P.P.S. Here is a little teaser for the next story: City in the Sky (Unedited)

A burning heat scorched Henrietta’s back as she fled from her home. She turned to see a sea of flames erupting from the building where she and her mother lived. Riette clenched her shirt in her hands as she let out a wailing sob.

She had been napping when the fire started and didn’t think to stop and check whether her mother was still inside. Voices screamed all around her as she waited for her mother to rush out of the house.

A man on horseback chased a girl around Riette’s age. He grabbed her hair and chopped off her head. Then, the man looked over at Riette.

Riette whimpered as she willed herself to move, but her body wouldn’t listen to her as she watched the man get closer. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm, dragging her away from the fire.

The two teenagers coughed as they rushed through the burning village. Men rode horses and motorcycles, firing guns and swinging various weapons. Riette winced as the boy in front of her tightened his grip on her arm.

A loud rumbling followed behind them. The boy turned to look. Fear struck his face as he hurled himself at Riette, knocking her to the ground. She held her breath as the world around her began to slow. A warm liquid covered her, and she slowly lifted her hand to touch it.

Red filled her vision, and Riette quickly flung her arms around the boy and, with great effort, pushed him off her. His face was white, and he didn’t look like he was breathing. Resting her ear against his chest, she checked for a heartbeat, and when she heard none, tears flowed freely from her eyes as she willed herself to get up.

The fire lit up the forest’s path as Riette went north. She had always hated her mother’s lessons in stealth and general survival, but today she was grateful for them as she walked away from the destroyed town.

After the fire faded and the sounds of bandits subsided, Riette found herself walking through the forest coated in dried blood. Her legs trembled with each step, and she didn’t get a wink of sleep for days as she avoided zombies.

As she left the forest, her vision blurred, and her limbs went limp as she stumbled to the ground in a daze. Then everything faded into oblivion.