Done For You

five//house of gold

(Veil's POV) 

We crept silently among the dead in a weapon store. We kept to the shadows in fear of being heard. Ashley was the first one to reach the gun section. I was fearful for him, but I knew that he would be fine. 

Lux flipped through the air and landed skillfully on the counter. She tossed loads of guns to Ashley, who handed them back to Jay, who either stuffed them in her bag or tossed them over her shoulder for me. I put them in my bag carefully. Next came the ammunition. 

Box after box of shells was handed back. It was a never ending cycle. Grab, shove, repeat. This went on for a couple minutes until we had finished. Lux had retreated back to where Jay and I stood. 'Where's Ashley?' I mouthed to her. She shrugged. 

I nervously took a step toward where I had seen him last. Then, came the yell. It echoed in my ears. Something had happened to Ashley. 

I darted forward without thinking. I pulled out my spearhead ended staff and began to make my way to where the yell came from. 

There Ashley was, lying in a pool of his own blood as walkers tore at his flesh. He was screaming his head off, kicking and thrashing, trying to get the hungry bodies off of him. 

I jabbed forward with my staff and took out zombie after zombie until they were in a heap on the floor. 

I choked out a broken sob and fell to my knees by his body. Ashley was still breathing shallowly. His eyes darted around wildly. I grasped his hand in mine and let the sobs rip through me. 

Lux and Jay rounded the corner and skidded to a stop behind me. I barely registered their presence. Lux pulled me away from Ashley with a sharp tug. I cried out and started screaming profanities at her. 

"LET GO OF ME YOU BITCH! HE'S DYING, HE'S DYING! AT LEAST LET ME HOLD HIM, GOD DAMNIT GET OFF ME, FUCK YOU, FUck you," my voice slowly dwindled from a scream to mumbling. I was numb, completely numb. I could only stare as Jay hoisted Ashley over her shoulder and ran after Lux and me. 

The bright light of the outside world stung my red eyes. Lux kept dragging me, aware that I was not going to be able to run. I heard the groans before I registered that we were being followed. Because of me. 

I ripped my arm from Lux's grip and made my feet go one in front of the other at a steady pace. Even this simple running almost was too much for my confused brain. Jay still had Ashley on her shoulder, even as we neared the compound. I knew it was too late to save him, and I knew that I would lose him. What was confusing me is why she even bothered to take him with us. 

Lux and Jay were screaming, trying to make their voices heard over the wall and the crashing of the river. I vaguely heard them call for someone to open the gate. I kept running, just flat out running, not caring if I was caught by the walkers or not.

We made it to the gate. I knew that none of us were in the shape to climb it or jump the wall. So instead, we resorted to pounding against the gate like walkers had done so many times. Mykie and Andy were sprinting toward us. Telling us to hold on. 

My eyes focused enough to see Michael standing in the courtyard, clutching Rosie to the side. His eyes teared up when he saw his father slung over Jay's shoulder. Tears spilled down his cheeks in flowing streams. Rosie was tugging on the hem of his shirt, asking him what was wrong. He didn't answer, just stared at me, crying. 

Rosie eventually got the hint that he was not going to answer her questions. She looked up. Her eyes widened when she saw what Michael had been looking at. What she did next, I did not expect. 

Rosie threw her arms around Michael, blocking his vision. She deliberately blocked his vision so he wouldn't stare at his dead father.  

Lux shoved me through the open gate roughly, telling me that this was not the time to zone out. I heard the gate crash closed as Mykie and Andy struggled to get it closed before the walkers broke through.