Over the next couple of weeks, things didn't quite go as planned.Two huge groups of biters came through, forcing us all to stay inside for days at a time, which screwed up life for a while. Luckily, all the windows were boarded up, tight and secure, and we reinforced the doors. We'd even managed to strengthen the skirting of the trailer a little before they came through.It was a relief to know we'd completed some critical tasks before the biters came through, but we still hadn't built the fence which was something I badly wanted to do. It just wasn't an attainable goal yet.Even though we relied heavily on battery-powered lanterns, I liked living in a somewhat safe structure. Mitch had thought of batteries and solar chargers, but one day the chargers would break, and we needed to be ready.On the bright side, Thomas was healing really well, and he promised to take me looting soon. It wasn't easy being inside so much, especially with Mindy's needs, but we made d

Once we were on the road, I searched hard for biters.I knew they didn't have the best hearing or sight, but that didn't mean they were deaf or blind. We had to be more careful about our scent than anything.Since we were a reasonable distance from town, the number of biters in this area wasn't overwhelming, but we still had to stay alert. We never knew when another large group would be traveling through.With the sun high in the sky, it wouldn't be hard to spot biters in the open fields, but they were much harder to locate in the woods.After I came up empty in my scan, I settled into my seat.From time to time, the heat of Thomas's gaze would sweep over me, but I didn't know what to say, so I just played coy, pretending not to notice.Thomas tapped the steering wheel with his thumb. "What's going on with you?""Nothing." Shaking my head, I scanned our surroundings."You're full of shit." Thomas scoffed. "You're acting weird as hell.""I

"I've got bad news, and I've got worse news." Thomas charged inside and started moving furniture to block the front door.I tried to prop myself up on my elbows, but my entire back screamed at me, so I settled for turning my head toward him. "What's the bad news?"Metal scraped over the wood floor as Thomas pushed a large shelf. "Well, the bastard that shot you might've saved our lives."Rage sliced through me as my back burned again. Gray Beard was the reason I nearly died. I hated that man for shooting me.Why couldn't we meet ordinary people that were trying to survive like us?We'd been stuck in this small house for just over a day. Somehow I wasn't dead yet, but I was still in excruciating pain."Don't get all pissed off." Thomas's plea snapped me out of my thoughts. "I hate that fucker too, but I need you to keep your head on straight. Did you hear what I said?"He was right. I needed to be smart. Something was obviously going on.My ang

Casey     "But Seb, I need some more," Andrea whined.I assumed the kitchen was empty, but I was wrong. Derek and Andrea were sitting at the kitchen table."No. We're almost out. You had your cup of water earlier. You can have another one later." Derek whispered."It's not fair. She got four yesterday. I want four too." Andrea was complaining about how much water I drank yesterday.I wanted to laugh. She was the reason we had to deal with such strict water conservation. I'd had four cups of water, but my body needed it. I was healing.Fighting the urge to turn around and go back to my room, I continued limping toward the kitchen with Mindy in my arms. I just needed to grab the food, and then Mindy and I could sit on the couch for a little while.Coming home was fantastic, but being locked inside for forty-eight hours straight was brutal, especially after sitting in a closet for ove

Suzie    Huddled beneath a blanket with Mindy, I tried to listen to what was going on above us. We were hiding at the far end of the trailer on a tarp that held all the extra supplies Thomas and Casey stored down here.Aside from the night my parents died, this was probably the worst I'd felt in my whole life. This entire situation scared me to death.Hating that Casey was all alone, I did my best to cover Mindy's ears with the thick blanket so she wouldn't cry from any loud sounds. Mindy was my number one priority. I had to make sure she stayed safe.Casey yelled at the men until I heard gunshots. Crap. Did she get shot?I heard footsteps run to the back of the trailer as I let out a deep breath. Casey was okay.Was she going to run? I probably would if I was her. These men sounded awful.No. Casey wouldn't do that. She was the strongest person in the world. She would never leave us.Trut