Chapter One (Alice's POV)

I used to think that the world was a place of justice, love and peace, but now I know that it is a dark place, full of sin, pain and injustice. I never made a move to pursue vengeance. Not when our school was raided by The Fallen. Not when I was held back and forced to watch as every single one of my friends were brutally slaughtered and devoured by these sickening beasts. I did nothing. I remained silent for fear of my life. But not, I had to do something. Whether this was a journey for revenge or self-preservation I’m not sure, but one thing was for sure; The Fallen were going to pay.
That was one week ago to the day and still the burning grief and rage I felt had not subsided. It was exactly one week ago that my home was raided by The Fallen that were lusting after blood. One week ago to the day that I watched, petrified by sheer terror as my mother, my father, my elder brother and even my newborn sister were killed and consumed right before my terrified eyes. One week ago to the hour that I was left with a throbbing bite mark on my collarbone from where a Fallen that used to be my neighbor Phil had ripped his rotting teeth into my flesh. Now, one week later and I had dropped from cloud nine to ground zero in a matter of days. I had gone from living aloof to scrounging for food in New York’s dirtiest, darkest, most vile alleys. I was tried daily with packs of rabid and infected dogs along with hordes of marauders. The marauders were rogue gangs that were ruthless and bloodthirsty. I never stayed in one place longer than a day and a night, but I was unprepared. While others guns, bats, machetes, even homemade flame throwers, I had an old lead pipe and anything useful I found was taken from me by marauders. I was an easy target for the gangs. I practically reeked of a cushy lifestyle. They seemed able to track me and overpower me with ease, some even taking me as a specimen to ‘experiment’ on, which was a poor euphuism to mercilessly torture me for their own pleasure. And that my dear friend is where you will find me today. No one from my old life would recognize me now. All they would see would be a young girl, barefoot and dirty with nothing but pure terror in the eyes that used to be so vibrant and full of hope, her innocence of childhood stripped away in the brutal of fashions…

Chapter Two (Zephyr's POV)

I used to think that all there was in the world was pain, sorrow and suffering, but now I know that there is hope for the future and perhaps the chance that we might survive. It’s strange that a total stranger can restore hope in a person’s being, even if it is just by stabbing a Fallen in the eye with a lead pipe…
I was raised to be a survivor, raised to be a fighter. It was these skills that enable me to survive for as long as I have with The Fallen rose, but nothing prepared me for the brutality of the gangs that formed or the marauders that partnered up together. They were as brutal (if not more) than The Fallen themselves. At least The Fallen were quick. Painful, brutal, but quick. Marauders and gangs were more likely to torture you slowly, kill you and then leave you unceremoniously in a ditch. I had been alone the moment the apocalypse started. My family, having lived in the lower district were one of the first killed. I had taken my eight year old sister and ran for my life. For months, I had protected her and kept her safe from The Fallen until one day, a band of vengeful marauders tracked me back to camp after I nicked some of their supplies. They murdered my sister and beat me, leaving me for dead in the side of the road. I had nothing left to live for after that. Nothing but a bitter, burning passion in my soul thirsting for revenge along with a bitter hatred for the world. I cut everything down in my path, forming no emotional attachments, but that changed when I met her…Wisteria
Wisteria and I had been very wary of each other at first, never letting our guard down around each other. Slowly though, we started to open up to each other. I found out that she too had been raised like me. Raised to be a fighter. Her parents and herself had lived in the old tenements near the graveyard, meaning they were killed within the first few hours of the uprising. Wisteria had come home from work to find her parents dead along with her younger brother and twin sister. She had managed to tear herself away from the gruesome scene and was now drifting from state to state, looking for a rumored ‘haven’, a place where The Fallen hadn’t risen. I thought it to be the futile of a girl grasping at threads of a hopeful wish so she wouldn’t have to tell herself that the world was over.
We stayed together for a week until we decided to go our separate ways. But then, the circus came to town. Literally.
The circus was a ragtag band of survivors that traveled from town to town and put on shows. They had ulterior motives though. They too, like Wisteria, were looking for The Haven. They had been searching since The Fallen had risen and hadn’t stopped. They went to a town, stayed the night and put on a show. They always left the next morning though, never staying longer than twelve hours. They were drifters essentially. They would come, put on a show, pack up and leave. They did things a bit differently this time though…
It was nearing midnight and Wisteria and I had just bidden each other goodbye for the last time. I started down the street, my hands jammed in my pockets. I could hear the distant sounds of laughter as the circus entertained the oblivious town folk. I stayed to the side streets, want to get out of town as quickly as possible. I was rather caught up in my thoughts as I thought of Wisteria and where she would go, what she would do. It was probably why I didn’t hear the rustling behind me until it was too late. I turned around when I heard a garbage can being knocked over, a suspicious look on my face. The next thing I saw was the rotting face of a Fallen, the next thing I heard was its hoarse scream of fury and the next thing I felt was myself being knocked to the ground and the monster’s claws ripping through the flesh on the right side of my face. I kicked and fought, but its power was too great and I couldn’t escape. I could feel warm, wet blood dripping down my cheeks and I couldn’t help but feel revolted. I could distantly hear what sounded like someone screaming in agony and it was a moment before I realized it was myself. I twitched and jerked as I felt it drag its claws up my chest, tearing through my black shirt and skin with ease.
It’s strange really…when you’re close to death, you simply seem to just leave your body and hover right at the edge. Not alive, not dead. A sort of limbo. The in between. I could feel my physical ties to the real world slipping away as the monster attacked me, hacking and slashing at my body.
Finally, The Fallen either assumed I was dead or simply became bored of its sick, twisted game. As I lay in the filthy alley, surrounded by a pool of my own blood, I began to feel my vision fade. I saw the so called, ‘other side’, and it was everything I ever lost. I saw my parents, my sister and I wasn’t in pain anymore. I wasn’t alone any longer. I wanted to be back in their arms and never leave them again. I wanted to stay with them and protect them from being hurt ever again. I was almost there, almost about to slip over the edge when something from reality calling me back. A scared voice screaming for help. I felt myself drifting back to earth. I fought against the call, wanting to say with my family, the people I had missed so much…
As I felt myself enter back into my body, I drew in a shaky breath and cried out as I felt pain envelop my body like a tight blanket. My dull, glassy blue eyes flickered open and I met Wisteria’s terrified brown eyes. She was clinging to my hand crying as she brushed my blood stained white hair out of my eyes. As I looked around, I saw a red haired girl by my side, trying to stop the blood that was gushing out of my body. She appeared calm, even though her hands were trembling. In an even, steady voice, the red haired girl told Wisteria to run and go get someone called ‘Aria’ from the tent. Wisteria was up and gone in a flash. The red haired girl turned back to me and took my hand, looking worriedly at me.
“Hey,” she said softly. “I’m Piper. You’re going to be alright.” She promised, pressing her already blood soaked hands against my gaping wounds. It was the last thing I remembered before blacking out.
And that is how I got here today. Piper, as it turns out, was a dancer for the circus. After being permanently scarred across half of my face, Zed, the manager offered me a place in the freak show and Wisteria a spot as a stage hand. I thought on it for days before I finally said yes. That is how I became part of the traveling circus, aptly named, Circus De La Freak.
Even though I had a new family, I still had no hope for survival. Until today at least…
We were putting on a show in New in New York when I first saw her. I was walking down a desolate street with Wisteria when we heard a crashing sound in the alley behind us. I spun around quickly, moving protectively in front of Wisteria out of habit. There was a low growl from the alley, followed by a high pitched scream. I started forward, but Wisteria grabbed onto my arm to hold me back. I glared at her, but I didn’t dare make a sound for fear of attracting a Fallen. There was more banging and a girl’s cry, followed by the sounds of footsteps. A few seconds later, a girl burst out of the alley running at top speed. Her eyes were wide and terrified as she raced past us, not even pausing for a heartbeat. I tried to step forward so as to assist her, but Wisteria pulled me back into the shadows, shaking her head at me. Wisteria wasn’t one for ‘lost cases’.
Wisteria bit her lip and looked away as a Fallen loped out of the alley, its rotten skin hanging off its hulking form, not wanting to see the carnage. I turned and started out of the shadows to help the girl but I was too late. The girl had picked up a stray pipe from the ground and was trying to fend it off. She managed to hit it in the side of its head, knocking it a hundred and eighty degree turn. She let her guard down thinking she had won. I jumped out and ran towards her, knowing she was going to get herself killed. She looked like she nearly had a heart attack when I jumped out and started racing towards her. I shouted at her to run but she couldn’t understand what I was saying and gave me a confused look. I tried to reach her but the monster’s head revolved back into place and it lunged at her, knocking her to the ground. I bolted towards her, leaping over debris in my rush to get to her. She struggled valiantly, kicking and punching but it overpowered her with smooth ease. She let out a blood curdling scream as it slashed and clawed at her stomach and chest, cutting through her dirty dress and leaving a bloody trail in its wake. As if powered by superhuman strength, she wrenched her arm away, grabbed the pipe that she had dropped beside her and stabbed the Fallen right through the eye and it protruded from the back of its skull. The Fallen gave a great shuddering groan before dropping on top of her. She was trembling as she skirted out from underneath it. She was splattered with blood, both of her own and of the monster’s. She looked horrified and was shaking from head to toe as she brought a trembling hand to her stomach and pulled it away covered in scarlet blood.
Wisteria emerged from the shadows, giving me a death glare that I ignored. I ran to the girl’s side. Her green eyes were glazed from shock and she looked as if she were about to faint. Her straggly hair was brown with dirt but you could see the blond sheen underneath it. Even under all that grime, blood and much, you could see her sharp, elegant features. Her dress, although torn and covered in blood, one could tell it used to be covered in lace and made of the most expensive fabrics. She looked up to meet my gaze, her eyes full of horror and confusion. She then proceeded to say the thing I expected her least to say.
“That used to be my gardener, Ted.”

Chapter Three (Alice's POV)

“That used to be my gardener, Ted.” Were the first words I sputtered out to the white haired boy, not realizing the stupidity of it until I said it. He blinked a couple of times before he shook his head at me.
“Not what I was expecting you to say, but are you alright?” he asked, glancing towards the bloody claw marks. On my stomach. I glanced down and my eyes went even wider.
“Oh right…” I said faintly, trying to clear my blurry vision. There was so much blood. I had been in such complete shock that I had forgotten that I had just been clawed up by my gardener turned Fallen.
“Right…” I said again in a shaky voice, clutching my side as I swayed and started to fall over. The boy jumped forward and grabbed me around the waist, keeping me from toppling over. I grimaced in pain as his hands pressed down onto the gaping wounds in my stomach.
“Thanks for keeping me from falling over, but until I know your name. would you be kind enough to remove your hands from my waist?” I asked sharply, my brought up mannerisms kicking in as I frowned up at him. Even in the dim light that obscured his face, I could tell he was blushing.
“Oh, sorry.” He muttered as he quickly let me go and stepped away. At the sudden loss of support, I lost my balance and with nothing to hold onto, fell to the ground, struck my head on the curb and knocked myself out.

Chapter Four (Zephyr's POV)

When I saw the girl crumple to the ground, I leaped forward in an attempt to catch her, but I sort of missed and winced when her head hit the curb with a sickening thud. Wisteria peered over my shoulder at her and shook her head, her ebony curls bouncing.
“That was idiotic, Zephyr.” She said bluntly as I leaned down and scooped the unconscious girl into my arms.
“I had to at least try.” I said calmly, choosing not to react to her rude comment. She rolled her eyes at me, a frown marring her pointed pixie like face.
“What exactly are you planning to do with her?” she asked suspiciously, trotting after me as I started down the street.
“I’m taking her back with us.” I said evenly. Wisteria’s hazel eyes widened until it looked as if they were about to pop out of her eye sockets.
“You’re what?!” she sputtered after a few moments, her rage clearly written on her face.
“I’m taking her back with us.” I said, my voice completely even and calm as I walked quickly down the darkening street, Wisteria drifting after me like a hesitant shadow. She looked flustered as she jogged to keep up with me.
“You can’t take her back with us!” she cried angrily, flitting around me like an annoying fly. Too bad I couldn’t brush her off like one…
“I can, will and shall.” I said with a sigh. Wisteria groaned in irritation and tugged at my arm.
“We can’t bring her back! She’s an outsider.” She hissed angrily. I glanced over my shoulder and glared at her.
“Well what else are we supposed to do? Leave her to die?” I spat, my voice cold as ice. I was not appreciating her current attitude about the girl.
“But she’s been attacked! She’s been living on the street! She could be infe-“ I whipped my head around so I could glare at her.
“Attacked like I was? Living on the street like I was? Like you were? I guess you’ve forgotten, Wisteria, but you and I used to live on the streets, fighting for our lives before the circus too you and I in after I was attacked.” I spat, gesturing towards the side of my face that was marred with raised, pale scars that stood out against my tan skin. Wisteria winced as she always did when she looked directly at my scarred side. She looked down, shame clouding her eyes as she remembered how Zed had saved our lives and was still protecting us. I knew I had struck a nerve with her on this note and that she wouldn’t fight me anymore. I ignored the slight remorse that nagged at me for guilting her into silence, but I pushed it back.
“Now run back ahead of me and tell the others that I’m bringing someone back. I ordered Wisteria in a stern tone. Wisteria nodded silently and raced down the street, melting into the darkness. I set the girl down and wrapped it around her, shivering a bit in the biting air. I quickly picker her back up and started down the street, my determination written clearly on my face. Me and my damned hero complex…
I pushed the flap of the medical quarters open and rushed in. Aria had set up another cot and Piper was waiting for me with bandages and medical supplies. I nodded grimly at her as I set the girl down on the cot and stepped back as Piper set to work right away. I backed away to let Piper work, staying in the room for a few minutes before slipping out.
I was headed across the clearing to get something to eat from the icebox when I was stopped by a loud voice shouting my name. I heaved a sigh, knowing exactly who it was. I turned around slowly and came face to face with a tall Russian man with curly brown hair and a large beard. Zed, our over enthusiastic manager. He grinned as he approached me, revealing teeth stained yellow from tobacco.
“Zephyr!” he cried pulling me into a bone shattering hug.
“Hello to you too, Zed.” I wheezed, trying to pry him off of me. He patted me on the shoulder before letting me go and giving me a critical look.
“So, ‘Visteria has informed me zat vou haf brought an outsider into ze circus.” He said in his thick Russian accent. I nodded.
“That is true, yes.: I said calmly. Zed sighed and shook his head at me.
“Zephyr, zat vas a very sveet thing to do, vut I am afraid ve cannot stay here any longer. Ve are risking things as it is.” He said, looking around in a paranoid manner.
“Then we’ll take her with us.” I said determinedly, Zed appearing shocked at my words.
“Ve-vell zen…” he stuttered out. “Zat’s settled.” He said with a small frown. “I shall go inform ze ozers.” He said loftily before gliding away. I ighed in relief, glad to finally be free of him. I turned and started towards the kitchen, desperate for something to eat when a red haired blur crashed into me. I sighed miserably, feeling my stomach growling, but I couldn’t stay that way for long. Pip, Piper’s eight year old brother, had crashed into me. I grinned and ruffled his shaggy red hair. He was out of breath and painting, excitement written all over his face.
“Well, what’s got you so excited?” I laughed, shaking my head as he tried to catch his breath.
“Zephyr,” he panted, his breathing heavy. “Wisteria says we have someone new!” he gasped eagerly. I smiled and pushed my hair out of my eyes, amused by his excitement.
“I’m not garunteeing that she’s staying, but now we do have someone new.” I informed him. “Now, why are you so out of breath?” I inquired suspiciously. Pip flushed pink and looked down.
“I was outside.” He said innocently. I groaned and carded my fingers through my hair.
“Pip, you know Piper would kill you is she knew you went outside.” I said agitatedly. Pip crossed his arms and pouted.
“But it gets so boring here! Piper never lets me out.” Said Pip in distress. I sighed and leaned over so Pip and I were eye to eye.
“Pip, your sister cares about you and wants to keep you safe, and it’s dangerous out there.” I said quietly. Pip looked disappointed and looked at me, his brown eyes pleading.
“But Zephyr, all Piper does is keep me cooped up in here!” complained Pip, pushing his hair out of his eyes. I sighed and looked down. I knew that Piper was overprotective of Pip, perhaps a little too overprotective. I looked back up to Pip, sincerity obvious in my icy blue eyes.
“Pip, I don’t have any control over Piper, but I won’t tell her you went outside.” I promised. Pip looked delighted and threw his arms around my neck.
“Thank you so much, Zephyr!” he cheered, looking as excited as could be. I rolled my eyes and patted his shoulder.
“No problem, Pip.” I chuckled as I straightened up. “Now go find your sister.” I said before shooing him away. Pip nodded and obediently skipped off. I sighed with relief as I started towards the kitchen. Finally I could get something to eat.

Chapter Five (Alice's POV)

I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I was aware of was a blinding pain. I let a low hiss of pain through gritted teeth. I tried to sit up but someone grabbed my shoulders and held me down. I let out a panicked yelp and tried to struggle, but I was held with an iron grip.
“Hey, we’re not going to hurt you.” Came a girl’s voice that I didn’t recognize..
“For heaven’s sake, Zephyr! Let go of her!” came a boy’s voice.
“Oh yeah. Sorry.” Murmured another boy’s voice that reminded me of someone but I couldn’t remember their name and the hands vanished. I sat up quickly and looked around. My vision was blurry but I could make our four or five figures. I blinked a few times to restore my vision. As things swam back into focus, I realized there was a pair of big brown eyes staring at me. I jumped in frisht and scooted away before I realized it was just a little boy.
“Pip!” came a girl’s scolding voice. “Get away from her!” it snapped and the brown eyed boy was pulled away. I looked over to my left and eyes found a peculiar group of people. All appeared to be teenagers, minus the little brown eyed, red haired boy who was being held tightly onto by a red haired girl who was glaring suspiciously at me.
“Where am I?” I asked confusedly. A black haired girl and a blond haired girl exchanged looks, but no one answered. A brown haired boy rolled his eyes after a few seconds of silence.
“I apologize for them.” He said sarcastically, frowning at the others. “You’re in the medical quarters. Zephyr found you.” He said, gesturing towards a white haired boy on the other side. I scanned him up and down as I looked over him. He was of average height, maybe a little taller. He had messy white hair and bangs that hung in his face, covering his bright sapphire eyes. The most apparent of his features though were the large pale scars that decorated the right side of his face, standing out bright and apparent against his olive skin. I must have been staring because he shifted uncomfortably and attempted to hide the scarred half of his face from view by turning his head to the side so I could only see his good side. I flushed pink and quickly looked away with a murmured apology. I pushed my stringy hair out of my eyes and looked back to the others. They all appeared to be rather slim but better fed than most. They had clean but well-worn clothes on and obvious wiry builds underneath.
“I’m sorry, but I still don’t know where I am…” I said softly. The white haired boy stepped forward, brushing his bangs to the side to hide his scarred half.
“I’m Zephyr.” He said quietly. “That’s Pip.” The brown eyed boy gave me a large smile. “His sister, Piper” The red haired girl gave me a curt nod. “Belle,” the black haired girl nodded pleasantly at me. “Aria,” the blond girl presented me with a tiny wave and a blush. “And lastly, Maxx.” Finished Zephyr. The brown haired boy smiled warmly at me and even gave me a little bow that I returned with a miniscule smile.
“Welcome to Circus De La Freak.” Said Maxx, a large smirk on his lips.

Chapter Six (Zephyr's POV)

“Welcome to Circus De La Freak.” Announced Maxx with a proud smirk. I rolled my eyes at Maxx’s dramatic actions.
“So, what’s your name?” Aria asked, a curious look in her azure eyes.
“I’m Alice. Alice Westerly.” Said the girl, still looking rather frightened and pale. Belle’s absentminded smile vanished and a look of rage flared up in her eyes as she stepped forward, a snarl on her rosebud lips.
“Westerly?” she hissed, a dark look of disgust in her deep onyx eyes.
“Yes…” said Alice, sounding puzzled at Belle’s reaction. Belle crossed her arms and gave her a deadly glare.
“Your cowardly parents finally get what they deserve?” she spat venomously. A hurt look appeared in Alice’s eyes and she flushed ever so slightly.
“Don’t talk about my parents.” She choked out through gritted teeth, both anger and sorrow coloring her tired voice. Belle sneered an ugly sneer and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“It’s a shame and a surprise you didn’t die with them.” Belle said loftily. “You and your family being cowards and all.” She said, only adding insult to injury with a dark laugh. Alice’s fists clenched and she glowered at Belle.
“My family and I are not cowards!” she proclaimed defensively, Belle letting out a sarcastic laugh when she heard this.
“Not cowards, hm? Last I heard, your family locked themselves away in that big house of yours, sleeping in a big warm bed and eating three meals a day while the rest of us had to fight just to get half a meal!” Belle spat, fury in her depthless eyes. Alice blushed a deeper red color, glaring fervently at Belle.
“Forgive my family for using what we had to our advantage!” she cried, her voice shaking from anger. I knew I had little time before this turned into a full blown fight, so I stepped in.
“Belle, come off it and leave her alone.” I said, my voice even and steady. Belle whirled around to glare at me, fists clenched.
“I don’t think you were involved in this, you scarred up freak!” screeched Belle, her voice loud and grating. Alice’s eyes widened at Belle’s vicious insult.
“Don’t call him that!” she piped up, ignoring my upcoming glances and head shaking. Belle turned back to Alice, sneering darkly at her.
“Standing up for the scarface are you now?” she said sharply. Alice frowned disapprovingly at Belle, shaking her head in disgust.
“You don’t seem like a nice person.” She said bluntly. “You should be nicer to people. Then you might have some friends.” She said innocently. Belle’s jaw dropped and she started towards the other girl, a snarl on her lips.
“Don’t act like you know me, you little bit-“ Belle’s upcoming rant was cut off by Zed’s arrival and a squeak of joy from Pip. Zed’s jolly smile faded into frown when he saw Belle, hackles raised and practically growling at Alice.
“Vat is going on here?” he demanded loudly, Piper rolling her eyes and still holding tightly onto Pip.
“Belle and the new girl are getting into a catfight.” Maxx volunteered gleefully. Zed crossed his arms like Piper and frowned at Belle and Alice.
“I don’t know who started zis fight, but I shall be ze vone to end it!” he exclaimed loudly. Belle’s hostility slowly dissipated and she slunk back to Aria. Zed smiled victoriously as Belle grabbed onto Aria’s hand.
“Good, good…” he sighed, clapping his hands together. “Now zen, how about you all give me and our newest arrival a moment alone?” he said in a tone that told it was an order, not a request. One by one, we filed out, myself leaving last. As I let the cloth flap fall shut behind me. I saw Zed sitting beside Alice with a fatherly smile on his face as I left.
Belle clambered into her bunk bed, laying down next to Aria as Pip and Piper situated themselves in the bunk below, everyone getting ready for the night. I was scrawled haphazardly on my side, my eyes half open as the idle chatter started to quiet down. I had started to drift off when Maxx’s boyish face and tousled brown hair appeared in my line of vision.
“Zephyr, why can’t we share a bed?” asked Maxx innocently, a grin plastered on his face.
“No, Maxx.” I sighed, rolling my eyes before pushing Maxx away. The brown haired teenager pouted and dropped back into the bottom bunk with an annoyed huff.
“It’s not fair! Piper deserves his own bed.” He informed me haughtily. Aria smirked and let out a tinkling laugh, propping herself up on her elbows.
“Oh Maxx,” she giggled. “we all know that’s not the reason why.” She said teasingly, even Piper cracking a smile at this. Maxx pretended to be offended and dramatically brought his hand to his heart with a gasp.
“How dare you think that the only reason I want to share a bed with Zephyr is because of my giant man-crush!” said Maxx, feigning horror. I rolled my eyes and pulled the blankets over my head.
“Can we stop talking about man-crushes and go to sleep?” I grumbled, my voice muffled by the quilt I had wrapped myself up in like a cocoon. Aria looked crestfallen but nodded.
“G’night everyone!” she said cheerily before blowing out the lantern and plunging them into darkness.
“Yes, goodnight Maxx, Pip, Piper, Aria and Freakface.” Said Belle sarcastically.
“So says the moron.” I shot back sarcastically, a smirk on my lips.
“Hey! Don’t call my girlfriend a moron.” Piped up Aria from where she was snuggled against Belle. I rolled my eyes and turned over so my back was to them.
“Right. You’re both morons.” I stated, wincing as a slightly deflated pillow hit the back of my head.
“That’s what you get!” crowed Belle. I picked up the pillow to retaliate, but Piper stopped me with a glare.
“Everyone shut up and go to bed!” she snapped, wrapping her arms around Pip as if to shield him from our animated conversation. Aria sighed but nodded.
“Alright everyone. We heard Piper. Sleep!” barked Belle, pulling the covers over herself and Aria. Maxx sighed disappointedly but obeyed and fell silent, eyes shut. The only sound that accompanied us into sleep was the sound of the crickets chirping their mournful song…

Chapter Seven (Alice's POV)

Zed had explained everything to me. The ‘circus’ was a group of young survivors that Zed had taken under his wing. I personally found it suspicious at first that a middle aged man had taken a bunch of teenage boys and girls and left, but as we talked, I came to find that Zed really cared about these kids. He also told me about The Haven. The Haven was what Zed was looking for on the side. It was a utopia. A place where the disease hadn’t spread. It sounded like a dream! Too good to be true! Of course, it probably was too good to be true…I didn’t believe that we had any hope left. There was nothing we could do to escape the ones that rose from their graves.
With that encouraging thought, I leaned my head back onto the squished pillow and tried to calm my racing mind. I wanted to sleep. I was so tired, but my mind was still racing. I wanted to know who everyone was, where I was, what I was going to do! I tossed and turned for hours, trying to get to sleep but found I couldn’t.
I had just started to drift off at what I estimated was five am when I heard soft footsteps outside. I was instantly on edge. I jumped up and slipped out of bed, silently pulling the cloth flap aside. I peered out and saw the white haired boy, Zephyr I think his name was, standing outside. He was dressed in a gray jacket and jeans, his hands shoved in his pocket. There was a gentle wind blowing, making his bright white hair ripple and look like silver. The good side of his face was towards me, the moon lighting up his every detail.
He really didn’t look that bad. Smooth boyish features, tanned olive skin and that strange hair of his. I’d never seen anyone with white hair except for my grandparents. It paired rather well with his bright blue eyes though. His eyes were what struck me however. They seemed so cold. So distant. They were decorated with a masked pain that we shared. A like pain. The pain of losing someone. When you lose someone, it haunts you. It changes you. You can put on a smile, but that smile will never reach your eyes. He had lost someone dear to him, just as I had. I took a deep breath before stepping out of the small tent, feeling the cold dirt shift underneath my feet. I walked silently up to him until I was standing beside him. We stood in silence for almost ten minutes until he finally spoke.
“What’re you doing up?” he asked in a low, steady voice. I knew that voice. The one where you don’t let any emotion creep into your voice so people won’t be able to tell how you’re feeling. I did it all the time. I pushed my dirty blond hair behind my ear and looked up at him.
“Couldn’t sleep…” I said softly, my green eyes flicking over him as I soaked in his casual relaxed stance. He looked like he didn’t have a care or worry in the world. He was such a faker.
“You should get some sleep. We’re getting up early so we can move on.” He said tonelessly, startling me out of my judgmental thoughts.
“Oh, of course. I’ll head out before you leave.” I said, my eyes glued to the ground. Zephyr’s sharp brows furrowed and he looked over at me.
“You’re not coming with us?” he queried innocently. I shook my head. I felt like an outcast the moment I woke up. What with that black haired girl’s insults and all.
“No…” I said with a hushed sigh. “I don’t think I exactly fit in here.” I murmured with a rueful smile. Zephyr let out a sharp laugh and shook his head.
“Everyone fits in here. Even I fit in, and that’s saying something.” He said with a miniscule smile, looking over to face me fully. My eyes were instantly drawn to the scarred part of his face. It was disturbing a bit, looking at the scarred half and the unflawed side of his face at the same time. The scarred side was ripped and torn, the tissue having grown messily together. They were raised and rough, one cutting right through his blue eye that unlike the other bright vibrant one was dull and slightly clouded over. It was horrifying that a boy so young had so many scars. His other side though…it was completely flawless, minus a few small scratches on his skin. He had a smooth complexion and dark, tanned skin. His eye was a bright sapphire blue that sparkled every time it caught the light but still held a distant coldness. His features seemed rather stretched and worn thin as if he had matured too quickly. His features still retained some boyishness qualities, but one could tell that he’d grown up too quickly. He flushed when he noticed me staring and ducked his head, shielding his scarred half from view. I blushed pink and instantly looked away, feeling a small feeling of shame start to bubble up inside of me. How rude could I get to stare at him when he was obviously sensitive about it. Then I did something really stupid.
“What happened?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. I could feel the tension coming off of him double and he stiffened, obviously uncomfortable. I reddened right away, feeling horrible.
“It’s nothing that a girl like you would want to hear.” He said, his voice flat but holding a sharp edge to it that told me to drop it. Sadly, I couldn’t…
“Did you get into a fight over some girl?” I asked teasingly, trying to change it into humor. An annoyed look passed through Zephyr’s eyes and he shook his head.
“No, it wasn’t over just some girl.” He said agitatedly. I put on a teasing smile.
“So it was someone better than that?” I asked playfully, quirking my eyebrows and nudging him in the ribs. He pulled away, his good eye flashing brightly and his other eye flashing a little duller.
“Don’t try to make a joke out of this!” he spat angrily, glaring daggers at me. “Being attacked isn’t a god damn joke.” He said disgustedly, turning on his heel and storming away into the darkness, leaving me feeling terribly embarrassed. I was such an idiot…of course he’d been attacked! Those scars weren’t normal scars and I should’ve noticed that right away. I sighed miserably, starting to shiver as the cold air that Zephyr had blocked. I turned and started back towards the small tent where I had been set up. I lifted the flap and slipped back in, feeling suddenly exhausted. Zephyr was like me, whether he knew it or not. We’d both loved and lost and been attacked by the monsters that had taken away the people we loved.
I got underneath the thin covers, pulling them tightly around me to keep out the nightmares. I remembered a prayer my mother used to say with me every night before bed.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
I pray the Lord my soul to take…

Chapter Eight (Zephyr's POV)

“Don’t try to make a joke out of this!” I snarled angrily, glaring daggers at the girl. “Being attacked isn’t a god damn joke.” I said in disgust, not even giving her a chance to reply before I turned and stormed back into the sleeping quarters. I clambered into my bunk and huffed in annoyance as I dropped onto my side, my back to the others sleeping in the room. I closed my eyes, frustrated beyond belief. I was only laying down for a few minutes before I felt a small hand on my shoulder. I rolled over and came face to face with Pip who was looking scared. I instantly sat up, a worried look on my face.
“What’s the matter, Pip?” I asked in a low tone, helping him into my bed. He scrambled clumsily into my lap, his brown eyes wide.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Zephyr, but I had a nightmare.” He said in a tremulous voice. I sighed, reminded of how my younger sister would climb into bed with me if she had a nightmare. I smiled comfortingly at Pip and let him get situated in my lap, his small hands gripping onto my shirt. I rocked him back and forth as if he were a small child, just like I used to with my sister.
“Why didn’t you get your sister?” I asked quietly as Pip appeared to calm down. Pip bit his lip and sighed.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Piper, but she would just panic…” he said softly, talking like a mature adult again. Pip oftentimes spoke like that, sounding like a teenager instead of a six year old boy. I nodded understandingly, knowing how worried Piper would be if she found out that Pip was having nightmares.
“I get that.” I said understandingly. “What’d you have a nightmare about?” I asked him quietly. Pip blushed and looked down, toying with the worn hem of his pajama shirt.
“My parents…” he said in a voice just above a whisper, keeping his eyes glued to the bed. A feeling of understanding appeared in my mind and I sighed. Pip was missing his parents, just like all of us were. I looked down and tousled Pip’s thick red hair.
“I know you miss them.” I said quietly, my blue eyes softening. I had always had a weak spot for Pip since the day I met him. He was innocent, untainted by the violence that he lived around. He’d been so sweet and welcoming when I first arrived and still was. His parents were a sensitive spot for both Pip and Piper, Piper usually starting an argument and then storming off while Pip just became quiet and miserable. None of us knew what had happened to them. Piper refused to tell us and whenever Pip was about to tell us, Piper would tell him to put a sock in it.
“Pip, what happened to your parents…?” I asked unobtrusively, trying not to push him too much. Pip sighed, wringing his hands together.
“They left…” he said after a few moments, sadness lacing his voice. I furrowed my brow, bouncing him slightly in my arms.
“Did they…die?” I asked, trying to be sensitive. Pip shrugged, a frown on his small face.
“I don’t know.” He said, sounding puzzled at my question. “Like I told you, they left.” He said simply, his auburn eyes wide and innocent. I paused at this.
“They…left?” I asked. That couldn’t be right. No parent or person in their right mind would leave their child to fend for themselves in the apocalypse. Pip nodded somberly.
“They left.” He repeated.
“They just left Piper and you?” I questioned, a horrified look on my face. Pip nodded.
“Just drove off without us.” He said quietly, looking tearfully up at me. I clicked my tongue and hugged Pip.
“They were stupid to leave you.” I informed him, a tiny smile appearing on his face at this. He wrapped his arms around my neck and hugged me before pulling away and looking into my blue eyes. He didn’t even wince or look disturbed by my scarred side.
“Zephyr, will you be my big brother?” he asked so innocently that I had to chuckle. It was touching that Pip had taken to me so well. I didn’t know why, but I loved it. Pip was such a nice kid and deserved so much…
“I would be honored to be your big brother.” I said proudly, Pip grinning and blushing slightly at this.
“Thanks, Zephyr!” he squeaked, tackling me into a hug and making me fall onto my back and hit the mattress with a soft thud. “I’m sleeping here tonight.” He said determinedly before dropping onto my chest and closing his eyes. I smirked but didn’t move, letting him fall asleep before I carefully moved him beside me and rolled over to face him. I started to move away from Pip when his small hand reached over and grabbed onto my shirt, refusing to let me go. I sighed and let Pip move against me, holding on tightly to me all throughout the night…

Chapter Nine (Alice's POV)

I woke up the next day, unsure of what had pulled me out of my slumber. Then, I heard it again. A girl’s shouting. I sat up and pulled the covers off, quickly exiting the tent. I looked around and saw a scene of chaos before me. A herd of them. A whole group. The Fallen. They’d come. My breath caught in my throat and I almost choked. The stench of rotting flesh burned at my nostrils and scratched at my throat, making me want to vomit. I looked around for the others, my heart pounding in my chest. I saw Piper streaking past me, holding Pip in his arms. Belle was pulling Aria along, Zephyr and Maxx standing protectively in front of them as they tried to get out of the Fallen’s way. Zephyr spotted me and grabbed Maxx’s arm and pointed at me. Maxx nodded and sprinted towards me. I froze, unable to move, rooted to the spot with fear. Maxx grabbed my wrist and pulled me along after him. I stumbled after him, barely being missed by a Fallen lunging at me.
“Hurry it up!” shouted Maxx at me, his brown eyes wide and scared as I ran to keep up with him. Maxx and I got out of the clearing just in time, crashing into Zephyr, Aria, Belle and Piper.
“We have to get out of here.” Said Zephyr breathlessly, doubling over and gripping his side as he tried to catch his breath.
“But where’s Zed?” cried Aria, her voice high pitched and scared. Maxx shook his head.
“We’ll have to leave without him.” Said Maxx grimly. “We have to get out of here.” He said, grabbing Belle and Aria’s hands and starting to run down the street. The rest of us followed after them, hearing the crashing sounds of the Fallen behind us as they set out after us.
Aria fell behind and skidded around the corner as she tried to catch up with us. I froze though when I heard a sharp cry and looked over my shoulder. Aria had fallen to the ground and was gripping her ankle, a pained look on her face. Belle knelt beside her and tried to pull her up but Aria fell over with a weak cry, unable to stand. Zephyr looked over his shoulder nervously as he heard them drawing closer.
“Oi! Idiots, get in here.” Shouted a boy’s voice from across the street. I looked over and saw a blue haired boy waving frantically at us. Zephyr noticed him as well and looked over at Maxx, looking uncertain as they stood there.
“You coming or not?” cried the boy. Zephyr picked Aria up and the group and I started across the street. We slipped into the building, the blue haired boy slamming the door shut behind us. We breathed a sigh of relief as Zephyr set Aria down and checked on her ankle. The blue haired boy flitted around, shutting the blinds and barricading the door with furniture.
“I’m sorry, but who are you?” asked Maxx warily, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. The blue haired boy glanced over with a smirk on his rugged features.
“I’m Xander.” He said, pushing his long fringe out of his eyes. Zephyr straightened up, whipping his head around to glare at him.
“Xander?” he hissed, his blue eyes flashing angrily. “You’re that little twerp that stole my supplies!” cried Zephyr angrily, Xander smirking and shoving his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants.
“I don’t remember you, but it probably was me.” He said with a chuckle, carding his fingers through his turquoise blue hair. Zephyr stood up, clenching his fists and taking a step towards Xander.
“Why you little, thieving ra-“ Zephyr was cut off by the arrival of a green haired boy coming in from a separate room.
“Xander, what’s going on?” he snapped, his arms crossed and a guarded look in his gray eyes. Xander glanced over at his friend and grinned.
“These idiots were about to become the main course for our little buggers.” He said with a sharp laugh. The green haired boy rolled his eyes and shook his head at us.
“That was rather idiotic.” He agreed, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Belle looked infuriated.
“Who do you think you are, calling us idiots?” she cried, her onyx eyes flashing angrily. The green haired boy shared a glance with Xander and grinned.
“I’m Kai and as you already know, this is my partner in crime, Xander.” Said the boy named Kai with a sneer. Piper gasped, a dawning look of realization appearing on her face.
“Xander and Kai?” she asked disbelievingly. “The Xander and Kai?” she questioned, Kai nodding proudly and Xander chuckling under his breath.
“I see you’ve heard of us.” Xander said smugly, tossing his hair out of his eyes.
“You all lost me…” I said in bewilderment, trying to remember if I’d ever heard of ‘Xander and Kai’. Belle looked over at me, eyes wide and jaw slack.
“Have you been living under a rock?” she asked sarcastically.
“Yes, actually I have been. Couldn’t find anywhere to stay.” I replied back to her, just as sarcastic.
“Belle, shut up.” Maxx ordered her, frowning disapprovingly at her. “Alice, Xander and Kai are widely known on the streets as a pair of low down, dirty thieves.” Maxx explained with as much venom as he could muster, Xander and Kai pretending to look offended and hurt.
“We’re not thieves!” protested Kai, his hand over his heart.
“We prefer, borrowers that don’t return.” Tittered Xander, which earned him a glare from everyone. Piper stalked towards Xander, and even though she was a good five inches shorter than him she proved to be a terrifying figure. She drew herself up to her full height like a mother hen defending her chicks as she got in Xander’s face.
“I believe you ‘borrowed’ a loaf of bread from me that you neglected to return to me.” She hissed in a low voice that held promise of danger. I was impressed that Xander didn’t even bat an eyelash at her furious display.
“Sorry sweetheart, but you aren’t getting that back.” He said teasingly sliding past her to join Kai across the room. I glanced the two up and down, realizing that despite their worn, rough features, they both appeared to be young.
“How old are you two…?” I asked quietly. “You two look like kids.” I said with a sigh, praying they weren’t as young as I thought them to be. Xander looked about sixteen and Kai looked to be eighteen. Xander rolled his eyes, arms crossed.
“I don’t see why you want to know, but I’m fifteen.” Said Kai, stunning me and the others. I didn’t want to know how old Xander was now…
“I’m thirteen.” Said Xander proudly, Piper breathing in a sharp gasp of air and her hand flying to her mouth.
“You’re thirteen?” asked Zephyr doubtfully, not believing it himself. Xander nodded and smirked.
“Don’t believe it, do ya?” he challenged with a large grin. I shook my head.
“You can’t be thirteen! I’ve seen what you can do. You're horrible, merciless people!” Said Piper in horror, her brown eyes wide. Kai shook his head, looking disgusted.
“You’re such hypocrites.” He spat. “We’re doing the exact same thing you are but because we’re younger, we’re horrible people.” Kai snapped angrily, Xander vigorously nodding in agreement.
“We’re not going to do the same thing you are! We’re be-“ Belle was interrupted by Kai.
“You’re better?” he cried angrily, Xander clenching his fists angrily. “You’re not any better than us! We’re all doing what we have to survive, just like everyone else.” He spat heatedly. “You’re no better than us if we’re no better than you.” He nearly shouted, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“We’re not cheating thieves!” Maxx shot back, glaring spitefully at Xander and Kai.
“We take what we need, nothing more!” defended Xander quickly. Zephyr opened his mouth to fire another insult when there was a clattering from above that silenced him. Xander and Kai tensed, looking worriedly up at the ceiling as they slowly edged back towards a table.
“Everyone get down…” said Xander in a low tone as they crouched underneath the table. We looked around at each other, unsure of what to do.
“You all have five seconds.” Kai said warningly, Piper grabbing Pip and acting as a shield for him. I decided it was best to listen to the two teenagers and crouched down, my hands over my head. Maxx and Zephyr remained standing, obviously suspecting Xander and Kai of a malevolent plot.
“Three…two…one…” Xander counted down quietly.
“It’s gonna blow!” shouted a girl’s voice suddenly from above followed by a deafening explosion. Piper screamed and I yelped in shock as dust filled the air and our lungs, sending us into fits of coughing. There was more shaking and thundering as debris fell from the ceiling. It was ten very nerve wracking minutes before the dust started to clear. The ceiling was now in the middle of the floor and through the haze of dust and rubble, I saw a girl with cropped short red hair on top of the rubble, her arm pinned underneath a part of the wall. Xander and Kai jumped up, cursing under their breath as they rushed to the girl’s side.
“You’re an idiot, Xena!” cried Xander as he pulled the piece of wreckage off her arm and Kai pulled her up.
“We can’t even trust you with some simple sodium carbonite.” Said Kai angrily, dusting her off. Her white lab coat was gray with dirt and dust along with some of what looked like chemical stains. She shook dust particles from her hair and glared at Kai.
“It’s not my fault! All I have is that flimsy equipment that you salvage.” She defended in a high voice, her hazel eyes flashing dangerously as she stood dizzily. Aria’s jaw was open as she stood up, her eyes wide.
“Who are you people…?” gasped Belle, Aria’s expression mimicked on her face as she pulled herself to her feet. Xander glanced over at us with a slight smile.
“I guess you could call us scientists.”

Chapter Ten (Zephyr's POV)

“I guess you could call us scientists.” Said Xander with a tiny smile as he dusted the red haired girl off. I nearly laughed at the thought that these kids were scientists.
“You three? Scientists?” I asked incredulously, getting serious nods from them in return.
“Not professional, but we’re basically your best hope for survival.” Said Kai with a wry smile that I returned with a disbelieving huff of air. Kai shrugged, pushing his green hair out of his eyes.
“You can believe whatever you want, but we’re telling the truth.” Kai said nonchalantly. The red haired girl nodded.
“Now who are you all?” she asked.
“I think I would rather know your name first.” Said Alice conversationally as she too stood up from where she had been crouched on the floor. The red haired girl smirked.
“I’m Xena. Who are you?” she queried in a polite tone.
“I’m Alice.” Alice informed her with a smile.
“Belle.”
“Aria.”
“Piper, and this is my brother Pip.”
“Maxx.”
“And I’m Zephyr.” I growled, still not trusting these people. They could be anyone. Murders, thieves or thugs. Xena smiled friendlily at us, shrugging her lab coat off and dropping it to the floor.
“Well, you all already know us.” She said calmly as she started to grab furniture to barricade the door further.
“What’re you doing that for?” Alice asked bewilderedly, her eyebrows raised. Xena tossed her an edgy smile, Xander and Kai joining her in her attempts to fortify the door from something.
“That explosion was huge. There’ll be marauders here within five minutes.” She said apprehensively. I glanced worriedly over at Maxx, my concerned expression mimicked on his face.
“Kai, get these people into the bunker. Xena and I will finish up here.” Said Xander while he efficiently stacked anything he could grab in front of the door. Kai nodded and glanced over at us.
“Come on you all. Let’s move.” He said sternly, Alice, Belle and Aria the first ones to move towards him. Piper got up a little reluctantly, pulling Pip towards Kai. Maxx glanced apologetically at me before drifting after her. I grumbled mutinously under my breath but joined them, Kai nodding contentedly as he led us out of the room.
He took us to some sort of basement but with a thick steel door. He took a key from around his neck and unlocked the door, pushing it open with a great screeching squeak and we all tromped down the steps and into the dark, dank and damp basement. Piper took one corner for herself and Pip, Belle and Aria huddled together in the corner opposite them while Maxx, Alice and I simply hovered around. I stayed silent, not feeling very conversational while I watched Kai check on supplies.
It was almost exactly five minutes later, and just as Xena had predicted, there was a loud explosion from outside. I heard a Xena’s high pitched scream and Xander’s shouts. Pip squeaked in fear and clung to Piper who in turn held tightly onto him. I tensed as Kai rushed to the door, waiting for his two partners. There were footsteps, more bangs and shouting and then suddenly Xena streaked into the basement and Kai slammed the door shut, plunging all of us into darkness. There were mutters as Xena tried to find the light that was soon followed by a clicking and a dim light bulb turned on and spread light over us. Xena’s short red hair was messed up from running and she was out of breath, gripping her side. But no Xander. Kai instantly noticed this and whirled around to face Xena, his blue eyes wide.
“Xena, where’s Xander?” breathed out Kai, turning pale. Xena’s big brown eyes filled with tears and she looked up mournfully at Kai.
“I’m so sorry, Kai…” she whimpered. “He told me to just go.” She said in a trembling voice. “He said he was right behind me.” She choked out, looking towards the door when there was the sounds of shouting from outside the Kai.
“No…” gasped Kai. “NO!” he shouted louder, turning around and running towards the door. It was completely smooth on this side, no handle to open the door. He pounded on the door, shouting incoherently.
“Xander!” he yelled, throwing his full weight against the door. Xena buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The scene was heartbreakingly familiar…just like when my sister had been killed. Kai continued to pound on the door, shouting Xander’s name. There was suddenly a faint knocking on the other side and Kai perked up.
“Xander? Is that you?” cried Kai, his voice high and shaky.
“I’m so sorry, Kai.” came Xander’s voice from the other side. You could obviously tell he was crying. “Please help me! I’m scared.” He cried, a sob being heard. Aria looked horrified and I turned pale, my legs the supportive equivalent of jelly. Kai took in a shaking breath.
“I can’t open the door.” He said in a trembling voice. “There’s no handle on the inside.” He informed Xander, his voice breaking. A quiet sob was heard on the other side and a faint tapping.
“Please save me, Kai.” Whimpered Xander, his words obviously cutting away at Kai. “Kai, I’m scared!” yelped Xander, his tapping growing into a pounding. There was a loud crashing sound and footsteps resounded through the room. Xander pounded on the door, screaming Kai’s name. Kai threw himself at the door, oblivious to Xena’s pleas for him to stop. We were just spectators to this horrific event. There were deeper voices this time and suddenly Xander’s pounding stopped but Kai continued to hammer against it, desperate to get through.
“Xander!” cried Kai, tears escaping his eyes as he heard Xander shouting for help.
“LET ME GO!” yelled Xander, obviously putting up a fight. “Kai, please save me!” wailed Xander’s terrified voice. “Kai, ple-“ Xander’s final plea was cut off by a cracking sound and he was silenced.
“XANDER!” screamed Kai, his voice loud in the small confined room. There were low mutterings from outside and then they slowly left, sounding as if they were dragging something behind them. Kai fell to his knees in front of the door, his hand still glued to the door. His head hung and his shoulders shook as his tears dripped onto the floor.
“Xander…” he breathed out, a broken sob shaking his body.

Chapter Eleven (Alice's POV)

“Xander…” choked out Kai, his pained expression shaking me to the core. I knew the pain he was feeling right now. I remembered the agonizing pain of having someone you loved ripped out of your life right in front of you. Xena crept up behind Kai and put his arms around him, Kai not even registering her touch.
“Why isn’t there a handle on the inside?” asked Piper bluntly, obviously not feeling much sympathy for Kai. Xena looked over her shoulder to glare at Piper and ignored her, crouching beside Kai and rubbing her hand over his back.
“There’s no door handle because this is a way to barricade ourselves in. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out.” Said Kai after a few moments, his voice thick and heavy.
“What’s the point in that?” piped up Belle, a confused look on her face. Xena glared at her as well.
“Our parents made it. If we ever got into trouble, we were instructed to come down here and shut the door. The room is airtight. No germs, dust or anything can get in or out of here.” She said grimly. Zephyr and I exchanged looks.
“Doesn’t that mean that no air can get in here either…?” I asked hesitantly, an iron fist of fear gripping my heart. Xena looked down and nodded.
“With the three of us, there would be enough air for us to last an hour. With you all in here with us, we have twenty, fifteen minute’s max.” she said dejectedly. Piper’s eyes widened and she jumped up.
“No way. I am not dying in here.” She snarled, her brown eyes flashing angrily. She stormed over to the shelves and started to look through the foods and chemicals, trying to find something that would help us get out of here. I got to my feet as well and started rifling through the cabinets, looking for something. Anything.
“What’re you looking for?” Belle asked us, getting up as well. Piper shrugged, just continuing to look. Xena gasped and jumped up.
“Manganese heptoxide!” she cried, running over to the shelf and grabbing a small vial of green liquid off of it.
“Manga-wha?” asked Piper confusedly.
“Manganese heptoxide is an inorganic compound with the formula Mn2O7. This volatile liquid is highly reactive and more often discussed than intentionally prepared. It is a dangerous oxidizer and was first described in 1860!” crowed Xena happily.
“Could you dumb that down a bit?” asked Aria dumbly. Xena rolled her eyes as she pulled a small medicinal cabinet open and started to dump its contents onto the floor.
“A liquid mini bomb! If you place liquid manganese heptoxide next to a heat source, boom! A small localized explosion!” said Xena, talking faster than most of us could even comprehend.
“W-what do you need?” asked Kai, getting up from the floor.
“Matches! I need matches.” Said Xena, looking like a crazed scientist as she searched for a box of matches. Kai nodded and started to search the room up and down. A few minutes later, I hit the gold mine.
“Matches!” I cried, a small matchbook held tightly in my hands. Xena cheered and grabbed the matches from me. She shrugged her t-shirt off, leaving her in a sports bra as she darted across the room to the door. She set the small vial beside the door and ripped her shirt into long strips, arranging them in a pile around the vial of manganese heptoxide. She pulled out a match and quickly lit it, dropping it onto the shredded shirt and leaped up, backing quickly away from it.
“Everyone get down. If my proficiency with pyrotechnics is as good as it has been for the past few years, this is gonna be big!” said Xena excitedly, all of us moving into the farthest corner. We all hunched our hands over our heads as we awaited the explosion.
We waited almost two minutes and no explosion. Xena grumbled angrily and got to her feet.
“The one time I actually mean to blow something up and I can’t.” she muttered as she walked over to the bottle of manganese heptoxide.
“Um, Xena? That might not be a good idea…” said Kai uncomfortably. Xena rolled her eyes as she bent over.
“Don’t worry, Kai.” She said reassuringly as she bent over and tapped at the bottle. “It’s totally sa-“ her encouragement was cut off by a deafening explosion and a small fireball flew upward. Xena went flying backward and crashed into Belle and me, knocking us both to the ground. Her hair was blown back and dark singe marks around the edge of her face. The door fell to the ground with a groaning squeak and a resounding crash. I helped Xena up and smiled slightly at her as she swayed dizzily.
“That…was awesome!” she cried. “I’ll have to try it with ammonium dinitramide next time…” she mused as she tottered towards the door, Kai jumping up and racing out ahead of us all. We all left rather quickly, none of us wanting to stay inside a small airtight room for much longer. Kai sprinted up the stairs, Xena still trying to gain her bearings from the explosion. There were loud clattering and zipping sounds from upstairs and a few moments later he appeared on the stairs again, a backpack over his shoulders and a pistol in his pocket. Xena stumbled towards him, grabbing onto his arm.
“Kai,” she cried, “where’re you going?” she demanded. Kai pulled his arm out of her grip and started towards the door.
“I’m going after my brother.” Said Kai bravely. Xena rolled her eyes.
“Not alone you aren’t.” she snapped, running up the stairs and coming back down with a backpack identical to Kai’s. Kai smiled and hugged her.
“Nice meeting you all, but we’re leaving. I’d advise you do the same.” Kai recommended us quietly. “Good luck you guys.” Kai said with a tiny smile before starting to leave. I bit my lip, trying to decide if I should follow my heart. So I did. I ran forward and grabbed onto Kai’s arm.
“I’m coming with you.” I blurted out, freezing Kai in his place. He looked over at me and Zephyr looked confusedly at me.
“What?” asked Kai dumbly, a jumbled look in his blue eyes.
“I-I don’t have any supplies, but I want to help you.” I said honestly. “Please let me come.” I said pleadingly. Kai glanced over at Xena who nodded encouragingly at him.
“Fine then.” He agreed, his lips quirking into a smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Zephyr.
“Thank you for everything. All of you. Just, I need to help them…” I said, hoping they would understand. One by one they nodded. Pip suddenly ran forward and hugged me. He looked up at me, his brown eyes dewy and wide.
“Promise you’ll come back?” he asked me innocently. I smiled and patted his head.
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back.” I laughed, ruffling his hair.
“Alice, we have to head out.” Said Xena quietly. I nodded and smiled at them all.
“Good luck you all. I’ll meet you up with you all in a while!” I said cheerily waving at them before turning and heading towards the door with Xena and Kai. I glanced over my shoulder and gave the group a tiny wave before slipping out the door with my new group. One dedicated brother and one pyromaniac teenager.
“So who are you all?” I asked curiously as we walked down the streets. Xena smirked as she turned around to face me and walked backwards, the setting sun making her face glow.
“We’re the people that are going to save the world.”

Chapter Twelve (Alice's POV)

“We’re the people that are going to save the world.” Said Xena with a large smirk on her rosy lips, walking backwards as she spoke to me. I raised my eyebrows, a confused look on my face.
“What does that mean?” I asked, pushing my filthy blond hair out of my eyes. Compared to Xena and Kai, I looked like a beggar compared to their cleaned hair and only slightly torn clothes. Kai smiled slightly, still looking worried as he picked up the pace.
“It’s a long story, but the short version is that we’re looking for a cure.” Said Kai, shoulders rolled back and chin held high. His tension and worry was obvious, even as he tried to hide it.
“What do you mean, ‘a cure’?” I asked wonderingly, jogging to keep up with Kai’s fast pace. Kai glanced over to Xena with a pleading expression, rifling through his backpack as he walked. Xena veered to the left so she was standing beside me and smiled at me.
“Kai, Xander and I’s parents were scientists who were working for the military. The military was in a war as you know, and they needed something to do with all the dead bodies. Xander and Kai’s father was a geneticist and was working on reconstructing genetic codes to try and heal fatal wounds. He practiced on cadavers and made a discovery.” Xena said ominously, Kai seeming to tense up even more at the mention of his father.
“What do you mean a discovery?” I inquired hesitantly; slightly afraid of the answer I would receive. Xena sighed heavily and looked down.
“He reanimated an animal. He was working in his lab and was trying to heal the wounds on a goat I think…but instead of just healing it, he brought it back to life.” Said Xena, a disturbed look on her face. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. I had heard of attempts at regeneration, but all had failed. Was this why we had the apocalypse today…? Xena gave me a wry smile when she saw my expression.
“The animal was only alive for a couple of moments before it gave out. That’s where my father came in.” she said grimly.
“But how did he bring it back to li-“ my question was cut off by Xena’s hand.
“Kai’s father injected a virus into the dead bodies that would repair the cell tissue. His idea was solid, but my father sort of ruined that…” Xena murmured, casting her eyes to the ground. Kai pulled a small hand held monitor out of his backpack and was watching it unwaveringly as he walked quickly down the street.
“My father was a specialist in the department of viruses and wanted to make it so that the virus would bring things back permanently. He was careless and mutated the virus by adding other viruses into the mix. He didn’t wait to do lab testing and put it to the test right away. He injected the virus and reanimated a corpse. It didn’t heal the mind though. Just a few vital organs that were needed to live. He thought it was a stroke of genius. Without permission, he dropped a shell filled with the virus. The virus permeated through the ground and into every single dead body, reviving them. What he didn’t realize though was that they could spread the disease through their bite.” She said grimly. My blue eyes widened and instantly I thought about the bite mark on my shoulder. I had the virus…Xena failed to notice me horror and kept on with her story.
“He was tending to the first one that he made when it bit him. Over the next few days, his life was accelerated until he wasted away. He was thirty three. When he died, he was eighty seven. He died three days later.” Said Xena darkly. My eyes widened and I took in a sharp breath. He’d aged fifty four years in eight days…that was unheard of. However, Xena just kept plowing right through her story.
“He literally rotted while he was alive. He was dead for one day before the virus reanimated his body.” She said disgustedly. I felt such pity for her. Her father had died at the hands of his own creation…
“Then the virus started spreading as more people were bitten. You won’t last three days after you’ve been bitten.” She said bitterly. This froze me in my tracks. Three days? I’d been bitten two weeks ago…why wasn’t I chomping on people?
“Why do they…eat people?” I asked with a grimace. Xena sighed, breaking into a jog to keep up with Kai’s frantic pace.
“They need something to feed the virus. Humans seem to do it for them.” She said disgustedly. I shuddered, looking down and falling silent. None of us spoke for a while, Kai occasionally taking sharp turns and keeping his eyes glued to his small handheld device. I trotted up beside him, walking beside him for a few moments before speaking.
“So, what does that do?” I asked curiously, trying not to annoy him.
“It’s a tracker.” He told me absentmindedly. I looked over his shoulder and saw three red dots. Two close to each other and another one farther away.
“What’s it tracking?” I probed stupidly. Kai rolled his eyes and showed me his wrist. On his wrist as a jagged white scar that stood out bright against his skin.
“Xander, Xena and I all have tracking chips inside of us. This,” he said, waving the little monitor at me, “is a tracking device so I can keep track of everyone. I smiled slightly before glancing around, noting the darkening sky.
“How far away are we from him?” I asked worriedly, my blue eyes wide. Kai’s lips pressed together in a thin line.
“Less than fifteen minutes.” He said breathily. I smiled slightly, relieved that we were close to finding him. My relief was short lived though when a helpless scream echoed through the streets.
Xander.

Impressum

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 10.11.2012

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This is to my sweet fiancee, Maddie. I love you, darling.