Dead.

Chapter Fifteen

Cass awoke with a start, afraid she might sleep through her own demise if she slept for too long. The car seat made for pretty shoddy bed and her muscles ached at the lack of sleep and the uncomfortable position. She twisted some and looked to Jeff who was still driving, eyes on the road save for the glance he spared her.

"Finally awake, huh?" He said to her, whatever might have haunted him earlier certainly wasn't anymore given that glint was back in his eyes. Cass struggled to sit up, using her good arm to right herself in the seat.

"How long was I out?" She asked him, unsure of just how long she had managed to nod off for.

"Only about an hour, maybe two." Jeff remarked. The vans were still ahead of them, she could see now. She yawned and hummed out an apology but Jeff waved it off.

"Fancy switching for a bit?" He asked her and Cass nodded as he pulled over to the side of the road and rubbed his eyes. The switch was quick enough so they could catch up to the others. The car was hardly in top condition and Cass glanced at the fuel gage, half a tank. It wouldn't last them very long on the roads but they didn't have another option. Walking would mean death, staying still would probably mean the same. The home they had once known was gone, lost to the dead and the evolved corpses.

"You should sleep." Snow was falling, gentler now than it had been bud Cass took it slow. She wasn't used to the car, it was rare she ever drove back at the haven and she shifted now and then but it was futile. She simply had to go slow. Now and then, a corpse staggered at the side of the road but they would be easily lost and outrun by the vehicles.

Soft breaths clued away that Jeff was asleep and Cass didn't need to push him. Everyone had to be exhausted, the adrenaline was leaving only to be replaced with grief and loss, probably shock too. Cass wanted more sleep but there was no option as she saw one of the vans pull over and she slowed to a halt next to them.

"Switch drivers, give us a sec." David said. He had been driving this entire time, he looked like a corpse himself and Cass nodded. The changeover allowed people to stretch their legs and Cass kept a lookout as best she could. Jeff seemed out for the count but she didn't want to wake him, he deserved sleep, all of them did. Greg was standing by the van, he looked akin to a lost lamb and Cass watched him. She wanted to tell him it would be okay, but she couldn't lie like that. She had been devastated when Jay had died, inconsolable for days and Greg hadn't had the chance to say goodbye like Cass had. She truly did feel for him. It can't have been easy but she also couldn't change it for him, no words would help. If she could have gotten him blackout drunk, she would have. Instead, Greg gave her a sort of half smile and ducked back into the van. She looked around and sighed, the roads were clear but it wouldn't stay that way forever. The closer to the cities they got, the more debris and abandoned vehicles there would be.

Cass leaned her head back against the car and closed her eyes. She tried to clear her mind and focus on her breathing, but her thoughts kept wandering back to Jay. He had been the heart and soul of their team, the one who brought them all together and kept them motivated. Cass couldn't imagine continuing without him, but she knew they had to. There were still people out there who needed their help. Jay wouldn't want her moping around acting like some sorry case of the blues, either.

"Alright, let's get back on the road." David called from a window and Cass nodded to him before getting in the car and closing the door.

"Are we not there yet?" Jeff was awake and his voice almost scared Cass out of her skin. She gripped the steering wheel and shook her head,
"No, shouldn't be much longer, I had to stretch my legs." She excused their stop and followed the vans up ahead. She focused on the road and let Jeff sit up and stretch as best he could in the tight quarters. Cass was quiet as the thought about Jay. It seemed odd to be thinking about him now. He had been her closest friend and she watched the road.

Cass remembered how she had sat next to him, watching in awe as his fingers danced over the strings of his guitar. She had never heard anything so beautiful, and she knew that Jay's music had a way of touching people's hearts. That stupid guitar, it had only lasted a few weeks before the strings got bust up and no one could replace it.