Once Bailey calmed down, she stood up, the sense of danger around Joe heightened. Quietly, she began to walk towards the back door.
If she was going to get the gun, she needed to do it now while Joe was asleep and unaware of her. As she stopped in front of the back door, her heart began to race. Everything would be alright as soon as she got the gun, and if needed she would shoot Joe to protect herself. It was her or Joe, and she would kill Joe if that meant she would survive.
Peaking through the backdoor blindes, Bailey let out a small sigh of relief once she didn't see any sign of the dead people. As much as she needed that gun, confronting any of the dead ones was not on her agenda. As quietly as she could, Bailey turned the lock on the door and turned the knob, relishing in the cool night breeze that drifted through the now ajar door.
Stepping out of the house, and closing the door behind herself, Bailey pulled the kitchen knife from her boot. Holding it tightly in her right hand. She held her breath, looking around frantically. She was really doing this. This was happening.
She crouched down, slowly walking along the side of the house. Looking around herself like a madwoman, she grimaced at every step she took, terrified that her footsteps were too loud, that the subtle crunching of grass would draw the dead.
As she came to the corner, Bailey glanced to her right and left, the air leaving her lungs at the sight of a dead one in the street. As quickly as she could, she ran to Joe's house, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. Luckily for her, the houses were built close together.
She pressed herself against the wall as she reached Joe's house, looking around to make sure nothing had taken notice to her. Being that it was night time, her body was mostly shadowed by the houses, she was safe, for now anyway.
Bailey's breathing felt laboured, the back of her shirt moist with sweat and scratching along the brick outing of Joe's house as she slowly moved along the wall. The knife momentarily clincked against the brick and she jerked forward, cringing at the noise. Bailey nearly choked when a growl began to emerge from around the corner. Her eyes widened, hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white as the dead one showed itself, it's lower jaw completely missing, gore and blood was smeared on every visible part of it, it's leg was dragging limply behind it.
A quiet cry tore from her throat, drawing it's attention to her location. Once it noticed her form, it began to slowly limp towards her, it's hands reaching out while a guttered growl rose from its throat. Bailey ran around the corner, wanting, no needing to get away—
Time seem to slow, her body stumbled to a halt and she was sure her heart wasn't beating anymore. There, stood in front of her, about 15 feet away, walking and bumping into each other was a very big, and terrifying group of dead ones. All bearded together as if they were a flock of birds migrating. She couldn't move. Bailey felt that if she even breathed too loud the group would turn and devour her.
She hadn't even noticed what had walked behind her before it was too late.
A scream tore from her throat as a dead one's teeth chewed into her shoulder, blood instantly spurting out from the wound. Shoving the dead one to the ground with a weak cry, her hand flew up to her shoulder, the knife fell from her nonexistent grip, forgotten in the grass.
A sob escaped her throat, her head turning back to the group wildly. They all took notice of her, now stumbling forward, getting way too close for her liking. Backing away, nearly tripping as the dead one on the ground went to grab her ankle, Bailey turned and began to run back to the house where she had been safe before.
But she just had to leave to get that gun, didn't she? it was all Joe's fault, If she hadn't made her so paranoid, She wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. Fumbling with the back door, she looked over her shoulder one last time. Her face paling at the sight of the heard of dead ones on her heels. Their melting faces slick with blood shinned in the moonlight, looking like aperishions from hell sent by the devil himself.
Quickly opening the door and running in, she slammed it close behind herself, leaning against it. She needed to leave, now. As much as she hated to admit it, (no, she really didn't hate to admit it, in fact she felt somewhat relieved) Joe would be the perfect distraction for her escape. The dead ones would be too distracted with Joe to notice her slipping away—
"Bailey?" Joe called out, standing uneasily in front of her, glancing at the back door, and then Baileys bleeding shoulder. Said woman froze, looking at Joe as if she could hear Bailey's rather incriminating thoughts.
"I- I can explain-" Bailey began in a low whimper, only to be cut off as hands began to bang on the door, one hitting so hard that the back door window shattered. Bailey lunged forward, out of the way of grabbing hands. Sprawling out into the floor, she burst into tears, the hit throbbing in her shoulder not helping the situation. Bailey looked up fearful, scared that Joe would turn away and leave her alone, while she sobbed on the floor and becoming the horrendous' groups next meal as they drew closer and closer.
However, even though her eyes shone with horror, Joe ran forward and helped Bailey stand up, dragging the woman with her up the stairs.
No words were shared between the two as they fled to the upstairs bathroom, locking themselves in.
Joe cursed as their only escape way was a window, with no ledge for them to land on. She went to turn and run to another room, only to freeze as hands began to bang on the door, bloody, decaying fingers trying the pry away at the bottom of the door, blood smearing from their grabby fingers on the once pristine granite flooring.
Joe stepped, more like tripped, backwards, landing on her ass, gagging. The painful tile she landed on not registering in her already clouded mind.
No, because right now, she has never felt closer to death then before this moment. Her frantic eyes looked over to Bailey, who was slumped over, eyes wide with fear.
"What- what the fuck happened, Bailey?" Joe growled, her head thumping with terrified fury.
Imagine her surprise when waking up to an empty room, she had searched around, and when the panic of Bailey being nowhere to be found set in, the woman had barged through the back door. Her shoulder bleeding, eyes wide, and then the dead came.
"I just— I tried to- I-"
"Holy fuck, Bailey! You tried to what?" Joe yelled, standing up suddenly. Bailey shuffled back, her fear now directed towards Joe.
"I just- I'm sorry." Bailey sobbed, tears instantly springing to her already moist eyes. Joe stared down at the bleeding woman with bewilderment. A shaky breath left her. Whatever the hell Bailey was doing, did not matter, at least not right now.
Tripping towards the window, Joe's body slammed into the wall as her fingers quickly began prying open the window. She was starting to get real tired of jumping out of windows.
Once she found the lock, she flew the window up, with as much force to rattle the frame. A gust of night air blew through, the mucky heat blowing hotly against her sweating face.
About two feet away from the window sat a large oak tree, the leaves and twigs swinging hauntedly in the wind. Gulping, she looked to the 2 story drop if they were to miss grabbing onto a branch. But it was a chance they were going to have to make. They had no other choice.
"We're jumping." Joe stated, turning on her heel and hurriedly making her way towards the sobbing woman, who was clutching at her shoulder.
"W-what?" Bailey asked, looking at Joe fearfully, then frantically glancing at the bathroom window.
Making sure to grab Bailey's good arm, Joe hoisted the woman up, ignoring her pained moan.
"Look, I don't know what the hell you were doing, and I don't care, but this-" Joe gestured to the tree outside of the window, trying to get her thoughts together while trying not to scream at the banging, demanding hands just outside the thin bathroom door.
"-is our only out." She finished, releasing Bailey who continued to stare at Joe, now with barely concealed horror.
"Ho-how?" It was a question, and drew out into a whimper. Joe nearly growled, eyes fierce.
"You go first, I'll follow right after." Joe instructed, ignoring the irrelevant question. Bailey took a small step forward, tears still leaking from her eyes, the front and side of her shirt soaked with blood. For a moment Bailey didn't move, and then she braced her arms on the window seal, wincing at the pain that shot around her shoulder in hot flashes.
"Just grab the bran—"
"Shut up." Bailey hissed out between grit teeth, leaning out of the window, eyes comically wide. Joe pushed aside the comment, helping Bailey hoist herself out of the window.
Bailey numbly swung her hand out once for the branch, falling forward, and nearly out the window as she missed. A small shout tore from her lips and Joe hissed at her to be quiet, not wanting to draw any of the dead towards the tree.
Groaning, she reached for the branch against, this time managing to wrap her fingers around it in a vice grip.
"You'll have to grab it with your other hand too, and then swing down. It's a big drop, so brace yourself." Joe instructed, looking back harshly over her shoulder as a rather powerful hit went against the door, the dim sound of splintering wood sending her heart on overdrive.
Bailey huffed painfully, with her hand not being able to hold onto her wound, blood gushed out freely, now working its way to soaking her pant leg.
Reaching out, she swung her arm strongly, a yelp escaping her as her shoulder throbbed with vengeance. She dragged her body out of the frame, her arms giving a hard tug as they now supported her weight. Breathing raggedly, Bailey glanced down, a fresh wave of tears overcoming her.
Joe shouted, "Let go!"
And she did, arms flying madly as she waited for the landing, which came sooner then she would have liked. Bailey landed on her feet, tears shooting to her eyes as her ankle gave way and her leg buckled, sending her sprawling on the grass floor.
Cracks began to form in the bathroom door, the growls becoming louder with each passing second. Joe rushed forward, nearly throwing herself out of the window.
She reached out, easily grabbing onto the branch.
Just then, the door slammed open, the hinges practically flew out of place. In came the stench of the rotting dead.
Yanking herself away from the window, and out into the night, she reached up quickly to grab the branch with her other hand. Swiping for it, she felt her eyes cracking wide open as she missed. Balance thrown off, her other hand loses grip.
It was too late, she feebly reached up again, but she was already falling.
It felt terrifying yet amazing for a moment, like the first drop on a rollercoaster.
And then her back hit the ground, all the air was forced out of her lungs as if an elephant had stepped on them, and a sickening pop rang from her shoulder.
Hot tears spring to her eyes, she wheezed, not having enough air to scream from the pain scorching her shoulder.
Weakly, slowly, she crawled towards Bailey, who was nursing her ankle.
God, she had never felt closer to giving up then in this moment, sleep just sounded so tempting, not feeling anything anymore—
"You're sure you'll be alright?" She couldn't help but worry, letting the mawing teeth of doubt linger.
"Yes, I'll be alright, have a little faith in me." Sam laughed,shaking his head at her.
Joe huffed, but the smile creeping on her face was unavoidable. He was going to be fine.
"Besides, shouldn't I be saying that you you? You're the one leaving, not me." He pointed out, leaning against the taxi as Joe hoisted her last suitcase into the trunk.
"I'm an adult. Completely different." She informed him, teasingly grinning.
"Sure don't act like it." He muttered. Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly pulled him into a head lock, rubbing her closed fist into his skull.
"Oh yeah, wise guy? You want to say that again?" She challenged. He squirmed in her grip, playfully slapping at her arms.
"Ok," he wheezed, "Tap out." She let him go with a laugh, smiling as he stumbled away while rubbing his neck and attempting to fix his hair at the same time.
"Jeez, what are you, a gorilla- ow!"
"No!" She shouted, slapping the back of his head. He looked up, that stupid infections grin on her face, his eyes creasing at the corners.
She let the laughter building in her chest bubble out, and was quickly followed by Sam. Pulling him into a crushing hug, they slowly controlled themselves, staying in the moment inside of each other's arms.
"You'll come visit us here in Atlanta, yeah?" He mumbled into her shoulder, before pulling back to look into her eyes. She smiled again, a more somber one.
"Of course."
Looking back through bleary eyes, Joe forced herself to move, to get up, because now was not her time to give up. Sam, he was waiting, for her to get off her ass and live.
Another dead one came tumbling out of the bathroom window, the very same one the two woman had just vacated. It's body landed on the ground with a sickening squelch, it's movements stilled.
"Bailey." She rasped, pushing herself shakily to her knees with her right arm, ignoring the burn in her bandaged appendage.
"Bailey." She tried again, her left arm dangled limply, swaying slightly like an abused pendulum. Bailey's head snapped to her, and then behind her, and let out a low wimper. Joe struggled to her feet, breathing in and out, focusing on breathing, just breathing, because the lights were fading and unconsciousness was crawling towards her like a reaper.
"We need— to go." She yanked on Bailey's shirt with her free and not dangling hand. A harsh sob wracked Bailey's body, but she stood, leaning on Joe so she wouldn't put pressure on her left ankle.
Joe hissed, willing the dark spots away from her vision as Bailey's hand brushed her wounded arm as she swung her arm around Joe's shoulders.
She couldn't tell whether it was broken, or just out of its socket, from the pain she was feeling, it felt broken. But most likely it was just popped.
The two woman made a slow pace, shuffling away from Joe's house, away from all of the dead, away from the place where Sarah took her last breath.
Away from her home.
Tears finally leaked out of Joe's eyes, whether it was from the pain, or the sorrow, she couldn't tell.
She could tell, that they were no longer safe, defenceless, stuck out in the open in smoggy night air.
So the question was, where now?
And she didn't know, she really didn't.