Did it just call me by my name? Kate thought as she stared at the creature in front of her. Not only did it speak but it knew her name, how was that even possible?.

  Suddenly one of the car doors opened, when Kate turned around she realized that it was Althea who gaped her mouth at the sight of the creature.

  And when Kate turned around to look again the creature had already left without any trace.

  “Wasn’t that the monster you told us about? Was it the same one that attacked Nolan?” Althea asked.

  Kate nodded, still filled with confusion.

  “What happened to its mouth? Did Nolan do that?”

  “No, It did that to its self”

  Kate then proceeded to explain what happened to Althea.

  She wasn’t able to believe it immediately but eventually Kate convinced her that it was the truth.

  “How could this be possible?” She asked Kate, they were both sitting at the hood of the car.

  “I don’t know”

  “What possible?” Adam asked as he got out of the car, his other hand was healing already but he still wasn't able to use it.

  “You remember the monster that attacked Nolan?”

  “Linda?”

  “Please don’t use that nickname,” Kate said.

  “Why? weren’t you the one who liked using it” Adam said as he checked his hand, he still couldn’t move it properly but after a few days he might recover.

  “Something changed,” Kate said looking down.

  “It followed us here, and not only that, it spoke”

  “What? Maybe you just misheard it,” Adam suggested.

  “I know what i heard, what’s more was it called me by my name”

  “But that creature didn’t even have a mouth”

  “It made one”

  “Now i might need to ask what you mean by that”

  Kate explained what had happened and after she was finished Adam couldn't believe what he had heard.

  “See? it didn’t make sense.” Kate followed.

  “None of it made sense, the creature saved us, and no you're telling us it knew you?”

  “Also, wasn't it the one that stabbed Kate?” interrupted Althea.

  Adam nodded as he continued.

  “Yes, so why would it suddenly decide to save us now? And how could a grey even learn how to speak- so what changed? how did a mindless creature even be capable of speech”

  “It wasn’t the first time if we count Nolan”

  Nolan, Adam repeated in his head.

  He wanted to take revenge for what that monster did to Kiel. But he couldn’t do so, right now they don't stand a chance.

  “He barely counts, aside his appearance he was not completely changed”

  Adam’s logic made them think for a moment, answers don't seem to reveal themselves.

  “What about my mother? the residents?” reminded Althea. Not that Adam and Kate need reminding, every one in the island was important to them but right now they weren't sure if they could do anything, they weren’t even sure if they were still alive.

  “We would need help and a place to stay,” Kate pointed out.

  “The brothers might have helped us, they already did plenty but we don't really have a choice there is only one problem-” Adam paused.

  “what is it?” Althea asked.

  “North downs as far from here, even with a car it could take a day without sleep and we don’t have enough fuel to reach that far- we might not have enough fuel to find a decent shelter” Adam explained.

  “There is one we could do-”

  “Kiel’s old house”

  Kate suggested.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  …

  Kate was right, it was an optimal location, the house was in decent shape and they have fruits and vegetables from its backyard farm and if they were lucky they should have left some eggs in one of its rooms. The chickens were still there when they left, They let them roam around to not die of hunger but even Adam wasn’t sure if any of those chickens were alive.

  The travel took longer than Adam would have wanted. Thankfully, they managed to reach it with all the fuel that they had left. Adam parked the car right in front of the house. He slid out of the car with Kate and Althea both following him.

  He looked around his quiet surroundings before approaching the broken front door that was still riddled with massive holes from the time a creature attacked it. He swung it open and entered the house, the first thing he wanted to check was the backyard.

  They weren't sure if they would be able to find fuel anytime soon so they would need food to spend a night or two until they found enough fuel to go to the brothers.

  Arriving at the backyard garden, Adam smiled at the sight of the chicken roaming freely around it. Tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables were still bountiful despite the lack of immediate care.

  Adam assumed it was due to the occasional rain that the plants managed to survive.

  After successfully checking the backyard the trio went up stairs to the rooms. Their footsteps echoed within the empty house as they climbed the wooden stairs. They went to the largest room that had a veranda, the place where they had first met Kiel. Everything was the same as the time they first arrived here. Only that it smelled a little damp, probably due the veranda being left open when it rains.

  Aside from that the room was still in an excellent condition and could still be used.

  Adam immediately laid by the massive white bed with a sigh. He was tired, all of them were. He turned his head and saw the bright sun reaching its peak. It was just noon and all he would want to do was sleep.

  Unlike Adam, Kate was only sitting on the side of the bed. She had been quiet ever since they saw ‘linda’. Althea seemed to notice it as well and suggested she cook something.

  The moment she mentioned food Adam immediately realized how hungry he was.

  He was about to volunteer to help when Kate offered her's first. Adam was thankful of that of course, he get to rest more.

  The two girls said their goodbyes to Adam who simply replied with a nod as they left the room.

  Adam wanted to sleep despite the time still being early, he don't care. He wanted to rest from his thoughts but he was also afraid that nightmares would follow him to his sleep.

  No matter how long he searched for answers it was only the questions that he kept finding.

  What did Nolan mean when he said the Kiel seemed wrong?

  Why did his tone and personality suddenly change? almost as if it wasn’t like him anymore.

  And the creature, why did it save them? how could it even learn how to speak?

  How would they even save the residents?

  Adam sighed, He wished that he was cutting vegetables instead of being left with his own thoughts.

  Thankfully, Kate and Althea returned after around thirty minutes. With Kate carrying a large iron pan and Althea carrying some plates, spoons and forks.

  The two placed the utensil and food by the floor, Adam went and sit by the edge of the bed while reaching for the cover of the pan.

  It was omelets with various vegetables added in it. He assumed that the two found the eggs they left in the house.

  Althea handed him a plate along with the utensils, Kate took her own along with one of the omelets at the pan.

  Althea and Adam took their share and ate quietly.

  …

  After finishing her meal Kate was the one who broke the silence.

  “Adam”

  “Hmm?” replied Adam as he set his plate down.

  “Did you tell Nolan about the count?”

  “Like our count of saving each other? no why-” Adam then realized why Kate was asking the question.

  When Nolan attacked Kate and threatened to kill her he asked if he would get a point if she spared her and killed Adam instead.

  But as far as he could remember no one told about that.

  “I- i didn’t” He muttered.

  Kate no longer replied, she probably knew that Adam was wondering the same thing.

  After all of them was finished Althea said that she would clean the dishes, Adam offered his help but Althea politely declined, saying that he should rest now that his hand was still not well.

  Adam nodded, letting Althea carry the plates leaving the pan with still some egg in it.

  “It must have been hard for her,” Kate said after Althea left.

  “Yes, her mother was still on the island. She must have been feeling hopeless and worried,” replied Adam as he put the lid on the pan.

  “Do you think we would be able to save them?”

  “With just the three of us? unlikely”

  “With the brothers?”

  “I hope so”

  Kate had turned quiet, He knew that wasn’t the reply Kate was wanting to hear. But what could Adam do? lie? Even with the help of the brothers attacking an island filled with greys and led by a hybrid monster their chances were unlikely.

  All they could do was hope.

  Althea finally returned to the room. Adam decided to change the mood by bringing up what would be their sleeping quarters, there was only one bed.

  He offered that he would be fine by the floor but Kate said that there were other rooms that they have never got into.

  She then took her rifle and headed towards the other locked rooms. She used the stock of her gun to hit the door's knob until it finally gave up.

  Kate then pushed the door revealing a small storage room filled with various boxes.

  For a moment Adam hoped they would find some fuel in the room but it was mostly paper scraps, clothes and other junks.

  Unlike Adam, Althea found something that had caught her eyes. A bow was leaning by the wall with a box beside it. Althea probably noticed that it was larger than the bow Kiel used so asked Adam a question.

  “Was this Kiel’s? it looked to big for him”

  “It might have been his brother’s, Kiel had a missing older brother” Kate suggested.

  Althea nodded and opened the box beside it. It was filled with long wooden arrows that she all took along with the bow.

  After leaving the room Kate went to another one of the rooms. She did the same thing that she did with the first one. When the door swung open they saw several cabinets, pictures along with a single bed.

  Adam assumed it was Kiel’s room.

  The bed wasn’t as large as the one with the main room but it was good enough for Adam.

  They all started searching the room for anything useful, the cabinets and the bed but nothing seemed to be of interest.

  Althea then pointed at the picture on top of the cabinet. Kate took it to have a closer look.

  It was a family of four at a hospital, a father, a mother who was lying by the bed while carrying a newborn and an older brother. Kate assumed that the newborn was Kiel. He was still an infant at that time.

  They all looked at the camera smiling, even the young Kiel was staring at the camera.

  That’s when Kate realized something was wrong.

  She immediately handed the picture to Adam who was sitting by the edge of the bed.

  “What is this?” Adam asked.

  “Just check the picture,”Kate declared.

  “Look at Kiel” she followed.

  “What about him?

  “He had black eyes”