The art of survival (Maya Hart/joshaya)

Chapter 9

I walked outside. It felt weird not having the weight of my gun in my belt and the knife's handle scrape against my stomach. I felt like I couldn't protect myself. People looked at me when I literally stormed out from the wooden building in my search for Josh. Danvar was huge. It had walls of metal surrounding the whole place, solar panels, water and extremely many people. I hadn't seen this many people in the same place since before the apocalypse started. Did Josh really keep all this going?

"Wait for me Maya!" Riley shouted and quickly ran up next to me. I noticed that she had both a knife and a gun in her belt. He seriously let Riley carry a gun and not me? I felt more safe and protected when I was sleeping in a tree than I felt right now with walls and all. Walls are just walls, they can break and then what? Am I going to punch the living shit out of growlers or what? I thought that Josh would trust me. After all we have been through this is how he thinks of me, that I am some kind of crazy girl that should be kept away so that she wouldn't hurt anyone? It feels like he sees me like some kind of dog with rabies.

"Where is he Riles?" I growled. I am not good with a person anymore, that's for sure. Riley just sighed and pointed to the walls. My eyes followed.

"He said that he was going to check on the walls and I don't..." She started but before she could continue the sentence I was running next to the walls, rubbing my shoulder against it at some times. He wasn't anywhere near it. I had run the whole way around and I was starting to wonder if Riley lied when I saw Sarah standing next to the gate. Maybe she knew where he was?

"Hey Sarah!" I shouted as she turned her head towards me. She smiled.

"You look better without all that dirt Maya!" She shouted back at me.

"Do you know where Josh is? Riley said that he was checking the walls but I can't find him." Sarah looked at me confused for a second. It has probably not sunken in yet that they were my group.

"I think he is checking the walls outside." She said and before she could continue I just made a thumbs up and walked towards the gates. The people guarding stopped me before I could head out.

"You can't go out." One of them said. I crossed my arms. Seriously?

"I am just going to talk with Josh." I answered and tried to walk out again to no success.

"You are new, you are young and you are not going out." They said harshly. I sighed. Fine, better not make enemies the first day. I looked around the place. The walls were attached to big poles of wood and metal that didn't look too different from trees. I left the guards thinking they made a good job.

I had lost Riley in my fast run so I was alone. I quickly sneaked behind one of the houses and started to climb, it was pretty easy to climb them and I was soon on top of the fifty feet high wall. I was just about to climb down on the other side when Riley saw me.

"Maya! What are you thinking you are doing?" I just waved to her before quickly climbing down the outside of the wall. The air was chilly and the grass was covered by a thin layer of frost. I took a deep breath. I felt free again, now I just needed my weapons. I found Josh maybe a hundred meters away, looking at the bolts on the wall.

"Where's my weapons Josh? He spun around and looked at me shocked.

"Who let you out?" He said, clearly ignoring my question. I crossed my arms and looked down on the ground.

"Where, is, my, weapons?" I said, getting more and more frustrated and even though I tried to hide it I felt hurt. Josh rubbed the back of his head with his arm and looked at me with pain in his eyes.

"Why do you nee... Maya look out!" Josh shouted. I turned around quickly, immediately localizing the danger. A growler was just three feet away from me. Before Josh could react I had my hands against the growlers neck and swung it to the ground. I didn't give it time to grasp my leg before I kicked it over on its stomach and stomped on the back of its head. The blood splashed everywhere. I turned around and wiped some blood away from my cheek. Josh looked at me completely furious. He quickly grabbed my arm and dragged me close to him. He pinned me up against the wall. I was stuck between his arms. I could feel his fast breathing.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He whispered. I looked into his eyes and couldn't see anything but pain. My heart was beating like crazy. He stroked some blood away from my forehead while not breaking our eye contact for a sec. His blue eyes hungry looking into mine.

"What. The fuck. Are you thinking." He slowly said and I swear, he was about to kiss me before he quickly pulled out. He took my arm and almost dragged me through the gate again.

"She needs a guard protecting her all days." Josh said coldly to one of the guards. I tried to protest but he looked at me with such a crazy stare that I couldn't do anything but look down on the ground.

"We will send someone." One of the guys answered. Josh nodded and then dragged me back to the wooden house I had slept in earlier that day. He closed the door behind us. Riley sat on one of the couches with Cory and Topanga. They were alive too? My heart skipped a beat when I looked at the people that had been like my extra family but before I could even try to talk to them Josh dragged me away again. He pulled me into my room and started to leave.

"Wait, why don't you want me to have my weapons?" I said in desperation. He turned around as he stood in the door. He smiled a sad smile.

"Isn't that obvious?" He said before leaving and closing the door behind him. What does that even mean?