After Armageddon (Finished)

Ch 10 - Reunited

By the time they told me to slow down, my arm felt ready to break off. I hit the roof with the root the entire time. The metal sound gave me a headache within the third hit. It was worth it though. The tree of them still ran on, apparently having the same adrenaline rush I did. I might have become an official adrenaline junkie. I guess Crystal has rubbed off on me.

I could see the light at the end of the tunnel when they finally were safe above. I slowed my sprinting to a jog, then a walk. Still hitting the top, lightly now, I heard one of the footsteps stop and another grow heavier.

I reached the end of the tunnel I still hadn't heard a word from them. I tried pushing up the branches with little luck. I stuck the root through a small opening, hoping to poke someone and get their attention. Suddenly my hand was forced upward as the end of the root was leveled with the ground, holding strongly against my hand. I tried to drop the root and pull my hand out, only moving a few inches. Someone must have been standing on it.

I pulled myself up on my toes and looked through the hole, a fat, gray shoe was pressing with all its might on the root. I saw no danger outside however, just the three pairs of shoes I recognized as from our group. The branches above me were pushed up as one of the shoe pairs came closer to help. Twigs caught my golden hair and pulled it upwards.

I let go of the root and pulled myself up as Tad turned back towards the three of us, Lane and Casey held the branches up just long enough for me to climb up. Then they harshly let go at the same time, letting the branches fall with a crash.

"Who screamed?" I asked them, hoping it wasn't one of us. The looked at each other worriedly. Finally, Tad spoke up.

"Lane did. One of them attacked him from behind, I think it got him-" he said, more to Lane than me.

"No it didn't!" Lane shouted before gabbing Casey's arm and yanking him towards the house. Tad and I exchanged worried glances as we followed him, not believing his story.

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When we got back to the house, El and Crystal were standing on the porch next to a dozen duffle bags.

"Were's Nina?" I asked once in earshot of them. Crystal and El turned to us, Crystal waved excitedly, then pointed to inside. I was glad she was still okay.

We stepped up onto the porch, and quickly explained why Lane's shoulder was covered in a dark red, sticky substance. I thought Crystal was taking it okay, before she started talking fast and her voice went a dozen pitches higher. She and El rushed him into his Bedroom upstairs, El half carrying him. Finally getting the babying he wants. Crystal barely had time to look at her newly found boyfriend, after all, her brother was dying.

A few hours later, I was in the living room, sorting the food from heathy to last resort, when Crystal came and sat down with a long sigh.

"Is it really him? Is Casey alive? And here? I-I thought I saw him but I've thought that a lot and never really have so is he really..?" She cut herself off waiting for my answer. I looked down at her.

"Yes, yes, yes and yes." I said, answering her questions as quickly as possible. "Any more?" I asked, knowing what was coming next. Her face lit up, slowly completely understanding.

"Were is he?" She asked excitedly. I pointed to the kitchen were he and Tad were. She jumped up and ran into the kitchen. A moment later a heard her squeal and laugh with Casey. Tad appeared at the doorway, looking back at them and shaking his head, failing to hold back a smile for them.

"Can you believe them? All happy like that, they saw each other when we got here!" He half laughed. He sat down on the sofa with a mug of something dark and steaming. I plopped down next to him and looked up at the white ceiling.

"I'm happy for them. Even if he tried to shoot me." I said, a smile creeping into my face as Tad let out a big laugh.

"He did? I wondered why he shot his best friend." She said before tuning his head over to me. "No one could've shot you if they knew you." He said seriously.

"I don't know, a lot of people that knew me would love to shoot me." I joked. He twitched his nose and took a sip of the drink from his mug. Then he handed it to me.

"You can have the rest, I'm gonna go check on Lane." He said standing. As he stepped up the stairs a smelled the drink. Hot chocolate. I drank the rest of it slowly, savoring every sip.