Surrounds (Bonds) by S.L. Simps

Henderson beside her. He couldn't wait on water if the amount of sweat tainting his gray T-shirt was an indication. Lacey shrugs of her backpack off, annoyed with it for being cheap. Both straps had broken twice already in two days, forcing her into using tape and her weak skills at tying things. She tugs out her water bottle as both of the head opposite the group of travelers.
    "Here..."
    Henderson looks as if he's going to refuse the offer but thirst wins out and he takes it, taking two long sips before handing it back. She caps it and returns it to her backpack. Henderson eyes her, she ignores it.
    Henderson remains quiet besides a 'thank you' under his breath. They continue to follow the empty road in silence, taking short breaks.
    Its about fifteen minutes later when the horizon turns red. Lacey had already began to feel off, besides being exhausted and horribly thirsty, she notices something was wrong. Wordlessly, they pick up pace, twisting into the forest and onto a dirt, narrow road.
    Lacey screams, back peddling and falling onto her behind. Another voice also screams out in surprise, a teenaged blonde boy falls backwards as well.
    "Nathan!" A blonde girl appears from a clump of bushes and onto the narrow road behind him. She takes a long uncertain look at Henderson and Lacey before looking back at the boy. "Nathan..." She once again says uncertain now, moving to help him up.
    Henderson is already helping a scowling Lacey onto her feet. "Wh- " Lacey cuts herself off, looking behind her at the bloody sky and at the black forms appearing there.
    Without a word, both pairs of teens begin moving again. Lacey feels dizzy when the cries of the creatures begin to take over her mental mantra of 'Run' 'Run' 'Run'.
    A house, a tiny one with a broken porch and falling siding comes into view. They all make for it. Henderson pulls her and she him, up onto the broken porch and into the home while the two strangers follow. Henderson searches for a basement and finds one and yanks Lacey into without hesitation, the two strangers follow.
    The house begins harshly trembling a few minutes later. Lacey sits in a ball at Henderson's side on a dusty, wet floor. Its an hour after all is quiet and still again before any of them move, climbing wordlessly out of the blackened basement and into a destroyed home, now missing a roof.
    Henderson keeps his hold onto Lacey's arm as both of them make their way clumsily over debris. Once outside of a lone frame, apparently only standing alone on his own will with no walls supporting it. It was a wonder nothing was blocking their way out of the basement.
    The brunette glances at her friend, both of them hearing the younger teens following loudly. Henderson eyes dart to hers briefly. It had been a long time, very long, since Lacey had been around other people besides Henderson and she was already annoyed with them. The boy anyway. Who runs into other people in the center of an apocalypse?
    Who? Stupid fourteen year old boy is who. The boy couldn't be much older. Its only when they make back onto the narrow road does anyone actually speak.
    "Have you seen a group of those creatures who kinda looks likes us, but are uglier, go by here about three ours ago with a group of humans?" It's Mr. Hard Forehead who asks, without even a 'Hi, How you doing' not even a 'My name's dumb-ass, what's yours?'
    Lacey massages her own forehead, wondering if she has a bruise there. "Why?" She asks glaring unhappily at the boy.
    Its his friend who speaks up. She is oddly clean besides a few spots on her white T-shirt with smudges of dirt on her shoulders. Actually both of them suspiciously clean. Lacey pats herself on the back inside her head for noticing.
    "Nathan's looking for someone that group stole from us." Her green eyes dart between Henderson and Lacey, looking rather uninterested. "He's stupid like that."
    The boy rounded on her. "I am not." He growls. "How is it fucking stupid for me to want to save my little