Forest blinked hard. "What?" he croaked, cocking his head.

"Skylar was breathing a minute ago, but she stopped." Galant bore his eyes into the boys'. "Now she might really be gone."

Wasting no more time, Jade dropped to her side, put one hand over the other, and began CPR. All the while, she cried fresh tears. "Please be okay. P-please be okay."

Galant let out a heavy breath, then pushed her aside. "You keep bending your elbows. Move." His tone dripped low with authority. "You're not doing it right."

Instead of protesting, Jade complied and watched in horror.

"Plus, your hands were an inch down," Galant explained, "but for an adult, it must be two inche-"

"Just work!" Winter snapped. "No one cares!"

Forest flinched at her cold words, frozen to the core. Had God saved Skylar only for her to die anyway? "Lord," he whispered, "why?" Sniffling, the boy closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Seconds turned into minutes before someone finally spoke.

"G... guys?" came a hesitant voice. "You can look now."

Was that Jade? Opening his eyes, Forest met her gaze and searched them. "What's g-going on?" he asked. "Why are you smiling?"

"See for yourself."

After a long moment, the boy finally obeyed and beamed brightly. Drained and weak, the woman was gasping for air, clutching her chest. It was a painful sight, but what mattered is that was even alive. "Skylar?" he said gently.

"Do you need anything?" asked an uneasy Jade. "Water, maybe?"

Instead of responding, Skylar squirmed under the familiar faces, still struggling to breathe.

"You're lucky," Galant began, slow and thoughtful. "Not only did you not die, but no ribs or cartilage were broken during the CPR."

Forest shifted as the pause dragged on. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Skylar swallowed hard, staring back at him. With a heavy grunt, she finally managed upright and swatted the helping hands away. "I'm great." She lowered her gaze. "Just... great."

"You were shot," Winter said, all too bluntly. "Just like Jett and I were." When she earned looks of disappointment, the girl scoffed. "What? She has the right to know!"

"You really think I don't know that?" Skylar sneered. "You think I don't know that I have a hole in my chest?!" As quick as it came, however, the woman did what she could to recover. "How on earth did you defeat those monsters? What happened when I was out?"

"It was Holly," Autumn answered. "Holly saved us." She searched her face for a reaction that never came. "You don't believe me?"

Skylar laughed dryly, giving an angry smirk. "Don't joke with me," she pressed, "not now, and not about her."

"She's telling the truth."

Turning to the voice, Skylar's entire demeanor sank. "Are you really real?" she cried. "Or am I hallucinating?" Then her face clouded with alarm. "Am I dead, Holly?"

Holly offered a weak smile, struggling for composure. "No, you're not. I'm real and you're alive." With that, the woman bent down and hugged her tightly, only for Skylar to groan. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"I hurt... everywhere, at the moment," Skylar said, politely escaping the gesture, then she studied her. "It's been months, Holly, months! Where were you? Do you have any idea how long it's been? And how desperate we were to find you? We were going to that prison just to look for you. I didn't even think you were alive, but just in case... Holly, do you have any idea?"

"I know that feeling more than you realize," the woman said, wiping at her eyes. "You thought you lost one person, but I thought I lost every one of you. Every one. It wasn't like I had a shoulder to lean on, either. When I was in that prison, I was all alone." Holly exhaled deeply, her face twisting with mourn. "Winter and Autumn came for a little while, and I escaped with them, but I was recaptured."

"I'm so sorry," Autumn said, placing a hand over her shoulder. "You didn't deserve that."

Holly met her gaze and forced a smile. "When I realized that I was by myself, I was happy for the two of you, but then I started to have a bad feeling. Maybe you guys were found and killed in the woods!" The woman paused, releasing a breath. "During this time, I only had Galant. He was the only one who never interrogated me. The only person I trusted."

Galant mulled over her words, considering his own. "I'm really not the bad guy here. I never was. The very moment I first knocked on the front door, my intentions were good. It's true, what Ashton said."

"What is?" Forest asked roughly. "Answer me."

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"I am known for my many lies, but not once have I lied to any of you. I can see good in you people. More good than I have ever seen in my own," Galant explained matter-of-factly. "Holly treated me with more respect than anyone ever did. She's the reason I came back; I had to get her out of there."

"So you weren't lying about the cure being poisoned?" Winter asked, more than uneasy.

The man shook his head, then turned back to Holly. "But I guess it was all for nothing. Holly escaped anyway."

"I'll explain later," she said, flickering a look at them all. "Let's wait for Skylar, and continue home."

-

While Forest and Autumn supported their sister, Jade and Galant assisted Skylar. All the while, the air was cold and distant. This would go on for the remainder of the trip. The first voice spoke up when the farmhouse was in view, the evening dark having set in.

"Well, we're here," Holly said, leading the way. She tossed a glance over her shoulder, grinning. "I've really missed this place."

The boy inwardly sighed, not caring to respond. And I really miss the bunker.

Making their way forward, they stumbled over the mocking twigs and stones. Only when they managed up to porch steps could anyone breathe. After giving a look around, Holly opened the door, and in they walked.

Slowly, Forest and his sister helped Winter onto the couch in the middle of the room. Then, with a pat on her arm, Forest left the scene.

That familiar smell of musk greeted his nostrils as he climbed up the ladder. Coughing into an elbow, the boy stood and wandered close to the windows. "Home, sweet home," he mumbled. "Home, sweet home."

Forest's mind spun, the events of that day reeling through his head. With a soft sigh, he looked beyond the farmhouse, then closed his eyes. Uncle Jett should be here right now. As much as the boy had wished things had gone differently, he couldn't deny that it could be much worse. Winter and Skylar were still here.

After a long moment, Forest opened his eyes and observed. The outside seemed ever-so-peaceful, but he knew better; it gave a false sense of safety. The boy set his jaw and nearly left the window when something caught his attention. In the stillness of the night were three figures rounding the farm, an air of hatred coming with them.

Forest fought out of his frozen state, snatched the nearest weapon, then hurried downstairs. Everyone had to know. "Guys..." he started, struggling for words.

Everyone watched him, suddenly alarmed.

"Yeah?" Autumn questioned, rising from a stool at the kitchen counter. "What is it?"

The boy swallowed hard. "We were followed."

Skylar caught his eye, trapping him with her gaze. When the woman saw that he was sincere, she erupted from the couch and groaned in pain. "Then let's get prepared, now."

In a matter of seconds, there was complete chaos, all in search of weapons. As soon as it happened, however, a certain sound interrupted the scene: a single knock. Then, without any more warning, the front door burst open.

Forest instinctively held up his handgun, earning the three intruders' attention. He was the only one with a weapon, he soon realized, but it was too late to back down. "Leave. Don't make me pull the trigger." They glared at him, and he glared right back. "What's wrong with you people?"

"I should be asking you the same thing."

Is that Kara? "Why didn't you go home when most of your people died?" Forest asked, searching her face. "Why are you so determined to make us miserable?"

Instead of answering, Kara gave a dry chuckle from the doorway, the others just behind her. "You know, we are the ones with the weapons. Boy, if you were you, I'd put that gun down. Don't want a hole in your head, huh?"

After a long moment, Forest tossed it aside with a scowl. "You didn't answer my question."

"As soon as you come outside I will," the woman said, sorrow in her eyes. "You'll know soon enough." With that, she gestured for everyone to follow her. "Come along, unless, of course, you've always secretly wanted to be murdered." She grinned widely, but it never reached her face. "Come along."

If only I hadn't tossed it so far, he thought, sparing none a glance. Then, as a last resort, he folded his hands and prayed for another miracle.

One by one, everyone left the building; all except for the puppies. With a slam, the door was shut by a stocky figure, his steely brown eyes holding amusement. "We finally found it," he sneered.

Everyone came to a halt and turned to the man. They had just left the porch.

"You're too late. It's over," Kara said from behind them. "Now, I wouldn't move. You've got two guns trained on you, and if you so much as glance, you're dead. Got it?"

Slow and hesitant, the hostages nodded, minds reeling with questions.

"What do you mean?" Skylar asked finally, watching the man by the door. "What did you find?"

He snickered, then revealed an object in his hand: a vial. It was full of a purple substance. "The cure."

Forest did what he could to hide his shock. Peering around the yard, the boy made sure to keep his head still. He couldn't risk getting shot. Only then did he notice all the holes littering the sides of the house. He could see more than a dozen, and the backyard was likely a similar sight. "You've got it, so why not leave? Why are you still here?"

"They want to be sure it's not poisoned," Galant answered in defeat. He sighed heavily before locking eyes with the man at the door. "I'll do it, Jason. Let me show you that it doesn't work." After a moment, his face clouded in realization. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Jason slowly nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes." With that, the man rolled up a sleeve, showing off a hideous bite. "I was bitten... by a walker, Galant. Someone needs to test this vaccine first." Suddenly, he shook his head, desperate. "Please, I can't die."

Galant studied him, his face twisting with sorrow. "I'll do it."

"No," Skylar said, giving him a hard nudge. "Don't you dare."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you won't," she argued in finality. "I will. If this has to be done, Jason, give me the shot."

"No." Galant's voice was no longer soft, but hard. Meeting her gaze, his held tears. "I have a confession to make." Before she could respond, the man brought down his shirt, then waited. "I was bitten as well. In the shoulder."

"Galant," Skylar mumbled, at a loss for words. "How-"

"In the woods, hours ago," he admitted, offering a light smile. "I'm sorry, but this is the end."

The woman glared at Galant, only to give in, and smile back. It never met her eyes. "I guess it is, huh?" She wiped at her face, then shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Galant."

"For what?" he asked, stiffening with alarm.

"I kept calling you annoying, but you never deserved it. I was wrong; you were right." Skylar sniffled as she frowned at her feet. "You never meant any harm."

"Only, you're wrong," he said, then sighed. "When I came here, I planned to kill every last one of you. That was the goal, but when that farmhouse came into view, I suddenly realized something: I couldn't do it. I've never killed another living person, and I wasn't about to start."

Skylar chuckled lightly, but soon her face darkened. "Till next time, Galant."

"Till next time." Then, turning back to Jason, he extended an arm. "Let's get this over with."

With a nod, the man at the door filled a syringe with the purple substance, then injected it into Galant's vein. "It may be over... for the both of us."