Chapter 2: --

May-Beth didn't know what do do. She was shocked. What could she do? She had just witnessed her brother's murder. Her only protector and friend. Now she was alone in the forest with that monster. Every bone in her body ached and she could hear her own heart beat in her head.

He was still there. The terrifying murderer was still standing several feet away. His coat gently wrapping around his legs in the breeze and his cold blue eyes staring into her soul. She felt like he was reading her mind. She could follow in her big brother's foot steps, or she could live and do the smart thing. Which one though? She now knew the pressure that her brother had faced several moments before. To protect her or go with a complete stranger. But she wasn't decideing for anyone other than herself. The decision was less risky, but just as terrifying.

"Are you coming? I see that you're sick. I can give you medical attention." The man spoke again. This time less demanding and cold. "Please come with me. I don't want to hurt you, too."

She didn't know what to say. She couldn't think, couldn't move, and could barely breathe. She had gone into shock. She was frozen, and her fever was getting extremely deadly. She was only eight, the stress was too high. She dropped. Tumbling to the ground, landing on her thin, white stomach. The crusty fall leaves and twigs scratched her tender cheeks.

He sighed and lifted the cold, unmoving boy from the ground and threw him over his shoulder. Then he picked her up and threw her over his other shoulder. He was going to get them to a place warm and dry. Even if one of them no longer needed it. He walked off toward the way he came. Soon they came to a pile of old ruins in the middle of the quiet forest. The pile of rubble looked like it was once a hospital. The base of the structure was still in place and a few windows were still standing. There was complete silence. Nothing stirred.

In a corner toward the back of the structure was a door in the ground. It looked like it had just been layed there and held no importance at all. Anyone could easily over look it. It was a simple wooden door laying on the ground. Nothing out of place.

The man tapped the door in a repeated pattern of seven taps. He struggled to keep Mathew on his shoulder while knockng. After a few long moments, the door creeked open and two men and women came out. One carrying a gun, and three carrying bows. One of the men took Mathew farther down the hall and he took May-Beth the other direction. If he didn't get some drugs in her fast she wasn't going to make it.

May-Beth squinted in the dim light. She saw Mathew being carried down the hall. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She wanted to call out to Mathew, but only got a throat splitting cough. She was set on a small cot. She was tossing and turning, half asleep. All around her, she heard voices and things being moved around. Some things stuck out like "She's not doing well" and "Is she one of 'em". The voices were distant. Like they were in a dream or something. She struggled to look around, but she drifted slowly to an empty minded sleep. She screamed in her head for them to let her go, but she couldn't even carry herself anymore. So she gave up...again.