Beside the Dying Fire

Hailey's POV

3 Months Later

I walked out of the hangar that Kai, Gabe, Sarah, Savannah, Payson, Gavin, Swetha, Samuel, Alyson, and I have claimed as our home inside of the community that we run here. The sunlight feels nice on my face. I pass the gardens that are finally blooming flowers and the wooden fences with livestock roaming around. I take in the fresh air and smile.

"Hey, Hailey," says a cheerful voice to my left.

"Hi there, John."

"Have you seen Gavin? He's supposed to teach me to fly one of those whirlybirds."

"I think that he's taking inventory of the rations."

"Thanks," he chuckled. "I never thought that in all of my years as a bus driver that I'd become a pilot. Anyways, I heard a lot of growling outside the walls by my hangar. I guess a herd's try'na get in again. See ya!"

I figured that I should should take out the threat. Out in the field with the animals, I saw Savannah petting a horse.

"Savannah!" I yelled to her. She looked at me. "Gear up, we got some walkers."

She and I ran to the armory together. I pushed open the doors and saw Kai looking over the stock.

"Guess what I found today in one of the quartering places?" he said frantically. He pulled out his cane-sword from behind his back. "Man, I haven't seen this thing since the beginning of the war!"

"That's cool," said Savannah, "But we have walkers outside the fence."

"Oo I'll come, too!" Kai practically screeched. "It's been a while since I have practiced with this thing."

The walls of the armory were lined with a steel mesh with hooks that held M4's. On the counters, our melee weapons always lay. In the drawers were our collection of pistols. I picked up my machete and tossed Savannah her hatchet. Since this is now a safe place, we decided that we didn't need to carry weapons, and we haven't for three months.

As the three of us walked out of the armory, we saw Swetha watching over a group of 6 year olds playing. I waved at her and she waved back. All of the kids looked at us with our weapons in awe, thinking we were like superheroes.

Kai pressed some buttons on a keypad, and the large metal gate slid open. As we walked out by the fences, I remembered the long hours that it took to reinforce them with steel frames. It may have taken up a lot of time, but it was worth it. Nothing got through these walls.

We turned around a corner and found a group of 17 walkers clawing at the fence. I whistled and each of the corpses turned towards us. The undead group slowly stumbled towards us. The three of us picked up our weapons, looked at each other, and grinned. We ran towards the horde and did not hold back. I cut through a skull and stabbed the roamer behind it in the brain. Savannah was chopping off heads with glee and Kai just seemed so happy to be reunited with his walking stick. I finished off the last biter with a spraying slice, coating myself in blood.

"You better give your clothes to Danny," Kai suggested. Danny was an 18 year old boy who was NOT built for fighting, so he did things like laundry and sewing.

We walked back to the gate along the slightly-rusted steel walls. Kai punched the numbers into the keypad which closed the gate. I laid the dull side of my machete on my shoulder as I walked passed the children, talking about how cool we are. I quickly ran into our hangar and switch sweatshirts. I carried the bloodied one with my as I returned my weapon to the armory. I saw that Savannah's is there, but I guess Kai still wanted his for the cane part of it. Next, I went out in front of one of the other hangars where Danny was pinning shirts onto a clothesline. He noticed me and smiled.

"Hey, you need me to wash that?" he smirked.

"Yeah," I said as I tossed it to him.

"This is awfully bloody. What happened?"

"We took care of some walkers."

"You should tell me about it sometime, but I should get this out before the blood dries."

"Okay, Danny. See you later!"

As I left Danny, I stopped by a rose bush. I plucked a flower out of the foliage and smelled it. I carried it to our hangar, but I didn't go inside. Outside, I left the flower upon a rock with "Macie" carved into the stone with a knife. I did shed a tear, but I wiped it. The sun was going down. I went inside and found Gabe, Sarah, and Payson talking at a table.

"Hey guys," I said. "Where are Samuel and Alyson?"

"Out back 'talking'" Gabe used his hands for emphasis. I laughed.

"Come sit down," Payson called me over.

"Yeah, I found a deck of cards today," Sarah said happily.

"No thanks," I yawned. "I'm way too tired."

"Your loss!" Gabe screeched.

I climbed into my sleeping bag and zipped it off. I slowly fell asleep, thinking about what this place has in store for me tomorrow.