Lee stared at the deer cub he had hunted when he taught Brenda the basics of hunting, now the animal lay on a stick piercing his body as it was suspended in the air, just above the low flames of the campfire.

The girl was a great student, he had to admit. Although she was a bit stubborn.

"Just like my students" - He thought amusedly, feeling that nostalgia beating in his chest once again as he remembered his time as a teacher.

Sometimes he wondered if any of his students, or fellow teachers, had survived. And that, just like him, they were alive, fighting each day to stay that way.

It was a near-zero possibility, perhaps, even zero, but you never know.

Maybe some poor lucky soul survived, at least for a while. Before the horrors of the world caught up to him.

He bowed his head and looked softly at the girl lying on his lap.

Lee didn't understand how she had become attached to him so quickly. She found him interesting, that was rather obvious to realize just by looking at the girl.

But he couldn't understand how she felt so comfortable with him, did she do this with everyone? Or was there something about him in particular that drew her attention?

He didn't know, but he wasn't the one who would complain. It felt great to have someone who counted on him like that, it was just strange how fast the girl had approached him.

Maybe she was just a needy girl, she had said herself that she had stayed a long time in that camp. And if the place was as bad as they said, then "kindness" was practically new to her, so, if that was the case, in a way, he could understand.

It was just that it was hard for him to be sure of anything about the girl; she didn't usually talk much about certain subjects.

For example, she didn't answer when he asked why she was so comfortable around him. She didn't answer any of the times he asked.

Lee lifted his head slightly and looked at the farm a few meters away from where they were standing. The intensity of the midday sun seemed to beautify that place, despite the traces of abandonment.

Places like that, beautiful, are often very melancholy in different climates.

For example, Lee suspected that that same view, now so beautiful and warm, would become melancholy and cold in cloudy weather in the evening.

Before the world became hell, he always imagined himself walking alone somewhere far away in cloudy weather one afternoon. That was the moment when he feels loneliest, as strange as it was.

- It's hot in here.

Brenda's slightly irritated voice brought Lee out of his thoughts. He turned to her, smiling slightly.

- Once we get out of the state, I doubt you will say that. In a while, it will be so cold that you will miss the warmth.

He said, focusing his eyes on the deer in the fire, checking to see if it was cooked enough.

- Not really, I like the cold.

She replied, dragging herself backwards and propping her back against a tree, a little further away from the heat of the fire.

- Yeah, me too. The cold slows down the zombies, and calms me down. Absolute win.

He said, placing his hand on Alice's head, and she leaned slightly on his lap.

- How long until Wellington?

Brenda asked after a few moments of silence, looking at the deer in the fire.

- I can't tell you exactly, we still have a long way to go. It will take some time, but we have to take into account the gasoline, the stops, and hope that there are no incidents along the way.

He answered, turning his face and looking up at the sky with few clouds as a bad feeling spread through his stomach, but he just ignored it.

Silence dominated once again for some time.

- How long has it been since your "friends" escaped from the camp?

Lee asked after a few minutes of being trapped in his thoughts, bowing his head and looking at Brenda briefly, just before leaning over and removing the deer from the campfire, placing it in a pot right next to him.

- I don't know exactly, it's been a while. After they escaped, we had to stay there for a while longer, the people were on alert. The camp leader increased the number of guards. Maybe they have already arrived in Wellington.

The girl answered, taking the knife at her waist and cutting a piece of the deer's meat, watching Alice briefly do the same, and then lying back on Lee's lap, with a piece of meat stuck in the knife.

-Is there any chance they will come after you?

he asked, eating a piece of meat and turning his face to the side, looking back at the farm.

- I don't know, I don't think so. At least, not this far away. Why?

She asked with a raised eyebrow, looking curiously at Lee, who just shook his head.

- Nah, it's nothing.

He said softly, but slightly worried.

The bad feeling in his stomach only seemed to increase.

(A few hours later...)

Lee parked the car on a dirt track, now barely visible due to the dry leaves that littered the entire length of the road.

He got out of the car and looked around, making sure there were no zombies nearby.

It was almost nightfall, and they had to look for somewhere to spend the night. Not only that, but the car was running on fumes; he needed to find gas.

Luckily, he managed to get within a relatively short distance to a town in that region. It was a very small country town, but it should have some gasoline, at least enough to get them out of there.

Close to where he parked the car was a factory. A pretty big place, small for a factory, but still, plus it had intact fences around it. At least, the part that Lee was looking at.

It could be a great place for them to spend the night, definitely safer than sleeping in the woods.

- Brenda, check the right, see if there are any openings in the fence. Alice, with me.

Lee said, taking his knife and walking to the right, walking towards a barred gate, apparently the back gate.

Lee pushed the gate a little, and was surprised to see that it was unlocked. He had not put so much faith that the way was clear.

- The fence looks intact, there are a few bodies scattered near it but nothing more than that. I didn't see anyone inside, dead or alive.

Brenda said, walking towards him after a while, also looking at the gate.

- Well, the gate is open. Let's leave it that way for now. Just in case the place is already taken.

Lee said, passing through the gate and walking through the small courtyard, looking at the doors ahead.

He approached a door ahead, and put his hand on the doorknob, standing still for a few seconds while he tried to hear some noise coming from inside the place.

- Be prepared for anything.

He said, turning the knob slowly after a few moments of silence.

Once he opened the door, he looked both ways down the hall, slowly walking through the door when he saw that the place was clear.

- Leave the door open.

He said softly, walking silently down the hall.

He reached a more open room, with stairs leading upstairs and a few more doors around it.

Lee thought it strange that the place was so clean, especially a room as large as that, and a yard as wide as the one outside.

But, as he hadn't heard anything until that moment, he decided to continue.

They walked to the door ahead, and Lee opened it slowly, observing the small corridor that followed.

He looked sideways before passing through the door, and began to walk down the hallway, crouching slightly and as quietly as he could.

As he walked, he took quick glances at the rooms next to him, whose doors were open, it was getting stranger by the second.

It was then that his gaze focused on a specific room.

He stopped walking and looked surprised at what he saw.

There were boxes and boxes of supplies inside the room. Bags full of food scattered around the corners, canned food, military rations, protein bars, chocolate.

Various types of food and supplies.

- Holy... shit...

Brenda said beside him, as surprised as he was.

The bad feeling in Lee's stomach increased, those supplies were proof that there were people somewhere in there.

No wonder the place was so clean and quiet, he should have suspected this when he didn't see any zombies in the corridors, especially in the courtyard outside.

- We have to go. Now.

He said softly, worried, turning and starting to walk back the way they came.

- You're not going anywhere.

Lee's eyes widened and he cursed softly at the sight of two men pointing guns in his direction.

He sighed, annoyed with himself for his blunder. It was obvious that there was something wrong with the place, everything was too quiet.

He should have realized this and got out of there as soon as possible.

-... Brenda?

One of the men asked, surprised to see the girl.

Lee looked at Brenda beside him, she was wide-eyed and held her knife firmly in her hands, as if she was controlling herself not to use it. Lee could see a small spark, a faint hint of hatred in the girl's eyes.

-... Lonnie.

She said, her teeth clenched tightly as she stared deadly at the man.

Lee looked at him too, analyzing him.

He was a relatively tall man, a little skinny, wearing light clothes that stood out because of his dark skin. He had short hair and dark brown eyes, eyes that looked surprised, and even amused at the two girls.

- Holy shit, you decided to involve our little Alice in one of your crazy shits? Badger will love to see you here.

The man said, with a slight mocking smile on his face.

Lee took advantage of this and slowly reached for the gun in his waistband.

- Whoa! You better not do that, big guy.

The man next to "Lonnie" stopped him, pointing the rifle at his head as he took a few steps toward him.

Lee grumbled mentally and raised his arm in surrender, dropping the knife on the ground and letting the man take the pistol he had.

- Hah, I never thought our sweet Alice would carry a gun with her.

Lonnie said, taking the pistol from the girl and swinging it in front of her, mocking the serious, and incredibly cold, look on the girl's face.

- But this one I don't know ... who are you? Where's Pete?

he said, putting the pistol on his waist and looking at Lee with a certain, superiority.

Lee just stared at him, looking deep into the man's dark eyes as he kept his murderous gaze on his face.

He noticed when the amused smile on Lonnie's face dimmed, and Lee would remember that the man in front of him had looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the way he was being stared at.

- He is dead. So are your other friends.

Alice's sweet voice caught the attention of the others, and even Lee looked at her, slightly surprised at the coldness present in her voice.

- Wow, sweet as always Alice. And they weren't my friends. I'm glad they're dead, bunch of assholes.

Lonnie said, putting that mocking smile back on his face.

Some footsteps were heard approaching just behind them, and Lee looked at the man approaching from the hallway.

He had a scruffy beard on his face, was bald and only slightly taller than Lonnie.

He had an irritated and confused expression at first, but that changed as soon as the man's green eyes focused on Brenda, who moved away slightly as she felt his gaze on her.

- ... What the fuck is going on here?

He asked, stopping right beside Lonnie and staring at Brenda, quickly glancing at Alice, just behind the older girl.

- We found our "friends" here trying to steal our food. The others did mention that they had run away, I told you to come back, Badger.

The man next to Lonnie replied, without taking his eyes off Lee, who was thinking of some way out of the situation.

However, things were not looking good for him.

He was the most dangerous of all the people there, including the men, he knew this well, and he was sure that the others also had this in mind.

It was only logical that they would keep an eye on him.

Lee was in serious danger of being shot in there.

Not that this was anything new to him.

-And who is this? Huh? He's not part of the camp.

Badger asked, looking deep into Lee's eyes, who could tell what kind of man he was.

Just one look, just a few seconds of interaction with the man's green eyes, made Lee know exactly what kind of person he was.

Badger was an insane person.

Crazy, his own insanity made him even more dangerous, since he didn't have something like "reason" to stop him from doing something. He was the type who would do the things he wanted, as soon as he wanted, in the way he wanted.

And that type was especially complicated to deal with.

- Apparently, Pete is dead. And our "friend" there killed whoever went after them, as far as I understand.

Lonnie said, scratching his forehead as he tried to look at Lee again, but couldn't maintain eye contact for long.

Suddenly Badger punches Lee in the face, who groans slightly, surprised by the sudden attack.

He felt his cheek burn, but he didn't move from his spot, much less turn away.

Badger was insane, but apparently he didn't have a heavy hand.

Or maybe, Lee was just used to getting beaten. He practically got beaten every day, anyway.

Or maybe, he had felt so much pain, he had gotten used to it.

As he himself had said a few days ago, humans can adapt to almost anything.

He looked quickly at the girls beside him, both of whom looked surprised.

But he recovered quickly and looked at Badger again, looking deep into his eyes, as if he hadn't even felt that punch.

- I can kill him now if you want.

The man next to Lonnie said, looking hesitantly at Badger, who just raised his arm.

- No, no way. Can't you see what he looks like? The look, the fucking appearance! He'd fucking beat you to death if he could Lonnie! With one fucking hand!

He said, somewhat excitedly, turning away from Lee without looking away, because he knew that if he turned his back, if he lost him from his line of sight, even if only for a few moments, he would die.

- Don't you think he would make a great attraction in the arena?!

he asked, glancing quickly at the two men beside him while smiling amusedly. Like a child who has just received a new toy.

- Take them to the others. And don't let the big one here out of your sight, he will kill you both in seconds if you screw up.

He said, stepping away from them, taking a quick glance at Brenda, and giving her a wink. A wink full of hidden intentions behind it.

- You heard the man. Move!

Lonnie said, pointing his rifle at Lee as he walked a few steps away.

Lee just mentally cursed as he was forced to walk. The bad feeling in his stomach was gone, and it only served to make him even angrier at himself