"...It was simple. The job was to take her to the fireflies and walk away. They thought she was the key to developing a cure, and Judy was just there to accompany her to her destiny. Clem wanted her immunity to mean something. Maybe I was starting to buy into the whole cure business. Or maybe I just wanted to do right by her.

We went through a tunnel filled with infected, and both Judy and Clem almost drowned. The firefly military got there, and they hit Danny and me, leaving us unconscious as well. When we woke up, Bellwether was there. We had finally found the Fireflies. She said Clementine was getting prepped for surgery, just like that. They were gonna make a cure. The only catch? She wouldn't survive."

As Nick said this, he kept on cleaning the dusty guitar he and Gideon had found at an abandoned guitar shop. It was the last one in the whole store, the design of a moth on its neck just visible beneath the dirt. Gideon sat in front of Nick, quietly listening to his brother's story.

"You go halfway across the country with someone…it ain't easy to just…let go," Nick kept dusting the guitar, harder and harder, even when dirt was no longer there. Gid could tell it was hard for Nick to let this story out.

"So what happened next?" he pushed.

Nick stopped dusting the guitar and gave a hard look, one that would freeze up any mammal's skin and fur.

The piles of bodies he left behind were numerous. He was now in front of the door to the operating room. He slammed the door off its hinges with no remorse, and there they were. The sick doctors. They were going to operate on an innocent girl who didn't know what was going on. It was unforgivable.

"Wait!" One of the doctors, a sheep, probably the head surgeon, took a scalpel and pointed it at him threateningly. "This is the key to a vaccine! Millions of children will be saved after this one sacrifice! Believe me, this is hard for me too, but this is not the way! It's what she would've wanted."

The nerve of this doctor. How could he know it's what she would've wanted? They were never gonna ask for her opinion on the matter. Nick, without remorse or fear, walked in front of the doctor and swiftly pushed the scalpel he had in his hand directly onto his neck, a line of blood already running down his surgeon's clothes while he struggled to try to close the wound. Everyone else looked horrified, but he just took Clem and Judy and ran. He ran as far and as fast as he could. He would not lose them. He couldn't lose them! He'd never lose anyone ever again.

"I did what I had to do. I got them out. Even Danny sacrificed himself for me to do it. I told Judy and Clem that there was no cure. That her immunity meant nothing."

"Wait!" said Bellwether, bleeding profusely on the floor where Nick had left her. When he put them both safely in the car, he looked back at her, his revolver aimed at her head.

"Let me go. Please."

He hesitated for a moment. She looked so helpless, laying there on the floor. He had already killed so many innocents. But then he realized why he couldn't let her live. His mind was made up fairly quickly.

"You would just come for them." With this, he shot her in the head, and Bellwether was no more.

After his story was done, Gideon let out a huge breath, not realizing he'd been holding it. The story Nick had told him would've been almost impossible to believe if Nick hadn't been dead serious while telling it. He felt horrible for everything that had happened to him.

"Jesus H. Christ, Nick. I mean, that's one hell of a burden to keep to yourself."

"Why did you think I told you?" The guitar was now dusted, clean enough to play comfortably. He'd promised Clementine he'd teach her how to play, and that's exactly what he was going to do.

"You have this secret safe with me. You know that. I'll take it to the grave if I have to. Though God forbid they ever find out the truth," he said fearfully.

"Thank you, Gid. I'll accept whatever comes my way if that time ever comes."

Gideon nodded somberly, taking a beat before climbing to his feet, grabbing his bag. "Alright, let's go. It's getting late."

Nick sat for a moment, still thinking about what his two girls would do if they ever found out. He decided not to dwell on it at all and just enjoy the time he had with them, now having found safe shelter in Jackson. Their future together will surely make Nick a very happy fox. The happiest fox he'll ever be. All of this mess that he carried in his mind would be worth it in the end. He rose from his seat and joined his brother, the guitar now proudly strapped to his back. He was looking forward to seeing Clem and Judy's reaction to the guitar. He really hoped they'd both like it.

The street outside the store was littered with the corpses of the animals that he and Gideon had shot, their heads destroyed thanks to his shotgun and Gideon's sniper rifle.

Gideon noticed him staring. "More will come. Let's hurry back."

Nick nodded silently, and they both got on their ostriches, riding off into the town. The resting sun illuminated the wheat field they were riding in beautifully, and he wished Clem and Judy were there to see it. He extended his hand and touched some of the passing wheat branches, enjoying the feel of them on his paws. After spending years gripping a gun, the feel of the simplest things gave him great comfort. They weren't just used for violence, but for gentleness as well, something he'd been missing for over five years. Gideon looked at him weirdly but decided not to comment.

"Hey Gid. What do you think about…Judy and me?" Nick asked abruptly, catching Gideon off guard.

He smiled, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "If Cassie could see you, she'd be cursing you for eternity for choosing a rabbit as your partner, hehe." Nick laughed at that statement. "But, I don't mind, if that's what you're thinking. About time you found yourself someone else. Everyone deserves to be happy. More so now that we're living in this fucked-up world."

Nick smiled gratefully. "I feel like I'm repeating myself a lot today, but thanks, Gid."

"Anytime, ya ol' softie," he teased.

Thankfully to them, the rest of the way back to Bunnyburrow went smoothly, no savages or bad mammals of any kind went through their path, and quickly enough they reached the mighty gates of their fort. The one place that had over two-hundred families and counting, probably one of the only gated communities that had worked out. With a fifty-foot long wooden wall all around, as well as posted guards 24 hours a day, it was a well-protected town. Receiving them at the gate were none other than Vicky, Gideon's wife, and Judy, the only bunny able to tame his wild fox self. She was sporting a heavy duty SWAT suit since she was one of the mammals patrolling the entrance. An assault rifle rested on her paws, her finger off the trigger and with the safety on. Ever since they got back to Jackson, Judy had been ready to serve and protect the town, the closest she could get to her old dream of becoming a police officer.

"Hey Slick," she greets him, giving a quick peck on his snout. "How was your little excursion? Found what you were looking for?"

"Oh you wouldn't believe it if I didn't show you, Carrots." He pulled the guitar off his back, turning it to show Judy.

Her eyes gleamed with joy. "Oh my god, Nick. Clementine is going to love this!" She hugged him tightly.

"I know. I'm excited to start teaching her."

"Just don't be too harsh, I know how you can be sometimes," she says jokingly.

"Carrots, I would never be impatient with her. Besides, she's a fast learner. I'm sure she'll pick it up really fast. Kiddo's got a knack for that." Judy nods in agreement.

"She better take care of it though," Gideon said, "Not sure we will ever find a guitar as high quality as that. Not for a long time at least."

He was right. Any kind of quality instruments were in complete scarcity, partly due to how easy to break they were in an apocalypse of this magnitude.

"Clem is good with her stuff. She'll take extra care of it." Nick turned towards Judy, his muzzle oozing smugness. "Say, Fluff, are you excited about your guitar lessons? Just think about it like this: protector of the city at night, romantic guitarist in the day."

Judy gave him a playful punch to his shoulder. "The lessons are free, right?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, the fee is about three kisses per hour, but we can negotiate the pay later."

"Oh gosh, get a room, you two," said Gideon. The four mammals laughed wholeheartedly.

"Alright, Judy, I better get going. See ya in the morning?" Judy nodded, and gave him a kiss on the lips this time.

"Think of that as an advance," Nick could only look at her dreamily. He was hopeless. "Make sure to sing something for me as well, got it?" she asked playfully.

"Of course. Does Take On Me sound good?"

"Yes. yes it does."

With that, Gideon and Nick left to their respective houses in the town. Gideon had saved two special living arrangements for the trio. Clem got her own house, and Judy and Nick shared a place with a guest room in case Clem wanted to stay over. The only problem was there was a bit of distance between houses, but nothing major.

Nick knocked at Clementine's door, but after about a minute he never received a response, and saw that it seemed unlocked. Sure enough, he managed to open the door.

"Clem?" The vixen was on her desk on the far side of the living room, drawing in her notebook and listening to music.

He carefully made his way to where she was, smiling to himself at what he was about to do. With his right leg, he pushed her chair slightly, letting out a short scream from her mouth. "Aah" she looked at him in disbelief.

"Hi," Nick said, smugly.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh come on, you're exaggerating"

She got up from her chair and took off her headphones, now looking straight at him and leaning against the desk. An awkward aura that they couldn't describe surrounded them.

"So…what's up, Nick?"

"Just checking in, kiddo. I've been hearing how you've been helping out a lot around the town, and how everybody really appreciates the hard work you've been putting in. I'm proud, myself." Nick smiled, but the tense atmosphere lingered. Clementine still wasn't sure of what to say.

Nick tried breaking the ice a different way. "When I went out with Gideon today he told me a joke that I was sure you'd love. It was…uhm…crap…i think I forgot it…Something about a camel….?"

"Nick, look," she interrupted. "It's a bit late, and I gotta get up in a few hours, so…"

"Right. Right, I won't keep you much longer. Just gotta show you something real quick and then I'll be outta your fur, I promise," before she could protest he went back to her door and got the guitar, seemingly leaning on one of the sides.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well, some folks around these parts call this a gee-tar," Nick joked.

"Funny."

"I…I could play you something right now, if ya like. It'll be quick I promise," Nick wanted her so much to say yes.

"Sure," she said, smiling.

"Alright. Promise you won't laugh?"

"I won't laugh. I could never," she smiled again, warming Nick's heart.

"Alright. Keep your promise, kiddo."

With this, he began. He started small, remembering the notes of his favorite song, and the song that exemplified everything that Clementine and Judy meant to him, and what he would do if he were to lose them. To Clem's amazement, he began to sing.

If I ever were to lose you, I'd surely lose myself

Nick's voice was rough, and definitely not the best singing voice ever created, but the meaning behind the song was enough to him. Clementine surely did not mind. To her, he sounded angelical.

Everything I have found dear, I've not found by myself

Clem listened intently, smiling. She loved that he was doing this for her. To cheer her up. But the pain in her heart still remained.

Try and sometimes you'll succeed, to make this man of me

All my stolen, missing parts, I've no need for anymore

He was doing it. He was pouring his heart out in song when he couldn't let it out with his own words. She was seeing what he truly felt.

I believe

And I believe 'cause you can see

Our future days

Days of you and me

As he finished, a small tear traced down Clem's face, the vixen wiping it away before he could notice.

"That…did not suck," she said, grinning, enjoying teasing her surrogate father.

"I'll take what I can get."

Nick got up and proceeded to offer her the guitar.

"Here. This is yours."

"No no no no, I don't know the first thing about this!"

"I promised I'd teach you, didn't I?" he asked her.

She sighed in defeat. "You did." She finally grabbed the guitar. It was the perfect size for her.

"What do ya say? First lesson tomorrow night?" She nodded at him, and then her eyes traveled back to the guitar.

"Alright then. Good night kiddo." With this, he was about to leave her and go to bed. It had been a long day today.

"Wait," Clementine said abruptly. "Did you remember the joke?"

He stopped and stared back at her. Nick smiled and then nodded. "What do you call a three-humped camel?" Clem shrugged in response, waiting for Nick's answer. "Pregnant."

She gave a quick but cute laugh. "That was dumb." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Night, Nick. Tell Judy good night as well."

"Will do, Clementine. Rest up." With this, Nick left feeling absolutely proud of himself and happy. He couldn't wait to tell Judy what happened.

Back at the cabin, Clem looked curiously at the guitar, admiring how beautiful it looked, and with the pinkie finger of her right hand, she touched one of the strings, smiling for what the future might hold for the three of them. Still, the lingering thoughts of Nick's lie lay in her mind, and she would be determined to find out what he was hiding.

4 years later

The Otter trekked the dangerous forest carefully. It had been a few months since she had traversed through the island after her desertion. She and her sister had run away from their mother. They were no longer accepted within their community.

As a seraphite, Sam only wanted to serve the Maid, and obey her promise forever. She felt like a failure for feeling the way she felt, but there was no way to change it. She was extremely grateful for her sister for being there for her through everything. Thanks to Sam, though, her sister had lost everything, even an arm; She didn't want her sister to suffer anymore, which is why she was making this trip alone. She knew Yara would be close on her tail, so she needed to act fast.

The seraphite island had never looked so unwelcome for the young otter. When she had been a younger otter, everything was so precious and inviting. The trees were big and strong, their bark all they needed for their houses and tools. Their rivers and coasts were the ultimate source of food, serving a seemingly unlimited amount of fish for them to feast. It was all a gift from the Maid. This island gave them all they needed. They would reject the tools of the old world and embrace the new world they had been given. That was what she thought, before everything went to hell.

She heard a sudden noise from behind her back and quickly nocked an arrow, aiming towards the noise. It was just a small swallow. With the noise that she made, it flew away almost instantly. She breathed again, calming herself. She had been on edge ever since she got to the island. Her future encounter with her mother was not going to be pretty, but she wanted to convince her that they could still be a family, mom, Yara, and her.

While shaving her whiskers made her feel liberating, it also elicited a strong emotion from the community. A male otter must not shave his whiskers, they always said. This is because the males hunted in the sea with the help of their whiskers while females didn't need them because their duty was to hunt in the ground and raise children. From a very early age, Sam never felt like a sea hunter, preferring the more delicate activities she would do with her sister. Punishment for disobeying such customs was nothing less than execution. She loved her new self, but she couldn't help but love her mother as well. She wanted to see her, to make her understand. That she was still her sweet baby Sam and that nothing could ever change that. A true mother would understand. She felt like The Maid would understand that as well.

After heading deeper into the wooden jungle, she finally found the hut they used to reside in. It was big, with a triangular design like all their other wooden houses. The fire was lit, large billowing plumes of smoke dispersing against the sky. A drop of water fell suddenly and slid down her cheek like a tear. When she looked up, she saw that many more droplets were falling. The storm had started. Bow and arrow in hand, she took a deep breath and went inside the hut.

She found her mother, her back to the wall, kneeling in front of a painting of the Maid. She was an otter, just like her, although taller, the firelight reflecting off her sleek brown fur. The painting showed a vixen of old age, with one of her paws raised in the air with many other animals behind her, "Feel her Love" imprinted in black paint. Her mother was praying to the Maid. Sam didn't know what for, but she suspected it was for her own survival, and the survival of everyone on the island. The incoming war would be the deadliest in the history of their community. The Wolves would be absolutely relentless and she knew it.

"Come back to kill me, my son?" she said, still looking at the painting.

"I am your daughter now, mother. Please understand."

"No. You are not my daughter!" She looks back, her eyes filled with rage. "You were supposed to marry Lyria, the most beautiful girl in the entire island. You were supposed to bring pride to your family!"

"I can still do that! I can do all that you wish of me, but not as a man!"

"I only have one daughter, Samuel! That daughter is Yara! If you don't understand that, I will call the chief and arrange for your execution. The same goes for Yara, that little bitch. She has tainted my name even more. Do you know what they call me now?" She was now standing, looking straight at Sam, getting closer and closer with every word she said. Her tears were visible, and so were Sam's.

"Samantha. My name is Samantha!"

Her mother swiped at Sam's cheek, drawing blood. Her claws were not as sharp, so the cut hurt even more.

"You will obey your mother, and abandon this path you have chosen. You will listen to me!" Her face softened, and got on Sam's eye level. She grabbed both her cheeks, wiping the blood off her damaged cheek. "My love, there are things in this world that we just can't have. I've wanted many things from my life, even before the Maid came into our lives. The fact of the matter is, we aren't all allowed to be happy. It's a myth. It's impossible. When one person is happy, the other is sad. What matters is that we can also share the unhappiness we feel. Your condition is wrong, and it has to be corrected. I will be with you every step of the way. I promise."

The hug that her mother gave her didn't feel like anything. It wasn't warm or comforting. It was like a thousand arrows were piercing her in the heart. Sam had received her much-needed answer; Her mother would never accept her.

"No. You're wrong. I am going to be happy." She pushed her away. "And you will not prevent me from doing that!"

"The Maid has not reached your heart, Samuel!" she pointed at the painting. "You must feel her love!"

"The only love I can't feel is yours," Sam said coldly. "I'm leaving. I should have never come back here."

"As you wish," her mother said, taking a few steps back, moving towards the altar. Sam didn't feel sad for leaving her mother anymore. She was satisfied. "But you'll have to earn your freedom."

The cold steel of a machete glinted in the firelight as she ran towards Sam, her arm raised high above her. Sam desperately tried to nock an arrow but her mother slapped the bow away with her left hand, bringing down the machete with her right. Sam dodged the blade and kicked her knee, sending her to the floor.

Sam took a few steps back, readying an arrow as she waited, heart thundering in her ears. Her breath hitched as her mother pushed herself up. Blood poured from her neck, the machete embedded in her trachea. She began choking as she tried pulling out the machete. It was the most blood Sam had ever seen. She backed away further, eyes wide with horror as her back pressed up against one of the hut's walls, the otter sliding down it slowly until she was sitting, with her knees covering her mouth. Despite the carnage, she could not look away as her mother, slowly dying, looked into her eyes.

"The world…gaaahh…not in baaaghlance," her mother tried to say. Sam immediately recognized it as the beginning of the Maid's prayer, the one she had created for all her followers to pray to.

"May youghhhaa guide me…" She'd skipped to the last line but even then, she couldn't finish it. Her body grew limp, and she struggled no longer. Her dying words were not to her daughters, but to the cause. Even in death, she didn't think of Sam or Yara.

She didn't know what to do anymore, so she just let her tears flow. The ones she had tried so hard to keep inside. The monster that was her mother was finally gone, so why did she still feel so shitty? Why did she have to keep loving her mother? She would never come to know that answer, or try to even ponder it, as she saw the ones tracking her down go into the hut. Her sister and their new vixen companion had come to get her.

The war between the Wolves and the Seraphites was about to begin.

Somewhere in the Outskirts of Wyoming

"Yo Owen, Are you sure it's this way?" said a young wolf to the mammal currently in front of him, riding an ostrich through the rough terrain.

Owen's fur bristled with irritation at the voice of the wolf behind him."Yes, Manny, I'm sure, now shut the fuck up, please," said the leader, a young fox in a black thermal outfit. They might have fur, but the cold of Wyoming didn't forgive anyone.

"Hey I didn't mean no offense, hermano. I'm just tired as fuck."

"Get in line," said a vixen, in similar attire. "I'm tired too and you don't see me complaining."

"That's 'cause you're super jacked, Abby. You got double the muscle on those arms of yours."

"The better to kill you with," she joked.

"Hija de puta," he muttered.

"Hey, I heard you, pendejo! Yeah, I know some Spanish!"

"Alright stop it you two," said another female fox. She directed her sight towards the wolf. "Owen knows what he's doing, Manny. Trust him like we always have."

"Thanks, Mel," said Abby. "That asshole never knows when to shut up."

"You too, Abby. Remember, you're the reason why we're here," she looked at Abby with cold eyes. Owen looked back at Mel in concern, not going unnoticed to Abby. She decided not to bring it up.

"Relax, we're just buddies. Right, Manny?"

"Just get me out of this cold, please," he said, this time with a pleading look.

"We'll get there when we get there, Manny," said Owen.

The road from the Washington Liberation Front camp in Seaotter to Wyoming was not easy. It had been about two weeks of travel and they were finally nearing their destination. Abby hoped the tip she received was true, because she would see red if they didn't find what she was looking for. She'd been lucky enough to get permission from Bogo to travel here and didn't want the journey to go to waste.

They were a group of eight strong, all looking for something in particular. Three of them were foxes, consisting of Abby, Mel, and Owen, long-time friends since they were kids. Two of them were wolves, Manny and Leah. They didn't know each other much, but Abby considered them closest friends to her. Manny was a bit of a casanova, but his tricks never worked on her. Leah might have hooked up with him, but she didn't really care to find out if they did. The only prey in the group, Jordan, was a black-furred European hare. Abby and him used to be big troublemakers back in their respective Quarantine Zone. The last two were both arctic foxes, named Nora and Rick, which was their saving grace in this harsh winter, something Abby was very envious of. Just like her, they all had lost something very important five years ago, and they were each hoping that with this trip, some of their sanity might be restored.

The terrain was so rough that they'd been forced to ditch their ostriches, something Leah wasn't too happy about, since her ostrich had been given to her as a gift from her girlfriend. Abby told her that it was either that or they eat it. She didn't complain after that.

The forest was eerily quiet, the birds all sheltering from the snow. They had about three weeks' worth of rations, so they needed to find some more as soon as possible or their mission would be cut short.

Abby didn't know when Owen had become a confident leader. Back when they dated, he had always been more comfortable at the back of a line than in front of it. She wondered if Mel had had something to do with it, what with her being such a dominant vixen in everything. She might have commanded him to act more alpha. A wave of jealousy crashed through her, but she knew such feelings were wrong. Owen had moved on, and she had to as well.

If someone had told Abby five years ago that she'd become one of the WLF's most notorious fighters, she'd have told them to fuck off. She'd never been one to kill unless it was really necessary to, but after…the incident, all she could think about was ripping out hearts the same way they had ripped out hers. All of her relationships suffered for it, including her and Owen, but a large part of her didn't care. Her face darkened. Some of her friends had helped her forget, but it was temporary. In the calm of the night, the nightmares always came back, and they were always the same. The same long hallway. The same blood-red firefly sign, and after that door…

"Abby?" Owen pulled her from her thoughts. She had spaced out so much she was walking side by side with him.

"Sorry. Lost in my thoughts."

"It'll all be over soon," he assured her. "We'll leave all this shit behind and start from zero."

"I hope so." She hardly ever thought of the future. She only had one goal in mind; everything else could wait.

A street sign came into view as they climbed down a snow covered hill. Owen pulled his knife from his backpack and scraped away the snow to read what it said.

"Jackson County, five miles. We're close," he said, putting the knife away.

"Ugh, five more miles?" Manny complained. "That's like five more hours walking in this shitty snow."

"Jeez, can you stop complaining already?" asked Leah. "You're really getting on my nerves."

"I don't need you guys to say anything because this snow is like nothing to you guys! I'm freezing my balls off!"

"Not much to see there, I'm afraid," said Abby with a grin, eliciting a chuckle from the rest of the group. Manny looked the other way, annoyed, until his eyes widened at something he saw. He quickly took off towards it.

"Hey, where you goin'? You're not embarrassed are you?" Abby said, following the wolf, who now seemed to be in much higher spirits. It was only then that she saw what was getting him so motivated and she also picked up her pace.

"Hey, Abby!" Owen said, running to join them, the whole group now following.

They had to climb another hill, which exhausted their legs in a matter of seconds, but when they got there, they were amazed at what awaited them. It was a cabin, big enough to hold all of them.

Manny didn't waste any time and swiftly opened the door, feeling right away the change in temperature of his fur. He saw a fireplace with wood already in it and muttered something under his breath that Abby couldn't pick out, probably thanking god for giving him this gift.

He pulled a lighter from his pocket, holding it under the kindling until it caught, giving a long sigh in satisfaction. "This is pure bliss."

Owen and the others joined him and Abby.

"What were you thinking, running off like that? What if there were savages in this house?" Owen screamed, furious.

"I'd handle it. But as you can see, there is nobody here so we got ourselves a humble abode. C'mon, let's just rest here for the night!"

"No way. Get your sorry butt out of that fireplace and let's go." Since Manny wasn't obeying him, he decided to get him out forcefully, until Abby got in between both of them.

"Owen. Manny's kinda right. It's been a long day. The best we can do is rest now and be ready for what comes tomorrow."

Everyone looked at her in surprise. It had been her idea to travel as fast as possible and to rest only when necessary, her sudden streak of compassion was out of character.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Our target doesn't expect anyone to visit him, so we have time to plan out what we're gonna do once we get to him." Mel looked at Abby with a frown, unable to comprehend why she was so calm now. Was she afraid of what she wanted to do? Wasshe getting cold feet? Only those things were in her mind.

"For once, I agree with Abby," said Manny, eyes already closed, ready to doze off.

"Of course you would," snapped Rick, Manny ignoring him.

Owen stayed quiet, pondering what they should do. "Fine. We'll stay here." An excited scream from the wolf was heard.

They spent the rest of the afternoon setting up their gear and sleeping mats, Mel cooking the hawks they'd killed along their journey that day, giving them a reasonable amount to eat.

The cabin was surprisingly spacious, almost definitely belonging to a wealthy mammal years past. Abby found herself a nice spot beside the fireplace to rest that night. The house had a beautiful glass pane that let in the blueish tint of the snow-filled mountains. It also had a spacious attic and a basement. She'd been right in telling Owen to rest here, it was the perfect spot. She had been feeling tired herself, and getting closer to her destination had made her feel even more uneasy, her memories coming back in waves and always staying within the reaches of her mind, forcing her to relive them again and again. It was painful, and she needed to calm herself before the task she was about to overtake in the following days.

Mel placed the food by her feet, quickly returning to Owen. She had become increasingly close to him in the past…. Yes, they were dating, but Mel was never as clingy as Owen.

"So, do we know where to look?" Nora asked in between bites.

Abby chewed on some meat, taking her time to respond. "My tip only said he's somewhere in this area. Best we can do is search every nook and cranny of Jackson and see what info we get from that."

"I hope we don't have to look too far," said Jordan, also eating a hawk but looking disgusted by it. "We're already miles from Seaotter, the trip back could be a nightmare."

"We'll worry about that once we're done. We already got here a week earlier than anticipated, so we might as well take our time looking."

Mel scoffed.

"Got something to say, Mel?" Abby asked.

She crossed her paws, looking at everyone but Abby. "Are we sure this is the right thing to do?" asked Mel. "I mean, what if this brings more trouble than it's worth?"

"He's the one who should've asked himself that. This world may be lawless, but justice needs to be served, one way or another."

"Justice. Right," Mel said, sarcastically.

"You agreed to join us, Mel," said Nora. "If you had any problems with this you should've…"

"I'm only here to prevent Owen from dying!" She interrupted. "That day was hard for everyone. I lost people too. But I managed to grow past that and have a new life with the WLF. I feel like that is worth more than some manhunt." Mel glared at Abby, not bothering to hide the contempt in her gaze.

"Mel, you don't have to agree with me," Abby started. "But you can't stop me, or convince me that what I'm doing is wrong. That thing took everything from me. Every semblance of a future was gone when that happened. So you can go back to your goody two shoes way of living and let me be. It's not you who'll get her hands dirty."

No one, not even Owen, knew how to react to that. A very uncomfortable silence rose as the two vixens looked at each other. Some of the members lowered their eyes, but others stayed motionless.

"I'm going to sleep somewhere else tonight," she grabbed her sleeping mat and hurried off to the living room.

"Mel, wait!" said Owen, following her.

Part of Abby felt sad about what she said to Mel, but hearing her talk about how much better she was doing pissed her off. Not everyone got to feel as happy as her, and she needed to understand that. Abby's pain was incomprehensible to most people, even Owen. She wished more of them understood just how hurt she truly was, and how much better she would feel once the person responsible for it was six feet under.

Mel and Owen never came back. Abby assumed they'd slept in the living room, Owen probably not able to convince her to come back. It was midnight, but Abby didn't want to sleep. Waiting for them had been her excuse, but it didn't seem like they would be coming back for the night, so she resigned herself and got on her sleeping mat. As soon as her eyes were shut, the cursed hallway became alive, a ghostly shape in her presence. She wasn't moving, but the hallway was moving for her, getting closer and closer, enough for her to see the blood-red firefly figure. She didn't want to go inside the door. She never wanted to go inside that damn door. She didn't. She didn't. She didn't. She didn't.

The night passed, leading to a new day. As the sun gave way to the start of the morning, so did the town a few miles into Jackson. Owen got up early to inspect the area. He looked to the horizon, and there he saw it. Bunnyburrow. They'd found their destination.