Prologueg

 

I ran through the streets as fast as I could, my arms pumping at my sides as my gangly legs took the longest strides I could manage.

 

Funnily enough, I had begun my young life running and now I was continuing my adolescent one running too. For some reason, I just found that ironic. My pursuers never really showed themselves to me, and I never expected the threat to be so . . . devilish.

Chapter One: Let's Begin Again

"So tell me sweetheart, if Seattle is infested, where else can we go?" My girlfriend Terese teased me as she leaned against the alley wall.

 

I paced back and forth rhythmically, shaking my head. "I'm thinking about it, please don't rush me."

 

She laughed, closing her eyes and throwing her head back. "You never do have a plan."

 

I scowled at her remark but said nothing. She never had any faith in me, always undermining my decisions. Did she not realize this pissed me off just as much as my lack of planning did her?

 

The underbelly of Seattle isn't exactly the place you would expect to find two teenagers, especially women, but here we were. Terese and I had met a few months ago before deciding to travel together. She was very good at camouflage, and it came in handy when we spent nights in the forest. Lately we've been moving around nearly every day and I could tell it was taking a toll on her, along with putting an unnecessary strain on our relationship. Terese wasn't the kind of person to be told what to do, while I on the opposite end of the spectrum enjoyed giving orders. Suffice to say, we butted heads more often than not with our opposing views.

 

I naturally assumed a leadership role; I usually knew exactly where we were going and what we were going to do next. But I must admit, for the past few days I've been drawing a blank, and it's visibly gotten on Terese's nerves.

 

"Give it up, Siren." She said after I passed her in the alley way for about the hundredth time. "Just admit that you have no fucking clue what you're doing." She finished with a nasty curve of her pink lips.

 

I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at her. Her long raven black hair tied up in a knot, her tiny figure curled into a ball for warmth, and her brown eyes leering at me judgingly. She could be so sweet when she wanted to be, but nine times out of ten she's just too sour to bear.

 

"Don't you think I'm trying here? I don't see you doing anything except sitting on your ass. And speaking of which, why don't you pry the stick you have shoved up there out and offer some sort of help." I know that couldn't have come out much worse than it did, but she was beginning to get on my nerves too.

 

She wasn't thrown off by what I had said anyway, she in fact seemed to completely ignore the fact that I had said anything at all. That was when I snapped.

 

I didn't grant her another word from me. Instead of turning around at the beginning of the alley while pacing to double back, I walked right out and onto the streets by myself. Nothing but silence followed behind me, as a small sting of vindication burned deep in the pit of my stomach.

 

I don't really look around much when I travel anymore, there's simply no point. You see the same things wherever you go nowadays. Death, decay, destruction, old remnants of what was once a great and prospering civilization. Bunches of Deadeyes walking around, stumbling and moaning for their next meal. It's easy to tell when someone is a Deadeye; when the virus that's killed off more than three quarters of the earth's population has infected them and they are nearing the end of their life.

 

It starts with a sudden drop in blood flow, as the veins in an infected's body stiffen and strain to pump oxygen into their bloodstream. Physically, their skin turns a grayish blue in color as their faces hollow out, eyes sunken and dull where the spark of a person's soul used to be, their bodies barely holding themselves up anymore. After a few minutes, or hours, it can all depend on the person really; the infected will die, before promptly reanimating the body's motor functions, without the mind going along for the ride. That individual has quickly become nothing more than a mere shell of what they once were. Despite their weakened state at the time of death, a Deadeye will replenish their strength by mindlessly consuming the flesh and blood of a human at their first smell or sight of one.

 

Deadeye's are glazed over with what resembles a thin film of white fog, bloodshot and devoid of all life. If the eyes are solid white completely, then you know that Deadeye has been around for awhile. When you look at a person, or what's left of one, and see nothing but an empty gaze staring back,  they are truly dead inside. Their bodies are just waiting to catch up with what their soul has already come to terms with.

 

Deadeyes rarely attack humans unless bothered by them first, so I wouldn't recommend you go poking around random corpses with a stick just to see what will happen, because you'll get your throat ripped out in the blink of an eye. 

 

After Deadeyes kill a human, they willl consume the life they saw walking around, the life they crave to get back. I wouldn't call them the trademark "zombies" because they honestly aren't as gory as the movies make them out to be, but I can't think of a better term. Once everything about the virus blew up in the media, doctor's started identifying those infected by their dead-eyed stare, hence the budding term Deadeye given to them after death. 

 

Unfortunately, the US government lacks the necessary ability to get their shit together in times of crisis, therefore we have no cure for the Plague. If you're infected by a Deadeye's bite, then I'm sorry to say that you're pretty much fresh out of options and out of time. 

 

I have survived on the streets by myself for six years now, since I was twelve. My parents were scientists in their lives, they worked to find a cure for what was destroying the human race. They required fresh Deadeyes in order to conduct their experiments on and well, let's just say I saw them walking around the next day not exactly "with it" if you know what I mean. A few weeks later, and I never saw my parents alive, half or otherwise, again.

 

I first traveled with my only sibling Cassandra for about two years before we ran into a herd of Deadeyes, not really knowing what to expect. Cassandra was only a kid at the time, eight years of age, so she completely freaked out as expected. We made a run for it, but one Deadeye managed to jump on her and get a good nibble out of her shoulder before we made our escape. I lost her just shortly after that, and she joined the herd that had attacked her the same day she died. 

 

Since then I've moved on my own, quietly and discretely. I didn't bother searching for anyone I knew. I liked to keep minimal to no ties with anyone, it's just easier that way. There's less feelings to get hurt and less time spent feeling like utter shit when it turns out you can't protect them like you thought you could. When I first met Terese, she seemed to handle herself strongly and was quite happy riding solo, but she was low on food and pretty sick with the flu. When the world ends, you don't exactly have luxuries like hospitals and flu shots anymore.

 

I took care of Terese until she got better and stronger, able to protect herself once again. Over that time, our relationship grew stronger as we began to see each other differently, as much more than just friends. We didn't ask one another to become girlfriend and girlfriend, it was just a quiet decision that we both made simultaneously. There wasn't a big fuss like there used to be back when there was social media and all that bullshit. No, just me and her deciding we liked to be together and that was it.

 

I almost forgot, people have tried to awaken the human in Deadeyes before, and it is a useless task. You'll just get a blank stare and a long stretch of painful silence. Also, Deadeyes don't last too long. About two months at the most before they die of starvation, however recently I've been noticing the same Deadeyes wandering around the area more frequently. Seattle isn't the only place that I've seen this, either. So, maybe things have changed since I've been able to update myself.

 

Terese and I usually moved together and rarely did we run into any other humans, well, living ones anyway. Sometimes, we'll see a loner picking a gas station clean or a small camp set up somewhere, but we never attempt to make contact with them. They're trying to survive just like us, so if they asked us to join them or if we offered to have them join us, it would be a pointless endeavor. 

 

I moved into another alley way that led to the right and sat down behind a dumpster that didn't smell too bad, deciding that it would be decent here for one night. I grabbed a bunch of random trash around me like cans and old newspaper, setting them up into a little ball between my legs. I positioned my fingers close to my makeshift fire-pit and snapped them. A small burst of sparks flew from the tips of my fingers and landed with a sizzle on the bundle. It caught quickly, burning with a pleasant warmth as I held my hands near it.

 

I've never been a strong believer in magic, but there are some things in this world that even I can't explain.

Chapter Two: Territory

I ate one of my last packets of trail mix before falling asleep, wondering about Terese as I dozed off. She hadn't even bothered to come looking for me, I would've thought she'd have the decency to at least try to find out where I was. Instead, I was left lying alone here on the cold ground with my little blaze down to a smolder by now.

 

I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, I didn't own a watch. It's been years since I've even seen one. I estimated about four hours before I was awakened by the rustling of newspapers and cans being kicked around. I opened my eyes, seeing nothing but the empty alley way I'd fallen asleep to. I was hoping that it was just a Deadeye wandering mindlessly through, but when I heard voices rebound throughout the alley my hopes instantly dropped. Fuck.

 

I curled up into the corner aside of the dumpster, making myself as small as possible. If things got bad I had an escape route out the back way of the alley, but that would risk me being seen. Instead of making a break for it and blowing my cover, I listened to what the two people were talking about first.

 

"There's nothing here, it's just a wasteland like everywhere else!" Someone muttered as a can flew by me, kicked in frustration.

 

"It's the last place we have to search before we can move on. Isabella's been asking me to make sure, so there's no harm in it." Another voice tried to console the other. Obviously the more levelheaded one of the two.

 

"Oh for god's sake, I just wish you people would grow a pair and stand up for yourselves for once." The other guy seethed at the calm one, trying to evoke a reaction.

 

"Isabella's the leader and has been for years. Are you speaking out against her?" The second one asked, more astonishment in his tone than anger or embarrassment from what the first guy had said to him.

 

"I'm just along for the ride Trenton, nothing personal against you or the rest of your group. But as soon as I find my own way, I'm out of here." Number Two said flatly. Trenton sighed.

 

"If that's how you feel." If it was at all possible, it sounded like he was actually hurt that the angry one wasn't planning on sticking around for very long.

 

I wasn't exactly sure what to do at that moment, they were still coming towards me, no doubt searching for food or weaponry. What could I do? I was trapped like a rat, cornered and helpless in this box of an alleyway. Within seconds, Trenton and What's His Face would make it to my hiding spot and I will be totally exposed.

 

"Do you hear that?" The pissy one said, followed by their footsteps coming to a halt.

 

I held my breath, making sure that I made absolutely no sound. I hadn't been moving around at all, but apparently they had heard something.

 

"It could be a Zoner." Trenton said under his breath.

 

Zoner?

 

"Great, we'll get torn apart!" Number Two hissed frantically. "Let's just go back!"

 

What were they talking about?

 

One set of footsteps began coming towards me, and just as they started another set joined them, coming from my only option of escape. Shit.

 

"Trenton! Let's get out of here!" Number Two sounded a lot more panicked than before, and as I turned my head towards them, I could see why they were so freaked.

 

At least ten Deadeyes were coming towards the two at a steady pace. I watched silently as one of the two men, either Trenton or the stranger, lunged towards the group. With a long kitchen knife, he stabbed as many in the head as he could reach, while the other person shot in the dead's direction with a small pistol he'd pulled from his waistband. I continued to look on as former men, women, and children went down with either a bullet to the head or a knife to the throat. 

 

When the men were finished and the herd was dispatched, each had a bit of blood spattered on them and were panting hard. My thoughts raced. What I couldn't understand was: where was the threat? The Half Deads were just passing through, what was the reason to kill them?

 

"Let's just get back to the others." The one with the knife said and turned around. I let out a grateful breath, getting ready to get out of the alley as well.

 

"Wait", the second one said, and I froze.

 

Footsteps began approaching my hiding spot before I could react, an angry face popping up around the corner of the dumpster.

 

"We got another one!"

 

The man with the gun tucked away in his jeans, grabbed me by the back of my shirt and hauled me to my feet, pulling my arms behind my back. I didn't struggle; I had decided that I would go for the element of surprise, making a break for it when they least expected it. I just had to dispatch the gun. 

 

The man dragged me over to face the one with the knife, transferring his hold from my neck to my hair and tugging roughly. I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at him, instead making eye contact with the guy in front of me. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and blue eyes that gave away nothing. His clothes were splattered with blood and dripped from his knife that he continued to grip tightly. I observed that he looked about my age, if not a bit older.

 

"Who are you?" He asked. His voice wasn't angry or accusing, it was emotionless, if not curious.

 

"Siren." I said with just as little feeling.

 

"Your full name?" He inquired. When I didn't answer right away, the guy behind me yanked on my hair.

 

"I don't know!" I spit at him, the pain from the second guy's tugs making my head throb. "I don't know my full name." I said again, slower and in a calmer tone this time.

 

His eyebrows rose as he looked me up and down. "Have you been bitten?"

 

I scowled, but answered before Number Two could pull my hair again. "No."

 

He glanced over my shoulder at the person behind me, who apparently was not very happy about my presence interrupting their little pow-wow.

 

"How can we trust her? She could be bit and lying about it, just another two cent whore looking for a place to crash and catch dinner once the change is final." Guy Two suggested, but Guy One shook his head.

 

"She doesn't look infected, and I think we'd be able to tell if she was." He said quizzically, still assessing me with his eyes. I decided that maybe I could at least speak up in my own favor, if they were going to kill me I should be able to defend myself beforehand.

 

"Are you Trenton?" I asked, looking at the man in front of me. Judging by the flash of surprise in his eyes, that already answered my question.

 

"She's not to be trusted!" The other guy nearly shouted in my ear before I could continue. I winced and turned to look at his face. He had a greasy beard, fishy gray eyes, and a shiny balding head. I sneered in disgust as he continued talking.

 

"She's heard too much. We should've just left her for the Zoners. Actually-" His fist gripping my hair tightened. "That's a pretty straight idea. Leave her here and I'm sure they'll come around eventually, once they get hungry enough." He said with an ugly, vindictive grin. Trenton didn't seem too keen on the idea, though.

 

"That's a punishment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy Nathan, and I'm not going to inflict it on the innocent." He said sternly. Even though Nathan seemed bound and determined, he backed down for a second and spun around in the alley way. Another Deadeye was heading towards us, blankly staring ahead but still moving fairly quickly.

 

Deadeyes could run just as fast as any human if not faster, which is why it's best not to fuck around and find out with them. 

 

The arrival of our new guest didn't slow Nathan as he swiftly pulled out his gun and pumped a bullet into the Deadeye's head. The corpse fell to the ground instantly. When Nathan turned back to us, I was still confused, the sound of gunfire ringing in my ears. 

 

"Zoners?" I asked Trenton, my plan of escape momentarily forgotten. He gave me a funny look.

 

"Those things", he pointed to the former Deadeye lying on the ground. "We call them Zoners because of the sorry state they're in. You didn't know that?" Trenton asked me, now looking just as confused as I was. I shook my head.

 

"Never mind, but why are you killing them if they're not attacking you? They don't hurt you if you don't bother them first." I said  matter of fact, except this seemed to just confuse Trenton further.

 

"I don't know where you're getting your information from Siren, but those things don't attack when bothered, they attack on site. They eat human flesh in order to survive longer. They don't just die once they hit a few weeks of life, but continue on. As long as they keep their stomach's full, they could survive indefinitely." He explained solemnly. 

 

This was making my head hurt even more than Nathan's hair pulling, at least now all he was holding onto were my arms. It didn't make any sense. I've been out in this new fucked up world for six years, and my knowledge has gotten me this far. Now this guy comes along and tells me everything I know is false? Are they even called Deadeyes anymore?

 

"Well as much as I've enjoyed this conversation", Nathan said from behind me. I resisted rolling my eyes; he was beginning to grate on my nerves.

 

"I think it's time we head back." He finished.

 

"Right." Trenton fixed me with his blue eyed stare, and I held my breath. It felt like he was judging me on something, either my past or my current situation, or maybe he was just assessing my appearance. He stopped after a few seconds, but it felt like it had gone on longer than that.

 

"Do you need a place to stay, Siren?" He asked me suddenly. I blinked a few times in surprise, as if my eyes could hear the insanity he was suggesting.

 

I had never been offered a place to stay before, pre or post plague. I had never offered anyone else a place to stay either; i never had the opportunity. Then comes along this stranger, who was ready to slice aand dice me up a minute ago, offering me shelter? I wasn't going to say yes of course, but still, I found myself in a peculiar situation for the first time in quite awhile.

 

"No, I-my girlfriend and I prefer traveling alone. Thank you, though." I said awkwardly. I noticed Trenton's eyes widen slightly at the mention of Terese. Maybe I'm one of the last bisexuals to walk on this new world, apparently I'm the first one he's ever met.

 

"Ah, not a problem. Our settlement is just over there", he pointed straight out beyond the street. I wondered for a moment if he was messing with me; apparently not. "You can't miss it. If you need anything, we'll be there another two days before we head west and move on."

 

And after he was done talking, unbelievably, he held out his hand for me to shake. I took a moment before actually reaching out and placing my hand in his. His skin was surprisngly soft, and very warm.

 

 "Nice to meet you, Siren." He said, and I swear his eyes glittered for a moment when he said my name.

 

At the end of his sentence I could hear maybe a smile in his tone, and I felt my confusion grow but in a different sense than before. A rush of warmth flooded my chest and face. "You too, Trenton."

Chapter Three: Additions

I thought my name was rather ironic. Since my hair was the color of a blazing fire, and my eyes the color of shining emeralds, I just thought it was kind of funny. It seemed as though Trenton thought so too.

 

My mind wandered to Trenton and his buddy Nathan all the way back to Terese, and even more so as I threw around the news of Deadeyes or apparent "Zoners" actually being bloodthirsty monsters.

 

When I rounded the alley way to find Terese, she was still there huddled against the wall. It was as if she hadn't moved since I left.

 

"Nice to see you." I muttered as I passed her, sitting down at the opposite end of the alley.

 

"I wish I could say the same." She said dully. I sneered, shaking my head in disgust.

 

"I appreciate you coming to look for me, your valiant efforts called me back to you my darling." I mocked her, nothing but anger filling me at the moment. My fingertips warmed as I felt the buzz of fire in my veins. It was contained, but boiled my blood in frustration.

 

She didn't even turn around as she spoke. "How was I supposed to know where you went? I wasn't about to go out and risk my neck just to find where my PMSing girlfriend went."

 

Her words stung like a slap to the face, but I swallowed my hurt and shot back. "If I mean so little to you, then what are you even doing here with me?"

 

 All I got for a response was her back to me, and that was enough of an answer. I stood up and walked to the entrance of the alley way, feeling as if I was repeating yesterday all over again.

 

"At least I know how you really feel, Terese. Have it your way." I said, turning my back on her for one last time, all the heat from my blaze completely extinguished as I walked in the oposite direction.

 

Maybe that was just how she preferred it; being alone. She seemed to be just fine by herself when I found her. 

 

I wasn't exactly sure where I was going to go. Terese had been right about one thing; I didn't have a plan, and I had a tendency to be impuslive. As of now, I was just wandering around aimlessly.

 

I found myself considering Trenton's offer as it crept to the forefront of my mind, and I began walking towards the horizon where he had directed me. A few Deadeyes passed me by as I moved and I focused closer on them than I had before. I didn't think they looked different from any other time I had seen them. They were obviously gone and completely out of it as they shambled around without noticing their surroundings. They just didn't seem like the traditional flesh eating zombies ready to claw out my innards at a moment's notice.

 

After about ten minutes of travel I came upon a tiny camp-like civilization. While small, only taking up about a football field's worth of space, the camp was jam packed full of people. There were cots set up one after the other with tents above them, little campfies dotting each person's individual site.The people were bustling around from one area to the other, some carrying food while others carried blankets and bags. Even though they seemed grounded here as if it was their permanent home, it was obvious that they were getting ready to leave with all the hurried packing.

 

I approached the place with my hands open and out, not bothering to conceal the small knife I had sheathed at my waist. A few guys were standing on the outskirts of the camp, all holding large hunting rifles. When they noticed me, they tensed up and held their weapons at the ready.

 

"State your business!" One in the middle wearing a baseball cap yelled. He looked no older than fifteen.

 

"I was invited." I said simply, making eye contact with him as I spoke.

 

They exchanged a few words with the middle one before he turned his attention back to me. "Who invited you?"

 

"Trenton." I stated.

 

The boys were definitely surprised that I knew one of their members by name, and before they could question me further the very person we were discussing came walking over.

 

"Siren? You came?" He asked, sounding surprised yet delighted as he pushed past the boys.

 

I shrugged. "Wasn't exactly planning on it, but things changed."

 

He smiled crookedly; I noticed that his teeth were surprisingly white. "Either way, I'm glad you're here."

 

Before I could even react, Trenton hugged me. My eyes widened and my arms stayed hanging at my sides. I wasn't really sure how to responde, it had been awhile since I was last hugged, especially by a boy. It was a weird feeling, not exactly bad, just weird. His arms were warm and stronger than any girl's.

 

When he released me, something seemed to dawn on his face as he looked me up and down.

 

"Where's your girlfriend?" He asked, that same innocent curiosity in his voice again.

 

"I'm alone." I said, and by the sharp tone of my voice, this should've been enough to tell him alll he needed to know. He nodded right away in understanding.

 

"Well, you're more than welcome here." Trenton turned and guided me through the wall of boys, who were still eyeing me a bit warily before we made our way into the actual camp.

 

Many people acknowledged Trenton with smiles and hellos, while they either ignored me or offered quizzical glances at my sudden presence. We passed by Nathan as we were walking, and while Trenton smiled at him and said hi, the man completely ignored us and stared as we walked past.

 

"I see you're popular here." I muttered in observation. He shrugged.

 

"I'm second in command, our real leader is Isabella. I'm taking you to meet her right now." He said, smiling proudly at his status.

 

Trenton stopped at a large tent and signaled one minute with his index finger to me, before disappearing inside. He emerged seconds later with a woman standing by his side, just few inches shorter than him.

 

"This is Isabella." Trenton introduced her with a huge, proud smile.

 

Isabella was tan, had light brown hair tied back into a tight ponytail, kind yet assessing brown eyes, and she smiled genuinely when she saw me. She seemed to be in her thirties as her eyes crinkled around the edges when she grinned; I figured she could even be Trenton's mother.

 

"So, this is the girl you told me about." She said, her voice was even, approaching and calm. I had never met someone coming from this current world that was so-balanced.

 

Trenton's cheeks turned a light pink at Isabella's mention of me, and I felt a smile inadvertantly tugging at the corners of my lips in amusement.

 

"This is Siren." He said, his blush still evident.

 

Isabella beamed at me, reaching out her hand which I shook. "Nice to meet you. Where are you from? Have you ever traveled with a group as large as this one before?"

 

The questions came unexpectedly and threw me off a bit, but I answered her the best I could while being unprepared. "Recently, I just came from Seattle, but I'm afraid I don't know where I'm originally from. I can't remember much, before the Plague started, if that's what you're asking. It's been quite awhile since then. I have traveled alone for most of my life, so to answer your last question: no, I've never been with such a large group before."

 

After I was done, Isabella nodded considerably, not bothering to ask for my full name or any other information about my past that I mentioned.

 

"Well, if you're going to be joining us, we expect you to get used to the group mentality and pull your own weight." Her smile was still present, but her tone had hardened.

 

"For starters; sewing, cooking, watching the children, pitching the tents, washing clothes, and tending to the sick is usually what the women do here. The men, their jobs can get a little more dicey. They often stand watch and hunt when we need food, which has been more often than usual nowadays with all our toddlers and expectant mothers we've taken in. Our men also travel into towns to search for supplies when we're running low." She explained. I nodded to show her that I was keeping up as she continued, Trenton silently listening along with me.

 

"We have a fair supply of weapons; we make the majority of our kills using something other than a gun, and we like to have a backup weapon on our person just to be safe. We try not to use the guns too often though, only when absolutely necessary. Guns are loud and all but not just that, our ammo is limited, so we reserve it for emergencies only."

 

I recalled Nathan shooting all of the Deadeyes in the alley without a second thought, but I held my tongue. I was aware that Trenton knew about this too, and I wasn't about to be the tattle tale of the group, especially since I was already the newbie. I didn't find it odd that Nathan was going against their community standards and rules; he had said himself he was just going along for the ride. Why follow the rules if you intend to break them anyway?

 

"We will provide you with two sets of clean clothes, a gun, and a backup weapon. Do you have any weapons on you now?" Isabella asked, pulling me off my wayward train of thought.

 

I hesitated, because I wasn't sure what they would do if I showed them my knife; if they would confiscate it or trust me enough to keep it on my person. Honestly, I didn't want to show Isabella. The knife was an old antique that I had saved from my house-my original house-before our town was completely overrun by the dead. It had belonged to my grandfather, and then my father after him. I wasn't ready to give that up.

 

Although, concealing a weapon would most definitely set me up on the wrong foot here, and at the moment this was my only option. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten a home cooked meal, or slept in an actual bed. Sure, they were cots, but anything was better than my ratty old sleeping bag.

 

So after a moment of deliberation, I reached into my waistband and pulled out my twelve inch blade sheathed in black leather.

 

Trenton's eyes widened at the sight of it. Isabella observed the weapon dubiously before she held out her hand, looking up at me.

 

"May I see it?" She asked.

 

I resisted snapping at her and saying no, biting down on my tongue as I handed over my only worldly possession that meant anything to me, aside from the clothes on my back anyway.

 

Isabella took my knife, her eyes runnig up and down the impressive length as she smoothly removed it from its sheath, studying the black razor sharp blade coming to a precise, deadly point. The steel shined in the light, reflecting Isabella's curious expression. 

 

My fists clenched and warmed, my fire reminding me that it was there and ready at a moment's notice to pounce for me. It had been there for as long as I can remember, always protecting me. No one in this world knew about my power; not even my parents had known as far as I was aware. I had always kept it at bay, knowing that if I ever unleashed my fire in front of anyone, then that would be the end for me. I would be the only one getting burned once all was said and done.

 

After a few more seconds of examination, Isabella once again sheathed my weapon and handed it back to me-to my surprise.

 

"It should protect you as well as any weapon we could provide." She said with a wink. "Regardless, you'll still be given a gun and a full clip of ammo so you can attend shooting lessons, unless you already know how?"

 

I shook my head. Despite the knife, my dad had always been a fisher, not a hunter. Isabella nodded once more, seeming to be jotting things down and checking things off in her head as she went along.

 

"Billy should be able to teach you just fine. You'll need to be able to protect yourself and others at all costs." She turned to Trenton, her expression soft yet businesslike.

 

"Can you handle showing her around?" She asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.

 

"Of course", he responded with a smile.

 

"Good. Now then, it was a pleasure meeting you Siren, but I must get back to business at hand." She said and nodded in my direction before walking past me.

 

"After you", Trenton gestured with his arm to the left. I wondered, bemusedly, if that goofy grin ever left his face.

 

* * *

 

"This is where we prepare food." Trenton said as we walked past a small tent, upon peeking inside there was a little cooktop with a dismal fire going beneath it. A pot sat on top of one of the burners, steam rising lazily from its contents. I pursed my lips, eyeing the small flames. Maybe I could help with the cooking here; with my own little brand of fire.

 

There was a folding table opposite the stove where a woman stood chopping vegetables and fruit. I noticed a bowl next to her with other leafy veggies that I hadn't seen in months. 

 

"Lea", Trenton nodded at her. The woman turned around, smiling briefly before going back to her work.

 

"When setting up camp, we try to look for a nearby river or lake to wash our clothes in so that we can conserve water, but if we don't get lucky in finding one, then we use as little as possible." He explained as we walked towards another tent that wasn't closed in on all sides but open on one, with girls as young as ten sitting in small groups threading needles.

 

"The women usually gather around a particular fire pit to sew-these", he gestured to the tarp above our heads. "Get taken down during the day when we light the fires, but with all this rain lately we haven't been able to deconstruct and admittedly, I've been a bit lazy." Trenton joked.

 

I nodded, smiling in acknowledgement as we passed the women and girls sewing, coming up to an actual enclosed tent. It was slightly larger than the others, and the flaps of the entrance were zippered shut. A girl in a dark purple blouse and dirty jeans stood outside the tent with a boy next to her, wearing a shirt and jeans at least two sizes too big for him.

 

They stood at attention when Trenton came up to them, displaying the authority he held over the people here.

 

"I'd like to check on the patients' progress." Trenton requested, and the boy opened up the tent without hesitation.

 

Trenton stepped inside and gestured for me to follow him. I did, and was immediately hit with the bitter smell of sick. Just straight up sickness, a stale smell that clung to your skin and clothes as soon as you walked in, hanging damply in the air. 

 

"How are they?" He asked a middle aged blonde woman standing at the door.

 

"Not much has changed." She said in a voice just as dismal as her sentence.

 

I looked around in bewilderment. There were cots lined up against the flimsy walls as far as the tent could expand, nearly all of them  filled with one or two people to a bed. I didn't get to look too closely at the patients before Trenton ushered me out, but I did catch a glimpse of a frail little girl lying down, blood oozing steadily from her head as a person-a nurse, was tending to her.

 

Once outside, Trenton walked me over to a fire pit with logs set around in a circle. He picked up one of them and tossed it into the pit before producing matches from his jean jacket and throwing one in as well. Trenton sat down at my feet, gesturing for me to join him. I did, without asking him about what I had seen in the hospital. It wasn't any of my business to begin with, but if I was being completely honest with myself; I really didn't want to know anything more about the sick people crammed into that tent. It was bad enough of a sight to see, let alone talk about. 

 

"Seems like you have a nice setup here." I said, observing the sun setting above the broken buildings that once represented a prospering city. Trenton nodded sternly. 

 

"Isabella and her husband took me in when I was only eleven. They'd found me in Toronto. I wasn't interested in joining a big group at the time-too much baggage, I thought. But I soon came to realize that I had no choice; it was either that or survive on my own."

 

I watched the little fire steadily growing before us, feeling the same blaze reflected in my eyes as I spoke. "I lost my sister when I was fourteen."

 

The pain of losing Cassandra was still fresh and raw whenever I mentioned her; it hadn't lessened at all over the last four years. Not that I had expected it to-it was just something I had to learn to live with, but the pain was always present. 

 

I didn't bother asking him where Isabella's husband had gone, for I already knew the answer. Trenton reached out to touch my shoulder, but I scooted away instinctively. He withdrew his hand right away, his expression understanding.

 

"My parents and I were looking for shelter anywhere we could find it. It lasted a few months before", he paused, grabbing a stick from the ground and poking at the logs, causing sparks to scatter into the air.

 

"I just never thought that this", he gestured around at the desolate landscape surrounding us. "Would be the future for us-for our world. I thought we would be a prosperous, always advancing society, not fighting and clawing our way to survival every god damn day." Trenton's tone was almost bitter at the end of his sentence as his thoughts dropped off.

 

I shrugged, wrapping my arms around myself to protect against the chill that was beginning to creep in with the coming darkness.

 

I wasn't bitter about what happened to the world. Honestly, I was kind of used to it by now. Of course, when I was a kid and it had first happened I was scared, but after a few years the fight for survival had become just another mundane daily task. The Plague was the worst thing that has ever happened to humanity as a whole, but Trenton seemed to think that it was something to fight against when in reality, we just had to ride this wave through to the end-no matter how rough. 

 

I looked at him, some of the instructions Isabella had said crossing my mind. "Has Isabella always been in charge?"

 

Trenton nodded. "Yes. After her husband passed away, the group agreed that it would be best if she take over. We had about fifty people back then."

 

I couldn't help it, my eyes widened in shock. Holy shit, fifty people? How in the hell did they manage that? How did they keep up with all the demands for food, water, shelter, and that was just the beginning. There were only about twenty people left here now, did that mean that they lost that many? As if reading my mind, Trenton answered my unasked question.

 

"We have to constantly be on the move. Whenever a herd comes along, we pack up and run as fast as we can. It has it's difficulties, and I admit, the burden of travel weighs on many of our people here. Not all of us are picked off and eaten by Zoners." Trenton sighed, shaking his head in sadness. I stiffened, feeling a cold weight settle in my stomach.

 

"This world is just too hard for some of them." He added, his voice so soft it was nearly a whisper.

 

I didn't press him for any further answers. It seemed as though this group has gone through hell and back; it was no wonder Trenton and Nathan had been so apprehensive when they found me in the alley.

 

"There aren't many add-ons." I stated, and Trenton shrugged in response.

 

"We don't want to get people's hopes up. Before, we used to take in anyone that we could find, but nowadays that rarely happens. There aren't many people we run into anymore, and even when there are, they barely ever seem interested. They understand the hardships as well as anyone else, so most have learned not to expect much from us." He said, his blue eyes staring unseeingly at something off in the distance.

 

I took a deep breath, feeling the conversation take a sharp nosedive. My flames flickered absently, causing me to reflexively clench my fists. Hearing the history of this group, all of the pain and loss they have already endured, it made me wonder if staying here was such a good idea. I was only placing more weight on Trenton's and Isabella's shoulders, and what good was I doing for them? I was just another mouth to feed, another person to protect, and someone else to drag them down. Was it-was I really worth all the trouble?

Chapter Four: Educate

I was given a tent, a blanket, and some clothes just as Isabella had promised. Trenton showed me how to pitch the tent and then take it down again-he even made me set it up twice before giving me his approval.

 

The sun had nearly set, the last strands of daylight peaking through the clouds. I was getting tired, and was not looking forward to putting the tent back up for the third time. Trenton watched with amusement as I pitched it all over again. He stood with his arms crossed, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

 

"Do you want any help?" Trenton asked as the tent collapsed on my head.

 

My fire sparked in irritation, feeling my fingers burn as I grasped the edges of the tent and threw it off of me.

 

"No." I muttered, starting the process once more.

 

He shook his head, turning around to leave. "Whatever you say."

 

Trenton waited another minute, probably expecting me to ask for his assistance, but I could hear his footsteps walking away after I'd said nothing for few seconds longer.

 

It took me about three more tries before I finally managed to get the tent standing upright and staying in that position. I climbed inside, grabbing the cotton sheet that Mary, a motherly looking woman who I had seen sewing earlier, had given me and requested that I sleep well.

 

Using my arm as a pillow, I rested my head near my elbow and stared at the far side of the tent. I was completely and utterly wired. I could not believe that I had done this.

 

I had actually joined this group of people, naively putting my life into their hands and saying "go nuts". I had no idea who any of them were, for Christ's sake, except for two guys-one of which who was in favor of shooting me on sight. This was so careless of me, I mean, what was I really thinking in coming here? What was my plan? Did I even have one?

 

 All of my hair stood on end, my body stiff as a board in my tattered sleeping bag. I felt like I was being watched, my back burning as if the person's gaze was searing holes right through to my skin- and I sure as hell knew I wasn't just being paranoid.

 

I was positive that Nathan had it in for me, for whatever reason. I hadn't ratted him out to Isabella about the gun, so one would think he would be grateful to me, but I wasn't about to hold my breath. I received nothing but dirty looks and a curled lip from him whenever I passed by.

 

Admittedly, the rest of the group had been fairly welcoming. I hadn't run into Isabella the remainder of the night, for she was busy tending to others complaining about supplies or questioning where they were heading off to next. I wondered how she handled all the questions constantly being thrown in her direction. All I could think was that I was grateful I wasn't the leader here.

 

I sighed, rolling over onto my back and staring up at the horizontal tent's ceiling. I wasn't sure how long this would last; this arrangement with me and these people here.

 

When I did close my eyes and fall into a light sleep, I was assaulted with images of flames, milky white eyes, and cots filled with bloody bodies that twitched whenever I got near.

 

* * *

 

I woke up to Trenton calling my name. I opened my eyes, squinting at his lean frame standing in the doorway.

 

"Time to get up Sleeping Beauty." He said, grinning that silly crooked smile that always seemed to be planted on his face.

 

I rolled my eyes but did as he said, shrugging out of the tent as he moved aside. The sun was just coming up, and I blinked a few times at the sudden brightness.

 

"It's about six a.m., time for breakfast." Trenton informed me, and my jaw dropped in surprise.

 

"How do you know what time it is?" I asked, astonished.

 

Trenton stopped walking and his lip quirked, puzzled as he held up his arm and showed me a scuffed metal watch hanging on his wrist. As I looked closer, I saw that the two arms pointed at the six and the twelve, and that the thinnest third arm was moving slowly around the circle. I gaped at it, watching in stupefied amazement.

 

I couldn't remember the last time I had seen a watch, or the last time I actually knew what time it was. Did they know what day it was too? Or month? Even year?

 

"You okay?" He asked, watching me now with concern evident on his face as his brow came together. I nodded, straightening up. At my reassurance, Trenton and I began walking once more.

 

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just been awhile since I've seen one of those." I jutted my chin down towards his wrist. Trenton's scowl deepened further.

 

"Really? You want it?" He asked, and before I even responded, he began removing the watch from his wrist. I shook my head, waving my hand at him.

 

"No, no it's yours. I couldn't take it from you." I protested, but he ignored me and stopped walking again. He held out his hand, asking permission for my wrist. I shook my head again.

 

"It's yours." I repeated. The watch was nice and all, but I wasn't sure what Trenton had gone through to get it, or if it was one of the only things he owned from his previous life. These type of things were valuable-nobody was making watches or watch batteries anymore. Accepting anything like this was just something I couldn't do.

 

Trenton smiled softly, gently taking my wrist and fastening the watch on to a snug fit. I didn't pull away this time, but wrinkled my nose in displeasure as he finished.

 

"Trenton, honestly it's yours." I reached up to take it off, but he stopped me, placing his hand on top of mine.

 

"Siren, I want you to have it." He said seriously, his blue eyes gazing right into mine and I swear to you, they sparkled like polished sapphires.

 

I swallowed, pursing my lips as butterflies swarmed around in my belly. Was I seriously getting nervous right now? I couldn't remember a time when I had been nervous last. There were a lot of firsts going on all at once today. Could I remember the last time I was panicked? Yes, I could remember. Worried? Yes, but nervous? I had no idea.

 

Trenton's lips parted and for a moment I thought he was going to say something, but a shadow seemed to cross his face just then, causing his eyes to darken.

 

He dropped his hands, placing them in the pockets of his jacket. The moment dissipated rapidly around us.

 

"Come on, you better get some food before shooting practice." Trenton said, his voice gruff as he began walking, not bothering to see if I was following.

 

I hurried to keep up, feeling a sting of hurt for absolutely no reason at all. My fire simmered along with the hurt, but I abruptly shoved it down. No need to get caught up in my feelings when there were more important-life altering things going on currently. 

 

Nearly the whole group of people were huddled under one tent and stood in line, while two young girls standing at a table ladled some sort of grey mush into bowls and handed one out to each person. When the girls got to Trenton and I, they handed us our food without a word and moved on to the next in line. I looked at the bowl's contents. It was slimy, with a few clumps and lumps in it that were the same color. My nose scrunched up in distaste as I looked at Trenton, who raised an eyebrow at me. His lips twitched, resisting a smile.

 

"It's called oatmeal. I take it you've never had any before?" He asked, just as the girls returned and handed us each a spoon.

 

I stuck my utensil in the oatmeal, which seemed to swallow it up whole. I grimaced. "No, my parents weren't exactly breakfast people. And after seeing this, I can't say that I blame them."

 

Trenton's face broke into a full blown grin, no longer able to hide it, and I couldn't help but smile in return.

 

The oatmeal tasted just as it looked, mushy and gray-but it was filling, and by the time I had finished, my stomach was achingly full. The same two girls who had distributed breakfast collected the dirty dishes before disappearing into a nearby tent, the people around us beginning to disperse once the meal was over.

 

Trenton had stayed by my side during breakfast, but by now he had wandered off and was talking with a few men that I did not recognize. I stood by the fringes of the tent, my insides crawling when I spotted Nathan and he locked eyes with me.

 

I wasn't sure what I saw in his cold gray eyes; anger or hate maybe. Why he hated me, was a question I did not know the answer to. After a few seconds of our staring contest, I broke the contact and looked down to see what he was really doing. I clenched my teeth when I noticed him sharpening his knife, his gun just within reach at his side.

 

I swallowed hard, knowing that  I really did not want to fight this man. I wasn't sure who would win that fight, if I played fair that is. If it involved only a knife, then I knew I would at least come out alive. If it was a gun, which seemed to be Nathan's speciality, then he would be the last one standing.

 

"Hey", I jumped as Trenton's hand rested on my shoulder.

 

I turned, my expression probably harsher than I intended because he immediately took his hand away.

 

"You okay?" He asked, curiosity and concern in his caring blue eyes.

 

Damn it, who cared about someone they just met? Only this guy, that's who.

 

"Yes, I'm fine." I snapped at him, and his kind considerate look was replaced with a shocked, yet defensive one.

 

"Alright then, I just came over here to tell you that Isabella wants to see you." He said flatly. Trenton brushed right by me without another word. I resisted turning around to see if he had gone to Nathan, I thought better of it and walked to meet Isabella instead.

 

She was sitting on a log, talking to a big burly man with missing teeth next to her. When she saw me, she smiled.

 

"Siren, I'd like you to meet Billy. He'll be teaching you how to shoot today." She said, gesturing to the man.

 

"Hello." I said, an awkward half-smile on my face.

 

"Howdy! How ya doing girl? Are you ready to learn self defense?" He asked brightly, in a thick southern accent.

 

"Of course." I said in a considerably quieter tone than him.

 

He smiled a nearly toothless grin as he stood up with Isabella. "Alrighty, right this wa-"

 

A bloodcurdling scream cut Billy off before he could finish, and without another word Isabella took off sprinting in the direction of the sound.

 

"Zoners!" A girl I did not recognize shouted as she pointed behind her. I didn't get a chance to look before Billy demanded my attention again.

 

"Looks like you're gonna have to learn on the fly, baby cakes." He muttered, his eyes on the horizon.

 

"Come on." He grabbed my arm, tugging me over to a tent separated slightly from the others. He ducked inside before coming back out seconds later with his arms full of pistols and boxes of ammunition.

 

"Here", he thrust a small silver gun into my hand.

 

I couldn't take it anymore; I spun around, my stomach sinking as I witnessed a large herd of Deadeyes coming right towards the camp. They were a few minutes away from us, at best.

 

There had to be hundreds of them, varying in size and gender. It was as if they were a synchronized army making its way over a battlefield, not too organized, but together and powerful in numbers all the same. I had never seen this many Deadeyes in my entire life; not all at once in a group like this. I clenched my teeth, turning back to Billy who was loading a shotgun.

 

"It's easy peasy", he said as he finished preparing his weapon. "Lemon squeezy."

 

"Just aim at their heads and shoot. They don't move too fast and even less with any shot to the body, but the head is fastest and lands them bastards on their ass like that." He said quickly, snapping his fingers. "Watch me and do as I do. Come on girly", Billy once again took me by the arm, but this time he began sprinting towards the danger slowly making its way towards us, forcing me to do the same.

Chapter Five: Run

The men stood at the forefront, firing round after round into the crowd of oncoming Deadeyes. I realized with horror that the corpses were snarling and gnashing their teeth at us, even before the bullets had begun flying. Trenton's words from earlier rang clearly in my head. Those things don't attack when bothered, they attack on site.

 

Another abnormality I noticed as the Deadeyes continued advancing, I saw their eyes. Nearly all of their gazes were completely white and empty, no pupils or irises at all. This new development made my blood run cold. How old were these Deadeyes? Or was what Nathan and Trenton had said to me earlier true? Watching these literal monsters coming towards us, my doubts washed away as my fears were harshly confirmed.

 

 I scanned my side, looking for Trenton or Isabella but not being able to find either of them in all this chaos. I spotted in the far back of the crowd, children screaming while women attempted to calm them down as they packed up the camp with fervor.

 

The Deadeyes were starting to move faster, as their buddies were under attack and getting mowed down. One bared its teeth and snarled at Billy, who aimed and fired without hesitation. The Deadeye's head burst like an overfilled water balloon, splattering blood and brains all over the grass at our feet. I watched this go on for a second longer, stomach churning, before I held up my gun and fired off a round myself.

 

My first shot missed, barely grazing a Deadeye's shoulder. I felt sweat form on my brow as my flames leapt to attention. I swallowed, taking aim this time. When I missed again I gasped, my eyes widening in panic at the Deadeyes now nearly on top of us.

 

"Maddie!" Someone screamed from behind me. I spun my head around, shooting forgotten, to see a little girl being grabbed by a Deadeye with blood oozing from its mouth and clothes.

 

The girl's face scrunched up, her mouth shaped into an O of horror as the corpse leaned down to sink its teeth into her throat. Without thinking-in fact I believe I disregarded my sanity altogether-I leapt forward, putting myself directly in the dead's path, and yanked the child out of its grasp.

 

I held up my gun, shooting the Deadeye straight in its eye socket with a resounding crack. The corpse crumpled to the ground in an instant. My ears began to ring from the defeaning sound of gunfire, but I ignored it. In one fluid motion, I scooped the girl into my arms and sprinted back to the group, dropping her into Mary's lap before heading back.

 

"Siren!" Trenton yelled from down the row. I shot at a Deadeye nearby, hitting it square in the chest and sending it stumbling back a few feet, before I chanced a look at Trenton.

 

"What the hell are you doing?! Get in the back!" He ordered over the continuous roar of gunfire, his face flushed angrily as he shot repeatedly at the crowd, hitting his target every time.

 

I didn't bother to respond; I could feel my rounds dwindling, and the Deadeyes just kept on coming. With every row, it appeared they were getting faster and faster. If things kept going like this, we wouldn't survive. I glanced at Trenton, noticing that he had the same look of dread on his face as me.

 

"Run!" He shouted, emptying the rest of his gun into the crowd.

 

No one hesitated; our group began a mad dash in the opposite direction. As everyone turned and retreated, those with guns continued firing over their shoulders, trying to make a dent in the sea of death that was right behind us, chomping at our heels. I watched, stupefied as the Deadeyes began to run, coming up on the rear of our group in what seemed like an instant.

 

I felt sparks in my fingertips, my hands itching to release my blaze. It would be so easy to take them all out with fire, and with that thought; a sudden inspiration hit me. I had never tried to kill Deadeyes before with my flames; I had never been confronted with this many numbers before. Well, I figure there's a first time for everything.

 

"Trenton!" I shouted, running over to him. He looked questioningly at me, about to respond, but I didn't ask permission before I dug my hand into his pocket and came up with his matches.

 

I then turned around and stood firmly in place. Trenton's eyes widened as he opened his mouth; it seemed as though he was trying to stop along with me, but the people moved him on and swallowed him up into the crowd until I couldnt' see him anymroe. He called my name, that I could hear, however I wasn't listening. I held up the pack of matches, pulled one out, and smiled at the pursuing Deadeyes.

 

"Time to get serious." I said to myself, my grin growing wider as I struck the match. With reckless abandon, I threw my flames onto the corpses rushing towards me.

Chapter Six: Our Hero

Fire poured from my fingertips and palms with delicious heat. I watched, delighted as my blaze destroyed the Deadeyes now barely stumbling over to me. I clapped my hands together after a few seconds, knowing that the fire coming from me would be too noticeable soon. However, I sighed in contentment, feeling my flames simmering down once again just beneath the surface.

 

Nearly all of the Deadeyes were smoldering; they had either fallen over, dropped to their knees, or continued dragging themselves along. Those who did try to get closer, I shot smoothly and efficiently in either the head or chest. I smiled to myself; not bad for someone who was never taught.

 

Once the last crispy Deadeye was down, there was still a bright fire burning across the empty landscape. I could feel the warmth against my skin. I closed my eyes, reveling in its heat before I turned around and ran back to catch up with the others.

 

Trenton was the first person I came across, and once seeing me, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we ran. He was glaring with almost as much heat as my flames had given off.

 

I knew later there was going to be hell to pay for what I had just done, and that I had a lot of explaining to do, but I really didn't care at the moment. I had stopped the Deadeyes and was able to release some of my pent-up power, so all in all I was pretty pleased with myself. Trenton only knew half of the facts though; the killing all of the Deadeyes part, and I intended to keep it that way.

  

When we got back to the rest of the group, they were all huddled close together. Each person was talking to someone else, creating a buzz in the air that I could hear before even reaching them.

 

Trenton released me and immediately made his way right into the crowd, receiving hugs and kisses while a few people were even crying; they were so glad he was okay. I stood there awkwardly, realizing that I was still holding my gun because I wasn't sure what else to do with it. I approached the group then, not sure what response I would receive since I was the girl who purposefully fell behind.

 

"Billy", I called, thankful that I could find him out of everyone else-and remember his name. I was terrible with those.

 

Billy turned around upon hearing me, a look of surprise crossing his face when I handed him the gun back. "I believe this belongs to you."

 

Billy cocked his head to the side, puzzled, before a huge smile broke across his face and he laughed loudly. "Oh darlin', this is your gun! But, I do owe you a proper holster for it." He said, still grinning as he placed the gun in a holster on his waist, detaching it from his belt loop.

 

He handed the gun back to me, winking and patting my hands as I took it. "You deserve it."

 

I blinked, observing his reaction to me before gazing around at everyone else. They were smiling in my direction, almost all of them. Even Nathan's lip had curled into somewhat of a smile. Then I saw Isabella, walking through the crowd that literally parted ways for her. Some of her hair had come undone and she looked completely exhausted, but there was still a generous grin on her face and her brown eyes were warm with what I could only identify as gratitude.

 

"Thank you so much, Siren. You saved my people here with your quick wit-we are forever in our dept to you." She said happily, tears welling up in her eyes. Istead of shaking my hand like I expected her to do, she hugged me. My eyes widened, and I stood there for a second in shock before returning the hug. Isabella, strong leader, was hugging me?

 

When Isabella released me, a little girl came running up from the group and jumped right into my arms without a second thought. I staggered back, surprised at the child suddenly clinging to my neck. She pulled back, her face streaked with tears, and I immediately  recognized her as the girl I had snatched away from the Deadeye earlier.

 

"You saved me from the zombies Fire Lady, you're my hero." She sniffled, burying her face in my neck. I stiffened. Fire Lady?

 

Oh god. My insides clenched with apprehension; how much had they actually seen?

 

Mary came forward then, smiling as she looked at Maddie and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We saw you throw that match onto the Zoners, that was a very brave move of yours."

 

I let out my breath that I didn't realize I was holding, feeling my shoulders relax a little.

 

"And very risky." Trenton chimed in. I turned to look at him, my eyes narrowing as I handed Maddie over to Mary.

 

I walked so that I was face to face with Trenton, who was standing in full view of everyone. In a very girly and somewhat childish manner, I put my hand on my hip and scowled at him.

 

"Is there something you want to say to me ,Trenton?" I challenged, raising one eyebrow.

 

He licked his lips before pursing them, seeming to consider something, when a stray Deadeye interrupted our conversation. The corpse shuffled over to us, flames searing at its clothes and body. The thing roared hoarsely before someone from the crowd shot it clear in the head, sending it falling to the ground. We all turned to see Nathan with a literal smoking gun in his hand, wiping it off with a plaid handkerchief. He nodded in my direction.

 

"Not here". Trenton said, answering my question. "We have to get moving and find another place to stay. It's obviously not safe here in Seattle anymore." He basically said what was on everyone's mind.

 

And even though we had just fought off hundreds of Deadeyes, I was still willing to bet that those were only a fraction of what was hiding out in that city a few miles away. This scene would draw them out here sooner rather than later, with all the gunfire and screaming, and I doubted anyone wanted to stick around to see what would happen next.

 

"For now though, thank you." Trenton said seriously, his blue eyes hard. I nodded once in Nathan's direction.

 

"Time to move." Trenton announced. There were no objections.

 

Although, before leaving, there had to be a quick physical examination of everyone in the group, including myself, for any bites or scratches. I knew as well as the next person that we couldn't risk having anyone infected among us. If someone was, then of course we would do everything we could to help them, within reason.

 

We'd make them feel comfortable and safe, but there was no denying that nothing we could do would stop the infection from inevitably taking over and killing them. Luckily, no one had been seriously hurt in all the commotion. So we began moving, even though we were exhausted and in need of nourishment, the main task at hand and on everyone's mind was getting to a safe location to settle down for the time being.

 

After a few minutes of walking, Trenton fell to the back of the crowd where me and the women were, leaning in close to my ear.

 

"I would like to talk to you later." He whispered, offering a few smiles to the ones around him before making his way back up to the front of the group.

 

I scowled. Okay, he had caught my attention once again, and spiked my level of concern. What could he possibly want to say to me? Maybe he would finally bitch and moan at me for sticking my neck out and saving Maddie. Maybe yell at me for taking his matches and suddenly leaving the others? Or would he just thank me like everyone else had? I wasn't really leaning towards any one in particular, but a sinking feeling suddenly nestled in the pit of my gut. What if he had seen my fire when it came out of me? How the hell would I explain that?

 

Chapter Seven: Soon

It wasn't until we had found an abandoned hospital building with the third floor fairly intact and safe that Trenton called me over to talk, on the second floor. We sat down in some waiting area chairs that weren't too moldy and faced the windows, showing a crumbling Seattle in the distance. The group had traveled as far as we could go in one day, and since everyone was worn out from the unexpected battle, we had to find shelter somewhere.

 

 We definitely weren't sticking around Seattle for much longer. The population of Deadeyes wandering around the city was something I didn't want to think about much less face any time soon. So for now, this hospital would be a safe enough settlement. With two floors separating us from any possible threats down below, this was as good as it was going to get on short notice.

 

  Another thing I didn't want to approach but knew I would have to eventually, was the look and behavior of the Deadeyes we had fought. The snarling, clawing, dripping blood and completely white blank stares of hunger. That was something I rarely ever saw, in fact, I never saw anything like it before. The appearance of these creatures was something that really struck a deep fear into me. What if Trenton and Nathan had been right when they first spoke to me? What if Deadeyes really were a bigger threat than I thought?

 

 Well, right now Trenton seemed a bit tense. His shoulders were drawn and he had his elbows resting on his knees, his chin in his hand. His sharp blue eyes were pensively looking over me. I didn't flinch under his gaze; just leaned back and crossed my legs, waiting for whatever he had to say to come out. 

 

  "Siren, what on earth were you thinking?" Trenton's tone was calm and approaching, as if he was open to discussion, however his expression was anything but friendly.

 

  I wet my lips. "You guys were in trouble and I wanted to help."               

 

 "You could've been killed." He cut in.

 

 "Maddie was about to be eaten!" I nearly shouted in defense. Trenton's brow furrowed at my volume but I didn't care; this was the thanks I got for saving a member of his group? Actually no, for saving every member of his group. 

 

  I sighed, knowing that arguing with Trenton wouldn't get me anywhere. I had only known the guy for about two days but he didn't seem like he would give up a fight so easily. At the same time though, I was immensely relieved that we weren't discussing some unknown fire power that Trenton witnessed me unleash on the field today. 

 

  "Look, I wasn't trying to piss you off. I really wasn't thinking at all, I just acted." I explained. Trenton nodded, leaning back in his chair as well.

 

 "I understand, but what I was referring to was the whole fire thing." He said severely, and my heart jumped into my throat.

 

I swallowed in an attempt to force it back down but to no avail, and fought to keep the fear out of my eyes. I looked at Trenton, recognizing a great emotion in his eyes. Something was there, something a little bit deeper than just concern for a fellow human's life.

 

  "Just what the fuck were you thinking?!" His suddenly harsh voice bounced off the peeling hospital walls, and I jumped in surprise, staring up at him with wide eyes. I had never heard him swear like this.

 

 "You steal my matches, go running towards the fucking zombies that are raging for your blood, and not only do you get incredibly close to killing yourself, you set a fire! A fucking fire to a completely barren, dry as fuck landscape, barely making it out alive! You're lucky you didn't get burned, for God's sake."

 

I had to suppress a laugh at the thought of me burning myself. Wouldn't that be ironic as hell?

 

 "It was the best way to stop the Deadey-Zoners before they could advance on us any further. We wouldn't have made it without losing some of our own if they weren't stopped." I found myself whispering. I never thought that I would be cowering underneath the cold gaze of a guy I barely knew, who was actually yelling at me because I had put myself in danger, but here I was.

 

 Trenton shook his head, standing up abruptly and beginning to pace over to the windows. "I have never seen someone with such complete and utter disregard for their own safety before." He muttered against the cracked glass.

 

 I stared down at the rotting coffee table with the tattered remains of once well known magazines lying across it, processing his words before I got up to join him at the windows.

 

  "I'm sorry for upsetting you, but I'm not sorry for setting the fire. It was the best thing that could've possibly been done." I said softly, trying to keep him from yelling again and waking up anyone above us, or anything below us that might be lurking about. He sighed, dragging a hand over his eyes then running it through his ruffled blond hair.

 

 "I know. And I do appreciate your help. It's just," he shook his head. "You really scared me today, Siren."

 

  I blanched, shocked. My flames seemed to scamper into a corner. I scared him? What the hell was that supposed to mean? He hadn't brought up anything about my fire, so I assumed he wasn't refering to that, but what if he was bringing it up now? Seeing my confused and somewhat frightened expression he smiled, his voice strained as he talked.

 

  "Seeing you nearly getting bitten by that Zoner, and then with flames literally hot on your tail as you ran away. It just . . . frightened me a bit. If we had lost you in that war zone." He trailed off, and I could see some sort of confusion similar to mine slide onto his face.

 

 "I'm just not sure what I would've done, or said to the group." Trenton finished, seeming as astonished by his own words as I was.

 

 I pursed my lips. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. I had never really been shown that much affection by the opposite sex or even my own gender, before. Terese and I had kissed and kept each other warm and all, but never had she said that she loved me, or that she was worried about me. Nothing that would express even the least bit of compassion. And now here's this stranger, telling me that I scared him because I broke off from his group even though I knew exactly what I was doing (but of course he didn't know that). I began my next sentence with something easy.

 

 "I'm fine though, and everyone else is fine too. We're safe here in this place for the time being. I doubt we'll run into another herd like that for awhile. You have nothing to worry about." I approached reassuringly, but Trenton just shook his head again.

 

 "I don't think you understand. I have such high hopes for these people, I believe we can accomplish something even in this dark world we live in. I'm not giving up, but this whole fight has brought down so many of their spirits. I really have started to worry that I'm losing them." He confessed, and I could see the creases of exhaustion and anxiety marring his young face. I wasn't sure how I could help him, or even if he would go for anything that I offered, but I figured it was worth a shot.

 

 "Why don't you let me take your position as guard for the night? You get some much needed rest." I suggested, my hopes a bit higher.

 

I was much better at standing watchdog than lying in the dirt and waiting for something to sink its teeth into me. Plus, I had my flames. Even though they probably wouldn't come in handy too much with other people from the group guarding the perimeter nearby me, but still it was nice to know they were there and were always a secret weapon if it came to that.

 

 Trenton looked at me, shock and a bit of horror on his face. "I couldn't possibly ask you to do that. Besides, you're a . . ." He trailed off, seeming to bite his tongue at the last minute but I smirked, knowing exactly what he was about to say.

 

 "We're not cavemen Trenton, and I am well aware of my own gender. Just because I dated a woman doesn't mean I don't know basic human anatomy." I quipped sarcastically, not really hurt but enjoying his discomfort all the more when a blush colored his fair skin.

 

 "I know, it's just that the girls usually leave it up to us to take care of all the hard stuff and make sure they're safe. Them and the children. That's always how it's been done around here, that's always how Isabella's had it anyway. Or at least, she's never objected to it." I could tell that Trenton was at a loss as he shifted uncomfortably. I shrugged.

 

 "Isabella is a woman, and she's the leader of the whole group." I pointed out. He nodded.

 

 "Yes." I could almost hear the words before they came out of his mouth. Yes, but only because her husband died and she was appointed by default.

 

 Oh, what an old fashioned group I was in. With the leader a completely biased woman and the co-leader a completely sexist guy. What had I gotten myself into?

 

  "Look it's getting late, either you go upstairs and sleep so that I can go downstairs and stand watch. Or the other way around. Your choice." I said finally, about ready to turn around when I saw his shoulders droop in defeat.

 

 "Alright, I'm not going to deny you when you're asking for the position." Trenton said a bit hesitantly. I allowed myself a small smile of victory.

 

"Except, if Isabella comes after you because you broke one of her rules, I can't help you there." He added in his own defense, and I nodded. I wasn't too worried about the leader going after me, after all (and I knew this was a complete misuse of their gratitude) I had just saved the whole group. She owed me something that I could do of my own free will at the very least.

 

  "Thank you." I said genuinely. I turned around to leave when he suddenly spoke up again.

 

  "In a world consumed by darkness, this group is the last surviving light I can find." Trenton's murmured words seemed a bit ominous as they sunk in, goose-bumps rising on my arms.

 

  "I believe you're right." I whispered in almost reluctant agreement.

 

  "You know Siren, you're very bright for someone living in the dark." He said as almost an afterthought. For some reason I took offense to his words, stepping away from the window.

 

 "I'm not the only one." I retorted, and descended the semi-stable stairs to the outside.

 

 

*             *             *

 

 Turns out, two other boys were standing watch along with me tonight; Luke and Manuel. There had been another kid about ready to pass out before I showed up, so I sent him inside and took his place. They were surprised to see a girl there to help out, but didn't question it, probably assuming it was something Isabella had okayed.

 

 "I'm Manuel, or Manny." The tall one said, with smooth hispanic skin and sweet brown eyes. His brown hair to match was cut short and seemed well groomed even in these conditions. I smiled.

 

  "Siren." I introduced myself, and they both nodded.

 

  "We know who you are, I'm Luke by the way." The other one, the polar opposite of Manny, provided. Luke was a few inches shorter than him, with ivory skin and dark green eyes. His hair was a very light blonde and cut to his chin. With how quick and jerky his movements were, he reminded me somewhat of an elf. I smiled at Luke, more at my own personal joke than his introduction.

 

 "Nice to meet you guys. So, where do I stand watch?" I asked expectantly, feeling my knife nestled in my pocket and my gun at the ready in its holster by my side.

 

While the group was settling down, Billy had pulled me aside and taught me properly how to shoot. He said I had done a good enough job with the herd, but I was lucky that a chunk hadn't been taken out of me. So, it was best that I learn the right way to do it. He had provided me with the right holster and showed me how to secure it in place so that way it wouldn't fall or go off with the safety on. When we were finished, I was now fully equipped to fight a Deadeye the right way.

 

 Luke glanced around the perimeter. It was a small establishment, but with a large parking lot surrounding it. It would be easy to spot a threat if it came shuffling towards us, but it was also easy to be cornered in such a big open space like this. There weren't many places to duck and hide for cover if things got bad.

 

 "I'm at the front door and Manny's at the back. Dylan had been at the side entrance, so you can take that." He instructed with an encouraging smile at the end of his sentence. I returned it and nodded.

 

 "Okay, thanks." I went off in the direction that Manny had pointed me in and soon found myself alone, standing in front of two double doors that seemed welded shut. Even if there wasn't a guard here, I doubted anything would get beyond the two steel barriers. No matter, I leaned against them and gazed out towards the horizon, at the ready.

 

 This had once been a bustling interstate. I could barely remember it now, but a faint image of being driven to the hospital when I was a kid after falling off my bike came to the surface of my mind. I was maybe five or six at the time, and my parents had trusted me enough to let me go riding in the park across the street from our house without training wheels. They told me to stay in the grassy area, but of course as a curious kid, I wandered into the basketball courts and ended up on my ass, with the bike on my arm.

 

 I shook my head, the memory ending with being scooped up by my parents and shoved into some sort of boxy car with flashing colorful lights, loud sounds flooding the interior and exterior as I was rushed to the emergency room.

 

 Well that was odd. I barely ever thought about my childhood at all, but the sight of these cracking roads and abandoned stores surrounding me seemed to bring back some long buried stuff. I wondered idly if I liked this remembering of bits and pieces or not.

 

  I stood for approximately an hour or so, according to Trenton's watch which I still needed to return to him. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, and I shut my eyes, feeling the warm of its first morning rays on my skin.

 

When I opened my eyes, I did not see the sun anymore. I saw a wall. A gray wall right in front of me. I threw my head up, noticing a single bulb hanging from the ceiling and illuminating the center of the room where I was standing. As I looked to my side, there was another gray wall. Then another to my left, the only difference being a door in the middle of it. I turned around to see behind me, but was abruptly halted by a sharp pain in my wrists and ankles. I looked down, seeing that I was no longer standing but sitting in a straight backed chair bound with wire that wrapped painfulling aound my body like a spring.

 

 I gasped as I struggled against my restraints, the metal biting into my skin. My flames roared to attention at the pain, and I began to sweat.

 

 "Ah, ah, ah." A male voice chided from somewhere in the room. I froze, my flames beginning to heat up my whole body.

 

 "Not yet. Soon, very soon you may release your power. But not yet." He repeated in a cool, collected voice.

 

 I gritted my teeth, the pain in my ankles and wrists along with the build up of fire inside of me creating a very uncomfortable sensation. It felt as if my limbs were too molten hot to be attached to my body anymore. I swore, my skin was about to start peeling off.

 

  "Who are you and why the hell am I here?" I shouted angrily at the disembodied voice. A ghostly chuckle followed.

 

 "My my, you seem to have a bit of an attitude don't you?" 

 

A sudden blinding stab of pain shot through my head, zinging all the way down to my fingertips. It engulfed my entire body, and was even hotter than the flames brewing inside of me. I let out a strangled scream.

 

  "We're just going to have to fix that, won't we?" Pale hands clamped down on my scalding arms, and I could see a body come into focus. A tall, slender man wearing a black suit stood before me. His face was still sheathed in darkness, but his voice was loud and clear, ringing sharply in my ears.

 

 "I do so look forward to seeing you in person Miss Nobel, but until then." One of those pale hands wrapped around my eyes, making everything go black. I let out another scream of terror and shock at his cold skin pressed against mine.

 

 "We'll meet again soon, Sirenia. Very, very soon." He purred from out of the darkness. Then it was all over.

 

Chapter Eight: Dreams in Reality

With a gasp and a yelp, I started awake, throwing my head back in surprise. I went to stand, but ended up slamming my head into one of the door handles behind me. I groaned in frustration at forgetting where I was, and at the dull throbbing pain now blossoming in my skull. I reached back with my hand, sighing in relief when there was no blood on my fingers. The last thing we needed was for my blood to attract any Deadeyes.

 

Straightening up, I noticed that the sky was still dully glowing orange with the rising sun. As I looked at Trenton's watch, I was glad to see I had only dozed off for about fifteen minutes. I rubbed my eyes, keeping my hand there for a few seconds longer. How stupid, how completely and utterly stupid and reckless. I had fallen asleep on watch, not only leaving myself a sitting duck but jeopardizing the group as a whole as well.

 

 Trenton had entrusted me to do this, I had even asked for it, and if he could see me now, I had a feeling he wouldn't be too happy. I was embarrassed enough just imagining it. Shaking the last of the sleep out of me, I stood at the ready once again when Luke's shout made me jump.

 

 "Alright, it's time to switch shifts!"

 

 Already? It hadn't even been that long since I began watch, and it was over after only a few minutes?

 

 Despite my confusion, I made my way to the entrance where Luke and Manny were waiting for me before going inside. Three new kids I didn't recognize exited the building to take our places. Trenton was waiting for us at the entrance, and he exchanged a quick hello with Luke and Manny before letting them pass. He waited until they were up the stairs before coming to walk by my side.

 

 "So, how was your first night on watch?" Trenton asked, seeming all too curious as we began to ascend the first flight of stairs.

 

 I narrowed my eyes at him but answered. "Fine."

 

 "Nothing too interesting happened? No Zoners?" He asked again, and I grimaced at the questions.

 

 "No." I couldn't exactly answer seriously, considering I was asleep for a good part of my shift, so my voice came out a bit quieter than I had wanted.

 

 "So you were relaxed?" Trenton persisted further. I stopped in my tracks at that question.

 

  He eyed me with that same innocent curiosity in his big blue eyes that he always seemed to have, and my eyes only narrowed further in suspicion.

 

  "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I snapped, irritated.

 

 Trenton blinked in mock surprise, his light eyebrows raising. "Excuse me?"

 

 "I was relaxed? What the hell is that supposed to mean, Trenton?" I asked again, just as heatedly, and I felt my fire begin to tingle in my fingertips. I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails dug into my palms, but at least it kept the flames away.

 

 He shrugged, seeming indifferent to my frustration. "Nothing. I was just asking if you were comfortable standing watch, because I don't think it's the right job for you." I scowled at his assumption, offended and surprised. Trenton paused, and as he assessed my tense posture, his expression softened to one of concern.

 

 "Are you alright, Siren?" He asked, reaching out to place his hand on my bare shoulder. I didn't jerk away this time, and at his soft touch, a warmth flooded my stomach that was completely unlike my fire, which buzzed in harmony along with this newfound heat.

 

 My eyes widened in shock at him, and he cocked his head to the side curiously.

 

 "You're so warm." He murmured in near astonishment. I just stared at him, into his deep blue eyes that held compassion and warmth and love for all those around him. He loved this group, they were his family and they meant everything to him. But what was I? I was just a girl he had pulled off the street.

 

  "I've never met anyone like you before, Siren. You're so bright. Everything about you, your voice, your smile, your hair", Trenton's hand traveled up my neck, to my ear, until his fingers gently caressed a lock of my red hair.

 

I stiffened, feeling his hand in my hair, the warmth radiating from him causing the heat inside of me to burn even brighter, but in a wonderful foreign way. I swallowed, feeling my cheeks flush too.

 

 "Your eyes . . ." His voice had dropped to barely a whisper as he locked gazes with me. His eyes were so blue, I didn't have anything to compare them to. There was nothing in this world that could compare; such a pure, beautiful color, and so bright. I didn't know what he was talking about; he was the one with the brightness, not me.

 

  Trenton's gaze shifted down to my face, and I could feel him staring at my lips. Oh god, was he going to kiss me? I had never been kissed by a boy, before.

 

 I had never overanalyzed my sexual preference, I didn't need to until now. I had just been with Terese and that was that, I hadn't wondered if I was gay or bi or any of those fancy terms or labels. But now, feeling Trenton's heat that made mine pulse in response, and as I watched his tongue trail over his own upper lip, I could say for certain that I was definitely not a lesbian.

 

 "Such a beautiful light in a world consumed by darkness." He whispered, leaning forward to close the distance between us.

 

 Just as I was about to shut my eyes, allow his lips to touch mine, my fire flared abruptly to life; a warning, and my eyes flew open. I shoved Trenton backward, whirling around and scanning the room for any sign that we were not alone. I had felt this before; when an immenent threat was near. All I could see was the broken waiting room of the second floor faintly lit by the sunrise, no one else was in sight.

 

  "Siren?" I spun back around, seeing Trenton's surprised and hurt expression at my sudden rejection. My face screwed up in guilt and well . . . regret. I had wanted to kiss him but . . . something just wasn't right.

 

 "I-I have to go." I stammered, but didn't budge from where I stood. I wasn't sure where to go, whether it be up the next flight of stairs or down the one we had just come up.

 

  "What? No, please don't go." Trenton stepped forward, his hands outstretched and pleading. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have crossed that line. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable. Don't leave, please. Don't let something as stupid as my dumbass drive you out of here."

 

 To his credit, Trenton looked truly upset. His blue eyes were shining and as he ran a hand through his hair, his embarrassed expression betrayed some of his own anger at himself.

 

Did I really want to leave because he had tried to kiss me? Or was it because my fire was still simmering oddly right below the surface, as if to say do not trust him? I pursed my lips, not really sure myself anymore.

 

 "I don't know. It might just be time for me to leave. I don't usually stick around one place for too long." And maybe your place just isn't the right one for me. Maybe none is . . .

 

 I didn't add that last part of course, my own unsure feelings about this wouldn't help Trenton's at all. The hurt didn't leave his expression with what I had said, but his eyes did widen slightly.

 

 Trenton seemed to fumble for something to say for a moment, torn between asking me to stay or probably telling me to do what I wanted. He was all for people having their own free wills, but also sticking to commitments it seemed. Finally, he sighed, his inner battle apparently decided.

 

 "At least get some rest and change out of your clothes first. Later, you can have some breakfast and think about it more, okay?" Trenton asked, and by the look on his face, I could tell he was expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

 

 At his mention of clothes, I glanced down at myself and realized he was right, I was still wearing the same thing I had on when I got here yesterday. I had been given a fresh outfit the night I arrived, but didn't get a chance to change before the attack happened. I figured I might as well take him up on his offer, however my fire continued to burn with a silent warning. I would need to pay attention to this, most likely my instincts would save my life-it wouldn't be the first time.

 

 Looking at Trenton now, I saw no immediate threat coming from the boy who had tried to kiss me, and I had almost let him . . . he seemed so innocent and sweet, but my flames claimed otherwise. Maybe there was something more sinister than just compassion lurking in the depths of those big blue eyes.

 

                *             *             *

 

 Trenton led me to my own room, with a rickety but still intact hospital bed set up against the west wall. My new clothes were at the foot of the bed along with a small black leather shoulder bag I didn't recognize. I scowled at it and glanced at him in confusion. He shrugged.

 

 "A gift from Billy I think. He fashions satchels and bags when he has the material, but we usually sell them to anyone interested." He explained. I opened my mouth to protest but Trenton stopped me.

 

 "It's a thank you. We've never had someone save us before." He said softly.

 

 Anything that I was about to say disappeared as I felt my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. No one was ever this grateful for something I had done before. What I did was more of a fluke than anything else, I hadn't even thought before acting out. I'd chalk it up to pure, dumb luck if I was being completely honest.

 

 "Well um, thanks." I said. I just stood there awkwardly until Trenton sighed, turned away and left.

 

 I wasn't sure if he was expecting me to say something about earlier or not, but obviously I didn't say what he had been hoping for.

 

 I took a deep breath and sat down at the edge of my bed, taking the leather bag and opening it up. Inside was an extra clip of ammo for my gun, some granola and bottle of water. Briefly, I wondered if this was their way of telling me to leave, and a sting of hurt followed that assumption as I placed the bag back down. My rational side assured me that Trenton had probably packed this in case of my leaving, and that it was most likely just another innocent gift.

 

 However, a small part of me hoped that I was right, while another part wanted it to be wrong. If they were essentially kicking me out, then that would be easier than having to leave.

 

Did I want to leave? These were the first people who accepted me without question since the death of my family. Was that something I was willing to just throw away because I had almost been kissed by a boy I liked?

 

 If I was honest with myself, I wasn't mad because Trenton had tried to kiss me. I wasn't really mad at all, I was just on guard. Something, for some reason, had alerted me that there was a threat, and the only person around me at the time was Trenton. I had to place the blame somewhere.

 

 But why? Why now was Trenton suddenly being presented as a threat? I thought, for the first time in years, I could actually trust someone that wasn't my family.

 

This wasn't something that I particularly wanted to obsess over. So, with those thoughts shoved primarily to the back of my mind, I changed into one of my new sets of clothes, a well fitted black shirt and black jeans. I had only gotten a few minutes of sleep in which I had that beyond strange dream, and I decided to settle down for a nap.

 

I could barely remember the details of what had happened during that bizarre nap during watch. I couldn't remember the last time I had had a dream, especially one so visceral, but I knew simply that dreams meant nothing. Dreams were just that: dreams. I shut my eyes, hoping I wouldn't have another anytime soon.

Chapter Nine: Blank Space

Nothing plagued my sleep this time, and I was able to actually relax. My only complaint was that I couldn't rest for long enough. Mary came walking loudly into my room after a couple of hours, telling me that it was time for lunch, even though I had already missed breakfast. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and followed her into a waiting room turned gathering/kitchen area. Checking Trenton's watch once again, I realized I'd barely managed two hours of sleep before I was shoved back into reality. And reality stared right at me as he was getting his food. 

 

 It was awkward enough refusing a kiss, but threatening to leave and then standing near Trenton in line to get food was just horrible. I wasn't expecting him to say anything or even acknowledge me, so when he turned in my direction and nodded in acknowledgment, my brow furrowed with surprise.

 

 "Morning Siren, sleep well?" He asked politely.

 

 I shrugged. "As well as I possibly could."

 

 Trenton nodded again, in understanding this time, before moving along the line and scooping oatmeal into his bowl.

 

I followed him, going to sit in one of the moldy waiting room chairs. Trenton took a seat right next to me. I lifted up my spoon and was about to take a bite, when a loud monotone groan sounded from outside the window. I stood up quickly, making my way to one of the cracked windows where the sound had come from, looking out. A Deadeye staggered across the landscape, almost as if it were drunk. For a moment I wondered what might be wrong with the thing, but either way, it was still moving and moving towards us.

 

 I felt the reassuring burn of fire in my palms, and the press of my blade against my thigh. I went back to Trenton, who was standing alert and at the ready. I shook my head. 

 

 "Just one. If we're quiet it should pass us." I informed, and he slowly sat back down.

 

"I’m going to have to check on the guards then, see if they've taken any more out besides that one. The count has been steadily rising since we arrived." Trenton murmured, almost as if he was talking to himself. I listened nonetheless.

 

 "I think they know we're here, Siren. They know and they're rounding up others to come here. Something about them is changing." He said in an eerie whisper like he couldn't really believe what he was saying.

 

 "That's ridiculous. They're dead. They can't think or feel. You and I both know that." I insisted, but there was something bleak in Trenton's usually bright blue eyes that made me pause and consider.

 

 They had been traveling in herds more, and I've noticed excessively violent behavior of Half Deads over the past few days. Could they possibly be changing-evolving in order to survive longer in this world where they rule? No, it was impossible. Then again there was a time when I would've said that the dead rising up was impossible too, and now look where we are.

 

 "It can't be. The Plague has been going on for years, they would've changed by now if they were going to at all." I rambled on, more for my own benefit than anyone else's. Trenton just shrugged, his eyes fixed unseeingly at the rotting coffee table.

 

 "Sometimes I wonder, are there places that aren't affected? That are still living normally, despite what's going on here?" He mused. "Like China or England, maybe they're safe. Funny word. 'Safe'. When is the last time you truly felt safe Siren?" He asked me, looking up. His face looked gaunt as if he had been losing weight and I hadn't noticed. His expression altogether was just haunted and empty. I swallowed, feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

 

 "I don't know." I said bluntly, standing up. "I really don't know."

 

 I left Trenton to ponder in his dark thoughts, but was stopped when I rounded the corner and ran right into him. I fell backward, staring shocked at his glassy eyes and unmoving lips.

 

"How did you-" I began, but was cut off when he clapped his hand to my mouth and held it there.

 

 "It's time to go Siren." He said in a completely monotone voice, and grabbed my arm. 

 

 

Chapter Ten: Fresh Meat

My fire roared in outrage and for once I didn't care who saw me. I clamped my hand around Trenton's arm and let my flames out. They gladly shot from my palms and fingertips, burning his skin a bright red that quickly began turning black. He howled in pain, releasing me almost instantaneously and clutching his arm to his chest. I took that as my opportunity to run.

 

 I wasn't sure if he had lost his mind, or just couldn't take all of the responsibilities of the group resting on his shoulders anymore. Either way, I wasn't going to stick around and be a part of it. I took the stairs two at a time, not bothering to look behind me to see if he was following or not.

 

 When I got to the entrance of the hospital a shriek from a Half Dead brought me to a halt. It was crouched over the body of who I could recognize was Manny, who's stomach was torn to shreds and blood spattered everywhere. The creature had Manny's blood literally dripping off of it, from its hands, chest, and mouth. It currently had a mouthful of flesh, an intestine locked between its teeth and dangling to the boy's ruined stomach. It's eyes were glued to my face, milky white and hungry for more.

 

 My small breakfast rolled up into my throat and I tasted bile. I had never seen a Half Dead feeding off of a person like this before, and it was something horrific. It had already noticed me, which meant that I would either have to run or kill it. I had already hesitated too long, and even though I hadn't heard footsteps behind me, I had no idea where Trenton was hiding and waiting to strike out at me again.

 

 The Half Dead, who's body had rotted away to such an extent that you could barely tell if it was a man or a woman in its life, stood with a hunch and began shuffling towards me, dropping everything it had been eating for the promise of fresh meat. 

 

"Siren!" I spun around. Trenton had rounded the second flight of stairs and was now at the top of the first. I was stuck between a maniac and the undead. Fuck.

 

 Either one could mean death, but I chose the more obvious and the one that had an escape route. I barreled forward with my knife out, plunging it into the skull of the corpse. It gnashed its bloody jaws inches away from my face before it went limp. I dropped the body to the ground after pulling my knife out, which came back stained with blackish red blood. I grimaced at the ripe odor that pulsed from the body and its blood, but ignored it as I made a break for the door.

 

 "Siren no!" Trenton shouted after me.

 

I wasn't sure why he was yelling at me, but I realized it must've been a warning when I ran right into someone's arms. I was jerked violently away from the hospital. I kicked, being lifted off the ground and hitting nothing but air. I twisted and squirmed, trying to get a look at my captor. I worried it was someone from the group, and they were all in on Trenton's madness. I didn't want to have to hurt anyone, I was already reeling and feeling horrible about having to hurt Trenton.

 

 But a cold, bony hand reached over and covered my eyes, the other going to my mouth so that I could not scream. The feeling of icy skin against my burning hot was all too familiar, and my heart plummeted when a delighted voice murmured in my ear, sounding like a snake hissing at its prey.

 

 "Ah dear Sirenia, it's so wonderful to see you again."

 

 

Chapter Eleven: Cornered

When I opened my eyes I saw nothing but darkness. It was as if I hadn't opened my eyes at all. My neck was aching. I grimaced, feeling my head throb and sharp pains at my wrists and ankles. When I looked down the darkness was so thick  that I couldn't even see my own body. From what I could hear, there was no one else in the room with me, just a leaky pipe creating a faint tap tap tap.

 

 My vision was awful. Whenever I blinked my head would pound. I went to reach up and rub my eyes, and felt cold, sharp metal bite into my wrist. I sucked in a surprised breath, as a rush of recognition flooded over me. A boxy concrete room, a single bulb swinging from the ceiling, one single wooden door to the left. It was all so familiar, because I had been here before. In a dream.

 

 The door that I had known was there swung open, then was caught before it could bang against the wall. It was closed, and even though I could not hear it I knew that I was no longer alone in the room.

 

 It was deadly quiet. The dripping pipe had stopped, and the only sound was my own frantic breathing. Was this man going to kill me? Was he going to torture me? Or worse? I had no clue what this creature was capable of, kidnapping, obviously. But if he possessed any of the same qualities he had had in my dream then I knew I was fucked. My flames were hiding somewhere unbeknownst to me and I could barely get a spark to come out of my fingertips. 

 

I attempted to focus my energy, to get something, anything. But I barely felt any heat. A chuckle came from deep in the black of the room. I stiffened, feeling my fire dissipate even more in fear.

 

 "No point in that, my dear. This room we are in is charmed, has been for centuries. So, I suggest you don't waste your energy." The creature bellowed cheerfully from the darkness.

 

 "Who are you and what do want from me?" I asked, pulling against the binds on my wrist.

 

 A bony white hand reached out from the dark and closed around my forehead, pushing me back in the chair with a hard shove. I gasped, my eyes widening and terror overshadowing the need to escape.

 

"I mean you no harm. Please, do not struggle. I hate to waste my power on calming you down when I already have you restrained. Besides, that would only damage you further. And from the recent betrayal of your friend Trenton Albany, I feel as if you've suffered enough. For now." The ending promise in his sentence hung in the air, and I had the chilling feeling that he would definitely carry out that promise. I swallowed. But . . . how did he know about Trenton? How did he know Trenton's last name, when I didn't even know it? No one had seemed to . . .

 

  "Who are you?" I repeated, feeling once again as if I was back in my dream from just a little while ago.

 

 Absolutely no sound came as a response, and I felt my whole body go cold. Where the hell was my fire? And what did the man mean that the room was "charmed"? What could he possibly want with me, a girl that's been wandering the streets alone for years until very recently? None of it made any sense at all.

 

 I didn't know that there were still people in this apocalyptic world that committed crimes such as kidnapping. Honestly, I was an eighteen year old girl if I was keeping track of the days right. So I wasn't some kid so to speak, but this was still illegal. Or at least, it had been back when we still had a government and police force to make sure people followed the rules.

 

 I was going on about nothing and I knew it. What I should've been focusing on was the situation at hand. If I struggled though . . . what would he do to me? Would it be like in the dream, where I experienced immense pain without him even touching me?

 

 There was only one way to find out and I wasn't all that curious, but I had to get out of here.

 

 "Tsk tsk Sirenia, I thought you to be more creative than this. I was really expecting some sort of game or struggle. Instead you're calm and compliant? Pity, has that wandering group of slobs changed you? Changed who you are?" The man mused. I couldn't even tell where he was in the room, his voice seemed to flood the whole tiny space.

 

 "Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked. Honestly, I had no idea why he was referring to me as "Sirenia".

 

 There was a brief pause before the man spoke again, actually answering one of my questions for once.

 

 "Why, it's your name of course. Sirenia Katrine Nobel. Quite odd, but apparently no one could convince your parents otherwise. An extraordinary girl deserves an extraordinary name, and they definitely gave it to you."

 

 My throat closed up at the mention of my parents. Even though it had been years, the subject was still tender, that and Cassandra.

 

 "Ah yes", the voice suddenly chimed in, and I was finally able to pinpoint it to be coming from my left.

 

 "You dear child sister, Cassandra Leigh Nobel. Poor, poor girl. Such a shame that she was taken by those things. She would've made a great subject to study, seeming as she didn't receive any of the talents you possess. Ah well, as much as a waste as her life was, I’m just delighted that you are here. You are my main concern at the moment."

 

 My flames blazed in anger at his words, thankfully making their long awaited appearance. My wrists burned against the wire, as my fire pulsed and radiated off of me in burning hot waves. I felt the metal began to sizzle and melt against the heat of my blaze, and a disappointed sigh came from the man in the dark.

 

 "Now, now, I thought I told you",  the light in the room suddenly blazed to life, revealing . . . Absolutely nothing.

 

 There was no one else in the room with me. I was in the middle of the floor tied down to the chair just like in the dream. The wooden door was as expected to my left, and the single light bulb shone above my head. Before I knew what was happening, my hair was tugged on my right, and I yelped in surprise. Cold breath brushed against my cheek, then my ear as he spoke.

 

 "Calm your fire, or I shall snuff it out." His words were enough to quiet my blaze to mere embers, until I felt utterly chilled to the bone. Son of a bitch.

 

 The feeling of icy breath that had moved to my neck vanished, and before me materialized a tall man in a black suit and tie. He was very thin, looking as if he had been stretched out. If he would've reached up, his hand would be flat against the concrete ceiling. His skin was as white as porcelain, and as my eyes traveled up I saw he had a curved mouth, the color of blood, and black eyes. There was literally no color, just the whites and black instead of irises. His hair was as black as his eyes, and when he smiled, his teeth matched his skin. 

 

"Who are you?" I asked again for the third time. I had something this man wanted, but I needed to know who he was and what it was before I was about to fight for it.

 

 "I have many names. Honestly, I cannot give you a specific answer. Commonly, I am known as Felix. But please, refer to me what you will." A slight smile formed on his long face, but it looked more like a sneer than anything else.

 

 "Why have you  brought and imprisoned me here?"

 

 He snorted, in amusement or annoyance I wasn't sure. I was hoping it wasn't the latter though.

 

 "You are safer here than you ever were with that group of yours that you had been traveling with. Isabella Martis knows nothing about leadership. Before the outbreak she was a housewife, and a maid in her off hours, so please do not try to entertain me with her so called 'strength' and 'power'. I knew Isabella before the world was destroyed, and a leader she is not. It was only a matter of time before she got those people killed, and I plucked you away just in time. I observed that one of the members seemed to be out for your blood, is that not true?" He asked in almost a friendly, inquisitive way. As if he was a friend addressing an issue another friend was having with one of their rivals.

 

 I turned away from Felix's cruelly curious face, feeling the stab of hurt and anger at Trenton burning in replacement of my fire. Felix made a disappointed sound.

 

 "Oh Sirenia, you care too much. You would fall to your knees and weep if you could at the knowledge that your lover, Terese, has been eaten, would you not?"

 

 I nearly chocked on a gasp that had almost escaped. I held it back, barely.

 

 "Yes, yes you would. If only-"

 

 "How do you know my full name?" I cut him off, tired of listening to his bullshit ramblings. He blinked, momentarily surprised. I took satisfaction in that.

 

 "I know everyone's name, Sirenia. Yours, your family's, the boy who loves you but is too afraid to admit it." Felix's sneer widened into a full out grin, one that seemed to glow with the whiteness of his teeth.

 

 My eyes widened in shock. Who in the fuck- Never. No one besides my family had ever loved me.

 

 "That's where you're wrong. As coldhearted as that lesbian had been, Terese Wong had loved you in her own way. When you left her, the effects weren't outwardly shown. You should know as well as I that Terese was not one to express her emotions. Especially to those who could hurt her." Each one of Felix's words stung as if he was physically slapping me across the face. The worst part was, he didn't stop. 

 

 "And then there's the poor boy that you were travelling with. Trenton Albany, am I correct? Yes, if it makes you feel any better sweetheart, he was bewitched when he attacked you. The person who had gone running after you however? That was in fact him. He had been captured and altered so that for a short period of time, his mission was to bring you to a certain location so that Cal could acquire you for himself." Felix sneered, obviously disgusted at the mention of this Cal person.

 

 "He had completely underestimated the strength of the boy, and how easily he was able to break their enchantment. I do see some potential in Trenton. If I ever come in contact with him, perhaps we will have a little chat. It could be very promising."

 

 I ignored the last few parts of what Felix had said. I was too focused on what he had mentioned before. Trenton was, bewitched? That was why he had gone after me in the hospital? It made absolutely no sense, but when did anything make sense anymore? Here I was, able to shoot fire out of my hands (not at the moment because my flames were currently MIA once again) and I was questioning someone hypnotizing Trenton? I had seen and heard of freakier things, such as oh I don't know, the dead walking around and eating the living.

 

 Felix calmly watched me chew over what he had said, his hands clasped behind his back and his expression open. I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to ask a question, or if he was just waiting for when I was ready to listen to more of his inquiries. Seemed to be the first option, because after a few more minutes of silence, I broke it.

 

 "None of what you've said explains exactly who you are, and what you want with me." I pointed out. He smiled again, as if he was proud of me for acknowledging the obvious.

 

 "You are most definitely correct. You see Sirenia", as he talked, he began to pace from the left wall to the right. Watching him do this unnerved me, but I had no other choice.

 

 "You are gifted. You possess the power of fire. I have heard of very little human beings owning this ability, and you are the only soul surviving one I have managed to track down prior to the apocalypse. In case you haven't realized, the human race is dying rapidly. Scientists have abandoned their work and who knows if there are any left in the world anymore? I am the closest thing there is to those imbecile college graduates who turned our world to shit. I'm trying to save what little of the population is left, before we are all wiped out."

 

 My heart had dropped as soon as he mentioned my fire. How did he know? And anyone with two eyes and the ability to process what they saw knew that the human race was diminished and in danger. No one looked for a cure anymore because they didn't know how many people were left and if it was really worth it. I myself didn't even know if it was worth it or not. I barely remembered how the world used to be, and while survival is the main priority in this world covered in the undead, many have grown used to it. It's sad, to think that we're used to coexisting with rotting corpses that hunger for our flesh, but that's just the way it is and how is has to be.

 

 Just a short while ago, I had believed that Half Deads were nearly harmless, although that didn't make me stupid. I had always treated them with caution. But now, my point of view has completely changed. 

 

 Felix abruptly stopped his pacing and turned to look right at me. God his eyes were dark. Dark and depthless, as dark as the world around us. Such a beautiful light in a world of dark . . .

 

 His burning black eyes locked on mine, keeping me in resolute silence and not budging an inch. "Sirenia, I need your help." 

Chapter Twelve: For Sport

"I don’t understand. You've brought me here to ask for my help?" I asked incredulously.

 

 Felix's mouth curved into that odd half smile, half sneer of amusement. I wasn't sure what was so funny.

 

 "Yes, it sounds a bit overdone. I would not have had to take you from your group and bind you if I thought you wouldn't try to escape otherwise, but I knew better. Besides, you cannot possibly tell me that if I would've approached you outside of that decrepit building that you would've agreed to go with some stranger? Certainly not. You are not stupid, you have more common sense than that. Mommy and Daddy taught you to think at least." He smirked after mentioning my parents.

 

 The way he talked about people gave the hint that he had known them, at some point or another. For him to disgrace someone or tarnish who they were, you would think he personally knew them to make such statements. Although what did I know? Felix was a very peculiar character to say the least. One with secrets probably too ungodly to even begin to uncover. And yet he was asking me for help . . . I had a bad feeling this would incorporate my fire.

 

 Felix nodded, pleased at something. "Indeed it does."

 

 I blinked. Wait . . . WHAT?

 

"How-how did you-"

 

 "I have powers you cannot even begin to imagine, Sirenia. In fact." Felix snapped his fingers, and in an instant the wires keeping me in place disappeared. I was left sitting in stunned silence.

 

 I reached down to rub my sore wrists, and felt nothing but smooth skin. The pain was gone. Vanished, just like the wires had.

 

 "I-I don't." I stuttered unintelligibly. I was shocked, I had never seen something like this before. Not when I was a little girl and went to the circus to see so called magic acts. This was something out of books long ago destroyed.

 

 "What-what are you?" I murmured, horrified.

 

 Felix shrugged, crouching to sit as a chair appeared right under him. My jaw dropped. It hadn't been there seconds ago. Then seeming to come out of thin air, there it was.

 

 "I'm as human as you are. Just a bit more advanced. There isn't really a name for what we can do. I'm not sure how we acquired what we are able to do either." He paused, watching me in quiet assessment.

 

 "You seem to think I have all the answers but Sirenia, I do not. I wish I did, then I would be able to put a stop to this horrid sickness once and for all. But unfortunately, I do not possess that ability. What I would give to be able to though . . ." Felix shook his head, brushing off his desires and running a hand through his inky hair.

 

 "No. The only information I have gathered about our abilities is that sometimes siblings of the gifted possess powers too. That's as much as I know. Again, it's a pity. If I knew everything, then I wouldn't be where I am now." He spread his arms wide to indicate the room surrounding us.

 

 "In a concrete box, talking to an eighteen year old wanderer, requesting her help. Believe me when I say this my dear, this was not my first choice. It was my only choice." Felix's expression had turned serious, and now he was looking at me as if seeing me in a new light.

 

 I shook my head. I was held here against my will, no way was I going to agree to do anything for this man. Felix sighed, shaking his head as well.

 

 "I implore you to reconsider. Please Sirenia, and I am not keen on begging. This is the only time I will be doing it especially for you." His tone was cold and barely shielding his suppressed anger.

 

 I was free in a sense, but I wasn't about to leap out of my chair and attack him. I knew for a fact that I would lose that fight. I had no other option but to comply . . . for now.

 

 Felix's snarling grin returned. He clapped his hands together enthusiastically and stood up.

 

 "A wise choice sweetie, very wise. I look forward to our next meeting. Sadly, this is when we must part ways. I will escort you back to the hospital if you wish. Although, after having a look around here you might reconsider leaving." The way he said it reminded me of a kid snickering: I know something you don't know.

 

 I stood once Felix was at the door and had it open. He held it for me, gesturing with his arm. "After you."

 

I didn't like the idea of him at my back, but seeing a way out I took it. Felix followed immediately behind me, shutting the door as he did. We had stepped into a long hallway with various doors matching the one behind us on each sides. To the right the hall ended with a solid wall, and to the left it went on a little farther until a staircase leading up cut it off.

 

 "Follow me." Felix went to the stairs, climbing them and not even bothering to see if I was following.

 

 The idea of making a run for it was more appealing than ever. The only problem was that I didn't know the layout of the building, and if Felix wasn't a liar, then he was leading me out anyway. I could just be making unnecessary trouble for myself.

 

 "Sirenia." His voice traveled all the way to the bottom of the stairs, making me jump. "I suggest you follow me. You'll get yourself lost in the maze that is this floor. It is up to you."

 

 I took no more than a few seconds before I went after Felix, stopping at the top of the stairs and staring at what was around me. Marble columns reaching the ceiling, a large wooden desk in one corner of the room, and a crystal chandelier hanging over our heads. It was beautiful, a step back in time, about six years ago.

 

 "Stunning isn't it?" Felix asked, looking around with an awed smile on his face. "I am very grateful they were able to salvage this building. They already had to tear down so many that had been damaged beyond repair. This one is my favorite."

 

 "What is it?" I asked, still staring at the intact glass and shining floors.

 

 "I believe it was a museum years ago. Now it serves as a meeting house. The people in town come here when the mayor calls for a  gathering."

 

 "Who's the mayor?" I wondered. He chuckled.

 

 "You are so full of questions. Like a child." He shook his head, starting forward. I scowled at him, catching up to his side. I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

 

 Exiting the building I stood in silence once again, my eyes glued to what was going on down below. People bustling on the streets, with children, even animals. Rolling hills touched the horizon where the sun was beginning to set. Houses and stores scattered the landscape, with roads cutting through here and there. I was seized with a sudden feeling of nostalgia. This place seemed so untouched, so much like the world before the Plague. It was beautiful . . . something I hadn't seen in years.

 

 "I know." Felix's voice chimed in through my dazed thoughts, bringing me sharply back to the cold of reality. "It shocks most people at first, but you get used to it. Adapt, to what you had known before-everything."

 

 He seemed to stumble over his words, and I looked up to see his black eyes tenderly watching everyone on the street. He looked out at the hills, and the sun glowed warmly on my face and his. In the daylight, he wasn't so pale.

 

 "How is it possible?" I asked. Felix sighed, nodding to go down the steps and beginning the decent. I hurried after him.

 

 "If you'll just follow me, I know a short way that will get you back to St. Mary's in no time." He said as we stumbled-well I stumbled, he more or less glided-down a hill that once we got to the bottom, revealed a huge concrete wall that stretched around the perimeter. It must've shielded the whole town. I gaped at it, not sure if what I was looking at was really there or not.

 

 Well that answered my question. I stared at Felix, as he looked right ahead and to a large steel door cut out in the wall.

 

 "We'll go part of the way by car. I don't want to alarm your group by revealing our vehicle." He said, walking up to a man and exchanging a few words. The person ran off somewhere behind us once their discussion was finished. I turned around only to watch him run a few more feet before turning a corner.

 

 "Luis will get us a car. In the meantime, you seem a bit surprised at our impressive wall." Felix said, acknowledging the large structure. I laughed dryly.

 

 "Who wouldn't be? It's not something you see every day."

 

 "You're most certainly right, Sirenia." The smile disappeared from his face. I sensed he was going to say something next, explain maybe. Luis rounded the corner though, bringing Felix up short.

 

 "I got the car ready." He said breathlessly.

 

 I was disappointed. Ah well. I hadn't even known this place existed a few hours ago, and now I was asking for info on it. Who's to say I was ever coming back here?

 

 "Oh you'll be back." Felix's condescending voice piped up once again.

 

 I glared at him. "Stop that."

 

 He blinked, surprised at my sharpness. "Stop what?"

 

 I rolled my eyes. "Answering my thoughts. I don't care if you're some all-powerful being or whatever. You don't need to use your powers on me."

 

 It was ridiculous enough that I had been kidnapped by this man, but to have him somehow knowing what I was thinking and responding was incredibly invasive. It was something that I completely didn't need. Felix shrugged, the hint of a smile on his face.

 

 "I do apologize. One gets so used to their abilities and using them that you forget sometimes." He said simply.

 

 Well that stumped me. I just stood there quietly with my fire humming dully in my fingertips while Felix smirked. He knew he had way more than one thing over me.

 

 Luis had vanished again and reappeared minutes later driving a clean black Sedan. He stopped it at Felix's side before getting out. He handed Felix the keys, nodding and heading up a medal ladder to the top of the wall. After Luis leaped onto the top I realized that It must've been pretty deep up there, considering I could no longer see him at all. Only a few seconds passed before the metal doors retracted to reveal a dead, flat landscape of yellow grass and broken buildings.

 

 "If you don't mind I'll drive." Felix said as he got in the driver's side.

 

 I was grateful as I climbed in the passenger. I didn't know shit about driving. I was twelve when the Plague hit. No driver's license and no car to drive anyway.

 

 Felix revved the engine and punched the gas pedal, propelling us forward. I was flattened against the seat and gasped, my flames suddenly released and beginning to melt the seat I clutched to.

 

 "Careful now Sirenia." Felix said over the roar of the car, casting a glance my way.

 

 "Watch the road!" I shrieked frantically. He chuckled but actually listened.

 

 "This is one of our last cars, I don't need you burning the front seat." He cautioned, smirking at the land in front of us.

 

 I pried my fingers away from the now gooey leather, wiping some of it off on my jeans and looking out the window. The car was kicking up a lot of dust because of how dry it was. It was coating the windows and I was sure the sides.

 

 "Luis is going to be pissed when I bring this hunk back." Felix sighed. "I sure as hell am not cleaning it."

 

 I laughed, watching how the more grime caked onto the surface the further we went out.

 

 There was still a lot going through my mind right now. Most of it was information Felix had provided me with. He wanted my help with something having to do with the Plague. What the hell could I possibly do? Fire only burned and destroyed, it didn't heal. If it did, then I would be of a lot more use. The fact was since it didn't do anything then there was no reason Felix needed me. Although there was another thing I was curious about.

 

 "How did you know where I was?" I asked, looking over at him. He wasn't surprised at my question. I had come to the conclusion that there was positively nothing that surprised this man.

 

 "Quite the contrary Sirenia, there are many things that surprise me. You just haven't brought any of them up yet. To answer your question, I had been tracking you for a while. I was just waiting for you to settle down somewhere so I could catch your attention."

 

 "Knocking me out and dragging my unconscious body to an unknown location was the best you could think of?" I asked sarcastically. He shot me a look that said he wasn't amused at all. Well you can't please everyone.

 

 "You were fleeing from Trenton Albany and the hospital was surrounded by the Dead. I worked with what I had." He said  plain and simple.

 

 "Wait. The hospital was surrounded?" I asked, my flames warming my palms.

 

 "Here" He suddenly stopped the car, in the middle of nowhere it appeared. Felix turned to me, dead serious when he spoke.

 

 "This is where I must leave you. The hospital is just a few minutes from here on foot. You still have your weapons, I haven't touched them. Judging by the looks of it there aren't any Dead around right now but I suggest you move fast." He instructed. I wasn't so dense though that I didn't noticed he had ignored my question. 

 

"Felix. The hospital. I asked you a goddamn question. Is the group alright? Did you see what happened?" I asked, my voice growing more frantic with every word I got out. He hesitated a second before shaking his head.

 

 "I did not. I'm sorry Sirenia, I don't know what state it's currently in." Felix said. He sounded sincere, and honestly I had nothing else to go on so even if he was lying I wouldn't know.

 

 I nodded, running through scenarios in my head. Everyone could be dead and I could be returning to a graveyard. Or they could be fine and waiting for me. Or they could be fine, I could return, they could all hate me based on whatever Trenton had told them when he was "charmed, and they would attack me. All of the above could or could not happen. I would just have to find out. I didn't even know what was going on with Trenton anymore.

 

 "Alright." I popped open the car door, about to swing my legs out when I had to ask Felix one more question.

 

 "You didn't hurt me at all when you had me captive. When I had the dream about you, you tortured me. Why didn't you this time? Why send the dream if you didn't intend on following through with it?"

 Felix scowled at me. Confused, he shook his head. "Sirenia I didn't send you any dreams. I possess the ability, yes, but rarely do I use it. I'm not very good."

 

 I swallowed, my heart sinking. If not for him, then who . . .

 

 "Perhaps it was Cal." He provided. He sounded like he was trying to give me some reassurance more than anything else. It wasn't helping.

 

 "Maybe." I said quietly. Still didn't know who this Cal person was. Frankly I wasn't sure if I wanted to either.

 

 I got out of the car and closed the door. Felix rolled down the passenger window, speaking through it. "Be careful now. When I see you again I do not want to be bringing back damaged goods."

 

 With a wink and a laugh, he made a large U-turn in the middle of nowhere before speeding off behind me, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

 

 I rolled my eyes. Crazy maniac-

 

 A scream from just east of where I stood stopped my thoughts in their tracks. I didn't think twice before spinning and running in that direction. I wasn't about to see someone else get killed, not today.

 

 I came upon a gruesome scene fairly quickly, and my flames coiled in preparation. There was a large crowd of Half Deads surrounding something in the middle of them. Some were snarling while others were shrieking in hunger. That explained the scream I had heard. There were probably a dozen of them, and I wasn't looking forward to finding out what they were gathered around.

 

 The probability of the thing they were fighting over being dead was very high. So, there was no harm in using my blaze against this crowd. 

 

 I ran forward with my knife in one hand and fire in the other. I threw flame after flame at the Half Deads. Many roared when the fire touched them, distracting them from their meal as flames spread rapidly over their bodies. Others that weren't so easily stopped and came after me anyway I simply took out with my knife. One quick jab to the head and they were down for the count. I quickly realized that there were more than I thought, and that there was something moving in their midst that was not dead.

 

 Looking closer I saw the blade of a knife or sword maybe slashing through the corpses on top of whoever it was. They were nearly buried under the dead surrounding us now, but they were nowhere near close to giving up.

 

 I turned my attention back to the Half Deads only inches away from me. Curved fingers acting like claws slashing at me. One with absolutely no teeth went for my throat while gnashing it's jaws. I moved as quickly as I could, stabbing, jabbing, slashing, doing all that was possible. Blood spurted from one that I cut and splattered all over me. I grimaced, shutting my mouth tight. Infection spread through bite, but I sure as hell didn’t want to get any of that blood in my mouth.

 

 The person confined underneath the Half Deads was finally able to get in a crouch position, and I caught a glimpse of wavy black hair and a low T-shirt showing pale chest. It was a guy, and he was fighting viciously. There weren't many left now, so I turned my back and finished off what was left in front of me.

 

 A grunt from behind and the sound of something wet being squished made me look back. The guy had straightened up completely now, and had used his boot to step on and splatter the head of a Half Dead at his feet. It had sounded like someone stepping on overly ripened fruit. It was disgusting seeing it, so I focused on the person himself.

 

 He was tall and lean. Covered in blackish blood, and his hair that was black as pitch hung in his face from all the fighting. When he looked up, his eyes were dark brown with a burst of green around his irises. He was pale judging by the exposed skin I could see not coated in blood and dirt. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a long blade in his hand, much longer than mine. He nodded at me, brushing his hair back.

 

 "Thanks for the hand. Much appreciated." He leaned down and snatched something up from the ground that he had apparently dropped. I barely saw a glimpse of it before he stuffed it in his bag, but from what I did see I could tell it was a gun.

 

 Dammit. A gun. It was only just dawning on me now that I had forgotten my gun back at the hospital. Who knows where it was now.

 

 "How did you get in such a position?" I asked, ignoring my unease. He didn't need to know that  a gun was not in my possession, let him wonder.

 

 "Wasn't in too bad of shape until they smelled the blood on me." He said. Upon closer examination, and I mean if you looked really close, you could see some red merged in with the black substance smeared all over him. "Had been hunting around these parts and caught a rabbit a few miles back. Carried it with me no more than ten minutes before the first round showed up, then more."

 

 He navigated his way around the bodies, some still burning from my fire and others so black they looked about ready to crumble to ash. Once he was out of the maze, he stood in front of me. I still clutched my knife in one hand, and my flames didn't hesitate to back me up. I noticed he had hilted his knife, but that didn't mean I was about to do the same.

 

 "Might I ask your name?" He said simply.

 

 I didn't answer right away. I didn't know him, I fought to help him, but only because I thought it might've been someone from my group. He was a total stranger to me. He nodded, his lips pursed after a few moments of silence from me.

 

 "I see. I don't blame you. If some random person covered in blood and found nearly dead under a pile of the living Dead came up to me,  I wouldn't be too keen on giving them my name either. But you did me a service today, and I thank you for that. I'm Dimitri." He said, holding out his hand in a surprisingly human gesture for me to shake.

 

 I couldn't remember the last time someone went to shake my hand. I ook it, feeling the strength of his grip. I wasn't accustomed to my supposed full name Felix had been calling me, so I gave Dimitri the name I was used to for the past six years.

 

 "Siren."

 

 He nodded. "If we were under different circumstances, I would say it was nice to meet you."

 

 I laughed, agreeing whole heartedly.

 

 "So where are you headed?" Dimitri asked, his hand now on his bag.

 

 Another roadblock that I wasn't sure how to approach.

 

 "Well I was looking for my people. I'm not sure if they're where I left them. We had a little problem before I went away. I’m hoping things are alright when I return. We were attacked." I informed in the most honest way I could.

 

 "If  you were attacked why did you leave them?" He challenged. I recoiled from what he had said in defense, even though I knew he was probably just being curious. Probably.

 

 "I didn't have a choice. Where are you headed to?" I rebuked.

 

 "I came from this settlement a few minutes away. I was out hunting as I said before when I got caught in my little situation. I'm usually not so callous and don't travel so far, but we needed meat." He provided. Hmm, probable. Still, I figured I'd go out on a limb and see his reaction for what I had to say next.

 

 "Do you come from the place with the big wall?" I came out and asked. He blinked, obviously taken off guard. I took that as a yes, barely hiding my satisfied smile.

 

 "You've been there before?"

 

 "Just left actually. I came with Felix. Not sure of his full name though." I said with a shrug. It didn't matter if I gave out Felix's name or not. He was a big boy and he could take care of himself. Not to mention his powers or whatever. Something dawned on Dimitri's face, and he seemed to look at me in a new light. Perhaps not a flattering one though, for his expression was stern if not a bit judgmental.

 

 "You're Sirenia? Felix mentioned you before. That explains the fire." He said, and we both looked down at the burned corpses. I laughed a bit, hoping to break the tension he had just formed.

 

 "Yeah. Sorry if that alarmed you, I thought you were dead." It sounded insensitive, but it was true. So much for breaking the tension.

 

 He waved a hand to dismiss it. "No problem. Where I come from in the Haven, we were taught to fight the dead like it was a sport. We learned how to survive quickly after the Plague hit. I'm sent out as someone who performs errands. I gather medicine and food whenever needed. Pregnant women on the inside need the meat and vegetables, so I went out."

 

 "It's some place you got." I said. I hoped I sounded emotionless, but it came out accusing instead.

 

 Dimitri's expression darkened for just a moment. He tried to conceal it by smiling, but it didn't touch his eyes. One thing though his teeth were as white as Felix's. Did everyone in the Haven have white teeth or something?

 

 "Yeah it's definitely something." The tone of his voice suggested that there was something deeper going on in the Haven other than just a civilization trying to thrive. He cleared his throat, readjusting his bag.

 

 "Well, if you want I'll help you look for your group. I do owe you a favor." He offered.

 

 Foolish to take a stranger along with you? Or foolish not to? Was the real question here. Dimitri seemed to have a decent amount of weapons with him. I was lacking a gun because I had been dumb enough not to bring it along with me when I fled the hospital. He was able to handle himself with a herd of Half Deads, and perhaps if he wasn't too tightlipped then he could give me some more info about this Haven place.

 

 "Okay." I agreed.

 

 

 

Chapter Thirteen: Not Necessarily

"How long have you been traveling with this group of yours?" Dimitri made conversation while we walked. I didn't mind, just hoped that he wouldn't ask me anything that would be too difficult to answer.

 

 "A few weeks. I was accustomed to travelling alone but complications arose." I said vaguely.

 

  He nodded and didn't ask for any more of an explanation. "Who's the leader? The Haven has contacts with all groups in the neighboring area. Perhaps we know them."

 

 I shook my head. "No. They're not from around here."

 

 Even though I wasn't sure what my status was regarding Isabella's group, I wasn't about to give her away. I knew better than that. Dimitri didn't push to know more, which I was thankful for. We had only been walking a few minutes before we came to the intersection of shopping malls, convenient stores, and the hospital.

 

 "It's there." I said, examining the area.

 

It didn't look too much different. Manny's body had been taken away from the entry. I wasn't sure if they had buried him, or if he had been eaten by something else. His blood was dried and caked on the pavement outside. There was no one posted outside as watch. Which worried me. Had they done that to take extra precaution prior to Manny's death? Or was the quiet calm a sign that they were in fact gone?

 

 I ran for the hospital, not even bothering to look and see if Dimitri was following or not. When I got inside and bounded up the stairs I did hear footsteps behind me.

 

 "I take it no one outside is a bad sign." Dimitri commented almost sarcastically. I could've spun around and punched him in the face right then for the snarky remark, but I didn't. I just kept moving up the first flight, then the second, until I was on the third floor.

 

 I was met with the barrel of a pistol pointed at my nose. I threw my hands up immediately, and Dimitri who rounded the stairs next to me stood still by my side.

 

 Nathan's sneering face was directed at Dimitri when he ordered. "Drop your weapons and put your hands up!"

 

 I wasn't sure if this went for the both of us. The idea of being weaponless with a gun pointed at your face wasn't too appealing to me, and I had a feeling Dimitri felt the same. He hadn't raised his hands or made any attempt to discard his weapons. He stood calm with his hands in his pockets and even leaned against the doorway of the stairwell.

 

 "With all due respect sir we have done you no harm and presented no threat. We didn't come here for trouble. In fact, is she not one of your own?" Dimitri said coolly.

 

 Nathan's gray eyes narrowed at what he had said, but other than that his expression didn't change. I realized with a shuddering of fear and wonder that he had not looked at me.

 

 "Don't know her. Don’t' try to pass her on us neither, she's your problem now." He said nastily.

 

 A punch of betrayal and sadness hit me in the gut. It wasn't unexpected of Nathan to do this. He had never taken a liking to me. He had even seemed to hate me at some point. I felt he considered me extra baggage for the group. But to completely refuse me when I returned? Just because it was unexpected didn't mean that it didn't sting.

 

 Dimitri didn't look at me in surprise or contradict what I had told him. His eyes stayed locked on Nathan's face, completely emotionless.

 

 "There must be some mistake then. Are you the only group here? Perhaps is there a leader that we could speak with?" As soon as he had finished his request, Trenton burst out of one of the rooms down the hall and came running towards us. 

 

 "Siren?" He asked in breathless dismay once he reached Nathan.

 

 Trenton was a complete mess. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were dirty and bloody, and he also clutched a gun in his hand. His blue eyes were dull, but lit up once he saw it was me. Then seconds later, they began to dim again.

 

 "You came back." He said as if he couldn't believe it.

 

 "Of course I did." I said. I hoped I sounded strong and steady, even though I could feel my knees about ready to buckle under me.

 

 "I wouldn't leave you like that." I whispered.

 

 Trenton's hard expression broke apart in a full blown smile and not caring that a gun was still pointed in my face and that he was stepping in the line of fire, he hugged me.

 

 He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. He pulled me to his chest, burying his face in my hair. I sighed, feeling my throat tighten as my eyes pricked with tears. No. I was not going to cry. Not for me, not for Trenton, not for anyone. The last time I had cried was when my sister died. I wasn't planning on crying again anytime soon.

 

 When Trenton pulled back but kept his hands on my shoulders his eyes were bright and watery. Oh god . . . he better not start crying.

 

 "I-I don't know what to say or where to start. Are you alright? Where were you? You have blood all over you. Who's", his gaze went from assessing me to Dimitri and instantly became accusing. He released me and got in front of the guy, the butt of his gun shoved in Dimitri's stomach.

 

 "Are you responsible for the state she's in?" Trenton growled in his face. He pressed the weapon deeper into Dimitri's gut, who simply watched him in stoic silence.

 

 "Trenton stop, he's done nothing!" I yelled in Dimitri's defense.

 

 "If you've hurt her I swear I'll kill you." Trenton threatened as he readied his finger on the trigger.

 

 "Stop!" I screamed.

 

 "If you don't all stop I'll blow your brains out!" Nathan shouted above all of us.

 

 Trenton paused, looking at me and seeming to fully assess the situation for the first time. Thankfully, he withdrew his weapon and stood there waiting for Nathan to do the same. Which he didn't.

 

 "I didn't approve of this bitch joining us in the first place and you knew that. I tried to convince you otherwise but you wouldn't listen. She's more trouble than she's worth, and I'm going to put an end to this once and for all." With his gun at the ready, Nathan pointed it right at my head.

 

 "Put your fucking weapon down!" Trenton shouted, inches away from Nathan's face. Nathan ignored him.

 

 "Nathan, if we could just calmly talk-" I began.

 

 "I'm through talking!" He shouted, cocking his weapon in a gesture for silence. It worked.

 

 "You won't leave us alone any other way. Trenton needs to get over you to begin with. Once he gets over your death, things will all be back to normal. " Nathan said calmly, and pulled the trigger.

 

 I heard Trenton yell in outrage. I didn't feel any pain. At first I wondered if his shot had hit me. Examining Nathan, his expression was wide eyed and shocked. Without warning, he fell face first onto the ground. I jumped back as he hit the cracked linoleum. Blood pooled from a wound in his back.

 

 I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Looking closer though I understood. Nathan's gun wasn't smoking. Examining the weapons from the rest of us, Dimitri's was.

 

 I gaped as did Trenton, at the new boy who had just killed one of our-well, who knows who Nathan was anymore.

 

 "You-"Trenton started but seemed at a loss for words.

 

 I wasn't sure what to say either. What could I say? I hadn't been this dumbfounded since . . . well yesterday I was guessing, when Felix brought me to the Haven.

 

 Dimitri holstered his gun and looked at the both of us. His eyes were void of all emotion, and he regarded our shock with the same calm as he had with speaking to Nathan.

 

 "He was going to kill her. I wasn't going to let him." He said simply.

 

 I wasn't sure whether to be grateful that I was still breathing, or angry and coming at Dimitri with my fire in outrage that he had killed Nathan. My flames were warming my palms, but not enough for harm. Truth be told, I just did not know what to do.

 

 Trenton on the other hand, did. 

 

He lunged at Dimitri, his gun pointed at Dimitri’s chest this time. Instead of calmly standing and watching as he had before, Dimitri reacted. He grabbed the neck of Trenton’s pistol, easily snatching it away from him. He tossed it behind his back and Trenton watched in horror as his weapon slid under a hospital cart too far away for him to reach.

 

I jumped in between the two boys, putting my hand on Trenton’s chest to keep him back. “Stop it!”

 

Clutching Trenton’s waist I pushed with all the strength I had to get him away from Dimitri. My blood was boiling in anger and from my flames aching to be released, especially in a situation like this.

 

 “You can’t be pissed at him for doing this.” I said to Trenton. He paused and stopped struggling, going still for a moment.

 

  “What?” He blanched in shock.

 

 I let go of him and held onto his hands, my eyes calm and reproaching. “You can’t tell me that it wasn’t running through your mind to shoot him before he could shoot me.”

 

It was like a curtain fell across Trenton’s face. His blue eyes went dark and his expression became defensive. He pulled his hands out of mine and began to back up down the hall.

 

“I would never have killed one of our own.” Trenton said gravely.

 

I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat. Was he really saying he would’ve let Nathan kill me in order to avoid killing Nathan? Not possible . . . 

 

“Trenton-“

 

“He was going to kill Siren without a doubt.” Dimitri chimed in.

 

He was no longer tense but even leaning once again against the frame of the staircase. He had his gun casually holstered and his knife tucked away. Dimitri hadn’t even touched his weapons to defend himself against Trenton?

 

“Excuse me?” Trenton asked, his eyebrows raised. Dimitri shrugged.

 

“Your buddy was going to kill her.” He jutted a thumb at me. “I wasn’t about to let that happen. I don’t know if you didn’t have the balls to do it or you really would’ve let him kill Siren, and I don’t really give a damn either way. The point is, she’s alive.” He said matter of fact.

 

I was grimacing in the realization and pain that Trenton would’ve let Nathan, the man who hated me from the start, live while I would lose my life. It wasn’t that I was a more important human being than Nathan had been, but I thought I was important enough to Trenton to save.

 

 “It doesn’t fucking matter.” I spat. Both boys looked at me, Dimitri waiting for what I was going to say next and Trenton with the same surprised yet uninterested look on his face.

 

“I came here to see if you were all still here and alive. Obviously you are very much alive and still here. So, I’d say it’s about time for me to leave.” I looked at Dimitri, who nodded in agreement.

 

I took about two steps before Trenton broke.

 

“Please Siren, don’t leave. We won’t be able to make it without you.” He begged, his eyes wide and fearful. I sneered.

 

“All I am to you is another body, another person to keep track of. I don’t want to create unnecessary baggage for you Trenton. Nathan was right from the beginning. I shouldn’t have come here.” What I had just said I knew would hurt him and regretted it even as the words came out of my mouth.

 

By the way his face crumbled in defeat it proved that I had succeeded. 

 

“Siren, please-“

 

 “Don’t waste your breath.” I spat, and followed Dimitri as he began to descend the staircase. 

 

 

Chapter Fourteen: Don't Let It Get To You

“Siren!” Isabella’s commanding voice travelling up the hallway stopped me in my tracks.

 

She was bounding up to us and stopped at Trenton’s side. She assessed Nathan’s body in her usually cool demeanor, but I could detect a bit of alarm in her brown eyes.

 

“What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Bitten?” Isabella’s stream of questions seemed to have trouble stopping once it got started.

 

 It seemed a little insensitive to ask if I’d just been bitten, but I was used to it. Trenton and Nathan had asked me the same thing before I was allowed near this group.

 

“I’m fine in a sense. There’s nothing to worry about.” I said rationally.

 

Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Are you leaving us?”

 

It was another question I wasn’t prepared for. Dimitri placed his hand on my shoulder, his greenish eyes encouraging me to speak. I shook off his touch, straightening my shoulders.

 

“Yes. It’s a choice I’ve made entirely on my own.” Not trueeeee my subconscious tittered in a sing song voice. I ignored it.

 

“Please just let me go.” I nearly begged. Isabella’s expression softened, and she reached out and unexpectedly took my hands in hers.

 

 “If you feel it’s your time to leave, then who am I to stop you?” She mused.

 

 “Isabella”, Trenton spoke up, scowling. “You can’t be serious.”

 

She looked at him, all calm cool and her natural born leader self and nodded.

 

“I’m completely serious. We took Siren in as one of her own. If it was Mary or Jess who wanted to leave, I wouldn’t stop them either. Just because we believe they belong here doesn’t mean we have a right to strip them of their free will. If she ever wants to come back, she is more than welcome.” Isabella squeezed my fingers, smiling tenderly at me.

 

“I have a feeling about you Siren. You’re going to do great things.” She said conspiratorially.

 

 “I know.” Dimitri piped up.

 

For some reason I found myself blushing at his comment, and surprised at Isabella’s. How would she know?

 

“Isabella”, Trenton panicked. He was looking from me to the leader in desperation, his faze finally rested on me, pleading. “Don’t do this Siren. Please.”

 

I extended my arms, gesturing to the empty space around me. “If I mean so little to you, what difference would my departure make?”

 

I didn’t wait to hear his answer or even look at his face. I just walked down the stairs, with Dimitri following behind.

 

*          *          *

 

“Where do you expect to go?” Dimitri asked not mere seconds after we had gotten out of the hospital.

 

Trenton hadn’t tried to come after me and I hadn’t expected Isabella to, considering she supported me. Knowing how Trenton really felt was like a fresh slap to the face. I seemed to be getting a lot of those lately.

 

I thought he had cared about me at some point as more than just another member of his group. That’s what I had thought. Obviously I was much farther away from reality than expected.

 

A few Half Deads were stumbling towards us about twenty feet away. For the time being we ignored them, but my fire was always front and center.

 

“I don’t know yet.” I admitted. Dimitri looked ahead, seemingly to notice I wasn’t in the mood for questions.

 

A few minutes of silent walking and Dimitri killing the Half Deads efficiently with his knife, I realized that I truly owed him my life.

 

“Thank you.” I said quietly. He gave me an odd look.

 

“For shooting Nathan. You saved my life.” I elaborated.

 

Dimitri shrugged, his strange eyes on the horizon. “I only did what your friend could not. It was anything a decent person would do.”

 

I took offense on Trenton’s behalf from Dimitri’s insults but then I stopped myself. What was the point? Why try to defend him when he didn’t give a damn about me? Instead, I agreed with Dimitri.

 

“True.”

 

We were going in the opposite direction of the old hospital and the Haven. I wasn’t sure where we were headed, or when Dimitri had decided he was going to stay by my side. Maybe it was my name that kept him around.

 

I was obviously known well as “Sirenia” in the Haven, word spread unknowingly by Felix. I could protect Dimitri-well I had to consider that. With a little trick Felix had done, I couldn’t even produce a spark. How could I count myself as being able to protect someone else when I couldn’t even protect myself?

 

My flames seared at my fingers, showing that they were very much there. I clenched my hands into fists to keep them at bay. I knew they were there now, but what had Felix done earlier that had basically extinguished them? If he could do it, then who’s to say someone else didn’t also know how?

 

“They’re gonna be okay you know.” Dimitri yanked me out of my train of thought. I blinked, looking at him in confusion.

 

“What?”

 

“Your friends. They’re gonna be okay.” He repeated exactly what I had thought he said.

 

I stopped walking, standing there in numb silence.

 

“How could you possibly know?” I whispered.

 

Dimitri stopped walking as well, turning and looking at me with solemn eyes that were a sparkling greenish amber. I could’ve sworn they were changing color.

 

“I just do.” He said gently, picking up his pace and leaving me in the dust.

 

I hurried to catch up to him, and once I was by his side again, I took a moment to assess our surroundings, pushing his mysterious comments to the back of my mind for now.

 

We were walking on the edge of a winding road around a scattering of shops and restaurants. It was a center just a few miles away from the one the hospital belonged to. I observed the buildings. Long shops but taking up no more than a few sidewalk squares in order to make room for the stores connected to each other on both sides.

 

Windows were cracked and broken, some baring signs saying HELL IS AMONG US or TAKE WHAT YOU NEED, IT WON’T HELP YOU ANYWAY. And various other warnings. Many of the storefronts were empty, their manikins stripped and displays torn apart. However, others were intact and seemingly untouched except for their shattered windows.  I stopped, Dimitri coming to a halt as well.

 

“What is it?” He inquired as he scanned the shops. “I doubt there’s anything here. Seems like these places were picked clean long ago.”

 

I shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to try.”

 

I knew from experience that some places held hidden treasures such as food and on the rare occasion, weapons people had left behind in their hurry to leave. Once when I was with Cassandra we had stopped at a gas station to scope things out and I found a mint condition rifle, fully loaded and ready for action underneath the counter. I didn't stop to think what happened to the owner for him to leave it behind.

 

No matter, ever since then I've learned to thoroughly check places out before disregarding them as empty. You never know.

 

Dimitri didn't argue. He followed me as we walked up to an old Mexican restaurant. The name of the place was too worn to see and the lettering had been ripped to shreds by the weather. I was hoping we would be able to find some canned goods or something in here. Usually restaurants were just barren nowadays, what with how long ago the Plague had hit. But like I said, sometimes you get lucky.

 

The door was partly ajar, so we were able to sneak a peek inside. It was dim, lit only by the few streaks of sunlight filtering in through the broken windows. Tables and chairs were turned over on their backs and sides. A small podium greeted the entrance, where a hostess would've stood. The place seemed to go back pretty far, with dusty booths and utensils strewn about. It looked like we weren't the only ones who had the idea of stopping here, and who knows when the last visitor had arrived.

 

"This place is a dump." Dimitri stated as we slipped inside.

 

I moved behind the podium and ducked under, only finding faded menus. I straightened up again to see Dimitri heading through one of the doors near a booth on the right wall. There was a low growl that came from the area, and just as I sprinted towards it, the door burst open and a wolf bolted out of the kitchen. Dimitri stood with his large knife in the doorway, an annoyed look on his face.

 

"That could've been dinner." He grumbled, sheathing his weapon.

 

I grimaced. He wasn't wrong.

 

Dimitri turned around and walked in the opposite direction I had come. I followed his lead into the kitchen. There were countertops and cabinets, a few stoves and large sinks. Cutlery was piled in a few of the basins and littered the cracked tile floor. Shattered plates and glass was also covering a few of the white tiles.

 

"Careful." I called in warning, stepping over the debris.

 

"Nothing back here." Dimitri called from somewhere in the area.

 

A few moments later he emerged from a large walk in freezer. "From what I can see the place was ransacked pretty recently. I'm surprised."

 

I scowled. "How can you tell?"

 

Dimitri moved aside with a condescending look on his face, like he was repeating something to an incompetent child. He gestured to the floor of the freezer.

 

"I have eyes." He said snidely.

 

Despite what I would've liked to do, I followed what he was looking at and saw a scuffle of muddy footprints overlapping each other.

 

"Damn." I muttered, coming closer.

 

The prints varied in sizes, looked like there could've been kids with these people. Another thing, it seemed like there were a lot of footprints.

 

"How many do you think there were?" I wondered out loud.

 

Dimitri shook his head. "Hard to tell. Maybe ten. This could be a variation of different people on separate days you know."

 

He was speaking logically and I understood completely. But the footprints just seemed so fresh . . . as if the people were stomping around just a few hours ago.

 

The click of a gun readying for fire sounded behind my head. I stiffened as my back straightened out, my flames registering hot and angry in my palms. Moving nothing but my eyes I looked at Dimitri,  who had his hands casually at his sides. He was standing very nonthreatening, but I knew the weapons he had tucked away.

 

"All your weapons in front of us, now." A commanding female voice ordered from behind us.

 

I swallowed, knowing full well that with a gun pointed to the back of my head and probably a lot more than just these two people behind us, if we didn't listen, we would be shot.

 

"I said give me your fucking weapons or I'll shoot." She threatened again, and very slowly I pulled my knife out of its sheath, reluctantly dropping it to the ground.

 

"Keep going. I know you have more." The woman demanded.

 

"I have no more." I snapped, but didn't dare move.

 

I wasn't sure how many people were behind us and if I would be able to take enough of them out with my fire before getting shot. I could act quickly, but too many numbers and it would be the end for me, and Dimitri. I had him to protect now too. I also really did not like using my fire against people. Half Deads weren't people anymore, but these were living and breathing human beings. Very different from a bunch of shrieking corpses.

 

Silently, Dimitri began emptying his artillery behind him. He carefully placed the guns on the ground but let the knifes clatter. When he was done, there was at least three guns on the ground and two knives.

 

"Very good." I woman said, and I felt the barrel of a pistol jab the back of my head. "Turn around."

 

Dimitri and I turned around in synchronization, facing a teenage girl a little shorter than me. She had strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes that were analyzing us with scrutiny. She wore dark blue jeans, a green shirt, and held a gun pointed at our faces. She was a lot younger than what I had originally thought by her voice. She looked to be only sixteen. There were two other people with her, one girl and one guy, both middle aged and pointing guns at us.

 

"Let me see your fucking hands." She ordered. We obeyed silently, showing her our hands palm up.

 

I had to resist clenching my fists. They were itching to release some of my fire. I held it at bay, knowing that it would only take one twitch of my finger for my flames to pour out. I hoped this girl knew what she was doing and wouldn't fire at us. I didn't like using my ability against humans, but with a loaded weapon at my nose, I wouldn't have any other choice.

 

"Where have you two come from and how did you get here?" The girl asked. 

 

"Different places because we are two different people. We have come from separate groups." Dimitri provided.

 

I was grateful he didn't give away the location of Isabella's group, even if Trenton didn't care if I was dead or not. When it boiled right down to it, it was Isabella's group and not Trenton's.

 

"I'm not going to ask you again. Where the fuck do you both come from?" She sneered at us.

 

I didn't look at Dimitri and he didn't look at me. Judging by the silence that followed, it seemed as if neither one of us was about to answer her question.

 

"So you're the strong willed typed eh?" The girl mocked, cocking her gun. "Well how's this for strong willed? If you don't answer me right now I will blow your brains out." She said, addressing me. I kept my expression blank, even though my temperature jumped up a notch. "And my friend here will blow your brains out." She stared at Dimitri, a nasty smile curling her chapped lips. 

 

"You might want to rethink that." Dimitri cautioned.

 

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, the smile on her face vanishing. "Who are you to tell me what the fuck to do?"

 

"Oh I'm no one." He turned and his gaze rested on me. A wicked smile spread across his face, and I caught my breath. What was he-

 

"Then I suggest you answer the fucking question. I don't think you two quite get it. I have no qualms about shooting a human. I've killed thousands of those corpses out there, and a human to me is no different. So you might want to rethink that smart mouth of yours."

 

The whole time she spoke, she stared right at Dimitri. His eyes were still on me, encouraging and waiting for me to do something. It took me a few moments before it sank in.

 

"Listen, we don't want to hurt you." I spoke to the girl.

 

Her eyes flashed to me in anger. "Did I say you could fucking speak?"

 

Seems like she was the one with the smart mouth, not Dimitri. I continued anyway.

 

"We came in here looking for anything we could get. We didn't know it was your territory." I explained calmly.

 

 She scowled at me, her eyes squinted as if she was trying to see me better. After a few seconds of staring, her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and she dropped her gun. It fired as it hit the ground, shooting one of her counterparts in the calf. They doubled over, gritting their teeth and sucking in a sharp breath.

 

"What the fuck Kimberly?!" The wounded person shouted.

 

"Oh god." Kimberly whispered, her eyes wide and glued to my face. I looked at Dimitri in confusion, who was grinning at me in appraisal.

 

"It's-it's her." She said, her hand going to her mouth. "Sirenia."

 

"That's right." Dimitri confirmed triumphantly.

 

The people who had arrived with Kimberly dashed for the exit, the one with a bullet in their leg limping. With a bloodcurdling scream, Kimberly followed after them, leaving her gun on the ground.

 

I was looking around in bewilderment, my hands still in the air. What had just happened?

 

Dimitri dropped his arms to his sides, the same winning smile on his face as he collected his weapons from the floor. He picked up mine as well, handing it to me.

 

"Nice work." He congratulated.

 

"I-I don't understand. Why did they run? And how did the leader know my name?" I asked, taking my knife and putting it back in its sheath.

 

A lot of surprises have been thrown my way these past two days, so you would think I wouldn't be too shocked if people ran from me screaming in terror. Still, it wasn't something that happened often.

 

"Word travels far Siren. You should know that." He said simply, grabbing the gun that Kimberly had dropped and securing it in a holster.

 

Chapter Fifteen: Destroyed

We ended up finding two bags packed with canned food left behind by Kimberly and her cronies. I still possessed Trenton's watch and I was debating what to do with it, but since it was getting late we decided we would break in to our new food supply.

 With a can of green beans for me and corn for Dimitri, we sat on the floor and ate with our hands. We didn't trust the utensils left behind in the restaurant. Really, who would?

 "I wonder how long Kimberly's group was holed up in here." I mused, spooning a bean out with two of my fingers and popping it in my mouth.

 Dimitri shrugged, his mouth full of corn. "All I can say is that they sure didn't have the place secured very well."

 He was right, we all but walked in like we owned the place. You would think if someone cared about their settlement, they would defend it.

 Dimitri finished off his food and chucked the empty can behind his shoulder. I was still working on mine, so I watched him unload his bag and begin to clean his guns. He checked the ammo first before continuing on. One gun was completely empty. He rolled his eyes.

 "Figures. The little girl was probably pissing her pants hoping we wouldn't call her bluff about shooting us." He said in irritation, loading Kimberly's gun with his own ammunition.

 "No wonder she ran screaming." I added.

 Dimitri chuckled. "True."

 I stood after finishing my beans and began to look the place over again, even though we had already done a once over. From the looks of it Kimberly and her people had only been there for a short time. The place was in complete disarray from others who had made it through here before. Considering the empty cabinets in the establishment, the food Dimitri and I now possessed from Kimberly must've come from their own stockpile from whatever camp they had come from.

 I walked around the sizable dining area, checking outside the broken windows for signs of life. There were a few Half Deads stumbling around, some wild dogs feeding on a long dead carcass of a human. Other than that there was nothing. The Dead outside obviously mustn't have realized we were in here yet, and I intended to keep it that way.

 The sun was setting. Dimitri and I hadn't talked about where to go after our little adventure with Trenton. We sort of just holed up here for the night. I knew this, the restaurant and the arrangement I had with Dimitri was nothing permanent.

 

 I wasn't even sure how we had joined together. I knew why. Felix had obviously told Dimitri about me, which made him willing to help me find my old group. When that plan fell to pieces, somehow we ended up walking out together and not parting ways. I wasn't sure where he was headed in particularly. We had gone in the opposite direction of the Haven, and unless he had some other place in mind, I was pretty much stumped.

 

I made my way to one of the registers where I ducked down, miraculously finding some candles hidden amongst the trash. Some of them had enough wax left to burn for a few days, and there were about five. I grinned. I hadn't seen candles like this in ages. They were dark red with black wicks, the body of the candle now reduced to stumps, but they had probably been beautiful enough once to place on a table some years ago.

 

Heading back into the kitchen I found Dimitri huddled on the floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs and his jaw taught.

 

"Are you cold?" I asked him.

 

It was November, the beginning of the cold months was just upon us. If Dimitri got sick, I wasn't sure what I'd be able to do to help him. I wasn't a nurse, I had only taken care of Cassandra for two years. I knew virtually nothing. The most I could do was create a campfire. Which at this point was probably a good idea, if it wouldn't burn the whole place down.

 

"I'll be fine." Dimitri responded, even though his teeth were still clenched. "Find anything useful?"

 

I showed him the small candle sticks. "They'll be good for some light."

 

He shook his head in disagreement. "Light, smell, sound, all attracts the Dead. Better not take any chances. It's best if you get rid of them. The less you need to carry the better, seeing as you don't have a bag."

 

I grimaced, tossing the candles to the ground. I hated it when I was wrong, but what I hated even more was when someone else was right about what I had been wrong about. Confusing? Well I'm a complex fucking individual.

 

I sat down in defeat across from Dimitri, holding my legs to my chest in the same fashion. It was pretty cold, cold enough that I wished I could set up a fire. My flames were present, but doing nothing to warm me up tonight. And a fire would only cause more trouble than anything else in an extremely flammable restaurant. I was practically useless again. That was the thing about fire. It didn't heal anything, and on rare occasions helped. It mostly destroyed.

 

Dimitri looked up at me, offering me a soft smile. My eyes widened slightly. When he smiled like that, all bone structure and straight teeth, he was pretty . . . good looking. A fuzzy feeling stirred somewhere deep in my belly. It was familiar, a lot like the feeling I got when I was near Trenton. But at the same time different. Trenton and Dimitri were like night and day, and right now, I was more than happy to be in the dark.

 

 

 

Chapter Sixteen: Spark

"Are you cold?" Dimitri asked me, a teasing glint in his eyes. Were they brown or were they green? I just couldn't decide.

 

Oh god. I had to stop myself. Was I really pondering what color Dimitri's eyes were? What the FUCK was wrong with me? I had gone from wondering about survival, to wondering about a boy's eyes. I needed some sort of medication that is no longer in existence.

 

"Come here", Dimitri unzipped his coat and began to slide closer to me until he was right by my side.

 

I gave him an odd look and he chuckled. "For body heat."

 

And then, he pulled me against his chest and into a cocoon of warmth, with his arms wrapped around my shoulders. I shivered against the new feeling, leaning against the welcome heat.

 

"Damn, you're really warm. Are you sure you're not burning up?" He asked, and then quickly shook his head. "I keep forgetting who I'm talking to. Sorry."

 

I looked down, embarrassed for probably the first time in a while. No one really knew who I was, except for the whole damn population of the Haven. Well, maybe I was exaggerating. Hopefully only Felix, this Cal guy, and Dimitri knew who I was, but that was if I was lucky. To have someone talk about it, even tease me about it like what he was doing, was something I was not used to.

 

"It's strange." Dimitri said, pulling my attention towards him and farther from my wayward thoughts.

 

"Being different from others. It's something to accept and even be proud of, and yet you wonder. What would it be like if you weren't different?"

 

I wasn't exactly sure where he was getting this or why he was saying it. How could he know how it felt? I answered him reflexively anyway.

 

"Dead. I'd be dead. What I can do has saved my ass more times than none. I'm more grateful than anything else that I'm able to do what I do, especially in the world that we live in."

 

Dimitri looked at me, his features sharp considering our close proximity. I could feel his hot breath on my cheek, and see very deeply into his golden brown eyes. I wish I knew what he was thinking right about now, because the look on his face was giving nothing away.

 

"Very true." He agreed darkly.

 

Before I could react, Dimitri assessed my eyes, then they wandered down to my lips. My heartbeat picked up as my palms became sweaty. Not hot from fire, but sweaty from nervous . . . excitement.

 

Dimitri bit his full lower lip slightly, and then leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on mine.

 

My eyes widened and I took a sharp intake of air. A jolt of pleasure spiked from my lips, and heat flushed my cheeks. My whole body stiffened as he kissed me, but he pulled away quite quickly.

 

"I'm sorry." He apologized immediately once he saw the shocked look on my face. "I didn't mean to do something you didn't want me to do. I mean-I'm really sorry Siren."

 

Dimitri went to move away from me, but I grabbed his shoulder to stop him. I shook my head, licking my lips where Dimitri's had just been. They throbbed deliciously from his touch.

 

"No, it's okay. I liked it." I whispered.

 

His eyebrows rose in registered surprise, and I couldn’t help being a little surprised at myself too. My first kiss from a guy . . . And it had not been from Trenton like I had expected or even hoped, but from a mysterious wanderer I had just met no more than twenty four hours ago.

 

"Well that's good." Dimitri smiled, and for a moment I thought that's all he was going to say. But then after a pause he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Because I liked it too."

 

Dimitri's voice sent shivers up my spine, the really, really good kind. And I smiled in return. 

Chapter Seventeen: What If

They say the first known case of the Plague started in Europe. Someone had been buried and the corpse began beating its way out of the coffin. After the thing had been taken out from the ground it was immediately examined. A corpse rising from the dead? Impossible. Only such preposterous cases had been discovered in Russia, and who knew if they were really telling the truth or not? After a few hours of poking and prodding, the Dead had finally had enough and attacked one of the scientists, feasting upon his flesh.

 

It had gone on from there. One after the other people fell like dominos, sick and infected by the bite of a friend, family member, or even a complete stranger infected with the Plague.

 

People had stopped searching for a cure years ago. I can remember when the first outbreak of the Plague hit in Frederick, my hometown in Maryland. I remember the rush to find a cure and to heal everyone infected, even though some were eating the living, scientists still had hope.

 

I was only six at the time so I didn't really understand what was going on. I figured I would just get some mass produced shot and be on my way. Safe from the Plague, and the havoc it was wreaking.

 

That's the thing about being a child. You're naïve and you're ignorant, and you're happy being so. But when you grow up, it's harder to handle the stuff that as a kid you believed was so solid and concrete, is really as delicate and flimsy as a cloud up in the sky, floating farther and farther away from your sightlines.

 

The theories were thrown around that maybe this was some sort of terrorist weapon, bent on destroying the U.S. and claiming it for their own. If that would've been the case, then it definitely backfired, because it claimed terrorists' countries just as it did the U.S. The Plague definitely didn't limit itself to where it did or did not spread.

 

Others say that this was the work of God, seeking his revenge on his people who fucked up the world one too many times to go unnoticed anymore. I'm not religious, but that would be some sadistic shit God would be pulling if that was the case.

 

If you ask me, I don't think it's either of those things. I couldn't say if it was a manmade disease or not. If it was, then I'd really like to find the dumbass who created and released a disease without producing a cure beforehand.

 

Being totally honest I don't have a clue what the reason for the Plague is, if there is a reason for it at all. Maybe it’s a natural disease, maybe not. Many would argue both sides. I don't see any sense in arguing about it. What truly defines us and outlines our survival is living in this new fucked up world no matter what, because it's the only world we're ever going to get.

 

That's how I see it and that's how I'll always see it. No one really knows if the Plague is ever going to end, if this is going to be the end of the human race or if we'll defeat it and find a way to rebuild the world.

 

Either way, I'm taking it one day at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eighteen: Burning

When I woke up, Dimitri was gone. I sat up slowly, looking around the kitchen for signs of danger. I didn't see anything, but what I heard was another story.

 

Growls and snarls erupted from the dining area, and I hopped to my feet, rushing out without even knowing what I would find. 

 

Half Deads were literally spilling into the room from the door that had been ripped apart in order for entrance. They were clawing and grappling for Dimitri, who was sitting on one of the rafters from the ceiling, a gun and knife in his hands.

 

Goddammit. There were so many, at least thirty in that room, and I quickly ducked back into the kitchen before they could catch sight of me. I didn't think any had seen me yet, and as soon as they did they would go charging for my throat. I had to think of an effective way to lure them away from Dimitri without killing myself in the process.

 

Even though Dimitri had a gun, I wondered if he fired it or not. He and I both knew that the noise attracted the Dead, he knew it even better than I did. So I doubted he had even fired at all. He didn't look frightened when he had been up on the rafter, he looked mad. As if he was pissed because he didn't have the situation under control.

 

How long had those things been surrounding the place before they had gotten inside? How long were they inside with Dimitri fending them off? And the burning question: why didn't he wake me up and alert me?

 

I chanced a peek through one of the dusty windows slotted on the doors. The Half Deads were piling up on each other, getting closer and closer to where Dimitri perched. He didn't look frightened, he looked like he was thinking something through before acting. I could guess what that was: fire the gun and attract more? Or be torn to shreds?

 

The answer seemed easy, but if I was the one reasoning this out then I would know that the latter would only cause more trouble in the long run. It could possibly save my ass for the time being, however later I would be paying for it.

 

I had to get involved. That I already knew. The question was how. I was on limited time, and needed to act quick before the Dead hooked their claws into Dimitri. I could use my fire, but that would send the whole place going up in flames, with Dimitri stuck up on the rafters while the Half Deads burned beneath him. If he dropped, he would be in no better shape than if he stayed put. Burn to death, or be ripped into while burning to death.

 

"Fuck", I murmured, knowing what I had to do. The only thing that would get these things away from Dimitri was another source of food. Fresh meat.

 

I had no other choice.

 

 

Chapter Nineteen: Kill Or Be Killed

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I leapt out from the kitchen with my blade in hand. I have no clue what was running through my mind when I let out a high pitched scream and bolted back into the kitchen, through one of the rear exits and praying to God the Dead followed me. I didn't have to pray for long.

 

I had never seen Half Deads run so quickly before, not even in the barren cities or out near the desolate countryside where food for them was sparse in general. They must've been starved, because as I ran one of them got so close its curling fingers skimmed the leather of my jacket. A surge of fear overtook me for the briefest second before it quickly washed away. My fire took its place and flared, showing that it wasn't going to let me die, at least not without a fight.

 

I spun around and released flames, they shot hot and heavy from my palms and fingertips, immediately igniting the corpses sprinting after me. It was effective on about a quarter of the crowd but over half of them kept coming, even as they burned.

 

I pushed myself to keep going, keep running for my life. I had no choice but to run, and run fast. I wasn't sure how many of the Dead were left in the restaurant, because judging by the snarls and shrieks of the Half Deads behind me, there was a pretty sizable bunch on my tail. There were more here than the time I was on the run with Isabella's group, when we faced the herd surging after us. We narrowly escaped that. So many gnashing jaws and clawing hands, bloody mouths and bodies, ghosts of their former human selves. Who would've ever thought the dead would rise up to eat the living? I can tell you I sure as hell didn't.

 

I wouldn’t be able to run forever, I knew that. So dragging one more harsh gulp of air into my lungs, I turned around with my blade extended and slashed.

 

 

Chapter Twenty: Tables Turned

I knew there were too many. I knew there were too many of them from the start. But I kept going, kept stabbing and shooting flames at the Dead charging at me. Their putrid blood splashed all over me. I was grabbed a few times, but I made sure I took that one down before it could bite me.

 

There was absolutely no chance I would survive. It was a flood of Half Deads. Every time I killed one, two replaced that one, then four, then six, and it just kept increasing. I was overwhelmed, but my fire kept burning, kept screaming at me to keep going. My senses were being torn apart with the release of my flames, pouring furiously over anything in their path.

 

It was no use. A calm awareness of the fact that I was going to die filled me from head to toe, and the tension in my shoulders eased up a bit. One Half Dead gripped my arm, and I spun to release flames, but I realized with horrible sharpness that it wasn't the corpse's hand on my forearm, but its jaws.

 

My eyes widened and I brought the blade down, straight into the Dead's skull. It immediately fell to the ground. I didn't have time to examine the damage, however much was done. I had to keep going, even if I was beyond help now.

 

I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I didn't have time to look and see if it was a Half Dead or not. One quickly heaved itself on top of me with such force I fell to the ground. I held its shoulders firmly at arm's length, its snapping jaws inches from my face. It's mouth was dripping with blood, some landing on my face as I fought to keep it at bay.

 

A knife came down through the corpse's skull, the blade protruding from its forehead. The body was thrown off of me and to the side, and just maybe the most glorious sight I had ever seen stood over me. Dimitri reached down and hauled me to my feet, a bloody knife in one hand and a smoking gun in the other.

 

In the spare time I had been wrestling with the Half Dead on the ground, he had taken out the remaining Dead around us. I blinked, momentarily stunned at the sudden empty space around us except for Dimitri and I.

 

"Are you alright?" He asked, breathing hard and sweating.

 

I swallowed, nodding even though my eyes flitted to the spot just shy of my wrist. I would have to look at that later. For now, it wasn't something to worry Dimitri over.

 

He nodded once and turned to head back into the restaurant, limping slightly and without saying another word.

 

Chapter Twenty One: No

Inside the place looked exactly like it had when we had arrived, except for a few Half Deads lying on the ground, impaled or shot by Dimitri. Some must've stayed behind when I ran past.

 

My arm wasn't hurting yet, and I took that as a good sign that maybe, just maybe, I hadn't been bitten. If I was infected that would be it. I wouldn't be able to travel with Dimitri anymore and I would be of no use to Felix. I would be as good as Dead, or Half Dead for that matter.

 

I wasn't sure if Dimitri could tell I was a bit agitated or not as we packed our things. Staying here was out of the question of course. Who's to say we wouldn't face another mob like the last one the very first thing tomorrow morning? Best to stay safe and out of sight.

 

Dimitri's limp had gotten better, for which I was grateful. Having me possibly injured was enough, and we wouldn't make it anywhere if the both of us were seriously hurt. Not to mention I had the medical skills of a walnut. Meaning completely nonexistent.

 

I tried not to think of what would happen if he found out about my injury. If he would shoot me or just leave me behind I wasn't sure. I also wasn't positive which one I would rather have him do. I looked up at Dimitri as he holstered his gun at his waist. He had been silent ever since he saved me from the Half Dead. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me, the situation we were in, both, or some other concept that I might not know anything about. Obviously there are a lot of things going on in this world that I know nothing of.

 

"Are you", I hesitated, looking for the right words. I wasn't positive there were any "right words" to really say anymore.

 

"Are you alright?" I finally settled on.

 

He glanced up at me for a fraction of a second before returning his eyes to his bag in front of him, packing some food for the road.

 

"I'm about as good as it's going to get." Dimitri said quietly.

 

I scowled, waiting for him to say more but instead he headed past me, with his bag slung over his shoulder. I quickly followed, wondering what he meant by that.

 

"Well I just, I just thought that maybe-" My fumbling for something adequate to say wasn't helping our situation at all. I knew that, and yet I couldn't stop myself. The words just kept coming, no matter how little sense they made.

 

"I didn't know if maybe you were upset because we don’t' have a plan and we had to leave so soon, or because of the fact that I almost got you killed. I’m sorry I put you in danger like that, I was just trying to get them away from you. I didn't mean for-"

 

I stumbled over a stray car bumper, halting my barrage of words. Dimitri reached out and gripped my elbow to steady me, but retracted his touch just as quickly.

 

 I looked around, it seemed we were standing amidst an ancient car wreck on a long dead interstate. I was so engrossed in babbling to Dimitri about nothing in particular, that I hadn't noticed that by now we were a few miles away from the restaurant.

 

A sign hanging from expired traffic lights showed in white letters with a green background that New York was straight ahead, proven with a pointed white arrow. There were other old traffic signs and billboards so weather beaten that you couldn't even read what they said anymore. I looked at Dimitri who paused as I gazed around in surprise.

 

"Have you been here before?" I asked.

 

He shrugged. "It's been years."

 

He didn't say anymore and I didn't ask. I realized as we walked that I knew nothing about Dimitri's past, except for that he came from the Haven. Who's to say that he lived there for his whole life? Odds are he probably hadn't. As I watched him walk over trash and debris littering the old roads, it occurred to me that he had seemed fearful of touching me when I had tripped over the car bumper.

 

My brow came together and I moved to catch up to his side, inquiring about what I had just thought of. "Are you afraid to touch me?"

 

Dimitri's eyes widened and I knew I had caught him off guard. Just as quickly as the surprise registered on his face a curtain fell, overtaking his features with blank disregard.

 

"That's absurd. I could care less." He said pointedly.

 

His words were harsh, but I didn't take much offense, because I could hear in his voice that he was holding something back.

 

"Is something wrong?" I questioned, trying to get a glimpse at his face as we walked, but he kept his body angled away from me. "If there's something bothering you, you can talk to me. You know I'll listen. I'll-"

 

"Siren", Dimitri paused in the middle of the road. I kept walking and faltered in surprise, moving back to where he was standing.

 

"Just stop." He murmured.

 

I shut my mouth, my eyes going wide. By the way Dimitri sounded I knew there was definitely something wrong. There was something tinging the edges of his voice that I had never heard from him before. Fear.

 

I waited for him to speak, and when he didn't I did. "I can help you. Whatever it is, I can help."

 

"You cannot help me now." Dimitri stared at the ground as he spoke in a monotone, completely devoid of all emotion.

 

A chill crept up my spine. His voice evoked the memory of when Trenton had been under Cal's influence, and he spoke about how bleak and hopeless the world was now. Except Dimitri was different. He would not look at me.

 

"Dimitri", I reached out to touch his shoulder and he jerked back violently, putting at least three feet of space between the two of us so that we could not come into physical contact.

 

"Don't. Please." He begged fervently for me to keep away.

 

I was completely alert and terrified now, as terrified as Dimitri had seemed when I was offering him my help. He was so afraid to let me touch him. And why couldn't I help him? What could possibly be wrong that I couldn't-oh no. God no.

 

"Your-your leg . . ." I couldn't finish. I just couldn't bear to say it.

 

Dimitri brought up his head and met my gaze. His eyes were desolate, lacking all hope and the light that hope brought with it. His lip was cut and a trickle of blood trailed halfway to his chin. He nodded.

 

"I've been bitten."

Chapter Twenty Two: Time

I can't honestly tell you what exactly happened next, how I ended up on the ground with my head in my hands, refusing to believe what I had just heard that a part of me already knew before Dimitri even said a thing.

 

All my fault. It was all my fault. If I would've been faster, if I would've just acted quicker, than he wouldn't be dying before my very eyes.

 

"No, no, no." I begged and pleaded for it not to be true. I wanted so badly to reverse the clock, go back and have it be me who was the one in need of a cure never discovered. Not him. Not Dimitri.

 

Strong, powerful, fearless Dimitri, who was infected. Because of me.

 

"It's not your fault Siren, it's nobody's fault but mine." He tried to convince me otherwise as we sat huddled around a small blaze I produced.

 

We were camped out in an apartment above an old clothing store just outside of the city. There was one bedroom in the place that had a lock on it, which is why Dimitri wanted to stay here in particular. If the infection got too bad, he would lock himself in the room, and most likely wither and die in there. Later rising up to become one of the corpses hungering for us out on the streets at this very moment.

 

Signs of the infection usually occurred within one day of the bite, and I could already see the affects. Purplish circles formed under Dimitri's eyes as his skin turned a pale gray. He was losing some of his muscle mass at an alarming rate as well, his clothes looser than they had been just a few hours ago. Every time I looked at Dimitri, I was struck with horror for what was happening to him, guilt, and the sick sense of déjà vu.

 

I had watched my little sister die just like this. Slowly, painfully, as she cried and begged for me to help her. And me only being able to sit there and comfort her, all the while knowing that there was nothing I could do.

 

It was safe to say that I had not been infected. My arm felt fine and I was experiencing no symptoms. Looking at Dimitri, shivering even though the fire was going strong, I would've given anything to switch places with him so that he was not the one suffering.

 

"It's a matter of time now." He said through chattering teeth.

 

I jumped, startled at how loud his voice was and taken aback by what he had said. I swallowed, clutching my knees tighter to my chest.

 

Dimitri stared at me, the flames reflected in his eyes. Despite the infection, his green brown eyes were still full of life. I knew with awful certainty that soon his eyes would become dead and film over, turning white. Maybe even completely white, considering the appearance of the Dead outside. I was locked in the power of his gaze, and had to listen to what he was saying, no matter how much it hurt to hear.

 

"You and I both know it. There's no point in avoiding it."

 

He was talking about his death. How could you speak about such a thing and yet sound so strong? I shivered, having nothing to do with the cold.

 

"Look", he said, outstretching his hands close to the fire for warmth. "I realize what's happened to me and I've accepted it. There's nothing to be done about it now. It was my own idiotic decisions that put me in the place I'm in now and again, I've realized and accepted this."

 

I broke away, staring at the flames that were a product of me. My fire barely warmed myself up, probably because of the chill that numbed me to the core ever since I learned about Dimitri's fate.

 

"But", he began again. "That doesn't mean I'm going to wallow here and provide you with nothing. I'm aware that you barely know a thing about me, and now I'm going to fix that."

 

I looked at him again. His jaw was clenched to keep his teeth from knocking together, and sweat had formed on his forehead and glistened on his cheeks. If his dying wish was to give me some information on his life, then I would grant it no matter what.

 

I nodded. "Okay, I'm listening." 

Chapter Twenty Three: Tik

"You wonder about me.  You wonder why I talked about being different and proud of it. Well, that's because I'm like you. Mind you I can't throw fire or harness any such miraculous ability like that, I am a Seer." He paused, seeming to wait for any questions I might have.

 

By now I was completely numb, and I was working hard to keep his words from completely skating off of me as I listened to him talk. I wracked my brain for an adequate question, and found one quicker than I had expected.

 

"What's a Seer?"

 

"One who has visions of the future. I can't control how frequently the visions occur or how little they do. More than not though, they come true." He explained.

 

I sat with probably the dumbest, most uncomprehending look on my face. By now, I had no reason not to believe what he was telling me. What evidence did I have to back up he was lying, and really what was the point? Something he had said a few days ago back when we were leaving Isabella's group came to mind.

 

"My friends. You said you knew they'd be okay." I mentioned quietly.

 

Dimitri nodded. "That I did."

 

I swallowed, keeping my eyes on the flames. I was fairly sure he wasn't done talking and I didn't want him to stop. Like he said it was only a matter of time, and soon that time would run out. And he would be gone.

 

"Tell me more." I requested. "Please."

 

Dimitri seemed to sense that I was trying to soak up as much time as we had left, and he went on.

 

"Alright. I grew up in the Haven . . ."

Chapter Twenty Four: Tok

Dimitri talked until he was falling asleep sitting up. When I told him he needed to go to bed, he insisted on resting in the bedroom. He refused to come into any kind of physical contact with me since he had been bitten. Not even letting me help him get to bed. He stumbled there, nearly falling on his face a few times. When I got up and rushed over to him, he all but screamed at me to get away. After about a fifteen minute struggle, he was in bed with the door locked.

 

I sat in the living room where the fire still blazes slightly. I snapped my fingers to send a few sparks down to get it back into gear. It flared, but only a few meek flames greeted me. I sighed. I guess my fire just wasn't that into it tonight.

 

Dimitri had told me so much about himself. He lived in the Haven for as long as he could remember. There, he was trained with a number of weapons so that he could defend himself. His parents had taken him there when the Plague hit, and they were still residing there to this day. He said nothing about me reporting to his parents about his fate, and just changed the subject.

 

He was part of a group of different, otherworldly children called the Prophets who possessed magical abilities like myself. Felix ran the Prophets, and he trained them to use their talents to fight the Dead. He believed that they could rid the world of the Plague and rebuild it, back to a similar state of what it once was.

 

Felix strongly believed that the Prophets were the answer, or "the cure" to the disease that basically destroyed the world. He recruited kids to join the Prophets, and that's why he wanted me so bad. With a Flame like me, I would make a strong part of the team. Dimitri talked about all the different kinds of things the kids could do, like go invisible, have super strength, and even fly. It was hard for me to believe, I could barely believe it now. Except with the way the world was now, how could I not believe it?

 

I was terrified of what tomorrow would bring. I knew Dimitri's condition would only worsen. It was a question of how long it would take that scared me the most. The transformation process varied from person to person. It could be a few days, or a few weeks until he was completely Half Dead. I wasn't even sure if Half Dead was the appropriate thing to call them anymore, zombies seemed so ridiculous, and yet true.

 

Soon, Dimitri wouldn't even be able to talk, only grunt and moan, and then snarl . . . that's when I would know it would all be over. I felt awful about the whole thing. I just wanted to curl up inside myself and disappear. I was the reason he had been bitten. He would die because of me. It didn't matter what he said, I knew that it was my fault.

 

I just hoped that tomorrow he would be okay to speak, if only for a little bit. It was selfish of me to wish that he would stay alive longer, because I knew that it would only draw out the pain of the infection spreading. But I couldn't help it, I didn't want him to go. Not now, and not ever.

Chapter Twenty Five: Go Back

"Wake up. Sirenia, wake up."

 

I jolted awake to the sound of a familiar voice. I sat straight up, my tangled red hair flying wildly around my face. "What? What is it? What's the matter?"

 

I scrambled to get up as I saw the person standing in front of me. Felix was wearing a black suit and tie just like the last time I had seen him. His black hair was slicked back and his cool, appraising black eyes stared mercilessly at me.

 

"How-how did you-" I stammered, but he cut me off before I could finish.

 

"We don’t' have the time to doddle around with pointless questions. I came here to retrieve the both of you. I understand Mr. Veksler has been bitten."

 

"You-you mean Dimitri?" I stuttered again. A fuzzy memory from yesterday of Dimitri mentioning his unimportant last name fluttered into my sightlines, but then was gone just as quick. I shook my head to clear it.

 

"Gather your wits Sirenia, I implore you. Now is not the time to go off the deep end." Felix snapped impatiently.

 

I blinked a few times, however I felt no change. I was still floating in a hazy cloud of sleep and the miserable realization that Dimitri was entering into his second day of infection. My shoulders hunched forward slightly in defeat, and Felix knelt down so that he was at eye level with me, his gaze burning.

 

"Stop pitying yourself and the situation you are both in. Instead why don't you work to help me?"

 

"You mean join the Prophets?" I muttered in almost resentment. Felix showed no signs of surprise, he must've already known Dimitri told me, using whatever freaky gifts he possessed to read minds and do whatever the fuck he wanted.

 

"I don't see how a bunch of freakish kids are any match for what's out there in the world right now. You may think you know everything and that you can play God by doing this, but you can't. There's only one god, and clearly he's not there for us anymore." My babbling ended when I sank into a sitting position, staring up at Felix's tall frame.

 

His jaw was taught as if he was holding back what he really wanted to say, and as he exhaled he shut his eyes for a brief moment in what I could only assume was exhaustion. When he opened them again, they were filled once again with calm patience.

 

"Sirenia, we've been over this before and I've made it clear to you that I do not know everything. What I do know is that you are frightened and quite frankly, heartbroken about what happened to Mr. Veksler. Also, you misunderstood. When I asked if you could help me, I meant help get Dimitri out of that room that he's confined himself in. It had nothing to do with my beliefs and my work. My only purpose here, right now, is to help Mr. Veksler." Felix explained, and I couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed at my outburst. Either way, I shrugged.

 

"You won't be able to get him out of there if he thinks the infection is too bad. He'll die in there. He said it himself." I whispered dismally.

 

Felix rolled his eyes. "Oh, he'll come out. Even if I have to drag him."

 

Without any further information from me, Felix abruptly turned and made his way to the bedroom where Dimitri was. I stayed put. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to see how much worse his condition had gotten. I knew I would have to see Dimitri eventually, but I almost wanted to draw out the blissful ignorance of not knowing as long as I could. When Felix made it to the door, I stood up.

 

"It's not going to work. He's dying." I said point blank. Felix gave me a look one might give an indignant child. I had to restrain myself from grimacing and snapping at him.

 

"I am aware."

 

My brow came together. If he was so aware, then why was he arguing with me about removing Dimitri?

 

"This is a waste of time." I tried again, but this time Felix ignored me entirely.

 

Instead of responding he stepped back, calmly pressed his palm against the wooden door, and shut his eyes. The wood began to creak and buckle under his touch, until there was a loud whine and it split in half. The remains clattered to the floor at his feet. I gaped, my mouth hanging open. I shouldn't have been surprised at Felix's acts by now, but some things still baffled me.

 

Felix went into the room, completely ignoring my protests, and returned no more than a minute later with Dimitri in tow, holding him by the collar of his shirt. He looked even worse than yesterday, if that was even possible. His body was even thinner, I could see his collarbones jutting out sharply. His cheek bones were pressing against his skin as if struggling to break free. Dimitri's eyes were sunken with dark circles underneath, he must've gotten no sleep last night. The one good thing I noticed was his eyes were still alight and full of life, which sparked a small amount of fire and hope inside of me. What if . . .

 

I swallowed, pushing those thoughts from my mind. There was no hope in entertaining thoughts of "what if Dimitri survived? What if he was strong enough to beat the infection?" It was ludicrous. No one could beat the infection, obviously. There was no reason that Dimitri would be any different than the millions of undead people on the streets.

 

"You look awful." I murmured without thinking.

 

Dimitri tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace of pain than anything else. "Right back at you."

 

Felix released him, and surprisingly he stood up on his own without stumbling.

 

"Glad to have you back with the living." Felix remarked, and I gave him a nasty look. Dimitri ignored him.

 

"What's your purpose here, Felix? No one requested you." He asked weakly. His voice was barely a whisper.

 

Inch by inch my oxygen supply was being knocked out of me every time Dimitri spoke. Soon I would have to take another breath, but I wasn't sure I wanted to.

 

"That's no way to address the one who's here to save your life." Felix shrugged. Even though he suggested he was angry, his outward composure gave way that he simply did not care. "I came to take you back to the Haven."

 

Dimitri's lively eyes widened, and he shook his head with more strength than I thought he could muster. "No. Not in a million years."

 

Felix sighed, leaning against the wall next to the now empty doorframe. "I can wait. Keep In mind, I can stand here all day for weeks at a time. But you, your time is limited."

 

He checked a nonexistent watch on his wrist and smirked, because he knew that we were all too aware that he was right.

 

"You have to go with him." I said. Dimitri frowned at me, shaking his head.

 

"You don't understand, I can't risk infecting anyone there. It's too much of a chance to take."

 

"You can't just sit here and die." I snapped, frustrated that he was acting with no regard for his life.

 

Dimitri looked at Felix, no longer listening to what I had to say. I felt my face flush as my fire flickered to life. I wasn't a child who needed to be coddled, and Dimitri didn't need it either. What he needed was aid, some sort of medical attention. I didn't want to get my hopes up that he would survive, but trying was better than wasting time in an abandoned apartment.

 

"She's right." I tuned back in to the conversation and to my surprise heard Felix defending me.  "You're not prone to giving up, Veksler, and I'm not going to let you give up now."

 

I blinked, surprised at Felix's compassionate words for Dimitri. I hadn't known he actually cared about some of his Prophets, that he saw them as humans and not just weapons. It was the first kind thing I'd ever heard Felix say. He shot me a look of disgust, rolling his eyes.

 

"And it will be the last, if Dimitri doesn't get in the fucking car." Felix snapped.

 

That was also the first time I had ever heard him curse like that. I rubbed the back of my neck, uncomfortably shifting my weight from foot to foot.

 

"Just do as he says." I said, addressing Dimitri who continued to ignore me and stare at the floor.

 

Felix shook his head. "I hoped I wouldn't have to do this."

 

And before any of us could react he picked up Dimitri, slung him over his shoulder like a child, and began descending the stairs. I hurried after them, grabbing Dimitri's bag. Dimitri seemed resigned to his fate, he didn't even struggle against Felix. Once we got out in the open, I held my knife at the ready. There weren't many Half Deads wandering, but just the sight of them set my teeth on edge.

 

Outside, Felix had the same black Sedan parked at the entrance of the apartment. He opened up the backseat and tossed Dimitri in, opening up the passenger side for me. I climbed in, buckling up and digging my fingernails into the seat. I hadn't forgotten how Felix drove, like a bat out of hell, and I wasn't about to nearly go flying like last time.

 

Dimitri grunted from the back as he sat up looking around and seeming to realize where he was. His eyes widened and he screamed. "Get me out of here! I'm not going with you!"

 

He put his hand on the door handle, and I spun around in my seat, ready to stop him. I held my palm out, feeling my fire warming it.

 

 "Don't make me do this." I warned sternly.

 

Before I even had a chance to do anything, Felix took off at full speed. My head slammed against the seat's headrest and Dimitri's bounced off the side of the window, affectively knocking him unconscious.

 

I relaxed against my seat and brushed stray hair out of my eyes. I glanced over at Felix, whose eyes were firmly locked on the road. I pursed my lips, and said what was on my mind anyway.

 

"Do you have a cure? For the Plague? And you just haven't shared it with the rest of the world so that everything can be fixed?" I asked. Even after the words were out, I knew they sounded childish and needy. However, I didn't really care. My main concern right now was finding out if Dimitri would live or not.

 

Felix's hands tightened on the wheel and he sighed. "I wish it was that simple, Sirenia."

 

I deflated, my shoulders slouching. So that was that. There really was no cure, and Felix was just trying to buy Dimitri some time. I didn't expect Felix to elaborate further, but he spoke up again.

 

"Madrassa. She's one of my Prophets. She's a healer, and she can cure the Plague."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty Six: Breathe

I was silent for a few moments, soaking in what Felix had just told me. A cure, for the Plague that had been mercilessly destroying the world for six years. And Felix was keeping it all to himself. At first my thoughts screamed selfish. How could he be so selfish? He had the power to save the world, which is what I had assumed he wanted to do, and he was keeping it to himself?

 

Except there was another part of me that completely understood why he was keeping it to himself. There would be a huge uproar if word got out that there was a girl who could cure the Plague. People would be killing one another just to get close to her. She would be put in huge danger if anyone shared her secret. In Felix's own way, he was protecting her.

 

I swallowed, finding the first question that came to mind. "How old is she?"

 

"Only seven. She doesn't even fully understand what she can do. The power she holds, or how compromising it could be to her safety." Felix said in anger, shaking his head. "If Cal knew-"

 

Felix was cut off when a body went flying into the windshield. He swerved, and I didn't even have a chance to scream before the body went sprawling across the hood.  

 

"Do you know what you've just done?!" I shrieked at Felix, about to unbuckle my seatbelt when he reached out and touched my arm, stopping me.

 

I stared frantically at him, my body shaking with adrenaline. He had just hit someone. It seemed so unreal. Car accidents just didn't happen anymore, at least not that anyone heard about. And we were just sitting here.

 

"We have to help them!" I said breathlessly, reaching for my seatbelt again when Felix gripped my wrist.

 

"I don't think you should see this, Sirenia." He cautioned, and got out of the car without another word.

 

I watched him, weighing my options. I wasn't sure which was worse; staying here and doing nothing or disregarding Felix's orders. While contemplating, I watched. I watched Felix pick up the person by their shirt, set them on their feet, and calmly say something to them. Whoever it was, was alive and well even after the hit. I watched, dumbfounded, as the man and Felix shook hands after they were finished with their discussion.

 

The guy's hair was tinged red, and he stood with a knife held in his right hand, a gun tucked in the waistband of his jeans. I frowned. There was something familiar about the way he stood and held his weapons. Something from another time, it seemed another lifetime, came floating to the forefront of my memory. He holds his knife like that, in his right hand, clutched so tightly you can see the whites of his knuckles.

 

A surge of excitement blossomed in my chest, and I tried to squash it, but it refused to be contained. That couldn't be him, it just couldn’t.

 

And just as I thought it, the man turned around, and I was staring right into the sky blue eyes of Trenton Albany. The one who tried to take me as a hostage of Cal's. The one who, at a time, I thought I loved.

 

Chapter Twenty Seven: Gone

Trenton's face went blank before he said something to Felix. It seemed he didn't get the answer he was looking for, because he scowled and shook his head, jutting his chin at me. Felix put up his hands in a gesture of confusion, but Trenton wasn't having it. He went to move past Felix, to the passenger side of my door, and Felix abruptly sprang into action. It appeared with barely any effort, he took hold of Trenton and easily wrapped him in a chokehold. Trenton gagged, shouting something at Felix.

 

All the while I sat in stunned silence, not moving a muscle. There were so many questions I had for Trenton, so many things I wished I would've said before all of this happened. But I knew there would be plenty of time for that later, and now certainly was not it.

 

I took a breath, moving my fingers and managing to unbuckle my seatbelt. I rested my hand on the door handle, and that's as far as I got before I stopped. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do this. If I really wanted to go out there and talk to Trenton. A part of me, the one that had its hand ready to open the door, said: this is Trenton. Trenton. The boy who found you and offered you a place to stay. You should be ashamed you're not out there already just to talk to him.

 

And then there was the other part of me, the one keeping me in place and in the car, was saying that this is Trenton. The boy who valued the life of a lowlife maniac over mine, a person he supposedly cared about. Felix had once told me that Trenton loved me, but in the past few days I spent with his and Isabella's group, I hadn't felt any of that affection Felix was talking about.

 

 He doesn't love me, he loves his group and the safety of his group. And there's nothing wrong with that, but Trenton values the wellbeing of the whole rather than any individual. While that's a great strategy when it comes to fighting, if you're looking after a group as a caregiver than it can backfire badly. Which is exactly what happened when Trenton and I reunited.

 

I turned around and looked at Dimitri, still asleep in the back seat after he took the blow to his head. I reached back, despite all of his warning and foreboding, and touched his cheek lightly with my knuckles. My fingertips hummed with energy and fire. I took a deep breath, relishing in the moment. Dimitri looked so peaceful when he was asleep. His long eyelashes brushed his cheeks, his full lips slightly parted, his face completely relaxed. Such a contrast compared to when he's awake, worrying about everyone and everything but himself.

 

I withdrew my hand, feeling the aftermath of the touch still warming my hand. That's when I knew, that Dimitri was here and now. He was immediate and right in front of me. Trenton was the past. Anything that had something to do with him was over now. Gone. And there was no sense in revisiting the past if it had nothing good to provide you with.

 

I got out of the car and ignoring the shouts of Trenton behind me, the calm words of objection from Felix, I got into the back seat and sat down next to Dimitri. Gently, I picked up his head and laid him down in my lap. I smoothed his black hair away from his face, gently stroking his cheek.

 

I didn't look up to see through the windshield. I didn't listen to what the two men outside were arguing about. I just rested my head, and closed my eyes. 

Chapter Twenty Eight: Colors

"I demand to see her!"

 

 I woke up with a start, hearing a booming voice just outside the car door. I reached over to lock it, and my fingertips brushed against Dimitri's chest. I gasped, looking down at him. He was wide awake now, staring up at me with curious green eyes. Green? I thought they were brown. I frowned while watching him, and a smile pulled up one corner of his mouth.

 

"Odd, I don't remember you being in the back seat." He said jokingly.

 

I smiled, feeling my face flush. "Yeah well, I got tired."

 

Dimitri nodded, turning his head so that he was now facing the front of the car. "So it would seem."

 

He was quiet for a minute, and I wondered if maybe he had fallen back to sleep. But then he spoke again, making me jump a little.

 

"It would appear that your little friend has been tracking us." Dimitri observed, regarding Trenton who was still outside arguing with Felix.

 

I swallowed. "I don't know."

 

I hadn't analyzed how Trenton got here or why, but now that Dimitri mentioned tracking, I realized that he might not be wrong. Trenton was a nomad in a sense. He could move wherever he needed to without a second thought. There was no reason why he couldn’t follow someone if he really had the motive to. The only question remaining: what could that motive be?

 

"They're dead you know." Dimitri's sharp tone brought me back to attention, and I scowled.

 

"Who?"

 

"Isabella Martis's group. They're dead, Sirenia."

 

My chest tightened, and I held my breath for a few seconds to keep from gasping. All of them. Dead. How could that be? It was impossible. Isabella knew what she was doing, so did Billy and Trenton even. They knew how to survive, they had done it before. What would've made another time different?

 

"'Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.'" Dimitri said a quote I did not recognize.

 

Without another word I pushed him aside and got out of the car, ignoring Dimitri calling my name. I walked around to the front and stood next to Felix, who didn't look very surprised to see me out. Trenton on the other hand, stared open mouthed at me, like he had never seen me before in his life.

 

"Siren." He murmured, his arms outstretched as he started forward.

 

I didn't think, I just acted. I held a ball of fire in my right hand, and tossed it without feeling at Trenton's feet. He shouted as it hit the ground, sending sparks up and singing his jeans. Felix chuckled beside me, and I even smiled a bit. Trenton's expression quickly shifted to one of pure terror. I had forgotten he'd never seen me use my ability before, not like this anyway.

 

"Wh-what the fuck was that?!" He shouted furiously.

 

I shrugged. "Does it matter?"

 

Before he answered, I leapt forward and held my knife against his throat, the tip of the blade puncturing just below his Adam's apple. Trenton sucked in a sharp breath, still gripping his knife. I reached for his wrist but before I could even touch his skin, he dropped his weapon on the ground in front of me. I nodded to Felix, who to my surprise obediently picked it up for me and stepped back.

 

"What did you do to them?" I asked Trenton, who was staring at me with his blue eyes filled with fear. Fear for his own life. Coward.

 

"What did you do to them?!" I screamed, my breath hot against his face as I pressed the blade further. Blood trickled down his neck. He swallowed, his throat moving against my knife, but said nothing. I clenched my jaw, feeling my shoulders tighten.

 

"Trenton", I said through my teeth, "I will give you two seconds to answer me before I-"

 

"Before you what, Siren?" He cut me off. "Burn me? Like you did before? Go ahead. I should be used to it by now, shouldn't I?"

 

His comment cooled me down a little, in the worst way possible. I paused, looking into his eyes. The fear had been replaced with resignation. Was he that quick to just give up? How did he ever survive out in the world? How did he ever keep the group alive.

 

Well, he didn't.

 

The reminder of the group's fate was enough to bring back all of my fury and then some. I sneered at him, letting my arm that held the knife fall to my side.

 

"You're not worth my time." I said, and sheathed my weapon.

 

"Give me that." I gestured to Felix who had Trenton's knife. He handed it to me without question.

 

I held it out for Trenton, but he didn't move to get it back. "Here", I said, getting a bit closer and holding the knife hilt up.  "It's yours."

 

He shook his head. "Keep it."

 

I scowled. "That's foolish. It's your goddamn weapon. Now take it before I plunge it into your stomach." 

 

Trenton hesitated for a second after my threat, but stood his ground. I rose my eyebrows.

 

"No. You need it more than I do." He said.

 

I nearly laughed. "Trust me", I said, getting even closer so that we were only a few inches away from each other. I could even smell his breath, which impossibly smelled like mint. "You need it way more than we do."

 

Trenton's eyes hardened. He took the knife and sheathed it, shaking his head. "You're just as stubborn as you were last month."

 

"A lot can change in a month." I countered.

 

He nodded. "Point taken."

 

Trenton's gaze wandered to Felix standing calmly behind me, his hands clasped behind his back. "That's the bastard you were running from. Why are you with him now?"

 

Trenton wasn't entitled to questions and he didn't deserve answers. But for some reason, maybe because I felt I owed him after he let me stay with his group for no good reason, I couldn't help but feel obligated to answer.

 

"He's a friend. Like I said, a lot can change in a month."

 

"That's the understatement of the apocalypse." Trenton muttered. I knew that it was meant to be a joke. Except no one laughed. Not even me.

 

Things were tense as it was, and just to add fuel to the fire (no pun intended) Dimitri clambered out of the car, using the hood as support as he made his way over to stand next to me. Trenton's eyes blazed with anger as soon as he saw Dimitri, and I noticed his hand go instinctively towards his knife. My lip curled, but I knew that we had the upper hand. I would need to keep a level head in order for everything to not get out of hand.

 

"What the fuck is this?" Trenton yelled.

 

I fought off a wince at his tone, and threw my arm over Dimitri's shoulders. He immediately curled his arm around my waist, letting me support the majority of his weight so that he could let go of the car. He wasn't very heavy at all, and the severity of his condition must have been too much for him to bear right now, or else he wouldn't have let me touch him. Come to think of it, he let me hold him in the car. My chest sank a little, knowing that he must be giving up if he wasn't sticking to the rules he had set for himself when he found out he was infected.

 

Trenton's gaze turned somber when he saw Dimitri's bad leg, held up and not touching the ground.

 

"He's infected." Trenton spit the words out like they were filth that he would never associate himself with.

 

My eyes narrowed. "And it matters to you in what way?"

 

Trenton paused, and shook his head. His hand was still inching towards his knife, and my palms began to ache. I wanted to release my fire, but I knew I couldn't. Now wasn't the time. Not yet.

 

"You might want to rethink that." Felix said in his deep voice, and I shivered, forgetting he was there for a little.

 

Trenton's hand had closed on the hilt of his knife and he stiffened. "What?"

 

"Attacking one of us. Do you really think you'll stand a chance up against three Prophets?" Felix challenged and I held my breath. I hoped Trenton wouldn't take the bait, but a small part of me knew better. Of course he would. He was a fighter and even the simplest of things could set him off. Of course he would take the bait.

 

Trenton laughed. An ugly, suspended laugh of anger and despair. My skin prickled at the sound of it, and I held Dimitri closer to my side. He rubbed my waist with his thumb, a gesture meant to calm my nerves. Oh how the tables have turned once again.

 

"All I see is a bunch of insane freaks! Not Prophets." Trenton snickered, and a spark flew from one of my fingertips.

 

I worked to get my breathing under control, knowing it was only a matter of time before I would lose it. Just quit while you're ahead. I willed him to stop, knowing that he wouldn't. Just quit while you're ahead, Trenton.

 

He laughed again, pulling his knife free from its sheath and holding the blade up to the light. It winked, dried blood crusting the sharpened metal.

 

"If the world was back to normal right now, you would all be locked up." Trenton babbled, his hand holding the knife shaking, making the blade vibrate.

 

"You would be locked up in an institution, and no one would have to deal with your insanity." He cackled. I tensed, wishing he would stop doing that. It was demented, like a wounded wild animal. 

 

"Sirenia." Felix nudged my arm, and placed a gun in my hand. I wrapped my fingers around it, feeling the weight of unused bullets inside.

 

I looked at Trenton, and held the gun ready.

Chapter Twenty Nine: A Lot Can Change

"You're gonna shoot me, Siren?" Trenton asked, a smile spreading so wide across his face it looked like it was going to split it in two.

 

I grimaced. "If you give me no other choice."

 

He giggled again, staring up at the sky and then at me when he spoke. "Oh if only you weren't so messed up. If only you didn't chose them over me."

 

His voice quickly went from dreamy to cold and angry. I pursed my lips, my hand tightening on the body of my weapon. Felix had taken hold of Dimitri so that he wouldn't fall over, and now they were standing behind me, waiting for me to pull the trigger and kill my once best friend. The sick, sad part of it was: I didn't think I could do it. And honestly, I didn’t want to do it. Even though Trenton was ready to rid the world of us and go on his merry way, I wasn't sure I could do the same.

 

I had to grow up in this world. I had to mature at an early age and learn to survive on my own. I had to watch so many people I love die. I had to watch so many of those I cared about become one of the undead. Someone I had just started caring about, someone who I thought was the epitome of hope and survival in this world, was now dying before my very eyes. There was nothing I could do about it.

 

But there was something I could do about Trenton. Somewhere along the way, he had lost his caring nature for his group and for his own life. Selflessness is a wonderful thing, and it's something he gained when he became Isabella's second in command. However, self-preservation was something he lost in doing so. Trenton was someone well liked and loved in his group that he had grown up with. And then he had turned into something ugly, something vicious. A person without a soul.

 

Trenton became incapable of loving. Incapable of feeling anything other than the need to protect and survive. And when whatever happened to the group did happen, he lost his need to protect. The need for survival took over, and it seemed that was all he had been feeling for a while now. Whether he was looking for me or not, I'll never know. What happened to the group, I will most likely never know unless I ask Dimitri. I never wanted things to end this way.

 

"I'm sorry, Trenton." I said quietly, and pulled the trigger.

 

 

Chapter Thirty: Red

Red is such an ugly color. And yet, so beautiful. I used to think it was the color of death and violence. Obviously the color of blood, and anger. Though now I realize that red isn't just somber and full of death, but alight and full of life. Rebirth and rejuvenation.

 

I watched the trail of red on the road grow as Felix dragged Trenton's body to the side. I saw as blood trickled from Dimitri's bitten leg. He hadn't stopped bleeding since yesterday. Felix said:

 

"As long as he's bleeding, he's still alive. Pay close attention to the color of his blood, Sirenia. When it turns black, then our time has run out."

 

Even though Prophets possessed unworldly abilities, they had the same resilience to the Plague as anyone else. Except for Madrassa, who was virtually immune to any illness.

 

I helped Dimitri into the backseat of the car and sat down next to him. Felix instructed me into the passenger side, but I refused. When he objected, I hissed under my breath. "If he's going to die, I want to be with him for it."

 

Felix didn't argue further, and just started up the car and picked up driving where he had left off. Dimitri laid against my shoulder, all of his weight pressed into my side. Which wasn't much, considering the infection running rampant through his body.  He took a breath, coughed, and looked up at me. Even though he was sick, I was still shocked by the vibrancy of his eyes, now bright green. Dimitri sighed.

 

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

 

He shrugged. "It's stayed pretty consistent. No better; no worse."

 

I nodded, leaning back in the seat. Staying the same was a better alternative than getting worse. At least he had that.

 

"We're only a few minutes away from the Haven." Felix informed from the front seat before turning back to the road.

 

I felt Dimitri grab my hand and squeeze it. I squeezed back gently, managing a small smile. I wanted him to live. I wanted him to see the end of the Plague if there was one at all. Out of all the people in this world, he deserved to see the cure the most. Not Terese, not Trenton, not even Felix or Isabella.

 

"Welcome home." Felix announced.

 

I looked up to see the giant gray wall surrounding the Haven. I sighed in relief, Dimitri squeezed my hand even tighter. Maybe now we could finally get some help. 

Chapter Thirty One: Home

"I'm so excited to finally meet you, Sirenia!" Madrassa bounced on the balls of her feet, smiling broadly.

 

I laughed, a bit taken off guard. "You too, Madrassa."

 

The little girl stopped bouncing and wrinkled her nose, giving a mute shake of the head. "Call me Maddie! Not Madrassa."

 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Felix just-"

 

"That's what Felix calls me." She interrupted, rolling her eyes. "But he's the only one who's allowed to use my full name."

 

I nodded. "Gotcha. Well, then you call me Siren."

 

Maddie giggled. "But why? Sirenia is such a pretty name! I wish I was named Sirenia."

 

I pursed my lips, conceding. "Whatever you prefer."

 

The girl beamed at me. "Yay!"

 

As Maddie took me by the hand and led me back to the Infirmary they had at the Haven, I couldn't help but wonder if the timid little Maddie I had saved back in Isabella's group was still alive. Odds are she wasn’t, but I swallowed back the lump in my throat, not allowing myself to think that way. I knew there really was no point in questioning Dimitri's predictions as Felix had told me a few hours ago. But one could still hope, even if that was all that's left anymore.

 

The Haven's Infirmary I'm told was once a real hospital, not just a makeshift one when the Plague hit. The beds have been mended and with the generators they have, they even manage to get some of the machines up and running almost to their old prime. The Haven's main power source is solar as Felix explained, but they do have generators powered by gas when they are able to find some. The generators are only to be used for emergency facilities such as the hospital.

 

Maddie had already had one healing session with Dimitri the minute we arrived. Infected cases were the most important, and the little healer was brought to those people as soon as they made it to the Haven. I had naturally forgotten where Dimitri's room was where they were keeping him in the Infirmary, and Maddie had a crystal clear memory. On the way, she told me all she knew about me.

 

"I've heard you can throw fire. Real, live, fire. Is that true? Can you really? Why don’t get burned? And is it true that you can make fire all on your own? With no matches or anything?"

 

The questions from her kept coming, and I didn't even have a chance to answer one before she was asking me another. When we got to the Haven, Felix had picked up Dimitri and sprinted to the Infirmary, leaving me to huff and puff behind them. Maddie hadn't met me until now, and hadn't gotten a chance to ask any of her extensive questions. I was silently cursing Felix for spreading the word about me throughout the Haven.

 

"Yes, yes, I honestly don't know, yes, and yes." I answered with little more than one word. I wasn't trying to be rude, but I didn't actually have many answers to give her.

 

Maddie stopped walking at a random room and pouted. I must've disappointed her in some way. I was about to say something, apologize for my lack of knowledge, when Felix came out of the hospital room Maddie had paused in front of. He placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled.

 

"Now, now, Madrassa. Let Sirenia be. She's been through a lot." He chastised.

 

I was nearly knocked off my feet. Felix never defended me, and this time he was averting the attention from me. Another thing I never thought he would do. The little girl's pout deepened and she crossed her arms.

 

"C'mon Felix, you've told us all so much about her and now that I can finally ask her questions you won't let me?!" She asked incredulously.

 

Felix smiled kindly and got down on Maddie's level. "Later. For now, why don't we let her see her friend?"

 

At the mention of Dimitri, Maddie clapped and nodded in delight. "He's due for another session."

 

Felix stood and took her hand, leading her into Dimitri's room. When he noticed I wasn't following, he looked over his shoulder and chuckled. "Come along, Sirenia."

 

Inside the hospital room was a large machine I recognized as an old heart monitor, registering a steady beat in time with Dimitri's heart. Dimitri himself lied on a patched hospital bed, a wrap around his bicep connecting him to the heart monitor. Since his first session with Maddie, already I could see improvement. His cheeks had filled in and he was beginning to gain some weight back, his muscle returning also. He seemed almost back to normal. Felix had warned me that it would take a day or two until he was fully back to his old self, but already seeing all the little healer could do had set aside my worries.

 

Maddie strolled over to Dimitri, who's eyes were closed and fluttered open at the sound of her footsteps. His gaze travelled wildly around the room, going from Maddie, to Felix, and finally resting on me. His eyes were back to their vibrant brown with a burst of green, and they were questioning and distressed.

 

"Siren." He whispered. His voice was strong but reserved, like he was afraid if he said something wrong I would run screaming.

 

My face broke out in a huge smile and I couldn't help it, I rushed forward and hugged Dimitri despite that he was still infected. He gasped, but I could feel his arms wrapping around me seconds later. Warmth flooded my stomach and filled my whole body. It wasn't my fire, it was something even better.

 

Maddie giggled, holding her hands behind her back and bouncing on her heels.

 

"Sirenia", Felix pressed from the doorway. "Hate to be a bother, but Madrassa needs to heal Mr. Veksler. He's due for his medicine."

 

I sighed, pulling away. I knew that Dimitri needed constant care for the next one to two days, but that didn't mean I wanted to be away from him.

 

Maddie gently touched my arm, and I looked down at her. She was so small, it was hard to believe she held so much power. She barely came up to my waist. She smiled, a baby tooth missing from her bottom row of teeth.

 

"You can stay if you want. I don't mind an audience."

 

I looked at Felix for confirmation and he nodded, sitting down in a patched chair. I mimicked him, crossing my legs and taking my thumbnail into my mouth. I watched Maddie hold Dimitri's hand, still smiling. A small glow radiated from their interlocked hands, and I gasped.

 

Felix reached forward and removed my nail from my mouth. "Relax, Sirenia. He'll be fine. Madrassa knows what she's doing."

 

Within seconds of Maddie's touch, Dimitri's eyes fell shut and his breathing became rhythmic. The glow between their hands faded, and Maddie released him. My stomach twisted and I looked at Felix in alarm, who was smiling reassuringly at me.

 

"It's alright. She knows what she's doing."

 

I turned back to Maddie and Dimitri, who I saw was breathing with his mouth open and Maddie was suppressing a giggle.

 

"He's funny when he sleeps, you know?" She addressed me, still watching Dimitri.

 

I frowned. "What?"

 

"He's funny. When he sleeps. He talks." Maddie pressed a finger to her lips for quiet. "We should hear him soon."

 

For a few minutes the only sound in the room was Dimitri's even breathing, which soothed me in a way that I knew he was going to be okay, and it was nice to have quiet for once. In our current world, that's such a rare thing. But the silence was broken when Dimitri sputtered out a cough and a little whimper. I jerked forward reflexively, but Maddie held up a hand and Felix gripped my arm to keep me back.

 

"Calm, Sirenia. Calm. He's fine, just dreaming." Felix consoled me.

 

I relaxed my body slightly, however the tension in my shoulders refused to go away. Dimitri jumped in the bed and my hands itched with flames. I wanted to do something to help him so badly, but I knew I wouldn't be able to break free from Felix. And it's best to listen to two beings who possess powers beyond your comprehension rather than disobey them.

 

Maddie's brown eyes widened and she gasped, staring in awe at my fire covered hands. "Wow . . ."

 

"Sirenia." Felix warned. I sighed, my flames simmering before going out.

 

"Sorry." I snapped, my eyes glued to Dimitri who's lips were moving but no sound was coming out.

 

"Siren . . ." Dimitri finally whispered so quietly that I leaned forward as far as I could go to hear. "Baby . . ."

 

I scowled, and Felix's hands disappeared from my arm. I walked slowly to stand next to Maddie at Dimitri's bedside, carefully watching as his breathing got faster and faster. I reached out to touch his arm but he jerked suddenly. Dimitri grabbed my wrist and held on as if I was his life preserver. I sucked in a surprised breath, turning to look at Felix. He shrugged, nodding for me to look back at Dimitri. I did, and saw that he was moving his lips again.

 

I leaned down, my ear so close to his mouth that if he jumped again he would bite it. I could barely catch what he was saying, but when I did, my stomach began turning in little summersaults.

 

"Siren . . . baby please don't go. Don't . . . leave me."

 

By now Maddie's smile was so big it looked like it could split her face in two. Felix was restraining a smile but couldn't help the slight curve of his lips. I, on the other hand, could feel my face burning and my fire tickling my fingertips. I straightened up and Maddie, with a small hand on my back, guided me outside of the hospital room with Felix and closed the door behind us.

 

"Someone's in love." She said.

Chapter Thirty Two: The Prophets

Dimitri was back on his feet as promised two days later. I was convinced Maddie-in all her seven year old glory-was a miracle worker. I still hadn't heard anything about Dimitri's family, whether they were interested in him or not. For the time being, we had been relocated from the hospital into an apartment where Felix housed all of his Prophets. I would finally be able to meet them.

 

"There are about ten total-so far. Including yourself, Mr. Veksler, and Madrassa." Felix said as we climbed the stairs to the first floor.

 

The actual ground floor was once a lobby which was now used for extra storage. There were vanities, suitcases, wardrobes, all littered around the small reception area. Yet strangely everything seemed to belong there. It was cluttered, but neatly stacked in corners and blocking some exits. I turned to Felix to ask about the makeshift barricades, however it was Dimitri who explained.

 

"Some of them have been through a lot. They don't trust easily."

 

I nodded. I could understand that, and more than anything respect it.

 

"Yeah", a voice said to my left.

 

I turned, searching for the owner of the voice, and saw a small boy about Maddie's size keeping pace with us on the stairwell.  He had black hair like her, and dark brown eyes. His facial features were very similar too.

 

"Ah! Matthew!" Felix said in delight, addressing the little boy without even looking at him.

 

I had stopped climbing the stairs, Felix kept going, but Matthew, Maddie, and Dimitri paused with me. Maddie smiled and hugged the little boy.

 

"Maddie's twin." Dimitri told me.

 

"Come to meet Sirenia, Matthew? Well too bad I got to her first!" Maddie taunted, reaching out and hugging my arm to her chest. I pursed my lips, suppressing a smile. I looked helplessly at Dimitri who shrugged, grinning in amusement.

 

Matthew's face scrunched up, and he glared at his sister. "Why does it matter who got to her first? She's not something you can claim, Madrassa."

 

Maddie's lip curled and she opened her mouth to say something when Felix's voice echoed from the staircase. "Hurry along children. There'll be plenty of time for bickering later."

 

We all scampered up the stairs until we were gasping next to Felix at the landing. He looked at us and smirked. "Learn to keep up."

 

Maddie and Matthew walked in perfect synchronization, side by side, every step matching the other's. In a way it freaked me out a little. I know, out of all the things in a post-apocalyptic world, two twins who walk in tune with each other is the thing that freaks me out.

 

We stopped at the first room, where Felix tapped once on the door and it opened right away. The oddest girl I had ever seen post apocalypse stood in the doorway. My jaw literally dropped. She had pink hair straight down to her elbows, and huge blue eyes outlined in pink eyeliner and pink eye shadow. She was so pale, wearing a black dress, making her skin nearly glow, but she wore no shoes. She smiled at Felix.

 

"Felix, to what do I owe the honor?" She giggled a little at the end of her sentence, showing that she was joking, and I picked my jaw back up.

 

"Aurora, how wonderful it is to see you." Felix hugged the girl, Aurora, and she nodded.

 

"Likewise. I see you've brought a new friend." She said, grinning at me.

 

"Sire-"

 

"Siren." I cut Felix off before he could give her my full name. "You can call me Siren."

 

"Ahh", she winked at me and put her hands on her hips, pouting at Felix. "I see no reason why you are so dead set on calling all of us by our full names. If Maddie likes to be called Maddie, why not call her Maddie?! And Siren!" Aurora wondered, exasperated.

 

I smiled, and felt Dimitri grab my hand. My stomach did a leap, and I looked at him in shock. He grinned warmly at me. He had done it on purpose, and I wasn't just imagining it. When I turned away the warm feeling in my stomach was back, I could feel my palms and face heat up as I smiled. My face with embarrassment, and my hands with excited flames. I fought to keep them at bay, but struggled just a bit. It was hard to keep my fire in check when my emotions were bouncing all over the place in happiness.

 

"Won't you come in?" Aurora asked, opening the door wider and gesturing with her arm, seemingly oblivious to mine and Dimitri's little exchange.  

"Actually we're on a tour for Sirenia. She's moving in, and she hasn't met any of the Prophets yet." Felix said, his hands clasped in front of him.

 

Aurora placed a hand on her chest, her eyebrows raised. "And I'm the first she's meeting?"

 

"No!" Maddie suddenly interjected from behind us. Aurora looked and watched Maddie with obvious amusement. "I was!"

 

"I was second!" Matthew defended himself. Maddie glowered at her brother but Aurora laughed.

 

"Of course, of course! Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Siren." She said with sincerity.

 

"You too."

 

Aurora waved at us as we walked away, and I heard her door close behind us. I was curious what abilities Matthew and Aurora possessed as we walked down to the next door, at the very end of the hall.

 

"When we're done with the tour, I will tell you." Felix answered my thoughts.

 

"I told you to stop that." I snapped in irritation. He ignored me as usual.

 

"I didn't know hair dye even existed anymore." I muttered to Dimitri, referring to Aurora.

 

"It doesn't."

 

I rose one of my eyebrows in question, but we had already arrived at the next door. I suppose my questions would have to wait until later.

 

This time when Felix knocked no one answered. A few beats later, he knocked again with no response.

 

"It's just us, Lilith. You don't have to worry."

 

At the sound of Felix's voice the door swung open and a girl came bursting out of the apartment. She threw her arms around him, her body shaking as if she was cold. "Oh god, Felix I was so worried."

 

He rubbed the girl's back, calmly speaking to her. "No need to worry."

 

Lilith gasped and shook her head, but Felix gently pushed her back so that we could see her face. My whole body went cold at the sight of her. Her thick hair hung in beautiful curls to her shoulders, pure white. Her face was angular and gorgeous. She wore a dress the color of her hair, and was barefoot just like Aurora. Her skin was just as pale, she wore no makeup, but it was her eyes, the color of ice, staring unseeingly at us, that chilled me to the bone. Lilith was blind.

 

She cocked her head to the side, her eyes, however blank, travelling back to Felix. "It's the fire girl, isn't it? I can feel her heat."

 

My blood ran even colder at the sound of her dainty voice. She was so thin and fragile looking, as if she was ready to break at any second.

 

"Yes, it is. Sirenia."

 

I grimaced when Felix said my full name once again, but didn't object like back at Aurora's apartment. Lilith nodded.

 

"I've heard so much about you." She took a step forward and reached out for me to shake her hand. I did, feeling all of her bones, and then releasing her, her cold extinguishing my fire.

 

"I think you and Lilith will be great friends. Opposites attract, after all." Felix said with a curl of his lip. An inside joke it seemed only he, and Lilith apparently, understood.

 

When I looked at Dimitri his expression was blank, but I got the feeling that he knew exactly what Felix was talking about. It annoyed me in an unexplainable way as to why he didn't let me in on the joke, but before we knew it Lilith was quietly saying goodbye and we were on to the next apartment, on the second floor.

Chapter Thirty Three: The Prophets Cont.

The next apartment was home to triplets. Girls named Rachel, Rachelle, and Raegen. All having bright green eyes and brown hair. They were as tall as me, and even though they were triplets, I could tell as soon as I met them that they were all completely different. Rachel preferred to be called Rach. Raegen liked to be called Rae, and Rachelle was just fine with her full name. How anyone could tell them apart, I would never know. I assumed that once you got to know them and their individual personalities better, it's easier to tell who is who.

 

The last was a pair of twin boys on the third floor, and the one boy Felix was just as surprised to meet as we were. Isaac and Isaiah. Apparently Isaac had been searching for his twin brother for about a month since he had arrived at the Haven, and he had finally found him. It was no mistaking the boys, with blonde hair and blue eyes and the exact same features, anyone could see that the brothers were meant to stand next to each other. The only difference was Isaiah preferred his nickname, Izzy.

 

Izzy was clearly the talkative one. While his brother stood quiet and brooding, Izzy went on and on and gushed when he found out who I was. Isaac was quiet and calculating, obviously much more enclosed. Especially when it came to people he didn't know, like me.

 

Once the tour was over, Maddie and Matthew went into their apartment on the fourth floor. Felix's was on the sixth, and mine and Dimitri's were on the fifth. Dimitri followed me into my apartment, which had a small loveseat surprisingly free of mold, a bathroom with running water, a tiny kitchen with a working gas stove, and a bedroom with a large king size bed in it. I hadn't experienced running water in years. I sat down on the couch, dumbfounded, Dimitri next to me. I looked at him and waited in silence for him to explain about the Prophets. He chuckled at my curious expression and nodded a few times, holding up his hands.

 

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you about them." He brought his legs up on the sofa and crossed them, now completely facing me. I did the same and smiled at him, as if to say challenge accepted. Dimitri began.

 

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed the setup here yet, but each set of siblings occupies their own floor. Aurora and Lilith are twin sisters and closest to the ground because Aurora is very, very trusting. The complete opposite of her sister who is a completely paranoid wreck living so close to where 'the undead are able to easily invade'." He shrugged.

 

"Like I said, some people have been through a lot and they don't trust the precautions we've taken. Even with a giant concrete wall surrounding them."

 

"She's the one who stacked everything against the doors downstairs?" I asked.

 

Dimitri nodded. "Part of it was her and part of it was others. Not everyone in this building is so quick to put their lives in a stranger's hands, like Aurora."

 

My mind went to Isaac, cold and cautious. I nodded, waiting for him to go on.

 

"Aurora can control the elements, earth, water, air, and fire. A lot like you except she can't produce it, only manipulate it. Often her hair changes color, a whole other ability that is a complete mystery. Usually the colors range from purple, pink, and blue. No one really knows what they mean either."

 

"Now, Lilith is altogether different. Felix wasn't kidding when he said she's your complete opposite. Just like you produce fire, she produces ice. It's obvious she's blind, but don't underestimate her.  Even though she can't see, she can sense where a person is with her exceptional hearing and feeling. She can feel a person's body heat when they're within a few miles proximity to her. Lilith's ability to feel is just like sight, only without it."

 

My complete opposite. I laughed, because the things Dimitri was telling me were so ridiculous and yet so not. I was here, experiencing it, and realizing all of it. I wanted to believe it, however strange and farfetched it sounded. Dimitri waited for me to pay attention before he kept going.

 

"Rach, Rachelle, and Rae shape shift into whatever form is necessary. They have mastered animals and are working on people. Felix believes with enough practice they should be able to change into people without difficulty. They are the only siblings who possess the exact same power as each other."

 

He paused for questions, but I remained silent, so he continued.

 

"Isaac can read minds, Izzy I've heard can move objects with his mind. Since Izzy is new here, Felix will probably teach the two of you together."

 

A muscle in Dimitri's jaw clenched when he said this, however he moved on as if it wasn't noticeable. I barely kept a smile off my face.

 

"And Matthew possesses the power of invisibility. Since he and Maddie have been trained at the Haven all their lives, they're very good at what they do. He can turn his power on and off whenever he wants."

 

"That's why he seemed to 'appear' on the stairs when we were walking." I said putting two and two together. Dimitri grinned and nodded.

 

"Exactly. But is there anything else you notice about things here, Siren?" He inquired, his expression wiped clean of all amusement.

 

My brows came together and I worked to understand what he meant, but I couldn’t find an answer. "Um, no not really."

 

Dimitri didn't seem disappointed, although he wasn't impressed either. "The ones who have abilities have siblings who also have abilities. Three sets of twins and one set of triplets, and yet here we are. Siren, we are the only two individuals who do not have a brother or a sister that have special powers like the others."

 

I blinked, my eyes widening as something from my memory began drudging itself up and out of the muddy past. "That's why Felix had been interested in my sister." I whispered, thinking back to Felix's mention of Cassandra, my long dead sibling. "He thought she might've been like me."

 

Dimitri's expression didn't change, but he reached out and took my hand, squeezing it between both of his. "For a long time he believed Prophets only existed if there was a sibling who also had unnatural abilities. When he found out about you, it made him curious, but when he found out about me, it baffled him. I'm an only child."

 

I nodded, finally understanding many bits and pieces of things Felix had once said to me. Of course he would expect Prophets to only come in related groups, it was probably the only way he found them. It made sense. That's why he wanted to track me down so badly, he was worried I would be like Dimitri and his search for Prophets would become nearly inconceivable.

 

"How many more Prophets does he want?" I asked a question I had been wondering about for a while.

 

Dimitri sighed, shaking his head. "An army."

Chapter Thirty Four: Getting To Know You

It pissed me off to no end knowing full well that we were all pawns in Felix's ridiculous mission to save the dying world. It infuriated me even more to know that we had no other choice but to stay. Felix was the only one we knew of who could teach us how to use our abilities. Most likely there were others like him out there, but it wasn't worth the risk of travel to most of us living here. We were safe here, and even though I'd traveled before, I'd lost my sister and Dimitri had been bitten. Even though I hated to admit it, the Haven was the best place to be in this world filled with the living dead.

 

I realized at about midnight when Dimitri hadn't left and he said he was going to bed soon, that he didn't have his own designated apartment. He had been assigned to live with me. I knew that this could be easily fixed and so did he, but neither of us wanted it changed.

 

Siblings could live apart or with one another. The only reason Aurora and Lilith didn't live together was because Lilith refused to live in the first apartment near the stairs, and Aurora loved the place. They lived separate by choice. Maddie and Matthew lived together, the triplets lived together, and Isaac and Izzy lived together for the time being. Odds were that Isaac would move into his own apartment now that he had found his brother. He seemed to be the type to want his own place.

 

So, even though Dimitri and I weren't siblings we were the only ones that would ever occupy the fifth floor. And, we wanted to be together. Snuggled up in the king sized bed with thick-only slightly ripped and patched-blankets on top of us, I couldn’t have wished for anything else. I fell into a quick and deep sleep, which I didn't wake up from until I heard a loud singsong voice outside of the apartment.

 

"Time to get up lazy bones!" It was Aurora.

 

I groaned, rolling over so that my face was buried in Dimitri's chest. He laughed, caressing my hair which I was positive looked like a bird's nest.

 

"Don't make me come in there!" She threatened, however I couldn't possibly imagine the bubbly Aurora to bring any harm onto us. That didn't mean I was about to ignore her.

 

I swung my legs over the bed and stood, stretching out my muscles with a few cracks. Dimitri opened the door to a smiling purple haired Aurora.  She wore the same black dress as yesterday it seemed and was once again barefoot.

 

"Up and at'em!" She said giddily.

 

I rubbed my eyes, barely keeping a yawn at bay. Dimitri and I had slept in our clothes out of habit and exhaustion, so we were pretty much ready for wherever it was she wanted to take us.

 

"Brush your teeth and comb your hair! Meet me downstairs in the lobby when you're done." Aurora ordered with relish, and skipped away.

 

"What was that about?" I asked Dimitri after he'd closed the door. He shrugged.

 

"Who knows? She's always like that."

 

I wrinkled my nose. "Really?"

He chuckled, reached out, and ruffled my already tangled hair. I squealed and went to duck away, but he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I ended up laughing as I was enveloped in Dimitri's warm, inviting embrace.

 

"C'mon, let's 'brush our teeth and comb our hair'!" Dimitri mimicked Aurora. I snorted.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

***

 

Downstairs Aurora was waiting in the lobby as promised, with Lilith on her left, Felix on her right, and the rest of the Prophets gathered around talking. Maddie was with the triplets while her brother was off with Izzy and Isaac. When Felix saw us, he smiled broadly.

 

"Sirenia, Dimitri, so glad you two could finally join us. You're not ones for keeping with time schedules are you?" He asked. There was an obvious edge to his voice.

 

I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what was making him tense. It had to do with the world beyond the Haven, that I was sure of. And considering he had all of the Prophets gathered in one place, it most likely had something to do with us too. My shoulders straightened, my fire at full attention, I ignored his snide remark and waited to hear what we were really here for.

 

Seeing as I wasn't about to take his bait, he sighed. "Well, today is your first day of training. Mr. Veksler is quite familiar with the way things work by now. He'll be put into one group with Isaac, Madrassa and Matthew, Rachael, Rachelle, and Raegen. You, Sirenia, you'll be with Lilith, Aurora, Isaiah, and myself. Lilith and Aurora will be your trainers, I am your teacher."

 

I scowled and opened my mouth to protest, but Felix waved a non-compromising hand at me. "No buts. You'll be just fine separated for a few hours. The experienced group will be off practicing, you and Isaiah will start with basic training."

 

Dimitri didn't seem to be in the mood for arguing and I had to admit that I wasn't either. He hugged me, pecked my cheek, and gave me a quick smile before splitting off with the group members Felix had given him. I stayed put, giving Felix a less than appreciative look. He shook his head, smirking.

 

"Sooner or later, you're going to have to learn to accept the decisions I make on your behalf." He said, exasperated.

 

I shrugged. Aurora clapped her hands and bounced once on the balls of her feet. "This is going to be so much fun!"

 

Felix led us to the back of the apartment complex where a sizeable grassy area waited for us, ideal for whatever training they had in mind. It was a cloudy day, the sky the color of the concrete wall I could see a few miles away from the apartments. I heard Lilith take in a sharp breath and saw her grab her sister's arm, not so much for comfort but it seemed to make sure she was really there. As if Lilith wasn't about to go on her ability to sense people alone, without any confirmation.

 

"This is a fine spot." Felix stopped us.

 

There was a car barely visible rusting away in the tall grass about ten feet ahead. Izzy cocked his head to the side.

 

"What's that for?" He asked.

 

"Practice." Lilith said to him. Her eyes were staring right at him too.

 

Izzy still looked confused, but Felix came over and patted me on the back. "Oh don't worry, you'll understand after Sirenia demonstrates."

 

My eyebrows rose. "Excuse me?"

 

"Lilith." Felix nodded to the blind girl.

 

She released her sister and stepped forward immediately at his command, still many feet away from the car and not even directly on target. She took a deep breath, outstretched her hand, and like the fire that pours from my palms, a blast of what looked like fog came shooting out of hers when she exhaled.

 

Lilith's bluish gray fog collided with the car and there was a screeching noise of metal being strained, before we could see the finished product. An old car, coated in a thick layer of ice. Completely frozen. The whole thing had taken about three seconds tops. It was one of the most astounding things I had ever seen.

 

I was surprised my eyes didn't jump out of their sockets. Izzy was staring in complete amazement, and there was a light of excitement blooming in his baby blue eyes.

 

"That was incredible!" He exclaimed.

 

Lilith ignored him, returning to stand beside Aurora. Izzy looked incredulously at each of us, his hands outstretched in front of him.

 

"How can you not be amazed by what you just saw?! How can you not think that's the most awesome thing you've ever seen?!"

 

For some reason when he said that, it pissed me off. I stepped forward and grabbed his shirt front in my fist before anyone could do anything, my nose an inch from his. "You think this is funny? You think this is all a big game and the winner gets some prize? You haven't been out in the world much, have you? You wanna know how I know? Because you don't get it."

 

Izzy's eyes had widened so much that he looked like a deer caught in headlights. He might as well be.

 

"You don't get that people are dying. That there are corpses fucking eating people out there beyond that wall, and you could give a damn! 'Let's just prance around inside this big old concrete box until the world fixes itself'. Well I have some news, it's not going to fix itself. It's going to remain one huge hellhole for a long time. It's been like that for years, and I see no reason why that would change. But you skipping around here like you're a fucking child at a carnival isn't helping anything."

 

"Scolding him for his lightheartedness isn't helping anything either." Felix interjected.

 

I whirled on him, releasing Izzy. I was out of breath after my tirade, and I knew I didn't have the energy to take on Felix. Instead I just stood there, breathing heavy and waiting for what my teacher and the two twins had to say.

 

"She has a point." Lilith agreed.

 

I stared at her, astonished she spoke and completely baffled that it was on my behalf. Aurora was looking at her sister with the same bewildered expression.

 

Lilith didn't say anything for a few seconds, not realizing we were staring at her. But when no one spoke, she did, explaining herself.

 

"Siren's right. Wandering around the Haven without a care in the world won't solve anything. Of course, neither will yelling at Izzy. But", she paused, probably waiting for someone to object.

 

"But", Lilith went on. "He's not taking this seriously", she turned in Izzy's general direction. He flinched when her blank gaze rested on him. "Your brother was very kind in risking his life to save yours. One would say Isaac was stupid for leaving safety just to rescue his twin, who was ignorant enough not to find his way back to his brother in the first place. No matter, if you don't take this seriously and pay attention, you'll be answering to me."

 

Lilith's icy cold threat hung dangerously in the air. Izzy swallowed, and I swore I could hear it.

 

Felix clapped, which made Izzy jump. Lilith was still staring at him, I noticed. "Now that that's settled, let's get continue."

 

Lilith retreated from where she stood and took my hand, leading me to stand where she had. Her touch was surprisingly warm. She released me and gestured to the frozen car.

 

"Burn it." Lilith deadpanned.

 

I rose my eyebrows. "What?"

 

"Burn it." She repeated. "Show us what you can do."

 

I didn't need any further instructions, my fire was itching to be released. I couldn't even remember the last time I used it. I outstretched my hand, stared at the car, and flames immediately poured deliciously from my palm. I let out a grateful breath, feeling the ecstasy of heat coming from my body. Steam rapidly rose from the ice as flames devoured it, until the car was cracking and sizzling.

 

"Very good. You could take out a fleet of the Dead with your made-up technique, Sirenia. I'm impressed." Felix praised.

 

My eyes narrowed, noting the compliment but also the underlying insult. "'Made-up'?"

 

Felix shrugged, folding his arms across his chest. "You never had any formal training. You're eighteen and you don't even know as much as Madrassa and Matthew."

 

"That's not my fault." I snapped at him. "How was I supposed to know there was a group of Prophets looking for me?"

 

"You couldn't." Aurora spoke up for the first time since we got outside. Her blue eyes were soft and kind, definitely not looking to stroke this conflict. "You had no idea, neither did my sister and I. We didn't know until two years ago. So don't worry, you'll catch up in no time."

 

She offered me an optimistic smile, and my temper and ego deflated a bit. I knew I was letting my emotions get the better of me. What had happened with Trenton and Dimitri's sickness was all catching up to me at once. Felix came up to me and put his arm around my shoulders. I resisted the urge to shake him off.

 

"Perhaps you need a break."

 

He led me away from the burning car and the three Prophets calmly watching us, until we came around the other side of the building where the rest of the Prophets were practicing. Dimitri was talking with Maddie as they sat on a crumbling concrete pillar that had toppled over. Maddie swinging her legs back and forth as she talked happily. She looked over Dimitri's shoulder and her face brightened when she saw us.

 

"Sirenia!" She scrambled down from the column and hugged me around the waist. She then backed up a step, still smiling. "So how was your first lesson?"

 

I hadn't really learned anything, but I returned her smile and answered with fake excitement. "It went great! I can't wait for another."

 

My false enthusiasm made Maddie's smile get even bigger. "That's awesome! Felix's a great teacher."

 

I looked at our "teacher" who smirked at me, just like the know-it-all he was. I grimaced. "Yeah, he's definitely something."

 

Dimitri sauntered over and as if it was as natural as breathing, gave me a peck on the cheek and took my hand. I felt myself blush as he led me away to sit on the pillar Maddie had vacated.

 

"So I'm guessing it didn't go as well as you'd hoped?" He asked, gently rubbing my knuckles with his thumb. It was pretty soothing, and I had to resist the urge to rest my head on his shoulder. I sighed.

 

"Yeah, sort of. Can I ask you something?"

 

He nodded, completely open to whatever I had to say.

 

"Does Lilith have a bad temper?"

 

From Dimitri's puzzled look, I knew that I had been out of my place to ask something like that. And that I was very, very wrong in my assumptions.

 

"No, usually no. Aurora does most of the talking. In all my years of being here, I've never seen her lose her cool once."

 

I pursed my lips, considering what had happened in the yard. Izzy and I must've touched a nerve that sparked Lilith's reaction. Something must've happened to her, other than the blindness and the world destroying itself. Something personal about what's been going on. Although Aurora didn't seem to show any emotion to the shouting match, maybe it bothered her and she just kept her emotions to herself. Even though I found that hard to believe.

 

Maddie and Matthew were sitting in the grass playing with a group of three puppies. I laughed, seeing the joy on their faces. "I didn't know there were many dogs around here."

 

Dimitri chuckled. "Those aren't dogs."

 

I scowled, confused. "What are you talking about? They're right-"

 

But I was cut off when I spun around and the three triplets were kneeling in the grass where the puppies where. My eyes bugged and I looked frantically at Dimitri. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

 

"Don't worry they're shape shifters, remember?" He said.

 

When I turned around again, the girls were once gone, replaced with three fluffy white bunnies. I laughed, from disbelief or amusement, I'm not sure.

 

"Siren." Aurora lilted as she came around the corner of the building, Lilith by her side.

 

Izzy followed, small icicles clinging to the ends of his hair. Felix came behind him, looking discouraged.

 

"Dimitri, Sirenia, come with me." He demanded, and with one look at each other we followed without question.

Chapter Thirty Five: Strategies

Felix took us into the Prophets' apartment building but instead of going up we went down a flight of stairs, into what can only be described as a cellar. There were jars and old wine bottles strewn around the cement floor, and there was a faint smell of must lingering in the space. There were no windows, making it nearly pitch black.

 

"Sirenia, if you will." Felix instructed.

 

I pressed my hands together, took a breath, and let a little bit of flames rush into my palms, circling each other in a beautiful eternal dance. My fire illuminated the small cellar easily, and by its glow I could see Felix and Dimitri. Felix was sitting in a chair that I wasn't too sure had been there before, running his hands through his black hair.

 

"I don't know what to think." Felix emitted sadly.

 

Dimitri and I shared a look of concern before returning our attention to our teacher.

 

"What do you mean?" Dimitri asked.

 

"I don't know what to think about our progress, as microscopic as it is." Felix answered through gritted teeth.

 

"How can you even say that?" Dimitri objected, his temper seeming to rise with every word he said. "We've made so much progress in the recent years, we can kill any of the Dead that get in our way, and you-"

 

"He doesn't want us to just kill the Dead." I interrupted, my blood running cold and the fire in my hands beginning to dim. I was suddenly realizing what Felix really had in store for us. He didn't just want his little army to kill the fleet of the undead, but he wanted us to kill his enemies for him too.

 

"He wants us to kill Cal." 

Epilogue

I sat out on the balcony of the apartment I shared with Dimitri, my legs shoved through the wrought iron bars and hanging over the edge. It was a drop that could kill, and then bring back to life. Or some version of life anyway.

 

Lilith slid the glass door away and stood just at the edge of the apartment, a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. I was beginning to get used to the luxuries we had here at the Haven. It was something I hadn't seen for years. It was wonderful to have a warm bed and a safe place to live, not having to look over your shoulder to see what's approaching to kill you every few seconds. Except, I just couldn't get the thought out of my head that there were people out there, maybe thousands that were just like us but clawing to live.

 

I remembered Kimberly and her gang, just a small group hoping to survive. Of course, pointing a gun at someone's head isn't the best way however still we're all after the same thing. Life. Survival. The hope that one day the world will go back to at least a shell of what it once was.

 

All we could do anymore was hope. Except for us, the Prophets. We had the power and the will to stop the army of the Dead from destroying the rest of the remaining world. We had the power, and Felix wasn't going to use it. Not yet.

 

"How are you?" Lilith asked from the doorway. She wasn't looking at me, because she literally couldn't. Instead her sightless blue eyes were set on the sky, which was a creamy orange color with the sun beginning to set.

 

I shrugged, even though I knew she couldn’t see that either. "As good as I'm going to get."

 

She nodded, understanding. Something had happened to Lilith in the days before the Plague, or in the very early stages of it. Something that had altered her view on the world entirely. She barely trusted anyone aside from her twin sister and our teacher, Felix. Then there was me, who I felt she was beginning to trust.

 

"Felix has been gone for a while." Lilith murmured distractedly, trailing her finger along the rim of her cup.

 

Lilith valued and even on some level loved Felix more than anyone else here. I expected he was the one who had saved her from a life of terror for a blind girl set in a world such as ours. She trusted him fully and undoubtedly. Felix had left hours beforehand with nothing more than an "I'll be back later". Most likely she had expected a more detailed explanation from Felix, but even I knew that wasn't going to happen.

 

"He'll be okay." I assured her.

 

He's Felix, of course he'll be okay-

 

The screaming started then, cutting off my string of thoughts from continuing. 

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 12.09.2013

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