I must have fallen asleep still holding the book, well when haven't I?

  "Quiller, are you awake?" I ask in a hushed tone, while looking at the morning sun peeking through the small cracks of my hut.

  "Yes, the coast is clear by the way."

  I nod and leave my small hut.

  Quietly we continue walking.

  Something about this place seems strange.

  There don't seem to be any zombies around.

  I know that in the beginning most would be around cities, but it didn't take that long for them to start 'living' in forested areas.

  But here, there seem to be none at all.

  Not even weathered corpses.

  It scares me.

  Maybe they're really good at hiding?

  Maybe they're watching me from behind the bushes and trees.

  Maybe they're just waiting for the right time to attack and eat me.

  My mind starts up bringing old pictures of the monsters I've encountered and I can feel my stomach turn.

  "How did you sleep last night?" Quiller's voice pulls me back into reality.

  I look at him, not sure how to answer.

  "You were tossing and turning and started almost breaking down your hut."

  "Ah..." I think back deeply but not much comes to mind: "I'm not sure... but it was weird for sure."

  Suddenly something catches my eye.

  A human-made object... though I have forgotten what it was called again.

  "A signpost." Quiller answers for me without knowing.

  There are a couple of names scribbled on it.

  As I scan each and every name on them, my heart skips a beat as I recognize one of them.

  Immediately my hand reaches for my pocket.

  It must be here. It must be here!

  I take out my map and look at the place I had once circled with a pen, from which the ink now is almost entirely faded.

  Underneath the drawing of a building it says 'Hope's church', the same name on the signpost.

  This is it.

  This is really it!

  I was wrong before, we really are close.

  To the last place someone might be still alive!

  "Don, what's wrong?" Quiller asks, slightly frightened by my reaction.

  "Quiller, we're here!" As the words tumble out of my mouth I quickly hold my hand over my mouth.

  I shouldn't speak that loud.

  I start to fasten my pace as I head for the place.

  "Don't go so fast." I hear Quiller say, but I don't slow down.

  Fague memories start to come back into my mind.

  I had a friend before. I remember.

  We had met somewhere. Somewhere where other survivors had been.

  When the group was forced to disband and my teacher passed, my friend said she would flee here.

  Here to an old building.

  A building still owned by the living.

  I stop abruptly.

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  I'm standing in the shadow of something big.

  "Faith, huh..." I hear Quiller whisper next to me as he finally catches up.

  I look at the giant building before us, the one leaving us in the shadow, hiding us from the light of the sun.

  "Is this where you have been heading all this time?" Quiller asks in a curious tone.

  I nod.

  Mae promised that she would be waiting here for me.

  Silently I pray.

  Please be alive.

  Please be okay.

  Please still be waiting for me.

  I take out my map and double check.

  The place I had marked is still this one.

  I'm at the building she told me to come to.

  "Quiller, could you check for me if there's something inside?" I say it without even moving my eyes to look at him, I try to spot any sign of movement.

  What could she be doing here?

  Would she be all alone?

  Or did she survive with some of the others of the group?

  Just how long has it been since I last spoke to her?

  Quiller probably said something, but I was too busy thinking, so it seems that he has chosen to just do what I asked of him.

  He walks to the old double doors and goes right through it, like a ghost.

  It doesn't take long for him to return.

  "And?" I ask expectantly.

  "There actually are people inside, it seems like they're living ones."

  A hope I had once long lost enters me, almost making me tear up.

  Is this feeling long lost joy?

  Then Quiller looks at me: "Don, you should still be careful though. Something about this place just doesn't sit right with me."

  I look up at him and then towards the church, letting my eyes scan over it.

  Just as I'm about to place my hand on the old doorknob, the door opens from the other side.

  Shocked, I jump back, readying my spear without any thought.

  A strange person, dressed even stranger, opens the door.

  After I'm certain that they won't do me harm, I lower my weapon.

  The person before me seems rather shocked.

  "A-another survivor?" They mumble.

  Then a couple of others walk towards the door, curious to see me, all of them are dressed just as strange.

  Their clothes are black with just a little bit of white underneath, covering themselves from head to toe, even the part of their heads where you normally see a person's hair.

  Just what kind of weird place is this?

  Then a sudden familiar face looks at me.

  Mae.

  Also dressed in the strange manner as the others, but it really is her!

  "Don!" She calls out to me and the others let her through.

  She pulls up the front of her clothes and runs towards me, probably to prevent herself from tripping.

  Then she stops before me, spreads her arms and hugs me.

  As her warmth enters my body, I feel the need to cry, but am able to stop myself from doing so just in time.

  "Don! I'm so glad to finally see you again! It has been so long."

  I hear she wasn't able to hold back her tears, she hides her face, but I can clearly hear it in her voice.

  I hug her back, slower than her, but still happy and thankful to finally meet her again.

  "Don, not to ruin your reunion, but it seems like someone wants to speak to you." Quiller whispers to me.

  I look around still hugging my long lost friend and find an older strangely dressed person looking at me expectantly.

  "Yes?" I ask.

  Mae lets go and bows to the person: "Sister Pauline."

  Sister? Are they related? They don't look alike at all.

  Quiller probably noticed my confusion: "Don, people who used to work at churches would call each other brother or sister. Some, but very few would also be called father or referent."

  "Is... he... or she a friend of yours?" The sister asks hesitantly.

  "Yes, they are. I've known them since back in the old days."

  "I see..." Sister Pauline answers though clearly sounding confused about something.

  Mae notices and answers her: "Don's gender has always been somewhat of a mystery even back when we went to school together. I remember when classmates would ask about it and Don would ask if 'gender' was edible."

  That sounds like something I would say.

  "Other times when it was asked they would answer with 'human being' or 'pizza'."

  Sister Pauline looks at me: "Sounds like you were a handful."

  In the corner of my eye I see Quiller trying to stop himself from laughing.

  Sister Pauline turns to Mae and speaks in a strangely stern way: "The guest is to be taken to the counsel, to see if they can stay."

  "Yes, sister. I will take them right away."

  Mae takes me by my hand and guides me through the crowd.

  The first thing I notice is that the building feels rather cold, seemingly able to read my mind she asks: "Cold? It's normal for buildings as old as these."

  I laugh awkwardly: "Still able to read my thoughts."

  We go up a couple of stairs until we are at least two floors up. Walking towards an old door, Mae knocks.

  An elderly lady opens and looks at us before saying: "Come in."

  In the room the floor under the tables seems to be much higher than in the middle of the room.

  On the tables many people sit, all dressed strangely, or perhaps I'm dressed strangely to them, all staring at us.

  "Mae, thank you for bringing them here. You can go now." A person who seems to be in charge says to my friend, annoying me slightly.

  "But I-"

  "No, sorry, we need to speak with them alone for now."

  Mae bows her head: "Yes, reverent." And to me she says: "See you soon Don.".

  With a short wave she leaves me, closing the door behind her.

  All the looks upon me feel like a threat, I'm not used to being around so many of my own kind. It has been long since I've last been.

  But how come that I get the feeling that they don't only stare at me?

  "What is your name, my child?" the person called reverent asks.

  "Don."

  "I see... and what is the name of your companion?"

  Companion?

  Can they see Quiller?

  Didn't he keep on blabbering about being imaginary or something?

  Total bull if you ask me.

  I remain silent and the questions continue: "Are you not aware of the spirit that is haunting you?"

  "Spirit?" I ask.

  "Yes, a spirit of the old days."

  I look at Quiller and his face more surprised than mine, he starts to shake his head.

  "There is no way, she must have been mistaken." He mumbles.

  I look at him: "I guess I was right."

  "Y-you can see me?" He asks the people watching us with a panicked tone, but no one answers him.

  "You can see him?" I ask for my imaginary friend.

  "Ah, so it's a man. Unfortunately we can't see what the person looks like, nor can we hear their words. We can only see that he is here, among the living."

  "I see."

  "What has he told you, my child?"

  "Uh... that he's imaginary..."

  "Ah... well he certainly isn't."

  "Then what is he?"

  "He is a spirit, a ghost if you will, although a bit different than a normal one."

  "In what way is he different?"

  "He is a digital ghost."

  Digital?

  Does that mean what I think it does?

  Is Quiller one of them?!

  I look at him, a bit pissed, he returns a scared look, shaking his head: "I'm not, I can't be..."

  "Don't blame him for what he is." The sister tells me.

  "Isn't he one of them though?" I almost growl, scaring myself by my own intensity.

  But for some reason she shakes her head: "Not at all. He is like a ghost, or perhaps more like a hologram that only you are able to see."

  "Why can only I see him?"

  She shrugs: "You possess an item that binds you two together. I do not know what it is, but it is a strong one."

  I feel a little guilty for expecting the worst and quietly glance at the ghost besides me, who seems utterly terrified. Secretly a smile creeps onto my face.

  I truly am an awful human being.