REBEL CLOTHES ✓

SHE'S A CARVER

Josh, hand in hand with Jenna, ran to the tent across from them, dragging two newest girls out by the collars of their shirts. For some reason, they weren't waking up, but Josh didn't want to assume the worst just yet.

"Where's Clancy and Rose?" Josh yelled.

"They're helping the others into the mountains," Jenna yelled back. "Come on, we need to get as many people as we can!"

They found five other people, all still conscious with minor injuries, before decided to head out of the burning campsite. Jenna and others carried the two unconscious girls two the edge of the forest, but Josh stopped. He could hear someone screaming for help.

"Josh, don't," Jenna said as the scream became loud enough for her to hear. She could always read him like a book.

"I need to."

"No, you don't!"

"But-"

"Josh, what will Tyler do if he falls asleep and you're not there?"

That should've sent Josh running, but he held his ground. "I need to do something. They would do the same for me."

"Wait-"

Josh grabbed an unlit torch off of the ground and sprinted back into the camp. There was so much smoke that it blacked the sun out, giving him a visibility of only a few feet in front of him.

He covered his face with his bandana and lit the torch in a bundle of burning fabric, trying not to inhale as he ran straight through the fire to the other side of the camp. Following the screaming to a collapsed tent, Josh found Ryan, another new Bandito, with his leg pinned underneath a burning pillar used to hold them up.

"I got you, you're okay," Josh said, sticking the torch into the ground beside him and grabbing the unburned side of the pillar. He lifted it high enough for Ryan to pull his leg out.

"Thank you," Ryan gasped, his face covered in black ash. "Where's the girl?"

"Jenna?"

"No, no, the girl on the horse. The Bishop."

Josh's body tensed. "Shit. Come on, let's get you out of here."

He lifted Ryan up and piggy backed him, having him hold the torch in front of them. Josh couldn't breathe and he felt dizzy, his legs giving out every couple seconds, but he finally broke through the smoke, sending them both sprawling to the ground in a fit of coughing.

A horse whinnied, hooves stomping too close for comfort, followed by a low distorted chuckle. Josh gagged, looking up through watery eyes, and grabbed the fallen torch, waving it in front of him.

"How'd you find us?" He tried to sound intimidating, but his hoarse throat betrayed him.

"You Banditos need to be careful with where your dreams take place," the Bishop sneered.

Josh could see the black circle patch with thin white veins pressed against the Bishop's chest. Each Bishop had a way of identifying them, which gave the Banditos an advantage. He just wished it hadn't been her.

"Sacarver," he choked.

She grinned. "I'm glad you still recognize me."

"Of course I do. You almost destroyed Jenna's life."

"What do you want?" Ryan croaked. He was bleeding heavily from his leg, Josh noticed. It was a miracle he was even still conscious.

"I'm here to give you and your leader a warning," she said. "Interfere with our people again and this fire  be a walk in the park compare to the things we will do to you. Is that clear?"

Josh spit on the ground in front of him. "I'd rather die than listen to you."

"I'm glad to hear that."

He was too weak to move. Josh could only watch as Sacarver stepped off the horse and knelt in front of Ryan, grabbing him by his neck. Black tendrils spread outward from where her hand touched his skin. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

"No," Josh choked out. "No."

Sacarver let go of Ryan, and he dropped like a stone, unmoving. His eyes were glossed over and red, and the black tendrils had spread down his arms and up his neck. It didn't take long before it vanished, but Josh knew the effects still lingered.

A Bishop's touch was deadly. They infected you and sucked out any life you had, any will to live until you were a mindless zombie who'd do anything they said. Not all of the Bishops had that effect, but the ones that did were the scariest of them all. Sacarver was the warrior, the one who had an almost admirable body count compared to the others.

She scared him to death.

Sacarver turned to Josh and grabbed his chin. He could see her eyes clearly through the shredded veil that barely covered up her face; she had silvery blue eyes and pale, bloodless skin. Her neck was black like her hands, and her lips were red. Before the T&T War, people spoke of the devil. If he truly existed, Josh believed he would look like Sacarver.

Her iron grip on his chin transferred to his neck- not a choking grip, but firm and cold and draining. Josh felt completely helpless. He begged his body to run, but it wouldn't even move. It was like every muscle was being unraveled and sewn back together in a gruesome, inhumane way.

"Sleep tight, Joshua."

Then suddenly, she vanished, along with the horse and the sun. No longer under her control, Josh forced himself to stand and grab Ryan, hauling them both through the rubble that was once their camp. He could see the edge of the forest through the dissipating smog, and he broke through the tree line before collapsing a final time, unable to move any further than the beginning of the path.

Every part of his body burned, and his chest was heaving trying to eject the ash and smoke from his lungs. Sunrise broke through the tree leaves, casting slivers of warmth that rested on Josh's face as his consciousness slipped from his mind.

All he could think was, this is how I'm going to die. I didn't even get to save Tyler.

Someone yelled their names. Josh felt a rush of cold water over his body. He still couldn't move. It didn't occur to him until later that he was actually dying.

A wave of cold washed over him again, but Josh couldn't tell if that was water or his mind falling deeper into darkness.

Someone told him they would be okay. Ryan screamed. Jenna, who always smelled like lemongrass, grabbed at him, avoiding the stinging burns on his arms, shoulders, and chest.

The strong stench of alcohol flooded his nose, and he felt the familiar shape stabbing of a needle on his side. Josh's eyes rolled back