The Last Safe Place

Tension

Emma found herself tumbling through the hallway leading to the fire exit faster than her legs could carry her. The weight of someone's forearm rubbed against hers and it wasn't until she pushed open the door when she realised it was Regina, who mirrored the same frantic expression—wide-eyed and breathless.

It was still raining outside, the cold touch quickly seeping through her clothes. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, temporarily shielding her from the chill that threatened to set in.

"Come on, Emma, what are you waiting for?" The Mayor's voice echoed.

She shook her head, jumping away from the door, still unknowingly grasping onto the wrist of the Mayor like a lifeline. Her legs propelled her forward, but she couldn't say where she was heading. The mix of fear and adrenaline blurred her sense of direction. All she knew was that she needed to get as far away from that death trap as quickly as possible.

"Where are you going?" Regina's voice, unusually tinged with fear, questioned.

Emma hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She didn't have a specific destination in mind, other than the possibility of returning to the safety of Regina's mansion. But, the emotional toll made her reluctant to suggest it, fearing she might be unwelcome. The thought of being rejected again was something she wasn't sure she could handle.

And then it hit her. Ruby. Andrea. Her hurried footsteps abruptly stopped at a standstill. They're still in there. How had she completely abandoned her friends? Fuck.

Panicking, she attempted to turn back, only to realise that her hand was still firmly connected to someone. Glancing down, then back at the oblivious brunette, she let go of Regina's wrist as if it burned, the overwhelming feeling of panic and guilt washing over her.

"Emma."

The overwhelming nausea from earlier resurfaced, and she stumbled to the side of the sidewalk, retching as the sickness consumed her.

Regina, now alerted by Emma's distress, took a few tentative steps forward, landing a concerned hand on her upper arm. Emma shrugged off Regina's hand and finally turned, her face pale, rain mixing with tears on her cheeks, and managed to speak between breaths,

"Andrea and Ruby... they're still inside. We need to go back."

"I know."

Her hands lingered over the knife tucked into the waistband of her jeans. "I have to go back in there, Regina, I- wait, you know? What do you mean, you know?"

The mayor began to respond, but Emma cut her off. "Wait. Don't answer that. We haven't got time. We can't leave them, Regina. I'm going back," She declared, holding her head high and turning on her ankle.

Ignoring the words of reason coming from the brunette, Emma took a step forward only to come to a standstill once again. Her shoulders slumped as she observed walkers blocking both the front and back entrances, some slowly advancing towards them.

Defeated, she whispered, "We can't just leave them," her voice small.

"We can't go back in there, Miss Swan. We'll get ourselves killed," Regina hissed from behind her.

Emma took note of the few walkers slowly approaching them, but she turned her back to them. "What are we going to do?"

"My house isn't far. We can go back, and alert the others, and then maybe we can come back with more weapons and -"

"Maybe?" She heard herself frantically shriek, because she was desperate and the thought of her friends dying at the fault of her own made her want to vomit again.