The air is tense. I'm annoyed at Bo, he's annoyed at who knows what and Haiden is terrified of us getting hurt.

We silently weave around abandoned cars and debris scattered across the ground. This town looks the same as every other town me and Zach came across: crumbling, empty and slowly being reclaimed by nature.

After cycling around for way too long, we finally come across a Garden Centre. The doors are locked so we circle the building in an attempt to find a way in. It's a low building with a paved area in the back which is surrounded by a chain-link metal fence.

'If we climb the fence there may be an unlocked back entrance,' I say.

We all climb the fence which has the words 'electric fence danger' written across it.

It's not electric or dangerous.

Pots lay scattered across the paved area, some intact but most are broken. Haiden collects the salvageable ones and places them on a large rusty trolley which squeaks loudly as she pushes it around.

'This is kinda fun. Ohhh... look, wooden cabins. Is that what your house was like, Kit?' Haiden points to several wooden huts.

Walking over, I push open the creaking door and look inside. They're tiny. You couldn't fit a single bed in here let alone a family. 'No, ours were a lot bigger and my cabin had separate rooms.'

It had originally been one large open space. When me and my brother got closer to puberty my parents decided to build partitions. They made a complete mess of it. Me and Mattan ended up having to fix it, which meant having to start from scratch and building it all ourselves.

'You lived in wood cabins?' Bo asks, peering through one of the dirt-smeared warped windows.

I nod and step away from the familiar smell of damp wood slash stale urine. The scent ignites an ache, memories I can't bear to remember right now. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to remember my family without the presence of the agonising ache which shreds at my insides. 

'Do you miss where you came from?' Bo asks.

'Yes.'

'Kit, if you want to return to your family I'll help you.' Bo steps forward but he doesn't attempt to make physical contact. I like Bo's awareness.

Except, I'm still annoyed over his comment from earlier. I'm also confused. He was definitely angry and upset. Now, he's being nice. What is going on with him?

'Just say the word and we both will.' Haiden smiles.

'It's not that simple but thanks for the offer.' I turn away and head towards the building. Testing the doors, none of them are open.

'Stand back,' Haiden shouts to the left of me as she picks up a battered statue of something I don't recognise.

The sound of shattering glass hurts my ears due to the stone statue smashing through it. I shriek and jerk back in a bid to avoid the shards of glass flying around us.

'A bit more warning would be nice,' Bo grunts, flicking the stray pieces of glass from his sleeves.

'Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. Come on, I can already see loads of things we have to take back. I love this place!' The squeaking trolley Haiden is pushing crunches loudly over the glass, followed by the sounds of her shoes crushing it further. For someone who seemed scared on the way here she sure looks comfortable now.

I'm envious of how at ease she looks. How quickly she's relaxed into this new environment.

Bo looks at me and shakes his head in dismay. 'This is your fault.'

'She's having fun,' I chuckle. 'And surely this is good?'

'You think?'

I look at Haiden as she jumps around excitedly while grabbing several objects from a shelf then disappears down one of the aisles. 'Yeah. She seemed pretty scared of coming, and now she's grabbing objects to take home and smashing windows.'

'And that's good?'

'She's overcoming some of her fears, of course, that's good. I wish I could overcome mine as easily.'

'What fears do you have?' 

Physical contact. 'Ones most people would consider ridiculous.' Unable to meet Bo's intense gaze, I consider what Bo would say if I told him my biggest fear was simply not wanting to make physical contact with people. I can't help think he already knows. 'I'm going to remind Haiden we have to fit everything into the trailers and cycle them home.' 

Walking through the aisles, I'm impressed. Most of the objects are intact, shelves are full of items; some useful but most seem to have no point. I didn't realise gardening could be so complex. I pass several rows of shelving dedicated to statues and ornaments of various animals. Some I know from the books I read in the library, others I don't. Did any animals survived?

Turning a corner, I find Haiden pushing a very full looking trolley. She grins at me, her face glowing with excitement. 'I found the seeds. I grabbed all of them. I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I was never bothered about Doll not asking me to go out with her, now I'm furious. I'm going to have words with her when I get back. Look how much useful stuff there is.'

I peer into the trolley and pick up a wooden porcupine. 'Useful?'

'It's so weird, I couldn't resist.'

'It's a porcupine.'

'A porcupine?'

'They're nocturnal mammals which have sharp spines on their back as a form of protection against predators.' I run my hand over the wooden carved spikes, and a layer of dust covers my skin in a grey sticky smudge.

'I have no idea what you're talking about, but it sounds like you're agreeing we should take it back with us.' Haiden grins.

I roll my eyes. 'Why don't we start to load this into the trailers and see how much space we've got left before you choose anything else.' I turn and walk towards the end of the passage.

'Ok, but if I see anything good on the way to the trailers, I'm adding it to the collection. Also, I'm warning you super early, I'm going to smash the glass in the front,' Haiden calls after me. 'Did you hear that Bo? I'm going to smash some glass soon so prepare yourself and stand back now!'

I reach the end of the passage but Bo doesn't respond. I frown looking around but the high shelving blocks my view of most of the Garden Centre.

A movement in the corner causes me to swivel towards the front of the building. Two faces peer through the dirty dust-covered glass.

Louisa has found me. They are here to take me back to the Techie settlement.

I slowly step back to hide behind the shelving while watching their eyes search the space we're in.

Their eyes land on me.

The sound of shattering glass explodes through the air. I run towards Haiden, grab her arm and hiss, 'you need to hide now.'

Dragging her away, I push her into a gap on the lowest shelf next to her. 'Do not come out.'

Leaving her hidden, I run while glancing over my shoulder to see a figure shouting, their words drowned out by the rapid thumping of my heart.

I swerve around the end of the shelving and keep running. Veering down another aisle, I run towards the spot where they smashed the glass.

If I can get to a bicycle I can draw them away from Haiden and Bo. 

Turning around a corner, I make an abrupt halt. A man who could more accurately be described as a mountain guards the empty space I was hoping to escape. I retreat and hit a wall.

A living breathing wall.

Hands seize my arms. My body tenses up and I lash out. My hands and feet connect with fleshy parts. The grip on my arms loosen momentarily before retightening.

They've caught me. I'm going to be taken.

'Get off me. Get off,' I scream as my chest constricts.

Man Mountain by the door says something. He could be talking to me or the person holding me. I can't tell. My entire focus is on the hands gripping my arms and the way I'm pressed against a body of someone I don't know. The pressure of fear is making it hard to breathe. I jerk my legs back in an attempt to kick the person holding me. My feet pass through nothing but air.

'Stop fighting.' Hot breath burns my neck.

The urge to retch overwhelms me and my body trembles. I fling my head back and slam into flesh and bone. The loud crunch makes me wince. A wet garbled cry sounds and I'm released.

I run from man-mountain who is approaching me. Abruptly, I fall to the floor. My body smacks against the ground with a heavy painful thud. The person I head-butted holds my ankle tightly whilst holding their nose with their other hand, blood pouring between their fingers.

'She's a lively one.' Man-mountain towers above me, grabs my arm and twists it around my back. My hair is yanked backwards and I cry out.

The bloody nosed man staggers up to standing, grabs my face and inspects it. He looks in my eyes, inside my ears then grabs my jaw and yanks it open. I tilt my head and bite his finger causing him to bellow loudly. A loud hard smack across my face stuns me as I'm overcome with nausea. Closing my eyes, the hot stinging sensation across my cheek intensifies as the ringing in my ears fades allowing me to hear myself sobbing, 'don't touch me...please... don't touch me.'

My voice is hoarse. I think I've been asking them to stop touching me for a while.

'Next time, don't attack us then.' Man-mountain growls as he tightens his hold on my one arm behind my back whilst grabbing my other. Twisting them both further up my back I shriek, while blood continues to drip from the man's nose in front of me as he inspects the hand I bit.

I hope his nose is broken. I hope a small piece has pierced his brain and makes him slowly bleed to death.

The bloody nose man shakes the hand I bit and steps even closer to me. He leans forward and lifts my top up. Bile sears up my throat as his hands prod me and start to travel down my stomach.

I try to fight back. I really try. It makes no difference. I'm powerless.

Why don't they just take me back to the Techie settlement? Why are they doing this to me? 

'Don't. Please. Don't.' My voice chokes with desperation.

A blur causes the bloody nose man to turn. The shovel Bo is holding hits him on the shoulder causing a loud grunt. Bo lifts the shovel again, clearly aiming to hit him again, however, bloody nose man punches Bo in the stomach causing him to drop to the floor, and the shovel clatters down to the ground next to him.

Man mountain drags me backwards. My shoes slip on the broken glass from the window they smashed. Pieces of glass slice through my clothes but I don't feel them. I'm numb with horror as I watch Bo being held down on the ground and punched in the face. Again and again and again.

Haiden appears swinging a bat at the bloody nose man's head, who is straddling Bo. He slumps to the side and man-mountain, who is holding me, curses loudly as Haiden turns and runs towards us. Man Mountain releases me and I drop onto the glass-covered floor.

A crack shatters the quiet. Haiden's face creases. A heavy silence descends around us, only to be abruptly broken by Haiden crying out as she crumples to the floor.

Man-mountain lowers his gun and reaches for me. My hand wraps around a shard of glass. I swing upwards, piercing the side of his neck.

I let go immediately. The large shard remains lodged into his flesh. Man-mountain reaches for the glass and pulls. Blood spurts out and he stumbles forward as a low gurgling sound escapes from their mouth. 

You really shouldn't have done that. 

I dodge man-mountain and scrabble over to Haiden. Turning her onto her back, she inhales sharply, a pained groan escaping her lips. My hands are wet and sticky. I look down and watch as a red patch spreads across the left side of her chest.

There is too much blood. It's the same amount of blood Ben lost when he got shot.

Ben didn't survive.

'Haiden,' I choke out.

She doesn't move. My index finger rests on her neck and I find a pulse.

She's alive. For now.

'You're going to be alright, Haiden. You're going to be alright.' I don't sound convincing. My voice is shaking along with my entire body. I run to Bo. His face is swollen; a mess of puffy red and purple-stained flesh. My fingers search his neck for a pulse. 'Bo, wake up. I need you to wake up.'

There's a pulse but he doesn't move. No one is moving. Everyone around me is laying in a pool of their blood.

Crouching on the floor my lungs struggle to expand. My chest is too tight. I have to help Bo and Haiden. I can't shut down now.

I run outside, grab one of the bicycles, pull it into the building and position it next to Haiden's body. I hook my hands under Haiden's armpits and haul her into the trailer. She cries out loudly but I don't stop to check her. I grab Bo's feet and drag him towards the trailer. Hooking my hands under his armpits, I try to haul him up but he's heavier than Haiden. Bo's weight crushes me and I slip in the blood.

There's so much blood.

My hands are covered in it. Whimpering, I continue to attempt to lift Bo into the trailer. It doesn't work and I drop to the floor. Bo lays across my lap and his eyes start to flicker.

'Bo, you need to get in the trailer. Haiden is bleeding. We have to get back now,' I sob. 

Bo groans softly, he touches his head and face gently. He looks disorientated but he manages to stand using me as support. Staggering forward, I help him into the trailer where he collapses. I position Haiden so she's laying on top of him. Her legs hang off the edge, dangling limply. They don't look human.

I mount the bicycle and start to cycle. I'm slow. Too slow.

Two people who only eat vegetables should seriously not weigh this much.

Pushing my legs as hard as I can, I cycle along the roads. I take several turns unsure of where I'm going. My legs hurt, my chest hurts, my heart hurts.

'There will...be more...' Bo's words are muffled and slurred behind me. 'I... out and hide.... take Haiden back ...send someone ...'

'No.' I shake my head and continue to cycle.

I'm not leaving anyone behind. We can all get back to safety. We will all get back safely. I have to believe this.

Author's note:
Ahhh...what do you think??