Undead

Tuck. (345)

Madison's POV.

The car journey is long and painfully quiet but I definitely won't be the first to break the silence. Instead, I look out the window as we drive the familiar path back to the hilltop.

Fangs pants heavily in my ear and I've swatted him away several times when he drooled on my shoulder. I'm surprised he can even stand to be so close to me right now. I'm fully aware of how bad I smell. The blood that I'm covered in has started to dry and yet it's still sticky in other places which is enough to make me want to jump in the nearest river or lake, anything to scrub this shit off of me.

My hands though, are covered in Jesus' blood. I hate it, I want it off. I rub my hands on the hem of my shirt but it's no use, there's just more blood. I cross my arms and keep still, trying not to think about it.

I want nothing more than to just go home and be with Kara. She must have been terrified to wake up with no parents in the house. Jenna doesn't even know we're okay. What has she told her? What is she supposed to tell her? There's nothing to comfort her with. I'm sure she thought we'd be back by now. Honestly, so did I.

"You okay?" Carl asks. He sits next to me with Fangs wedged between us and in the furthest seat I can feel Kai's eyes on us.
"Fine." I mumble.
"Are you back to hating me again?"
I sigh. I don't hate him, I could never hate him, but I don't want to forgive him just yet and I don't want to talk about it in a car full of people.
"I'm tired." I whisper and I feel my cheeks go red when my voice cracks.

I don't want him to know how his words hurt me.
"Your jaw is bruised. Badly." He picks up conversation but I childishly turn and look out the window instead.
I hear him sigh.

We pull up to the old dirt road and pass all vegetable gardens outside the large wooden gates of the hilltop.
There are several cars in front of us and others behind us. We've all come back here to bury Jesus where he lived.

Maggie, who is in the car ahead of us took Jesus' death badly and has been quiet ever since. She is with him now.
When the gates are pulled open all the cars pool through them and park in a crooked line. I open the door as soon as the engine cuts out and I'm thankful for the cool morning air that hits my face.

Fangs jumps out of the car and stands next to me. Kai shuts his door and walks around to me. He takes my hand in one of his and with his other he tilts my chin so he can inspect my jaw.

"He's right. It's pretty banged up." He murmurs.
I take his hand away from my chin and shake my head.
"Someone is dead. My jaw doesn't matter."
He nods once and leads me towards the rest of the group who has gathered outside the mansion.

Kai looks pale, really pale.
"Are you okay?" I ask as we walk towards the group.
He shrugs. "Haven't slept."
"Yeah, but, you look kinda sick or something."
"It just freaked me out when you didn't come home. I knew something was wrong even before Jayden showed up." He frowns.

I wrap my arm around his and lean into him as we walk.
"I'm fine, I promise. I just want to get home, see Kara and sleep for the next hundred years."
He smiles and squeezes my hand gently.
The voices begin to get louder as we meet the group and join in on the conversation.

"Uh, a few people have volunteered to dig a grave out the back. It might take a few minutes so make yourself comfortable." Maggie tells everyone.
Her eyes are red and she looks exhausted.
"I'll be upstairs with Hershel." She whispers at the end as she opens the door of the house.

She turns to Carl and I and motions us towards her. We both look at each other in shock but follow her inside. She silently leads us into her office, the first door on the right. She points to a table set up at the back of the room where a lot of technology junk is set up.