We Are Survivors - The Last of Us & The Walking Dead

➳ chapter 27

「 chapter 27 」
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"What do you think?" Rick looks down to me, bouncing Judith in his arms. My eyes flick between the two houses in front of us. "Any, I don't care." I shrug my shoulders back to Rick. I can't believe we need to pick, a house to live in is amazing just on its own, but we have to option between two.

A smile emerges from his mouth, then turns back to Aaron, "We'll take left."

He nods with a smile, "Okay, well I'll leave you to make yourselves at home inside, if you need anything, just give me a call." He hands Rick a key.

I see Rick look at him oddly.
"We don't have phones, but I live four houses down." He says.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Rick chuckles, Aaron gives us one more smile, waving goodbye and walking off.

I stare back at the house, it was tall, mostly white and look rather clean, this felt odd.
"You ready?" Rick asks me, he sounds excited, snapping me out of my daze.

"Sure am." I look up at his dirty face with a smile, noticing how much blood and dirt was on his face, I don't even want to know how disgusting I look, I hope there's a working shower in there.

The three of us head across the road together and hurry up the front steps, Rick shoves the key into the door and pushes it open eagerly.

My eyes light up as I see what's in front of me.
"Woah." I breathe as I walk inside.

There's stairs leading up to rooms above us, a kitchen and a living room in front of me, it was all clean, no broken windows, not trashed furniture, no ripped floors or death threats on the wallpapers. It was like its been untouched for 20 years.

"It's so nice." I say in a excitement, slightly gob smacked, I turn to Rick and Judith, I see him gazing around with a smile, Judith's followed his curiously.

Hoping there's running water, I rush into the kitchen, heading for the tap at the sink.

My dirty hand sits on the cold tap, pushing it gently before clear water runs out smoothly.

My whole body lights up and I turn towards Rick slowly, he looks at me straight away once he hears the water running.

I don't remember the last time I got to have a shower, they always broke in the QZ, and we were limited to 2 minute showers once every two weeks.

Almost like a light bulb lit up in my head, an idea enters my mind.

"Shot gun first shower!" I yell before even thinking, as I run out of the kitchen and past Rick, stumbling up the stairs as fast as I can.

I see him smile at me as he watches, staying where he is.

I get up the top and look left and right for the bathroom. I spot white tiles in one of the rooms to my right, then make a break for it.

I turn go inside to see the shower, it's clean, doesn't look broken, and it has soap and other showering products inside the glass walls.

"No way." I mutter, gazing around the room. I was taking it all in before my eyes landed on my own reflection, I freeze, the smile dropping from my face.

I stare at the girl in the mirror for god knows how long, I barely recognise myself.

Dirt covered most of my face, followed with dried blood specks where ever the dirt didn't touch. I spot several grazes and cuts on my right cheek and left side of my forehead, some on my neck too.

My hair was far from looking nice, the strands that made up my fringe was separated from each other almost looking like thin dreadlocks, the rest of it still pulled back. I grab my low pony tail, it didn't even feel like hair, just dried mud and blood soaked it.

My green eyes stood out from it all, being much lighter than my face.

I look at my clothes as memories begin to flood my head, my hoodie was ripped and stained from multiple things, mostly my sleeves above my hands were red. My jeans remained just as dirty as I remember them being, the left knee torn and other spots beginning to rip away.

I tear my gaze away from my eyes in the mirror, turning around and looking at the shower.

I slide my backpack off my shoulders as I lock the bathroom door. I slip off my shoes and socks, then proceed to pry the rest of the clothes off my body.

I step inside the shower, the tiles cold against my feet, and turn the tap, cool water comes out immediately, it's cold at first, then it gets warmer.

I take deep breathes as it hits my skin.

The water runs down my body, the warmth was too good to describe.
It was like I was in heaven.

I shut my eyes and push my face under the water slowly, taking it all in for a few seconds.

Then I look down at my feet and see a pile up of dirt mixing in with the water, I watch the dirt stream down my legs as I pull the hair tie from my pony tail and let the water run through it too.

The water washed away everything. For a few seconds I forgot where I was.

I assist the water by sliding my hands over my arms, pulling the dirt from my skin, suddenly caught off guard when I feel my fingers graze over my right arm. I stop what I'm doing for a moment.

I raise it towards my eyes, inspecting my bite.
The indent of teeth marks remain, red and purple bruises didn't budge in some spots.

Riley's face flashes through my mind, the mall, the infected chasing us, when we were so close to getting out, she was calling my name as I fell from the scaffolding.

I drop my arm from my gaze, shutting my eyes for a few seconds, pain filling my heart.

I guess the water doesn't wash everything away.

~

I turn around and grab my old clothes off the floor with my backpack, clutching the towel around me tightly.

I push the door open and step into the hallway, steam following me as it escaped the bathroom. I peek in each bedroom upstairs, spotting a small pile of clothes sitting on one of the beds.

Must be mine.

I toss my stuff into the corner of my room and look around as I head towards the clothes, there's a bed, a mirror and a closet. The walls are printed a blue, the carpet under my feet was soft.
The sun peered through a small gap between the window and the closed blinds.

My eyes lay on the clothes before me, it was folded neatly, waiting for me to put it all on.

I gently pull the first thing off, it unfolds as I hold it up in front of me, a red flannel, buttons up the front, so soft.
The next thing is a pair of clean, hole-less jeans, then regular underwear, a clean bra, a grey singlet and a white pair of socks.

I exhale deeply. Is this real life?

I shut the door behind me and change quickly, not comfortable with being naked in the middle of the room.

Once I'm changed, a new feeling overwhelms my body. I was comfortable, warm, cosy.

I climb into the bed and I practically melt there as I pull the dovet over half my body, relief flooding through my head.
I curl up with the pillow and shut my eyes.

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Updated: 3.4.19 - each chapter after this one should be pretty fresh, you shouldn't see the updated message at the bottom of them anymore :)