We set of at first light in search for a place to call home, we knew it wouldn't be easy, but nothing in this life was simple. The first place we checked was a military camp that Matt had marked on the map. It was set up when the outbreak started, but when we got there the place was burnt to the ground, the fences down and the dead lurking through every inch of the place.
"Where to next?" I questioned my uncle while we searched a local convenience store not far from the camp.
"What about a farm? There could be livestock".
"Last time didn't work out so well Spartacus" I sent him a subtle look "We need somewhere with high walls; we don't have the materials or people to build them".
He nodded his head reluctantly running a hand through his dark hair as his mind went back to the map, I knew we were all feeling the strain, but it would be worth it once we finally found a place to call home.
A loud scream pierced the clear sky and the sound of a child crying following, we all instantly jumped to our feet. I ran first before the others had a chance to process what was happening; Carter wasn't far behind as he shouted my name to slow me down, but all I could think about was my brother.
Carter's legs were double the size of mine, so he caught up to me in no time, panting as we neared closer to the sound.
We turned at a hollow alley where the sound grew obvious, but we weren't close enough to see who was in trouble. The only thing we could see was a dozen bobbing dead heads, all reaching for the same spot; Two figures stood on top of the safety of a dumpster.
The first was a woman but her features were unrecognisable under the dim light of the alley and the other was half her size, a small child.
"We have to help them" I begged Carter who was trying to pull me away from the scene. "That's a kid, we can't let them die".
Carter hesitated but he agreed; I went first taking out the first few corpses from behind. My silver blades piercing through their skulls before they even caught a scent of us behind them, all they could focus their plague-ridden brains on was the small child screaming for her life.
"Duck" Carter's deep voice screamed; I followed his words as his arrow went flying through the air and into a corpse who was seconds away from taking a chunk out of my arm. Smiling at him I carried on our mission, by the time each one was executed my arms were burning under the force of each wound I implied.
"Katie?" The woman's voice emerged over the child's cries.
Andy's wife Sandra and their daughter Amara were climbing from the dumpster and wrapping themselves around my waist before I had a chance to catch my breath. But I couldn't speak, the guilt was rushing back as I looked at their hopeless faces and Carter noticed, his face glued to mine as he watched my lip tremble. Tears were streaming down my face; I was happy they were alive, but it was my fault they were in danger out here. "I can't believe you're alive, we didn't know if you made it out".
Did they know about Andrew? Carter mentioned everyone was sent out on a bus when the attackers made it through the gates.
"I know" Sandra brushed a stray tear from my cheek "Go to Carter" she whispered to her little girl; Amara ran to Carter jumping into his arms while Sandra pulled us to the side. "One of the scouts you saved told us, he saved all of us" I was sobbing into my hands I relived the moment in my mind, my pain was only miniature to what she must have felt.
"He loved you so much Katie, you were like his second daughter".
"I tried to save him" I managed between sobs "I'm so sorry".
Sandra pulled me into her arms, stroking her motherly hands through my hair while she whispered "I know honey. It's not your fault".
Once the initiations were over she told us some of the group was camped in a nearby house, some of the families ventured on their own once the school fell, but the majority of them stayed together. I avoided most of the welcomes when we reached the house, today had been a lot and all I wanted to do was huddle into a ball, avoid my worries with sleep, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
"You okay Kate" Melanie joined me, I was perched in the upstairs hallway leaning my head against the wooden banister. I tried to hold my emotions with a simple nod, but as always she saw straight through my act "How did it go with Carter?".
"I explained everything, told him I was sorry for leaving, but I think too much has happened for us to go back to how it was" sighing as I balanced my head between my knee's "I don't think he's going to forgive me".
Melanie laughed and I stared at her confused "Have you seen the way that boy looks at you?" now I was even more confused "He watches your every move, when you aren't there he's looking for you. You just need to give him time, he's stubborn like you" She was right, Mel was always right. "He is cute though" she laughed as she sent me an overdramatic wink.
"You sound like Ash" I reminisced thinking of our better half, we both knew there was something missing, our trio was always inseparable.
"I miss her" The raven-haired girl sighed as I pulled her into me, leaning my head against her own.
"Do you remember when we went to that theme-park, the one with the weird looking alien ride that creeped us out" Mel was laughing to herself, but my mind was reeling over her words "She threw up everywhere and we had to go home early".
I looked at her in awe, she had no clue that she had just given me my best idea yet.
"You are a genius Melanie".
Edited