When we crumble(#wattys2015)

22.Leaving it behind

I took in the girl that stood before me. The girl I thought was dead. Her hair no longer long. Her brown curls up to her ears. Her dark brown eyes hard.

"WHERE WERE YOU!" She shouted in my face.

"I NEEDED YOU AND YOU WERENT THERE! YOU WERENT FUCKING THERE. You weren't there."

"I know."

She looked at me with cold eyes. "I have to go back for my people. Well what's left of them." She looked at Ash. "You coming?"

"Yup."

Then it clicked. Ash boss was Rose. But why was she protecting me from her?

"We're coming too." Chase spoke up.

She started walking. "One rule. Don't die."

We headed towards her camp which was small and secretive.

Everything was destroyed. Bullet holes stained the walls as blood stained the ground. The things that weren't shot up and blood stained was burned.

Rose spun around. "Come on where leaving. Everyone is dead or gone."

Ash cleared her throat. "Maybe we can set up camp by the cave?"

Rose kept walking. "Yes then we'll set out to New York."

"NO!" Me and Chase said in unison.

"We were ambushed there. We lost someone. Walkers are everywhere there." I explained.

Rose turned around. "Walkers are everywhere here. I'm not going to argue with you. You can come or go." She shrugged and kept walking.

We arrived back at our 'camp'.

I sat next to Rose. "I still think it's a bad idea."

"If I listened to other people's opinions I would've been dead by now. So no thanks."

"If I listened to rejection I would've been dead by now."

She looked at me. "I'm going to New York and thats final. Like I said stay or go."

"You know i wont go." I tucked my head in my knees.

"Why not you did it before."

"I was young. For christ sake I'm still young. I'm only thirteen! I didn't know what to think after all this time." My voice came out harsh.

"I know what I thought. I thought you were dead." She sighed. "I have nightmares about you. Out of all things you! Every night i see you die and every night i wake up calling your name."

I looked up and her eyes held tears. "I'm so sorry."

She stood up. "Sorry is just a word." She walked away.

Someone else sat by me.

"Don't mind her. She just became cold. It's the only way that she could manage the pain." It was Ash.

I nodded.

"Here." She handed me a few berries.

"Thanks." I mumbled.

I chewed and a thought crossed my mind. "Is it easier?"

"Is what easier?"

"Being cold."

She shrugged. "Maybe for some people. But what happens when you stay cold. What happens when this all blows over."

"If it blows over."

"It's not a bad thing to have hope."

The image of the kid flashed in my head. I shut my eyes tight. "Hope is another death sentence just like having a good heart."

"That's not true." She cleared her throat. "Let's get some rest."

I curled up in a ball in the corner of the cave. I found Rose but I hadn't found Rose.

It didn't take long for me to drift off to sleep.

~~~~~

Ash shook me. "Wake up!"

I sat up and saw her shuffle to Chase and saw him sprang up.

"We're leaving already?" He questioned scratching his head.

"Yes." Rose answered outside the cave examining her bow.

I crawled out and stretched as the cool breeze ran through my hair. A sigh escaped my lips.

"Feels good doesn't it." Rose said

"Yup, it those."

We soon found ourselves on the highway.

"So what are we looking for again?" Chase asked.

Rose groaned. "We're looking for a car or truck with lots of space and enough gas to get us to New York or at least half way there."

"You never said why you wanted to check out New York." I said

Another groan escaped her. "There's a safe haven out there."

"Found one!" Ash yelled opening a small black van. "It has space and has enough gas to get us there in one trip!"

Rose clapped her hands. "Oh yea baby. Get in"

I buckled my seatbelt. "Are you sure you can drive?"

"Yes I drove twice...or once."

"WHAT?!" Chase said.

Rose laughed and pushed her foot down. We we're driving.

It been like a hour.

"Slow down." I mumbled.

"Do you know where you're even going?" Chase questioned.

"Are we near?" Ash asked

"AH SHUT UP! You all are like little kids." She glared at us.

My heart stopped as the van tipped to the side.

We rolled and went of the highway.

My head banged into the car window as we went down. A warm liquid went down the side of my face.

Then we stopped. Everything stopped.

I hung in the air upside down.

I looked to Chase limped body. "Chase?"

No response.

"James?" It was Rose voice.

"Rose."

"I'm sorry."

My eyes got heavy and my breathing hitched. My chest was tightening.

As my eyes closed i heard shuffling outside and a walker pressed its face against my window.

My eyes closed.

*****
A/n ~ so yea. Since summer is here I have free time. I was thinking about updating twice a day. Leave a comment on what you think about that.

Safe haven? Back to New York. Rose is back. Chase is back. And now a new girl called Ash. Why was Ash trying to protect james from Rose?

Stay tuned 🐥