Those Who Survive

Spare Your Thoughts, Share Our Feelings

Hi, guys. I currently am living where I have no internet, in case you were not aware. However, I used a friend's mobile hot-spot to put this update out after spending a long while finishing this update for you guys. I can't promise quick updates because I don't have the means for it, but I am still working on updates as I am able to. Thanks, please be patient, and enjoy.

...

It had been awhile since Minx last had nightmares. She didn't wake screaming like she normally did. This time, she woke up like it was any other day. The room is still dark, Dan still sleeps beside her. She stares at the ceiling in silence until Cry's voice catches her attention, whispering to her from where he still sits against the door, "You okay?"

She sits up, sighing, whispering back as not to wake Dan, "How did you know I was awake?"

"Your breathing changed," is all he says.

She shrugs, "I'm alright."

"Want to talk about it?" he asks.

"Not particularly." she replies.

"We can talk about my nightmares instead, if you'd like." Cry suggests.

Minx frowns, "You have nightmares?"

"Of course I do," Cry sighs, "Who wouldn't with everything we've all been through?"

She looks down, tucking hair behind her ear, "You never said anything.."

"No one ever asked." he shrugs, "Besides, you've had a harder time with them than the rest of us, so.. Mine didn't seem as important."

"That's not.." she glances back at him, barely able to make him out in the darkness. He smiles softly, "I know."

She carefully gets out of her sleeping bag and walks over, sitting down beside him. She rests her head on his shoulder, "Will we ever sleep well again?"

"I don't know," he states, "I don't always have nightmares, but.. When I don't, I don't remember dreaming."

"I have good dreams, but they always end up as nightmares before I wake up." Minx closes her eyes, "I remember the most stupid things, and they twist into terrible dreams."

"What do you remember?" he glances down at her.

"Making the sign to come pick you guys.." her voice is barely audible, "Making videos with you, Ken, Felix, and everyone.. The songs with.."

She stops, her voice caught in her throat as tears fill her eyes. Cry puts his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder, "It's okay.. I think about it, too."

She shakes her head, closing her eyes, "Sometimes my dreams aren't nightmares until I wake up."

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"They're really good, normal dreams," she says, "just hanging out with our friends.. The people we've lost and those we haven't heard from since this all began. Just.. Normal, everyday life. And then I wake up, and the world is this and those people are all gone."

"Oh.." he nods, "The world is the nightmare."

"Is that wrong?" she asks softly.

"Nope," he sighs, "It's just a fact. One we'll just have to learn to live with."

Minx sits up, looking at him, "What did Ohm say to you before he died?"

Cry stiffens, "What..?"

"Did he..?" she takes a deep breath, forcing herself to keep eye contact with him, "Did he hate me..?"

Cry stares back at her with wide, sad eyes, "Michelle.. He didn't hate you, not at all."

"He said that?" she asks, her voice cracks.

His eyes soften, "He didn't have to. Ryan did not hate you, Michelle."

Minx shudders as the tears start to fall down her face. Cry says nothing as he wraps his arms around her. She clings to him as she cries and he just holds her in silence, stroking her hair soothingly. Tears fill his eyes as well, but he doesn't bother trying to stop them. After awhile, they both calm down and Minx pulls away from him. She sighs, "So, uh, want me to take watch now? I'm wide awake anyway."

He shrugs back, smiling softly, "Sure. Wake me up in a few hours."

He lies down where Minx had before and she stays where she is in front of the door.

...

"So, are we following the road around Fort Lauderdale?" Dan asks with arms crossed and eyes narrow.

Cry nods, adjusting his hold on his bag, "That's the plan. We're not really in a good position to take on bandits at the moment."

"Why not?" Minx asks.

"We're a small group," Dan replies pointedly, "three people is not going to scare off anyone or be able to take on more than maybe four people at a time. We're at a disadvantage."

Minx frowns, "Good point, I guess."

"Come on," Cry gestures ahead, "I'd like to get somewhere by nightfall."

The small amount of bickering stops and Minx and Dan follow Cry's lead. The hot Florida sun beats down on them, a sudden change from the snow they were getting used to back home, well to Minx and Dan anyway. The heat was still bothersome to Cry, but he was used to it. They follow the road in silence, there wasn't anyone else that they could see along the path, but they can hear the moans of the dead on the wind. Another constant they've become accustomed to.

The city in the distance, it looks deserted and left to rot. They had stayed away from the bigger cities back in the UK, so to be this close is just unsettling. It doesn't look right, just like Miami. Another sight they'll have to get used to. Dan's getting real tired of this already, but he's far too proud to let himself give up. So what if the entire world all looks the same, broken and rotting? He'll just have to get used to it if he wants to survive here.

Does he even want to survive? Sometimes he almost convinces himself he doesn't, but then he reminds himself that giving up would mean that everything he's been through really meant nothing at all. That's really the only thing that's kept him alive since Phil died. If Dan let himself give up, he'd be no better than Signe, he'd ruin Phil's memory. Phil wanted them to survive, and it's for Phil that he marches onward,

Though they still don't really have any real plan for their future. Will it always be just going from one place to another? Is it even safe to stay in one place for awhile? Minx muses as these thoughts fill her mind. Maybe a short goal would be better, since there's no telling how each day could end. She looks back at Dan and he raises an eyebrow at her. She slows her steps a bit so she's walking beside him and he frowns at her, "What are you doing?"

"You've been really quiet when you're not being snappy. I'm just.." she sighs, "worried about you. Are you doing alright with everything?"

"As much as I can be," Dan shrugs, "There just isn't much to talk about besides losing people, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to talk about that."

"That's probably something you should talk about sometime soon." she replies, "It helps more than you think it might. It helped me at least, and we all know how well I've been taking things."

Dan lets out a sigh, "I get it, I really do. I just don't think I'm ready for that talk yet."

She nods, "I understand. I just want you to know that you can talk to me about anything, Dan."

He nods back slowly, "Right. Thanks."

There's silence again and Cry looks back at them. Minx smiles softly his way, and he returns the smile. Dan is staring at the road, which has become normal, but he looks more thoughtful than usual, so Cry takes that as a good sign. He faces forward, keeping an eye out for anything or anyone that might come for them. He sees nothing so far, besides the iron gates walling off the city, but he doubts those would hold if the infected inside got a good glimpse of what could be their next meal.