Finally, at what felt like noon-ish, the cart stopped.

Olivia heard voices, and poked her head up to try and hear better. Before she could recognize any of them, though, a pair of strong hands grabbed her and hoisted her out of the cart.

She let out a muffled yelp as she was placed on her feet, wobbling dangerously once the hands let go. A moment later, though, the same cold hands were at her feet, untying the ropes that bound her ankles together. After a moment, the rope was pulled away, and she finally managed to catch her balance.

The hand took her by the shoulder, and she realized with a chill that the person was a zombie. It started to lead her forward, and she didn't resist, keeping her eyes shut. There really wasn't any point in fighting, not this time. Not with the sheer number of mobs around.

The zombie lead her to the edge of the dirt path and into the grass, and through a small patch of trees before getting back to dirt. The human voices got louder as she walked, and she hoped she was being brought towards what were probably other prisoners.

Then she heard her mother call out her name.

"Olivia!" The zombie let go of her, and she quickly stepped away as she heard footsteps pounding towards her. "Oh honey, oh-" Warm arms were thrown around her, and Olivia pressed her forehead into her mother's shoulder. She was safe.

She heard the zombie walking away, and a moment later her mother pulled back.

"Oh, let me get you untied." Reaching to the back of her head, her mother struggled with the knot on her gag for a moment before pulling the cloth away. Coughing, Olivia gave her a grateful smile.

"Thanks."

"Of course, honey. Have you seen Isaac anywhere?"

"...no." Obviously she had never seen him, but the meaning got across. "He's not here?"

"I hope he's just in one of the wagons they brought you on." Stepping to her left, her mother set to work on the rope binding her hands.

"Hopefully. Where are we?"

"Some… sort of camp, I think." The rope loosened, then dropped to the ground. "There are… a lot of captives here. Mainly women, but I think that's just because more men were… killed in the attack." Mom's voice lowered with sorrow. "The… undead, they… haven't attacked us. They're just holding us here."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"Not in the slightest." Her mother shook her head as she spoke. "There are no buildings, or tents, so I don't think we've arrived at our destination. We're in a clearing, in the woods - the undead stay under the trees so they won't burn."

"That's too smart for mobs." Olivia protested. "Especially zombies. They have to be being controlled by someone, something."

"I know." Mom pulled her close again, and this time her daughter returned the embrace. She held on until her elder pulled away. "Your blindfold."

"I have no idea what happened to it. Woke up without it."

"Well, we need to- need to cover your eyes. Here." A moment later, rough cloth pressed against her face. The gag. Olivia wrinkled her nose, but didn't protest as the fabric was tied again behind her head.

"There." Pulling her hands back, Mom let out a sigh. "Stay by my side for now, okay? And keep watch for your brother."

"I will." Olivia promised. "We're gonna be okay."

"I hope so, baby girl."

Olivia's legs hurt.

After the brief stop in the forest, the prisoners had been rounded up again and marched down the road once more. Since she was no longer unconscious, she didn't get the luxury of riding in a cart. She got to walk with everyone else.

For a very long time. Long into the night. By this point, she was starving, exhausted, and in pain from the sheer number of sharp things she had stepped on in the course of traversing the woods with no shoes.

At the very least, she had a bit more information now. Her mother had claimed to have seen a person riding on a skeleton horse, a cloak hiding their form. Probably some sort of leader.

She'd also noticed that everything smelled like smoke. Probably due to the fires back in the city.

At long last, their journey ended, their destination apparently being a flowery field. While no one talked to them, since, mobs… can't, they were herded into the field and guarded by the mobs while they were presumably allowed to get some sleep. Olivia almost passed out the minute they stopped walking, but her mother insisted they find a spot near the others. It didn't… really make them any more safe, but it made her feel better, so she let her.

Unfortunately, five seconds after her head hit the grass, a cold hand grasped her arm, dragging her back to her feet.

"Are you kidding me," She grumbled, but didn't have the strength to fight as she was dragged away by the zombie. Her mother didn't speak. Maybe she'd fallen asleep already.

The zombie wove through the trees, and Olivia stumbled after it, at least half-awake now from the cold hand on her arm. After a minute, the tree roots and grass beneath her were replaced by a pressed path, and she was jerked to a stop in the center of it before being released.

"Hello." She jumped at the voice. Zombies didn't talk. "My name is Orion. I am the leader of the… pleasant company you find yourself in."

"Um, charmed." The voice came from directly in front of her, and a bit above. Probably the rider of the skeleton horse. "I'm Olivia?"

"Is that a question?"

"Maybe?"

"Very well." A shuffle as the man slid from the saddle of his horse, then a thump when he landed on the ground. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss. I've called you here to inform you that you have 24 hours to prove to me why you shouldn't die."

"Um, what?" Olivia recoiled, but bumped into her zombie escort. While it wasn't a huge shock that the leader of a giant raiding party of undead probably wanted to kill her, the way he said it was just… what? "Why me, specifically?"

"You're blind." Fingers brushed her blindfold, and she smacked the hand away.

"I noticed."

"You are unable to survive on your own." Orion continued. "A burden on society. You have no place in this world." Olivia sputtered with indignation.

"I can get along just fine on my own! I'm no more helpless than anyone else my age!"

"That is what I am asking you to prove to me." Orion leaned back, and Olivia could hear the sick grin in his voice. "I don't care how. Prove to me that you can be a useful member of a community, and I will let you live. Otherwise…" He chuckled. "Maybe you can be useful as a zombie."

"Are you a person?" Olivia demanded. "Because that's not how people are supposed to act."

"I am a higher being." The man's voice went cold. "I understand more about your race than you ever will. Sometimes it is necessary to prune away the parasites so that society as a whole may thrive."

"I literally don't even know what you just said."

"Take her back to camp." Orion ordered, and a pair of cold hands grabbed her by the arms. She tried to wrench away, but the monsters held fast, and she gave up as she was dragged off, back into the woods.