Flynn's Perspective

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We walk along the road to Gate City. Eager to arrive but knowing better than to rush like we did before.

I lag behind Levi a little. Apparently his time in the military improved his stamina. That reminds me.

"You said you served in the military, that makes you....?"

"Are you seriously asking me how old I am?"

"Erm...yeah...I mean you look young but you served in the war. That must make you older than me, by a lot."

"Calling the guy with the gun old eh?," he chuckles at his own joke. "Brave," he shrugs. "Just turned 31 last week."

He turns around so he's walking backwards. "What about you?"

"18."

He nods. "Hmm, that's about what I expected, you did seem like an annoying teen."

He spins back around and speeds up to his former pace, laughing as I try to punch his shoulder.

We're much closer to the city now, close enough to see a series of fires burning inside its perimeter. We can't see much else though, no damage or bodies at least. Something that strikes me is the sheer silence that surrounds us. No birds chirping, or leaves tapping along the road. Heck, I don't even hear any wind blowing. Just our footsteps, and the sound of Levi's rifle bouncing off his back.

"There," Levi says.

Ahead of us about 250 feet up the street is a wall, it looks to be made of scraps. Pieces of wood, abandoned luggage, and broken household appliances like washing machines and dryers. They come together to form a fairly impressive wall that stands well above both Levi and I's height.

"I don't see any guards," Levi says quietly as we make our way closer.

A minute or so later we finally reach the walls, which are even taller when this close.

"Hey!" Levi yells. "Anyone home?!"

No one answers.

Levi approaches the large doors and pushes, the gate swings open with a loud groan.

I'm guessing that's normally locked?" I whisper.

He looks back at me and tilts his head towards the door, telling me to follow.

The other side of the gate is completely unguarded. Not a soul in sight. I see worry slowly growing on Levi's face again.

Together we continue moving deeper into the city. Passing clothes and other goods that have been abandoned on the ground, but still no bodies.

"Does it smell like somethings cooking to you?" I ask quietly.

We round a corner and find out what's been causing the smoke.

Dead bodies are stacked at the center of a large square, engulfed in flames as tall as a house. The fire crackles and pops, it's like I can hear my brain taking mental images. Images I really want to delete.

Levi is frozen, staring at the bodies like a deer in headlights. His mouth open and his arms hanging limp at his sides.

I approach him slowly and place an arm on his shoulder, pulling him from his trance.

He blinks a few times, then shakes his head.

"Come on, let's find out what's happening here."

We begin to hear activity as we move deeper into the city. People talking, kids playing, faint music comes from somewhere further away.

As we approach the door which should lead to where all the people are, a man holding a gun appears from an alley ahead of us. A gas mask covering his face.

"Stop there!"

He glances over to Levi and loosens his grip on the rifle.

"Levi?"

"What's going on here Kurt?" Levi replies.

"You didn't see the bodies?" Kurt answers.

"I saw the bodies Kurt, why don't you explain WHY their are bodies?" Levi replies.

Kurt removes his gas mask, taking a deep breath of air. His face is dotted with sweat and his hair is pressed tightly to his forehead.

"It started a week and a half ago. A disease. Paige thinks it's one from the War."

Levi curses under his breath and kicks the ground with his boot. "Jesus...how many?"

"Too many."

"Listen Kurt, we need to get to medical, we were exposed to some pretty bad radiation."

"Oh, oh yeah sure...here," Kurt let's go of his rifle, letting it swing to his side and hang on a strap.

He steps back to the door and inserts a key, twisting it then taking it back out. He turns the handle and pulls the door open, then moves to the side to let us by.

"Good luck," he says as we pass.

Inside the fence is a whole different world. People are everywhere. Some stand at shops in lines that go on further than I can see, seemingly blending into the crowd at some point. Kids run around, playing tag and weaving through the crowds. While some hide behind poles, laughing as others look for them. I even notice a few dogs running around playing tug 'o war with a stick.

I don't notice my legs no longer moving until Levi turns back to see what's stopping me.

"Flynn you good?"

"I've never seen this many people before," I say, still taking in the sight of it all.

"Oh....right" Levi says quietly. "You'll get used to it, heh, then tired of it," he sighs and takes a look around the city square. "Come on, lets get going."

We head down a stairway and merge with the crowd, pushing our way through dozens of people. I wonder silently if a crowd like this is safe with that disease Kurt mentioned going around.

Ahead of me Levi pushes his way through the crowd, his demeanor a lot more aggressive than mine. A man wearing a thick cloak bumps into me.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir," I stutter.

He pulls a stack of papers from his pocket and brings them closer to me.

"Donate today to help the less fortunate," he says in a raspy voice.

"Uhm, I don't-"

"Have the time to help those in need?"

"-have any money," I finish.

His face scrunches. "You-"

"We got a problem here?" Levi says, suddenly appearing from the crowd. He crosses his arms and shifts his weight to one foot.

"L-levi? I- didn't know you were back," the man stutters.

"Uh-huh," Levi says. "How 'bout you go bother someone else."

"I-but.....I just-" he sighs deeply. "Ok."

Levi and I watch as he returns the stack of papers to his cloak and walks away, disappearing into the crowd as quickly as he appeared the first time.

"That was Alexandro. He means well, but he can be a little pushy."

Levi turns and points towards a sign hanging from a building across the city square, on it is the symbol for medicine, two intertwined snakes on a rod.

We make our way through the crowd and enter the building, a series of small bells attached to the door ring as it swings open.

A woman in a white lab coat stands on the far side of the room behind a reception desk, she's busy looking down at a clipboard in her hands.

"Hello, take a seat and I'll-" She looks up.

"Levi!"

"Hey Paige, how are you?"

She puts her clipboard down and meets Levi halfway across the room, they hug for a moment then end it awkwardly.

Paige clears her throat and rolls on her heels. "So...who's this?"

"I'm Flynn," I say, suddenly remembering that the only girl I've ever talked to was my Mom....when I was 6.

"Nice to meet you Flynn, I'm Paige," she smiles warmly.

"You're pretty.

CRAP.

"I mean, uhm, the uh-uhm, your, your hair is...nice."

Ugh.

She laughs and swipes a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "Thank you Flynn, your hair is pretty too."

Aaaand I think I'm in love.

"As entertaining as this is," Levi says slowly, like he's processing what just happened.

"Paige, do you have any rad pills?"

"Oh, yeah! Course I do," She heads back deeper into the building. Leaving me and Levi to stand in silence.

"Dude," he says.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't say anything."

He chuckles as Paige appears holding two little plastic cups, each with a pair of circular white pills. She hands each of us a cup.

"I'd bring water but theirs a shortage, we have to save the rations we get, sorry."

I down the pills, out the corner of my eye I see Levi do the same.

"Ok," Levi says, hesitating, probably because he felt like the pill was still in his throat. "Where's Emma?"

Paige alternates between us with her eyes, like she's making sure she can trust us for whatever reason.

"She left, a few days ago."

"What? Why?" Levi runs a hand through his dark black hair. "Where?"

Paige looks around the room. "It's not safe to talk here. Come with me."

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Northwest Wall

A few minutes later....

I sit with my legs dangling off the wall, kicking them around and watching them swing.

Ahead of me is a beautiful view of the city. Skyscrapers reach into the sky, its like the builders were in a competition to build the tallest. They're decayed now, covered in bright green plant life and vines. Somehow though, that makes them even more beautiful.

Levi appears next to me, finally catching up. Behind him Paige climbs up the last few ladder rungs.

They sit down with their legs over the edge like me.

"Tell me Paige, what happened?" Levi says, a desperation in his voice that singlehandedly makes me think of him a little differently. He's not entirely stoic, apparently.

"A few months ago, when she was missing, remember that?"

Levi nods.

"She didn't get to tell you before you left but....she was kidnapped. Taken to a place, probably their camp, blindfolded. They-" She stops, as if searching for the right words. "They....infected her, with a virus."

"The virus that hit this city?" Levi asks quietly.

"Yes, but that's not it, what they injected her with...it was-"

My eyes light up, something I read as a kid popping into my head.

"She's the carrier."

Paige lets out a breath, locking eyes with Levi, who stares at her with a horrified expression.

"Yes."

Levi stands up, rubbing his temple and pacing back and forth along the wall. "No, no, no, nono," he mutters under his breath.

The last countries that fought in the war, they developed bio-weapons. Infectious diseases that could be injected into a person, making them the carrier without outright killing them. I think back, trying to remember what I saw in that book. Their was a section in it, I just can't remember...wait!

"She's going back to the camp...isn't she?" I ask quietly, almost worried that Levi will be mad at me.

Levi stops pacing.

"I think so," Paige says, a pitiful look on her face. "But she didn't tell me, just packed her bags and left."

"How did you keep from being infected?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"I was on call, have been almost every night for a while now."

"Paige, do you have a horse I can borrow?"

"What about me?" I ask.

"I brought you to the city, I thought that's what you wanted," Levi replies.

"I've been wandering around alone for so long...the only people I've met have wanted to either sell me as a slave or slit my throat and steal whatever they can. Being with people who are nice, caring, and generally don't want to kill me....It gives me hope."

He stares at me saying nothing.

"That means I want to go."

Levi stays silent for some time, his arms crossed in front of him.

"Paige," he finally says.

"Do you have two horses we can borrow?"

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One hour later...

Outside the gate

Levi and I sit atop a pair of horses, mine a brown and white Mare named Rose. His a black stallion, appropriately named Shadow.

Paige stands next to Levi and his horse, handing up some supplies and rations. She steps over to my horse as soon as Levi has the supplies packed.

"Here," she says, handing me a reusable water bottle, from the sloshing inside I can tell its full.

I hook it on my backpack, then grab the small bag she hands up next. Filled with bandages, gauze, pain medication, and antibiotic cream.

"Good luck," she says.

"Thanks," I reply, my voice sounding slightly less awkward than it did before. "Be safe," I add. Trying to keep it simple but probably going too far with it.

She nods and smiles then steps back inside the wall, swinging the gate shut behind her.

"Ready?" I ask Levi.

He nods, taking the reins in his hands.

"Ready."

We click our tongues like Paige told us to at the stables. Causing the horses to begin walking forward.

"How're we gonna find her?" I ask, sliding around with every step the horse takes.

"First, we find a trail."

"How do you know we'll find one?"

Levi smirks, pointing up the road at a small object lying in the dirt. A bottlecap.

"Because she wants us to find her."