If Only it Was The Same (ON HOLD)

Chapter Six

Robin's POV

Robin Stanley's POV

Four Months Ago

I leaned against a tree taking a rest from me and my father's long walk. We were headed towards a place we believed a town was, but we had to abort our mission when a group of senseless were crowded in our way. I had tried to convince dad that we could just sneak around, but he insisted we head back to our last camp and stay there for a while and check back later.

So we were currently heading back to this old cabin we had found and were staying in the past couple of days. It was about a two-hour walk, but we had found some shortcut to cut it down to an hour. Well actually I found the shortcut, but dad likes to take credit for things we 'do as a team'.

"Robin, come on, stop being lazy, we're pretty much almost there," my dad shouts to me a couple ways ahead of me. He was making large hand gestures, waving me over. I sighed as I pushed off of the tree and started walking again.

"You know dad, we could take breaks, no one's around, and the senseless are all occupied," I said with an annoyed tone.

"Yes, but for how long?" He pauses waiting for my response, which doesn't come because I know he's right. "Anyways were like minutes away."

"You're right," I mumble with a sigh following.

"Hmm? What was that, I didn't quite catch what you said," he looks back at me with a grin. I roll my eyes holding back a laugh, but falling to do so.

"You heard me, I'm not saying it again," I shake my head a bit, spotting the house that we had been staying in. I smile a bit, glad to finally be able to take a long break and get some sleep.

When we reached the house dad opened the door for me, and we headed inside. We placed our things down, and I was headed straight for the bedroom I had been sleeping in for a couple of days.

I was walking down the hallway to the room when I glanced sideways into the bathroom. I froze in place and my eyes widened.

"Dad?" I whispered hoping that he could hear and sense the panic in my voice. Which of course he did, it's kind of a parental power.

He slowly walked towards me with a blade in his hand as he joined my side. His eyes widened and he glanced at me to make sure I was okay.

When his eyes landed on the sight in the bathroom he let out a quiet gasp. Blood Tha hadn't once been there now covered the floor and towels that were also bloodied lay all over the countertop. The only reason we were so panicked was that it was fresh.

We had only left hours ago, and it wasn't there before, so someone either came in and left or is still in the house somewhere. My father slowly crept towards the bathroom, cautiously avoiding the puddles of blood.

I knew exactly where he was heading. Straight towards the bathtub, where the curtains for it were drawn closed hiding the inside of the tub.

My breath had stopped as my father reached for the side of the curtain. My worry and anxiety grew for my father. I hoped that if someone was still here and in the bathtub, that the blood was from them; that they were too injured to hurt us.

I pulled out my knife from my waistband, hoping that if we were in trouble it'd be enough to protect us. My father pulled it open holding his blade up threateningly. As if all the suspense had been for nothing he opened it to find a girl lying in the tub unconscious.

Maybe even dead.

"Hey, Deb, dad has something cooked up for food," I call out to Deborah, the one we had found in the bathtub. She was a quiet one, only talking when it was necessary, but it was kind of nice. She had been healing up since we found her.

My father had been a nurse before all of this, so he was able to fix up her wounds and keep her alive. I'm glad he was too because things are a little less lonely with her here. She got up from the porch, limping over using a crutch we had made from some branches.

I reached my hand out, holding on to her elbow and helping her to the door. She gave a small smile, "Thanks, Robin."

Whenever I had asked Deb about how she ended up the way she did, she would always freeze up and frown. She never gave my dad or me an answer, which only meant one thing. Whatever happened was bad, and she was hurt more than just physically. So we stopped asking.

Deb and I took a seat at the table, as my dad placed some plates in front of us. They weren't filled as much as before everything changed, but it was enough. Even with Deb's injury she's been helping us hunt and get food and she's amazing at it.

It all made my father and I even more glad that we were able to save her. To think we had found her only 4 months ago. I remember when she woke up she was confused, and continuously asking for someone, but we didn't recognize the name. Probably someone she had lost...

We all ate in silence, which was usual, not much to talk about anymore. Not how our school day was, or what we did. Not anything even random. Sometimes it was hard to think about how it was before because I missed so much of it. I missed my friends. My family. My pets. My normal life.

But I had also gained some things. Survival skills. A better bond with my dad. A new friend. Independence. Which isn't a lot, but it's something. I could've been worse off. Like Deb was. I'm assuming she lost a lot more than I did. I have my dad, and she was alone when we found her.

I just hope that maybe this could be the start of something new. Maybe Deb could count us as her family someday.