Sadie's POV

"You know, if you need to stop for a while, we can stop." Gareth suggested for the fiftieth time since we left the church this morning. "Just say so."

"I just needed some water" I sighed, tucking the bottle safely away in my backpack.

"I know, but we've been walking for a while."

"We've been walking for half an hour, Gar. That's nothing, I can keep going." I took the water bottle back out and squirted some of it at him.

"It was just a suggestion." He defended, putting his hands up to try to protect his face.

"Right" I said. "Well, the longer we keep going, the sooner we find our next place, and the sooner we can start plotting our next move."

"Our next move, is making sure you two are safe...and comfortable." He sighed.

"So you plan to achieve the impossible." I scoffed.

He stopped, dead in his tracks. "Sadie, we'll find another place, you know."

"You know that's not what I meant, Gar."

He nodded. "Yeah...I guess I do."

"...I feel like a ticking time bomb, alright?" I tried to tell him without my voice cracking and worrying him further.

He saw through it anyway, though.

"Come here..." he said, gently putting his arms around me.

"No...I don't wanna blow up in your face." I tried to joke through my tears.

"That's a chance I'll just have to take." He chuckled softly.

I sniffles into his shoulder. "...I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be...it is scary."

"...I wish it didn't have to be this way." I whimpered.

"...I know..." he whispered.

We met back up with the others in front of the old schoolhouse, where we'd camped out previously, in order to discuss things more privately before we returned to the church

"Nothing?" Gareth asked when they got there.

Martin shook his head. "There is a reason we decided the church was the best bet, you know."

Gareth rolled his eyes, but Albert interrupted before he could speak.

"...that's not entirely true." he pointed out. "There is a small house a few miles out from here, but it wasn't very secure, and there were probably already some dead ones inside."

I looked at Gareth. "It could do for now, at least. I mean, it'd only be temporary, regardless, and we could clear it out and make it safe."

Gareth shrugged. "How small are we talking?"

"About the size of, if not smaller than, the barn we were holed up in before. Probably only one bedroom."

Gareth nodded. "Most of you will have to continue camping outside, if we do settle on it. It's gotta be as safe as possible, that means a couple of you guarding it from the outside. Some of you would have to be outside, anyway, keeping an eye on the church so we can be ready to take it."

Mostly silence throughout the group.

"Any objections to that?" He asked.

"Going once...going twice..." I added.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Good." He stated, helping me to my feet as he stood up. "Let's head out, then."