𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 // 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝

1. introductionary

————-

As shaken as she was, Emma knew she has to get her and Paul far away from the building they were in. The infected were closing in, they could hear the singing from almost a mile away.

But with her leg still healing, this proved to be difficult. Plus, Paul was significantly taller than her, meaning he had longer legs, meaning he could run faster. She didn't want to seem weak, but holy hell was he hard to keep up with as they ran.

They ran for ten minutes before finding another building to hide in. So they waited it out.

-

"Hatchetfield High, what a place to be back at."

Emma sat down in one of the gymnasium bleachers. The creaks of the metal echoed throughout the completely empt building.

"It's nicer than my school was," Paul commented, looking around at the basketball court he was standing on.

"Hey, I remember watching a basketball game here! Cheering on the Timberwolves!" He realized after a moment, looking back at Emma.

"Fucking bastard! Who won?" She laughed, smiling for the first time in a while.

"Pretty sure it was you guys, our team was a bunch of dicks."

Emma chuckled but the silence came back. They had decided to wait an hour or so before leaving to make sure no more of the infected were outside following them. They planned on heading back to Hidgen's house. Although the meteor was destroyed, the...thing, was still spreading. Emma was sure Ted had been infected, which meant Bill probably had been too. Which meant Alice probably would've, and Deb, and everyone else she knew. The only people she were positive that were gone were Sam and Charlotte, but only because Hidgens had shot them. What about Hidgens? She wasn't sure.

Her mind wandered to Jane eventually. What would she had done in this situation? She thought about Tom and Tim, and wondered if they had made it. Tom was a pretty tough guy, she there was a sliver of hope.

Hope was all she had.

-

An hour passed. Paul had just woke up from a short nap, complaining about his neck hurting from sleeping on the metal bleachers. Emma had woken him, and the two gathered up all their stuff. On the way out, they decided to swing by the cafeteria to see if they had any food left.

They couldn't decide who would go in first, so on the count of three, they went in together.

A loud thump sounded from the other side of the cafeteria as they entered.

"What the fuck?" Paul whispered, shining his flashlight in that area as Emma drew her gun.

"Who the fuck?" Emma responded and pointed her gun.

They waited a few seconds. The place was completely silent, except for their breathing. Then they heard someone else.

A man peeked over the table, clearly startled. He looked scared. Emma saw he was holding a gun as well, and a pack of fruit gummies lay on the floor next to him.

"Wait, is that-"

"Ted?" Paul called out when he realized. Ted stood up a little further, gun pointed at them. Emma kept hers up as well.

"Paul."

"I thought you died?" Emma asked, confused. Ted shook his head. "They didn't get me. How do I know you're not infected?"

"Did you hear us singing?" Emma rolled her eyes but kept her gun up. Paul was just as alert.

"Fair enough." Ted slowly lowered his gun, and Emma did the same.

"Where the hell were you two?" Ted asked and sat down on the top of the table.

"I destroyed the meteor, Emma was in hiding." Paul answered quietly.

"So...do you think they'll die out?"

"Probably not. I think that was just the centered it all, they can still spread." Emma answered this time.

"Fuck. Fuck, did anyone else make it? Besides us? Did Davidson? Bill?"

Paul's face held a pained expression. "We don't think so."

Ted's face fell slightly.

"Oh."

Silence fell again, but it was short lived.

"Hey Mr. Buisness, how do you do?"

Everyone's attention snapped towards the singing. It was coming from the entrance.

"Our car is parked around back, get to it, and keep your gun with you," Paul whispered to Ted, making sure whoever was out there didn't hear.

"Can we get a triple for you?"

The voice was getting closer, but this time it was accompanied by another voice. Emma immediately knew it was both Norah and Zoey.

"We have to go, now!" She grabbed both of the men by their wrists and they all sprinted out of the cafeteria door.

-

They got in the car and sped off, finally having a moment to catch their breath. Paul floored it, Emma sitting in the passenger's side trying to shake away the ache in her leg from running, and Ted was in the back, just trying to catch his breath.

Once they were a good distance away, Paul slowed to a more reasonable speed. They drove for a few more minutes in silence.

"Well," Ted began, curiosity striking him, "now what?"

"Go to Hidgens' house. Even if he's dead he still has a stockpile there." Emma told Paul, and he took a turn at the next intersection towards the house.

"What, that kooky, reclusive guy?"

"Shut the fuck up, Ted."