Zach POV:

Ash. Vampires. Death. No, no, no. I shook myself awake from the nightmare, determined to remain strong. I tried to roll over, which resulted in a thick something blocking my airways; a.k.a. something was suffocating me. I jolted away from whatever it was, landing on my feet and looking wildly around. Nita had been woken when I spazzed out, and she glanced at her side; the one I hadn't been laying on. Her eyes widened, and she growled, and in that instant I knew Liz was gone. Where was she?!?!?!?!?!

"She's okay, she has to be. If she'd put up a fight against someone, I would have woken up," I tried, but failed, to convince myself. Maybe she was out after that berry bush we saw yesterday. Possible, but why wouldn't she wait for me? Sure enough, when I got to the bush she was nowhere to be found.

"D*** it!" I growled. Where could she be? I wandered the forest in vain and self-denial. Liz couldn't have been captured by whoever had Ash; we weren't that close or we would have known. I hurried back to the clearing and Nita, determined to find Liz. No one escaped with my baby sister. Then I got to the clearing.

"He what! But I'm okay!" No. way. All that for nothing? I'm going to kill her! I stood behind her, leaning on a tree until Nita pointed me out to Liz. Cheater.

"Oh, hi Zach." I didn't answer. "Zach? I'm alive." Really, Sherlock?

"Not for long." I enunciated each word before I sprang on her. I was careful not to actually hurt her. I probably would have had more effect if I could have vampire strength or agility. Oh well, no use wishing for the impossible.

"Hey! Get off!" She protested.

"Never!" I cried as though it were a battle cry, "I'll never give up!" I began to tickle her.

"Gah! Ah! Get off! Hahaha!" She tried to squeeze protests between her laughing. I stopped when she was out of breath and turning red, no need to be a murder. Ha, death by laughter. She was gasping for breath as I asked her where she had been.

"I… was checking… the date." She told me.

"Why?" I asked, bewildered.

"No reason. We've been out of contact with society so long I was just wondering." She was trying to avoid the subject, like there was something she didn't want me to know. Okay, she could keep it to herself; unlike her, I don't pry when someone wants to keep a secret. While we were talking, Nita had been grabbing some berries. It wasn't until I heard her coming back that I wondered how she was carrying them. Before I could ask Liz, Nita came crashing into the clearing with the whole bush. Wow, just wow.

We ate until we were full, and then we shoved off. I mean shoved off in the literal sense; it's not as easy as you might think to get up on a bear's back. I seriously need a life, I can't spend my time making figures of speech literal. I need to talk, I've been so quiet the past few days while we ride.

---one hour later---

Now I'm really really bored. I'll take History over this any day.

---half an hour after that---

I'm going insane. But Liz doesn't seem to want to talk.

---twenty minutes after that---

My mind is not a safe place to be alone. I realize that now.

---fifteen minutes after that rather insightful thought---

I'M GOING MAD! I'M IN ISOLATION! I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE!

---ten minutes after the author of this story laughed hysterically at the madness---

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe an imaginary friend will help. Hi Bob. No you can't take over my mind! Dang, he's gone; I vaporized him.

---two minutes after the author wondered if this adventure will end in an asylum---

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I have to talk to Liz. I don't care if she doesn't want to talk.

---one minute is used to gather the mind which have been scarred for life---

"Liz?" I asked, determined to start up a conversation. She seemed different today, and I wondered why.

"Yeah?" She replied.

"What is the date?" I was curious as to why she wanted to know what day it was.

"Why do you want to know, mister I-don't-see-why-the-date-is-so-important?" she retorted. I sensed a little edge to her voice, though. Oh well, maybe I will pry.

"I'm wondering, and since you already looked, you might as well tell me." She did a combination sigh and groan before she answered.

"Fine, just don't go crazy on me; I don't want us to think about it. We have bigger things to worry about."

"What are you talking about?" She bowed her head.

"It's the 18th." She murmured. The eighteenth? What month was it? June? The eighteenth of June, then… oh. I'm a horrid big brother. I'm dragging her around, forcing her to keep going when we're both exhausted, on her birthday.

"Oh, Liz. Why didn't you tell me? We'll stop right here. Or we'll go straight to the closest town and get food, whatever you want. We'll keep going tomorrow." I felt horrible, how could I not realize this? She just turned around and glared at me.

"This is why I didn't tell you. We can't waste a day while Ash and the," she choked on the next word, "the vamps keep moving. Is my birthday more important than all those people, Zach? I've celebrated thirteen of them, I can skip one." She had clearly been thinking about this the past few days. I tried to see it her way. If it were me, what would I want? Would I be responsible for them spending one more day in the clutches of their captors? Or maybe even responsible for their deaths? No, I supposed not.

"I'm sorry I didn't know Liz. But if you really want, we can keep going." She grinned, happy I understood. So why do I still feel guilty?

---Night time---

We were sleeping in a city tonight. We had come across it on our way to, well, wherever we're going. I wanted to find a decent place to sleep tonight, especially since it was Elizabeth's birthday. So she planted the idea as a small voice in the back of a hotel keeper's head to let us stay for free. It wasn't really unlawful since he offered. So what if we had something to do with it? Nita, though, was forced to stay outside city limits. Liz was concerned, but I assured her that if we got in trouble, she could contact Nita, and Nita could take care of herself if she got in trouble.

I lay back on the bed, sheesh it felt good, and tried to imagine Ashley here with me. What would she say if she saw me right now? Liz sat cross-legged on the other bed broadcasting "Happy Birthday to Me" through all family members' heads but mine. I had warned her the second time she sang that if she didn't get out of my head I would attack her again. It was almost funny how abruptly the music stopped. Dad must have been going insane; he had to listen to it in his head and everyone else's. That is, assuming Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper are still staying. Otherwise it was just him and mom. Bored of imagining Ash (and all her insisting I turn around), I turned the light off.

"Thanks. I totally wasn't using that." Liz's voice wafted across the gap in the beds.

"Your eyes we closed, smarty," I replied, already falling asleep. When she didn't reply, I assumed she had conked out. With a smile, I followed suit.