Apocalypse [Pentatonix AU | Kavi / Scomiche]

Chapter 3 - Inauguration

Kirstie sat in her chair, running her fingertips across the barrel of her gun. Her eyes, however, were fixed on Avi's sleeping face across the room, only occasionally darting back to the window behind her to check for any biters. She wondered if it was a fake name, Avi. It didn't sound real.

By studying his face Kirstie assumed he wasn't much older than her, maybe by a couple years, and that was taking into consideration that the apocalypse had aged him the same way it did her. A dark chestnut beard covered his jaw, and although it was full Kirstie noticed that he kept it neatly trimmed, oddly enough. The color of his hair matched the beard, and it was long, probably about half the length of hers, tied into a tight bun on the back of his head. Despite the dried blood and dirt smeared in patches across his face, he was attractive, especially with the muscles that were prominent even underneath his grey t-shirt and leather jacket.

She still couldn't trust him, though. Things had gotten dirty in the past year. Kirstie knew people had forgotten themselves, forgotten who they were before it all started. Almost everyone who had survived this long only cared about their own neck, and if that meant killing someone else for their supplies, Kirstie knew most people wouldn't bat an eye. She couldn't trust that this man would be any different. She squeezed the paper in her pocket to calm her nerves.

Finally she tore her eyes off his peaceful face, instead keeping them locked on the street below. It was dark, so dark, and Kirstie was beyond exhausted. Her body craved rest, but she knew she had at least a few more minutes left of her shift. So instead she allowed her eyes to close, just for a moment. But within a minute she drifted into a deep sleep.

Suddenly he's on top of her again. It's his face, his same dark eyes, but now they're lifeless. His long pale fingers rip at her hair, his yellow teeth chattering at the scent of her flesh. She's screaming for him to stop, to come back to her, but he can't. He's gone. She has no choice. She takes the handgun out of her back pocket, screaming and crying as she presses it against his temple, then pulls the trigger.

Kirstie woke with a start. The first thing she noticed was a man with his arms on her shoulders, shaking her. Still disoriented, she struck the man hard against the jaw, then used her heel to kick him in the gut. The man stumbled backward, gasping for air, and it was only then she realized it was Avi. That the biter was a dream. It was that same goddamn dream she'd dreamt so many times before. Except it wasn't just a dream, it was a memory.

"Oh my god," Kirstie finally gasped, standing and helping Avi to stand back upright. "I'm, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

Still unable to speak Avi waved a hand, signaling her to stop apologizing. Somehow he regained his breath. "What the hell were you dreaming about?"

"I wasn't," she lied.

"Well, by the way you were screaming it was more likely a nightmare, I guess." Avi had taken off his jacket to stop the blood from pouring out of the gash underneath his lip. "Starting to understand the trust issues," he mumbled to himself. Then his eyes met hers again. "Sorry for the rude awakening. I just needed you to stop making all that noise before the walkers heard you."

"Walkers?"

"The dead."

"I call them biters. Always have. It's weird hearing a different name."

"I think it's time we switch shifts. You obviously can't stay awake any longer."

"One eye open," she reminded him, reluctantly making her way over to the mattress. Lying down provided so much more comfort than she'd expected, but she knew she'd be able to keep herself awake. Especially after that dream. To distract herself she studied the cracks in the ceiling above her, listening to Avi's quiet breathing from across the room. She tilted her head to look at him, studying his profile. Unlike her while he was sleeping, his eyes were completely focused on the road, his back turned. He trusted her. And for some inexplicable reason she began to trust him as well.

She looked back up at the ceiling before saying, "Kirstin."

From the corner of her eye she noticed him turn his chair in her direction, obviously confused. "What?"

"Kirstin. That's my name."

Avi didn't respond, but she thought she might have seen the ghost of a smile on his lips before he turned his head back toward the window. A silence enveloped the room once again. Kirstie continued to fight to stay at least somewhat awake, and soon she was in her meditative state, in which she was just asleep enough to keep her going the next day.

But it only lasted for under an hour before Kirstie was awake again, this time from a singular shouted word from Avi.

"Shit!"