Every day, the air grew colder. Fall had arrived, and winter wasn't far behind.
At first, when you started seeing your breath hang in the air, it was a relief. A respite from the suffocating heat of Georgia in the summer. The girls loved it. Sophie would puff out a big breath, watching the silver cloud. She called it "dragon breath." Lily giggled, growling like a fierce beast and playing along.
They made you smile. Even now, in this world with the undead and the constant fear, children were still children. After Nicole, after Mark, you'd been afraid they might never smile again. As you walked steadily along, their laughter reminded you there was hope.
But now the cold was no longer a toy. You'd wrapped the girls up in any extra clothes you had, but they still shivered. You needed to find shelter. Your little tent wouldn't do once winter came. It was barely enough now, too cramped and starting to tear along the seams. You needed a place with walls, at the very least.
"Alright, my dragons," You paused, turning and crouching down in front of them. "We need to find a lair. Dragons are known for their excellent eyesight, so I need you to keep a lookout for houses, okay?"
"Okay." Sophie nodded.
Lily tugged on the older girl's shirt. "Will there be treasure in the lair?"
"Maybe." You stood up, taking Lily's hand in your left and Sophie's in your right as you continued walking. "Most dragons start out with an empty lair. Then they bring treasure back to keep it safe."
"Oh," Lily said, furrowing her brow.
She always did that when she learned something new. Back in your third grade classroom she'd done it, like every piece of information was serious as life and death, to be taken in and considered carefully.
"You girls remember the Picnic Game? We haven't played that in a long while." You mused. "Why don't we turn it into the Dragon's Lair Game? I'll start-I'm going to my Dragon's Lair and I'm bringing...my map. You next, Soph."
Sophie thought for a moment, looking out at the orange and red leaves swinging in the trees. She let go of your hand, walking a few steps ahead and picking up a freshly fallen leaf.
"I'm going to my Dragon's Lair and I'm bringing my map and a maple leaf."
Lily squeezed your hand, smiling. "I'm going to my Dragon's Lair and I'm bringing my map, a maple leaf, and a bag of M&Ms!"
You smiled at that, remembering when she'd brought in a little bag of candy for each of her classmates on her eighth birthday.
"Ah, my turn again. Let's see if I can remember." You adjusted the heavy pack on your back. "I'm going to my Dragon's Lair and I'm bringing my map, a leaf, a bag of M&Ms, and...my favorite book."
"Which book is it?" Lily asked.
" Station Eleven by Emily St. Mandel. Maybe I'll tell you the story at bedtime once we've finished with The Penderwicks ."
"I'm going to my Dragon's Lair," Sophie moved on. "And I'm bringing my map, a leaf, a bag of M&Ms, Station Eleven , and my polka-dot dress."
The game kept Lily and Sophie entertained for a while, keeping their thoughts occupied and their memories sharp. By the time noon rolled around, with the sun shining through the thinning branches from directly above, the girls were fed up.
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Fanfiction"This place you have," You said. "It's secure?" "Yeah." He scoffed, as if the question offended him. "Th'prison about three miles west." The prison. You were much farther south than you'd thought. "I can take ya there, but you've gotta answer some q...
