"Alena, we're meeting." Jimin peeked into my cell with a smile. My head had just hit the thin pillow I used, finally washed up after a day in the garden with Jin.

I sat up with a grunt, the seven of them already surrounding the table that held every map we'd been outlining. Hobi and Yoongi had been out the day before, finishing the last section around the prison set at fifteen miles.

"We spotted a gas station and a Dollar General right at the edge of the southwest marker. We estimated that it might be a little over thirty undead, so we figured it's a good time to take you on your first official run." Yoongi pointed at me.

"Am I ready for that?" I questioned, my eyes scanning theirs until they landed back on Yoongi's.

He was serious as usual. "You're never really ready for it." His answer was one that left me with a slight discomfort. I recalled my talks with Hobi as we trekked through the woods around the prison, reminding me that some discomfort was necessary.

Hobi piped up from beside him, already having drawn out a plan. "It'll be me, you, Yoongi, and Jungkook. We'll take the Honda at sunrise. Priorities right now are food and medicine."

"And any seeds." Jin spoke up.

Namjoon finished up by going over other plans for tomorrow and we parted ways for bed. I tossed a little more in my sleep, resting more difficult in anticipation of the coming day. Before the sun had a chance to wake me, Jungkook tapped his knuckle against my cell, waiting for me to rub the sleep from my eyes and join him on the other side.

"Come on, I want to get your weapons ready." He led me to where Yoongi waited, at the table that held an account of every weapon in our possession.

He'd already stuffed the holders Taehyung fashioned to wrap around my thighs with a couple of knives, handing them to me as we approached. While I busied myself with securing them around my legs, Jungkook hooked one around my waist to hold the 9mm I would carry. Finally Yoongi handed me the machete we'd been practicing with, the easiest weapon to yield.

I watched quietly as they got ready, weapons concealed from the waist of their pants down to their boots.

Hobi was already at the car, piling the trunk with empty bags that we hoped would return filled with supplies. "Everybody ready?" He was cheerful even at sunrise, slamming the trunk closed just as Namjoon appeared to see us off.

He hugged each of them before coming to me, holding open the back door while wrapping an arm around my shoulders. It felt like I was a part of something beautiful, a family, as he let me go, calling in through the window as we pulled away. "Take care of each other."

The ride was quiet, only the crunch of gravel and then asphalt underneath us as we rode, until Hobi sighed for a fourth time, a response to the overwhelming silence. "Do you remember that song the students would sing at every campus event, the one we all hated?" He asked, turning his head from the road to peek over at Yoongi.

Hobi was already humming a tune, searching for the lyrics as Yoongi rolled his eyes from the passenger's seat. "Don't."

His hum slowly turned into muttered lines that I recognized instantly, and I laughed as he started to belt out the chorus to Sweet Caroline. Yoongi groaned next to him and Jungkook kept quiet while I joined in, lowly singing a song that just seemed like one once known by everyone.

"Louder with me, Alena!" Hobi called to the backseat, Jungkook's mouth pulling into a smile as we started to sing the hook and chorus again until even Yoongi was grinning.

Fifteen minutes later he pulled off on a small dirt path at the edge of the woods. I could see an oversized sign for the Dollar General up ahead and as soon as we were out of the car, Hobi pulled out a pair of binoculars, looking through them before handing them to me.

I peered through the lenses at the store, a dozen or so of the undead mulling outside. They appeared tame with the slow drag of their feet, though I knew once they sensed fresh flesh in the vicinity, they would quickly become menacing.

I pulled the binoculars down when I felt Jungkook at my back, helping me to slip an empty backpack over my shoulders. He faced me while Hobi and Yoongi draped multiple bags across their arms to carry and he grabbed my gun one more time to ensure it was loaded.

"Stay by me." He voiced so that only I could hear.

Hobi was next to him a second after, putting a hand on both of our shoulders. "We'll go through the woods and start around the back where there are less of them. Then come up around the sides until the outside is clear before we tackle inside." He briefed us on his plan, pointing toward a barely visible opening through the trees, a trail he cleared of low-hanging branches.

We made our way through in pairs, stepping soundlessly until we were at the parking lot of the store, two abandoned cars taking up spots by the dumpster. The undead moved in response to our scent, four turning in our direction and shuffling toward us with their arms out and teeth exposed. Hobi and Yoongi took out the pair on the right while Jungkook and I flanked to the left, moving together as we slashed through their decomposing heads.

The others at the side and front of the building were summoned by the noise we made. "Back to mine." Jungkook called out, holding on to my waist with one hand and the spiked bat he swung in the other. We stayed in position, our backs against one another as we were approached and surrounded by another swarm of the undead. Their deranged faces became a blur under the blade, my body sizzling with adrenaline as I killed more than ever before on our short ventures mapping the forest.

When the last body dropped in front of me I exhaled with relief, turning around to see Hobi and Yoongi standing a few feet away from us. Hobi lifted both of his fists in the air, a humorous message of triumph.

Yoongi led us to the front of the building, counting out only a handful of the undead that were visible from the door. Hobi pried the doors open with his crowbar, the store's classic fluorescent lights missing and allowing the day to give us visibility.

We split up again, Hobi and Yoongi heading to search for medication and seeds while I walked to the non-perishable food section with Jungkook trailing me, the layout of the store familiar in a way that made its current state eerie.

The aisles had been raided, close to empty, but we gathered some canned goods that I stuffed into Jungkook's backpack. Just as we were coming off the aisle I spotted something on the bottom row, squatting down to reach out for it when a worn, rotten hand darted through from the next aisle over, gripping onto my arm quicker than my reflex to pull away.

I yelped as the corpse pulled at my arm so that its body moved forward, her mouth just an inch away from my face when my cheeks and forehead were splattered with her insides, a metal bar moving through her skull.

Before I could give thought to the moment Jungkook had me back on my feet, his eyes wild with worry as he brushed my hair from my face, frantically checking my hands and arms for bites or scratches.

"Are you okay?" He panted, pulling a small cloth from his pocket to wipe my face. Hobi and Yoongi appeared by us, Yoongi reaching to the bottom row to pull out the box full of ramen I'd been reaching for.

"I'm fine." I nodded, pulling his wrist down when he wiped at a spot on my forehead too hard.

He moved from concern into rage in a flash, turning on me. "How could you do something so stupid?" He asked with exasperation, snapping his head toward the others as he ranted. "I told you it wasn't time for her to come and look at what almost happened." His tone was sharp with irritation.

"You know better than that. Anything can happen to any of us when we're out here." Yoongi reasoned.

"She shouldn't be out here. We're going back." Jungkook barked, his hold on my wrist too tight as he walked toward the door, pulling me with him.

I winced, jerking away from him. "Don't grab me like that."

Yoongi was at him then, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You need to relax." Jungkook pulled his bottom lip under his teeth to stifle the reaction he wanted to have, a respect for Yoongi that wouldn't allow his unruliness to continue. We stood without moving until he calmed down, Yoongi giving direction as his breathing evened. "Take Alena back to the car. Hobi and I will do a quick run through of the gas station next door and meet you back in twenty."

Hobi gave my hand a small squeeze as he stepped in next to Yoongi again, handing off one of his full bags to Jungkook before they checked our surroundings one more time, taking the back exit from the store.

I followed, but turned in the opposite direction to the path Hobi carved out, Jungkook's boots a little louder as he sped up behind me.

"Slow down, Alena." He kept his voice low.

I didn't respond but reduced my step until I could feel him closer. After the short walk to the car I scooted into the backseat, slamming the door a little louder than I should have as he did the same. "Don't talk to me or touch me like that again." I had time to stew on my anger with the way he responded, the shock wearing off by the time we were inside.

"I'm sorry, I panicked when I heard you scream." He replied, still holding some frustration in his tone.

"I thought you were right next to me. I looked over and saw you a second before." I remembered.

He sighed, leaning over so that his head fell between his knees with disappointment. "I know, I saw—" He stammered, sitting back up with guilt in his eyes. "I looked away from you for just a second to grab something."

"What were you grabbing?" I rolled my eyes. I hadn't even seen him put anything else in his bag. He tugged the sack that hung across his torso over his head, putting it on my lap. I pulled it open to find a pack of women's underwear and two dresses that looked like lengthened t-shirts. "Thanks." I smiled, softening in his consideration for me.

"I figured you were tired of swapping out clothes with Jimin." He chuckled, referencing the rotation of t-shirts and jeans Jimin and I were sharing so that I didn't have to wear the tattered dress they found me in every day.

I glanced over at him. "You can't keep me inside forever or watch me every second, Kook."

His lips curved into a smile with his sarcastic retort. "I can at least try."