**Y/N's POV**
BEEP BEEP BEEP
I rolled over to my side as I heard my girlfriend groan and then let out a huff. "Y/NN, I swear to God if you don't shut that damn alarm off" I opened one eye reaching for my vibrating phone on my nightstand. I slid my finger across the screen to stop the alarm. I then turned around to my original position, stuffing my face into my girlfriend's neck "are you happy now?" I mumbled as I wrapped my arm around my girlfriend's waist pulling her closer into my grasp.
"Very shut up now so I can go back to sleep" I chuckled at her response "I think the point of an alarm is to wake you up my love" I replied as I kissed her neck sweetly.
These were the small moments I truly lived for. My girlfriend Florence and I had been together for almost three years now. Florence or Ren as I called her was truly my best friend and the absolute love of my life. She was born in Oxford but was raised in Manchester, England. She then moved to San Francisco several years ago after she lost both parents in a devastating car accident.
Florence was in the car when it happened. They were taking a small road trip from San Francisco to UCLA where her older brother Tom was attending school. On their way back to San Francisco a driver of a semi-truck fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into their rental car. Killing her parents instantly and sending Florence to the hospital where she was in intensive care for the next week.
When her parents passed Tom took over the parenting role completely giving up his college education to solely focus on his younger sister.
When Florence and I met in our sophomore year of high school she was still dealing with a lot of issues from losing her parents in that accident. Everything between the two of us was strictly friendship and it eventually blossomed into a relationship our senior year of high school.
Tom has been completely supportive of his younger sister's relationship since day one and that truly meant the world to both Florence and I. Tom truly rooted for us to be together even when we were just friends.
When we graduated high school we were elated when we got accepted into Pacific Grove University. I honestly didn't know what I would have done if we didn't. Choosing what we would be studying for in school was one of the most stressful things we had ever done in our lives.
Florence and I had a few weeks of restless nights trying to decide because how do eighteen-year-olds know exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives? I decided to study architectural design while Florence decided to study film production. Now at twenty we recently moved into our first apartment and it's been nothing but bliss for us.
We were currently in my childhood bedroom at my parents house. Florence and I were house-sitting and looking after my sixteen-year-old sister Winter while our parents were on an anniversary trip to Italy.
My mom and dad met when they were in middle school and had me in their senior year of high school. To say I was a surprise in multiple different ways was an understatement. I was born intersex and it took a while for my parents and the rest of my family to fully understand my condition.
Somehow amongst the chaos of raising a baby and being newlyweds fresh out of high school both of my parents went to college and graduated from law school. When I was six my parents decided to go their separate ways like most kids with divorced parents. I took it hard for a while.
When I was nine my mom met my stepdad Angelo and a few years later Winter was born. I couldn't tell you how excited I was to finally have a sibling. I remembered holding Winter in my arms and promising the newborn I'd do whatever it took to protect her no matter what.
My real dad moved to Dubai when I was sixteen and I didn't have much contact with him ever since but I had Angelo and that's all that mattered to me.
"Alright I'm getting up to make sure Winter is getting ready so you need to get up brat," I said to Florence as I kissed her neck one more time before crawling out of bed. I walked down the long hall to my sister's room before knocking on her door a few times before finally entering the room.
"Win you gotta get up now" I whispered while gently shaking my younger sister. Winter stirred in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes "huh?" The young girl asked and I chuckled "you need to get up I still need to run and get gas. We can stop at The Hideout to grab a smoothie and breakfast but you need to hurry up." With my words, Winter was fully awake now quickly climbing out of bed and going into her bathroom.
The Hideout was one of my and my sister's favorite breakfast spots. They had the best coffee, tea, boba, smoothie, and breakfast menus around. It was a place that neither of us went to without the other one. And when I visited my family I always made it a point to take Winter there and it's a place Florence was hooked on when Winter and I took her one weekend when Ren and I started dating.
After hearing the shower start in my younger sister's bathroom I walked out of my sister's bedroom closing the door behind me and walked back to my room joining my girlfriend in the shower. After the both of us were done showering we got out and got dressed one thing Florence always told me she loved about me was my fashion sense. She said I made the simplest of outfits look incredible and today was no exception to that. We did our hair together and Florence decided on skipping her usual makeup routine since we were on a time crunch this morning.
About twenty minutes later I heard a knock on my bedroom door "come in" Florence said loudly as she tied her shoes "where's big head?" Winter asked, making me let out a loud laugh from my on-suite bathroom "You got your nerve punk I know you aren't talking about my head have you seen yours?" I jokingly said walking out of the bathroom as I sprayed myself with my favorite fragrance.
Winter rolled her eyes "you almost ready?" Winter asked and I nodded before walking into my closet and grabbing a pair of Jordan 1's and sliding my feet into them. I then grabbed my cell phone off of the charger and then my car keys then I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder.
"You ready babe?" I asked and Ren nodded, grabbing her phone off of the charger and then her backpack. The three of us walked out of the room with me last closing my bedroom door behind me. Winter walked down the stairs and to the front door. It was a pretty chilly day in San Francisco with light rain, the exact weather the two of us sisters loved. I walked out of the front door locking both locks and pulling my phone out to arm the security system.
I unlocked my brand new black 2021 BMW X6 M that I received from my parents for my birthday just a few weeks ago. The three of us got in the car and waited for the security gate to open up before I pulled out of the driveway "can I hook up to the Bluetooth?" Winter asked "don't play no bullshit Win you know big sis doesn't play about her music" I replied as I let my little sister connect her music to the car.
Pop Smoke's Something Special began blasting through the speakers making me look back at my little sister with a smirk "you know you taught me well" Winter said with a wink making me laugh. The three of us began rapping along with the song. About five minutes into our drive I pulled up to the gas station and got out to fill up my tank.
Eighty-five dollars later the tank was full and I got back in the driver's seat and was off to our next destination, The Hideout. It took another ten minutes before the small hidden treasure came to view. I parked the car and all of us got out. Ren grabbed my hand with a smile as she intertwined our fingers together. I looked at the blonde with so much pride as I leaned down a little to peck my girlfriend's lips.
We walked inside the busy cafe and made our way to the counter to order Florence leaned back into my hold as I had both of my arms wrapped around the blonde woman's shoulders. "You two know what you want?" I asked my sister and my lover they both nodded "what can I get you, ladies, this morning?" The man behind the counter asked with a smile.
"I'll take a large strawberry banana smoothie and a bacon breakfast burrito," Winter said the man put her order in before looking at the two of us "umm I'll take a large vanilla chai with almond milk and a ham, egg, and cheese croissant," Florence said and moved a little so I could walk up to the counter. "And I'll take an extra-large coconut boba with a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant and a dozen white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies."
The man smiled as he punched her order in "is that for here or to go?" I looked at my phone seeing we were cutting it close on time. "Uh we'll take it to go, please" the man smiled again "your total will be $25.88" I paid with Apple pay earning a thankful smile from my younger sister and my girlfriend. The man said it would be a few minutes so the three of us walked off to the side and took a seat in a small booth.
"How do you like college?" Winter asked and Ren shrugged "it's alright, it has its moments of being fucking stressful but I like what I'm studying, and having your sister there with me isn't bad at all."
"I know I say this all the time but I fucking love your accent," Winter said making Florence laugh "it's the one thing that caught my attention right away" I chimed in. The three of us talked about random things for the next few minutes before our food and drinks were brought to us. We grabbed our bags and walked out of the cafe thankful that we showed up when we did.
As the line was almost out of the door now we got in my car and were off to our next destination. Winter's high school Ocean View High is the same school Florence and I met and anytime we visited the school together we were always hit with a sense of nostalgia.
"Remember I get out at three and Travis is coming over for dinner. Mom already said it was fine," Winter said to me, making me fake glare at her "I remember dork you reminded me like five times last night. Have a good day, love you." Winter did the handshake we made when we were younger "love you guys!" The younger girl said as she closed the door and ran inside of the school.
If only the three of us knew that would be the last small moment of peace as our world was about to be flipped upside down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After dropping Winter off at school it was a twenty-minute drive to our college Ren and I spent it just joking around with each other. If you can't joke around with your girl what type of relationship is that? After we pulled up to our school I parked in my designated spot and quickly ate my food so I wouldn't have to eat and walk at the same time.
Even though college wasn't for me I'm powering through it because I want to provide the best life possible not just for me but more importantly for Florence and the future family we want. When we started dating I promised her brother that I was going to do anything and everything in my power to make her the happiest woman in the world. After everything she's been through in her life she deserves the absolute best.
"Y/NN you alright babe?" I suddenly heard knocking me out of my thoughts "huh?" I asked slightly confused "I asked if you were alright I was calling you for a second" my girlfriend replied, "yeah I'm good baby you almost ready to head inside?" Ren nodded as she gathered our trash and put it in the bag. She grabbed her drink and her backpack along with the bag of trash and got out of the car. I grabbed my drink, bag of cookies, and my backpack and got out of the car, locking it before putting my keys in my pocket.
"What should we do for dinner tonight?" Florence asked me as she looped her arm through mine I shrugged "not like my vote counts when you and Winter are together so I'm fine with whatever" Florence playfully glared at me she stopped and threw our trash away before continuing our walk to our classes.
Today our classes were in buildings right next to each other which was great since the rain had picked up a little bit since we left the house. "Yo!" We turned around to see our friends walking towards us. We stopped to let them catch up to us. Benjamin or Benji as I called him went to high school with us. Isaiah or Izzy I had known since middle school along with Zoe who I had pretty much known my entire life.
Her parents knew my parents back when they were married and it's been history ever since. I liked keeping my circle small and the people I had around me were all I needed and Ren was the missing piece to our group. She fit in perfectly with all of us. Zoe and Florence were both studying film so they had all of their classes together. The boys and I were all in the same classes. We had a dream of opening up an architectural firm when we graduated.
"I'll meet you right here after class," Florence said as she pecked my lips a few times before hugging me. "Alright I love you" I replied hugging my girlfriend back "I love you more" Florence replied as she took the umbrella out of my hand and linking arms with Zoe as they began walking towards the building.
"Bitch let's go inside, I'm freezing," Benji said as his teeth chattered. I chuckled and shook my head. "It's not even that cold calm down grandma," I said looking back at my girlfriend making sure she and Zoe got inside safely. Once they climbed the steps to go inside the building the boys and I walked into the building where our classes were being held. Luckily for us, our favorite seats at the top of the auditorium were still free so that's where we took our seats.
I pulled my Surface Pro out of my back and turned it on along with a notebook and a pen. "Oh I forgot to say I hate you," Benji said as he glared at me. I scoffed "the hell did I do?" Beji pointed to my cup that was still almost full. "You went to The Hideout and you didn't bring us anything bitch" I laughed and shook my head "hey I had to take Winter you know it's tradition. And bitch before you start crying I did bring you something." I replied pulling out the bag of cookies I got this morning.
Before Florence and I got out of the car earlier I made sure to give her a few for herself and Zoe. I kept some for myself and handed Benji and Izzy some "ooh I take it back you're the best" Benji replied as he stuffed a cookie in his mouth Izzy looked at him with disgust "you're fucking gross slow down bro it's not going anywhere." Benji flipped him off and rolled his eyes. Izzy flipped him off before quickly thanking me for the cookie and breaking a piece off to put in his mouth.
Our professor Mr. Livingston walked in last like usual but he didn't seem like his normal energetic self which was kind of weird but I paid no more attention to it. "Alright guys I apologize but I'm feeling a little under the weather today so it's going to be a fairly laid-back class. So we will just continue your designs for your mini models. Remember they will be due in exactly one month. If you have any questions I'll be right in my office." Mr. Livingston said as he slightly coughed into his elbow. I couldn't be too mad at what would be happening in class even though this is something that could have been done at home but there was no use crying about it now.
One of our biggest assignments for this class was coming up with a miniature model of a home we one day wanted to design for ourselves. We were still in the 3D design of our homes which I loved. When I was working on this design I one hundred percent had Florence and our future family in mind.
We were both into the modern design of homes with touches here and there of gothic designs. This house in particular I decided to do a three-story home with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. I made sure it was nice and open with great sources of natural light because Florence was a sucker for natural light. It had to have enough room for hosting parties because that's another thing my girlfriend loved to do.
And I couldn't forget the backyard. It needed to be big and include a pool that's something that was on my checklist. After Mr. Livingston made sure no one had any questions so he walked into his office and sat down at his desk. I didn't give him any more attention as I went back to drawing on my Surface Pro. We were lucky to have a laid-back professor who wasn't a tough ass and let us talk and laugh. I mean we were in college things should have been different now as long as our work was being completed that's all Mr. Livingston cared about.
I put one of my AirPods in my ear as I began listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The White Vault. I got lost in my work when screaming knocked me out of my thoughts. I took my headphone out of my ear to listen to what was going on with more and more screams. I looked at my two wide-eyed friends. "What the fuck is going on?" Isaiah asked, making me shrug. I immediately pulled out my phone and called Florence not caring that we were in class. The phone just rang and rang. I hung up and texted her asking if she was alright.
"Come on we need to get out of here we need to get to the girls," I said as all three of us began to put our shit in our backpacks. I put my phone in my pocket and quickly got up when all of a sudden Mr. Livingston walked out of his office with his head down. "Sir what should we do?" A guy named Alec said his voice was full of fear and I honestly couldn't blame him. I was scared shitless because I didn't know what the hell was going on outside. But I couldn't think of anything else but getting to my girlfriend right now.
Mr. Livingston moved his head quickly in the direction of Alec and when he lifted his head I couldn't believe what I was seeing. His eyes looked nothing like they normally do. His usual blue eyes were now red and it looked like he was crying blood. He moved at a crazy fast rate of speed towards Alec. He tackled him to the ground and ripped into the flesh of his throat with his teeth. Everyone began screaming and trying to get out of the room as fast as they could.
Alec was thrashing around for a few seconds before he stopped and completely went limp. I don't know why I began counting one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. All of a sudden Alec thrashed one more time before pushing Mr. Livingston off of him and now Alec looked just like our professor.
His shirt was drenched in his blood, his eyes were red and the red-looking tears flowed out of them. He went after a girl. I didn't remember her name since she was so quiet. A few of her friends tried fighting him off but they didn't stand a chance against both men who were now covered in blood.
There was no way we would be able to make it down the stairs safely with how the classroom was. "Fuck we have no choice we gotta jump," Benji said pointing over the small wall-like barrier on the top of the walkway that led to the door. It was at least an eight-foot drop to the bottom from where we were but if we wanted to get out of here we had no other choice. Izzy and I nodded in response. The classroom was now like an all-out war zone. I couldn't believe what I was seeing with my own eyes.
This is shit you would see in a movie or something you'd have nightmares of in no way was this real life. Benji jumped over the barrier and landed on his feet, wincing on impact. "Come on!" He yelled Izzy followed after him landing the same way. I looked to my side seeing Alec looking directly at me. The look on his face would be something that would be burned into my memory for the rest of my life.
It was pure evil, like a rabid dog that wanted nothing more than to inflict pain on its prey. He began running towards me I hopped over the barrier and landed on my feet a small amount of pain shot through my feet but I didn't give a fuck the only thought I had was 'I needed to get to Ren.' Izzy stepped in front of Benji and looked back at me "we're getting the girls right?" I nodded immediately and he looked at me and nodded back. We all took a deep breath as Izzy pushed the door open that led into a pretty big hallway that was now full of people. Blood was everywhere, the metallic smell of it was sickening.
"Stay close and stay fast," Izzy said as we began running down the hall and to the main door that led outside. The screams and yelling were deafening. The scene outside was even crazier backpacks everywhere, blood covered the ground, students were running in every direction.
We began running towards the building where Ren and Zoe were in. Every few seconds the door would open and students would run out with people who were covered in blood running after them. How the fuck did things get so bad so fast? This morning things were normal and now it was something I had never seen before.
We ran up the stairs to the building when the doors swung open. People just like Alec and Mr. Livingston ran after a group of guys and they were hot on their heels. "What room?!" Izzy asked as we ran down the hall. The scene was the same as our building "twenty." I yelled back it was the very last classroom and a group of those people were in the classroom before it. I knew this wasn't going to be good but I had to get to my girlfriend. I refused to leave without her.
A group of at least seven girls and guys ran out of the bathroom that was directly in front of the classroom that was filled with these fucked up people catching their attention. They were running towards us so we immediately stepped to the side as far as we could.
The group ran past us with the others running after them making it way easier for us to get to the girls now. Room twenty was now feet away from us. We went to the room and pulled on the door and it wouldn't open. I pushed past my friends and pounded on the door. "Open the door!" I yelled. Nothing was heard in response I pounded on the door again and tried opening the door and nothing again "open the fucking door my girlfriend is in there!"
I didn't want to think of the worst possible case I could only hope and pray no one in there was sick or whatever the fuck these people were. "My girlfriend is Florence Pugh now please open the damn door!" I didn't want to be out in the hall because it was too open and these people could come back at any moment.
Suddenly I heard a click on the door and it slightly opened. I could see a big man on the other side of the door with something metallic in his hand "see we're fine. I just need to get Florence" I replied, showing myself and my friends. Soon the door opened fully and there was my girlfriend with tears in her eyes but she was fine, she was normal "baby oh my god" she sobbed as she ran into my arms. I was fine now. My girl was alright and so were my friends. "We're fine babe, we're going to get out of here" I did my best to soothe her as I kissed her head.
We went back into the classroom just to give ourselves a few minutes to think about what the next steps were. I looked around their auditorium seeing around twenty students in the room all completely shaken up, some of them on their phones crying. Others looked completely lost in their thoughts.
"What are we going to do?" Ren asked as she held onto my hand tightly. My friends looked at me as if they were waiting for me to answer. I breathed deeply. I still didn't know what was going on myself. Now I had my friends looking to me for an answer "first off I gotta get Winter I don't doubt this shit is going on just here. I can go alone, everyone else goes as a group to everyone's houses, pack a few bags of clothes, food, whatever else you think we'll need. Meet back up at my parent's house and then we'll go from there."
Of course, they all fought me on the whole idea of me going alone."I'm not going anywhere without you. We're a team, remember I'm not leaving you alone Y/N." Florence said and there was no way I was fighting her on that. "Fine, Ren and I will go get Winter. You three will go and pack your bags. And we'll meet at my parent's don't stop for anyone else. We don't know if they're sick or some shit." Everyone agreed with that. Luckily Benji, Izzy, and Zoe lived only a few minutes away from each other so they weren't driving all over town to do this. I knew if it was crazy here it would be crazy everywhere else.
We didn't think twice when we left the classroom. Izzy and Benji held onto Zoe's hands while I held on to my girlfriend's hand tightly. We made our way out of the building. My girlfriend and Zoe were both sobbing at what they were seeing. I couldn't allow myself to feel anything at this moment. I needed to get to my little sister. I couldn't imagine what she was feeling right now. "Don't focus on anything else baby just keep running" I said to my girlfriend not wanting her to see all of the death around us.
Something caught my eye running from the side of us I turned my head to see a group of at least twelve of those sick people running towards us "fucking run faster!" I yelled as I began picking up my speed.
Izzy looked in the same direction and his eyes went wide. He picked up his speed dragging Zoe and Benji along with him. "Don't look Ren keep running baby hurry!" I yelled at my girlfriend because those people were gaining speed.
We were finally in the parking lot making our way through the cars. I pulled my key fob out of my pants and unlocked my car. It was within eyesight we were almost there. I looked back to see the group still hot on our heels. I pushed Ren in front of me making sure that if they did catch up with us I would be the one they got. "Hurry!" Benji yelled as he looked in the other direction, seeing another small group running for us.
Izzy unlocked his car that was parked about six spaces from mine. "Remember the plan!" I yelled out as we reached my car. I opened the door and lifted Ren as she dove for the passenger seat just in time for me to close the door and lock it. I had never started my car so fast in my life. I made sure my friends got in their car safely and thankfully they did. Izzy pulled out of his parking spot like a bat out of hell.
The realization must have hit Ren as she began sobbing uncontrollably I couldn't blame her. "We're fine baby, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," I said as I grabbed her hand and kissed it. "What's going on? What happened to those people?" She asked, still crying "I don't know babe I wish I did."
I pulled my phone out and handed it to her. "Text Winter for me" she unlocked my phone "she texted you already"
After Ren read my sister's texts to me I knew she was probably hysterical right now. I needed to get my little sister out of that school safely. I couldn't focus on anything else but getting to Winter I refused to let my little sister be hurt by one of those people. "Call Tom make sure he's alright and tell him the plan" she nodded and pulled out her phone to call her brother. I could see that this was already fucking with her. I wish I had all the answers to whatever she was thinking of but we could only focus on one thing at a time. And right now it was getting Winter out of that school.
Making sure my little sister was safe was now my top priority.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The drive to Winter's school was completely different from the drive we had when we dropped her off only hours ago. I heard the dial tone of Florence's phone as she put it on speaker "Hey Chipmunk-"
"Tom, listen to me, something is happening. People at our school started attacking each other, literally ripping throats out of their bodies. Blood was everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. I need you to pack a few bags of clothes, food, whatever else you think we could use. And pack Apollo's food and make sure he has his leash and his harness. Meet us at Y/N's parent's house and don't stop for anyone else."
"Wait what? Chipmunk, that's not funny you don't joke around about stuff like that." Tom said from the other side of the phone. "I put that on mum and dad's grave. I'm not kidding Thomas. These fucking psychotic people chased us to our fucking car. I watched them attack other students for no reason. We're on our way to get Winter now please do what I said and do it quickly. Don't stop for anything or anyone. Meet us at the house and stay put until we get there alright? Zoe, Benji, and Izzy are meeting at the house too so keep an eye out for them." Florence said, trying to make her brother see how serious this was.
"Alright, alright I hear you I will. Be careful you two. I love you both. I'll see you guys soon." We both replied with a 'love you too' and then the phone call ended.
I could just hear the fear in Florence's voice and I wish with everything in me that I could take that all away. I reached over and grabbed Florence's hand and squeezed it. I took my eyes off the road for a second to look at her.
"I know you're scared right now babe and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't because I am. But I promise you I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we stay safe alright?" Florence nodded and kissed my hand "I know I believe you baby" that's all I needed to hear that's all I wanted her to know.
To know that I was going to do whatever it took to keep us all safe from whatever this shit was.
As we got closer to the school the more nervous I got. I could only hope and pray that by some miracle Winter and Travis got to the woodshop; it was in a smaller building that wasn't attached to the school. If they got in there all I would have to do is drive through the baseball field to reach it.
"I'm going to get out and look for them. I want you to stay in the car and get in the driver's seat. Just in case anything happens we'll be able to jump in and leave." Ren glared at me "what fucking part of I'm coming with you didn't you understand back there?"
I clenched my jaw "please don't start this babe I'm trying to keep you safe if something happened to you I'd never be able to forgive myself can you please just do what I asked?" She rolled her eyes and sighed "fine, but just like you want me to be safe I want the same for you, Y/NN, if something happened to you I wouldn't know what to do with myself." I kissed the back of her hand "I know babe, I know but trust me on this one please?" Ren nodded "alright I'll do what you said but you better fucking come back to me Y/N" I looked at her and smiled "I promise I'll do my best."
We got to the school and the scene was almost identical to what we had just experienced on our campus. More of these people were chasing students and teachers around the parking lot. All of these sick people were covered in blood. My mind was going a million miles a minute. Was my sister safe? How were my parents? What the hell happened to these people? Where were we going to go?
I drove to the back of the school and to where the old woodshop was. I took a breath and tried to calm myself down. "Alright, when I get out jump in the driver's seat keep your eyes scanning around I shouldn't take long" I leaned over and kissed my girlfriend deeply I rested my forehead against hers "I love you," I said kissing her head "I love you too" she replied as she pecked my lips again.
I scanned around the area before I got out of the car and watched as Ren climbed over the center council and got into the driver's seat as I said. I walked towards the entrance of the small building and grabbed a hold of the doorknob. I said a silent prayer that my little sister made it here safely. I turned the handle and tried opening it with no luck "Win it's me" I said through the small crack in the door I waited for a response that didn't come. "Winter it's Y/N," I said again as my heart began pounding out of my chest.
I heard an inhuman-like scream. I turned my head to see a group of sick people coming down the back steps of the school. I pounded on the door "Winter open the fucking door we need to get out of here!" I yelled I looked back to see the group a fairly close distance away from me now. Just then the door opened up to reveal my little sister had her sweater ripped open but she looked in good condition and tears were streaming down her face. I engulfed her in a hug breathing out a sigh of relief to see that she was safe along with Travis who stood protectively at her side.
"Come on we need to get the fuck out of here," I said as I grabbed my little sister's hand and pulled her down the steps of the small building. The group of sick people was now closer than ever. Winter let out a scream as she squeezed my hand even harder than she originally was. We ran as fast as our feet could take us when we rounded the building.
I could see Ren's horrified expression on her face as she saw the group running after us. I could hear her take the car out of park and the doors unlocked. I opened the back door for my sister and then quickly opened the passenger side door to jump in but before I could I felt a tug on the back of my hoodie and I turned to see the face of one of those sick people. Bloodshot red eyes, blood-like tears streamed down his face, his clothes covered in blood as well. He opened his mouth and snapped at me. I heard my girlfriend scream in horror as I began to fight with this guy.
I began punching as he kept nipping at me thankfully missing every time. It didn't seem like the punches phased him at all. I only did what I thought would help me at that moment. I had been taught how to fight and defend myself by my dad. I grabbed the guy and put him in a chokehold. I looked to my side to see the group of people just like this guy ten feet away from me now.
I had no choice but to just snap this guy's neck which instantly shut him up as he fell to the ground. I waited for him to move again but he never did "get in Y/N!" Ren screamed. I shook my head as I did just in time as the group reached the car Florence pulled away from the building like a bat out of hell. I had to look back and watch the group run after the car but the guy I had just fought with remained on the ground and never moved again. I made a mental note about what I just witnessed.
I looked at my sister and her friend both had horrified looks on their faces. "Did you get hurt by them?" I asked. My sister shook her head "Ms. Rowlands our history teacher she got attacked by our principal it happened so fast. It was like she fell to the ground and got back up and she just wanted to hurt people. She grabbed my sweater and we started rolling around on the ground. She ripped my sweater and Travis grabbed her and hit her with a chair. After that, we just ran as fast as we could to the bathroom by the locker room.
That's when I texted you and then we ran out of the gym when you said to try to get to the woodshop. What the hell happened when everything was normal when we got here this morning?" Winter said as she began sobbing I hated seeing her cry. It always bothered me so much because I never wanted to see my little sister upset over anything.
"I don't know Win, I wish I had all the answers to the questions I know we have in our heads right now but I don't. We went through the same shit at our school. Right now the only plan we have is to meet up with Zoe and the boys at the house and we'll go from there. But I promise you I'm gonna do everything in my power to keep you safe alright?"
My little sister looked at me and nodded "I know you will, I trust you" she replied softly which made me smile. I looked at Travis who kept his head down "have you been able to get in touch with your family?" He shook his head "my dad left about three months ago he was fucking his assistant, my mom took off two weeks ago on a trip with her friends. I don't have anyone else."
My heart broke for the kid "I'm sorry to hear that, you're a part of our family now alright? We'll stop off at your house so you can pack a bag and you'll stay with us" he looked at me and gave me a genuine smile even if it was small. "Thank you I appreciate that" I smiled back at him "you're welcome kid" I replied I looked at my girlfriend who was white-knuckling the steering wheel.
"Hey," I said softly Florence glanced at me "I'm alright I could practically see the wheels turning in your head" my girlfriend looked at me again, and then it was like the floodgates opened once again as she sobbed, "I thought he was going to get you I didn't know what to do" I rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
"I know baby I was scared too but I'm alright he didn't do anything besides ripping my hoodie. I know that if he did I'd be like him by now but we're all alright." Florence nodded as Travis gave us the directions to his house. It was a smaller gated community not too far away from where my parent's house was.
He gave us the gate code and we waited for it to open. I made sure to be vigilant of our surroundings and I didn't see anything out of the ordinary yet. Travis opened his garage door and we parked inside just as an extra precaution he got out and unlocked the door that led into his house. We all looked around the house and Travis said everything seemed to be just as he left it.
"While I go pack my clothes you guys can look through the cupboards to see if we can use anything and we can take it," Travis said as he and Winter made their way upstairs I nodded in understanding.
Florence and I began to look through all of the cupboards pulling out canned goods and other things we thought we would be able to use at some point, we found batteries, a few flashlights, and a first aid kit. A few minutes later Travis and Winter came into the kitchen, a bag was slung over Travis's shoulder and a baseball bat was in his hand. Winter had an empty bag in her hand. She handed it to me and Florence and I began putting all the food and other items inside the bag.
"Got everything you needed?" Florence asked and the younger boy nodded as we all went back into the garage. I opened the trunk of my car and we loaded the bags inside "hang on we can take these too" Travis said as he began putting two packs of water beside the bags.
I thanked him for everything as we all got inside the car. Travis opened the garage and then the gate as well. I began pulling out when my girlfriend and my little sister screamed as an older woman stepped in front of my car. I glanced at her and didn't stop looking behind me as I pulled out. The woman began running towards the car. "Holy shit that's Mrs. Sanders," Travis said as the woman began running after the car I drove down the street as fast as I could.
A few more people joined the older woman but I didn't let that distract me. After a ten-minute drive, we pulled up to the gated community my parent's lived in. I put the code in at the main gate and held my breath hoping things were normal here as the gate opened everything seemed fine so I proceeded on.
My parent's lived at the very top of the hill away from all the other homes so it took another few minutes to reach the house. I put in the gate code and parked in the driveway. I saw two cars parked as well letting us know that Tom and our friends were here taking a weight off my shoulders. We all got out and walked up to the door where Tom was already waiting. He brought his little sister in for a hug as he kissed her head and cried.
"I was fucking worried you weren't going to make it what took you so long?" Tom asked and my girlfriend answered her brother as she hugged him back. It warmed my heart to see them reunited. They were all one another had in the world after losing their parents. They hadn't been back to Manchester since they buried their parents so they weren't in touch with any family from back home either.
I was knocked out of my thoughts when I was hit in the gut by two little feet making me chuckle "hi baby boy you good?" I said to our rottweiler puppy as I scratched his head and picked him up. Florence and I always said Apollo was our test run to see if we could handle a baby since we got him at only eight weeks old. He meant everything to me and my girlfriend.
I locked the door behind me and continued in the house with my four-legged son in my arms. I saw my best friends sitting on the couch watching the news. They all looked at the four of us who just got there with a different mix of looks on their faces "look at this shit" Zoe said as her voice cracked.
What we saw on the TV screen was something that you would expect to see in a horror movie. "They're saying these people aren't sick they're dead" I looked at Isaiah with furrowed eyebrows "they're dead?" My friends all nodded "think about it Mr. Livingston ripped out Alec's throat he bled out. Then shortly after Alec was up and moving around like that didn't happen. All of those other people were covered in blood so something serious had to have happened to them."
"They said we could end up like them from bites, scratches, and getting their blood in our eyes or mouth," Benji added. This was too much to take in my mind was spinning dead, these people weren't sick at all they were fucking dead. "What are we going to do? We can't stay in the city, it isn't safe anymore." Zoe said.
I knew that was true "I don't think we should even be in California anymore it's way too populated. My parents have that cabin in Colorado. It's hidden in the middle of nowhere. It's basically like Fort Knox. We should try our luck and head there." I suggested to the group I didn't know how to feel about having everyone looking at me to make the decisions. I loved every single person in this room and naturally, I wanted to do whatever it took to keep them safe.
Everyone stood quiet for what seemed like forever "I agree I think we should leave." Winter said leaning her head against my shoulder "me too I think that would be the best bet" my girlfriend added as she grabbed my hand and squeezed it. One after the other everyone agreed "I just want to make something clear we're a group, we're a family now. We make decisions together, we talk things out. If someone isn't comfortable with something you need to speak up. Can we all agree on that?" I said and everyone nodded.
"Alright let's gather some stuff from here we can split everyone up into two cars I'll take the Escalade, Izzy you can take my car, Travis, are you good to go with them just so we both have four people in each car?" Everyone agreed with that so Florence and I went up to my room to gather our things.
I changed my hoodie since the one I was wearing was ripped and had blood on it. I went into my nightstand and pulled out my Ruger LC9S 9mm handgun that I was legally allowed to conceal carry and clipped the holster onto my pants making sure the clip was fully loaded. I grabbed the box of ammunition from my closet and put it in the bag that I would be wearing.
I walked over to Florence who had changed her shoes and was sitting at the end of the bed. I kneeled in front of her and pecked her lips a few times. "Are you sure you're alright with the plan?" Florence looked at me and stared at me intently with her green eyes "I trust you with my life" she said and I knew it was sincere.
I kissed her passionately pouring every ounce of love I possibly could into it. I wanted her to know how much I loved her. We pulled apart when air became an issue. "I love you so much Y/N," Florence said as she stared at me once again "I love you so much more Florence" I replied honestly.
We got back up and grabbed some other stuff from my room like different pain medication I had in my medicine cabinet, another first aid kit, feminine products I had for Florence, more flashlights, and batteries. I put them all into a duffle bag and grabbed the one I had with my clothes. I set the clothes bag by the stairs. I walked into my parent's room and looked around, seeing various pictures they had on the wall of their wedding day, the last family vacation we went on. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed my mom's number. It rang a few times before I heard her voicemail.
I don't know why but hearing my mom's voice choked me up "mom it's Y/N I don't know if you're alright or if you know what's going on but things are very bad. People are running around the streets killing each other. We can't stay in San Diego. It's too dangerous so we're gonna try to get to the cabin. I have Winter. She's safe. Please call me back when you get this. I love you guys so much and I promise I'll do everything in my power to keep Winter safe. Love you bye."
I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears hit my lip. That's when reality hit me. I knew something probably had happened to them because there's no way they wouldn't have been blowing up our phones with calls and texts if they were fine. I grabbed a few pictures off the wall and held them in my hands looking at our happy family. I don't think that was our reality anymore.
I went into their closet and unlocked the gun safe and pulled out the small collection of guns my stepdad had along with the ammunition for them and put them in the bag made specifically for them. I thought Winter and I needed something of our parents with us so I grabbed two of their shirts and hoodies and put them inside the duffle bag along with the pictures. I went into their bathroom and pulled out a few things I thought we could use.
I looked around the room one more time before my eyes landed on my mom's jewelry box I walked over and opened it seeing her two favorite necklaces inside I took one that had an angel wing pendant on it and clipped it around my neck and carefully grabbed the second one that had an anchor pendant on it. I walked out of the room with the bags in one hand and closed the door with the other. I walked downstairs to see everyone had their bags in their hands.
I walked over to my little sister and clipped the necklace around her neck "so mom is always with you" I whispered in her ear as she clutched onto the necklace she looked at me with tears in her eyes. I wrapped my arms around my little sister and kissed her head. I truly didn't have words at that moment. Everyone looked at us sympathetically "alright let's get this stuff loaded up in the cars" I said cutting into the awkward silence.
Everyone nodded and followed me outside. Izzy, Zoe, Benji, and Travis loaded up my car with their bags along with two cases of water they got from inside the house. I opened the garage and Tom, Florence, Winter, and I did the same with the Escalade.
I ran to the smaller garage where I pulled out two big gas cans that my stepdad kept for the four-wheelers that Winter and I had. I put one in the Escalade and put the other in my BMW. Everyone went back inside and used the bathroom before I locked up the house.
"Alright put the address into your phone just in case we get split up. But do your best to stay right with us." I said to Izzy as I handed him two guns along with ammunition. He nodded and typed in the address of our family cabin. He gave me a bro hug and got into my car and started it. Winter hugged Travis and he gave her a kiss on the cheek making her blush.
Everyone went around and hugged each other because as we've witnessed more times than I wanted to today that things weren't certain. Florence grabbed Apollo after he used the bathroom and carried him as she walked towards the Escalade and got in the passenger seat.
I did one final look at the house that held so many amazing memories. All the birthday parties, the holidays we spent as a family, random movie and game nights. The sweet memories I shared with my girlfriend in this house all played through my head.
"You think this will be the last time we'll see this?" My little sister asked as she hugged me. I just shrugged "I pray it's not and that we'll be back here creating a lot more memories."
That was the raw truth I couldn't imagine not coming back here. But I couldn't think about the future right now all I could focus on was what we were currently going through and that was getting all eight of us plus my four-legged baby to Colorado and into the safety of our cabin.
**Florence's POV**
My mind was spinning as Y/N drove down the streets of her neighborhood. I couldn't believe this was happening this morning, it seemed like it was worlds away now. How quickly things changed for us things just weren't making sense. I couldn't believe the things I've witnessed in the last few hours. I kept pinching myself praying I'd wake up from a horrible nightmare but it wasn't this was reality.
"I tried getting ahold of mom and dad but neither of them answered. Do you think they're alright?" Winter asked from the back seat. Y/N sighed and clenched her jaw as her grip tightened around the steering wheel "I don't know I'd like to think they are but if they were I know they'd be blowing our phones up right now." My girlfriend replied.
Trying to get out of the city was tougher than we expected but Y/N managed to find a way to get to Colorado avoiding highways that would take us over twenty-nine hours that way. But we needed to avoid big crowds of people so we worked out that two of us would stay up and drive until it got dark while the other two did their best to get some sleep so they could take over driving duty at night.
We were currently in Utah a little over seven hours away from our final destination in Colorado. Y/N had been sleeping for the last few hours while my brother took over driving. It was ridiculously hard for me to get any sleep. The things we've seen were still burned into my memory and it was hard to think of anything else at the moment.
We had a few close calls along the way when we stopped in Nevada to get gas we decided to split up individually to gather more things we thought we'd need. Travis wasn't paying attention to his surroundings and one of those people got a hold of him. Luckily Izzy and Benji weren't too far away and killed them.
During that whole ordeal, we also learned that those people didn't seem to care about Apollo. He walked right past them bumping into them in some cases and they never batted an eye at him. I could see the wheels turning in my girlfriend's head with the newfound knowledge we had. But it made me feel good to know that nothing would happen to my fur baby just on the off chance he got away from us.
Y/N had a really good suggestion when we got to Utah we'd find a Cabela's store since it's a store for hunters and campers it would have everything else we'd need. Since everything started happening so early the chance of the store being open and gone through was low.
"Hey Chipmunk, we're getting close to Cabela's," my brother whispered. I gently ran my fingers through my girlfriend's hair and kissed her head "come on baby time to get up," I said trying to wake her up in the calmest way possible. I knew we were putting a lot of pressure on Y/N as if she had all the answers when in reality she was just as clueless about everything as we were.
Y/N began to stir, stretching her arms above her head letting out a small groan as the bones popped. "How long was I asleep?" My girlfriend asked in her raspy sleeping voice. "About four hours," Winter replied to her older sister. "So what's the plan when we get in there?" Tom asked.
"We need a little bit of everything. We'll break up into groups of two. One group will focus on the clothing. I say we'll leave that for Winter and Benji so Win make sure you grab multiple sizes and then look for flashlights, batteries, lanterns, and things that go along with that. And we'll need some new shoes. Boots, and things like that.
Izzy and Travis will gather hunting and camping gear. Tom and Zoe will focus on fishing gear and getting all the freeze-dried foods and MRE's don't forget about all the things that go with cooking.
And Ren and I will focus on weapons. Guns are good to have but we want to be as quiet as possible. We'll still get guns and ammunition but I'm more focused on bows and arrows, machetes, things like that. And then we'll look for something we can put on the cars to carry all this extra gear on. And more first aid stuff. Grab any and everything you can. If you don't even think we'll need it, grab it."
Y/N's plan was solid. We'd be able to cover more of the store in that way when we finally reached Cabela's. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief to see the parking lot was empty. "Tom pull up to the side where the boats are. If we can get those doors open we can pull the cars inside and we'll have more time to load things up." Y/N said as she canvassed the area.
Since we left Nevada we haven't noticed any lights on anywhere so it was safe to say the power wasn't working already. There were a few radio messages but nothing in the last few hours.
Tom pulled up to the side where they had the fishing boats and Y/N got out and Apollo was quickly at her side. She looked around and signaled for us to get out. She quickly informed the other car of what the plan was and they all agreed to it.
We all put our faces up to the glass trying to get a glimpse inside making sure the store was clear. "How do we get in?" Zoe asked. "Easy, just break the glass" Travis replied. "We don't want to break the glass, we want to have the most cover possible right now. These locks look easy to pick. I found this screwdriver set at the gas station and Y/N had a nail clipper set in her glovebox and it has a metal nail file thing. So this should work" Izzy said as he grabbed the two small boxes from his pants.
Y/N held up her cellphone for him while he picked the lock about three minutes later he looked up at her with a smile. He began to lift the glass doors and we were officially in the store. Thankfully the power was out or else we'd be having to worry about an alarm going off right now. Y/N jumped into the Escalade and drove it inside the store while Izzy did the same with the BMW.
When both cars were parked inside the store they pulled the doors back down and latched the locks again just in case anyone came with the same idea we had. "Alright even though the store is empty let's try being as quiet as possible just in case a group of those sick fucks come along or someone else tries getting in here. Focus on getting as much as you can and we'll meet up back here" Y/N said before we all split up into our groups and went off to the sections of the store we needed to go.
We found a display wagon and brought it with us to the weapons section. There was every kind of gun you could think of within arms reach. I didn't know much about guns but Y/N was pretty knowledgeable about them since she had a concealed license to carry. And she'd go hunting with her family every year.
"I'll start grabbing the guns you go grab those bows over there and the arrows for them," Y/N said before she kissed me and told me she loved me. I pulled the wagon to where my girlfriend directed me and began to load various bows into the wagon. When I cleared out everything I saw the glass displays with various hunting and pocket knives.
I said a silent prayer as I tried opening the case and my eyes widened when it did. I began to pile them in the wagon with the bows and arrows. There were several big machete-looking knives and I knew that would have to come in handy at some moment so I grabbed those and set them in the wagon as well.
I made sure to do a double-take just to make sure I had everything I could have possibly grabbed in the wagon. When I did, I pulled it towards where I left Y/N. She had found two of the same wagons and they were filled with various guns and ammunition. Y/N heard me walking towards her. She turned her head and smiled. "Good job baby" my girlfriend praised me. "I think I cleared this place of ammunition. They even had gunpowder that could be used as a fire starter if we're in a pinch. I grabbed some cleaning kits and some targets so you guys can learn how to use this stuff.
And when I went looking for another wagon I found some training stuff for Apollo and some stuff for him to wear when it gets cold. Let's go take all this stuff downstairs and we'll put it by the car and then we'll find something to put all this shit in." Y/N said.
It took us a few different trips up and down the stairs to carry the wagons down to the first floor and to the car. Winter and Benji had a few carts full of clothes and boots and I could only hope that we'd find a way to bring every single thing we grabbed with us. Who knew how long it would take for things to go back to normal or if it ever would be normal again.
Y/N and I went searching through the store and finally found several cargo bags we could mount on the top of the cars and some cargo hitches we could add to the tow hitch on the back. The Escalade could carry two of the biggest cargo bags on top of it and one of the biggest hitches on it so we grabbed those and put them by the Escalade. We went back for another big bag to put on the BMW and a medium-size hitch and some smaller cargo bags we'd have in the cars just in case they were needed at some point.
"Hey we got everything" Winter whispered as she and Benji came up to the car with three carts full of clothing and shoes. The four of us began to pack things into the bags trying to save as much room as possible because we still needed to find another store to get more necessities we needed more of.
Just as we finished loading the things into the bags we heard Zoe screaming. Y/N grabbed one of the machetes I had taken earlier and ran towards the sounds of the scream. Tom was on the ground with one of those things on top of him. Zoe was cornered by another "Benji help her!" Y/N yelled as she ran for my brother.
Just as Y/N reached my brother I heard him let out a scream "it bit me!" My heart dropped at his words. Y/N grabbed the man and Tom helped her push him away. Y/N looked at my brother before she said "I'm sorry" she swung the machete and my brother let out a blood-curdling scream. "Grab something to wrap his arm up!" My girlfriend yelled again and I was frozen in my spot.
Winter ran towards the clothing section "Ren come on!" Winter said as she grabbed me. I didn't even realize Y/N had already killed the thing that bit my brother. "Alright Win hold on right here and I'm gonna pull tight. Tom, I promise you man I did it for a reason."
My girlfriend and her little sister began to work on my brother "what do you need us to do?" Benji asked with Zoe standing next to him. "Go back to the car and grab a bottle of that gunpowder and a lighter. And find a first aid kit." The two of them ran off following Y/N's directions.
"A-am I going to be one of those things?" My brother asked. I walked to his side and held his head "I don't think so bro. I've seen people get bitten and they turn within seconds. I had to cut above the bite just to stop whatever the bite does from spreading. If you were you would have turned by now. What I'm going to do next is gonna suck and you'll more than likely pass out. But I need to cauterize your arm."
My eyes widened at Y/N's words "babe you don't even know if that'll work!" Y/N looked at me and clenched her jaw. "If I didn't think on my feet and do that right away he would have died. I know what I'm doing." I should have given my girlfriend more credit outside of school. She worked as an EMT so her knowledge on something like that was way more than any of us had.
Benji and Zoe came back with Izzy and Travis all of their eyes were wide taking in the scene in front of them. "I brought some of the tequila you packed too, maybe that would work for something," Benji said as he handed everything to Y/N.
She handed the bottle to my brother and he took several large gulps from it. "Alright, Win and Travis I don't want you guys around for this so go over there with Apollo."
The two teenagers quickly took off in the direction of the cars while the rest of us gathered around my brother. "This is gonna hurt man so bite on this" Y/N said as she put a rolled-up shirt in his mouth.
I watched as my girlfriend poured the tequila over where she cut and the scream that still came from my brother was heartbreaking. Then she poured the gunpowder on the wound and then told me to turn my head as she set the lighter to his arm.
My brother screamed again for a few seconds and then it was quiet. "He's alright he's still breathing he just passed out," Y/N said as she poured the tequila on her hands before opening up some antibiotic cream she covered the wound in the cream, and then she carefully began to wrap some gauze around the area.
"We need to get to a pharmacy to find some painkillers and shit like that. Did everyone get everything they needed?" Y/N asked, "y-yeah we just gotta um pack it in those bags." Izzy replied.
"Look I know this is a lot to take in but it needed to be done or else he would be one of those fucking things. The world we knew only yesterday isn't the world we know now. We have to adapt to life in such a different way or else we'll never survive out there. We need to be strong, we need to work as a team, and we can't be afraid to do shit like this if we want all of us to make it through this. We're almost to Colorado, we just need to make it through the next few steps before we get there." Y/N said, voicing what I believe all of us were really thinking deep down.
Izzy, Benji, and Y/N carried Tom to the Escalade and put him inside where Apollo was asleep. We quickly packed everything and got things secured to the cars. Three of us walked around the top floor of the store making sure we weren't missing things we needed and the other three walked around the bottom floor looking for things too. When we were satisfied with things we made a plan to go to a grocery store in the same shopping center to find more items.
We got into our cars and waited for Benji and Travis to open the door. When they were in it was about a two-minute drive to the other side of the shopping center. Thankfully it was the same scenario at the grocery store it was empty so once Benji picked the locks we drove inside. Benji stood with me so I could watch my brother while the rest of the group grabbed more things we needed.
"What did you think when Y/N did that to Tom?" Benji asked. I looked over at my brother who was still sleeping "I honestly thought she jumped over the deep end for a second but I know her. And I know she wouldn't have done it if she thought it wasn't needed. I'm thankful she thought so quickly on her feet if not he wouldn't be here and I'd be without anyone.
I know I have Y/N and I have you guys. But he's the only piece of my family I have left. If I lost him I truly don't know how I'd go on. I know that when he wakes up he'll be shocked that all that happened. But he'll be thankful that Y/N did what she did." I replied honestly. I would forever be thankful that my girlfriend saved my brother's life.
About an hour went by before Y/N and the rest of the group came back to the cars. "I cleared out that entire pharmacy, you never know if we'll need anything. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I went down to the pet aisle too and got a lot of food and other things Apollo is going to need." Y/N said as she put a big hunting bag full of various items from the pharmacy in the trunk of the car.
"We got a lot of canned and non-perishable foods. We got some vegetables and fruits that were out. We can cook those up along with the meats that were in the freezers they're still cold. We just filled up some coolers with ice. And some more drinks and water." Izzy and Zoe said.
"And I got all the necessities. Tampons, pads, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant, and a whole lot more I cleared as much of the shelves off as I could. We're set for a long time. I know that much. Oh, and I got some laundry detergent. We might need that too."
Y/N handed me some snacks and drinks along with some painkillers Tom would need when he woke up while they loaded everything into the empty cargo bags.
Just as they were finishing up the sound of inhuman groans and screams filled the air. I watched as Y/N and Izzy walked towards the entrance of the store and both of them looked at each other before they quickly slid the doors open and then began to run back to the cars. "Everyone load up quick!" Izzy yelled.
Y/N jumped in the driver's seat "there's a huge fucking group of those things coming" my girlfriend said as she started the car. She floored it out of the store Izzy followed closely behind her. She wasn't joking when she said it was a huge group. It was easily forty to fifty of those things that were about eighty feet away from the store.
Feeling my girlfriend hold my hand was something I didn't know I needed until she squeezed my hand within hers. Even without words being spoken I knew things would be alright. I felt it with every fiber of my being.
**Time Skip 5 Years- Florence's POV**
Life for us changed in the blink of an eye. Everything and everyone we had known changed in an instant. When we made it to Colorado and Y/N's family cabin it was like we were able to truly take a breather that we weren't able to beforehand.
It took a while for all of us to fall into a routine but when we finally did everything became second nature. A lot of us didn't know how to live off the land as Y/N and Winter did so they had to break things down easily for us.
It took even longer for my brother to get used to life with half an arm. But as I thought he was grateful Y/N did what she did. He said he'd rather have half an arm than to not be around.
It was hard to acclimate to the new way of life we had to live. But thankfully because the cabin ran off of solar power we were able to still use everything like we normally would.
We were able to plant vegetables and we learned how to hunt off the land. The place was well secured. Y/N and the boys made sure to make frequent trips around the area just to make sure things were still as they should be.
My brother figured out a way to have all the ATV's run off of solar power too so we didn't have to worry about using gasoline.
Even though it wasn't legal, Y/N and I got married two years ago in front of our newly formed family. My brother gave me away and it truly was one of the most incredible days of my life. Y/N found our rings one day while she and the guys went out for a supply run for some parts they needed to complete our drinking water taps.
And it's safe to say my ring is one of my most physical prized possessions.
A year ago we welcomed our son Ashton Thomas Y/LN into the world and it was probably the scariest time not wanting to bring a baby into this new version of the world. But the minute Y/N delivered him and I heard him cry my outlook on things changed completely.
He was the piece I didn't even know we were missing. Everyone doted over our new addition to the family and it was like he was the beginning of all good things with our family.
Since his birth we hadn't seen a walker in over a year, Tom and Zoe got together and recently welcomed their first child, a little girl Everleigh Grace Pugh into the world.
Winter and Travis became an official couple along with Izzy and Benji. Even Apollo became a dad over the years.
While the outside world was going crazy our world within the walls of our home things thrived more than any of us expected. It wasn't easy but we all banned together building skills and finding ones we never thought we had to make this place our paradise on earth.
We're here, we're still alive, and we're going to continue to survive no matter what it takes. Now more than ever we have so many things we could lose and I know that we'd all be damned if we lost it now.
**A/N- Please don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT let me know what you thought of this one! Hope everyone is doing well out there. If you aren't following me yet please make sure you do so you can stay up to date with everything!
-Much Love,
B🧟♀️