Grace’s feet pounded against the ground as she rushed past trees and over shrubs. Her legs brushed against a branch, tearing skin from it, and she stumbled forward, catching herself with her hands.

Pushing herself from the ground, Grace limped through the forest. It felt like forever before she finally saw the top of the orphanage sticking out of the ground. Ten feet ahead of her, she caught a glimpse of the kids.

“Get inside.” Grace waved her arm.

The kids waved back.

“Go inside, get Johnny, Luna, and Henry. We need to set up the perimeter defense.”

The kids scrambled to their feet and scurried into the house. Clattering objects sounded from within right as Grace made it to the orphanage. Henry poked his head out of the window and crawled through. Reaching back in, he pulled a bag from inside.

Jonathan crawled out after him. The poor guy's entire body looked rigid as he nervously glanced around the forest, waiting for someone to attack him.

“Relax, Jonathan,” Grace smacked him on the back. “You have the safest job. Get the youngest kids to the cave and keep them hidden.”

“I-I’ll do m-my best.”

A small group of toddlers exited the building, followed by Luna. “Timmy drooled all over my favorite shirt! This is why I hate taking care of the babies.”

“Get over yourself, Luna. There are more important things at stake here.” Henry huffed, “Grace, why are we setting up the perimeter? What happened after you left?”

“Nene met with a man in the woods. He tried to get her to sell the kids to him.”

“W-why would he want kids?”

Henry, Luna, and Grace shared a look.

Grace shrugged, “Who knows?”

“That’s weird, isn’t it? Who would want little kids?” Luna rolled her eyes.

“I bet it’s for T-the Twelve.”

Luna and Henry laughed, and Luna said, “Jonathan, The Twelve is just a story Nene told us when we were younger so we would behave.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Luna, she’s right. The Twelve don’t exist.” Henry said.

“I don’t think they exist either, but…” Grace said. “The man Nene was with said something about them.”

“They exist.” The four kids turned Five. She dusted her pants and looked at them. “My kidnappers said that they were going to take me to The Twelve.”

“There’s no way! Intelligent zombies don’t exist. How do we know she’s not just lying?” Luna rolled her eyes.

“Why would she lie about something like that? You just don’t like her, Luna.”

“Shut up, Henry. For all we know, she is working with those so-called kidnappers. How do you know she didn’t lead them here?”

“You’re such a pain. I don’t know why I saved you all those years ago.”

Luna froze, tears collected in her eyes. “I hate you!”

The girl stomped off into the forest, and Henry stretched his arm to her. “Wait, I’m sorry.”

“We don’t have time for this. The kidnappers will be here any minute.” Grace handed a bag to Henry, “Go make sure everything is in order, then take your place.”

“Can I do anything to help?” Five asked.

“Help Henry. I think he’ll need it right now. Jonathan, you’re with me. Let’s hope Luna does what she needs to despite everything that just happened.”

“She will. She may act like she doesn’t like the kids, but she does.” Henry looked at the toddlers, “Especially the babies.”

“Okay, go.”

Jonathan and Grace led the group of toddlers through the forest until they came across a small cave. Jonathan went in first, and Grace handed the toddlers to him one by one.

“That’s the last of them. Stay safe, Jonathan.”

“You too, Grace.”

Grace pulled a camouflage covering over the entrance and stacked sticks and leaves around it, essentially hiding it from anyone who might try looking.

Henry told everyone else what to do when she returned to the house.

“Did Nene make it back yet?”

“She just got home. She seemed a bit on edge, though.”

“Of course she was. She’s been building this place up for years now.”

“I don’t know. She seemed weird when I introduced her to Five.”

“You’re probably imagining it.”

Grace slipped past Henry and through the attic window. The kids were pulling supplies out from the lower levels and stacking them near the entrance, whereas older kids pulled them out and hid them nearby.

Grace grabbed a rifle sitting in a corner and checked the magazine. Then she looked through the ammo, taking only what she needed.

“Grace,” One of the younger kids walked up to her. “Will we be okay?”

“Don’t worry, Amber. We will take care of the bad guys. Now, tell all the other kids to hide. I’m sure we’ve done enough to be able to protect our home.”

The little girl ran off, and Grace exited through the attic window. The older kids hustled about, and Grace headed to her post. Up a tree, she looked at everyone below, running around like ants before pulling her camouflage over her head and lying flat on the branch.

Grace watched as Nene exited the orphanage. Luna followed closely behind her. The kids began to collect their guns and ammo as Nene exited the orphanage with Luna. She pointed and yelled a few instructions before climbing to the top of the orphanage and disappearing into the trees.

Grace scanned the forest as she waited for the enemy.

Kids disappeared one by one as they found their spots. Then, the forest went silent. The wind ceased to blow, the birds stopped singing, and even the insects fell quiet. Grace could hear her own breathing loudly as she waited for something, anything, to happen.  

Darkness covered the forest, and a group of shadows peered from across the horizon. Grace remained utterly still, and the sound of her breathing stopped as she waited patiently with her rifle in hand.

The forest erupted with the sounds of men and women screaming. Grace could hear the traps activating around as the shadows grew closer.

The human-sized shadows began to take the shape of actual humans as they inched ever closer to the house. Before long, a man walked past the defenses with his hands held high. “Surrender, and we will make sure you get the best treatment from The Twelve.”

Grace’s heart thumped wildly inside her chest, The Twelve!

Grace whipped her head in Nene’s direction. Branches swayed slightly, and then, Bang! Smoke rose from the ground beside the man. He clenched one of his hands into a fist, and a flurry of people flew out of the bushes and from behind the trees. Gunshots erupted throughout the forest.

A few of the enemy plucked children from foxholes and shot up at the ones in the trees. The butt of Grace’s gun hit her in the shoulder repeatedly as she fired shots one after another. The kidnappers began fleeing with flailing kids in hand.

Grace pulled the magazine from her gun and began to reload when a crack sounded. Splintering wood pierced her in the hand, and the cartridge fell.

Quickly, Grace threw herself down. Her arm wrapped around the branch as she reached for the magazine cartridge in vain. It fell as if in slow motion to the ground. That’s when she made eye contact with one of the enemy. The lady below her tree smiled wickedly as she aimed at Grace.

Fear clumped in Grace’s throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no gunshot.

Grace peeked from behind her eyelid, and the lady lay on the ground, blood oozing from her chest. Henry looked down at her, and Five held a smoking pistol. Three more shots were fired before Five’s gun just started making a clicking sound.

“Five, it’s over!” Henry pushed the gun down, and Five began to cry.

Grace made her way down the tree.

“They are taking kids,” Five cried in Henry’s arms. “I thought they just wanted me. Why are they doing this?”

“I wish I knew.” Grace looked around at the chaos. “Maybe we should run. Take as many kids as we can and get out of here.”

“What are we waiting for? Nene’s plan will get us all killed if we wait here anyway.”

Grace looked back to the orphanage before gathering a group of kids and heading into the forest. They walked with caution. Nature surrounded the group. Screams and gunfire could be heard in the distance.

Henry raised his fist, and the group stopped.

Hushed voices whispered in the distance, and a chorus of crying caught Grace’s attention. “Why are we keeping the kids so close to their camp?”

“How am I supposed to know how the boss thinks?”

“Why is that old lady being so stubborn now? It’s not like she-“

A branch broke under Grace’s foot. She held her breath as the kidnappers looked in their direction. Henry met Grace’s eyes, his exaggerated expression asking why she was moving. Grace held her hands up, shrugging her shoulders.

“What was that?”

“Chill out. It was probably an animal or something.”

“I don’t know.” One of the kidnappers closed in on the group, and Grace readied her rifle.

“Leave it. It’s not like those orphans could make it past our defenses. The boss has probably taken out the old lady by now, too.”

Grace popped up from her hiding place, and three consecutive booms sounded — two shots to each of the kidnappers and one boom that sounded in the distance.

Henry looked beyond the treetops, and his eyes widened, “Already?”

Grace turned, and smoke rose above the trees.

“Take care of this.” Grace motioned to the kids held in cages and tied to trees.

“Where are you going?”

“I have to go back for Nene and everyone else.”

“She wouldn’t want you going back.” Henry grabbed Grace’s arm.

“Henry is right. It’s too dangerous. I’m sure your grandma wouldn’t want you to go.”

“I’ll be quick. Leave without me if I’m not at the safehouse by sunrise.”

Grace pulled her arm out of Henry’s grasp and returned the way she came. Smoke and dust mixed, getting into Grace’s eyes. She squinted through the wreckage, weaving and dodging zombies and kidnappers until she heard Nene’s voice.

“-sold all these kids for her, not just those looking for their parents.”

Grace grits her teeth. She cocked her rifle and held it to her chin. Joanna looked at her from the other end of the gun.