Andrea and Emma walks along the narrow path, careful not to step on any dry twigs. In the quiet forest, broken branches and twigs sound like gunshots, and you never knew who’s around. There are rumors among Ogden’s collective members that there is a new, constantly growing group of ghostlike beings. Andrea puts no faith in that, but she does believe there are dangerous people who have gone crazy from everything that’s happened to them the last year. For some of them to exist in the Hudskills is just to be excepted.

Emma stops and shifts the shoulder straps of the harness she uses to carry firewood in. They have been out picking small branches to use as fire starters. That way, they won’t have to use the large firewood and cut them up into strips. Andrea isn’t too fun of this assignment, as she feels her new skills when it comes to martial arts and driving the motorcycle should be made better use of.

She never goes anywhere without her baseball bat. The black metal strappings she mounted with Ogden’s help makes it loke intimidating, and she’s aware of how much damage it can cause…and how easy it is to take a life by swinging it.

Andrea thinks about Christmas Even often, even if she doesn’t want to. The man who forced their way in. The knife that cut through the soft, white skin of Emma’s cheek. Her own rage when she swings the baseball bat toward the man’s head. Sometimes she has nightmares. She dreams she doesn’t stop after the first blow. She keeps changing her grip around the bat and swings and swings. Several times she’s woken up screaming, and it’s Emma who comforts her, which is ironic in the worst way. Andrea is supposed to look out for Emma and not the other way around. But during those moments, when it’s just the two of them in the cottage attic, then it’s only Emma who can calm Andrea’s racing heart.

Ogden has given them new mattresses, which he fetched together with Magnus. They took the van, another new addition to the collective, and they only use it for super important errands, and drove to the Ikea store. They said it was safest to go to the outskirts of Remerton, then any of the old, fancy furniture stores in the center of Remerton. They got mattresses for a lot of the newcomers too, and tons of bed sheets and duvets.

Lou-Lou had insisted they needed to get candles and oil lamps as well. Magnus, who most of all wanted to make her happy, came back with bags full of decorative objects. Ogden had muttered about it to begin with, but when he saw Annemarie and Lou-Lou place table clothes, bowls, and other decorations throughout the cottage, he chuckled happily.

The grownups have been building two new log cabins for about twenty-five years on each side of the cottage. They are cutting down trees and creating a yard while they reinforce the alarm system with cans while they’re trying to think of something more sophisticated. Ogden sits in the light of the kerosene lamp in the evenings and draws new designs for different log cabins and storage sheds. Andrea thinks it starts to look like a fort, and when she tells Ogden, he nods approvingly.

“It’s just what we need, Andy. A fort.”

Even if she’s lost in her thoughts, Andrea hears a twig break further up the path and stop walking. She raises her fist, a sign that has been drilled into Emma and her by now, and Emma stops behind her. Andrea holds her breath to hear better. It’s most likely a deer, or even a moose, even if they are rare. But—it can also be one or more of those crazy people. She grips her bat and peers in among the trees. There’s no sound, but she can see how something moves between the trees even farther down the path. Wordlessly, she motions for Emma to follow her into the denser shrubbery to their right. Emma obeys instantly and they couch behind bushes that just grew new leaves, thank God. If it had been two weeks ago, they wouldn’t have provided any cover for them at all.

Now she hears footfalls, and Andrea can feel how Emma clings to her left arm. She pats Emma reassuringly on the shoulder and ruffles her hair. Andrea knows that these types of caresses have the best effect on Emma. Perhaps it reminds her of how her mother or father used to touch her?

The steps come closer, and Andrea has the feeling that there is more than one person approaching. Then she can see them. Two men and two women walk along the path. Their clothes are dirty and tattered, and yet they keep walking, obviously not worried about the fact that anyone can hear and see them. Perhaps they’re crazy enough to not be scared, or they really think they’re alone in the Hudskills, which is another sign of madness.

“Hey, Lester!” one of the men who walks at the back calls out. “I’m hungry. Why don’t we eat it now?”

“No,” the older of the two women whines. She’s dressed in a long fur coat over what once were pink sweatpants. “I don’t want raw food again. We can put it on the grill over a fire. We can stop here and do it.”

“We’ve got to get back to the camp.” The first man isn’t as raggedy and unkempt as the others. “We’re not stopping to do a freaking barbecue in the middle of the forest. And we don’t eat raw rabbits. Understood?”

“But I’m hungry, I tell you,” the first man mutters. “Who made you the boss of us?”

“But he is the boss,” says the younger woman and she has a dreamy tone to her voice that creeps Andrea out.

“Yes, I am,” the man leading them through the forest says. “Don’t forget that you were starving before I came and took over. IT was as if you didn’t get that you have to make an effort to find food for fifty people.”

“It was just because those murderers were in that camp by the lake. They took all the food in the whole world,” the man in the back says. “When we were there and wanted to get our share, they killed Steffo. Just like that.”

Andrea slaps her hand over Emma’s mouth because she knows that her little sister won’t be able to stop herself from whimpering. She prays to all higher powers that she can think of that it won’t reach the four people who obviously belong to the gang that tried to rob them on Christmas Eve. They don’t seem to be smart enough to fear their surroundings and Andrea wonders if they’ve grown so much in numbers that they might inundate Ogden’s camp and overpower them. The last time she counted the members of his collective, they were forty-three. That’s why they need the additional log cabins. Right now, twenty-four people live in military tents with fire stoves in the center. They are lucky that spring has come early this year.

Emma has calmed down and Andrea eases the grip of her mouth. Emma nodded and put her index finger to her lips. She’ll be quiet. Good.

The four strangers remain a while and three of them argue back and forth about who is in charge and if they will eat now or later. Several rabbits dangle by the first man’s backpack and it looks like the other man can’t take his eyes off them. Andrea makes a face at the idea of him grabbing one of the rabbits and digging his teeth into it, fur and all.

What is it with this life when a regular person can become so primitive? Andrea tries to envision the men like ordinary people a year ago. Maybe they once worked at a bank, or a garage, or in a store. And then the birds came and with them the virus that took everyone from them and also their souls.

If Andrea hadn’t stumbled upon Emma, who knows what could have happened to her? She likes to think that she’d been able to stay focused and kept looking for Theo, but she can’t swear to it. And who knows what happened to the four people in front of her and Emma? Everyone’s got their lives ruined in so many ways.

The four strangers finally leave. The sound of their footfalls disappears toward the northeast part of the Hudskills. Andrea takes Emma by the hand and hurried soundlessly due east. They read the outer border to Ogden’s future fort, and weave through the elaborate pattern of wires and cans as they know it by heart.

Andrea runs straight into the house and pulls off her harness with the firewood. “Ogden! Ogden!”

“Dear Lord, girl, you’re yelling loud enough to wake the dead,” Ogden utters and enters the main room from the kitchen. “What’s happened?” He pales. “Emma?”

“Is here,” Emma gasps after running.

“Thank God. Well, what’s going on?”

“We saw four strangers. They’re with the same gang that was here last Christmas.” Andrea looks apologetically at Emma. They normally don’t talk about Christmas in her presence. Emma loathes her scar with every fiber in her being. “One of them, the young, knew the one who I…who died. The most important part of this is that they’ve grown in numbers, Ogden. The first one, I think he’s the leader of them all, mentioned that there are fifty of them.”

“The other back wanted to eat a raw rabbit,” Emma closes her eyes hard. “Gross.”

“Really?” Ogden looks like he agrees. “Good that you found new intel, Andy, but I don’t like that you got so close to them. I don’t think you should go into the forest alone in the future.”

Andrea glares at Ogden. “Just the opposite. Instead, I think Emma stays back here when we need new twigs for kindling, or something else. She’s only seven—”

“Eight. In a month.” Emma’s eyes narrow as she looks at Andrea.

“And I’m almost fifteen Twice your age, almost.” Andrea grips Emma’s shoulders. “Ogden is right. It became too dangerous today. If I move alone in the forest, I can become even more invisible. I can move faster, and I don’t have to fear that something might happen to you.” Andrea doesn’t say ‘again,’ but the words hang between them, and it makes Andrea’s chest hurt. “You know that would be the worst thing in the world for me, right?”

“Yeah.” Emma’s voice is small now and her instant ire mellows. “And I feel the same way, but the other way around.”

A lump forms immediately in Andrea’s throat, and she forces her tears back. They can’t start falling. She’s been feeling more vulnerable lately and thought about Mom way too much than what is good for her. “That’s right,” she manages. “So, from now on, until you’re strong and fast enough, and with great big muscles, I go alone. I’m strong, and I can fight. You know that. Besides, I know the forest better than anyone in here.”

Emma nods slowly, as if she doesn’t want to agree, but knows that she has to accept what Ogden and Andrea are saying. “And you have your baseball bat.”

“Yes, I do. I never go anywhere without it.”

“But Theo has to get it back when we find him,” Emma says quietly. “Then you have to scavenge for a new one.”

Andrea has talked so much about Theo to Emma, that he’s almost taken on a storybook vision to her. Emma longs for them to find Theo. He’s her age and she miss having other children to play with. It’s as if someone vacuumed all of Remerton and its subdivisions for surviving kids and teenagers. Andrea pushes Emma’s hair from her face. “When I locate Theo, we’ll give him the bat and his backpack. You’ve taken such great care of his things.” It’s true. The few things Andrea brought that are Theo’s is tenderly kept up in the attic. It’s as if Emma has created a shrine to Theo, which give Andrea’s goosebumps just thinking about it. She doesn’t want anyone to worship Theo like he’s some sort of saint, but Emma seems to need a place where she is in charge of what it looks like. So, Andrea leaves her to it.

On top of an old suitcase, there’s a photo of Theo at age six. On each side of the photo there are candle holders with two tealights that Annemarie gave to Emma after making her promise to never burn them on her own. On the wall behind the suitcase, Ogden had put up a shelf where Emma stores the comics, books, and a few toys that Andrea brought from her apartment in Remerton.

Sometimes, Andrea toys with the idea of going back to the apartment on the eighth floor to get more of Theo’s things, but the idea of Mom’s dead body in the pink rug always makes her change her mind. Theo can have other toys. Other books and comics. But she will insist they get them at another library than the last one they visited.

They unfasten the twigs and thin branches and place them neatly into two piles. On in the kitchen close to the AGA stove, and one in the main room.

Ogden follows their chores with a strange expression in his eyes. “It dawns on me how much you’re missing out on up here in the Hudskills. I know that the world is turned upside down and it will remain so until a strong enough leader comes along.”

“Like you, Ogden?” Amdrea is washing her hands in the kitchen sink. “You run this place.”

“In a way, yes. But I mean, someone to come to rule larger area. Like the entire New York state, for instant.”

“As long as it’s something with their wits about them,” Annemarie says as she enters the kitchen.

“What I mean is, that we need a school. We don’t have a lot of people here under the age of eighteen, but some are. Especially Emma is in need of a proper education. You’ve been a teacher, Annie, and this is your area of expertise. We have to create a classroom, and quickly.”

Annemarie sits down at the kitchen table and looks out the window. Andrea studies her closely. She thinks Annemarie has gotten thinner the last few months, but she hasn’t found a good way to tell Ogden. Perhaps he’s already noticed. Andrae doesn’t understand how Annmarie can look so thin. They never have to suffer a shortage of food. There are a lot of game in the forest and fruits in the trees around the old cottage. Fishing almost always goes well. They also picked a lot of mushrooms last fall.

Yet, Annemarie looks fragile, and it worries Andrea. It has taken Annemarie longer to feel the same immediate warmth for Andrea as she did instantly with Emma. But lately, it seems like Annemarie trusts Andrea and admires her skills. It means a lot to Andrea then she cares to admit to herself, but deep down she knows she yearns for the same tender words and actions Annemarie bestows upon Emma.

“Please Annemarie,” Andrea says and takes her hands. “Even I miss school. I know I train with Ogden and learns all kinds of useful things through him, but it feels like I’m forgetting everything I know about math, history, and geography, just because I never think about it.”

Annemarie gives a gentle smile and cups her cheeks. Her hand is weathered, but the caress is tender and warms Andrea’s heart. “Of course we’ll have proper teaching. I’ve thought so all along, but I’ve been putting it off because I thought you needed more time to acclimatize. I would imagine more people will be adopted into our community, even children, with time. Some might also bring new babies into this word, as it is, and then it’d be good if we have something resembling a curriculum.” She turns to her husband. “Ogden. We’re going to need books for all ages, notepads, pens, erasers, paper clips, watercolors, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, etcetera…” She quiets and smiles again, this time with a bitter expression in her eyes. “Perhaps you only have to go into the closest school and scavenger what’s already in the classroom. I would imagine that they’ve left them where they were.”

“There, sweetheart. I’ll get all l that sorted for you. It’ll do you some good, don’t you think—teaching again?” Ther’s nothing in patronizing in Ogden’s voice, just love, and Andrea wonders if she’ll ever have someone in her life that loves her like Ogden adores his wife.

Annemarie doesn’t answer, but pulls Emma, who’s just washed her hands, close and hold her tight. She’s still holding onto Andrea’s hand in a firm grip. “My girls. We start tomorrow. Eight o’clock when you and Ogden have made your rounds. How does that sound?”

Andrea smiles carefully and hugs Annemarie’s hand to her. She thinks of the made people in the forest but pushes the thought away. Just thinking about going to school makes her feel like she does before Christmas and birthdays, is unexpected, but not unwelcome. Perhaps it’s the feeling that the days would become a little more normal, like they used to be, when she went to the same class as her best friends. It won’t be the same—but it can still be good.

Emma peers at Andrea from under Annemarie’s chin. “I can already read,” She says and smiles. “I have ready all the books up on the loft several times. Can we go and find more soon?”

Ogden chuckles and raises a finger at Emma in a mock reprimand. “Of course we can, boss lady. We’re soon going on our next scavenging hunt. Write a list, Emma, and you too, Annemarie. I’ll bring Andy, Magnus and Azim.” He winks at Andrea, and she sees how serious he is. She understands they’re going for something more than school supplies.

Andrea gets a chance to ask about it only after dark has fallen over the Hudskills and Ogden is sitting in his favorite armchair with a mug of tea. He stares into the fires and seems lost in thought. As she often does, Andrea takes a seat on a foot stool at his side and studies him carefully.

“What are we fetching?” Andrea speaks quietly to not be overheard by anyone else. Magnus and Lou-Lou are sitting by the window, playing cards. Annemarie’s is tucking Emma in, up on the loft. “I understand that is has to be important, and maybe dangerous, since you didn’t share it in front of Annemarie and Emma.”

Ogden sips his tea again and then looks firmly at Andrea. “You’re no fool, young lady, I have to say,” he murmurs. Then gets up and brings his mug. “Come. Let’s go outside.” He raises his voice and turns to Magnus. “Keep doing what you’re doing. Andy and I’ll take the evening rounds.” They put on their jackets and Ogden checks that his flashlight is charged before they step outside. When they’ve left the cottage behind, he speaks in a low voice. “We’re going to a weapons storage south of Remerton. We’re hoping that it’s not been entirely picked over by now. Magnus also knows where the military store some stuff, we hope to get into that.”

Andrea isn’t surprised. Ever since they discovered the presence of others in the forest, especially the ones joining the gang who invaded their home at Christmas, she wondered if they shouldn’t strengthen their defense that way.

“South Remerton? Which vehicles?” Andrea pressed her lips together.

“You, Azim, and I will take the pickup, and Magnus takes the motorcycle. I want us to have two ways to remove you from potential hostile situations. If push comes to shove and hell breaks out, I know you can drive all the way home on the bike.”

A burning knot in my stomach makes Andrea clench her fists hard, but she’s pleased that Ogden sees her as an asset. She knows him so well and realizes that he only brings her on this mission since he considers her ready for it.

“Annemarie doesn’t know about this, right?” Andrea whispers the words hesitantly.

“No. Not yet.”

“She looks so thin, Ogden. She’s not…ill…is she?” Andrea stops at the grassy area that leads down to the lake and looks across the water that glitters in the moonlight, afraid of meeting Ogden’s eyes—and what she might find there.

“Andy,” Ogden’s voice is thick now. “No, or yes, in a way. I think Anmmaries is a little depressed.”

Andrea raises her eyes now, looking steadily at Ogden. Mom didn’t like when some said, ‘a little depressed.’ “A person suffers from depression,” Andrea says, quoting her mother. “It’s a diagnosis, Ogden. An unbalance in the brain, or a reaction to what has happened to you—or a combination.” Andrea doesn’t take her eyes off Ogden, and it is as if she realizes, for the first time, that there are things Ogden knows very little about. She can’t let him brush this off. It’s too serious. “If Annmarie suffers from depression, we have to keep an eye on her at all times until she’s feeling better, and perhaps even then.”

“What the…what do you mean?”

“Depressed people can get very…very dark thoughts. Mom told me that. She said you have to be watchful and look for signs.” Ill at ease, Andrea bites her nails. Ogden looks like she smacked him with her bat.

“You mean that my Annemarie would choose to…rather than…?” Anger twists his otherwise jovial face into something unrecognizable. “What are you saying, girl?”

Afraid, but not of Ogden, but not to be taken seriously, Andrea takes his hand. He tries to pull away, and his eyes well up—no matter how you look at it, he’s recoiling from her. Then it’s as if he notices her wet cheeks. Ogden goes rigid and then his features go back to normal, and he looks like himself again.

“I’m not saying it has to be that way,” Andrea sobs and hates what she perceives as weakness, but the fear of being shunned is great, but even greater is the fear that Ogden would lose Annemarie. “But if something happens and if we could have prevented it, wouldn’t that be the worst thing of all?”

Ogden studies her closely and then tugs gently at her spiky hair, while he seems to consider her words. “You’re right, of course. I don’t like it, but you’re right. But don’t you think Annemarie looked happier when we brought up teaching and starting a school?” He looks pleadingly at Andrea.

“Sure, she did. Perhaps it’s a great distraction for her until she feels better?”

“I think so.” Ogden clears his throat. “But we have to make sure she eats better. We must figure that out.”

“What’s her favorite food?”

Ogden smiles broadly now, and it reaches his eyes, which is a relief. “Chocolate in all it’s reincarnations!”

Andrea immediately feels a yearning for chocolate. She hasn’t even thought about chocolate since everything happened. She and Mom loved chocolate and used to buy a huge bar each on Fridays. Mom went for the dark chocolate, and Andrea chose milk chocolate. Theo usually had a mixed bag of candy. Now it feels like Annemarie is one of them. Like a chocolate club. “We have to make two more stops,” Andrea says and pokes Ogden’s burly chest with her index fingers. “First of all, we must find a proper storage with different kinds of chocolate. Then we’re going to hit a few pharmacies and get antidepressants.”

Ogden blinks. “Pills?”

“Yes. There are thick books at the pharmacy where you can read about all the medication they sell. We can stock up on more of the usual stuff too. Painkillers, fever reducing, asthma meds. Allergy pills. And oh, more bandages and sanitary towels and tampons. Anti acids.” She thinks of Emma. “Suture kits if they have. We might have to brave a hospital for that, which I’m not so keen on.”

“Damn it, Andy. You’re your mother’s daughter, that’s for sure. We’re lucky to have you. The brilliant warrior daughter of a fantastic nurse…you’re more than we could ever wish for.”

Andy can’t keep the tears as they stream from her eyes for the second time in minutes. She still loathes feeling vulnerable, but now she throws herself around Ogden’s neck and he holds her like she’s the most precious thing in his life. “Dear child,” he says, because of course she doesn’t need to explain anything to this man. “Dear, dear child.”