So sorry it took me so long to update this. I had a bit of a family emergency. Hope you enjoy this chapter and will most likly be updating in a few days.

one love- Ray

Day 243- night

"Ahhhh get away from me." One of the other girls yelled an I sat up. I rubbed my eyes an looked around trying to see who it was. There was a little smoke from the fire made it hard to see, "You… you have to do something... They're in my head. Moving. It's in my head…." I caught sight of l Lock as he babbled panicking ambled towards Hannah uneasily. Lock held onto his head. Than slapped it a few times open hand, then held onto it again, hugged it kinda. His eyes were black with red splotches. There was something very wrong with him. All the kids started to stir awake. "Get away from me." Hannah yelled as she took steps backward an put a tree between themselves. Lock looked up and Hannah didn't move from behind the tree, Lock than ran over to where Jen was sitting an grabbed onto her hand. We all reared back an backed up from them. Jen stood but he held onto her hand tightly. "You have meds in that bag right….you have to help me… my head…my head." Jen tried to shrug out of his grip. He grabbed onto her shirt too as She tried to get away she looked back as he sank his knees still holding onto her hand.

This was is it. What the lady in that settlement was talking about. I didn't think any of us were infected. "Lock...Let go of me." Jen yelled at him, when he didn't let go she reared back and kicked him in the chest he feel and Jen took steps back. "Everyone get back." Jen ordered and was up becoming very aware of what was going on. Lock took another wary step then dropped to his knees. As he rocked he held his head sitting there. "This isn't like what happened to Ben." Hannah explained. "Did he touch anyone else?" Jen asked, Hannah shook her head. Jen took a deep breath and everyone steadily moved back.

I picked up Newton, Jess had Sonya In her arms. I stood in front of Jess. As Lock held his head an laid there in the fetal position. I felt bad, I wished I could do something. He just kept repeating, "My head, My head." It soon became a slow mantra.

We all moved away an kept our distance. Jen started a fire with the little logs we had left. She turned to me after. I saw her wipe something off her arm as she strolled over to me. "Go on, I'll catch up." She said calmly. I gave her a glare, "Why are you staying?" I asked her, "I'm not, go." She ordered. I turned to Jess and Sam an directed them to start walking. Hannah and Jacob joined us where we were. "Need help." Jacob asked Jen as he passed. "No, I got him." Jen said. "Go on Jacob." she told him. "We can't just…" "Leave…Go, you don't want to catch what he has." she told me. I turned an started walking. Jess followed along with the kids. Little Mathew walked clutching onto Jess's hand. Sam lead the group away. I lingered.

I took a few steps then turned back. I watched as Jen kneeled down and said something to him. Then stood and walked in my direction. She walked up to an past me, "What you say to him?" I asked her. "You have a knife." She muttered an kept walking. She knew he had a knife we all had one. We both caught up with the group. Jen took the lead again and we all followed her through the path she was cutting. That was messed up. But she's probably pissed he might have given it to her.

Another twenty or thirty minutes went by, then we heard someone scream. It was this curdling scream that echoed through the trees and went out with a gurgle. It must have been Lock. Damn. I guess she knew what he would do, but was it any more humane then doing it herself. For some reason I couldn't think. Seeing it, I guess is different than hearing it. I didn't want to think about it. What this sickness might do to us.

We walked till it was starting to get dark. We were getting close but we were all too tired to try to move through these woods at night. "I'll go find some wood." Jen said as she walked by me. I turned to Jess, she sat down next to a tree. I sat down next to her with Newton in my lap. "Looks like we've adopted." Jess said as she played with his shirt. I wish I could be as cheery as her. I let the little boy sit on my lap as Jess played with him. "He's is cute." I mentioned.

I placed my hand on the ground an leaned on it. A few seconds later Jess put her hands in the same spot and found mine. I didn't move it. I didn't want to. Her skin still felt soft. I don't know if I didn't care or what but I didn't think I was infected. I've been all around it an nothing yet so. I better not jinx it anyway it just…

"We shouldn't." Jess pulled away her hand first which I was hoping she would because I didn't want to. "You think Ashville got hit to?" she asked. "No, it's our only chance." I told her. "Only chance huh.." she muttered back. "I would think so…I heard stories." I lied. Even it wasn't true. I had to keep her hopes up. "It's like a town. It'll be safe." I told her trying to reassure her. The last place was supposed to be safe but how safe can we get in this world. I would do anything to keep her safe.

Night came and everyone went to sleep. There wasn't even any fuss or talking like the night before. After we ate granola bars and some berries Jen found they all went to sleep. Jen fell asleep on the other side of Jess a few feet away from us. I sat upward, I was on watch first. I didn't mind I wasn't as tired as everyone else.

I kept the fire going, when I noticed there was smoke starting to fill the woods around us. It was everywhere and creeping in. Some of the kids started to cough in their sleep but it didn't wake em. It wasn't thick enough but still it bothered me. So I stood, I walked over to Jacob who was supposed to be on watch after me. "Jake…" I whispered. "Jake." I said and he rolled over waking up. "Sit up on watch for a second I have to see where this smoke is coming from. If it's dangerous." I told him whispering. He glanced around noticing what I did and nodded agreeing. "I won't be long." I sad as I stood and jogged away from the camp site.

I looked around to see where the smoke was thickest and heard something. I followed it and it lead me up a hillside. The trees were starting to spread out. I moved to the top of the hill and held onto a trees so I wouldn't fall. The smoke got thicker n thicker. As I got closer I heard chanting and singing. Not anything on tune or on beat. It was defiantly people. Then I heard someone yell. I picked up my pace an ran to the top. I wanted to know what was goin on and what these people were doing. They were pretty close to where we were.

When I made it to the top of the cliff I noticed it was a steep fall downward. The smoke was so thick up here it was a little hard to breathe. I searched the grounds below the hill till I saw a light that look like it was coming from a large bon fire. It was over to my left so I walked alongside the hill till I was closer to the light an could breathe a little better. There was a lot people, chanting and dancing around the fire. Then the smoke started getting thicker again. I coughed loud but no one down there noticed. "We the people of the mountain." They chanted while dancing. "Seek Death to all who come against us." They chanted and I scooted back a little. These people are nuts. "Death to all non-believers…" they continued.

Then some grabbed the back of my neck. "What are you doing out here?" I was relieved when it was Jen. She let go when I turned to her. "I wanted to see what it was. Look." I pointed down to the bon fire. "What is it…what's wrong with them?" I asked Jen, she just shrugged. "I don't want to find out. C'mon we better get back." She said. So I followed her. "But what if they leave there little pow wow an come find us." I asked Jen. Thinking of the worst.

"They won't, they look to preoccupied." Jen claimed as she moved down the hill quickly. I struggled to keep up mostly sliding and falling.

Before I knew it, we were back at the camp. Jess had woken up an was siting against the tree. Jacob sat over the fire tending to it. Both Jen an I just walked up an sat down. "How long have you been up?" I asked her. "For a minute or two." She said. "Where did you go?" she continued. "Up the hill into the smoke. I wanted to see what was there." I told her. "What you find?" she questioned. Jen glared at me, "Nothing, just some burning trees." I lied again. I'm such a shitty girlfriend. I should tell her, "Right, it might come through here. We need to get moving again." Jen told everyone who was awake. Jacob went to lean down an touch Hannah. "Don't… don't touch remember. Let them sleep a little longer. Then we'll move." She revised her ordered. Jess looked at me, I glanced back and she gave me this weird look. She knew I was lying. But I still didn't say anything. We've been dating that long I guess she would know. But I don't want to stress her out. That's a good reason. ..right?

Later, Jen got us all up. I must have dozed off. I rubbed my eyes, the smoke hadn't gotten any thicker but it hadn't gotten any better either. We packed up an got the kids moving, than left the camp in the middle of the night.