(Braelyn's POV)
Everything was black, and the last thing I remember was...a barn? What did a barn have anything to do with the darkness that now surrounded me? Think...I am at a barn...and I'm pain. Now that I realize it I'm in a lot of pain, excruciating pain, my head, my hand. Why can I not remember what happened? Where are my people?...my people...my group! Oh no, what happened to them? I hope I haven't failed to keep them safe. Calm down...remember. I'm at a barn, with my group, in pain. What caused the pain?
As I thought about it I remembered that we had tried to stay at a barn. I had tried to save my group from a danger, a potential threat. And the last thing I remember now would be...a log? That doesn't make sense, my mind is mush. I am becoming more worried by the second.
I tried to move and I felt oddly detached from my body. I couldn't feel anything, not even the pain, I could only remember it. I tried to scream, to make any noise at all, yet I couldn't find my voice, could find anything in this darkness.
*Time skip*
After some time I began to regain some of my senses, I could now smell, hear, and feel. I could smell fire and...some rotting flesh? I could feel hands on me, checking for a pulse, washing away dried blood. I could feel heat, and the cold ground below me. I couldnt yet feel the pain, and for that i was grateful. I could hear...oddly familiar voices, voices of which weren't from my group. They were talking too low for me to hear. I could hear the crackling of a fire, which made sense.
I wonder if this meant I'd be coming around soon, waking up. It's agony, I am so confused, yet unable to ask questions or get answers.
After trying to use all my new found senses and all my energy to move and speak, with no success, I was exhausted. I fell asleep with my mind still overflowing with questions.
*Time skip*
I shot straight up out of my sleep with a gasp, only to immediately regret it.
"Guys! She's awake!"
Suddenly my arms and legs were pinned to the ground, being careful of my wounds of course, and a hand covered my mouth. I'm so confused, so out of it, I don't understand what's happening. I couldn't see anything, the sun was blinding me, I could only see the outline of four people.
I let out a muffled cry only to have the hand pressed over my mouth harder.
"Shhh, you have to be quiet, we aren't going to hurt you. Just...be quiet and listen. We just wanted to help you Braelyn. We saved you...now if I let go, will you be quiet?"
I gave the best nod I could, still being held down, and I was let go. I sat up and looked at my four "saviors".
No wonder I thought their voices seemed familiar, I knew all four of them. They were some of my friends from school.
"W-...How did you even find me you guys?", I found it difficult to know where to start.
"Well...I hope you can forgive us, but you seemed to know what you were doing. The girls wanted to follow you and I wanted them safe. So we followed you and your group the best we could. When you got to your hometown, we stayed in the post office, we figured you wouldn't go looking there, and we were right. When we saw you leave town to move on, we followed you, keeping our distance. We saw what happened at the barn, it was terrible to watch, but we saw you get away as well. Your friends carried you, unconcious, and took you to a farm house down the road. We kept our distance but as soon as we saw the hoard...we got there just in time to get you out of there, we couldn't find the rest of your group...I'm sorry", as Daisy finished her story, I looked around at my friends.
Daisy, Lizzy's mom, had her arm around Lizzy, gently stroking her blonde hair. Lizzy, was hugging around her mom's waist, probably a little tired. Adriana was sitting on the ground looking at me, with one of her comic books at her side. Brianna came over and laid her head on my shoulder carefully, making sure not to bother my wounds.
I looked around them at my surroundings. We were sitting in a slightly snowy field, on a dirt spot. There was a dying fire next to us, making smoke instead of flame. There were dead walkers, killed, and pushed a decent distance away. I looked past the field and saw the road leading to the destroyed house I was apparently in when the hoard went through.
Then thoughts flooded my mind worrying me. Where was Casey? Why hadn't she saved me? Where was Della and Kat?...Where was Gareth? Had they simply forgotten me? I couldn't think that, right now I just needed to find them.
I stood up, then my vision got splotched and lost my footing, I fell right back down.
"Braelyn? Are you okay?", Adriana said, coming over to me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little light headed is all."
"Maybe you should take it easy for now.", added Brianna.
"No, I have to find them, they could be hurt."
I re-attempted to get back up, this time successfully. I started walking away only to be stopped by Daisy.
"Wait! Don't...please don't go alone, we'll go with you. I wouldnt be able to live with myself if you got hurt just because you were alone. We're coming with you."
I nodded my head and continued to walk, they quickly grabbed their stuff and followed me.
We walked back to the house, it was in complete ruin. The doors torn off their hinges, windows smashed, siding torn off.
I was about to walk in but I heard people arguing, listening closer I heard Gareth's voice...then Della's.
I ran into the house. "Guys!", I was yelling loud enough for them to hear.
It got suddenly quiet until I heard Gareth, "Braelyn? Is that you?", sounding very suspicious.
"Yeah, it's me, where are you guys?"
Suddenly Gareth ran into the room, picking me up and spinning me through the air. He sat me down and hugged me.
"Hey Gare- ouch, careful", I said, wincing from the pain of my wounds as he squeezed a bit too tightly.
"Sorry, I'm just so glad you're okay."
I looked around him and caught Della rolling her eyes, and coming forward to me.
"Glad you're back", she said sarcastically, "we wouldn't know what to do without you."
She probably enjoyed her time in charge while I was away, but I didn't mind.
"Della, you could be a hell of a lot less rude. You know that right?", Gareth said, turning toward her, "after all, you were the one who wanted to leave her for dead", he almost spat the words right at her.
"No Gareth, it's okay, I'm glad to be back, I was worried about all of you.", I said, trying to keep it cheery.
Daisy then stepped in to lighten the mood as well. "Hi, I'm Daisy, Lizzy's mom, and this is Lizzy, Adriana, and Brianna.", she said, pointing each one out. She clearly was only intruding them to Gareth though, because Kat and Della already knew them.
Just then, Casey came in the door, covered in blood.
"Jesus Christ, look at this hell-hole.", she said, taking in the appearance of the house.
"Hey Casey.", I said waving, "I'm so glad we're all together again."
"Braelyn? How the hell...? Clearly I missed a lot..."
"We can both explain what happened and where we've been in what's left of the living room."
And we walked into 'what's left of the living room' to hear each other's story.
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Sorry for the long wait, I couldn't figure out how I wanted this next chapter to go exactly, but here it is, hope you enjoyed.
