Addy begins leading me away while everyone is distracted, her hand on my lower back as I grumble under my breath at the stupid tights that are making my legs itchy. She quietly shushes me as we move further into the camp.

As sucky as this all is, I'm almost grateful to not have to be alone here, although I'd never wish this on Addy. She doesn't deserve this, not to mention she's the last living person I know who knew my brother, that's irreplaceable. 

I stumble slightly, my wandering thoughts distracting me from the shoe sprawled across the gravel. I look at it curiously before glancing at Addy to see her attention is elsewhere. My eyes follow her gaze to see a large drain pipe looking thing that is covered by lines and lines of sheets. 

I furrow my eyebrows before I start walking over, a tight grip on my wrist makes me hiss in a breath. I turn to see Addy pull her hand away with an apologetic look shot my way. This time she holds her hand out so I can hold it properly, which I do without hesitation. 

Hand in hand we walk forward and into the tunnel. We are soon plunged into darkness which has me halting my movements. Addy moves around beside me before I hear a click and a dim lights makes her face visible again.

"Ooo, lighter, good idea!" I quietly praise before she waves it around to show a bunch of butchering tools and blood.

My stomach churns slightly at the sight, my gag reflex attempting to choke me as we move towards a table with something on top that's covered by a sheet. I really wish Addy wasn't feeling so curious right now, I'm barely keeping my Twinkie down and if she pulls the sheet back to show some half carved animal I will throw up.

Addy lets go of my hand to reach towards the sheet and I take a step back, hopping it will just be like a big tool or something. I really don't think I can handle like a dead dog carved up or something.

"Do we really have to look Addy?" I whisper, my voice tense as Addy glances back at me with a reassuring smile before she pulls the sheet off.

The moment my eyes lock onto a living human who is missing limbs and letting out muffled cries for help, I'm falling backwards as a silent scream escapes my mouth. Addy has a hand over her mouth to cover her cries as she rushes to my side and the sound of rattling behind us catches our attention.

I turn just in time to see the lighter reveal multiple living people hung up on meat hooks with mouths sown shut as they cry out in anguish. Limbs are missing and one guy has no arms or legs at all.

I can't stop myself from vomiting as tears rush down my pale cheeks. Addy is crying somewhere behind me, but all I can do is throw up, my entire body trembling as I cry. My throat burns and my arms are wrapped tightly around my torso.

"Oh God! Oh no! Oh God! Oh no! No!" Addy cries out and I turn to see Tobias has her wrapped up in his arms, but I couldn't help her if I tried, my upchucking turning into dry-heaving.

 "Supper's ready!" Tobias calls in a cheerful voice that makes Addy cry harder.

~

We are back to being tied up at the table, except this time the half eaten man is laying in front of us, muffled crying and struggling coming from him. The gag in my mouth is the only thing keeping me from hurling. I can't seem to tear my eyes away from the man in front of me.

Addy is still crying and struggling from beside me, but I don't have the energy to fight them. All I can do is cry and shake and stare. How do you get here, what is the progression of life that brings you to eating live humans, your own people?

"I know you think we're monsters. We all did too at first." Tobias speaks, but I can't bring myself to look at him, all I can focus on is the terrified man in front of me, pain etched across his face.

Something flashes light into my eyes and I turn to see Tobias with a knife, his hand itching towards the man's leg. The gaging starts, but the cloth secured in my mouth keeps me from actually being able to try and throw up the image.

"But hunger has a way of changing one's mind. Morality is stripped away. And all that remains is survival." Tobias explains as he slices into the screaming man, his pain silenced by the stiches across his mouth.

Addy cries even harder from beside me as I gag harder, my eyes finally tearing away from the man's open wound. I gag even harder as Tobias pauses his slicing of the man's leg skin in his hand. The corner's of my mouth are being rubbed raw from the cloth as I continue gagging around it.

"I know, this takes some getting used to. Perhaps this will make it more palatable." Tobias tells us before he pulls a tazor from his pocket and clicks it on.

I try to struggle away from Tobias, my neck pushed as far back as I can, the burn of the tazor still fresh in my mind. I wiggle so much that the cloth falls from my mouth as Tobias tazor's the man on the table until he passes out.

With my mouth now free I let out a loud gasping cry as I continue trembling, tears still gliding down my cheeks. Just when I thought the worst of it was over, Tobias slices the rest of the skin off and holds it out towards us in his hand.

"Please, Little Flowers. You must be starving. Just a bite to keep your strength. I made it special for you." He says as if he isn't offering us another human beings flesh to eat.

I turn my head to the side as the coppery smell of blood hits my nose and I begin dry heaving again. Addy stops her muffled cries and I can hear her labored breathing over my own choking sounds as my insides try to become my outsides, but I have nothing left in my system to expel except the burning bile I'm drooling.

"Now you've upset Mama. I know this is a big adjustment. But in times like these, it's eat or be eaten. So please. Mama likes you. Make her happy." Tobias tells us in a stern voice, one I hadn't heard from him until now.

To my surprise and discomfort, my head is yanked up by my hair so I can see Tobias staring at me. He walks around the table, the flesh still in his hands as he sits on the table in front of me with a look that screams pity.

"Oh my dear Raindrop, you can't even throw up properly because of how hungry you are, I'll feed you." He tells me as He brings the meat close to my open mouth as the guy behind me grabs my jaw so hard that it's forced open.

I can't stop the scream that rips from my throat as I try to struggle away, but to no avail. I'm tied to a chair that is pressed against this guy's back while he holds my mouth open. My eyes can't leave the sight of the nearing flesh as Tobias tilts it towards me and to my horror blood drips off and onto my chin.

The horrid moment is interrupted by loud zombie snarling so the guy and Tobias both back off. Tobias stands as though he wasn't about to force feed me human flesh and places the meat down. He smiles at the other people in the room as my head drops down, ragged gasps leaving my raw throat as I cry harder than before.

"Fresh meat. You two, get this meat back in the kitchen. Then get in position." Tobias orders and from the sounds around me I'm assuming they all jumped into action.

I don't dare look up at them, my skin feeling disgusting and slimy from where they touched me, from where the man's blood touched me. When I hear movement from beside me, I glance over to see one of the women untying Addy and ripping the gag out of her mouth.

The guy who held my mouth open steps into my view and unties me as well before yanking me into an upright position. I pull against him to grab Addy, her trembling hand latching onto mine as we both cry hysterically. I just wanna get out of here.

The two people shove us forward and into the bright sun and I attach myself to Addy's hip. She seems more stable on her feet than me, but only by a little bit. We are both trembling, tears still falling down our cheeks as we walks towards the front gates.

Tobias grabs both of us by our upper arms, one of us on each side of him. I struggle to get back to Addy, the only safe place I have right now.

Tobias squeezes my arm so hard I know it'll bruise and I quiet down before wrap my arms around myself to the best of my ability with his hold on me. We round the corner and my eyes land on Garnett and I feel the hope building up in my throat.

"That won't be necessary." Tobias says in response to something I didn't catch, but draws Garnett's attention to us and I can feel Addy struggle.

"Garnett!" Addy calls out and I try to do the same, but my throat is spent after all the screaming, crying, and vomiting today.

All I can do is plead with my eyes as I tug against Tobias, his tight grip on my arm, only spurring me on more as I try to rip away from him.

"Apparently you've been talking to my little Sunshine." Tobias questions as I yank especially hard against him, one of his goonies grabbing me from him, one hand on my arm and the other in my hair, ripping my head back to reveal my neck to Garnett.

"Garnett, get us out of here. These people are insane." Addy cries, her angry tone attempting to hid the terror in her voice.

I try to struggle again, I just wanna break free of this guy's hold and run for Garnett, or 10k or just any of the group. The guy lets go of my hair and I snap my head to look at Garnett who is staring at me, but the familiar clicking of the tazor catches my attention right as the current of electricity hits my spine and I drop to my knees. 

"Finn really needs to learn some manners." Tobias sneers as I try to stay consicious, "Apparently we both have something the other wants. Perhaps we can make a deal. Give me back my Sunshine, and you can have your precious Addy and Finn."

 "Nah, I'm not gonna negotiate with a cannibal. You're gonna give me the girls. We're gonna walk away. And you can eat anybody you want." Garnett disagrees and I attempt to get back up to my feet, my legs shaking.

"You know the first rule of negotiation is the person who wants it least wins." Tobias states matter-of-factly as I make it to my feet, the guy behind me yanking my back flat against his front.

To my dismay I lean against him, my body so exhausted that I can't really stand on my own. I can feel his 'excitement' against my back as he snakes his arm around my waist instead of the hold he had on my arm

"If you harm them again, we'll kill every one of you." Garnett threatens as I make groggy eye contact with him and I can see the anger bubbling up.

"Kill away. Frankly I've had about all the zombie apocalypse I can take. But of course, you and the girls will be the first to die." Tobias states and all I can think about is how much I wanna cry, scream, anything, but I lost the last of my energy when that tazor hit me for the third time today.

I can hear the voices of Tobias and Garnett going back and forth, but I don't focus on anything except the buzzing I feel in my toes and the stinging in my throat. I've been with this group for barely anytime at all and I have faced oil-rig zombies, explosions, zombie bite survivor, and now cannibals.

As a group do we just have horrible luck? Was it a bad idea to join them? I should have told 10k to get off my roof and left it at that. But, what about Addy. Addy knew Milo, my tether back to the peaceful life I once lived. Garnett took me in like a father and is even risking his life for my own. Warren is quick-witted, but she tries so hard to do right by everyone. Doc finds the rainbow in the storm and he is so thankful for everything each team member brings to the table. 10k is-

"Stop! Let them go, Tobias." A familiar voice calls and my head snaps up to see Cassandra running down the dirt path.

Garnett grabs her arm and they have a hushed conversation before I see her smile at him in a reassuring way and I try to figure out what the plan could possibly be to get all three of us out of this hell hole.

"Let her go, and I'll come back." Cassandra calls as she pulls away from Garnett.

Addy is let loose and she rushes to my aid, pulling my arm over her shoulder as she helps me stand on my unsteady feet. The guy who held me up shoves us forward and Addy somehow manages to keep me upright as we slowly make our way to the now open gate.

"Don't do it. Kill them. Kill them all." Addy cries as we meet Cassandra in the middle and we all wrap our arms around each other, tears welling up in my eyes as I imagine leaving her here, even for a few minutes.

"No, It's okay. It's okay." The brunette assures us as she spins us and pushes us towards Garnett who is eagerly waiting.

I reach for the girl on the other side of the closing gate as I push to get words out of my throat, shaking my head as the tears spill over. I let out a pitiful squeak as I struggle against Garnett who wraps my other arm around him, leading us away quickly.

~

After being walked through a department store, I managed to get some clothes on that weren't completely awful. A grey spaghetti tank top hidden under a red flannel layered jacket, black jeans, my boots and my hair in two braids. 

After I got some crackers and water, I felt okay walking around without help, but Warren insisted she stay with me. Honestly I didn't want to be alone, but I don't wanna be more of a burden than I've already been. 

Warren bumps me with her arm as we walk towards the truck and I glance at her to see her gesture to 10k who is scanning my form, an almost worried look on his typically stoic face. I smile reassuringly at him and his eyes shift away from me to look at Murphy who appears to be speaking.

"Never thought I'd be happy to see your smelly ass again." I tease, my voice coming out hoarse, as my presence is made known to the group, Murphy flashing me one of his usual condescending smiles.

"Let's get out of here, guys. Now." Mack declares as he wraps his arms around Addy, but we both freeze, my wide eyes staring at Warren who avoids my look.

They don't think we are seriously leaving Cassandra to those, those, monsters, do they? No one, and I mean NO ONE deserves that.

"Wait. What?"  Addy questions as she pulls away from Mack, her face mirroring my own.

When Mack tries to pull Addy towards the truck again, she yanks away and grabs my hand. I grip her hand just as tight as we face the group, Warren still avoiding our gaze. My eyes find 10k's and he just stares at me and I try my best to beg him with my eyes.

 "We're not... we're not leaving her there, are we?" Addy asks when no one moves to help us, but I can see 10k's jaw clenching and unclenching, so he must be thinking about it, right?

"Addy. She lied to us. It almost got you killed. Both of you." Mack tries to reason with Addy, but moves to me when he sees her face isn't changing.

I glare at him as Addy and I move closer together. We may be trauma bonded, but right now, nothing is gonna separate Addy and I. We need each other, but more than anything, we need Cassandra.

"We can't leave her, you don't understand what they will do! If we leave it's like leaving a lamb to a den of wolves!" I exclaim with a glare at the group, everyone except Warren who I know is really torn up inside about her options. 

"Get in the truck and we can talk about this when we aren't here, when we are somewhere safe." Mack tries to take a step towards us and we both move out of his reach, Addy tightening her grip on my hand.

It can't be easy to stand up to someone you love in the apocalypse, especially when you know they are doing what they think is best for you. Addy truly is a strong and brave woman.

 "We are not going." Addy declares, her tone challenging as I nod from beside her.

"Look, he's right. We almost all got killed going back for you two." Garnett speaks up and I feel my glare turn to him, a scoff escaping my mouth at his decision.

Some hero he is! He'd really leave someone behind, did he wanna get us or did he get talked into it? I thought he cared!

"Yeah, she's a freakin' cannibal, and she got what she deserved." Murphy decides to speak next and I can feel the anger bubbling out of my throat as I take a threatening step towards him.

"She did what she had to do to survive. And you of all people would have done the same! You are a cowardly man who can only think about himself!" I growl out as I point at him with my free hand, Addy keeping me from launching myself at him.

As I turn I finally catch Warren's eyes and she searches my pleading eyes before I can see her give into our cause. She lets out a sigh and I smile brightly at her.

 "Come on, they are right! We cannot leave her back there! You men don't know what it's like." Warren finally speaks up and I pull away from Addy to pull Warren into a hug that she gladly returns.

 "What is this, a chick thing now?" Murphy scoffs out a laugh and I whip around to glare at him.

All three of us women let out a yes at the same time and from Murphy's expression I can tell he wasn't expecting that. He seems slightly hesitant to reply now and so I turn to look at Garnett, knowing if Warren gives in then he won't be far behind.

 "All right, I want to help her too. But we're not gonna beat a 50 caliber machine gun. It's gonna tear us to pieces before we get to the fence. How good a shot are you?" He gives in and I smile before he turns to ask 10k the question. 

We all turn to see 10k turn and shoot a Z that's probably 400 ft away from us and I stare at him in admiration. Does he even realizes how good he is? I'm not bad, but if it came down to it he could easily destroy me in any kind of competition.

"Pretty good. One thousand eighty-four. Oh yeah, and a half." He muses and I roll my eyes as I shake my head.

Pretty good my ass, try amazing you modest asshole.

 "I have an idea." Garnett declares and I turn to face him with a smile.

~

After getting help from Citizen Z, and a school speaker attached to the top of the truck, we're now sitting and preparing ourselves for what we are bout to do. Doc should already be in their camp with Cassandra. Warren is driving while Addy, Murphy, Garnett, and Mack sit in the back seats. I'm sitting shotgun, my crossbow aimed and ready.

"You know this is gonna get us all killed, right?" Murphy whines from the backseat and I shoot him a cheesy smile.

" At least our deaths will be memorable. Crank it up!" I tease as Warren flips the overhead speaker on loud, the music blasting.

I look out the window in time to see Z's swarming from behind us and I almost cheer, our plan is working!

"Here they come!" Mack calls before he slaps the side of the truck, signaling Warren to drive, which she does.

We peel off down the road, Warren going slow enough to keep the Z interested, but not so slow they can hitch a ride. She seems to be coating at the perfect speed as we keep our collection of monsters growing behind us.

10k should be in position at this point. His job is to shoot the guy working the 50 caliber, now that we know were it is. This entire plan is riding on him making that shoot so I seriously hope he's as good a shot as we all think or we could have just signed our death warrants.

"Brace yourselves!" I call out as the gate comes into view and Warren picks up speed so we can take out the metal separating us and the cannibal cult.

I put one hand on the console and the other on the roof of the truck as my crossbow sits safely in my lap. I squeeze my eyes shut as we barrel through the fence, the force making me jerk against my seatbelt.

We come to a screeching halt and the 50 caliber starts shooting, but luckily it's not at us, but the horde of Z's behind us. I quickly turn to see the guy at the large gun right as a bullet zooms through his skull and to my surprise through the fence into a gas tank.

I watch the explosion and I almost laugh. Maybe it's really 10k who attracts the explosions and not the whole group. 

My attention is brought back as Doc and Cassandra clamber into the back of the truck and I quickly shut off the music. I turn to smile at Warren, our plan actually worked! I thought we had bad luck, but maybe we have the best luck!

Once Doc gives the signal, banging on the side, we tear off again. All the Z's ignore our vehicle and instead storm the compound, looking for their next meal. As shitty as it sounds, I hope they turn all of those dicks.

~

Once we are a safe distance away we pick up 10k from the designated spot. He climbs into the back with Garnett, Mac, and Doc. We open all the windows, including the one that separates the bed of the truck from the cab. Addy and I sandwich Cassandra between us in the cab as we all curl into each other.

I may have gotten more than I bargained for with this group, but this right here is why I'll stay. We have each other's backs and that's all I need in this messed up nightmare of a world.

"Thank you." Cassandra whispers and I smile at her with teary eyes before kissing her forehead, Addy squeezing her shoulders tighter.

A gunshot makes me jump and I turn to see 10k shot the liberty bell that is laying on the side of the road and I roll my eyes. A boy ruining a moment by shooting something, how unsurprising.

"My kinda town." 10k mumbles and our eyes lock for a moment through the back window before we both look away.

"If anybody asks, we were nowhere near that bell." Garnett states from the cab and I laugh softly at the comment, my hand interlacing with Addy's and giving it a squeeze.

"I always heard Philly was a tough town, but sheesh. Zombies with attitude." Doc jokes and I roll my eyes before laying my head on Cassandra's shoulder.

Maybe we can all be alright, at least for a while.

~

A/N: Okay so below is her new outfit. Also I may not have said this before, but this is a slow burn story so she's not gonna go running into his arms, yet.