Guardian Hunter

"She'll be back when she cools off her head" he says walking towards the other girl.

"She better cool it off" I said walking towards where Hunt had hid. I found him huddled in the corner end of the counter, he looks like his usual self, pale blue kin, sharp bloody teeth. Nothing out of the ordinary. I look back to the front of the store and can't help but think of the things outside and how alone Sandra must be feeling. But she was the one who started it the inner demon inside me spat out. She was over the line when she crudely misjudged Hunt but I was also out of it when I yelled back at her. She and her family must just be tired running and surviving in this hellish new world.

I see Jake talking with Kennedy, I think he's trying to reassure her that he and Sandra are fine. Kennedy's not to bright, I have to say if I' being honest, but I'm not that smart too with the whole a Hunter-being-my-friend situation. I guess I'm both of these two girls. Jake sees me spacing out and gives me a worried look. I shake my head and walked towards the front of the pharmacy. "I'm going out. I owe her an apology" I say. He gives me a curt nod and I open the doors to a frigid landscape of blood, snow and desolation.

Snow was softly falling down, the light at the end of the street, which miraculously was still alive, gave a faint glow to the area. I see Sandra huddled against the wall of the next building, she was staring down unto the snow covered pavement. I start to move towards her and she raises her head to my direction. She looked surprised. "Hey" I start. "I'm sorry about… earlier"

She looks at me for another second before dropping her sights on the pavement again. "How can you live with that thing?" she said coldly. Now that I think about it, the snow and the freezing weather fits perfectly with her attitude. "An infected out of all things" she adds.

"I don't know" I say to her. "This sit taken?" I ask pointing to the space beside her. She shrugs and moves a bit away from me when I sit down. "I guess I just learned to go with it"

"That thing's dangerous. Haven't you seen the stuff they do to us?" she says, her eyes never left the pavement. "I'm starting to think, I', the only sane person left alive" she says to herself.

"Hunt saved me" I start. She looks up to me with surprised looks before shaking her head and making an intimidating laugh. "He did"

"What makes you so sure it didn't just wanted you for itself?" she asked.

"Well" I think of a reason that Hunt could have had to not attack me since. But, what was there to tell her? Hunt was special, he isn't like the other Hunters I've faced, even on our journey to this town, we've encountered many like him, but he fought with me… fought for me. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"But you're still in danger. Every. Single. Day as long as you're with that thing" she counters.

She was right on that part, as long as I don't figure out what Hunt wants from me, or why he followed me in the first place, I will always be in danger. "I guess you're right on that one" I said. Having enough chit-chat with her, I stood up and offered my hand to her. She looks up and shakes her head.

"I'll stay out for a bit more. I like the cold" she says.

I walk back into the pharmacy just in time to see Jake and Kennedy getting ready for bed. They laid a few inches from each other, Jake had his arms around her giving her warmth. He raises his head and he sees me. I give a curt nod and a small smile before walking off to my side of the store, I sit against the wall near the restroom I used earlier and watched the front door. Hunt comes towards me and lays his head on my legs. He's awfully acting much like a cat or dog rather than the other ones. I place my hand on his head and watched as Sandra entered the store and made sure she locked it.

She sees me and quickly turned her sight on her sister and step-father. I wonder what happened to their mom. I never got ask Jake where she was. But I would assume no one would like to tell stories of their personal life to a complete stranger. I let the fire die out an hour after the three had slept, Sandra was on the other far side of the room away from her family. This girl must have been through a lot, she'd rather make distance to her loved ones than to be with them.

I hear Hunt give a low growl and I start to fall asleep. I hear infected roaming just outside the store, I want to stay awake but I'm too tired. I closed my eyes and the next time I opened them, it was morning.

"How'd you sleep?" ask Jake as we passed by some thrown out mattresses on a nearby alley. The sun was breaking through dense grey clouds. I find the warm rays of the sun a blessing through the cold night. Kennedy was with her sister, Sandra, a few feet in front. Sandra was all solid and focused on what was in front of her, only giving a few turns towards us if they get too far upfront. Kennedy was the total opposite, her head spun on every little detail that we've come across as we walked out of the small town.

"Good, thanks for asking" I reply.

"You know, I still don't trust your friend over there" he says cocking his thumb upwards to the rooftops of the buildings. I look up and see Hunt leap from building to bulding.

"Well, he's all I have" I say. "It's better than being alone"

"You can always come with us. Kennedy already has a liking to you and I'm sure Sandra's going to open up sooner or later" he says stroking the beard from his chin.

"What about Hunt? I can't just leave him" I protest. "And I know what you're going to say, that he's just a monster or something and that it's better for me to leave him" I say looking up and seeing him shoot out his head form the ledge, he gives off his little kind-of-creepy smile before jutting out to the next rooftop.

"Well…" he starts but never finished. We reached the end of our destination; a fork in the road. One led to the south and the other further east. "Here we are" he says. The two girls turn towards us.

"Will you two be joining us?" Kennedy asked. "You and Hunt are coming with us, right?"

"Uh… no" I said. I feel Hunt brush against the side of my leg and I look down to see him crouched and on all fours. "We're heading south, I'm looking for someone, you see" I add.

"Oh" she looked disappointed. Sandra was stoic the whole time. "Well, I guess this is good bye then" she moves away and stands next to her sister.

"Good luck out there" I say as they headed east.

Jake turns and waves. "You too"