𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩 - 𝙩𝙬𝙙

two

Kat

Sometimes she would watch her sister sleep. Watch her sister at her most peaceful moments, before she woke up, sweating, breathing heavy. The nightmares were getting worse. They ate away at her like a parasite, and when she woke up, she was still living in them. She knew Maddie felt the same, she could see the look in her sister's eyes that said it all to her. Kat was always the big sister, despite her age.

She would watch Maddie's eyes moved beneath her eyelids, watch her eyebrows furrow. But sometimes, if she watched long enough, she could see a glimmer of relief. She didn't sleep much, she never had, but she had now started faking it for Maddie's peace of mind.

She rolled up her clothes, stuffing them into her backpack. She knew they would have to move today, they could never stay anywhere very long. It drained her. She moved quietly to the kitchen as to not wake Maddie, dumping all the cans into her bag.

She stopped as she reached for the top shelf, seeing a picture hanging on the wall to her left. A woman, a man, a baby. A baby. Someones baby. Maddie never let Kat help clear out the houses. She had told Kat she didn't want her to think about the people who may have been there that were now corpses, but a baby. Just a tiny human who had grown in her mother's stomach, her mother who had formed her fingernails and lips all just with her body. Maddie had wanted to be a mother. To live the traditional housewife role. A lot of kids, a hard working husband.

"What are you doing up so early?" Maddie's voice made her jump. She spun on her heel to see her leaning the doorway, rubbing her eyes, hair a mess.

"Woke up early to get a start on the road. I have everything packed for us already."

"Did you sleep?"

No. But Kat was going to lie. She was good at lying.

"Yes."

Maddie pursed her lips, nodding.

"Let's roll then."

...

Sweat beaded on Kats forehead as they both walked in silence. That was the worst part to Kat, the heat. She imagined being in an air conditioned area, a place with food and other people. Somewhere safe. Somewhere they both could start life, actually start a normal life.

"Let's hit these stores up here." Maddie nodded to the town they were approaching. Inside was barely anything but home decor, gardening tools and abandoned grocery carts. Kat wondered how many people spent their last moments inside of a fucking grocery store.

"There's nothing here." Kat hit the end of the isle, turning to see her sister staring intently. Grief washed over her as she realized it was the baby isle, and it was full, because all the babies hadn't made it. They had all died. She stared at the baby toys. Kat inched next to her sister, looking down at the little light up toy.

"I saw the picture in that house, with the baby... Was there a baby when you..."

"No. It was empty. Just an empty nursery." Maddie didn't break away.

Kat sighed, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.

"You'll have kids, Mads. I know it."

Maddie seemed to sniffle but Kat didn't look up, she didn't want to see her sister cry and she also knew that was barely the truth. Kat knew, realistically, her sister could never have kids. They could die, or she could die.

Click.

They both jumped, immediately drawing their weapons at the sound. At the end of the isle was a grimy man, wild hair. Next to him was a skinny one, going grey, wild eyes. They had their weapons already pointed towards them. A revolver and a crossbow. Kat aimed her gun right at the greying mans head, her hands trembling.

"Drop your weapons." The taller one spoke. Kat examined him, eyeing him up and down, but she stayed quiet.

"We can all leave here alive," Maddie tried to reason.

"Yes we can, if we all lower our weapons and just talk."

"Not a chance in hell," Kat muttered.

His eyes flickered across the isle, his face softening.

"Do you have a baby?" He questioned. Maddie glanced back at the toy for just a second before shaking her head.

"No... No."

"You got a camp?" The dirty one mumbled. Kat and Maddie shared a glance before answering.

"No. It's just us."

The skinnier one looked at Kat, his eyebrows furrowing. He looked concerned, not mad or savage. He didn't look like he wanted to hurt them.

The man shared a look before he spoke up again.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

Kat scoffed, as if anyone would know the answer to that, but Maddie spoke for her with composure and ease. Maddie didn't scare easy.

"Don't know. Hundreds... We've been out there, just the two of us, since the beginning."

"How many people have you killed?"

It went silent. Kat could feel the air thicken as she went off in her mind, her eyes unfocused. Maddie didn't speak up this time, because it was Kats question to answer. She knew Maddie would lie for her.

"One," Kat answered honestly. Surprise rolled over his face for just a split second, then sorrow. She knew she could have lied, could have made it seem like she hadn't become a murderer, but it wasn't true, and she carried it with her. She was a murderer in her sleep and when she opened her eyes, and she could never stop seeing it.

"Why?"

Kat inhaled sharply before answering.

"Our dad... He went crazy. Or he was already crazy... I don't know. He was going to kill my sister... It was her or him so..." She trailed off. There had been so much. Blood. Kat hadn't known how much blood people had until then. She hadn't known how thick it felt, how hard it was to wash it off your skin, your hair. It felt so heavy. So so heavy.

The man cleared his throat, exhaling. Kat knew it was hard information for anyone to hear. She was just a kid, and she knew that.

"We have a prison." His voice echoed, it sent chills across Kats skin. "It's safe. Walls, fences, people. A doctor."

Maddie looked down at Kat, she could feel her sister's eyes burning into her head but Kat looked straight ahead, eyes glazed over. She was already imagining sleeping somewhere safe. Somewhere with a bed.

"Okay," Maddie answered.