Amongst The Dead : C.H.

.Promises.

"I don't want to, I can't leave all our memories behind. I don't want to replace you." Matt sighs frustrated with my stubbornness, "You're not replacing me, you're moving on, I'm always gonna be here Sam. Fuck you could have so much more....if you just let those boys in."
"It's easier said then done."
Throwing his hands up Matt pushes, "No it's not, you choose it to be hard. Listen to me okay? let them in, make friends, find love, be the fun-loving, down to earth girl I know."
"That girl is gone, she left when she was forced to shoot her boyfriend in the head." I fight using my right hand to gesture a gun pointing to my temple.

He sighs not yet backing down from our argument, "She's still in there, you just keep her locked up with your stubborn, bitchy personal." His truthful words sink in, my concrete walls crumbling as I look back on the past two days I spent with the boys, Matt smirks knowingly, "See I'm right, I always am."
"You're still as cocky as you were when you left."
"But you love it." I smile at him agreeing while he proceeds, "I love you Sam, I do, but now it's time you find a new love, someone who can be there to protect you when you need it the most."
"I'm capable of protecting myself."
"You know what I mean."

I sigh tears falling down my cheeks. Gathering my face in his hands, Matt holds it wiping them away with his thumb, his eyes burning through mine begging me to approve. Hesitantly I give in, "Okay okay, I'll do it...for you." He smiles so wide I can see his pearly whites. His hands soon start fading following up to his body and like that....he disappears.

I wake up with a start, my breathing fast and shallow, sweat clinging to all parts of my body, the pain from my hip intensifying with every breath I draw in. The shadows and voices of the boys cloud my hearing and sight before I can open my mouth I black out...again.

*Calum's POV*

I'd just finished changing into a maroon muscle tee and black skinny jeans I found in a discount basket when the girl starts twisting and turning on the table she's resting on. Ashton also hearing it screams, "Someone check on her!" Since I'm closest, I run over to see sweat trailing down her face and body. Dog Luke somehow knowing exactly what's needed runs into a room and shortly returns with a wet rag dangling from his mouth, shoving it towards my hands.

"Thanks boy." Patting him on the head to show gratitude, I grasp the wet rag and start wiping down her forehead, her movement slowing into light murmurs. Ashton soon stalks over, Michael and Luke following him, asking in concern, "How's she doing?"
"She's stopped twisting, but she hasn't woken up." As if hearing me she abruptly sits up, her eyes shooting open, breathing hard and shallow only to fall back into unconsciousness. We all jump in fright, our hearts beating out of our chests, "Holy shit! That was fucking scary!" Ashton directs, "Calum stay here, keep wiping that sweat, we can't leave her alone."

Obeying Ashton's request I dab the still wet rag over her face and neck before moving onto her toned torso. Once the sweat's wiped, I take a chair from behind the counter a few feet from the table and sit down waiting for her to wake up once again. Dog Luke sits by me occasionally looking up at me, which results in me giving him pats or scratches, keeping him happy for the time being.

Ashton, Michael and Luke join me changed in the clean clothes they found, dragging chairs over before searching through their packs for food and water to snack on. "I say we get some sleep, someone can stay up and keep watch on both the girl and any zombies that might come in." Everyone agrees with Ashton (who's taken charge while the girl was out), "I will." Luke and Michael glance suspiciously at me wiggling their eyebrows, causing me to roll my eyes in return already knowing what they were hinting at.

Standing up from their chairs, the boys lay on the ground using their packs as pillows and flannels for makeshift blankets, slowly knocking off to sleep leaving me and Dog Luke to keep watch. I unhitch the girls knife from my new jeans keeping it in my lap where I can easily access it and lay her crossbow down on the floor incase a zombie did end up breaking through the un-barricaded windows or locked door.

What might've been 5 hours later my eyes begin to droop, tiredness setting in, the days events catching up with my mind. I'm nearly asleep when movement from the table catches my eye, I abruptly stand up and take the girls hand squeezing it to help reassure her if she decides to finally wake up that she's safe and in company. Not a second later her brown eyes flutter open a groan escaping her mouth, her hand squeezes mine tightly out of either pain or confusion I don't know.