Ellie Dixon

Don't Close Your Eyes

It had been a couple days since we met James. The first night, me and Sophia shared the bed while he sat in the chair in the corner. I stayed up though, making sure he knew I was awake, just sitting in bed and staring out the window. He tried to convince me to sleep, but I didn't trust him just yet. The second night he'd fallen asleep in the main store on the counter and didn't come into the bedroom the whole night, he wasn't used to staying up and keeping watch.

The third night had come around. "Are you sure I can't stay up tonight? I'm practically better." Sophia crossed her arms over her chest.

"One more night and you'll be a hundred percent." I smiled.

"But you haven't slept for two nights." Sophia raised her eyebrows.

"I haven't slept since the prison. One more night won't hurt." I countered.

Sophia sighed. "You sleep tomorrow?"

I huffed. "Maybe." Sophia climbed into the bed just as James walked in. He quickly jumped in the bed next to her. "Ain't it your turn to keep watch?" I questioned him.

"I'll keep watch. But, can I take the bed tonight?" James requested.

"I'm not sure you two sharing-" I started.

"What do you think I'm gonna do?" James raised his eyebrows. I didn't answer him, so he continued. "Why don't you sleep on the counter in the other room. Or fall asleep in the chair in the corner." I ran a hand through my hair before walking into the darkness and sitting on the chair. "Goodnight." James smiled in my general direction.

"Night." I let out.

James was sat up in bed and staring out the window. I stared at him in deep thought. The way the light shone through the window, I could see James and Sophia clearly... But they couldn't see me. Sophia was laying on her side with her back to James whose eyes kept drifting towards her. I had a tightness in my gut, something that wouldn't go away. They do say to always trust your gut.

After half an hour, soft snores started coming from Sophia. James shifted in the bed, so he was laying down, staring at the ceiling. "Ellie, you awake?" James questioned. I was awake. I didn't respond. "Ellie?" James repeated, glancing at me although he couldn't see me, couldn't see me staring into his eyes.

It was a pretty warm night therefore in her sleep, Sophia had shifted, so the blanket was around her knees. James turned on his side, so he was facing her. I watched as his hand touched her hip; I narrowed my eyes. His hand lingered, testing to see how deeply she was asleep before he slid it over to the front of her jeans. Once his hand started trying to undo the button on the front of her jeans, I rose from my seat. I took my gun out of my pocket and silently walked into the light of the moon with my gun raised at him. "I'm awake, prick."

He jumped, sitting up in the bed and taking his hand back to himself. "Ellie. I-" He started.

The noise made Sophia stir, she woke up and backed out of the bed when she saw me pointing the gun at James. She looked down and realised that the button on her jeans was undone. "I told you we shouldn't trust him. He undid that button, not those cold beans we had for dinner."

"I can explain-" James tried.

"Yea, you can." I interrupted. "I want to know why you really mixed up your sister and your girlfriend. I want to know why you lied about your parents. You didn't mix up your words, did you, James."

"I uhm..." James trailed off.

"James?" Sophia raised her eyebrows. "What were you going to do to me?"

He looked down. "It wasn't me and my girlfriend who escaped that camp together. It was me and my sister." James admitted, not answering Sophia's question.

"Then why did you say it was your girlfriend?" Sophia asked.

"We were together six months before she died. That's the truth... After four months, she was the only girl I was around... A man has needs and I-" He cut himself off as tears welled in his eyes.

"You're a sick bastard." I hissed.

"That night she died... She was starting to fight back... I didn't mean to hit her that hard. I didn't mean for it to happen. I just-" James cut himself off, wiping the tears from his eyes as a sob escaped his lips. "She was sixteen."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sophia stepped back towards me. I kept my gun trained on him.

"We've all done things we regret to survive." James defended.

"You didn't have to do that to survive! You're just a desperate, pathetic, freak!" I yelled at him.

"What are we gonna do?" Sophia asked me.

"Please, if you just let me-" James started.

"There's a bigger chance of the army coming in with a cure to walkers than whatever your suggesting happening." I shook my head.

"I can make it worth your while-" James tried again.

"You don't deserve to live." I interrupted him.

James's eyes widened. "You can't- please!"

I shot him in his side. Screams left his mouth as he grabbed onto his side in pain. "I never miss. I want you to feel every second that you're dying." I told him, quietly with an evil glint in my eyes. I heard banging on the window and looked over to see a walker that the noise had attracted. Sophia grabbed her backpack and put it on before giving me mine. I adjusted the straps over my waist and chest before I went over to the window and opened it. The walker started climbing in. "Enjoy Hell, dick." Me and Sophia left the room, and I slammed the bedroom soor behind me.

"No, no! Please! Don't leave! Don't leave me!" The screams echoed through the shop as well as a lot of commotion as he tried to fight off the walker. I grabbed a bag that I'd filled with food from behind the counter.

"Go bag?" Sophia asked.

"Turns out it came in handy. I don't wanna stick around." I responded, we left the shop and the sounds of James' screams. I looked into the bag: ten tin cans of food, six water bottles, thirteen protein bars. "Should see us through a few days." I commented, getting my boomerang from my belt and throwing it at walkers that were attracted to the gun shots and the dying pervert.