Death From Below

Chapter 23

"I see you got my ring," he smiles, looking down at my hand. I lift it and begin playing with the ring on my finger to calm my nerves down. "I'm sorry I took you like that from them. I couldn't help the jealousy that flooded through my body, seeing the way you two were looking at one another," he tells me as he pulls at his hair in frustration.
"Dante had an accident. He lost his memory and thinks that we are a couple after you died. Josh thinks it is because he has always had feelings for me but respected you too much to say anything." I explain to him as I walk towards him and place my hand on his shoulder.

Garret turns and looks down at me as he puts his hands on my hips, then gasps and looks down at my stomach as he moves his hand to feel my baby bump. "Are you pregnant?" he asks me in shock, and I slowly nod my head as tears well up in my eyes.
"Yeah, I wanted to tell you so badly when I missed my period but didn't want to freak you out and then start late," I tell him. Garret shakes his head and pulls me into a hug while placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Will I be able to go back to them with you? Maybe if we explain what happened, they will be okay with us being there." I ask him, and he nods his head to me. "If they have a problem with it, then we will leave. I am not going to stay without you." I tell him as we both take a seat on the bed next to each other. Later on that night, we both agree to head out to the place he took me to see if the others are still around. I had spent the day explaining to him everything that has happened in the days spent without him.

I head out into the night to see Josh walking up covered in sweat, "Have you been looking for me?" I ask him as he pulls me tightly into his arms. He leans back to look down at me, "I have been so damn worried about you. What the hell happened back there?" he asks me and looks over my shoulder falling silent. I take a step back and turn to notice how they are just looking at one another before Garret pulls me back to stand next to him. Silently Josh begins to cry and takes a step towards Garret, "I thought you were dead? Everyone said that you became one of them. How did you survive so long on your own?" Josh asks. Without another word spoken, Josh pulls Garret into a hug as he sobs into his shoulder.

I fill him in on everything that has happened while we make our way back towards the road. A lot of tears and emotions have been filling the air throughout the entirety of our adventure. Josh had let me know that I was actually in the bunker for two days with Garret, and one of them I had slept. It will take us about a day and a half to find the road once again and join up with the others. I could only make it about an hour before my legs and feet started hurting, so Garret lifted me with ease onto his back and began to carry me.

I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder, and when I stirred around, it was already pitch black outside. I slowly get down and look around, "How long was I asleep?" I ask as I look over to the guys. "About eight hours, give or take a few," Garret says like it is nothing. My breath catches in my throat, and I instantly feel guilty, "I'm sorry." I say as I begin to walk in front of them. I am wary as we get close to the road after stopping a million times for me and me whining, trying to find the road.

"Let's head this way," Josh says as he turns and begins to walk along the barren road. "I told them to follow the road down until they can find a safe place to sleep," Josh explains as we all silently walk. I let the guys talk since Josh has gone through hell thinking his baby brother was dead, to find out that he is like me and hasn't completely turned. I began getting caught up in my thoughts when I can see something in the far distance. My eyes zero in on it, and it enhances my vision to make out that it is my truck, and I begin to walk a little faster.

"Hey, look, you guys, it's my truck!" I yell out, excited as I hurry down the street. I can't help feeling excited to be with my friends again and see how they have been holding up the last four days. Halfway to the truck, I can pick up the sound of growls and yells. "Do you guys hear that?" I ask as my blood begins to turn cold, and Garret lifts Josh on his back sprinting, at an inhumane speed. I easily keep up with him when I turn, and we run towards the house as fast as we can.

The house has a large gate that I jump over in shock and land gracefully on the other side. I open the gate for them to rush inside, closing it behind them. I sprint to the door throwing it open to notice that some of the dead had gotten inside. Right away, I see Torrie trying to fight off a dead one as it tries to bite her face. I rush up, grabbing it from the back of the neck and tossing it like trash as it flies through the air and hits a wall.

Josh grabs her and takes her outside as I turn to see a guy trying to rescue Sophia as twin boys help Victoria and Tristan. Ignoring the new faces, I grab a dead one as it runs by me and grabs its lower jaw tearing it from its head. I toss it aside as I run over to the one pulling Dante back by his jacket and rips its throat out, crushing it in my hands. I sling the blood and gore off my hands and tell Dante to head outside to Josh. I am shoved down onto the couch as Emily rushes past me and one of those things bites me on the leg, making me cry out and hit it in the head.