I spent about two weeks longer in Bismarck, hanging around my motel, trying (and failing) to come up with a plan about what the hell to do about finding my pack.

Sure, I was glad that Storm got through to me — but she hadn't exactly given me much advice. Maybe the fact that she was being tortured was slightly distracting to her.

Sat at the edge of the bed, I stared at my phone in my hand, watching her contact like I was looking right at her.

Should I call her? Should I call her to tell her that Storm had finally got a message to me... Should I call her to tell her that the dreamcatcher she gave me had been blocking me off?

No, I decided; calling her would only complicate things further. If I couldn't even handle her name alone, how would I've handled a conversation with her?

Anyway, it was 10:30 in the morning where I was, so it had to have been late in the evening where she was — that's a good enough excuse.

It wasn't like she was gonna show up in the States anytime soon.

Throwing my clothes, Abi's pendant and even the tattered dreamcatcher into my duffel bag, I swung it over my shoulder. And after one last look around the room, I was ready to leave. I dropped my key card off at the front desk and paid the total amount for how many nights I'd stayed.

Damn, money disappears fast. I mean, by now I'd spent about three and a half months in the States. I'd tried to use Lis's money as sparingly as possible but that wasn't enough, and I was running low again. After Christmas in Iowa, I'd found some money by temporarily working as a dishwasher in a diner in a town called Ames, which was conveniently right next to the interstate.

But I knew I'd need to get a job quickly when I got back home. There were always plenty of jobs in diners around Montana, and they're fairly easy jobs to get into as well — prove that you don't have too serious a criminal record and that you know how to deliver dishes without dropping them, and you're pretty much hired.

I caught a bus from Bismarck across to Medora, a tiny town about half an hour's drive from the border of Montana.

From a hasty search on my phone, I figured out that there was one electrical station not far from Medora, and I guessed that it would be a good place for one last look before I crossed the border.

Keeping my head down as I was waiting for the bus, I just hoped that I wouldn't see Fern again before I left. What happened with her had been a disaster, and I never wanted to see her again after that. But I reckoned that the chances of that were highly unlikely.

Medora kind of freaked me out — not that it was a freaky town, in particular — but because it looked exactly like the set of an Old Western movie. There aren't tons of differences between North Dakota and Montana. But there, in Medora, it was hard to tell whether I'd accidentally crossed the border or not.

To start with, I couldn't even see the electrical station that there was supposed to be there, but a few more minutes of scoping out the area from a high vantage point revealed that the town had hidden their source of electricity behind a small hill — obviously not to take away from the rustic appearance of the town that tourists most likely came there for.

Finally making my way over to the station, I saw that it wasn't in a much better state than the rest of the town. Rust ran down the long-neglected metalwork like tears, begging for long-needed attention.

The electrical room itself was around the back of the power station. And as I stepped towards it, sand and stone crunching beneath my feet, I made sure that I was aware of everything going on; it could've been a trap. I'd been the same with every electrical station I'd checked out — wary, cautious, ready for anything and everything.

"Anyone here?" I called out softly as I stood next to the door and listened for the tell-tale sounds of heartbeats — but there was nothing, apart from the weak heartbeat of a rodent or something like that — an animal, not a human.

After breaking the lock off, I pushed the door open and whoomph, instantly I was hit by the chemosignals of pain and suffering and anguish. Steadying myself against the metal doorframe, I gasped whilst I adjusted to it all. All the overwhelming sensations.

They were here.

That much was evident.

The room was dark and dingy but reeked of blood, sweat, and tears.

Looking closer at the walls inside the room, I saw the claw marks as well. The claw marks meant that my pack had been trying desperately to get out. So desperate that blood had been drawn from their fingernails and fingertips.

I could hear it all — the screams, the sounds of torture — echoing through the room ceaselessly.

Until it did cease. It stopped entirely.

"Who's here?" I instantly whipped around to check if the door was still open, and it was. "Who are you?"

Someone mumbled something indeterminate and inaudible, even for me.

"Who's there?" I repeated, backing against the wall; something was off, something wasn't right.

The person (or thing?) groaned and in the half-light, I saw them stumble (or crawl?) towards me.

"Theo..." I thought I heard it say.

Ever cautious, I stepped forward towards it slightly.

It was Abi, she was dragging herself across the floor.

"Abi!" I exclaimed but saved my excitement after seeing the agony etched into her face, and dropped down to her. "What the hell happened?"

"My leg," she groaned.

A glance told me everything — she'd been caught in a bear trap; her leg was a bloody mess. Her strawberry blonde hair was matted and bloody, her face grey.

"I'm gonna have to get it off," I warned her and moved around to her leg to grasp the trap with both hands. It would be hell to get off, if my grasp slipped even ever so slightly, the trap would spring shut again.

"Do it," Abi said through gritted teeth.

Slowly, I pulled the trap open, careful I didn't touch her bleeding, mangled leg. She cried out as the metal jaws slid out of her skin.

Then her leg was free, "Move your leg!" I told her, and I let the trap spring shut as soon as her leg was free.

"Aahh..." She moaned as she inspected her leg and the holes that the jaws had left on it.

I chewed my lip, worried; I knew she wouldn't heal as quickly as I would. She was only human, after all — being a banshee didn't give her any healing powers whatsoever.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, just great." Her sarcasm was evident — there's the Abi I know. Then she said seriously, "But thanks, Theo. If you didn't show up, I wouldn't have made it."

I knew she meant that last part seriously; she must've predicted her own death. I shuddered.

"How are you here?" She frowned up at me.

"Looking for you lot, obviously." I smiled weakly before I noticed the blood running out of her ears. "What happened to your ears?"

"The tests..." She looked away, shuddering almost imperceptibly. "They were doing tests on us, all of us."

"The hunters?" I questioned disbelievingly. Tests, what sort of tests — why?

Abi waved her hand. "Not now. Can you get something for my leg?"

"Y-yeah, sure. I'll run into town." I hesitated at the door, worried about losing her again. "I'll be right back — scream if anyone tries to take you."

"Okay." She sighed wearily, letting her body fall back onto the floor again.

I sprinted into Medora, hoping they had a pharmacy open — and they did. I almost accidentally stole the bandages that I'd grabbed and only just remembered to pay for them.

"I'm back," I told Abi when I reappeared in the electrical room.

Rushing to her, I let out a breath that I didn't realise I was holding. She's still here. I handed her one of the bandages so she could start wrapping her leg up.

"There weren't any disinfectant wipes," I explained apologetically, "We'll clean it up later, I promise."

"Where are we, exactly?" She finished tying the bandage.

"Medora, North Dakota — about half an hour from the Montanan border," I told her.

"We're that close to home?" She looked up at me, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Yeah." I breathed, my face breaking into a smile, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"I'm equally glad to see you." She smiled back. "Help me stand?"

"Sure." I folded an arm around her torso and gently pulled her to her feet.

As soon as she stood up, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me to her tightly.

"I missed you so much, Theo," Abi muttered to me, "We all did."

"I missed all of you too." I swallowed, "I met a naiad, who told me that—" I swallowed again, trying to figure out the words, "That some of us are... are..."

"Yeah." Abi nodded, tears shining in her eyes once again as she pulled away from me, keeping hold of my arm for balance. "Not all of us are alive."

I couldn't help it when I let out a broken-hearted sob — Abi had just confirmed my worst fear. I know that Halia had said the same thing, but from Abi, a banshee, I guess it just sunk in a little more.

"I know." A tear slid down Abi's cheek.

Who? I thought, but I couldn't bring myself to ask it aloud. Thankfully, Abi didn't volunteer the information either — I don't think I was entirely ready yet... Though will I ever be?

"Should we start walking to the border?" I asked her, glancing again at her leg.

"Yeah." She nodded. "I need to get out of this freaking room. I don't even know how long I've been in here..."

With my help, she limped to the door and stepped outside.

"What... what month is it?" Abi eyed me.

"It's March, March 20th," I told her.

"M-March?" She echoed, looking up at me incredulously, "How can it be March? The other day it was... It was Thanksgiving... March?"

"It's March, Abi," I hesitated. "Maybe they were drugging you or something?"

"Maybe," she muttered and leaned on me some more. "Let's go."

And we started walking slowly towards the border. We stayed away from Medora, not needing to attract any attention. I noticed how pale and washed-out Abi looked in the light of day. So grey that she almost looked deathly. Almost looked like she was dying.

I looked away.

"So, how was Christmas?" Abi huffed next to me, clearly trying to distract herself from the pain in her leg.

"Cold, rainy, miserable, spent in Iowa in a homeless shelter," I replied bleakly because the truth was pretty bleak.

"Awesome." Abi grinned back falsely. "At least you weren't watching psychopath hunters testing all of us."

"Testing?" I echoed and asked again, "The hunters were testing you?"

"I'm not the one to explain it." She waved the question away again. "Jason will tell you when we find him and the others."

"Jason's alive?" I exclaimed, beaming widely.

"Yup — but that's all I'm telling you." Abi glanced grimly at me. "Can we rest for a minute?"

"Sure," I helped seat her on a rock. We had been walking for about half an hour straight, so she deserved a rest. I dug out a bottle of water from my bag and handed it to her. "Here. We've probably got another hour walking after this."

"Thanks." She drank from the bottle, clearly dehydrated as she finished the whole bottle in about 30 seconds flat.

Staring out at the valley below us which we would descend next towards Montana, I thought I could almost see the Montanan mountains — but maybe it was just the early-spring heat deluding me.

"I've got something of yours," I remembered and carefully extracted Abi's pendant from my bag.

"How the hell do you have this?" She squealed happily, as she took it from me and studied it, before putting it around her neck.

"Storm sent it to me through a nightmare or something." I shrugged. "You were screaming and searching for me. It was dark, and you said... You said that they were all dead. All of them."

"That wasn't just a nightmare, Theo." The smile fell off her face and the ashen look reappeared. "That actually happened. I made that prediction the first night after they took us."

I swallowed, as my mouth became dry again; a banshee's predictions about death are never wrong.

"I also lost my necklace when we were taken." She fiddled with it. "I don't know how it got to you, but I'm glad it did."

Standing and pulling my duffel bag over my shoulder again, I told her, "We should get going again."

I helped her up and we started down the valley once again. Careful to support her and not to lose my own balance doing so, I kept my eyes on the track ahead of us. If I was on my own, I would be able to run, and probably would've been well into Montana by now, heading towards home.

But I have Abi to look after, and I am so glad I found her... So why am I wishing I was on my own again?

Maybe because I'd been on my own for so long, it would take me a while to adjust back to being with people... to being with my pack. That was if we still were a pack. I was glad that Jason was alive, but the others? I hadn't even begun preparing myself for the inevitable.

The inevitable was that some of my pack, some of my friends; some of my family, were dead. I couldn't even begin to think, oh I hope that ... is alive — I couldn't do that. I wouldn't do that.

Abi and I spent the rest of the walk toward the Montanan border in silence. There was no need for us to talk, other than the occasional rest break and to ask if she was alright.

"As soon as we get to a pharmacy in Montana," I'd tell her, "We'll sort your leg out."

"I know, I know," she'd reply.

Then we'd continue walking in silence.

Now and then, the heat caused my mind to drift back to Lake Oldoy, what life would've been like if I stayed there, what life would've been like if she stayed there. Maybe we would've had a life together. Maybe.

But there's no point in wishing things were different because the world doesn't work like that. The world is and always has been a cruel, harsh place, where nothing you want to happen actually happens.

"Is that the border?" Abi raised a hand and looked through the glimmering heat, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"I think so." I squinted across the wasteland to where the interstate widened and there was a bridge above it, border control. "Yeah, it is. Can you go a bit faster?"

"Sure." Abi grimaced and we sped up slightly, but only ever so slightly.

"Shit," I realised as we were a few metres from the interstate, "You don't have a passport — do you?"

"I can't say I packed it." Abi panted as she lowered herself to the ground.

Rubbing my face in my hands, I groaned; I hadn't thought of this. Why hadn't I thought of this?

Without a passport, they wouldn't let her cross the border. The only way to get around it would be to scale the eight-foot-high, barbed wire fences. And Abi was in no condition to do that, with or without her injury, she wouldn't be able to make it.

I knew I could make it in one leap — but where would that leave Abi?

"Okay, come on," I said, helping her to her feet. "I've got an idea."

Moving around to the right, we avoided the interstate, as well as border control.

"I'll jump over the fence, then I'll tear a hole in the barbed wire for you — okay?" I checked, explaining my plan.

I knew that on any other day, Abi would be able to use the power of her voice to make a hole in the fence herself. But today was not any other day. She was injured, if not already dying.

"Okay." She nodded, glancing down at her bloodied leg, the bandages having soaked through.

Just a little further, then we can get a taxi or a coach further into Montana. We'll get there, we'll get there. We have to.

"Wait right here," I told her as we got to the border fence.

"You know this is illegal, right?" Abi glanced up at me, a faint smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, sure I do. But it won't be the first time I've broken the law." I shrugged and took a few steps backwards for the run-up to the fence.

I jumped, and like that, I was over the fence. Easy-peasy.

Now for Abi.

Taking hold of the barbed wire fence, I hoped desperately that it wasn't electrified. It wasn't and I was able to tear away the thin metal like peeling off a Band-Aid.

"Come on," I held the wire open so Abi could limp through, keeping my eyes open the entire time so nobody caught us.

"I'm good." Abi huffed. "Just get me to a freaking pharmacy before I lose my leg."

I bit my lip, glancing down at her blood-stained jean leg. I should've tied a tourniquet onto it, but then again, it wasn't just one place where she had a hole in her leg. The jaws of the bear trap had left four holes on either side of her leg — eight holes in total.

Her face was growing greyer by the second, and she swayed unsteadily. The bags underneath her eyes were red, and her eyes were bloodshot at the edges. I had no idea how long the bear trap had been on her leg, but it had clearly been a long while.

"Get on my back," I instructed, snapping into action as soon as I realised what was going on.

Abi didn't protest and clambered onto my back.

With my duffel bag over my shoulder and Abi clinging to my back, I could already feel myself being weighed down. But I had to run, I had to get her to a hospital. A pharmacy wasn't going to cut it anymore.

She needs a hospital.

"Abi, you need to stay awake." I told her as I began to run, "You have to stay awake, okay? I'm taking you to the nearest hospital."

She draped her arms around my neck, and already I could feel her cold feverish state setting in.

"Wha...? Where are we? I w-want t-t-t-too se-se-see Zack-ckc-ckc-ck," Abi complained wearily.

"That's okay, Abi," I said soothingly as I continued running, not stopping for one second. "We're going to see Zack now. You just have to stay awake."

Damn it, it had set in faster than I'd expected. The fever, confusion, slurred speech — all the first signs. The first signs of a deadly-fast killer. A killer.

Sepsis, blood poisoning. Abi was dying. And she'd soon be dead if I didn't get her to a hospital pronto.

As long as I'd known Jason, it'd always been drilled into my head: don't go to hospitals. Because at hospitals, they do tests. Then they find out that you're not human, and that you heal unbelievably fast. Then they lock you up and send you to some sort of government containment facility. Area 51. You're an alien, an anomaly, a monster, not human.

But with Abi, it was different. Despite being a banshee, she was still human. A hospital was the only way she could be saved. Or at least I hoped it would.

"C'mon, Abi. Stay awake," I'd have to keep telling her as I ran as fast as I could with her weight on my back.

For a second, I was back in Lake Oldoy, carrying her in my arms after she'd set that warehouse on fire, telling her to stay awake, looking after her, because she was the only thing that mattered.

Then I was in Montana again, running through the semi-wilderness with a dying banshee clinging to my back. And this time, it was real. Abi was dying from blood poisoning, not just exhausted.

With a lurch in my stomach, I realised that there were no hospitals in Montana this close to the border. The nearest one was a couple of hundred miles away — we'd never get there in time. Not on foot anyway.

I slowed my running and lowered a shivering Abi gently to the ground. I pulled out my phone and rang 911, hands shaking as I tried to calm down.

"911, what's your emergency?" A woman answered immediately.

"My friend has been caught in a bear trap just across the Montanan border, near North Dakota," I explained, struggling to keep my voice steady, "I managed to get the bear trap off her leg and now I think that she's got sepsis."

"Okay, can you tell me exactly where you are?" She asked, voice calm.

"Y-yeah, we're at the side of Interstate 94, we just passed Wibaux," I recalled passing the sign for the town. "We don't have a car, we're on foot and we don't have anywhere to go."

"Please stay exactly where you are, there is an ambulance on its way that will take both of you to Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, the nearest hospital to where you are now," she explained, voice still level. "For our records, I need to know the names of yourself and your friend — what are they?"

The lie came instantly; "I'm Eric Herckell, and my friend is Maia Silva."

"The ambulance will be with you soon, Eric." She disconnected the call.

Lying about our names would make it easier for them not to be able to find us. Why I had chosen her friends? I don't know. There were just two names, after all.

There were 10 more minutes of trying to keep Abi awake before the ambulance arrived. After a quick review at the side of the road once Abi was in the ambulance, they told me I was right about the sepsis, and that I did the right thing in calling 911.

Somehow, I fell asleep in the ambulance, even though I'd promised myself I'd stay awake and keep an eye on Abi.

I found her, I remember thinking before I drifted off to sleep, I found Abi, I've almost found my pack...