Chapter 10 | Where do we go from here?
"Honey, how and why do you know how to pick a lock?"-Thomas Reid
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-November 29th 460 days since the start of the end of the world.
-It's been two weeks since the attack on the camp. We are all bunkered in the cafeteria. My dad cleared all the biters outside and patched up the wall. It's not the best but it will have to do for now.
-I made the mistake of letting my dad patch my arm up because when he did he somehow saw all the markings I had on my back from Miranda's beatings as a child. Now every time my dad isn't busy he asks me about what they are from. I don't tell him though because he has enough on his plate to deal with and he doesn't need the reasoning of them in the back of his mind. And plus however much I hate to admit this my dad really did love Miranda.
-My dad is a mess over Miranda's death. I kinda feel bad that I caused it. Cody and Emily however are completely unbothered with the fact that their mother is dead. Jasmine is in denial that her mom and little sister are both dead and Kayden is just mad at everything.
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-December 2nd 463 days since the start of the end of the world.
-The morning was boring. I did a check up on Madison crazy to think that she's already 8 months old.
-The rest of the day I go to the library and Kayden is there as well.
-We were just reading books then Kayden burst into tears.
-"I really miss my mom", he says. His head is in my lap and his tears soak my shirt.
-"It's okay", I say trying to console him I brush the hair on his head with my fingers. I've never been the one to console him, it's usually the other way around.
-At some point we are both laying on the ground this time Kayden isn't just the one holding me we are holding each other.
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-December 15th 476 days since the start of the end of the world.
-Me and Kayden are closer than we ever have been before. He has officially called me his girlfriend in front of everyone.
-My dad apparently had a little chat with Kayden when they went out for supplies the other day Kayden didn't tell me what was exactly said but in summary it was if you don't treat my daughter right I will not be "happy" to put it lightly.
-My dad also had a chat with me today.
-"Hey I know you're a teenager and you feel like you can do whatever you want but please be respectful to one another," my dad tells me.
-"I know dad."
-"And also I know Kayden is a good kid but he's still 2 years older than you. You don't need to do certain things just because he's older and you feel pressured to-"
-"Dad stop worrying nothing like that is going to happen", I tell him.
-"I know I'm sorry you're a good kid and always have been."
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-December 25th 486 days since the start of the end of the world.
-In a normal world today would be Christmas but since the real world right now isn't normal we made the best with what was given. Yesterday I went hunting with my dad and I found a nice turkey for tonight. It's a Christmas miracle. It was a whole lot better than the beans and MRE's that we have been eating the past week.
-Night time came, so Kayden and I were in the library but this time we had Madison with us. We read her some stories then once she fell asleep Kayden brought her to Jasmine.
-Kayden came back in within a few minutes and went right back to his spot next to me.
-"Can you read to me? You have such a nice voice", Kayden says.
-"Of course", I say and laugh. I started reading the rest of the book Charlotte's Web which is what I was reading to Madison before.
-I read for a few minutes then Kayden puts his hand on my leg. Then he starts rubbing my leg. I stop reading then his lips are on mine. We have kissed plenty of times before but this time he is kissing me with more passion. We were both lying on the ground then Kayden went on top of me touching me everywhere I was okay with this for a few seconds then panic overcame me. Suddenly I see images of Cody and I panic.
-I start shaking and Kayden notices something is wrong and asks me if I'm okay.
-I burst out crying and push him off of me and run into the bathroom and lock the door.
-"Ava?" Kayden says on the other side of the door.
-"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wasn't trying to force you to do anything", he says.
-I don't answer. I wish I did though why is it so hard for me to tell anyone about what happened. Now Kayden is probably thinking that he did something wrong when he didn't. It was Cody who messed me up. Will I ever be able to have a normal relationship or will I always react this way?
-I sit there for a bit then I hear a loud explosion.
-I run out of the bathroom and my father is telling everyone to quickly grab their stuff. The generator exploded for some reason.
-Thank god my father had us make sure all our stuff was always packed and ready to grab just in case something bad happened. As we run out I see the library and it's completely up in flames.
-Since it's still dark out my father has us go into the first building that we find. It's an Auto body shop.
-"Shit it's locked", my father says.
-"Why don't we just break the glass?" Cody suggested.
-"Sometimes I wonder how you are still alive with how stupid you are", Emily says.
-"We can't break the glass Cody, we need to secure it for the night", my dad says stating the obvious.
-"How are we going to get in?" Jasmine says.
-I take a bobby pin out of my hair. "I got this", I say. It takes me less than a minute to open the door.
-"Honey, how and why do you know how to pick a lock?" My dad asks me.
-"It's really not that hard", I say. Real reason I got sick of being locked in the attic so I figured out how to unlock it myself.
-"Come in the biters are right behind you", I say.
-We all pile in the Auto body shop.
-"It's all clear over here", Kayden says.
-"Perfect", Jasmine says. We all spread out in different parts of the shop to get some sleep.
-Kayden walks over to me to talk about what happened but I pretend to be asleep.
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-December 26th 487 days since the start of the end of the world.
-We leave early in the morning to find a place to stay for the winter and to find some food. My father said it won't be safe being out in the winter for the baby because it is too cold.
-Later that day
-We spot a nice house that has a fence around it
-As we were walking to it I spotted a deer and shot it with one of my arrows.
-I run to go retrieve it and then I am caught up in the air in a net. One of my arrows stabs me in the side. I scream out in pain from it.
-"Ava we'll get you down just uh give me a second uh", my dad says fluster trying to find the best way to get me down.
-"Guys we finally caught something", a man calls from the fenced in yard. He spots all of us and realizes he didn't catch a meal but a human.
-"Oh shit", a younger guy says when he comes out of the house.
-"We could use a little bit of help!" My dad yells at them.
-"Right", the man says. Six men come over to my dad to help him get me down.
"-What was your plan for when you did catch something?" My dad asks them.
-"Climb up the tree and just cut the rope and let it fall down", an older looking man says.
-"Can we please hurry this up", I say and try to avoid the searing pain on my side.
-"That can still work, someone just needs to catch her", Kayden says.
-The younger guy climbs up the tree while the rest of them are below me ready to catch me.
-"You ready", the younger guy says to me.
-"As ready as I'm going to be", I say.
-"Cutting the rope in three, two, one."
-I fall down and I am caught by them.
-Ava you're bleeding my dad says concerned.
-The gash on my side is bleeding a lot.
-"Get her in the house, we got some stuff to help her", a man says.
-My dad carries me into the house.
-"I'm fine dad, nothing severe", I say trying not to worry him even though it really does hurt.
-Someone knocks on the door to the bedroom, it's the younger guy who cut me down.
-"I brought some more bandages and some peroxide so it doesn't get infected", the younger guy says.
-"Thank you", my dad says.
-"No problem", the young guy says.
-"What's your name, son?" My father asks
-"Alden my name is Alden."
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