They followed the river for as long as they could, sticking to the forests and outskirts of cities. As they travelled Louie felt the weight of all the usual pressure, which sat heavy on her overburdened shoulders, fall away with each mile. The group became more accustomed to the terrain and their progress quickened.

With each new day the group found a rhythm that they fell into. As they moved their focus was held completely by their surroundings and their heightened awareness of dangers and sounds. As they ate they began to know each other more.

Their conversations ranged from childhood struggles to life as adults. Though each shared parts of themselves, the stories that they all wanted to hear the most were the ones Peyton told. His adventures overshadowed the mundane existence of living in the Compound. His voice filled the night sky like the sparks from the fire, his words just as captivating. And every night ended the same, Louie taking the first watch with Peyton's company.

In the darkness of the night Louie slowly began to share what she usually withheld from the others. Each night with the fire before them, they talked. Louie came to know difference in Peyton's tone as he talked about his family compared to when he talked about life in the Outside. The way he smiled easily over stories he had told over and over again. The way he didn't meet Louie's eyes when he talked about the struggles in his past and the situations he had been through.

In turn Peyton began to know Louie, how she could never stand to start a conversation. But she  would answer his questions and would open up the more they talked. The way her face held a quiet pride as she talked about her father. The way her face fell when ever talk of the Compound's ups and downs were mentioned. Each night they found their own rhythm, their glances becoming more frequent, their reservations slowly falling aside.

They were on their fifth day of travel and quickly approaching their destination when dark clouds rolled in. The sight of them was like the ocean's waves, tumbling over each other as they covered the sky. Peyton stopped, his gaze turning upward, as thunder echoed in the distance. They were in the center of what had once been a large city but now was more forest than buildings. The dilapidated ruins over run by vines. Trees crashed through windows and broke though floor boards. Peyton looked about, his eyes searching for something only he could see.

"Its not safe to travel in the storm," he said. "We'll have to wait it out. We'll split up into groups of two. What we're looking for is high ground with enough coverage to keep the rain out. Make sure the structure is secure before venturing inside. Fire a shot if you find anything and we'll meet back at this spot. Jonas and Luther, Trevor and Dax. Louie will come with me. Alright lets go."

The words had barely left his lips before the pairs broke apart. Peyton nodded further into the city. Louie followed, picking her way over the roots and upended chunks of pavement. They passed empty vehicles, that were rusted. Buildings sat pressed against each other, neighbors leaning on neighbors. Their sagging windows stared forlornly at Peyton and Louie as they passed by.

Louie's foot landed on something solid that gave away under her foot. The crunch rang in her ears as she pulled her foot back. She looked down and her breath caught at the sight. Though destroyed now, Louie could still make out the small row of teeth and the jaw that could be no bigger than a five year olds. She stared endlessly at the small crooked tooth in the front, unable to look away. There was a pressure on her hand and she looked up to find Peyton pulling her forward, his hand guiding her away.

"Come on," he said. "We have to keep moving."

Louie straightened her spine and tightened her shoulders, but the stance felt more forced than ever before. Peyton smiled, as he kept leading her further from the scene and into the city center. His hand dropped her's as she moved more confidently, though the sight of the skull still hovered before her vision.

Here the destruction and death became more clear as they picked their way more careful though the streets. Some skeletons were molded to the ground, their bodies encased in vines. Other's crumbled away at the slightest touch, melting into the field of weeds that grew up in between pavement. Peyton's focus moved all around, his eyes searching for a sanctuary while Louie felt as if she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene at her feet.  Piles of bones littered the ground.

Louie was frozen to one spot when her eyes locked on the remains that could only belong to that of a child. A pair of hands gripped Louie's shoulders and she looked up to find Peyton staring at her. Concern flashed through his expression, but then shifted to something hard.

"Louie I understand this is difficult to handle but right now we need to find some place safe. I need your help watching my back. You need to snap out of this, okay? Later you can deal with this but I need you now." Peyton said, his voice firm.

Louie blinked, feeling the weight of his stare land on her as her mind focused. She pushed aside the pain for the ones that had been dead long ago. Nodding, she straightened again, composing her features.

"I'm fine. Let's go." Louie said, her voice strong.

Peyton didn't let go of her, his eyes still searching her's. After a second he released her shoulders and stood upright.

"Alright, we need to hurry. Those clouds don't look friendly," Peyton said, his gaze darting to the sky.

Louie looked up. A flash of lightening coursed though the clouds illuminating the darkened forms. They moved more quickly, searching fervently for some place safe. As they were peering into a building that still held most of his structure a shot rang out, pulling them back.

As they back tracked rain started falling. Its soft plop plop plopping sent up clouds of dust where it landed. By the time they regrouped with the other's the storm had kicked up and the rain beat down more incessantly.

"We found a place about a mile this way," Luther said, gesturing behind him.

"Alright let's go," Peyton said, nodding.

They all hurried off, their boots pounding against the ground as the rain chased after them. The building Luther and Jonas had found seemed to be the only still standing two story building. A large tree had taken up residence at the center and continued up into the second level.

The floor had been torn away by the uneven roots that poked through. Leaves and debris littered the ground, but the rain didn't make it through. Everyone took tentative steps as they entered, their eyes taking in the strange sight. Peyton was the first to drop his pack, looking to everyone else.

"Before it gets to intense out there, let's split and get as much fire wood as we can." Peyton looked to Louie. "Can you get a fire going?"

Louie nodded and started moving around the space collecting the broken branches, twigs and leaves that had fallen years ago. Packs clattered to the floor as the team unloaded their burdens then took to the outside. Louie managed to kindle a fire to life at one of the far sides of the building, close to a broken part of the wall. The flames brightened the dark space, the sparks leaping toward the towering ceiling above.

The fire blazing fiercely, Louie pulled her knife from its holster, needing something to occupy her thoughts. She flipped the knife once then threw it at the base of the tree. It landed between two pieces of bark. Footsteps grew louder, as Louie took her second knife. As she sent the next one sailing, Jonas appeared his black curls dripping with water and his arms loaded with broken branches. He smiled at Louie as he watched the knife dig itself into a knot in the tree.

"Lucky shot?" Jonas asked, stepping over and dumping the wood to one side.

Louie gave him a look that clearly said that was an insult. She walked over to the tree and retrieved the knives.

"Bet you can't hit the same spot twice?" Jonas taunted.

Louie just gave him another look, which he smiled at. She threw the knife again, hitting the same spot as before. Looked at Jonas, she arched one eyebrow. Laughing, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, that proved me wrong. Want to see whose best?"

Louie shrugged and flipped the knife twice, just looking at him.

"What's the target?" Louie asked.

Jonas crossed his arms as he studied the tree, his eyes searching for the most difficult location. As he pondered Luther and Dax appeared their jackets soaked and theirs boots tracking in water.

"See that knot on the very far right side, above that lower branch?" Jonas asked.

Louie nodded. Wood tumbled to the floor as Dax and Luther discarded their load and settled beside the fire, trying to disperse the chill that the rain had set on them.

"Okay. the person to hit the hole at the center of that knot is the best," Jonas said.

"Alright, but don't cry when it's not you," Louie said, evenly.

Jonas laughed and pulled out his own knife, twisting it in his palm. He bowed ceremoniously.

"Ladies first."

Louie smirked and shifted her stance. She squared her shoulders then threw the knife. It hit dead center of the knot with a solid thunk. Luther and Dax exchanged amused looks while Jonas nodded genially. As he moved into position, Trevor emerged into the building and joined the others by the fire.

He looked between Louie and Jonas, but asked no questions, the knife in Jonas's hand all the answer he needed. Jonas hurled his knife at the tree where it became embedded beside Louie's, ringing as metal hit metal.

"I say that says were evenly matched, wouldn't you?" Jonas said, looking to Louie.

"I say Louie has you beat," Dax said. "Technically she hit the right spot. You just hit the spot next to it."

Jonas frowned at this.

"Fine, you pick this spot and I'll throw first," Jonas asked.

"Okay."

Louie walked over to the tree and pulled out the two knives as she searched for a target. Peyton hurried in the building as lightning crack the sky outside. He settled beside everyone else as Louie walked back and tossed Jonas his knife.

"Above the branch slightly in the center. There's a knot the size of a thumb nail, you need to hit that."

Jonas stepped over to the tree to find the mentioned place.

"Alright," he said, walking back.

"Twenty on Louie," Peyton said, pulling off his jacket and leaning back on his pack.

Dax and Luther laughed, while Jonas scowled. Everyone fell silent as Jonas raised his knife and took aim. The world outside stormed on, unaware of the competition going on inside the building. The knife went slicing throw the air and stuck in the tree.

"I can't tell if it hit or not, can you?" Louie asked.

"I can't either, but you go and we'll see who made it."

Louie threw her knife. Before the metallic clink of the two blades hitting could reach their ears, Jonas and Louie were making their way over. On the left Louie's knife sat lodged in the small knot, Jonas's just centimeters off.

"Who won?" Peyton called out.

Louie pulled her knife free and moved back to the group saying nothing, letting Jonas's peeved expression do the talking. Peyton laughed, the sound ringing off the sleepy, decaying walls.

"Don't be too sad Jonas," Peyton said, his tone conciliatory. "You had to know there was a reason she was chosen to come with us."

Jonas said nothing and the rest of the group fell to talking of other things while his affronted state slowly melted away to be replaced by his usual good natured attitude.

*********************

The storm blustered on as the sky grew darker and darker, night taking hold. The fire blazed steadily, its warmth radiating out into the damp building. Louie stared transfixed before the scene, her thoughts drifting back to the skull. Peyton shifted beside Louie and she glanced at him, finding his eyes searching her face, concern written in his forehead.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

Louie looked back to the fire, silent for a long moment.

"Fine."

Peyton nodded his head, but Louie could tell that he didn't believe her. The pounding of the rain rushed in to fill the silence that settled between them.

"How long ago do you think they...." Louie started but found she couldn't finish.

Peyton looked at her, then stared back into the fire.

"Maybe three-four years. Maybe less."

"Do you think they lived in the city?"

"No, they were probably just passing through when it happened."

Louie nodded, the image of the small, child size skull flashing before her eyes.

"How many do you think died?"

"As far as I could tell it looked about a hundred."

There was another long pause.

"Are you okay?" Peyton asked.

Louie roused herself and looked at him, his expression understanding. She started to nod but stopped and shook her head instead.

"It surprised me, thats all."

"Its not something you really get used to."

Louie looked at Peyton, a frowning slightly.

"You seem fine," she said.

Peyton's lips curved into a wry smile.

"Yes, but I have had years of seeing scenes like that to know how to keep myself from getting weighed down by it. It doesn't mean seeing it now is any easier than the first time."

Peyton dropped his gaze, his fingers started to mess with a twig he picked up.

"I always wonder if that was someone I knew or a group I could have saved," Peyton said. "If one day I'll come across a scene similar to the one outside and it will be my parents."

Peyton looked at Louie then straightened, his expression going closed off.

"Just know its natural to react the way you did," Peyton said, his voice coming out detached.

Louie nodded. It was long time before either of them said anything more, their thoughts trapping them in different times and different places. Louie stirred first.

"Did you know I had a little brother?" Louie said, her voice distant.

Peyton looked at her but, said nothing.

"I never actually got to know him, he was just a baby when he died. Survived six days in the world. My mother died during the birth. I was fourteen. A few months later I started helping my father out. Taking over the jobs that my mother filled. The skull was so small..." Louie trailed off, her thoughts run away from her.

"I'm sorry Louie."

They meet each other's gaze, understanding passing wordlessly between them. Louie's gaze fell back to the fire as her shoulders sagged as if her thoughts physically weighed her down.

"I'm not really tired, you should try and get some sleep," Peyton said.

Louie nodded and stood, feeling as if she were in a daze. She climbed into her sleep bag her thoughts drifting to her mother. Her back to the fire, Louie finally fell asleep, unaware of Peyton watching her for a moment before looking away.

Louie felt as if she had only just fallen asleep when a inhuman guttural sound woke her and a hand clamped over her mouth.

*******************

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