Taissa had woken early, blessed with a night free of sleepwalking. As quietly and softly as she could, she untied her wrist from Van's. She didn't want her to feel and wake up, to think she was trying to escape when she was sleeping.

She threw on a third coat, an addition to her sleeping layers, and wrapped a cloth over her face. The winter was wicked and sharp, everything frozen and dark. She began to chop more firewood, the exertion keeping her just warm enough to stay out, although she could feel her limbs stiffening the longer she went on.

Taissa was pent up, she was sure they all were. Last night, she'd had to help Shauna deliver her baby, and watch her realize it was a stillbirth. She'd been upset, of course. If he would've just lived...but it was a longshot anyhow. They had no supplies. Everyone, including Shauna, was starving.

Slowly, the sun rose, and girls began waking up. She kept chopping wood and transferring the pile to the porch, easy to grab and bring inside. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of red hair, and then Van was out the door and by her side, looking panicked. She then realized that her waking up without Taissa tied to her, while she was dangerous and known for sleepwalking, would probably be alarming.

"It's just me, Van. Woke up early" Is all she explained.