The next morning, we rode into Leeside.

The air was cooler than normal, most likely from being so high up in the mountains. I put on my purple windbreaker that I had kept since the outbreak. It is starting to get a little small, but it was all I had left.

Leeside is just as much of a ghost town as the rest of the world. Clearly, no one had lived here for years. Windows on the old hardware store were broken, litter and trash tumbled as the car scooted along, and moss grew from an old BBQ restaurant that my family and I used to visit.

Madison sleeps as I keep my eyes focused on the road, looking for some kind of life like heard on the radio.

"Why would they still send out those broadcasts if non one lives here anymore?" I ask out loud.

"Maybe they were broadcasting it when the outbreak started, and they just forgot to turn them off when they moved locations." Tyler answers me as he stares out the window of the car.

"Well, we're here. So, if there is any life left, we are bound to find it. Leeside is not a large town." Justin says. He's right, Leeside is a small, mountain town.

"I'm just confused as to why anyone would want to set up camp here." Jenny glances around, as if searching for a reason like the rest of us.

"Isolation." I say simply.

"What do you mean?" Jenny turns her head to look at me from the front seat.

"Whenever I would stay up here with my grandparents, there was always this sense of isolation everywhere," I say softly. "I mean, think about it. We are surrounded by mountains. Half of the people who ride by here don't even know this is a town." I gaze out the front window as I speak. "I think that's why I've always like it up here. I even wanted to move here when I was younger."

Tyler nods. "She's got a point. Whoever thought about creating a safe zone here was really smart."

As the car drives, I notice something posted to one of the lamps beside an old grocery store, that had been ransacked.

"Woah, wait a second," I say, pointing to the post. "Do you guys see that?"

"It looks like it's made out of cardboard," Tyler says and begins unbuckling his seat belt.

Justin slows the car down and Tyler hops out, with me right at his heels. Before I close the door behind me, I hear Madison beginning to stir awake.

Tyler and I make our way to the lamp post, but Tyler beats me there. He rips the card board off of the post and begins reading it out loud.

"Leeside Camp Base. Drive two miles and then make a right off of Blackwell Drive. Tell our guards who you are. Stay safe." Tyler finishes reading. "We are so close."

"Then let's not waste anymore time." I say and grab Tyler's hand, leading him back to the car.

"What does it say?" Jenny asks as we take a seat back into the car.

"Drive for two miles, then make a right. They'll have guards. We're almost there." I say to her as Justin gases it.

We ride for two miles, but it feels like an eternity. How will the people of Leeside react? Will they let us join them? It's hard to say. But this could be my shot at a new life. How many people will be there? Will they like me?

Finally, we turn onto a road called Blackwell Drive, and we keep driving.

"Where are they?" Jenny asks.

"I'm not sure, but keep your eyes open." Justin says. '

"Are we there yet?" Madison asks.

"Almost," Tyler and I nearly say at the same time. I offer her a reassuring smile, which I've done a million times before. But this time it felt real. There was something different about this time. And I know exactly what it is.

I have hope.

Sure enough, two guards stood in the middle of the road with large guns, blocking the entrance to the camp. They wear camouflaged outfits and wear bulky masks to cover their face and neck. As a matter of fact, every inch of their body is covered. No skin can be seen anywhere. It's odd, but smart.

One guard holds out his hand, signalling us to stop. The other one speaks into a handheld radio and begins jogging forward.

Justin rolls down the window.

"Who are you?" The guard speaks in a booming voice.

"We're from the city. We heard your radio broadcasts and we decided to head here." Justin says.

The guard glances towards the backseat. "Are there any... children among you?"

The second guard starts making his way towards the car that Mr. Baker is driving.

Justin nods. "Two little ones, two teens."

The guard nods. "I'm going to ask you all to step outside of the vehicle. We do not allow cars in this camp." The guard at the window sends a thumbs up to the other guard. "Do you have any weapons?"

Justin nods.

"I'll need you to take all of them out and hand them over. We do not let newcomers in with weapons."

Justin nods and we all begin getting out of the car.

Madison takes one hand and Tyler reaches over and takes Madison's other hand.

"I will need the children to follow me. All adults must stay here." The guard speaks loudly.

Madison frowns a bit. "But I want my mom."

"Honey, it's okay." Jenny makes her way over to Madison. "We will be there later, okay? Tyler and Tessa will be right there with you. I love you." Jenny hugs Madison tightly. Justin hugs Madison and then pats me on the back.

"Take care of her." He says to me.

"I will protect her with my life." I say. "I have since the beginning."

Madison and I are sisters by heart. Always have been, and forever will be.

Tyler picks up Liam. I glance back a Nolan and he smiles at me. A smile that means we made it. We are safe.

I smile back at him. I take Madison's hand. We follow one of the guards past a chain fence that has been placed there.

"Where are we going?" I ask the guard.

"To sterilize you. No children are aloud in the camp without being cleaned first." He says, never taking his eyes off of the road ahead. Never taking his hands off the trigger of the gun he holds.

"When is Daddy and Mommy coming?" Madison asks from my side.

"Never mind them. They don't matter. What matters is you all help building our future nation." The guard speaks harshly.

Don't matter?

I glance back at the road we were walking down. We've been walking for a while. I stop walking.

Tyler notices and turns to look back at me. "What's the matter, Tes?"

"I want to go back to the others."

The guard stops in his tracks.

"No."

My heart freezes.

"What do you mean no?"

"You cannot. You no longer need them. You need us." The guard turns and grabs my wrist, pulling me away from Madison. Madison screams and tries to grab my hands again. The guard shoves her to the ground with his boot, knocking the breath out of her.

"Hey!" Tyler yells and goes over to Madison. He sets Liam down and helps up Madison. "Let Tessa go!"

"She is refusing to follow--"

Before the guard could finish his sentence, a loud gunshot rings into the air, silencing us all.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another.

I tense up, glancing at the guard. He's smiling. Creepily.

Five gunshots.

Five people.

Mr. Baker.

Doctor Erin.

Jenny.

Justin.

And Nolan.

Oh my God, Nolan.

The guard grips my wrist and pulls me tightly against him. He leans down to my left ear, his lips nearly on my earlobe. "Are you sure you want to go back now?" He pushes me away from him and lets out a laugh.

I go up to Tyler and hug him tightly. He pulls me closer and kisses my forehead. "Stay strong. Don't let him see you crumble." He rubs my back softly. "I'll protect us. I promise."

I let go of him. I've made it this far. I can make it.

We keep walking. Buildings that look like old houses come into view. Children in white dresses and suits walk around, none looking older than eighteen.

We get escorted into a house. More guards wait there, and the boys are sent into another room. Madison and I are forced to scrub ourselves in an old shower, then put into fresh white dresses.

All four of us, freshly bathed and freshly clothed, we are lead into a room. A woman stands in front of us. We all take a seat on the floor. The woman was tall and had long curly hair that was the color of honey. Her smile was too wide.

"Welcome, children, to Leeside Children Growth Center." The woman says in a cool tone.

"What did you do to our people?" I snap at her.

"Hush. No talking while I'm talking. Didn't they ever teach you that at school?" The woman tilts her head, holding her gaze on me. She glances away, finally straightening herself. "As I was saying, this is one of the many places that the US government has chosen to raise children and repopulate the nation. You four, among the 342 children here, are going to live a life full of happiness, away from the sickness outside of these walls."

"You're with the US government?" Tyler perks up, glancing my way. 

The woman nods. "That is correct." 

"Do you know about how this thing was started?"  I blurt out, not able to control my anger. 

The woman nods again. "Yes. A woman in Atlanta created this wonderful sickness for us to use. Unfortunately, we had to use force to get it from her. But, thanks to her, we get to make our nation the way we want." She inhales. "It's like a clean slate, if you will."

"That 'woman' was my mother!" I shout at her. 

The woman's eyes go wider. "T-Tessa? But.. That can't be.."

I watch her expression turn into anger in an instant. 

"How, you, of all people survive this! I was positive that it would have killed you off. Especially after we flung the infected bodies into your neighborhood." The woman crosses her arms. 

"You did that? You killed my father! And many other innocent people!" Tears start to form in my eyes. 

The woman looks over at the guards, her look was stern and serious. "This child cannot be accepted due to her complicated past." 

Tyler stands up, ready to defend me. 

The guards march over. Tyler tries to push them away from me, but one of them punches him right in the jaw. 

I hear Madison and Liam start crying. The woman frantically pulls them out of the room by the door on the opposite side, while the guards take my arms and begin leading me away from them. 

My job was to keep you safe. I have failed all of you. 

The guards lead me outside and into the woods, my clean white dress getting dirtier as I get dragged. I kick and scream until I can't any longer. My throat is dry and I crave water. 

Finally, I can no longer see the buildings with the children. I start crying. I hope the woman does give the a good life. I hope she gives them something I never could. 

And Tyler. I want him. I want to kiss him. I want to hug him. I want him to lightly kiss my forehead and promise to keep me safe. I want to tell him he didn't fail. 

The guards shove me to the ground, their guns aimed at my forehead. After a couple of minutes, the lady from the room comes into view. She is carrying a pistol and mom's planner. 

"Tessa. I'm so sorry it had to be like this." She smiles when she sees me. 

"Who are you?" I look at her pale blue eyes, entranced by them. They remind me of the ocean, but a cold, dark ocean. One that's waves and current could tug you under, killing you. That kind of ocean. 

"An old friend of your mother's." She paces around me, throwing the planner down in front of me. 

"Tell me what really happened." I say, trying not to let them see my fear. 

"It's plan and simple. You're mother was a genius, but also very persuasive. We hired her to create a sickness so deadly that it would wipe off the human race. And she did. But, she knew something was terribly wrong. So, she locked it up. We offered her money, tons of it. She wouldn't take it. We warned her about taking it by force. We blackmailed her, threatened to tell her family everything. So, like the coward she was, she ran away. And she killed herself to keep all of her lies a secret."

"What lies?" I ask. 

"Sometimes, your mother wouldn't show up for work. Of course, she knew it was wrong. But she'd go out to town, and find a man at a bar. Sleep with him to earn extra cash."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" I say through tears. 

"Why would I lie? I'm telling you everything."

I shake my head, not wanting to believe any of it. 

"We went into the CDC and shot up everyone there. Killed all of them. Took the bacteria left in the sealed vault, and spread it." She smiles. "Now, we are rebuilding our society to be better. That's what the plan always has been."

"Then why do you have to kill me? Why can't I live with the other kids? I can help you now." I plead. I have given up. I just want Tyler. 

"Because, we both know that your heart lies elsewhere." She places a single bullet into the pistol. 

I think about all of the people who have died before me. 

Mom.

Willow. 

Dad. 

Olivia. 

Mrs. Baker. 

Mason. 

Miss Violet. 

Mr. Baker. 

Doctor Erin. 

Jenny. 

Justin. 

Nolan. 

And now me. 

"Anything else you want to add?" She says as she holds the barrel of the pistol to my temple. 

"Keep them safe. Liam and Madison. And Tyler." I say softly. Especially Tyler. 

"Whatever you say." 

Click. 

Fire. 

Darkness.