"I knew this would happen at some point." Amelia sniffled, her head buried in her hands as she sat at the kitchen table. (Y/n) stared at her mother, wiping at the silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She wished she could comfort Amelia, but the words wouldn't come.

How could they when (Y/n) was beside herself with worry?

They had waited the whole day for Grey to come back, but she never did. Grey had sometimes come back later than expected from her night outings, but she had never been away for that long. Even less so when she had promised (Y/n) she'd be back in the morning to go berry picking with them. The fact Grey hadn't shown up then had already been worrying enough.

(Y/n)'s stomach twisted in tight knots as she thought about her sister, how fierce and strong she had looked the night prior, her hazel eyes twinkling with a thirst for adventure and the shadow of a secret only Grey herself was privy to.

Grey had always been secretive. But not so much as to vanish. Or so (Y/n) thought.

"What do we do? We can't just wait for her to come back, right?" (Y/n) sniffled, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at her mother.

(Y/n) shivered at the idea of venturing outside of the community, thoughts of all the twisted Infected tales she'd heard racing through her head. These were the reasons why she hadn't ever dared step out there alone. But for Grey? (Y/n) didn't know what she'd do without her sister, and if (Y/n) had to brave her wildest fears to find her sister and make sure Grey was alright, she'd do it.

She didn't know how, but she would.

"We stay here." Amelia straightened up, her eyes strong with authority as she stared at her youngest daughter. "We will do no such thing as looking for her or saving her. Grey wanted this. I'm not jeopardizing our safety."

"What?"

"We're not searching for her. It's too dangerous and she knew what she was doing. Trust me, she'll be fine. She doesn't need us to look after her. If anything, it's probably better for her to have left."

(Y/n) couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew Amelia and Grey had never been very close, but Grey was still her daughter for god's sake! What had Grey done that could be so terrible for their mother to treat her so indifferently? To treat her like she was some sort of monster. Even when it came to Grey's late night escapades, Amelia never seemed to get all that angry, whereas she'd practically shackle (Y/n) to her bed if she ever attempted such a thing.

"What do you mean 'she wanted this'? She didn't mean for this to happen! Grey just wanted to see the world, that's all!" (Y/n) argued, hot anger brewing in the pit of her stomach. Tears pricked at her eyes to blur her vision as she stared at her mother. "Why is it you never seem to care about her? Isn't she your daughter?! What if something happened to her! You always warned me about the risks of leaving the community but when it's Grey you're suddenly indifferent?!"

Amelia looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it, her lower lip trembling as she averted her gaze to her hands on the kitchen table.

"It's different, (Y/n)." She said, like (Y/n) was nothing but an ignorant child. Like she knew more about Grey than (Y/n) did. "I know you love your sister. But trust me, she doesn't need your help. She doesn't need us to save her and you need to stop idolizing her."

(Y/n) flinched at her mother's words. Of course Grey wasn't perfect, (Y/n) knew this. Grey was too stubborn for her own good, always willing to get into fights to defend her sister or make daring guys back off. She was everywhere all at once, and was unable to listen to anything their mother said.

Yes, Grey wasn't perfect, that was for sure. But she was still (Y/n)'s sister, her best friend. She was the one (Y/n) played with, confided in and relied on.

Without Grey, (Y/n) was alone. She was lost.

(Y/n) took a step back, wiping away a silent tear with her sleeve and throwing a last glance at her mother.

"Grey's not perfect, I know that. But she's not the monster you always seem to see in her." (Y/n) said, turning on her heels and leaving the room before her mother could say anything else.

(Y/n) made her way to her shared bedroom with a Grey, a trembling sigh falling from her lips as she opened the door. Her eyes strayed to the window through which Grey had left the night prior, only for her gaze to then fall to Grey's empty bed.

She knew she probably shouldn't have been so harsh with her mother. But (Y/n) couldn't help the anger inside of her, the rage that filled her at the idea of their mother giving up on Grey. Worse, of their mother even bringing up the idea that this had been Grey's wish from the start. To vanish.

For (Y/n) knew her sister, and Grey would never abandon her. Grey would never just run off and leave her behind. The sole explanation for her not being back yet had to be that something terrible had happened to her.

And one thing was for sure, (Y/n) wouldn't give up on Grey. She wouldn't abandon her sister when she needed it the most, when Grey had protected her time and time again.

Now, it was (Y/n)'s turn to save Grey. Even if the mere thought of stepping outside of the Uninfected community had (Y/n) recoiling in fear and wishing to run for the hills.

(Y/n) plopped down on Grey's bed, holding Grey's pillow close to her chest.

Could she really do this alone? (Y/n) had never stepped outside of the community. Hell, (Y/n) didn't even know where to go or what she should pack with her. Grey used to leave for a night, (Y/n) didn't know how long she'd be away from home.

And what if something happened to her too? Then her mother would have lost both daughters. But (Y/n) couldn't live with herself if she stayed home and waited for Grey to come back, if she ever did come back.

No, (Y/n) knew what she had to do. Grey would have come for her, she knew it.

Now, (Y/n) just had to think of where Grey could have gone. Grey had mentioned on various occasions how much she liked the edges of the city, in fact this was where she went more often than not. So it was safe to assume that she had gone there last night as well. But even with this lead, (Y/n) didn't know how to go to the city.

Still, Grey must have had a map of some kind, right? One she had drawn herself to localize all of her new discoveries. In fact (Y/n) could vaguely remember Grey making one during the first weeks of her night explorations.

"What is it?" Young (Y/n) asked.

"That, peanut, isn't something you need to concern yourself with."

A hot ball of tears knotted in (Y/n)'s throat at the memory. It had only been a day but she missed Grey already, her chest hollow at the thought of never seeing her sister again, at the thought that something had happened to her.

(Y/n) crouched down on the wooden floor, picking up Grey's notebooks and rummaging through them. From what she remembered, the drawings should have been in one of these, Grey had even complained about the fact she didn't have enough space on its pages.

Bingo.

As expected, Grey's map was indeed in one of her notebooks, a bit old but still readable. Hope swelled in (Y/n)'s chest as she traced the city's location with her fingers. If Grey was somewhere, it would be there.

From the looks of it, the city wasn't that far off from the Uninfected community. And if Grey had been able to go there by foot every night, then surely it mustn't have been more than an eight hours walk. (Y/n) didn't count on staying in the city either, as soon as she found Grey the two of them would be on their way.

So surely a small backpack with the essentials should be okay? (Y/n) didn't have time to think anyways, so she took her bag and stuffed it with whatever she thought necessary. Water, Grey's notebook, some food, band aids. And Grey's pocket knife.

(Y/n) opened the window, a shiver rolling down her spine as the cold night air tickled her cheeks.

Grey would have done this for me too.

And with this thought, (Y/n) vanished into the night.





































































































































A few years ago, when (Y/n) had been but six years old, a ten year old had tested positive to the Infection test and, in fear of him becoming a threat to the other members of the community, he had been kicked out into the forest.

This had been the only time an Infected had been found in the Uninfected community. As usually children from uninfected parents tended to be uninfected themselves. But this boy had been the fruit of a love between an Infected and his Uninfected mother.

No one knew what the child had become, whether he had died of starvation or dehydration or whether he had found his way to the city. But considering how far the city was from the Uninfected community and how much of a maze the forest around the community was, (Y/n) thought it fair to assume that the poor kid had never made it out.

(Y/n) had been so scared on her tenth birthday at the idea of the same thing happening to her, though the possibilities were extremely slim considering her two parents weren't infected.

Still, this story had haunted her for years.

And now, as she made her way through the forest, trying to make sense of her sister's map, (Y/n) couldn't help the sadness that pricked at her heart at the thought of the poor little boy.

(Y/n) didn't know how long she'd been walking. Just that walking all alone in the middle of the night in an unknown and potentially dangerous area wasn't something she liked. Everything around her was scary. From the pale ghastly glow of the moon to the swaying shadows of the forest trees and the whistling wind in her ears.

This child must have been terrified too.

(Y/n) looked down at the map in her hands. From the looks of it she was getting closer to the city and should make it out of the forest soon enough, but still, she hadn't expected for the Uninfected community to be so well hidden. Then again, she guessed it was kind of the point. To ensure its protection, the community had to conceal itself, and what better hiding place than in the fucking middle of a scary forest?

"Aren't you scared?" Young (Y/n) asked her sister.

"No, peanut. And you know why? Because I am the scary thing in the dark." Grey said, a grin on her lips as she flicked on her pocket knife, its silver blade catching the sunlight.

(Y/n) wondered if Grey had been scared the night prior, if something had attacked her or if someone had abducted her. (Y/n) didn't know which was worse. But considering Grey had been close to the city's borders, it was safe to say that she had probably been captured by an Infected of something along those lines.

Which was in fact admittedly worse than being attacked by something in the forest.

Cold dread trickled down (Y/n)'s spine at the thought and she tightened her grip on her bag. She couldn't think too much of the dangers lurking all around her, this would lead her nowhere. Grey had done this many times and she had been fine. Up until this point.

Yes, (Y/n) just needed to push forward a bit more. And then she'd be fine.

So that's what (Y/n) did, she continued walking and following her sister's path, until her legs ached and she could barely stand anymore. Until the Sun rose in the horizon and until she finally saw the edges of the city.

(Y/n) didn't know what she had been expecting, but she certainly hadn't expected the city to be surrounded by tall concrete walls with its only entrance being a giant gate surveyed by guards. It all looked kind of dystopian from up close, like no one was meant to get inside. Or get out. (Y/n) supposed this measure had been taken to prevent Uninfected people from leaving or reluctant darlings from escaping their lover.

What did Grey find so interesting about this? There was nothing for her to see here, so why was she so taken by the city's surroundings? Surely she didn't spend hours looking at a goddam wall, right? There had to be something that had caught her attention.

(Y/n) wasn't here to dwell on her sister's tastes though, she was here to find Grey and apparently crossing the two armed men at the gate of the city was her next step. So (Y/n) steeled her resolve and exhaled shakily, before finally taking a step forward and addressing the guards.

"Good-Good morning, officers." She cursed herself for stuttering like a fool. But could anyone blame her when she knew for a fact that these men had the potential to squash her like an insect or worse? Not to mention that the two of them were at least two heads taller than her and armed.

One of them frowned down at her, a scowl etched between his brows.

"ID?" He said, "You know the drill. No ID, we can't know for sure that you're Infected. And if you're not, it's the Uninfected Shelter. So save us the trouble and answer this question. Are you Infected or not?"

Uninfected Shelter? So that was how they referred to the Uninfected camps? This made sense, considering how the Infected saw the Uninfected as poor vulnerable beings in need of help and protection. Either way, (Y/n) was royally fucked. She didn't know what kind of ID they were referring to but she obviously didn't have one.

Still, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Infected." She said, in a surprisingly clear voice.

The other guard smirked at her, the sight sending a shot of fear right through (Y/n)'s veins. She hadn't heard of Infected being able to read through Uninfected people, but hell, she was sure this guy could see right through her.

"And where's your ID?"

"I lost it." Surely she mustn't have been the first person in this case, right? They wouldn't put her in the Uninfected camp just because she didn't have a silly ID.

The guard on her left heaved a tired sigh.

"You know the rules. We can't just assume you're Infected without your ID. Either you find it or we take you to the Uninfected Shelter and you see from there." He said, "So?"

Fuck, this was bad.

And for a moment (Y/n) wondered if this was what had happened to Grey. Grey had wanted to see the city for herself but had gotten caught by the guards and taken to the Uninfected camp, unable to prove that she was Infected. Because she wasn't.

Fuck.

(Y/n) couldn't let them take her to the camp. Hell, the very reason she was here was to save Grey, not to join her in her misery.

"So?" The guard insisted, taking a step forward and towering above (Y/n).

"Oh, you're here." A masculine voice and a new pair of footsteps sliced through the tension, (Y/n)'s attention veered to its owner. A tall boy in his early twenties with messy brown locks and olive tanned skin. "I've been searching for you everywhere."

His green eyes held her gaze as he stepped towards her with an aggravated sigh. She didn't know what the hell he was on about, but she was certainly thankful for the distraction.

He turned to the guards. "Sorry, officers. My cousin's an airhead. She forgot her ID at home yet again."

Oh. He was trying to save her ass. That was... suspiciously kind.

"And you." He was scolding her now, and he was so tall in comparison to her that (Y/n) had to crane her neck in order to look him in the eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to take your ID with you when you go out? I'm tired of having to fetch you at the US."

US, Uninfected Shelter, (Y/n) guessed.

"I-I'm sorry." (Y/n) stuttered, deciding to play along. She didn't know why this man was helping her or what he had to gain from it, but she'd have time to figure this out later. Right now all that mattered was getting herself out of this sticky situation. "I won't forget it next time..."

The guards exchanged wary glances, before sighing in unison.

"It'll do for this time around." The one on the right said, "Go."

The boy grabbed her arm and led her away from the guards and through the Gates, his hold on her surprisingly gentle. And just like that, (Y/n) found herself in the city.

The place that haunted her nightmares.

Her new partner in crime didn't give her much time to observe her surroundings though, as he dragged her away from the entrance and through the grey streets of the city.

"You're fucking insane." This was the only thing he said on their way to wherever the hell he was leading her.