The novel started as when Ara the main female character start walking down to the abandoned city of her childhood. the houses are marked with 'x', that means someone has died in their because of the plague, the city was lifeless. She, Ara moves across the city, hoping she could honor her father's last words and that is to 'go back to the beginning', which she interpret as returning to their home in the city. however in searching for food and shelter, Ara met a group of men; Kaden, Jed, Isaac, and Sam, they took her and imprisoned her. They take Ara to the abandoned mall to stay for a night, then Ara and kaden's younger brother become friends. Kaden and Ara take a bath in the fountain inside the mall and went shopping for new clothes and supplies. while they we're gathering what they needed they run into the pack of infected dogs. kaden got injured and left Ara with no choice but to stay with men and help Kaden by calling the other men. …show more content…
they we're all quarantined because of what happen to Kaden except for Jed who is shot and killed. Soon then Ara meets clan leader which is Gabriel, then she was accepted to be part of the clan. then she knew that Kaden is going on a scouting mission on Birmingham Medical Center and thinks it's her opportunity to escape and know the truth. because the name of the hospital in the paper given to her by her father matches to where Kaden will be going she thought that it is the begging her father