A child in the Apocalypse

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    Cleo is fine but shaken yet amazement is in her eyes. She had seen plenty of people use a bow but non matched this girls skill. Sam frowns at Oliver "sorry...but unless she weighs as much as a full grown women I don't think so" she crouches by a footprint pressed rather deep down "see how deep? Means its no kid" Cleo frowns and whispers "Hayley..." Her eyes water.

    Oliver looked down at Cleo, his mouth falling open slightly as he saw tears. Now he was completely lost and didn't know what to do or say, being in surprise when Felicity spoke for him.


    "Don't worry, we'll find her" Felicity said to Cleo, smiling though it was fake. Like Niki, Felicity had become sort of emotionally strong after Luke died, never showing any sign of sadness or sometimes even happiness. For her, anger seemed to replace every emotion.


    Ollie nodded, looking into the distance "Maybe Hayley came back here when she heard trouble? Went to find Niki?" he suggested.


    "Yeah... but then why would Niki leave? Doesn't look like there was reason to" Felicity replied, suggesting that Niki wouldn't have just left them unless she really had to but there were no signs of zombies or even a fight. Why would Hayley have gone with her?

    Sam sees Cleo's tears and frowns but just like Oliver she's clueless about kids. Cleo rubs the tears away and sniffles "o-okay..."'she wanted to believe them. More then anything but she was thinking differently. Sam continues leading the way with her bow ready.

    Oliver followed the tracks himself walking ahead but stopping a metre or so in front. "Wait, look" he pointed to the ground where Niki's footprints had been wiped away, most likely by someone wiping their shoe across her prints.


    Felicity took a look as well, Ollie releasing Cleo to crouch and look closer. "So either she didn't want us following her or someone didn't want us to find her" Felicity said.


    Ollie shook his head with a frown, looking over at Sam to see if she could make more sense of it.

    Sam crouches by Oliver and looks at it. She presses her fingers slightly down into the mark. She rubs the mud between her fingers then stands up "this wasn't too long ago, we can still catch her" she adds under her breath "or them.." Sam picks up the pace, her bow in hand. Cleo stays close to Oliver, knowing he's the only one right now that's the 'closest' to her.

    Oliver nodded, quick to follow without question.


    Felicity however was a little more sceptical that they'd find then and was in no hurry to wander after them, standing still and looking around some more before she moved to go after them.

    Cleo holds Oliver's hand as she hurries as fast as she can along beside him. Sam suddenly comes to a stop. Cleo runs right into Sam and falls back. Sam jolts forward then glances over my shoulder. Cleo opens my mouth to speak. Sam quickly holds a finger to my mouth and shushes her. Cleo shuts my mouth and looks around. She hugs Oliver's leg, starting to tremble.

    Oliver took little notice of Cleo now, trying to follow Sam's gaze to see what she was looking at.


    "What is it?" Felicity whispered with a frown as she noticed everyone had gone quiet.

    A horde of zombies is dashing right for them. Sam grips her bow and whips around to Oliver "alright! You need to take the kid and your friend" she nods to Felicity "and run!" She points her how towards a high building "get to the top floor of there! That's your target" she turns back around and plants herself in front of Oliver and Felicity "Ill hold them off long enough to give you three time to get there now go!" Cleo looks frightened and doesn't dare argue right now. She tugs at Oliver's hand.

    Oliver shook his head. He refused to stand by without helping. "Go with Felicity!" he said to Cleo, standing besides Sam with his shotgun out, ready to fight with her.


    "What!?" Felicity protested but didn't waste time, she grabbed Cleo's arm and pulled her along to the building. Despite the situation, she didn't seem at all scared - she actually seemed calm but still hurried. Once inside she nodded towards the stairs, motioning for Cleo to go first, no longer running.

    Sam glances at Oliver and flashes a slight smile. She pulls back her bow string against her cheek then she lets an arrow go then she quickly reloads and shoots down another down. Cleo hurries up the stairs but at the same time trying to show she's calm too even though she's not at all. She is worried for Oliver and Sam.

    Felicity managed to keep up with the small child by simply walking up, looking behind her every few seconds for signs of a zombie or even just the other two.


    Ollie fired two shots with his shotgun before reloading it in a matter of seconds, ready to shoot again, stepping back when zombies got too close. Suddenly he stopped shooting with a frown; he looked past the crowd to see Hayley running towards them in the distance. Blood covered her hands and clothes, scratches and bruises visible on parts of her skin that were showing. "Hayley..." he mumbled, shooting the zombies in front of him as he moved towards the terrified teenager, trying to keep zombies away from her. She'd been crying and was out of breath, a sob escaping every few seconds.

    Sam quickly sees Oliver is trying to help this girl and she quickly shoots her arrows. Making a path for Oliver. Sam shoots one before it bites Oliver then she shoots another about to tackle him. She watches his back while he goes to Hayley. Cleo sits trembling in the room upstairs.

    Oliver pulls Hayley aside and instructs her where to go but she still says nothing, just nods and goes. He watched her run into the building and up the stairs before turning around and shooting again. "Why did you tell them to go in there!?" he asked Sam, yelling to be heard over the zombies.


    Felicity was alone with Cleo for a few minutes, simply watching her tremble without moving to stop it. When Hayley walked in covered in blood they both looked as shocked to see each other but Hayley didn't move - she just stood looking terrified. Felicity moved forwards to hug her but Hayley gasped, flinching and jumping away from Felicity who frowned but pulled away anyway.

    Sam shouts back "it's safe in there! Better then out here!" She swings around and pushes him down into a crouch while she leaps over him and fires an arrow at a zombie. She grabs the arrow back then spins around and stabs another one in the neck. Cleo sees Hayley and her eyes brighten "Hayley!!" She squeals with happiness and runs over and hugs her leg.

    Hayley was about to respond but as soon as Cleo touched her she stopped and tensed up, frozen as she was and shaking even more.


    "Hayley... what's wrong? It's us..." Felicity questioned.


    Oliver ran out of shotgun shells, using the gun hilt to smack a zombie in the head, backing away towards the building.

    Sam walks behind him with her back to him. Shooting zombies away from Oliver. She hurries him into the building after shooting and retreving one more arrow. She jumps in the house and slams the door and leans her back against it as the zombies bang on it. She holds the door closed until they go away then she rubs the back of her hand across her forehead. "Phew..." Cleo hugs Hayley's leg happily. Not even caring she's not paying attention to her.

    Hayley just stood still, staring at the ground in a trance.


    Oliver pointed tot the stairs out of breath "That way?"

    Sam nods and jogs up the stairs, panting softly. She puts her bow on her back and looks Hayley over then she looks at Oliver "if you can get your little friend out of shock then she could lead us to your other friend" Cleo is still just hugging and snuggling with Hayley, rubbing her cheek against her leg.

    Oliver nodded, turning and putting a hand on Hayley's shoulder who flinched and whined at his touch. "Hayley?" he looked into her eyes "Are you ok...? Can you tell us where Niki is?"


    As soon as he mentioned Niki she burst into tears and pushed herself into him, sobbing into his chest. He hugged back with a frown, looking up at Felicity for help. They both instantly assumed Niki was dead, Felicity turning away and standing alone in the corner.


    "Wait" Ollie pushed Hayley away, holding her at arm's length "Where is she?"


    Hayley shook her head as if she wasn't going to answer him.