Caution Is Calling

"Matty, do you think we'll ever find her?"


Tori sat just to the left of my bunk, her legs stretching into the kitchen area with a gun placed firmly on her lap. The flame of a candle flickering in between us lit up her face and my own. It was the breeze from the busted window, which we'd only managed to halfway repair, that made it dance against the blackness. At least here it couldn't be seen from the outside. The infected wouldn't spot it.


She was still so young, but she was no longer fragile. Had she been taller, a little more filled out, and perhaps a boy on her arm, one would guess she was at least sixteen. I just couldn't let that go - That someone so young, so innocent, had advanced years beyond her age - And there was nothing I could do to slow her down.


Despite how young in years she was, Tori liked to keep watch and give Rian and myself a break. She was a great shot, she had great ears and the universe knows her scream could wake us froma mile away, but Rian and I didn't like to leave her alone. He slept in the bunk across from mine and throughout the nights that Tor kept watch, we'd wake each other up so she always had someone with her, even if she didn't know it.


Tonight, she knew my eyes were wide open.


"I don't know," I answered honestly, running a hand through my messy, growing hair. "I really hope so. I don't know how much longer I can do this."


"Do you think, if it were us, she'd ever give up on searching?"


Blinking, a sigh fell from my mouth. I rolled over in my bunk and let my right hand extend over the flame and brush Tori's shoulder. We both knew what Riot was like, how destructive she can be to herself. She'd drown in memories, give up faith, and most likely conclude that we were dead or, all the same, infected.


But then, there was a spark that both of the sister's had. Yes, Riot would tell herself we were dead, but once she let the thought sink in her heart, she'd deny it. She'd come to resuce us. Or she'd come to put us out of our misery.


"... No, never."


This time Tori let out a sigh. Her head fell back against my hand, then her left hand came up to grab it. Some would think it was strange, our relationship. Had she been that sixteen-year-old she reminded me of, someone looking in might even think she was the sister I desired, but it wasn't like that. Tori wasn't even like my little sister anymore. She was like my daughter. This child that was found on the street, hopeless, that I took under my wing and nursed to health. She wasn't my blood, but she was my family. Yes, she was mine.


"My aim's not as good as hers. I wonder how she did it. I mean, Riot never shot a day in her life, nothin' other than games. Maybe Daddy might've taught her when we were little.." This brought a smile to my face, thinking of a younger Riot. "I used to think I knew everything about her. When things went bad and mama locked us in the basement, we were all each other had. Now, I feel like she's got a whole lot of secrets that I'll never know."


"Tori, that's not true. You knew her better than anyone."


"I can get 'em in the cheek, or the mouth, maybe even the eye," Tori went on, ignoring my comment, "but never square in the forehead like Roit."


"She's a natural shot. And so are you. Give it a few more months, when the gun doesn't require so much work for you, and you'll get perfect shots, too."


"I hate being so little, Matty. I miss cartoons. I miss eating the marshmellows out of my cereal. I miss my toys. But at the same time, none of that seems important anymore. Now I'm just mad that I can't get 'em in the forehead."


And there it was. The glimpse of the little girl who was holding my hand.


Giving her much smaller hand a squeeze, I yawned a bit and rolled out of the bed. Pushing the candle to the side, I leaned against the wall and let Tori fall against me. She was sad and exhausted. Longing to be a child and an adult at the same time. I could not imagine what the world felt like in her shoes, because I could barely handle it in my own.


"You have a lot of Mickey stuff, Matty," Tori yawned, rubbing her eyes to prevent the sleep. It was her night to watch, she'd never cave over a yawn. "Do you think, when all of this is over, we could watch Mickey Mouse together?"


"Absolutely," I whispered, a small smile on my face. Thank God she wasn't an adult. One of us needed to have faith that the war between the living and the dead would come to an end. "I'll even let you play with my toys."


Giggling, she nodded her head. Her breath was moving slower and I could tell that she was almost asleep. And honestly, with her body heat and the air from the window, I was almost asleep myself.


But damn if her young ears didn't hear the warning signs of danger before anyone else did. She was on her feet, aiming the gun and alerting Rian before I could even process what was happening.


It was when Rian rolled out of bed, grabbed his gun and tossed me a spare that I heard the rustling of leaves outside of the bus. Tori inched forward, aiming at the door as I took the window and Rian inched towards the driver's seat.


"They're not growling," Tori whispered, her eyes quickly darting toward me. "Why aren't they growling, Matty?"


"I- I don't know.."


The bus started just as the door burst open. Tori squeezed off a shot just as a mess of black hair fell onto the floor, panting and begging us not to shoot. I pulled Tori to my side as my heart began to race. She lowered her gun first, then put her hand on mine to move it to the floor.
I watched as the little girl quickly moved her feet towards the body. Her eyes flickered to the darkness outside and her brows furrowed with confusion.


Then, like a rainbow after a storm, a grin spread across her face.


"Jack? Alex? Is it really you?"

Notes

I'm so sorry this took so long! I hope it was worth the wait! Love you guys!