Apocalypse [Pentatonix AU | Kavi / Scomiche]

Chapter 2 - Hope

He still couldn't believe he'd wasted his ammo on that front door. Probably attracted every walker on the block. How could he have been so mindless?

To be fair it was late, very late. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't slept in weeks. He simply didn't have the energy to kick that door down, and shooting the lock seemed like a promising idea in the moment at least. Now it just seemed idiotic.

He couldn't think straight. Normally he would've been wary of the fact that the door was bolted so tightly, even more so of the fact that the house was completely clear of walkers. But the mind doesn't work correctly once it's so deprived of rest.

The one thing he could focus on was that he needed to get to the attic. It would be the safest place to crash, and he'd be able to finally just sleep. Not with one eye open, actually just pass out. And if a walker bit and killed him while he slept, at this point he probably wouldn't even mind. He'd lost everyone. He'd given up hope a long time ago.

Dragging his feet, he made his way up what seemed like endless flights of stairs until he finally arrived at the attic door. Instinctively he raised his gun, just like he did any time he came across a closed door in a ramshackle house. He needed to crash, and if that meant knocking out some walkers in the process, so be it. Using the last of his strength, the man kicked hard at the locked door, which practically flew open at his boot.

He damn near pulled the trigger once he saw the figure in the doorway, just barely stopping himself after he realized she was human.

Holy shit, she was human.

He barely even noticed the shotgun she was holding, the shotgun that was now pointed at his chest. She was short, with long dark hair tied into a ponytail on the crown of her head. He noticed faded light tips at the ends of the ponytail, indicating that her hair had been dyed blonde before it all. She was wearing a jean jacket over a once-white tank top, with camo pants on her short legs. The dim lighting from a lantern that was inside the room behind her only partially illuminated her face, but it was clear she was once very beautiful. The apocalypse had taken a toll on her beauty though, just like it had on everything else.

They both were frozen, guns still aimed at one another. Each could feel the seconds ticking by, merging into minutes.

Finally the man took a deep breath. "So how much longer until we blow each others brains out?" he said, only half kidding.

The woman stayed expressionless, but slowly lowered her gun, the man mirroring her.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Avi. Yours?" But she didn't reply. Instead she brought the gun back down to her side, studying his face still. Slowly, only taking her eyes off him for a second, she made her way into the small room, not forcing him out or inviting him in. She took a seat in the chair by the window, eyes still burning holes into his.

"So how long have you been here?" Avi asked her, sizing up the room as he made his way inside. It was extremely compact, with only a singular dirty window and a mattress in the corner. He also noticed a black duffel bag near her chair, along with a lantern.

"Not much longer than you," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on him, scrutinizing his every move. Although he thought he could sense indicators of the person she once was from her soft features, her voice was more telling. It was kind and feminine, despite her cold tone.

"Any food?" She shook her head shortly.

Avi took off his backpack, throwing it down next to the mattress, and laid his gun next to the bag. He began to remove his shoes from his aching feet, still aware that the woman's eyes were fixed on him. It was clear she had no trust in him whatsoever. Still, he couldn't imagine that whatever it was she went through was worse than what had happened to him. It couldn't be.

Avi knocked the mattress down from the wall, and it landed with a soft thud on the wood floor below his bare feet. He sat down finally, amazed at the relief it sent throughout his every muscle. He'd been walking for days.

"So who's taking the first shift?" he asked, rubbing his aching back.

He looked up and noticed her dark hazel eyes were filled with confusion. "What?"

Oh. She'd been alone longer than he thought. "You know, night shifts. You sleep two hours while I keep watch, then we switch off?" Still blank. He laughed humorlessly. "How long have you been alone?"

Her eyes became unfocused, filling with memories. For a split second he thought he saw her expression soften. "I lost track a long time ago."

Avi took a deep breath. "Well, trust me on this shift thing. It'll give us both some sleep."

Her face became hard once again, eyes scorching his. "I don't trust you, I hope that's clear. But we'll try it, as long as you give me first shift. And when it's your turn, don't think I won't have one eye open."

Her trust issues were a blatantly obvious weakness, whether she was aware of it or not. Avi agreed however, too exhausted to question her any further. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back against the deflated mattress, grabbing his backpack to use as a pillow. Despite the cold room and his starving stomach, he gained some solace in the fact that he was no longer alone.