Chapter Text
Days began to really meld together when all you do is walk around, and sometimes kill people… but that’s the zombie apocalypse I guess…
Today was like all of the others, I was walking along the side of the highway and catching the eyes of zombies for a slip second before they went back to either wandering on their own way or munching on whatever snack they had for the moment. Besides that, I had my walkman clipped to myself with the headphones over my ears. Guitars and drums filled my ears loudly as I listened to the array of metal cd’s I had in my backpack. I also had assault rifle slung loosely on my shoulder beside my backpack, I was a little low on ammunition so I had been using just my hunters knife to take care of anything I may need. People, and animals for eating alike.
As I walked down the highway, even through my music I could hear the low murmur of a distant truck engine. I perked up, pushing one of the earphones off to the side to listen in more. It was a truck, full of people with one perched on the top aiming a sniper rifle at anything that may need to be put down, that including me for a moment. That’s until he noticed I was actually living, and gave the truck roof a quick knock, causing the driver to slow down to a stop a bit away from me.
I smiled at this, happy at the possibility of nice people, which doesn’t happen too often.
“Hands up, we are no warm unless you are.” The driver called out, holding out a pistol to me. I did as told, sighing out softly hoping all of this was worth the end result. “I’m not any harm, I promise.” I replied back, only kinda of half way lying. She nods, coming closer along with a couple others in their group. “You say that, what are you doing just walking out here?” She called out, earning me to shrug honestly confused how to answer that question.
“Same as you guys are, just trying to survive.” I said with a small shrug, earning her to nod. “I understand that, but now that I meant. Where is your group?” She asked, and I looked around for a moment looking for anybody I just didn’t notice following me around. “Uh, I don’t have one. The last people I tagged along with ended up being twisted and left me with nothing, it’s hard to trust out here but I thought I could with them. That was about a month ago.” I explained, earning her to nod.
”Do you got a name kid?” Another guy asked. “Jackson.” I said, lowering my hands slightly due to my arms being tired from both walking and not eating the last day or so. This causes the lady to twitch her gun up more, and my hands to come right back up to where they were. “I’m tired, and hungry… Are you looking for any other help, I’m a great sharp shooter and can help you a lot with the Z’s.” I said vaguely but they didn’t seem to notice.
The group turn to one another to talk, deciding among themselves is I was to join their group or if they would leave me there. The lady then nods, looking back towards me. “We have to make a deal for you to join us, and that is no guns when not needed until we can trust you.” She said, earning me to nod. “Deal done.” I said, earning her to smile softly. Seemingly seeing I was trusting in that moment, able to give up my weapons in a moments notice.
I was now sat in the bed of the truck along with a couple others, the sniper dude still at her perch, an older man, and a girl who was in and out of sleep. “Names Doc by the way, I think I heard yours is Jackson?” The man asked, earning me to nod. “Yep, that’s me.” I said, crossing my legs as I sat more up straight. Doc nods, and leans forwards a bit seemingly to try and be secretive.
”You lookin for anything pharmaceutical?” He asked, earning me to lift an eyebrow is slight confusion. He chuckled and shakes his head. “Kids don’t know anything, you want any drugs? I got them for cheap.” He said, patting on his coat pocket. I’m quick to shake my head. “No, I’m good but thanks I guess.” I said, earning him to lean back and scoff out.
”You really don't want nothing? Jeez what did they teach you in school?” Doc grunts out, crossing his arms over his chest. “Some people just don’t want to kill their bodies with that shit Doc.” The women huffed out, turning slightly to me. “I’m Cassandra, it’s very, very nice to meet you.” She said, eyeing me slightly with a soft amount of lust written in her eyes. I wanted to roll my eyes, but held myself back. “Likewise.” I mumbled out, not helping the soft blush flowing onto my cheeks even if I wasn’t an inch interested in this.
“Well, there isn’t anything else to do in this world, so why not do it? It’s not like a cop is going to bust us for it anymore.” Doc said, pulling out a blunt from his pocket to light up and slowly smoke. I scrunched my nose up slightly, the funky smell filling my nose and invading all of the wrong places. And I thought the dead smelled bad…
It wasn’t long before we pulled to a stop at one of the homes along a random towns neighborhood. The house is a smaller two story, one that could easily accommodate us hunching down for the night or so.
“Alright, once we are inside we will break up and look around to make sure there isn’t anyone inside. Jason, I’m giving you your knife, but when we meet back up it’s going back to me.” Roberta said, earning me to sigh softly and nodded my head. “Got it.” I said, hopping out the truck along with the others.
Roberta handed me my knife, and I slipped it into its holster on my side as we walked into the house. Everyone was given a partner, couples being paired with their counterparts of course. “Okay, and then Jason you and 10k can go to the basement to check it out. Report back immediately, and if there is even a bruise on that boy I’m giving you mercy.” She told me, earning me to nod and look over to the boy.
We seem to be about the same age, though he might be slightly older than me. We also had similar styles, layers with studs and spiked hair… Though the spiked hair for the both of us was definitely thanks to no showers for god knows how long. “Alright, let’s go.” I said, earning 10k to sharply nod, I followed behind him as I pulled out my knife ready for anything laying behind the basement doors.
I obviously didn’t care too much about the Z’s, but the livings were a huge risk to come across. I also didn’t want anyone to figure out my quirk you could say, them knowing that was very dangerous for me… I’d like to be happy at least, even if I couldn’t die from whatever they could do.
10k leaned against the door and listened for a moment. “On three.” He whispered to me, and I nod. He nods back and does a whispered count down before opening the door and quickly drawing his gun. We went opposite directions, and I spotted a pool of old blood on the concrete floor. I stepped quietly, and when I peeked around the boxes I see a Z crouched on the ground munching on a rat. It looks up at me and gurgled my way, not out of warning of eating me, more of a warning not to snatch his food from him and it was in fact his. I just moved quick and shoved my hunters knife deep into his skull, causing it to slump over after I pulled the knife out, dying completely in the spot.
”Anything?” 10k called out to me, I peeked back and sighed. “Just one Z, he’s dead now.” I said walking back over as I wiped the bloody knife on my pant leg before pushing it back into the holder at my thigh. “Good, nothing very here so we can go back up. Let’s make sure to barricade the door though just in case.” He explained, earning me to nod. “Good idea.” I agreed.
Going back up, we grabbed a large and heavy dresser type piece and threw it against the basement door. Keeping anything that may had been down there or anything that happened to sneak in stay down there. I wiped my hands against one another before we both headed back upstairs.
Roberta is the first to notice us, and simply put out a hand towards me, saying with a look that it was time to give my knife back up to her. I did, placing the hilt side onto her palm, she smiled and nods before looking back to everyone. “Okay, so we are few on rooms and places to sleep so we gotta bunk up.” She announced, earning Murphy to raise his hand. “I call a room to myself!” He said happily.
”No actually the couch you’re sitting on is where you’re sleeping, I will be down here with you to watch you.” She said with a slightly pissed off grumble. I wonder what that’s all about. “Anyway, Addy and Mack you can take one of the rooms, Doc you and Cassandra can take the kids room since it has two beds, and then 10k you and Jackson can take the master since it’s got a larger bed you two can divide.” Roberta explained, taking the assumption that Charles would stay down with her, I’m assuming they must be together.
We nod collectively even if some, Murphy, were not very keen on the sleeping arrangements. 10k looked over to me for a splint second before averting his eyes, I caught it but didn’t pay any mind to it.
We headed up the stairs and eventually found our way to the master bedroom, as mentioned a larger bed laid in the middle of the room with bedside tables either side. I sighed out, placing my backpack in the corner before leaning to crack my bag. I huffed out, peeking over to the boy is in action of looking away from me. “So, since we have to deal with each-other for a bit why not learn a bit.” I offered, earning him to think for a moment and nod. “How?” He asked, earning me to shrug.
“Just sit and ask questions, at least until dinner is ready.” I said, softly sitting down onto the edge of the bed, which 10k followed shortly after. “Uh sure, you can go first.” He said, earning me to nod. “Okay, how old are you? We look about the same age.” I said earning him to nod. “I’m 25.” He said, earning me to nod and chuckle slightly. “Okay maybe not, I’m 19 it almost 20.” I said earning him to perk up. “Oh, when is your birthday?” He asked.
”in a couple weeks, on the 15th.” I said earning him to nod. “Oh okay, I will have to remember that.” He said, smiling softly, seeming to be slowly but surely warming up to me. “Oh it’s okay, don’t have to worry about that.” I said waving him off. “No, 20 is a milestone especially out here.” He said, earning me to smile softly and nod.
”Yesh, I guess it is. It would be nice to do all the normal stuff, cake and ice cream with presents.” I said, remembering that even with saying that I didn’t get that when the dead were still underground. 10k smiled at that, seeming to go back on some fond memories of his own birthdays.
We kept with the questions, earning me to learn quite a bit about the man and likewise from myself to him. But we are soon called downstairs to eat whatever Charles found to make downstairs.
10k and I followed one another down the stairs and into the kitchen, were plates of what looked to be tacos and cups of water where laid out for us to enjoy. “Nothing special, found a couple cans of refried beans and stuff I could make tortillas with. He happy my step mom was Latina.” He said, earning everyone the chuckle as they sat down to enjoy the food. As expected, the beans were slightly funky, but nothing our bodies haven’t learned to deal with overt these years. So we all are happily, my body happily taking in all of the food I’m putting into it as well as the glass of water.
“Hungry?” Murphy laughed at me, I looked at him with an edge, the dude was definitely a dick. “What happens when you haven’t eaten in days.” I grumbled, finishing off my food. “Murphy, don’t.” Addy grunted out, earning him to huff out with an eye roll. “You all get mad at me, what have I ever done to deserve this?” He asked, but not really as a question as it was laced in sarcasm.
“I’m sure you can guess.” Charles grunted out at him, finishing his meal as well. Murphy rolled his eyes once more, looking back to me with a ping of disgust. I looked back at him, and he smirked. I can tell he was thinking up something, probably to get rid of me or to make a fool of me. I sighed out softly before standing up to place the dishes into the sink. I thought a moment, before reaching out to test and see if the water worked, and to my surprise the sink sprung to life. Also to my delight, stew began to rise from the hot water.
”No way, hot water.” I said, earning the others to look at me. “Hot water?” Doc called out, and noticing the steam for himself. “I’m taking a shower.” Addy said with a bright smile.
I smiled and nodded my head, my mind completely engulfed in the idea of a nice and hot shower. I shut the sink off and made my way up to 10k and I’s shared room. I wandered over to closet next, it had been opened in the area check but inside are some men’s clothing. I smiled, peeking over the array of band shirts and hung up jeans. I decided to grab a distressed cannibal corpse shirt and a pair of black baggy jeans, well they where probably not meant to be baggy but they would be on my body compared to who ever use to own these.
10k walked into the room soon after, earning me to turn around slightly to him. “Hey, do you want to shower first or second?” I asked him, he just shook his head. “Whatever, you can go first.” He said, earning me to nod. “Okay, I won’t be too long to save you some hot water.” I said, snatching some underwear and a towel before heading into the medium sized bathroom.
I practically skipped over to the shower to turn it on, laughing to myself as steam erupted from the hot water and slowly flowing over my skin. I departed from my dirty clothes, and quickly got underneath the streams of hot water. I sighed out in comfort, every aching muscle seemed to immediately disappear and every bit of dirt and blood flew off my body and down the drain. I used the shampoo and conditioner that was left in the bathroom followed by almost scrubbing the first layer of my skin off with the body wash left there as well.
Once getting out of the shower I dried off and pulled on the slightly too big for my clothes. I then wiped off the bathroom mirror and looked at my appearance, my skin was now free of smudges of blood or other things, and my hair clung to my face and the back of my neck in wet pieces. I needed a hair cut, the long hair paired with always bring dirty felt terrible, but that will be another days thing.
I walked out the bathroom and peeked out at a now shirtless 10k. “Shower is free, if you haven’t the clothes in the closet will fit you better than they do on me.” I called out, earning him to slightly flinch and nod. “Oh, okay yeah.” He said, wandering over to look through the closet before picking what he’d put on after getting cleaned. We switched, him going into the bathroom while I looked around the bedroom more. I then wandered over to a smaller bookshelf tucked away in the corner. I smiled at the selection, grabbing a Steven King book before going over to lay out on the bed.
It’s been a bit, me just laid down and reading my book before 10k came out of the bathroom with a towel thrown over his shoulder. I blushed softly, the small beads of water hung onto his stomach and chest, my blush crept up slightly as I looked more over him. I then caught what I was doing and flinched my eyes up, seeing that he totally saw what I was doing and had his own blush stretched over his face and down his chest. “H-hi.” He said softly, I just gave an embarrassed smile. “Hi.” I replied to him.
We both stayed in a moments silence before we broke it out of being uncomfortable. “What are you reading?” 10k asked in a soft mumble, earning me to turn the book over and show the cover. “The stand, I’ve read it before but it’s been quite a few years.” I said, showing a soft smile. “Oh okay, I’ve read a couple things by him but not that one.” He said before making how one way over to the bookshelf to look through them before finding his own selection. “What did you pick?” I asked him as he made his way over to the other side of the bed.
”IT, a good book to have and read over a longer period of time.” He explained, earning me to nod. “Yeah, I was always so intimidated to start that book with how long it was.” I said, peeking over slightly to look at the cover of the book. I then yawned out, earning 10k to chuckle slightly.
“Get some sleep, I won’t be too far behind you.” He said, earning me to nod and put the book onto the nightstand before pushing myself under the covers and smiling at how comfortable to bed felt. I heard 10k mumble something behind me, earning me to slowly turn over to look up at him.
”Did you say something?” I asked softly, earning him to brightly blush and shake his head. “Nope, go to sleep.” He said, earning me to nod. My eyes then fluttered closed, the amount of comfort I felt in this moment was something I haven’t felt even before all of this, and it made me very happy. I was then quickly able to fall asleep, dreams filled with flashes of past memories.