Page 15 (1/2)

I turn and open the tent, "I’ You need to stay here and help out okay They need the extra hands"

She wakes and instantly giveswith you"

I shakewith Mary I’ Will to the farmhouse I’ll be back in a couple days"

She lays back, "Fine"

I look at Leo, "You cos and snuggles into Meg who laughs sarcastically, "Ha He likes me better"

I roll my eyes, "Traitor"

I zip the tent back up and walk back to Will, whose eyes sparkle in the ht

"What?"

He shakes his head, a, "You’re funny Emma"

xxxx

The walk back down the mountain is less painful and considerably faster than the walk up My feet don’t hurt and Will keeps a fast pace Unlike Meg, he never speaks

When wetree, we both take a pause and listen I lead across the open field with a sprint

We e of the field I crouch down to look out for any signs of life in the driveway The barn door swings open and shut

They’re back I know I sealed the barn door completely when I left I can hear Will’s breath on the back of my neck as I watch the house silently

I turn and whisper, "Let o look first"

He shakes his head and points to the barn door I turn and look again

I alh they’re watching s open and shut a pair of eyes watch froaunt cheeks below

My stomach twists and turns

I back up but Will puts his ar away

"Stay still"

His words make my skin shiver, as his hot breath lands on the back of my neck

I don’t move The barn door opens and closes several one

I look up at the loftto see the thin figure pass by it Theover looks the field perfectly We will be seen Suddenly I’ body He holds me close to him

The wind plays with the hay around us, it whispers to us

I can feel his heart beating against my chest We are face to face butelse, it’s the way an exhale sounds when your throat is a ragged mess

The infected are near us I want to pull my shirt up over my face I want to run I need my mask but I’ve left it behind Another rule I’ve broken

Will strokes his thu the back ofto calusts of ind and the caled exhales, I hear a sound I don’t expect It’s the hollering of h moans of the infected

The footsteps leave the hay around us The ed breath becomes harder to hear, as distance is put between us and them It’s always us and theod" We lay in silence for a moment

He peeks his head up to look around, but I pull him back down, "One more minute"

He frowns but as I speak it the barn door closes several times hard A raucous noise fills the air, different types of coin after it

"We need to leave now" I whisper into his throat

His jaw nods against the top of h me with his intensely blue eyes He tilts ainst mine His kiss isn’t intense like Jake’s was or soft and uncertain like Mary’s It’s so He kisses besideto crawl from here and then make our way to the forest on the other side from where we came We don’t want to lead the side rip He moves away from me and slithers backwards, away froiving et to the halfway point between the forest and farht over I do the sa intently to every sound

We make our way into the forest where he breaks into a run I follow hier trees He climbs one of them quickly I look around and start to feel uncoround without Leo I cliest tree I scrah as he is