Still breathing | Original story

Chapter Twenty Six: Yorkies

Word count: 2010

The car crept down a dirt path, the fields went on for so long but in the distance, we could see a barn. From where we sat we couldn't tell how safe it was but anything would be better than a fuel-less car. As Jasmine drove over the bumpy ground below, the car slowed down to almost nothing. Jasmine tried to keep going. I could hear the accelerator being pressed into the ground but at that point, we were running on fumes. Inevitably the car would no longer go on and we had to walk the rest of the way.
"This is it," Jasmine said.
I quickly got out of the car and walked ahead, I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to stay warm as I headed towards the barn. I felt someone touch my shoulder and turned around sharply to see Archie, behind him Logan was sulking. Lily was whispering something to him that I couldn't make out, not that I cared.
"Come to give me a pep talk?" I asked Archie as we closed the distance between us and the barn.
"Depends if you want one," he replied with a shrug, I looked back at Logan who was staring at me. I wrinkled my nose up as I thought about talking to him. He was such a big child, how did he expect me to have 'chill' when the world had become this?
"I'm not making up with him if that's what you're here for," I told him. If I was going to make up with anyone it would be Caleb, except he was asleep in Archies arms.
"I'm not here for that."
"Good." I thought for a moment. "Why are you here?"
"Can't a friend make sure another friend's okay?" He asked me and chuckled.
"Yeah-yeah," I stuttered out quickly,"Of course... sorry. Just, ugh, he really gets on my nerves."
"I heard that!" Logan snapped from behind.
"Oops. My bad," I spat sarcastically back at him, I saw Archie roll his eyes. "I'm sorry, I bet you're tired of this already."
"I'm not very fond of it if I'm honest."
"I'm not very fond of it either," I replied and looked down at the ground, snow covered my shoes.
"Then stop being a child."
"He's the one-" I argued but saw I was only proving him right. "Fine."
"Good." He grinned triumphantly.

We kept walking, the only sound was the gentle tap of our footsteps and the grass pushing against our legs.
Logan and Lily were lagging back a bit so I decided to talk with Archie.
"Why the prison?"
"Huh?" He replied confused.
"Why the prison?" I repeated. "Why not back yours where it's safe and there's food and water?" He sighed at my question and his eyes lost any light left in them.
"How much longer would it be safe for? That horde smashed into the hospital with such a small number! They could easily break into my house.... And, well, I was ready to move on." He took a deep breath. "When you told me about the safe house I could finally leave it all behind. Leave all the memories..." He looked me straight in the eyes, his own had become watered over but no tears came out. "There's some food in my backpack and water, we don't need to worry about supplies." He half smiled at me.
"Did you ever plan on going back?"
"I... I don't know, maybe." He balled up his fists and held his eyes squeezed shut with them. "Maybe if it wasn't a permanent placement. If I could go there and then go away, but I just couldn't stay. Could you?"
Could I go back home now? Could I go anywhere near my house? Probably not, especially not death street. Or the school. I don't think I could handle being around there again, I understood.
"No... No, I couldn't," I told him. "I just hope the prison is close and has food."
"It's close... that's all I can tell you." He looked into the distance as if working out where it was exactly. "There's a canteen with lots of food but maybe we're not the only ones to have realised that."
"Let's hope no one's as smart as you then," I told him. Not a lot of people would suggest a prison, I didn't even know where the one closest to me was. There was some hope that not many people would have gone there. "So... about this long story?" I could tell talking about his house was distressing him, changing the subject seemed to be a good idea.
"It's actually not that long." He chuckled lightly. "I just said that to shut Logan up, man that guys annoying." He winked at me cheekily
"Wait you can call him that but I can't?" I questioned.
"When I say it I'm not offending anyone big mouth." He laughed.
"Oi." I playfully shoved him. He slipped on the snow and nearly fell straight down on his bum had it not been for me holding out his shoulder to grab him. Caleb squirmed in his arms as we both burst into laughter that filled the cold air around us. With him there, I felt all my worries melting away, just like the snow beneath my feet. When we calmed down I pressed on, "the story then?"
"When my dad was a cop he got a gig to be a prison guard. It was a one-time thing but then my mother had to go to the hospital and school was out. Rather than leaving me at home dad took me with him. It was alright at first but then there was orange everywhere." He held out his hands wide in an attempt to explain how many prisoners there was around the place. "That was the day they decided to break out. Fights between guards and other rival gangs let lose and me, being ten, thought it was something out of an action film and took it upon myself to help my dad out. Despite him telling me to get back. Let's just say it didn't end well." He shook his head and did a breathy laugh.
"And your dad never took you there again did he?"
"Got it in one." He grinned. People put way too much trust in ten year olds, I should know that first hand. We were soon outside the barn. It looked untouched and almost new, nothing like the hospital.
"Ready?" Archie questioned as rain began to drop onto my nose from above. I nodded. Everyone was surrounding the doors as I pulled it open, hatchet raised high. Empty. Not a single thing came out.

I crept into the barn, not once lowering my weapon. The place seemed cosy enough and all the hay seemed to be acting as insulation, creating warmth throughout the little place. There was a step ladder leading to a balcony with a hay covered floor and down below there were stables throughout.
I pushed the first gate open with my foot, nothing. The further I went into the barn, the more anxious I became that something would come out. Logan checked the other side of stables and we both came back clear.
I settled down in a bundle of hay as a bed. It was slightly itchy if you sat the wrong way but it was comfier than the bare floor. Even without lugging the hay from above we had enough for all of us and each had our own stall. I stayed in mine at the very end as the rest were starting a fire at the top of the barn. I lay on my side, staring into the hay on the floor. Messing with it between my fingers as I tried to drown out the crackle of the fire and smell of food that made its way over to me.
The gate creaked open and I let go of the hay all at once and looked up. Archie appeared in the gap.
"May I join you?" He asked me as he held out a tin of food for me. I took it off him and nodded weakly. He sat cross-legged in front of me. "Why are you by yourself?"
"I want some time alone." I shrugged and scooped some food into my mouth.
"That it?" He asked. I looked up at him, not sure how to answer.
"Yeah," I replied after a moment.
We said nothing as I finished off my food. I felt like telling him about the infected that spoke or the one that didn't attack, but I doubted he would believe me if I did. It was better to stay quiet than to look crazy.

Archie and I talked for a little while longer about random things when my stomach growled loudly. I held my stomach tightly and grumbled to myself. I lay across Archies legs and put my hand on my forehead.
"I'm hungry," I moaned and looked up at him.
"We all are." He laughed.
"No," I whined. "I mean I'm hungry for like chocolate. I'm having cravings! These are worse than hunger pains," I told him. All I could think about was junk food and having bog standard tin stuff just made me want it even more.
Archie mimicked a drooling noise. "Don't even talk to me about chocolate."
"You know what I really like?" I began as I lay on my side and propped myself up.
"What?" He smiled
"Yorkies!" I said excitedly. "They're my favourite childhood snack."
"They're meant for guys." Archie laughed
"Damn, you're so sexist." I winked jokingly at him and then said powerfully, "I'm a strong, independent woman on this earth and if I want to eat a bar of chocolate I'm going to eat it."
"Calm down! You sound like a teenage blog." Archie laughed harder and then tried to keep his voice steady.
"Damn straight, my real name is Tumblr so don't be rude."I chuckled but my mind couldn't help going back to my own blog, to my social media sites I would spend hours on before the internet went.
Archie knocked me so my elbow slipped from underneath me and I fell into a bundle of hay. I breathed in and the hay nearly going straight up my nose. Archie looked at me softly and I sat up.
"I know you're not happy," he finally said, "but I appreciate the effort."
I half smiled at him in thanks. With him around my happiness felt slightly less faux but I knew I was masking my problem with laughter.
"I'm trying, I really am," I sighed. "It's just we'll get to the prison and then what? We'll never stop running, people will never stop dying."
"It'll be different," he assured me.
"How?" I asked like Archie held all the secrets of this new world.
"It just will be," he replied. His argument not very convincing but it was enough. He was holding my hands in his own and I don't know if it was the closeness of our skin together or the genuine look in Archies eyes but I believed his words. "Come on, let's go out to them guys. Figure out who's going on first watch," Archie suggested and lifted me up.
I nodded and wiped myself down. Archie followed my actions and I opened the gate to let us both out. As I did I saw something I wished I hadn't. I froze. All the laughter Archie and I had shared not long ago fell out of me and even the faux happiness was left snuggling in the hay behind me. Logan and Lily were bundled up together, standing in front of our stall. I was pretty sure Logan's tongue was down her throat, I wanted to erase the image from my mind. I stepped back and went straight into Archies chest. He cleared his throat and Logan jumped away from Lily, Jasmine wasn't in sight.
"I-I," I started and looked between Lily and Logan shocked. I mean I know they're dating but they didn't have to shove it in my face. "I gotta get some air." Then I began speed walking, nearly running, into the cold.