Together We Survive

No Time Like The Present

Alicia POV 

I was startled from my thoughts when Octavia called out from the doorway, wrapping her dagger against the doorway to produce a heavy thud that would catch our attention. 

'Come on, lets hit the road before we lose any more daylight.'

I grasped my rucksack tightly in hand before abandoning the couch, crossing the room to where the girl was waiting impatiently in the doorway. 

'Murphy, I swear if you don't get your ass moving right now-'

'Alright, Alright! I'm coming already,' Murphy grumbled, hoisting his own backpack over one shoulder as he emerged from the bedroom, tucking a gun into the waistband of his trousers as he settled a dark glare on the leather clad girl. 

Elyza, Bellamy and Atom had left around an hour ago now and we were finally about to set off for the base in which the rest of their group were residing. 

The knife gifted to me by Elyza was held firmly in place at my hip, and with a bag containing an assortment of food, beverages and supplies, I was ready for whatever encounters were up ahead. I could only hope for an uneventful journey, but that was rarely the case these days. 

We pooled out into the drive way and we walked in silence for a time, concentrating on the surroundings and on the lookout for the undead. I had no clue how long it would take to get to our destination, but the wreck of cars surrounding us provided us with few other options but to walk. 

After a few hours on the road, we stopped for a short break on the seemingly endless highway. I perched on the hood of one of the many cars and took a brief swig of water as I looked on down the stretch of deserted road. 

Murphy kept himself busy rifling through the nearest vehicles for supplies,  whilst Octavia took up position at my side, pulling herself up onto the hood so her legs could hang freely. 

'How long has it been since you spoke to your family?'

It was a sudden question, directed without warning but I was beginning to admire that about the girl. There were no false pretenses, false pity or babying over the subject, merely honest curiosity and open discussion. 

'Months now.'

It felt like a lifetime ago that I had been separated from my family and it was getting harder to keep track of time with every passing week. 

'What if you can't contact them with the radio?'

Again, it was a probing question that I didn't necessarily want to contemplate but one that had to be considered all the same. 

'I don't know,' I replied honestly. After coming so far and going through so much it would be crushing if it had all been for nothing. The only certainty in the future was that Elyza would be there by my side through it all, though right now I couldn't even say for sure when we would see each other next. 

'Elyza thinks a lot of you, she may seem brusque and mocking at times, but it's obvious that she cares. When she left us it was like a part of her was missing, but now I think you've helped to heal her.'

It was only a passing comment, a thought on Octavia's mind that had been spoken for the world to witness, but it brought a familiar sensation to my chest at the thought of the blonde girl who I had come to understand all to well over the last few months. 

She had an infuriating way of knowing just how to wind me up with the right comment, but she had also showed me that nothing was impossible in this new world, that we could survive and together even the undead couldn't keep us from happiness.