We’re sitting ducks. Little insects and creatures of the night scamper around us, but we stay still, crouching together.

Maci is sound asleep, her breath slow and rhythmic, but her heartbeat still soundless. Then it starts to rain, black raindrops laced with the ash and smoke. I haven’t seen rain in forever, but I’m grateful for it. It’ll make a muddy mess, but it’ll also wash away our scent and make us harder to track.

Maci lets out a blood-curdling scream. “Kayla!” Maci protects her head with her arms, her breaths fitful as she jumps to her feet. “What’s happening?”

“It’s just water,” I assure her, tugging her back into the mud. “Everything’s fine. But you need to calm down or they’re going to hear you.”

She glances up, raindrops drizzling down her face. Bernard curses under his breath. I shield my eyes from the rain and glance from left to right, checking that everything’s safe, when I hear a soft thud.

Everyone tenses. Breaths falter. All except mine.

I’m as calm as I always am, ready for anything. My knife snaps out, preparing for battle. Another thump. Another crash.

“Kayla,” Maci whispers. “They’re coming.”

I get to my feet, my boots clunking against the mud as I creep over to a splinter of space between two rocks. At first I’m only blinded by splatters of rain, until I blink. Then I see them. They’re everywhere, dragging their feet through the mud and puddles. I tell myself we’re okay, just as long as they remain on the other side of a rock. But an eye appears on the other side and all hopes of being okay wash away with the sand. The eye trickles blood as it burns a lifeless gaze at me. I duck, telling myself it didn’t see me. But the shriek that stabs through the air tells me it did.

I have to do something. And fast.

I grab Maci and tuck her in a cubby in the bottom rock. “Stay here. And, whatever happens, don’t make a sound.”

She nods and I turn to Bernard. “I need your help.”

His eyes are wide as he hugs himself and stares blankly at the rain.

“Bernard.” I snap my fingers in front of his face, but no reaction. I shake him by the shoulders, but it's like he’s slipped into a comatose state. I guess I’m on my own. I move to a narrow gap in the rocks and quietly slip head first inside.  I take a deep breath. “You’ve done this before,” I whisper to myself. “You can do it again.”