It's been almost a month since that new family arrived.
"David was taken last night," Sam says.
"Did anyone see anything?" I ask.
"Everyone was sleeping when it happened. Melissa wants you to look through his house."
"Okay, take me there."
She brings me to the cabin.
"I have to warn you, the place is covered in blood," she says.
"I've seen worse than blood."
She opens the door. Blood is splattered everywhere. Chairs are knocked over. I step inside. An untouched plate of food is on the table. As I step towards the table, I feel something under my shoe. It's a knife. I pick it up. In the wooden handle the name "Lauren" is engraved. I knew something was wrong with that new family. I show it to Sam.
"This doesn't mean anything. It could just be someone else's knife," she says.
"I understand, but I saw her carry this knife when we first met," I say. "They must be a part of another group. This camp isn't safe anymore. Be careful. I'll bring this to Melissa's attention."
"Why...why don't you call her mom?" Sam asks.
I pause, trying to think of an actual answer.
"Because she abandoned me when I was young. She left me on the doorstep of a neighbor's house. She never wanted to be my mother. Do you know how many years I waited for someone to adopt me? Ten and no one did. I suffered for ten years in the foster care system. You don't understand what that's like," I say.
"She wants to be your mother now. Why can't you just at least try for once?" she says.
"I can't try to do something I obviously don't want to." I leave. I stop by Melissa's cabin. I put the knife on her desk.
"What is this?" she asks.
"I found it at David's house. It's Lauren's."
"What?" she says.
"We need to start considering the possibility that Lauren and her family are from another group."
"I'll talk to them. This is probably just a coincidence," she says.
"Will you please, for once, think about the group? We might have a family who is taking our people without us knowing! When they are gone, let me search their cabin. I'm sure I'll find something incriminating."
"No, let me handle this, Jade," she says.
I start to form a plan. I can have Jake sneak in their house. If he doesn't find anything, maybe they're innocent. I go back to my cabin. Jake is eating at the table.
"Hey, you want to help me with something?" I ask.
"What?" he asks.
"Mind sneaking into the new family's house?" I ask.
"Are you crazy?" he asks.
"Please, it could possibly save someone's life. After all I've done for you and Alex, I think you owe me a few," I say.
"Fine."
Now all I need is someone to distract the family while Jake and I look through their things. I'm sure Elizabeth wouldn't mind helping. I saved her life and her families. I walk over to her.
"Hey, could you do me a favor?' I ask.
"This can't be good. What?" she says.
"Can you distract that new family just for like fifteen minutes?" I ask.
YOU ARE READING
The Dead Walk Among Us
Science FictionIt's been ten years since the fall of humanity. I was only ten years old when the zombies took over. The military told us to flee underground, explaining that it was safer. The zombies are smart, too smart. They can learn to hide themselves. Some of...
