It's now been several days since I lost contact with the Fireflies. I've been heading north as much as possible. The silence during this journey has drawn my mind inward. The military guy's words keep playing in my head "we'll bring enough guys to get the job done." I keep seeing the folder falling out of my pack in slow motion. I've possibly lead the military and or the Fireflies directly to Tommy. My stomach growls as I take countless steps through this hot forest. Visibility is becoming worse as dark gray smoke begins to paint over the skyline. I eventually come across a stream, the water is ice cold. Tears roll down my cheeks as I sit down. After debating it for several hours I decide to take off the Firefly pendant and toss it into the creek. I watch as it slides over several pebbles before getting stuck on a rock after a few seconds it goes on a little further before getting stuck on another rock. I take my shoes and socks off before walking across the creek in my bare feet. It's quite possible that they are all dead. Waiting here is not really an option, so I put the socks and shoes back on and continue to make my way north getting closer and closer to Montana.
I know that sound. It can be confusing at first but after several screams it becomes pretty obvious. There's an infected inside a small gas station at the top of this hill. Of course the only place around here that might have some food is guarded by one of those things. A daydream of knocking down the door, taking down the infected and diving into a stash of food doesn't last long. Smoke can still be seen on the horizon behind me while more flowing water is up ahead. There can't only be bad guys left, can there? Surely there are still some good people left in this world. I pass a couple of small rusty buildings. While I'm inside the building I get maybe a couple of hours of sleep. I don't know really that sort of thing is hard to keep track of. Afterwards I walk along a two lane road. Staying off the actual road as much as possible. It's a bit of a steep climb. The hope is that I can find a small town. So that maybe I can figure out where I am. Wait a second, what was that? I stop in my tracks and listen. A couple of gusts of wind but nothing seems to come of it. I take a step before I hear it again. It's hard to tell what it is, a couple of quick noises and then nothing. Should I keep going or should I check it out? There's definitely something down there. I don't know how long I'm going to make it if I don't find something. Chances are something bad will find me if I go down there. I decide I'll check it out while staying as far away as possible. I stub my toe immediately on some rocks and they slide down the hillside. My chest tightens as I make my descent. I'm not hearing anything anymore but I decide to keep going. The rocks feel loose underneath my feet, each step is a location giveaway just waiting to happen. A quick glimpse of the back half of a dog is all that I see. Wringing my hands does nothing to calm the nerves. Standing behind a tree I look for the next tree to hide behind. It's a good twenty feet away, quick and fast or slow and steady I'm not sure how to make it to the next hiding spot. A squirrel drops down the branch above me and starts chirping away. A couple of dog barks close in on me. I run like a trapped animal, knowing there's no getting away. It isn't long until the dog has me pinned against a couple of boulders. The seconds tick slowly by as I wait for it to tear into me. Its teeth are long and white and its back is arced for strike. "Raja!" An arrowhead peaks out behind the nearest tree, then the bow being held by a hand. The dog puts his teeth away as the girl steps out of the shadows. She paces around the dog, arrow pulled tight aiming directly at me. "Drop your bag" she says. I take it off and hold it in my right hand. "Toss it this way" then she adds quickly "on the ground." I do what she says. The dog sniffs at the bag as she puts the bow around herself, pulling her ponytail out from underneath the bow. She snatches the bag and finds the file. A rock is up against my right foot. I couldn't take both of them. She tilts her head as her eyebrows furl in anger. "Who are you?" she asks while pulling out a switchblade. The dog returns to a striking position. "Why do you have this?" she asks referring to the open file in her hand. "I'm just trying to find him" I say half scared to death. "Why?" she asks. "Um" I think about telling her about how I meet him and how that chance encounter has made me want to grow up and be like him, but that would probably be too long winded. So I just say what comes to mind next, "to warn him." She gazes at Tommy's Firefly pendant for a few seconds. "Warn him of what?" she asks in a non-threating voice. I feel the tension ease up slightly "the military, the Fireflies, which ever one makes it to him first." She puts the file away and zips up the bag before tossing it around her shoulders. "Lift up your shirt" she says. So I do, "now spin around, you got any weapons on you?" she asks. "No" I reply. "Now your pants legs" she orders. I pull up the legs of my pants and push my socks down only revealing my hairy legs. "No weapon well that's dumb" she says. With bow in hand she leads me into the open field. "What's your name?" she asks. "Alex" I reply without feeling the need to ask her the same. "I'm Ellie and the dog's name is Raja, I'm going to take you to see Tommy and then they'll figure out what to do with you." I think to myself should I put my hands on my head? Maybe I shouldn't make any quick movements. An infected approaches, the thought of running comes to mind but they jump into action too quickly for me to do anything. The dog gets the infected's attention by running circles around it. She steadies an arrow and plants it directly into its head. "Don't move" she says before walking over and pulling the arrow out of the infected's skull.
We make it to a tall gate with several people posted up above. "Hey Ellie" yells one of the men on top. "This guy says he wants to see Tommy" she yells back. The man climbs down behind the gate out of sight from us. We wait several minutes before anything happens. Then suddenly the gate slowly opens and out walks a red headed guy followed by a longer hair blonde guy. It takes me several moments before I realize it's him. Ellie walks up to him and says something to him before giving him the file. She takes the dog and enters the gate. Tommy takes a quick breath that slightly tilts his head back. The red headed guy keeps a hand on the gun that is holstered on his waist. "This was a long time ago, where did you find this" Tommy says shaking the folder in the air. "I was in the Fireflies" I reply. "I'm sure you don't remember me" I add. "No you look to be too young, for us to be in the Fireflies at the same time" he says. "No" I respond. "Are there more coming?" he asks. "Yes" I answer hesitatingly. "I doubt that" the redhead guy says. "Those forest fires should slow them down a bit" he adds. "Yeah well he got through" Tommy adds. "I came here because you saved me and my mom a couple of years ago back in Starks, Colorado" I say. I continue with "you told me not to join the Fireflies." A small smile comes across his face. He responds, "that must have been near the end." Red spots suddenly cover his neck and chin. I watch as he kneels over me "hey kid". The redheaded guy grabs Tommy's arm and pulls him away towards the gate. Pressure vibrates my eardrums before everything goes black.