*THE UNEDITED VERSION* Beware of typos, errors, and general mistakes. This is a very, very rough draft. "I live in a place called Compound 4. We are one of ten different compounds placed at strategic locations around the US. It's been thirteen years since the virus overtook humanity, turning about ninety percent of us into zombies. I'm not sure how it started exactly; that's classified information. I do know that in order to save what was left of the human race, the president at the time took a bunch of really smart people and kids and relocated them into new 'protected' cities. My father was one of those really smart people. I was only five at the time, but I knew what was happening." Within the walls of the compound, Jay makes stupid mistakes, mistakes even she doesn't understand, putting everyone inside at risk. All because she can't shoot someone. All because she misses the wind in her hair, the flowers on the hillsides, the sound of crickets at night. All because she's different, the only person untouchable by the Virus. When the mistakes begin to duplicate, and a girl shows up who knows her name, everything begins to change in Compound 4. Highest rank in Science Fiction: #9

"Go on that Bermuda Triangle tour, they said. It'll be fun, they said." Fun isn't the word Penelope Orson would use to describe her predicament. Shipwrecked alone on a tiny island with nothing but her wit, her only hope is that someone will come along and save her. However, when her rescue comes in the form of a very strange young man, she questions if she'd rather take her chances. ~~~~~ The short story version of this won nine awards, including: ~The Flower's Awards: winner of Short Story ~The Wave Awards: first place in Short Story and third overall Highest ranks: #2 in sci-fi and #35 in romance sci-fi | adventure | chick-lit | romance | mystery | aliens