CHAPTER ELEVEN.
the living dead girl

MARGO BURRELL was often referred to as the living dead girl.

     Strangers wondered why one girl could earn such a ominous nickname. Others who had watched the girl grow up in the Kansas City QZ would always have the answer up their sleeve somewhere. She was given the name at an early age because Margo Burrell wasn't like most girls living in the apocalypse. She wasn't cruel, or mean. She didn't speak with harsh animosity laced in her vigorous voice. She didn't raise her voice, or even her hand in an act of violence. She was taught how to fight, and how to shoot a gun. But she never used those skills. The thought never even crossed her mind, and in a world as cutthroat at this one, it often came as a surprise to others.

Margo was kind and compassionate. She was the type of girl who would trade her ration cards for something as simple as fruit and instead of keeping it for herself, she would offer it to young, starving children who couldn't work to earn it themselves. She would lend a helping hand to the elderly residents, knowing they could barely take care of themselves anymore. When she wasn't working for ration cards, she would spend most of her days with her little brother, Sam, taking care of him, especially when he became sick while her older brother, Henry, took care of her.

But Margo Burrell wasn't just kind. She was delicate as a flower, but could force a stone cold exterior to protect herself and her brothers from those who meant them harm. However, underneath the facade was a pretty face with a beautiful soul. Margo was whimsical and peaceful. Sarcastic and lighthearted. She always saw the best in a terrible situation, and living in a world where violence and death lurked around each and every corner, well, remaining optimistic was definitely unheard of. That was until they met Margo Burrell, and learned girls with hearts of gold still existed underneath the crippling pressure of such harsh circumstances.

     That was how Margo Burrell earned the nickname, living dead girl. Much like everyone else left in the world, she was spending each day just trying to survive and make the best of the shitty situation she was given. But Margo didn't allow who she was to waste away under the darkness. While others succumbed to the harsh reality of the disease withering through the streets of Kansas City, Margo never lost touch with the sweet girl she was born to be. She pretended the world outside the walls of the QZ didn't exist. She made every moment worth living. Margo knew she might not live very long. She was standing in the centre of the apocalypse after all.

     But she made every moment count. So when she died at the hands of the infected. Or was put down by FEDRA like a dog. Or became an unwilling casualty in the Fireflies fight to restore all branches of the government, Margo Burrell would die knowing she had truly lived. Even if it happened today, tomorrow or years from now, she could move on with peace in her dying heart.

     However, Margo was beginning to question how long that peace could last. Especially after FEDRA lost their power in Kansas City against the people, who fought back and took them down once and for all, led by a woman more cruel and twice as vicious as anyone Margo has ever met. Margo was somewhat relieved to know FEDRA were no longer able to torment innocent civilians. But the shift of power falling into the wrong hands was what terrified her most of all. And unfortunately that was exactly what happened on a dark night like this one.

     Margo remained hidden behind a broken down, rusted car alongside her brothers, Henry and Sam. Her backpack rested uncomfortably on her shoulders, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead while her clothes quickly became caked in dirt and grime. The young eighteen year old panted quietly, squeezing her eyes shut when she heard loud explosions, the sound of glass shattering and several gunshots. The streets were filled with individuals declaring freedom for the people, riots breaking out left and right, leaving the siblings no where to turn to in the midst of it all. That was when Margo knew that freedom for the people didn't mean them too. The Burrell children would never be free. Not until they escaped the city.

     Margo peaked her head out from behind the vehicle to see a truck driving slowly down the street while the passengers chanted, "Freedom!" Their chorus of cheers sending chills up and down the girl's spine. Then she noticed something attached to the truck, like they were dragging something behind them. Margo continued to watch until she saw a body attached to the truck by a rope, knives sticking out of his body.

     Margo shivered and turned away from the harrowing sight of the corpse, a shaky breath escaping past her quivering lips. Margo never found herself getting scared. But since the power of the people was passed down to Kathleen of all people, well, Margo had every reason to be scared. Not just got herself. But for her brothers too. Kathleen was angry and hungry for revenge after what Margo and Henry took from the woman only days before the riots broke out. Margo painted a big enough target on her back that now everyone was looking for her and her brothers. And if they were caught, she knew she would end up like the FEDRA soldier being dragged by the truck down the violent street.

     Margo wasn't the only one that was scared. She looked down at Sam to see the terror burning like a wildfire in his dark eyes. The sight of her little brother so scared in troubling and uncertain times caused for Margo's heart to ache in her chest. She wished she could hold him close and reassuring him that everything would be okay. But she wondered how she could possibly do that if she was too scared to even move herself. Margo was a master at hiding her fear. After FEDRA soldiers executed her parents, she stuffed that fear deep inside so the soldiers wouldn't believe she was weak. No one would know she was scared unless she wanted them to.

     But if there was one person she saw through her facade, it was her big brother, Henry. Growing up, while their parents worked long hours around the QZ to earn enough ration cards to feed them for the next couple of days, Henry would take care of her. She was only a few years younger than him but he stepped up as a favour to their parents. But they spent so much time together. Especially after their parents death that he knew her better than she knew herself. He could tell when she was sad, even if she said she wasn't. Or angry when she did her best to remain calm. But if there was one thing Henry knew better than anyone else, it was when his sister was scared.

Henry was quick to grab both his younger siblings hands with a comforting touch, staring them both deeply into their eyes before he signed so Sam would understand them. Don't look at that. Look at me. That's what he told them. Margo nodded her head and Sam did the same. It would be hard to keep her focus on just her brother with everything else happening around them. But she would do her best for the sake of her own sanity. She couldn't falter now. She had to stay strong until they were all out of the city, safe and sound.

The Burrell siblings stayed hidden in the shadows, rushing to hide behind turned over cars and tall buildings covered in strings of ivy all over. Henry led the way while Margo trailed further behind with Sam in between them both, making sure he didn't get left behind. Their priority at the eldest siblings was to keep him safe. Especially with Sam's difficulty to hear.

     Margo and her brothers continued their journey down a dark alleyway until they found the building they were told to go to by a friend. Henry opened the door for his younger siblings, making sure they made it inside first before he followed close behind and closed the door shut behind him. It was dark. So dark that Margo could barely see. This caused for the girl to retrieve the torch she packed away in her backpack, turning it on and shining it around the abandoned building, a shiver running up her spine in the process.

     The girl then heard a metallic sound that moved through her eardrum like a faint whisper. This caused for her to lift her gaze, shining her torch over towards Henry, who held his handgun tight before looking back at her and Sam. "Stay close." He told them, his voice so quiet that she could've possibly heard a pin drop at the same time.

     Margo quietly followed her brother through the building, a torch in one hand to guide them through the darkness, and the other clasping tight onto Sam's hand. She wasn't going to let her little brother trail far behind her. He would remain stuck to her like glue until they made their way safely out of the city. And even after that, Margo didn't know if she had the strength to not protect her brother from all the bad things in the world. Protecting the ones she loved most was all she really came to ever know.

The girl quickly snapped herself out of her thoughts when she heard Henry open another door. Margo was quick to shine the torch inside the dark room in case there was anything worth being scared over. That was when a tall figure emerged from the darkness, gun in hand as they pointed the weapon into their direction, resulting in Henry pointing his gun back at the stranger. Margo, however, pushed Sam behind her, shielding him from any form of harm. That was until they saw who was standing on the other side of the dark room.

A sigh of relief left Margo's lips when she saw it was only Eldelstein — the man who was trying to help them escape the city. He nodded to Henry and both men lowered their guns before Eldelstein guided them upwards into the attic. Margo was quick to climb up the ladder after everyone else, and once she reached the dimly lit room, she looked over to see Sam was already curled up into a corner, doodling on his notepad he carries around to communicate to others who couldn't sign like Margo and Henry could. Margo was worried about her younger brother, wondering if he was scared, just as scared as she was.

"You sure they don't know about this?" Henry asked, causing for Margo to look back at her older brother before he gaze drifted over to Eldelstein, knowing they were all thinking about what was left of the QZ and the people after them. Kathleen's people.

"I got it from a FEDRA officer. Patient. Owed me a favour." Eldelstein answered. Margo didn't say much though. She was focused on Henry, who, quite frankly, appeared to be absolutely terrified in this very moment. So scared that he didn't even lift his head when Eldelstein parted his lips to speak again. "Do you guys know how you're getting out of the city?" He asked.

When Henry didn't respond, Margo quickly cleared her throat to speak. "We were thinking the tunnels." She replied, knowing it was a clear path through and through. They knew Kathleen's people wouldn't be down there given the fact that it was rumoured to be filled with infected.

Eldelstein simply laughed in response to the girl's words, shaking his head. "Tunnels. Might as well kill yourselves right here." He scoffs.

Margo didn't say anything in response to the man's words. Once again she found herself looking over at Sam from where she stood, causing for the girl to walk over and take a seat next to him, offering the boy a small smile in return. Margo then lifted her hands and moved them around as she began to sign, Are you okay? She asked him, her worried expression becoming very prominent across her dark features.

     Sam dropped his notepad and shrugged his shoulders before lifting his hands to communicate back to his sister. Henry's scared, isn't he? He replied. Margo bit down on the inside of her cheek in response, her gaze slowly flickering over to Henry while he conversed with Eldelstein. There was no denying the oldest of the Burrell siblings was terrified. He was given the weight of protecting both her and Sam, and even though Margo could protect herself, Henry still took the responsibility of looking out for her as he was the oldest. That responsibility was enough to make anyone terrified. Especially with the entire city hunting them down like bloodhounds.

     But Margo knew her and Henry had to be brave for their little brother. So Margo forced another smile and shook her head. He's just trying his best to get us out of the city because of the bad people. But he's not scared, She explained, hoping it was convincing enough for her brother to believe her.

     Are you scared, Margo? Sam then asked the girl, his question taking the girl by surprise at first, but she was twice as fast with a response.

     I'm never scared, Sammy. You know that, she answered, her smile growing bigger and genuine when she noticed her brother crack a small smile of his own. Margo then lifted her hands to sign again, I promise you that when we get out of the city, things are going to be different. We're going to find a new place with good people, and we're going to be happy, She reassured him this time.

     Sam looked uncertain though, causing for the boy to sign back to the girl, Promise?

     Margo watched as her little brother lifted his pinky, causing for the girl to smile again before she wrapped her pinky around his, nodding her head in the process. Promise, she signed back with her other hand.

Sam continued to stare at his sister for a moment before he smiled again, quickly wrapping his arms around the girl to hug her. Margo was surprised but didn't hesitant to pull her brother into her embrace, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. A small smile then found its way to her lips once again as she pressed a kiss to the side of Sam's head. That was when Margo knew they had to get out of Kansas City and fast. Not for her. Not for Henry. But for Sam. He was the priority. He deserved to live a better life than this, and Margo was going to make sure he lived it far away from this place. Even if it was the last thing she ever did.

10 DAYS LATER.

     It was safe to say Margo Burrell wasn't used to being caged up like some wild animal. In fact, she was being driven to the point of pure insanity. That's how being cooped up on the old, dusty attic made her feel.

     Ten days. It has been ten days since Eldelstein left them to find a safer route out of the city undetected. The Burrell siblings were under strict instructions to stay in the attic until he came back for them. But as the days dragged out into even more days, Margo was beginning to question if anyone was coming back for them at all. She knew Eldelstein wouldn't just abandon them, or throw up them to the wolves left with no choice but to fend for themselves. If the older man wasn't back by now then she feared Kathleen and her people had already gotten to him. Maybe he wasn't back because he was dead. That scared Margo most of all.

     But there she was, drawing another picture alongside her younger brother, trying her best to keep him distracted from everything else happening outside the safety of the dark attic. That's what her days seemed to mostly consist of these days. While Henry kept watch, Margo would spend her days with Sam, drawing and painting until the boy finally fell asleep. It was a decent past time since there wasn't much for her to do at all. But it didn't mean she wasn't itching to break free from the confinement that she was stuck in the centre of.

Suddenly, Margo felt a light tap against her shoulder. This caused for the girl to lift her gaze and glance back at Sam, who stared at her with his puppy dog eyes. I'm hungry, he signed to the girl. Margo's gaze slowly drifted over to the one can of food that remained for all three of them. The sight of the can sitting in the dark on its own made Margo's stomach grumble all of a sudden. The aching feeling in her belly made the girl want to tear it open and scoff back the contents inside. But she knew that was selfish, and she would gladly go without if it meant her brothers could eat instead. She just hated that it was all that remained of their supply after ten days.

Margo then glanced back at her younger brother, forcing a small smile before she dropped the crayons and raised her hands. Later. It's too early to eat, she signed back to him. Sam understood that if he was to eat now then they would have nothing for the rest of the day, and then they would all be starving later on. So he nodded his head and returned back to his painting.

However, Margo's gaze flickered over to her older brother, watching as he peeled back from of the cardboard stuck to the windows, keeping watch of the patrols scrounging around the city in search of them. There was this strange feeling that formed in Margo's chest, almost as if a wave of anxiety washed over her and began to drown in her ribcage. Margo was in and out of slumber a lot during the last ten days and all she could hear half the time was the rumbling engines of the vehicles filled with Kathleen's soldiers, hunting them down. It made the girl wonder how long they would have to sit in the dark until they infiltrated the building they were hiding inside of.

     All of a sudden, Margo was snapped out of her thoughts once again when she heard light banging that vibrated through her body. She turned her head to see Sam was smacking his fist into the wooden planks, his frustrated gaze focused on Henry. I'm hungry, he repeated.

     Margo stared between her brothers, watching as Henry sighed in frustration before he lifted his hands, signing back, Later!

     When is he coming back? Sam asked them, his worried eyes flickering between his older siblings for some sort of answer about the whereabouts of their friend, Eldelstein. The man whom left them in the attic and never came back. The man Margo believed to be dead.

     Henry shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. I don't know, he replied to his brother, appearing just as clueless as the rest of them.

     But he is coming back? Sam asked again, and this time Henry decided to reply with what both him and Margo knew was a lie, reassuring their brother that Eldelstein would come back and help them out of the city. And all Margo could do was sit in silence, staring at her brother with uncertainty plastered across her face, knowing that they had to come up with a new plan and fast before it was too late.

By nightfall, Sam was fast asleep with a full stomach. Margo was sitting with her back against a wall plastered with Sam's drawing, watching her little brother sleep peacefully. The sight of the young boy was enough to bring a small smile to the girl's lips. It was nice to see her brother could still sleep under the harsh conditions they were pushed into the middle of. While her and Henry were trapped in the darkness, knowing about all the dangers that lurked outside the safety of the small attic they became acquainted with, it was a relief to see that darkness hasn't reached Sam just yet. Margo hoped it never would.

     "Hey..." A familiar voice caused for Margo to turn her head to the side, watching as Henry took a seat next to her. "Can't sleep either?"

     Margo let out a quiet scoff, shaking her head. "I don't know how anyone could sleep with everything going on." She confessed, pushing some of her hair out of her face in the process before she released a sigh past her lips. "Do you really think Eldelstein is coming back?" She then asked her brother.

Henry was quiet for a moment, and Margo watched as he bit down on the inside of his cheek. It was almost like he was contemplating telling her the same lie he told Sam as an attempt to reassure her worries and ease her nerves. But when Margo's gaze met Henry's, she stared at him, her eyes practically begging him to just be straight forward with her. She wasn't a little kid anymore. She could handle the truth, probably better than most people would these days. So Henry let out a shaky breath past his quivering lips before he shook his head in response.

"What are we going to do?" Margo questioned further, begging for answers at this point. Being on the run from Kathleen's men was one thing, but trying to get out of the city unscathed was a whole other thing that neither of them were prepared for. Especially after being raised in the QZ for their entire lives.

     "We use the tunnels, just like we planned." Henry answers her.

     "You heard what Eldelstein said. He told us it was suicide." Margo retorts, staring at her brother with worry evident in her dark eyes.

     "Kathleen and her people won't find us down there." Henry argues back, staring down at his sister.

     "But the infected will." Margo reminds him, turning away from Henry and resting her head against the wall behind her, a quiet sigh leaving her lips while she squeezed her eyes shut. "Henry, we might know how to use guns, but we don't know how to protect ourselves from infected. To think we can do that on our own is fucking crazy."

Henry shrugs his shoulders. "We've made it this far. We just have to keep going."

"I know. It's just..." Margo trailed off, opening her eyes to look straight ahead where Sam was sleeping, thinking back to those long nights in their warm, comfortable beds back in the QZ where they were always safe. "Everything was so much easier when we were in the QZ and those fascists were still in charge." She admitted to her brother.

Being under the rule of FEDRA was far from luxury, but at least it was easy. It was easy because Margo and Henry were known as collaborators. They would sell out their neighbours who were gladly breaking FEDRA's laws, and in return they were rewarded. Margo never liked doing it. Especially when she knew they would be executed for their crimes. She wasn't that kind of person to sell out good and desperate people who were just trying to survive. But she also did it to survive. She did it to keep Sam fed, clothed and safe in their small apartment. It was a sacrifice and one she was always willing to make.

Henry then let out a low chuckle, "You really think life was better in the QZ?"

"I never said it was better. It was easier." Margo corrected her brother. "And we lost everything. We were driven out of our home all because—"

"All because I sold out Kathleen's brother to FEDRA." Henry interjected, cutting his sister off. Margo turned to look at him again, her eyes meeting his before she nodded her head. "You think it was a mistake? Selling out Kathleen's brother?" He inquired, his tone changing ever so slightly, almost like he was becoming defensive when he realised his sister didn't favour with his decision as much as he had previously hoped.

Margo was quickly to shake her head, her lips parting to speak once again. "I didn't say that—"

"No. But you implied it." Henry cut the girl off again before a deafening silence fell between the pair, the tension between them becoming almost suffocating. "I didn't want to do it. I respected him. You know I would've followed him anywhere. But Sam was sick..."

    "I know he was sick. I was there when the doctor diagnosed him." Margo snapped, pausing for a moment before she parted her lips to speak again. "I understand why you did what you did. I can't say I would've done anything differently. Just out of all the people FEDRA wanted it had to be Kathleen's brother. Now she's hunting us down and our only option is to either stay and die, or die trying to get out of the city and hope we make it out alive."

     "We will make it out alive." Henry reassured the girl, grabbing her hand with his own and giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze.

     Margo inhaled sharply for a moment, holding onto her breath before she exhaled shakily and turned to her brother, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Then get us out of here...alive. I can't handle the thought of losing you and Sam. So, please, let's figure something out and get the hell out of here."

By the next morning, Margo found herself leaning against the wall, watching as Henry confronted Sam about leaving and finding their own way out alone. She watched as her brothers embraced one another. But there was no denying the fear Sam clearly felt in that very moment. Margo felt a dull ache erupt in her chest when she saw the fallen expression plastered across her little brother's face, realising he was being forced to face the reality of the world kiss like she did when she was only a little girl. Margo hated that she couldn't shield Sam from the harsh reality anymore. She wished there was something she could do paint another wholesome smile on his face again.

     And it seemed Henry had a similar thought because it didn't take him long to dip an old rag into a can of orange paint before smearing it across Sam's eyes to mimic the superhero, Super Sam, her brother has been painting for the last two weeks. When the young boy opened his eyes again, Henry showed him the results in the reflection of his knife. When Sam realised what Henry had done, a big, goofy grin formed across the lips of the youngest Burrell sibling. Margo let out a quiet chuckle, a twinge of joy bubbling in the pit of her stomach. Moments like these were always a reminder to keep fighting. Not just for herself. But for the people who still mattered. People like Henry and Sam.

     Shortly after, the siblings packed their bags and left the attic for the first time in nearly two weeks, walking down the flights of stairs and nearing closer towards the door they would have to sneak out from. However, all of a sudden, the loud and thundering sound of gunshots piercing through the air caused for Margo and Henry to panic. Margo was quick to hold her little brother close to her whilst Henry peaked into the window, hoping to find where the gunshots had come from. When he did, he saw multiple individuals. A group of faces he's never seen before until today.

     "What is it?" Margo asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

     Henry didn't say anything at first. Instead he just continued to watch as the man and woman killed multiple of Kathleen's loyal soldiers. They weren't FEDRA and they were clearly strangers to Kathleen and her people, which only meant one thing — they were newcomers with a fresh target on each of their backs, which sparked an idea in Henry's head as he turned to face his sister once again, nodding his head with his lips parting to speak once again.

     "I think I have a plan."

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
Tell a friend to tell a friend...SHE'S BACK!!!!

It's been a hot minute since I last updated this story. I had personal stuff going on in my life and with the time I had for writing I decided to finish one of my other books that were close to completion at the time. But I'm back and better than ever. All the drama in my life is sorting itself out so I should hopefully start updating this story more often again. I don't have an exact schedule but you guys won't be waiting months for another chapter anymore.

But in other news...Margo, Henry and Sam have my whole heart...I literally hate that they never make it out of the city together 😭 but until then I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!!