The day will come when you forgive yourself

Offer

Sunlight is one given thing in a world filled with the desperate cries of the weak. Miserable cries of the dying world, the pathetic pleas of the believers of the old. It has been exactly two years to this day since the virus broke out. A cure to end all disease which ended up becoming a disease itself, killing the patient and infecting them with a new life. I am currently on my own, for the deceased had broke into camp and infected almost all of those who were surviving. Except me, I could have stayed and helped but I ran like a coward. A mistake that cost them their lives but saved my own. The area around me was dead, no sounds, no movements; It looked so serene like in the pictures that my teacher used to show.

Slowly I traveled along the long forgotten road, traveling to nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Rustling came from a nearby brush and I stopped automatically. "If someone is there show yourselves!" I shouted pulling my falchion sword from its holster. A man taller than me emerged from his hiding spot followed by a woman holding their hands up. "Were not going to harm you" The man with pale blonde hair assured. With slow movements I lowered the blade back into its holster. "I'm Lucero, and that's Keith" The woman said holding out her hand "We were following you for awhile that way we could see if you would be right for our base." She said in a cautious manner. I shook her hand and nodded to assure her that I was listening "What do you mean for your base?" I asked.

Keith reached into a brown bag and produced a brochure for a gated community about 10 miles from here. "We call it Sanctus, the home of the living" He said with an air of pride. I took the paper showcasing beautiful cookie cutter houses. "How many of you are there?" I asked studying the homes. My mind raced thinking about how I could screw this up again. "There's about fifty of us" They said in unison, in all honesty it would be nice to live in a community again but do I really deserve it. "I think it would be in your best interest to come with us miss" Keith said gesturing for Lucero to help him with something. While I was thinking it over they uncovered a shitty looking Chrysler Lebaron.

"Well Miss what's your name?" Lucero asked finally "It's Tiffany, and if there is room I would like to go to Sanctus with both of you." I told her finalizing my decision. Keith clapped and grabbed my bag to put it in the car "Great, now we need to get going it's almost dusk" Lucero said in a happy voice. The drive to Sanctus was a fairly quiet one aside for Keith deciding to randomly sing some show tunes, off key I may add. The gated community seemed fairly reliable but not to the point of worry free. We stopped short outside of the gate and Lucero jumped out to be greeted in a warm hug from a woman with dark blonde hair. "That's Jill, Lucero's 'Knight in shining armour'" Keith said turning to look at me.

I nodded, though I didn't fully understand what he meant by that. I watched as Lucero hug Jill and kiss her on the cheek before running back to the car. "Tiffany, you're in luck we have a house at the far end of the community that is free" She said sitting down and starting the car back up. We drove to the very end of the community before she cut off the engine and jumped out. Keith got out and opened my door observing my behaviour " So this is my new home?" I asked following Lucero into the house. "Yes it is feel free to decorate how you see fit, and oh once you get settled Travis will find you a job" She said helping Keith move the chairs off of the table. "Thank's Lucero, Keith but if you wouldn't mind I would like to shower and be alone to soak in this new found community" I asked them. Lucero seemed to already know what I was thinking and drug Keith out of the room. "Just remember I'll come over to check on you and take you to the greeting room that way everyone can meet you" She said closing the door quietly.

It's quite ironic how when one loses a group they find shelter in another. Who knows maybe this time things won't go south and I won't have to choose between my life and someone else's. There is no way that I could do that again, not after losing Mariah and Caitlin, watching them die right in front of me; being ripped limb from bloody limb. This time had to be different, it just had to be.