"Okay, I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'r'." Alex chirped.

"Rocks!" Helena squeaked.

"Nope."

"R.. Radio!"

"Ooh, good one! But no."

"Road!"

"You got it!" Alex laughed and Helena clapped to herself.

"Your go Sam!" Helena said.

"Okay, I spy with my little eye, something beginning with.. road!" I yelped, looking to my right.

"You're not supposed to say the word Sam. And we just did that-"

"No idiot, there's a road down there!" I said, pointing to a small road that lead away from the the highway.

He turned the car and drove down it, passing a letterbox saying 'Greene's'.

We drove a little bit until we hit a gate. Alex got out and opened it, and I drove the car through cautiously. He jumped back in after shutting the gate and smiled.

"Looking good so far." He chimed, and I merely nodded. What if we need a quick get away? I mean, I could probably smash through the gate, but I don't want to risk damaging the truck.

I drove along the path and saw a house appear over the hill. I sighed as I pushed the car forward, and stopped it a few yards from the house.

We got out of the car and walked up to the house, machete behind my back. This place looked untouched, and I didn't want to frighten people if there any still here. I wanted to be safe though.

Out onto the porch walked an older man with snow white hair, and a rather large man with a rifle pointing right at us. People! More alive people. Who are threatening us. Oh.

I was about to bring my sweaty hand with my machete in out in front of me, but Alex gripped me arm and held a steadying hand out in front of him towards these two men.

"Were not infected! We're just looking for a friend!" Alex called, and I was thankful - my tongue felt as heavy as lead.

"Well they're not here." The white-haired man called. His words felt like a punch in the face - blunt, uninviting.

"Please," I called, my voice hoarse. "Could you just help us find out there we are? Some information? We won't be in your hair for long." I pleaded.

The man seemed to consider this a moment, but the other guy lowered his gun and was already walking towards us. He held out his hand towards Alex who took it.

"I'm sorry for pointing my gun at you. Can't be too careful these days." He said, moving to shake my hand.

"Oh, it's okay. I'd do the same." I said as I shook his hand, feeling slightly strange at his change of attitude.

"You folks better come in." The white-haired guy said nonchalantly, and he turned and walked inside.

"Don't mind Hershel. He's a good man, just protective." He said as he started moving us to the house.

"Sam, wait!" I heard behind me, and I turned to see Helena running up. She stopped next to me and tried walking in step with me up to the house. The machete in my hands felt heavy and awkward as we climbed the porch steps, so I lent it against the wall outside. I can use my hands to fight if I need to.

We were directed into a dining room, and the place looked like it wasn't in the middle of an undead invasion. It was a pleasant, civilised house.

The white haired man - Hershel - stood at the head of the table, waiting for us, map being spread on the table.

"Where are you going for your friend?" He asked, and Alex shifted a little.

"I don't know, sir. He didn't say much, only that he was in this general direction from Atlanta and he said that he worked with a woman called Lou. His name is Adam."

"Lou? Louise Jameson?" He asked.

"Yes! That's her!"

"I'm sorry son.. they all got infected. They were one of our neighboring farms."

My gaze snapped from from Hershel to Alex. His smile had totally slipped, his mouth pressing into a thin line. He swayed and his eyes glazed over. I put my hand out to him, feeling my eyes welling for hin. He didn't flinch at my touch. He didn't even register me.

"Alex?" I muttered.

He didn't look at me or Hershel. I looked back at Hershel who's gaze was out of the window, and I bit my lip. I looked back at Alex as he tried composing himself.

"I've got to ask while you're both here, do you need any medical attention? I'm sorry for your loss, and you're welcome to stay for a day or so to compose yourselves, but I need to be sure." Hershel said, and I gritted my teeth. I don't like this guy. He's just so... Off. Unfeeling.

"No."

"Yes you do. He was hit by an arrow a couple days ago.." I said, looking at Alex who merely fixed his eyes on the table.

"I'll look at it." He nodded, and walked away. Alex followed him, looking blankly at me.

Helena had sat down on the dining chair and was looking over the map with interest. I ruffled her hair and she looked up at me, smiling.

"Who are you?" I heard from behind me, and I span to face a woman. She looked about my age, with a short brown bob and bright hazel eyes.

"I'm Sam. My friend Alex is with Hershel." I said plainly. More people?

"Right. I'm Maggie." She said cautiously, walking towards me.

"I'm Helena!" Helena said, sliding off the chair and holding her hand out to Maggie.

A faint smile crossed Maggie's face as she reached out to take Helena's hand and shook it. Her features softened a little.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, but she didn't sound so hostile.

"We were looking for Alex's friend, but Hershel just told us he was infected and well..." I trailed, my voice low.

"I'm sorry about your friend." She said, and I nodded.

Just then, Alex walked back out with Hershel, looking slightly pleased with himself, but I could see he was still pretty upset.

"Ah, Maggie. Tell Patricia that we need to redo the stitches on this young man."

Maggie nodded and walked away after smiling briefly at me and Helena.

"Alex here tells me you've been struggling with protecting these two." Hershel stated, turning to face me. I actually felt quite offended at his words. I thought I was doing pretty well considering everything I've been doing and gone through!

"Well I-"

"Yeah, she's had a few lucky escapes really. I wish I was able to help her defend herself." Alex said, cutting across me.

"Well, you can stay until you've made a recovery Alex, but not much longer. I expect you have a tent?" Hershel asked, and I nodded, flabbergasted.

"Okay." He said with a curt nod and walked away. I watched him go and when he had disappeared, I spun to face Alex.

"What the hell man?" I asked. He looked at me and smirked a little. That smirk made me agitated - he made me out to sound weak and petty.

"I said what I did because I wanted to buy us some time here to get ourselves straight. Besides, it kills me that you're doing all the hard work." He shrugged, and I stared at him. Then a smile crept on my face and I sighed. I couldn't be angry at his reason, I guess. It was just the means to get there that was embarrassing.

"You're an idiot. Smart, but an idiot. Hershel must think I'm a total wimp." I babbled, hugging him.

"Alex?" A voice said, and we span to see an older woman standing in a doorway called out to us.

"Yes?" He said, letting go of me.

"I'm Patricia. This way please. You can bring your.. Friend too." she said, and at first I was a little annoyed at being called 'friend', but she smiled warmly at us, so I let it drop.

She sat Alex down on a wooden chair and sat in front of him. He took his top off with a slight grimace and she began checking his wound. I shuffled about, feeling almost self-conscious about my handiwork.

"Who stitched your wound up?" Patricia asked, looking at him.

"I did." I said meekly. She turned to face me and I nodded once as if I was reaffirming myself.

"Have you had any medical training?" She asked, head cocked to the side.

"Erm, not really. I did first aid, but that was for swimming. And I had to get my hand stitched once..." I blabbed, my eyes darting everywhere.

"Well, you probably helped him a lot - may even have helped save him. These are quite good stitches for someone that had had no proper training before." She smiled, and I grinned at the compliment.

"Thanks." I chirped and Alex rolled his eyes.

"This is nothing. You should see her karate skills!" Alex gloated and we both chuckled. Maggie walked in and looked pretty surprised, which made me blush.

We sat there while she restitched Alex's chatting while Maggie gave Helena an apple. We were told all the names of the residents such as Maggie's sister, and we were told about how they were managing to cope at this moment in time with the help of the farm animals they had there.

"I can probably take these out in a few days, and you'll be fine without. You'll just have to be gentle. In a week or two, you'll be like you were before." Patricia said and Alex grinned as he stood, readjusting his newly applied sling.

"Do you guys need some help with your tent?" Maggie asked and I nodded.

"That'd be great. Alex is useless." I smirked.

We walked out of the house and I grabbed my machete, twirling it in my hands at our reunion. We headed down towards a small patch of trees a dozen or so yards from the house.

After finding the tent in the truck, we set about setting it up in the middle of the trees. It was a giggle - Maggie was actually an okay girl, but man, she was stubborn. Just like me.

"I'm going back. You folks have a nice evening! Oh, and you shut the gate, right?" She called over her shoulder.

"We did. Have a good night!" I called back.

I got in the truck and parked it alongside our tent, bringing out the sleeping bags and duvets. I threw them in the tent and stood outside, smiling.

"Not bad Sambo." Alex said, taking a swig of water.

"This might be quite nice. But we can't let out guard down, okay? I don't want a repeat of the quarry." I sighed, staring absent-mindedly at the tent.

"Sure thing. I'm going to grab some firewood - I think I saw a few pieces already chopped by where the truck was parked that I could sneak away." He said, and with a wink, he was strolling away.

I smiled, and set about making a pit suitable for a fire. He came back with a rather unsubtle armful of wood, and he began to pile them. He took a box of matches out of his rucksack and I raised an eyebrow.

"What? I grabbed them at that house yesterday. Thought they might come in handy." He said, and I rolled my eyes.

I looked up and saw that the sun was getting fairly low, meaning it was probably mid-evening. I walked to the truck and rooted around, grabbing a few cans and bringing them by the fire.

I gave them to Alex who took them and started rustling around while I sat with my knees brought up and my hands wrapped around them, my fingers interwoven. It was fairly amusing to watch him with with only one arm free, but he declined any help I offered him.

I could hear Helena inside the tent, humming to herself as she arranged all of our sleeping bags. I smiled.

"She's the cutest thing ever. I can't believe she's nine." I said aloud, more to myself that Alex.

"Yeah. You're pretty good with her, you know. I thought you didn't like kids." He stated, stirring something.

"I don't dislike them, I'm just not confident with them. But she's just so vulnerable sometimes, I just act out of instinct." I shrugged. Alex chuckled, and I stared at him.

"What?" I asked, perplexed.

"Nothing. You may act badass with all that Kung Fu crap, but you're such an emotional moron." He laughed.

"Whatever." I murmured, resting my head on my knee.

"Are you okay? About your friend, I mean." I asked after a while, tentatively looking over at him. He frowned.

"Sorta. He was a great kid and all, but we weren't really close. We were buds. But I guess I was more crushed by the idea that there isn't anywhere for us now. No haven we could aim for. No one who knows this place. We're back to where we were - lost, blindly reaching out in the dark." He said, not taking his eyes away from the fire. I stared at him, biting my lip.

"Look, it sucks, I know. It's a tragic loss of life. But the important thing is we're here now. And we're safe, and we're together. Just keep that tunnel vision." I sighed. It's all very well giving the advice to other people, but it's different when you should listen to yourself.

"I know. It's hard though." He said, rubbing his face with his hand.

I rocked forward, knelt up and crawled my way over to him. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed.

"Now," I said as I pulled away. "What's for dinner?"

I woke relatively early - before everyone else, which was a first.

I carefully crawled out of my sleeping bag and then out of the tent. The cloudless sky was shot with pink and the air still had a chill to it. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked towards the house. The residents were already up and were already going about their daily duties. Maggie walked out of the house and waved at me, which I reciprocated.

I walked to my rucksack that was still tucked away in the car and pulled out a fresh pair of leggins and a baggy shirt. After changing rather awkwardly in the backseat and pulling my dad's jumper back over my head, I jumped out and grabbed my converse from the tent. I looked briefly at Alex and Helena, and I smiled like a fool.

Helena had curled herself up in Alex's chest, and Alex's good arm had fallen across her arm, cradling her. I picked up the duvet and laid it across them both before ducking back out.

I pulled on my shoes and looked at the small pit where the fire was the night before, and it reminded me of what Alex has said about finding his friend Adam.

The thought of not having any heading or destination was frightening. It was maybe worth checking out Adam's or whoever's farm, but I guess it was more of the fact of having someone else to help share the burden of protecting rather than finding an actual site to stay. We don't know anywhere in this country. I had a rough idea of where a few states were, but that's as far as my knowledge goes, and I'm sure Alex isn't that much wiser either. So what? We keep randomly wandering and hope not to run into an over-infested town where it all ends? I shivered at the thought.

I sat down on the floor, rubbing the large sleeve of the jumper over my mouth and chin. It reminded me so much of my dad and my family, but I tried pushing that thought away.

Maybe I shouldn't bother with staying in this country any more. Maybe I should try and find a way to get back to Britain and go and find my family. Helena and Alex could come too - Alex's family is back there too. But that means getting to the coast, finding a boat and trying not to get lost in the middle of the Pacific. And flying was probably out of the question too. I ran a hand through my hair and blew my cheeks out. No. That wouldn't work.

But would I ever see them again? Alex and Helena are my family now too, but fear of what could be happening to my blood at home is too unbearable to comprehend. They're a strong family. They're smart, they're capable and they know how to look after themselves. But mum and dad are getting old. Would they eventually leave Erin on her own?

I shook my head as if that would get rid of my thoughts, and it did - though my mind settled on the group.

I really hope they made it to the CDC. For Jim's sake, and for some kind of protection - as well as some bloody answers.

They're a pretty savvy group. They can protect themselves - they all have managed so far. I hope they don't get too much trouble along the way. What if they get problems on their journey? They've got some good 'fighters', I suppose you could call them, but what if that isn't enough?

I mean, they're all pretty capable with guns or a crossbow, but what if they can't shoot? What if they need to keep it silent? I don't think any of them have hand to hand combat practice - just creep up and swing at the walker. But what if there's more? It's tiring to fight by hand, and they might not have to stamina to keep it up. Maybe Rick and Shane have a bit because of their Law Enforcement training, but I don't know.

Hopefully they won't have to face a lot. Although, I could imagine Daryl going all Lord of the Rings and keeping count of how many walkers he takes down. I could feel the corners of my mouth pricking up at the thought.

"Mrrninn..." I hears grumble from my side. My gaze snapped round to see Alex's head poking out of the tent, his black hair sticking out everywhere.

"Good morning gorgeous." I laughed.

"What were you smiling at?" He asked as he crawled out of the tent and collapsed on his back on the floor next to me.

"Oh, nothing. Just been thinking." I said, eyebrow raised at his current position. He ignored me and continued to lay like a dead dog.

"Right. Well, I should probably get up.." He mumbled, rolling over onto his front and pushed himself up onto his knees.

He looked towards the house and brushed his fingers through his hair, letting it fall in it's natural position. I felt a little envious of how little work his hair needed to look good. And them I felt stupid thinking about something that pathetic in the world we were in.

"I feel like we should be helping out or something - like making our way." He said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, but what can we do? They're already a working unit."

"You're just lazy." Alex smirked and I wrinkled my nose.

"That may have been true once, but no. We could ask I guess. I'd rather check the perimeters and stuff." I shrugged.

"Well, that could work. We should probably go up and ask." Alex said, and with that, stood up and stretched.

"Maybe if we work hard enough, they'll let us use their shower." He said with a cheeky grin and I chuckled.

"Yeah, what I would give for a shower right now.." I sighed.

"Morning." I heard from the tent, and turned to see Helena rubbing her eyes with her lips jutted out.

"Alright Helena?" Alex said and she nodded as she walked over.

"Well, we're going to do some work today - do you think it'd be okay if you helped out?" I asked and she nodded as she came and stood in front of me. I pulled her down for a hug and stood up.

"Let's eat something, and well go up and chat to Hershel." Alex called, walking over to the car and getting out a couple cans.

After eating rather quickly, Helena and Alex got changed and we all walked towards the house together. I was starting to feel nervous. I don't know why - maybe it was because we're going out on a limb, or maybe Hershel could see it as us using it as a way to stay longer.

I knocked on the door and walked in, and was greeted by Patricia and Otis.

"Hey." They said in unison, and I smiled.

"Where's Hershel?" Alex asked.

"He's out looking at the horses right now. Can we help at all?" Patricia asked, and I felt kind of relieve that we could get her opinion before going straight to Hershel.

"We were wondering if there's anything we can do to help around here? To repay you for your kindness and help." I asked, and they both smiled.

"Well we could do with some help around the house, and I could use an assistant to help me do some of the cleaning." Patricia said, the assistant bit looking at Helena, who was grinning.

"That would be great. I'd love it if you could teach her a few medical things too, if that's not too much trouble." I said with an easy smile.

"Of course."

"And I could do with someone helping out with hunting and preparing the food and all that." Otis said looking at Alex, but I cleared my throat.

"I'll help. Alex isn't really hunting material right now, and it'd be really handy to learn - if that's okay with you." I said, shyly at first. He stood thinking about it for a second before he looked at me again and smiled.

"Sure. I'll go clear all of this with Hershel." Otis said, and with a fleeting smile, he left and headed down to where I imagined the stables were.

We hung around awkwardly in the kitchen for a few minutes until Otis returned.

"He wasn't sure, but I managed to talk him round. Go get yourself ready Sam, and we'll leave in a few minutes." he smiled and I nodded.

I said a quick goodbye to Helena and Alex - although Alex, once again, looked pissed.

"Why do you risk yourself every time there's voluntary work going?" He snapped, gripping my arm. I sighed, looking him in the eye.

"When have I ever cleaned?" I said, and with that, got out of his grip and left the house.

I know he was probably working out a lecture for me later on, but whatever. It was true - I'm rubbish at doing stereotypically woman things. I avoid cooking at all times, I avoid cleaning with a passion, and I was always play fighting when I was a kid - I never did tea parties with teddy bears, although I often fought in a princess dress.

I grabbed my rucksack and began emptying it of everything I didn't need. I grabbed my machete too, and the rifle Alex had found at the other house we were at.

I walked back towards the house and saw Otis on the porch. When he noticed me, he stood and jogged down to meet me.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

"Sure." I shrugged, and with that, we strode of towards the trees after climbing the fences that blocked out way.

We walked for a few minutes in silence until we got to a certain area in the woods. Why it was significant, I don't know. It appeared no different from the areas we had all walked through, and no less daunting.

"Okay, so what I've got here is an old Remington my granddaddy used to own. I see you've got a Remington too. Few years old by the looks of it." Otis said, staring down at the gun in my hands.

"I really don't know anything about firearms." I shrugged.

"Well, luckily these guns are well used, so the sound won't be as loud. We can use that to our advantage on the hunt, as well as keeping away those... Infected." He sighed and we began to walk again.

"Have you had many of the walkers around here?" I inquired.

"Walkers?"

"Oh," I blushed. "What the group we were with used to call them. It kinda stuck with me." I said.

"Hmm. I can see why it stuck. No, not really. Neighbors and stuff." He said, although his voice wavered slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I offered weakly.

"It's okay. So tell me about how you got here. You were with another group?" He inquired with a brief look at me before looking on the floor - I assumed he was tracking. I was glad he wasn't looking at me as I could feel my eyes threatening to well up. God, why do I cry all the time? I wiped at my eyes furiously and concentrated at a point far off through the trees.

"Erm. Well, as you know, Alex was injured, and that was because of this... Jackass firing an arrow at him. He eventually helped us back to his camp and we stayed with the people there. A real rag-tag bunch of people, but all still pulled together. We have a few close calls, and eventually they decided to go to the CDC in Atlanta. Us three and another family decided not to go." I rattled, not really wanting to go on to the guy.

"Sounds like you all did okay though." Was all he said, and I smiled.

"Yeah. I miss them though - even the idiots." I laughed.

"I can imagine that. It's a hard time, and people can either separate or work together." He said wistfully.

"Yeah, I think it's about belonging." I said, not really thinking about what I was saying.

I felt like I needed to belong somewhere. Realisation of that feeling hit, and it felt weird. I wanted to be wanted. To be needed. Not in an egotistical way - just to keep me going. Keep me fighting for something.

"Although, it might not have happened if your friend hadn't been injured. God makes everything happen for a reason." He said, but I ignored the religious comment. I wasn't one to bring religion in to conversations. Actually, I wasn't someone to bring religion into anything in my life - especially now. Especially with the walkers ruining life as we know it.

"Maybe."

"It's sad that it had to happen though. Alex seems like a good kid. The man that shot him sounds like an fool." He said, shaking his head, but I shrugged slightly.

"As much as I want to hate him, I don't blame him much. I'd shoot anything that seemed threatening. And he's not that bad. Sometimes. I guess I've dealt with people like him before. Well, not as closed off and difficult, but I think I understand where he's coming from." I mumbled. What did I just say? Oh, whatever. I'll never admit that to anyone else. And I'll probably never see him again, anyway.

"Surely you don't like h- Tracks!" He whispered harshly, pointing to the ground in front of us.

"What are they?" I asked, thankful for the subject change, but for some reason totally disappointed.

"Judging by the shape and size, probably a raccoon, and by the freshness of the track and the mud surrounding it, only a few hours old. Let's follow it." He reeled off, standing from his crouched position and started moving in the direction the small footprint pointed.

We carried on on the raccoon's trail in mostly silence, and I watched everything he did. I occasionally asked questions and pointed out other tracks, to which he explained what they were or what he was looking at. He broke things down into more memorable chunks, and gave me tips on where to shoot and some basic hunting techniques. I was told to sharpen all my senses, although taste thankfully wasn't that important. Hearing, Otis had said, was just as important as seeing. when one sense failed, we could rely on the other.

Slowly but surely, I felt myself becoming more observant, and I definitely needed it. The past couple of days have proven that I need to pay more attention to my surroundings, as anything could creep up on you. Otis was a good teacher too. He was patient and didn't chastise me too hard when I snapped a twig or made other sounds. For a considerably agile person when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, I was a blundering oaf when it came to being quiet and nimble. Talk about walking contradiction.

After a raccoon and two rabbits later, and the addition of the bird and rabbit I shot for myself, Alex and Helena, we began to head back. I looked about constantly, utterly bemused at the fact that he has any bearing as to where we were. I got so easily lost - everything looked the same - but I'm putting his knowledge down to experience.

"I was thinking about doing a patrol each night. You know, just in case." I said cautiously, wondering how he was going to take it.

"I don't know. Hershel's extremely touchy about the infected."

"Its not exactly the perfect time to get 'touchy', Otis."

"If it gives you peace of mind, then I guess it's okay, but we're surrounded by fences." He said, as if it was a fair argument. What was this whole 'infected' thing? They're slightly more dangerous than just being wandering 'infections'.

"All the same, I'd rather do it. It'll help keep me alert when we move on." I said, and it was partially true - I didn't want to get settled and complacent - but I just didn't like being so exposed and not keeping an eye out for any potential threat.

He nodded and we slipped into silence. I watched Otis as he walked along, and I had to admit, the was relatively fit, despite his size. He's very capable when covering the terrain and tracking animals, while I was barely able to breath.

Eventually we broke the tree line and climbed the fences to get back into the land. It was a welcome sight.

After Otis' words about being protected by the fences, and I saw that they were pretty sturdy. It still didn't put my mind at ease, though.

It only took a few minutes for us to reach another fence and climb it. Otis then said goodbye and walked off towards Patricia who was hovering near a barn.

I strode towards our tent and saw Alex sitting by the fire, stoking it. I smiled at his current state: disheveled hair, dusty top and jeans, sling slightly haphazard.

"Honey, I'm home!" I squeaked. His head shot up, and I waved the rabbit and bird in my hands.

He jumped up and swaggered over, a faint smile ghosting over his face.

"Did you catch those?" He asked, and I gawped in mock-hurt.

"I did indeed. I'm a hunter gatherer baby." I said with a cheeky wink.

"Well done Sambo!" he said as he threw his arm around me.

"Do you know what you could do with them? Skinning and the like?" I asked. I don't mind doing it, but I had no idea, and I'd rather not. I've never been squeamish, but the idea didn't totally appeal to me.

"Yeah. I dabbled in a couple restaurants before I decided to be a cop. I could sort something." He said, taking them out of my hands and striding off to kneel next to the fire. It didn't surprise me - he always had a new job every couple of months.

"So what have you done today?" I said as I took in his appearance at a closer range.

"I had to help with the animals and do some restoration work on the house and the fences, all with my arm in this stupid sling. The fun stuff!" He said rolling his eyes and I chuckled.

I looked towards the sky, and saw that the sun was getting low. Had I really been in the woods the entire day? It only felt like a couple hours. I shrugged my shoulders and sat opposite Alex on the other side of the fire and lent back on my hands.

"Well Sam, you're now the official hunter. Congrats." He smiled as he put a pot on top of the build-up fire. I flicked my hair over my shoulder and did a mock salute.

Once again, my mind wandered to the group. We'd only see them two days ago, but it felt like weeks had past. Months. I already felt like a different person. I'd just like to know if they're alright...

"Alex!" I yelped, sitting up straight.

"What?" He gasped, jumping and staring at me with confusion etched over his features.

"Where's that cb radio Rick gave us?" I asked, and it was like a lightbulb went off over his head as his eyes suddenly widened.

"Shit, yeah!" He squealed. He put down the pot and ran to the truck. He ran back to me as I stood up, thrusting the large radio in my hand.

"What channel did he say? Twenty?" I asked.

"Forty. I made sure to remember it." Alex smirked, his eyes glittering.

I switched in the radio and turned the dial at the top so it read forty. I pressed the talk button and took a deep breath.

"Rick? Rick? Is anyone there? It's Sam." I said loudly and clearly, and then released the button. The radio then played static. No reply.

"Try again." Alex goaded.

"Hello? Anyone? Calling any survivors. Answer me!" the only response was more static.

The previous enthusiasm and hope I had felt was quickly fading, only to be replaced by crushing disappointment and worry for the others.

"Maybe they're out of range." Alex offered, but we both knew that didn't matter. There was no response, only static.

"For god's sake, answer! Are you guys all okay? Please!"

I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything in ages! I went to a festival and then a family holiday, and when I got back, surprise surprise, the internet got cut off. Typical, right?

So yeah, what do you all think of them turning up at the Greenes'? I wasn't sure if this was a bit predictable or anything, but bleh. It's done now. :P

So, let me know what you all think!

And thank you to all the faves, comments, follows and all of you who read this without making a peep. You guys are all fantastic.

- Loré. X