The silence between me and Aurei was unbearable. I didn't like to kill them...I hated it. But Juan almost raped my little sister I can't let that one slide.

"Aurei. If you have anything to say, say it now." I said weakly, but staring ahead, both hands on the wheel.

"I understand Avery. Juan deserved it, although you could've just shot him." Aurei said matter-of-factly.

"I would've but seeing you like that, think Aurei. They used half our ammo, besides I was so angry, I didn't care how he died, but pedophiles like him deserve to be eaten alive." I confess, as we drive up the highway.

"Avery. I know that. It was just too brutal." Aurei mutters.

"Just so you know, I didn't like killing them, they were going to rape us both, but I won't kill anyone without a good reason." I said, trying to reason with Aurei.

"I know...it was just scary as hell when he nearly strangled you to death...I tried to help but I'm too weak-" Aurei said, immediatley beating herself up.

"Aurei. He was a grown man! And you're the strongest girl I know. Don't talk about yourself like that." I said, taking a deep breath.

"Avery...you're different now. I know you had to kill those men but the look in your eyes...you can't say that it's not terrifying." Aurei argues as she crosses her arms.

"They would've killed you...so that's why I snapped. Not everyone are good people and trustworthy. They're poisoned now. Remember this...I only killed them because they were hurting you, that was my reason." I argued.

"I know that. But please don't become hollow...and kill everyone that dares to speak out of line." Aurei went on. I let her speak her peace...she had a voice fo a reason...

True, their blood was on my hands. I purse my lips as I watch the road, roamers were in the fields.

"It's like you never think twice about killing those men." Aurei argues.

Call me a bitch, or a evil murderer but I pulled on the brakes, causing Aurei to stare at me with wide eyes. It wasn't like I could walk out of that hellhole without a scratch. I said it for the hundred time and I'll say it again, Juan and Adam were violating her. She's just thirteen...but Juan deserved to suffer, and Joe tried to rape me and kill me. Things aren't what they used to be.

"It's not like you can sit down, drink a fucking cup of coffee, talk and everything just works out. Yeah, I'm wreckless when I'm angry. You don't have to like what I did, but you can at least try to understand why I did what I did." I said, my voice low and grim.

Aurei slowly nods, staring straight ahead, pursing her lips. As ugly as I sounded, it was the truth, any fast learner would know by now, that you'll do almost anything to make it out here. Not to rebuild civilization, not to try and make things work by forming a group. For now...we don't trust anyone.

Some day, there will be someone far worser than Joe...and I'll have to be ready for when that happens.

"You're right. Things aren't the way they used to be." Aurei agrees, forming her lips into a straight line, sitting back into the seat.

"Look, I can't lose you...." I confess, starting to drive again. I don't sugarcoat anything. But it's always been tough love with Aurei....and she listens best whenever I show it.

"And just know...I'm doing this because I love you more than life itself." I confess, glimpsing at her.

"I know." Aurei reassures me, closing her eyes, taking a deep breath as I kept driving.

"You're a mature young girl, a fast learner. So I want the best for you." I add, watching as the sun begun to rise up, never once had I really appreciated the sunrise, I used to when Dad was alive.

Aurei slowly opens her eyes, smiling gently as she gawks at the sunrise, I felt her eyes on me as I grinned gently. Then she kept looking at the beautiful sunrise.

"I remember what Dad used to say. Enjoy the sunrise every once in a while, because there are days where clouds cover the sun, and you will wish you had." Aurei said, replaying Dad's words.

I nod...as I stayed focused on the road, but I see a blonde haired girl walk up ahead, but she didn't limp, she carried a small bag in her hands. But to be safe, I started to drive a little faster, the girl looks at me with her emerald green eyes.

"Please help." She whimpers. I immediatley stop the car. Aurei sits up, studying the girl.

"Who are you?" Aurei asks, forming her lips into a straight line. The girl looked about Aurei's age, blood over her clothes, which were faded and worn out like ours.

I know I vowed to not trust anyone, but she looked desperate, if Aurei was desperate and alone, I would want someone to stop for her. This wasn't going to change anything or redeem myself for taking two lives.

"My name is Cassie. Please, I don't wanna hurt anybody...it's fine if you keep driving...but I just need help." She pleads.

Aurei looks at me, her face is completely unreadable. Cassie pants, trying to stand up without collaspsing. I get out of the car, walking towards the girl.

"Are you with anyone?" I ask, if anyone could guess my emotions right now, it would be compared to a rock. I grab her bag, looking inside it. Only a photo of her and some guy who seemed older, and a canteen.

She gazes at me, then looks down to her feet, picking at her fingernails, then she looks up to face me. She reminds me of my best friend Nina...bright, cheerful and free spirited.

"Come on." I said firmly. I wasn't going to become Joe...even if I sound pretty harsh and discreet.

Cassie nods, sitting inside the backseat of the car. Aurei looks up at me, giving me the 'are you sure?' stare. I hand Aurei the bag, nodding as I sat back in the car. Starting the car again.

Carrie grins at Aurei, sitting back into the seat, her shoulders relax as I begin driving down the road again. Something told me to trust her, she looked vulnerable, but as my Mother said, never underestimate anyone...because you don't know what they're capable of...

"What's your name?" Cassie asks softly, I give Aurei the nod of approval, then Aurei gives Cassie a small but gentle smile.

"I'm Avery and this is Aurei, my little sister." I said, passing the feilds and stopping at a small white house, more trees surrounded it...if we could, we could settle here for shelter...but at some point we have to stay on the move.

I liked the way it looked, peaceful. But someone lived there...or they used to. Aurei stares at the house and so does Cassie. By the look in their eyes, they wanted to settle for a while.

I drive towards the house, Aurei relaxes, her eyes darting to the dead garden....but Cassie was beaming, eagerly rubbing her hands together as I stop the car.

"Come on, grab your things." I said, gesturing my thumb towards the house, Aurei nods and steps out of the car.

I pull out my revolver, slowly stepping inside the house, stopping Aurei before she steps into the house.

"I have to check it first." I whisper, Aurei nods, turning to Cassie to stop her from entering the house.

Slowly, I walk around the house. I wrinkle my nose as I smell something foul. But I kept my gun pointed up as I step into the living room, there was a old man, a glock in his hand. Flies were swarming around his skin. He shot himself.

I consider him lucky, he was able to die in the most peaceful way possible, without being ripped open and eaten alive by the undead, or get killed by some asshole that wanted to take what he had.

Then I removed the glock from his hands, but his fingers tear right off. I felt the urge to puke at the corner of the room but instead I close my eyes.

"I know that I've killed two men. I'm not proud of it...but I'm really sorry that you had to do this. But at least you get to die your own way." I mutter as I check the glock.

But I continue to search the house, then into the kitchen, there was a Bible. I open the fridge to see spoiled meat, and small cups of yogurt.

"Avery!" Aurei yells, causing me to sprint back towards the doorway to see Cassie on the ground, I pick her up, carrying her towards the living room and on the couch. Aurei steps inside, then she hurries into the living room.

She holds her head low, closing her eyes.

"Can you watch Cassie? I'm going to look for a shovel." I told her as I touched Cassie's forehead.

She isn't burning up...and I haven't checked her for bites yet...but I will later...although she's just wearing a pink jacket with blood stained leggings.

I walk back outside, towards the back of the house to see a shovel, I begun to plunge it into the ground, throwing the dirt to the side, I kept digging as the sun beats down on me. Sweat emerged from my shirt and my back felt like it was getting sunbaked to crisp.

But burying this man is the right thing to do. Joe and his men didn't deserve a burial...deep down I know I'm not a good person...but anyone who killed someone who was a sadistic rapist wouldn't shed a tear either. I won't spend my whole time crying and bitching about how killing people is wrong, which it may be...but like I said before, they were terrible people although I'm no saint either.

I manage to dig five feet deep into the ground. My thoughts immediatley flash back to Mom, if I had the time to bury her I would.

I walk back to the house, for the first in a long time, it felt good for everything to be peaceful and quiet.

Aurei crosses her arms, looking at me.

"What are you doing?" She asks, frowning at me. Sometimes I forget that Aurei's still a kid...and whatever a child sees or hears something...it can stay in their mind for a very long time.

"Burying this man...it's his home we're walking into...it used to be. But the least I can do is give him a proper burial." I explain, walking down the narrow hallway, Aurei follows me.

I step into a clean bedroom, Aurei picks up a picture of him and some beautiful old woman. I pull out some white sheets then walk back into the living room, Cassie was still unconscious. We spread the sheet alongside the floor.

"On three." I mumble, grabbing the man by his underarms, Aurei motions towards his feet, grabbing ahold of them.

"One..." I begun.

"Two..."

"Three." I hissed as we hoist the man midway in the air, Aurei glimpses over her shoulder as she staggers backwards, we gently put down the corpse on the bedsheet, I swat the flies away but they drew closer to the man's rotting corpse.

I wrap the sheets around him, then we carry him outside and towards the back of the house. I lay him down gently into the ground, then I grab shovel and begun burying him again.

"Rest. Your pain is at ease." I mutter, turning to Aurei, she nods. She's unreadable, I have to make sure she knows how to survive on her own. At this point, no matter how old you are you just survive for your own well being.

God knows I'm no hero. But anyone who tries to get in the way of protecting Aurei will just be wasting their time because I'm stubborn as hell.