Page 2

No, I know why. The only person I had left who was as close to family as I’ll ever have, has found her own family.

While I’m still included in that, it’s still not the same.

It’s not that I’m jealous, because I am happy for her, and she deserves the world.

Though, it would be nice if I could find something similar, too.

Someone willing to set the world on fire to keep me warm.

Although, maybe there’s something wrong with me that will prevent that from ever happening.

The ruins of an old pharmacy come into view, and I realize I’ve traveled farther than I have on any previous supply run. That, or I made a wrong turn somewhere. Either way, I have some hope.

The place looks ransacked. The shattered front windows diminish my hope and the shelves along the inside walls are overturned, spilling empty pill bottles across the dusty tile floor. Still, I open every drawer and check behind every counter.

Empty.

Empty.

A half-bottle of something with a label too faded to read. I toss it into my pack.

Empty.

My growing frustration reaches a peak, and I kick over a metal rack. It clatters to the floor, but I ignore the racket it creates.

I refuse to let myself go back empty-handed. Emily has no idea how much I’ve been spending all these days searching outside those walls. She refused to give up when she was searching for my insulin, and now I refuse to give up on her.

So, I push aside my frustration and move deeper into the building.

Broken glass littering the floor crunches beneath my boots, and I sidestep empty pill bottles scattered everywhere.

Then my breath catches when I spot a dust shelf higher up, and the white lid to a bottle that’s out of reach.

I climb the shelves to reach it, but it’s the rattling of pills inside that raises my hopes, and I pull it down.

There, still printed clearly on the label, are the antibiotics I’ve been looking for.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper-yell that ends in a squeal. A laugh of disbelief bubbles up in my throat. This makes everything worth it. The cold, the fear, the endless miles. Emily will have what she needs, and for once, something is going right.

Then a shadow shifts in the corner of my vision.

I freeze. My fingers tighten around the bottle, and I turn toward the doorway. The light from the broken windows pool across the cracked tile floor where a man stands blocking my exit.

His clothes are dirty and mismatched. A patchwork of scavenged gear and a crooked smile highlights the glint in his eye that screams dreg. The knife in his hand catches the light, and his lips curl into a grin that makes my stomach twist.

“Well, well, well,” he says, his voice low and mocking. “Look what we’ve got here. A little mouse, all alone.”

My heart hammers against my ribs, and every instinct screams at me to run.

The shards sticking out of the broken windowpane will cut me up before I can put enough distance between us.

My only option is to fight. I swallow hard and pull out my knife.

This man is three times larger than I am, but I can move fast. “Back off.”

He laughs and takes a step closer. “Feisty little mouse. I like that. Makes it more fun.”

My mind races. I glance him over for any weak spots. Before I can come up with a plan, he lunges.

I move on instinct, ducking under his swing and then slashing behind his knees with my knife. I even slash at his dick for good measure. He sinks to his knees with a cry of pain. Taking my chance, I turn to run, but then another figure steps into the doorway.

Then another.

My stomach drops. Three of them. I’m outnumbered now, and they’re still blocking my only path. Still, I square my shoulders and raise my knife. I’ll fight my way out.

“This one’s got some fight in her,” the second guy says with a smirk that makes my skin crawl.

“Too bad it won’t do her any good,” the third one says.

“She cut my dick,” the dreg on the floor cries out through tears running down his face. His hands cup the front of his jeans that’s now filling with blood.

“Don’t be weak, Warren,” the third one says with a roll of his eyes.

The second one rubs his hands together with excitement. “ I love a challenge. Should we give her a head start first? There’s nothing like a chase.”

“Watch out, the bitch is dangerous,” Warren says behind me while struggling to get to his feet, only to fall back onto his ass again. He lets out another howl of pain.

“Clearly you underestimated her,” the third one says with a bored look before meeting my gaze. “Short blonde hair. Feisty. Think this is the one he wants?”

The second one’s grin turns feral. “Only one way to find out.”

Without waiting around for the rest of their conversation, I make the first move and slash at them with my knife. This time, they’re ready.

Warren kicks out his foot to sweep against my own, and I stumble.

The second one grabs me with an iron grip. I kick and twist, but it’s no use.

“Let me go,” I snarl.

“Not a chance, sweetheart,” the one holding me says, then he drags me toward the door. I flail and kick my legs out until the third dreg grabs my feet and they carry me out with ease. “You’re coming with us.”

Warren grabs my bag and limps after us. The last thing I see before they shove a bag over my head is the pills from the bottle rolling across the asphalt before the dreg zips my bag shut.