STAGE 1

3

The sweltering Kentucky heat slowed our group to a crawl. My AK-47 felt heavy around my neck, May stumbled in front of me. Her little frame followed her older brother slowly. If I had more energy I would've picked her up, but I could barely keep my own body from dropping. A Slow came out of the woods, moaning meanicily. Caleb didn't even have to look at it when he shot it with his own AK-47. The Slow's body dropped into a blackened bloody mess on the road.

    "This fucking sucks man," Caleb said slowing down so he could walk next to me, I gestured to May and gave him a look. "Oh, right. Language, sorry."

    "I know," I replied lowly, my stomach growling loudly. We hadn't eaten in 3 days. Maverick, our leader, was too afraid of letting us raid houses.

    "You know they hide around every corner!" He would tell us, I rolled my eyes at the thought.

    "Nathan?" A tiny voice asked, I looked down to see May, Maverick's daughter.

    "What?" I replied softly.

    "Would you like my granola bar?" She said holding up and unopened chocolate chip bar. My stomach told me with all its might to take the bar, but my heart said no.

    "No thank you May, that's yours. You should eat it," I said and she nodded, turning to catch up with her brother, Bucky. "Make sure you give a piece to Bucky," I called after her. She smiled and nodded over her shoulder and Bucky turned around too.

    "Thank you," He said tiredly.

    Houses were beginning to form in the distance. Now was the time I had a talk with Maverick.

    "Maverick!" I called and Caleb gave me a warning look, he ran a hand through his short hair nervously.

    "What?" Maverick called back, halting our march. His wife, Chelsea, shook her head at me, Maverick must've been in a mood. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair nervously as her husband stomped up to me. His reddish brown hair and beard were so soaked with sweat, you could ring them out.

    "There's houses up there," I said pointing.

    "Yeah, and?" He replied obviously annoyed, he was sick of me trying to give him suggestions.

    "Houses mean food, shelter, safety," Caleb butted in and Maverick gave him a look of murder, even though Caleb was much bigger than him.

    "Or even this whole group's death!" He muttered gesturing to his sweaty and tired kids, who hungrily licked the empty granola bar wrapper.

    "Why can't Caleb and I check it out, your kids don't even have to come close," I said and Maverick ran a hand through his hair, frustratedly.

    "Fine," He stated, after a couple minutes of fighting with himself.

    "Thank you," I replied respectfully. Maverick marched back to the front and our group was moving yet again.

    "I can go with you," A small voice from behind us said. Caleb and I  turned to find Kacey, it always startled us when she spoke since she didn't do it often. Hell, all we knew about her was her age and name. 18, Kacey. That's it. Caleb mentioned to me a couple of times that she is probably Latina. He always liked to play that game with me when we were in college together. He, as an African American/Korean mix, loved to try and guess other people's races because no one could ever guess his. He even played it with the Slows we saw.

    "What?" Caleb asked.

    "I can go with you," She said a little louder, semi-annoyed with us.