#they live in a partially abandoned and run down shopping plaza that used to be a giant mall before getting torn down

[petalstem]

Scrapclaw!! She's a HollowClan warrior, a Clan that lives in an abandoned grocery store as part of the Mall Clans. She's also going to bite you <3

[directionlessbuthappy]

Dawn of the Draugr: p6

Modern AU: Alex H. Anderson x Reader

Warnings: depictions of graphic violence, blood

Prev. part

Tagged: @missrobyn81 @steadypiepsychicflower  @idrivebettyblue

The first time I shot one of them, it wasn't with my back against the wall. It wasn't one of those trembling experiences where everything goes in slow motion as I make my choice of whether or not I could kill someone. It was quick...and it was only terrifying afterwards, because I realized how easy it truly was for me.

Alex was telling me about them. Draugr, he called them. When a person was bitten, the disease worked within a 24 hour period, turning you into a draugr sometimes in minutes, sometimes hours. Marco and I were debating on what made the disease go from airborne to direct infection while we sat on the truck bed. We waited for Jordan and Alex to drive into town; Jordan wanted to restock before we leave for Strawberry tomorrow. Once the guys walked out of the front door and across the yard, I gathered my legs into the bed and crawled to the back. The truck was a two seater; no room in the cabin, so me and Marco would be riding western style.

I glanced at my rifle. Alex warned me that since the draugr were drawn to sound it was very dangerous to outright shoot them, because it would almost always attract more. I didn't really want to shoot one anyway; I hadn't yet. I still saw them as people. Sick human beings who needed help...

Jordan shut the drivers side door behind him, jolting me out of my somber thoughts. I realized Alex was leaning over the side of the truck, about to climb in but looking right at me.

"You scared?"

"No," I mumbled. It wasn't convincing like I'd wanted. He sighed, grinning and wiggling a finger at me. I smiled slightly and leaned down to give him a kiss; he gave me one to remember, like always.

Marco made a vulgar moaning noise behind me. The second Alex's lips released mine, I swung around and threw my fist into Marco's crotch. I didn't know he was so good at opera.

We drove towards the freeway. Jordan planned on stopping around the little shops leading into downtown. All the big box stores would either be cleaned out by now, or have people in them, and we didn't want to run into either problem. I was so nervous about shooting a draugr I didn't even wonder if I'd have to shoot a healthy, living person. It can be a lot to process for a person, though, when I look back.

We drove onto the off ramp. It was odd, not having to follow road signs or anything. Jordan wasn't driving too fast; we had to maneuver around the stationary cars along the road. It was a six-lane ghost town on the freeway; vehicles were either in pieces along the sides of the road, or patiently rotting in the lanes. I'll admit, I shut my eyes when we drove past a few cars that obviously had blood and viscera on the windows. I shut my eyes for the school bus too.

After taking another ramp onto the main streets, we rolled up to the parking lot plaza later in the afternoon. Nobody was around; the plaza had trash strewn around, broken glass windows everywhere. A few cars were sitting around; one was halfway in the wall of the minimart on the corner. I hopped out of the truck from the side and held onto the rim of the bed to steady myself. My boots crunched glass beneath them.

"Watch your step Lees," Jordan warned as he stepped out. I nodded to him in understanding and followed. My gun swung over my shoulder while we approached the eerily quiet shopping center. We stuck together, entering a small drugstore first.

I took up a basket to Alex's amusement. "What?" I asked when he laughed.

"We're not going shopping Elyse."

"Were you going to carry your supplies in your hands?"

I stumped him; he gave me a curt grumble in realizing it. His brothers chuckled as they walked off, mentioning something about sticking together. Alex followed me as I casually strolled through the shop. I did take a pause before going down one of the aisles though.

"This is..strange."

"What?" Alex asking. His hand twitched to the gun he carried.

"Its just the store. Being empty...knowing you can take anything and not be in trouble for it," I shrugged. But it did bother me a bit.

"The clepto in you must be thrilled," he teased. I scoffed and waved my hand, walking into the last aisle against the store wall. I scrolled my fingers down a wall of lipsticks while Alex snorted.

"Really Elyse? Makeup, now?"

"You know, if you got your head out of your ass and stopped assuming I was looking for makeup, you might learn something," I snipped. It just made him chuckle.

"Girls..."

"Will you stop that?" I said sharply, pulling a tube of chapstick out out of the wall. I was allergic to shea butter. It made looking for balms and things alike difficult.

"Stop what?"

"Making those comments about 'girls.' Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean shit. Not all girls are alike. And I wasn't looking for makeup."

I slathered my lips in chapstick, partially angry with Alex while he smile faltered. He was wrong about the makeup assumption. What a surprise.

"You're just...c'mon Lees, you know what I meant. A lot of girls do a lot of the same-"

"Oh cut the shit Alex and just admit you were being an ass," I interrupted him. He sighed at the ceiling, long and drawn out.

"Fine fine...I'll cut back on giving you my sarcastic humor."

"Shit. You were giving me shit," I corrected and offered him the chapstick tube. "Wanna try?"

He came over and took the chapstick from my fingers. I was about to flick some chapstick residue off the corner of my lip, but he kissed me before I could. Surprised, I blinked up at him while he swiped his tongue over his top lip.

"Grapefruit huh?"

"...shut up," I replied. This gained me a hug from behind while I shoved the tube back in my pocket.

/

"Maybe we should get you some Plan B while we're here eh?" Alex suggested. As much as I wanted to crack jokes, that was one of the most responsible things he'd suggested. However I was one step again.

"I actually...don't need it."

I couldn't see his face from his stance behind me, but I couldn't carry the conversation further. Something broke glass in one aisle over; with Jordan and Marco in the back of the shop, there was nobody else here but us. There shouldn't have been. 

I walked around the aisle's end and peered over. My knees started to shake. A draugr was dragging itself slowly across the floor. With no legs.

I swallowed harshly and my shuddering hands clutched the rifle on my shoulder. The sick...thing...was crawling right towards me. They weren't very fast, but in my terror they didn't need to be. I was a willing victim with how terrified I felt. I heard Alex swear behind me and take his gun off his shoulder. He went over, muttering something about my eyes, and took the butt of his sniper rifle to the draugr's head. Grey brain matter and what looked like darker, rotten blood spouted from its head. It was dead instantly and ceased its supernatural crawling.

Alex shook off the gore from the end of his gun before turning to me. I must've looked ghost white. He returned to me, setting the gun on the top of one of the aisles.

"Hey, Elyse...its okay. Look at me," he said to gain my attention. "Its okay now. I told you not to look, but... You gotta see this stuff honey. You can't freeze up like that, if-"

Jordan came around the corner with his pistol drawn; we threw our hands up quickly as if we'd been caught. He lowered the weapon and looked at the gory remains of the draugr at our feet.

"You guys okay?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. Snaking an arm around my waistline, he turned to his brother with a big grin on his face. "Just a little pest problem."

"She okay?"

"She's fine Jordan. Go back to the heavy lifting. Elyse needs 'girl stuff' and doesn't need you or me to watch her," he insisted. Jordan blushed and darted back to the staff only door.

Once I shook off the surprise I scowled at the back of Alex's head. He walked towards the next aisle and ushered me on. "You didn't need to tell him that!"

Alex was generally quiet the rest of the trip. He wasn't angry with me...I know because I asked him. Several times. But he was adamant I was okay; there was something bugging him and he couldn't figure it out. I worried he was lying but didn't push him. If he wanted to talk, I made it clear I would listen, and that was all I could do.

We gathered everything we could possibly fit in the truck. The boys were outside finishing up the tie downs; we had to stack the boxes a certain way to give the person in the back room. We could fit three people in the cabin of the truck, so it would be a solo trip for whoever was sitting in the back. We hadn't rock-paper-scissored for it yet. I left the guys to finish up their packing since I was done with mine; I went back into the store to look for something out of want instead of need. There were these little chocolate things Alex told me he liked and after his search, concluded the store didn't hold them. I didn't believe him though and wanted to look for myself.

I took my gun with me. I wasn't totally unsafe. Going up the candy aisle, I crouched down, got on my tip toes, did everything I could to search. I'd given up and started walking back when I found a little box nestled in the clearance bin. Little chocolate candies that had a single peanut in the center; these were it!

I was so glad to have found them I spun on my heel towards the door. And froze when I saw it. 

A draugr crawled behind the counter of one of the abandoned registers. Its eyes were gone and it struggled with the left half of its body. I couldn't scream; loud noise meant more company. I swallowed and took out my gun, shaking so hard there was no way I was going to get a good shot. Even if I tried, from where I stood the bullet could fly outside towards the truck from here. It was too dangerous.

The draugr groaned and hissed at me as I tried backing away. I stumbled to my knees on a box and fell, hands scraping against the large tile to get myself away. This sick person was faster than the last, and more...vocal. It terrified me. I felt the floor vibrate slightly as it moved quicker towards me and looked down at myself. I realized I had a boot knife; Alex's gift. Taking the handle out, I held it to my chest defensively.

If you freeze, you die. You can't freeze again.