Will POV

We sat in an icy silence. The layout of the living room seemed suspiciously perfect for the situation. The porcelain white tiles seemed to emanate seriosity. Valarie sat on a single, white, plush chair opposite to my black one. The three teens sat on the sofa to the left - gawking at both her and I.

A single coffee table occupied the space between Valarie and I - a barrier. Looking at her - the luscious blonde hair, the thin pink lips, the pale complexion and the frosted blue eyes - I knew she felt just as safe as I did with the coffee table between us.

We stayed silent for a while, me sizing her up - knowing that she's doing the same. I glanced at her sword sheath, noting the silver point on top and the elegant design. I could tell that it was quite sturdy - thus heavy.

As if reading my mind, she clutched the grip of her blade. I'm out numbered and out weaponed. I only have one knife left on me and a baseball bat upstairs. She has a gun, sword and three other people.

I can't fight my way out of this.

"We aren't looking to loot or hurt you. So calm down", despite the kind nature of her words, her icy tone remained.

I considered her words, "What are you here for then?"

Once again her eyes scanned every inch of my being - calculating something.

"How long have you been here? In this house, I mean."

"Why are you asking? What significance does it hold?" I deflected her question.

"It's of no consequence to me, specifically. I'm merely asking, how long have you been here...after you lost your loved one."

My veins turned to ice - pumping freezing water into my tissue. Involuntarily I arched my back but held onto my blank face. But I didn't fool her.

How did she know I lost someone?

As if predicting my question, "The watch on your left wrist is two sizes too large. That told me that it wasn't your watch. Furthermore, you wouldn't steal a watch that was too big for you. Thus, that watch belonged to someone important to you. Someone who is now gone."

I felt a surge of anger rise in my chest - a bubble of violence expanding painfully.

She was getting under my skin on purpose.

"Time moves differently for me, but if I were to estimate, it would be around four weeks since I... moved in here."

She nodded her head ever so slightly - keeping her eyes trained on me. Once again I saw the calculating look in her glacial gaze. Her eyes glanced around the room, first the bookshelf to the right - the one behind the teens who shivered when her eyes landed on them - then it wandered to the staircase to the left before settling on the facedown picture frame.

She calmly stood - still clutching her sheath - and moved to the picture on the floor. She picked it up and looked at it. No, she scrutinized it.

For a mere second I thought I saw longing in her eyes before they froze over again.

She spoke while looking at the picture, "Family. During our current situation, that's one thing everybody wants. Family. In other terms... community. Safety," she walked back over to her seat.

Steadying the picture on the coffee table, she rotated it so that it was facing me. A picture of a smiling... happy family. A lasting... companionship.

Love...

I felt the cold cavern rumbling in my chest, memories threatening to spill over. The pain causing my breathing to speed up in panic, in fear and sadness.

"What if I could offer you that? What if I could offer you family?" She asked in a knowing way.

I smothered my feelings, I tried as hard as humanely possible. The roof of my stomach burnt from the effort.
"I'd ask, what's the catch?"

A glint of amusement shimmered in her eyes, "You need to pass a test first. You're welcome to come back with us, you're useful in combat, your mind is sharper than your blades but you're damaged nonetheless. I can help with that too", she stood to her feet.

Her eyes stayed trained on me, "Let's go." I knew she wasn't talking to me. The three teens jumped to their feet and scurried out of the door.

"Find our camp, I'll give you one clue: there are 148 of us. You are only allowed to start searching at midnight", she said as she turned around.

I was planning on just following them after they left but she stopped at the front door, staring out, "If I find you following us before then", her eyes snapped to me with such fury and determination it made my bones shiver, "I will kill you."

And so she left. I sat paralyzed for a good hour until I snapped out if my varying degrees of terror. Emotions. Memories. Her. They all attacked me at once. I shook myself out of my daze and checked the time on my watch - 9:42 pm.

Naturally I have reservations about joining a group. Too many people, too much danger. However, too many people mean more human shields if things go wrong. Add that to the fact that the icy woman is clearly the leader, this group is in good hands. It is, indeed, a very tempting offer.

I got up out my chair and went outside to retrieve my knives that were left lodged in the Cannibal's heads. It's an established fact that Cannibal blood contains the virus. Whatever that virus is, it seems to rely on blood as it's mechanism of transmission.

That's why the infected have bleeding gums. Once they bite you, the blood from their gums is infused with your own - thus infecting you. Touching the infected blood - as long as the skin isn't broken or damaged - won't result in infection. Suffice to say, if the blood gets in your eyes or mouth - then you're already a danger.

I yanked the final knife out of the last skull and returned to sit on the top of the tall fence. I would get no sleep tonight. That woman triggered memories that were to remain buried.

The watch on my wrist seemed to singe my skin. Boiling it - begging to be reminded of its owner. But I couldn't throw it away, some twisted creature prevented me from discarding the only item that proved he existed. It was a duality. I wanted to erase him yet I didn't want him to disappear. I wanted him to suffer but at the same time... I didn't want him hurt.

Do I still love him?

I cringed in pain as a memory shoved itself to the forefront of my consciousness:
I looked down at out intertwined hands, his was slightly bigger than -

"STOP", I screamed at the top of my lungs, clutching my head in agony. I don't want to remember, I don't want to remember, I don't want to reme-

- mine and his skin was sporting a healthy tan where mine was pale.

I was snapped out of my torture by grunts and a tugging on my shoe. My scream attracted Cannibals - around seven. My eyes widened when I saw mossy green eyes and a perfect smile on all of them. Even after six weeks, he still haunts me. I still see his face on these creatures.

I withdrew my foot from its grasp, drew out eight knives - an extra one in case I missed - and aimed directly between the mossy green eyes I, alone, was seeing.

I flung knife after knife - each hitting its target. Matt dead. Matt dead. Matt dead.

Matt. Dead.

A pile of seven bodies lay on the ground beneath me, blades lodged in their foreheads. I jumped down, retrieved the blades and hopped back up the fence.

Under the pale, cool moonlight I found myself crying. Silently crying. Hot streams ran down my cheeks as I gazed up at the moon.

Matt...
Help... I've lost myself...

I bowed my head in shame.
...again

"How could you...? Help me!", I screamed out to God, to the moon, to everything, "Dear God someone please help...me..."

My voice broke at the end of my plea as I quietly sobbed, tremors wracking my body, "You weren't supposed to leave", I muttered hoarsely to the empty air.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, waving my hair with it. If Matt could leave... I looked at the sharp, blood drenched throwing knife.

Can't I leave too?

This isn't a world where I'll be happy. This isn't the world I wanted to be in. These aren't the feelings I wanted to experience...

"LIVE", Mellissa screamed in pain.

I closed my eyes in sorrow. In shame and anger. I can't leave, I have to stay. I have to stay for her. I looked up at the stars, "I miss you, Mellissa."

I checked the time on my watch - 12:05 am. I hopped off the fence and trudged along the pavement.

148 people... You'd need someplace large. Not a warehouse, assuming you'd want to be preemptive. And that woman... She's the preemptive type. You'd need a field. One that you knew would have fertile soil.

You'd need a farm. And the only farms close to the city were off the highway coming into town by MediPharm hospital.