The Battles End (#wattys2016)

Chapter 16

       Chapter 16: Hawna is Dead
Sunny giggled. It was something she hadn't done for a while. Absentmindedly rubbing her swollen stomach, she smiled at Mary. They were out in the garden. Sunny was just giving the older woman company. Her being about nine months along and her oversized belly making normal tasks almost impossible, she felt like she was doing something.
     "Oh." Sunny muttered.
     Instantly Mary looked at her, expecting it was time. "What is it?"
     The worry on Sunny's face melted as she continued to rub her belly. "The baby just kicked. Really hard too." The mother to be was get to learn that both babies, had indeed kicked.
     "This little boy or girl is gonna be a strong one! Just like their momma." Mary cooed to sunny's stomach.
With a smile they both continued their chore. Mary doing the work, and the expecting sixteen year old following.
     "And I haven't even thought of names yet." The young girl sighed.
     "Don't worry. There's probably plenty of time for that." Mary bent down, picking some things from the garden. "The baby will probably come sometime next week."
Since Mary had her back turned to Sunny, she didn't catch the shocked expression that grew on her face.
     "No it won't." Panic slowly started to rise inside of Sunny.
     "You can't-" Mary tried to reason, looking back at sunny after she stood up correctly.
     "No. Mary, the baby is coming now." Sunny looked panicked as she acknowledged her water had broken.

She knew where she was. Aahana pulled out of her state of shock, the ringing in her ears letting up little by little. She knew where she was. She forgot about the down to the bone terror she felt only minutes ago. Forgot that she had been staring at the front of the executioner's blood covered shoes. Forgot about the bodies that lay feet away, the blood that covered her face. And most certainly, she forgot about the three men who saved her, and now looked at her with confusion.
In the now morning light, she knew. These were the same woods, the same area that Aahana found herself in several years ago. She was sixteen at the time, and thought she was about to be torn apart by walkers. What she was yet to discover that the tiny human growing within her at the time was actually two. The farm. The farm! Aahana shot to her feet taking off in the direction of the place the twins had mainly grown up at. She dodged trees, slightly acknowledging that it was later in the morning than she thought. Maverick and Heath looked at each other. Maverick raised an eyebrow at the lighter skinned man. But Aahana's so called friend soon followed behind, the other two having no choice but to do the same.

Hope's heart raced as she was set in a dead run to the place she use to call home. Then it came into her view, the fencing, and then the house. She paused at the fence, before taking off for the gate. Aahana threw open the old gate open the moment her fingers flicked up the lock. With her mind racing, she didn't even bother to close it behind her. It was deathly quiet. Surely by now she should have heard something. A whinny of a horse, someone's voice, or even had seen someone. But none of the people who resided here made any indication they were here. That's what revived the fear within Hope. The people here were safe. They shouldn't have had any threats. There was nothing wrong with the fences. No sign that a herd had passed through. No sign of any life whatsoever.

That was what slowly started to kill her. The place that had once been so full of life and second chances, now deathly still with no merciful chance.
Hope paused taking in the terrifying lack of existence.

Not even a creak of the barn door. No nicker from a horse. Just nothing.

Then, she found her voice.
     "T-Tom? Mary? Alanna?" She wasn't able to call the fourth name. Hope's mind raced as her feet did the same, carting her inside the house. "Tom!"