A fire... lit in the hold of a metal tin...A simple thing to me, yet a sense of security to them. They fought for places around it at night and scowered endlessly for fuel during the day. I could understand, though slightly, why such a thing mattered to them, but putting its continued existence above their own lives? THAT I couldn't understand. Fires could be re-ignited; the stopped hearts of human beings? Not so easily done. Still, I wasn't about to question them and continued to sit among them, they not being any wiser to my identity than they were to what had happened in Auburn. As far as 'oblivious civilians' were concerned, they were the most so and THAT was perfect.

THEY were a group of young 'survivors' who had found life among the ruins of the former city and I was dane to join them after but three months of roaming through the rubble of all that I had once known. I knew that my true goal would come to light soon enough and saw fit to live among the people for only a while. This particular group seemed well enough off and were kind to boot. What more could I ask for in a temporary arrangement?

Our group consisted of six people including myself; four men and two women. We sat around our little 'fire-pit', roasting what little food we could find. I myself wasn't going to eat, but we didn't yet trust our youngest member with fire after a recent incident she'd had with a frank. She was sixteen, but honestly made bad choices. Of course, me being the eldest among them that was still capable of 'child' care, she was forced upon me as a charge. Her name was Ramona and she seemed a little too eager to be included in our 'older' activities such as scavenging, defense, and... a number of other things more or less agonizing for me.

After finishing with the little wad of beef I'd been handed, I gave it to Ramona who happily accepted it. My work, for now, was done. I stood from the circle and strode over to a little cot I'd called home for some many months. Lucas, a twenty-year-old bartender and our defacto authority, turned to watch me and, annoyingly, waited for me to settle myself before saying anything. He made a habit of it and did so intentionally. He knew I LOATHED it. "Hey, I was hoping to make a quick run to that flea-market we saw on the way back from Downtown. Mind coming with me?" I grumbled my response.

"Can it wait? It's nearly seven and I would like to wake before dawn for the first time in two weeks." Lucas shook his head, a grin lighting his features.

"We kinda need a new sleeping bag for Reb. Her's caught fire, remember? Besides, you won't have to worry about me, this time. I want you and Ramona to go. She's been begging to do a run for a while now and I thought it only fair considering she's the one who burned the bag in the first place." I gave Lucas the most death-bore scowl I could manage without my face becoming a simple contort of scrunched muscle. Not only was he suggesting that I make a late-night supply run, but now he was asking me to commence a run with Ramona. I had enough of the girl as it was.

"And why, pray tell, is it me who has to accompany her? There the three of you who could easily venture out and manage fine." Another grin and the rage within me was boiling over.

"Because you're in charge of her. Besides, you're always telling us about your training. You can protect a girl, can't you? Maybe you can prove how good you actually are. Come on. I'll give you half my rations for a week." I cared not for their disgusting 'rations', but I knew I needed them and might need more have a situation arise. Reluctantly, I stood and slid the black combat boots onto my feet, tucking them into the olive-cargos before motioning for Ramona to follow. As we left out encampment, I grabbed a single satchel that was awaiting by the door to to the store-front we'd been staying in. She grabbed hers and we were off.

...

If my dislike of Ramona was not apparent in my earlier description of her, I elaborate more. She was an immature, overly headstrong minx who's fiery locks of hair came to me as a hint of her inward advocation with the underworld. Perhaps I was always hasty in making generalizations about the girl... She wasn't as bad as I make her out to be, but, sometimes, feelings need to be let out and that was my way of releasing them. I never said them aloud, but I made sure they knew... Well... Ramona was oblivious... Unfortunately...

As we made headway towards the Flea-Market, she would look up at me with eyes of a smoldering hickory and with something in them that suggested many things. She was happy to be with me... She always was. Sometimes, a little guilt would plague me for having malice in her existence, but then she would ALWAYS flush those feelings away. She would REMIND me why I loathed her so.

Around nine- judging by the moon- we made it to the market and began our scowering of the stalls about the wall-less structure. Ramona stuck close to me and did so in a rather uncomfortable fashion. She was waiting. I knew she was. So was I but I wasn't eager... We searched many more stalls, picking through forgotten trinkets and toppled 'art' that I had many an inward opinion of. Still, she stayed VERY close and a sickness arose in me. I could FEEL her intentions. It was only a matter of time.

I had warning when her first advance commenced, but fought it off for the sake of seeming 'normal.' She stood directly next to me and leaned on my right arm, her cheek pressing softly to my shoulder and lighting a burning sensation in my entire foreside. There it was... Less aggressive than the last, but unwelcome, nonetheless. I shifted against her- not exactly pushing but enough to get her off of me. I moved along to another stall and began to boil in rage as she continued to swoon around me like a puppy. I'd done rather... less reputable things, but was it worth THIS sort of punishment?

As I stopped again to look through a box of fabrics, I felt a gentle glide across my hunched shoulder blades and writhed against it. "Chance..." I had to remind myself that THAT was the name I'd given them and thus was what they'd call me, but, at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be who I had once been. I'd take a psychic cannibal commander over 'Chance' at this point. I gave her the privilege of acknowledging her and soon wished I hadn't. So soon as I looked at her, she shoved against me and nuzzled under my chin. The constricting contact caused my body to writhe again and my emotions to go livid. "I... I'm sorry about last time... I was a little... excited..." This time, I forced her off of me, but kept to being gentle. Though she was the bane of me, I hadn't a want to harm her... yet.

"My response stands." Her expression remained playful, but I could not understand why. I was scowling, surely, and had no look of 'amusement' anywhere on me. Her persistence was biting at my patience.

"You never said 'no'."

"I though I'd made myself clear enough. If I need to say it now, I will. No." Her laugh could bring a man to suicide. Right then, I considered it. She rolled her fingers across my left hand which had been aggressively gripping the basket of cloth.

"Yet, you haven't moved away..."

"If you're romanticizing my refusal as some sort of game, I ask that you stop. I haven't moved away because Lucas asked me to protect you and I will do that and nothing more. You are a simple charge in my care; less than a pet, even. You are alive now because I stay and you'd do best not to agitate my frail temper any farther."

"What 'duty' do you have to me in that heart of yours? Is there really a soldier in you? Are you just being a gentleman? What?"

"I'm being polite. Do NOT wring out my courtesy." Another smile... Damn me to hell...

Then there came a disruption around us and my head shot up to gaze about. I sense so many minds- unhinged minds- swarming closer and closer. They could smell us. I grabbed Ramona's wrist and bolted off towards the back-road which gave way to our 'shelter.' I did not have to fight them... nor run... I could have easily thwarted them off with the snap of my fingers... but that wasn't normal... That wasn't... human... I needed to be human right now... I needed to stay 'off the radar' both metaphorically and literally. If... THEY found me... If HE found me... There would be nothing tied to be... and everything to take away... I'd destroy them all...

We made it some ways into the jungle of concrete and stopped within an alley for but a seconds rest. At least, for a moment, Ramona had no breath to speak with and I so eagerly wanted to leave before she had some. As soon as we made it back, she'd keep quiet and play a little game of pretend as though she were a lamb. Sadly, she found words too soon. "Why did we run?"

"I heard them... The beasts. Perhaps if you weren't so concerned with your advances, you would have as well. Let's head back. Reb can have my bag. I've slept on worse than tile floors."

"A common white knight, huh?" I DESPERATELY wanted to bite at that remark with every selfish and destructive action I'd ever taken, but self control was a virtue. I was not the commander... I was 'Chance.' I was just a man and nothing more. We traversed a little spans of high-way before Ramona found more means to talk and pick at me as though I found it as entertaining as she. "That wasn't the first time you and I ran from nothing..."

"It was not nothing. Had it been, I wouldn't have run. I trust my senses."

"Then why haven't I ever heard them?"

"Because you don't shut up long enough. You'll get yourself killed sooner or later."

"That's why I have you, honey. You protect me, remember?"

"Do not mistake my responsibility with intimacy. You'd be wise to remember the difference." She would have retorted... Had it not been for the near wail of one of the beasts... Not but a second after the cry rang, a swarm of the creatures swallowed the space around us, locked in every building... every shaded space. I hadn't been focused. Damn that girl, I had let this happen because of her!

A single one lunged for her, but I snagged her once more and ran as fast as I could with her additional carry- which wasn't very fast, mind, as she was almost two feet shorter and I. If she couldn't hear them before, I'd be damned if she didn't then. They were monstrous beasts under the guise of human beings; eyes red as crimson blood and skin as though life had been drained entirely. Yet, they moved and they breathed and they hungered with the blood-lust of the most vicious monsters in all of myth. How many were following us, I kept no mind, but to how quickly they started to gain on us, I DID notice. Again, Ramona was more a liability than anything. Growing tired of her lagging at my heels, I snatched her up and tore across the streets as fast as I could.

I didn't need to... But I had to...

Yes, we made it back safe and no less worse for the wear, but from then on, I knew my troubles would only advance... Ramona would NEVER let it go.