Elias watched the girl's retreating back, debating whether to follow her, or let her be.

Something about her fascinated him. Despite her harsh, sarcastic words and tough exterior, he suspected that she was actually a kind person. One who had been hurt by the world they lived in. If he went after her, he could learn more about her, maybe find out where she stayed and if there were others like her.

Maybe Eli, Eden and Emmanuel could even join them.

If he didn't, he would never know her story, which in the grand scheme of things, shouldn't matter to him. But, Eli couldn't shake the feeling that their paths were meant to cross at some point, as though it was fate that brought them both to the same building.

Follow her? Stay behind?

The former finally won out, and he pushed the gun into his waist band, scrambling quickly after her. Grass crunched loudly beneath his feet as he attempted to catch up to her. "Wait, you didn't tell me your name!"

"Why does it matter?" She turned around at the base of the stairs, a smirk on her lips as she saw the gun poking out of his pants. "You should really keep that out."

"I told you mine," he insisted. "And it's deserted around here. I don't think I need it."

Her almond eyes widened, disbelief colouring her features. For the first time, Elias noticed that her left one was two different colours; the lower half was a light brown and the upper half was an ocean blue that matched her right.

Heterochromia. He had learned about it in school.

She heaved a loud sigh, her eyes all but rolling out of her head. "Look kid, this isn't the movies where The Risen move slowly and give you plenty of time to react. This is real life, and they probably move faster than you. Keep your gun out."

He bristled, resenting the fact that she had dared to call him 'kid'. She was definitely a similar age to him, possibly even younger. Her condescending tone and snarky manner made him second guess whether coming after her had been a good idea after all. "You don't have yours out."

"I don't have one." she answered. "But I do have my trusty dagger." She patted her side where, sure enough, a metal handle poked out of her belt. He didn't understand why it was okay for her to store her weapon there, but not for him. With that, she turned around again, placing one foot on the first step.

"Look." He grabbed her shoulder before she could go any further, forcing her to face him. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know your name."

"Why?"

It was a good question, one he didn't know the answer to. Maybe it was because of her long hair and ivory skin? Or possibly the unusual colour of her eyes and constellation of freckles that littered her nose? But Elias knew it had nothing to do with her looks, though she certainly was very pretty. It had everything to do with the strange fascination he felt. He needed to know more about her, to understand why she was the way she was; so cold and sarcastic.

Did she lose someone, like him?

Before he could answer, she slapped a hand over his mouth, stepping back into the shadows behind a pillar and dragging him with her. The move was unexpected and swift, catching him off guard. His spine hit the heavy cement, sending shockwaves of pain coursing through his back.

He grunted in pain, determined to open his mouth to protest, despite her hand blocking it. She shook her head quickly, raising a finger to her lips, her eyes wide with fear. It took a moment for Eli to understand why. His heart leapt into his throat as he heard the commotion that was coming from just outside.

Screams tore the air into shreds, reminding him far too much of the ones he heard at night. Goosebumps raised along his arms at the sound. Small beads of sweat gathered along his brow as he followed the girl's gaze to the place where a window used to be.

They waited in silence as the sound grew louder, until finally, through the opening in front of them, they saw what it was.

There were four of them, marching quietly; their footsteps seemed to be in time with Elias' pounding heart. They dragged a man behind them, his wails drowning out the rattle of the chains they had wrapped around his arms.

"No! Please. NO!"

His cries for help went ignored. Elias' muscles twitched, his entire body aching in his desperation to help the man. His head throbbed with the sound, unable to take the piercing screams any longer. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could drown out the sound of the man's agony. It reminded him too much of the last time he was faced with one of The Risen.

"Run, Elias!" His mother, Meredith, screamed, pushing him towards the entrance way of the convenience store they had come to raid.

But Elias' feet were frozen to the floor as the tall, expressionless man approached his mother. There was no denying what he was. His eyes were black and devoid of humanity, his mouth pulled into a grim line. His steps were almost robotic, and Elias could see the murderous intent etched on his face, even from the end of the aisle where he stood.

The Risen grabbed Meredith's shoulder, slamming her head against the cold metal of the shelves to their left. Crimson blood swelled from above her eyebrow as she fell to the tiled floor. She looked up at her son, the panic written as clear across her face as though it had been done with permanent marker.

"Elias!"

Her shrill shriek broke through the red haze that seemed to have enveloped him. Elias took a step towards her just as The Risen leaned down and picked up one of her legs, intent on dragging her away. Elias picked up his pace, closing the distance between them in a matter of strides, grabbing his mother's arm and holding on for dear life.

"Run!"

Elias ignored his mother's wishes, despite the fact that his grip was already loosening. The Risen looked back at him with a blank expression, raising its arm and slapping Elias had across the face. The loud thwack rang out down the empty aisle and Elias' head snapped to the side, one of his back teeth coming loose.

He fell to the floor as black tinged his vision, his temple pounding in agony. Meredith's blood-curdling screams filled the air, ringing in his ears. The last thing he saw before the darkness descended fully, was the trail of scarlet blood as the Risen dragged his mother away.

And then, it went silent.

Elias tried to blink away the memory, desperate to pull himself back into the present and away from the worst day of his life. The remnants of it coated his skin, covering him in sweat and causing his entire body to tremble. Regret was a heavy stone that buried itself in his stomach as he listened to the man wail in agony outside.

Back then, he had been weak and unable to save his mother. It was far too late for Meredith. But, the man outside was still alive, and there was a small chance that Elias could help him, if he could just get him away from The Risen.

The girl must have sensed that Elias was considering saving him. Her grip on his arm tightened and she pulled him closer to her side. He struggled against her, desperate to go to the man's aid, his need to undo the past clouding all else for a moment. Deep down, he knew that there was nothing he could do, but that didn't stop him from wanting to try.

The girl seemed to disagree, holding him firmly against her even as he tried to break free. "Elias," she whispered, so close that her breath fanned his face. "You'll die."

The truth hit him like a tonne of bricks. She was right. Of course she was right. He stood no chance against one of The Risen. What made him think he could take on four? He sagged against her, resigning himself to watching the scene play in front of them as The Risen go closer to the building.

The screams of the man were awful, loud, piercing and full of sheer terror and pain. The expressions on the Risen were even worse. Their stoic eyes stared straight ahead, paying no heed to the screeching behind them. But the gleeful smiles that graced their mouths spoke of the enjoyment they felt at hearing the man suffer.

Elias had never seen anything so sinister in his life.

The ease with which they dragged the man behind them, as if he weighed nothing, showcased their strength. The one who had killed his mother had been nothing like this. That one had been alone. These four seemed to be working together to cause as much pain as physically possible.

Even from his view point, Elias could see the blood that was trailing behind them, courtesy of the man's skin being torn by the tarred road. His breath caught in his throat. The words he wanted to say were trapped by the girl's hand. He could do nothing but watch helplessly as the man was dragged off to his fate.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, the girl holding him in place just in case he decided to do something stupid. Only when the sky outside was completely dark, and the screams could no longer be heard, did she finally release him, shaking out her arm as though it was stiff from saving his life.

Elias' heart had long since slowed down, his breathing returned to normal. The sweat that coated his skin had dried, but the memory of the man's face as he was being pulled along wouldn't escape him.

His legs wobbled, feeling like jelly as she let him go. His stomach swirled and its contents threatened to rise back up. He clamped his mouth shut and fought hard to keep the bile at bay, taking deep breaths to calm himself down and trying not to look outside where the crimson blood still stained the street.

"That was...God that was awful." His words broke the silence that had settled between them, one that had stretched on for far too long. He had honestly believed she would shout at him as soon as she could, and the quiet, calculating way she was watching him now unnerved him slightly.

"That, was what the Risen do." She pointed to the streak of scarlet, revulsion etched across her face. "And what the hell were you thinking? Were you honestly going to try and save him?"

Elias couldn't explain his need to help the man, even though he knew that it was pointless. He tried anyway, giving the most honest answer he could that didn't involve the truth about his mother. "I just couldn't stand to see it. No one deserves that."

She considered him for a long moment, her oddly coloured eyes seeming to pierce straight through him. He wondered if she thought it was stupid of him, if she considered him weak. When she finally spoke, her words took him by surprise.

"Jaelynn. My name is Jaelynn."