Prologue
It was three years ago that three enemy nations attacked us in 2012. Armed with nuclear bombs, stealth planes bombed US soil. It was unpredicted and random as to how they dropped the bombs on cities as they flew passed. Planes with their nations flag printed in the tailfins were shown proudly, snickering as tens of thousands of people vaporized in thin air. The Soviet Union, North Korea, and Cuba were all joined together in their triumph, laughing as they watched the huge mushroom clouds covered the night sky. The president survived, considering the fact that he was on vacation in Australia. Almost half of the United States population disintegrated in a matter of a few seconds.
I was one of the lucky few that survived the bombings. My name is Sara Winchester and my family and several others are navigating to the north, were rumors are to be true of a way to survive. By means of food and water lay in a military base in the north.
“Sara! Miss Sara!” called the children.
“Yes darlings?” I sighed, pushing my long black hair behind my ear.
“Tell us the story.” Ordered Jeff, the littlest one of the group.
“Yes please?” pleaded the others in unison.
“Alright fine but this is the last time tonight” I warned.
“Yes ma’am.” They replied wide-eyed and patiently waiting for the story to begin.
The campfire story that I tell the children was once a real story. You see two years back the event that happened was still fresh in my mind. A hero, headed west for unknown reason, had saved us on many accounts. Even though we didn’t know its’ true name we still followed its’ excellent leadership.
























It was  a cold, and wet morning when we continued to embark on our tiring journey to the north. Armed with only a map and a vision, my father knew extensively as to what direction to go and the safest way to get there. The only problem was that, that was really the only thing he was armed with. My father, John Winchester, was in the army for thirty years before retiring as a major. He was the proud leader of our group of twenty followers. I was his assistant and second in command. My mother Kimberly Winchester, died of radiation the week before. In fact, at the beginning of our quest we had thirty-five people in our outfit, but sadly we lost fifteen to radiation sickness.
My father suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and raised a fist to stop the crowd. I followed his action and did not say a word. The crowd became deathly quiet, I walked cautiously up to my fathers position.
“What’s wrong dad?” I whispered in his ear.
“There’s someone in the forest.” He replied staring at the seemingly endless supply of trees, which were gray from the radiation in the air.
“How can you tell?” I whispered again.
“Sh! listen…footsteps.” He dared not to move as the sound of crushing leaves got closer. Then like a bullet being shot out of a gun he ran to one of the protruding trees near the road and away from the forest. He waved a hand at me as a signal to hide the group in the trees across from him. They dived into the cover of the trees, the sound was becoming louder and louder. The expression on my fathers face grew even more anxious as the person drew closer. Suddenly, the sound was gone, like someone turned the volume off . Petrified my breath escaped me as I waited for something to explode or guns to go off, or something. I focused all of my attention on my father. He looked past the tree he was hiding behind, and looked back at the road rubbing his hand on his baldhead. Suddenly above him a black figure of a person jumped from the trees and in the middle of the road. Sword drawn and it’s face covered, it pointed a finger at my father and beckoned him to it. I grew scared for my father’s life and without thought I ran toward the figure screaming and fists raised, threatening to punch the person. Sadly that was a stupid mistake that I found out as I landed on my back in front of the figure. The figure placed the tip of its blade at my neck, and laughed.
“This young lady has done the most stupidest action that I’ve seen today.” It chuckled.
My father grew furious and took one step closer to the person and me. It raised its sword, and pointed it at my father. I took this opportunity to get up but a foot pushed me down and I was being choked to death.
“No, no not yet.” It removed its foot and looked down at me and I looked straight into its eyes. They were calm and caring, and they showed compassion, not hatred.  But why was this person doing this to me? The answer escaped me and, somehow I felt that I was going to be okay. The person kicked my bottom and I ran to my father’s outstretched arms.  
“What do you want from us?” he screamed. It sheathed its sword and stood there with its arms outstretched.
“Am I allowed to pass across this road in safety?” it asked humbly. My father was surprised at its question, and how simple it was.
“Y…yes…of course.” He replied hugging me tighter to ensure my safety in case this person decides to take our lives.
“Thank you.” It bowed, turned away from us and walked toward the group. No one dared oppose the person as it might kill them with one swing of a sword. A small boy jumped in front of the person with a wooden fake version of a gun. The person’s hand swiftly went for the hilt before the boy even landed on his feet in front of it. I struggled out of my fathers grip and I raced toward the dazed boy, but all the person pulled out was a cork and a string. The boy stood there completely oblivious to the world around him. The person bent down and whispered into his ear and placed the cork and the string in his open palm and closed his fingers around the soft cork. The person then stood up and left into the cover of the trees.
My father and I stood in place with our mouths gaped and eyes wide open. We were completely amazed at the person’s fast reflexes to adapt to a tight situation. Later that night the small boy had tied the cork with the string to the barrel of the gun, so that when he pulled the trigger the cork would fly out and then sag toward the ground. I of course followed the instructions that the boy gave to me from the stranger. In fact that’s what our group had come to call it, ‘Stranger’.
The fellow parents and adults of the group gathered with my father and myself around one of the many campfires in our campsite.
“Who was that person?” one called.
“We need to find real weapons to protect ourselves from people like that!” ordered one woman.
‘Weapons were made to kill, and only killers carry them.” He advised. “It would only make things worse. Considering how this country was torn apart in one night.”
The crowd around the fire grew angrier by the minute. In the confusion of orders being shouted and blame being pointed to several different people, I left. I found a secluded area near a waterfall, and I sat down on one of the large boulders on the bank of the pool. I sighed as I looked onto the moonlight dancing on the surface of the water.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” I turned to find the stranger sitting right next to me. I jumped off the boulder and grabbed a nearby stone, and held it in a defensive position.
‘Put it down you foolish girl. I’m not here to harm you.” It lowered its head and appeared to be looking at the water licking the tip of its boots.
“Then what was that earlier?” I asked my voice shaky. “Why didn’t you kill us when you had the chance? We were all unarmed!” I shouted my voice now powerful and full of meaning.
“There has been too much death lingering in the air. I couldn’t.” Stranger didn’t even take a glance at me. I dropped the stone to my feet and sat next to it. Of course leaving room so that I could possibly have some room to make a break for it, or to gather up the stone again to smash in its’ face.
“Who are you?” I asked calmly. Stranger kept its head lowered, and I began to get angry at the fact that this person won’t even dare to even look at me.
“Who are you?!” I shouted.
“My name is of no consequence, but your father who is coming this way is.” Stranger didn’t even raise its head. I turned to find that this person was correct and a lantern could be seen, swaying back and forth.
“Sara!” I heard my father yell.
“How did you…” I began to ask but it was no use, unless I love to ask questions to myself, because Stranger was gone, and nowhere to be seen. A broken lantern in hand my father approached me with sweat running down his face.
“What happened? I heard you yell.” He asked hurriedly.
I desperately wished to tell him of what had happened but I decided to keep it a little secret.
“Nothing, I tripped on a rock.” I pointed to a random rock protruding above all others. He sighed, took me by the hand, and dragged me toward the campsite.
“Hurry There are some guests at our site today. They might help us get to the northern states.” He informed as we ran. What he planned on happening was the complete opposite, as we found out when we entered the campsite. A silence was blanketed on the group as the all were standing and facing toward the road. My father and I made our way to the front of the crowd and saw a large biker holding a young boy in a headlock with the end of a gun at his head. The man was probably six foot seven and his belly, protruding out of his leather jacket, was so large that if someone was strong enough they could roll him down a mountain with ease. Him and two others, a skinny man with only one eye, the other a fat toad looking man, which apparently had no neck.
“What is the problem here?” my father demanded.
“You come any closer I’ll kill the boy!” the fat lard shouted.  
“What is it that you want from us? Whatever it is take it and go.” My father begged.
“ We want all of your food, and your water!” he ordered, shoving the gun barrel deeper into the boys’ skull. All of his comrades had a wild look in his eyes, and my father went into his tent and carried out a large dirty sheet filled with food.
“There, now please hand over the boy.” He begged.
“I don’t know if I want to, this boy has grown on me.” He chuckled.
A dark figure appeared on the man’s head and jammed a large knife through the top of his head, all the while pushing the boys head down out of the headlock taking a bullet in the arm. The fat biker fell backward sending a large cloud of dirt and dust into the air. Once cleared Stranger’s sword was drawn, and Stranger raised a glove-covered hand and beckoned them over to it. The two bikers jumped onto their bikes and made a break for the northern states with their tales between their legs. Stranger turned around, blood spurting from its’ arm, sheathed its’ sword and picked up the small boy. Stranger walked toward me and placed the boy in my arms, and looked straight into my eyes. Stranger’s eyes were calm, almost as if nothing happened. The stranger turned back around and walked toward the road.
“Wait!” called my father.
Stranger halted, awaiting the next order, but my father walked toward it. The stranger turned around to face him, and my father stopped a few feet from the person with a hand reaching out toward it. Stranger took it and they shook hands for a few minutes whispering to each other. The handshaking ceased and Stranger and my father walked toward the campsite side by side.












I spent the time at dinner sitting beside my father curiously watching the stranger converse with a group of children. In between small whispers I would occasionally hear the children shout in approval as it raised its’ hands in the air making wild gestures. After a while the parents would call their children into bed, and soon Stranger was sitting alone. I passed and noticed that it hadn’t bandaged its’ arm from the wound earlier.
“Your wound hasn’t been treated yet?” I inquired.
Stranger looked at it and appeared slightly surprised. “I forgot I got that.” It chuckled.
I pulled a pocket sized first-aid kit out of my pocket and retrieved the gauze and other such items and asked it to remove its’ sleeve.
“Just leave it be.” It begged.
“No, it must be treated or it’ll get…” I was going to finish my order, but then I noticed it’s hand was quivering. Stranger stood up suddenly and made its’ way into the woods. A nearby observer approached me.
“That was odd. Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you, do you know who that is by any chance?” she gestured.
I kept my gaze on the forest, “Haven’t a clue.” I abandoned my position and made way in the direction of Strangers’ exit.
As I got closer I noticed that bright lights lit up the forest in a way that would scare the bravest person. I finally arrived at my destination. Stranger stood in front of the many lights conversing with whoever was there. The voices were muddied and muffled by the sound of engines revving up.
Stranger suddenly turned to me and began shouting. “Get out of here! This is no place for children!” ‘Children?’ I wanted to correct this person but a dark shadow covered my vision. I looked up to see that it was another heavy biker. I guessed that the one Stranger killed earlier was important to these people.
“I should kill you for murdering my brother!” He shouted in my face. Stranger jumped in front of me with it’s’ arms outstretched.
“I was the one who killed your brother! Not her! Leave her be. But before you do something foolish you should know that your brother was threatening to murder a small child!” In light of this testimony the biker stood straighter and rubbed his bald head with his enormous hands. He turned around and began to pace in a circle.
Stranger whispered to me, “Leave now, while he’s being distracted.”
I followed its’ order and made my way back to the camp. But a member of the biker group snatched me up and put me in a chokehold with one arm and held a pocket knife in the other. Everyone who was paying attention to the hefty man in the center of the group suddenly turned their heads to face this odd person.
His hold was unbearable and began to suffocate me as time slowed to a crawl. Stranger drew out its’ sword but the leader stopped it.
“Wait. Frank, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Put her down you moron!” he shouted.
Frank spoke in a scraggly voice that made my skin crawl. “No. I want to see her squirm. Besides I wonder what she can do in a situation like this.” He placed his mouth on my neck and began to lick it. I screamed and squirmed in his arms trying to escape from his hold. Then without warning his arm was gone and laid on the ground at my feet. Stranger fell behind him sword in the air and blood trickling to the ground. Frank screamed hoarsely and grabbed at his missing arm.
“It’s gone! You cut my arm off you bastard!” He ran toward Stranger with the pocket knife drawn. His eyes were beady and wild, he lunged at Stranger with all his might, but then the leader of the biker group grabbed the back of his shirt and lifted him in the air so high it looked as if he picked up a small puppy.
“Shut up or else I’ll make you.” He gave Frank a deathly stare and placed him on his feet. Frank with his head drooped and his hand clutching his stump of an arm made his way back to his bike.
The leader strutted over to Stranger and placed a hand in front of it. They shook for a good two minutes before the leader said.
“Sorry about that. I’m Jim the slayer, but you can just call me Jim.” He smiled.
Stranger sheathed its’ sword and made its’ way over to me, as the others revved up their engines and made their way back onto the road.
Stranger placed an arm on my shoulder helping me along like an elderly woman. But then I noticed Stranger was placing a good amount of weight on that shoulder, and was breathing fairly heavily. I looked at it and saw that it was limping.
“Stranger? Are you alright?” I shivered in the cold night air.
Stranger stopped, looked into my eyes, I noticed Stranger swaying, slowly losing its’ balance as we stood there. Its’ grip on my shoulder loosened and Stranger slowly fell to the ground. I caught its’ head before it hit a protruding log. As soon as I noticed Stranger was unconscious I immediately called out for my father. He and several others came to the rescue and aided me in carrying Stranger to the camp and into a closed tent to see what caused it to swoon.
I sent everyone out, and took to undress the being to find what was wrong. I noticed that my hunch of the person being male, from all the physical vigor, was completely and utterly wrong. Stranger was female. ‘But how?’ I was in shock. Everything about this person seemed like a man, the way she dressed, the way she moved around, her stance when she stood ; but I thought back to the children and how she entertained them with a mere story. No man in our outfit would’ve done that. Stranger must’ve been a woman then. I glanced over her charred body, it looked as if she was burned all over, and not a trace of pink skin was left. Like overcooked toast her arms and legs were also covered in bubbly black. I took a sample of her skin and placed it in a cylindrical tube to see if it was radiation. I applied water to the sample and it fizzled a yellowish color, and I knew. How though? How is she still alive when the radiation has seeped so far into her skin? It was well beyond skin. God only knows how deep the radiation, no this was a whole different level of radiation; this was mutation.
I left the mask on for her privacy as well as keeping my lunch in my stomach. I’ve seen radiation sickness before, but never like this. It was almost as if she wasn’t human at all. I found where the pocket knife, from the insane biker, had cut her side, causing immense bleeding. I figured that was the cause and I bandaged her side as well as I could. When I finished I cleaned up what I could and redressed her. I decided to let her sleep in my sleeping bag for the night and I slept next to her on the ground. It was quite comfortable, but I woke up with a sore back and a stiff neck.









The next morning smelled the same as usual, burnt and with the fresh smell of breakfast roasting on the campfire. I awoke to find that Stranger had left her bed, I shot up off the ground and exited the tent as if it caught fire. The sunlight penetrated my eyes like spears and I rubbed them a good deal before I was able to see.
Stranger was still with us alright, she was the one cooking a rather large beast over the fire.
“What is it?” I sniffed observantly. There was a slight hint of herbs and spices in the meat, which made the meats’ aroma intoxicating.
“Wild hog, my specialty.” I guessed that she was smiling when she said that. She proudly poked the thigh of the beast as it roasted.
“Thank you.” She turned toward me and looked me square in the eye.
I replied with, “No problem, you would’ve done the same for me.” And other such nonsense.
She nodded, and continued her cooking of the unfortunate beast. After a good while it was ready, and it was the best meat we had since the bombing. We consumed the food like ravenous wolves, shoveling down every piece as if it was our last. She didn’t eat though. ‘Why?’ I wondered. Maybe she ate already or maybe it hurts to eat due to her skin condition. At this rate I’ll never know. By the time everyone had their fill all that was left of the hog was his dismembered skeleton scattered across the forest floor. Some of the children took up a few bones and pretended to have a match against one another on sword duels. One child named Andre pronounced himself most colorfully.
“I’m Stranger!” he thrust his bone high into the air while standing on the highest rock. Other children didn’t quite agree with him and an argument rung out as to who was the better Stranger.
The real Stranger laughed at this, and showed the kids a bit of sword play, dazzling them with tricks and amazing ways to twirl the lengthy weapon. It was very lengthy, almost as long as me. Her strength amazed me, after last night I would’ve thought she would’ve remained in bed due to her injury, but now she jumps and parades around as if it never happened. I decided to confront her on this matter.
“Stranger, are you ok? After last night I would’ve…”
‘Thought I’d be dead? There’s no time to lay around right now.” She interrupted. Sheathing her sword she made her way over to my father abandoning the children while they tried to mimic one of her tricks.
They both entered a tent together, I decided to join them. They allowed me to only listen, and only speak when a question is directed toward me. Stranger was the first to speak.
“How long do you plan on staying in this spot?” she whispered.
“We’re planning to continue tomorrow morning. Is there something wrong?” his tone changed from informal to frightened.
“We need to leave as soon as possible, I received news from other groups such as yours that the radiation doesn’t stand still for anyone.”
“It’s moving?” he said shockingly.
“It’s not just moving, it’s storming its way in this direction. I’m passing the message to every group I meet. Which means I too can only stay here a certain amount of time.”
‘There was why she’s still alive!’ I thought. She’ll never allow herself to die if it means for other people to die in her place. I figured her out, and just as well my father did also.
“So that’s why you’re here?”
“Yes, it’s not my time yet. But please, you must leave before tomorrow. Tell everyone you meet of the news and don’t you dare give up.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, allowing what she said seep in. He looked up, and in the noblest manner said, “What about you?”
At this Stranger looked down, and paused in that position for what seemed like an hour.
“My life is unimportant at this point. Honor me by taking these people as far north as possible. Hell I might even join you, if I can find you that is.” She chuckled. Nobody chuckled with her; the air had suddenly become depressing. My father placed both hands on her shoulders, and in a swift motion placed her in his arms, holding her as tightly as Stranger allowed. Both I and my father knew she wasn’t going to survive as long as she stays this far south.
They both gave each other a pat on the back and broke their hold. I gave Stranger a hug also, my eyes suddenly became blurred and tears ran down my face as I looked up into her eyes.
“I’m so sorry.” I cried. She swayed for a moment allowing me to burry my face into her shoulder.
“You saved my life twice last night, and I did nothing in return.” I wept.
“Now that’s a lie if I ever heard one.” She whispered softly, “I felt as if you were going to abandon me when I fell, but before I slipped into darkness I heard your voice calling out to me to stay with you. And with all my soul I stayed there, but in the form of sleepiness. Don’t you ever say that you did nothing for me, because you saved my life last night.” She wrapped her arms around me. “Don’t worry about me. You’re like your father and you try to protect everyone. Keep that with you always, don’t ever let that go. Your Strength is immeasurable, and your wit is the same. I’ll miss it.” We parted allowing the air to become softer, like the warmth of a fire.
“We’ll leave now.” My father announced to Stranger.
“Good. I’ll help everyone get ready.” She shook his hand one last time.
“Sara, spread the news.” He ordered. I obeyed and left the tent wiping the streaks off my face. I gathered everyone to the campfire and told them of the terrible news. They obviously were shocked, and some were denying the news.
“Why should we believe this person?” One man shouted above the crowd.
“Her body is evidence. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If we stay here any longer we too will become like her.” I persuaded.
At this Stranger stormed out of the tent and made her way over to me. She yanked off one of her gloves and showed her charred skin in the bright sunlight.
“Is this proof enough?” she ordered now angry at the naivety of the group.
Silence followed her outburst, then a quiet murmuring spread through the group and they all agreed that she was proof enough. The crowd dispersed and everyone took to taking down the tents and packing up their things in haste. Stranger helped with the tents, and gathering the children and sending them off to their parents. I helped with the food storage and the packing of clothing. My father helped with whatever was left, and filled bottles with water from the stream.
The way in which we took the camp apart would have amazed any military personnel. In about twenty minutes we had packed, folded and gathered everything we needed for the journey. We gathered one last time before taking to the paved path before us.
“Lets go!” shouted my dad. He raised a fist and others joined in, and took to the road with great anticipation. I waited until a good majority of the group left the camp and stood and waited for the elderly to join up. Only a handful remained. After about five minutes an elderly couple asked when the next stop would be. I ran up to the front where my father was and asked. He replied with sad eyes as he said, “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Compelled by this ridiculous answer I started to say something back but then Stranger ran up to my father panting.
“Keep everyone here! I need five minutes. Can you give me those five minutes?” she grunted.
“Why what’s wrong? Did something happen to the road, what?” he looked at Stranger with scared eyes.
“Just give me those five minutes!” she shouted hurriedly.
“Fine.” Father whimpered.
As soon as the answer left his lips she jumped back and sprinted toward the curve in the road that was hidden by the trees. Stranger seemed as though some sort of imaginable danger was coming toward us, or were we coming to it. We stood for what seemed like more than ten minutes as we waited for Stranger to come back with news on what laid ahead.  A rustle and Stranger appeared like a ghost running toward my father, blood covered her clothing and mask.
“Go on ahead but tell everyone that no one venture from the middle of the road, you got that?” she inquired.
My father gave a confused nod and I spread the word. Everyone continued the walk in rugged lines of threes. I ran to the back and helped the elderly to follow the rest of the group. We closed in on the curve in the road and suddenly my father stopped the group. Shouting could be heard as everyone got restless, then a murmur in the crowd passed saying that the children’s eyes should be covered. I soon found out why.
Black ashen, misshaped, and rotted bodies littered the road. Some were so grotesque that it made my skin curl and the food in my stomach churn. Others in our regiment had to stop as they emptied their stomachs onto the road. The faces of these bodies were all full of fear and misery, the eyes were burnt out, teeth were blackened; and what seemed to look like arms where nothing but twigs from a tree. Some sat up, others laid down, some even, if you looked close enough, appeared to be holding a smaller version of themselves. The amount was countless, nearly limitless. But what seemed like more felt like less as we hurried past each and every charred body. I ran up to my father and Stranger, leaving the elderly to swim in their shock.
“How? How did this happen?” my voice breaking.
“They were doing what you are doing.” Stranger answered. “Trying to cling to life.”
“Why?” my father broke out. His eyes welled up in tears. “Why does mankind do this? There has got to be some kind of explanation.” His voice breaking as he wiped his eyes with his large hands.
“Man is selfish.” Stranger answered after a pause. “Mankind has always felt the need to be one-up from anything around him, even God.”
At this my father nodded his head and all anyone could do was agree. It was an undeniable truth. After passing the seemingly endless amount of bodies, my father stopped the group for a quick rest as we made ready for the departure of Stranger.
Everyone said their good-byes and ‘thank you’s, and the children gathered around her for a rather large group hug that would’ve been on Genesis’s book of World record. She patted the children’s heads and made her way over to my father.
“Even though we knew you for only two days, I feel I’ve known you my whole life.” My father proudly boasted.  “I thank you for your help, and if we meet again I hope it’ll be in a better environment.” He chuckled. “Good bye Stranger.”
“Thank you sir, and farewell. I do hope we meet up again one day.” She shook his hand one last time and took to forest left of us. Everyone cheered and hollered wishful farewells as she disappeared into the limitless trees. As soon as her silhouette merged with the trees we continued with haste to the northern states.