heavenward | n.scatorccio

The past few days had been a blur of exhaustion and survival, marked by the ache in their legs and the emptiness in their stomachs. They were nearing Hagerstown, Maryland now, their car long abandoned when it sputtered out of fuel back near Carlisle.

The afternoon sun hung high and merciless, pouring its molten weight over their backs as Julianna trudged behind Natalie and Javi. Heat pressed down like an iron hand, turning the air thick and shimmering, as if the world itself were breathing heavily.

Each step felt carved from stone, her limbs dragging as though bound by invisible chains, her converse scraping against the cracked, sun-bleached pavement. The sweat on her skin wasn't just sweat, it felt like the sun had reached down and smudged her with its searing fingertips, every bead dripping with fatigue.

Ahead, Javi's smaller frame bobbed like a mirage in the sweltering haze. Natalie was beside Julianna, her hand still clenched around the handle of her crossbow, the weapon feeling heavy even though she hadn't needed to use it in a while. The landscape around them was brittle and bleached, all the color leached out, leaving only a dry, pale ghost of the world that used to be.

But Julianna's nerves were still raw, her senses perpetually on high alert. The air felt too quiet, the kind of quiet that made her grip her machete tighter and look back twice.

"We're almost there, right?" Natalie asked quietly, her voice carrying the exhaustion of the journey.

"I don't think we're far," Julianna sighed, but her heart wasn't in it. She didn't know how far 'not far' really meant anymore. Every hill, every mile felt like they were getting further from safety, from hope.

They crested the hill, the earth beneath them crumbling into loose gravel that tumbled away with every step. Below, the road stretched like a jagged scar, stratification of cracked cement threading through the frangible remains of a world long left. Among the wreckage, dark shapes slumped and twisted—rotting corpses, their decomposition etched into the air with a putrid tang that clung to their lungs.

Julianna's breath hitched, her hand tightening instinctively around her machete. But it wasn't the sight of death that unsettled her—it was the sound. Faint at first, until it sliced through the suffocating quiet: a low, steady hum.

She froze, her pulse quickening as the sound grew clearer, sharper. It was unmistakable now.

An engine.

"Do you think they're friendlies?" Javi whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Since when is anyone friendly?" Natalie spoke, her knuckles white on her knife.

"Guys, be quiet" Julianna whispered.

The truck slowed down as it approached a blockade of abandoned cars ahead, and Julianna's heart pounded harder. She could see figures in the cab of the front of the truck, two people, one behind the wheel, the other leaning forward like they were scanning the road.

Something about it struck her as familiar. A figure leaning out the passenger side, their messy hair catching the light for just a second. Julianna didn't dare breathe as the drivers climbed out to move the rusted cars.

Shauna.

Her dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail, her brows furrowed in concentration as she hopped down from the passenger seat of the second truck. Next to her was Misty, her blonde curls bouncing as she gestured toward the beleaguer, probably suggesting a route to avoid it altogether. In the back of the truck was Jeff, his face streaked with dirt.

"Oh my god," Julianna whispered, her voice catching in her throat.  Her stomach was in a vice-like grip, and she couldn't stop herself from reaching for Natalie's arm. Natalie had noticed too. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, her mouth hanging open slightly as she crouched beside Julianna.

"No way. No fucking way."  Natalie spoke incredulously, her eyes wide.

Julianna's breath hitched. Her fingers gripped the machete in her other hand tighter, as if she needed to steady herself.

"Is that... Shauna?" Javi asked, craning his neck to see, his voice filled with awe.

Julianna's chest tightened, her heart slamming against her ribs. She'd know that chaotic bounce in Misty's step anywhere, even from this distance.

"Misty?" she whispered. Her voice cracked, barely audible.

Before Julianna could stop herself, she was moving. She rose to her feet, stepping out from behind the bushes and into the open road.

She didn't think. She couldn't. Her chest was too tight, her thoughts too loud.

"Guys!" she shouted, her voice breaking.

Jeff turned at the sound of her voice, his entire body going rigid. For a moment, he just stared at her, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. And then he broke into a sprint.

"Jules!"

Julianna didn't have time to respond.
She was already in Jeff's arms, his face streaked with grime, his body tense with relief. It didn't matter that they had been separated. It didn't matter that it had been almost a week.

"You're okay," Jeff said, his voice cracking.
"You're okay. I thought—I thought I lost you."

"I didn't know what to do," He whispered, squeezing her tighter. "We couldn't find you. I... I'm so sorry, I-"

"We're fine," Julianna said, though her voice trembled. Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry.

Misty was running toward them now, her smile wide and incredulous.

"Jules! Oh my God, Jules!" She practically tackled Julianna in a hug, squeezing her tightly. "I knew we'd find you! I told Jeff we'd find you! Didn't I, Jeff?"

"You did," Jeff said, his voice soft, his arms still wrapped around Julianna.

Natalie and Javi stepped out from the bushes cautiously, their eyes wary as they approached for fear there were infected near. Misty's eyes widened as she spotted them.

"Nat!" she exclaimed, letting go of Julianna to throw her arms around Natalie. "I knew you'd be with her! And Javi too—oh my God, this is perfect!"

"Yeah, perfect," Natalie muttered, though her lips twitched into a smile.

Jeff's eyes landed on Natalie, and his expression softened. "You okay?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yeah," Natalie said. "We're okay."

Behind them, Lottie, and Jackie climbed out of the truck, their expressions a mix of shock and relief. Shauna emerged from the front, squinting against the glare of the sun, raising a hand to shield her eyes. The light fractured across her vision, hazy and golden, as she tried to make sense of the figures ahead.

"Julianna?" Shauna called, her voice hesitant.

"It's us," Julianna said, her voice steady now. "We made it."

The noise of the reunion had died down slightly, settling into the kind of energy that hummed beneath the surface. Shauna and Jackie stood by the truck, arms crossed as they exchanged relieved glances. Lottie lingered in the middle of the group, her expression caring, while passing around water, a smile tugging at her lips.

Misty, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with excitement, chattering a mile a minute.

"I told you we'd find each other," Misty was saying, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "My intuition is never wrong. Well, sometimes it's wrong, but not this time."

Julianna was still catching her breath, the adrenaline of the moment slowly fading. She glanced at Jeff, whose hand hadn't left her shoulder since he hugged her. His grip was firm, in a way that made her feel safe.

"What happened to the car?" Julianna asked, nodding toward the battered truck parked on the road. "You guys got it working?"

Julianna glanced at Jeff, half-expecting him to puff out his chest and brag. But he scratched the back of his neck instead, a sheepish look crossing his face. "Uh... yeah. Sort of."

"Sort of?" Julianna arched a brow, crossing her arms.

Misty jumped in before Jeff could respond, her grin wide and triumphant. "It was me, I fixed it!"

Julianna blinked, her surprise evident. "How do you know everything?"

Misty beamed, clearly delighted by the attention. "I mean, it wasn't that hard. The spark plugs were bad, and the alternator was all messed up, but luckily I found a replacement in this old garage we passed. It's amazing what you can do with a little ingenuity—"

Jeff rolled his eyes, but there was no malice in it. "Yeah, Misty the Mechanic over here. She actually got us moving."

Julianna turned to him, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't even try to help?"

Jeff raised his hands defensively. "Hey, don't look at me. I didn't exactly pay attention when Dad was going on about engines and transmissions and all that stuff. That was your thing, not mine."

"That's because you never listened," Julianna shot back, her tone sharper than she intended.

"Okay, okay, guilty as charged," Jeff said, holding back a grin. "But, hey, I got the truck started once—remember? Back in the driveway? That counts for something, right?"

Julianna rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smirk tugging at her lips. "Barely."

"Are you telling me that Misty fixed the car while Jeff stood around and watched?" Natalie cut in, smirking, unsurprised at this point.

"Hey, I helped! I moved stuff around!" Jeff protested.

"You carried a wrench like it was gonna bite you," Misty chimed in, her voice teasing.

Shauna chuckled from where she stood by the truck, shaking her head. "That's... yeah, that sounds about right."

"I mean, it's kind of impressive," Natalie said, glancing at Misty with a hint of a smile. "Good for you, Misty."

"Aw, thanks, Nat!" Misty said, practically glowing under the praise.

Julianna, though, was still stuck on the memory of their dad. She looked at Jeff, her voice quieter now. "You really didn't pick up anything from him?"

Jeff hesitated, his expression softening. "I guess I didn't think it mattered, Jules. Not back then." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You were always the one who cared about that stuff. You were good at it. I figured, you had it covered, you know?"

Julianna frowned, unsure how to feel. There was a part of her that wanted to snap at him, to point out how their dad had tried to include Jeff, too. But another part of her just felt tired.

"Well," she said finally, her tone light but tinged with something she couldn't quite name, "good thing Misty had it covered this time."

"Exactly," Misty said, oblivious to the tension. "And if we ever need another car fixed, you can all count on me! Just don't ask Jeff to help."

"Noted," Natalie said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Jeff rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

Lottie, who had been quiet until now, stepped closer, her gaze settling on Julianna. "What about you guys?" she asked softly. "How did you get out?"

The question hung in the air, unavoidable. Julianna exchanged a glance with Natalie, then looked down at Javi, who was sitting on the ground, fiddling with the bat in his hands.

"There's a lot," Julianna said finally, her voice low.

"Well," Shauna said, her tone gentle but firm, "we have time."

Julianna swallowed hard, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. She wasn't ready to unpack it. But as she looked at the faces around her, the familiar faces she had feared she'd never see again, she felt something shift inside her.

Julianna let out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing just a little. She wasn't angry, she knew that much. It was more the ache of the past few days, the constant movement, decisions, and of things she couldn't control. And now, being back with everyone, it felt like she could finally let some of that go.

"We'll explain everything," she said quietly, glancing at Natalie and Javi. "Just not right here. We need to keep moving."

Shauna nodded, stepping closer. "Agreed. Hagerstown's still not exactly safe. We should find somewhere to hole up for a while. Somewhere to regroup."

Jeff gave a low whistle, gesturing toward the truck. "We've got wheels, at least. Well, until it gives out again."

"Not with everyone crammed in," Misty pointed out, her voice overly chipper. "We'll need to be smart about supplies and fuel. Oh! And rationing. And weapons. Do we have enough weapons?"

Shauna crossed her arms, looking like she was trying very hard not to snap. "Misty, maybe let's figure that out when we're not standing in the middle of the road."

"Good point!" Misty pointed, spinning around and heading for the truck.

"C'mon," Jeff said, clapping her shoulder lightly. "We'll figure it out as we go. Like always, right?"

Julianna hesitated, glancing at Natalie, who gave her a subtle nod. Then she looked down at Javi. "You okay?"

Javi nodded, though his grip on the bat was tight. "Yeah."

"You're doing good," Julianna told him softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just stick close, okay?"

Javi's lips twitched into a small, hesitant smile.

The group shuffled toward the truck, rearranging themselves as they prepared to set off. Julianna ended up near the back of the group, watching as Jeff climbed into the driver's seat, and Shauna and Jackie argued over who got the front passenger spot. Lottie helped Misty rearrange the bags in the back, while Natalie lingered beside Julianna, her arms crossed.

"You think it'll last?" Natalie asked, nodding toward the truck.

Julianna tilted her head, considering the question. "It might. For a while, at least. Misty's not bad at fixing things."

Natalie smirked. "Guess we owe her one."

"Maybe don't tell her that," Julianna said lightly, earning a small laugh from Natalie.

As the truck rumbled to life, its engine growling like an old dog waking from a nap, Julianna felt a pang of doubt. It was good to be back together, but nothing about this was easy. The collective was still out there, the infection was still spreading, and they were still miles away from Kansas City, their supposed sanctuary.