Fear the Walking Dead (reimagined)

Part 5. 𝐊aleidoscopical

Kaleidoscopical (adjective)
continually shifting or rapidly changing

act one

The days pass slowly.
Nick went through hell with the first wave of withdrawals but today as the nice, summer weather put everyone in a slightly better mood, Nick was able to actually go outside and enjoy the nice temperatures.
I spent a few odd minutes with Chris over the last few days whenever Alicia or Madison sat with Nick.
We spent most of them laying on the roof and watching the clouds pass by but today we had wandered around the fenced neighbourhood without a destination in mind.
"Do you think things will ever go back to normal?" Chris asks as we drag our feet across the hot asphalt.
I shrug.
"I'm not sure I want it to."
Chris looks at me with a puzzled expression.
"Are you saying you don't care about how dangerous the world is now? How many people are dying?" He ask, knowing damn well that that was not what I meant.
"No, of course I don't want people to die. All I'm saying is that not everyone was an example student with amazing grades and parents that care about them." I spit in defence.
"My dad doesn't care about me." Chris says annoyed, not meeting my gaze.
"Chris, you know he does. He risked his life to come find you when all of this started."
He doesn't reply and I know he doesn't have anything else to say to defend his already disproven point.
"The world went to shit long before the dead walked among us. People were dying of hunger, thirst, war. You had to go to school and keep your head down so you didn't stand out too much because if you did you were bullied. Then you need to spend every day at a job you hate for a minimum wage that barely even covers the cost of living. How was that any better than this?" I ask with frustration prominent in my voice.
"You sound like Nick." Was all he had to say, but it made my frustrations drop as the thought of him feeling the same way makes me feel less alone.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you. You're my best friend and there is literally no one else around who I wanna spend time with. So are we okay?" He asks as he stretches out his hand for me to take.
I sigh and smile at the way he called me his best friend before taking his hand.
We continue walking together, swinging our entwined hands back and forth with every step.
"You're something else. You know that?" He chuckles.
"Aww, you know you love me." I tease him.
His smile drops ever so slightly before he regains his composure and I'm sure he thinks I didn't even notice.
But I did, and I can't even say I'm upset about the idea of Chris falling in love with me.

act two

When we arrive back at the house we part ways and I walk into the garden to find Nick floating in the pool with sunglasses on.
"Someone is having a good day."
He immediately looks up to find me staring at him with a smirk.
"Why don't you join me?" He asks before going back to his previous position, laying his head back down.
"Ugh I don't know. I didn't exactly bring any bathing suits." I joke.
"Aww come on, ask Alicia to borrow something." Nick whines and with a sigh I do as I'm told.
I stand in front of the bathroom mirror looking at myself in a bikini that fits me surprisingly well considering it's Alicia's.
I decide to head down and jump in the pool with Nick before I can degrade myself even more.
When I appear in his view he looks up again but this time his expression changes completely.
He uses his hand to block the sun from shining directly into his eyes and his jaw drops ever so slightly.
Even though he's wearing sunglasses I know exactly where his eyes are traveling as if they're burning a path along my body anywhere they go.
"Hey, what are you guys up to-" Chris steps outside but he cuts himself off when his eyes fall on me.
Within a millisecond both boys clear their throats and Chris continues while trying to act casual.
"Why wasn't I invited to the pool party?"
"I didn't know we were having one?" I chuckle.
"Chris, if you grab us some drinks and snacks you're invited." Nick gestures towards him but surprisingly, a few minutes later Chris returns wearing his swimming shorts and carrying a bunch of stuff.
"I got you each a lemonade and we've got chips, crackers and some cheese?" He says the last bit questioning himself and his snack choices.
"I'll have some cheese." I say honestly from my position on the edge of the pool where my feet are dangling in the water.
Nick had inched his floaty closer to where I was sitting until he could hold onto the edge of the pool to keep himself from floating away from me.
When Chris settles down next to me and I have had some cheese and lemonade Nick speaks up.
"We're like old people just sitting around. Lets do something."
"Like what?" I ask.
"Lets play a game. Come here." He gestures as he jumps off the inflatable mattress he was previously laying on.
I slowly lower my body into the water and Chris does exactly the same.
Nick grabs the cap Chris is wearing and puts in on his head backwards, making it so it covers his eyes.
"You guys spread out and I'll find you." He says with a smirk on his face.
"No man, I'm out. I'm gonna go see if my dad needs me for anything." Chris says before hoisting himself back out of the water.
"Y/n?" Nick asks, still blindfolded.
I stifle my laugh as I slowly and quietly inch away from him so he can come find me.
"Y/n?" He repeats, this time more confused.
By now he realises what I'm doing and that smirk reappears on his handsome face.
He wades through the water with his arms spread wide as he looks for me.
After a few very close calls that I manage to avoid silently he comes a bit too close to me making me have to jump away to avoid his hand.
The sound of my body propelling itself through the water instantly triggers a response as Nick throws himself towards me.
I immediately start laughing loudly as I desperately try to splash away from him.
Not even a second later my futile attempt at escaping comes to an end as Nick wraps his arms tightly around me.
He loses Chris's cap in the water amidst the struggle.
He hoists me out of the water before lowering me back down, not letting go of me for a single second.
We both laugh harder than we have in a long time as I feel my wet skin pressed up against his chest.
"Do you trust me?" He asks with a soft smile on his lips.
His hands rest on my hip and my lower back and my hands are carefully placed on his bare shoulders.
I nod without hesitation as we both get lost in each other's eyes.
He takes a deep breath and I mimic his action before I feel his grip on me tighten and he pulls me underneath the water surface with him.
My instincts tell me to fight myself free from his grip and reach up for breath but as I feel his muscles tensing underneath my fingertips I feel a sense of safety wash over me.
Who would have thought that in barely a weeks time, a stranger could become such a beacon of peace and safety in my life.
When both of us emerge from the water I feel fresh air fill my lungs as water droplets make their way down my face.
I rub the water out of my eyes and slick my wet locks back before opening my eyes and finding Nick already looking at me thoughtfully.
He scans across my features but then his eyes stop when they fall down to my lips.
Once again his gaze makes a storm of butterflies erupt in my stomach.
My breath catches in my throat and I part my wet lips ever so slightly as if subconsciously giving him permission to do whatever he is thinking about right now.
Just as quick as the situation got heated it also disappears again as he lets go of me and starts laughing.
"I win."
I furrow my brows at the way he is so obviously trying to cover up what just happened between us.
Or should I say, almost happened.
"I think I'm going to head inside and see where Chris is hanging out." I say before getting out of the pool without looking back at Nick.
I didn't have to look back to know he was watching me.
"Yeah I'm gonna go lay back down for a bit." He yells after me before I leave him by himself.

act three

"Hey travis. Where's Chris?" I ask the man who was busy trying to fix the sink.
"I think he went out." He says while groaning as he strains against the pipe.
"Do you need a hand with that?" I chuckle.
"No, I've got it." He smiles gratefully.
I walk outside and start my search for my supposed best friend.
Pretty quickly I find him sitting on top of an abandoned van that was parked near the edge of our fenced neighbourhood.
"There you are. I've been looking for you." I giggle.
Chris immediately turns to me and the biggest smile spreads across his face.
He stretches out his arm and helps me climb on top of the vehicle and I take my place next to him.
"I think there's someone out there." He says suddenly.
"What?"
"Yeah I've been sitting here for a while and I keep seeing flashes."
I frown and look in the same direction he's pointing me in.
I don't see anything so I speak up.
"It might have been something shiny dangling that's catching the sunlight."
But just as I finish my sentence I see it.
Steady flashes.
"Wait." I say, Chris looking at me expectantly.
"Short, short, short, long, long, long, short, short, short." I mumble underneath my breath.
"They're signalling SOS. You're right, there is someone out there." I tell him as we look at each other, eyes widened.
"You know morse code?" He asks surprised.
"Yeah, I taught myself one afternoon when the wifi went out and I was bored."
"Say something back then!" He tells me hastily.
"Like what?"
"Ask them what's wrong! Why do they need help?"
"How do I say that? 'Why need help?'" I ask sarcastically.
"Why not? We need to do something." Chris says panicked.
I sigh.
"Okay fine, we need to find something that will reflect." I think for a moment before pulling my phone out of my pocket.
It has long run out of battery and charging it is no use but I carry it with my for a sense of comfort.
I position myself before I angle the phone in the right way to flash the sunlight directly at the building the other flashes had come from.
Short, long, long. Short, short, short, short. Long, short, long, long. I pause for a second to distinct the different words.
"Are you done?" Chris asks.
I shake my head.
"No just one word."
Long, short. Short. Short. Long, short, short.
Another pause.
Short, short, short, short. Short. Short, long, short, short. Short, long, long, short.
"Done." I tell him without taking my eyes off the building in the distance.
They don't reply for a while, there are no flashes visible at all.
"Maybe they don't know morse code? Only the SOS sign?" Chris question.
"Maybe."
We wait for a few minutes, hoping to see another glimpse.
Maybe we both just want a sign that there are still people alive out there.
But it never comes.
"Maybe they got scared?" I ask.
"Then why would they ask for help if they're going to ignore people who are trying to help?"
We stay quiet for a while but when the sun is starting to set we decide it's best to go back home.

act four

I walk through the door and find chaos erupting in the living room.
I see Alicia and Travis rummaging through cupboards with panic in their eyes.
"What's going on?" Chris asks worriedly.
"It's Nick." Alicia pants, not looking at either of us.
"He's having a grand mal."
"What?" I ask with a knot forming in my stomach.
"A seizure, he's having a seizure!" She yells hastily as she finds the pills she was looking for and runs upstairs.