One Survivor

44 'But, you're dead?'

Ava was driving slowly, two days. Two damn days she'd been on her own. It was the first time she was actually alone, the other times, she knew that her people were out there, but the people she loved were dead and she knew it.

Ava pulled into an old store and parked the truck, she needed gas and some food. She jumped out, her ribs had started to feel better, but the pain would come back here and there, she had found some pharmaceuticals to take that eased the pain.

She grabbed the gun and knife from the backseat and kept the gun in her hand and the knife in her holder, she walked inside and was instantly greeted with quiet whispers and cans clattering.

She loaded her gun and earned the click form it, "Hear that?" she asked into the supposedly empty store, "The next sound may the last thing you hear unless you come out with your hands up" she said into the store. Expecting someone to pop up, but there was nothing.

She rounded the corner but was immediately tackled to the ground, she cried out in pain when she fell on her side and slammed her ribs against the floor. She identified the person as a man, and he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down against the floor.

Ava struggled to move under his grip and when she tried to pull her knee up to hit him her ribs sent a pain shooting through her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She knew that she needed to get out of this situation, but her gun had fallen out of her hands when she hit the ground, she opened her eyes and felt her blood run cold.

You pricks destroyed out barn

Panic filled her as she looked closer at the man who was breathing heavily above her,

Just blow the whole thing up

"You?" she choked on her own words and it took him a moment to comprehend what she meant and then it hit him.

"So I only got one of you... what happened to the other?" he joked.

The same rage as before returned and fed on Ava's hope, "You're dead" she grunted and rolled them over unexpectedly, she managed to free her wrists and punch him across the face. She rolled off of him again and grabbed her gun, loading it and standing up, pointing it down at him in under five seconds.

He was mid-getting up when the gun was pointed at him and she had a stone cold look on her face, a face that didn't look anything like Ava, like she was missing and this person had taken her place, "So he is dead" he laughed and laid back down, knowing he won't be able to get up without Ava blowing his head off.

"You took everything away from me, that day" she felt a knot in her throat but swallowed it back down.

He laughed again, "You think I care, it's survival bitch" he told her.

Ava was shaking, trying to contain the anger she was feeling, "You got my brothers killed" her voice cracked, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Aw, the old 'brother' card? I bet you guys weren't even related" he chuckled one last time before she shot him in the leg.

"We were close enough" she spat while he screamed out in agony and reached for his leg. She kicked his hand back and kneeled down, pressing her thumb into the bullet hole, and digging in, he screamed even louder.

"BITCH!" he cried out and threw his head back against the floor, Ava didn't care about the attention she was drawing to her, she hoped that she would. So that the man who made her suffer could feel the pain she felt.

"I'd let you live" she started, "But knowing you're out there makes me sick" she spat on him and shot him once more in the shoulder just as DR's came flying into the store.

"No, no please, wait!" he yelled as she turned on her heal and walked away, she reached the back door and looked back in time to see the dead tear him open and indulge themselves in his flesh, the cries of horror he let out seemed almost like music to Ava's ears.

She slammed the door behind her and walked back to the truck, tripping up a DR that came her way and stomping on it's head. Ava climbed into the truck and closed the door behind her, placing both hands on the wheel and leaned her head against them.

"Did that make you feel better?"

Ava snapped her head to the side of her and pointed the gun at the figure, she felt like she had just shot herself, she felt like doing to when she met with the grey eyes.

She felt herself hyperventilate, Ava opened her mouth to speak but could barely think of any words to say, "J-Justin...?!" she panicked and lowered her gun. His hair was neatly styled, he had no beard and was in the same clothes form when he had died right in front of her. "But you're dead" she felt tears prickling at her eyes.

"Somewhere along the lines" he shrugged, and she felt herself getting his with a nauseous feeling.

She swallowed whatever was in her mouth, "How are you here?" she question and turned the safety on, on the gun and shoved it in her holder.

"I don't know" he said almost like a whisper, "You killed him" he added, and they made eye contact once again.

"He took you away from me" she muttered and broke their gaze, "You were my brother Justin, why didn't you fight? Why didn't you let me help you?" she heard her own voice break at her words, the feeling of emptiness returned.

"We both know you couldn't have" he adjusted himself in the seat.

Ava took a deep breath, "I miss you" she whispered and me this eyes once again, "I've missed you every day. I miss waking up and knowing you're there beside me, I miss the feeling of safety you made me feel... now all I feel is numb" she confessed, and he took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"That boy, he was special?" Justin asked her, she knew he was talking about Zayne.

Ava let out a small laugh, "He was stupid, feeling something for me that I knew would get him killed. And it did" she whispered the last part, letting her head fall down in shame.

Justin moved closer and lifted her chin up, "Listen to me, everone who dies... its never your fault. But you need to focus" he whispered back.

Ava closed her eyes and when she opened them, he was gone. Almost like he was never actually there, "Justin?" she asked into the emptiness of the car but there was no one there. It made her heart sink at the thought of him being gone again.