Camp Hell

I sighed and kicked my feet at the pond water below me. I was at a stupid camping trip in the local park with my biology class. By camping I mean it's three minute commute to the nearest gas station and the lights of our small town still glowed in the not-so-far distance. Yeah,'camping'.

"What's wrong?"Susan Glarchkoviech, my science teacher, asked.

"Just bored, how long is this trip again?"

"We leave tomorrow in the morning.It's only one night, why don't you hang out with the other kids?"

"Because I don't like them."I am always honest, even when it ripped open old wounds raw and bleeding.

"Oh?Why?"She looked concerned and leaned down next to me.

"Because I think they are all insufferable morons."

"Morons? Now I th-"Susan was cut off when a horrorific scream shredded the stillness of the campground.

"Wha-?"I was cut off by another scream, the shrieks growing to a ear drum bursting cresendo.

Suddenly the screams stopped only to be followed by sick, wet tearing sounds and loud sobbing.

"What happened?Is everyone alright?"Susan rushed back to camp with me close on her heels.

When we got there it looked like someone took a hose and sprayed down the entire campground with bright, coppery red.The smell of fresh dead and something akin to a dead skunk being sunbaked, then microwaved for five minutes assaulted my nose. Is this some kind of fucked up joke?Props though to the drama kids who did the fake scene though.Nice job.

"Ew!What the fuck-?"I saw something move in the shadows, something big and lumbering trying to drag something else.

I took a step foreward and slipped on the slick ground, landing on my ass. When I landed the big thing jerked its head to me, revealing it's features in the dying light of the dusk sun.It's face was rotted, flesh falling off the thing's cheekbone and it's eye only a sick dribble of fluid down it's sunken face.Creamy white, fat, wriggling maggots fell out of it's bloody mouth and through the gaps were it's nose and left ear should have been.I screamed and scrambled backwards until my hand squished into something still warm.I turned around and saw the staring blue eyes of Jacob, my hand inside his ripped out stomach.I screamed, so loud that even my ears rang.I shot up and stared in horror at my attire.It wasn't mud I slipped on, it was blood. Bright crimson, sticky,hot blood.I could feel it on my entire back, my hands, my face.Oh my god it's every where!

Tears of terror rushed down my face as I looked up to see the thing from before dragging itself towards me on one leg and leaving a smear of blood and entrails behind it.I just stared at it, frozen like a stupid rabbit in stupid headlights.Just when I thought I was going to die by having that thing rip into me with it's rotted brown teeth a familiar figure stepped in front in front of me.

"Run!"Susan screamed before going down with a wet gurgle, her arterial blood squirting onto my face.

Finally my legs unfroze, and without a thought I picked up the nearest thing I could.A monkey wrench in hand I raised myself up above the feeding thing and brought it down with all my strength onto it's head.More blood washed over me like a sprinkler.

I stepped away from the dead things and slowly walked home in silence, with only the steady drip drip of blood from the monkey wrench in my hand to mark my passing.

Guests

I brought down my hammer again, driving the nail home into the wooden fence. I stopped immediatly when I heard a soft zombie moan in the distance.It's been six months since the First Night.I live by myself, my parents and little sister having long ago fallen to the Infection's chaos.When the moaning ceased I continued my work on the perimeter fence around my house.I had three lines of barbed wire and one line of razor wire along the top of the eight foot tall wrought iron fence I salvaged from the neighbors house.He didn't need it anymore.

I was currently reenforcing the fence with thick plywood I found on the movie theatre.I didn't see it being useful over there, what with the massacre and all.

"Help!Help us please!"I heard a woman shout at whoever might hear her.

"Please we need help!"A man with a husky voice yelled.

I crawled up the tower I built and surveyed what was going on. A older woman, accompanied by a young man , around 20, were running blindly in the street with a small horde of zombies behind them.Ah shit.Whatever, as long as they don't see-

"Hey!Help us!"The man shouted up at me.

"Shit."I grumbled under my breath and was about to just go inside my house, so I couldn't see them get eaten, when the scream of a small child rang out.

A little girl, about ten or so, came out of her hiding spot behind the man and started screaming, attracting more zombies.I couldn't take my eyes off her, because instead of seeing the little blonde girl I saw my little sister, a ghostly repeat of her gruesome death.

Before I could even think I jumped off the tower and ripped open the gates through my fence.

"Get your asses in here!"I yelled as I gripped my trusty baseball bat in my hands.This bat has been with me for a while, long enough for me to decorate it with barbed wire, nails and blood.

The group started to run towards me, zombies included.

"Duck!"I said before swinging full force.

The man ducked and managed to miss my deadly arch.The zombie behind him didn't. I didn't blink when the blood splattered on me, just pulled out the machete hanging on my hip and started killing more.At some point the man from before came out again and started helping me put the dead back in their place, the dirt.

After the last zombie had it's brains bashed in, I leaned on my bat taking a breather.Then I remembered the man beside me.I shot up and leveled my machete at him, bloody dripping off menacingly.

They may seem like normal survivors but they could be clever spies from the Order.The Order was a coven of crazies that have been after me under the command of their leader, the Oracle.Who was really a teacher from the school I went to who was a pervert before the First Night happened.Now he was a psychotic pervert who seemed to have a undying hard on for me.It just warmed me up inside whenever he threw his flunkies at me, making me either kill them or get dragged to that house of horrors he called a church...Not.

The scars on my arms seemed to burn ever so slightly under the tattered long sleeve I wore.

"Whoa,whoa!What the hell?"He backed up, hands in the air dropping the hammer he had.

"What do you want?"I said smoothly, studying him closely.

He looked to be in his early twenties, his skin tanned darkly with a bit of sunburn on his shoulders.His wavy dark hair was dusty and brushed the tops of his broad shoulders.His green eyes held a certain piercing yet enrapturing trait that made it seem like he was just as ready to attack me as I was him.It didn't matter to him if I had a machete, he had the look of a wary cat, ready pounce and end me at anytime.

"Wha-Nothing.We don't want anything."I cocked my head at his answer.

"Where are you from?"

"Sanfrancisco."The image of a gay pride zombie made me giggle.I don't have anything against gays though.

"What's so funny?"He asked, looking slightly alert. I recongised the look, I lowered the machete as I explained.

"I havn't snapped if you're wondering, just thinking of those flambouyant gay pride zombies."He smiled knowingly,lowerign his arms and the tension melting away.

"Ok, so can we stay here for a while?Just enough to regroup and get ready to find a new home."I thought about it because they didn't seem like the normal drugged out thugs the Order sent for me.

More people equaled more zombie bait.Also equaled less supplies and less room.But it might be entertaining to have them here for a short while.

"Sure, what hell."I shrugged and moved through the gates ushering them all inside the two story house.

This isn't funny!

I walked in my house casually, taking off my tool belt and hung it up on the back of the kitchen chair. The two females were huddled on the couch, the woman watched me warily and the girl looked up at me terrorfied.Than man stood behind me, as if ready to restrain me if I made a threatening move.

"Oh for fuck's sake, chill out.I'm not going to eat you."I groaned as I approached the two on the couch.

I looked at the girl.She was adorable, reminding me of a doll.She had dirty blonde ringlettes that hung below her shoulders and her skin looked like the finest porceline beneath the grime that covered it.Her eyes were huge green emeralds that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.When I knelt down by them the woman tensed holding the child closer and the girl looked even more terrorfied than before, like a baby chipmunk in front of a hungry cat.

I reached out and patted her head.

"Calm down,I'm not gonna hurt you chipmunk.Come here, help me make dinner while your mom gets cleaned up."I beckoned the girl closer and was pleased when she untangled herself from the woman's grip.

"O-ok."She mumbled and that little mumble seemed to shock the woman and the man behind me.

"Woman, there is a shower down the hall, it's the second door on the left.It's cold but it'll help clean off the blood."I motioned to my right, towards the hall.

"My name is-"I stopped her with a raised hand.

"I'm not interested in learning the names of the soon to be deceased.Get better then tell me."I said bluntly, making everyone gasp.

The woman, who looked like an adult version of the girl with blue eyes, looked at me in realised horror then promptly left down the hall.

"Hey, that was uncalled for.That is our mother."The man positively growled at me.

"It gave her motivation though."I said simply, before taking the girl's hand and walking into the kitchen.

The girl stared at the red stained counter and the splatters on the window curtains.

"Calm yourself, it's all clean and from long ago."I said and opened the refridgerator- now-shelf.

"Hmm, what do you want for dinner?All of you look half dead from starvation."The girl just stared at me.

"Are you deaf?Come on, what do you want for dinner? If you don't pick something I'm just going to make boiled socks."I replied to her silence.

"There is so much."She whispered, seeming to be in awe of the canned goods in the fridge.

After the First Night, I went to every house I could see that was empty and took all the supplies I possibly could.Afterall it's not like the zombies had any use of the household items anymore.

"Well, of course.I'm paranoid and can't stand the look of a empty fridge." I don't know what I said but she suddenly burst into tears, causing the man to rush into the room.

"What did you do?"He hissed at me.

"I don't know.I just said that I was paranoid and couldn't stand the sight of an empty fridge."I snapped back, ready to strike out.

"Why are you not sad, or scared?"The girl asked between hiccuping gasps, catching me off guard.

"Why should I be?"I asked confused.

"Why?Because of those zombies outside!"The man looked at me disbelieving.

"But they're outside.I have no reason to be sad or scared if they are outside and I'm inside."I cocked a brow.

"But what if-"

"There is no what if.Now what do you want for dinner?I have all this and apples,and blackberries in the garden."I asked again.

There was silence for a beat before the little girl walked up to me and motioned me to kneel to her hieght.

"Can I have a apple?"She looked nervous at me, staring at her feet.

"Only an apple for dinner?No way!You have to have something else with it.Hmm, how about a can of chili with cooked veggies,ok?After that you can have an apple."She looked at me and started crying again causing me to whir back in bewilderment.

"Wha?I didn't do anything!Why are you-"She cut me off with a tight hug.

"Thank you!"I was beyond confused and looked up at the man who looked at first shocked then saw my face.

And chuckled.

"You!This isn't funny!Wha-"Then the woman came in, looking much better,took one look at me and started laughing too.

"Shut up!This isn't funny!"I growled embaressed.

Deer in the Garden

I woke in the earliest hours of the day, barely still considered morning, to the shriek that rang through the house.

"Huh, what the fuck?"I grabbed my hammer, machete and bat before walking downstairs from the attic.

When I reached the bottom stair the kid slammed into me.

"Ah!What the hell kid?"I snapped.

"I saw a-a-a-"I slapped a hand over her mouth with my hand.

"If you can't speak without stuttering don't speak at all.Now take a deep breath and tell me what happened."I removed my hand.

It was comical watching her try to catch her breath when she was absolutely bursting with whatever she wanted to say.Finally she calmed down enough to take the deep breath I wanted her to.

"I saw a mommy and daddy deer!In the back yard garden!"She looked so excited, like she had discovered some new form of life.

Most of the animals around here had ran away after the First Night so I'm not too surprised that she was so excited.However that doesn't mean much aside from fresh meat on the table.

"They had a baby with it too!It was so cute and-and-"

"Girl if you keep chattering like that your going to pass out."I laughed as I pulled us up from the floor.

I smiled at her before turning towards the kitchen to make breakfast.Her little hand on my shirt stopped me though.I looked down at her when she tugged again at the hem of the ratty, torn grey shirt.

"What's your name?"She asked, her blue eyes shining up at me.

"Hmm, I don't know."I said,for some reason beyond my understanding.

"Huh, do you not remember?"She cocked her head, making her look even more adorable than before.

"No, it's just, I don't feel like the person who had the name.I'm not her anymore, I'm not anyone I used to know anymore.If that makes sense."I said looking off in the distance, a grimance starting to curl at the corners of my lips.

"Not really...Can I give you a name?"The girl asked, excited over the prospect of naming someone, like I was some kind of pet.

"Sure, if you tell me your name first."I said smartly, smiling gently.

"I'm Iris."

"Pretty name for a beautiful girl."I said and pinched her cheek lovingly.

"Hey!That's not nice!"I laughed at her flustered face.

"Well, what's my name Iris?"I smiled as I said it, my cheeks hurting from smiling so much recently.

"Hmmm.I don't know, I'll have to think about it."She looked thoughtful.

"Ok, how about in the meantime how about we have breakfast."She brightened, her eyes possitively glowing.

"Yeah!"I smiled and as I moved something caught my eye from the window.

It was an adult doe staring right at me,it's big huge eyes oddly colored like mine.One brown and one blue, before it rounded up her child and husband and disappeared into the brush.

Death and Pancakes

I was in the kitchen, busy whisking the pancake mix with the water when someone tapped my shoulder.I was so shocked that my fork went flying with a blob of goo right into their face.

"Ugh!What the hell?"The man shouted wiping the sticky goo from his face.

"Oh!Sorry, actually no I'm not."I laughed in his face as I set down the bowl and went to get a rag.

"Why did we have to be saved by a pain in the ass?"He groaned rubbing his temples.

"Well soo sorry your highness.Maybe next time you'll get rescued by a dashing prince who gives a damn.Here wipe your face with this."I said cheekily as I handed him a rag.

"Where's Iri?"The man asked, his words slightly muffled by the rag over his face.

"Iri?Oh, you mean Iris.Yeah, she's in the back garden.She just loves that apple tree."I smiled as I finished cleaning up the last of the spill.

"Good, listen I have to tell you something."

"Oh goody is this a confession?If it is I must say that my life is very complicated right now, I'm not sur-"His large hands suddenly engulfed my lips, silencing my snarky replay.

"Can you shut up?This is serious, pay attention you-ow!"He jerked his hand away when I bit his palm.

"I normally don't do serious this early in the morning...But I'll listen this once."I said and stoked the fire in the woodstove I hauled in here about a month ago.

He was silent as he sat down in a chair to watch me grab a pan and set it on the stove top to heat up.It was when I was pouring the batter did he speak again.

"Before I tell you please promise to keep protecting Iri.No matter what."His green eyes looked up at me, defeated and pleading.

"I already love her like she was my own.Consider your promise a fact."I said solemly, knowing what his dreadful news was.

"Thank you.It's about my mother.She has-She is-She's been bitten.And she's turning."I flipped one of the four pancakes only to burn it black.

"I know."

"How did you know?"He asked disbelieving.

"I've seen the Fever before. Up close when it killed my mother and then my father to the madness of losing her."I replied my grip on the pan tightening until the knuckles of my hand were white.

"So?"He asked me.

"So what?"I flipped the other two large ones and the small pancake and all of them were a nice golden brown.

"What are we going to do?"I thought for a moment, putting the finished pancakes on a plate and pouring more in the pan.

"Well we could kill her now so she won't become a zombie.OR we can put a bullet in her skull when she's undead.To bad the bite isn't anywhere we can amputate.Oh well."I said recalling the red weeping on the side of the older woman's shirt when they first came.

"Oh well?OH WELL!That's my mother and all you say is 'oh well'?"He shouted, standing so fast that the chair fell to the floor with a crash.

I said nothing, just stared at him until he could get a hold of himself again.I sighed as I flipped the pancakes again.The silence was deafening.Only the sizzling of the pan and the quiet sobs from the man could be heard.I served a huge plate of six pancakes to the man, before slamming the syrup on the table in front of him.It seemed to jolt him back to reality as he just stared at the steaming pancakes.

"Hey I would eat those soon.Pancakes from mix are not that good cold."I said and shoved a fork in his hand.

He nodded and slowly picked up the chair and sat down.

"Coffee?"I asked as I poured myself a cup.

"Yeah."He said quietly.

"Here.Now about your mother."I said and put the hot mug in his hand.

"What am I going to do?What am I going to tell Iri.'Sorry Iri but we had to kill mom because she was going to eat us.'That's so fucked.This is so fucked up!"He ate a bite of the pancake then rested his head in his palms, elbows on the table.

"Yeah, life's fucked up.Always has been, always will be.But sometimes we can make it a little less shitty.I will do you one favor."

He looked up at me for the first time since losing it.His eyes made my heart hurt for the first time in a long time.The looked so dull and desolate.Dark circles hung under his eyes and dried up tear tracks down his face made me realise how long he's known about his mom.Those were eyes of the living dead.Like mine.Glassy and hopeless, like your just waiting for the next kick in the ribs.

"I can kill her for you."

"I-I shouldn't take your offer, but I-I can't!I-"I shushed him with my finger against his lips.

"I know.But let me help.It's understandable if you can't kill your own mother."I said lightly and moved back to flip the pancakes.

"Thank you."He said so softly I could barely hear him.

"Yeah, no problem.Watch the pancakes will you?I don't want them to burn."I said nodding to him before moving towards to back garden.

"Hey,my name is Aaron."He called after me.

"Well, I don't have a name yet, but I'll keep you updated."I smiled sorrowfully before turning away.

Walking down the hall with the hot mug of instant coffee in my hands I stopped for a moment just outside the glass door and watched Iri hop up and down trying to get an apple.When she noticed me she waved.I waved back cheerily as if I wasn't about to murder her mother.I stared at the hand that waved to her.It was bright red from the heat of the mug.I knew that but somehow it looked like it was already stained with blood.

My fair lady

I opened the door slowly before walking up to Iris by the apple tree.

"Hey Iri."She ceased she jumping to smile at me.

"Hi Persephone!"I blinked at the name.

"Is that my name?"

"Yeah!I read about it when I was in school.Persephone is the goddess of spring but her husband is Hades, the god of death.She would go to the underworld for winter but she would come back every spring."

"Whoa, that's some intense stuff to learn in third grade."She blushed and started staring at her toes.

"I really like to read."

"Well we have tons of books you can read if you'd like.And thank you for the name Iri.I'll treasure it and try to live up to it."

"Good!"She smiled brightly before spinning away to jump for the apples again.

I picked one and gave it to her.As she ate it I studied her, drinking in her joy over and apple and her smiles.My thoughts turned dark.Soon she will be crying, and possibly hate me.Sometimes I hate my life.

"Hey Iri do you like to sing?"I asked suddenly.

"Yeah!I love to sing!"

"Do you know the song London Bridge?"

"Yeah!"She smiled wide, her eyes sparkling.

"Can you do me a favor kid?"

"What?"

"Can you sing the whole song as long as you can until I come back?"

"Where are you going?"She looked worried as she gripped my shirt.

"Nowhere.I'm just going inside to take care of something.Now sit down, cover your ears and sing.Please sweetheart.For me.This once?"She looked hesitant but eventually nodded and sat down at the base of the tree.

"Thanks sweetie."I said and walked inside.

I could hear her sweet voice floating through the hall as I stalked up the stairs.Aaron looked up at me grateful but with shame tinging his expressive eyes.

"London bring is falling down, falling down, falling down.London Bridge is..."I reached the room where Aaron and Iris's mother rested.

She looked dead already.Her skin a pastly yellow and her eyes sunken in.Veins pulsed weakly and glaringly against the pale skin.She was nothing but skin and bones.Amazing what the Fever will do to you in a day or so.

Her raspy breath drew my attention to her face.She looked like a skull that someone stretched skin over.Her hair was sparse and I could see her milky blind blue eyes.

"Who is there?"

"It's me."I said to her weak voice.

"Ah,so it's that time is it?"She asked resigned.

"Yes it is."I said as I approached the bed, picking up a pillow.

"Before you kill me, can I ask you two things?"

"Sure why not?"I sat beside her on the bed, the same bed my mother died on.

"Why did you stop me from saying my name?"She asked and strained to sit up to face me.

"Because I knew that I would kill you.It's easier to kill someone when you don't know them."I said simply.

"I see.One more thing, will you take care of my children?Aaron and Iris?Please."She begged me, tears falling from her unseeing eyes as she grabbed my shirt sleeve with surprising strength.

"If they will let me after this."I said softly.

"Thank you.Will you open the window?I'd like to smell fresh air one last time."She sank down into the mattress, as if talking had taken the last of her energy.

"Ok."I stood up and opened the window that looked over the garden.

"Build it up with mud and sticks, mud and sticks, mud and sticks.Build it up with mud and sticks, my fair lady.Mud and sticks will wash away, wash away, wash away.Mud and sticks will wash away my fair lady..."Iri's voice floated up into the room.

"Is that Iris?So lovely."The woman from the bed whispered and smiled weakly.

"Build it up with brick and stone, brick and stone, brick and stone.Build it up with brick and stone, my fair lady.Brick and stone will crumble away, crumble away, crumble away.Brick and stone with crumble away my fair lady..."I slowly walked acrossed the room towards the bed.

"Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel.Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady.Iron and steel will bend and bow, bend and bow, bend and bow.Iron and steel will bend and bow my fair lady..."I picked up the pillow and stood by the woman's head.

"Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold,silver and gold.Build it up with silver and gold, my fairlady.Silver and gold will be stolen away, stolen away, stolen away.Silver and gold will be stolen away..."I put the pillow over the woman's,no,Iri's mother's, face and held it there.She fought back weakly and instinctively but I still held it there until finally she stopped moving.

"My fair lady..."I whispered as a tear fell on my hand.

I hate you.I love you.(WARNING: intense is all i can say about this chapter)

I didn't look at them when I came back down,the scars on my arm burning accusingly.I couldn't even face Iris when she came inside the house and her brother stood there with solemn gratitude.I just walked past them and then ran as fast as I could away from the house.

"Mommy!"I could hear Iri's shriek resound from inside the house.

I just kept running heading for somewhere safe and quiet.I didn't think killing that woman would bring it all back,killing the Order's men didn't before.The night where everything was stained red and my world was changed forever.It wasn't even the First Night that changed everything.I survived the change that rocked the world but that night.That night were everything went to hell.The night when I killed my mother and father and watched my little sister die.

flashback

I was drying the apple slices outside when a small object collided with my knees causing me to fall on my face in the dirt.

"Serenity!What are you doing!Are you trying to kill me?"I growled at my younger sister who just giggled at me.

Her large brown eyes looked up at me with mischief as she reached over and stuffed a slice of dried apple in her mouth so fast I couldn't even say don't.

"You look like a chipmunk with your little cheeks so full."I chuckled as I grabbed the ten year old and started to mercilessly tickle her sides.Her sweet laughter filled the air and sounded more beautiful than wedding bells.

"Why are you so mean?I was only having fun!"She puffed out her cheeks at me even more in frustration, trying to contain her freed laughter.

"Well,let's see.One; I'm your older sister so it's my job to be mean to you.Two; I'm not mean your just a sourpuss."I grinned as she freckled cheeks got so red her freckles disappeared.

"Fine!I'm not talking to you!"I laughed at her childishness, momentarily forgetting what the world had come to.

"Ok then."I smirked and started slicing up more apples.After a few seconds she spoke again.

"Hey, when do you think mom's going to get better?"My smirked lips pulled into a grimance as I thought about mom.

Two days ago when she went to get supplies something happened and dad had kept her locked up in their room.I hear her moans and soft cries at night.Those cries sound like the undead, and that mere thought is enough to stop my heart in terror.

"I don't know sweetie.I don't know."I sighed.

"Well,I know she'll get better.I know she will and when she does she will make that yummy apple pie she promised us."Serenity smiled brightly.

"Yeah, of course she will, chipmunk."I laughed and gave Serenity a noogie.

Then the back door slammed open.

"Where is she!Where is that brat!"I steeled myself against our father's rage as Serenity hid behind me.

Our dad used to be a fair man.He would always listen to each side of the story before passing judgement.He would be our knight in shining armor, even when we didn't need it.However, ever since the First Night he would drink himself into a stupor and then get violently angry.But recently, ever since mom got locked away, he became even more so.Now I don't even recognise the man in front of me as my father.Just a violent,angry and dangerous drunk that needed to be handled with care.

"What are you talking about?Your drunk again.Please go back inside and I'll make some food."I said before he charged up to me and backhanded me.

"Say that again bitch and I'll kill you I swear."

"Calm down Dad.Please just go-"I was cut short when he hit me,knocking me to the ground, with a rusted metal pipe.

The make-shift club made me see stars as the world spun around me.My vision started turning black around the edges as I watched horrorfied at what my father was doing.He rounded on Serenity and dug the knife I used to slice the apples into her small arm.Her blood fell to the ground and the sounds of the hungry dead rose to a deafening crescendo.I managed to grip onto our father's shoe in hopes of stopping him.

"No!Stop!Stop it!Please!I beg you!Don't.DON'T!PLE-"

This time it was my blood that hit the ground as he kicked away my hand, then my head, then my body.I couldn't move, coughing up blood.I could barely see but I can never forget the image that seared white hot into my eyes.I couldn't do anything but scream past the blood in my mouth when Serenity was thrown over the fence.

Into the ravenous hord of undead.

I threw up everything in my stomache when the first spurt of blood shot into the air. I strain to tear my head away from the horror unfolding in front of me.With every sickening snap and crunch I heard I dry heaved until I couldn't breathe.My eyes burned with the unstoppable tears that seemed to permantly stain my face.My vision blurred but I couldn't look away until I finally fainted into darkness, the sounds of her gurgling cries still in my ears.

When I woke a little while later there was nothing left of Serenity except a few shattered bones and a puddle of blood.I dry heaved painfully as tears stung my eyes.That bastard!That Bitch!THAT MURDERER!!!

I was suddenly holding the very knife that was used on Serenity in front of the kitchen room door were that man resided.

I felt different, like I wasn't really there.No more like someone else was controlling a body I happened to be in.I was here, nor was I there.I was just watching a movie in first person.

I walked in quietly, observing him drink down the vodka.I managed to get right next to him before he noticed me.

"Whachta do ya whant ya fookin whore?"His words were slurred and I could practically taste the alchohal on his breath.

I just stared at him for a moment.

"I hate you."That was all I was able to say before I stabbed his shoulder.Blood spurted acrossed the room.

"Arghh!!You slut!I'll get you for this!Fuckin bitch!"He choked as he ripped the knife out and threw it on the ground.

As I knelt and picked up the bloody knife he stumbled out of the room.I followed him slowly almost like I was in a trance or a dream.Or some aweful nightmare.

"I hate you.I hate you.I hate you.I hate you.I hate you."I kept saying that as I stalked him down the hall.It was as if I didn't know any other words to say.Just over and over and over until the chant became a white noise in my head.

I opened the living room door were I saw that man hunched over the chair.I kicked the side of his knee brutally, smashing his knee cap to bits.He opened his mouth in a scream but all I could hear was my mantra over and over again.

"I hate you.I hate you.I hate you."I kicked his wounded shoulder causing him to collapse on the ground on his stomache.

"I hate you,I hate you, I hate you."I stomped on his hands, breaking the fingers and delicate wrist bones with wet snaps.

"I hate you.I hate you.I hate you."I saddled his back and used his dark hair to yank his head back, exposing his throat.

"I hate you."I drew my knife acrossed his throat.

Blood gushed out in a misty red rain that covered me head to toe.I listened,feeling satesfied with his wet gurgling and choked off screams.

Then, after a while, everything was quiet.The soft creaking of floorboards could be heard from my mother's room and then a moan of the damned's hunger.

"There's one more thing to take care of."I whispered to myself.

I got up and went to the shed outside where the tools were stored.I picked up the bat from the corner and made my way up to my mother's room.

When I opened the door she was standing lifelessly in front of the bed, staring at it with milky brown eyes that saw nothing.The creaks of the floorboards beneath my feet made my mother snap her head towards me, the sounds of dead flesh and bone moving sending a shiver down my back.

"Graghck!"She uttered a gruttal moan before shifting towards me.

My bat made contact with her temple before I could blink.Her skull fractured and splintered apart.Her body,brains and blood falling in a final death on the bed, staining the white sheets a deep unwashable red.

"I'm sorry Serenity.I'm sorry mom.I'm so sorry."I whispered lifelessly.

The sound of the bat falling from my grasp onto the wooden floor made me wake up from the trance I was in, making me realise what I had done and what had happened.

"I love you."I sobbed almost mute before and scream unlike any other rang throughout the darkness.

A scream of eternal agony and torment.

How Cliche

Present

I shook my head when the first rain drop fell on my head,sinking through my hair to chill my scalp.How long have I been here,locked inside my nightmarish memories?Replayng every human life I've taken, the Order's people,Iri's mother, my father.

I glanced down at my arms, at the horizontal scars that I often covered with long sleeves and forgot.One scar for each and every human life I took.All twenty two, no, twenty three now.A red welling wound that I couldn't feel dug savagely into my forearm when I still trapped inside my head.Blood stained my entire forearm and my hands, bright red and still fresh.Blood they say is the currancy of the soul.If so,I will pay the price it takes when I steal the currancy of another.

I was in a abandoned tree house.A pretty well built one by the looks of it.I stroked the scuffed wood, trying to imagine the good memories worn into it's surface.I wanted to soak them up, drown in them.I wanted to suffocate in them and never wake up because there had to be more than this curse of death.

I looked up to the sky,my arms wrapped around my huddled knees.I can't even remember my mother's smile,or my father's laugh or even the feel of my sister's little arms around my waist.What's the point of this life?Are we just meant to be born screaming, grow suffering, then die defeated and alone?Why am I still breathing?Why do I still wake up?What is the fucking meaning of this?

"Why?"I said out loud.

Noone answered.

I'm all alone here, stuck in a tree in the rain.At least the zombies were sleeping or whatever dead things do in the rain.They don't like the rain or something, so they hide away somewhere when it does.How pathetic.

"-ercy!"My head jerked at the familiar voice.

"Who?"It couldn't possibly be him,if it was this was going to be one of the biggest cliches of my life.

"PERCY!Percy can you hear me?!"Aaron's voice rang out from below me.

I didn't respond but I scanned the area until I found him.He looked so...worried.His green eyes squinted in the rain as it pelted him.His shaggy overgrown brown hair clung to his face and his overcoat was drenched.

"Percy!Where are you?"He shouted, getting closer to the tree fort.

"I'm right here."I tried to speak but my voice didn't sound right, as if every word was being strangled.

At first I didn't think he heard me because he turned away.I felt so drained I couldn't even muster the energy to call out again.I dipped my head back down to stare at my feet.

"There you are Percy."I was so startled by the nearness of Aaron's voice that I jumped and lost my balance.

I tried to grab onto the wood flooring but it was too slippery and I fell.I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable landing.Only to be enveloped in warmth.

"Wha?"I croaked and looked up to see Aaron's relieved face.

"Thank God I found you.Geezus what happened to your arm?Nevermind, we need to get you home."I couldn't respond as he held me tight to his chest, his face burrowing into my neck and wet hair.

It felt strange to be held like this.It almost felt like he was desperate to feel me,as if I was a illusion that could disappear at any moment.

"Wh-why?"I tried to speak again only to be hushed by Aaron.

"Shut up Percy.Here, get on my back."He moved me on his back, piggy-back style, as if I wieghed nothing.

I felt something cover me but I was too tired to even glance at what it was.As Aaron started to walk, the rocking motion made my eyelids heavy.Only one thought flew threw my head before I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

'How cliche.'

 

Finally warm

I woke feeling like shit.My head pounded and my body felt weak.Everything I tried to do seemed slow and sluggish.I tried to get up but suddenly my world spun and my vision got grey around the edges.

"Ugh,what happened?"I moaned and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"You caught a cold."My head snapped up to the voice, startled.

"Aaron?"I rasped passed the sudden tickle in my throat.

"Yeah.You scared us pretty bad."For some reason his voice sounded tight and his body looked tense.

"Well sorry I guess.I wasn't gone that long."I mumbled somehow feeling scolded under his gaze.

"You were gone two days.And when I finally found you you looked half dead with cold and hunger and covered in your own blood."

"I was gone for two days?"I stared at him shocked.

"I should have never taken you up on your offer.I shouldn't have been so wea-"I raise my hand to shut him up.

"Don't you fucking dare say that.Don't ever say that.Ever."We stared silent at each other for a moment before he spoke.

"Ok.But what happened?Did she say something or..."He looked so desperate to help me it made my chest ache.

"No,no.It's just-It's a long story."He walked towards me from the chair in the corner of the room, and grabbed one of my hands in his.

"Please Percy.Please."I stared at his hands, knowing that if I looked at his eyes I would start crying like a fool.

"Ok.Ok.Just don't talk until I'm finished ok?"

"Ok."I took a deep breath to muster up the courage to say the words and looked him right in the eye.

"About a month after the First Night..."I kept speaking even as hot tears started rolling down my cheeks and my voice grew hoarse.

When I finished I tried so hard to hold back the sobbed that threatened to escape my chest.I huddled into myself, trying so hard to shrink and disapear.I couldn't help but feel alone and cold whenever I thought about that bloody night.

But then Aaron surprised me once again.He wrapped his arms around my shaking shoulders and just held me.He didn't speak or even murmur condolences.He just held me, supporting me.Protecting me from the nightmares in my head.

"Thank you."I said when I could finally speak again.

"No, thank you."I could feel his responce through his chest.

It was silent for a moment before he spoke up again.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"He whispered, softly like he was afraid to ask.

I hesitated before nodding numbly, clinging a bit closer to him, fingers wrinkling his ragged blue shirt.

"How did you get these scars?"He asked, running his hands over the rows of horizontal scars that ran down my arms.

I looked at them, all twenty three of them.Each delibrately spaced and deeply dug.Each like a tombstone for what I stole away.The first one was the most ragged, engraved with my hatred.The second was the most deep, dug with my sorrow.The rest were of a mindless compulsion to mark myself in a never fading way.The first ones placed high on my shoulder were the whitest from age and as the ran down they turned pinker and pinker until the most recent one still bled beneath the new gauze.

"I did them."I said quietly, recalling the blood shed, the look of realised horror and the dying light in those eyes that hunted me in my dreams.

"Why?"

"A scar for each human life I took.A token to remind me that I'm still alive and they are not."I didn't look at him for a while, afraid of what I would see in his eyes.

Would he be disgusted with me?Horrorfied that I had so much blood stained on my hands?What would he do?Would he hate me?

My heart stilled for a moment at that last thought.For some reason my heart felt so hurt, like I could cry at the very thought.Why though?Why do I care if he hates me?Why does it scare me that he might?

"Look at me Percy."I shook my head in childish defiance, suddenly terrorfied.

One of his arms left from it's comforting embrace around me.He hates me, pulling away from me.Like I was going to stain him with the blood so caked on my skin that it should be pitch black.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look up into his eyes.They looked like dark green wells, glittering with something that I couldn't identify.Something maleviolent, however not directed at me, and gentle that made my chest swell foreignly.They looked so dark,almost black, and seemed to swallow me whole.

Slowly and cautiously, like I was a wounded doe, he leaned forward.He was so close to my lips that I could feel his breath tickle my skin.Was he going to kiss me?Even after I admitted to that?My heart was beating so fast as he got even closer and gently pressed his lips to my forehead.He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to.With that one kiss I knew that he didn't care that I murdered twenty three people.Just that I was here now.I snuggled closer to him as his arm wrapped around my middle again.

He felt so warm, where as I felt like living frost bite.And not his physical heat, there was something that I've been missing since my family died.A special kind of warmth found only in life.I wanted to latch on to his warmth and never let go.

"Your so warm."I murmured as I nuzzled closer to his chest.

"Are you cold?I could grab another blanket if you want."He made a move to let go but I clutched to him harder.

"No!...No.Please can you just hold me?Just until I fall asleep again.Please?"I don't know why I was acting so oddly.I felt insecure and lonely.

And so cold.

"Yeah."He laid us down on the bed, instead of us sitting up.

"Here, is this ok?"He asked.

"Yeah."I don't know how long we stayed like that, just listening to each other's breathing, before there was a knock at the door.

"Iri?"I called out.

"Percy?Aaron?Can I come in?"Her little voice whimpered from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, come on in."Aaron said after I nodded to him.

As the door creaked open her little face peaked through.Her big green eyes looked like wet emeralds as she sniffled and walked in.She kept walking until she was standing in front of the foot of the bed.

"What's wrong sweetie?"I asked when she remained silent.

"Are you mad at me Percy?"She squeaked and looked down at her feet.

"No,no I'm not mad at you Iris."I said softly, a feeling of guilt stabbing at me.

"C-c-can I sleep with you?"She stuttered as her feet wore into the carpet floor.

"Yes sweetheart, of course you can.Did you have a nightmare?"I asked.

"Y-yeah.I dreamed that you got sick and died.An-and that brother ran away because you died."She sniffed patheticly as she crawled in between Aaron and I.

"I would never abandon you Iri.Never."Aaron growled protectively.

"You sound like a bear when you do that Aaron."I giggled lightly, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah he does.You do!"Iris joined me in the giggling.

"Well I guess someone has to be papa bear around here."He gruffed, trying to hide the slight tinge of red on his cheeks.

"I suppose so."I smiled up at him.

"Yeah!And I'll be baby bear and Percy can be mama bear!"My smile grew wider when Iri said that.

"And as my first command as mama bear I say that it's way past bed time!So go to sleep."I said in a fake authoritive voice.

"Ok,if you give us a goodnight kiss."Iri cheered.

"Of course sweetheart."I kissed her forehead, trying to push all the warmth and love I could in to it.

"What about mine?Doesn't papa bear get one too?"Aaron's words made my head snap up in shock, a deep red blush burning my cheeks.

"Wha-I don't think-"I was cut off by the grin on Aaron's face.

That slow smirk made my heart flip unexpectedly and my cheeks burn hotter.When he leaned closer I started to panic.

"What are you-"His finger to my lips shut me up.

"Shh, you'll wake up Iris."I looked down and sure enough Iri was fast asleep between us, breathing deeply.

"Oh, sorr-"My words were swallowed by Aaron's kiss.

I thought my heart was going to either burst or leap out of my chest.What was he doing?

When he release me he smiled before his face turned serious.

"What?"I asked softly.

"Promise me...Promise me that you will never run off like that again."I blinked.

"Why?"

"Because I don't think Iris or I can handle losing you again."I looked into his emerald eyes shocked.

"I- I promise to at least tell you before I go.I can't see the future so I can't promise that I might not run off again.But I can promise that I will tell you before I go."I said solemly.

"Ok, now go to sleep 'mama bear'."He smiled before resting his head and falling asleep almost imediatly.

"Ok 'papa bear'."I relaxed and took a moment to examine the 'bears' that were fast asleep before me.

I looked at them and realised that I didn't want them to leave.They were my family, which is rediculous to think beccause we've only known each other for less than a week.However, somehow I couldn't imagine my life without them being anything but cold and lonely.

I closed my eyes and for once didn't have any nightmares.I wonder if it's because I finally feel warm.

Apples

I woke just as the night sky turned pink in a empty bed.For a moment I paniced.

'Was it all a dream?Where is Aaron?And Iris?' My heart thudded in my chest until my hands felt the redisue heat of someone.The relief I felt was so potent it was painful.It wasn't a bitter-sweet dream.It was real.It was real?It was REAL?!

My fingers immediatly touched my lips as my cheeks developed that now familar burn.He stole my first kiss.Yep that's right miss badass is a virgin.I laughed at the contradicton that I'm made up of.I'm not all dainty or modest.I've flirted and dirty danced before The First Night.A few times so hot and heavy that even I'm surprised I'm still havn't had my cherry popped.It just never happened, not even a kiss.Until now that is.

Somehow that feels pathetic and admirable for a 17 year old.

I rolled over and hopped out of bed.I have never felt better.Not only my body, but also my spirit felt refreshed.I felt wieghtless.I rolled my shoulders and changed clothes.Off went the clothes from yesterday and on a old coca cola shirt,careful to mind the raw wound, and a pair of black sweats.I looked in the mirror for the first time in a long time and studied myself.

Shiny dark chesnut hair was cropped short, just barely able to be held back in a poneytail.Right now my hair was all over the place in spikey bedhead, framing my sun tanned face.My skin was suntanned from the sunlight beating on me when I was building,the revealed scars pearly and pinkish white.My cheeks were tinged pink and it took me a moment to realise that my eyes looked like that.They shined brightly,one brown and one blue.They practicly glowed with a deep seated satesfaction and happiness.

I looked happy.

My stomache growled when the smell of chili reached my nose.I tip toed down the stairs to find Aaron making food.I walked up beside him and wrapped my arms around him.

"You can cook?"I smirked.

"Good afternoon mama bear."I tried to hide my face as it turned beet red.

I could feel his rumble of laughter in his chest.I felt so tiny next to his towering 6'2".But I didn't mind, which was odd.I felt safe,warm and protected when I was near him.

"Where is Iri?"I turned my face towards him once I got my blush under control.

"She's visiting mom."He said, the under current of sorrow in his voice.

"I'm sorry."I said putting a hand on top of his heart, as if I could physically soothe it.

"No, thank you.Thank you."He took the hand on his chest and held it to his lips before squeezing it gently.

"Is it alright if I ask what did you do with her?"I softly spoke, squeezing his hand back.

"Yeah, I burned her and tossed the ashes in the little creek in the park.Iris made her a memorial by the apple tree."

"I see.Why does she love that tree so much?"I wondered out loud, releasing him so he could continue cooking.

"Our mom always loved apples and so does she."I watched him cook from the table as I considered his answer.

"Ah,what was her name?"

"Stephanie Jasmine Holst-Black."I nodded.

"What was your dad's name?"

"Joseph Henry Black."I nodded again and fell silent thinking.

Now that it looked like Aaron and Iris would be staying for a while we would have to go out for more supplies.Not only are there zombies but there are also The Order's zealots going around.The Order is a religous group that had risen about a month after the First Night.They believed that the damned become zombies and that everyone was born damned so they needed to repent before they died.The leader is a ex highschool teacher nut job called The Oracle.His real name was Marton Fin.He's had one fucked up desire for me for a while, ever since I snubbed his invite to be the 'priestess'.If I get caught by his cronies he might kill me or worst.If Aaron or Iris got caught they'd probably be given an ultimatum; join them or go on the kill list.

I woke from my train of thought when warm lips covered my own.My heart thudded in my ears after he pulled away, the shock fading.Unfortunately my blush returned full force.Why am I always blushing around him?

"What was that for papa bear?"I smiled up at him curiously.

"You looked worried about something.Penny for your thoughts?"He said serving up three bowls,two large and one small, of chili.

"Oh,I was just thinking about supplies."I responded standing up.

"Should we make a run soon?"He asked rinsing the pot.

"I don't now.I'm gonna get Iris for dinner."

"Ok."He said distracted with washing out the pot.

I snuck up behind him and just as he noticed me I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, by his lips.He looked down at me with a look of heat and surprise.I smirked when I noticed the red stain on his cheeks.

And without another word I walked out the door.

Grave marker

I found Iris right were Aaron said she would be.I watched for a moment as she cried softly by the plain wooden plank with her mother's name written on it with sharpie.A dandelion bouquet was placed beside the gravemarker along with an apple. 

"Ma-ma.I-hic-miss you.I'm -hic- really happy here.I-hic-I just wish- hic- you could still be here."Iris said between hicupping tears.

My eyes watered at the nostalgic sight and for a moment I remembered the lonely cremation of what was left of my family.I shook my head roughly before walking towards the crying girl.She didn't notice me until I wiped away her tears.She looked up at me startled.

"Now explain to me why a pretty girl like you is crying?"I said in a playful comforting tone.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it shaking her head before leaping at me.

"P-p-please!Don't leave again Percy!Please don't leave me again!Please!"She wailed in my arms, her tears soaking my shirt.

I could practically hear her wounded heart crying in her chest and it made my own ache.I didn't say anything while I held her.I just rocked her softly until her red rimmed eyes slowly grew heavy and closed in exhaustion.I wiped away the tears on her cheeks and kissed her forehead, my heart feeling sore and bittersweet after seeing her hysterical tears.I stood up slowly, curling the child to my breast to hold her.She felt so small in my arms, so tiny and weak, yet...I couldn't think of another person that made my heart feel this way.Mothering and soft.

I recalled Aaron's kisses and my cheeks heated slightly.While Iris made me feel warm, and maternal, Aaron made my heart skip a beat.I didn't need him but I couldn't be without him..He didn't need me either, yet he stayed here with me.He wasn't here because he was desperate for shelter.He could have left since long ago and we both knew that.He had the perfect oppertunity to raid me and leave me for dead after I ran.But he didn't, in fact he hunted me down and took me home.He made me feel like I was female again instead of just a person surviving a nightmare.He made me see him as male instead of a threat to my own safety like other strangers did.I-oh shit!

My eyes widened in horror as a realization hit me like brick to the head.If things go on the way they are with Aaron I could lose my virginity.I don't mind that actually but the possible pregnancy from such an action could wind up fatal.Birth control wasn't as easy to come by anymore and abortions were impossible.Raising a baby would also be incredibly hard. Caring for the infant would require that I remain stationary and would be unable to move efficiently if a crisis arised.Plus there was noone now that could help me through delivery as that hospital employees were the first to die trying to treat Infected patients.There was also the matter of that fucked up monster of a man,Marton Fin, who might flip a bitch if he found out about my child.

I couldn't get pregnant, period.Even if my body craved to feel the little life growing inside, I couldn't.

I looked at the wood plank, holding Iris, with something close to desperation.

"Please watch over us Stephanie."I said softly before turning away into the house.

Objects in mirror are older than the appear

I looked out the window, Iri's head in my lap, from my bed.The stars twinkled like diamonds against the darkness trying to swallow them whole.The moon glowed, heavy and full, in a soothing brillance that seemed to give strength to the tiny diamonds.

Without realising I put my hand on the glass, touching the rising moon.I was thinking of my family and my youthful dreams.The memories were sweetly nostaglic and made my lips curve into a sad smile but I didn't cry.Instead I embraced the pain, acknowlegding it for what it was; wounds on my heart.

"What are you thinking to make such a face?"Aaron whispered to me, causing me to flinch in surprise.

"Don't do that!You nearly gave me a heartattack."I yelled in a whisper with a smile on my face.

"Right."He smirked before expertly moving the sleeping Iri from my slowly numbing legs to the other side of me, he himself settling were Iri was.

I looked down into his mischievious green eyes.A shade of green that was almost black, like a forest at night.His strong chin was shadowed with a 5 o'clock shadow and his dark brown hair was over grown down to brush his shoulders.His lips always seemed to have a crooked smile ready and his skin was dark from the burning sun.His body was lean but strong from the constant dangers faced in life.

"How old are you?"I asked curious, my fingers combing through his hair without thought.

"19 and you?"He sighed in contentment, his eyes drowsely closing.He was younger than I thought.

"I'm 17."I said thinking about how much our world changed us.

Warning:objects in mirror are older than they appear.I thought bitterly.We didn't look our ages, we looked older with the constant pressure we have to bear or we die.Dark circles, stress wrinkles and sunburns were our relaxed attire.I knew I looked early twenties instead of 17 and Aaron was the same, looking to be in his early to mid twenties while really being only 19.Life ages us much more quickly than it used to, and instead of death being a long off tragedy,it's a bloody reality everyday.It forced us to live quickly and die quickly.

"There's that look again.What are you thinking about?"Aaron's hand reached up a cupped my cheek.

I reached up and put my hand on top of his.

"I was thinking about the future."I whispered softly.

Aaron's eyes took on a comforting warmth as he got off my lap and curled his arm around my waist.We laid down with Aaron at my back and Iri wrapped in my arms.

"The only way to know the future is to let it happen, just enjoy the present."He yawned, before burrowing his face into neck.

I was silent for a moment, thinking on his words.Finally I snuggled closer to him, pulling Iri closer too.

"Ok"

 

Groceries and hickies.

"We need to go on grocery shopping."I stated blandly looking at the dwindling canned goods on the fridge shelf.

"How much food do we have left?"Aaron asked from the kitchen door.

"Maybe enough of two weeks?"I said, mentally counting the various canned goods.

I nawed on my bottum lip after closing the fridge, thinking about what should we do.

"What do we need for a provision run?"He asked.

"Well, Iris needs to stay here, so one of us should stay here just in case."I said tapping my chin with my finger, staring off into space thinking.

It's safer with someone at your back in the infested town but while Iri was getting older and wiser, she was still young enough to need someone to protect her.It was also safer to have her stay home because that was one less possible distraction.And what if someone came and took advantage of our absence and Iri was left here alone?Iri was too young to protect herself.Someone had to-

Aaron's arms slinked around my waist startling me enough to jump.

"Fuck!Don't do that, you scared the shit out of me."I yelped, my cheeks stinging from the embaressment of getting snuck up on.

His only responce was to bury his face into my neck and laugh at my further reddening face.

"What are you thinking about?"He breathed on my neck making me squirm.

"Just worrying, it's a thing we women do from time to time."I quipped.

"I see, well I hope you heard me while you were worrying."He smirked against my skin.

"You said something?Oh, uh,I mean..."I flushed again, flustered by my lack of attention.

He laughed again, his chest rumbling against my back.I squirmed again trying to get away from his steel hold, my skin tingleling from where he touched.

"I said that you were not going alone."His grip grew a little bit tighter, not uncomfortable, but a little bit more secure.

"But you don't know where to look and Iri can't be alone here."I disagreed, shaking my head.

"Iri is not a little girl anymore, unfortunately.She has seen as much as I've had and that in my mind makes me trust her enough to be by herself. Besides the zombies have been cleared around here and from what I can tell it's going to take a hell of a lot of manpower to get through the defences around the house.She'll be fine Percy.I promise."I bit my lip, my heart torn between his confidant words and my recent maternal instinct.

"Ok."I nodded slowly.

"Good, now whatever shall I do to you for ignoring me the past ten minutes?"My eyes widened, my stomache flipping in anticipation.

"Eh?What are you-Ah!What the hell are you doing?"My outraged sentence dwindling into a moan as his teeth nipped at the juncture of my neck.

His arms were like steel bands around mine, preventing escape and his lips brushed against my neck in feather light touches until he settled on on spot.He kissed, licked and nipped making my legs slowly turn to jelly and my body heat up.The heated tingles overwhelming me, like a drug running through my viens.

When his lips left that spot I almost moaned in protest before the sound of moving hinges caught my ears.I looked up and saw Iri peeking behind the kitchen door.My face imediatly turned beet red and I twisted to glare at Aaron's smug face.

"Percy what's on your neck?"I turned my wide eyes to Iri's curious face and then touched my neck to find a tender moist spot at the juncture.

My face grew hotter with embaressed anger.How was I going to explain this to a ten year old?How was I-Wait.My lips turned up into a sly smile as I looked up at Aaron again. 

"Ask your brother sweetie, he should know."I smirked at his widened eyes and slipped out of his startled grasp.

I kissed Iri on the forehead, stuck my tongue out at Aaron and walked out the door with an accomplished 'ta ta'.

Gun nuts

I had just finished loading the twin beretta 96s' when the door to the bedroom opened.I looked up to see the suprised face of Aaron.

"Guns?You know how to shoot?"He asked curious comming closer to examine the artilary on the bed spread.

Twin Beretta 96's, a colt 1911 and a glock 20 rested, gleaming with the ammo in seperated piles arranged around them. The two double holsters and my tool belt with my hammer and machete sat beside them as well.Ah, the things you find when the world goes to shit.

"Yeah, I've had a lot of practice recently. I try not to though because zombies tend to congrigate where loud noises are."I said vaugely, clipping the hip holster together.

"Can you use one?"I asked handing him the colt and a shoulder harness.

"Yeah, I lived in L.A for a year before the Infection broke out."I cocked a brow as he expertly clicked the harness and holstered the colt with a showy spin.

"I see, quite the master we have here.Do you want the glock too?"I said in a sarcastic sugary tone.

"Smart ass."He said smirking at me while he grabbed the gun and holstered it.

"So here's the plan; we hit up the houses on Brown street and book it home.If it's a zombie bash it's head in, if it's humans we'll go case by case, kay?"I said sliding the twin guns in thier holsters and buckling my tool belt around my waist.

"Yes ma'am."He cheekily, kissing my cheek.

I smiled at him before going downstairs and going over to Iri who was reading one of the books my little sister had.I read over her shoulder before ruffling her hair, earning a cute annoyed stare.

"Hey Iri.Me and Aaron are going out for a few hours.You know the drill right?"I asked, my unease covered by my light tone.

"Yeah Percy.Stay inside the fence and if anyone I don't know comes tell them to go away or hide.Try and find you or Aaron if anything happens."She said in a annoyed huff.

"Come on Percy, you've asked her a billion times already.Let's go."Aaron said, grabbing me by the waist and dragging me to the door.

"Be a good girl Iri and don't burn the house down while we're gone ok?"Aaron grinned over at Iri's exasperated expression.

"Love you!Good luck!"She smiled before the door closed behind us.

"Will she really be alright?"I asked worried, nawing on my lip again.

"For the last time, she will be ok.Now lead on captain."He kissed the hicky on my neck before releasing me.

"Alright then."I said, sparing one last glance at the house before leading the way to the empty houses on brown street.

7 up's and beers

I yanked my machete out of the head of my former algerbra 1 teacher and motioned Aaron to go ahead of me while I searched the bottom floor of the house.He nodded and held a fire axe up at the ready while he went up stairs.

I waited for a little bit ,my ear out for trouble, before heading towards the kitchen.The simple dainty atmosphere of a old man and his wife's kitchen was stained with blood and the rotted carcass of the wife laid in munched on pieces, scattered acrossed the room.I pulled up my green hankerchief over my nose to help bare the smell.

I kicked away an arm making my way to the cupboard.The first one was bunk, only cups.The second one was the same, with plates and bowls.

"Third times the charm."I said grimly opening the third cupboard.

Canned goods and a box of stale crackers went from the cupboard to my bag in a flash.Once finished packing I glanced over at the fridge considering.There was probably only rotted food but it couldn't hurt to look.I opened the fridge and saw something that made me almost cry.

Aside from the rotted meat and veggies there was two six packs of off brand beer and a case of 7 up.When was the last time I had a 7 up?Or even a beer?Don't get me wrong I didn't necessarily drink like a wasted fuck bunny all the time but after the First Night little rules like underage drinking and driving stopped applying.I mean are you really going to get on a 17 year old's case about having a beer between smashing in zombie heads and surviving the end of the world?

"Is that what I think it is?"Aaron's voice floated in behind me.

I pulled down the cloth over my face and grinned cheekily at him.

"Why of course not officer.This is not a case of beer in my hand."I said sarcasticly earning a amused glare.

"Funny.Did you get anything else?"He asked, helping me put the two cases of beer and the 7 up in my pack.

"Yeah, a box of crackers, some green beans and canned soups."I said mentally counting the cans.

"I found some packs of ramen and sprouted potatoes in the old lady's bathtub of all things."He said, shaking his head at the absurdity.

"Well waste not want not.We can plant some of the potatoes in the back yard for the future."I said, my eyes catching the sight of a 7 up can from my bag.

"What's wrong?"He asked worried at my sudden change of expression.

"Nothing just...How long would you say was the last time Iri had a 7 up?"I asked, absurdly wishing that this was all just a nightmare and 7 ups were as common as weeds again.

"Ah, I don't know..."He trailed off looking outside the window.

I watched the painful array of emotions fly acrossed his face.First worry, then pain and finally bitter disapointment.Without thought I rushed to him, my arms wrapping around his waist in comfort.He seemed startled for a moment before relaxing and bringing me closer to his chest, my ear resting above his thudding heart.

"I'm sorry."I whispered against his shirt.

"What for?You didn't do anything."I simply shook my head and burrowed closer, trying to soothe his abused heart with warmth.

We held each other for a long moment before the tell tale sound of a truck came closer.

"Is that what I think it is?"Aaron asked looking back up out the window.

I frowned nodding, knowing of one person, or rather group of people, that were crazy enough to use loud cars in a infected area.The Order.

"We need to go.Now."I said, a hint of urgencey in my voice.

"What?Why?What if-"He pulled away from me, taking long strides towards the door.

"No!Aaron don't.The only ones left in this town before you came were me and The Order."I ran over and blocked the front door from him.

"The Order?What's The Order?"He frowned down at me.

"A bunch of religious nut jobs that are being brainwashed by a wack nut.I'll explain the rest later but we really need to go-"A bullet shattered the window in the kitchen where we were before.

"My Lady!We know you're in there!Please come out.The Oracle still offers his hand in courtship to you."A man shouted towards the house, sounding a lot like Donny from my pe class.

"My Lady?Courtship?"Aaron whispered, brow arched and eyes narrowing dangerously on the word 'courtship'.

"I said I'll explain later, follow me."I said, slinking down the hall to the back door.

I peeked through the window and cursed under my breath.Six men looked alert, each staring at the possible window exits and the door.Each had a gun but only a few looked like they knew what they were doing with them.I rubbed my temples, a headache comming on from the proximity of the soon to die.

"Ok, I'm going to shoot that window and while they are distracted we are going to have to rush them.These guys will shoot first and ask questions later so be sure to put a bullet in them before they do you.Ok?"I said, sealing my heart up like I usually did when I was in kill mode.

Aaron just looked at me oddly, like he finally realised something and his eyes turned a dark menacing color that made me shiver.

"So these are the ones who did this to you."He said softly, a undercurrent of maleviolence in his voice.

"Did what?"I asked, taking my guns out of there holsters and sliding the safety off.

"Nothing.Just...Be careful."He grabbed my in a near painful grip and kissed me hard, like I was going to disappear.

When he pulled away I was panting, a red flush on my cheeks.

"O-ok."I stuttered, shaking my head out of it's daze.

I cocked my gun and pointed to a random window away from us.

"Ready?"He nodded, gun out  and hand on the door knob.

"Go!"I said, shattering the window with a bullet.

He ripped open the door and we rushed out guns drawn.Thankfully that little trick drew their attention away long enough so that we could tear through the door without having to dodge bullets.

"My lady!Stop!"I ignored them and one by one they fell down in a spurt of blood.

I felt each bullet leave my gun and I slowly I felt myself float away.Only when I felt a tug on my arm did I realise that Aaron and I were running, my gun firing behind me at our pursuers.My eyes widened when the beat up white toyota swerved into view.I also saw some zombies moving towards us,some running others so rotted that they were forcefully dragging themselves.Luckily they seemed mostly attracted to the loud noisy truck and the living meat inside it.

Without thought I pulled out of Aaron's grasp and took aim with both my handguns.

"Percy what are you-"I fired, blowing out both of the front tires of the truck and causing the heavy machine to flip frontwards,crushing the zombies that were not thrown away like morbid rag dolls.

The trucks entire front looked like a wrecking ball hit it and fluids seeped out of the truck.Blood leaked out of the front seat from beneath the car.I stood dumbly, my eyes set on the barely conscience form of Joseph Parker wiggling out of the busted windshield, the driver not so lucky.I didn't feel bad for being the cause of the unnamed person's demise like I did when I killed Stephanie, Aaron's mom.I felt the same as I would have squishing a bug.Nothing beyond mild interest.

Aaron stared at me in shock before shaking his head and grabbing my arm again.

"Come on.We have to go."I nodded numbly and ran with him, eventually taking the lead through the back trail to the house to throw off our remaining pursuers.

 

What a day

It seemed like a eternity of running before we finally reached the house.When we entered the front door Iri launched herself at us, making us freeze before exhaling in relief.I gave my bag over to Aaron and he took mine and his own into the kitchen.

"Percy!Aaron!There's this wierd guy who said he's your uncle!"Iri said tugging on my shirt and pulling me towards the living room.

Instantly my guard went up and I pulled out my gun,reloading it before opening the door, swinging around to put the gun's dangerous end in the stranger's face.

"Whoa there girlie!Don't 'cha recongise me?"It took me a second to recongise the brown eyes and scraggily salt and pepper beard.

"Uncle Tommy?"I said dumbly before the strange trance state disappeared and all the excitement of the day caught up to me.

I fell to my knees, my loud fall causing Aaron and Iri to rush in.

"Are you ok Percy?Who is he?Did he do something to you?"Aaron and Iri said, thier questions mashing together in away that made me laugh lightly.

I put a hand on Aaron's cheek and ruffled Iri's hair before answering.

"I'm ok.Everyone this is my Uncle Tommy.How did you get here?I thought you were in the next town over?I thought-I thought that everyone was dead."I said with a grim smile.

"I thought so too, but I hadda check.Ya know?It was a bitch gettin' 'ere though but I'm glad I made the trip.Eh,girlie?"His thick accent, a leftover of his time living in Texas, made me smile, nodding.

Then the sound of a distant explosion made everyone jump in surprise, me in guilt.There could have been only one thing able to explode in town and judging from the look of mirth in Aaron's eyes he knew what it was too.

Aaron looked down at me before laughing his ass off.His laughter was a mixture of relief, amazment and disbelief.He picked me up effortlessly and settled on the couch with me on his lap.

"What was that?"Uncle Tommy asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"I-uh,I didn't mean-um..."I squirmed, a flush of embaressment burning my cheeks for some reason.

"What happened?"Iri asked taking a seat on the floor while Uncle Tommy sat in the chair.

"Well, we were getting provisions and these medieval nut jobs started shooting at us, calling Percy ' my lady' and whatnot."Aaron said, playing with my hair.

"Percy?"Uncle Tom asked me.

"Yeah, that's my name now.Short for Persephone."He nodded in approval before motioning Aaron to continue.

"Anyways.We managed to get out of the house they surrounded us in and were running when they started following us in a truck.I thought my heart was going to stop when Percy here, stopped, turned towards the truck which was going around thirty miles per hour.Then she did the most amazing thing I've ever seen.She shot out both front tires and made the whole truck flip.That explosion is most likely the truck.I never thought I'd see that outside of hollywood."He chuckled lightly, but his grip flexed trying to reaffirm that I was there.

"HAHAHA!That's my girl!A regular Laura Croft ain't 'cha.Now where's that no good brother of mine?And your mama and lil sis 'eh?"Uncle Tom's grin faded as he took in my expression, Aaron's hand rubbing soothing circles in my lower back.

"What happened girlie?"Uncle Tom asked agan in a softer voice.

I remained silent, looking over at Iris then Aaron.Aaron nodded and got up, dislodging me from his lap.

"Come on Iri, you'll never guess what Percy found for you."Aaron said taking the girl in a firm hand and leading her to the kitchen.

I looked at the closed door for a moment,drawing strength from Iri's shriek of joy, before taking a deep breath and looking at Uncle Tom.

"Please don't hate me Uncle Tommy."I said, cringing inside.

"You know I never could girlie."Uncle Tommy said, sitting next to me on the couch giving me a side hug.

"I-I killed them."I whimpered softly, hiding my face in my hands.

"You what?!"For some reason his responce made me feel alert, it almost seemed practiced, too quickly said without his accent.What was I thinking, he just learned that his niece killed his brother and his sister in law, of course he would sound odd.

"Dad started drinking after the First Night and went crazy when mom got bitten and locked her in thier room saying that she just had a cold and would get better soon.Then h-he -,"I choked on a sob before continuing,"He threw Serenity into a horde of zombies and beat me.I snapped and killed him then mom who was passed saving."I hiccupped.

Things were so silent that it was painful.It was like an aweful wieght that never got lighter, only heavier and heavier.

"I-I need to go outside."Uncle Tom got up, his frustration and grief radiating from him, though he didn't seem surprised oddly enough.I shook away the uneasy feeling when my own grief welled up.

I flinched when I heard him slam the door violently enough to make the windows rattle and go to the back yard before screaming at the top of his lungs, cursing the entire world.During his screaming the door opened softly and two pairs of arms wrapped around me, one small and one big.

"God I hate crying."I moaned as fat tears slid down my face,my eyes feeling sore and heavy.

"Are you gonna be ok Percy?"I opened my eyes to find Iris looked up at me worried.

"I'll be ok sweetie.After all I have you and Aaron to help me right?"I looked up at Aaron and his simple nod made my chest warm up.

"Of course,love.Of course."My eyes widened slightly at his words before I smiled, a different kind of tears pooling in my eyes.

"I love you both."I said softly cuddling with Iri and Aaron on the couch, the grieving cries from the backyard like a faint echo of the bitter past.

We stayed like that for a while before Aaron got up dragging me with him to the kitchen, while Iri went to check on Uncle Tommy.

He opened the fridge to show to full shelves.I felt strangely proud of the way it looked, the shelves barely able to hold all of the stuff from our raid.Aaron grabbed two beers and handed one to me before opening one for himself.

I laughed so hard my stomache hurt when the beer sprayed him down like a unkinked hose.His face screwed up in startlement and shock before relaxing into a full bellied laugh that I've never heard from him before.We laughed until tears came to our eyes and our ribs hurt before grabbing a towel to wipe him down.I reached around him, my back to the counter and him in front of me, dapping his beer soaked face and ruffling his wet hair until it was dry.I was about to leave to put away the towel when he trapped me,putting both of his hands on the counter behind me.

"Hmm?What's wrong?"I asked, his eyes dark and serious, the muscules in his jaw tense.

"Who were they?"His voice was steady but there was something underneath it that I couldn't identify.

"The Order?"

"Yeah, who is this Oracle guy whose 'courting' you?"He growled, picking me up and setting me down on top of the counter, his body leaning in to prevent escape.

"A-are you jealous?"I asked in disbelief.

"Maybe I am.Who is he?"He possitively growled in a way that would have seemed threatening but was actually pocessive.

I kissed him, fully and deeply until we both were panting.I smiled at his heated gaze and cupped his face, his week old beard rubbing against my skin.

"There is no need to be jealous.I'm yours ok?All yours."He seemed to relax a little at my words and nodded.

"Ok.Still though, who are these nut jobs?"He pressed.

"Alright, The Order is a bunch of religous zealots that clustered at the church around a month after the First Night.They believe that everyone is damned to become a zombie from the time they are born unless they repent before they die.The Oracle is the creepy old history teacher from my highschool named Marton Fin.He tried to have me become a priestess, but really that meant to become his personal bitch."Aaron's deep savage growl startled me then made me laugh, kissing his cheek.

"You really are a papa bear aren't you?Anyways now they have this whole idea that I'm some sort of goddess come to wipe out the unbelievers or some other nonsense.I don't really pay attention to Fin's ravings.Usually his flunkies try to corner and capture me but a few well placed bullets solve the situation pretty quickly."

"He sounds insane."

"He is insane.I'm not sure how he got all the other survivors to follow him but what goes down in his base is pretty fucked up.It's like one big fuck party and everyone is strung out on homemade drugs and alchohal.I was curious the first time he invited me, that was before I knew he was crazy, and went to the church.I didn't even go inside when he opened the door it was that bad.They were so starved that they were fighting over bones and I almost puked when I saw this girl I used to go to school with eating a raw rotted bird.I could hear screams coming from the basement but I was too chicken shit to even step inside the door.I just ran and after putting a few bullets in the air I managed to get away.Because of that he seems dead set on having me be a deity whatever thing."I bit out in repulsion recalling the filth in the church and my own cowardess.

"If he gets near you again I'm going to kill him."Aaron hissed burying his nose in my neck and picking me up.

"Where are you taking me?"I ask mildly as we past the living room where Iri and Uncle Tom were playing a game of go fish,Uncle Tommy's eyes cutting to Aaron then me before returning to the game.His eyes unsettled me for a moment, probably because of the mirrored grief.Yeah, definitely that.

"To bed."He yawned, my following soon after.

"Oh,ok."I said, the days events suddenly making me very tired,I don't even think my eyes were closed before I fell asleep on the bed.

What a day.

Cocky son of a-oh!

I moaned my displeasure when someone nudged me none too gently.When a giggle responded to my moan I knew who the culprite was.I burrowed deeper into the blankets, ignoring the small child until she finally got close enough for me to reach out and suck her underneath the blankets with a shriek.

"Good morning!"Iri's sweet giggles made me smile and I tightened my grip around her.

"Percy it's time wake up.Come on!"

"Urgh...Why?"I whined into her blonde hair.

"Come on you promised me that you would make apple pancakes.Please?Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-"I slapped a hand over her mouth, having no recollection of promising her that.

"Fine!Fine.God damn."I cursed half heartedly and threw the covers over, inciting a grumble behind me.

Oh yeah Aaron was here too.I was getting up slowly trying not to wake him further when a strong hand wrapped around my waist and dragged me under the covers, much like I did to Iri, just in time for my uncle to walk in and see me disappear.

"Al-I mean Percy are you alright?"He asked, bemusement clearly in his tone, though was it my imagination or did he sound slightly pissed?

"Yes.I'm perfectly ok.However there seems to be a sleeping bear here unwilling to let go.I'll be downstairs in a hour or so.Can you start a fire in the stove Uncle Tommy?" I said, Aaron's deep breathing blowing acrossed my neck.

"Sure, come on Iri.Mommy and daddy need time to wake up."I would have blushed if Aaron hadn't distracted me by latching onto the hickey on my neck, making me gasp.

I heard the two pairs of feet leave and the door click closed behind them and I let out a sigh before wiggling against Aaron, dislodging his lips with a wet pop.

"Aaron?Aaron wake up babe.Aaron."I said softly turning my head to look at him.

His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep and steady and also didn't have me fooled for a moment.

"Aaron I know you're awake."I dead panned and wiggled more to get out his arms.

It back fired horridly when he brought me closer to his chest and chuckled.I was going to try and escape again when my thigh brushed against something hard.I knew exactly what it was and for some reason I didn't struggle even more to get out his arms.Instead a dark heat shot down my body to settle almost unbearably low in my body.When I didn't move away he reached acrossed my body and settled his large calloused hand on the bare skin of my waist underneath my shirt.Slowly he moved his hand up my ribs, causing my breath to hitch and a tingling sensation to flood my body.And since I didn't sleep with a bra his hand found my breast easily, massaging the mound and making my hitched breaths turn to pants.

"A-Aaron?I havn't-I've never-"I gasped when he flipped us and suddenly he was on top of me, his legs between mine and both his hands on either side of my head.

"Do you want me to stop?"His voice was deep and gravelly from sleep and his eyes were as dark as the forest at midnight.

I couldn't speak for a moment.My body overwhelming me with sensations and cravings while my mind warned me of the consequences.

"Have protection?"Was all I could say and he grinned wickedly reaching over to open the drawer in the nightstand beside the bed, the sound of a foil wrapper making my logic fly out the window.

"Yes."He smirked before lowering himself to kiss and nip my skin leaving red marks.

"Ok."His grin grew wider and he pulled off my shirt, leaving me topless.

"Try not to scream for me,hmm?"He smiled like a cheeky brat just given his favorite treat.

"You cocky son of a-oh!"And just like that my brain melted like butter in a microwave.

 

Perfect Morning

My body felt wonderfully sore and my heart felt completely filled with warmth and joy, a rare combination these days.I got up, pulling the sheet with me to protect me from the early morning chill.My legs were weak but I could stand and I looked over at the one responcible.

Aaron was staring at me through a heavy lidded gaze that made me want to hop in bed again but I restrained myself and mentally thanked my brief expirmentation with drums, for my parents were forced to sound proof my room lest they couldn't sleep.My brow furrowed in pleasant surprise when I realised that my heart didn't get lanced with pain like it usually did when I thought of my parents.

"Aaron you should really get up or else Iri is going to come in and see you in the buff."I suggested.

"What time is it?"He groaned as he sat up.

"Um, around 10:30 ish?"I said looking at the rising sun through the window, time wasn't really well kept anymore because I mean really?It's not like you have to be on time anymore. Plus all the clocks have stopped working by now.

"AM?"He groaned, rolling of the bed sluggishly.

"Yep."I dressed, wincing every once in a while and stripped the bed while Aaron dressed.

Aaron was buttoning his pants when Iri bursted through the door.She was obviously disapointed not catching us asleep so she could jump on us.

"What's taking so long Percy?"She hounded on me as I shoved the stained sheets into the laundry basket,before she could see them.

"Oh, you know how papa bear is."I said evasively.

"Oh, that's true."She grumbled and went over to harrass her brother.

I chuckled and walked downstairs leaving Aaron to his fate.Downstairs in the kitchen I found Uncle Tommy in the kitchen stoking the little woodstove.

"Good morning Uncle Tommy."I said cheerily going to the cupboard and grabbing the pancake mix.

"And a good morning to you Alex,oops I mean Percy."I giggled at his mistake and started slicing up a apple from the fruit bowl.

There was a good natured silence as I prepped the apple pancakes and he sat down studying me.

"Does he treat ya well, girlie?"He suddenly asked, the parental violence ready to strike at Aaron if I said no.

"Yes,yes he does."I assured him pouring the mix into the pan and watching the two pancakes cook.

"Do ya love 'im?"The question caught me off guard and caused an instant blush.

Briefly I thought it was odd of Uncle Tommy to be so inquisitive.Normally he didn't pry into emtoional matters, he just sorta picked up on it and was just there as back up to whatever desicion was made.In fact he seemed almost like-I nearly smacked myself in the head for such a ridiculous thought.He was my uncle, there was no way he could be.

At his impatient cough I focused back to the question he asked before my thoughts wandered.Did I really love Aaron?I thought about the way I felt around him.How everything seemed just a bit easier to bare with him.Like everything was going to be ok.Silly,considering the whole end-of-the-world thing but that's the truth.

"I-I do.Very much."I admitted, flipping the pancakes and readying a plate.

"Good ta know that I won't hafta castrate 'im."I choked on a giggle of surprise and flipped the pancakes on the plate, pouring more on the pan.

"Be nice."I admonished him and the entrance of Aaron and Iris allowed me to busy myself with the pancakes.

Soon twelve perfect apple pancakes were finished, not including the two burned ones, and divided up on four plates.Damn, I always seemed to burn at least one pancake lately, though the rest were perfection.

"Alright breakfast is served."I said proudly and settled down with the rest in eating pancakes.

The entire morning passed in a blissful atmosphere, almost like the world outside never changed and there was no Infection.I can't remember smiling so much in a morning and I felt so grateful to whatever being or god allowed it to happen.

Around lunchtime I was reading in the dozing Aaron's lap when Iri bursted in the living room giddy and excited.Aaron and I both tried to follow her chatter but eventually gave up and waited for her to run out of breath.

"So?Can we?"She finally said normally at speed we could follow.

"Can we what?"Aaron asked for me, waking up from his daze.

"Uncle Tommy suggested that we get flowers for mom' grave.Can we go flower picking?Please?For mom?"I sighed and leaned back into Aaron's chest.

"Well,I don't know.What do you think Percy?"I closed my eyes and sighed again.

"I don't know.I mean with what happened yesterday..."I trailed off as my uncle walked in the room.

"Come on girlie.Let the kid pick some flowers for 'er mom."My uncle tried to insist.

"But-"

"Girlie,I think ya should relax.Ya blew 'em up, right? I don't think they'll come back for more so soon,eh?"My uncle reasoned, a undertone of desperation in his voice.

That combined with Iri's big shiney eyes made me sigh in defeat.

"Sure, why not?"

Twisted

"What are these ones?"Iri asked with a handful of tiny blue flowers she picked from the green grass that covered the park we went to for flowers.

"Those are forget-me-nots."I said picking a white sweetpea flower and putting it in her blonde hair.

Aaron and Uncle Tom watched like guardians from on top of the hill of the park.We were all, except for Iri, on high alert ready for a zombie to stroll by, attracted by our noise.Albietly not really necessary since the zombies were mostly in town where the living meat was.

"And this one.What's this one?"Iri was exstatic, jumping all over the place and picking whatever flower she saw.

"That's a sweetpea flower.They turn into beans later in the fall."I supplied taking a moment to finally relax.

Then I heard a sound.Like a car.Coming rapidly closer.

"Aaron do you-Aaron!"I shrieked when I saw him fall face first with a bruise swelling rapidly on his cheek.

"Aaron?Aaron!"Iri cried, tears flowing down her face as she tried to rush towards him.

I held her back, fighting my own urge to rush over and help.I glared at my uncle, the man who smugly looked down at us, my hand twitching to my gun.

"What are you doing?"I hissed, growing even more enraged when my uncle kicked Aaron down the hill.

When Aaron was close enough I rushed to him, yelling at Iri to stay behind me.I kneeled protectively near Aaron, one hand trying to shake him awake and the other holding a trained gun on my relative.

"Put the gun down Alex.Ya don't know how ta use it.Plus ya wouldn't pull the trigger on your own family,would ya girlie?"My uncle's grin grew slightly sadistic and crazed, something I've seen many times before on my own father's face.

How could have I missed the swirl of maddness in his eyes?No wait, I didn't miss it, I just ignored it.I ignored all of the strangeness.I just let the signs pass me, hoping that everything was ok.I ignored it all like a fairytail believing idiot!

"Try me.Why did you do-Iri!"I screamed when a car screeched behind me and a pair of arms grabbed Iris from the back seat.

She struggled, the flower falling out of her hair, until suddenly someone hit the back of her head and she was still.I shot at the car as the door slammed closed and they drove away with my precious baby inside.My baby was gone, taken by The Order.How did this happen?It was too fast to be coincidence.Who did this?Who-Him.

Something audibly snapped inside me and I swung my murderous gaze to the man who professed to be my uncle.

"Now now, don't be so upset girlie.There's no-"My uncle tried to calm me down like I was still a child.

"Upset?I don't think you understand what you just did.You just kidnapped my baby from me and knocked out my lover.No you don't understand.I'm not upset.I'm murderous."I hissed, pointing my gun again at him, too angry to cry over the fact that the last of my bood kin betrayed me.

"Alex-"

"That's not my name!It's Persephone!"I spit, acid boiling in my viens.

"Perc-"I shot my gun, hitting him in the leg.

His scream of shocked anger was like music to my ears as I stormed up the hill and kicked out his other leg.This man was no kin of mine, in fact he was nothing to me anymore.Nothing,nothing but an insect.And I will pull off his legs like a curious child.

"Wha-what are ya doin' girlie?"He hissed up at me.

"Shut up!I'm going to make you pay in blood you bastard!I'm going to make you beg me to end your miserable, pathetic excuse of a life.But I won't.I won't end your agony until I have my daughter back."I grinded my heel into his spurting wound, elicting another scream.

"Females are truely terrorfying creatures.Unlike males we are physically weak and are meant by nature to give life, not take it.We are fierce protectors and we crave on a basic level to have something to nuture, wether it be blood kin or not, the same species or not.We are able to attain a ultimate strength for our charges and would battle hell to save them.So imagine what happens when someone takes thier child right in front of them."I heard a groan faintly from Aaron but was too busy in my rage to look back.

"It twists us.We become something like a flipped coin.We become vengeful.We become savage.We become something only sated when we taste the blood of the offender.And guess who that is uncle?"I snarled pushing on his leg until a wet snap and his howl of pain echoed through the entire town.

"Percy?Percy!Where's Iri?She's-"Aaron came from behind me, his eyes widening from the pain I was obviously enjoying inflicting on the man underneath my foot.

"He took her ,this piece of shit!"I howled, ready to shoot him again when Aaron restrained me, taking the gun from my hand.

"Whoa,whoa calm down Percy!Percy!"I struggled against Aaron's steel bands he called arms, red in my vision.

"NO!I will not calm down until Iri is home and that thing is DEAD! "I screamed and thrashed, despair threatening to break through my rage.

"PERCY!"I froze at the immovable tone in Aaron's voice.

I hiccupped before bone shaking sobs hit me and I cried hard in Aaron's chest.Finally when I quieted down I looked up at Aaron who looked just as murderous as I did a few moments ago.

"We have to go.We have to question him in a safe place and that is not here.Help me carry him to the house."I sniffed and nodded, stepping away from him and going to where Iri was caught and picked up her flower.

When I picked up her flower another kind of bloom caught my eye, making my lips curl in a ugly smile and wonder how I missed the tall flowers before.Asphodels, a flower I've only seen in books of greek mythology.The flower crown of Persephone.It's meaning in the flower language being 'My regrets follow you to the grave' . How appropriate.

I put both the asphodels and the white sweet pea in my hair and turned back to find Aaron holding Tom up by his neck, his eyes practically glowing with hate.The same kind of hate I felt when my father killed my sister.

"I suppose hate is unescapable now, much like sorrow and pain."I whispered to myself before returning to Aaron, laying a hand gently on his arm.

He looked at me, vengence and logic warring with each other in his face.I reached up and kissed his cheek.

"Aaron now is not the time to hurt him.We have to get him home.Then we can hurt him."I bit off with a hiss, glaring at Tom.

Aaron said nothing, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he struggled to control himself.Finally, just as Tom's face was turning purple, Aaron dropped the piece of shit on the ground.

I grabbed one of Tom's arms and slung it acrossed my shoulder, unable to hold back the urge to make it as painful as possible.After a moment Aaron took him from me, carrying him on his back,Tom barely in the waking world.

As we left for home I thought back to my previous life as a oblivious teenager with dreams of a bright and wonderful career as a doctor. Once we would have been horrorfied at the thought of torture.

Now we looked foreward to inflicting it.

 

The one I can't live without

When we got back with Tom in tow we taped him down to a chair and cleared out the shed for a new more sinister purpose.Once it was cleared I dragged in a plastic fold out table to lay our tools out.It hit me again when I walked out of the shed after dragging Tom in there, still dead to the world, well not literally.Yet.

I sank to my knees in front of the apple tree that Iri loved so much and I cried.Aaron came down beside me and held me, tears falling from his eyes aswel.We knew that nothing would be the same again after this.So not only were we mourning the loss of Iri and the pain of betrayal but also the loss of whatever shred of innocence we had left.This world was so ugly and it loved to teased us with happiness before ripping it away, like the wings of a newly reborn butterfly.It laughed at our pain and it smiled at our grief.I honestly couldn't tell anymore; who were the monsters now?The undead perversions of nature?Or the humans?

Aaron and I stayed there for a long time, even after all our tears and sobs were gone.We simply stayed in front of the apple tree, staring at the memorial at the base of it.My heart still grieved at the thought that we might have to put another memorial here soon.This time reading the daughter's name instead of the mother's.

Suddenly Aaron shifted and tugged me up.I thought that was a cue to start the 'interrogation' and made a move to go to the shed.Instead he grabbed my hand as I turned to leave and didn't let go until I turned back around, staring at him confused.Then he inhaled deeply before expelling it, like he was trying to build up his courage.I didn't understand what exactly he was doing until he knelt on one knee in front of me.My eyes widened, shocked.Was he really going to-

"Persephone?"I nodded in acknowledgment as he captured me, not for the first time, in his dark green eyes.

"Yes?"I said softly, my heart pounding in my chest, hardly able to process that this was really happening.

He inhaled and exhaled again and pulled out a simple gold band from his pocket.

"Will you, no matter what happens from here on out, share your life with me?"I was shocked silent, tears I didn't know I had welling in my eyes.

"What happened with Iri....It made me realise how important this life is and how short it can be.I don't want to die with any regrets and if I didn't do this and something happened tomorrow....I don't think I'll ever be able to survive it.Not without you.I love you Persephone.It's selfish as hell because I have no idea what will happen tomorrow, I might even die...But will you make me as happy as I can be until then?"I couldn't speak as tears fell from my eyes and my heart swelled with a bitter sweet warmth.

"I love you too."I said nodding, a shakey smile on my lips.

He smiled a smile so gentle and warm that made my own stretch a bit wider and he slipped the simple ring on my finger, which fit perfectly.He stood up and swept me up bridal style taking me into the house up to my, no our, room.

"Where?"My voice was shakey with pent up emotion so I couldn't make a complete sentence but Aaron understood me, laying me down on the bed before kissing the ring on my finger.

"It was my mom's.She told me to give it to the person that I couldn't live without.And I did."He silenced whatever I might have said next with a soft kiss that quickly turned almost bruising.

I scratched at his shirt, suddenly desperate to touch his skin.I wanted, no I needed him.I needed to touch his hot skin, to feel the life that thrummed beneath his skin.I needed to know that if we didn't have tomorrow that we had today, this minute, this second.

I stripped him of his clothes almost as quickly as he divested me of mine and my heart hurt with the amount of love I felt.I needed him.I didn't need anything else.I could survive anything else.Anything else except him gone.My heart threatened to stop at the mere thought of his headstone.

This wasn't fair.It wasn't fair!How could he do this to me?Make me love him so much in such a short amount of time.Make it so I couldn't breath without him.I was going to make him suffer for this.Suffer like I do, by making him love me so much he couldn't stand it.Make his heart hurt with how full it would be.Make him insane for me.

"I love you.I love you.I love you."I couldn't tell who was saying what any more,I couldn't tell where I ended and he began.

This is the one I can't live without.

Ah, how this world fucks you up (WARNING VIOLENT!)

I have been staring at the wall of the shed in the backyard for a good twenty minutes, just thinking, rubbing the ring on my finger. I thought about how precious life is and how quickly things like trust and love can mean next to nothing to some people.Take my uncle for example.He came back into my life suddenly and I was fool enough to think that our familial bond meant something still.But it didn't.My trust, in shatters, my heart, in pieces.Now my baby was gone, a possible repeat of the agony of my sister's death.

Pain, death and change were and are the only constants in the world.Everything changes and everything dies.And if you life long enough to breathe, you've lived long enough to know pain.And pain demands to be not only felt but respected for what it was.A critical element of life.A way of differentiating the living from the dead, even if the dead walked around and the living were insane.

At least I had Aaron to help me with the maddness.

My head jerked at the faint sound of moaning coming from inside the shed.Tom must be awake.

"Aaron!"I called out to Aaron who was inside.

"What is it?"Aaron strided out, a tense predatory stride akin to a hunting wild cat, revealing his blood thirst.

I knew from the look in his eyes, like a mirror to his soul,that his spirit cried out for blood.He wanted to cause as much suffering as The Order did to us.He wanted to drink in their pain and smile at their begging faces.We suffered, and now they will suffer.

"I think he's awake."I said simply, getting up from my prone position.

"Good.Shall we, my lady?"He said, the words implying humor but his smile promising torture.

"Yes, good sir."I took his hand and walked into the dank shed with him.

Tom sat, duct taped to the lawn chair, his eyes fluttering.When his eyes finally widened enough to see they locked on to me.Aaron left briefly,kissing my cheek before leaving.

"Alexan-"I kicked his broken, taped down leg.

"Shut up.I told that's not my name.It's Persephone.The name that Iri gave to me."I hissed, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

I studied the broken man in the chair, not as my uncle but as a stranger that kidnapped what seemed to be a good size of my heart.The part that empathized with pain and was generous with her kindness.Pity for him.

His eyes were haggard and dark purple rings underlined them.They were the same grey blue my father had, the same color as my right eye.His skin was a pale sickly hue from blood loss and his left pantleg was stiff and dark from the dried blood.Overall he looked like a assault victim but I didn't have any sympathy.I felt cold.

"Ya wouldn't hurt family right?After all blood is all you've got ,girlie.You won't hurt me."He said, obviously trying to convince himself more than me.

"Hurt you?Your right,I'm not going to hurt you.I'm going to torture you.Big difference.One implies that it's an accident, the other says it's delibrate.And if you think I'm going to flinch then you obviously havn't learned from that bullet in your leg."I replied coolly,ice threading through my viens and my scars turning into chilly brands on my skin.They seemed to thirst for another companion.

Perhaps they will have one soon.

"Is he still awake?"Aaron's voice seemed to vibrate with his poorly consealed violence as he walked into the shed-turned-torture-room.After all blood stains are such a bitch to get out of carpet inside.

"Yeah, did you get what you needed?"I said lightly, like I was talking about groceries.

He grimly smiled and threw a metal tool box on the fold out table we brought out here.Slowly he set out a tiny blow torch,industrial gloves used to pick up really hot things, nails, three different kind of plyers, needles, medical equipment, a hammer and a serrated knife.I watched with cruel fascination as Tom's eyes grew wider and wider as each tool hit the plastic table with a foreshadowing thud.

"Wha-What-WHAT!"He grew more and more paniced and my grin grew larger as he struggled uselessly.

"What's your hurry?Me and my hubby have a great party planned for you.Wouldn't want you to miss a bit of it."My cheeks hurt with how wide my sadistic grin was.

I blinked when a realization hit me.It felt like the same trance state I was in when I killed before.Except I was more in control.I controlled my limbs but my emotions were detaching themselves quietly and slowly.How useful.

"Now, as my darling wife just said, let's start the party."Aaron's face contorted into something that would have made me run pre-Infection.Now it kinda turned me on, how sad was that?

"No.NO!Get away from me!"Tom strained so hard against the duct tape that it cut into his skin.

I whistled London Bridge as I tested the sharpness of the knife against Tom's cheek bone, blood welling over the blade instantly and making Tom's eyes turn wild with fear.

"How long did you sharpen this love?"I asked curious, noticing how my fingers felt icy compared to Tom.

Aaron shrugged making a non committal noise under his breath.He was too busy sizing up Tom and fussing over which tool to use first.

"I suggest breaking his fingers off first.Or maybe go medieval."Aaron smiled wickedly at my suggestion and took the knife from me before rounding on Tom.

"Hmm.Good idea.After all these guys seem to love the Dark Ages.Remind me dear, what did they do to prisoners who refused to talk?"Aaron asked sweetly, every step he made in Tom's direction making Tom's eyes go even wider and his breath go dangerously fast.

"Well, they cut off their ears first, then their nose,their eyes,hands, and then they castrated them if they were really stubborn."I said hopping to sit on top of the table and swinging my feet like a bored child.

Tom evidently desided to try a different route of persuading us to let him go.

"YA BITCH!!!Ya are a fuckin' monster!Yer no goddess!Just another fuckin' whore!"Tom hissed at me and even I was a bit startled at what happened next.

Aaron cut off Tom's left ear down to the nub and my stomache made a automatic heave but I didn't throw up.Blood spurted and Tom's wild thrashing made some of the crimson liquid splatter acrossed my face.Tom's screams made my ears ring.My heart thudded with adreniline but I didn't move, my face neutral.Aaron quickly bandaged the wound roughly, inciting cries of pain with each harsh jerk.How was I not horrorfied?My husband just cut off a man's ear for insulting me.Yet somehow, I felt...more secure?Safe?Loved?

Geezus, I'm so fucked up.

"Never call my wife anything other than her name.Got it?"Aaron's voice was quiet but it held an edge that made Tom's screams quiet to fearful pants.

The smell of amonia wafted off of Tom as a dark stain grew on his pants and liquid trickled off the chair onto the floor.

"Oh my.You still wet the bed?"I laughed hysterically, feeling something permanently change inside me, twisted passed the point of undoing.

I felt the twist but I embraced it.The sadist inside me would protect me and avenge me.The one who took pleasure in causing pain would be the one who would help me get what I wanted.And I wanted his screams.

"So, what does the Order want?"Aaron hissed, flashing me a dark cheeky grin, proving that I wasn't the only one who changed in that moment.

Tom whimpered and I got off the table, grabbing the hammer and a couple nails with me.I hooked the hammer on my belt then took the blow torch and turned it on the tip of the nail until it was white hot.I put on the industrial glove and grabbed the nail by the unheated end of it. I approached, grinning madly, and Tom's eyes nearly rolled back into his head.

"I wouldn't faint Tom.If you do you'll never want to sleep again."I hissed, placing a nail over his hand and readying the hammer.

"Now I'm going to count to one.What does the Order want?"Aaron said, moving away back to the table before returning, having traded his knife for needle nosed plyers.

"I-I-"Tom mumbled, head rolling.

"One!"Aaron growled.

When Aaron spoke I hit the nail as hard as I could, driving it into Tom's hand with brutal satesfaction, and through into the wood of the chair's arm.Blood splattered on my hands and it also leaked from beneath his palm, rolling off the wood and on the floor.The flesh around the hot nail burned, searing nerves and scarring tendons.Tom woke instantly screaming and puking from the agony.Aaron and I dodged the blood tinged vomit and I had little sympathy when he pissed himself again.

"Remember what I said Tom?You'll never want to sleep again."I said cutely, the part of me that would have puked along side Tom having died.

Ah, how this world fucks you up.

"IGIVEIGIVEIGIVEIGIVE!!!!!PLEASE FOR GOD"S SAKE STOP!!!!!"Tom screamed like we were tearing him in half.

Hmm, what a great idea.

"Do I have to count again?"Aaron hissed, his plyers clamped around Tom's thumb, twisting it slowly at a impossible angle.The sudden pop of his thumb dislocating making his screams more clear,as if he hoped that we didn't hear his pleas before.I couldn't help but smile in amusment.

"NO!!PLEASE!I'LL TELL YOU!I'll tell you!"Tom panted, strings of bile mixed with tears,blood and mucus dribbling down his mouth.

"Good.Now what does the Order want?"I cooed, ripping his head back by his hair with one hand,the other teasingly touched the dark bruizes around his throat, fascinated by the pain.

"Th-they w-want ya to go t-there a-alone.Tomorrow before n-noon.Ya s-surrender an-an' the k-kid walks f-free.If n-not the M-Master said t-that he w-won't kill her.But you'll w-wish he did."I instantly let go of him and backed up to the shed's door.

My heart suddenly came back, incapatiating me, fear thudding in it and horror ripping through my viens.It was as if someone injected me with icy fire.Images of what horrors would befall Iri if I didn't show making me tear out of the shed with Aaron following close behind.

Trapped

"FUCKDAMMITSHITMOTHERFUCKERCOCKSUCKINGSONOFABITCH!"I screetched like a banchee out into the air, cursing everything in the whole fucking world.

When I said every curse word I could possibly think of I fell silent next to Aaron, panting from my rage, while he stared over the fence in the direction of the Order.

You could see the dingy chapel cross from here, a defiled symbol of hope for some,to others a beacon to corruption.My lips curled into a disgusted grimance.If Fin didn't have Iri I would have smirked at how cliche it was to have the villian's lair be in a abandoned church.

It was as if someone dumped ice water on me, making it horribly clear to see what I had to do.

"I have to go."I whispered, knowing what his reaction would be.

He exploded, exactly like I thought, and grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me.His eyes were wild and I had to clench my jaw to prevent myself from biting my tongue.

"NO YOU FUCKING WON'T!"Ok, while I exspected the outburst it didn't make it any less startling.

"I have to Aaron!Or he will do something so horrible to Iri that she will want to die!"I snapped, my voice straining against tears.

"I won't let you!I'll go and get her myself but you will stay safe here!"He hisses, his eyes turning slightly crazed and his voice trembling.

"I-I-"My voice cracked,along with my brave front, finally showing how scared I was of surrendering.

Marton Fin terrorfied me beyond reason.I've seen what he's done to his most faithful followers.I've seen the bodies of the raped, male and female alike of all ages, be thrown out of the church like they were trash.I've seen him use his power to make the people worship him like some sick god while he defiled everything pure in anything good.I knew beyond a doubt that a similar fate waited for me, maybe even worse because I've refused him.I knew that he had me trapped between two choices; let Iri suffer for me or I suffer for her.

Aaron eased the painful grip on my arms to gather me in his arms and let me shed my terrorfied tears into his broad chest.

"Promise me, please promise me Percy.Don't leave without me."Aaron said, his nose buried into my hair.

"I-I promise."I said, the first and last lie I ever will say to Aaron passing my lips.

He chuckled bitterly and picked me up, bridal style.

"You are the worst liar I've ever met Persephone."Aaron said, carrying me upstairs to our bed.

When he stripped me it was almost violent in his desperation.He was desperate to keep me with him, stay here with him that my heart ached with the need to say 'yes,yes, always'.But I couldn't promise that.As he pointed out I'm a terrible liar and I couldn't do that to him.I couldn't make him chose between me and his little sister.I loved him too much to cause that kind of pain.So I will take the choice out of his hands.I won't regret it, even if he hates me afterward.

But first I wanted to feel him.One last time.

Before I had to say goodbye forever.

Good Dog

I woke early enough to find Aaron asleep beside me with the dawnlight filtering through the window.My throat threatened to close up and unshed tears burned in my eyes as I thought of what I had to do.I bit back a sob, my heart feeling like it was literally breaking in my chest.

How was I going to do this?How was I going to save Iri and manage to come home with her?As I thought about it the more I realised how slim my chances were of getting out of this.I was going to die.I was going to die, most likely, without ever seeing Aaron's or Iri's smile again.

I stroked his cheek involuntarily and he mumbled sweet nothings before settling back down into sleep again.My heart threatened to sabotage my plan for what was pretty much a suicide mission.But iron resolve shoved it away as I swallowed my tears.I didn't matter if I died.It didn't matter if I never saw them again because it was worth it.

Iri's life and Aaron's life were worth it.

I got up off of the bed slowly, so I wouldn't wake Aaron, and got dressed for battle.A tattered grey men's tank fitted loosely over my body, baring my scars to the world proudly. A pair of old jeans that had blood stains and ripped out knees covered my legs and a thick hankerchief that you would see in a old cowboy movie wrapped around my neck, to help my nose block the putrid smell that seemed to cling to the church the Order resided in.I was tying the laces to my worn in leather boots when the flash on my ring caught my eye.

I stared at it, rubbing it's smooth gold surface and my breaking heart seemed to draw courage from it.I didn't want to part with it, so call me impractical when I strung it around my neck on a sturdy old jewlery chain I had and tucked it under my shirt.

I belted my tool belt and hung only the machete on my waist and the glock with as much ammo as I could into the pockets meant for nails and screws.

I looked in the mirror and was startled with the look in my eyes.It was a look that only trained killers had and it would cut anyone down just as surely as a knife would.I almost shivered but caught myself.I wanted this powerful look.I wanted to be as cold and unfeeling as a bloodstained gun.I wanted it, I needed it.

I had it.

It was like someone sucked out my heart, bleeding and all, and replaced it with a ice cube.I suddenly didn't feel any fear or the trembling that threatened to consume me previously.Iri will survive this and so would Aaron.

I might not but if that was the case then neither would The Order.

I left our bedroom without a glance at Aaron and walked down to the shed.When I opened the door Tom jerked awake and he started to hyperventilate when he saw me grab the hammer and the duct tape off the table..

"No, no, no, no!I g-"I slapped the duct tape acrossed his mouth and waved the hammer threateningly around his face.

"Shut up.You and me are going for a little walk.So shut up before I decide that your screams are a bit too quiet.Understand?Nod your fuckin head."I hissed and he nodded almost violently.

Without much pretense I ripped out the nail that attached him to the chair and he shuddered, tears streaming down his face with snot and rehydrated blood.I cut the duct tape that strapped him to the chair with the knife left on the table and smiled when he tried to make a break for it out of the door, not even bothering with the tape around his mouth.With his maimed leg he didn't make it far before I caught up with him and wrenched his head back by his hair.He was pathetic, trying to crawl away from me on all fours.Idiot

I ground my heel into his less injured hand until the now familar snap of bone greeted my ears.His eyes tried to go back into his head but with one violent jerk he instead stared up at me.

"Your not going to do that again are you?"He shook his head as much as he could with my grip on his hair.

"Good, because I'm low on patience.Now you are going to be a good dog and sit still while I put this on you."I said revealing a dog collar and leash from when my family had Lady Lulu, a large american bulldog, before she died.

"Good dog."I said mildly when he became absolutely still

I put it on him without much fuss and jerked on the leash to make him move with my as I left the house with Aaron still asleep upstairs.

It was still fairly early and the fall's bite was starting to settle in so the zombies didn't give us much trouble because their flesh was rotting and stiff from the cold.Before we went to the church we went to the park were Iri was kidnapped the day before and I picked enough asphodels to make a crown for myself.It felt fitting to have it considering the background of the morbid flower.

It took maybe an hour and a half to walk to the church with the 'dog' in tow.When we approached the tall wrought iron black gate opened and the strench of rotting bodies, shit and sex made my bile rise.I pulled up the hankerchief and was able to breath a little easier.

Once we were inside the gate slammed shut and the front doors of the church opened up.And in all of his disgusting glory stood Marton Fin, the Oracle, and a terrorfied Iris.

 

Sorry I didn't RSVP

"I see you got my invitation."His voice was smooth and held a hint of something that I've only been able to discribe as insane sadism.

Marton Fin was a average looking man in his late forties.His eyes were a pale boring shade of blue that held something in them that made me cringe inside.His lanky dirty hair was the color of a rotting straw and his right canine was chipped.He had the body of an athlete that spent a few years on the couch and I wished that the fancy velvet robe he wore covered more because he wore nothing underneath except bland black pants that revealed his hairy legs.Ew.

I kicked Tom forward and Iri gasped at my violence but I shrugged it off.I couldn't let her sensitivity distract me from my goal.She could hate me and be horrorfied but I'll deal with that after she was safe.

"Why yes I did,so sorry I didn't RSVP.Where are my manners?"I said with false sweetness, my foot on Tom's back and my hand pulling the leash taunt.

"Ah my lovely goddess, my haunting Lady of the Dark.Have you finally realised the error of loving these humans as you do?"I cocked my brow at his words, what the hell was he talking about?I mean he did see what I did to Tom right?

"Whatever, Iri are you alright?"Iri seemed to swell with courage under my gaze and nodded wiping at the tears on her grimy face.

"I told you!I told you that my Percy would come for me!"I would have laughed because Iri looked like she was about to kick Fin in the shin but when Fin made a move to strike her I lost my humor.

Just before he hit her a bullet flew by his face.In enraged shock he stared at me with my raised gun pointed at his face.Tom took oppertunity of my slack hold to run over to his 'master'.Bitch.

"Oh, I apologise, it appears that I missed.I'd be glad to correct that mistake if you did that again."My voice started out sarcasticly sweet but at the end it turned into a deep snarl.

"If you did that then our deal would be over my sweet."My insides curled, and not in a good way, from his endermeant.

I smirked and lifted my gun from his direction.For a moment he looked victorious before shock blind sided it.

"I suppose our deal would be over."I said in fake politeness with the cold metal barrel touching my temple, his face of shock making me smile like a sadist.

He considered me for a moment before speaking.

"We are at a impasse."He stated obviously.

"No shit."For some reason a wide grin split my face, maybe because I got to see him caught off guard.

"If you walk towards me then I'll release this... child."He said the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"When I start walking she starts running.Also you leave her and Aaron alone for as long as they live.And If anyone ,anyone, tries anything I'll be adding another scar to my collection."His eyes widened a bit when he realised what each mark meant on my arm.Then he smiled in a way that made me want to puke in his face.

"Y-your not comming with me?Percy!"Iri gasped when the full implication of the discussion hit her.

"No I'm not sweetie, but swear to me that you wil run as fast as you can until you are home.Aaron is waiting for you.He's worried about you."I said, pinning her down with my gaze to make sure she did what I said.

"But what about you?"I smiled at her watery tone,my face gentleling for the first time today, to ease her fears.

"I'll be fine Iri.Remember who you named me after.I'll be back just like Persephone from Tartarus.Ok?"Her eyes widened and she nodded through her tears.

"I've had enough of this human...emotion.It's disgusting and beneath you my love."I threw a icy glare at Fin and started walking towards him.

Iri started running but two filthy men came out from nowhere and moved in on her.I kept walking forward but when two bodies fell without their heads you can guess who did that.Iri kept running and I kept walking until I was in front of Fin and Iri was a speck in the distance.

I stared at him, my machete still dripping human blood.

"So what now?"I said dully, not surprised when more of his goons seemed to come out on the woodwork and surrounded me.

"Now we test if you are truely worthy of being my goddess."I shivered at the look of dark, sick glee in his eyes.

Dinner

I've been staring at the 'food' in front of me for about ten minutes, not daring to touch it.It looked like tomato soup and smelled like it, with a piece of toasted bread and a glass of red wine.It could be considered a resturant meal now a days, but with Fin staring at me from acrossed the table I didn't dare even sip the wine.Who knows what the hell he put in it.

"What is this test?"I demanded, forgoing any pleasentries.

"Will you not have some of your dinner?"Fin dodged the question, leaning towards me from acrossed the table.

The dining room was really the back room of the church, fairly small but candles and scraps of red velvet made it seem like a vampire's lair.Paintings done only in what I hoped was red and brown paint decorated the the room.They were not happy go lucky subjects, in fact they looked like random menacing fingerpaintings done by a mental pacient.I repressed a shiver when I noticed that one paticular painting had a fingernail stuck to the canvas,also a bit of hair aswel.I was starting to doubt that it was just red paint.

"No, now answer my question."The glint of disapointment in Fin's dead eyes made me glad that I refused the food.

Before he could answer or dodge the question again the door opened and reveal a woman.

The woman approached me, trembling like a addict with withdrawal symptoms.Her eyes were sunken in and for a moment I thought that she was Infected.Her arms bore red infected dots that wept blood and pus.Scars, picked at scabs and rashes covered her skin in random patches.Her dull brown eyes were nearly crusted shut with eye goop.Her grimey brown hair fell around her gaunt, starving face in dreaded clumps and I could see her bones underneath her skin.All in all, she looked like a starving drug addict that hit rock bottom and managed to go even deeper down.

"M-mistress?M-m-may I-I have your m-meal for my s-son?"Her teeth were rotted and brown, a few missing, but her plea was well heard.

I looked at her, heart broken, and my hand reached out without thought.She flinched like I was about to hit her but I simply smoothed back her ratty hair.

"You poor thing.Here, though I'm not sure if it's drugged or not.It's better than starving I suppose."I lowered closer to her and she looked up at me, eyes wide and cracked lips parted in awe.

I kissed her forehead, ignoring the grime that coated her skin, and gave her the food I had.

"Thank you mistress!Thank you!"The woman who looked around my mother's age cried big huge tears and fell to her knees, forehead touching the ground, in a bow.

"Geezus, get up.You are a proud mother so act like it."I said, without any heat.

She scrambled to her feet and bowed again before she grabbed the food and ran out of the room like her heels were on fire.

"How sentimental and disgusting."Fin's acidic words made me look at him with thinly veiled disdain.

"Shut up you fucking psycho.Now tell me what the fuck this test is."I hissed back, my fingers curling into a fist with the need to swipe the look off his fugly face.

"After that nausiating display I don't think you can handle it."I slammed my fists on the table, momentarily shocking him.

"I said tell me now Fin!"I snarled at him, rising from my seat and my eyes narrowing with hate.

I fucking hate him.I wanted nothing more than to tear out his eyes, tie him up and throw him into a zombie horde.I would pay good money to watch him die slowly and painfully at the hands of the ravenous dead.Then if he rised after that I would end him myself.

But I couldn't do that, I was in his territory right now.His field of power and I had to play his way until I could somehow escape back to Aaron and Iri.

That made me think of Iri.Is she ok?Did she make it to Aaron?God I hope she did.And what about Aaron?How upset is he with me?What is he going to do now?I hoped that he didn't come here to save me.That would put him in danger and my heart couldn't take it if something happened to him or Iris.

 "Very well."And after he explained this 'test' I couldn't help but say one word.

"Shit."

Arena

"Shit!"I growled the next morning, when two people came in to my given room and dragged me down to the church basement.

As I was led down to the basement, the screams and moans grew louder. The sounds gradually getting clearer and clearer along with my fear and adreniline. The moans of the dead made my heart pound but it was the human screaming of horror and agony that really frightened me. It was the sounds of a person reaching for help even though they know no one will answer. The kind of screaming that made your blood turn to ice and your knees give out from terror. A banchee's cry.

I couldn't help but try and escape the two people that dragged me forward towards the double doored basement room.The man's hands left bruizes but the woman's bit into my skin with unkempt nails.They opened the door and shoved me foreward into darkness.It took me a moment to adjust to the dim light and what I saw made me have to swallow my bile.

Huge man made cages lined the room, making a hallway almost six feet wide in the small basement.There was two on each side with chains and wire to secure the tall wire fence. In each one of them were zombies.Two of them had a human in them, screaming for help as the undead ripped  into their still living flesh. My stomache heaved but it was empty so nothing came up.

A shove sent me forward towards a door on the other side of the basement. I didn't want to open it, I really didn't. Something inside me screamed at me to get away. To run as far away as I could. Dispite my earlier resolve. I was scared. 

The woman shoved me aside, opening the door I so deperately wanted to be locked. The man shoved me harshly, making me fly out the door and onto the pact dirt. The morning sunlight half blinded me before I scrambled up and turned only to find them slamming it shut. The distinctive click of a lock made me uneasy. My head shot up to see bleachers behind a ten foot fence that trapped me in a circular arena.

The barbwire, rusted and bloodied, secured the fence along with thick boards only eight feet tall. The unescapabled barrier in itself didn't scare me as much as the sight of Fin sitting in the bleachers, a sickening smile on his face. Tommy, all patched up from his torture, sat to his right sneering at me. Joseph Parker, also covered in bandages from when I blew out his tires, glared at me on Fin's left a assault rifle in hand.

Instantly my anger and hate gave me strength. I glared at them, my posture aggressive and bold.

"You said I would have my weapons." I snarled, disgusted with Fin's very presence.

"Hmm, I can't seem to remember saying that. Now begin the test!"Fin bellowed, snapping his fingers.

The door unlocked behind me.

I barely was able to turn to run when the door burst open revealing a terrorfied teenager around my age and the horde of the dead behind him. Within seconds the boy was screaming being overwhelmed by the horde, his blood squirting acrossed my face. The sick snaps of bone, the wet gurgling and the sounds of ripping meat making my bile rise.

Without any options I ran as fast as I could away to the other side of the arena. I didn't let myself think twice as I grabbed a thick, barb wired, wood two by four. I clenched my teeth as my blood ran freely from my hands. The barb wire ripped into my flesh as I yanked at the wood until it was freed.

I swung it behind me, just like I would my trusty bat and baptized my improv weapon in zombie blood. I ran again, gaining some space between me and the zombies. There was twenty of so zombies chasing me and with no way out I had to kill them all if I had any hope of seeing Aaron and Iri.

I steeled myself and I let out a enraged scream before descending on the zombie like a posessed woman. I only managed kill a three of them before I had to back up again. Dispite my rage and determination, I was quickly becoming exhausted. I couldn't keep this up forever and there was still over ten zombies left, smaller in number but still dangerous.

 Then the glint of something metal hit my eye. Instantly my eyes followed the glare to the teen's dismembered corpse. I dove down and snatched it, smashing in the newly rising zombie'd head aswel. A golden key winked at me, as if to say here is your way out.

I ran towards the door, slamming it closed just in time to snap off a zombie's fingers. I locked the door behind me and was barely able to take a breath before I had to dodge a bullet. The nasty couple that dragged me down here earlier cornered, the woman holding my glock and wearing my belt. The man stood in next to her, my machete in his hands.

The woman tried to shoot me again but shot wide and I couldn't help but snort at her bad aim. The man charged at me, machete high in the air. I dodged the strike and drove my knee in the family jewels as hard as I could. With a pained whine he went down, unable to move. I picked up my machete from the floor and advanced of the woman.

Again she tried to shoot and only managed to skin my cheek. I drove my machete deep into her stomache, and grabbed the gun before she could waste another shot. I kicked her off my blade and turned towards the man getting up off the floor. Before he could lunge at me again I put three bullets in his chest.

I took my belt back from the woman's cooling body, my heart pounding. I ran up the stairs and thanked the world for the door being unlocked.I ran up the stairs and managed to get to the top before more of Fin's thugs accosted me.

I fought, using both machete and glock, until finally only one remained. He ran at me, blindly charging. I side stepped him and impaled my machete in his side. He tried to grab me dispite the blade in his gut and I shot him inbetween the eyes at point blank range. Blood and thicker substainces painted my fact and hand heavily as his body arched back off my machete.

I flicked the blade to the side, flinging blood on the polished wood floor. I ran through a maze of doors, my feet leaving smeared red boot prints on the floor. Finally I managed to get to the main room only to come face to face with Fin who had the woman I gave food to last night and her baby. One thug aimed a handgun on her, the other two aiming at her swaddled screaming baby.

My heart froze and my eyes widened. The woman's clothing and battered appearence didn't make it hard to realize what she had endured. A bruize was forming on her jaw and blood trinkle from her nose and busted lip. Her ripped clothing barely covered her. Yet while the woman shed huge tears, her stature held a strength I didn't see before. She stared at me with eyes that burned with a fire that I thought was dead. She had suffered but she still refused to cry out.

However there was also naked fear in those eyes as they danced from me, to the guns and then to her baby. She almost seemed to plead with me with her eyes. Asking me to protect her baby. I inclined my head subtlly towards her. 

My eyes jerked back to Fin when he stepped towards me, my gun going up automatically to level with his forehead. If that woman can be brave then so can I. After all I promised to protect that baby.

"Wow this is a whole new low for you asshole."I hissed, watching the cruel smile on his face twitch.

"Well, I figured I would have to take drastic measures when dealing with you." Fin smirked.

"Well fuck you too. What do you want?" I snapped, watching the calculative look on Fin's face with unease.

"I want you to put down your weapons, then you'll be mine, understand?" I shuddered at the menacing promise behind those words but I still nodded.

The woman looked at me in grateful horror as I slowly knelt to lower my weapons on the ground. I got up cautiously and was about to speak again when a bullet tore through my left shoulder. I let out a shriek of pain as I fell to the floor. I glared up at Fin who had his once hidden revolver aimed at me.

"There, now this time you won't be able to escape. Let's get rid of that shirt, it'll get in the way." Fin grinned at me, kneeling by me to examine my sickened and horrorifed face.

Just as he reached out to rip my shirt the sound of gunshots rang through the air. A moment later Aaron tore through the door, shooting the two flunkies that were threatening the baby as he came through. The woman took advantage of the shock and dived for her baby before running behind Aaron.

The surviving minion took aim, but he was too slow and Aaron dispatched him with a bullet to the skull.

"Aaron!"I tried to run to him but Fin grabbed me by the hole in my shoulder and pushed me to my knees.

I bit back a scream as Fin's fingers dug into the gunshot wound and froze when the cool metal of his gun pressed to my head.

"Percy!"Aaron made a step towards us but Fin drove the gun in harsher against my skin, making Aaron freeze.

"Ah,ah,ah! Now where are your manners. It's rude to barge in without knocking."Fin tisked, flexing his grip on my injury making me flinch.

Aaron's eyes narrowed calmly, focusing those deadly eyes on Fin's crazed ones.

"Let her go Fin." Aaron's voice made my eyes widen, the flat non negoitialble menace revealing his murderous intentions better then screaming ever could.

"Hmm, no. You see she is destined to be my queen, my blushing virgin bride. She's the only pure one left and she will cleanse me of my sins." My face paled slightly at Fin's words.

Uh oh.

The End

It's not that I'm not glad that Aaron was my first, but with the gun against my head I hoped that my married status didn't get revealed. Thankfully Aaron was prudent enough not to blurt that tid bit either.

"I don't care what your delusions are, Percy is coming home with me. "Aaron snarled lowly, his gun never wavering in it's aim at Fin's head.

The gun lifted from my skin but Fin used my wound to pull me back to him. He pressed his lips to the side of my head and I tried to rear back from him. In reaction Fin yanked on my shoulder, wrenching a short scream from me and pulling my ring out form under my shirt. Aaron took a auotmatic step forward but froze again when Fin pushed the gun to my head again.

"My bride will stay here. I hate to be cliche but if I can't have her then noone c-.What is that?" Instantly my hand clutched my wedding ring protectively, Fin's enraged expression making the question rhetorical.

"My wedding ring, fucker."I hissed, unwilling to cower under his rage.

I screamed as Fin pushed his fingers deep into my gun shot wound, ripping it wider.

"Whore!Devil's slut!How could you!I lov-."Screams suddenly erupted from the door I came from cutting Fin off.

Zombies broke down the door, more numerous with the fresh additions. They must have broken through the door I locked escaping the arena. Fin's grip on me relaxed for a second. I didn't need a second chance; I bolted towards Aaron, scooping up my gun with my good arm. In the same breath it took to run into his arms Aaron shot three bullets into Fin's back. Distracted by the shots, the zombies grabbed Fin.

And with one short scream Marton Fin was dead. Just goes to show how fragile human life was and how quickly it can end. I didn't stop to relish Fin's death, I just ran as Aaron slammed the main doors shut behind us. The woman and her son waited for us by the gate, ignoring the bodies of the guards. Just as we all cleared the gate Aaron took out a match from his pocket and lit it. Then he tossed it on to the yellowing lawn.

A gas trail instantly blazed a line to the church. Soon a sea of flames ate at the walls and then the entire church was consumed by the flames. The woman held her son close to her chest and stared at the flames, a slow triumhant smile spreading acrossed her cheeks.

Aaron, however, wasn't looking at the burning church. He was staring, no glowering, at me. What was his problem? It's not like I- oh, wait. I did trade myself for Iri.

"I'm sorry." I said softly, dropping my gun on the ground because I was too tired to hold it anymore.

I didn't look at him, half afraid that he wouldn't forgive me for running off. Then I felt a tug on my neck. I looked up and saw Aaron tugging on the necklace I wore.

 "You kept this."I closed my bloody hands over the hand that held my ring.

"Of course I did. I couldn't leave without it." I whispered, my adreniline starting to wear off and leaving me extremely tired.

Not to mention that my hands felt like bleeding pin cushions and that my shoulder felt like it was on fire.

"You will never do that again.Never again, you hear me?" I giggled, the blood loss, hunger and fatigue finally getting to me.

"Ok, sure. Whatever you say papa bear." I sighed and leaned on Aaron, suddenly too weak to hold myself up.

"Did ya really think it would'av been that easy? Girlie, you and I have a settle ta score." A dreadfully familiar voice called out to us.

Tom and Joseph stood ten feet away from them. Joseph held a assault rifle on us while Tom smiled evilly at us, his splinted hands unable to hold a weapon.

"Why can't you just die! The master only talked about you! He adored you. Yet you do this to him! Evil witch, you cast a spell on him didn't you!"Joseph yelled, the drug produced maddness evident in his voice.

I was too tired to fight anymore, my eye sight was getting grey around the edges.

"Percy? Percy! Now is not a good time to pass out on me. Percy!"Aaron caught me when I slumped, keeping a careful eye on the gun trained on us.

Then there was a flash of movement and the woman dived for my dropped glock. With speed that belied her sickly form she shot Joseph in the chest twice before clicking empty on the cartrige. Tom looked panicked and tried to run before Aaron's bullet ripped through his skull. His body dropped with a dull thud next to Joseph.

We all held our breath, waiting to see if the day had anymore nasty surprises for us. It was barely after noon and already I had survived a round of zombie gladiator, escaped, got captured again, got shot, almost raped, escaped again and a run in with Tom and Joseph. In my mind, surviving all of that at least constituted a big tall glass of hard alchohal.

Damn I'm way too tired for this. I jerked awake when Aaron shook me. My brow furrowed when I realized that I somehow got into my bed, at home. Did I blackout?

"Wha? When did we get home? What happened?" I blinked my bleary eyes at Aaron.

"You passed out so I took you and Melanie home. It's only been a few hours since then."I nodded slowly, spacing out for a moment.

"I see.Is that the woman's name?" Aaron nodded before staring at me.

"What?" I asked him, reaching up with my good arm to touch his cheek.

"I almost lost you." With that one sentence my heart constricted with guilt.

"But, I'm here now. It's like you said, I don't know if I'll die tomorrow. But I have right now. And I don't want to taint the present with the past." Aaron stared at me for a moment before swooping down and kissing me senseless.

I ignored my wince when my shoulder creaked painfully, but Aaron didn't. He pulled away leaving me with a pout on my face. A dryly amused smirk teased his lips at my face and a faint blushed stained my skin. I looked away, embaressed that I was blushing. With a soft chuckle he took my chin in one hand and lifted my face so he could place a sweet kiss to my temple.

"I suppose your right, mama bear." I allowed him to push me back down onto the pillow with a smile.

"I suppose I am, papa bear."I said, touching his hair and tracing his cheekbone with one hand.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Epilogue

Three months later

I rubbed my belly absently in the living room, feeling the tiny swell of another life underneath the skin. How was I going to tell Aaron? What were we going to do? It was the middle of winter, and all of the zombies have grown too rotted to be a threat but giving birth without help was going to be risky.

Then Melanie with her son Ryan came into the room. I almost smacked myself in the head at how stupid I was. I could really be dense sometimes.

"Hey Lanie?" Melanie instantly looked over at me and after setting Ryan up in his playpen she walked over to me.

"What's up?" I smiled at her.

It was hard to believe that this gorgeous native american woman looked like a crack whore three months ago. Now her hair was a glossy brown, clean and on it's way to a healthy shine. She gained her weight back, her athletic curves filling back out. Her skin cleared up and, dispite the scars that marred it, it was a smooth healthy mocha color. Her kind brown eyes were alight with happiness and only a faint shadow showing her mental scars. 

"I have a secret and I need your help."She nodded roboticaly only to stop herself mid nod, a habit she was still trying to kick from her enslavement to Fin.

"I mean it depends." I smiled widely at her, pleased to see her exorcising her own will.

"I'm pregnant. But I havn't told Aaron or Iri." Melanie suddenly looked both elated and worried.

She nodded her understanding, having the same thoughts I had when I first kissed Aaron. It was dangerous to have a baby. As rewarding and as forfilling as I imagine it to be, it was one of the most dangerous things a woman could undertake in this day and age. There was no ER if something went wrong and, dispite my best efforts, infection was also a major problem. It was like we were in medeival times again with one in every three women dying in childbirth and children rarely making it to adulthood. However I was already pregnant so I had no choice but to see it through.

I already loved the child growing inside me, a little piece of Aaron and I. I would do anything to protect it and that's why I was so worried.

"Can you help me through the birth?"

"Of course." I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding and I relaxed into the couch.

Then the door closed signalling Aaron and Iri's return from gathering wood. I looked over at Melanie and she nodded encourageingly. With a deep breath I stood. It was now or never.

I walked into the kitchen and watched as Aaron taught Iri how to stack the wood next to the wood stove. He smiled gently at Iri's flustered face and praised her when she finally got it down. He was going to be a wonderful dad. I rubbed my belly absently, lost in thought.

"Is something wrong Percy? Does your tummy hurt?"Iri asked me, a frown marring her angelic features.

I giggled and ruffled her hair.

"No, not at all. I'm perfect. Hey sweetie, can you do me a favor?" Iri nodded enthusiastically making me smile wider at her.

She is going to be a good auntie.Or more like sister, hmm.

"Sure thing!"

"Can you go play with Ryan for a little bit? I've got to tell papa bear something." I said.

"Oh, ok!"I kissed her cheeks before shooing her out of the room.

"So what is it?"I glanced at Aaron over my shoulder.

A worried frown crinkled his brow and tugged at his lips. His hair was shorter than when we first met, still recovering from Iri's brief stint as a hair cutter. New scars decorated his arms and one stretched acrossed his cheekbone, mirroring my own.

I walked up to him and gestured for him to leaned down so I could whisper in his ear.

" Now you really are a papa bear."I whispered before taking his hand and resting it on my swelled tummy.

He blinked at me confused. Then excitement and growing comprehension lit up his dark forest eyes. He abruptly pulled he to him and kissed me. When he finally pulled away, leaving me dazed,  he knelt on his knees and put his ear to my stomache. I giggled at his antics and threaded my fingers through his hair.

A warmth blossumed in my chest as I took in all that has happened to me since the First Night. A tear escaped my eye and I sighed happily. I don't need normal. I don't need a peaceful, perfect world. I don't need heaven, even though hell is at our doorstep.

I have all I need right here, in my own piece of perfect. A family.

Impressum

Texte: Calliope Goodman
Bildmaterialien: Google/ who ever did this amazing artwork
Lektorat: Calliope Goodman/ Jackie King-Florez
Übersetzung: ?
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 15.07.2013

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This novel could not have happened without the constant support of Theo, Jackie and Valerie. Thank you guys so much!