The Death Of Us

Chapter 22

Mariah's P.O.V.

Location; Shopping mall

It has been 1,5 months since we first came here, we all got different habits, Brandon is always going to the electricity control room, Levi is always going outside the shopping mall, making sure that every exit is not blocked by z's, Luna checks on Noah and Xiomara every day, Xiomara must be close to giving birth soon.

Katie hasn't really spoken that much, she kept to herself mostly trying to kill some Z, but there aren't that many left anymore, so she walks around and tries to find more weapons, food and water supplies. I practice with my bow every day, while Hua is practicing at throwing knives, both of us getting better each day.

Leo and I started to fall asleep in his bed a few times because we were talking and cuddling, but every time Brandon came back, he decided to wake us up, with a glare.

Noah just plays and talks mostly with Katie because she takes him with her most of the time she goes out, Noah also likes to talk to Levi and go out with him, so I know who his favorite people are, but Katie forced him to stay with me and Hua, to practice too.

I think its because we all know that he would have a harder life, and he didn't seem to know much about survival, and Katie didn't want to talk about how they found him, she always answered "we found him, that's the most important thing"

Both Levi and Katie, seemed happier but also more silent after they came back, and I didn't really bother asking why, in the end we all have a secret that we want to keep until the death of us.

She didn't seem angry at me or any of us, but more like she didn't know what she wants to talk about, and she went out most of the day, and my attention was mostly at Xiomara, Hua and Noah these past few weeks.

It has also almost been 3 weeks since they got Noah out of the hospital and also the medicine.

This is definitely something else than it was at the beginning, we went from 2 people to 9 people. We have almost reached winter and we are absolutely lucky that we are in the shopping mall, it could reach to below freezing temperature in the winter here, my guess would be that it is around the beginning of December.

I am still in bed right now; I have gotten better and longer sleep and I started to allow myself to lay in bed every morning for a while, Katie warned me about it, she said that it shouldn't be a habit, but I feel like I deserve it, I will end up with grey hair if I continue getting stressed out.

Somebody enters mine, Katie and sometimes Noah's room, we told Noah to sleep somewhere else, but at night he gets nightmares, and his first reaction is to go to Katie at night.

I see Leo appearing behind the curtain that we use as doors, or more for privacy.

"Morning" I greet smiling at him, he grins at me and plops down beside me and take me into his arms.

"Morning, sleepy head" He mumbles and kisses my forehead. I still sometimes shy away from all the physical affection that Leo gives me, of course there's not much in front of the others but when we're alone, I feel shy and not like the person who keeps annoying him.

"For your information it was a pretty good nap" I say grinning at him, he smiles down at me and I return the gesture. I feel his arms tighten around me before rolling on top of me, an arm holding him up right beside my head. My breath hitches which he notices.

"Don't go quiet on my account" He whispers, I bite my lip nervously, he smirks down at me before leaning down, his lips crashing down on mine hungrily, I close my eyes and kiss him back trying to keep up with him. I trail my hands from his arms up to his neck and wrap my arms around his neck, playing with the hair on the base of his neck.

I tug at the hair a little, he groans against my mouth before his hand that had been resting on my hip squeezes. He pulls away both of us panting slightly from the kiss.

"We should probably go out before Brandon comes in and beats my eyes" He says looking towards the curtain as he situates himself beside me. I nod my head before getting up grabbing my leather jacket.

We walk out of the room, and I see Hua is already practicing with her knives, we made it a rule not to use our ammo in any way. I catch her attention.

"Hey, Brandon told us to go to a meeting as soon as you woke up" Hua says, again with her soft smile.

"I'll call for the others" Leo says, while Hua and I sit at the table, by the receptionist, we have our meetings here, because we require and want everybody to be here and so we still can see who will enter the furniture store, we made it as safe as possible, but only an idiot believes that people fighting for survival won't find a way in.

"Hey girls, what are you up to?" Luna asks and we both look at her and smile.

"hey girls, having fun?" Brandon says with a smile on his face, behind him are the rest, Leo, Levi and Katie with Noah on her left hand. To be honest, its heartwarming to see Katie take care of someone who does need her.

Noah and I are also really close together, I am the person he has fun with, while he feels save with Katie and Levi. He hasn't really talked much to Leo and Xiomara, but I think it's because both haven't approached him yet.

"so, what is this meeting about" I ask.

"we need to make emergency bags for each of us that contains, water, food and medicine supplies, and also place some bags in the Helicopter, maybe also put some tents or something" Brandon says.

"it's a good idea, but isn't there to little space in the Heli, usually there are 6 passenger seats" Levi answers.

"that's also a thing I wanted to talk about, we need to find a car, and place it at one of the exits" Brandon pauses "we also need to agree about a place we will meet again, to not lose each other"

Brandon pulls out a map from Minnesota, well not fully Minnesota, but more zoomed in. "i don't know whe-" Brandon starts but Katie cuts him off.

"Maple Grove Hospital, at the emergency entrance. It's better to choose a little larger area than one specific place, and even Noah would know the way". She breaths in "and we could get more medicine if needed. It also has a helicopter landing station."

Everybody agrees.

"and let me guess you all expect us to take the car" Levi says.

"no, I will take it" Katie interrupts.

"I will go with her" Hua says.

"i would also rather go with Katie" Xiomara says right afterwards.

"then everything is solved" Luna says, "get ready and pack your bags."

And so, we all were dismissed.

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Writers; Kaynad M. & Maryam S.

Word count; 1253