A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

13: Unpredictable

Mara looked down at the gallons of water, side by side, along with the water bottles that could not fit inside their bags. It was a heavy weight that would weigh them down, but it was a vital necessity. They hadn't thought about how much they'd actually have to carry around until they splayed it out before them. The bags weighing down on their shoulders were heavy enough already. Adding to that would slow them to a stumble, if not render them immobile. Jimin appeared unsure, looking to his side at Mara, who was just as skeptical of their capabilities. She couldn't fathom the idea of leaving anything behind. She had everything for a reason, and yet here she was, trying to decide what was at the bottom of her list of priorities.

"We could leave clothes behind," Jimin suggested, though it sounded more like a question, "We can always find new clothes. It'll make room for the extra water bottles."

Mara stared down at the water, "What about the gallons?" she sounded desperate, "We can't each carry two gallons, plus the water bottles we can't carry. We can't leave it behind either, can we? We'll run out of water-"

"I get it. Geez, I'm on your side, alright?" Jimin defensively spoke, sighing and fixing his hat in apparent frustration. Mara blinked a couple times, turning to Jimin with apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little..." Mara couldn't find the words to express herself, even if the feeling was there, clear as day. Jimin offered a small smile in reassurance— Mara appreciated it. Occasionally, when Mara's rationale slipped carelessly from her, a willing Jimin was there to pull her back. He seemed to do it without knowing, but Mara acknowledged it. She couldn't imagine what kind of insanity she'd spiral into if she were alone forever.

"Let's think about it for a bit," Jimin softly spoke, "Hmm. What if we just come back for them on our way back. We leave them just behind the door and snatch them up quickly." Jimin set his bag down with a huff, dust flying everywhere as he rummaged through the duffel. Mara watched silently, both curious and worried she'd say something she didn't mean out of exasperation. He withdrew his arm, a couple of shirts in his hand. He got to work without another word, leaving Mara to patiently wait for Jimin's idea to come to fruition. His expression was earnest, eyes darkened with ambition as he focused his nimble fingers on tying the shirts.

Mara snapped out of her daydream when Jimin began placing the bottles into somewhat of a bindle. Mara's lips widened into a relieved smile as every water bottle fit inside of it, leaving them with only the gallons to worry about. Jimin stood up, lifting the makeshift bag with ease. He placed it on the ground, eyes focusing on the gallons of water—all four of them.

"That was smart," Mara quietly complemented, "I couldn't have thought of that."

Jimin smiled, "Thank you. And don't worry. Sometimes it takes two brains..." Jimin trailed off, reaching again inside his bag for yet another shirt.

"How about we tie two gallons together by a shirt and we can carry them in one arm," Jimin looked at Mara for approval, and all she could do was nod.

"It'll be manageable."

Feeling all of the tension dissipate, Mara quickly nodded, stumbling out, "Y-Yeah that sounds good. We'll come back for them..."

"What if," Jimin clicked his tongue, unsure, "What if we leave everything? We'll be sluggish if we try running back with these bags on our shoulders. We wont have enough energy to go back and forth."

Mara gulped, "You think it'll be okay if we leave it all?" Apprehensive, Mara looked down at Jimin, seeing his thoughtful expression change into a determined frown. It was highly encouraging in her opinion. Who knows if Mara would have psyched herself out of leaving.