Name: Scarlett Aurora Andrews
Age: 19
Pic:

Name: Declan Drake Hawthorne
Age: 22
Pic:

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-The Beginning
There were once tall buildings that touched the sky, crashing waves on the shore front, a world of light and sound and simple worries. Every city from New York to Los Angeles, Pittsburgh to Atlanta, was hustle and bustle, never ending sights and smells and life.

-The Death

Then, something happened. What exactly, no one knows. It has been kept a secret since anyone could remember. It was rumored that it was a punishment from God, and this has been what everyone has been taught. Something took a hold of the world and people started dropping like flies. But then, they'd get back up. Not as people, but as things. Flesh hungry, mindless, things. And the survivors fled for their lives.

-The Return
The Convent became the only 'government' left. Followers of God, they worked to secure all people in a village and start life again after the Death. The beginning of life again, in a more simple manner much like Medieval days, was known as the Return. The System of the Guardians was set up to erect a fence around the village, to guard the villagers from The Unconsecrated, the mindless cannibalistic undead whose only goal is to kill of this band of survivors. However, though the fence protects them from the Unconsecrated that roam the Forest, it also imprisons the survivors who are taught that there is no life, no anything outside of their village.

-The After

Most of the villagers are content with the village and its ways. A man comes for the hand of a woman, they marry, she bears children, he works at a job usually guarding the fence or making wares for the village, and she works as a gatherer for the village. If a woman does not have a man come for her, she usually becomes part of the Convent where she serves God and watches over the village. However, there are some who wonder if there is life outside their tiny world. They believe there has to be something after the Return. Some are told stories by their parents of tall buildings and mountains and a vast area of water known as the ocean. When the fence is breached because of testing on victims now turned into a super breed of the Unconsecrated by the Convent, the villagers either stay to face their impending doom, or try to escape the village through a secret gate only a few know of.

--Winter Ophelia Hartley
--18



--Alex Tristan Dallen
--20

Scarlett had her head on Alex's chest while they road in the back seat of the black SUV they had found at the Guardians safe house. Just a few days before they had lost Nikolai to the mindless zombies.. and at the moment Scarlett wasn't taking it that well. She of course hadn't liked Nikolai as anything but a friend, but the thought of getting eaten alive or becoming one of them scared her to death. She looked up at Alex. If they made it to the village Scarlett already planned to still stick by his side, hopefully he planned to stick by her. She gave him a gentle kiss by his upper jaw before deciding to speak. "I'm worried." She said softly, her green eyes showing that she was indeed scared.

It was the middle of the night outside of the SUV, and even though they were in a car she didn't feel safe at all. The cars gas read that it was only a day worths of gas before being empty.. which meant they'd either have to find gas or walk to the village which was a week away. And if they did that then they'd have to keep Declan as safe as possible. He was their only key into getting into the new safe village. Only Guardians could get easy access into the safe villages, and they could only get in with Declans approval. Scarlett bit her lip nervously and she took Alex's hand and laced their fingers, scooting closer to him. "But i'm happy to be here with you. Even if it means death.." She said, her green eyes looking to his eyes.

Declan was trying his best to keep himself awake as he drove the rather large SUV. "Okay guys, once it gets light out look around for a gas station or any place that might have gas. Were running out pretty quickly and only have enough for one more day of driving." He said, letting out a loud sigh. He looked over to Winter, finding that she looked rather beautiful in the moonlight, but then quickly looked back to the road.

Every so often Declan would have to swerve to not hit a crashed or park car, or rev up the engine to collide with a zombie or two.. but other than that the ride was very nice compared to being out on those streets. "Oh.. and who wants to drive tomorrow?" He asked, looking at Winter, then Alex, then Scarlett. He knew he would be needing some rest pretty soon.

Winter Hartley idly nibbled on her left thumb nail, staring out the passenger window at the night sky. The moon was full and gave an ominous feel as they drove along. With her legs tucked up to her chest, curled in the seat but unable to rest even for a moment, Winter was startled when she heard Declan speak.

The last few days had been rocky for all of them, watching Nikolai get munched on by zombies hadn't had a good effect on anyone. Winter's green eyes darted up to Declan, listening to him talk. She was about to ask if he wanted to stop for the night, but she thought better of it and simply smiled before looking away.

One could say that Winter wasn't exactly thrilled about going to the safe village. If it was anything like theirs the eighteen year old would want to flee immediately, but she didn't have much choice at the moment. Her luscious red waves framed her golden skin and she sighed sadly, returning her green gaze to the road they were driving on. She'd learned to harden herself a bit, ever since she had to kill her own cannibalistic brother. She didn't speak much save for planning strategies for the group of four.

"I will," she spoke up, knowing that she would be too restless to just sit in the car, feeling the bumps and jolts of hitting zombies, without doing something. Driving would at least momentarily take her mind off of things. She wished they were heading to the ocean her parents had so fondly spoke of, but she dismissed the thought as quickly as it occurred. Brushing a tendril of naturally blood colored hair behind her, Winter bit her bottom lip and glanced up at Declan, her cheeks turning the color of roses as he looked back at her and then looked away.


Most of the car ride had been spent in silence by all of them, Alex included. His left hand idly ran through Scarlett's hair, eyes watching abandoned cars pass by. None of the villagers had been allowed to even know of cars, and it was new for him. He supposed he was grateful they had the car, but it was still an oddity in his book.

Alex lowered his eyes to look at Scarlett, who gently pecked his jaw. He half smiled, knowing she wasn't taking things well. "We all are," he whispered in a reassuring manner, gently squeezing her shoulder to comfort her. The two were half cuddled in the back seat, pressed together as if to remind themselves that they were still there. "Will do," he said to Declan and made a mental note to keep a close eye on the roads.

"Same here, beautiful. But if it comes down to it, don't risk your life for me," Alex said quietly under his breath. The one thing he would hate more than dying and leaving her was for her to risk her life for his. It would be an unending burden of guilt for him to carry, and he would blame himself every waking moment he breathed.

Scarlett shook her head. "I have too.." She said softly, looking up at him and letting out a small sigh. "Don't ask me not to do that, I can't promise to not try and save you.." She said, giving a small frown. Her head was on his chest, listening to his heart beat to reassure herself she had survived the zombie attack at the village, along with a week of being out of the village. She herself wasn't that excited about going to the safe village, but if it meant having a normal life again then she would make no complaints. "I know this is odd to bring up.. but if I get bit.. I want you to kill me okay?" She asked, looking up at him and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. "I'd rather be dead then live that way."

She knew it was a sore subject, but she had to get it off her chest. She would never want to be one of those mindless zombies.. and the thought of ever being one scared her. Scarlett looked around the nice car, still curious on how exactly the vehicle worked. She'd never seen one before..much less rode in one. She let her free hand run through Alex's lovely brown hair as she looked at him. "Will do." She said quietly in Declans direction. "If we pass by any farms I suggest stopping at them. Theirs always a gallon of gas lying around somewhere...Plus you look like you need some rest." She said, leaning her head on Alex's shoulder again.

"Thanks Scarlett. So if someone sees a farm point it out. Or a gas station." He then looked to Winter. "Thanks, I'll stay up with you tomorrow just in case you get tired of driving." He then noticed a large white house on the left surrounded by three cornfields with a barn out back. The house had borded up windows and doors. "Strange.. do you think theres survivors in there?" He asked, stopping the car on the side of the road and staring out his window.

"No problem, and are you sure?" She asked with a shrug. Winter didn't mind silence, and she didn't want to unnecessarily keep Declan awake. Then again, she wouldn't mind company, his company. She was mystified by the large house they pulled up to and cracked her knuckles absentmindedly, brow furrowing.

"Possibly. Doesn't look like there could be zombies in it. Should we check?" She asked. After taking another look at the house, green eyes wide and scanning for any movement, Winter slowly creaked open the car door, pulling her seat belt off of her. She was a little too curious for her own good, but it wasn't always a bad thing. She hoped that was the case now, praying she wouldn't walk into a house full of mindless dead humans roaming about.

Her heeled boots crunched dead leaves on the side of the road, and a light breeze passed over her. The redhead crossed her lithe arms over her chest and felt her wind blow to the side, scowling as a fiery lock flew into her face. Shaking her head to move it, she looked back at the SUV and waited for the others, door already closed behind her.

"So stubborn," Alex mumbled with a scowl, but laughed and kissed the top of Scarlett's brown haired head. He would do the absolute same for her, but he still disapproved of her trying to save him, especially if the effort would be futile. His lips pulled in a tight line as she brought up being bitten. Killing her would be something he wasn't sure he could muster up the courage to do, but he had witnessed Winter kill her own brother. Wasn't that kind of the same thing?

"First of all, I won't let that happen," he teased, but once he saw she was serious he let out a disgruntled sigh. "Fine, but you'd have to do the same for me," her bargained. Being one of... them was a fate worse than death to the survivors, and though they would do everything to avoid it, it was still a possibility.

Alex smiled as Scarlett's hands went through his hair, but on the inside he was still frazzled from the past week. He had to act tough, he was a man. As if on cue, they laid eyes on a large white home which looked like it had been abandoned for ages. "Ironic," he said and watched as Winter got out. He opened the door, not going to let his best friend go out there alone.

Scarlett's eyes widened when they stopped. She of course wascurious about the home.. but the last time they got out of the car they had lost Nikolai. She quickly got out as well to follow Alex and took his hand, lacing it as usual. "Of course I'd do the same." She said, frowning though because it would kill her to kill him. "I'll try my best to not let that happen to either of us." She said, giving him a small smile to make them both feel better.

She followed after Declan who went up to the house and walked up the few old wooden steps that led up to the cement porch. As Declan pulled the wooden boards off the door she peered through an area of the window that wasn't covered by the doors. The inside looked..chaotic. There was furniture pressed against the doors and windows and dried blood could be seen in many areas. "Guys, it doesn't look very safe in there.. there's a lot of blood everywhere." Her eyes lit up at what looked like a small glow coming from inside. "But I think theres a fire going on in the fireplace!" She said excitedly.

Declan nodded. "Of course i'll stay up with you.." He said, getting out of the car and shutting the door behind him. He then led everyone up to the porch and started to pry the boards off of the door. At Scarlett's words he smiled. "A fire? There must be survivors!" He said, chuckling from being excited. He looked to Winter with bright eyes. "Don't worry, there will only be zombies around if they see light or if theres dead bodies." He said, clearing his throat a little.

Winter smiled at Declan, glad he would stay up. Though she would appreciate silence, she knew that after a while it would wear on her. Her thoughts would be screaming in her head unless she had someone to at least occassionally talk to. And though she wouldn't mind being up with Alex, Winter knew he would want to stay with Scarlett. "Thanks," the word was a whisper through Winter's pink lips.

Slowly the redhead followed the group, behind everyone else. The wind seemed to pick up a notch, making Winter rub her arms to warm herself up. Her eyes sparkled a bit as Scarlett mentioned light in the house, but the fact that there was blood everywhere freaked her out. Once again she asked why there was even a house out here, seeing as the Village had told them there was no humanity outside of their colony.

Not wanting to ruin Declan's happiness, Winter refrained from mentioning that there was light in there, which meant there could be zombies. Seeing how excited everyone was, she couldn't bring herself to say it, and hoped it wouldn't be the death of them. Wordlessly she began helping him pull off wooden boards and tossing them onto the ground. "I hope there's someone in there. Someone not wanting to eat us," she joked lightly, managing a fake smile.

"Don't you worry about it, I'll protect us," Alex said and puffed out his chest playfully, taking on a macho stance. Relaxing, he let the smile remain on his face and was comforted by Scarlett's fingers through his. Being much taller than the girl, when they reached the door he peeked above her head, squinting his blue eyes.

A frown painted Alex's features as he saw the blood, still wary about the house in question. His eyes darted all around, trying to look out for any signs of life. The fire had to mean something though, right? He didn't think the zombies would or could light a fire for that matter anyways.

When the boards were all down, Alex pulled himself from the window and slowly laid his hand on the door knob. "Who wants to go into the creepy house first," he asked with a chuckle and waited. With no reply he opened the door and took a tentative step in, not risking calling out and attracting unwanted zombie attention.

Scarlett giggled at Alex puffing out his chest and then followed him inside, her face now having a serious look. Her hand was stll linked with his as she looked in at the eerie living room. All the furniture was pushed against the walls and doors so she had to push a few chairs out of the way, but then in the corner by the fireplace was an area full of blankets and pillows.. and something moving under them! Scarlett looked over at Alex and bit her lip. "Hello?" She said softly, seeing a face peek out from under the covers. It was a childs face. The child was skin and bones and looked as cold as could be. He had dark hair that resembled Alex's greatly, though he looked to be about 11 or 12. She instantly glanced to Winter to see what she would think. She then knelt on the ground. "Wheres your parents?" She asked softly, her green eyes looking to the boys brown ones. She gently let go of Alex's hand so she could scoot closer to the boy.

The boy sat up as best he could, even though he was very hungry. "They tried to kill me." He said softly, looking to the two women and then over to the two men. "My mother and father had been living here since they were both sixteen. They had somehow found each other and boarded up the house and lived here long enough to have me and raise me. In the barn my father raised tons of farm animals.. and we have a rather large garden in the back yard.. so we lived off that until I was twelve. Thats when the garden grew nothing and our animals all died of sickness. That was about a week ago.. and i've only eaten a few canned fruits that my mother made.. but anyways, one day my father and mother went out to the barn and never came back. So, since I was curious I went to look for them and thats when they started to chase after me.." He shuttered. "So I ran in here and locked the door. I've been here since." He whispered. "Are my parents gone?"He asked, fear in his eyes.

Scarlett was sad at this childs story and gave a small nod. "We didn't see them.. but still, it's not safe here." She said, taking the boys hand. "We have some food in the car.." She said, helping him up. He was definitely very thin and had dark bags under his eyes. She looked to Alex. "Could you maybe help me get him to the car?" She asked, then she looked to the boy. "Do your parents have any gas cans around here?"

The boy thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I used the last one to help the wood burn in the fireplace. It just gets so cold here at night.." He shivered. "My names Justin Stone. Whats your guys names?" He asked, looking up at all of them weakly.

Scarlett bit her lip. "My names Scarlett Andrews.." She then looked back to Declan.

"I'm Declan Hawthorne. It's nice to meet you Justin.." He said, standing in the door way with his mouth agape from the boys story. He then looked to Winter. "While they get the kid in the car.. would you maybe go with me to the barn? There might be some things that we could use.. though if it looks dangerous i'd rather you not go." He said, running his hand through his hair. "Wow.. who'd of thought a twelve year old kid would be here?" He asked, his eyes showing that he was amazed. He then handed Winter one of his two pistols that he had strapped to his belt.

Sure they had plenty of food, but the thought of now having to take care of a kid along with themselves. Though they'd be doing the right thing.. he was worried. What if the kid had gotten bit or something?

((I figured that we could have the kid die off in their next zombie attack so that it would add more drama to the rp xD ))

Winter gasped as she saw the boy, frozen in her spot in front of the doorway. His story nearly made her burst out in tears, having been attacked by her own brother just a week before. Her green eyes connected with his and she smiled half heartedly, trying to cheer him up. He was small, no meat left on him. Instantly Winter just wanted to hug him, to take care of him and make sure nothing ever happened to him again.

"Winter Hartley," she introduced herself to him and knelt down by him, sticking out her hand to shake his. She did so and then looked at him. "You alright? You haven't been bitten have you," she asked, a caring nature taking over her. The poor kid had been alone by himself, nearly killed by his parents. Winter tucked her red hair behind her small ears, sighing sadly at him.

Standing back up, she looked at Declan and grimaced. "Yeah, of course. I'll be fine," she said and took the pistol, getting adjusted to its heavy and cold feel. "I know," she whispered sadly back to Declan so Justin wouldn't hear, her heart aching in pain and sympathy for him. She saw his uncertainty about the situation, and she could understand why he was worried. They themselves were running out of food, but it would be terribly inhumane to leave him there.

The eighteen year old stepped back out into the night air and looked uneasily at the barn, looking back at Declan. To be honest the dark frightened her, but she didn't want to admit it. And the fact they would be walking to the barn made her skin shiver, the eery creaks of wind blowing through tree branches setting her nerves on end.

Alex watched Scarlett with the kid, then Winter. They were both so good with him, and he was shocked that he was even still alive. He had to be a tough kid to do so. "Alex Dallen," he introduced himself to the boy. "Come on, the car's pretty warm," he said in a soft, gentle voice, having always been good with kids..

Stepping forward, Alex saw how shaky the boy was standing. The male was afraid that he would fall or pass out on the way to the car, from exhaustion and hunger. "When's the last time you ate kiddo," he asked. Bending at the knees, he scooped up the pre teen boy in his strong arms easily. The group headed outside, Declan and Winter splitting to go to the barn, and himself, Scarlett, and the boy going in the direction of the car.

"We should get any supplies that are in the house," he whispered to Scarlett and smiled at her to comfort her. The kid's bones poked into Alex's strong chest, but the curly haired male made no comment, frowning at the worsening weather. He kept his eyes open for any zombies, especially knowing that Justin's parents had turned and were on the loose.

((I love it :D ))

Declan gave a nod to the kid and then passed Scarlett the keys so she could warm up the car for the boy. "Theres blankets and pillows under yours and Alex's seat, then all the foods in the back. If oyu see anything theres weapons in the back as well.." He said, his eyes darting around to look for the boys parents. He walked over to Winter, taking her hand. "Sorry.. it's just, I'm not really the toughest when it comes to the dark." He grinned. He slowly led her to the barn, the wind making him sigh as he heard the old barn creak. "I think it's going to storm soon.. We could just camp out in the car tonight and wait it out." He offered, leading her over to the barn door and then walking inside. The door had been swung open and never closed. The inside was lit up by about a dozen electric lamps, and thats when Declan spotted a gas can. He quickly picked it up, but by its weight it wouldn't do much. "This will give us an extra hour of gas, so we'll save it for an emergency.." He then looked around for anything else useful.

"That poor boy.. it just worries me that he's so thin and we only have a few more days worth of food and water.." He said, frowning. "It just kills me that he went through all this alone. That changes people forever.." He whispered, looking over at the red head beside him.

Justin looked to Winter. "No Ma'am. I've never gotten bit."He said, giving her a small smile. He has a southern accent that anyone could easily here. He of course hated that he couldn't walk as easily as the other boys, but appreciated that Alex was giving him a lift to the car. "I haven't eaten in about four days.. But i've been drinking plenty of water." He sat down in the seat Scarlett directed him in and leaned against the closed door, smiling at the warmth of the car.

Scarlett helped Alex get Justin to the car and then helped him sit Justin in the seat by the window. "I'll sit in the middle so both you men have room." She said, giving a small smile. She then got a blanket and pillow and wrapped the boy up to keep him warm, making sure he was perfectly comfortable. She then held the boy close to her for a few moments. "Everythings going to be fine.." She whispered, kissing his forehead. "Were all going to take good care of you." She was happy with Justins words of not getting bit. Scarlett then helped Alex get the boy some food from the back seat and then handed it to the boy. "Good Idea." She said to Alex, getting out of the car. "Okay Justin, you stay here and Alex and I will be back in a few minutes." She said, shutting the SUV door after putting the keys in the front seat so Declan could easily get to them if he needed to run back to the car.

She then took Alex's hand. "Do we need a gun to get the stuff out of the house?" She asked, lacing her hand in his. "That poor boy.. all alone in this huge house.." She whispered, looking back at the creepy looking home. Scarlett quickly turned her head when she heard a sound nearby. She jumped a little. "Lets just go get the stuff and then cuddle in the car.. this place gives me the creeps! Oh yeah, we need more food and water so if theres anything at all we have to take it."

As they walked away, the redhead flashed Justin a grin and a thumbs up, giddy that he hadn't been bitten. His accent was so adorable, she could just pinch his cheeks. Winter's cheeks lit up the color of roses as Declan gently took her hand. His admission surprised her a bit, and she couldn't help from letting out a laugh, a rarity in the last week. "Don't worry, I won't tell. I'm kinda really afraid too," she said, speaking of the dark. In the dark she couldn't see, couldn't have control of what was going on. Call her paranoid, but it just freaked her out a bit.

"That sounds fine, I don't think any of us are up to driving right now," she sighed, secretly glad that they didn't have to drive tonight. Her eyes skimmed around the barn and she frowned at the almost empty gas tank. "Should we take the lamps," she asked, still confused as to why they were all on, as if expecting the pair.

The redhead's green eyes caught on a rifle hitched to the wall to the wall of the barn. It was, however, in a dimly illuminated area of the barn and she wasn't sure if she wanted to go back there. "There's a gun," she pointed out, deciding it would be up to Declan if they should grab it.

"We'll make do," she reassured him and rubbed his arm lightly. The food rations were running low, but the second she admitted it was the second she would lose hope. At the moment she was just keeping things blocked out, dealing with obstacles as they came. "And if all else fails we can eat Alex," she joked and grinned up at him. The smile was short lived as she thought about Justin. "I know. Me too. But at least he has us now," she whispered back, sadness lacing through her words.

"Well eat up kid. At least you have some water in you. You're a trooper," he said, surprised at how gentlemanly the small boy was. He must've had some good parents, Alex thought with a sad sigh to himself. He patted the boy's shoulder and gave a large, fake grin to make him smile. He didn't want the kid to bear their problems of running out of food and gas.

As he pushed the door in to make sure it was tightly close, Alex stared down at Scarlett, easily seeing the exhaustion and pity written on her face, having built up since the attack on their Village. "It's so weird, seeing all of this. I didn't even know it existed," he said, more to himself than to her.

The male had zoned out a bit, but yanked himself back to earth as he heard Scarlett talk. He just caught the end of her words, but easily got the jist of what she was saying. He pulled out a pistol from his back pocket and shrugged at her. "Emergencies," he explained simply and slipped it back in his jeans.

"He's doing pretty good, I guess. He's managed to survive this long. Probably blocking out what happened with his parents to deal with," the words were a velvety flow from Alex's mouth and he half chuckled as Scarlett jumped. He squeezed her hand and led them both inside of the house. "Me too," he agreed quietly and broke away from her to search the other side of the large home. If things would go according to plans, they would have scoured the house in a mere few minutes and be back in the warm safety of the car.

Eyes narrowing, Alex yanked up as he thought he saw a shadow move across the wall. Blinking, he decided to disregard it and not mention it to Scarlett. It would be best to not freak her out even more than the girl already was.

Scarlett nodded and decided not to grab a gun, seeing that Alex already had one. She followed him into the house and quietly went into the hallway. She went into the first room she saw and found that it looked to be Justins room. There wasn't really anything in here worth while..so she moved down the hallway. But thats when she heard a groan. She turned, looking around wide eyed. "Alex.." She called softly, and thats when something busted through the back door"Alex!" She screamed, running back down the hallway. She tripped and then quickly looked up to see a middle aged woman with blood dripping from her teeth running down the hall to grab Scarlett. Scarlett quickly stood up and ran down the hallway and into the kitchen, grabbing a knife and doing her best to keep the zombie at a good distance away from her. "Don't come down the hallway without your gun ready!" She screamed, tears coming down her eyes as she did her best to get the zombie to back off. She sliced at the zombies arm, but sadly it only made the zombie madder.

Declan nodded. "We could use that gun.." He muttered. "You wait here and watch my back." He said, slowly stepping over to the area where the gun was and getting it off the wall. "Yeah, grab as many lamps as you can." He said, grabbing about four before stopping and looking back at the house. "Did you hear that scream!?" He asked wide eyed. "Come on Winter, run to the car!" He yelled, putting everything under one arm so he could grab her hand. He then ran as fast as possible to the front where the SUV was parked and through everything into the back behind Justins seat. He then looked at Winter. "Get in the car, i'll go get Alex and Scarlett." He said, putting more bullets in his gun. "The keys are on the seat.." He said, pointing to them through the window. "If no one comes out in twenty minutes then drive off and get somewhere safe." He said, biting his lip.

He then stepped close to her, giving her a gentle kiss on the side of her face before running towards the big white house. He jumped up the steps and bolted through the door. "Alex? Scarlett?!"He called, looking around the living room. He heard the screams.. but this house was so big and had so many hallways that he had no clue where Scarlett was.

How the hell had the mother gotten upstairs?!

Nodding, a tad unsure of herself with the gun weighing down her hand, Winter brought the pistol up to shoot at anything that may jump out at Declan. However it was unneeded as he grabbed the gun and returned, picking up lamps quickly. The redhead grabbed as many as her arms could handle, brow furrowing as she was hefted down with the glowing lights.

The lamps dropped from her hands as an earth shattering scream seemed to shake the barn, the glass lights exploding onto the ground in a shower of glass. Jumping back, Winter fumbled to get a grip on the gun and not drop it as well. She took off in an instant, long legs carrying her at the speed of light out of the barn and into the yard. "I'm so sorry, I dropped the lamps," she apologized, still scared out of her wits.

Even in the circumstances she was still flushed as Declan kissed her cheek, and her eye lashes fluttered closed for a moment. "Okay, please be careful," she whispered and watched him run to the house, worry in her eyes. She didn't know if she would have it in her to speed away from the scene if they didn't return.

Throwing herself into the back seat, Winter's fingers fumbled on the arm rest of the backseat before finally getting the doors to lock. She pulled Justin to her and blocked his ears, still able to her noises from outside of the SUV. "Everything'll be OK, sweetie," she whispered in his ear, but it seemed as if she was reassuring herself more than the young boy.

Alex had grabbed a jug of water and a few MREs and was still searching when the scream erupted. Throwing the gathered objects to the ground, her whipped out his gun and took it off of safety, pointing it down as he ran. He followed the sound of Scarlett's screams and shouts, running to her as fast as he possibly could.

"Scarlett!" He yelled, praying her screams wouldn't stop. He knew that once they did, she was a goner, and he couldn't bear to think of that. "Kitchen," he shouted when he heard Declan entering the house. Not pausing to wait for him, he threw open each door on his way to Scarlett before realizing the only place she could be was the kitchen.

Alex was put in a frozen position as he saw the zombie, Justin's mother it seemed, towering over Scarlett, pressing ever closer to her despite Scarlett's futile slashes. Aiming the gun delicately, his tongue sticking out in concentration, Alex sent two shots flying straight at the mindless cannibal. One bullet shot through the zombie's chest, making it jerk and whip its head to Alex. Thankfully the second zoomed through the middle of its forehead, making it fall to the ground instantly.

Kicking it out of the way, Alex rushed to Scarlett, who seemed a mess on the kitchen floor. "It's OK, you're OK. Are you alright? I'm here," he ushered in a frenzied manner, checking her for bites. He scooped her up, and though she was heavier than Justin it was no problem to him. He kissed her forehead, eyes clenching shut before he opened them again and led them out of the now bloody kitchen.

Scarlett had just been knocked to the floor by the zombie when Alex shot at it's chest. The zombie then turned toward him and got shot in the forehead. Unfortunately for Scarlett the body fell right beside her on the ground. Curling up in the corner and giving another shriek at the body, she let Alex pick her up as she cried.

Scarlett, who was acting a bit hysterical continued to cry and clung to Alex's chest. "I'm sorry.. I didn't grab anything.." She said, putting her head in his chest. "I can go get stuff to take out to the car.. I'm fine." She said into his chest. As he kissed her forehead she closed her eyes, putting her arms around his shoulders. "If the mother survived this long then that means the father must be outside. She was outside the back door and since it wasn't boarded, she saw me and busted through." She said, biting her lip.

Scarlett still had her face buried in Alex's chest when Declan bolted into the room. "I'm fine, just a little shaky.." She said, looking over at him. "But I think that since the mother was alive then the father has to be around here somewhere. And he could be way more dangerous then the mom.. so why don't we all just get back to the car?" She asked, her green eyes pleading to both the boys.


Declan bolted into the kitchen. "Are you okay?" He asked Scarlett, seeing her cling to Alex. "Yeah.. I think it would be safe to grab the stuff we found and then get in the car. I'll be waiting in the car for you two.. were going to camp out in the car tonight so that we can all get some rest." He said, turning to leave the kitchen. "I gotta go talk to Winter, so you all hurry up." He said, walking back down the long hallway and onto the porch. He swiftly walked back to the car and got in the drivers seat, taking the keys and putting them in the ignition. "Everyones fine. It was just a little scare.." He said, looking back at Winter so she would know that Justins mother was dead. "Its fine that you dropped those lamps.. I got enough of them in the back so its all good." He said, smiling at the view of her holding the boy.

"So did you eat well, kid?" He asked, giving him a smile before looking back at the house to see if Alex and Scarlett were coming. "Scarletts a little shook up.. so she might be crying a lot when she gets to the car.." He mumbled, looking back at the boy and then Winter. He leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his brown hair and then sticking his gun in the drivers cup holder. "I think the next car we get should be a van. Holds more people, and more storage. Hopefully we pass a car company on the way. Those cars already have gas put in them so it would help us all a lot." He said, thinking it over.



Justin let the woman hold onto him, wrapping his arms around her as well. It was comforting to have Winter hold him and tell him that everything would be alright. Both the women were just so kind to him, and the men as well. "Yeah, I ate pretty good. Best meal i've had in weeks." He said, bundling up in his blanket. "Scarlett got hurt?" He asked, wide eyed. "Did she run into my mom or dad? I th ought they were gone.." He mumbled. "Well every once in awhile i'll see my dad or mom pass by the windows.. and when you broke in tonight I thought you were them about to kill me." He gulped.

"She just got a little scared, that's all. She thought saw something," Winter cooed gently to him, running a hand through his hair to put him at ease. She didn't want to tell him that his mother had tried to kill Scarlett; it would just put him on edge and probably make him turn into a crying mess. She didn't want to see the poor kid like that; it wouldn't be fair too him.

Winter smiled back at Declan, glad everything was OK and no one had been hurt. "I'm going to switch to the front seat so Scarlett and Alex can sit back here alright?" She said to Justin and kissed his head gingerly before unlocking her back door and moving around the car to the passenger seat. Once inside, she put her head back and let out a long sigh, her eyes closed. Opening the green irises, she looked at Declan and nodded, shrugging her tired shoulders. "We can try, but for now we just need to rest," she said and patted his knee with a soft smile. She put her pistol on safety, then put it next to Declan's in her cup holder. Her green eyes rested gently on Declan's, breathing slowly and watchimg him with a half smile.

"Don't be sorry," he whispered to her and squeezed her closer to him. He nodded at Declan, his brown locks moving slightly. "We'll just have to be more careful," he said gingerly. Walking the two of them out of the room he bent at his knees, still holding Scarlett firmly in his grasp, and picked up the water jugs and MREs he had found. He laid them gently on top of Scarlett and then began making his way to the front door.

This time Alex was careful to make a double check of their surroundings. He was aware of the shadows moving near the bushes, the quiet thump of a tree branch hitting the house, and the wind pulsating around them. Taking a tentative step down the stair, he kept his baby blue eyes open for the farther. Once he saw nothing immediately running towards them, he quickly walked across to the car, holding his breath as they made the journey. He saw Winter switch seats and nodded at her before resting scarlett in the back seat next to Justin, kissing her head once again. He too climbed in and shut the door, making sure to lock it afterwards.

Scarlett laid her head on Alex's shoulder when he was safely in the car. "Thank you for helping me.." She whispered, giving him a soft kiss on the lips before taking the items they had grabbed and sitting them behind her seat. She then grabbed a blanket for her and Alex to share, a blanket for Winter, and a blanket for Declan. Then of course she passed around the pillows. Being one short now that Justin was here she just put her head on Alex as always. She wrapped one arm around his chest. "I promise i'll be more careful. But.. if you ever hear me suddenly stop screaming, don't come after me." She said, still whispering in his ear so Justin wouldn't know his mother was dead.

The whole atmosphere made the car fairly quiet. Even though they stopped to rest.. she knew no one would get a good sleep tonight. It was a very depressing world they now lived in, and she longed for just a little more happiness. That's why she wanted to get to the safe village. As she listened to Alex's heart beat to reassure herself that she wasn't alone in this cruel world, she thought of the child that was now leaning on her chest asleep. She put her arm around him softly, making sure that he was covered by his blanket and then covering her and Alex with a blanket. It was kind of hard to get everyone situated with both her arms wrapped around both boys, but she managed. She looked up towards the front to see Winter and Declan having a moment of their own. She knew they had something.. but she didn't know which one was going to make the first move. She had no clue what she and Alex had, but whatever it was, it was amazing.

Declan bit his lip, happy it was dark so Winter wouldn't see him blush. He took the pillow and cover from Scarlett, putting the pillow behind his head and then covering himself with his cover. "Yeah, resting sounds amazing." He whispered, leaning over towards Winter and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight, Beautiful." He smirked, going back to his side and laying back in his chair. He eagerly closed his eyes even though he knew sleep would never come.

((Oooh in the midle of the night we should have Justin wake up and turn on one of the lamps so that it lures his dad to the car!))

Winter chuckled lightly, curling up in a ball in the passenger seat. She easily situated the pillow between her head and the door so she could lean sideways in the plush seat. The cover fit around her perfectly, reminding her of when her parents used to tuck her in as a kid and lure her to sleep with adventurous tales of the ocean and the world outside. "Thanks," she whispered to Scarlett and smiled at her, her old best friend.

The redhead cheeks turned the same color as her hair when Declan leaned over and kissed her forehead. His lips were soft and it felt like tiny electric jolts spreading through her body, even from the small peck. "Good night," she whispered back, grinning in the darkness of the car. She shifted so she was leaning to her right, legs up to her chest in a small but comfortable position. Her head hit the pillow but her body and mind refused to let her sleep, even as she closed her eyes and counted sheep. Finally, with a silent and aggravated sigh, she peeked open her grass green eyes, the cover up to her cheeks, and stared out the window, watching the trees dance in the wind.


"You're welcome, babe," he whispered and kissed her back, looking down at her. With his lips in a tight firm line, he shook his head. "You know I couldn't do that," he replied as he helped to wrap the blanket around them. A protective arm went around her small waist, and somehow the three in the back seat all seemed to comfortably fit together, like three puzzle pieces.

Alex watched Winter and Declan from cracked eyes, squinted so if either looked back it would seem as if he was drifting into sleep. He was protective of Winter, but couldn't help but stifle a smile as Declan kissed Winter on the forehead. "Goodnight Scarlett," his words were barely audible, a fading whisper as he tried to settle in and get sleep. Though the car was warm and he was exhausted, vision of the past week haunting him. When the village first was invaded, watching Winter kill her own brother, seeing Nikolai lost to zombies, and shooting the zombie mother who had attacked Scarlett. The mere thought made him shudder, glancing over at the now sleeping Justin. At least the kid was with them now.

((Yeah! I love that idea! :) ))

Scarlett blushed. "Goodnight Alex.." She whispered, slowly drifting off into sleep. By the time she was asleep all she could think about was what if the mother had gotten her? Then poor Alex would be alone forever, hating himself for not saving her.. and then she'd end up like Nikolai. One of those creatures.. She let out a soft sigh in her sleep and tried to think positive.

Declan soon fell asleep to the sound of everyones breathing, and dreamt of a happier life at the new village. If they even made it there.

Once everyone was asleep Justin woke up from a bad dream in the middle of the night. He quickly grabbed one of the lamps from under his seat and turned it on, facing it out the window so that it wouldn't wake anyone in the car. And thats when he saw something running.. He squinted, turning his head sideways to try and figure out what it was. The object then disappeared from his view and he quickly turned off the light and put it back under his seat. Thats when he looked again out the window. BAM! A hungry zombie popped up at his window, banging at it with its fists and bloody teeth.

Justin screamed, jumping onto Alex's and Scarlett's laps.

Though it took Winter awhile to fall asleep, she slowly drifted off and began to dream. She was standing knee high in the ocean, beautiful blue waves crashing around her. Alex and Winter stood a few yards away, Alex's arms tight around Scarlett. They laughed and looked at her, waving happily. Winter waved back, her red hair surrounding her like fiery halo. She looked to her left and saw Declan, smiling and holding her hand.

The dream was perfect. But as all things that are perfect are, it was too good to be true. She looked around to stare back at Declan, and saw his face, ragged and bloody, skin hanging from the bone. With a scream she ran towards Alex, but the couple too were zombiefied, running towards at her top speed; odd considering the zombies usually dragged themselves along.

Winter turned to run away, but an army of zombies was pushing her back towards the ocean. She started to run into the ocean, swimming with ease though she had never swam before. Something grabbed her foot and she looked down to somehow see Declan and Justin dragging her under, Scarlett and Alex helping by pushing her down.

As she screamed in her dream, Winter jolted awake. She heard a scream and believed it to be her own, the nightmare causing her to yell out in real life. However she realized the scream was not hers as she looked around to see Justin click off a light and jump into Alex's and Scarlett's laps. She made sure they weren't zombiefied and then looked to the window, seeing a pair of disgustingly thin hands and bloody, sharpened teeth at the window. Jumping back, she nudged Declan harshly, trying to get him to wake up.


Alex hadn't slept long, it must've only been an hour, when he awoke from something throwing itself in his lap. He was about to push it away, still in the sleepy mindset where nothing was wrong and he thought he was back in his bed at the Village. Slowly pulling his heavy eye lids open, which were like two ton boulders, he gave Justin a questioning look.

"What is it," he asked groggily, but shifted into action when he saw what must have been Justin's father groping at the window, trying to claw its way in. He harshly kicked Declan's seat in front of him, not caring if it hurt the Guardian or not. "Drive, drive!" he shouted and hugged the little boy, as well as Scarlett closer to him. Reaching under the seat, he pulled out his gun, prepared to fire if the zombie somehow made its way inside of the car.

Declan woke up instantly to the scream, then the kick, and the nudge. "Oh shit!" He said, starting the SUV and then swerving to the left to knock the zombie down. He then drove about forty feet before revving the engine at the zombie. "Cover Justins eyes." He mumbled, waiting until Scarlett was holding Justin to her and covering his eyes. He then drove the car straight into the zombie, running it over a few times to make sure it was dead before driving down the road. "How'd it even know we were in the car?!" He said in a slightly harsh tone. He bit his lip and continued to go down the road. On the left he saw a sign saying they were a mile from town."Okay guys, if theres a gas station we have to stop and it'd be best to go into the store and get some food.." He said, looking back at the group that was holding each other in the back.

Scarlett held Justin up against her and Alex, letting him sob into her chest. "Sssh, it's alright darling.." She whispered, rubbing his back gently. She then looked over at Alex with a frown. "I'll go into the grocery store. Theres no sense in having all of us go or else we could all get killed." She said, taking her gun out from under her seat and checking the amount of bullets it had in it. Scarlett had a silver .38 handgun that she loved, but it didn't hold many bullets, so she'd had to be precise.

Justin sobbed into Scarletts chest. "I'm sorry.. I had a nightmare so I turned on one of the lamps.." He choked, though he felt a little better since Scarletts boobs were in his face. Thank god she was only wearing a tank top. Justin was very happy with the fact that both the girls in the group were all over him, and they were both very sexy in his eyes. Though he was slightly aggitated that Declan and Alex were all over them. He then wrapped his arms around Scarlett, making sure to put his hands on her lower back. He looked over to Alex, hoping he wouldn't notice where Justins hands were.

Winter closed her own eyes as Declan brutally drove over the zombie. It seemed he was going a bit over board as he backed up and hit it again, then did that a couple more times. However she knew it was to be sure it was dead. There was a light splatter of blood on the windshield as Winter turned her head back, but she averted her eyes from it.

She wasn't accustomed to his hard tone and she bit her lip nervously, thankful that the zombie hadn't gotten in the car. She looked back at Justin and grimaced. She lightly rubbed his back as well as he cuddled up into Scarlett's chest. "Don't worry, it was an accident," she cooed to him.

Her eyes wondered back up to Scarlett and shook her head. "I'll go in with you as well, and we can both hit the gas station too. You boys can stay. It's just as dangerous for only one of us to go," she added and once again grabbed the gun from the cup holder, checking it like Scarlett had done. She reached behind her head, gun resting on her knees, and tied her hair into a high pony tail which accented the delicate features of her face.

Alex didn't blame Justin, that was certain, but he was a tad unamused as he saw his face cuddle into Scarlett's breasts. He had been his age, and knew exactly what he was thinking as the girls cooed and comforted him. As Justin looked back up, he raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn't want to make things awkward for any of them, and bringing up what he was knowingly doing would do just so.

Leaning forward, eyes still on Justin, he gently kissed her lips as she prepared her gun. "Be careful," he whispered to her. He didn't want her to go alone, and was glad when Winter said she would go as well. However that just made him more uneasines. They both meant a lot to him, having known Winter since they were infants and Scarlett being so much a part of his heart, but he figured he would have to let them go.

Scarlett patted Justins back and then kissed Alex again after he kissed her. "I'll be fine babe. Just take care of the others and most importantly yourself." She said, giving him another kiss to emphasize for him to keep safe. She then let Justin sit back in his seat on his own and put her arms around Alex. She'd only been in a relationship with him for about two weeks, but she already knew that she had deeply fallen for this boy. He was the one thing in this zombie world that she could never lose. He was her heart. Of course she cared for Winter as well, but Declan she barely knew. The thought of her child hood friend Winter dying made Scarlett realize that she would definitely have a hard time losing Winter too if it ever came to that.

She looked to Winter. "Thanks, I was hoping someone would come with me." She said, giving a small smile. She watched as Winter put her hair up and then looked back to Alex. "If we don't come back in a half hour..leave." She whispered into his ear, kissing his neck gently before looking around the town they had just entered. She could already see the grocery store. It would only be a few moments before Declan would park and let them go on their own.

Declan frowned. "I'm sorry for doing that.." He said to Winter, taking her hand. "But please be safe." He said, leaning over and giving her another kiss on the side of her face. He didn't know if she would like him kissing her, so he left it at that. "Both of you be careful, if you even see a shadow then run out of there." He said, parking and turning off the engine. He unlocked the doors and waited for the girls to get out.

He then grinned at Alex who had Scarlett all over him. He too had seen what Justin had been doing.. but had decided not to make a comment. He could tell by the look on Alex's face that he wasn't very amused with Justin grabbing onto Scarlett. He ran a hand through his dark hair and looked to the boy.

Justin smirked when Alex glanced at him, then frowned when he kissed Scarlett. His eyes darted up to Winter and sighed when Declan kiss her. "Both of you be safe." He whispered, giving Scarlett a hug and making sure to look at Alex while he put his hands on her backside, then released her to hug Winter in the front seat. He glanced at Declan with another smirk and wrapped his thin arms around her, running his hands down her back. He then went back to his seat, smiling to see what the two boys reactions would be. He could tell that once the girls left the car Declan would definitely be saying something to him..

Letting her thumb run over the top of Declan's hand, Winter smiled. "It's OK, you had to," she said, more confident as she prepped herself to leave the SUV. She couldn't help but blush as he kissed her. Did she ever stop blushing around him, she asked herself and slowly grinned.

"I will, we will," she said to both Justin and Declan before turning turned her head back to the brown haired male beside her, leaning and pushing herself up a bit so she could lay a gentle kiss on the side of his jaw line. Sighing, she was a tad surprised as Justin wrapped his lean arms around her, his small hands running down her back. She hugged him tight, caring for him as if he were a little brother she never had, turning in her seat and smiling. She gently let him go and opened the door, nodding to Scarlett. "I couldn't let you go by yourself," she said and smile. When had the two stopped being so close? Winter couldn't remember, but the fact that it even happened made her heart sink.

Giving Declan's hand a last squeeze, Winter hopped out of the car and closed the door forcefully. With her brow furrowed, she stared around at the ghost town left hand holding her black hand gun. Her green eyes blinked furiously in the night air. "Let's get this show on the road," she said quietly and took a step forward, her heel crunching audibly against the ground.

"I will," Alex replied simply and quietly, kissing her back tenderly but passionately. His eyes had fluttered closed and his heart was beating like a caged butterfly. He stiffled a smug grin as he saw Justin frown, but turned his eyes back to the two girls leaving with a serious look.

"Be safe Winter," he shouted to his close friend and watche dher eyes gleam with his comment. "And you too. If you even get the feeling that something is wrong, run as well," he said quietly to Scarlett and gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. As the two girls exited the car, he turned a very unamused look back at Justin. Was he doing this purposely, Alex asked. He was about to dismiss it when he remembered how he had hugged Winter. Frowning, he knew the answer to his own question was most definitely.