"I am agitated and restless and tired all at once." - Virginia Woolf, January 1925

My eyes;they didn't seem to be working correctly. The low flame before me swayed from what looked like wind but I knew for a fact, the air was as still as a statue.

Nonetheless, the way the fire moved kept me occupied from dangerous thoughts. The way they put images in front of me like it were real; that was the last thing I needed right now.

The radio on my lap hadn't made a single noise since we had gotten to the tree.

Parke sat on the floor on the other side of the fire. I couldn't find the energy to look up and see what he was doing or how he was doing. But, it didn't take a genius to know that he wasn't doing much or well.

My skin felt leathery from the blood stains on it. Each time I bit my lip, I could feel the way the blotches of the substance forcefully moved with my muscles.

I was exhausted, dirty, and my sister was dead.

Tear stains tattooed my cheeks and my eyes were puffy and irritated from crying.

Everything fell apart today. It felt like it happened all at once but the end of that place was near and we all knew it.

Everything fell apart.

I had to watch my sister die today. She shot herself and then got her flesh eaten by terrible creatures that walked this earth.

Spots of her blood had gotten on me but I knew most of it had come from the biters. Still, there was this coat of grime that I couldn't wash off but desperately needed too.

"I'm sorry." Parke cut through the silence. There was a soft tone to his voice although it was jagged and rough.

I continued to stare at the flame, ignoring the obvious display of sympathy.

He cleared his throat and spoke again, "Pearl was- she was a really nice person. She didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

I looked at him, not being able to stir up any emotion other than annoyance. "Stop apologizing." My voice was cold.

"Luli, I know this is hard. I'm just really sorry."

I nodded, "I know." My eyes glanced towards the fire that seemed to flay towards me. "But, it's not like it's gonna bring her back."

"I never said it was going to. I just said I was sorry."

Irritation, frustration; whatever you want to call it but that's all that flowed through my veins without a stopping point.

"You barely even knew her. Having to do chores with her four days out of the week does not me you fucking knew her." I snarled, unable to keep it inside.

Parke's lips quivered, "Luli stop." He grew flustered. "Just fucking knock it off! Whats wrong with you?!"

I furrowed my eyebrows angrily, clenching my jaw as to stop myself from sobbing. "I just lost my fucking sister that's what's wrong with me!" I yelled; a crack in my voice. "She shot herself- right in front of us."

"I know," The boy wiped his eyes, "But, you're acting like you're the only one who lost something... like none of that shit mattered to me too!" He responded with a finger digging into his chest.

"That place was a nightmare." I reminded roughly.

He pointed back in the direction where we ran from, "It was like our fucking home!" He argued. "People we cared about were there. It wasn't just a base camp or a place. You know that- even I know that, Luli. Whatever happened there, it still kept us safe and now it's gone."

I would've never considered that place my home in a billion years. That was where I had to give up my life as a citizen to protect my sister who ended up dying anyways. That was where I had to leave the only other person on this earth who cared for me to deal with a man that would stop at nothing until he found where I was.

Every little thing that happened there didn't allow that concrete building to be anything but a goddamn death omen to me.

The flame; it got to close to me and I could feel it singe a hole through my pants. It lightly touched my skin. Little whispers that sung Pearl's last words followed the sting.

It was too much.

"Shut up!" I suddenly yelled causing the boy's eyes to widen.

I let out a shaky breath, "You just have to shut the fuck up because you don't know what you're saying. That might've been a home to you but it'll never be one for me." The set of words I used were chosen precisely yet quickly. "I saved your ass- I've saved it twice. And the second time, if I hadn't- Pearl would still be alive."

"And I would give anything to have her back- even your life if it meant that she got to live."

Parke stared shocked at what had just come out of my mouth. His dark brown eyes looked full of rage as his shoulders tended and his fists clenched. It was like that for a couple of seconds until as his shoulders fell limp.

There was something that came over the boy from giving me what I deserved and I could tell he wasn't happy about it.

I shook my head feeling ridiculously cruel for saying what I said but I couldn't take it back. It was already out in the world and in the boy's head.

"I'm not going to pretend that we're friends." I informed nonchalantly. "We're just stuck with each other."

He stared at me for a second before clearing his throat and with a nod whispered, "Got it." It didn't take long for him to begin speaking once again. "Where are we going anyways?"

"We're not going anywhere." Anxiously, I looked behind me and up at the large tree that had a battery powered light on it. "Not until Major Stone meets us here."

There had been whispers around the base camp that the military had recruited me. Each night there seemed to be less and less and more missing people. Parke wasn't stupid, he knew everything they said about me was true especially after what had happened today.

The boy looked at me and bit his lips as if holding something back and ended up sighing. "How do you know he's coming?" He asked.

"Because it's Major Stone." I snapped. "He wouldn't say something that he didn't mean."

"What if something happened to him?"

I sent the boy a death glare, "I don't think you want to say stupid shit like that when there's a gun on my lap." I advised making him tense and not say another word.

Silence overtook the two of us as we waited for Griffith. Then, seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours and soon enough, it was midnight.

A red light shot through the tree's leaves three times knocking out all the air in my lungs.

I sniffled looking down at the silver plated gun on my lap. A tear managed to slip out making me single even more which caused Parke to carefully call out my name.

Not a second later a twig snapped nearby.

I stood up and aimed my gun towards a large figure that kept growing closer. My heart skipped a beat hoping that once it got close enough to the fire it would reveal Griffith.

The small amount of hope I had soon turned into disappointment as it became lower like an animal. Their fur was dark and the only thing you could see were it's bright eyes.

Once it got to the light, it was revealed to be Kira, The General's dog. She whimpered as she looked up to me.

I put my gun away, bending down, "Come here." I called out to her. A small bark escaped her throat before she ran to me, licking my hand as I pet her.

That's when I thought about The General.

If his dog wasn't with him did that mean he was gone? Or was Kira just the thunder before the storm?

Pulling out my gun again, I listened to the silence for a minute or two, waiting to see if there were any more noises or if The General would show up.

Nothing happened.

I bent down again about to say something when a white object stuck into the dog's vest caught my attention instead.

When I pulled it out, I realized it was a folded piece of paper. My eyebrows furrowed down curiously and the second I opened it, my biggest worry was somewhat cleared.

In scribbled writing the small note read, "Don't use radio. Go to Atlanta; I'll find you."

That small amount of hope tore into my heart forcefully causing me to let out a light chuckle as I put the note away.

He was still alive.

I gave Kira's snout a peck, "You're alright- let's get some rest."

Parke didn't question the dog's appearance or what was written on the note. He simply stared as I grabbed a stone and put out the fire before lying down on the cool ground.

Twigs and leaves stuck to my blond hair as I crossed my arms over my chest while holding my gun in between my two hands.

Kira lied beside me, her body shook slightly. I didn't know if it was from the chilled night air or from earlier events but either way- I found myself getting closer to her.

"We're leaving to Atlanta at dawn."

"What's in Atlanta?" Parke questioned.

I looked up at the starless night to see thick grey looking cloud that was in fact smoke.

My voice barely sounded like my own as I said two simple words that felt like more of a promise than they actually were.

"A chance."