UNDER EDITING 𝐺𝑅𝐴𝑉𝐸 𝐷𝐴𝑁𝐺𝐸𝑅 | 𝐴𝑃𝑂𝐶𝐴𝐿𝑌𝑃𝑆𝐸 ✔︎

Fresh Blood

(Lexi's POV)

We came back to the house about an hour ago, Cooper and I that is. My mother wanted to ask Carlos about any volunteering work she could do while we're here.

The boys seemed to be out of the house. I wonder what they're doing.

"Did Jasper or Noah tell you anything about where they are?" I ponder. "Nope. They better keep the PDA to a minimum. They've been extra close lately." Cooper laughs a bit.

My face twists with confusion. "What's funny?"

Cooper just shrugs with a smirk and begins to walk off. I grab his arm and spin him around. "Cooper Caddel, I swear to God. You're my fiancé now. You clearly know something I don't and you need to tell me." I huff.

"I think you need to ask Noah. I'd feel bad about it if I told you even though it's not really any of my business."

"You know something about Noah before I do?" I say a bit shocked, and a bit hurt. Cooper notices my expression and holds my waist comfortingly. "I only know by accident, okay? He doesn't even know that I know. So just ask him."

I sigh and relax my body a bit. He's right, don't worry. I walk over to the window and take a gaze out on the town, as much as I could see anyway.

I take a gander, seeing if Noah and Jasper are in sight at all. My eyes do not come to Jasper and Noah, but to someone walking along the sidewalk across the street. They seemed out of shape, sick even.

"Cooper come look! That woman looks really... sick." I mumble and squint my eyes, trying to get a better look at her.

I let out a gasp at what I see and Cooper runs to our room before I can say anything. Within seconds, he comes back with a gun Carlos had acquired us with. He swings the door open and opens fire at the woman. She falls to the ground after a blast to the head.

Cooper and I glance at each other worriedly and spring over to her. A biter. She lies there, dead. "How did she get in?" I ask worriedly. Cooper furrows his brows scaredly. "I'll check out the gate, I'm assuming she just snuck in so everyone should be safe by now."

I nod gratefully before Cooper squats down next to her. "What is it?" I ask. He then reaches his hand towards her mouth and swipes a bit of blood off.

"This blood... is fresh." Cooper says slowly. My eyes widen in shock. "Do you think it infected anyone here? Maybe it was from outside of the gate."

"It's most likely infected someone in here. The blood is fresh fresh. Like from moments ago."

My eyes scan the setting around us in worry.

"Let's get to Carlos." Cooper says before grabbing my hand and sprinting.

(Noah's POV)

"And that's how you give someone quick stitches in an emergency. There are slower and more effective processes, but if you're in a pinch, it's better to close a wound as quickly as possible." One of the training nurses tells my small class.

I smile a bit at my stitched piece of fabric. I didn't do too bad.

"All right class, we're done here. Please bring your stitches up to us and—"

And that's when I hear it. A booming sound across the sky. And the odd thing is, nobody fires guns in here. Never.

I glance around to the rest of my panicky class and everyone rushes out the door to observe whatever is going on.

I take a step outside myself and see many people running towards the community center in panic. It only takes a few seconds for my heart to speed up. What's going on?

"Everyone come to the community center for quarantining! We must examine all residents immediately! I repeat—" I glance over to see Carlos standing on the back of a pickup truck with his megaphone. Quarantine? Wait...

Oh no.

No sign of Lexi, Cooper or...

Jasper.

And just like that, I'm sprinting the opposite direction as everyone else in town. I hear a few people shout for me to come back but I ignore them.

I run for a few minutes before I come across a few corpses scattered across the road, dead. I gulp at the sight but ignore them. I have to find Jasper. Cooper and Lexi are obviously together based on this morning... but Jasper's alone and-"

My thoughts are cut off when I come across many puddles of blood. Thick, fresh blood. Recent blood. At this point, I need a breather. "Fuck. Where are you, Jasp?"

Out of curiosity, I scan my eyes around the blood. It's only when I see a familiar item that I fall to my knees in shock. "No that... that's not... it can't be..."

Jasper's pocket knife.

I take my shaky hand and grab the blood covered weapon, examining it. Oh God. Where is he? This is his favorite thing ever. He wouldn't just leave it here, right? If that's true, then why is it in the middle of the road? Where is he? Oh, fuck. What if he—

I don't even realize it when my eyes begin to pool over with tears. My shaky hands drop the knife to the road. "Shit. This isn't just biter blood. Oh my God."

Before I'm able to have another full blown panic attack, I hear a familiar voice behind me. "Ashwell, get away from that blood. You don't want to get contaminated, do you?"

Jasper.

I turn around quicker than expected and jump to my feet. Jasper gives me a confused, yet worried look. I'm sure he's noticed the tears rolling down my face.

I don't even say anything. I just run up to him and pull him into the tightest hug I've ever given. Quiet sobs exit my mouth as Jasper runs a hand through my hair. "Hey, Noah, it's okay. What's wrong? What happened?"

"Your knife. It's just lying there and—"

"Oh. I'm sorry, I get why you thought that. I actually had just taken out some biters, and I was dragging some off to a different area in case we need this road as an escape route. I guess I dropped my knife by the crime scene on the way out. I'm sorry." Jasper reassures. When he realizes we're still in the hug, he attempts to pull away but I keep my grasp tight.

"Noah? We should head back. It's not safe out here. Especially not with gun shots going off either. Who knows who has it."

I just stay silent for a few more seconds before pulling away and wiping my eyes. "Sorry Jasper, I just—"

"I know, don't apologize. I'm sorry I made you worry. C'mon." He holds out his hand. I take a glance around in case of any nearby biters before grabbing his hand and sprinting home with him.

Once we were halfway home, a thought goes into my mind. "Wait. Shouldn't we head towards Carlos and let him know what's happening?"

Noah looks at me before nodding. "Yeah that's a better idea. And a safer one."

We begin to turn around but both stop in our tracks at the sight before us. Five or six biters were coming at us... and fast at that. "Shit. C'mon Noah the house is our only option."

We sprint while the biters seem to jog a bit behind us. "How are they so fast?!" Noah says through gasps. We reach the front door and slam it shut right as the biters are walking up the porch steps.

Noah and I lock the door and work together to push a coffee table in front of it.

Bangs are heard on our door but the barricade should hold it off for awhile. Long enough for the biters to get bored and leave.

We head towards Cooper's room, as it's window has the best view of town, and lock the door. Noah and I let out exasperated gasps and flop on the floor. "No one else is home." He says. "Where do you think they are?"

"I have no idea. Hopefully they made it to Carlos before we could."

Noah nods and sighs in relief. "That barricade better hold."

A/N- I have nothing to say tbh🤪🤪 enjoy the next chapter 😏😏