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[indent][indent]The sun blazed hotter than the eighth circle on this late summer day. Ffiona brushed a stray strand of hair back, which consequently stuck to her sweat-slicked forehead, while the rest of her auburn locks were braided over her left shoulder. The heat might be oppressive, but it wasn’t anything that the ex-forest ranger wasn’t used to. Even before the dead walked among them, FiFi spent most of her days in the great outdoors. With her hair braided, her blue jeans rolled up to her knees, and her flannel unbuttoned and tied just below her breasts, Ffiona was doing the best she could to combat the scorching temperatures.

Liam, Ffiona’s younger brother, was far less fortunate. Although the Lewis’ all were born with the same unfortunately pale complexion, Liam’s had seen far less of the sun’s rays over the years. While his father and older sister seemed to be faring well, save for gaining a considerable amount of new freckles, Liam was roasting alive. This was his karmic payback for all of those days spent playing video games inside instead of helping with the farm chores, he was sure of it, though he’d never admit that aloud. Instead, he rode beside his sister, a cloth tied around the lower half of his face like some kind of cowboy outlaw, but really he was just trying to protect his already red cheeks and damned-near crispy fried nose from the sun. At least he had the familiar tones of Dream Theater’s “[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGRgAULYgWE]Pull Me Under[/url]” playing through his headphones to keep him company in these trying times. [i]Images and Words[/i] was one of five albums in Liam’s ‘Survive the Fucking Apocalypse’ collection… a growing collection, housed in his scuffed camping backpack.

The patriarch and remaining parent of the Lewis family, Gareth, trotted his horse up alongside his children’s, returning from his place at the head of the pack with news. This was how the Lewis’ had been travelling with the group for a number of days now — Gary, serving as their family’s natural leader, usually stayed with Freddie Jones and the others at the front of the group while Ffiona, Liam, and the Carter’s stayed close together to keep each other safe first and foremost. Once the three horses were side-by-side, walking at an incredibly slow pace to stay in the middle of the group, Gareth spoke up. His voice was quiet, as he’d grown accustomed to speaking these past few months, lest he attract the dead’s attention. [color=CFC11A][b]“Freddie Jones ‘n them found some water up ahead. And some signs pointin’ towards a Costco. Thoughts are to head there next.”[/b][/color]

[color=C1E03E][b]“Oh… that’s good, right?”[/b][/color] Ffiona asked, looking over to her father. At this point, Liam decided he might as well take out an earbud to see what they were talking about. He passively looked over at his family, waiting for them to continue whatever conversation they were having.

[color=CFC11A][b]“Well… we’ll have to see, I guess. My thoughts are the place has probably already been looted for the common supplies, but that don’t mean we won’t find some useful stuff.”[/b][/color] Gareth responded with a shrug. He patted Lucy Loo’s neck encouragingly after she blew out a sigh. Horses sigh when they’re tired, but they were always tired these days, and unfortunately they had to keep on walking.

[color=C1E03E][b]“Right. Costco’s have a bit of everything, I think it’s a good idea.”[/b][/color] FiFi agreed with a nod, even going so far as to smile. Not even a zombie apocalypse could knock her positive outlook on life.

Liam perked up at the thought of a Costco. They might have cigarettes! Or aloe! Or both! Sweet respite was in sight, maybe this new world wasn’t as bleak as it looked. [color=59B717][b]“I’m in!”[/b][/color] The teenager chimed in, whether or not his opinion held any merit.

[color=C1E03E][b]“How far out is it?”[/b][/color] Fi asked curiously.

[color=CFC11A][b]“Eh, a few miles out still, I reckon. Plans are to see what we can find there, then head towards the Twin Cities. Now, that plan… I ain’t as fond of.”[/b][/color] Gareth voiced his opinion to his family. Heading towards any city was just flirting with danger in his opinion. This thing was a plague, and plagues have always had the most devastating impact on highly populated areas. That, and he just plain didn’t like cities, he was a country man, through and through.

[color=C1E03E][b]“Well…”[/b][/color] Ffiona pondered that, running her hands through Genie’s mane. [color=C1E03E][b]“That might not be so bad, could be where mom is headed too.”[/b][/color] She said, naively still believing that Gwyneth and her mother got separated from them by the horde, and that they were still alive and out there somewhere.

[color=59B717][b]“Oh, Jesus Christ, Fi! Are you seriously that dense?”[/b][/color] Liam retorted and rolled his eyes. While rampant positivity might work as a coping mechanism for Ffiona, it felt like battery acid in his own wounds.

Following Ffiona’s comment, Gareth had fallen silent. Mournfully silent. It wasn’t until Liam snapped that he spoke up himself. [color=CFC11A][b]“Hey, don’t talk to your sister like that. Ya ain’t so old I can’t give ya a whoopin’ for it, ya hear?”[/b][/color]

[color=59B717][b]“No. Just, no. You’re all talk, Dad, and Fi needs to stop this. Mom is dead. Gwennie is dead. They’ve been dead for months.”[/b][/color] Liam stated firmly, his nostrils flaring with equal parts sadness and anger. Why did he have to be the adult here? [color=59B717][b]“And if it weren’t for Dad and I convincing you to leave, you’d be dead too. You would have stayed at the house waiting for them to come back until the shamblers busted down the front door. They ain’t coming back, Fi, and we’re never going to find them. Not alive, at least. And no amount of positive thinking is going to change that.”[/b][/color]

Gareth sighed defeatedly. His son wasn’t wrong… he could have said it with more tact, but, he wasn’t wrong. In an attempt to comfort his daughter, Gary spoke with a soft voice. [color=CFC11A][b]“Ffio— ”[/b][/color] He was cut short by Ffiona pulling back on Genie’s reins and turning the gray horse off to the right, away from her brother and father.

[color=C1E03E][b]“I’m going to go update the Carter’s on the group’s plans.”[/b][/color] Her voice was hollow and stony as she took her leave.[/indent][/indent]