Edison is the first one on his feet, now facing the source of the sound. There’s something in his expression that unnerves Matt almost more than the second scream.

“Someone’s in trouble,” Jacelyn says and grabs her gun.

“That’s not a person,” Edison objects, holding his arm out.

“A screamer?” Maybelle inquires and steps up to his side.

He nods.

“What the hell is a screamer?” Jacelyn demands as Edison grabs the stabbing staff.

“It’s one of the dead. They’re smart, somehow, and they’ve learned that people will come to investigate if they hear a screaming person,” Maybelle explains.

“Maybelle,” Edison says, and there’s an order in his tone that doesn’t need to be said.

Maybelle is taking off into the district as Oren demands, “Wait, you mean the zombies set traps?”

Matt shakes his head in confusion. “Yeah, that doesn’t make sense. Their brains are dead.”

Edison snorts. “If the brain is dead, how do they move?”

The guards are quiet as the realization hits them all individually. Another scream comes from the trees and this time it’s a different voice.

“This district isn’t safe anymore,” Edison warns and turns to rush after his sister.

Matt stops him with a hand on his arm. “Are you sure about this?”

Edison pushes the hand off. “I know the dead. Everyone needs to leave. Go out that way.”

After gesturing to the right of the district, Edison hurries after Maybelle. Matt stays on the guard stand, shock holding his feet in place.

“You don’t actually believe that, right?” Jacelyn inquires, looking around.

“They don’t have any reason to lie,” Ekua points out and follows Edison and Maybelle.

“Oren, you know this is stupid,” Jacelyn says.

“Even if it isn’t true, I’d rather be paranoid than dead,” he scoffs and takes off into the district.

Jacelyn looks around at Matt and the two other guards and shakes her head. “Well you all can run in the other direction if you want to. I’m going to go help those poor bastards.”

“Jacelyn, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Matt objects, glancing at the other two as they hurry inside.

“Screw you,” she barks and rushes off the stand with her gun and a stabbing staff.

Matt shakes his head and follows the others into Burnsley. He runs up to Roomies and finds Maybelle and Edison already packed and ready to go. Ekua’s almost ready and Matt hardly takes any time to gather his things.

“There’s going to be panic, so we need to figure out where we’re going right now,” Matt says.

“The car?” Ekua suggests.

Edison shakes his head. “The screamers are coming from that direction, so we need to go in the opposite. Stay out of the trees. Don’t hide in any human places and don’t run for too long. Screamers are smart, but they aren’t fast.”

“I’m going to get Calvin,” Maybelle says and Edison’s attention snaps to her, but she’s already halfway out the door.

He grabs her wrist and tugs her back. “Don’t follow the crowd.”

She nods, kisses his forehead, and he lets her go.

“You’re letting her go?” Matt inquires.

“She knows how to handle this,” Edison answers, turning to him and Ekua. “Go out the back side of the walls. Keep going for three hours. Three hours. Then find the closest hiding place and stay there. Do not follow the crowd.”

Ekua nods and takes off into the hussle.

“Where are you going?” Matt inquires and trots with Edison as he hurries along the level, passing ramp after ramp.

“I’m going to take leftovers,” Edison answers.

“What? You mean you’re going to loot?” Matt demands.

“I’m going to guess that means steal because you said it like that,” Edison mutters and pauses at the start of a broken down, patchy ramp that no one else is using. He doesn’t answer the question as he watches the second level clear out. Once it’s empty, he climbs down to the shop with all the food.

“Edison, this is wrong!” Matt objects, grabbing Edison’s wrist as he reaches for a jar.

“I don’t care,” Edison says, tearing his wrist away, and stuffs as many jars of fruits and vegetables into his bag as he can.

Matt purses his lips, but doesn’t stop him.

When Edison is satisfied, he leads Matt down to an exit ramp that goes out the back of the wall. Before he can slip out the hole, he catches sight of Oren and Isidra running down from the third level.

“Oren!” Edison barks.

The man looks up and taps Isidra’s shoulder, pointing to Edison. He points to the hole in the wall when they run over.

“Go out that way. Keep going for three hours, then hide,” Edison instructs.

Oren nods and follows Isidra through the hole.

“I thought we were leaving,” Matt says as he follows Edison into the district again.

“I have to try,” Edison mutters, running up to a frantic Lily. “Lily!”

She turns to him and gasps, grabbing Rusty’s and Jackie’s shoulders and pushing him toward Edison. “Take them.”

“Come with us! I know a way out!” Edison insists.

Lily shakes her head. “I have to find Filbert.”

Edison grabs her hand while Matt gives Rusty and Jackie the same instructions Edison gave the others. Lily struggles, but Edison won’t let go.

“Lily! You need to go with them. They need someone.”

“They’ll have you,” she whimpers.

“Lily, please,” Edison pleads, shaking his head.

She purses her lips, shakes her head, and pushes his hand away, running into the crowd after her husband. Edison gasps as the weight of her request falls onto his shoulders and turns back toward the kids.

“They’re already out,” Matt assures. “Are we going after anyone else?”

Edison’s voice stops for a moment, long enough for the screams to start coming from inside the walls. He shakes his head and pushes Matt back toward the hole in the back wall. They run.

Matt gets to the hole first. Edison hesitates when he hears his name and turns to see Zenaida running toward him with March right beside her, and a dead man behind March. Edison chucks his knife into the dead man’s head and runs to the girls, urging them after Matt as he gets his knife back.

Edison doesn’t hesitate this time and squeezes out the hole after the girls. He gives them the three hour order and lets them run ahead after Rusty and Jackie, following with Matt close behind.

A minute or so away, Matt slows to a stop and turns to look at the district. Edison pauses with him, but doesn’t look back. The screams are deafening, even from this distance.

Edison tugs on Matt’s arm desperately. “I’m sorry.”

Matt shakes his head with a sigh and turns away. “I hate dead things.”