Even though it was only just past midday, it felt so much later. The heavy storm clouds had obscured so much of the sky that only dim rays of sunlight found their way through. At first Jesse was scared that Aiden's fears were justified, that they didn't have enough light to protect them. But she soon realised how silly that concern was altogether. If a flickering, dim lantern kept the beasts away, then they'd be completely safe in daylight, even if it was cloudy. It wouldn't be dangerous until the sun began to set.

While it'd been a fifty-fifty split of opinions at first, Jesse and Petra had won the argument and the group set out instead of hanging around until the next morning. Even if they didn't have a full day to travel, they'd still make at least some progress. Besides, Jesse felt there was way too much of the day left to waste. She wanted to move.

Petra had taken the lead, being the one with the most knowledge of their surroundings. Jesse had fallen into step right beside her, while Lukas and Aiden followed. At first Jesse was worried that they were moving too fast for Aiden, but it quickly became clear that he was falling behind on purpose. He was making it very clear he didn't want to chat.

"The river is only a few miles from here." Petra said, her voice pulling Jesse from her thoughts. "We'll set up camp there."

"Sure, let's pitch a tent on the riverbank and roast marshmallows." Aiden responded, speaking for the first time since they began the walk. "We need a cave or some other natural shelter, genius, we can't camp out on the river bank."

"Don't, and I mean don't, get smart with me." Petra had swung around on the spot, her blue eyes alight with anger. "I know what I'm doing, so don't even begin to act like you're the brains behind this operation."

"Petra." Jesse said, resting a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Calm down. If you get this worked up every time he speaks, you're going to have a heart attack by the end of the trip."

Petra clenched her fists, giving Jesse a quick glare. If anybody else had said those words to her, she probably would have left them with a nasty black eye. But Jesse could get away with things others couldn't, when it came to Petra.

"There's an old abandoned fishing camp." Petra said through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at Aiden. "Back before the Wither, I used to hang out there every time I visited the river to fish. It's the perfect place to stay tonight." She turned back around to continue walking. "Of course if you'd rather go find a cave somewhere, be my damn guest."

Jesse had to refrain from chuckling. Aiden wasn't her favourite person in the world, but he riled Petra up like few other things. It'd be a miracle if the redhead didn't punch him at least once throughout their journey together. Lukas seemed to have the same thought.

"Aiden, if I were you, I'd watch my mouth around Petra." The blonde advised, giving his old friend a vague smile. "She's going to break something of yours if you keep pushing her buttons."

There was a low rumble of thunder in the distance, the entire group falling silent at the sound. Petra looked up, her blue fixated on the storm clouds.

"I think it's a good thing we left today." Lukas admitted, worry reflected in his own blue irises. "The rain is going to hit soon, maybe tonight."

"Good thing that fishing camp will be a lot warmer and dryer than the cave we left behind." Petra responded, her voice dripping with that I told you so pride.

Jesse found herself barely listening to her friends. On any normal occasion, she would have been excited about some rain to come. While actual storms tended to make her a little anxious, with good reason, she still loved the rain. But at that moment, she realised just how dangerous rain could be if it caught them while they were on the move.

It was odd. Jesse thought to herself as they walked. Considering what was happening, she almost expected the surroundings to reflect the dangers they were facing. But it didn't feel like they were walking through a battlefield. Everything looked so normal, it was almost frightening in a way.

How could something be so threatening, yet so absent?

It didn't feel like the walk had taken that long, but the glow of the sun behind the thick clouds had sunken closer to the horizon by the time the sound of the rushing river came into earshot. It'd be dark in only a couple of hours, and they needed to find a place to wait out the darkness.

The river was usually flowing fiercely. You'd be unwise to cross it if you weren't totally confident in your footing and where you placed each step. But after the hot, dry summer, the gushing water had calmed down. While the river hadn't shrunken yet, it's water was calm. The group didn't have to worry, walking through the water with ease.

Jesse was glad she wore her thick, waterproof boots and didn't have to worry about the concept of wet socks. Before they crossed, Petra had promptly stopped to take off her shoes, striding through the water barefoot.

"Is that it?" Lukas asked, gesturing to the wooden shacks that were visible in the distance.

"Yup." Petra responded, not bothering to put her sneakers back on as she began walking along the river bank in the direction of the buildings. Most of them are packed with old machinery and tools, rusted way beyond use. Anything still functional had been snuffed out years ago. But there's one cabin perfect for spending the night in. It even have a few bunks in."

Jesse smiled to herself, glad that they chose to set out after all. It'd be so much more comfortable to spend the night at the abandoned camp.

Up close, the fishing camp was slightly larger than Jesse expected it to be. A lot uglier and broken down as well. She supposed she should have foreseen that, considering Petra said the place had been abandoned for years.

The redhead, clearly familiar with the place, headed straight for the smallest of the few buildings. She leaned heavily on the door, forcing it open. It creaked open in a cloud of dust, causing Petra to cough before she headed inside. If the building seemed small on the outside, it was absolutely tiny within. There were several wooden bunks pushed up against the walls, while an empty storage chest and half-broken desk swallowed up the rest of the little space.

Lukas dumped their supply bag on the floor, before rummaging through it as he searched for the lantern to light up the cabin. Jesse sat down on one of the stiff mattresses, relieved to get the weight off her tired feet. She noticed Aiden doing the same, slumping back onto the dusty bed so he was spread out flat across it. While it wasn't super noticeable, Jesse could tell he was more tired than the rest of them.

"Alright." Jesse pushed herself upright again as Lukas finally got the lantern lit, hanging it up against the wall. "We only have a smidgen of daylight left, I suggest we use it. All of us could do with some food in our stomachs before we call it a day."

"I am starving." Lukas agreed. "We can make a small camp-fire outside."

"And cook what? Apples?" Aiden asked from where he was still laying on one of the beds.

"The forest is filled with animals." Petra responded matter-of-factly, slinging her bow off her shoulder. "Give me a bit, and I'll have something for us to cook."

"I packed some vegetables as well." Jesse added. "Not much, but we have a few carrots and potatoes."

Petra pretended to gag at the mention of potatoes. Jesse still couldn't understand her friend's disgust for the vegetable when she adored it.

The sun was setting rapidly outside, so nobody loitered around. Lukas and Aiden got about gathering some wood for the fire, while Jesse washed off the vegetables in the shallow water of the river. She had dug them out shortly before they left that morning, so they were still covered in bits of dried mud. Petra disappeared off into the trees, only to return surprisingly quickly with two wild chickens she had killed.

By the time the sun was scraping the horizon, the group had a small fire crackling on the sandy dirt right outside the shack they planned on spending the night in. The air was filled with the smell of cooking vegetables and meat.

"What exactly are your plan for when you find these creatures?" Aiden asked, his voice breaking the silence.

"We can't exactly make a plan until we know what we're dealing with." Jesse replied, taking a small bite from the potato she had just finished cooking.

"That's kind of why we're on this wild goose chase in the first place." Petra added, sounding like she was explaining to a toddle why two comes after one. "You know, to find out what we actually can do."

Lukas was the only one who didn't say anything. He kept glancing beyond the fire as the sky grew darker above them. Even if they were safe around the fire, the thought of what might lurk out there still put him on edge.

Nobody wanted to push their luck, finishing their camp-fire dinner hastily without talking about much else. They decided to let the fire burn instead of putting it out, hoping that it'd help keep the mobs at bay. It was far enough from the grass that they didn't have to worry about it spreading.

"We'll hit the road early tomorrow morning, as soon as it's completely light outside." Jesse said as she lit their lantern again, after refuelling it. "We need to make the most of every day."

"We get it, we get it." Aiden muttered from where he had taken a seat on the bunk in the furthest corner. "Do you have to keep stating the obvious?"

Jesse rolled her eyes in the semi darkness. Aiden was tolerable, but she really wished he wouldn't constantly be so hostile. It wasn't making the journey any easier.

A small wave of guilt washed over Jesse as she sat down on one of the bunks as well. Who was she to expect Aiden to be in a good mood? She wouldn't be a cheerful person to be around either, if she knew her days were numbered.

Shuddering to herself, Jesse lay down flat on her back on the stiff mattress of the bunk. She folded her arms behind her head, staring up at the wooden ceiling above them. The shadows of cobwebs were dancing ominously above her from the flickering flame inside the lantern. Somewhere outside there was the distant growl of a zombie. Jesse couldn't help but wonder if it was a regular one, or not. If it wasn't so dark, she would have got up to peer out of a window.

It had grown quiet inside the small cabin, as everybody settled down and got into comfortable sleeping positions. Exhausted from the day's travels, it didn't take long for the building to fill with rhythmical breaths and the occasional snore.

* * *

Jesse was generally a light sleeper, but found herself sleeping like a rock the entire night. When she woke up again, her back and neck were stiff, and she over all felt slightly sore from the night on the old, stiff mattress.

It was still early, really early, the sun having just risen outside. As Jesse sat up, she noticed everybody else were still fast asleep. Petra was laying on the bunk opposite hers, her favourite bandanna pulled low over her eyes. Lukas was softly snoring, asleep on his side with his body turned towards the wall. Aiden was still on the bunk in the corner of the room, furthest away from the others.

Jesse felt her heart sink slightly. Aiden had taken his hoodie off during the night and folded it up to use as a pillow. He had a short-sleeved grey t-shirt on beneath it, leaving the luminous yellow veins up his arm in full view. Jesse could see them ending right beneath the grey sleeve of his t-shirt, below his shoulder. Her stomach tightened in a knot as the realisation sunk in just how close the veins were getting to his heart.

I need some fresh air. Jesse decided, quickly standing up from the bed. While the sun had only started to light outside, she felt it was light enough to be safe. If it wasn't, well, she could see far enough around her that she didn't have to worry about anything sneaking up on her.

Outside the morning air was crisp and chilly, cooler than most mornings. Jesse quickly realised why, the sky a dark grey colour from the storm clouds right above them. It wouldn't be long until the rain hit, in fact, she was surprised it hadn't already.

The sandy dirt crunched beneath Jesse's bare feet as she walked to the river a few metres away, kneeling down beside it. She slipped her hands into the cold, clear water, splashing some of it on her face to wake herself up. When she finished, she cupped her hands together, thirstily drinking from the water collected in her palms.

Jesse had completely stopped paying attention to her surroundings, so she practically leapt out of her skin when two hands suddenly grasped her sides. Leaping up with a yelp, Jesse swung around to face the person behind her. Petra's freckled face was scrunched up with the effort of holding back her laughter, her blue eyes bright and mischievous.

"You scared the living daylights out of me!" Jesse hissed, feeling her heart beating rapidly inside her chest.

"Oh, Jess, I'm hurt." Petra turned away, putting one hand over her heart while pretending to pout. "Do I really look like a mutant venomous zombie to you?"

She laughed as Jesse shoved her, before turning back towards the cabin. Petra hurried after her, playfully grasping Jesse by one of her arms and swinging her back around.

"Where are you going?" She asked, grinning. "Want to sit inside the stuffy old building while listening to Lukas snore? It's so much more refreshing out here!"

"You're in a good mood this morning?" Jesse noted with a chuckle, raising one eyebrow.

"Duh!" Petra threw her hands in the air. "How can you not wake up in a good mood when the weather's this nice outside?"

Jesse only chuckled again, turning around once more to head inside. Petra was having none of it, lunging forward to once more grab Jesse by the wrist to stop her. Predicting her friend's actions, Jesse dodged at the last moment. Petra yelped as she completely lost her balance, stumbling forward.

"Petra! You alright?" Jesse asked immediately, holding out one hand to help her friend back up.

Petra reached up to take Jesse's hand, before grinning deviously at her friend again. It was Jesse turn to yelp in surprise when Petra yanked her right down onto the ground as well.

"Hey!" She complained through her laughter, sitting upright and brushing the damp clumps of sand from her shirt.

Jesse didn't get much of a chance to clean herself off however, when Petra playfully tackled her. Completely rolling over on the sand, Petra found herself atop Jesse, pinning her down.

"We've barely had any fun together since you got home." Petra pointed out, still grinning from ear to ear.

Jesse laughed as she tried to squirm out from Petra's grip, strands of sandy chestnut hair streaked across her face. She managed to pull her legs up, planting her bare feet against Petra and shoving the redhead off, before leaping over onto her to pin her down in return.

It was no secret that Jesse and Petra had gotten incredibly close since the whole Wither storm fiasco, so a playful wrestling match in the dirt was nothing new for the two of them. They were both laughing as they pushed each other around, their clothes covered in sand at that point.

"Got you!" Petra exclaimed as she managed to pin Jesse down a second time.

Jesse grinned as she looked up into Petra's eyes, the redhead gazing back down at her. Petra was grinning as well, the hundreds of tiny freckles on her face blending into the red colour of her cheeks from the rush of adrenaline. It only made her blue eyes stand out bolder.

The two girls began slowly leaning into each other, only to suddenly rip apart when a deafening crack of thunder crackled across the sky above them. Scrambling off each other, they both got to their feet just as large drops of rain began plummeting from the sky. Jesse looked over at Petra with wide eyes, seeing her horrid realisation reflected in her friend's blue irises.

The rain had come, exactly what she had been praying wouldn't happen. What were they going to do next? Waiting out the rain at the fishing camp could potentially waste a lot of time, but if they continued travelling despite it, they run the risk of actually encountering the mysterious monsters they have been wanting to avoid. Should they...

Wait out the rain

or

Continue their journey?

Voting Closed

___

Finally a new chapter is out! Writer's block was nipping at my heels when I started writing it, but after a few days I got a burst of inspiration and finished it just now!

So most people voted for the group to set out immediately instead of waiting until the next day - if you had chosen for them to stay, they now would have been stranded right outside Beacontown, in a tiny cave, while it poured outside. How that would have affected the entire journey aside from setting them back, I can't tell you without dropping spoilers!

Speaking of the pouring rain that's now stranded our group on their journey - will they risk some of their precious time and wait for the storm to pass? Or will they risk heading out and potentially face the creatures that took down Beacontown?

There weren't many new developments this chapter, but if you have any new theories I'd love to hear them!

Also can I just say, I had way, way too much fun writing that last scene. Thank you to everybody who were asking me to write a Jesstra story after Endless!