Days of Decay

Chapter Twenty Five

Asha's chest burnt from the running, and from the heartache that consumed her. The dull pain in her ankle had started to flare up once again and she wished that she still had her ride.

But he was gone.

As she approached the church, her run slowed down to a limping hobble, eager to get some sort of comfort, but also, struggling to get to where she'd have to relive what happened to Finn.

She dragged her foot behind her, one hand clasping Tally and the other holding the pendant and ring around her neck, her only reminder of him. She was sweating and her ragged breaths blew out clouds into the cold air. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire from her tears drying into a freezing wrap around her face. She needed to get inside, quickly.

She stood at the door breathing rapidly, recovering from the run as her free fingers fumbled to grip onto the handle. They felt numb all of a sudden and she couldn't hold anything other than the toy. She cried out her frustration and barged the door with her shoulder, hard. She hit it three times before it got pulled open and she fell in, landing into Max's chest.

"Whoa, what happened?" He asked, holding her out so he could look at her.

Asha didn't want to say anything, so she instead turned to face Boe who had already spotted her toy and was waddling over with a huge grin on her face. Asha struggled to walk towards her, so she ended up just holding out Tally until it was taken from her.

Once that was back in Boe's possession, Asha felt like she could collapse. The whole group seemed to be in the main part of the church and by then they had gathered around her, waiting for answers. Why was she alone? Why did she look like a traumatized child?

She stood shaking, threatening to tip over.

"Ash!" Kit was immediately by her side, helping her to stand.

She could feel everyone's eyes boring into her, demanding an explanation, but it just made it harder to get the words out. She felt so weak, like she could break into a thousand pieces right there and then.

"Where's Finnegan?" Daisy asked cautiously, forcing Asha to answer.

In between her increasingly scattered breaths, she managed to answer. "...He pushed me."

"Is that why you're limping? I'll fucking kill him," Kit barked.

Too late for that.

The fire burst in her. "PUSHED ME OUT OF THE WAY, YOU PRICK!" She screamed in his face. Tears cascaded down her cheeks once more.

"Asha, Asha, compose yourself," Max calmed her, taking her from the view of a hurt looking Kit and leading her –with help from Piper- to a pew.

The dark-haired girl sat where she was put, feeling fragile enough to be moved without a care. She stared ahead of her to the stained-glass window depicting a scene full of colour. She didn't want to look at her group, not when Finn wasn't in it anymore.

"Where is he? Where's Finn?" Sunny asked, parking herself on the pew in front of Asha, leaning over to her.

"...He's gone," Asha said, going completely numb.

"What?" Max bellowed a little too loudly in the echoing church.

Asha closed her eyes and sighed sadly, taking more care of her breathing. "There were Hunters... six of them. They followed our trail... but he was carrying me... they thought there was only him. He knew it and he hid me from them. He heard them coming before I did... he saved me," she breathed deeply, controlling herself in the wake of panic.