The Survivors Trilogy

BOOK ONE || CHAPTER FOURTEEN

When I opened my eyes I expected to see the sun, instead I saw the moon. Which is nice, but it also reminds me that we still have a few hours until we can actually start doing something. This is the best time to travel because it is cooler outside than it was earlier. I wouldn't be able to get these guys up and going for the life of me.

I wouldn't allow myself to fall asleep because I was positive that was going to have that dream again. The same one that will haunt me forever. The one that will pull me under until it's the only thing I can think about for the rest of my life.

I look down at mine and Vicky's intertwined fingers, then at her face. She looks so peaceful. Her face is relaxed, no crease on her forehead or even furrowing her brows. Her long dark hair falls over her face in a few strands, covering a part of her eyes, down to her lips.

I'm tempted to brush her hair away from her face, but I refrain from that thought, instead placing my hand in my pocket.

I slowly detach our hands, pushing myself up from the floor, mentally cursing when my joints click with every inch I move. Vicky shifts, just a little bit, just enough for me to suck in my breath, halting my movements completely. She relaxes again, snugging against the wall behind her. I exhale.

I walk over to the entrance, leaning against the rock that is still holding up the shelter.

I look back to the group, glancing at each and every member as hard as I can. It's difficult to see since the fire has gone out and is now a big clump of dark gray ash.

I shiver as the wind brushes up and down my spine.

It's weird looking back at somewhere you have lived for your whole life and being in the place where you have dreamed about being since you were twelve.

It's not as glamorous as I thought it was going to be. Well, honestly, I expected a lot of things that we didn't have in the Estate. Showers are one of them. More survivors are the other thing.

It's very weird when you play out scenarios in your head, and then they turn out differently. What's even weirder, is when you play out scenarios and they turn out exactly the way you thought. That's only happened to me a couple of times; most of them including Joel and what he will do, and some are what Vicky would say to me.

There are no lights out in the Estate, but I can just make out the black shapes of the buildings. What I never noticed before was that most of the buildings are the same height.

I'm going to miss Scavenging. I was lying when Vicky asked if I would miss it or not. The thing I'll miss most is feeling free when I'm leaping across the buildings. It never felt like "work" when I was with Vicky.

I lean my head against the cool rock, crossing my shaking arms over my chest, letting out a long breath that I didn't realize was trapped at the back of my throat.

A hand slowly rests on my shoulder, and I don't need to look to know who is standing right next to me, chest pressed against my side.

"Hey," Vicky whispers, removing her hand from my shoulder.

"Hi," I whisper back. "What are you doing up?"

"I just couldn't sleep." Vicky lifts up her right hand and rubs her fingers over the spot where my hand was only a few minutes ago. I don't think she even realizes she's done it, but then suddenly she freezes, shoving her hand in her pocket.

I pretend as if I didn't see anything.

I don't know why, but it felt natural to hold Vicky's hand. The shape of our fingers and palms seem to have molded together as one. When I curled my fingers around hers, I was sure she would wrench away from me, moving to sit somewhere else.