5

A couple of days later they decide to leave for the next village. Since the town hasn't changed a lot Kevin doesn't know why Kiko wanted to bring him there. Kiko tells him the answer when they reach the village.

"There are people there who we know. And there is a chance we could meet some friends there. And besides, it was decided early on, that you would stay there until we got a hold of another survivor who we could trust to help us with the zombies."

Kevin frowns as he listens to Kiko. He didn't like the idea of being alone, especially considering that there weren't supposed to be any survivors left. But he knows he can't refuse Kiko. The blonde boy looks at him and gives him a soft smile before turning his attention back to the road ahead.

The three men stand in the square in front of the building where Kiko had lived during the summer months. It isn't very big and only has about ten families living here. The street around the square are covered in snow and grass. Everything smells like freshly fallen snow, which reminds Kevin that the world is still going strong despite having gone quiet.

"I'll wait for you here guys, you have to find a way to contact me. Don' t worry, if anything goes wrong you won' t die."

"Okay. Stay safe."

Kevin watches as Kiko turns around and starts walking away from the group. He starts to wonder why Kiko even said anything to him in the first place. Why would he care to make Kevin feel at ease? It's clear that the others don't feel like talking to him either.

But Kevin's family is different than the others'. He can tell how worried they are, and how much they want to save their brother. It makes him happy knowing that he can help them by giving his life for theirs. It makes him feel guilty for leaving his family behind when they needed him the most.

Ben and Kiko start walking away.

"Be careful," Kevin shouts after them, "Don't leave each other unprotected!"

Ben smiles at him but keeps walking.

Kevin looks to the left and looks at a girl walking alone in the direction of her house. He feels sorry for her. She's not the most popular girl, she doesn't have a lot of friends or anything, but she seems kind of happy, despite everything happening around them. He wishes things were a little better, for everybody. And then he realizes, something is wrong. Someone is watching him.

He turns around and meets the eyes of a tall, dark-haired boy dressed in black.

The boy is staring at Kevin intensely. He doesn't look frightened.