A/N: Hello, all! First thing's first, I apologize for taking so long to update. I know I keep saying it but I promise to be better about that. Second, it's another long chapter, actually the longest as of yet, and I apologize for that as well. Hopefully it's enjoyable! Today's chapter song is "In the Woods Somewhere" by Hozier, and...omg is it a perfect song for TWD, holy shit. Also, there IS a trigger warning for allusions to self-harm, and a warning for (brief!) adult content toward the end, just so y'all are prepared. Many, many thanks to y'all reading and reviewing, you're the best!
8. First Interim, pt. 2: In the Woods Somewhere
"Don't come any closer."
The woman stilled as Mason pointed the iron at her throat. "Okay. I-I'm sorry."
The awkward silence that followed might have been complete if not for the dead, who continued snapping and growling behind the log. Mason took the opportunity to dispatch them, keeping her senses alert for any sign of attack from the woman. She half-hoped the woman would be gone by the time she turned back, but…no. There she stood, hovering uncertainly on one leg, looking irritatingly grateful.
Well, Mason wasn't going to indulge her in any kind of conversation. She'd saved her life. Now they could go their separate ways.
Ava squirmed free of the veil of clothes to peer in the woman's direction. She waved. "Hi."
Mason snatched her hand back and glared a warning at the woman, who looked more amused than anything. Ava whined; Mason could feel a tantrum brewing.
"I'm not gonna hurt her," the woman said, wincing a bit as she wobbled to keep her balance. "I swear, I—"
"You're not gonna get near her," Mason growled. "You're gonna turn and walk away, or I'll kill you."
The woman opened her mouth, but her gaze flicked past Mason's shoulder and whatever she was about to say reshaped itself. "Oh crap."
Mason was hesitant to look; what if it was a trick? But above the pattering of the rain, she caught the sound of feet shuffling through wet leaves and teeth gnashing in loose jaws.
Shit.
She knew that sound.
The dead piled toward them, driven by the chill wind. Their numbers hovered somewhere between twenty and thirty, far more than Mason was willing to confront with Ava strapped to her chest.
And the woman…
Reluctantly Mason glanced at her. "Your foot fucked up or something?"
"My ankle."
Mason strode toward her. "Don't try anything stupid," she muttered before wrapping an arm around the woman. "Lean on me."
"The name's Beth," the woman offered.
Mason didn't reply at first, too busy trying to drag all three of them up the steep incline before the dead reached them. At least Ava knew the drill at this point; whenever there was danger around, she held silent and still for Mason to carry her more easily. Beth slipped when they were nearly at the top, but Mason held firm, hoisting her the last few inches over the edge. Only once Mason crested the ridge herself did she speak.
"Mason," she grunted. "And the little one's Ava. And I think that's all the introduction we need, unless you wanna go around the circle with these guys and say one thing you did over the summer."
They took off through the trees, though it was mostly Mason propelling them. She could tell Beth was trying to move quickly despite her injury, but the dead were never far behind. Mason gritted her teeth in frustration.
What the fuck was she doing, rescuing some stranger? Risking her life, Ava's? Hadn't she learned what a dumbfuck idea that was? It wasn't too late to leave Beth to the dead. Wouldn't that be wiser?
"Learned to ride a motorcycle," Beth puffed, jarring Mason from her dark deliberation. When Mason shot her a look that questioned her sanity, Beth continued, "That's what I did over the summer."
She smiled, and Mason curled her lip. She wasn't sure what the expression equaled out to; it felt too baffled to be a smile. But it disrupted all thoughts of leaving her behind.
The dead came from the west, where the bus waited, so they had to make a wide arc to get back on track. With every dragging step, the gap between them and the dead inched closed. Finally, a snap decision brought Mason to a halt.
She let go of Beth and crouched low. "Get on."
"Wait, are you serious?"
"Yeah, I thought a piggyback race might enhance this moment."
Beth rolled her eyes but climbed on, and Mason thanked all those months of carrying supplies on her back like fucking Beedle from Breath of the Wild. She was able to move faster, but it was still not enough to put her at a comfortable distance from the horde.
She almost missed the bus, it was so grimy with forest litter and creeping vines, but at the last second she caught the red wink of its brake lights. Blinking rain from her eyes, she veered to the right, stopping just short of ramming into the front door.
The dead followed, only yards away and too close to hope they wouldn't converge on their hiding place. Mason shrugged out of her layers enough to free Ava from her sling. A spark of misgiving made her hesitate before handing Ava to Beth.
"Get her inside. I'll cover you," she said.
Beth didn't protest but Ava did, wailing and reaching for Mason as Beth pried open the door. The sound put a lump in Mason's throat but she stood firm, fire iron raised as the dead converged. It was just a precaution, although the proximity of the herd made her sweat. The rain turned to sleet as she stood there, waiting.
With only about a yard between her and the dead, Beth hailed Mason and Mason turned to join them.
Three corpses appeared around the front of the bus. One of them grabbed Mason's ankle as she ascended the steps. Teeth grazed the back of her leg, sending a sting of panic through her. She twisted to beat the body back, but lost her balance and toppled outside.
She went to her knees and came right back up, shoving corpses away as she did, though it made little difference. The herd converged. She barely had time to get her iron up, deflecting teeth and grasping hands by mere inches.
Gunshots, close enough to make her ears ring. Several bodies fell, allowing Mason a bit of breathing room. In the next second, Beth was there beside her, unsteady but determined as she aimed her handgun. No, Mason's handgun. She must have gone through Mason's things in search of a weapon.
"I told you to get inside," Mason hissed, driving her iron through the skulls of two corpses at once.
"No," Beth replied. "You told me to get Ava inside."
Clenching her jaw hard enough to hurt, Mason tried to nudge Beth back to the bus. But Beth refused to be corralled. She kept shooting, an ornery dent between her brows.
"You only have twelve shots!" Mason said. "Get inside—"
One of the dead staggered into Beth, knocking her onto her injured leg, which gave out beneath her. She struggled to stay upright under the weight of the corpse, its teeth gnashing closer and closer to her face.
Mason skewered it through the eye and tossed it away before it could get a bite in. Fingers pulled her jacket taut, but she strained against them, grabbing Beth and swinging her onto the bus. The force of the movement and the weight of her attackers sent her spiraling against the fender.
Something sharp sank into her side, just above her hip. Adrenaline buffered the pain, but the depth of the injury still had her sucking in a breath. When she pulled away, she left her blood dripping down into the wheel well—and all over the rusted metal jutting above, torn away from the body by some previous impact.
She couldn't stop to examine it. Wave after wave of the dead pressed upon her, drawn by the scent of fresh blood. Her back against the bus, barely any room to maneuver her fire iron, she was sure this was it.
Two more gunshots cleared a tiny path for her to the door. She took the opportunity, squeezing between a pair of hulking corpses close enough to feel their putrid breath on her neck. Blood spattered the steps as she tripped inside. Beth shoved the door closed behind her.
Mason sat in the driver's seat. Beth leaned over the railing along the steps. They stared at each other, panting, as the dead surrounded the bus.
Then Ava came running down the aisle and clambered into Mason's lap, crying. Her knee bumped Mason's wound and Mason flinched.
"Ah—careful, baby girl."
Ava didn't seem to notice, too focused on grabbing Mason's face in her chubby hands. "Mad, Macie!" she said through tears.
"I know you're mad at me. I'm sorry."
"No go again!"
"I promise I won't leave you again. Okay? We still friends?"
Ava glared. "No!"
Mason chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. "Oh, okay. Well, let me know when we are again."
Ava kept babbling, squeezing Mason's torso with surprising strength. Mason winced, glancing down to find her blood pooling on the seat.
"You're hurt," Beth said, eyes wide. "Were you…were you bit?"
"Nah. Cut myself on some metal sticking out of this rust bucket." The adrenaline was fading, the pain pressing in. It built on itself like stacking kindling in a fire.
Beth swallowed. "Well, let me see. We need to get the bleedin' stopped."
Mason eyed her silently. She'd helped Mason out there even though it could've gotten her killed. She'd gotten Ava inside. She seemed genuinely concerned for Mason's wellbeing, not like the cloying devotion Coyote had shown her.
"Alright," she finally said. "Let's move to a different seat. We'll have more room there."
Mason slouched in a seat in the back. Ava clung to her, quiet now as she watched the blood drip down Mason's waist.
Gingerly, Beth lifted the hem of Mason's shirt. She paused, and Mason knew what she would see. Scars, a whole map of them etching her side from her hip to her ribs. Not one of them received after the Turn. Not one of them she wanted to talk about.
"Well?" Mason grunted rigidly, making Beth jump.
"I-it's deep, so it'll need stitches. Just a few." She took the backpack from her shoulders and rifled through it, pulling out a small white box. "Do you have water? You'll need to clean the wound first."
Mason did as she was told, then sat back to let Beth work. After a while, she sighed.
"Thank you. For jumping out to help even though it was stupid and I told you not to."
Beth narrowed her eyes. "I could sew your mouth shut, too, while I'm at it."
Once the wound was stitched closed, Mason pushed herself up to peer outside, ignoring the strange tug of the sutures. She'd never had stitches before, despite probably needing some growing up.
"Hey!" Beth grabbed her shoulders.
Mason recoiled, glaring a warning like an angry cat. In another time, she never would've reacted in such a way. In another time, having a beautiful woman touch her simply would've made her blush.
Cautiously, Beth let go. "Sorry. But you shouldn't move. You don't want to strain your stitches."
Mason snorted. "It's not like I'm breaking out some sweet parkour moves, which I absolutely could under better circumstances—"
"Parkour…?"
"—I'm assessing our crappy situation."
The dead surrounded them five-deep on all sides, though a thicker congregation gathered by the front fender, lapping at her blood.
"There's more than before," she said.
"Sometimes herds pass through here," Beth said. "We think they migrate from the city and that's why they're so frequent."
Mason turned slowly. "We?"
"My group."
Abruptly, Mason fell back to shield Ava, drawing the Oasis knife from her belt. Her eyes darted back and forth like she expected this group to pop out of nowhere, snakes in hand.
Beth just stood there, confused and…pitying. Like Mason was no more than a stray animal she'd decided to give her scraps to.
"Hey. It's okay. They wouldn't hurt you."
"Don't bullshit me," Mason snarled. "Anyone would hurt anyone for the right reason these days. Now where are they?"
"We live in a prison a few miles up."
"So was that your plan? Lure us in and trap us here?"
"What?" Beth looked horrified. "No. Besides, what could I gain trappin' myself in here, too?"
"I don't know, I'm not the one trapping people here."
"Look," Beth snapped. "I'm not the type of person you think I am. I just risked my life helpin' you. You can keep actin' like an idiot or we can work together and think of a way out of here."
They stared each other down for a moment. The air crackled with tension, emphasized by the dead beating at the windows.
Finally, Mason said, "Let's search the rest of this bus. See if there's anything useful."
There wasn't much. Some faded newspapers, a few deformed candles, as though someone had tried to make this home once upon a time. And a hole in the floor near the rear exit about the size of a basketball, too small to crawl through.
Mason pointed to it and said, "Bathroom."
Beth made a face. "What?"
"That's our bathroom. Unless you wanna stick your ass out a window."
"I wouldn't mind stickin' you out a window…"
"I think I have an idea."
"…Not…about…the bathroom, is it?"
The idea, however, turned out to be a disaster. She thought they could pick them off the same way she had back at her house in Kansas—one by one through the door, since they quickly discovered the windows only opened slightly.
But as soon as they cracked the door, the dead pried their fingers in and nearly forced it all the way open. Mason and Beth were hard-pressed to get it shut again.
"Jeez, these walkers," Beth said, shaking her head. She sat on the step above Mason's, wisps of blonde hair floating around her face.
"Walkers?"
"Yeah, that's what we call 'em. Why, what do you call 'em?"
Mason shrugged. "The dead." Her wound burned. She lifted her shirt and pressed her side to the cool door.
"You probably shouldn't do that. I'm sure there's bacteria in here."
"Isn't there technically bacteria everywhere?"
"Are you always a jackass?"
"Only every day the sun rises."
"Fine." Beth stood, primly dusting off like the grime covering her was something that could be dusted off. "Let that get infected. You'd deserve it."
As she limped away, using headrests on either side as makeshift crutches, Mason thought wryly, Well, you're not wrong.
The rest of the evening passed in relative silence, apart from a discussion on whether or not they could build a fire in a bus and whether or not they should. They decided to wait, partly because there really wasn't much to burn aside from the padding in the seats.
Mason and Ava sat on one side of the bus, sharing a can of cold baked beans; Mason kept an eye on Beth the whole time. She sat across from them, munching absently on some kind of dried meat. There was a furrow in her brow that made Mason think something was bothering her, but of course she didn't ask what that might be.
The sleet slackened as darkness fell. Once Ava was bundled up and warm, Mason curled up next to her and settled in for a long night. Hours passed, and though she was exhausted, sleep did not come. Scenarios kept running through her head, and each one wound her tighter and tighter.
She estimated it was about midnight when her attention returned to Beth. Her vague shadow shivered every once in a while. She hadn't packed anything to keep her warm other than the clothes on her back. Mason wondered where she'd thought she was going, or how long she'd planned on being out here.
When she could no longer stand the shivering, she sighed through her nose and leaned across the aisle.
"Hey. It's probably warmer closer together," she whispered.
Beth sat up. Her face was hidden, but the surprise was clear in her voice. "Really?"
"Yeah… It's simple science. I can't sleep with all that teeth chattering anyway."
She wouldn't sleep with Beth so close, either, but she couldn't just let her freeze. She scooted to the side and Beth scrunched up next to her. Like Mason, her clothes were still damp.
"Y'know, probably be warmer if we shared the blanket," Beth said. Mason didn't think she was imagining the tone of smugness.
She rolled her eyes, but lent one side of the blanket anyway.
In spite of herself, she did manage to sleep.
~m~
Beth awoke to soft snoring and looked up to see the sun illuminating Mason's jaw line. She looked much more peaceful in sleep; Beth smiled, unwilling to move in case she woke her. Besides, this felt…nice. Mason was sturdy and warm. Beth felt safe with her arm around Mason's torso.
When Ava stirred, however, Mason woke immediately, twitching away from Beth.
"Morning, baby girl."
"Nornin', Macie," Ava replied.
The warmth in Mason's expression dimmed when she glanced at Beth. "Breakfast I guess, then we get to planning?"
"Okay."
The walkers remained around the bus, the same way they clustered at the fences around the prison. If they couldn't kill them from inside, it would take a hell of a distraction to lure them away.
Mason said as much after breakfast. She sat with Beth on the boarding steps, staring at the walkers as they smeared their filth on the door. Ava played in the back with some toys, filling the silence with gibberish.
"Blood could do it," Mason said darkly. "It's worked before."
"You've…done that before? Used your blood?"
"It was all I had."
Beth swallowed. What had she been through, to wind up like this in the middle of nowhere with a two-year-old? She thought back to the scars on Mason's side and unconsciously touched her own, the ridge of damaged skin on her wrist.
"We couldn't do it through the door, though," Mason went on. "They're too crowded there, we'd need height."
"So…the roof."
But there was no way onto it. There was a hatch, but it wouldn't budge. Even with Beth perched on Mason's shoulders for leverage, she couldn't get it to open.
"It's locked." She sighed.
"Isn't that a safety hazard?" Mason muttered, lowering her to the floor. When she stumbled a bit, favoring her injured ankle, Mason's hand snatched out to steady her.
Beth smiled. "Thanks."
Mason looked away quickly. "Don't mention it."
"And, yeah, it's a prison bus. These emergency exits only open with a key. I was just hopin' maybe whoever was here before left it unlocked for us."
"You spend a lot of time behind bars?"
"Yep."
"I mean as a criminal."
Beth's eyes widened. "Do I look like one?"
Mason offered a wry smile. "Everyone knows it's the pretty ones you gotta look out for."
Instantly she blinked, and something like horror crossed her face. Beth just stared, aware of the heat pooling in her cheeks but unable to look away.
Ava cut in on the awkwardness, stretching her arms toward the hatch and then Mason. "Up!"
"You wanna try, baby girl?"
Mason lifted Ava onto her shoulders and let her push against the hatch for a minute, cheering her on, though of course to no avail. Beth took the opportunity to clear her head, though it took a moment to get that phrase out: the pretty ones.
"So what now?" she asked when Ava grew bored trying to open the hatch.
Mason thought for a moment. "Why don't we try pulling in some of this kudzu through the windows? I know we can't open them that far but I don't think that'll be a problem since it's a vine. For kindling. Use everything you can use, you know?"
It was silent while they worked. Ava settled in for a nap and it felt like it was just Beth alone with Mason, which made her feel on edge. Not necessarily in a bad way, although that in itself…
Everyone knows it's the pretty ones you gotta look out for.
She needed noise. She needed to distract her brain.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
Mason paused in the middle of wrestling a big clump of kudzu through the window. "Why?"
Jackass.
"That's just what people talk about," she muttered, then forced a more cheery voice. "I'm from around here. My daddy had a farm. It was in our family for generations, but…" Her heart ached, remembering the farm. The years growing up on it, standing in stark contrast to the night it fell.
When the silence crept on, Mason glanced over. Her eyes were softer with understanding.
"The dead got it?"
"Yeah… Most of us made it out alive. We were there about eight months after everythin' fell apart, and then…a year on the road, I think. Now we're at the prison."
She'd had her eighteenth birthday on the run from walkers. She'd had her nineteenth birthday in a prison. It was hard to imagine anything else at this point.
But she shrugged and continued working, wondering if Mason would take the bait.
"Kansas," she finally answered. Beth ducked her head to hide her smile. "I'm from Kansas originally and California after that. Ava was born on the road, but we were in Kansas at the time so I guess…I guess that makes her a Kansas native, too."
"You had her on the road?"
"She's not mine."
Beth nodded. She hadn't thought as much, as they didn't look anything alike. She knew enough not to ask what happened to the mother.
"Are you on your way anywhere?"
"Virginia. The rest of our…of Ava's family's there. I think."
"Oh."
"What?"
Beth shook her head, feeling embarrassed. "Well, our group takes people in sometimes. If you needed a place to stay, we'd be more than happy to—"
"We don't need a place to stay," Mason growled. "We're going to Virginia."
Beth nodding, thinking maybe it was time to be quiet. But after a moment, Mason sighed, and said in a lighter tone, "Which is too bad, because why would I ever want to leave this homey little set-up?"
Beth smiled and took the peace offering. "I give it four stars since there's never any mints on the pillows, but other than that…"
"I prefer chocolates, to be honest."
"I think you just prefer disagreein' with everythin' I say."
Mason hit her with a full-blown grin then. It was like looking at a sunbeam. Ignoring the twisting in her stomach, Beth rolled her eyes.
"Jackass."
They laid the kudzu out to dry as much as it could, and passed the rest of the time talking. Or rather, Beth passed the time prodding conversation out of Mason. She thought it got just a tiny bit easier, though. Mason wasn't a bad person, just…prickly. And Beth figured she probably had her reasons for that.
"What's your favorite color?" she asked when it looked like Mason wanted to clam up again.
Mason raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"
"Yep. Mine's yellow. Maybe blue."
"Purple. Used to be red, but…" She looked down at her hands. "I'm tired of red."
"Well, what's your favorite…type of music?"
She felt like she had to keep talking, to keep Mason from slipping out of her reach. She knew she shouldn't care so much, but she couldn't help it. Besides, if they were going to be trapped together for however long, they may as well do something.
"I don't know, lots. Alternative, I guess."
"Got anythin' you could play for me?"
The look Mason gave her made her squirm sheepishly.
"When I was goin' through your pack yesterday, I couldn't help noticin' you had an iPod. I wasn't tryin' to snoop, I really just—"
"It's alright," Mason sighed before reaching into her pack. After a moment's hesitation, she handed Beth the iPod and a pair of headphones. "Listen all you want. I've got a solar battery."
She coaxed up a fire while Beth rummaged through her music. It got a little smoky at first but with the windows cracked it eventually dissipated. It didn't smell pleasant, especially when they added some of the stuffing torn from a seat cushion, but the bus did heat up quickly.
Mason warmed the leftover beans from last night over the low, insistent flames. Beth's stomach rumbled, but she couldn't get herself to stop listening to Mason's music. There was a lot she'd never heard before, although some she recognized from Maggie's rebellious phase. She really liked a good portion of it, but beyond that, it was just nice to hear music again.
When she noticed Mason waving at her, she realized she must have been trying to catch her attention for a while.
"Shoot." She paused the music. "Sorry."
Mason pointed to Beth's ankle. "You keep rubbing it. Ha. That's what she… I mean, how's it feeling?"
"Um, it's okay."
"Wonder if we could get some ice for it or something?" Mason examined the windows with a frown, and for some reason, this made Beth's heart swell with warmth.
"Oh, that's okay, really, it's just a bad sprain. It could be worse. Which reminds me, I should take a look at your stitches."
Mason reluctantly obeyed, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. Beth frowned. The skin around the sutures was an angry red. Gently she touched it and Mason flinched.
"Ah, god, careful! Jesus fuck—you know, you don't just go plunging your fingers into a stab wound, right?"
"Have you been pickin' at this? Or scratchin'?"
"Of course not."
"I think it's infected." She bit her lip, wishing her dad was there. He always knew exactly what to do. "I'll rinse it down again with water."
Mason lent her a water bottle and the last sliver of bar soap. Her jaw clenched while Beth cleaned the area surrounding the sutures.
"Wish we had some—melaleuca," she spoke haltingly, hissing every now and then. "Or—oregano."
"What's melaleuca?"
"Tea tree oil. They're both good for—fighting infection. Best I've got are some dried elderberries, but that's more for colds and shit."
Beth nodded, finishing up. "My dad makes tea out of that."
"Yeah, me, too. I'm a slut for tea."
A surprised giggle burst out of her. "What?"
"That's right. A big ole tea tramp. A pekoe puta."
"You're dumb."
Falling asleep that night, Beth rested her head on Mason's shoulder. It filled her with flutters when Mason didn't shoo her away. Casually wrapping an arm around Mason's waist, she thought, She called me pretty.
It was her last coherent thought before tumbling into dreams.
~m~
Mason woke up feeling half-broiled, which confused her at first because the sun hadn't risen yet. She stirred a bit and her head spun.
Shit. The infection.
She tried to peek at the wound without waking Beth or Ava, but of course that was too much to ask for.
"What's wrong?" Beth mumbled.
"Nothing. Go back to sleep."
But Beth sat up straighter, pressing a hand to Mason's cheek. "Mason, you're burnin' up."
"No, you've just got icicles for fingers."
"Hey, infection isn't somethin' to screw around with. Let me see."
Grumbling under her breath, Mason obeyed, flinching a bit when Beth turned on her flashlight. The wound looked swollen, with little red streaks branching out from it.
"Shit," Beth hissed.
"Whoa. I didn't know you were capable of cursing. I mean, like, real cursing. You sure you aren't going to spontaneously combust?" In truth, it made her a little nervous, but she wasn't going to say as much.
Beth glared at her. "This is serious."
"Shh."
But it was too late. Ava roused from slumber, black hair sticking out in tufts, and gave the two of them a look that could wither steel.
"Loud," she growled.
"Sorry, baby girl."
Since they were all awake, Mason decided they may as well have breakfast. But she quickly realized after she roused the embers of yesterday's fire that breakfast was not on her agenda.
"Aren't you eatin'?" Beth asked, spooning some canned peaches into her mouth.
Mason tried not to make a face. "I'm just a little queasy."
Beth stared her down. "That's it. I'm figurin' a way out of this bus, and I'm gettin' you some help."
But they spent all day brainstorming and came up with nothing substantial, though Mason had to admit she was still considering one of Beth's suggestions.
"Walker blood? Really?"
"Yeah, my group's done it before. Cover yourself in guts and they can't smell you."
"That's badass… But I don't think I want to risk it with Ava, especially with me and you injured."
The walkers seemed to have no intention of leaving the bus anytime soon. Their best bet as of yet was to hope for some person or animal to catch their attention and lead them off. But everything seemed hunkered down, and for good reason. The clouds gathering overhead were thick and promised more nasty weather.
"I'll keep the fire going as late as I can so it doesn't get too cold in here tonight," Mason said.
"I can do that," Beth replied. "You should rest."
"You're not the boss of me," Mason said, grinning at the affronted glint in Beth's eyes.
"Shut up and lay down."
And Mason felt shitty enough to do as she was told, though she doubted she'd actually get any sleep. Her head pounded like a bass drum.
The snow started around twilight, fat flakes that promised to stick. Mason watched in fascination while the world spun around them. She was gently bobbing on a sea. She thought of her dream in the desert and closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she was standing in the middle of a gray, ashy wood. Smoke hung in the air around her. Half-burnt bodies littered the ground. She was covered in blood and soot, and weighed down by one single thought.
I have to get to you.
She didn't know who she meant, but she knew they were in trouble. She knew they needed her just as much as she needed them. She knew the two of them had been separated for a long time.
Shadows moved within the trees, just beyond the edge of seeing, but she knew it was the dead coming for her. Barring her way.
You cannot stop me, she thought at them. The trees awakened, their scorched corpses glowing with first the memory of embers and then the reality. Nothing will.
Fire flickered back to life in the veins of the trees until the whole forest blazed, and her body with it. But she moved forward anyway, even as her skin crackled, even as her bones smoldered.
Above her head, a single star shone through the gloom. She felt like its ghost, reborn.
Call me to you. I'll sing you to me.
The fire burned hotter.
~m~
"Mason, wake up."
Beth leaned over Mason's curled frame. The heat coming off her body was alarming; it turned to steam in the frigid air.
Her eyes finally opened, but they weren't seeing Beth or the bus. They were a universe away.
"…promise…North Star… I'll find you…"
The fever was making her delirious. Beth sat there for a moment, mind gone blank with panic. The sound of the walkers roared louder in her ears, pulsing with her thumping heart. Frantically she tried to think of her dad, how calm he kept in these situations, and what he would do if he were here.
The fever, Bethy, she thought in his voice. It's the only thing you can control at this point. You have the tools to do it. So get to work.
She whirled out of her seat and grabbed Mason's pack. It took a moment of searching but she finally found it—a handful of dried elderberries, covered in leaf dust and grit.
As she was brewing it into a tea, she felt a tug on the back of her shirt, and was surprised to see Ava watching her shyly. She hadn't had much to do with Beth since they'd met, clearly too afraid of strangers to try.
"Macie not okay," she said. "She too sleepy."
Beth turned to face her. "It's—"
But Ava squeaked and scurried back to Mason's side to hide.
"It's okay, Ava," Beth said. "I'm gonna help her. I'm makin' her a tea, and when she drinks it she'll feel better, I promise."
The promise was more of a hope, but she didn't have time to dwell on that. Once it was brewed, she sat Mason up and prompted her to drink. It was a slow process, but eventually the tea was gone and Mason was semi-conscious.
"Beth…?" she rasped.
"Hey, jackass. You know I wasn't serious when I said let that get infected."
"Oh, I thought you were giving me permission…"
She sounded so tired. Beth ran a hand through her hair. "You should get some more rest. I just wanted you to drink some tea real quick."
"Elderberry…"
"That's right. Mason? Can you think of anythin' else that might help? Anythin' we might have?" All she could think of were basic pharmaceuticals her dad used, which she had none of.
"Do you have any garlic?" It was hard to tell by her tone whether she was being serious or not.
"Um, no. Does that help with infection?"
"Mm-hmm."
Frustration dug at her. Not at Mason, but at the realization that she knew where she could find some garlic—a tiny grove of it and other wintering vegetation they left to lure game in. It actually wasn't far from here at all, at least she was pretty sure, but it was beyond the walkers, which made it ultimately unreachable.
We'll think of something.
To soothe them both, Beth started singing lightly and Mason settled back in her arms.
"Mmm. Pretty."
It snowed the whole day, muffling the world outside. Beth kept up her singing until both Mason and Ava were asleep, and then after that to break the silence. The few times it snowed in Georgia, she'd never been fond of the way everything got so quiet. It creeped her out.
But then she realized…it was quiet quiet. The usual background din of the walkers had faded.
Her heart leapt. Had they finally left? Had the snow driven them off? She hurried to peer outside.
No, the walkers remained, just as many as there had been. Beneath a layer of snow and ice, they moved dully, as if in slow motion.
But maybe…maybe that meant she could get past them.
She bit her lip and glanced back at Mason. She had to admit she didn't relish the idea of being outside by herself with a sprained ankle. And it seemed highly irresponsible to leave Ava behind when Mason couldn't properly protect her. But there was nothing on this bus that was going to heal Mason.
By the time she decided, the wind had kicked up, beating snow against the windows. She pressed a hand to Mason's forehead and fear shimmied up her spine. She couldn't stall any longer; Mason needed help now.
Gently she roused Ava, who eyed her suspiciously. "Ava, remember how I said I was gonna help Mason? Well, I need to go somewhere real quick to get some medicine for her. It's not far, I promise I won't be gone long. I need you to stay here and be brave for Mason, okay?"
Ava hugged Mason's arm possessively. "My Macie."
"That's right. Just stay in the bus with her, okay?"
Ava nodded.
At the last second, she took the fire poker, hoping Mason wouldn't mind. With any luck, she'd be back before Mason even woke up.
She didn't let herself think as she opened the folding door. She barreled outside, slammed the door shut, and shot right through the midst of the frosted walkers.
It was too much to hope that the snow would've kept them docile. They livened at the sight of her, growing louder, faster. They gave chase as she stumbled away.
Well. At least now they finally had something to lead them away from the bus.
She was quick to feel thankful she'd grabbed the fire iron. When the herd started gaining, she plunged the pointed end in the ground and used it to propel herself forward. On the slippery surface, it was almost like skiing. Despite everything, or maybe because of it, the sensation made her laugh.
The wind was at her back, so she was able to put significant distance between herself and the herd. Daylight faded while she searched and she pulled out her flashlight. It would be getting colder in the bus but she couldn't think about that. She couldn't think about Mason, feverish and shuddering in pain. She had a job to do.
And then finally her light fell on it, the tiny grove, sheltered on one side by trees. Many of the garlic shoots were brown and withered, but when she tugged, the bulbs popped out, healthy and full. She threw as many as she could in her pack.
Don't worry, Mason. I'll help you.
~m~
Mason drifted in and out of consciousness, riding waves of uncomfortable heat and uneasy darkness. What dreams she slipped into were rabid and confusing. Walkers moving faster than normal, jerking and twitching as if in seizures. People that walked among them, carrying snakes, carrying faces, turning from living to dead and back again.
Intermittently, she was aware of Ava crying and saying her name over and over again. This was the only reason she struggled against sleep. I'm right here, she wanted to say, but where was she?
Somewhere in the middle of this, she roused enough to catch a glimpse of something out the window. Multiple somethings. Multiple somethings with lights.
People, she thought, although maybe it was walkers. Did the dead carry flashlights? She couldn't remember. Paranoia seeped in and she held Ava closer. But whoever—or whatever—they were, they passed by the bus without seeing it, obscured by snow and darkness as it was.
Minutes dragged her back down. She fell like crumbling bricks, wondering where the stars were, wondering how to get to them. Was she dying? Had she died already? She felt weightless as a spirit.
Someone called her name. She wished she could feel her arms enough to hug Ava. She wished her voice would come back to her.
Her nose stung. An unpleasant smell. Not the usual unpleasant smell, not the dead, but not unfamiliar, either.
She sneezed, jarring herself back to consciousness. Which sucked, because everything hurt, including the blood in her veins, including the breath in her lungs.
"Ughh… What the fuck is that?" she growled, looking around very slowly so as not to worsen the headache cracking her skull apart.
"Garlic," a familiar voice replied.
Mason blinked. "Beth?"
Her face came into focus, blonde hair hanging in wet strands around her flushed face. She smiled.
She's so beautiful. You should tell her that.
"You're so beautiful," she said to her immediate regret.
Sorry, what I meant was you probably shouldn't tell her that.
Beth hesitated a moment before rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "Can't you ever just react to situations like a normal person?"
She was entirely awake while the garlic was pressed to her wound, but she nodded off once the stinging faded. Tamer dreams welcomed her.
~m~
Another day passed with Mason mostly unconscious. Beth applied new garlic poultices every few hours, monitoring the wound each time. It looked like the swelling had gone down, but the red streaks remained, as well as Mason's fever. On the occasions she was awake for it, Beth made her drink more elderberry tea to bring it down.
She sang for Ava in the downtime, who at least didn't run from her anymore. She sang to herself when Beth was silent, or played with her toys, but always by Mason's side.
That night, Beth's thoughts turned to the prison, what her family thought now she'd been gone for so long. Her dad and Maggie were probably frantic. Guilt gnawed at her gut, but there was no way she was going back now. Even if Mason was well enough to travel…she didn't think she'd want to go back.
She didn't want to stay away forever, it wasn't like that. But the thought of turning back now, facing them… She couldn't bear it and she wasn't sure why. She was in for hell when she got back, but that wasn't it. It was…
On her first day out here, she'd managed to sprain her ankle, endanger a stranger and a child, and nearly get eaten by walkers. There was no way she had a prayer of accomplishing her original task; the weather would've erased Merle's trail, if she was even tracking him to begin with. And even if she was able to treat Mason, the infection was half her fault. This adventure wasn't just fruitless, it was a disaster.
Maybe I can't bring Merle home, she thought. But maybe there's someone else I can.
She glanced at Mason's slumped form, twitching restlessly in sleep. She'd said before she was trying to get to Virginia, but maybe she could be convinced to stay. She was obviously a survivor; Beth couldn't imagine traveling alone for two years with an infant. That would be an accomplishment, right? Making her group stronger?
Of course, that wasn't the whole reason she wanted Mason at the prison…
What's the reason then? she thought belligerently, like her feelings might back off if shown enough attitude. But that wasn't how this worked.
When she was in high school, she remembered being obsessed with a book. It was a choose your own adventure book her friends were passing around, in secret from their parents since it mentioned things they wouldn't have approved of. She remembered being fascinated by one scenario in particular, in which her character ended up with another woman.
She didn't realize why right away. All she knew was that it intrigued her. All she knew was that sometimes when she watched a movie, she'd see a pretty actress and think, I'm not into girls, but if I was… All she knew was that it hurt in a strange, personal way when her friend, Tammy, came out as a lesbian.
I'm not into girls, she'd told herself. She'd only ever dated guys. She was genuinely attracted to guys.
It was normal to wonder what it was like to kiss another girl, wasn't it?
These were things she never felt she could confess to anyone, not her friends, not her family. Not even Maggie. Sometimes she hated herself for these feelings. Sometimes she buried them so deep it was like filling her body with broken glass.
She knew why she wanted Mason at the prison.
"You can't think about that now," she muttered to herself. "You have a job to do."
She got a few hours of sleep next to Mason, but woke sometime in the early hours. Ava was curled in a ball with her head on Mason's leg.
Mason still wasn't awake.
Desperation needled her. Why wasn't Mason waking up? She couldn't help thinking of her dad after they amputated his leg, just waiting for his eyes to open. Beth ran a trembling hand through Mason's hair.
"C'mon," she whispered. "Wake up."
She pressed her nose to Mason's temple. Her free hand wrapped around Mason's torso. She held her close, listening to her heart beat, pretending it was the metronome she used while she was learning to play piano. She sang, low and gentle.
"Mmm…I like that song."
She froze. "Mason?"
"Nah…it's the ghost. The ghost that haunts this bus. Oooh."
Beth leaned back to examine her. "You're awake! How do you feel?" She laid a hand on Mason's cheek. It was warm, but nowhere near the heat from before.
"Great. I feel like I could run a marathon. Or, maybe not a marathon, but I think I could successfully jump a puddle. Like, a small one."
Beth laughed and hugged her. "You're so stupid and I'm so glad you're awake."
Weakly, Mason hugged her back. "Thanks to you."
"I'm not takin' responsibility for you bein' stupid."
After a moment, Mason leaned back, but kept Beth close with a hand on the small of her back. The pressure there felt significantly warm, and not from any fever. Her breath stirred Beth's hair.
"Uhm." Mason's forehead brushed Beth's and her heart thundered. "Thank you. For taking care of me. For the garlic… Wait. Where the hell did you get it?"
So Beth told her the whole story, and Mason's eyes got wider and wider with every word.
"You went out there. Alone. With a sprained ankle. For my dumb ass." Mason shook her head. "You fucking idiot."
"Hey, that doesn't sound like a thank you."
"I already thanked you. Now I'm questioning your critical thinking skills."
Their foreheads brushed again. Beth glanced at Mason's lips. She was afraid Mason would notice and afraid she wouldn't.
But Mason sank back, clearly exhausted, and Beth shook off the heat climbing her spine. It was selfish of her to be thinking of anything other than helping Mason recover. She patted her leg.
"I'll get some breakfast goin'."
~m~
Days passed while Mason recovered. She felt better little by little with the help of Beth and her poultices, though she was pretty goddamn sick of the smell of garlic. The walkers never returned. They saw several pass by outside their windows but nothing like the herd from before. The snow melted and the days got milder, though of course they still had several weeks of winter left.
Though they had the freedom now to get outside and stretch their legs, they continued camping out in the bus. It occurred to Mason more than once to ask about the prison, about when Beth intended on going back, but she had a feeling Beth didn't want to talk about it. Whenever it was brought up, she quickly changed the subject. And, well…Mason wasn't sure she wanted this to end just yet.
She wasn't dumb. She'd tried to fight it, but she couldn't deny her attraction to Beth. Which was entirely and utterly ridiculous. Befriending someone in this new world was one thing. Falling for them was fucking brainless. So she wasn't intending on initiating anything, but she still wanted just a little more time before forging on to Virginia.
But Beth, bless her heart, was not making it any easier to ignore these feelings. Tonight was no different.
"Time for a check-up!" she said cheerily after dinner.
Mason groaned. "Aw, c'mon, man. I'm perfectly fine, I don't need you poking and prodding all up on me."
Beth's eyes sparkled teasingly. "Now, Macie, be a big, brave girl for me. She can be brave for me, don't you think, Ava?"
Ava gave a happy little bounce. "Yeah!"
"Alright, alright, stop shaming me. I'll be brave. But just for a minute, and then I'm going back to being a chickenshit."
"Chickenchit, chickenchit!" Ava cheered before scampering away to play with her toys.
Mason settled in a seat and lifted her shirt. By now it was routine, but it still made her heart skip, exposing her scars.
Beth only examined the stitches a moment before nodding. "Lookin' great."
"No need to swoon, doll. I know I'm thick, I got that physique—"
Beth smacked her. "Shut up, you dumbass."
Mason chuckled, but grew still when she realized Beth was still looking at the wound.
No, not the wound. The scars, the old ones.
Their gazes met. There was a question in Beth's. Silently, Mason nodded toward her exposed torso. She'd already seen them anyway.
Sadness welled in Beth's eyes as they swept over Mason's side. "You did them yourself, didn't you?"
She didn't think she had to answer, so she didn't.
"I'm sorry," Beth went on. "I'm sorry you ever felt that way."
Mason shrugged. "That's just…how it be sometimes." She could've won an award for underplaying shit she probably shouldn't. But god, she could barely let Beth look at them. She definitely didn't want to talk about them.
Before she could say as much, she flinched with a soft snort at the feel of a finger stroking gently down the line of a scar.
Beth raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
But Beth just grinned evilly and squirmed a finger over her stomach, which had Mason curling into a ball.
"So this is how I get you to cooperate, huh?"
"Ohokay, Beth" she giggled. "Stop—stop making me make these noises."
"What, you mean laughter?"
"Yes, it's embarrassing."
"Alright, alright. I don't want you to strain your stitches or anythin'. But once you're healed up…" Beth wiggled her fingers threateningly, but after a moment, her eyes dimmed. "You'll probably wanna get back on the road once you're healed up, right?"
Mason swallowed uncomfortably. "Beth…"
"I know we talked before, but…won't you consider stayin' with us? It doesn't have to be forever, but it's safe there. We'd take care of you and Ava. I think they'd all really like you."
"I'm sorry. I can't… I mean, I have to get Ava to her family, if they're still around. It wouldn't be fair to her not to try."
"But what about what's fair for you?"
"I don't think that matters now."
Beth laid her hands on Mason's knees. "Why?"
Because I'm a murderer. Because I got my friends killed. Because it's my fault Ava doesn't know her own family.
But she couldn't bring herself to say any of this, so she just shrugged meekly.
"Mace."
Mason balked at the nickname. Gina used to call her that. She didn't say this, either.
"You…you're amazin'," Beth went on, glancing away shyly. "I don't think you realize that."
Her thumbs brushed lightly over Mason's knees. The motion sent heat buzzing straight to her head. She tried to focus.
"I, uhm…I mean, thank you, but…"
Hands ghosted up her legs, just slightly. Her words trailed off with a shuddering breath. She had to clear her throat to get them back.
"But you, um… I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"
Beth giggled. "How amazin' I think you are."
"Wait, how amazing I am or how amazing you think I am? Because there's a difference."
"Oh, shush, jackass."
Without warning, Beth kissed her cheek. Except she didn't pull away. Her lips lingered there, her nose brushing Mason's, while Mason went rigid with shock.
"Beth," she breathed.
Beth didn't reply, but her eyes flicked up in silent question, one hand running all the way up to Mason's thigh. She was leaning fully against Mason at this point, her other hand timidly cupping the back of Mason's neck.
"Beth…"
"You should kiss me, Mason."
"Wh-what?"
"You should kiss me. If you want. Do…you want to?"
She did. She did.
Fuck it.
She turned her head a hairsbreadth and let their lips touch, ignoring her doubts. It was hesitant and soft. Warmth blossomed in Mason's stomach.
Beth drew back briefly to stare her, stunned. "You're the first girl I've ever kissed," she said. Then her face lit up with a dazzling grin, like a weight had fallen from her shoulders. She grabbed Mason's face and kissed her eagerly, all shyness gone. She practically leapt into her lap.
Which Mason would have been all for, if not for the pain in her side.
"Ah—careful. Fucking stitches."
"Oh, shoot, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
Mason grinned. "Well, I'm dizzy and hot and I can't feel my legs, so yeah, I'm pretty great."
"Silly."
"If being silly means I can kiss you again, then I guess I'm the silliest bastard alive."
"Does that even make sense?"
"I—I don't… Who cares, just kiss me."
~m~
They lost track of the time, but Beth had to estimate they spent a few more weeks in the bus. Mason's wound healed up nicely, and the stitches began to dissolve. It was enough that she felt well enough to teach Beth a few fighting and defensive moves, so long as they took it easy.
When Beth asked for these lessons, Mason didn't laugh. She just shrugged and said, "I'll teach you what I can, but it's not like I'm a professional or anything."
The kissing continued, which made her deliriously happy. She'd been afraid Mason's fears would demand they call it quits, but each night she kissed Beth breathless and cuddled her to sleep, and Beth was left to wonder what she'd been so afraid of herself.
It did occur to her that she'd have to tell her dad, and Maggie, and everyone else. But they'd been through so much together. Surely there wouldn't be judgment at this point? Still, the thought of coming out made her nervous, which she confessed to Mason.
"Okay, look," Mason had said. "There will probably be some sort of adjustment period. That's just reality from my experience, although…I mean, the world is different now. But your family loves you. So long as they're respectful, it'll be okay. Just don't let them pull any passive aggressive shit. That's what my parents did. I mean, don't let them pull any shit, but you know what I mean."
Beth had taken her hand and replied, "Be easier if you were there."
And Mason—queen of dodging and denial, Beth was quickly learning—merely said, "You don't need me for shit. You can handle anything."
She didn't know what was going to happen when Mason was well enough to travel. They didn't discuss it, but Beth hoped each kiss would sway her.
"Tomorrow we should probably try for some more food," Mason said now. They'd just finished dinner and tucked Ava into her blankets, and now sat tangled in the back surrounded by candles. "We're tapped out again."
"Those traps we set the other day might have somethin'."
"Yeah. We can…mmm."
Mason trailed off, her lips suddenly busy with other, more important matters.
They made out for a while, until Beth's mouth was sore and her heart drumming unfamiliar rhythms. Something was occurring to her. Not for the first time, but certainly the most overwhelming.
"Mason?" Beth said without quite pulling back from Mason's mouth.
"Mm?"
"Do you…do you think… Um, actually, never mind."
Mason paused, opening one eye. "Wait, what?"
"It's nothin'. It's stupid."
"No, Beth, if you…if something's wrong, you should tell me. Do you want to stop?"
"No, no, that's not it at all! I actually was thinkin', well…" She swallowed nervously. "Have you ever…ever…"
Mason raised an eyebrow. "Ever?"
Beth dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Done it with someone?"
Mason drew back. "What?"
"Cuz, um, cuz I haven't. I'm still a—a virgin."
"Beth, that's totally fine. Is that what you're worried about? You know I'm not…" Mason snatched her hands back, like she was suddenly afraid of touching Beth. "I never want you to do anything you don't want—"
"No, no, Mason, I—I want to."
They stared at each other a moment.
"Right now."
"Oh," Mason said weakly. "Right now, like—like right now, right now?"
Beth nodded, biting her lip.
She'd never done much of anything with anyone before. The closest was when one asshole ex-boyfriend copped a feel of her breasts while they were making out, but of course that wasn't the same at all. But it wasn't like she didn't think about it. Her friends used to joke that she was too innocent for that stuff, too much a choir girl, but…
Straddling Mason right now, hands tangled in her hair, she could admit she'd never felt more turned on.
She was tired of being the fucking choir girl.
"Do you want to?" she asked.
Mason eyed her flatly. "Beth, I'm a horny motherfucker sitting with a gorgeous woman on my lap, of course I want to. But I shouldn't…I mean… I just don't want you to do anything you'd regret later."
Beth saw it in her eyes then. That she still intended on leaving. And something like anger, or desperation, or something flared in her belly. She narrowed her eyes.
"Whether I regret it or not is my decision."
Then, following some instinct she didn't even know she possessed, she rocked her hips, grinding against Mason. She grinned smugly as Mason's eyes rolled back.
"Ah—okay, okay, shit! But promise you'll tell me if you want to stop."
"Promise," Beth said and began to undress.
It was harder than she thought, laying herself bare before someone. But the way Mason looked at her made her feel safe, made her feel beautiful. She couldn't imagine doing this whole first time business with anyone else.
Though it was obvious Mason had done this before, she still seemed uneasy, and once she was completely naked, Beth realized why.
The scars. They weren't just contained to Mason's side. They were scattered all over, constellations on her thighs and hips, her calves, the tops of her arms. All places that were easily concealed.
Beth held out her wrist, exposing the scar there. Mason blinked in shock.
"Did…you do that?"
Beth nodded. "When we were still on the farm. I…couldn't face things. At first. But then I changed my mind."
After a moment, Mason nodded. "I'm glad you did."
Then, very gently, she kissed the scar. And above the scar, and higher and higher up Beth's arm until she reached her shoulder, her collarbone, her neck.
Beth trembled a little. Mason hummed under her breath.
"I've got you, beautiful, don't worry."
At the feel of Mason's mouth on her breasts, her legs turned to jelly.
Mason laid her down on the seat, exploring her body with her lips, her tongue. Her hands roved up and down, awakening Beth's nerve endings in a way that surprised her with the strength of it. She had to keep reminding herself to keep quiet.
This resolve nearly crumbled completely when Mason's fingers found their way between Beth's thighs. At the last second, she bit back the sound she might've made.
Mason chuckled. "Well, someone's enjoying herself." Her finger moved slowly, torturously.
"J-jackass," Beth gasped.
"So I've been told."
She knelt on the floor, gently spread Beth's legs. Beth closed her eyes, content to let this moment last forever.
But Mason hesitated.
Beth opened her eyes. Mason wasn't looking at her anymore. She was staring at the floor.
"What's wrong?"
"I—I can't. Beth, I'm sorry. It's not you, I want to, but I just…"
Hurt twisted Beth's expression. Tears pricked her eyes but she blinked them away. Because when Mason finally looked up, the guilt on her face broke Beth's heart.
She held her arms out. "It's okay."
Mason climbed silently into her embrace. They laid there until the cold drove them back into their clothes.
~m~
"You wanna take the left, I'll take the right?"
Mason sounded more tentative than she intended, but she couldn't help it. She worried Beth was still frustrated about last night.
But Beth smiled. "Okay. See you in a bit."
"Holler if you need me."
They separated, taking different sides of the woods. Ava waved goodbye to Beth from her sling.
It didn't take long to reach one of the traps Beth taught her to set. It was empty, but there was a rabbit in the second one. Mason cut it free and tossed it in her pack. The third was empty as well, but at least she had something to bring back.
On her way back to Beth, she jarred to a stop, heart kicking with alarm.
Voices. Unfamiliar voices.
She drew her fire poker and crept forward, alert for any sign of Beth. They had to get back to the bus, now. Then they'd figure how to handle things after that. If they had to leave, then so be it. They could find another place.
Movement caught her eye. She ducked behind a tree before she was seen, but when she peeked out, the breath caught in her throat.
There was Beth, hugging a sobbing brunette woman, assuring her that she was alright. A young man smiled in relief at both of them.
Her group. Some of them, at least.
Something withered in Mason's stomach.
"Beth, Beth, what the hell were you thinkin'?" the woman demanded, refusing to let go.
"I'm sorry, Maggie. I'm okay, I promise."
"We searched this area before for you," the man said. "Almost got lost the night that snowstorm kicked up."
Mason jolted. In her head she saw vague shadows, lit only by flashlights, moving through a swirl of white. She'd seen them that night. They'd passed by so close.
"We've been livin' in a bus. You must've just missed us," Beth said.
The woman—Maggie—finally drew back. "We?"
"Yeah. This girl I met. We—"
But Mason didn't stay to hear the rest of it. She was already running, back to the bus to grab what she could. Fear eddied through her, burying everything else, making it hard to breathe.
She was so stupid. She was so fucking stupid. She'd known this was coming and she'd still managed to dismiss it, put it off for another day.
And last night, she'd almost…
She made the right decision, stopping things before they got too far. Before Beth could regret her decision. Her first time needed to be with someone who wouldn't bolt, who hadn't always intended on it.
Coward. You fucking coward.
But she couldn't. Beyond her new mistrust of strangers, she couldn't stay, couldn't risk getting to know people she was just going to lose, going to be responsible for. She was selfish and stupid for ever letting herself get involved with Beth. She was always going to Virginia.
And after that…after she knew Ava was somewhere safe…maybe she wouldn't stay there, either. Maybe she shouldn't stay anywhere. Maybe she ruined everyone and everything she came in contact with.
Tears blurred her vision as she swept through the bus, but she packed with furious speed. She couldn't allow herself to hesitate, to look back.
"Macie?" Ava whimpered, touching Mason's wet cheek.
"It's okay, baby girl," Mason said, hopping back outside. "We're going home, okay? We're going home."
She almost kept up her resolve as she stumbled through the woods. But in one weak moment, she looked back.
She saw no one. She was glad she didn't. She didn't think she could handle seeing Beth's face.
I'm so sorry.
She did what she did best and fled.
A/N: Yeah, so I know technically, canonically BoTW wouldn't exist at this point (I think the outbreak started in 2012...? or something like that). But. Eh. Let's just pretend it did lol Anyway, next chapter we'll be returning to present time, and we'll get to see more of Beth and Mason's reunion and other fun stuff. So anyway! Until next time xoxo