We had all shoved as much stuff as we could into the back packs, not thinking through about the weight or contents, just trying to get as much as we could fit. After clipping on the sleeping bags to the bottom of our bags we began walking fast, hoping to get as far away from the infected as possible. I looked back and saw that the few that had made it to the flaming car, had gotten a little too close. I watched as they caught themselves on fire trying to investigate the wreck, looking for anyone who could have been trapped in the flames. The smell of burning flesh invaded my nose through my mask and I got worried.

"We need to hurry and find shelter for the night, I doubt we'll be able to walk all night. If we don't want to get infected by morning we also need to have rules." Izzy and Chris nodded in agreement but Jess scoffed and rolled her eyes. You would think she'd be agreeing with me, sue to the fact that she was older. Or maybe she was just upset that she didn't think of it first.

Ignoring her I continue. "First off, we all know that their blood and even breath can be contagious to us, so we never take our masks off. Secondly, we need to disinfect everything before we touch it, just in case. Don't trust anyone we meet, well never know if they're sick or not. And mostly," I looked at my friends walking next to me, "there isn't a cure so if any of us become infected, they have to leave before they become contagious too or we'll... we'll find other ways to make sure the rest of us live."

Izzy gasped and Jess stared at me. "So you mean killing anyone who would be a danger to you and finding your dad." We had stopped walking and I looked behind us, making sure we weren't being followed and I turned and icy gaze back to her.

"No. I mean anyone who would be a danger to the survival of the human race. Don't you dare make this about me just because I decided to take charge."

She took a step closer and closed the distance between us and Chris and Izzy stepped forward, sensing the oncoming fight. The tension was building, making it almost palpable.

"Of course this is about you! If I hadn't saved you, you wouldn't be alive right now! You'd be back there just like the rest of them! Just because they decided to save your sorry ass doesn't mean you were worth all of their lives. Lives of people who actually mattered."

I felt a sting of tears behind my eyes. She was right, they died because they probably were followed back after saving me. It was my fault everyone was dead. My fault children were dead.

"Don't you dare say she doesn't matter!" I looked up to see Chris standing dangerously close to Jess, closer than she had been to me.
"We would be without fucking food or probably be roasting alive as the infected picked at our bones!"

The shouting match between them raged on in front of me but I heard the faint groan of an infected behind me. I spun on my heel, looking for where it came from and was surprised when I saw how many had caught up to us so quickly. I knew we could never take in that many without becoming one of them. My burning eyes no longer an issue, I turned and with wide eyes I spoke one word loud enough for them to hear. "Run."

And just like every day since this began, we ran for our lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We had been walking for hours, the sun was beginning to turn the sky into an orange and pink river, with sluggishly moving clouds looking like pink cotton balls, and our feet had become just as slow. We needed to find shelter soon, but with the hours gone by, we haven't found a single house that was decent enough to lock the doors. Those we did contained bodies of infected and in one we even found the skeleton of a baby still laying in its crib as if it were waiting for its parents to appear. We closed the door and left that house in peace, and had remained silent ever since.

"Guys, we can't keep this up forever. You know how the infected get after dark."

I nodded in agreement with Izzy, if anything we could hide in a house long enough for the sun to rise sleeping in shifts.
"Let's just hide out in the nearest house, board it up and wait the night out."

Everyone was too tired to argue and agreed with me, which I was thankful for. Jess stopped mid step and froze, almost causing Chris to trip over her.

"Are you fucking seri-"

"Shhh!"

We stopped and listened for any sound in the darkening day, but nothing came up.

"What are you-"

"Would you people shut up! I think I hear a car."

I stained my ears and I heard nothing until the faint rumbling of an engine sounded, coming from behind us. I knew we needed to make a fast choice on what to do.

"Do we hide or take a chance? They could be marauders or they could be could be anyone."

Everyone exchanged worried glances, not willing to face them but not willing to give up a chance of other people who could be good.

What if two of us hide and two of us flag then down, that way if something's off we have cover and if not we flag them over?"

I nodded, Chris had a point.

"Well, I'm hiding and Izzy is coming with me." Jess grabbed Izzy before she could talk and ran to the side of the road, leaving me and Chris to flag down the car just in time.

At first, they didn't seem like they would stop, their green van pulling over at the last second. A man stepped out of the drivers seat, aiming a gun at us.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

I put my arms up in the "I'm innocent" fashion and spoke slowly.

"I'm Percy and this is Chris, we have food and weapons we'd be willing to trade for a ride."

"A ride to where?"

"Anywhere that isn't here, sir."

The passenger door opened on the van and a very pregnant lady stepped out.

"Come on, Dave. They're obviously kids and extra food does sound nice." She rubbed her stomach and he lowered his gun. I put my arms down and motioned for Izzy and Jess to join us while walking to their car. The lady walked up to me and gave me a warm smile but kept her distance.

"I'm Ally and this is Dave. And this little one is soon to be Jordan." She motioned to her stomach and I smiled. It took a lot of courage to have a child in this world.

"Well let's get going then, it should be dark soon."

I looked at the sky, almost entirely black already with the exception of the sliver of light on the horizon.

Everyone got into the car and we drove off, leaving behind the infected behind us. I watched as the light faded off the horizon and closed my eyes, letting the sleep finally take over.