2056, January 2
Chirping from birds outside wakes me up only to find an empty bed. But I'm naked so it wasn't a dream. Rolling over I climb out of bed and walk over to the dresser, pulling clothes out trying to find something to wear. The cool breeze coming in from the balcony makes me second guess on wearing shorts. Though I do find some thick fluffy leggings that have spider web print all over it. Throwing them on after I slide into some underwear, I grab a pair of shorts and a tank top. Still rummaging through the drawers, I finally find a cut up Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt and throw that on over the tanktop.
After throwing everything else on, I pause in front of the full body mirror that's next to the closet. I don't recognize the woman staring back at me. My long wavy black hair flows around me brushing against my broad hips. Icy blue fire blazes in my eyes as I continue to stare into the mirror. So much has happened in the last six years it's hard to believe that I'm staring at myself.
Pulling myself away, I head downstairs to meet up with the others. Who all are conveniently in the living room, enjoying a couple cans of peaches for breakfast. Afterwards, we pack up and head west towards Denver. Since there are too many people now for all of us to ride, so only the girls did. Bryce and Avery are on the boy's horses with them leading. While I lead Velvet with Mayze having the time of her life.
"We should've checked Tea's bandage before we left," Gray says as he walks up to me leading Snow.
"Here," I hand him Velvet's reins but he just stares at my hand. "Take these and drop Snow's," irritated I shove the reins into his hands.
Walking around them to the left side, I quickly unwrap Tea's leg. And apply some Neosporin before wrapping it back up. I grab Snow's reins off the ground right before she steps on them and throw them over her shoulders. After clapping the rein to the bridle, I take back Velvet's rein from Gray. Glancing at him, I notice that he's about to flip out on me when Snow passes him, following right behind me.
"So," Fox says walking up on my right, "what's your story? Like I can obviously tell that you and them are related," he says looking at my brothers who are laughing with the girls. "But him?" He glances over his shoulder towards Gray who is now trailing behind with Tango.
"It's complicated," I say shrugging.
"Well when you figure it out let me know," he winks at me before heading to the back of the group.
We continue walking for a few more miles before a unanimous decision to rest and eat. Everyone was enjoying the shade of the trees, when I got a sickening feeling. Slipping away unnoticed, I decide to scout ahead. I make my way over to a hill, when all of a sudden I'm attacked from behind. Though judging from the warmth of the arms that has wrapped themselves around my torso, it's not a Z. My arms are pinned to my side as the person drags me into the tall grass beside me.
"Let go of me!" I yell as I struggle to break free.
I'm thrown into the ground, landing on a rock that sends a searing pain through my hip. Quickly, I turn toward my attacker trying to back away from the strange man. His expression is that of pure lust as he looks me over. His dark eyes are all that I can make out through his thick beard. He is covered in dirt and his clothes are torn. My predicament just seems to get worse as I notice my katana is laying on the ground behind him.
'Fuck!'
Turning around, I try to get away from this vile man. Though my attempt falls short as his hands wrap around my ankles pulling me up off the ground just slightly. He slams me down on the ground causing me to hit my head on the ground. Dazed, I feel him flip me over before climbing on me.
Panic sets in through the haze, I start hitting him. He yells as my nails digs into his left cheek. He smacks my hand away before slugging me. Tugging off his belt, he wraps it around my hands securing it with the pin. Seeing stars, I continue to struggle against him.
"No!" I push against him. "Stop!"
Bam! Something smacks into him causing him to roll off me. I try to focus my eyes as I crawl to my hands and knees. Looking over to the direction the man flew, my gaze focuses on him getting his ass beat. Punch after punch the blur focuses.
"Gray!" I scream trying to stop him. "Gray!" I crawl slightly over to him. "Gray!"
Stopping, he looks at me with fire in his eyes that seem to die as he looks into mine. In a heartbeat, he gathers me in his arms. Pulling back slightly, he places his hand on my cheek ever so lightly. Wincing, I suck in a sharp breath as his thumb hovers over the corner of my eye.
"You're gonna have a black eye for a little while," he says as he unties my hands.
Grabbing Gray's face, I press my lips to his. His lips part slightly, probably from shock, but it's all the invitation I needed. As my tongue slips into his mouth, causing him to groan. After a little bit, I pull back breathing heavily trying to get my racing heart to calm. He pulls me into his arms as he stands. That's when I notice Fox, Tango, and Zakk standing beside us.
"Well I think that answers your question," Tango leans behind Zakk to speak to Fox.
Gray walks right past them towards the rest of our group. I lay my throbbing head on his chest as he walks. No one says anything as he sets me on Velvet with Mayze. We head out after they gather everything. Knowing that I shouldn't fall asleep, regardless of how tired I felt, I chain smoked my cigarettes. Finishing my pack, I motion for Fox to come over.
"Do you happen to have some cigs?" I say rubbing my temple as the throbbing worsens.
"Do you really think-" his voice fades as my vision turns black.
~§~
"We have to find shelter now!" I hear Jedd yell from a short distance away from where I lay.
"Bryce!" Gray yells from beside me.
I have yet to open my eyes, but with the gunfire going off around me I'm not sure I want too. Tea is saying something to Gray about my head wound though I can't make it out through the commotion. I feel something warm and damp touch my forehead. I wince as someone applies pressure on what I'm assuming is a gash underneath the material. I slowly open my eyes to find that we are surrounded by Zs in the middle of a town.
"Over here!" Brelyn shouts from a few buildings away.
Fox makes quick work of the few Zs that are blocking us. All the while Gray is carrying me over to Brelyn with Tea still applying pressure to my head. They lay me down on a bloodstained couch as everyone files into the building. I try to fight the darkness as it comes for me again, creeping around my vision. Mayze's terrified green eyes is the last thing I see before the darkness claims me.
2056, January 3
Throbbing in my head forces me awake, though my eyes are a little more reluctant. I hear distant voices whispering, along with Zs banging on the windows. Flicking my eyes open, the first thing I notice is Gray sleeping in a chair just a couple feet from me. I force myself to sit up, getting lightheaded in the process.
"Hey," Tea says from the chair opposite of Gray. Leaning forward she places a hand on my shoulder, "You should take it easy, you hit your head pretty hard."
I'm fine," I assured her. "Where's my brothers?"
"Out trying to draw some of the Zs away," she answers reluctantly as she helps me stand.
"Okay, can you help me to the bathroom?" I ask quietly, that way I don't wake Gray.
She helps me, though halfway through, all she really does is makes sure I don't fall. After using the toilet, I clean the blood off my face; being gentle so that I don't reopen the gash on my forehead. Tea takes me to what I assume is a break room of some sorts. Judging by the fridge, microwave, and a couple of small tables. She sits down in a chair at a table, while I rummage through the fridge looking for something to settle my stomach. There are a couple of water bottles, but nothing really edible.
Grabbing one of the bottles, I spin around to find a bewildered Gray glancing around the room before his eyes settle on me. The panic in his eyes is replaced with just worry, as he walks up to me. Grabbing the sides of my face, he rests his forehead gently on mine. His ragged breathing seems to calm down the longer he holds me. So I let him.
"Umm," Tea stands from the chair, "I'm gonna go check on everyone else." She quickly darts out of the room leaving me alone with her brother.
'That I barely know, might I add.'
'Even though you slept with him twice, already.' My subconscious pipes up.
'Shut it!'
"I was so scared," Gray interrupts my internal debate. "Zakk and Jedd said that you would be fine, but…" he pulls back looking at me. "You had gotten so pale and cold... I just… didn't know."
"I'm fine," I say smiling up at him. "It was just my body trying to heal itself. It's happened once before," I feel like explaining but I'm not quite sure why, "when I sliced my leg open."
"The scar," it sounds like a statement more than a question.
But I still answer, "Yeah, the scar. My parents actually thought I had died for a little, if you can believe it."
"What made them see you weren't?" He asks, staring deep into my eyes.
"My brothers. Jedd refused to let my parents come into the room cause they were gonna bury me. While Zakk hooked up a transfusion from him to me. My brothers saved my life."
"And we will continue to do so every day until our last," Zakk says from the doorway.
"Even if that means chasing some guys away from our little sis," Jedd pipes up from behind him.
"They can get awfully annoying sometimes though," I say while shooting daggers at them with my eyes.
Getting the point, they back away with their hands up in surrender. But not before telling us that we should move before the horde comes back around. I hadn't realized Grey's hands had moved to my waist until I had tried to follow my brothers. He keeps me in place as he waits for my brother's to get out of ear shot.
"I know that you're not sure what's going on between us," Gray says while capturing me in his hypnotic gaze. "But I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to protect you even if you don't choose me in the end."
Before I can process his words fully, his lips are melting into mine as he pulls me into his arms. Bodies pressed together, sending pure desire to course through my veins as our kiss deepens. A cold chill wraps around me as he let's me go abruptly. Opening my eyes, I watch as he walks away from me leaving me alone. Dazed, I stand there for a few seconds just staring after him while his words finally hit me.
'He wants a relationship! With me?'
"Cece!" Mayze interrupts my thoughts as she runs in and wraps her little arms around my waist. "I'm so happy you're feeling better," she says while looking up at me with her icy blue eyes.
"You had all of us worried," Avery says while walking up behind Mayze. "Some more than others," she hits towards the boys and their mixed feelings about my injury, while she pulls Mayze off me.
I noticed," I mumble under my breath. "There's nothing to worry about," I try to calm them, "I'm fine and we got the green light to head out."
Quickly, everyone gathers their stuff and makes their way out of the building. I quickly notice as everyone exits that the horses are nowhere to be found. I'm hoping that they got away from the hoard instead of falling victims to the bloodthirsty creatures. But my curiosity still gets the better of me as I look at my brothers.
"Where are they?" I ask hopefully.
Though the look in Jedd's eyes tells me otherwise as Zakk explains, "We lost our horses but Snow and Velvet outran the hoard leading the rest of them away from us. We're not sure if they actually got away though."
My heart breaks as the thought of Snow being just another victim of this plague races through my mind.
***Sorry, I haven't been working on this story, I was in the process of moving and finding a new job. I also found out on my birthday in October that I'm pregnant (Happy birthday to me!) but I do apologize for not getting more done.***