This is the End 2(687)

Which sucked because I also had to pee.

We stood up and grabbed our bathroom necessities and a few guns. We had checked out and used the bathrooms last night. They were smelly and a few stalls were closed for the rest of eternity, but at least in the girls’ bathroom I could hover like a port-a-potty and the sinks still drained. Plus there were both toilet paper and paper towels left, so that was double bonus.

Nelson stood up so we could leave and then immediately fell into Haley’s lap and was asleep. Vaughan was staring blankly into space too, with that freshly-awakened look and waved us out. Apparently he was back in command.

The outside was smellier this morning- ripe and stifled from the long night marinating in freshly killed Zombies. I gagged immediately and pulled up my shirt over my nose. At least the front of the store remained intact and no Feeders lurked about waiting to pounce.

Still we kept our guns up and readied and our still groggy senses as alert as we could get them. We split ways into separate bathrooms. I was relieved he didn’t intend to follow me inside. I couldn’t bring myself to pee with the stall door closed, and our relationship was so not even near the whole peeing in front of each other arena.

And if there was a God, it never would be.

I used the facilities as quickly as I could and then walked over to the sink to brush my teeth in the dark. The only light that lit up the room was from the opened door and whatever filtered in from the dirty storefront windows- which wasn’t much.

I was just rinsing my mouth with a bottle of water when Tyler walked in, carrying her own kit of morning necessities. Her and Miller hadn’t left their colony with a whole lot on them, so we had been sharing ours and picking them up what we could find.

I nodded at toothbrush package she was opening and smiled, “Did you get that here?”

“Yes, thank God,” she moaned. Her voice was hoarse with sleep and her eyes looked confused as she concentrated on getting the toothpaste onto the bristles. “Nelson grabbed more if you need one and I think there’s more toothpaste, you know just in case you’re running low.”

“Thanks.” I didn’t need a new tube, I still had plenty in my current one, but it was nice of her to tell me all that. In fact, it was the most generous I’d seen her.

“Sure.”

I left her to brush her teeth while I tried to comb through my filthy hair. I wanted to wash it so bad, but I couldn’t waste the meager bottled water ration I had left. I would just have to be on the lookout for a natural body of water that wasn’t saturated in blood or surrounded by flesh-eating Zombies. Easy….

I did allow myself the luxury of pouring a little bit of my water onto a washcloth and scrubbing my face with it.

Tyler groaned and I looked up to see her watching me. She explained, “I feel so disgusting!”

“Me too,” I nodded enthusiastically. “But don’t worry, we don’t usually go this long without baths. I’m sure Vaughan will find us a place to stop soon.”

She snorted derisively, “Vaughan.”

Ok, clearly a sore subject.

“Can I ask you something, Reagan?” she asked, her voice was suddenly quiet and serious.

Nerves jolted my blood awake and I instantly looked around, wishing Haley was here to deflect wherever this conversation was going. I had this terrible feeling she was going to talk about Vaughan with me and I had no idea how I felt about answering her questions or listening to her bitch about him.

Finally, she shot me a sheepishly small smile and asked, “How did you get away from my brother?”

So that was a completely different direction than I anticipated.

My eyes grew big at her question, and I wasn’t sure how to answer. I realized I’d never exactly explained how I got away, but nobody had really asked me. The Parkers had always expected me to escape and so when I showed up they just moved into action. I had always expected to be able to get free too, so the fact that I did, wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Kane was not an option for me. The only option was here, with this family. But I supposed to someone else, an outsider looking in, it might seem impossible for a girl my size, going up against a man, Kane’s size, loaded and with me handcuffed to a bed and all, that I could not only get away but make it almost all the way through town without getting caught.

It might seem impossible or like a miracle.

I chose to believe it was a miracle.

“I got a little lucky and he got a little stupid. It worked in my advantage.” I shrugged casually, but her serious expression turned into one of annoyed disbelief.

“Kane is never stupid. Not even a little bit. He’s just like my dad. And it’s the reason Miller and I could never get out. It was like they were born for this whole Zombie thing. They just know how to be smart, how to survive, how to keep people under their thumb. I don’t believe he messed up with you.”