"What about pumpkin seeds?"

"Sure. If we don't decide to save 'em we could eat them," Sam sighs. "It's been so long since I've actually had pumpkin seeds."

"Same here," Summer laughs, putting a packet or two in her bag and handing a few for me to put in mine. "Hey, Five, have you picked out any favorites?"

I shrug. 'I've become okay with about anything and everything since the apocalypse started.'

"I guess you're right, although I still can't stand radishes." Her face becomes pinched. "Those things are disgusting."

I smile in amusement at Summer's words. She's a few years older than me and Caleb, but I've grown closer to her since being interrogated by Evan and Janine. She's by no means a close friend, but she is still a friend-a somewhat friend.

Yes, that's it. That's the word I'll use to keep myself from having a mental breakdown due to the fact I know I'm getting too close to too many people and even though I know the consequences of letting myself do so anyway.

"You know I can't see what Five's signing," Sam speaks. "There are no cameras in here."

"Well maybe she doesn't want you do know what are said," Summer sasses with a grin.

"Uh-huh. Sure." I can practically feel the sarcasm in his voice. "Have you gotten everything?"

"Just about all the fruit and vegetable seeds we could find. Five shoved a few gardening tools in her bag. I think we could maybe fit a small bag of fertilizer in mine, should I go for that?"

"Might be best," Sam answers. "We probably won't be coming back here anytime soon."

"Got it." She nods, walking over to the aisle that holds the mulch and fertilizer.

I stay where I am, glancing around at the unwelcoming store. It still has that fresh gardening store smell-which is surprising after all this time-but with the light only coming from the outside and the coolness that comes in as winter approaches gives the building an eerie, mysterious feeling.

I grab at my backpack strap in nervousness.

"Okay," Summer states as she returns. "I shoved in the smallest one I could find. Will probably only be able to fill up a pot though."

"That's fine. Just hurry back."

"Sure thing."

I start to move towards the exit but a cool hand wraps around my wrist. I look back at the tan skinned girl who's giving me a look of curiosity. I raise a brow as she brings her free hand up to cover her mic.

"Runner Five, you're friends with one of those guys from Brunswick, right? Caleb?" I nod slowly, prying my wrist from her grasp. Summer's eyes flash with sympathy. "You know they're scheduled to leave today, right?"

I try not to wince at her reminder, but I fail. My eyes are trained to the floor, not wanting to see the sympathy in her eyes. It only seems to make it worse in my opinion.

Leaving the day of no important runs, so nothing could get in the way-smart move. With winter approaching and the days getting colder and colder, today and the next few are all scheduled for supply runs-books for entertainment, food to eat, and lumber and tools to build buildings for the residents of Abel to stay in and keep out the cold; We will have to share, but it's either that or sleep in a freezing tent.

I knew they would be leaving before we even got back, which is why I volunteered for this mission exactly. Goodbyes are never fun-never easy, so I would rather not say them at all. A dastardly thing to do, I know. It's cowardice, but I'd rather not have to say goodbye to one of the few friends I've made since I lost my voice.

This is why I never should make friends at all.

Even as the reminder rings in my head I know I'll ignore it. Why? Because I'm stupid.

"I'm surprised he hasn't begged Janine to let him stay, or he say he's sick, since..." Summer's voice trails off for only a brief moment as I bring my gaze up to look at her face. I glare in suspicion, and she turns her eyes away from my face.

What does she know that I don't?

"He doesn't want to go. I work at the hospital sometimes and he's constantly talking about how much he loves it here. And you. He talks about you too."

I'm not sure whether to feel embarrassed or flattered, although by the way Summer smiles I'm guessing my face gives the appearance of both. Her hand slips to her side as she giggles. "I think he fancies you."

I snort at that. 'I know for a fact that that is not-'

"Who fancies who?" Sam questions, and we both grimace at the fact that all he heard was that last statement. "Are you two still in the gardening shop?"

"Uh, sorry," She apologizes. "Got a little distracted. Come on, Five."

"You're lucky there are no zombies limping around the area today," He scolds. "And what exactly were you talking about? I only could hear a little... Wait, were you-did you cover your mic so I wouldn't be able to hear you?"

"Girl talk, Sam. You wouldn't understand. And I don't think Five would want you listening in on our love lives."

I can hear him snicker. "I didn't know you had one."

'I don't.' I snicker as I tap onto the mic.

"Hey!"

"What? Even Five's laughing, although it's not really a laugh, but I can tell the difference between huffs of laughter so I know she found it funny."

He's right, because that was a pretty good comeback, even if it could be an insult on me. Summer shoots me a hard glare and I raise my hands up in surrender before bending down and grabbing a cute little sports bra from the dirt.

"How did you even see that?" Summer questions, since I didn't even look down to grab the clothing article.

"Oh, Five does that all the time," Sam answers, and I guess he can now see us through some cameras. "She just has an eye for things I guess."

I smile widely at his compliment, feeling that warm feeling in my chest again, which turns my smile into a scowl.

'Pretty funny since before all this I'd be looking for something while it was in my hand,' I tap in Morse Code, willing that... feeling to go away.

"Seriously?" He asks in amusement.

'No one wanted me on their team when it came time for a scavenger hunt.'

"So where exactly are we going to store this stuff?" Summer questions, craning her neck to throw a glance at her backpack. "We don't exactly have a greenhouse to grow this stuff now."

"Janine'll probably keep it in her farmhouse. It's safe enough to keep it from getting stolen because-well, nobody in their right mind would think of breaking into Janine's farmhouse."

She nods. "Yeah. That makes sense. Most people are pretty terrified of her."

'I'm only scared when she instructs my missions, specifically when she says I'm headed towards New Canton.'

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" Sam chuckles, and I frown.

'I still gave nightmares about that night, so no. No, I will not.'

"Let go of what?" Summer sends me a look of confusion and I remember that Sam's the only person beside Janine that knows Morse Code. And even if the green eyed girl did know it, she would have a hard time hearing over our heavy breathing and the sound of our feet tapping against the dirt and rocks on the main rode.

'It's nothing,' I sign. 'Just me being stupid and petty.'

"Oh, um, alright," She replies, her voice tainted with disappointment. "But I'll have you know I do like to hear other people's stupid and petty things. Makes me feel better about my stupid  and petty things."

"Blunt, aren't you?" Sam teases, and Summer shrugs.

"I prefer viciously honest."

I scoff and roll my eyes as we approach the Township, which I am grateful for as my full sack of items are getting heavy. Even though my shoulders and neck are basically healed, carrying my heavy backpack for a certain amount of time brings an ache of physical pain and regret of my dumb decision.

The closer we get, they more zombies I see wandering aimlessly around the front gates. Their heads simultaneously turn towards us as our footsteps aware them of our coming; The gray flesh of their necks rip at the action. At the sight of fresh meat they release series of hungry growls before reaching out their arms which have rotten away so much I can see the bones.

The undead start straggling towards us, but before they can even get close to us the bullets start flying, each one hitting its mark.

"Raise the gates!"

That companied with the blaring noise of the gates being opened Summer and I scurry inside, dropping our packs to be sorted through and towards the tent, Summer entering first.

I bounce on my feet as I see the selected people shifting through my sack, and I want to yell at them to be gentle, but I can't. A few minutes afterward she exits and allows me to enter.

'So, has there been a lot of supplies brought in? I haven't been told much,' I quickly slip my shirt over my head and shimmy out over my shorts for Dr. Meyers to inspect me.

"As far as I know we were able to find a good amount of lumber. They brought that back by motorbike, fortunately for them," She chuckles, her eyes still scanning my skin. "Although we haven't found vary many tools. That hammer you found while doing that urgent run will be useful."

She gives me the nod of approval-that I'm clean, and I quickly slip my clothing back on. Stripping down to my undergarments is the one thing I do dislike after coming back from a run, but I understand that it needs to be done for safety measures.

'I'm glad.'

"You excellent at finding and retrieving things; I'm sure you got quite a bit on your run."

I nod. 'Wasn't always like that though. A lot of things have changed since the beginning of the apocalypse.'

"A lot of things have changed since it first began too. I remember doctors trying so hard to figure out a cure. Although the thought now seems laughable."

I nod, not wanting to tell her what I thought at the beginning of all this. I believed if I just prayed hard enough, that God would choose someone to get us out of this mess, or that Jesus would give someone the knowledge of creating a cure. I believed if the world turned back to Christ, then he'd make the Earth whole again.

But then I realized that this isn't God's attempt to get us to turn back to Him. This is our punishment for not doing so earlier.

I learned that sin-lying, murdering, cheating-will eat you alive from the inside out. It will make you rot away into nothing but a soulless shell. So God allowed this disease to be created. A physical disease of sin itself.

And it's all our fault.

"Runner Five," Dr. Meyers asks with brows creasing in concern, "is everything alright?"

I clench and unclench my fists, the movements bringing me back to reality as I nod my head. 'I'm fine. Got lost in thought.'

She looks at with suspicion swirling in her dark eyes, but simply nods and lets me be on my way.

As I walk I watch some of the townspeople talking to each other, fragments of their conversations reaching my ears. Most of it is about their excitement for the new buildings we'll all get to stay in.

I press my lips together firmly. While I do like the idea of more shelter and warmth from the cold that's already approaching, I don't exactly enjoy the thought of sleeping in a room with nine other people, even if said building is big enough for personal space. I only know of most of these people, not know them themselves. The amount of awkwardness will be unbelievable.

Then I hear a one sentence that make me pause mid-step.

"I'm just glad the guys from Brunswick have left," One man says to another, basically beaming. "There was this one kid who just followed me around and asking questions and..."

I don't bother to keep listening as I head towards the coms shack, not exactly ready to go back to my tent while I know I desperately need a shower I reason that it can wait a few more minutes.

The bits of rock and grass crunch under my feet as I reach the coms shack, the constant crunch, crunch, crunch coming to a stop as my feet do. I raise my closed fist to knock but hesitate in knocking. I know the people from Brunswick left for home about fifteen minutes after Summer and I started our supply run with Sam watching over us both, so I know he's still probably talking to them right now.

Do I really want to go in there?

Well... it's better than sulking alone.

I rap gently on the door, pausing in wait for a reply.

"Who is it?" Sam murmurs absentmindedly, and I sigh. Of course that's the response he chooses to give me.

I knock again, only to receive the same reply. With a huff, I grab the door knob and open the door, slipping inside and closing the door with a soft click.

Sam looks over at me, his eyes narrowed at first with mouth set into a grim line for a split second and then it's gone.

"Oh, Runner Five. Hey... what're you doing here?"

I shrug in reply, walking over to the desk and leaning down to watch the cameras and scanners. I feel Sam's eyes watching me but ignore it.

I've never gotten to see them working before, and at the AMTB and Mullins I never even got to enter a coms room, much less see how it works.

The Brunswick people are going at a slowly jog, some of them casually talking to each other, or maybe they are just casually moving their mouths. I'm not sure since the sound is turned off at the moment. My eyes scan for Caleb but I don't see him anywhere.

"Yep," Sam says, making the 'p' pop. "This is basically what I do all day. Direct runners and give them annoying songs to listen to, although sometimes I let Jack and Eugene pick out the songs. You remember them right? You've listened to their radio show."

I shrug again. 'I have a bit. It's not bad, but I'd rather listen to you when I'm on a run, since you'll tell me if there's a zombie on my tail.'

"Yeah. That-that is true." He leans towards the mic and flips a small switch. "Uh, hey guys. You might want to go a little bit faster. You've got about fifteen zoms coming in from your west and they're not exactly running... uh, what would you call that? Moderately jogging? Aggressively speed walking? A-anyway, just pick up the pace."

There's a word of confirmation from a voice I don't recognize, and then the coms go silent once more.

'You usually talk to us longer,' I comment.

"Well, you're a lot more fun to talk to," He replies with a small smile that I can't help but return.

'Really?'

"Yeah. Plus it's a lot easier to talk to you guys over coms than face to face. Because over coms I can ramble on and on and you don't say a thing because it's either my voice another re-run 'Tell Me Something I Don't Know'."

He laughs running his hand through his already messy hair.

Does he even brush it? I've never really seen it looking nice and not... sticking up in every direction. Sure, it's cute but... I pause. I'm going to forget I just thought that and just make a reminder to look out for a brush on my next run.

'Eleven year old me used to love this song. Now though... not so much.' I grin.

"So, I heard you and Runner Eight went on some urgent mission in my day off," He says, changing the subject. "Funny how all the actual cool stuff happens when I'm gone."

'Last time I checked, you were guiding me to Brunswick, and when I almost got captured by New Canton, and when everyone else thought I was dead while really I was running through the zombie infested wilderness.'

Sam opens his mouth and then closes it, and repeats the actions a few more times. "Yeah, you're-you're right."

'Of course, I am.'

He scoffs. "Smart aleck."

'Of course, I am.'

"So about that mission. I heard it was something about a traitor in the camp?" He questions, resting his face against his hand. "Janine didn't really tell much."

'You want me to tell you even though Janine refused to?' I quirk a brow a give a teasing smirk. 'Are you trying to get me in trouble?'

"I thought you said you were only afraid of Janine if she was directing your runs, specifically if they're to New Canton," He quotes, and I roll my eyes in response.

'That is true, but what's to say she won't take over my missions as punishment for telling you about this?'

I know the reasons why Janine wants to keep this a secret-as silent as possible. Because Sam will ask the same questions Sarah did: why freak out over a few stolen laptops? And I cannot tell him about the transmissions to Mullins. I can't even mention it, because all he thinks I was sent to do was to help set up some new equipment. Nothing more.

"Nah. She wouldn't do that. She has other things to worry about," He answers nonchalantly. "Most of it she doesn't tell me but usually she is busy doing... something." He cuts off and leans toward the mic again.

"Alright, everyone. Looks like you're all back at Brunswick, safe and sound. Good jog, guys. Janine says she'll be sending a transmission to you in a few days to see how everything's going with you're tech." And with that he flips a switch and cuts off the coms, and I frown slightly.

Bye, Caleb.

"Now what was I saying?" Sam mutters as he turns to face me in his chair. "Oh yeah, plus  she knows how much I like talking to you and hearing you sorta laugh at my annoying ramblings to do that."

I give a half-smile at his words and he points at me with a wide smile on his own face. "See? Like that? It's not much but it's a start."

I roll my eyes. 'Dork.'

"Smart aleck."

"I don't have a nickname."

I jerk so hard I hit the coms desk with my hip and wince, while Sam curses and nearly falls out of his chair. I whip my head towards the door and my eyes widen.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" Sam groans in annoyance.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Caleb laughs. "Dr. Meyers convinced Janine to let me stay because uh... reasons."

His smile slips and his eyes gaze downward for a split second before disappearing as if it never happened at all.

"So looks like I'm a new resident at Abel Township."

I look at Sam but his face is completely neutral, although I can see a hint of annoyance flash in his eyes because of earlier. I smile at Caleb, feeling ecstatic knowing that he's staying.

That is until that damn smirk appears on his face as he looks at my sweaty appearance and Sam's disheveled one. "So what have you two been doing?"

A/N: Hello, everyone! There's another glorious (I hope) chapter for you. If you liked it please be sure to vote and comment (I really love hearing from you guys, seriously) and a big thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a blessed day.