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Hello everyone!! Yes, the sixth chapter of In the World After is finally done! Horray!! After school craziness, drama, and family tragedies, Maeve and I have finished it!

This chapter is the marvelous work of Maeve, so I really hope you all enjoy it!

Questions, comments, and concerns are very appreciated, and you can always send emails to sebastian_fox[at]ymail.com

Please, if you enjoy this story, tell your friends. More readers means more critique, with translates to better writing, and also means a step closer to my hope of publishing!

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Surprise.

That is probably the best word to collectively describe what raced through everyone's mind. The Fur that Keon called John was the one who was the most shocked by what just happened. I'll tell you the truth; I didn't expect to find another one out here. But I wasn't upset about it. David would be. He would be fuming with anger. Keon brought his friend inside. John was a beautiful black leopard whose pelt had those spots that shone a brilliant blue in the light.

"John?" Aaron whispered behind me. I shrugged and continued to watch the interaction between them.

"Keon? Is that really you?" John looked his friend up and down. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You either!" Keon's tail wagged furiously. "I'm so glad you are alive! I thought you were dead."

"Me too," he sighed. Aaron quietly coughed and the two Furs glanced at us. Keon's eyes widened when he remembered we were still there.

"Oh, um...John, these are my friends, Aaron and Clara," Keon gestured to us.

"I take it Aaron is the boy," John flashed his teeth. "You are both very pretty humans."

"Thanks," Aaron chuckled, scratching the back of his head. I blushed. John winked at us. Aaron grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into the living room where David sat and stared out the window. "We should leave them alone for a while. I bet they have some catching up to do." Aaron stared back at the front door. He knew more than he was letting on. I just nodded in agreement.

"David, do I need to change your bandage?" I asked, glancing cautiously at him. The only thing I got from him was a grunt. Biting my lip, I walked into the kitchen and got a glass of water. "Aaron?"

"Ya," he asked, nibbling on an apple.

"Would you mind if I went out scouting?" I glanced up at him from getting some food out.

"But we just went out," Aaron leaned against the wall.

"I know," I shrugged. "I just want to get out of the house."

"Understandable,"

"So I can go?"

"I really don't think I'm going to be able to stop you, so I'll just come with you," he said. I guess the time we had apart let him cool down from when we last fought. That cool down time was much needed for me. Maybe I should be more submissive, but the environment I was raised it just taught me not to be.

"Aaron, I would love that, but I don't trust David, even in his wounded state, to keep his cool. Especially now that we have a second Fur," I whispered.

"You shouldn't be scouting alone," he shook his head.

I smiled encouragingly, "I'll be fine. You know I've gone off on my own before. And there aren't even many Infected around."

Aaron hesitated, his face contorted with conflict.

"Why don't I just go maybe one or two houses away? I'll stay close."

"What if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen," I reassured him. For a few moments he stayed silent, contemplating every possible scenario. Finally, he agreed. I went towards the sliding glass when Keon and John walked in.

"Who's that?" John asked, staring down David. My brother slowly turned his head. As he caught sight of the new member, his eyes filled with rage.

"That's the bigot," Aaron said pointedly.

"And my brother," I sighed.

"So are you both bigots, or is it just this sorry son-of-a-bitch?" John asked abruptly. I flinched, glancing at my brother. It appeared as if he had just given up and gazed out the window. There was some feeling of guilt.

"John," Keon said a little cautiously, taking a small look at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that came out wrong," John shifted his feet.

I shrugged, "It's okay. There was some truth to those words." Opening the back door, I slid into the back yard without another word. The sun was shining at its zenith and there was a calm breeze that occasionally rustled the leaves. I made my way to fence and began to hoist myself over in the neighbor's yard.

"Clara, wait!" Aaron ran out. I paused where I was and sat on top of the fence.

"Yes?"

"Take this with you, just in case something happens," he held up a walkie-talkie. I'm not sure where he got it from but the other one rested at his hip. I nodded and took it before swinging my legs above the fence and sliding down into the yard. My feet softly thudded on the ground as I walked to the back door. I never picked locks before all this began, but we all picked up skills we never imagined of using before. Then again, this world is never anything we ever imagined.

I drew the knife from my pocket and began to pick the lock. It required some effort, but I was able to push the door open. The house was completely still with a layer of dust on everything. It was almost like a time capsule. The world fell into chaos while the inside of the house remained untouched and left as when the people here last touched it. I ignored the pictures of the family on the wall as best as I could. It wasn't entirely successful; I gathered that it was a military family. Most of the house had been cleaned, probably when the family left. There were stairs leading down to a dark basement. I had no light for my flashlight was back at the house. But suddenly, as my foot touched the bottom of the steps, lights flickered on. There must be a back-up generator working these lights.

The room was large and apparently once filled with various weapons. The walls were littered with pegs. One wall remained filled. Various weapons with steel blades: daggers, hunting knives, throwing knives, swords, katanas, machetes and such. I grabbed the walkie-talkie from my belt and pushed the button.

"Aaron, you're gonna want to see this...and bring a bag, a big one," I ended it and got a fuzzy response from him that he would be right over. As I glanced at the weapons, memories flashed back. I was more skilled in guns than swords and knives, but I had once been trained with the katana.

David had been the best of his class as he'd trained for katanas. His had been lying on the kitchen table. How old was I? Oh, not even five. Clumsily, I'd drawn it and lightly touched the cold steel. Blood dripped from my finger as I'd slid my finger down the length of the blade. David had been so mad at me while Mom cleaned the red away. When Dad came home that day, Mom explained what had happened. I'd been afraid that he would be angry; instead he'd enrolled me in a class. He'd always pushed learning respect for a weapon of any kind.

I gingerly grabbed a katana on the wall and brought it down. It was resting in its sheath, a black marble. My fingers curled around the burgundy wrappings and slowly drew it out. There was only a slight curve; if you took a quick glance you might miss it. The man who'd owned these kept them clean and sharp. I returned the blade to its sheath.

"Kinky," Aaron said in a low whistle. I jumped, clutching the katana to my chest.

"God, Aaron, a little warning next time!" I snapped. He chuckled. A big black bag hit the metal table that stood in the center of the room.

"So, why did some guy have all this stuff in his basement?" Aaron glanced around.

"From what I can tell he must have been in the military and was quite fond of weapons. All of the guns are missing. They obviously didn't see a need for these,"

"I wonder why?"

"Think about it. When it all began we just assumed that blowing their brains out would work. None of us knew till much later that sound attracted them like sharks to blood. The swords and such will come in handy for us if we need to make a quick getaway from here without being heard."

"Do you know how to use any of these?"

"Come on, Aaron," I teased. "You really don't need a skill as long as you can chop the Infected's heads off."

"Funny," Aaron mockingly laughed and began to put the weapons into the bag. "Seriously, can you use any of these?"

"The knives, yeah; that's simple. I'm not too great at the throwing knives, but David is better at that. Swords are too heavy and the machete is awkward for me. I'll stick with the katana."

"Well, we have three." Aaron shook his head. "This is way too good to be true."

"I'm a little rusty at it. I haven't held one in years." I sighed. "This is Colorado Springs. The Airbase Academy isn't that far away. It's really no surprise that he had all this. He probably actively worked in the government. We were just lucky to be so close."

"It's a miracle," he smiled. "These will come in handy. Now, let's get back to the others." I nodded and followed him up the stairs and out the house. When we entered the house again, David was still on the couch and John and Keon were in the kitchen.

"What did you find?" John asked eagerly.

"More weapons," Aaron grunted a reply as he heaved the heavy bag onto the table. The metal clunked together. The Furs' ears perked up in interest. I still clutched the katana in my hands. The men eagerly went through the bag. They were stronger and preferred the heavier weapons. I sat in a chair, the katana resting in my lap. Maybe after everyone has settled down and goes back to doing whatever it is they do, I'll try it out more. I was sure it wasn't perfect for me. That'd be too much luck. But if I worked with it frequently and hard, I'm sure I could adjust.

"Finally, I'm starting to feel safer," John sighed happily. I smiled, turning my gaze to my brother. David hadn't moved an inch since I left him. Worry took over me and, setting down the katana, I kneeled beside him.

"David," I whispered. He tried to smack me but I effortlessly caught his wrist. Either he was getting slower or I was getting quicker. I sighed in frustration, "You are such a child." I shoved his arm away and got up. Grabbing the katana, I went back outside. David really just needed to grow up.

Dismissing my troubled brother, I unsheathed the katana. The black sheath dropped behind me and I firmly took hold of the hilt. It was a little awkward. I was correct when I figured it wouldn't be the right weight for me. It was just a tad too heavy but I knew I could quickly overcome that. Taking a stance, I began to remember everything that I was taught. Funny, it was almost like riding a bicycle. You'll always remember how to do some things, even after not practicing or sharpening those skills for several years. Time escaped me as I practiced, so I couldn't tell you how long I was out there.

For a moment, I rested, breathing heavily. I heard footsteps approaching but didn't bother to turn my head. Instinct told me to look, considering the world we were surviving in now. Yeah, alright, maybe I should've, but, how can I say this...I had this feeling that it wasn't an Infected. Two hands rested on my hips. Surprised, I jolted a little bit, glancing over my shoulder to look into Aaron's amber eyes. "Hey," he said simply.

"Hey," I replied, turning back to the katana in my hands. Since I had stopped moving I realized my shoulder muscles ached. It was probably time for me to stop. But before I could lean down and grab the scabbard I felt Aaron fiddling with my belt. "What the hell?!"

"Oh chill out," Aaron mumbled, not looking at me. I glanced down and noticed he was strapping a hunting knife within its sheath onto my belt. When he secured it he raised his head smiling at me. "See, I wasn't trying to get into your pants."

I felt my cheeks burning. Flustered, I shoved him away. "Shut up, pervert!" I stuck out my tongue, retrieving the katana's sheath.

"That wasn't very nice," Aaron pouted. I quietly mocked him as the blade slid into the black case. Aaron leaned down to look into my downcast eyes. "Well, if you really want me to..."

My eyes widened and I slapped him across the face. He just started roaring with laughter. "Aaron, you can be a jerk sometimes," I shook my head, but a smile lightened my words. He just nodded, still chuckling. We walked back inside the house. David glowered as we strode into the kitchen. I was well aware that he had watched the exchange Aaron and I had, probably even heard what we said. Keon and John had disappeared to another part of the house. Maybe they were upstairs, still catching up or something. I felt happy that Keon was able to find someone in this desolate world, especially someone he once knew and shared memories with. I only have my brother. Maybe with John around, Keon would be a little more open. I wouldn't be surprised if he was still a little closed around me. My first impression wasn't the greatest and I did regret it.

We can't change the past.

"Here," Aaron jerked me out of my thinking. He held a small piece of chocolate out towards me. I reached for but he pulled back.

"Aaron!" I giggled. He grinned devilishly and tried it to feed me. I wouldn't have it. Going for it again, Aaron jerked back. We slammed into the counter as he tried to keep the chocolate away from my hands. "Just give it to me already."

"Oh, come on," he begged like a child. I shook my head and grabbed his wrist. We wrestled and Aaron ended up tripping over himself and dragged me to the floor with him. He flipped so I was on top and he smacked into the tile floor.

"See, it's all fun and games 'til someone gets hurt," I scolded him. Plucking the chocolate, I popped into my mouth, quite satisfied.

"I still think it's fun," Aaron shrugged.

"Well, you are a guy, and guys like it when they get hurt playing games," I explained.

Aaron scoffed, "Then let's play by your rules." He sat up, leaning in towards me.

"Stay back," I put my foot on his chest and pushed him back. Scrambling to my feet I ran out into the backyard. Aaron followed shortly after. Catching me by the waist, he picked me up and swung me around. We fell on the ground, laughing. It had been a long time since I had laughed this hard.

We stayed on the ground, lying beside each other. The grass tickled my skin and the sun warmed my face. I turned to look at Aaron, his face almost split in half with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on his face. How quickly he had changed from the boy I nursed back to health to this young man full of life. He drew me closer and I rested my head on his shoulders as we aimlessly stared at the puffs of clouds floating on the blue canvas. For several minutes we lay there in each other's arms. My eyes fluttered shut and my breath began to match Aaron's deep breath. The grass rustled beside me and I felt the silky, soft fur brush my arm.

"It's a nice day," Keon's voice rumbled. I opened my eyes and turned my head to stare at him. He looked very happy and content. John was lying beside him, his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

"It really is," I smiled. With a little moan of agreement, Aaron held me tight. His cheek rested against my forehead. My face was warm and the grass cooled my arms. This was one of those few, special moments that we shared in this new, dangerous world. I almost fell asleep in Aaron's arms, but then I remembered David.

What made me sit up was not the fact that he would loathe Aaron, but that I needed to check his wound to make sure it didn't get infected. If it got infected, we could try to fight it off with the antibiotics we found.

"Where are you going?" Aaron's eyes opened. I smiled, resting my hand on his chest and gently pushing him back onto the ground.

"I need to clean David's wound so it doesn't get infected," I explained. He sighed, but closed his eyes and returned to his dozing. I returned back inside but kept the door open because the house felt a little warm. David was sitting, looking like he was contemplating something, probably murder. I grabbed the first aid and I kneeled beside him. Without a word, I propped up his knee and took off the bandage. Gratefully, it looked very clean and not infected. I still swapped it because I was afraid. Yes, I know that he would never walk normally again, but I did want to give him the best chance of the best recovery.

I retrieved the necessary supplies to replace his wrappings. He just grunted and sat up as I came near him. Kneeling, I began to do the necessary things to make sure there wouldn't be any bacteria getting in and causing an infection.

"You really should stay away from them," he snarled.

"From who?" My eyes narrowed.

"Those three, who else?"

"They are a part of the group. If we are going to work together we need to be close and not have complications between bitter feelings," I snapped in reply.

"How could you let another Fur into the group?" he said accusingly.

I flinched, "David, the world has changed. Maybe we were wrong about the Furs. And anyways, we need all the help we can get."

"Not from another one of those disgusting, vile creatures," he spat in disgust while glaring towards the direction of the open door. "And stay away from Aaron. He's becoming too attached to you, and I don't like it."

I stood up, fuming, "You can't go around giving me orders and dictating my life!"

"I'm the leader of this group!" he tried to stand up but failed and fell back on the couch.

"No, you aren't," I shook my head. "Aaron is the leader and I think it should stay that way. For the better of the group." Picking up the bloody bandages, I walked towards the kitchen to throw them away.

"So you have betrayed me?"

"No, David! I would never betray you, but the group needs a leader who doesn't have a judging opinion and is injured. I'm just trying to keep you alive. Be thankful for that, if you won't be thankful for anything else." He slumped back into the couch, glaring into the floorboards like they might wither under his gaze. With a sigh, I grabbed a rifle, "I'm going to be on look out if the others ask." And with that I went up the stairs. The room in which I was sleeping had the best view of the street. Grabbing a chair from one of the other rooms, I opened the window a bit and sat down.

There really weren't any Infected roaming which I found to be very strange. They usually stay where they had been changed or whatever, regardless of the fact if there is food or not. So why weren't any here? Did everyone leave here before the virus hit here? Or where they all at the Air Base and were trapped inside the fence? Nevertheless, I was just happy it was peaceful for us here. David would be able to heal properly without us having to move him from house to house. We could freely go out and scout and scavenge without fear of anything. But, as instinct goes, we were always very wary and rarely trusted the silent, peaceful looking houses.

I sat there in boredom, staring aimlessly through my binoculars. There wasn't anything I was looking for; in fact, there wasn't anything out there to begin with. The city had been completely deserted. Through our various scouts we find no sign of life besides some wildlife. John was the only exception. I put down the binoculars and rubbed my temples. Everything seemed to be okay, but when it appeared that everything was going okay something happened. There was a feeling, in my gut, that sooner or later, something terrible was going to happen.

I focused again on the outside. There was movement on the freeway. Or at least, that's what it appeared to be. I opened my window and shoved the screen out. My feet hit the tile roofing and I climbed up to the highest part of the roof. Adjusting the binoculars, I positioned myself to see the freeway better. My binoculars couldn't reach that far, but I had a pretty good idea what it was. It must be a hoard.

"Damn it," I hissed, sliding back down to my window. Almost tripping down the stairs, I ran to the living room.

"Clara," David sat up.

"I think there is a hoard," I gasped.

"A hoard of zombies?" John walked in with the others.

"No, it was a hoard of zebras," I snapped sarcastically. "But I really couldn't tell if it was a hoard of zombies, but I wasn't about to make assumptions."

"We should go check it out," Aaron stated.

"That's not safe," David shook his head.

"But we need to make sure that it is zombies and not something else," Keon replied. Though, I really doubted that it wasn't anything beside Infected. It was slightly depressing that we all had already decided that it was Infected. There is no way that it could be humans anyways. How do we even know that any other humans existed?

"Alright," David sighed after looking at me for a while.

"Thank you," Aaron dipped his head. "Each of you should get one gun and then a blade." We did as he said. My katana was strapped to my waist and I grabbed my gun. Aaron took the position of the leader. I took the back and guarded the others. Silently, or as silently as we could, we weaved through the houses till we were almost right on the freeway.

"Damn," Keon whispered. Yep, sure enough, it was a hoard of zombies. They were just walking by. Not really hurting anybody. All we did was stare at the procession in silence. There was a sudden noise behind us. I spun around and saw John clutching his machete to his chest. My guess is that it slipped from his hands and banged into the trash can.

"Sorry," he muttered. We turned back to the hoard. The Infected closest to us turned their heads slowly in a sickly manner. One, who had appeared to be a body builder as a human, opened its mouth and roared at us.

"That's new," Aaron's eyes grew wide.

"Run!" I yelled, turning on my heels. I heard the others follow, but I also heard the thundering footsteps of the hoard turning and giving chase. We couldn't lead them straight to where David was. He wouldn't be able to move and leave with enough time. And the Infected were only getting closer. I had to find a way to lose them. "Follow me!" I glanced over my shoulder. They nodded and I swerved to the right, vaulting myself over the fence. Aaron came beside me as I stopped in the middle of the yard.

"What' the plan?" Keon asked, glancing back at the fence that was now heaving under the pressure of Infected bodies.

"Run through the yards until we reach ours then get David out of here," I explained.

"Sounds good as long as none of those Infected jump over the fence," John drew back as the fence creaked. The Infected that had roared at us jumped over the fence from the next yard.

"John!" Keon yelled as the Infected came upon him. Aaron and Keon pulled John away as I fired four rounds into the large zombie. One in the head didn't faze him and he came towards me. Remember when I said they were intelligent?

"Clara!" Aaron screamed as the Infected grabbed me by the throat and raised me up. My gun slipped from my hands. I can't let him scratch me, I can't. I refuse to become one of them. Aaron rose and decapitated him right as I felt his nails moving. The Infected dropped me and fell back, head rolling at Aaron's feet. "Did he scratch you?"

"I don't think so," I shook my head. Aaron came up behind, moving my hair. His fingers were cold and shaky. But there was a sigh of relief.

"She's okay," Aaron looked at the Furs.

"We aren't out of trouble yet," John gestured to the fence.

"Let's get out of here," Keon suggested. Aaron helped me to my feet and we began to run through the yards and jump over the fences. I almost didn't know which yard we were in until Keon stopped me. "It's okay, we are here." He smiled comfortingly. We all entered the house, gasping and sweating.

"What the hell happened?" David snapped.

"We accidently drew the attention of the hoard," Aaron sighed.

"Which idiot did it?" David stood up but he still hung to the couch for support. There was a grimace for a moment so I knew that it still hurt.

"David, it was an accident," I gasped. "Forget about it. We need to focus on getting you out of here safely." David looked like he was itching for an argument but thought better when taking into account the danger that we were all in.

"They are in the front," Keon came back. "We can't get to the car." I frowned and began to help grab quick necessities. We left the house with so little, but there really was no choice. We each had several weapons.

"Where do we go?" John glanced frantically around. David was being supported by John and Keon. He really, really enjoyed the fact that he was being helped by Furs.

"There's a gate," Aaron went to the back fence and worked the rusted latch till it opened. We moved that way and out into the mountain side.

"If we can walk to the freeway from here I'm sure we can find a car that I can hotwire," Keon noted. Everyone else agreed. I didn't say anything. My eyes kept wandering back to the house where the Infected were milling around.

"They'll only follow our scent," I sighed.

"So what are we going to do about that?" John frowned.

"You guys go on ahead," I walked back into the yard.

"Wait, Clara, what are you doing?" David's voice was frantic.

"I have to stay behind to draw them away with sound otherwise they'll only catch up to us," I explained.

"But why you?" my brother sounded desperate. I stared solemnly at the ground. How could I answer a question like that? I didn't even know where to begin with that.

"You shouldn't have to do this," Aaron shook his head walking up to me. He took my face in his hands. Our eyes locked and I desired to be with him, but they had to stay alive.

"I do, Aaron, if any of us are going to survive," I blinked away tears. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made."

Aaron pulled back and Keon stared at me with sad eyes. "How many rounds do you have?" the fox asked.

Quickly, I checked. "Three, only three," I muttered. Before we had even made it home, I had already decided what I had to do. And now as I stared at those brass bullets, I knew what was going to happen.

"Clara, please don't leave me," my brother whined. Frustrated, my shoulders became tense as I strolled back up to him. Grabbing him by his shirt front, I brought him close to me.

"This world has made you pathetic," I gritted my teeth. "Once I was proud to call you my brother, but know you are sniveling child."

"Clara,"

"Just shut up," I released him back to Keon and John. Their ears were down and tails hanging low. "Don't worry about me," I smiled at them. "I'll fire two rounds to draw them away from you."

"What about the third?" Aaron asked tentatively. They already knew the answer; they just wanted to hear to come out of my mouth.

"Then don't worry about watching for me if you hear a third shot," I turned my back to them. Death, that was just natural, it always was. But now it means so much more to die. I was about to close the gate when Aaron grabbed my wrists. Tears were staining his face and he was shaking uncontrollably.

"Don't miss," he whispered before kissing me softly on the cheek.

"Don't worry," I nodded and closed the gate, separating us. I cocked my gun and made my way, slowly, to the front yard. They were so busy trying to get inside the house that none of them noticed me. Checking behind me, I made sure my path was clear for a quick getaway.

One.

Their heads all turned with sickening crunches of bones and tearing of skin. Teeth gnashed together as their minds began to process my smell, my blood. Sick bastards, I thought bitterly. Pivoting, I first began to briskly walk away. Keeping one eye on the hoard, I changed my pace according to them. As they picked up speed I began to weave through the houses and buildings to put a little more distance between them and me.

Two.

One got too close, but now the lifeless body fell to the floor. Were they really even alive right now? Could you call their mindless behavior, which only focused when prey came, alive? They were truly zombies. But, since the beginning of this apocalyptic world, they have changed, adapted. Some became quicker. Some became slyer. It was almost as if they were exercising more brain power.

Is that even possible?

"Damn," I muttered as my palms hit a brick wall the signaled a dead end. With my back pressed to the wall, I watched helplessly as the Infected, who kept on my trail and didn't get bored, filed into the alley. There was little hope of me escaping with my life, I understood that when I made this decision, but there was some hope.

My hands were slick with sweat and clammy as I tried to hold the gun steadily. My only resolve was that I refused to be turned into an Infected. But...what if I became an Infected that the others ran into? How in the world could David, or even Aaron, pull the trigger to stop my walking corpse? It was always harder when it was someone you once knew and loved, and seeing that body only answered their question of whether was I dead or not. The third shot would give them an answer, but hopefully it will be better than if I turn.

I'm sorry David that I had to leave you. I'm sorry Aaron that I never told you how I felt. I'm sorry John for not being able to get to know you better. I'm sorry Keon for being a jerk. I wish I could've known if he forgave me or not...but at least I know that they are alive.

Three.

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Thank you for reading! I sure enjoyed reading it when Maeve sent it to me.

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