One Survivor

30 'The old Ava'

Ava slammed the pole into a DR's head violently. Not changing her expression though keeping it blank as ever, no shame or remorse to be seen.

She walked back to the community, no one talked to her, knowing what she had gone through two days ago.

She sat on the couch; Lucas was asleep in his room. She took a sip of water and sighed, closing her eyes. The second she did a flash of Ed's dead body flew over her eyes and they shot open.

"Ava...?" a muffled voice through the front door came followed by a knock, Justin opened the door and closed it behind him. Sitting down in front of her.

"Listen Ava... there was nothing you could do—"

"That's just it" she snapped, "There was nothing I could do. Nothing. I had to see the terrified look in his eyes and then kill him. I killed him" she motioned to herself and leaned forward.

Justin gave her a sad look and she just stood up, but he grabbed her by the wrist, making her drop the glass as she spun around. He pulled her into his chest, and she squirmed, trying to break out of it.

"Justin let me go" she told him, "Justin let me go!" she yelled.

"I'm never letting go" he whispered, and she calmed down, refusing to cry. "I'm not letting go" he whispered and rested his head n her hair.

Ava couldn't hold it in any longer and she cried out, tears pouring out of her eyes in the process. "I lost him again" she sobbed and tried to breathe. They fell to the floor and he cradled her in his lap, his own pain overcoming him. He let the tears fall form his eyes and down his cheeks.

"We all did, Small. We all did" his voice cracked, and he looked up to see Lucas standing in the doorway with puffy red eyes.

He held out his arm and Lucas jogged to him, running into his chest, and sitting on Ava's lap. She held him and sobbed, squeezing the boy tighter.

Lydia and Xander stood at the entrance, "It's coming. Isn't it?" Xander broke the silence and Lydia looked to him.

"Yeah" she whispered.

"What do we do?" he asked her.

"We let it happen" she sighed and pulled him into a hug, "Thank you for everything, we did it" she smiled and could hear the low growls in the distance.

Xander was going to protest, tell her that they could fight but he took one glance at the horde of DR's in the distance and knew they didn't stand a chance.

The crowd came closer and closer, until it finally hit the walls with such force it shook. Xander and Lydia still stood there as the doors fell down and collapsed on them.

Liv cried out in horror and Katie pulled her back, "We have to go! Liv!" she yelled and cupped her face in her hands, "We need to go!" she yelled and dragged her friend to one of the trucks.

Justin and Ava looked at each other, Ava looked out the window and saw the DR's pouring in. "SHIT!" she yelled and ran to the closet pulling out four duffel bags she had taken form the armory along with two guns for emergencies.

"Load up this one with all the food and water we have, fill up empty bottle before the water runs out!" she told Justin.

"Can you go pack your bag with everything you need, like I showed you?" she kneeled down to Lucas and he nodded, running into his room.

Ava filled up the rest with more weapons, ammo, flashlights, all of it. She zipped up the two bag and Justin came running over with the over filled bag, "Thank god for my paranoia" she muttered to herself remembering how she had stolen to some items form the storage unit and stashed them.

"Ready?" she looked to Justin and Lucas, she gave Lucas Ed's knife, "Keep it safe" she told him, and he nodded.

They opened the door and were immediately greet with a DR, Ava quickly pulled out her pole and slammed it into it's head. Lucas stared in horror but swallowed his fear.

They dodged people running out of the building, stepping out and seeing he chaos, they ran to their truck, being the only ones with the keys and hoping no one hotwired it. Fortunately, it was safe. They threw the bags in the back of the truck and Justin sat in the drivers seat.

He started the car after three tries and a lot of cursing, they reversed and managed to knock a few Dead Runners off their feet. They drove for the entrance at full speed not looking back as they plowed through the dead and ran off the road, avoiding any more contact.

Lucas squealed when they hit a few DR's on their way through the woods, Ava used her body to shield his face and make sure he didn't see anything she knew he shouldn't. 

"Where to?" Justin looked to Ava.

Ava smiled and let out a little laugh.