Sam yawns stretching her arms over her head as we leave our room waiting outside the door for Liam to take his turn changing. "Do you guys always get up this early?" Sam asks her eyes half-lidded.

Kaitlyn looks at her sympathetically "Normally Kaindra is already up once we wake up. Sorry to have woken you up this early."

Sam waves at her, shaking her head to stay awake. "No, no, it's okay. It was just a shock. I need some coffee, and I'll be good."

"If you want you can keep sleeping," Jen says.

Sam shakes her head, patting Jen on the shoulder "I'm good Jen, it's probably from sleeping on a couch and not in a car, makes me want to continue sleeping the whole day."

We leave it at that as Liam comes out dressed for the day "Ready to go?" He asks. We nod quietly moving down the corridor trying our best to not wake up the people who came in from night watch.

I watch Sam, who is sleepily, walking beside us. She likely hasn't had much rest for a while due to the long journey, so waking up at 7 after such a good sleep must be jarring for her.

As we enter the semi-filled cafeteria, everyone remains quite, voices subdued to avoid the noise reverberating to those still resting. Sam heads directly for the coffee, joined by Jen who may not need it but considers it essential. The rest of us prioritize getting food.

Sam takes the last empty seat beside Liam at our table a steaming cup filled to the brim with coffee protectively in her hands. After finishing half the cup she looks a little more alive her eyes at least visible now. "So what happened to you guys?" Sam asks taking a bite of her oatmeal.

"If you mean how we got here and all it's simple, we couldn't survive any longer at our school so we left and ended up here because it was safe," Kaitlyn says. Rolling my eyes I look at Jen, we both sigh, rolling our eyes together at Kaitlyn's bland answer. She looks at us scrunching her nose "What?"

"You call that an answer, here is an answer," I say turning to Sam and Liam cracking my knuckles. "We were in the middle of class preparing for finals when the PA system came on, shhvv 'All Students and staff, remain in your classrooms until further notice, multiple dangerous assailants have entered the building. Remain in your classrooms-," I stop "Then nothing but screams. The teachers locked the doors and a few minutes later everything was complete silence. Till a voice came on the PA system telling everyone to go to the gym. When we came down the commons were covered in blood but no bodies were to be found. Some people passed out and some threw up at the sight."

"And all the doors leading outside were covered and blocked with tables and chairs. No one knows what happened but the screams and growls of what was happening outside were all we needed to know, we almost died." Jen jumps in.

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the dramatics. After that, we made a plan when the power went out and drove here." Kaitlyn says.

"Party popper," Jen huffs.

"Totally," I say, copying her.

Liam shakes his head "On the note of finals, how do you think you would have done if this hadn't happened?"

"I would have done fine," Kaitlyn says.

"I probably would have failed at least one exam," Jen says.

"I second that," I say.

"It's not like it would have mattered to you if you failed or not," Jen says.

"Yeah, but still failing is never a good thing, my mom would kill me," I say.

Jen shrugs "True, but at least you have time." Grumbling I flick her forehead "Hey, what was that for."

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Come here you, I have to flick you back," Jen shouts reaching over to flick my head. I hold her back as we wrestle with each other Kaitlyn stuck between us.

"Enough you guys it's too early for this stuff, you aren't two anymore," Kaitlyn says pushing us apart. I stick my tongue out at Jen pulling the skin under my eye down as I do. Jen copies me and we begin making faces at each other. Kaitlyn sighs "These two" Jen and I laugh poking Kaitlyn's cheeks.

"How did you guys survive?" Sam asks.

"Kaindra," Liam says.

"Huh?" Sam says.

"Kaindra is the one that got us out," Kaitlyn says.

"I didn't do much," I say.

The three turn to me "Not much," they say.

"You helped make plans," Kaitlyn says.

"Those are my friend's plans that I borrowed."

"You got the zombies away from people and us when we left the school," Jen says.

"You told me to help those people."

"You drove the car all the way here and was the first to volunteer to scout and raid," Liam says.

"I...haaa."

"How are you still alive after fighting off the zombies," Sam asks.

"Because I'm magical," I say winking.

She chuckles "Okay, and the teacher that greeted us is the leader here?"

We nod "Yep, he was the first to take initiative after what happened and he hasn't failed us since so..." I shrug "Here we are."

Kaitlyn leans forward "So, what about you, who is your leader?"

"Her name is Mora, she helped get us out and all the way here, she is really smart and really nice." Sam says, finishing her coffee.

"Well, I hope she joins us, more brains to get ideas across are always great, right Kait?" Jen says.

Kaitlyn nods "I think so."

Sam grins "I think so too. So what do you guys do during the day?" Sam asks pushing her empty bowl of oatmeal away.

Clearing my throat I push my empty bowl away looking at Sam "Well, most of the day we tend to the building, check the electricity, and water, fence, the like. We train, do research, go on raids..."

"Currently we are working on growing our own food," Jen chimed in.

I nod "Yeah, we are building an area to grow food, hopefully, most of the year if we're lucky."

She nods "And when you say train, what do you mean by that?"

Liam takes this question "We practice different scenarios for when we raid. Do some combat, weapons work, shooting practice, even go out of the fence to practice leading zombies away."

Sam's face scrunches up "What kind of weapons do you guys have?" She asks.

"Knives, machetes', bows, spears, a couple of crossbows" I list.

She nods eyes slightly wide "And what do you mean by research?"

Kaitlyn answers "Medical information, studying maps, looking up medicinal and edible plants, survival techniques, and anything that might be useful."

Sam's eyes widen "Where do you guys get all this stuff?"

I shrug looking at her over the rim of my cup "We raid." Downing the last of my water I push my chair back "I'm on scouting today, I'll be back after lunch."

"Scouting?" Sam asks.

"Oh, right, Kaindra, goes out scouting for raids and zombie positions. But Kaindra, you had a tiring day yesterday shouldn't you rest?" Liam asks.

Chuckling I pat Liam's head "There is no rest for the dead mate," I give a wink to the others, Sam seems even more baffled by my response. Chuckling, I wave at them while I set down my dishes, then head towards the front doors.

I make a detour to the laundry room to pick up my jacket and gloves before starting my day. Exiting the building, I walk past the fence and start jogging lightly down the road to begin my scouting. Having checked everything on my list for today, I take a detour past the buildings to the town's edge. The maps showed some farmland just outside the town, which I want to check out.

Vamping down the dirt roads, I halt at the entrance to a driveway. It appears to be a berry farm, but nothing has begun to sprout yet. Moving on, I inspect each farm for fifteen kilometers; most are cultivating wheat or berries. The mooing of cows captures my attention. I turn and follow the moos for five kilometers back in the opposite direction. The wind intensifies, carrying the sound to me.

After jogging another ten kilometers down the dirt road, I come to a stop at a stretch of animal farms. It's exactly what I was looking for. Judging by the moos, oinks, and clucking, these farms primarily raise cows, though some also have pigs and chickens, and one even has a few horses. The sound of barking diverts my attention to the nearest farm, where a dog emerges, followed closely by a man on an ATV, a rifle in his hands.

I raise my hands and take a cautious step backward as the man points the barrel of the gun towards me. "Who are you? Where did you come from?" He asks.

Keeping my hands turned upwards to the sky, I observe the man. As I sniff the air, a sense of calm washes over me; he has not had any recent injuries, nor is there a trace of old blood on him. My gaze fixed on him, I take a small step forward, drawing my arms a little closer to my body. "My name is Kaindra, I come from the town close by, my group sent me out scouting for supplies."

The man lowers his gun ever so slightly "The town was overrun with zombies how could you have come from there?"

I lower my head as he raises the gun once more flicking my eyes behind him at the sound of running footsteps. "We barricaded the Ikea with cars and a fence, when we got there most of the zombies were in other parts of the town," I say shakily. 

Tilting my head further down to keep my face hidden from his view, I silently grin, amused by my own frightful acting. "Jerid, what are you doing aiming a gun at a young girl. Look at how scared she is," a woman's shout quickening her pace. As I turn my gaze back to Jerid, I see a woman pushing past him towards me. He lowers his gun as she approaches. "My child, you must be so frightened," she exclaims. "How did you end up out here all alone? It's such a dangerous time. Come inside, quickly." With gentle firmness, she grasps my shoulders, guiding me towards the safety of their home.

A growl captures my attention, and I glance at the forgotten dog. It glares back, hind legs raised defensively, deep growls emanating from its open mouth. The intelligent dog seems to recognize that I'm a threat, but don't worry, buddy, I won't harm your owners. As I flash my eyes red, the dog whimpers, its ears flattening against its head in submission.

We walk slowly down the lengthy driveway towards the white house at the end. The man drives alongside us, his eyes scanning the sparse line of trees, his gun ready. A young girl, perhaps a year or two older than me, opens the door to let us in, locking it behind her as the man and dog enter.

The woman leads me to the sofa in the living room. Once she ensures I'm settled, she takes a seat on the loveseat opposite me. Jerid, who I assume is her husband, sits next to her, his gun laid casually along the armrest. Their daughter brings a chair over and sits beside them.

"So, child, start from the beginning. What's your name? Where are you from? How did you get here?" the woman asked gently.

I begin to speak, but the girl interjects, "Mom, you can't just start interrogating her; we have no idea what she's been through since this began." She exhales deeply. "I'm Dia, and these are my parents, Jerid and Genny."

"Genny with a G," Genny says.

"Yes, now you, who might you be?" Dia asks.

Cradling my elbows in my hands, head bowed to convey the perfect image of nervousness and slight fear, I speak softly, "My name is Kaindra. I come from a nearby town. My group and I have barricaded the Ikea, so it's safe from the zombies. I was sent out to scout for supplies..."

The woman, Genny turns towards her husband, her face contorted with worry. "They sent you a young girl out here all alone, on foot at that. How long have you been out here alone, the town is so far away on foot."

"Our group is mostly kids my age as we came from our school they had no one else to send" I say

Genny gasps "Kids, they sent out kids, more than you?"

"I was the only one sent out alone," at my wish and slight compulsion.

"Oh my," Genny gasps, burying her face in her hands. We sat in silence, both of them watching me, their eyes filled with sympathy. Suddenly, Genny sits up reaching out to clasp my hands. "You don't have to be scared anymore, child. You can stay with us; you won't have to go out alone anymore. We have plenty of food on our farm."

I watch her silently as she continues to ramble. "I have to report back my scouting by nightfall," I argue.

The woman shakes her head. "It's impossible for you to make it back on foot by nightfall. It's okay; you don't have to venture out alone into that frightening world. If you don't return, they'll assume you're dead, so you can stay."

"But my friends," I try.

"Hush now, child, there's no need to fear those things any longer." She strokes my hair tenderly.

Aghhh, are these people clingy and child-loving, why aren't the daughter or husband intervening? I look around, a photograph catches my attention. A family of four beams at the camera, a farmhouse looming in the background. The daughter doesn't look much different in the picture to now, but who is the other girl?

Scanning the room, I notice more photographs of the affectionate family and the two girls at various ages. Oh Mother. Re-examining the family portrait, I scrutinize the girl in the picture. She seems to be about my age, with dark brown hair—lacking the reddish tint from my father—and dark brown eyes. They must have lost a daughter at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

Clicking back into the present, I notice Genny is still brushing my hair, murmuring reassurances of safety. With a sigh, I pull my hands from hers, dust off my pants, and smooth my now slightly disheveled hair. As I stand up, the others circle around Genny, who opens her arms, poised for an embrace.

I gently fend her off and shake my head. This isn't getting me anywhere. "Genny, Jerid, I need your cattle and any farm supplies you got that can be moved."

My even tone surprises them, a stark contrast to my previous nervous mumble. "Oh honey, you don't need that to be moved; it's all here already," Genny says as she approaches.

Huffing, I snarl slightly under my breath I meet their gaze directly, my eyes piercing. "No, I need it for my group. You are more than welcome to come along but the cattle and supplies are needed, as much as you can give we will do fine with just a little."

Genny coos once again going on and on about how I won't need those things and don't need to worry. The sun dips lower in the sky, we must begin packing if I want to return with these items before nightfall. I also need to mark the road on the map to retrieve the rest tomorrow.

My snarl grows louder, prompting the dog to whimper and flee the room. My eyes flash a fierce red, cutting through their muddy gazes. "I need the cattle now," their hearts race, blood pulsing faster under my intense red stare. Their eyes become glassy as they are unwittingly compelled in my frustration.

As if they were robots, they all move at my command. Quickly, the four large trucks are loaded with the small herd of cattle and grain. Once the task is complete, they collapse to the ground, trembling, as I advance. "Please, don't hurt us; we're sorry for trying to keep you here," Jerid pleads, tears coursing down his cheeks as he scuttles across the dirt, retreating from my approach.

My eyes remain red, popping in the ever-deepening darkness. With a sigh, I crouch to their level, maintaining a comfortable distance from their tear-streaked and trembling figures. "I never had the intention of hurting you. And my offer still stands for you to come with me, we don't know how to take care of these animals and I can't drive four trucks alone."

They stay silent, lying there, shaking with fear. I let out a sigh, a gesture that has become all too familiar to me lately, and rise to my feet, moving closer. As I draw near, they scramble backward, their pleas filling the air, "Please stay back, don't hurt us."

Ignoring their pleas, I continue to walk. They eventually come to a stop, bumping into the barn wall and fumbling around as I approach. Realizing escape is futile, they slump, the fight draining from their bodies. Kneeling before them, I observe the fear in their eyes, a kind of fear I haven't witnessed in a long time. 'Yeesss' my vampire side hisses thoroughly enjoying watching possible prey shiver in fear of us. Stomping down my sinister thoughts my eyes flicker a stronger red "Forget that you know what I am, you never saw anything. We talked and you agreed to come with me to our base at Ikea with your cattle to help us."

Repeating my words, their eyes return to a dark brown as the compulsion takes hold. Standing up, they wipe away their tears in confusion. "You mentioned you were at Ikea, right? Lead the way. You do know how to drive, don't you?"

Chuckling, I nod "Yep, I can drive, follow me."

We all take a truck, their belongings already packed in one of the trucks by me. We also take food from their house and the essential supplies that could run low. Finally, we leave their house just as the sun starts to set. I can't decide if my luck is great for finding people who are skilled at animal care and more down the road, or terrible for nearly causing harm. Let's settle on good; my friends are fine, my family is safe, we have a secure base, and we're gradually accumulating more supplies to hopefully make it through the upcoming winter.

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