Zoey's green eyes filled with tears, Francis' arms around her tightly. "That's terrible..."

Sarah whimpered softly, looking at Zoey, then Bill, watching those aged stormy eyes moisten as well. A tear fell from them, and she put her knuckle to his cheek, catching it and looking at it. She then looked at Bill, her lips trembling slightly. "Lllliiizzaaaaa..."

Bill swallowed somewhat hard, and nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, that's right... Liza."

Sarah got off his lap, and he stood, sighing, grabbing his M16. "Come on... we're wasting daylight... rather a Wandering Witch than a sitting one."

The others nodded, standing up and collecting their weapons. Sarah watched them, hiding behind Bill when Francis reloaded and cocked his shotgun. The big biker sighed. "Sarah... I'm not going to hurt you... just the mindless vampires."

Zoey punched him softly. "For the last time, Francis... zombies, not vampires!"

Francis shrugged. "Same difference! Both are undead, both want to kill you - as far as I care, both want to suck your blood and eat you!"

Sarah blinked. "Vaaamp nooo eeaat hooomaaannsss..."

Francis arched a brow. "'Hoomans', huh? So we're hoomans now..."

He chuckled, and ruffled her hair, sliding his fingers through it. He knelt down. "Come on, Sarah... if we're gonna leave..."

Sarah shook her head. "Nooo... waaaallk..."

The Survivors arched a brow, looking at her. Bill laid a hand on her shoulder. "You sure? We're... Are you sure you can keep up?"

She looked up at him, and nodded, folding her claws over her chest. Bill sighed and nodded, Francis standing. They opened the door and started walking, rather surprised to find that Sarah could infact keep up. She was quite graceful in her walk, and she smiled nearly the whole time she was walking with them, humming even. It was a completely different individual than the one they'd picked up the previous night. Suddenly, she froze, cocking her head to each side, her eyes wide. Bill watched her. "Sarah...? What's-."

He froze, hearing the roar of a Tank. Sarah's eyes flashed, going from blue eyes to solid black orbs, the creepy amber glow appearing, the black orbs warming to amber, all in a matter of seconds. She screamed, not in fury but fear, turned, and ran into a warehouse. Zoey chased after her. "Sarah!"

Francis grabbed at Zoey. "Zoey, stop!"

But he missed. Francis and the war vet turned as the monstrosity made it over the hill, barreling towards them. They unleashed their army of lead, watching it create multiple red holes in the pink flesh. It growled, roared, and loped ever onward. They backed up, hoping to down it before it got close enough to hit them. Neither of them wanted to end up like Louis had...

Zoey ran in after Sarah, feeling a little bad for leaving Francis and Bill to take care of the Tank on their own. Louis hadn't made it, but there were two of them and they both had very good aim and powerful weapons. She'd turned and run out if she heard anyone scream in pain.

She chased Sarah through the warehouse, panting, surprised at just how quick this little Witch could move when running. She ran with her claws out in front of her as if feeling the air for a way to go, or perhaps just to catch and bounce her off anything she might hit. But the brief warm flash of light every now and then and the sound of Sarah's crying and screaming made it easy to follow her in the dark, and finally she heard the running cease. She stopped, resting on her knees to catch her breath, looking for the witch girl. She found her a few seconds later, collapsed in a corner, curled up with her hands pressed against her ears as if to block out sound.

Zoey approached slowly, setting her gun down a little further away so as not to scare her. "Sarah...? Sarah, it's okay. It's me, Zoey."

She crouched and inched a few steps closer, smiling kindly. She reached out to the witch girl, then froze. Those amber orbs turned to her, and she could tell... this was Sarah, but at the same time she wasn't. Sarah started growling at her, trembling, gritting her teeth and looking genuinely enraged. Zoey found herself unable to move, other than to stand with her. "Sarah, it's okay, come here."

The college girl took a step closer, and that was the last mistake she would ever make. Sarah's eyes widened to near perfect circles and she screamed in rage, eyes going more red than honey-colored. She swiped with both claws at the same time - her right claw missed but her left found deep purchase in her throat, sticking through. Zoey gasped and gurgled as Sarah tried to free her claws, splitting her throat open completely in four ragged crescents. Sarah's right claw whipped back around and smashed into Zoey's head from the side, and her nearly-lifeless body flew into the wall, a leg emitting a crack as it hit a shelf, a sickly crunch coming from her skull. She slid down the wall and stopped, slumped, blood trickling from her lips.

Sarah screamed again, claw dripping with Zoey's blood. She flexed them, then froze when she saw them, the amber quickly dying to give way back to blue. She blinked in confusion and horror, trembling as she started to cry, whirling around to see Zoey lying in the corner. She screamed again, this time in grief, and ran over, stuttering and mumbling as her hands hovered over her. Crying even harder, she reached up and closed her friend's eyes, rocking on her knees, lying her head on her stomach. She then froze again, hearing the slightly-hollower sound of an actual witch, walking toward the door. Casting one last glance at Zoey, she stood and walked that way herself, shuffling quickly, trying to catch her first.

Lucky for them, it dropped at their feet, literally, Francis scowling as blood and mud slopped up onto his boots. He turned around, looking for Zoey and Sarah, listening for them, hoping he wouldn't be hearing only the regretful sobbing of a Witch that had killed her target. He had heard several screams but he wasn't sure if he'd just been imagining them since he was worried, and fighting a Tank at the same time. But he didn't hear anything. "Zoey?" He whispered, stepping forward.

He heard a Witch's scream, crying out and racing backwards, stumbling and grunting when the Witch hit him. She raised her claws and started slashing, hitting his arms and chest. Bill raised his M16 to fire, but hesitated, thinking it was Sarah. Suddenly the Witch screamed in pain, throwing her claws up and her head back. She fell, Sarah standing behind her, the Witch's dark blood standing out against the brighter red blood on her claws. Bill frowned deeply, looking at the blood, then looked around. "Zoey? Where's Zoey?"

Sarah looked at him, whimpering, then started crying, looking at her claws with disgusted hate, trembling so badly they clacked together. Bill paused, fearing that the blood on Sarah's claws was Zoey's, then took off. "Zoey!"

He ran into the warehouse he'd seen both of them go into, then stopped dead in his tracks as he found her. Zoey was lying in a corner on the ground, one leg bent oddly, a series of smiles on her throat. Her eyes were closed, blood on them, indicating that Sarah had closed them. His gray eyes flashed in rage, and he turned around, walking back out. Sarah was trying to help Francis, who was still on the ground but very much alive. She looked up at Bill. "Biilll... I'mmm soorreee..."

Francis groaned, looking up at him. "Why're you sorry? Where's Zoey?"

Bill jerked his thumb back at the warehouse, fuming, the tips of his ears bright red, his jaw set. "In the corner back in the warehouse..."

"Why doesn't she come out?"

The war vet sighed, then roared, "Because she's dead, dumbass!"

Francis jerked up, throwing Sarah back, eyes wide and disbelieving. "What! How?"

Bill glared at Sarah, eyes like silver lasers. "Ask her."

Francis turned to Sarah, his eyes narrowing, and it was just then he noticed the lighter-colored blood on her claws. "Sarah?" 'Please God please let her deny it truthfully...'

Sarah started crying harder. "I'mmmm sooorreeee... Ffraanciisss, I'm sorreee..."

That wasn't a denial. Francis drew his fist back and slammed it into her jaw. She shrieked and flew back, reaching up and holding her cheek, looking at him. "Ffraanciss... pllleaasse... I'mm soorreeee..."

He watched her, standing and groaning, holding his chest. "Sorry doesn't bring Zoey back, Bitch."

Sarah cringed, then curled up, crying into her lap and rocking, holding her claws away from herself as if she couldn't stand being attached to them anymore. Francis turned around, holding his chest and shotgun, and started limping off. Bill watched him. "What of her?"

"Leave her... she's just a zombie."

"I've never seen you just pass up a zombie, Francis..."

Francis paused, then turned around, pumping his shotgun. He walked back over, and held the shotgun to Sarah's face, looking down at the sobbing girl. She stared at the barrel, terror in her eyes, sorrow, regret, and apology there also. His finger tightened on the trigger, then loosened. He dropped the shotgun. "I can't..."

Bill nodded, and pulled his pistol out. "Well I can."

He aimed down the sights at the frightened little girl, and she stared back. He looked one last time into those bright blue eyes, and saw nothing but heartbreak and regret and apology. He blinked, the gun lowering a little, but then his eyes glinted and he raised it back up...

A flock of nearby birds rise up into the air, cawing in fear, as a single gunshot echoes through the city, catching the attention of a figure lurking not too far away. A ragged growl rises from its rancid throat as it searches for its next victims, red eyes piercing the darkness around it...