Leaning on Taehyung's shoulder, you take a few deep breaths, drinking in the sight before you. Sunlight dances across the rolling hills, chasing away the darkness as the glistening snow is painted in swirling golds and reds.
With the steady rise of the sun comes the sound of the boys stirring behind you. A few yawn and stretch before turning to wake the others that hadn't woken up yet.
Amidst the yawns, you hear Jungkook's gruff voice call out.
"Y/n...y/n??" His voice is still raspy and laden with sleep, just hinted with confusion and slight panic.
Glancing over your shoulder, you stifle a laugh.
Jungkook sits up, looking around blearily, his eyes still partly closed. Half of his jet-black hair stands straight up, giving him the appearance of a disgruntled porcupine. He rubs his eyes and calls out for you again. Giggling, you stand up, pulling Taehyung with you.
"Kook! I'm over here." You smile at him, walking over to where he sits.
"Why did you leave? I was worried." He pouts, jutting his lower lip out and frowning at you. Chuckling, you reach down and ruffle his hair lightly.
"Couldn't sleep. I'm sorry I worried you." You reach out a hand to help him up. He takes it, mumbling something about not taking a zombie apocalypse seriously enough and wandering around carelessly in the middle of the night.
Gradually, all the boys get up and move towards the center of the barn where you all gather, blinking the sleep from their eyes.
"Everyone awake? Good. I believe we have a few granola bars left. Everyone take one and then we'll head out." Namjoon says, taking one bar out of his pack before passing it to Jin, standing next to him.
Everyone munches quietly on their granola bars, glancing around the desolate barn. It looks completely different in the day. Light streams dreamily through the wooden slats, illuminating the chipped and fading paint. Cobwebs cling to the rafters, telling just how long this barn has stood empty.
Behind you, the boys prepare to leave, pulling backpacks onto shoulders and grabbing weapons. You join them, feeling the smooth handle of your own knife clutched securely in your palm.
A hand rests on your shoulder, drawing your attention. Glancing over, you find Jungkook looking at you earnestly, brow furrowed as he searches your eyes.
You know exactly what he's looking for.
Memories of the night before flash through your mind, bringing the sharp twinge of pain with it as you remember your friend. You shake your head, pushing those thoughts aside before they overtake you again.
"Are you ok?" Jungkook asks softly, doe-eyes swimming with concern.
You pause for a moment, considering his question for a moment before quickly deciding that there was no point in lying.
"No, I'm not. But I will be." You smile lightly, covering his hand with your own. Knowing you didn't need to explain any further than that. Knowing that he already knows your thoughts like they're his own.
He nods and squeezes your shoulder gently in response. He turns his attention back to preparing to leave, leaning down and scooping his knife up from the ground beside where he slept.
"Alright, everyone. This seems like the general area that y/n described-" Namjoon looks quickly to you to double-check. You nod in confirmation, urging him to continue. "-so I think our best plan is to just keep heading North until y/n spots her parents' farm, or at least some other landmark that will guide us. Do you all agree?" He looks around, waiting for a response. The boys simply nod or murmur their agreement, no one having a better course of action.
"It's settled then. Let's head North. Y/n, keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks familiar. Everyone else, keep your eyes peeled for zombies." Namjoon claps his hands together before turning on his heel and heading for the barn doors, still ajar from when you and Taehyung opened them.
Everyone files out in their usual place, weapons at the ready. The snow crunches lightly underfoot as you all head down the hill, away from the barn and further in to the fields. The cold air seeps into your lungs, somehow revitalizing you as puffs of smoke escape your lips.
The advantage to being out in the open is you could see any beasts coming from a mile away. It was no longer like the forest or the city, where a zombie could lurk behind any shadowy tree or towering building. Besides the odd car, house, or barn, there was nowhere for the horrible creatures to hide.
Even so, no one lets their guard down for even a second, bodies tense and ready to fight at a moments notice.
You all creep slowly by a seemingly abandoned truck, Namjoon giving the signal to stop. Everyone ducks down beside the truck, looking to Namjoon quizzically.
"Y/n, have you seen-" he starts, but is cut off by a deafening bang on the drivers side of the truck, quickly followed by a piercing shriek. You glance up, identifying the source of the noise: a zombie, trapped inside the car, held in place by a seatbelt. It claws desperately at the window, it's wild eyes locked on your group.
Everyone jumps a foot in the air, caught off guard by the sudden sound. Jin, who crouches directly in front of the door to the truck, topples over, scrambling to get away from the sound, knocking Yoongi over in his haste.
Yoongi looks at Jin, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yah! Did you just push me? If that zombie wasn't trapped in the car I'd be done for right now! You would sacrifice me like that? Without a second thought? After all I've done for you?" Yoongi chastises Jin relentlessly, leaning over and punching his arm. Jin yelps, leaning away from Yoongi and rubbing his arm.
"Yah! It was an accident! What are you hitting me for??" Jin retorts, leaning back and smacking Yoongi's hand away.
They go back and forth, accusing and slapping each other, while the other boys try, and fail, to stifle their laughter. Namjoon, fighting a smile, starts hushing all of them, worried that the noise will only attract more zombies. You compose yourself as well, standing up to take a quick look around to make sure nothing is coming towards your group.
As you're scanning the area, you notice something in the distance that sends a jolt through you, shocking your system.
"Wait...guys.." you stammer, eyes glued to the horizon.
No one hears you. The boys keep bickering while the others attempt to collect themselves. Namjoon climbs between Jin and Yoongi, the latter of which now has Jin in a semi-playful chokehold.
"Guys!" You practically yell, finally tearing your eyes away from the hills to look down at everyone else. They all freeze, looking up at you with wide eyes.
A smile breaks across your face as you breathlessly declare:
"I know exactly where we are."
A/N
Very unedited.
Happy Saturday! As you can probably tell, we are nearing the end of Run. (Don't worry, there is still some very exciting stuff ahead 🤫). Thank you all for your support of my very first book! I have loved writing it and sharing it with you all. Stay tuned for the next couple of chapters, and as always, don't forget to vote! 💜
- m.
P.s. this is exactly how I picture things going down between Yoongi and Jin.