I smile a little.
"Let's get you out of here. Both of you."
I yell across the destroyed base. "EMBER! Let's get these two out of here!"
I pick up both Leon and the little girl. "Hold on tight you two." I let out a little laugh and run with all my speed out of the base.

I search for the military medical unit and find them quickly.
"Get these two on oxygen and clean and fix up Leon's burns. Don't separate them either." I smile a little at Leon. "Everything will be alright. Do you believe me that I'm here to help now?"

Sky and I had came back to the Major only to find that he was getting ready to leave the base. He deemed it too dangerous for him to stay there. He was getting ready to leave his office when we walked in.
"Hemora, I want you to accompany me to a medical unit outside the base. There is a little incident that I would like to deal with and I want some good security." He said as soon as we walked into his office.
"I'm not going anywhere without Sky Sir, she's saved my neck a few times." I could feel Sky smile at me when I said that. I could tell that the Major was considering this.
"Sir, I'm not gonna go if she can't. Even though she is a private, she is very skilled with a rifle. I have seen her shoot a werewolf between the eyes from at least a good 50 yards."
"Very well Hemora. Let's go."

Although I knew Eleadah wasn't like the other vampires, I was still hesitant to grasp on to her for safety. Sucking up my pride, I allowed the vampire to help us and put me on her back as I held tightly to the girl. She let out a gasp as the vampire carried us throughout the area at high speed. We seemed to race throughout the landscape like a speeding bullet. I wasn't sure if we were in the base or either in the world. The blurred surroundings flashed before my eyes, too quick and too hazy to make them out before a hundred more images I saw. The sound in my ears was the roaring of the air resistance pushing against me. I closed my eyes and held onto the vampires neck and the girl very tightly, for fear of flying off Eli's back.
It took minutes to realize that I was in one place again. I was set on the ground and immediately collapsed. The images still ran through my head and I fought to keep whatever was in my stomach in there. Within my ringing ears, I heard Elsa's gasps and saw that she was still in my arms. I struggled to find my legs and tried to stand up, but staggered and fell back. After several failed attempts to stand, I felt a mask be put over my face. I struggled against it, but my eyes regained composer and I was at a helpline. As I sucked the oxygen into my soot-filled lungs, I looked around me. The base's medical unit had moved off the base and into an open space in the woods far from it. I felt Elsa trembling beneath my arms and caressed her back. I heard someone speak to me and saw Eli staring down at me. I cleared my mouth and said, "Thank... you..."
Several people helped Elsa and I into a tent. I was seated and my shirt was pulled at. I let out a cry and they began cutting the fabric around the part that was seared to my skin. I heard some people mutter appalled statements and gasp. I shut my eyes and tried so terribly hard not to think of the images. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as they placed a few gauze pads over the wound. Two nurses held me up to keep me sitting up, which I could no longer do on my own. I noticed that my breathing became shallow and rapid.
"He's experiencing shock," I heard one of the nurses say. I felt the oxygen level of my mask increase as I struggled to inhale it. I felt a slight prick in my arm, but my body did not respond to it. I presumed it was the tube of an IV they were putting in me, for increasing the blood flow is a treatment of shock. I opened my eyes to see Elsa staring at me with a troubled expression.
"I'll be alright," I spoke in a hoarse voice. "Don't you worry..." My words didn't reassure her at all. She wasn't too young to not know the probability of death.

I gently touch Leon's shoulder to try to reasure him then I let my hand slide away as I walk off.

I sit down next to the little girl and try to distract her. "Hi. You're Elsa? My name is Eli." i smile a little, "Do you want to play a little game of go-fish with me?"
I turn to a nurse and kindly ask if she could get me a deck of cards. She gives me a wary look then leaves for a few moments and returns with a pack. I thank her and she leaves again to join the other nurses.

After watching Leon for a little while longer she sits down across from me to play.

Elsa was hesitant at first to play cards as I suffered, but I gave her a nod and she replied with a small smile. She turned back to Eleadah and sat across from her. She placed her little teddy bear. After she got her five cards, she gave her bear five cards as well. "My bear's name is Manny," said Elsa. "He always beats me at this game..." She leaned in toward her bear and whispered, "Try to go soft on her, okay?" I let out a silent laugh and watched them as they played. I watched Elsa shake with giggles and smile. My hearing was going as was my vision. I struggled to keep awake, to watch Elsa grin some more.
Right now, Elsa, I said to myself, almost in hopes of her hearing it, you are the most important thing to me. I will never leave your side with all the danger surrounding you. I will not allow you to die like the others, especially at an age so little as yours. You will survive, I swear on my life. I closed my eyes, for all that my vision took in were watercolor images of my surroundings. The pain of my wounds on my back was slowly receding as I drifted into slumber. I will protect you and guide you... for all time.

I never was good with children so I stood back a little as the other vampire talked to the little girl who began playing cards with the nurses.
"So what now? Surely they will kill us." I said solemnly.

((i'm playing cards with the little girl not the nurses ember. lol))

I look up at Ember standing a distance away.
"Ember. Don't talk like that. We just saved their lives. Nobody will do such a thing. Right now we wait until these two are rested and in better condition, then we will try to find everybody else and set up a camp again."

I sat in the drivers seat of a truck, hauling equipment for the Major's mobile command center. He never seemed to want to go anywhere before without it, and now he never even thought of going anywhere without it. I didn't care, I liked to drive. The Major was sitting in the passenger seat, and Sky was up top on the 50 cal.
"So what is it that we are doing out here Sir?" I asked as I took a turn and started picking up speed again.
"Well Hemora, that infected girl that was in our base before has turned up at a medical tent outside the base. I want to talk to her. Nothing bad. I just want to talk to her."
"O ok. I see Sir. Well, I just want to say that she is an amazing person. I knew her before the outbreak." Not paying complete attention to the road I hit a big hole. The Major wasn't happy with me. Finally our convoy arrived at the site. My 915 was about half way back in our convoy of about 15 or so trucks. I didn't know where Eli was, but I could somehow sense that she was very close. I'd have to wait till the Major released me however before I could do anything. I was sure that she would be able to pick my truck out from all the others on it, it had the symbol that we had made together. I always made sure that the truck that I was driving had this symbol on it for good luck.

I felt consciousness slowly return to me, and my eyes opened to the bright light above me. I rubbed them out and fluttered them a bit. I made out two figures standing beside my bed pan. As my eyes adjusted to the surroundings, I distinguished the two figures as the two vampires, Eleadah and Ember. The expressions on their faces were vacant, but with some sort of sinister behind it. I raised myself to a sitting position carefully and saw something in my hands. I looked down and there was the battered teddy bear of Elsa. I noticed its left leg was missing. I heard a ringing to the side and I looked toward it. A male nurse was there with his head downcast.
"Time of death," he spoke, "9:34 a.m. on Semptember 6th, 2013." My brow furrowed and I looked back at Eleadah and Ember. They shook their heads in unison, staring at me.
"What is he talking about?" I asked.
"Shhhh..." said Eleadah, putting her finger to her mouth. "You'll wake her..." I blinked, but then saw a lump move under my white sheets. I pulled them off and saw Elsa laying on my leg. She raised her head, and on her little, brown face were streaks of red around her mouth and chin.
"Good morning, Daddy!" she said, smiling a bloody smile. I saw beneath her beaming face my severed leg that poured blood all over her. I let out a horrified gasp and Elsa cocked her head. "What's wrong, Daddy? I thought you wanted to be with me. Now we can be together forever!" She giggled at my aghast face, her emerald eyes turning to a bloody red...

I sat upright and stifled a scream that was coming out of my mouth. I frantically glanced around at my surroundings. I pulled off my sheets and saw that my left leg was still attached. The pain of my back slowly returned to my senses, and I let out a pained groan. "Shit," I murmured, stroking my face with trembling hands. I looked down and saw Elsa sleeping beside my bed pan. I sat back against the wall, breathing heavily. "Damn... it... all..."

"Okay..So umm what game are you playing?" I asked walking over to them.

I smile up at ember.
"We are playing go-fish, and i'm getting my butt kicked." I laugh a little.

Elsa rubs her eyes and yawns.
"Looks like somebody needs some sleep." I say to Elsa. She looks over at Leon, still sleeping.
"He'll be alright I'll watch him for you while you get some rest, ok?"
The little girl nods after a moment and then lays down beside Leon's bed.

After a few moments she falls asleep and I get up to speak with Ember.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long. You don't seem to be too great with kids." I look at Elsa's sleeping form and smile gently. "I've always wanted to start a family of my own. But because of the outbreak none of that is possible any longer."
I look back to Ember and motion to an empty bed to sit on.
"You must have a lot on your mind right now. I can help answer any questions you have if you would like me to. And I would like to know more about what you know about that man, the one who comands the undead."

After a while of Ember and I talking Leon wakes up screaming. I run over to him.
"Leon, what's wrong?" I ask, concerned.

I hear trucks outside and glance out the door of the medical tent.
A convoy of fifteen or so trucks were stopped outside the medical tent.

"All units, dismount and make sure the area is secure." The Major said over the radio to all the other trucks. "Hemora, Sky, you two are coming with me to the medical tent. That is where I will be stationed until the other units tell me that the area is clear. You are to stick close until then. Your weapons are to be locked and loaded on safe at all times while we are out here. Now, we are going to dismount, Sky is going to go into the tent and call attention to all able troops in the tent. Hemora, you are going to stay to my left, your weapon will be hot until we get to the back of the tent."
" Yes Sir." We both replied, and I opened the door. I stepped down out of the cab of my truck, and I turned around. Sky handed my and her weapons out the door to me, and I grabbed them both and waited for her to dismount the truck. As soon as she was out I handed her her weapon and I took and locked and loaded ny own weapon. Sky headed off towards the tent, loading her weapon as she went. I walked around the front of the truck and met up with the Major. As we neared the tent I saw Sky stick her head out the tent door.
"ATTEN-HUT" Sky yelled as we entered the tent, I could see nurses, doctors, and soldiers in ACUs and battle armor snap to attention.
" Carry on!" The Major yells as he turns left and heads to the back of the tent. I briefly catch a glimpse of a girl that I swear must have been Eli, but I had to follow the Major, and so I turned left as well and followed him to the back of the tent.

I turned to the sound and listens to the man barking orders. My eyes flash to the sky as I hear something outside...It seemed as if someone was calling to me. I stood and slowly walked towards the gate.

As I followed the Major to the back of the tent, I saw a girl walk past the hall that we were in. I turned and watched her for a second. She stopped, looked at me with eyes that didn't seem like they should. It almost looked as if they were violet, but at the same time they looked hallow.
"Hemora, get over here now." The Major yelled at me, snapping me out of my trance. I rush to his side and put my weapon back on safe mode. Sky walked down the hall and stood on the other side of the Major.
"So Hemora, you say that you knew this woman before the outbreak huh?" The Major asked, turning to me in his rolling chair, it seemed like this tent was always meant to house the commanding officer in the field. they always carried a light desk and a chair to put in the back of the tent.
"Yes Sir. We actually dated for a while as well. She was an amazing person back then, and it seems to me that she hasn't changed too much." I wasn't sure why he was asking these questions, it confused me. From what I had been told he never really was interested in what people were like before the outbreak, he would always focus on the 'here and now' as he would usually say.
"Ah, I see, that would explain why you seemed so eager to get to her when I had you put into quarantine. So do you actually know what happened to her? Was she taken and changed for the purpose of infiltrating the human bases? Or did she happen to just escape from her captors and wound up on our base?"
"Sir? I don't understand what you are asking." I did, I just wanted to see if I really thought that he was asking what I thought he was asking. I could see a troubled look on Sky's face. She must also get what he is asking.
"Well Hemora, I think that it's a little weird that not too long after she turns up on our base, we have a major attack and the next thing that we know we are overrun by the infected. I just think that's a little weird."
"Sir, I am sure that the fact of the attack happening right after she turned up is a complete coincidence. Like I said, she was an amazing person before the outbreak. She would never betray us. As for what actually happened to her, I saw her get dragged away by a couple of vampires not too long after the outbreak. We had been hiding out together in an old city with a few other survivors. One day when we had a group of people out foraging for food, we were attacked by a group of vamps. We all started running, and then we all split up. Me and her went one way with two other people. Three vamps broke off and followed us. we all had weapons, and we all knew how to use them very well. Before we knew it they were practically on top of us. They took out the two other people first. They couldn't run as fast as me and Eli could. We could hear their screams as we continued running. I turned around and tried to get a shot off at the one that was still chasing us. I couldn't even get my sights lined up. I started running again, and Eli was right behind me. Then there was a fork in the road, and I went one way. I looked behind me and the vamp and Eli were gone. I ran back to the fork, and i looked down the other split. I could see Eli still running from the vamp. She fell, I think that she tripped on a piece of torn up concrete. I saw that and I tried to get my sights lined up again, but they were so far away I couldn't get a good shot. I yelled out, but it was too late. The Vamp grabbed her, and took off, and I was all alone again." My voice cracked a little as i finished. I cold see tears in Sky's eyes. The Major however stared at me cold hearted.
"And after that you left the city where you were and went out on your own, eventually stumbling upon my base. And you had been there ever since. Correct?" The Major asked me, he must be trying to piece together what exactly happened so that he could figure out what and how to ask questions to Eli.
"Yes Sir, that's correct."
"Very well Hemora. Sky, go find me this Eli girl. Ask her nicely to come see me, I wish to speak to her. Do not attempt to make her come here by force, that is not what I intend to do."
"Yes Sir." Sky said, and walked out of the little office.
"Well Hemora, we are about to see just how much this girl has changed since she turned."
"Yes Sir." It was all that I knew to say.

I turn to see ember walking away, almost in a trance just before I could hear a voice calling to me. I have the urge to get up and follow the voice but I fight it.
"Ember!" I yell to her but she doesn't turn around. "Ember, don't listen! EMBER!!!"
I try to bring Ember back but she shruggs me off and continues walking towards the voice.

I turn and run into the tent the Major is in.
"Something is wrong! I need somebody's help! It's Ember."
I stop when i see Ken and another girl. There were guns pointed at me.
"Not again..." I stand there with my hands to my head. I could hear the voice trying to convince me to follow.

"Ken," I look at him pleading. "Please, help me..."
I fall to my knees. I whimper a little. The voice was becoming tormenting and I could still feel the guns pointed at me before i pass out.

"Weapons safe! Repeat weapons safe!" I yell, running to Eli's side. "I want a squad of men to go grab the other girl now. tackle her if you have to. Do not let her get away, but do not harm her. I swear that if any weapon goes off I will have that persons head!" A squad rushes out to where the other girl is. Sky and I help Eli up off the ground. As we pull her to her feet the Major walked out of the tent
"Hemora! what's going on out here?" He yelled as he walked towards us. Two privates pick up Sky and my place next to him.
"Sir, we don't know. somethings not right. The other girl tried to leave, and Eli tried to stop her. When she couldn't stop her, Eli ran back to us, and right as she was coming back she dropped to her knees and she seems to be in a lot of pain."
"Very well, bring her to the trailer that you were hauling earlier. I will be there in a second. I have to get the keys for it." The Major took off for the tent. He was actually running which seemed to surprise everyone, especially me. Sky and I helped Eli to the trailer. The Major appeared around the corner of the truck. We had parked the all the trucks in the convoy side by side, so we had protection on both sides of us. He unlocked the door and opened it up. He reached inside the door and pulled down a set of stairs.
"Come on, there is a holding cell inside. Reinforced, sound proof, should be good for anything of this nature. There is a bed there that we can lay her down on. I will have a squad of men guarding this trailer at all times. There is another cell inside that trailer two over from this one. We will put the other girl in that one."
"Yes Sir." Sky and I pulled Eli up into the trailer. We took her to the back where the Major was standing. Holding a door open for us. We pulled her inside the cell, set her on the bed. I kissed her on the forehead and i back out of the cell. One of the walls was made of glass, so I figured that would make it a little bit easier for Eli to deal with being held up.
"Sir, I wish to stay in this trailer to make sure that she is ok."
"That's fine Hemora. Sky, you are to stay here with Hemora. Make sure that he is alright and doesn't do anything stupid. if something happens, he is to stay here and deal with is and you are to come and inform me immediately. Understand?" The Major asked her. Looking very seriously at her.
"Yes Sir. I understand."
"Very good. Now, I am going to check on the other girl, see if she was apprehended or not. Hemora, I will have the squad leader that will be guarding this trailer come and check in with you as soon as he gets here."
"Yes Sir." I salute him, and Sky salutes him as well. He salutes us back, and leaves the trailer. I look at Eli, I hope that she is going to be ok. I don't know what I would do if I lose her again.

"I thought you wanted to be with me..." I felt my eyes sting and forced them shut with my hands. My body shook with each pump of blood emitting from my heart. "Now we can be together forever!" My breaths became more shallow each time I inhaled; it was like I was experiencing shock again. As I trembled, I heard Eleadah come to my side, asking what was wrong. I took my hands from my face and stared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Shhhh... You'll wake her..." I tore my eyes from the vampire and whispered, "Nothing... just a bad dream..." At the realization of my words, I looked back at Eleadah and nodded, forcing a wry smile out of my lips. It was just a bad dream, after all, no matter how terrible.
As I forced my lungs to steady my breaths, I looked back down beside my bed where Elsa lay. She was huddled up in her arms and legs, just slightly shivering. I leaned over and oh so carefully picked up the little girl. Ignoring the painful tension from my back, I set her beside me and bundled her up in my sheets. Sighing, I stared at Elsa and saw a glimmer of light by her eyes. I leaned over and saw a tear on the bridge of her little nose. Blinking once, I raised my hand and gently wiped it off with my middle finger. As if reality doesn't hurt you enough, I thought, but you're dreams make you suffer as well.
I raised my head as I heard the attention call of a soldier. I stared at the group of soldiers enter the medical tent, all nurses and doctors stiffening at their presence. As they proceeded to the back of the tent, I heard the a shout from Eleadah outside the tent. I looked over and saw her run into the tent, and the guns from the soldiers pointed directly at her. She raised her hands, and I saw a look of anguish on her face as she broke down to her knees, whimpering slightly.
"Wait," I coughed. I struggled to raise my voice to a shout, but I couldn't force my mouth to go any louder than an unquiet whisper."Wait! She's not... she saved me..." I stared pleadingly at the Major. "She saved us..." I attempted to raise myself from my bed, but collapsed as I stood to my feet. I heard the soldiers footsteps pass by me and I lay on the ground. I balled my fists and ground my teeth against each other bitterly, feeling so utterly helpless. Once the group of people left, the nurses helped me up and set me back on my bed.
"You should get some rest," said one of the doctors. "We'll be putting you in surgery soon to get the pieces of cloth still seared to the burns on your back." I didn't look at him; my eyes were glued to the ground. The doctor gently laid me on my back and covered me up with a set of sheets. The commotion around had woken Elsa up and she stared at me with concerned eyes.
"Leon?" she whimpered as I glowered up at the ceiling. Receiving no answer, she laid back down by my side, clutching my stiffened arm.

I could hear someone telling me to stop, but the voice. It sounded so comforting...like It knew how to heal my pain. Suddenly everything became clear again. I shook my head and turned around. Everyone was looking at me shouting to turn around. What is wrong with me...I could still hear the voice behind me but it seemed harsher, more...violent.

I wake up in a strange room. The voice had seemed to stop so I get up and walk to the door. I could see Ken and another girl on the other side of the glass.

"Hey." I say to the both of them. "Is Ember back? Is she ok? The voice, it stopped so..."

Eli woke up, and she looked right at me and Sky. She started shooting off questions about what was going on.
"Calm down dear. Ember is being apprehended now. I won't know what is going on with her until I actually hear from someone on the outside of this trailer. Me and Sky here are going to stay in here with you. Just lay down and i will let you know when we find something out"

Meanwhile outside the squad that was going after Ember stopped. She had stopped a few yards ahead of them and she had turned around. The Major came up on the scene, as he got closer he pulled his pistol from his hip. Keeping it down, but at the ready he approached Ember.
"Miss, my name is Major McCoy. We are here to help you. Please remain calm and allow us to help you. Please just hold up your hands so that we can make sure that you do not have any weapons. I am sorry for any inconvenience, but this is standard regulation and we must preform it." The Major announced to her. He stood there, right behind the squad that had weapons all pointed at her. All they could do now was wait to see if she would comply.

Suddenly I feel people grabbing me. "Help me!" I scream as if still in a daze, everything seems so far away. I can feel my head moving as if it is only attached by a string. Where am I? What am I doing? I pass out in the dirt.

Elsa stared at the entrance of the tent anxiously, as if waiting for Eleadah's return. Her eyes were hopeful, but dimmed at every second that passed. The glimmer of tears welled up in her eyes. She tightened her grasped on my arm and moved her emerald eyes onto my empty brown ones. "Leon," she whimpered hoarsely, shaking me ever so gently. "Leon, where's Eli? What's going to happen to her?" I blinked once and let out a shaky breath.
"I don't know," I whispered as Elsa gawked at me, tearing up. She turned back to the tent's exit and cried out, "Eli!" She struggled out of the sheets that wrapped her up and ran out of the medical tent.
"Elsa!" I said, slowly raising myself from the bed. I staggered as I headed toward the exit of the tent. A few nurses attempted to restrain me, but I shook them off aggressively and sped up my pace. I saw Elsa grasping the pant leg of Major McCoy, with streaks of dark brown running down her dark face.
"Let Eli go!" she cried, shaking the leg of the Major. "Let Eli go! Let her go, now!" Stumbling over my feet a few times, I pulled Elsa off of the man and she shrieked in my shoulder.
"My apologies," I struggled to say. "She's... friends with the vampire..." I exhaled deeply and turned away from the Major. Elsa tried to struggle out of my arms, screaming, "Let Eli go!" over and over. I tried best to ignore the pain that was Elsa's. Even though Eleadah saved us, I knew that they still saw her as infected. A parasite that needed to be vanquished...

I was sitting in the trailer with Eli talking to her calmly, trying to keep her mind off things, when the door of the trailer opened. The Major came in, followed by a Sergeant First Class who I knew was a squad leader. Behind him came a group of soldiers holding up Eli's friend.
"Eli, step back, let them put Ember on the bed." I told her. She stepped back and allowed the squad to set Ember down on the bed. They backed out of the cell and the Major locked the door again.
"Hemora, I would like to have a word with you real quick, come with me." I followed him without questioning this move. I didn't know what he wanted this time. We went down a few trucks to where the other holding cell was. He opened the door, pulled out the stairs, and we both stepped in. He closed the door behind him. "When I went back into the medical tent a little girl clung to my leg telling me that Eli had saved her and her friend. Is this true?"
"Yes Sir it is. I know the man." I was still lost as to why he asked.
"Then that settles it. She's going to be released. As soon as I get a chance to talk to her."
"Understood Sir." I smile as I say this.

Moaning I opened my eyes and looked around. I was inside a tent and there were soldiers around. "Where am I?" I asked sitting up slowly. The last thing I remembered was someone calling me out of the gates..

((Ember: correction, in a trailer with a room in the back. you and I are in the same room))

I smile calmly to Ember as i help her sit up.
"Your awake. Thats a good sign. I heard the voice as well." I look up at the door waiting for Ken to get back from talking to the Major.
"You passed out and the soldiers carried you back here. They thought it would be less stressful if you and I were put together."

Concern and a little worry shows on my face.
"That voice. It seems like whoever that man was that started the attack will stop at nothing to get us. I still wonder why he wants us so badly..."