The Decaying World Saga (Book 1): Tribes of Decay by Michael W. Garza

destroy any food they came across. Hunger would drive people to risk anything to get their hands on something to eat.
    Food and supplies were only a few of the growing concerns that Rowan found tumbling around in his mind. He put on a smile for Mia. He was hopeful that he could talk her into returning to the tribe, but the swelling on her face made it difficult to consider what her father might do to her. Mia was ready to go and the duo pushed away the assortment of broken furniture they used to bar the door. The hallway was as quiet as the night before, but the streams of light flooding in from the open doorways made the trek appear less treacherous. Rowan started them off and a few moments later they were down on the first floor scouting out the street in front of the building. He had a general idea about how to get to the water tower, but his memory was fuzzy on the details. Rowan assured himself that once they cleared the tallest of the dead city’s buildings, they would spot the tower and be able to guide themselves the rest of the way.
    “How long will it take?”
    Mia’s whispered question was the first words either of them spoke since they left the building. Rowan shrugged and then peered behind them. She wasn’t convinced on the plan to find the wanderer, but Rowan had nothing else. They reached an intersection beyond the first few buildings and had to run out into the open in order to get to the next block.
    “Darian and I got turned around,” he said, keeping his eyes on the entrances of the buildings across from them. “If we can at least see the tower, we should reach it before dark.”
    “Did you two run into trouble?”
    The question was a particularly sticky one. The truth was that Darian had nearly gotten them killed. They’d stumbled across a large pack of infected. The group had tracked down a number of people trying to get across the city and trapped them. The scene wasn’t a pretty one. Darian convinced Rowan that they had to try to help by getting some of the infected to follow them. The plan worked perfectly to a point. Most of the infected ran after Rowan and he had to dash through a series of buildings to get away, nearly losing Darian in the process. They never did find out if the people they tried to help ever survived.
    “We had our share,” he finally said, avoiding the specifics. “There’s no telling what the streets are like now.” He flipped his hand up, satisfied with the stillness around them. “Let’s go.”
    They continued with the rush and wait pattern for a time and reached the center of the city as the sun rose to its highest point in the sky. The afternoon heat did little against an eastern blowing wind. There was enough crisp, cold air in the open streets to bring a cherry red highlight to exposed skin, a stark contrast to the day before. Adrenalin kept Rowan warm for a while, but any time spent standing in the shadows of the buildings produced shivers. He tried to keep his focus on the endless entrances and exits, but a growing roar from his stomach became impossible to ignore.
    “The dead can hear that you know.”
    Rowan wasn’t sure if she was serious or not.
    “What do you want me to do about it?”
    “Well, I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you brought it up,” she flashed a smile, “we’re going to have to eat eventually.”
    Rowan nodded. “I didn’t have time to pack for the trip.” Mia’s smile faded. “Let’s get to the water tower and see if there’s any sign of the wanderer.” He turned to face her. “We can reach the old gardens before sundown.”
    Mia swallowed then nodded. Rowan knew what she was thinking. The old gardens hadn’t actually been gardens since long before Rowan and Mia were born. The area was named after one of the last attempts of the living to reestablish a community. They’d managed to build a small, but sustainable town in the center of the decaying remains of Cheyenne. The tribe’s records called it one of