Ted and Kat

Chapter 1

We needed medicine.

Bad.

Most of the people back at our camp were suffering from some kind of fever outbreak. Once it hits you, you get the expected chills and sweats, but then it would immediately drain all your energy until you end up in a bed, useless.
When we noticed it wasn't just any kind of flu spreading around, we secured the ill into one of the tents we had and made sure no one else would come near unless they were clean. We couldn't afford anyone else to be indisposed; we were short handed before the sickness even started. It seemed like every time we would search for food or other supplies, we would lose one of our own due to the dead. It would be either from inexperience or just bad luck, and our group of thirty dwindled to only ten. With four being bedridden, we definitely felt the loss.
I wanted to help. I always did. I thought it would be simple: they already had a place in mind to go look, and all I would be doing was following them and having their backs. Get in, get out, and help our group get better. I didn't know the area well because I wasn't originally from the state, but I didn't think it would matter. Just follow the rest and don't get lost.

Some luck I have.

Not only was I useless in the raid, I got separated and thought I could find my way again; Maybe avoid the main road and circle around it. I knew my sense of direction was fuzzy, but it was ridiculous. What started as a few hours away became a day. Then another. And another. I didn't sleep the first two nights because I was so frustrated and scared. The next day, I knew I had to be smarter about it. I started making marks along my way; I rationed my water (the little I had) and looked for any game to hunt. Nothing. Not even a squirrel or bird. I had my gun but it wasn't until later that I realized I used most of my ammo during the raid. I had no extra cartridges and I was left with only one bullet.

Of course.

A couple of days after I started tracking, I came across fewer trees, until it just became a clearing. Then, to my surprise, I saw a mansion of sorts in the middle of the forest. My first thought was that I finally lost my mind and I was going to die soon. But there it was, a spacious spot of land that had a house built like a Mexican vista and what looked like a backyard.
After circling the yard that was enclosed by a wooden fence with barbed wire splayed all across it, I came back to the front door. Looking at it more closely, I noticed the door was in good standing, only a few scratches on it. Sturdier than most wooden doors I've seen. I had a distinct feeling that the door would be locked, but I tried the door handle nevertheless. I used the butt of my gun to bang on it three times, then hurried to a window to peek through the somewhat closed curtains and see if anyone or anything would show up. I stood there for a handful of minutes in silence, not seeing any movement inside. No walking corpses around.
I moved to another window to see if I could discover another angle. Nothing. Why would a good fortress be abandoned? Would someone be coming back? I saw the sun setting near the horizon and figured that if anyone lived here, they'd be back before dark. It didn't look like there were any other houses around. The only question left was whether I should find another place to stay for the night, or risk meeting someone and stay here. It may just be one person. Or five. Or more. But they may have food. So I chose to risk it.