After Armageddon (Finished)

Ch 16 - Oops...

After deciding the three near-killers would stay with us, Tad was always some form of mad. Wether it be at them, El or some random thing he pulls out of the blue, he was always angry. At any opportunity he would get them away from me or visa versa. After El had given them the rules we all followed on instinct-plus a few more to ensure everyone's safety-they had to give up all of their weapons immediately and permanently.

Angel wanted to get Lane's old room, but from the daggers Crystal and Tad shot them, that wasn't going to happen. El decided for them that they would be sleeping in the living room. Thankfully there were minimum complaints from Angels backup, Rilee and Rachel. Even though they were both much bigger than us, the two of them always seemed afraid of Crystal and I. Rachel was probably bigger than the two of us combined, yet she seemed to be unsettled whenever one of us entered a room. I wonder why?

It was nearly midnight when it happened. Everything has been perfectly normal that day, Nina's giggles, Tad's complaining, Crystal and I talking trash about Angel like normal teenagers even.

But suddenly everything changed.  Nina started crying from her crib beside my bed as I woke up and heard the moans as well as loud shrieks from below me. I sat up with a start and jumped towards Nina to shush her. The covers that had recently been wrapped around my body warmly now lay abandoned half on the cold floor beside my bed.

I picked up Nina by her side and rocked her quietly.

"Nina, Nina, Nina... Shhhhh it's okay, shhh Nina it's okay..." I calmed her. After a few seconds of my baby talk towards her she quieted down and leaned her tiny head on my shoulder while shaking softly. "Nina, if anyone comes in here that you don't know, I want you to jump out that window okay? There's a big pile of straw right outside our window for you to land it okay? I want you to run to the woods and find that pretty white tree you saw with Crystal okay Nina? Can you be brave and do that?" I asked her in case of an invasion. She looked up at me sadly and slowly nodded. She looked out the window and smiled up at me cutely.

"Only if I don't know them?" She asked, probably hoping she could anyways. Toddlers must love everything dangerous. I nodded to her and smiled in the corners of my mouth. She drew her eyebrows together in a cute Nina pout. I set her down on my bed gently and walked to the door, "I'll be right back, but remember the plan okay?" I told her while I turned the doorknob to investigate. I quickly closed the door behind me as another scream echoed up the hallway.

I drew my knife from its pouch and walked silently down the hall, once I reached the stairs I peeked down them as well as I could. Downstairs two mostly defenseless girls fought off what seemed like five-no six, eight at the most- zombies that streamed in from the doorway. I started to run down the stairs when suddenly a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind and yanked me back.  The person suddenly capped a hand over my mouth and silenced the yelp I would have let out otherwise. They came close to my ear and shushed.