Alicia POV
I couldn't have been more happy that Bel and Elyza had returned safely. If anything we had been fearing the worst of their absence before they had finally appeared. For the first time in my life I had been forced to consider what my life would be like without Elyza in it, and it had sparked a realisation within me.
The apocalypse sucked as it was, but it sucked a little less with Elyza in it. She had dragged me through the toughest of days, and even the thought of continuing alone was unbearable. It was a revelation that had shocked and confused me, but had finally clarified what was most important to me.
My world felt different. In reality only a week or so had passed since I had last been in the girls company but it felt like a lifetime ago. In that time I had faced the most daunting prospect of all - that I might never see her again, and it was like I was seeing everything clearly for the first time.
Elyza and Bel had spent the last few hours filling us all in on their adventure, from being jumped by scavengers to racing through the sewers away from hordes of the undead. It was a feat of danger that only Elyza could find herself in and I found myself both impressed and irritated by the story.
I had warned her of the danger before she had left, knowing full well of her inability to avoid dangerous situations. She hadn't let me down. If anything she had exceeded expectations and it was hard to see her laughing about the close encounter as if it were an every day occurrence. The bruised face and unmistakable limp were reminders that she was not invincible, far from it.
We may be living in the apocalypse but it didn't mean that she had to run head first into danger.
I had excused myself from the gathering with a mumbled excuse, but in all reality I couldn't sit and listen to the laughter rippling through the lounging survivors as Elyza made the encounter seem almost comical, jabbing Bel in the ribs as she recounted how she could have left him handcuffed on the side of the road for being such a pain in the ass.
They had almost died. Elyza had almost died. It was not the time for making jokes.
I had escaped from the strange atmosphere and clambered into my assigned motorhome, finding myself reaching for the dagger that was buried in the bottom of my bag. The dagger that Elyza had gifted me before she had left, along with a note promising her return. I retrieved the note with my free hand and reread it, casting my mind back to the conflicting emotions I had experienced upon her departure.
I know you're worried about us going to the prison but it'll be fine, promise. I'll tell you all about how right I was when I get back, so look forward to that.
Check under the cover, you lost yours so here's a replacement. Here's hoping you wont need it.
Stay safe,
Elyza x
The confidence made me chuckle, imagining the sly smile on Elyza's face as she had written the note. She had yet to brag about being right, but it was only a matter of time. Humour was Elyza's way of dealing with this dark reality, I understood that, but there was a time and a place.
Panic seared through me when the door to the motorhome swung open without warning and the light tread of approaching footsteps filled my ears as I frantically shoved the dagger and note back into the bag before anyone could question what I was doing.
Elyza advanced through the narrow corridor and poked her head around to where the bed was situated at the rear of the vehicle, her mouth already opening to speak before she caught sight of my exaggerated expression of innocence.
"You okay?" she asked suspiciously, abandoning her intended words in favour of curiosity.
"Mhmm," I hummed with a series of nods, cursing my inability to lie under pressure. "Just getting some water."
"Right..."
She didn't appear particularly convinced as her eyes drifted to the packed bag that had been hurriedly thrown to the other side of the bed, an eyebrow arching as a hundred questions swarmed into existence.
I tensed imperceptibly as I waited for them to be voiced, but I was saved when a faint voice drifted towards us from outside.
"Elyza, get your ass back out here you slacker!"
The blonde's eye roll and exasperated expression drew an unwarranted chuckle from my lips, nothing changed.
"You'd best get out there and see what your fans want," I suggested, having no doubt that someone would soon be in here to enact the threat if she took too long.
"It was more peaceful down in the sewer," she jested, grinning at her own insult before she fixed me with a more serious expression. "We should talk soon though, without those idiots interrupting."
I nodded, my throat closing momentarily as I could do nothing but stare back in silence. I could quite visibly see Elyza's uncertainty rising at my odd behaviour but fortunately she had no choice but to forego any further inquiries when the voice called out again.
"You've got ten seconds before we send you back down the sewer!"
Elyza muttered a curse word and disappeared back down the corridor with a shake of her head.
I sighed lightly and relaxed back onto a cushion, silently reprimanding myself for the foolish display. Why was I overthinking everything all of a sudden? Hiding in here wasn't going to solve anything.
Rushed footsteps hurried back along the corridor and I casually dropped my hands from my face as if I wasn't questioning my entire existence. Elyza peered around the wall once more, a smug expression adorning her features.
"I hate to say it, but I told you so," she added, unable to resist the opportunity to prove herself right. Just as she had promised in her note. "Don't be long."
It was my turn to roll my eyes and I huffed at how predictable she could be even as she disappeared again, calling out in response to her friends that were gathered expectantly outside.
Despite my smile there was a weight on my chest, an inexplicable sensation that couldn't be shaken. I put it down to the surprise of Elyza's return and tried my best to ignore it.
At that moment the important truth was that Elyza had returned, safe and sarcastic. Little did she known that I had been on the verge of running into the wilderness to find her, not that she would hear it from me. She would never let it go if she learnt of my plan.
With one final exhalation to try to rid myself of the strange sensation, I took a swig of water from my bottle, if only to inject some truth into my story, before heaving myself off the bed.
Elyza had not seen the majority of her friends for years and I was not about to ruin the moment for her. Despite my frustrations, this was her day. She deserved to enjoy it before tomorrow came, because who knew what it would hold.
I rubbed my neck and pushed my own grievances aside, uncharacteristically nervous for some reason. It had been an intense few days and it was no surprise that I was feeling slightly overwhelmed.
Pushing a smile onto my face, I shook myself free of any misgivings and followed Elyza's path out into the social gathering once more.
Elyza and Bel's return had sparked an impromptu celebration in the camp. There were very few things to be excited about these days and every optimistic moment had to be cherished. It was barely midday so the event had been scheduled for later that afternoon, leaving Elyza to reconcile with her friends before then.
I had barely stepped a few feet from the caravan when Elyza glimpsed me from her position in the circle of camp chairs and waved me over. Most of the camp had gathered in the large area and had been greeting their old friend with warm smiles and a multitude of questions.
I hesitated when every gaze turned to me, a sea of faces watching as I approached and plopped down into a faded green chair next to Raven, one of few left vacant as a number of individuals lounged on the ground, kicking out their legs as they engaged in their own quiet conversations.
Raven greeted me with a brief smile and gestured to the blonde girl who was slumped back comfortably into her own red chair, a plastic plate of food balanced precariously on one knee.
"Elyza here was just telling us about how you two managed to escape an overrun shopping mall with nothing but your other worldly wits," Raven began, shaking her head as she painfully quoted the exact words that had come from the blonde's mouth. "That and homemade explosives."
I caught Elyza's expectant stare as she silently urged me to support her story. Apparently no one could quite bring themselves to believe the unlikely tale of survival.
"Unfortunately that did happen," I admitted, not missing the smug expression that Elyza levelled at her friend. "Although it was the first and last time that I let her throw molotov cocktails around like something out of a film."
"How you two managed to survive I have no idea," Octavia incited, shaking her head at the mental image.
Elyza grinned and chewed heartily on some dried fruit.
"You must admit though, it was pretty badass!"
These conversations continued for quite some time as the group caught up on the past few years that they had not seen the girl. There was plenty to talk about but the topic was kept light, focusing on the more optimistic or comedic stories that provided a more positive atmosphere.
It went without saying that there were important matters to be discussed but nothing that could be achieved tonight. This was a time to be grateful for what we had, not for what was lost.
I found myself drawn into an act of sorts with Elyza as we recounted our tales, of which there were many. She would introduce the story whilst I chimed in with additional points, building up the story to a finale of sorts where we would reveal our heroic escape from the hellish situation.
Our audience were enraptured as we passionately described our feat of survival, laughing and staring with wide eyed shock as we brought the scene to life. It was comical how Elyza exaggerated certain points for emphasis, but not enough to be deemed unrealistic.
Even I found myself laughing as I recalled the image of the blonde girl jumping into action when a mannequin had fallen onto her in the dead silence of a supply hunt, the adrenaline drawing a nervous laugh from us both at the time which had devolved into hysterics when we had both almost shot a second mannequin to pieces as its shadow had arched along the wall in the near darkness.
Of course the laughter had further developed into a panicked flight from the shop when the noise had drawn nearby walkers out from the storage area to identify the newfound prey.
I found my gaze locked with Elyza's, a wide smile on my face as we recounted the tale, one of many that had been filled with a mixture of terror and humour. It was good to see Elyza laugh again, comfortable amongst her closest friends in this dangerous new world. Life in this world would be impossible if you couldn't laugh at it from time to time.
"I earned a six pack that day just from laughing so much!" Elyza announced, leaning over to abandon her now empty plate on the ground as Octavia scoffed.
"Of beer maybe, that we can believe," she suggested, a ripple of laughter travelling through the group as Elyza flicked her middle finger towards the unperturbed girl.
"Speaking of beer," someone spoke up, one of the few who were lounged on the ground. "I think its about time we cracked open a bottle!"
A cheer went up from the group and Bel shrugged at his sister. "I can't argue with that."
The afternoon had flown by as we were caught up in conversation until the evening sky was beginning to turn. I could hardly believe so much time had already passed whilst we were reminiscing.
A bottle or three were gathered from the nearest caravan and distributed around the gathered people with a collection of plastic and paper cups. Raven was one of the few to refuse the alcohol, reluctantly passing it on as she prepared for the night shift. There were always at least two patrols who would be at their best, ready for any danger that might present itself however unlikely.
I filled my cup with a modest amount of whisky, not something that I would normally drink but I intended to make it last a while. The central camp fire was lit and individual groups broke into their own conversations as a more relaxed atmosphere took hold.
It was a sharp comparison to the mood in camp that morning, nothing but worry and despair gripping hearts as everyone silently mourned for the presumed loss of the two survivors. This celebration was as much to acknowledge their survival as it was for their return.
I found myself engaging in casual conversations with numerous members of the camp, some who had not yet introduced themselves and kindly pulled me into each small group to include me within the discussions. I contributed here and there, much preferring to listen to those around me than speak over them.
Elyza had no such restraint and was involved in deep conversation with Bel and Octavia as they hooted about times long gone by. These people had virtually trained Elyza over many years, made her who she was, as much as she had made me the person I was.
I sipped my whisky thoughtfully, staring at the interaction as I nodded along to what the girl beside me was saying. It was odd in a sense to see Elyza amongst her old friends. She was in her element here, the heart of the party as she entertained and fascinated those around her. Her drink didn't last nearly as long as mine, two cups already drained as she reached for a third.
Undoubtedly her tolerance was higher than mine, but I only hoped that she wouldn't lose her balance and fall into the fire. Especially with her injured leg. I found myself smiling at the ridiculous thought and mentally shook myself, wondering whether the alcohol was beginning to take effect or whether the stress of the last week was beginning to take effect.
"She's changed a lot since I last saw her," the girl beside me piped up when she saw where my gaze lingered.
I tore my eyes away from the blonde and refocused my attention on the curly haired brunette who was sitting on the floor. I felt awful for tuning out of the conversation but she didn't seem bothered by the lack of response.
"What do you mean?"
The girl crossed her legs and leant back on her arms with a distant expression.
"It was a long time ago, but I remember what she was like before she left," the girl, Meghan, began. "It was incredible how she helped to organise and protect our group, but she was weighed down by the responsibility. Especially when Maya died."
I nodded silently, recalling the tragic story of the deaths that had haunted Elyza and lead to her depart into the world alone.
"I understand why she left, there was a sadness that she couldn't escape with us," Meghan explained, pausing when a rambunctious boy with wild sweeping hair careened past and heartily refilled our glasses.
It was almost impressive how he didn't spill a single drop.
"Look at her now though," Meghan continued, taking a sip of her now full drink and looked over to the blonde girl who was all but glowing with happiness. "You must have been good for her."
I bit my lip lightly at the statement and chugged from my glass before I could say something stupid. The sounds of laughter, muted conversations, and raised voices suddenly became too much. My cheeks were burning, whether from the alcohol or the nearby fire I could not tell, but when Elyza eyes met mine over the flickering flames I couldn't take it for another second.
I shot to my feet, almost spilling the alcohol over Meghan as I mumbled an apology and half tripped over her outstretched legs as I made my escape. The quickest route would take me past Elyza, so instead I turned away from the fire and maneuvered around several lounging people with a string of apologies as I tried to find my balance.
My heart was racing and my face felt numb as I left the raucous gathering behind and slumped against the side of the nearest motorhome, out of sight from any prying eyes as I tried to pinpoint exactly what my problem was.
Perhaps I was feeling the effects of the alcohol. I hadn't drank in over a month and even that had been a brief sip with Elyza.
Even as I thought her name, the ache in my chest became more apparent and I realised that this had always been about her. Since her disappearance and beyond I had been ignoring what had been so obvious all along. I wasn't alone in the apocalypse anymore and something more than just friendship had been growing between us.
Perhaps it was the way she spoke to me when no one else was around, how my world felt as if it were collapsing at the thought of her absence, or maybe it was the happiness that surrounded me whenever I was in her presence.
Except now I wasn't happy. I didn't know what emotion to call it but I had no idea what to do about it.
Elyza's POV
It was like I had never left. In reality it had been years since I had even spoken to these people, yet we spoke as if we had seen each other just yesterday. A sign of true friendship. I was glad that such a thing could still exist, even now.
I drained my first cup of liquor and held it out promptly for a refill, ignoring Bel's raised eyebrows even as he passed the bottle over to me.
"You're gonna make an injured lady pour her own drink?" I commented, adopting an exaggerated pout to make my point. Bel sighed and shuffled forwards to the edge of his seat to pour the dark liquid into my cup.
"You should be pouring me a drink after that nightmare you put me through."
"You've missed it, don't lie," I teased, settling back into my chair to sip on the alcohol. "Life would be boring without me."
Bel huffed but didn't respond, instead passing the bottle to his right after refilling his own cup.
"Well here's to surviving against all odds," Octavia announced, holding her cup aloft until the rest of us did the same.
"May we never have to go into a sewer again," Bellamy grumbled, eyeing me with displeasure even as I grinned at his annoyance.
"Can't say I disagree with that one."
I tipped my head back and let the alcohol slide down my throat, ignoring the burning sensation that carved a path straight through my chest.
"Not so fast," Bel said, watching me over the rim of his own cup. "We'll run out of alcohol if you keep going like that."
I lowered the cup into my lap and shrugged dismissively.
"It's pain relief, purely medicinal," I offered, although the chorus of disagreeing comments would say otherwise.
"Whatever," Bel scoffed, shaking his head.
A multitude of people came and went as we reminisced about our time together at the beginning of the apocalypse, drawing curious listeners who replaced each other over time. We had started off as a small group, only six or so, before we had collected survivors from each state and formed a much larger gathering.
It was strange to think of those times. It came with good memories as well as the less pleasant reminders of our living nightmare. A lot had happened since then, we were no longer the same people, but I hoped that we were better, more well suited to this life.
"How Alicia has put up with you all these months I will never know, she must have the patience of a saint," Octavia mused, swinging one leg lightly as she lounged sideways in her camping chair. That girl could make any position appear comfortable.
My back ached just looking at her and I heaved myself up into a more natural posture.
"Who needs patience when you've got the best company in the world," I remarked, flicking my hair in an exaggerated fashion until the alcohol swished over the rim of my cup and spattered into my lap. I stared down at it despondently.
"Sure, lucky her," Octavia snickered, amused by the unusually clumsy act. "Well you must have done something right because she sure was worried about you."
I took a long swig from my now half empty cup, my eyes drawn over the flickering campfire to where the brunette was sitting in a small group of her own. Not that I would admit it, but I had found my attention drawn in her direction more and more as the hours ticked by, seeking out the girl who I really wanted to be speaking with.
We had only shared a few words since my return to camp before I had been swarmed with questions and comments about our late arrival, not to mention where the hell I had been for the last few months.
It was one thing to recall stories together before a large crowd, another to actually sit in peace and talk properly. I was surprised at how eager I was to ditch this gathering and catch up with Alicia instead. It may have only been a week but I had not been away from her side for that long since we had met. It was strange to think how attached we had become, surviving in this world together had made us closer than I had first imagined.
She was speaking intently to a pair of girls who were sitting on the floor in front of her, a smile spreading over her face at whatever they were saying. I wished in that moment that it had been for me, and I instantly frowned at the thought. Perhaps my tolerance was not as high as I had assumed if my mind was already jumping to such ridiculous thoughts.
"I told her I'd be fine. She knows that I wouldn't go and get killed so easily, the apocalypse has nothing on me."
Alicia was speaking to the girls, leaning forwards as she spoke intently with a sweeping gesture. I turned away from them and found Octavia watching me with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
"I don't think you understand," she added, my goofy smile beginning to fade as she fixed me with a knowing gaze. "She had her bags packed this morning, ready to run out into god knows what danger to find you. It's a good thing you returned when you did."
Something must have shown on my face, not even evident to me as Bellamy smirked into his drink and Octavia huffed in exasperation.
Alicia had been willing to come after me? To abandon the safety of the camp and come find my stupid ass? Was she insane?
"Are you going to sit here staring at us with that stupid expression all night, or are you actually going to talk to her?"
I slowly raised my eyes and turned my head a fraction, staring through the flickering campfire until I met Alicia's gaze staring straight back at me through the flames. She held my stare for no longer than a few seconds before averting her eyes and standing suddenly, almost falling over the people surrounding her to get away.
My jaw almost dropped as I watched her disappear, the alcohol blurring whatever I was feeling into one huge bomb of confusion. I chugged back the last of my drink and rose to my feet, for a moment forgetting about the sprained ankle as the alcohol numbed my pain. It was by far the weakest sensation that I was feeling in that moment.
"And the penny drops," Octavia mumbled, her words flying over me as she leant back in her chair and clashed her cup against that of her brothers. "My work here is done."
I ignored them and everyone else around me, stepping over sprawled limbs and abandoned cups as I followed the path that Alicia had taken not moments ago. We were going to talk properly, without any interruptions. As I should have done from the moment I returned to camp.
Thanks for reading this chapter, let me know what you thought!
I love reading your comments, they really motivate me to upload chapters faster so thank you for the continued support!