EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
[ chapter eight—die for you ]

Alicia followed behind her sister wishing to know what happened out there. Adaline didn't have answers for her, and if she had any idea of what to say she still wouldn't answer her. "Crazy dog is going to want answers. If Troy did this—"

Alicia paused, looking around them before she spoke again. Everyone who filled the pantry was too busy worrying about they're missing loved ones, Adaline included. "I need to know before it all comes out."

The blonde girl shook her head, frustration taking over her body as she couldn't find their brother. "Lee, where is he?" She asked, Alicia glanced around cursing herself for misplacing their little brother.

Alicia stuttered, finding Nadia in the crowd. "Do you know where Lee is?" She asked, pulling the redhead to the side. Nadia's lips parted, looking around them.

Nadia pressed her lips together. "I haven't seen him since we let the herd out." She admitted, taking her friend's hand. "He's survived worse. He's like a cockroach, he can survive anything. Including this."

Alicia nodded, "he'll be fine." She mumbled with tears in her eyes.

Adaline shook her head in hopes of disbursing the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "We've got jobs to do." She finally spoke, replacing Nadia's hand with a box of bottled water.

Handing one to each girl and the survivors around them. She turned to another aisle to replace her empty box with a full one.

She didn't think her face could fade any further, but seeing the bite that would take Blake, who she considered a pain in the ass but he was a good guy for the most part.

"Adaline!" Brandon spoke, making his way through the crowd of survivors to Adaline. "Did you find him?" She asked, moving away from Blake between the shelves.

The boy shook his head. "Uh, no luck. But we've got bigger problems." How could things get any worse?

Adaline followed the boy to the back of the pantry, toward the freezer room. Alicia, Ofelia, and Crazy Dog stood waiting for the blonde. "Nothing is coming through," Ofelia spoke.

The girl wandered over to the group standing below the vents, holding her hand beneath it waiting for a cool breeze, nothing came.

"This place is sealed." Blake spoke up, the blonde stood back on the ball' of her feet, her eyes wandering around the faces she could see ahead of her. "And it wasn't built to house this many."

Adaline closed her eyes staring at her reflection in the steel of the walls. "There has to be another way in." Crazy Dog offered.

"That vent is the only way," Blake spoke again. "Without that..." Adaline pressed her eyes shut, reaching for the pendant that should sit around her neck, though it wasn't there.

Alicia looked up at the vent, speaking up. "We run out of air." She paused looking back at her sister.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

The group sat below the vent planning Ofelia and the other Lees's trip through the vent. "The shaft runs all the way up past the barn." Blake began, leaning against one of the stock shelves and watching Alicia speed papers across the floor.

"How long will it take dragging on our knees and elbows?" Crazy Dog asked, seating himself beside Ofelia. "About an hour to there to clear the blockage."

Ofelia nodded, "right. Plus we need an hour back."

"There might not be enough air down here to last." Adaline stood beneath the vent gazing upward. The group looked to Alicia as she flipped through the papers, pencil in hand.

She sighed, sitting up. "We have maybe two hours before the carbon dioxide kills us."

Adaline leaned against a shelf stocked with vegetable oil, looking down at her sister. "Okay," Ofelia mumbled. "So, we move, right?"

The girl stood. "An hour to the end— that's the best-case scenario?" The other Lee asked, looking at Blake and the sisters. "Unless lack of oxygen slows us up."

Adaline stared at Blake as he spoke, how many others were bit? She wondered. How many wouldn't admit it till they'd already had a taste of their loved ones' guts?

The crazy dog stood, walking beneath the vent. "We need to even the odds." He began, Ofelia furrowed her eyebrows at the boy. "It's this or nothing."

"It's not worth the risk."

"What other options do we have?"

Adaline snapped out of her thoughts shaking her head and she stood up straight again. "No, it's not. We can—" she paused, hating herself for even thinking it. "We can buy some time."

The group turned to look at her, confused about what she meant by that but Blake knew, he knew what'd they'd have to do.

Crazy Dog stepped closer, her voice cracked, almost a whisper. "Fewer people, less carbon dioxide." Alicia looked up at her sister and back at the papers in front of her.

Ofelia looked through the isles at the survivors, and Adaline followed her gaze. "We put down the bitten." Adaline nodded lightly, watching the children play with patty cake together.

"No one will admit it." Crazy Dog began. "It's just a matter of time before they start showing symptoms." Ofelia continued. "We need to strip everyone down and search for bites."

Adaline shook her head, "No, they're not prisoners. You can't force them. We're all in this together."

"Then we're gonna die together." Crazy dog hissed, Adaline glared at the boy. "All I've heard you bring to the table is force them to show us their bites." She scoffed.

"Hey, Alicia," Ofelia called out to the girl who'd hidden behind a shelf. "Why don't we have the bitten go clean out the vents?"

Adaline furrowed her eyebrows at the girl's question. "We can't send someone sick," Alicia answered. "If they die in there, it'll just make everything worse."

"Well, that settles it." The crazy dog turned to the people behind them.

Alicia stuttered, grabbing the boy's shirt and tugging him back. "No, wait!" She hissed. "They'll riot. They'll kill you for trying to kill them."

"They're already dead." He hissed back. The girl turned to the end of the aisle. Pushing past the boy to talk to the survivors herself.

"Everyone?" She spoke up, stepping into the middle of the pantry. Crazy Dog, Ofelia, and Alicia stood behind the girl. Blake leaned against one of the shelves waiting for the girl to continue.

"I— I know you're scared. We're all scared." The girl's eyes met a young girl and a boy who'd reminded her of herself and Nick curled up in their father's arms.

"We don't know what's going to happen out there," She continued. "And we're less sure what's going to happen here. But, uh, this is what we do know." The girl glanced at Nadia who had a little girl asleep on her lap. Alicia.

"The vent is broken. The only airway we have is blocked. Which means if we can't fix it, we suffocate." The people began to murmur against one another, pulling their loved ones close. "Right now, the enemy is not what's out there. It's time. And the more of us there are, the less time we have." She admitted.

Her eyes wandered to a young boy who comforted his mother instead of her comforting him. Lee.

Adaline gulped, playing with a loose thread on the bottom of her shirt. "So, we're asking... for those of you who have been bitten to come forward." The pantry murmurings came to a stop, nothing but women coughing at the back of the room.

Crazy Dog stepped forward pulling out his pistol. "I guess we do it the hard way." He spoke, loading the gun, Blake stood in front of him, shaking his head.

Blake stepped out for everyone to see him, slowly pulling his shirt up revealing his bite. "No baby, no." A woman begged as her son stood, Pulling her head to his shoulder.

Adaline's breathing heavied as more people stepped up.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Adaline wrapped her arms around Ofelia, "I'm sorry, about your face." Ofelia whispered, referring to the scar she'd left across Adaline's cheek.

The girl smiled, pulling away from the girl. "I'm sorry about hitting you... so many times." Ofelia chuckled, smiling at the girl as she took the pistol from her.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay down here?" She asked the Clarke sisters as she wrapped her arms around Alicia. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay in there?" Alicia asked.

"Let's get this over with." Crazy Dog began, holding the ladder in place for Ofelia.

Adaline turned to the people who'd stepped forward, Alicia followed her gaze.

Blake held a box full of smaller boxes. "Triage painkiller." He spoke, taking the lid off one of the boxes. "The dose will knock you out."

"And then what?" One of the bitten asked. "Then you'll be taken care of," Alicia answered.

"There's not enough ammunition to shoot us all." One of the elders spoke. Alicia remained quiet, avoiding eye contact. "You gonna stab us?" The first man asked, looking to Adaline for answers.

Her eyes met his and fell to the floor. "Maybe we should, uh, wait this out a bit longer." He offered, Adaline's eyes fell on him again.

"Dax, you not gonna survive what's in your blood now." She began. "You know, I don't feel so bad." The elder man spoke. "Maybe the bite didn't go that deep."

Blake sighed, "You're feeling it, Stan. I can see it."

"I need more time. Just one more hour." A young woman spoke, her voice cracking. She didn't have an hour.

"We don't have an hour." Blake continued. "This isn't how it's supposed to end," Stan muttered, the woman beside him who'd started a fight at the well only days ago stood. "My son needs me."

"Enough." Charleen's mother spoke, standing in front of the women as she went to leave. "It's morphine. It's the best goddamn feeling in the world. You'll be in heaven before you get there."

Adaline nodded her head at the woman thanking her for her input. "I'll go." Alicia stepped up, and Adaline pushed her back. "Keep them calm." She whispered, squeezing her sister's hand.

Adaline and Blake led the man into the back room. The girl held the curtain open for the man and Blake. Watched him as he sat in the middle of the room, holding his knees close to his chest.

She sat beside him, holding her brother's iPod and his headphones. She didn't know what to say so she sat the device beside him and put a makeshift pillow beneath his head as he laid back.

She took his arm, preparing the morphine for his arm. She looked up at the man, "You ready?" She asked, the man nodded. "Yes." He agreed, laying his head back.

Adaline pressed the morphine needle into his arm. Watching his eyelids slowly fall. Blake nodded at the girl. Rolling the man over.

She pulled her sister's pocket knife from her belt. Adaline moved closer to the man's head. The girl's hand shook against the knife, her breath shuddered as she pushed the knife into the base of his skull.

Adaline stood, her breathing picking up as she took everything in. Blake went to speak but the girl had already left the room.

She stood between the isles away from everyone in the pantry. Her breathing was erratic and tears flooded her eyes. Her hands searched her chest, pressing her right hand over where her heart should be.

Alicia went to follow when Christine stepped forward shaking her head lightly as she followed after Adaline.

The girl leaned against the shelf in front of her the knife on the ground beside her. Adaline stood panting as her eyes scrambled for something to read to calm herself.

"Here." Christine began holding out the girl's knife. "I know it's hell. But those people have done their part. You need to do yours. They need you. They need you because you're strong. Don't break on them now."

Adaline's breathing had slowed down to a shudder.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Adaline sat in a pool of blood, her head in her hands and her brother's playlist ringing through her ears. "Come on," Blake whispered. "Just give me a minute." She whispered back.

"It's time." Adaline pressed her eyes shut, looking up at him and the pile of bodies in the back of the room. "Adaline, we need to do this now."

Adaline leaned back against the shelving behind them, tugging the headphones from her ears. Blake looked like hell, he needed his peace.

She leaned over grabbing another morphine. She turned to the boy watching as he rolled up his sleeve. Adaline rolled onto her knees, looking down at his arm.

"I'm sorry for what I did." He sobbed, their eyes meeting. "For all those people. I'm sorry." He continued to sob.

Adaline nodded, wrapping her arm around him. "It's okay." She inserted the morphine into his arm. "It's gonna be okay." She whispered, listening to him exhale deeply.

The girl whipped her tears as she pulled the knife from his skull. "Addy?" Alicia mumbled, standing in the doorway watching her sister.

Adaline stood, wrapping her arms around her sister.

As the girls emerged from the back room, the whispering came to a halt, all eyes on the eldest girl.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Adaline laid her head on Nadia's shoulder, waiting for Ofelia and Crazy Dog to pull through. "I shouldn't have brought them here," Alicia mumbled.

"You know, my husband was in the first Tower when it fell." Christine began, The girls around her turned to her, and their sorrowful eyes met hers. "I tried calling his cell over and over. I must've called it a thousand times. Because then there was a chance..." she snickered. "A chance I might hear him again."

She sniffled, leaning her head back. "Even when you're hopeless, hope is all you have. You've given us a few precious hours, there's no shame in that. I met my second husband at a support group for the families. Jerry was a paramedic. First responder." She chuckled, glancing at Mikaela and Brandon who wrapped each other in their arms.

"God, he used to make me laugh. They have to make you laugh. I mean, good sex and all that sure, but If they're not funny, forget it." Words Adaline would live by.

"What brought you here?" Nadia asked. "Jerry was convinced that the Towers falling was the beginning of the end. And I started to believe him. So, when we heard about Otto and the ranch, it just felt like a perfect fit."

"You were right," Alicia mumbled, the woman beside her chuckled. "Were we? I'm not sure. We spent our last years hiding from the world when we could've been out there exploring it."

The women leaned forward, taking Alicia's hand on her left and Nadia and Adaline's on her right. "Promise me you'll never make decisions based on fear."

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

"Ripping my bra off at Woodstock." Christine recited from her memory. "Pinks with Dad after school," Alicia answered, and Adaline chuckled.

"Friday night Monopoly," Adaline spoke.

Mikaela hummed, "Surfing with my dad."

"Watching the scream movies in our dorm." Nadia chuckled, smoothing her hand over Adaline's hair. "Bridge jumping in Montana," Christine spoke.

Alicia chortled. Looking to Nadia and Adaline as they were the only ones who'd understand. " "This Land is Your Land, at Camp Big Cove." Adaline chuckled after her sister, Nadia grinned leaning back.

"Dad teaching Nick how to drive," Adaline smirked, Alicia chuckled. "Ugh, I still have nightmares from that." Adaline smiled brightly.

"Thirteen going on thirty." Nadia smiled, Mikaela chuckled looking over at the girl. "Why are all yours related to cinematography?" She asked.

Alicia and Adaline groaned. "She was going to be a film director," Adaline answered. "The best damn film director the world had ever seen." Nadia intercepted.

"Here, here." Alicia cheered, raising her bottled water.

"Theme parks with my dad." Mikaela continued, glancing at the sleeping Brandon.

Christine began her turn. "Drinking wine in Central Park." Alicia chuckled, looking down at the water on her lap. "Sun on your face, just lying there."

Alicia's continued chuckle drew Christine's attention. "That amusing, huh?"

"No, no, it's just... stupid. We were at this summer camp up in the Sierras. I was nine. Adaline was eleven. And there was this performance on the last day. Talent show. The whole camp watched. And I was supposed to sing "This Land is Your Land." So, I get up on stage... and the music starts. One of the counselors playing on the Casio."

Adaline looked up at her sister smiling as she remembered every detail from the trip. "And I freeze. I... I can't remember a single word. And I'm standing there staring out at the audience... when I see Nick's face looking at me in horror like he's living it with me or something."

Nadia chuckled, "So, he runs up on stage... but then he forgets everything, too. So, Adaline came running up and they both didn't know the song so they just started blasting, This Land Is Your Land, This Land is Your Land, This Land is Your Land... over and over. Like, after, like, the twentieth time they take a bow and everyone applauds."

Adaline gazed up at her sister. "It was a standing ovation." Alicia's gaze softened. "Everyone loved you."

"You're all close?" Christine asked.

Adaline's eyes fell. "When we were kids. But it changed. I looked up to them when I was young. More than anyone. More than my dad, even."

Alicia's head jolted back, her eyes drifting open as she shook her head. Looking around her, everyone had fallen asleep. "Christine." She mumbled, nudging the women.

"Addy?" She continued, leaning toward her sister, nudging her arm. "Hey, Addy. The air... no." She mumbled, attempting to stand.

She looked around the room everyone around them had fallen asleep and soon she would too.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

This land is your land, this land is my land. From California. To New York Island. From the forest. Gulf Stream waters. This land was made for you and...

Alicia's drifting eyes landed on a woman who looked to be awake. "Hey." She mumbled, sitting up to look at her. The closer she got, the louder the snarling appeared, a bucket fell and the woman turned to the girl snarling at her.

Alicia panicked raising her hands to hold the woman off, reaching for her knife. She threw the women back against the weaponry. As she began fumbling with the switchblade the woman's head lunged at her pushing to back onto the shelf and then against the ground where her head fell on the blade.

Brandon who'd barely had time to wake rushed to the girl helping her to her feet as more dead rose. "We need... to move." He mumbled, Alicia's eyes drifted shut.

Fuck. He hissed, jamming the girl's knife across the dead's throat, blood pouring out onto the girl enough to camouflage her against the incoming infected.

He'd moved onto the other's back between the isles, dragging his girlfriend into the armory. He'd gone back for Nadia but his eyes began to drift shut.

He'd pulled both girls by their arms to the armory door, laying them beside a bench he could cuff them to in case they turned.

Brandon collapsed beside Alicia soaking his hand in the blood on Alicia's chest and smearing it across his face as he began to pass out.

Alicia gasped, air returning to the pantry. Munching and snarling echoed through the room. A scream erupted from beside the girl. Infected tore into Brandon's forearm.

Munching on the flesh. Alicia gasped, wedging her knife into its head and kicking the infected that grabbed onto her leg.

"Come on." She hissed, pulling Brandon toward the aisle to get Christine.

Alicia grabbed the woman's arms pulling her toward the back room. "Armoury," Brandon mumbled, wrapping his shirt around his arm.

The girls breathing heavied as Adaline and Nadia's bodies weren't where she'd left them. He placed his hand on the girl's arm nodding his head. "Armoury."

Adaline's eyes drifted open and snarling rang through her ears. Infected had wandered into the room in hopes of chomping down on the girls.

A knife plunged into the infested skull, Brandon nodded his head at Alicia as she checked over her sister.

He turned to the infected who'd followed them to the armory, taking a machete from the armory shelf he stepped into the belly of the beast.

The gate clicked, and the younger girl stood, rushing to stop the boy. "Brandon!" She exclaimed, fumbling around with the lock. He smiled at the girl turning to the infected.

He'd taken out as many as he could until his demise, Adaline found her strength and tried to wake the other girls, but with no luck, she turned to help her sister with the incoming infection as they pressed on the gate for entry.

She clicked a full magazine into one of the rifles, pressing the stock to her shoulder.

An explosion on the outside shook the ground beneath the girls. Alicia grabbed another ammo clip, slamming her machete against the lock as she pushed the door open.

"Alicia!" Her sister exclaimed, searching the ammo clips for full ones. The girl grabbed a pistol from the wall rushing to the door as she heard the clicking of her sister's gun.

The girl raised her gun to the infected when three shots went off, and the smell of smoke burst into the room.

Adaline took a deep breath rushing back to Nadia and Mikaela begging for her friend to wake. "Alicia, we're here. Come on." Their mother spoke.

The blonde pressed her hands to her redheaded friend's chest, tears flooding her eyes as she begged for her to open her eyes.

One, two, three. She mumbled, lifting her chin and breathing into her mouth. Risky? Yes, but Nadia was worth the risk.

She turned to the dark-haired girl behind her, repeating her previous steps. "Adaline!" Madison called out, following Alicia into the room.

Adaline remained between the girls. "We need to go!" Madison exclaimed, her daughters rescuing to leave.

"Alicia." She mumbled. Alicia sat beside Christine trying to get her up. "We need to go." Their mother repeated.

"I'm not leaving her!" Adaline shouted, repeating CPR on Nadia. "Come on. Please." She begged, pressing two fingers to the girl's neck.

Adaline cried out as she couldn't find a pulse, arms wrapped around her shoulders trying to get her up. "I'm not leaving her!" She shouted again.

"Okay." The girl turned to the voice, tears streaming down her face as her eyes met Lees. "Once more." He mumbled, climbing over Mikaela to do as Adaline did.

She pressed her fingers to Nadia's neck again. She gasped as she felt a pulse. "Nadia?" She asked, raising her head.

The redhead gasped, shooting up straight. Adaline wrapped her arms around the girl, tightly looking back at Mikaela as she slowly woke.

Adaline glanced at the door Troy's face appeared in the armoury doorway looking sorrowfully at the blonde.

Nadia began to stand as Qalataqa expressed the urgency for them to get out. Mikaela looked around the room. "Brandon?" She mumbled, rushing out of Nadia's arms in search of her boyfriend.

Qalataqa wrapped his arms around the girl as she began to break down, Brandon's body lay outside the door.

Adaline threw Nadia's arm around Lee's shoulders, sitting beside Alicia as she begged Christine to leave with them.

"Lisha, we can't save everyone." She whispered, wrapping her sister's fingers around her switchblade.

Alicia squelched the blade into the woman's skull, above the woman's ear.

Adaline watched her sister's eyes as they wandered up to their mother, she was angry. She was a lot more than angry.

Alicia stood, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder. Adaline stood after her sister, looking around the room and grabbing another clip for her pistol.

Troy stood outside the armory door watching Adaline as she ignored him and walked past him.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

Adaline sat in the dirt looking out at the smouldering ranch. Lee sat beside his sister, handing her a bow and arrow bag. "I saved what I could." He mumbled.

His sister's eyes remained on the scene before them. The boy nodded lightly, standing up. Adaline leaned back reaching into her jeans pocket for her brother's iPod and headphones. "I figured you'd need that."

Adaline stood looking back at her mother, Qalataqa, and Ofelia. Nick wandered over to his sister, wrapping his arms around her. "You really shouldn't take off like that."

The girl shrugged against her brother's chest. "Our sister needed me."

Alicia climbed out of the water truck and walked over toward her mother. Nick followed over, hugging their sister after her mother. Adaline stood afar from her family.

Alicia looked around, "Where's Jake?" Nick sighed, shaking his head. Adaline glared at Troy and back at her sister, her breathing shuddered, tears beginning to flow. "How?"

"He was trying to stop this," Nick answered.

"How?" Alicia pressed. "He got bit," Troy spoke up, and Adaline turned to the boy. "I put him down."

Though she and Jake had never gotten along or had anything whatsoever in common with Alicia, she felt bad for him. Everyone in his life was fuck ups, he wanted to leave, with his book collection and a couple of cattle. Now he'd be stuck forever in this place.

Alicia's eyes remained on Troy. "Where'd the horde come from?" Nick shrugged, "Troy, uh... saw it coming, came to warn us, but it was too late."

Madison stepped toward her daughter. "We're leaving soon. We found Daniel at the dam."

Alicia shook her head, stepping away as her mother reached for her hand. "Stop. Just..."

"It's safe, it's supplied." Madison continued, Adaline stepped toward her sister. "Stop pretending any place is safe. It's not. We keep searching for something that doesn't exist. We kill for it and die for it."

Adaline closed her eyes, "Alicia." Nick spoke. "You know better than anyone," Alicia exclaimed over her brother. "Don't say otherwise."

"Kind of short on options." Lee shrugged, leaning against the water trailer.

"It doesn't mean I have to choose that!" Alicia shouted.

Strand walked toward the girl. "The dam has water and walls. It's the best we're gonna get."

"We should go," Qalataqa spoke up. "While there's still sunlight."

Adaline shook her head. "You're not fucking listening. She's not coming with us." Alicia looked at her sister, and back at their mother. "Adaline your not helping." Madison hissed.

Everyone began to pile into the vehicles. "Where is the dam?" Alicia asked. "What?" Madison looked at her daughter confused.

"On a map. Where is it?"

Madison shrugged her daughter off. "It's close. We're gonna be there by morning." Alicia shook her head. "No. I'm not going."

Madison placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Alicia, look, you're in shock, okay? What you've just been through?" Adaline rolled her eyes, Her mother hadn't even hugged her or apologized for the hell she'd been through, but Alicia was threatening to leave so, of course, Madison would be a decent mother to her other kids.

"I can't even ima—"

"No, I'm not in shock." Alicia pressed. "I'm seeing things more clearly now."

Adaline walked toward the truck Lee was filled with their stuff. Nadia sat inside the truck, comforting Mikaela as she sobbed.

Troy walked toward the girl, looking down at his hand as he searched his shirt pocket for something that belonged to the blonde.

Adaline went to leave when Troy spoke. "I have something of yours." He mumbled, pulling the girl's necklace Travis had given her out of his shirt pocket.

The girl looked at the stone, taking the necklace into her hand. "Found it outside the pantry." He mumbled.

Adaline nodded, pulling the necklace over her head. "You know, I don't think I like you mad at me." He admitted, squinting at the girl.

The girl shrugged, "I don't think I like you endangering my family's lives." Alicia emerging from behind the water truck caught her sister's attention.

Alicia smiled at her sister wrapping her arms around her sister. "Love you, Addy." Her sister whispered. "I love you, Lisha."

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Word count — 4563

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