded the whole hall. Bringing her eyes down Jasper saw that the bottom half of the walls had colors sprawled across them. Squinting at them she saw that they were drawings. Kids drawings made with crayon.

"Oh!" Ruby said "You came from here right?"

Jasper blinked in remembering Sapphire was adopted as she watched the small girl nod. It was only two years ago that her family had brought her to Beach City and it felt like she had always been apart of there lives. She remembered when Ruby had talked about making a new friend and when she had brought Sapphire over for the first time. She was quiet and shy at first but quickly warmed up and became one of the group in just one meeting. It was hard to remember that she had come from here.

"C'mon, I know where we can sleep for the night." Sapphire said turning on her heals and pulling Ruby down the hall.

The walk through this place was quiet and eerie. Except for the occasional moan and groan from outside it was completely silent. Just moving through this building made jasper's skin crawl. No one should live in a place like this. She wasn't even a child and she didn't wanna be here. Not longer then she had too.

Jasper was pulled out of her thoughts as a zombies groan filled the air. The group slowed to a stop as they came to the center of the hall. Here the hall opened to a double staircase hugging the walls and a desk on the bottom floor. They could see that it was the front lobby to this place and the double doors leading out were wide open. One zombie was walking around inside while several others stumbled around just beyond the doors. Before anyone could say anything Sapphire got on her hands and knees and started crawling across the open upper floor. The rest of the long hallway was already littered with broken furniture and looked like crap but Sapphire navigated around it with ease. Once she got to the other end of the open hall and behind the wall she shot the others a thumbs up.

"How have you not lost your mind with the pair of them?" Bismuth whispered to Garnet as Ruby was next to move.

"Patience, love, and trust." Garnet murmured following next.

One by one they made it across the hall until it was Blue, Steven and Jasper left to crawl. When Jasper nudged Steven forward be back pedaled until he was pressed right up against her again. "Go on. Just like the others did."

"I-I can't." Steven whimpered softly. "I-I'm s-scared."

"It's ok little man." Jasper said ruffling his hair before signaling to the others to go on further.

"N-No its not." Steven said hugging himself and turning to hide his face in Jasper's frame. "I want my dad. I want Pearl. I wanna go home."

"Me too bud." Jasper said "But right now we need to get somewhere safe before we can go home ok?"

"Promise?" Steven asked sniffling a bit.

"Promise but we can't do that by staying here." Jasper said. No matter how big bad and tough she was, Steven never saw her as someone scary. He saw her as a big strong super hero (his words) He had seen her be super scary before and she had felt bad after but he had stars in his eyes and was convinced Jasper was a super hero with scary spooky ghost powers. No one bothered to correct him.

"Will go across together ok?" Blue said gently taking Steven's hand.

With a nod they started there journey. Jasper went first and slowly started army crawling across the floor. She nudged Blue with her foot and her and Steven crawled on there hands and knees next to her. Due to her huge frame she mostly blocked them. During there slow move Jasper watched as Sapphire had everyone pressed up against the one wall. She was looking around a doorway frantically as an all too close groan filled the air. Jasper had a wave of panic hit her and on pure instinct she shoved Steven behind a broken dresser in front of them and pushed Blue down flat onto the floor next to her. She watched through thick lashes as Sapphire hugged the wall with the others and covered her mouth.

Coming out of the room she was glancing in stumbled out several zombies. Several children sized zombies. Jasper could see Sapphire's tears from here. She was trembling where she was and was trying so hard to hold still. To there credit the zombies seem to have not noticed any of them. They just slowly shuffled by. The only thing moving of the living were there eyes. They slowly made there way towards Jasper and Blue. The giants eyes jumped from the zombies to Steven. The boy couldn't see what was happening from where he was but he was hugged up against the dresser. He was petrified and for once, that was the best thing.

There was a crashing sound from down the hallway the zombies had come from and all eyes in the building turned in that direction. Using the distraction to her advantage Jasper got on her hands and knees and quickly shifted over to Blue, laying mostly over her like a shield. She felt her trembling and murmured low in her ear. "Don't move."

Suddenly there were several bangs and the room filled with smoke. Zombie sounds and rapid stomping circled around them. Jasper death gripped Blue to herself as little hands came into her line of sight.

"C'mon!" A child's voice said was several hands grabbed Jasper's arms and pulled.

Jasper got to her feet and was quickly dragged down the hall. She was holding Blue so tightly to herself that the small girls feet barely touched the floor. She could hear the others coughing as they were pulled this way and that, over obstacles and under them (Hitting her head rather hard on a specific obstacle). Eventually they were brought to a small room and found themselves standing in front of a tunnel of sorts through a wall.

"This way!" A voice called through the opening.

Jasper didn't have time to really decide if this was a good idea or not when she herd the sound of dead shuffling behind her. She simply pulled Blue down to the floor with her and, not so gracefully, shoved her through to opening.

"Jas-"

"I'm right behind you." She cut Blue's words off. "Move blueberry."

Blue huffed but started moving. Jasper quickly followed behind her and after crawling under all sorts of random objects, most of which she bumped into and unintentionally cursed at, they came out to a open room covered in fairy lights and bunk beds. Getting to there feet Jasper saw Sapphire surrounded by several children and hugging/crying all over them. Everyone was accounted for and when coming over to join them a taller kid with glasses came up to her and smiled, offering her hand.

"I'm Sardonyx, welcome to watermelon Island."

Authors Note 2: I made Pearl's part shorter and jasper's longer to drive home the point that Pearl's waking time had been cut VERY short but don't worry, she's not dead.