Kait had been lucky that day. The voices faded behind her and she knew she had to leave the unknown man, her savior, in the past. Still struggling with her injuries the long trek through the woods was painful. The cool weather meant not having to worry about bugs, especially mosquitos, but the temperature was rapidly dropping as she continued.

After walking for what must have been three hours with no end to the woods or shelter in site, Kait searched the area for somewhere to sleep for the night. Setting up her tent would be risky, it made her more vulnerable to attack from the living or the dead and after just escaping clear threats she knew this wasn't an option. That and the fact she wasn't sure if she'd be able to put together a tent on her own with her injuries.

Scowering the area for somewhere with cover she looked wildly around to discover what looked like a ladder on a Pine tree twenty feet in front of her. Praying to the gods she was filled with relief when she realized she had found a deer stand. Definitely not her first choice with this weather, but it would keep her high enough to keep the dead and the animals away, and hopefully give her an advantage should anyone else find her.

With the sun quickly setting over her she knew she was running out of time to get herself to safety. Slowly and carefully climbing the rope ladder she finally made it to the top of the tree stand. The setup wasn't exactly large but she found an old ratty sleeping bag and some of the thermal hand coolers that she could break and stick in her shoes to help keep the cold away. Plus, since the ladder was woven she was able to pull it up making it virtually impossible for anyone to get to her while she was this vulnerable.

Snuggled into the sleeping bag and with the light blanket she carried she finally let the day's events settle over her. First a small cry and then a full out sob. The tears ran down her face swiftly and she struggled to breathe. A moan of pain slipped from her lips – was it the emotional or the physical pain causing this hurt? At this point it all felt the same to her.

Kait looked up towards the sky, and although it was blocked by treetops she could make out some of the stars and the light from the moon. In this moment all she could think about was how much she missed her father, and wished he was here to comfort her now. They had had their issues with each other, especially as she got older and he got remarried, but what she wouldn't do just to have her father hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

Scratch that –

Just to tell her he loved her until the end came for them.

She thought to herself please god, help me find someone.

Knowing her crying could draw unplesant things to her she took deep breaths and calmed herself down. Wiping her tears, she carefully rolled over and pulled her blanket tighter. As the moon light drifted over her eyes drifted shut and her thoughts faded away.

It took two days before Kait gathered enough strength to continue on in the forest. She was running dangerously low on supplies and would do anything to get out of the cold. Continuing North, she kept going straight until luck would have it she found a house. Looking around it was surrounded by a large field with overgrown grass and

Watching the house for at least two hours she saw no sign of movement inside. The front door was locked but she found a window on the side unlocked. Ignoring the pain in her side she lifted herself up and quickly clambered in. She hit the ground and quickly picked herself up. She found she was in the dining room and slowly walked in into the kitchen.

Wanting to be prepared she grabbed a knife from the rack to put in her back pocket and picked up a pan. She let out a loud "hello?" and listened. Not hearing anything she moved towards the front of the house and found stairs. Again she let out a fairly loud "hello?"

Feeling confident she was alone she began walking around the stale house. First going upstairs just to be safe she found two bedrooms, and office, and a bathroom. Kait took her time going through each room in hopes of finding something helpful.

The smaller bedroom was a guest room and didn't have much except linens and some boxes of old papers. The office didn't turn much up either besides some electronics she'd never be able to use and some books. The master bedroom was what she was looking forward to. Stepping into the closet, Kait felt like she was in heaven.

The closet was still filled with clothing and had been arranged in an esthetically pleasing way. Ignoring the dresses and "pretty things" she found long-sleeve t-shirts and jackets hanging up. The western shore of Maryland got notoriously cold early in the season, so it wasn't unsurprising to find these items.

Pulling down three long-sleeve shirts and a heavy winter jacket she began searching through the shoes to see if there might be some boots. Not finding any she grabbed some tennis shoes that were a size too big and turned to the men's side of the closet and found a newish appearing pair of hiking boots.

Her hands getting full she pulled down a bag she could put her stuff in until she changed. Walking back in the room she headed straight for the dresser. Opening the top drawer, she pulled a handful of cotton underwear and two pairs of sports bra. Silently thanking the woman who had lived here for being so organized –something Kait had never quite managed to do she turned towards the other oak dresser in the room.

Having no need for men's boxers she pulled out all the thick wool men's socks she could find. Her thinking being that the larger socks would help fill the large boots on her feet and that men's socks tended to be thicker and taller- providing her with extra warmth.

Pit stopping in the bathroom she found some feminine wipes- always a blessing to have and grabbed all the feminine hygiene products she could find. God what she wouldn't do to have her old birth control pack to stop her period. Kait turned the knob on the sink, just in case something might happen but unsurprisingly nothing came out.

Heading downstairs she headed back to the kitchen in hopes of finding some food. Plugging her nose, she opened the fridge but found nothing edible inside. She went through every cabinet and drawer slowly – in case someone had stashed a candy bar or even some gum but came up with little. By the time she was done she had found a stale bag of pistachios, half a jar of peanut butter, and the best yet – a pack of Andes Mints. Plus, the drawers had turned up some triple A batteries and a new can opener she could take with her.

Walking around she struggled to decide what her next move should be. She'd be an idiot to go back outside in the cold, but staying inside could be risky. Anyone could do the same exact thing she had and get into the house with her noticing. Going back to towards the widow she had entered to lock it, she noticed a door that she hadn't seen before.

She knocked on it and listened for walkers but heard nothing. Slowly opening it she found she had entered a garage. She stepped down two steps and found herself standing next to a large Subaru and by another set up stairs. Looking around she saw fishing supplies, bikes, and more.

She walked up the unfinished wooden stairs and found herself staring at another ordinary door. Moving with little speed she realized she was standing in a converted attic, something that had probably acted as a 'man-cave' aka a place the man who lived here could watch porn without his wife judging him. Seeing a small mini-fridge next to the large couch she opened it and to her pleasure found four bottles of water, three cans of beer, and a can of coke.

Next to the fridge was a small basket with a mixed bag of chips and some un-popped popcorn. Again thanking someone above she decided that this is what she had been looking for. Somewhere temporary to keep her as safe as you could be in this world. Realizing she had spent the better part of the afternoon going through the house she decided it was time to "relax' (if such a thing was possible) she went and gathered all her things to bring up to her new "apartment."

First her new clothing and food and then some blankets and pillows to make her stay on the couch more comfortable. Passing through she grabbed some paper towels and an armful of glasses from a cabinet. Stepping up the stairs she threw the glasses two at a time down the stairs to spread the glass around. That way if anyone came round she at least have the heads up of hearing them step on it.

Going back up she stripped off her smelly clothes and stood naked in front of the mirror behind the door. Looking at herself she ran her hands down her body carefully touching her bruises and wincing when she applied pressure. Realizing how hard it was to look at herself she averted her eyes and set to putting on clean clothing in the first time she could remember.

Grabbing a book off the shelf and a bag of stale chips she treated herself to a late afternoon lunch and read until the skylight was unable to let any more sunshine in. With darkness upon her she drank a bottle of water and ate a small scoop of the peanut butter, and tucked herself up the multiple comforters she had brought from inside. Knowing her body would naturally wake her up likely before the sun even started shining, she closed her eyes and went to sleep in the cold, dark room.

The Next Day

Kait was surprised to find sunshine hitting her face the next day when she woke up. Maybe it was the food or just being so warm she thought to herself that did the trick to let her sleep. Whatever it was she knew she needed to be productive and slowly stretched her body out, releasing a loud yawn. Laughing to herself she leaned over to put on her boots and headed down the stairs, carefully avoiding the glass she had thrown.

Getting to the bottom Kait realized two things in that moments:

One: She hadn't looked around the garage at all to see what might be helpful.

Two: She had to pee so bad she was ready to piss herself.

Running back in the house and up the stairs to the bathroom she let out a sigh of relief as her steady stream came out of her. Despite not being able to flush, there was something comforting about just being able to sit on a toilet.

Heading back to the garage she looked around to find endless things to look at. There were bikes, camping supplies and so much more that could be helpful to her – if she actually found somewhere to settle. Fuck she thought to herself. Kait would be lying if she said she wasn't lonely. It's natural for humans to crave contact but she wasn't ready to give up on finding the people she loved. The chances were slim to none but weirder things had happened – they were currently living through the zombie apocalypse after all. Something told her it was time to make a decision.

Stay here.

Or go.

Looking over the large suburban in the middle of the garage she felt like the answer was in front of her. Seeing the keys hanging on a hook on the wall only seemed to further solidify the answer she already seemed to know. Unlocking it she slid inside, briefly checking the back seat for any walkers and put the key in the ignition. To her surprise it actually turned on and there was close to half a tank left.

For the first time in a while Kait felt hopeful. The next several days Kati spent stripping the house for all she could find. All the knives and pans were cleaned out of the kitchen and put in the trunk. Blankets, pillows, sheets, and towels were stored under the seats. She managed to put one of the bikes on the bike rack and fit the fishing pools and camping supplies insides. Not knowing what the future would hold Kait went ahead and also put some of the cut fire wood that was in the garage in the trunk. It was a bitch to load but might be what saves her life someday.

Kait was reluctant to fill the space of the car with things she didn't need, but felt it would be a good idea to take the extra clothing she had found, especially the winter gear with her. She could always get rid of it, but she'd hate to think it could've made the difference between her living and dying. Plus, she argued to herself; the books she had been eyeing up could be used for pleasure or for burning. Her mind made up she grabbed a few that looked interesting to her.

The car now fully packed Kait knew it was time to move along. The map she had found in the center console and the registration information showed she was currently in a town called Swanton, Maryland. With this weather, she figured heading south would be her best choice for now. Looking around she finally found a general area she could head for, it was now just a matter of getting there. Route 68 and 70 would the quickest way, but if she ran into trouble it'd be impossible for her to climb the steep mountains with their falling rocks and sharp edges. Knowing she'd have no choice but to simply find out once she got there she put the map she had found with her gun on the seat next to her and backed out of the garage. It was time—she was headed towards Alexandria.