There's Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 13

"Thought we were leavin'" He asks

"We will. Eventually"

He doesn't get it... He lays his stuff on the floor and shuts the doors.

I kick off my boots.

"How long we got till sunrise" I ask

"'Bout three hours. Wh-... ohhhhhh"

I laugh and facepalm, "dumbass"

"That ain't nice sunshine"

"Who ever said I was nice?" I smile

He smirks and walks over to me. I dig through my bag, but he is already ahead of me.

I throw my hair up and smile.

"Ready?" He asks

"Since the first night" I smirk and take his shirt off.

You get the picture here.

The sun begins to rise, again I can't sleep. My head on his chest, I hear every heartbeat. It's calming, to think I have someone with me now. He loves me, he never hated me, he never meant to hurt me.

I pull the blanket on top of me more, winter must be here. I close my eyes and try to get some kind of sleep.

"Sunshine, wake up" He awakens me

I groan and snuggle close to him.

"C'mon we gotta get movin'" He says rubbing my back

"I don't wanna"

"We gotta"

"But I'm comfy"

"So am I but we gotta pack and go"

"Where, why, and are we comin' back"

"I found a farm. He's comin' back. Maybe"

"Ya got this all planned out?"

"Yes I do" He kisses the top of my head

"Good"

I get up, get dressed and start packing my bag.

"How we leave, is gon be tricky" He says

"Trust me, I know. I'm supposed to be dead right now"

"Yeah... But I got a plan"

"When don't ya" I smile

He grins, "Alright so this is how it's gonna go. You exit the mall from the back, I leave with our things again. I get out of sight, he will come in with ma brother. I got a manikin and put it in a bag so it looks like ya. I put some walker blood 'round it too. After I go to the farm, I'm come through the woods for ya. Don't make noise or he will kill ya. Got it?"

"What if they open the bag..."

"They won't find us. They can't track. Just stay hidden alright? I'll leave ya, ya knife"

"Why not my bow?"

"He gon watch me leave, if I ain't got ya bow, he gon figure it out"

"Alright. Be careful please"

"Always. Don't mess this up alright?"

"I won't"

He smiles and kiss me sweetly. I tightly hug him.

"I'll meet ya in the woods alright?" He hands me my knife.

"Of course" I smile and take it.

He exits out of the front as I exit through the back. I sit next to the garbage can, which is empty. I hear his brother and the sheriff talking, walking around the mall. They aren't by the door, I don't have anything to worry about. Listening to their conversation was interesting...

"Ma brothers a fool for goin' after 'er"

"She was worthless, weak, and wouldn't
do us any good"

"That's for sure"

"Never should have brought her back..."

"Well ya are officer friendly"

"To you I am. But when he laid eyes on her, his face was somethin' I've never seen from him"

"Hmm. He become a gentlem'n and sweet?"

For your information, he is the sweetest man I've ever met.

"He carried her to the farm. Took real interest in her"

"Love at first sight. Probably did 'er in the tent real good that night" His brother snickers

You might of, but not him.

"In her condition?"

"He got his ways"

"Whatever ya say. This place is clear. Guess he did get rid of her"

"Probably killed 'mslef too"

"Why ya say that"

"Or hid her alive somewhere"

"Why would he do that"

"He loves 'er"

"But she deserves to die" The sheriff's voice full of anger

"We will check again don't worry"

I look up, he is coming out of the forest. I run to him and hug him.

"Y'alright sunshine?" He holds me close.

"Yeah let's just get outta 'ere" I try to hide the shakiness in my voice

He takes my hand and leads me to the house.

"It's jus' like the old mans" I smile

"It is. Park my bike in the barn, house to ourselves, we good" He takes me inside

He fixed the house up as best as he could. Made the kitchen a kitchen, the living room a living room, and the dining room a dining room. He leads up to our room.

"Ya did all this...?" I ask in amazement

"Anythin' for my sunshine"

"Ya didn't have ta. A barn with ya woulda been fine with me" I smile and kiss him

"Well a house might be a lil bit warmer than a barn. I want the best for ya" He smiles

"Ya the best I swear"

"Nah ya are"

"That ain't true"

"Yeah it is, I know it is"

"Ya done so much for me but I did nothin' for ya..."

"Ya changed me sunshine. Ya made me stronger and realize what life is 'bout now. Ya saved me from that group. They were no family, not even my brother. Ya my family now. Me and ya. I owe ya so much" He smiles

I blush a little, "I love ya so much"

"I love ya more" His kisses me passionately

Until sundown, we fix up the house some more and put our clothes away. Our weapons in one closet, clothes in the other. We go outback and set up a small fire. He brought a log from the woods to act as a bench. He sits next to me and puts an arm around me.

"Reminds me of the first night on the old mans farm" I rest my head on him

"'Cept we weren't tagether"

"Ya just met me that day"

"True"

There's silence, I decide to break it.

"They weren't a family, were they..."

"No way. There were two actual families there. Sheriff, his wife and boy. The girl ya saved, and her ma"

"What 'bout ya and ya brother"

"Never were close"

"Still ya family"

"Why ya ask"

Shit.

"I heard 'em talkin' in the mall..."