I don't know how long we've been running, but Archie and I have switched places pushing Monica's wheelchair four times. The zombies aren't close-they're nearly out of sight-but we still haven't managed to shake them, and it's pissing me off because I have no bullets left in my gun and Archie only has one.

"Stop," Monica chokes out, her voice dry and wavering. "Stop. There's no point. I didn't want to... I know it was cowardly of me. I didn't want to die there."

I keep pushing her wheelchair, my arms and legs beginning to grow tired. Still I ignore her request for me to stop and leave her. I won't do that, not even in a dream.

Archie places her hand on Monica's shoulder while still managing to keep up a good pace. "You're not going to die. We're going to take you back to New Canton. We have good hospitals with lots of doctors. We'll keep you safe and make you better."

Monica's eyes widen and her face pales slightly. "New Canton? No, no, it's not-" Her words are cut off as she starts coughing raggedly. She nearly doubles over in her wheelchair.

I snap my head to the left to look at Archie, and her eyes are filled with just as much shock as mine are. She takes a deep but shaky breath before asking the question.

"Are you bitten?"

I bite my lip and let out a breath when she nods. "When I was lying on the hospital floor," She says with a hollow laugh. "After years of working with zombie blood slide samples, bitten. I just wanted you to-I didn't want to die in there. Not like that."

Archie and I both nod solemnly. "We understand. Do you want us to-"

"New Canton," Monica mutters with furrowed brows before coughing furiously. "New Canton. New Canton. There's something important I have to tell you-"

Before she can finish Nadia cuts in, and I kind of want to smack her in the forehead like in those V8 commercials for interrupting the dying woman.

"Okay, guys. I've sent out a couple of soldiers to take care of the zombies on your tail," She explains. "Keep moving but know you're not in any immediate danger."

Monica breathes in quick pants as coughs rack through her entire body. "Pro. Van Ark... I heard him tell one of his soldiers, 'Now we've dealt with Reeves,' he said. 'Now we've dealt with Reeves. Time for New Canton.' They're coming for you."

I swallow thickly at that knowledge, my eyes widening and chest tightening.

Why am I so worried? This is just a dream. It doesn't mean anything.

But still there's a nagging-a feeling that there's something more to this. It's the fact that I know it's a dream; The fact that I'm hearing things that I myself wouldn't just think up. Of course I didn't think that Pro. Van Ark would be Mr. Sunshine-and-Rainbows, but I never thought that he'd blow up the Keeley Center, or kill a bunch of people.

Hell, I didn't even think much of what he looked like. So why am I dreaming about this? Why am I dreaming about the people of New Canton being good, or me being someone I'm not?

Something about this is very wrong and I don't know what it is or why I feel so uneasy about it...

We've made it to a meadow, but pause at going near the too tall grass. Crawlers like to hide in the tall grass where they can't be seen, and it's easy to get bit if you can't see anything coming.

Birds are chirping happily while bees buzz as if it's any other day. I guess it is for them. To them nothing has changed. The flowers still bloom for the bees to collect pollen. There are still worms and other insects for the birds to eat. Humanity has fallen but everything else is happily living on as if nothing is wrong.

"You've been running for eight kilometers," Nadia's voice tells us, temporarily making me forget my questions as I'm brought back to reality, or whatever this could be called. "Make sure to drink some fluids."

"We're okay," Archie insists as she looks at the blonde in the wheelchair. "How're you feeling, Monica?"

She glances up at Archie with sorrow filled eyes, and I feel my gut twist as feelings I can't seem to describe rise within me.

"It comes on more quickly if you're injured already," She says. "It comes on so quickly sometimes, if you have a cold or a fever." She lets out a sigh. "It's time. Do it now, and defend yourselves. They're looking for anyone who worked with Van Ark. He wants to get rid of anyone who ever worked with him."

She covers her mouth as she hacks and coughs. "Do it now."

Archie is silent for a long while, as am I since I have no idea what to say. What do you say to this? I'm sorry?

"Where do you want it to be?" Runner Twenty asks in a voice just barely above a whisper.

"This is good. Trees... Hillside. This is good. Do it here; Now. Now I'm ready."

She stares at the gun in her hand before looking over at me desperately. "I-Runner Five can you-no, no, it's alright. I'll do it."

I silently sigh in relief at the fact that she decided to it. It's been a long while since I've done anything like this and I doubt I would've been able to without getting emotional.

"Monica," Archie says shakily, "close your eyes."

Not even ten seconds later the gun is fired. I was expecting it. I expected to hear it but still I flinch and squeeze my eyes shut at the sound. When I open them, I see tears running down Archie's pretty face. She looks at me, then at her gun, and then back to me.

"I think this is the first time I've... Have you ever had to?" She scoffs and runs her hand through her bangs. "I'm sure you've done it lots of times-"

"Once."

She blinks. "What?"

"I've only done it once-a mercy kill," I admit, feeling tears sting the back of my eyes. "He... he wasn't even-the wound wasn't..."

A small sob escapes my mouth and I curse. Dream or not, I don't want to cry over this. Not after how long it's been.

Archie places her hand on my shoulder and gives a small smile before looking back out into the meadow.

"Crazy, isn't it? How everything just goes on. Birds and foxes and bees and the sun still shines, and how you wake up feeling okay if you've met a new boy even though... even though all of this." She sighs and gives a small nod. "Yeah, it's crazy."

•

The run back to New Canton is silent, but really I think we're both glad for it. Words don't need to be said for what's just happened. Monica may be a figure of my imagination-a person created by my mind which is creative for its own good-but God, it feels so real. Almost too real.

Archie hasn't said a word since our talk, and as we get to the walls of New Canton, only then does that light appear back in her eyes, although it's not as bright as before-not as innocent.

"Open the tunnel!" Nadia commands. The task is done and the two of us rush back inside, sweaty and dirty and sad. "Welcome back, Runner Five and Runner Twenty. That wasn't what we'd hoped for, but we've gathered useful information.

"I've spoken to the council. They've agreed a strategy. If Jeffro is coming for us, we're coming for them first. Rest up, because we'll be heading out for Jeffro in about a week's time."

The world becomes a blur for a second, and I find myself no longer with Archie in the tunnels. My eyes are open and dry, so I blink multiple times and shift where I sit.

Wait, why the hell am I sitting upright when I'm supposed to be sleeping?

A hand is placed atop of my head and strokes my hair, and I realize another arm is around my wait, and one of my hands is gripping a shirt. Just as the person starts to whisper I pull away, eyes wide and guard up. My back hits the wall but I don't care about the twinge of pain as my eyes stain to see in the darkened room.

"Woah, woah. Calm down. It's just me," A voice whispers. I squint as my eyes adjust to the barely lit sleeping room, but I've already recognized the voice.

'Caleb?'

"Yeah, yeah, it's me," He nods. His eyes must be already used to the poor lighting. I scrunch up my nose and give him a certain look.

'What the hell were you-'

"Just hear me out," He murmurs quickly. "I woke up because my... chest was hurting a bit, so I had to sit up for a moment. I noticed you in the corner, but your eyes were open. I thought you were staring at someone or something, but every once and awhile you'd flinch," He sighs heavily, "but then you started crying. You only stopped after I came over and pulled you close to me."

Caleb gives me a concerned face, with eyes clouded with worry and fear and that's how I know his answer in genuine. "Five, are the nightmares really that bad?"

Ashamed, I look down at the floor and refuse to meet his gaze. 'Only sometimes.'

There's hesitance in his expressions, but still he speaks. "Sam told me about the weird dream you had. He thought maybe I'd know if you were down playing it or not... were you?"

I shake my head. 'No, that dream was just odd, but not sad. This time I had to watch someone die.'

Caleb's brows rise all the way up to his hairline as he waits for me to continue.

'She was bitten, and she didn't want to turn,' I sign, 'I wasn't even the one who had to do it, but still. It felt so real. The fear... the blood, her coughing-'

My hands are shaking and Caleb grabs my wrists to stop me. "Hey, it was just a dream, okay? None of it was real, and that person in your head who died wasn't real either. It's probably just because of the stress of all these secret missions, yeah?"

A small, grateful smile forms on my lips as I nod. 'Yeah, I have one of these stressful missions today. Not that I mind, though. I like being useful.'

"Who says you're not useful doing other things?" He asks with a frown.

'No one, but this stuff is important. Me doing this...'

If I help in finding a vaccine then maybe the guilt that never leaves me finally will.

"You doing this classified stuff and succeeding will get others to warm up to you more?" He guesses, and I shrug.

Sure, let's go with that.

"Maybe a certain radio op-"

I hit him before he can finish, and Caleb flinches away while quietly snickering. I take a quick glance around and thankfully everyone is still asleep, and then I scowl back at the redhead, who is smirking as if he knows something.

"Oh, come on, I know you like him, so might as well fess up."

'And have you tease me even more? No, thank you.'

"So you don't deny it?" He asks with a raised brow.

There's a sigh of frustration and the rolling of the eyes, but no comment. Caleb's eyes widen and his mouth drops open as he stares at me like an idiot. "I knew it. You were trying to lie to your best friend and say you don't."

My lips press into a thin line as he rants on about him being the best at finding out things or something like that. I pretty much zone him out until another voice joins in on the conversation.

"What the bloody hell are you two on about? It's like three in the morning."

Caleb smirks at me when Sam sits up from his sleeping bag, hair strewn all over the place accompanied with drowsy eyes. I'm glad it's dark and he's a fair distance away so he can't see my blush.

"It is early, but not that early," Caleb states, glancing at the clock. "From what I can tell it's... uh, quarter 'til five so I'll be having to get up soon anyway."

"Well, I don't so be quiet in getting ready, yeah?" He mutters rubbing his eyes. "And leave Five alone. She has a big run today."

"She was the one who kept me awake, but I'll spare you the details." Caleb sends me a sly grin with a wink and it takes a lot of self restraint to keep from hitting him again as he stands.

Sam looks between us with confusion, at least that's what I think it is since he's a bit farther away so it's hard to see his expressions. I quickly turn my attention back to Caleb and grab his hand to keep him from leavingu just yet.

'Thank you for the whole dream thing,' I sign. 'You're the best.'

His sly grin instantly becomes a silly one at that. "Anything for you," He replies before walking off to get his things in order to get ready.

My hands grip at my blanket and pull it over my shoulders as I lay back down, knowing I'll need the extra few hours of sleep for my run today, but still I find myself a bit worried about going back to into a dream state. I don't want to see another person die. I don't want to be a New Canton runner.

I don't want to be a person whose name is known.

I then come to the conclusion that I'm not going back to sleep anytime soon, so I simply lay there quietly, staring up at the ceiling in hopes I can find a bit of peace and stop worrying so much.

"Runner Five?" Sam whispers quietly, and I quickly sit up, tipping my head to the side in wonder of why he's still awake. He runs a hand through his messy black hair and looks at me with a neutral gaze. "Are you alright? Are you having nightmares again? Is that why you're awake?"

I give a shrug in response, and there's a sigh that leaves his lips as he realizes I'm not going to be telling him much. "Just get some sleep, alright? I want my runners well rested when they go on a mission like this one."

I nod and lay back down, staying as quiet as possible in the dark room. My eyelids flutter but I refuse to actually close them, because of fear of the dreams returning. Granted, they are better than the other dreams since these don't really mean anything, but there's an odd feeling to them.

It's an achy weight on my chest that stays long after I wake up, and even after it leaves there's a nagging in the back of my mind that there's something I should know, and yet I don't.

My eyes stare up at the ceiling once more as I count the boards one by one, trying distracting myself from my own thoughts... if only for a little while.

A/N: Here you go! New chapter, although a bit shorter than usual. Anyway, please be sure to vote and comment! Thank you all and have a blessed day.