My place was actually an apartment in a building that I figured was abandoned because no one ever came to collect rent which suited me just fine. I wouldn't have paid anyway the place was a ****-hole. Some of the walls had holes in them and the plumbing only worked half the time. Oddly enough no one ever came by to turn off the electricity or the water or any other of the tings one usually has to pay for. I figured it was because the world was going to hell in a hand basket and everyone was busy. It can get hectic when you have to take over a dead co-workers job especially if there are 30 dead co-workers.

The apartment itself was pretty decent, it was virtually empty in the building so I really had a choice as to where I bunked. I chose a nice place on the third floor. It wasn't too far from the ground floor and it was high enough that I could see if anything or anyone was coming. It was already furnished when I found the place which made me assume that the former tenants had died instead of left. It had two bedrooms, I never really thought much about it but I had no reason to have a second bedroom until that kid came into my life. Like most people I had an office at home, not too many people left their house to work anymore. It was safer and more convenient for everyone if they were just linked to their jobs. Less risk for infection that way.

It was a strange feeling having another person in the apartment with me. For the first few weeks I would have moments where I still thought I was alone until I heard the sound of her footsteps. It was easy to forget that the kid was there because she never said a word. Never even a laugh passed through her mouth. Over time we developed a form of communication with each other that suited our every need. Nothing as elaborate as sign language just an understanding between each other.

"I'm going to the Library, if you want to come wear a jacket." In the short time we had lived together I had assumed the role of guardian to this mysterious little girl. I had called every social identity I could find and received the same answers: No room, not covered, No money. I can't say I was surprised. Most of the government had collapsed. What was left of it was slow moving and ineffective. I could tell just as everyone else that the government as we knew it would soon collapse.

As I watched her put on the jacket I had bought her I noticed something I had never seen before. A birthmark on her neck. It's wasn't surprising that I hadn't noticed it before; she never wore her hair up. It was an odd shaped birthmark it was in the shape of an eye. I thought at first that it might have been a tattoo, something the other Serfs put there, but I could clearly see that it was natural. I didn't want to point it out to her as it was obvious she tried to keep it covered but still it drew up questions about her and her past within me.

The walk to the library was a quiet one. It was colder than usual this day, it was one day to Halloween and most people were preparing for the holiday. It was no longer custom to dress up on Halloween and go 'trick or treat'ing. Since Epic had taken control of the world people were afraid to leave their homes and even more afraid to go to strange doors. Instead people would now gather in 'Safe Zones' like city hall or the police station, places like this had scanners at every exit that would inspect your body of signs of infection, and share stories and food and other necessities. The local government would of course charge for events like this, not that I could blame them, funding was hard to come by.

The Library, although now falling apart, was a town centerpiece. It was built with a wonderful grey stone; it had a clock tower with a clock that still worked, and a large basement. If it wasn't full of books I would say that it could easily fit over a thousand people. The library didn't have infection sensors, most likely they were too expensive, but probably because the place was too old to support the power load. Instead they had Library Cards, not the kind that would allow you to check out books, they were for the automatic locks on all the doors. You had to be tested for infection before you were permitted one.

"Now don't go wondering, I don't know how they are going to react to you. Not that there is anything wrong with you. They just don't like strangers in the Library. Not that you're strange." I found myself rambling again, as I often did when talking to the kid. It was awkward not receiving a vocal reaction.

The entrance to the library was comprised two large hardwood doors. As we entered we were greeted by Marie. Marie was the last member of the family who used to run the Library. She was only a little older than I was which was not unusual; most people over the age of 50 were dead from Epic, except for Frank.

"Hello Marie." I said awkwardly. I had always had a crush on her; she was after all a good looking woman. She was slender, about 5'10", and red hair. Her skin was lightly freckled, and she had these green eyes that pierced your soul. It was getting harder and harder to meet people that weren't infected.

"Oh, hello" said Marie in a light and absent-mindedly way. She always seemed to have something going on in her mind. "Have you seen my stamp? It's the one with the red handle"

"Not today, try your top drawer" I went to the library often enough to know that whenever Marie was looking for something she had probably put it in the spot it was supposed to go. "I'm not going to be long just a couple of things.”

"Mmmhmmm" Mumbled Marie now stamping something.

I went straight for the books I was looking for. I had read them both a million times before, Keepers of the Flame and Spellsinger. I had been in the mood for some fiction for a while, and I thought it would be a nice way to spend some more time with the kid. On the way up to the front counter I had noticed that I lost the kid somewhere along the way. The problem with losing someone who doesn't speak is that it is nearly impossibly hard to find them. This person was doubly hard as I didn't even have a name I could call out.

I must have spent a good fifteen minutes looking for the kid before I heard Marie trying to engage in conversation with her. I immediately headed for the front counter. It was a strange sight to see this woman trying to get an answer out of the speechless child. The contrast between their skin tones made me think of Oreo cookies. I had only ever had them once, but I remember them all the same.

"You could try all day and never get an answer. I would know I've been trying for nearly a week. I can't for the life of me figure out why." I finally said, trying to save Marie from the endless one way conversation.

"Oh" she said quite startled "So she's with you. How is it that you know her exactly?"

"I found her. I think I killed her grandmother. She was infected."

"You killed her Grandmother?"

"No I think I killed her grandmother. It could have just been some woman watching her. Like I said she was infected. It's not really important."

"What’s her name?"

"Well I don't know exactly" I said slipping the books onto the desk. "Never got one from the 'grandmother' and she hasn't told me anything as she doesn't speak. I've just been calling her Kid. I haven't got a complaint yet."

"No you wouldn't would you. Do you know if she’s infected?"

"She doesn't seem to be, no coughing, no fever, no lesions. Then again what do I know I'm not a doctor. I don't feel like making the trip to the hospital, it’s all the way across town, and no doctor is going to come down here. I'm not really worried about it if she is infected she’s not contagious until the lesions start."

"Are you going to bring her to Halloween tomorrow? It could be dangerous for her if you do. A lot of people get nervous around the infected."

"I thought about that, and maybe I'm being selfish, but I want to go anyway. Besides worst case scenario we just turn around and leave. Go back to my place. Figure out what to do with her after that."

"God, that's horrible, she isn't some sort of rotten meat you can just decide to throw out, she is a human being."

"I didn't say anything of the sort. I just, you know, I don't want to be around when she starts to go all crazy and fall apart. I'm sure she's fine though."

"Yeah" Said Marie in her absent-minded way again. She took the books and my card and checked them out. She never took her eyes off the kid the whole time. I couldn't blame her, I did the same thing the first night.

The walk back was, as always when walking with kid, quiet. The sun was starting to set and the streets would soon be unsafe. Not entirely unsafe, like if you are out past dark you are for sure going to die, just more unsafe because the infected came out at night. The sun aggravates their skin, the further advanced the more aggravating it became.

We had plenty of time to get back to my place and were in no rush. As we walked along the road I looked around at the streets, most of them were falling apart and had cracks and potholes all through them. Almost nobody drove cars anymore as gasoline and other types of fuels were hard to come by. Every now and then you would see an abandoned car on the road, or some random piece of junk.

I noticed that the kid was staring intently on a particular piece of junk. It was a red suitcase just lying open in the middle of the road. It didn't look like it was of any importance except that it was a bright red against a background of almost pure grey. I went over and picked it up to examine it more closely, I found that it was leather bound and had velvet straps, it was in relatively good condition. I placed the books in it and carried it back.

When we had returned to my apartment I emptied out the suitcase and the kid immediately scooped it up. I made supper. After we had eaten I spent most of the night reading to the kid. I felt at that moment as though it had always been that way. That the kid had always been apart of my life. It was well past midnight when I finally got the kid and myself to bed. I was restless in my sleep with the anticipation of Halloween the next day. Marie would be there.