Tom was breathing heavily behind me, "If they get too heavy for you, I can carry them for a bit."

His comment actually caused me to chuckle. I couldn't remember the last time I had chuckled, probably back when my eyes had been light brown. The chuckle had also caused me to unclench my jaws. To my surprise, I had become slightly desensitized to the scent of these four during the last hour of hard walking. The virus still sang for their blood, but it was easier to tune it out. I still wouldn't be able to lower my guard in case my control slipped.

I paused to glance back at the two tired adults and smirked, "By the time I tire enough to put them down, you will have collapsed."

I turned and kept walking. I heard Tom mutter to Marissa, "I know she is helping us, but she seems to be a bit of a jerk."

I had been terse and blunt whenever I had spoken so far, despite their occasional polite attempts at conversation. Marissa replied softly, "She probably just isn't used to being around people after so long. She may be gruff around the edges, but if she had really been a jerk, she would have left us behind."

Tom grunted. I ignored their conversation; a normal human wouldn't have heard their quiet whispering. We would be pushing it to get to the cabin by nightfall. If these two have enough breath to talk, then we are clearly not going fast enough. I picked up the pace a bit as we kept walking. Yeah, I was a bit of a jerk.

Time and distance passed far too slowly for my tastes. The two behind me were saving their breath to try and keep up with our slightly faster pace. I had to give them credit for their determination though, they weren't going to be left behind easily—even if they had to go to the point of collapse. Finally the bridge came into sight. I called back over my shoulder, "The bridge is up ahead, we are more than halfway back. Just keep up, once we get to my cabin you can pass out."

Tom muttered, "I think she must have been a drill sergeant before the world went to shit. They push you right to the breaking point with no remorse."

I was somewhat amused that Marissa once more stuck up for me. "If she had no remorse she wouldn't let us stop for a short break every fifteen minutes."

Tom made no response as he panted. Liz was softly singing on my shoulders as she looked around with no fear. Josh was sleeping as I carried him. It was rare to encounter zombies in the middle of the forest like this and thankfully we hadn't encountered any so far. The bridge was the only time we had come out of the forest. It was a narrow bridge, only wide enough for one car at a time.

Marissa looked at the road longingly as we left it to enter the forest on the other side of the bridge. Walking on the flat road would be easier than weaving through trees and over rocks. I also knew that the death of their three companions sat heavily in their hearts. I wasn't sure how to speak softly or make any attempt to console someone anymore.

I spoke gruffly, "The road goes a long way before it comes to any town or buildings. My cabin is much closer. Besides, few zombies roam the forest, they prefer to hang out in towns or wander along the roads."

I was trying to keep my irritation suppressed, but wasn't doing very well at it. I wasn't used to watching every step I took to keep it human-like. I had stifled half a dozen growls already and they had barely been speaking. My constant hold on my control due to their mere presence was an irritant as well. Nightstalkers in general were prone to irritation. Very prone.

She sighed, but sounded oddly grateful. "Thank you."

I wasn't entirely sure why she was thanking me. They knew I was irritated and in a somewhat foul mood. Perhaps she didn't know why either.

~

I sighed in relief as I entered the clearing around the cabin. The adults staggered into the clearing in an exhausted daze. The last bit of light was rapidly fading from the sky. Even Chloe simply walked to her dog house for rest. The boy in my arms still slept and Liz was struggling to stay awake so she didn't fall off my shoulders.

"We're here. Can you open the door for me?"

They blinked as they looked up in a fatigued daze and realized that they had finally made it. Tom staggered forward to open the door for me. I placed Josh in the comfy armchair and took Liz off my shoulders. I pulled out some extra blankets and laid them beside the wood stove, "Here you go Liz." She tiredly climbed into the blankets. She was asleep even before I managed to get the third piece of wood inside the stove.

I rose to my feet and turned to the two adults who were swaying on their feet from exhaustion. I gestured to the queen-sized bed, "Get some shut eye. I will keep an eye on things."

Marissa shook her head, "We can't take your bed..."

I sighed, "I use that bed." I pointed up to the rafters and they gazed up and blinked in a fatigued shock. "Get some sleep before I have to pick you two up off of the floor."

They didn't argue and both crawled into the bed. I wasn't even entirely sure if their heads had hit the pillows before they were asleep. I looked around at the four sleeping humans. I will have to air this place out for weeks to get the smell out... I shook my head and headed outside. Chloe lifted her head as I came out. "Go back to sleep girl."

She dropped her head. She was used to me leaving at night and not taking her. I went back the way we had come and confused the scent trail in case any zombies crossed it and tried to follow. I ran a circuit around the house to ensure that nothing lurked in the woods. The air held only the usual scents.

I passed by a rabbit and made a quick decision. Seconds later the rabbit was dead and I was drinking its blood. If I had to travel with humans, it would be best if I hunted every night. It would help me retain control. The burning in my throat eased as the warm red liquid washed away the scent of the humans that clung to the back of my throat.

I headed back to the cabin with handfuls of pungent smelling plants and dropped them all around the clearing. They would help prevent anything from scenting the humans within. I also brought the rabbit back for Chloe's breakfast and left it by her dog house. I grabbed the small ladder that was leaning against the cabin and took it inside. I quietly propped it up against where my elevated bed was. I couldn't just jump into the rafters with potential witnesses if I wanted them to remain oblivious to what I was.

I added more wood to the merrily burning fire before climbing up to my bed. I barely noticed the cold of the night and never started the wood stove just for the heat. The humans needed it though, and it was putting off some good heat. The smell of four humans in an enclosed space was making me second guess my plan for pretending to sleep up here.

I had wondered about that. I pulled a plant stem out of my pocket; it was one of those pungent ones from outside. It had a strong crisp smell and I crushed the juicy stem and rubbed the juices under my nose. It helped a bit, but not enough to be worth the trouble. I growled under my breath as that small hope was dashed.

I had become somewhat used to their tantalizing smell during our eight-hour hike, but being trapped in a small building where the scent was unable to escape was a new level of torment. I'm sure hoping that I become somewhat desensitized to this smell, or this trip is going to have a lot in common with jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. In other words, there could very well be blood and guts on the tarmac by the time this is all over.

~

It was a long night and in the end I didn't even take a bite out of anyone. I did manage to doze off here and there, much to my surprise. As the sun rose I got up and quietly got things ready. I put a lot of water on to boil and put several empty water bottles nearby. I had some cans of food that I didn't particularly like and left them on the table along with a bowl of freshly collected greens and a box of cereal.

I went to sit on the front porch and simply enjoy the fresh air. I could still smell those sleeping inside. It leaked out of the house through every crack and gap like it was purposefully trying to find me. I was quite surprised when Chloe came over to sit beside me. I slowly reached out and gently scratched behind her ear. It was rare that she let me touch her. I could count the number of times on my hands. After a bit I pulled my hand back, unwilling to make her uncomfortable.

We sat there for a couple of peaceful hours before I heard a set of footsteps walk around inside. I knew it was Liz. The door creaked open and she stepped out blinking at the bright light. She came over to crawl into my lap with her bowl of dry cereal and bottle of juice. I gritted my teeth at the contact, but didn't comment. Zombies were not much for contact.

She quietly munched on her breakfast. I was thankful that her scent didn't bother me as much today after all night in the cabin. Part of me still thirsted for her blood and her scent caused a slight burning sensation in my throat from her close proximity, but I didn't act on my instincts. I couldn't forget it or turn it off, but like a teenager's terrible music echoing loudly up from the basement I could put up with it if I tried. It was and always would be a conscious effort.

I heard louder footsteps inside and the door opened as Tom peeked outside cautiously. Chloe trotted up to him and he relaxed as he saw us. He came outside and closed the door behind himself. He had filled a water bottle and was drinking like he was dying from thirst. He sat on the steps not far from my feet, "I can't believe how long I slept. Is it really eleven O'clock?"

I glanced at the clock keychain that dangled from my belt loop, "Yes."

"Wow. I haven't slept that long for ages."

Silence fell between us. He seemed bothered by the silence and my short answers. Liz was unaffected by it and she looked up at me, "Are we walking more today?"

I shook my head, "No, we will rest here today. Tomorrow morning, we will head south to the highway."

Tom relaxed and seemed relieved for the reprieve.

I got some of the deer meat and started roasting it over the outdoor fire. By the time noon rolled around the other two had also woken up. I kept a close eye on the trees, but no feral zombie had ever shown up here in the past and I hoped that the trend continued. Liz followed me like my shadow and seemed interested in everything I did.

I was somewhat amused by her and at the same time exasperated and irritated by her constant presence. Nightstalkers tended to be loners and I hadn't had any true company for months. It was an adjustment and it wasn't going down smoothly.

The day passed extremely slowly and made me wish for an empty mountaintop to enjoy in solitude. Marissa and Tom would occasionally try to start a conversation, but my answers were always blunt and short. Marissa tried again, "So where are we going tomorrow?"

"Heading to a major highway that I see other survivors use a few times a month. Hopefully we will find someone right away, otherwise we will just follow the road until we see a sign or something."

"And if we don't stumble across anyone by nightfall?"

I shrugged, "Then we camp. Hopefully we can find a working car and make good distance." Chances of finding a working car were slim to none, but I didn't bother mentioning that. If we went west away from the mountains, there would be more small towns and houses. I could confirm if a house was empty easily enough and we could take shelter there for the night. Tonight I was making a run to the northern town, one of those shops had camping supplies such as sleeping bags and heavy jackets.

We went inside as the sun set. Josh was confused, "Why do you wear your sunglasses inside? Aren't they meant for when you are in the sun?" The boy was obviously stumped by my sunglasses.

They are so I don't scare you to death... But I couldn't say that out loud. I shrugged, "Bright lights or flickers of light hurt my eyes. Even the fire in the stove can flicker enough to cause pain, so I just find it easier to wear the sunglasses all the time."

He looked intrigued, "They make you look so cool. Like the crazy lady on tv who planted all the bombs."

I started snickering. Marissa turned red in embarrassment, "Josh! That wasn't very nice to compare her to a crazy lady. Sorry about that, Trinity."

I shrugged, "He is young, and from someone that age it was pretty funny." He was also so close to the truth that it was almost funny. No one else even realized it either. The irony was that the boy was more observant than the adults. My human charade was holding up so far.

Day two with these people was almost over. Thankfully they all wanted to go to bed early since the only light came from the stove and I was planning on hitting the trail once the sun was up.