Oblivion {n.h.}

Chapter 8.

"EVERYONE ALRIGHT?" Joshua calls out from the back of the Ford across the street from our crashed vehicle.

We all mumble quiet and breathless 'yeses' along with subtle nods from most people.

"Where's Luke?" Louis asks Niall, who is still standing on top of the truck beside me.

His head slowly shakes back and forth and a quiet tsunami of realization falls over the group; the one person who I'd felt to be missing.

I dare turn my head over my shoulder and down through the broken window at where Luke sat in the driver's seat.

I could describe Luke best as a pancake. I couldn't help but notice how he was flung out of the front windshield and into the tree we had hit

Blood was splattered all around his seat and the front board of the car. Tearing my eyes away, I answer the question of what happened.

"Wasn't wearing his seatbelt, the big dumbass." I weakly frown before jumping off the car and turning to be handed my slightly older twin brother.

No one speaks, and Steven joins my side to help me carry Jackson. We put his arms around our shoulders and begin to walk towards the other truck.

"How are we all going to fit in the other truck?" Niall asks, as he lowers himself off of the truck the way I did.

"People could fit in the back, we just have a bit of supplies, but we could make it work." The boy Liam answers, resting his hands on his large sword.

"You're bleeding!" Emily points to my arm that still gushes and drops the metallic substance from it like a faucet.

"I'll be okay, just need to wrap it up." I tell her, knowing all to well that the large gash would be infected if I don't tend to it in time.

Deciding to sit in the back with Jackson, Steven, Josh, and Emily, I use my teeth as an extra hand to skillfully wrap my forearm up with an old gauze.

Jackson's unconscious body lies in-between Steven and I, wiggling and bouncing around on the truck floor.

We had already checked everyone for bites and bad injuries, which Jackson and I had only been the ones lucky enough to occupy with.

"We're lucky we didn't end up like Luke." Josh states as he rubs his eyes, gaining a nod from Emily.

"Who's to say we didn't?" I ask him, foreshadowing what might become all of our fate as well one day.

Joshua stays silent for a second before chuckling at my statement.

"You know Danielle, with a mindset like that, one day the truth is gonna hit you like a knife to the stomach, fate isn't the same for everyone."

The words stuck to the side of my skull like glue; but it didn't get rid of the realization in my mind.

Emily was quiet the whole time also before speaking up.

"We should be to their camp any minute, Danielle stop being such a negative dick." She humorously explains and taps her knife on the floor of the truck.

"Won't three girls be a little intimidated if the ten of us walk up out of nowhere?" I question, changing the subject and hoping this will play out the way we want it to.

"We'll have to talk to Carly and figure it out when we get close enough." Steven answers my question, something clear in his eyes with hope.

Sometimes I feel as if Steven is my second brother, he always knows what to do and is always on the same page as I am. He's just the kind of guy you'd want around.

The car comes to a stop and the passenger door opens, allowing Carly to step out.

"I want to bring someone with me as we go alone."

"Who?" Harry questions the slightly younger girl.

"Danielle." She looks to me with a small smile, motioning her hand for me to come, already stepping backward up to the cabin above.

'Why me?' I ask myself in my head before nodding and jumping out of the trunk.

"Keep an eye on him." I point at Steven as he nods and sends me a thumbs up and side smile.

"You're trustworthy, stuck up for me back there." She states, "Also, I just would rather not go alone."

The red head and I start to tread up the gravel road and I can't help but let pain rush through my veins, my arm throbbing beneath the gauze.

"Are you excited to see them?" I ask as I turn my head a bit to the side towards her.

"They're gonna be more excited to see me." She answers my question. "Perrie, who has been the leader of our group for the past few weeks hasn't seen her boyfriend for months now. Her boyfriend and his friends happen to be most of the men in that group that found you."

"Oh so finding Luke and the boys is going to be a major thing, right?" I conclude, questioningly.

"Yes ma'am. I'm just happy to have finally found you guys." She says before we reach the front door and takes a breath.

Her cheeks deflate with air as she knocks on the door before opening it willingly.

"HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM, YOU DO AS MUCH AS REACH FOR YOUR WEAPON I WILL SHOOT."