S C A R L E T
November 25th

It's thanksgiving today. Can't believe I still keep track of the dates.

Today is the American holiday of giving thanks. Really, it's for celebrating something having to do with Pilgrims and Native Americans but who cares about that.

I can't say I'm too happy about Zoey and Sarah's brilliant idea of making a feast to give thanks. Because, give thanks to what?

Not to mention it was a terrible waste of precious food and we couldn't afford to waste it by making a feast.

Also, they want to kill Betsy for her meat. But, that will definitely not happen, not unless somebody wants to die.

None of my animals are food.

They provide for us. Betsy provides dairy, and the horses provide transportation around the land. To kill them would be a sin.

"Oh there you are." I turned my head to look behind where Logan was at, standing in the doorway. "I want to talk to you about something, come inside."

I turned back around and looked at the small caterpillar again, before standing up from the front steps of the house and going inside.

I wonder what he wants.

"It's been almost four months since we've been here." He started, closing the front door behind me.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Yeah...and?" I asked, wondering where he was going with this.

Did he want to leave?

That made absolutely no sense. Of course he doesn't want to leave.

"Alaina thinks that we should start allowing in...others." We walked into the kitchen, finding Sarah and Zoey at the stoves cleaning a chicken they had killed specifically for thanksgiving.

Did I mention we found chickens and roosters? Well by 'we' I mean Zack and Juan. They went out on a raid a few months back and found baby and older animals.

Zack says they found all of them in a hidden green house where they were shielded off from predators. Supposedly it was nearly impossible to get the door open.

But the two managed. In the green house were two pigs, a female and a male, Three cows, two females, one male, two roosters, four hens, and six baby chicks. According to Juan, there were other animals but they were already dead.

The only reason those animals survived this long is because they've been feeding on the plants inside the green house. These animals had more luck then we ever did.

Even though they found pigs, I refused to allow them on to the land. Pigs are known to carry diseases, I didn't want to take the chance.

So we killed them in the neighbors yard, and we had placed their meat in the freezer for saving. Mostly all of it was gone by now, only a few pieces were left.

"And by others you mean other survivors. Strangers, who could possible try to kill us." I shook my head, it was a bad- no, terrible idea.

Logan cracked a smile, amused by my deliberate pessimistic attitude.

"We've built this place up pretty good Scarlet. It wouldn't be right for us to keep it closed off to others who need it." He said, referring to the many villas, and cabins everyone but myself pitched in to make.

I didn't see the point. Plus, somebody had to keep watch.

Logan used to be an architect and an engineer in training. So he knows how to build houses and other items. He's the one who has made the "blueprints" for the villas, which are now standing and in great position. Each Villa is three bedrooms and one full bathroom. But None of them have functioning running water.

Logan figured that the lake water could be used as shower water. Of course they would have to disinfect it first. My house, has running hot and cold water so again, I didn't see the point of the villas.

But I now see why they wanted to build them so badly. It's because they wanted to let in other survivors.

On top of the villas, Alaina and Sarah expanded the garden, they took the fence down and re built it so that it covered a larger portion of the land.

They planted some corn seeds and other seeds that I couldn't care to remember. What I do know for sure, is that the garden was huge, large enough to provide for us with countless of leftover food.

"I think that's a great idea. " Sarah pitched in.

"Yeah, It would be nice to have other people around." Zoey added.

I glanced at Zoey. "Do we bore you so much you want strangers around, Zoey?" I asked, half joking half teasing.

Zoey scoffed, going to the sink to wash her hands. "Yes! You guys are so boring I clean the whole house for fun." Zoey smiled teasingly, and I laughed shortly.

"In all seriousness though, I think it's a terrible idea. Being nice gets people killed." I had to learn that the hard way.

Logan sighed. "Scarlet, we need the people."

I mocked his words in my head. We didn't need people. That was bull, an excuse.

Logan stood up. "I'm sure you'll come to your senses once they start coming in."

I rolled my eyes. "Why are you consulting with me like you care about my opinion then. You adults have done everything you've wanted to do so far, so why ask now?" It annoyed me that he asked for my opinion when he and Alaina clearly already made their minds up.

"I was just gathering everybody's opinion on the matter." He defended, before softening his facial expression. "And..after everything that has happened, I figured you'd want a say in the matter." Doesn't look like I got a say anyway.

I shook my head, looking away from Logan, it bothered that he was pitying me.

It always comes back to pity.

I no longer cried for the death of my family, and that doesn't mean that their deaths don't affect me anymore. Because it does. Everyday.

I just learned to live with the pain.

"My answer is no. I don't like the idea. It's dangerous." I stood up from the table, walking out of the kitchen and heading back outside.

Survivors. I scoffed. I can't believe it.

What's so wrong with keeping our gates closed? It's not like we're going around and killing people like the military was doing.

I opened the front door again, walking out into the refreshing weather. I closed the door behind me and hopped off the front porch, so that I was on the dirt road in front of the house.

I looked back, and looked up to where the balcony was. Zack was standing there, keeping watch.

That's right, we now have around the clock patrol.

Nico and Emmett are out right now patrolling the borders, making sure there were no threats.  They took Storm and Ryder so they wouldn't have to walk, considering it'd be a twenty minute walk from one side of the wall to the other. Juan is at the very front gate, monitoring it there.

I waved 'hi' at Zack, and he waved back.

"Hey, what did Logan want?" He asked, having to shout a bit so I could properly hear him.

I walked closer to the house so I was somewhat under the balcony. Only enough so I could look directly up at him.

"He wanted to talk to me about letting survivors in." I shouted back.

Zack furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Why would he want to do that for?"

Thank you!!!

"Exactly!" I said, exasperated. "He and Alaina think it's a good idea for some reason."

Zack fixed his rifle so that it was laying on his back instead of his stomach. Obviously doing that by having a strap to it.

He leaned forward so he could look down at me better.

"Well, what did you tell him?" He asked.

I licked my lips, feeling them too dry. "I told him that it would be a dangerous decision that I'm against." I shrugged.

Zack shook his head, seeming not to like the idea of allowing others onto our land that we've worked hard for. Just so someone could come and potentially take it from us.

It'd be a terrible decision.

"I agree." Zack paused to scan the area before looking back down at me. "We'll have to bring it up during dinner today, I'm sure Juan and Emmett won't be okay with the idea."

I nodded.

"How long do you have until your shift is over?" 

Zack raised a finger, telling me to hold on.

"In..." he checked his green camouflage watch. He found it in a raid he did a week ago with Emmett and Nico. "-Well now actually" he said his eyebrows raising in mild surprise.

" I was planning on going out today, and go check out some stores by that skyscraper that was never finished..." I told him. "You know, the one by Malvinas Boulevard?"

It was a good day to go out on a raid. Plus, there was nothing to do here, we need more ammo supplies and possibly more weapons.

Zack thought about it for a second before nodding. "Yeah, I know where you're talking about."

"You wanna come with?" I invited, it would be dumb to go alone.

Also Zack is the only one who wouldn't try to talk me out of going, and he is down to go out on raids. Plus, he's really good with weapons, machetes especially. He's almost like the male, Asian version of Michonne from the walking dead.

"Yeah, I'll meet you in the garage. First I have to go find my mom so she can take over watch."

I nodded, and watched him go back inside before heading over the garage side door. I took the key for it out of my pocket, and unlocked the door before pushing it open.

Inside the garage our cars were neatly parked. Instead of three vehicles (the Honda, truck, and motorcycle) we now had five. Emmett and Juan decided to be fancy and steal a few cars from a dealership. Luckily, Emmett worked part time at one so he knew where they kept the keys.

We decided to leave other car keys there in case we were ever in need of another vehicle but I highly doubt we would be.

I grabbed the keys to my truck, before deciding against it and putting them back on the key holder. Instead I picked up the keys for the black Nissan Pathfinder. Big enough to store things, small enough to do a fast U-turn if needed.

Zack finally entered the garage while I sat in the driver's seat waiting for him. He saw me in the car and hopped inside the passenger side.

"Here. I brought you your honey badger." He passed me my favorite rifle.

I looked down at it and frowned lightly.

"I don't want to use it, I'm almost out of the ammo for it." I said, lightly placing it into the backseat.

He chuckled."I thought you might say that, so I brought you an Ar-15 in case."

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips and I took the rifle from him.

"Thanks." I said, fighting back the amused smile.

He nodded and grabbed the garage remote from the glove compartment. We always keep one gate remote and garage remote in each of the cars for insurance.

He pressed the button to open it, and as soon as it was fully opened I turned the car on and drove out of the garage.

We drove down the dirt road in silence and when we reached the gate he pressed the button to open it. But we were rudely stopped by my favorite Mexican, who stood in front of the car with a "Really" look. I rolled my window down and grinned.

"And where you two going?" He asked skeptically, walking to my window.

"I already asked Logan if we could go on a raid by Malvinas boulevard, he said yes." I lied easily.

"No me mientas Escarleras." He cooed, pinching my cheeks teasingly.

I scowled, and pushed his hand away. "I'm not lying Juan, I promise." I defended. "We'll be back before night."

He gave me a skeptical look but stepped back away from the car.

"No te creo... but, okay pequeños." He motioned us to go. "Stay safe." He waved.

I raised a hand shortly before driving us out of the gates. I shared a brief look with Zack. I think we both mentally agreed that it was weird how Juan didn't question us further, especially since he admitted to not believing us. I shrugged, I'm not going to think too much of it.

In the end I'm getting what I want, and that's to leave to go on this raid with my buddy Zack. I haven't done a raid in so long, I think this might actually be my first since getting back.

I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.