Apocalyptic Love

Reunited

After a few days of travelling we ended up back at the house I left the boys, but as expected they were long gone. The only trace was a small note left in the bathroom which told me they were heading north towards the camp Matt told us about.

Looking at the door pried from the hinges, a wave of guilt washed over me, imagining their faces when they realised I was gone. It wasn't like it used to be when you could call someone, so for all they knew I was dead. The tears followed the guilt, breaking down in the same place Carter begged me to let him in.

"Hey, hey. It's okay" Mel slid on the floor next to me, cradling me in one of her hugs that soothed me when I was a kid.

"They are going to hate me" I managed through muffled sobs.

"They will probably be mad. Yes. But hate you. You went through something unimaginable, maybe you didn't cope the right way, but just explain that to them and they will understand" she added while stroking my hair in a sisterly way.

"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't find you".

"You don't need to worry about that K" We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to the sound of the birds in the distance. That was until the peaceful sounds were replaced with growls, hundreds of them growing closer.

"Shit" I cursed as I peeked from the window to see a herd heading right for us "We gotta go now" I ordered slinging my backpack across my shoulder and heading for the backdoor. The thing about herds was no matter how slow the dead moved, the mere size of them always managed to catch up and once they did, trapping you in was easy.

Even with a safe enough distance we wouldn't have long until they caught up, so we had a decision, we hide or keep running. "What do we do?" I huffed, catching my breath as I lent against my knees.

"There's a warehouse a few blocks away, we could hide there?" Melanie suggested and anything sounded better than running so we agreed.

The warehouse was four stories high, the highest building out of the row of shops but it looked secure enough for us to outwait the incoming mob. The door was already left ajar so slipping in was easy and we made it to the top floor, the storeroom was large, boxes pulled at every wall dimming the light from coming through the dark space.

"We should be good here" Mel smiled looking around "And there's a ladder to the roof if needs must".

"That does sound like a good plan doesn't it?" A deep voice entered behind us, blocking the stairway to our exit. We both turned slowly as I pushed my knife between my palm and the crevice of my wrist.

Two men stood solid with machetes in their hands. The first man looked older, his black ends following the grey roots and the wrinkles along his face cringed under his horrid smile. He was big built, overpowering us in every way. The other was the same except he was younger his red hair slicked back by grease and his green eyes hidden under his evil frown.

"What are two pretty girls like you doing out alone" The older man snickered while nudging his friend in the stomach, they both found amusement in this. Preying on girls they thought were vulnerable and unable to protect themselves. Men like this are the reason no one is safe nowadays and I knew I wouldn't let them hurt us.

"What are two idiots like yourselves doing hunting down young girls" I aimed, pushing Melanie slightly behind me.

They both laughed, a sinister laugh that pricked your skin as it echoed through the deep room. "Wow, I love the feisty ones. How about we have some fun?" The red-haired man finally spoke up, rolling his tongue as he ran his eyes down my body and that was all I needed.

The knife I had hidden flew from my palm, whisking through the air until the metal shard pierced the man's sight, blood gurgling from his mouth before he hit the floor with a crash. His friend was stood frozen until he fuelled with anger, his machete held high as he sprinted towards me.

His huge body slammed into mine causing Mel who was still behind me to land flat on her back with a scream, his fist colliding with my cheek as he dropped his machete. I managed to get enough strength to shove my knee into his crotch making him double over in pain, the burn in my cheek was nothing compared to the adrenaline pulsating through my veins.

"You are going to pay bitch" he groaned as stood back to full height.

The moment he lunged for me a metal triangular tip pushed through his forehead, deep red liquid oozing from the arrowhead until his body joined the mess on the floor.

Behind my attacker stood the one person I never expected, Carter.

Holding a bow in his grip while his eyes doubled over me, trying to figure out if I was real or an illusion.

The boy stood in my sights was different than I remembered.

His dark stubble was now a short beard, and his locks were almost past his ears. Carter was significantly thinner, the prominent features of his face now even more visible as he clenched his jaws. Dark brown eyes, duskier than I once knew boring into my own as we held the silence.

"Katie?" My uncle gasped behind the man; he didn't take a moment to hesitate. He ran straight to me wrapping his muscular arms around my shoulders and pulling my head into his chest. I could tell by the way his body was shaking as he held me that he was crying "I can't believe your alive" he looked down while holding my face between his heavy palms "You look different".

"A lot has changed" I tried to smile but I couldn't lose my focus from Carter, I didn't expect him to welcome me with a hug, but the way he stared through me made me feel like a ghost.

"Are you okay bug?" Matt wasn't mad, he was relieved, and I couldn't have thanked him more.

I sent him a genuine smile "I will be".

"Melanie?" My uncle's mouth dropped when he noticed the girl behind me, she nodded and brought him into a hug.

I had so much I wanted to say to Carter, but no words would form. The bubble in my throat growing bigger each time I locked eyes with him, nothing I could say would take away the pain I caused him, and I knew that. But he needed to know I still cared.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the moment my lips parted he walked away, heading to the roof without a word.

Edited