Andrea shivered as she pushed the blade into the wall... drawing it down, making an etch... the home was warm, silent, save for a steady drip, drip, dripping, and the slow crackle of the fireplace. She leaned against the wall, pressing her ear to it, "I can hear you!" She screamed, her voice, shrill echoed through the house. Silence responded... a soft snap came from the kitchen, and she turned, charging it... busting through the door, to find the room empty. she chuckled softly to herself. "Empty.... they're all gone... they left me.... they all left me behind... to die." her arms dropped heavily to her sides, and she gripped the knife loosely, walking solemnly through the hallway to the living room where the fireplace continued to crackle it's love song to the logs.<br/><br/>"You know, we can't all be like you, Mother!" She stressed the last word, turning to face an old grandfather clock, that sat, silent, stuck at 3:19 for who knows how long. She pointed the knife to the clock, and stood there, silent for what seemed an eternity, only to suddenly turn and face the fire, a few bones lay within, blackened, some human, some animal, and she fell to her knees, gripping her hair in her free hand, and pressing her fist against her head. She grimaced as the thoughts poured through her mind, threatening to overload her senses. Her eyes slammed shut, and she pounded the knife into the floor. She repeated this, over and over, slamming the knife's handle into the hard wooden floors, long stained with blood, tarnish and thick with the scent of gunpowder. The movement soothing, she opened her eyes, releasing her grip on her strawberry locks. "I did it, though, right?" She looked up to the fire. "I... I think I did." She smiled, laughing slightly. "But I'm alone now... aren't I?" Her voice calm, it held a certain melodic tone, that was charming in it's way. "I don't want to be alone." She pushed her legs out from under her, and used them to push herself against a large, bloodied recliner. She brought her kneed up to her chest, and almost as if sanity set it, guilt took over.<br/><br/>"Oh god... I'm so sorry." Her voice choked slightly, her eyes widened, and bore a worried furrow. "I never meant to be the one to be this way... I just wanted... please... come back?" She begged of the fireplace.<br/><br/>Outside a few stray mindless zombies, once human lured to the fire flickering through the nearly-completely boarded window, amassed around the house. A few clawed at the house, one peered hollowly inside. She knew they were there, but ignored them... they couldn't get in... and she couldn't get out, she was as trapped inside as they were trapped outside... she wasn't sure which was worse. She thought about being outside in the freezing cold, feet bare, lost and hungry... the looked around her, comparing the two, she hugged her knees tighter, and lucidity took over, and for a few moments she was just Andrea, afraid and alone.