“What? No way!” Yeonjung yelled over Mina’s whimpers. “They’ll just kill you.”

 

“Mina? Mina!” Sejeong caught the girl who had just gone limp in her arms. I rushed forward to help carey the weight.

 

“She probably just passed out from the pain.” Chaeyeon said shakily, moving closer. “She’s still breathing.”

 

“There’s no time for discussion.” Heehyun spoke through gritted teeth, sharp eyes locking onto mine. “We need to hurry back if you want her to live.”

 

Somi grabbed my arm. “Nayoung, you’re not actually considering this, are you?”

 

“We have no choice.” I replied.

 

“Nayoung!” Yeonjung growled. “They’ll kill her!”

 

“Get your things. We have to start moving now.”

 

Heehyun nodded at my words in approval but every other girl was looking at me as if I had done something wrong. I took a deep breath and bent down.

 

“Put her on my back.” I ordered, slipping off my backpack. Jieqiong took it from my hands as Sejeong and Chaeyeon did as I said. I huffed as I stood back up. “Let’s go.”

 

The walk back was far more silent than it would’ve been had it not been for our current status.

 

“Nayoung, let’s take a break.” Sejeong whispered groggily as she slowed the group down near the familiar bar we had been to a day ago.

 

“We can’t.” I said coarsely, shifting Mina’s weight on my back. I could feel a sharp pain shoot up my spine and I gritted my teeth. “This is Mina we’re talking about. She’s dying and we don’t have time for breaks.”

 

“This is a suicide mission, I’m telling you.” Yeonjung shook her head, heading towards the bar. Doyeon and Yoojung followed her after Doyeon shot me a sad look. Anger bubbled inside of me at the fact that they could even think about taking a break when Mina was on the brink of death.

 

“Then we can keep going.” Heehyun suggested, turning her back to me and kneeling down. “I’ll hold her for now. Your back needs a break.”

 

Sejeong glanced at me and I sighed, also kneeling down. Chaeyeon and Somi transferred Mina from my back to Heehyun’s. Mina’s makeshift bandage had already been soaked through with blood, staining my clothes.

 

“Do you need someone else to go?” Somi asked worriedly, looking back and forth between me and Heehyun.

 

“I’ll go.” Jieqiong stepped forward.

 

“No.” I shook my head immediately. The thought of Jieqiong and a gang did not mix well together in my head. “I’ll go with just Heehyun.”

 

“That’s—” Jieqiong started, only to be cut off from her sentence.

 

“Smart, actually.” Heehyun said. “The less people we have the less intimidating we seem. They won’t have any reason to fire if we’re walking towards the gate.”

 

I nodded, my mind far off. This felt like a dream—a nightmare. My eyes met Sejeong’s.

 

“If anything happens, you know how to take over.”

 

“Nothing’s going to happen.” Sejeong’s voice cracked as her eyes watered. “Don’t say things like that.”

 

I gave her a small, comforting smile just seconds before her body collided with mine and her arms circled around my waist. She laid her head on my chest and let out a couple quiet sobs. I took a shaky breath and hugged her back, resting my cheek on the top of her head.

 

“I can’t lose the both of you.” she whispered, voice muffled. I swore I thought she said ‘Not again.’ but I couldn’t be too sure.

 

She pulled away with a sniffle and wiped her tears.

 

Jieqiong handed me my backpack with a frown on her lips. I took it from her gingerly and slipped on the straps.

 

“Tell the other girls I said bye?” I said quietly.

 

She inhaled sharply, a key clue to the fact that she was trying to hold in her tears. I couldn’t let myself get distracted, not when Mina’s life was on the line. I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead just as a tear slipped out of my eye.

 

“Okay, off we go.” I said quietly towards Heehyun. I waved goodbye to Somi, Chaeyeon and Sohye.

 

“Describe the gang to me.” I said to Heehyun as we worked our way through the small town once again.

 

“They’re not what you think they are.”

 

“What do I think they are?” I responded.

 

Heehyun stepped over a leg that was detached from a body (there was no body missing a leg to be seen in sight).

 

“Big, old men.” Heehyun chuckled. “They’re not like that. Not at all.”

 

“So, what?” I murmured.

 

“They’re like you and me.” Heehyun nodded towards me and then nodded behind her. “And the other girls. It’s part of what makes them so dangerous.”

 

“The fact that they’re…”

 

“Young, innocent looking girls? Yeah.”

 

“But you said that… Yeonjung said they fed people to infected, tortured them.”

 

“They do.” Heehyun hummed, jumping a bit to get Mina higher up her back. “After the virus had spread, things had to be done to survive. They’re set up down by the prison.”

 

“That’s so far away.” I said with worry.

 

“They have bases set up close by. We can get a car.”

 

“I don’t like this.” I stated, shaking my head as I spotted a couple of infected rummaging through a broken store. “What if they just kill me and Mina and keep you?”

 

“Then I’ll run and, if worse comes to worst, I’ll shoot myself.” Heehyun said. “I won’t let them gain anything from this, trust me.”

 

“That makes me feel a whole lot better.” I mumbled under my breath. Heehyun laughed.

 

“They want to torture me, Nayoung. If they don’t get to do that, nothing is worth the time.”

 

“Then… why?” I asked, slowing my steps. “You barely know us, barely know Mina… why are you risking your life for her?”

 

Heehyun stopped walking and faced me, tilting her head as if I had just asked the dumbest question ever.

 

“That one, Sejeong, her face fell when Yeonjung cut off Mina’s hand.” I wondered briefly why she was telling me this because everyone’s face had fallen. “People care about Mina.” she stated with a smile. “No one cares for me.”

 

“That’s not—”

 

“I’m not saying it to get your pity, Nayoung.” Heehyun rolled her eyes, continuing to walk. “I’m stating the truth. Mina has more people who care about her than I do. And, to be honest? I don’t like living the life that I am right now. So if I’m gonna have to kill myself, at least it’d be worth it.”

 

“Mina might not even survive.” I said in disbelief.

 

“But I’ll die knowing that I tried.” Heehyun grumbled. “We’re getting close to a smaller camp they have.”

 

“Just follow my lead.” Heehyun whispered quietly as we walked out from behind a house towards the camp. I spotted the three cars they used as a barrier on the street, spotted the three girls sitting on top of each respective car. As soon as they saw us, they raised their guns.

 

“Long time no see!” Heehyun shouted over the distance. She waved her hand and I looked at her with wide eyes.

 

“It’s Cathy!” one of the three shouted.

 

“How’s the hole? Still good?” Heehyun asked loudly.

 

“Stop moving!” the girl on the far left shouted. She said something to one of the other girls and the girl jumped down from the car. “Give me one good reason not to shoot you!”

 

“I came here to offer a trade.” Heehyun said, still walking forward.

 

“Heehyun.” I hissed. “They said stop.”

 

“They won’t shoot us.” she shook her head. I frowned and followed her slowly.

 

“What trade?” the girl replied, her sights still aimed on me and Heehyun.

 

“You fix up my friend and you get me. Alive.” Heehyun said, now directly in front of the cars.

 

“Is she bit?” she nudged towards Mina, who was still on Heehyun’s back.

 

“No. We cut her hand off.”

 

I examined the girl who was speaking and realized she couldn’t be any older than I was. The frown on my face deepened.

 

“And what about that one?” she gestured towards me.

 

“She’s just here to make sure her friend is safe after you guys give her medical treatment.”

 

The girl stared at Heehyun, trying to see if she was lying.

 

“Eunseo, she said to bring her in.” the girl who had gone away came back with a walkie talkie in hand.

 

Eunseo took the device and held down the button.

 

“Yebin, they made an offer.”

 

The name clicked in my brain, but I knew that multiple people must have the name Yebin.

 

“They?” a voice emerged from all the crackling. “Bona told me it was just Cathy.”

 

The voice was familiar, but it was hard to tell over the talkie’s bad interference.

 

“Kang Yebin!” Heehyun spoke loudly right before Eunseo was about to. My eyes widened at the name. No. “Are you the big shot around there now?”

 

Eunseo shot her a glare and said what she was going to say before Heehyun spoke up. “They want us to fix up their friend. She’s got no hand. Said Cathy would be ours if we did.”

 

“And if we didn’t?” Yebin replied. It couldn’t be my Yebin. It couldn’t.

 

“Then you don’t get me at all.” Heehyun said smugly.

 

She shouldn’t be so smug about the prospect of death and torture, but she was.

 

There was nothing but the sizzling crackle of static for a few seconds before a sigh broke through. “Bring them back.”

 

Mina’s head laid down on my lap, her legs sprawled over Heehyun’s. I carefully traced my fingers over the newly wrapped bandage on the stump that was once her hand. The car’s engine was humming as we headed towards their main base, the prison.

 

I took a deep breath and looked out the window. This was really happening. My friend, my old friend, who I thought had died just like the rest of them, was alive. And apparently the leader of this ruthless gang.

 

Mina shifted and nuzzled her nose into my stomach, whining. I ran my fingers through her hair and wiped away the sweat building on her forehead.

 

“Does she have a fever?” Heehyun asked.

 

“A bit.” I answered, checking her temperature. “She’s tough. She’ll pull through.”

 

After that, the car ride was silent except for Mina’s groans and whimpers. They had taken our bags and weapons from us, leaving me as defenseless and vulnerable as Mina was.

 

“.” Eunseo cursed as the car slowed to a stop. “Why is this road blocked?”

 

“I don’t know.” the other girl, Bona, replied.

 

“Just go through it.”

 

“I’d get a flat tire.” Eunseo sighed. “Can you go move it?”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Bona opened the door and walked out, tugging at the cones and traps laid on the street. It was weird to think that these girls were killers. They reminded me of my own girls and it hurt my heart to think that they’ve been conditioned to the inhumanity.

 

“There.” Bona slid back into her seat.

 

“Thanks.”

 

I was asleep when we arrived to the base, the tiredness in me finally becoming too much to bear. Heehyun shook my shoulder to wake me up.

 

“We’re here.”

 

I looked out the front window and spotted the prison coming into view. I could already see the people in the tall towers at the front as well as people stood outside the gate. They were all wearing masks of different types.

 

Traps were removed from the front road as Eunseo pulled in. My heart raced as we entered the prison. I spotted small farms in the front portion of the large field that were dying out with the incoming winter. There were girls all over the place despite the sky being pitch black.

 

“Welcome to the Huntresses of Artemis.” Heehyun mumbled beneath her breath. I stared at her in shock.

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah.” Heehyun nodded.

 

The car came to a full stop outside another gate and Eunseo shifted into park. Bona left and opened the door to my right.

 

“Get out.” she said. I glanced over to Heehyun who just shrugged. She helped me get Mina out and the girl was awake enough to stand on her feet, leaning on me to keep herself upright.

 

“Cathy, with me.” Eunseo called out from the other side of the car just as Heehyun got out behind me.

 

“I guess this is goodbye then.” Heehyun tapped my wrist, offering me a small smile.

 

“Thank you.” I said softly, eyes flickering between hers. Heehyun stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

 

I returned the hug with my right arm, my left arm holding onto Mina.

 

I felt Heehyun shudder in the hug, relaxing into my arms for half a second before pulling away. I wondered how long she must’ve gone without a hug like that and felt a piece of my heart rip as she blinked away the tears in her eyes.

 

“I’ll see you on the other side.” she gave a grin, like she was trying to comfort herself, and then Eunseo took her by the arm and dragged her away.

 

As I was watching Heehyun walk away, I felt Mina’s weight get pulled off of me and snapped my attention back towards the girl. I spotted Bona and another girl trying to take her.

 

“I got her.” I spoke quickly, not meaning to sound so rude. I pulled Mina back into my arms and felt her fingers curl around my waist weakly. I bent down and felt Mina lean on me, picking her up with a grunt.

 

I followed Bona into a bunker-like door, ignoring the stares I got from the gang members. It was weird saying ‘gang’ now that I saw all the girls that were around my age (even younger). Instead of feeling scared, I felt sad.

 

My legs felt like giving out as Bona led me down a dimly lit hallway. There was the bustling of noise and loud shouts of commands. Mina’s cheek felt warm against my shoulder.

 

We came to a stop at a door at the end of the hall. “Seohyun. This is the girl with no right hand.”

 

Bona stood to the side so I could enter with Mina on my back.

 

“Oh my.” their doctor, Seohyun, gasped upon seeing Mina. She gestured towards to a free bed and I set Mina down on it carefully. “How did this happen?”

 

“She got bit so we chopped off her hand.”

 

“We?” Bona quipped.

 

“We; me and Heehyun.” I caught myself, not wanting the girl to know there was more of us.

 

Bona nodded but still looked skeptical, examining me from head to toe.

 

Mina’s sharp whine of pain stole my attention and I saw Seohyun unwrapping her bandages.

 

“This is going to hurt a lot but I need to disinfect it.”

 

I hurried to the other side of the bed so I could hold Mina’s left hand. The girl was wide awake at this point, eyes drooping but mind fully alert. I felt her squeeze my hand as Seohyun put some type of liquid on her cut. She screamed out in pain and I knitted my eyebrows together in worry. Her face looked even paler than it did a few minutes ago.

 

“It’s okay.” I tried to assure her, tried to assure myself. “Mina, it’s okay.”

 

“I’m sorry.” the doctor whispered, working with steady hands despite the tremble in her words. I took note of the girl’s concern and figured that maybe they all weren’t ruthless.

 

“Bona.” an unfamiliar voice came from outside the room. The brunette turned and walked outside, their voices too muffled for me to hear.

 

Mina fell unconscious again and I panicked, stiffening up and looking at the doctor who was quickly trying to rebandage her arm.

 

“What happened?” I asked.

 

“It’s a lot of pain that she’s in.” Seohyun stated. “It’s inevitable that she’ll pass out a few times.”

 

“Is she going to be okay?”

 

“She lost a lot of blood. I’m going to need to transfuse some. Do you know what blood type she is?”

 

“No, it never came up.” I shook my head, blaming myself for not knowing. “Can you use my blood?”

 

“That’s dangerous.” Seohyun frowned.

 

“We don’t have time for blood tests, do we?”

 

“No.” Seohyun sighed. “Okay, fine.”

 

“You seem too nice to be in a gang.” I said as Seohyun began pumping my blood into Mina’s IV.

 

Seohyun acknowledged my words by looking at me for half a second before looking away, not replying. Seemed like she didn’t have much of a choice in joining.

 

I hummed and looked away, wiping away some of the sweat on Mina’s forehead. There was a couple minutes of silence until Seohyun spoke up.

 

“Eat or be eaten.” Seohyun murmured. “I would’ve died out there and at least here I can help people.”

 

“People.” I repeated, almost in an amused tone. “Right.”

 

She didn't say anything and headed towards other patients in the room.

 

The door opened just as I pulled a chair up to sit besides Mina. When I turned to look, I couldn’t believe my eyes.

 

Yebin, my friend, stood there. Her hair was cut shoulder length and she wore an all-black military cap.

 

She obviously recognized me as well because opened in shock.

 

I had always imagined meeting my old friends again, a dim light of hope always there at the bottom of my heart, but I never thought I’d meet them like this. I thought there’d be tight hugs and tears of joy.

 

I just felt cold.

 

“Yebin.” Seohyun said in acknowledgement. Yebin nodded towards her and walked towards me, eyes unreadable.

 

“You’re alive.” she said upon getting closer. I spotted Seohyun freezing upon hearing Yebin say that to me, obviously catching on to the fact that we know each other.

 

“Yeah.” I said shortly, unsure what to think of the situation. “And you’re the leader of this gang?”

 

Yebin narrowed her eyes. “Why do you say it like that?”

 

“Nothing.” I responded, moving my thumb over the back of Mina’s knuckles. If the girl in front of me had done what Yeonjung said she’d done, she was a stranger to me now. My only goal right now is for Mina to get better and for us to get back to the group.

 

“Who’s she?” Yebin gestured to Mina, who was asleep now.

 

“Someone I found at the start of everything.”

 

“Has it just been you and her?” Yebin questioned me. I was tempted to tell her that Jieqiong was alive, tempted to tell her that I had a group out there, tempted to offer her to come with us and to leave the gang, but instead I nodded my head. “And Heehyun.”

 

“Cathy?”

 

“Heehyun.” I repeated, gritting my teeth. I wondered what they were doing to her at this moment and my anger doubled. “Her name’s Heehyun.”

 

“Nayoung—”

 

“Don’t say my name.” I whispered harshly, venomous disappointment lacing my words.

 

“Are you mad at me?” Yebin scoffed in disbelief. “Mad at me for what? For surviving?”

 

“No, I’m mad at you for turning into a monster.” I replied, looking up from Mina and connecting eyes with Yebin. “You don’t have to kill people—humans—to survive.”

 

“Safety in numbers.” Yebin replied, the aggressiveness in her voice toned down. “I’d do anything to save them. I couldn’t just let us die by those zombies.”

 

My eyes widened and my heart stopped. “Them?”

 

Yebin gulped, nodding slowly. “We thought you had died.”

 

I looked at her in surprise, the revelation kicking in. “You’re all… you were all together when it…?”

 

“It was the day before break ended, you know that we always hung out on that day.” Yebin said quietly. “Jieqiong left early because she wasn’t feeling well and then it happened… By the time we got to her house, the doors were already broken in and there was too many of them. You weren’t home, either.”

 

“Everyone’s alive?”

 

“Except Jieqiong.” Yebin said sadly.

 

“No, she’s alive.” I said before I could think better of it. She would be so happy to see the other girls. “She’s hiding out… I didn’t want her to come here.”

 

“You’re kidding.” Yebin’s eyes lit up. “No way.”

 

“Yeah, way.” I gave a small smile.

 

Her face fell. “Will I get to see her?”

 

The excitement in my heart at the thought of our group reuniting dwindled instantly.

 

“I don’t want to bring her here.” I stated honestly. “I don’t want her to be… influenced.”

 

Yebin laughed humorlessly. “Right. How about we come to her?”

 

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” I shook my head, thinking of Yeonjung and her bad past with this group. “There are others.”

 

“Others.” Yebin raised her eyebrows. “These are our friends we’re talking about.”

 

My mouth opened to respond but it was then that a girl rushed into the room with a look of panic on her face. “We have a problem.”

 

Yebin turned around quickly. “What is it?”

 

“Yeonjung’s back.”

 

-

 

“How about no?” Yoojung pulled Doyeon away from peeking into one of the classrooms. The hallway was dark and scary and Yoojung really needed her friend close to her.

 

“There might be stuff we can use, Yoojung.” Doyeon reasoned. “We need food, you know?”

 

“Ok, well, it’s dark and I can barely see in front of me.” she whispered but her voice still echoing down the hall. “Please don’t go too far from me.”

 

Doyeon sighed and nodded. “Okay. I’m right here.”

 

Yoojung hugged Doyeon’s arm to her chest as they walked through the halls. It was a bad idea to be in there granted everything that was happening, but they needed to hide from the military that had come through their town. They were shooting everyone, infected or not, and the high school was the closest building they could hide in.

 

The loud opening and closing of the door the pair had entered in rang out into the silence. Yoojung gasped and Doyeon hurried forward with Yoojung close behind. The two could hear words and expected deep voices but heard a young feminine voice complain about their ankle.

 

Yoojung connected eyes with Doyeon, who shrugged.

 

“Nayoung, wait, there’s people in here.” another voice spoke up, causing Yoojung and Doyeon to freeze.

 

When Doyeon turned around, she had to squint as the group’s flashlights blinded her.

 

“Please don’t shoot us.” was all she said, trying to make out the people’s silhouettes.

 

“We’re not like those s.” a gruff voice came out.

 

“Yeonjung, you have nothing to complain about! They nearly took out a finger of mine.” Somi complained.

 

“Quiet down, Somi.” Sejeong hushed her, looking behind her to check if the military saw them slip into the building.

 

“Who are you guys?” Yoojung asked quietly, hiding behind Doyeon.

 

“We’re just trying to hide from the military.” Nayoung spoke up. “Who are you two?”

 

“We’re doing the same.” Doyeon said. “Do you… perhaps have any food? We haven’t eaten in days.”

 

The group of eleven rummaged through the cafeteria for any extra snacks they could get. When they finished, they sat down together and introduced each other one by one.

 

“I’m Doyeon. This is Yoojung.”

 

“Wish we could’ve met in a better situation.” Sejeong offered apologetically, a smile on her lips. Yoojung could already tell she’d like the girl.

 

“Here, you two can share this granola bar.” Nayoung slid the snack across the table.

 

Yeonjung crossed her arms and looked away. “What happened to carefully rationing the food?”

 

“They’re starving.” Somi enunciated.

 

Sohye spoke up quietly. “Just let them eat.”

 

Doyeon raised an eyebrow at the girl’s hostility, opening the wrapper and handing one bar to Yoojung for her to eat. She broke her own bar in half and offered it to Yeonjung with a kind smile.

 

Yeonjung’s eyes narrowed but, even in the dark, Doyeon spotted the upward twitch of her lips.