Ephemeral - Alia Dixon

10

The ride wasn't too long, meaning we're not that far away from my dad an the others. They are talking about a "safe house" and talking to other man on the radio. I listen, trying to find any hint on where we are or how to get out but it's no use. I guess we'll just have to overpower them then. There's three of them but one is injured meaning he's not that big of a threat and we're also three people. We could have a chance but I'm not sure. Though I sure as hell hope so. 

Suddenly someone pulls the jacket off of my face and I stare right at the ginger. "You, sit over there" she says, gesturing to a wall while Maggie and Carol sit away from the, back to two other walls. The ginger starts taping Carol's feet while we watch her. I look over at Maggie who nods at me, wanting to see if I'm okay. My face's hurting like crazy and I can actually feel my pulse in my jaw but it's fine. I nod. 
"You're wondering if there's a way out of this. There isn't. Not unless I say so" she says before moving over to Maggie.
Just as she wants to do mine, someone shouts. "Paula, we need backup!" she shouts. Paula, the ginger, looks at me with a warning look.
"Move one inch and I put a bullet through that pretty face of yours" she says and I nod understandingly before she rushes out of the room and closes the door behind herself. Maggie and I immediately search for a way out but there's nothing to use. I watch as she starts cutting the tape off at the wall behind her while I search for something too, though I can't find anything. My head bumps against the wall in annoyance, making me feel my pulse even better for a minute before I get distracted by Carol's breathing. My eyes widen in confusion and worry. She's starting to hyperventilate. Suddenly the gunshots stop and Maggie stops with her try to escape and I look back at Carol who looks like she's about to cry any minute now. I narrow my eyes. Carol's not the woman who cries or hyperventilates. Especially not with her mood the last few weeks. 
"When's the last time anyone checked this place?" the ginger says, carrying the wounded man inside.
"It was fine a month ago" the one that punched me says.
"Sweetie, that was a month ago. Shit hards quick. The guns have gone bye-bye, the food's gone bye-bye, and we got growlers up and down the halls"
"Means people can get through, too. Maybe we should-"
"Where the hell to?
"Nowhere. Got dead in the halls? Free security. Those assholes ger here before our people, the cold bloods will buy us some time" ginger says before looking at Carol. "Shut up!"
Maggie tries to talk to her but it's no use. 
"Molly, give me the rope" ginger says to the old lady.
"I'm not loosing it. I'm not" the man states who's still bleeding. They start arguing about what to do right now and how to get their guy back but it seems like Paula doesn't even want him anymore. From what I've heard he'd be able to fix the bleeding man though. Looks shitty for them.
"Hey" Maggie screams muffled, catching their attention.
"What?" the ginger asks angrily before taking the gag out of her mouth.
"Someone needs to take the gag out of her mouth. She's hyperventilating"
Everyone stares at eachother for a second before the older lady walks over to Carol. "She's a nervous little bird, ain't she?"
She takes the gag off of Carol before the one that beat me walks over and holds a gun to her head. "Look at you. Bitch, how did you even make it this far?"
"Honey, you need to take some yoga breaths and calm your ass down" the old one states before she notices something in Carol's hands. I narrow my eyes in confusion as she holds up a rosary. Maggie and I look at eachother in confusion. Since when does Carol believe in god?
"Oh, you're one of those" she states before walking away before Paula walks over.
"What are you so afraid of?" she asks Carol but she doesn't answer. "Are you actually afraid to die? All of this and you're scared of getting your ticket punched"
"It doesn't matter what happens to me. Just don't hurt Maggie. Don't hurt the babie" Carol states and the ginger sighs before they point the gun at her.
"Yeah, right"
"She got a bun in the over? Doesn't look like it" the man states and I swear, if my hands weren't taped now I'd facepalm myself as hard as I could.
"I'm only two months, I think" Maggie says.
"You're some kind of stupid getting knocked up at a time like this" ginger says before Maggie chuckles. "You think that's funny?"
"When was it ever smart to get knocked up? Women used to just die in childbirth. And they always thought the world was gonna end. Living through it, why would you give up?"
"But are you gonna live through it?" she asks Maggie. "Anyway, that's cute. Babies are the point. Children are the future. Making bite-size snacks for the dead. The point is to stay standing"
"No," Maggie says. "Walkers do that. I'm choosing something"
The ginger grins for a moment. "That's right. You are. You did" she says before walking out and leaving us alone with the others. The old one comes over and takes the gag out of my mouth, too and I take a deep breath.
The old one lights a cigarette.
"The baby" Carol states and she starts laughing.
"Honey, in case you haven't noticed, you've got bigger problems than a little secondhand smoke"
We all watch her with dreading eyes before the other woman speaks up. "Molls" she says and the old one looks at her in disbelief before putting the cigarette off on the ground.
"Y'all are worse than a bunch of Evangelical second-graders" she says annoyedly before she starts to caugh.
"Those things will kill you" Carol says.
"They already have" she says before waving a white cloth with blood stains on it.  "I'm a dead woman walking. Which puts us in exactly the same boat"