"Katie! Where are we going?" Emma pulled against Katie's arm as they crossed the parking lot. Katie stopped to look at her.

"I don't know the police? Something was wrong with that guy Emma he was all bloody and gross." Katie started to cry looking back at the soccer stadium. "We just need to get out of here before he shows up again. Oh my god it's another one!"

Emma looked over her shoulder and saw a teenage boy staring at them a lamp post a few lanes away clashing his teeth together. He was left eye socket was empty and there was only a bloody stump where his arm should have been.

Katie threw up and the boy started to charge towards them like the other had done. "Come on!" Emma shouted as the two ran further into the empty parking lot. The zombie boy was gaining on them. He didn't seem to care that his legs were giving out he just kept running at an unnatural speed.

"Katie the tree!" Emma pointed to a large oak tree on the grassy edge of the lot. "Hurry!"

Katie hit the tree running and almost jumped into the first low branches before turning around to pull Emma up. The zombie slammed into the tree where Emma's foot was only seconds before. He gnawed and clawed and the bark mindlessly.

"What the hell is going on?!" Katie screamed loudly. The zombie looked at her and roared loudly. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Katie shouted back only giving the zombie more reason to try and chew its way towards them.

"Come on lets get higher." Emma climbed up and few more branches. "Do you have your cell phone?"

Katie groaned. "No, the one time I left it home." She followed Emma's path upwards. "What if there are more? What about our parents?"

"I'm sure our parents are fine it's us who need to worry." Emma looked down at the zombie who was starting to lose interest now that he couldn't see them. "I'm sure the police are dealing with it. We will be home before nightfall."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah I'm positive."

Ryan stood outside the post office just as the sun started to go down. He read Katie's letter last night and even though it said to meet in the mail room later that night he wanted to be early just in case. Ryan re-read the letter over in his mind.

Ryan, I've missed you Stephen and Karen so much this place is hell. I talk to Nick a lot and he told me that this was the only way he could help for the time being. I understand he is scared for his family but it would be so much better for his family if this Mother person was out of the picture. I want us all to meet tomorrow night at the old post office across the street from the supply building. I'm pretty sure that's the last place anyone would check into here. I'm getting word to Stephen and hopefully he will be able to show. Please Ryan, we really need to see each other again.

Love,

Katie

She had said 'love'. No big deal she probably said the same thing to Stephen. But still she said 'love'. Ryan sighed and leaned against the wall. The wind was slowly picking up, blowing dirt across the fort. He decided to wait for them inside.

The building was dark and dusty. Ryan coughed several times and waved his hand around in front of his face in an attempt to clear the air. Well Katie was right about this being the last place anyone would look. There was a small noise behind on of the mail counters and a large rat ran behind an abandoned package. Addressed letters littered the floor around him and some of the post office boxes were open and rusting. All the windows were dusted over thickly with dead flies and months on the ledges. Ryan caught the movement of a shadow past on of them heading toward the door. He jumped behind the counter and heard the door open.

"Hello?"

"Katie?" Ryan stuck his head up.

"Oh my God Ryan!" Katie started towards him but started coughing violently.

Ryan jumped back over the counter and patted her on the back. "Sorry this place isn't exactly inhabitable."

Katie controlled the coughing and looked at Ryan smiling. "No don't worry about it! I missed you so much Ryan!" Katie hugged him tightly.

"I missed you too." Ryan replied as he hugged back warmly enjoying the way her head was nestled in his neck.

"Am I interrupting something?" Stephen stood in the doorway casually looking at the two. Much to Ryan's disappointment Katie ran to hug Stephen too leaving him standing there awkwardly.

"Didn't think you'd show up buddy." Ryan smirked.

Stephen and Katie separated and Stephen was smiling. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"All we're missing is Karen then." Ryan sat on the counter with his arms crossed.

Katie looked at the ground. "Ryan…"

"What?" Ryan asked uncrossing his arms and looking between her and Stephen.

"Karen isn't coming." Stephen sighed. "We haven't found a way to communicate with her."

"What do you mean how hard could it be?" Ryan was confused.

"It's complicated." Katie put her hand on Ryan's knee. "The only way I can talk to you is through Nick and to Stephen through a girl at the reception shack. Karen works directly with Mother, it would be almost impossible."

Ryan growled. "So she has no idea what is going on? For all she knows we are all dead! And we might as well be if you aren't going to at least try to send her something! Anything!"

Stephen stepped forward angrily. "Don't you blame Katie for this! If it wasn't for her you would be sitting with a numb ass on the wall right now!"

Ryan jumped of the counter and walked until he was face to face with Stephen. "And your job is so hard vegetable boy!" he snarled.

"Guys cut it out that's not what we are here for!" Katie pleaded.

"You have no idea what I have to go through working!" Stephen raised his voice ignoring Katie.

"I'm sure it will make a great story when we get out of this!" Ryan shouted.

"We're not going to get out of this if we don't work together." Katie pointed out. "Stop fighting for crying out loud!"

"Why did you even come if you're going to start a fight? Katie and I could have done this without you!" Stephen shouted back.

"Well if you don't like me you can just leave!"

Stephen shoved Ryan forward until he collided with the counter. Ryan screamed out and pushed Stephen back against the door harshly.

"Stop!" Katie shouted and tried to step between them. Ryan and Stephen continued to push at each other. Katie was knocked on the ground but the two didn't even notice.

"I'm tired of being in the middle of your bullshit arguments." Katie said so softly that is was a shock to see Ryan and Stephen stop and look at her. They seemed to have suddenly realized what they had done.

"Katie are you okay?" Stephen took a step towards her. Ryan stood there breathing heavily with a shameful look on his face.

Katie turned around and opened the door. The cold night air infiltrated the small room quickly. "Listen." Katie spoke over her shoulder. "We can't do anything without help. And to get help we're going to need Nick." And then she disappeared into the darkness.

The door slammed closed leaving Stephen and Ryan alone in the dark. There was a slight shuffling of feet and Ryan muttered "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Stephen sighed. "She's trying to help and all we do is fight."

"Why can't we get along around her?" Ryan asked quietly even though he already knew the answer. Stephen remained silent.

"She said Nick had to be on board for us to do anything?"

Ryan nodded. "Nick pulls a lot of weight around here. Everyone looks up to him and he is just trying to keep everyone safe."

"I think I can convince the Wilsons to help out. You should hear the things Mr. Wilson talks about when he thinks I'm asleep. These mother people are scary. They'll whip you as soon as look at you."

"I know. That's why we need to do this. I'll try to talk to Nick and maybe we can work something out. The guys on the wall have been waiting for a chance to get some revenge and I might be able to even get them to help."

"What if we do convince Nick? Then what do we do? We may outnumber them but the guards have weapons and guns. I don't want to responsible for a riot."

"I don't know about that." Ryan sighed. "This is getting to be more complicated than I thought."

"We've seen worse." Stephen pointed out.

Ryan laughed lightly. "Like what?"

Stephen shrugged. "I guess you're right we really haven't."

The both laughed together for a moment. "You're my best friend Ryan and I know I don't say that much."

"Yeah Steve you're not so bad yourself." Ryan scratched his head. "I should probably be getting back to the wall now. A friend is covering for me."

Stephen nodded in the dark. "Yeah, the Wilsons will worry about me. The people here are real nice. I wish I grew up somewhere like this."

Ryan smiled and opened the door. "Maybe we still can." Stephen smiled too and they walked out together. "Do I need to walk you to you're door son?" Ryan chuckled.

"Get back to work will you!" Stephen laughed after him after they separated.