One Survivor

35 'Just you and me now'

Ava sat down, her legs dangling over the side of the cliff and she watched the barn finally crumbled. They had managed to get out by climbing down the other side, Lucas' sacrifice was their distraction.

Ava hadn't moved since. She was afraid, afraid of what she had just done and the consequences that followed, she had just killed the boy she raised, the boy she had learned to car for and love. He was gone, just like everyone else. Her eyes were locked on the barn and her hand gripping the gun she had used to put Lucas to rest, "Thirteen" she finally said, and Justin turned to her, kneeling down next to her, and looking into her deep hazel eyes.

"What?" his voice cracked, and she faced him.

"He was the thirteenth" she felt her own voice break, "He was the thirteenth innocent person I've killed in this world" she confessed, and the tears started to roll down her cheeks. The tears that felt like a burning fire and increased the hurt and pain she was feeling. 

"Ava—" Justin placed a hand on her shoulder, but she stood up.

"No. I just let the boy I could genuinely call family, the boy I have rescued and raised, I just shot him and let him fall to his death. He was only twelve. He was supposed to be the one who lives" she cried.

Justin stood up and stared at her, "I loved him. And if I keep having to kill every single person I love in this world..." she started and clicked her gun.

"Why don't I just kill myself" she held the gun to her head and Justin jumped up and held up his hands.

"Ava... put the gun down" he warned.

"Why? I can't keep doing this. I can't keep waking up and listening to everyone's voices in my head, and I have to keep seeing their dead bodies every time I close my eyes. I--... It's too much, it's killing me" she cried and gripped the gun tighter. She tried to pull the trigger but her finger didn't move, seeing Justin's panicked face made her feel weak, leaving him behind made her weak. She was just weak. 

"I know, I know. I know what you've done. I know that it was hard and that you have to live with it, but you did it because they would've suffered much worse if you hadn't of" he walked closer.

"I killed them. My mom, Paige, Lucas, Edward" her voice cracked at the last name.

"You did what you had to" he was a foot away from her now, "And I can't do this without you" he whispered. Hoping she would just put the gun down and fall into his arms.

He placed his hands on her cheeks, she broke out into a sob and dropped the gun, falling into Justin's arms. She cried into his chest, Justin let out a deep sigh and finally let lose, finally letting himself cry as he gripped onto her.

"I've got you" he sniffed and kissed her hair, feeling his shirt beginning to dampen form her tears.

They sat like that for what felt like forever, letting out the cries they'd bene holding in for so long, "You're my family Ava" Justin finally whispered when they calmed down, "Like my little sister" he let out a small laugh.

Ava heard what he said and smiled at the label.

Ava's breathing intensified as she ran through the woods. Her mind was racing, she looked to see Justin coming in from the side as he ran next to her, "Who the fuck are these guys?!" he yelled and tried to regain his breath.

"I dunno, but we left our stuff!" she yelled back. They were ambushed in the woods, all they had now was Ava's weapon and a gun. These people in a truck just suddenly appeared and started firing at them. Luckily neither of them were harmed but they were still in a lot of shit if thy didn't keep moving.  

Gunshots were sent their way and they ducked when they ran, slowing hem down slightly. "In there!" Justin yelled and pointed to an old warehouse building.

Ava grunted and ran for it, ducking and zigzagging all over the place, she rolled inside and climbed up the stairs with Justin following closely behind her.

They sat behind the railing, hearing the sound of a car engine draw closer and then stop outside the warehouse, "Come out!" a man yelled and they both exchanged looks.

"You pricks destroyed our barn!" a woman yelled as well.

Ava and Justin stared at each other in shock, "I thought it was clear?" Ava whispered to him and he nodded.

"Me too" he whispered, peering through a small crack to see four men and two women looking around.

"Let's do this the hard way!" the man yelled, and they heard a grenade activate before being thrown on the opposite side of the warehouse to them. It went off and Justin and Ava hid their faces, getting slight impact from it.

"Just blow the whole thing up" Ava heard someone say, she looked down to see them placing red sticks of dynamite around the room followed by gasoline.

"What do we do?!" Ava whispered more than she yelled, and Justin was about to answer only to be interrupted by a loud bang, then another, then another.

The warehouse shook and the car drove away. The roof began to give way and Ava yelled for Justin just as the side she was on fell and she did too. Fire and debris flew through the air and both adults cried out for each other in the darkness. The burning fire being their only source of light.