The Death Of Us

Chapter 9

Katie's P.O.V.

Location; Shopping mall in Minnesota  

I wake up, just to see Brandon and Mariah sitting beside me anxiously. Mariahs head is buried down beside me, and she has her hand buried down in the bed, I can feel her fist pull the bed sheets. Wait, bed? Bed sheets? Where the fuck are we? Why am I here in the first place?

They haven't notice that I am awake yet, but I move just to get their attention, Mariah and Brandon looks up at me and I just now see how teary their eyes are and how wet their cheeks became. Did they cry because of me?

No way, why would they? Nobody has ever cried because of me; it must be a mistake.

"what's happening?" I manage to say, with my dry lips.

I get no response, but only Mariah that hugs me really tightly, Brandon hug follows right afterwards, and I feel suffocated.

Is this the feeling of being loved by people, better not? Because I don't want to die of suffocation. Not yet at least.

"do I really have to repeat my question?" I gently push them out of the hug and raise an eyebrow.

"we thought that you would die Katie" Brandon says, Mariah is silent, and it looks like she is about to tear up again.

"hey guys, I am here, and I feel like I am alive" I reassure them.

"but why the fuck am I in a bed? And where is Luna and Leo?" I ask more questions.

"it seems like we landed on top of big shopping center, so we decided to hide in a furniture store, while the others try to find some food, and medicine for you" Mariah says, she seems to have gotten out of her stupid emotional phase.

I still can't understand how someone could be afraid by the thought of me dying. I am not worth it.

I feel a sting in my arm, and notice that they were doing a blood transfusion, I thought that the other were searching for medicine.

"how did you get the stationary for that?" I point at my arm.

"Katie, you have been asleep for 2 days, we already have found a lot of things, this shopping mall is big, so there is still a lot of searching to do."

"and a lot of killing" Mariah interrupts Brandon.

2 fucking days, how can I be sleep for that long, sure I used to sleep 15 hours a day, back in the orphanage. But still does not change a thing. It actually surprises me that the others didn't notice that a shot hit me. Oh shoot, I realize that I have a wound.

I look down at the lower part of my stomach, a big white patch just like a bandage is covering the wound.

"the bullet went right through" Brandon says.

I look back, I didn't notice that I also had a patch covering the lower part of my back.

"you are a strong girl, nobody even noticed that you got hit, because you tried acting all tough. And Don't do that again. Understood young lady" Brandon scolds, or at least it sounds like that, I am used to people yelling at me for breaking things back at the orphanage, but this seems different, it's just like he cares about me, no way. I go back to the bed and sit down.

"understood" I nod while saying it. After that both are silent, they just sitting there captured by their thoughts, I honestly don't know how to feel anymore, do they really care about me? It doesn't matter anyways. I have been alone for so long that I shouldn't give a fuck.

"so, where are we again?" I ask to get rid of the awkward silence. I already know the answer, but I need to say something, before I die of awkwardness.

"a shopping mall in Minnesota" Mariah answer,

"and there is still z's in here?" I ask. Brandon nods.

I rise from the bed. "well, what are we waiting for then? Let's kill some zombies" I say, and I am about to go to the exit. Brandon holds into the back of my shirt and pulls me back into the bed. "you are staying in bed until we are sure that there won't be any risks of you dying." Brandon says.

In the mirror I can see myself, my bones are sticking out and my skin is also bruised. This foster family is not even the worst that I have been in, they are smoking every day, and are also pretty much drunk all the time.

This is my 20th foster family, I am counting every time, I am 16 now. I have been here for 2 months, it really sucks to be here, and the worst part is that I need to act like everything is all right, they will not give me proper food and I am starving, that is properly why I have gotten so skinny.

I think that they hit me at least 10 times a day for the past month, at first, they were acting like they were perfect, firstly because the orphanage needs to make sure that the homes for foster kids are good and secondly, they want foster kids just for the money.

I have only once felt like I was wanted, and that was last year, I think it was my 16th foster home, my foster parents was a women named Luna Williams and Joshua Williams, they were good people, they almost adopted me, but then-.

Leo and Luna walk towards the bed. "thank god, you are awake sunshine" Leo says, coming in for a hug.

"don't you fucking dare touching me, or else I shoot your brain out of the pretty head of yours" I glare at him with a pointed finger at him.

"oh come on sunshine" he says, and still hugs me. I feel my body is getting hot, not because I am attracted to Leo, but because I feel that people care about me, he pulls back, and just looks at me, and afterwards staring at Mirah. Is this really happening to me? Do people really care about me? My eyes gets a little teary, but I make it disappear again, I see Luna behind Leo, looking around, its like she avoids looking at me. We haven't talked together about the past yet, and I don't even know if I want that talk, but I am still happy to see her. Should I really be happy about it?

She was the one abounding me, when I was at my happiest.

Leo looks like he realized something, "oh here is the bag, we didn't find a lot of food and medicine today, but I think it's mainly because there are clothing stores." he says.

Clothing stores?! I really need new clothes, especially after I bled through.

"let's go shopping then" I say, and stand up and walk towards the door, a little faster this time, so Brandon won't be able to catch me.

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Writers; Kaynad M. & Maryam S.

Word count; 1178