The September winds were chilling to the bone from where Audrey stood, perched along a fallen support beam. If she wasn't careful, the next gust could send her falling to her death, but she’d had plenty of practice. One foot after the other, she made her way across the rusted makeshift bridge. Only once she’d safely crossed did she let out the breath she’d been holding. She turned on her heels and stopped for a moment to take in the view before her.<br/><br/>The tall buildings were only a shadow of what they once were, before the war. Now, the buildings were left alone for the most part. A few of the buildings had fallen, collapsed onto each other. For some brave humans, this had created pathways to move throughout the city without being detected. While the sky was almost always a dull orange these days, reflecting the constant fires that burned throughout the world, today it seemed a little different. The heavy stench of burnt flesh was not in the air this evening and for that Audrey was grateful.<br/><br/>Amongst a cityscape of toppled buildings and moss-covered concrete, a world Audrey had never known wasted away. Her parents had once told her stories of their own childhood. Barely five when the massacre had taken place, they had few stories of the horrors that they remembered. She had listened quietly to the horrible history of the war. As her father told her many times, it was their duty to keep these stories, for if they were forgotten then they were certain to be repeated.<br/><br/>She never missed a story, but the ones she’d grown to love were the stories of before the war. Before the takeover, when her parents were so young, there was something called ‘school’ and ‘play’. She’d been told stories of Christmas morning and toys and waiting for someone called Santa. While the man was most certainly dead now, he apparently was a real hero and brought toys for everyone on Christmas morning.<br/><br/>Holidays like Christmas were gone long before Audrey was born, though there was evidence that could be found. Old books she'd found would sometimes tell stories of a tree lit up with sparkling lights and decorations, Santa Claus all dressed up in his red suit and angels. Had it not been for the angels in the stories, Audrey may have thought it all was a lie; just some magical story that parents told their kids to help them sleep at night.<br/><br/>Audrey turned away from the city and stepped down into the building from the broken window. Silently, she crouched on the floor and listened. Silence. From where she was, there were about fifteen floors below her that could potentially hold everything her camp needed. Audrey had to find a way through it without being seen.<br/><br/>While the hospital had been ransacked on more than one occasion, those who scavenged were never able to take very much. Often things were hidden in drawers, vents and cupboards. The building was deteriorating fast and was now only accessible through the very window Audrey was crouched under. Audrey stayed close to the ground as she maneuvered through the corridor. Even from this floor, she could hear the wicked laughter from the streets below. If they knew even for a second that humans were so close, they'd all be done for.<br/><br/>Lightbulbs remained where they always sat in the ceiling. They were a reminder for Audrey of a miracle she'd never had a chance to see. The walls were smudged by what might have once been dirt or blood. This place had been a feasting ground for the demons when they'd first arrived.<i>All those people who were sick or injured that couldn't defend themselves. We truly had no idea what was happening.</i><br/><br/>Once the laughter had faded out, Audrey was able to relax and stood up. Grinning, she rolled her shoulders to relax the always-tense muscles. "Great! Now that they're gone, let's get looking....what are we after today?" She didn't talk to herself too much, but right now she needed it to keep herself sane.