"Forest?"

"Are you with us?"

"I think he's waking up..."

The boy slowly opened his eyes and let things come into focus. That's when he realized where he was. What little light was left of the day glared at him through the glass of the attic. Blinking, the boy managed upright and noticed that he was on a bed, a layer of covers over him.

This wasn't right.

Looking around, he found two people to be standing beside him. Jett and Winter.

"You're awake?"

Winter?

Returning her look, his heart dropped. Was she crying? But why would she be crying?

And that's when it hit him.

His eyes turned hard and desperate. "Winter, tell me she's okay."

Sniffling, she shook her head. "I... I don't know."

What does she mean? He snapped his attention to Jett on the other side of the bed. "Where did the blood lead? Tell me."

"It was Jake."

He tilted his head. Wasn't he the shy one that appeared just before the search? "What about Autumn?"

When his uncle gave Winter a hesitant glance, Forest scowled.

"We never found her... or Holly. They're missing just like Ryan, Kimberly, and Lane," his uncle said in a grave tone.

"Missing?" He paused. "Are you two idiots? Let's go find them!" He crawled out of bed and found his feet. Stumbling in the direction of the ladder, he ignored the persistent voices behind him.

But then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Forest shrugged it away and turned to meet its owner. "What's wrong with you, Fox?"

His uncle gave a heavy sigh as he lowered his gaze. "I made the hard choice. You need to hear me out."

"No."The boy nearly went for the ladder when he instead locked eyes with Winter. She was frowning at him and he frowned right back. "What is it?"

"When I followed that trail of blood, I... I saw Jake. He was barely recognizable." The man took a breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The trail - it stopped, so we don't know about Autumn or Holly. They're gone just like the others. But I couldn't look, I just couldn't."

"Yeah, and why's that?" Forest demanded.

Jett didn't say anything.

"Tell me-"

"-it's all your fault!" Winter interrupted, frustrated.

What? Her brother faced the girl, hurt. "What are you talking about?"

"As always, brother, whenever you're in a bad situation, you have a seizure. You did this. They probably would have been found by now if you didn't get all worked up. Jett and Skylar went right back here because of you." She wiped at her eyes. "If she... dies, her blood is on your hands."

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Forest shook his head. Under her accusing eyes, he shifted. "You're wrong. None of this is on me."

"Yes, it is."

"No! They should have kept looking! You know what I would've wanted. I wouldn't even think of coming back here without them, and you know that," the boy spat.

"I told you... I made the hard decision."

Forest looked back at Jett. "Yeah, and what about the right decision?" he questioned. When there was no response, he scoffed. "I'm awake, so let's go."

"You're not going anywhere," Skylar said from the room below. "It's way too dangerous."

Without another word, Forest climbed down the ladder and went for the front door.

"Wait, there's more you need to know," Jade insisted from the opposite side of the room. Confronting the bewildered boy, her eyes were critical. "Not only is it getting dark, but there are cougars about. Skylar told me you came across one, and so did my group. And, evidently, so did the others..."

"As Holly once said, what wouldn't you do for family?" Forest asked, and reached for the doorknob only to be held back. He tried to pry her hand from his arm, but it wouldn't budge. "Get off me!"

"No," Jade said, panicked, "we can't lose any more people!"

The boy stopped struggling. Staring at her with anger, she stared back with guilt.

"Boy," Skylar said mockingly, "if you step a foot outside, you're dead. As of an hour ago, three cougars were surrounding us. But if that's what you really want, then be my guest."

A shiver ran down Forest's spine. His sudden hesitance must have been obvious because the woman let go of his arm and backed away.

"Guns? Are you people telling me that you no longer have any guns?"

The silence was broken when Skylar abrupted from the couch and stepped over to the commotion. "Holly told me about all those walkers you came across. The same mob that killed your father." The woman ignored Forest's glare. "We don't want to use any loud weapons for awhile; not until we know it's safe. We don't want any more casualties."

When there was yet another pause, the boy gave his sister a dirty look. "Are you not going to say anything?" he pressed. "You're not even going to defend Dad?"

"What's there to say?" she said, avoided his eyes. "He was a casualty. What did she say that triggered you?"

"He's so much more than a casualty!" If Autumn were there, he knew that she'd step in right about then and put an end to the fight. That's just the kind of person she was. But she wasn't there, and so he continued. "Mom's death really did change you!"

"Shut it," she muttered. She locked eyes with her brother and stepped forward. "You don't get to talk about her."

"The day you saw her dead on that bed - you changed! You've never been the same!"

"Shut it."

"I just want my sister back!"

"I said shut your mouth!"

Forest barely had time to move before he was tackled to the ground by Winter. She punched him in the face once. And then twice. All the while, the boy squirmed from under her.

"Stop, you're hurting me," he cried. The boy tried to push her away, but it was of no use. "Please!"

Jade was already to his rescue. Despite Winter's effort, she was pulled to her feet by the woman and they eyed one another for a long moment.

Flustered, Forest held a hand over his face and felt a strange liquid drizzle from his chin. Blood. He had no doubt that a bruise would develop, but that was the least of his worries.

"Are you okay?"

Forest looked at Jett with a frown. "Am I okay? What about Autumn and Holly?"

"In the early hours, we'll search for them. If those cougars are still around, we'll use guns. Don't worry. We'll find them. And if not, then I will." His uncle's words were confident.

Despite himself, the boy nodded.

"Speak for yourself. I ain't about to risk my life again. Not after yesterday," Skylar stated, shaking her head. "I almost died. Do you not see this?" She held up her bandaged arm, frowning.

"Hey," Winter said, snapping a finger in her face, "you're coming. I risked my life for your people, so you'll do the same for us. Don't test me."

"Only one of yours is missing," Skylar mumbled.

"Yeah, and one of yours is too, so what's the problem?"

When the two locked eyes, Jade put a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Ladies, back up. You know how much I hate fighting."

With a defeated sigh, Winter stepped in the direction of the ladder. "The moment the sun comes up, we're leaving. All of us."

Her brother flinched when a sudden hand ruffled through his hair. "Jett?"

"You should get some sleep. There's no point in staying up all night," the man said.

"No, I'm not coming up there. Winter's ready to kill me. Besides, I couldn't sleep if I tried." The boy averted his gaze and wiped at his eyes. "I hate that I have to wait. I hate knowing that any second could be her last."

Jett pulled the boy into a reassuring hug. "You'll see her again."

"I best see her alive," Forest added and drew back. "I guess I'll go check on Winter. Maybe I can calm her down."

He immediately caught sight of his sister after climbing up the ladder. "Hey."

Hands pressed against the window, she immediately turned to face him. "Quit the small talk. You know what we're doing, don't you?"

He blinked a few times. "What are you talking about?"

"You and I are leaving," she said, and nodded at a box sitting in the corner of the room. "They have flashlights... and they work. When they are all asleep - that's when."