It’s been six months since we’ve seen a familiar face and another two since the outbreak began. Over the last few weeks, passersby have been more frequent. On some nights, I can see a dim glow in the trees across the lake where the old campgrounds used to be.

Thomas says we’re lucky our cabin is hard to see with the extra overgrowth and Pa has barely changed the way he’s lived since before the outbreak. He says if it wasn’t for him, we would be mad like the rest of the world. The same rest of the world that would call him nuts, old cooke, or a conspiracy theorist. Sometimes I wonder if he is happier now with no one but Thomas and I to keep him company. Before all this started Pa would hardly trust me to hunt on my own, but now we all have our responsibilities to survive through the winter. Lately, I have spent extra time gathering wood, helping process the vegetables from the garden, not to mention pulling watch.

Thomas says Pa charged me to start pulling watch because we all have a job to do and I'm old enough to pull my weight. I do like the calm of sitting in our deer stand staring across the lake and up at the stars. It’s almost like the whole world is standing still. That’s what I like the most about my whole day but lately, the nights have been getting colder and my shifts feel longer and longer.

“Hey!” Thomas called, “might be needing this!”

He tossed up an old quilt.

“Thanks!”

“Midnight, and not a minute earlier”

As I wrapped myself in the quilt and cradled the rifle, Thomas did one last check of our perimeter before heading inside. It wasn’t long before I felt the cold air enveloping me and dense fog filled the gaps between the trees. The sun was low in the sky and frost was forming on the grass and timber. Somehow, even with the cold and seemingly watching nothing in the distance, I couldn’t help but feel like this was like one very very long camping trip, and maybe soon enough this could all be over. As much as I enjoy, deer jerky, there just isn’t a variety of food here at the cabin. Maybe I could go back into town, meet new friends, and live a life outside this cabin. As much as it felt like family, it is getting old and I crave to do something new. Something different.

Just then I heard the cans tied to the tree on the perimeter rattle. I steady the rifle and search the fog for any sign of movement. I hope it’s a deer Pa would be so excited to add to our winter stores. As I listened to my surroundings, my excitement changed to fear. I could hear footsteps, slow deliberate footsteps. I could barely make out the figure in the fog. Was it infected? Was it a looter? Was it human? I could feel my heart pounding as I tried to steady my aim. I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and slowly closed my eyes before I pulled the trigger.