I am really sorry for not updating sooner. And there was a mix-up on the review thingy – totally my fault I'm sorry guys. It was my first try and I mucked it up...won't happen again. Anyway enough with my apologies I hope you enjoy no.2!

Chapter 2 – Settling In

We were carrying in all the stuff from the raid. Wanda was incapable of carrying much beyond clothes and cushions. I laughed at her attempts to be stronger, but felt sorry for her. This group were so over-protective. Sunny was not much better either, but she carried in food mainly. As we were taking in the haul, I was surprised when Wanda and Sunny walked right in practically through the wall! I tried to follow them but ended up bashing my nose on rock…so it wasn't an automatic door.

"Silly! It's this way!" Melanie walked in through an entrance just 2 feet from where I tried to get in. How had I not seen that?

"It's meant to be inconspicuous." Jared muttered to me as if he were reading my mind. More like reading the expressions on my face.

We entered a tunnel that was pitch black. I couldn't see a thing but followed Melanie's calming footsteps. We stopped not far down and I dumped my bag of rice there. My arms rejoiced the fact they were free again.

"OK Mel, Ziggy. Don't go back out to the truck. Mel, get some rest on a proper mattress. It's bad for the baby being cooped up in the van for weeks. Ziggy, you need a tour from Jeb and a room assigned for you." Jared explained. "Wanda, don't come back either. Can you take Ziggy to Jeb?"

Jared was cut off by a boy of about my age screaming down the halls I had not gone through yet.

"Mellllllllllll!!!!!!!!!! Wandaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! Jareddddd!!!!! Everyone, they're backkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!" He calmed down a little at that point. "Mel, please please please can I go on the next raid with you? It's not fair! Oh! Who's this?" My eyes had adjusted and I saw his gaze on me.

"That's Ziggy. Found her in Seattle. Totally human." Melanie explained.

"Hi." I said uncertainly. I hadn't seen a teenage boy in all of about 8 years, at least not a human one.

"OK come on you guys! Jamie, go and help Jared please." Melanie started dragging me off back the way we came through the tunnel. We went round a U-turn and then carried on going with a few more twists and turns until we reached the 'main plaza' kind of area. There were so many humans!

No fact no figure could compare to this. I'd been told, but I could not be prepared. They all stared at me, confused, but with wonder.

"Everyone." Melanie hushed the whispers. "This is Ziggy. She'll be staying here for now, unless she wants to go someplace else. Still, people, we've had another successful raid, we'll tell you about it after dinner!" With that they all started talking again. An old man – who could only be Jeb – hobbled over to us. He was grinning through his beard.

"Well, that's a good raid! Time fer yer tour? Let's go!"

Sometime later

The tour was sooooo boring. This is this, that is that...urgh! Their place is so big. I feel bad admitting it, but I'm jealous. Anyway, my home now. It was time to find out who my roommate was. We walked up to two girls. Was I sharing with two?

"Ziggy, this is Sharon and Lily." Melanie introduced. "Lily'll be your roommate. Jamie's going to bring in your mattress once we've got it out of the lorry. It was at the bottom and all..." Her voice travelled off but the last bit did not seem to be the case. I remember Wanda buying a mattress and dragging it back to the lorry, and I'd only been with them a few days. Accordingly their raids lasted weeks? I'd go investigate later.

Lily took me off down a set of passageways towards the bedrooms. Eventually we arrived and she sat me down on her mattress. Her room was relatively bare, with just a chest of drawers and a mattress, on it only a sleeping bag and pillow. I'd get used to it.

"So, how are you Ziggy?"

"I'm good thanks. This whole place is amazing. It's a miracle, a dream come true!" She laughed at my reaction."

"Yes, it was like that for me too! So tell me about your past Ziggy."

"It's very sad."

"All of our stories are. We've all lost everyone but the people in these caves."

"I don't want to tell you."

"Hmm...I'll tell you what. I'll give you a deal. You tell me about when you were little and then I'll tell you a story about when I found love in the caves. It's sad too."

"OK then. Here goes: I was 7 years old. People were acting weird at school. Mum was getting worried. She lay out our dinner, macaroni cheese and some sweet corn and peas. My favourite. We waited till dad got back. The clock ticked...and ticked...and ticked, and he still did not come home. An hour and a half passed and finally he arrived. But he hadn't arrived. He'd been taken. Mum told me and my brother to jump out of the window. It wasn't THAT high...but high enough to hurt someone badly. We heard mum screaming from the other room, and knew we had to go. We didn't want mum to die, but we didn't want to die either. My brother was an adopted teenager and couldn't care less about me. He jumped out of the window and ran. I never saw him again. I jumped and fell. I knew enough at my young age that I must have broken my arm and maybe a few of my fingers. This was concrete I'd landed on. I tasted blood in my mouth and realised my tongue was bleeding. Funnily enough, that was the worst pain! I opened my eyes and saw someone in black walking towards me. I knew this was bad, so I shut my eyes and pretended I was in a game of Sleeping Lions. They came right up to me and sighed. I could feel their breath on my face. Their footsteps melted away and once I was sure I was safe, I opened my eyes. There was no more screaming. I was safe. I went back in through the back door and regretted jumping out the window and causing myself all that pain when I could have just opened the door. I grinned. I always won Sleeping Lions, and when it was a matter of life or death, well I could still win!"

It took a minute for Lily to recover herself.

"That's so sad you know. How did you stay alive?"

"I stole things from people's houses."

"Yes...we all did that at first. How old are you?"

"Why?"

"You said you were 7. How many years have you been on the run?"

"Do I have to tell you?"

"Not if you don't want to."

"It's OK. I turned 15 last month."

"Oh!" That surprised her. I was incredibly tall for my age, nearly as tall as Melanie.

"The story, please?"

"Yes. Well once there was a boy called Wes and he was 18. He lived in the caves with us. As people do, we fell in love...I fell pregnant, but I didn't know that yet. A certain soul was at the wrong place... well just that she was at the wrong place was enough to trigger us off. We captured her, but she shot Wes. She killed him. The baby'll never get to see it's father!" Lily started sobbing and I rubbed her back soothingly. This was more pain than most. Not even their bodies remained alive. Poor Lily. Even poorer Wes.

"Do you mind if I could walk around, get to know this place?" I asked when she calmed down.

"Of course. Dinner's at 8, but come back here before. I'm meant to keep an eye on you..." She half-got up, but I lay a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to come with me. You can relax."

"If you insist..."

I headed off, hoping I could remember my way. This was difficult trekking but soon I was back in the main plaza. I zoomed into the South tunnel before anyone saw me alone. It was pitch black again and I nearly lost my footing a couple of times, but soon I'd made it to the hospital. I peered in. I knew there was something going on in the hospital, it had been muttered too many times for my liking. But I wasn't expecting this. Several...things...with a dial and a red light on were on the desk. They were quite big, too. The doctor, who I had not met but his white coat signified him, Jared, Wanda, Jamie, Melanie, Ian, Sunny, Kyle...the typical bunch. They congregated around a body.

"Amazing."

"Good thinking, Wanda!"

"Soul's aren't perfect. Although they're better than humans, they still need glasses and the like."

"Do you think we'll still be able to access the shop?"

"Certain. See? He's got some lenses on him."

"Good!"

"Shh! He's waking up!"

I tried to get a closer look through the people but with my carelessness I caught my foot on a rock. Everyone turned to face me.

"Ziggy!" They all said but the doctor, who did not know my name. The last thing I heard was him saying,

"Lucky she decided to crack her head HERE for us."