“Seriously, I swear to you, it was a really...abnormal breeze!” Enicabie told Isaiah as he walked her home. “Mhm. I’m sure it was probably just from the cold morning. You do get cold easily anyway.” He said in explanation. “But it was different.” Enicabie said, unable to explain the feeling. “But fine. So what are you doing this weekend?” She asked giving up on the subject. “Uh nothing. Just going to hang with my brother.” Isaiah said. “Which one?” She asked. “Gray.” “Oh, that’s cool.” “Yeah, what ‘bout you?” He asked, keeping the conversation going. “Um well we were planning on going to the mountains but things may have changed.” Enicabie said looking around. “What do you mean?” “Well things always seem to find a way to cancel plans that are made in my family.”Enicabie says in a disappointed tone. “Well that knife you asked me to order for you? It said it came in today so that’s something to look forward to.” He said nudging her. She smiled and nodded.

* * *

Enicabie stood in her room and looked down tapping her chin. Maybe I’m going crazy. She walked out of her room and went to the kitchen. This place is to big. She opened the fridge and looked inside for a moment before sighing and closing it then grabbing a cup and getting some water. She took a sip and when a loud thump was heard, she jumped and split a little on her shirt. “Cold cold cold!” She set the cup down and grabbed a towel trying to dry her shirt. “Jayden? Are you home?” She called out to her younger brother. There was silence. Another thump was heard. “Sounds like it’s coming from outside. Oh no, did the dogs get out?” She said running to the front door and opening it. She walked outside and looked around while wiping her forehead. “Graycon! Cinnamon!” She called out, and a moment later she heard them running and barking behind the fence in the backyard at the side of the house. “O-kay then, so it’s not the dogs.” she said awkwardly, and a cold chill went threw her again. She gasped in shock and turned around. “What the-” She turned again and gasped before she stepped back almost falling. Two arms went around her and held her back up. “Woah. You okay?” a lulling voice said. “Connor?” Enicabie said confused.

“What are you doing here, Connor?” She asked shaking her head. Last she knew, he lived on the opposite side of town. “Ah, nothing. Just going for a walk.” He said. Enicabie looked at him not understanding. “Thirty minutes after school ended? You should be getting home around now.” She said looking at him and seeing something like black goo by his ear. “You have something..right..” Enicabie pointed to her ear then to his. “Huh? Oh! Uh..” he moved his hand wiped at the side of his face. Enicabie shook her head and reached out, touching it and showing him. “There, see?” she asked. He looked at it and his face turned red before he wiped it all off. “Oh, thanks.” “What was that from?” Enicabie asked with a small laugh. “Ah, I don’t know.”

He replied wiping his hand on his jeans. “Is that a knife?” she asked now looking at his waist. A knife peaked out from his pocket. “Oh, yeah.” he chuckled and pulled it out showing it to her. “That’s cool. I didn’t know you were interested in knives.” She said smiling at it. “You too?” he asked looking at her. She nodded as she flipped open the knife and twirled it in her hand. “Actually, Isaiah said my new knife came in today.” She said handing him his back. She looked at her front porch and saw a delivery box. She smiled before picking it up and pulled her smaller knife out of her pocket, then using it to open the box as she sat on the cement. Connor came around and chuckled watching her. “Opening your knife with a knife?” he said sitting next to her. She laughed nodding then put her smaller knife away, pulling out the new one. It was rose gold and had a symbol of a sword with an hourglass over it. “Wow, that looks really nice.” Connor said looking at it, then pointed to the symbol. “What’s that?” Enicabie smiled with pride as she looked at him. “That is a symbol for a greek minor goddess, Nemesis.” She said. “What’s she the goddess of?” He asked. “Uh… Justice, balance...and revenge.” She said smiling shyly. “Oh, should I be worried?” He asked jokingly. “Ah no. No I don’t think so.” Enicabie said with a forced laugh.

“So you going to tell me what you were doing here? And were you the one that was hitting the house?” Enicabie asked with suspicion. “You heard that?” He asked tilting his head. “Uh yeah? It was pretty loud.” Enicabie said awkwardly. “Ah...right. Um, I was..” His voice was carried off as he tried to think of what to say. “I was being stupid. Haha. I was trying to scare you a little. Freak you out. Sorry.” He said rubbing his hands on his jeans. Enicabie scowled at him in suspicion. “You know you can’t lie to me. Tell me the truth.” She said nudging him. Connor looked down smiling. “I swear, it’s like you read minds.” He said shaking his head. “Nah just people.” Enicabie said with a shrug. Her brother, Jayden came around the house and looked at them. He looked away and passed them quietly and walked inside before shutting the door. Enicabie listened for the tell tale for the lock to see if her brother would lock her out, but it was silent. “So tell me.” She said finally, turning back looking at Connor. “Alright. Fine, you got me. I was fighting a couple zombies that were following you home.” He said with a nervous smile. Enicabie looked at him shocked for a moment but then laughed shaking her head. “So you were following me?” Enicabie said with a smirk. Connor rolled his eyes and nodded standing up. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”

He said offering he a hand. She debated on taking it but soon gave in and took it with her own; she stood with his help. “Thanks.” She said moving to let go, but he held it. “Uh, Enic?” He said quietly in question. “Enicobie. And yes, Conner?” she said correcting him before looking up at him confused. He pulled her a step closer and looked at her in all seriousness. “Next time you walk home, have Isaiah walk you all the way home. Okay?” He said squeezing her hand a little. “Uh-...O-okay.” She stuttered. “If he can’t do that, tell me, and I’ll do it.” Enicabie’s eyes widen in shock before she pulled her hand away and laughing awkwardly and nervous. “O-okay Connor. You’re weirding me out.” She said and his features softened and he smiled a little. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” he said dropping his hand to his side. Enicabie nodded and smiled a little more relaxed. “It’s fine. You should get home though. There’s school tomorrow.” She said pointing down the road. He nodded and took a step back. “Yeah, you’re right. See you later.” He said before waving a hand and running off. “Later!” She called out before she turned around and went inside.

When she walked inside, and into her room, she sat in her beanbag chair tapping her chin. That was really weird. He didn’t seem to be lying when he said the zombie joke. Then again, it was a joke. People don’t think of jokes as lies. Just jokes. I’m overthinking it. Jeez, since when did I get so bored with my life that I started making assumptions for the supernatural to be real? How pathetic. She said rolling her eyes with a small laugh. She got up and walked to her bed stand, grabbing a water bottle that was on her bed stand. She twisted the cap off before taking a drink from it then closed it, setting it down. “Such an overthinker.” Enicabie said laughing at herself and sighing then plopping on her bed.

* * *

~Connor POV~

I walked out of class, my steps lazy. I walked over to the bench I usually went to after school and sat down going on my phone to pass the time till my ride came. That’s when I saw them. Enicabie was walking over to Isaiah like she almost always did after school. However, this time was different, because she wasn’t alone. They were following her. However, them following her was the second thing I realized. The first was, What the hell? What are they doing out in the sun? It’s day still. I jumped up off the bench and ran off to the bathroom before anyone noticed and before my friends arrived.

Once I got into the big stall, I locked it and hid so no one would be able to see me unless they looked under or into the stall. I took in a deep breath and took a step forward. A cold feeling washed over me and I opened my eyes. Okay Enicabie. What’s going on with you. I thought before I turned and stepped through the walls of the park’s public bathroom and outside. Enicabie and Isaiah were already about to cross a street so I hurried to run over. “So this morning, I felt this crazy thing! Like it was fine, and then all of a sudden it was just this frozen cold feeling.” Enicabie said to Isaiah. “Ah hahaha so you got cold?” He said to her and laughed. She faked a laugh then rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, I swear to you, it was a really...abnormal breeze!” Enicabie told Isaiah as he walked her home. She felt that? Shit... “Mhm. I’m sure it was probably just from the cold morning. You do get cold easily anyway.” He said in explanation. Hey ass hole, she’s freaked out. Take her a little more seriously. “But it was different.” Enicabie said, in a small tone, like he made her think it was all in her head. “But fine. So what are you doing this weekend?” She asked giving up on the subject. I rolled my eyes and looked around for them. Where did they go..? As if on cue, four stepped out from an alley we were passing. I pulled a mini crossbow out from my boot and aimed at one, then fired. That brought their attention to me. Crap… They ran for me, growling and swinging. I didn’t have my other weapons, this four against one, would be a bit more difficult…

* * *

My boots thumped roughly on the ground as I ran through the field. Two short swords were on my back and in my hand, strapped to my wrist was a mini crossbow. I wore all black and had black paint under my eyes. Creatures of the night ran for my friends as they fought with me; they wore the same as me. We stayed quiet, not saying a word. All that we heard were the grunts and groans from both sides of the fight. The creatures were hideous with their gray boiling skin that hung off their bones. They chomped their teeth towards us, trying to have a taste of what they no longer had. Life.

At the end of it all, three of us were down. Amy pulled a syringe out of her boot and administered it into Jake’s chest. Alister helped Blake, and I helped out Raith while Kenneth took watch. “Cole, I don’t know if sh-” Alister started to say but I interrupted. “Shut up!” I barked at my friend, and Alister did just that. “You know what happens when we speak certain things in this form.” I said in a more calm tone. Alister nodded and turned back to Blake, lifting her up and holding her weak body bridal style. I looked to my friend, Raith, and patted his shoulder to get him up. “Come one man. Time to get back.” I said, and Raith nodded as he stood up with a grunt. I let him lean on me slightly as the seven of us headed back to my house which was out in a large field area. A barn was next to my house near back. We went inside the barn and sitting in the center of the room were seven chairs with their bodies sitting, not limply, but almost frozen into place with their eyes closed. Each of us touched hands with their own body, and became one. Alister forced Blake’s hand to touch her own, her being to weak still to do it herself.

When they were all in their bodies, I called for my dad and a man who helped us with our injuries. “Dad! Alaric! Blake was hurt badly!” In no more than a minute, the two grown men rushed out of the back of the barn and helped get Blake onto a medical bed and attached a few things to her. A health-monitor kept track of the girl’s heartbeat and a report was given. “She’ll be fine. It didn’t spread enough to infect the spirit completely.” Alaric said, and everyone started to relax. “Thank God…” Jake muttered. I nodded to what Jake said then turned back and headed out of the barn.