A front door to an apartmant burst open and for a moment you could see the moonlight outside but just as quickly as it was bashed open it slammed shut again,
An aged looking man had his back to the door and was puffing and panting out of breath, there was a few bangs on the door it shook a few times then the room fell silent apart from the man trying to catch his breath,
After a few moments of silence the man pulled away from the door and started taking in his surroundings he was in a thin corridor with a staircase at the opposite end,
The room was only lit by one flickering dim light.

The mans stomachs began to grumble he had not eaten today he walked to the stairs and began to climb to the 1st floor.

A young girl walked into a tattered destroyed house pointing a pistol out in front of her. Her hand shook violently as she continued down the hall way into a large room. Quietly she tiptoed in the room holding the gun firmly as she surveyed it. There was blood all over the floor splattered on the walls and furniture. She knew they had gotten her, the only person she could ever trust was dead, or at least close to it. A single tear shed frome her eye as she angrily kicked the wall.Her best friend, was a zombie.

Climbing the last step the man arrived on the first floor there was not a single sound coming out of the building it was an creepy silence it goosebumps apeared up the mans arms as he thought of the things that could be hiding here.
He saw the first apartment door it was slightly ajar so he aproached it slowly grabbing the baseball bat from his back and pushing the door open with it. The room inside the door looked like a bomb had hit it it had been trashed he slowly walked in and started moving toward the kitchen one step at a time.

The man was now in the kitchen looking through the fridge it only contained 1 box of milk looking at the date on the box he decided to leave it where it was. Putting his baseball bat down on the kitchen worktop he began looking through the cubboards, they were empty he had one more to check in he opens it and inside was a box of cerial it had not even been touched he could not beleive his luck.

Rippin the box open he begand stuffing it in his mouth, Once satisfied he sealed the box and put it into his backpack zipping it closed.
There was a sudden sound of movement comin from behind the man and he spun around pcking up his baseball bat behind him was 3 closed doors and a living room he could see nothing it must be in one f the rooms whatever it was.

He stood staring at the doors for a while but there was just silence again he had no idea where this sound had come from.

I couldn't believe it...this was my worst nightmere. I pulled up to the city in the car I had stolen from a dead man who had tried to attack me. I knew the radio was talking around unwarrented attacks but this man tried to kill me. I had been able to take his car and drive off before he had got back up from tripping over debris in the street.

This was horrible. The city was littered with abandon vehicles and bodies. It wasn't like this when I left. I had went on a camping trip with my family a few days ago and left early when I found out I had an exam at my univercity.My truck had died a few miles from the cit and I found this man hanging out of his car. I went to save him and in the end I ended up driving away with his Ford Tarus. The whole ride home I listened to the radio scream about the end of the world and the dead rising. What the hell. Now the city was on fire and bodies were blocking several streets. I decided that I couldn't drive through the streets at all with the mess that was cloging them. I opened the trunk of the silver Ford Tarus and grabbed my things. My camping pack with serveral camping things my dad had told me to take back to the house. They would be following me back the to city in a few days. I thought about going back but I needed to figure out what had happend here. My acoutic guitar, I was a classical guitarist attending Julliard for my second year and I brought it everywhere I went. My dad had also sent me back with his 12 gauge shot gun. He was a real hunter and brought it camping with us.

I started my journey into the city to find out if anyone could tell me what the hell happened here. I soon spotted a man in the window of an apartment building. "Hey!" I yelled trying to get her attention.

Thats when I tured to find a ground of people creeping their way towards me...they didn't look friendly.

Danny Gregory was crying. He lay across the hood of his car and wept like he hadn't since his daughter was born. It had become too much; he had forgotten all about the shot-up radiator and held his head in his hands, letting out short, weak moans, tears soaking into his wool jacket. He was weak, and he felt weak; he grabbed at the bullet-riddled hood and smeared blood over his sleeves, but it only added to the blood on his shirt. He had killed three people, two male, one female, out of a group of seven that were trying to ambush him. All he wanted was information on the refugee convoys out of the city when the quarantine had begun, but they wanted the well-cared for weapons he bore. The memories of his children overcame him as his car had died on the road. By the time he popped the hood and got out, he was welling up. His stomach was bare and his sins were many, and he only wished for the days long gone that was so unjustly ripped away from him and his family.
Suddenly, from afar, he heard a female voice. A young voice. "Hey!" It sounded like Jenna. His mind was most likely not in the right place but he snapped up and stopped crying, quickly taking the initiative and grabbing his rifle, gunbelt, and duffel bag from the back seat. He began running.
It took less than a minute of his weakened running to find a young girl in the middle of the road, a guitar slung across her back, looking up at an apartment building. Behind her, a small horde had begun to emerge, and he knew what was coming. The apartment was boarded up and seemed mostly intact structurally; it would have to do. He cupped his hands around his dried mouth and yelled.
"Get down!"
He leveled his pump-action 30-06 Remington and began sighting in the first of the infected that had begun to appear.

Oh god! What was I supposed to do? These people looked crazed, like the man that I had stolen the car from. I was going to die just like all these other people. From behind me I heard someone yell "Get down!"

Without even thinking I dropped to my knees feeling the dirty ashphalt rip into my jeans and scrape against my skin. I heard a few shots go off. Who was shooting at who. I didn't know. I covered my head with my hands. What the hell was going on? A few thuds hit the ground near my head. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God! Fear was the only thing I felt right then. I was going to die.

After the last shot was fired a silence filled the air. All I could hear were the crackles of fires and distant moans of people like the ones that where going to kill me. I took my hands from my head and looked around me. Bodies! Oh Christ! Dead bodies laid all around me. I could feel the warm sticky blood of those people running down my fingers. Those people...they were dead.

I looked up a bit more to find a hand outstretched to me. I finched thinking it was one of those crazy people but after looking at the hand for a minute it didn't grab for me. It didn't seem angry but it seemed helping. A helping hand. Funny. I looked up more to see a man. An older man, he could have been my father's age. He looked tired and had tear stained cheeks. Why? I took the hand and the man helped me to my feet. My backpack and guitar seemed heavier than before. Out of nowhere I wrapped my arms around the man. Maybe it was because he saved my life or because he reminded me of my father, and I missed my father. "Thank you" I said shakily.

Unspent gunpowder stained his right cheek when he had ejected the third shell from his gun. It hurt, but he kept firing anyway. Two mag changes and one pistol switch later, there were bodies on the ground and the girl was safe. His arm was barely able to lift her up, he felt so weak, but as soon as she was up, she embraced him. He was surprised that she had beat him to it; this was the first sane person he had seen in....God, he wasn't even able to keep track of time anymore. He wrapped his arms around the girl, his half-emptied Glock pressing into her back, he feeling like he would almost collapse in her arms. It was euphoric; he missed Jenna so much. And Riley. His little girl and his growing boy. He took several deep breaths, attempting to collect himself so he didn't bawl uncontrollably into her shoulder, that would just be bad manners, even in their predicament.
The sky was grey, just like his beard. Much of the crap on the street was, as if it was all filtered through a grey lens from the sun. Suddenly, feeling the warmth of the girl, the world around him wasn't as bad as it was near the car. She softly gave him thanks, and he merely breathed. He was lost in the moment, something he hadn't had for a long time. It was euphoric, like the best part of a dream, and he closed his eyes to pretend it was his wife, the woman he loved and lost so long ago.
He opened his eyes again and hoped that the girl was still there. She was, and he had not been dreaming or hallucinating from his weakened state. At least, he didn't think he did, or was. He pulled away quickly and looked her in the eyes, suddenly sensing danger from his previous experiences.
"What's your name?"

This man, he was so weak. I felt him hug me back, his gun pressing against my spine. It took him a moment to speak. Something more was going on in this mans head, more than just me thanking him for saving my life. His beard was gray, like my fathers. I missed my family. I missed my big brother and little sister. My mother and father too. I hoped that they would be alright out in the forest atleast for a while. "What's your name?" His voice was rough and tired.

I had to think for a minute because of my brain being overloaded with all the things that had been happening. "Hayley" I spoke "Hayley Johnson."

I felt the urge to hug the man again feeling like this may be the only other person I see in a while. But instead I looked around "We need to get out of here. Do you know what's going on? How did you find me? What's wrong with all these people?" The questions came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I needed to know.

Danny knew all too well what was going on. He had seen it, seen the quarantine signs, the helpful leaflets dropped by scared Air Force pilots, and saw the carnage inside the hospitals. He had seen enough to write a book on the whole thing. But there were priorities.
"We DO have to go."
He took Hayley by the hand, leading her into the boarded-up apartment building next to them, kicking in the door with his leg and leading his gun hand inside, checking the corners and through doors. He ran them both upstairs with all his might, keeping his gun barrel level with the most threatening part of the area in his mind. On the fourth floor, a door lay open, and inside, there didn't seem to be (anyone or anything) waiting for them. He stepped inside, closer, watching his corners, and keeping his finger on the trigger like an untrained gun noob. He knew he should practice proper trigger discipline, but he was too tired. However, this one apartment called out to him; it had a La-Z-Boy recliner that seemed to be in wonderful shape, probably not having been sat in since before it all. He carefully led the girl inside and watched his corners, kicking the door behind them closed, and inspected the nearby bedroom and bathroom. The place looked like a dump, and it probably had always been a dump, but the La-Z-Boy made things simpler for him. He looked in Hayley's eyes.
"It's safe."
He let go of her hand and began inspecting the chair, smiling as he touched the leather.
"I enjoy simple things, Hayley. This is one of them."
He slowly sat down in it, taking a load off onto the most comfortable seat he had ever placed himself in. He then recalled Hayley's question.
"Where do you want me to start? I've seen it all, kid."
He couldn't remember if his gun was empty or loaded. He did a quick brass check and let go of the slide, spotting an unspent casing in the chamber. He then ejected the magazine, noting it being half-empty. He tucked it away in his left pocket with his knife and began reaching for another magazine.

Multiple gun shots echoed threw the street. "Survivors?" Sami thought to herself as she quickly rushed out the room throught the wrecked house she bolted down the stairs with her gun pointed foward. Before she could reach the door she heard groans loudly approching her. Quickly she spun around and fired her M16 continuously spraying bullets into the body. She heard the body collapse and she sprinted out the door into the street only to see 2 people gathered in the littered street.
"HEY!!" she screamed, hoping they would be willing to let her tag along, she may not like people much, but it was certainly a lot better then being alone. Slowly she approached the 2 while she reloaded her gun and slid the strap comfotably around her shoulder.

"We DO have to go"
The man gripped my hand and ran. I hardly had time to grab my guitar and pack before he darted into a boarded up apartment building. It seemed safe enough to me but the guy kept a gun stretched out in front of him pointing it around corners and keeping allert as we raced up some stairs. From behind me I heard a girl yell but I was to busy keeping up with the man. I felt my the butt of my dad's shotgun hitting my lower back. I was already out of breath when the man kicked a door open then pulled me into the apartment. He kicked the door shut still his gun out before him. He let go of my hand. I didn't realize how rough and dry his hands were. His hand was so warm though, a warm that made me feel safe.

I slid my heavy pack of my back and let it hit the ground, probably not the best having a shotgun in there. It was empty anyway. I gently placed my guitar against the wall where no harm could come of it. I watched as the man could out from one of the rooms of the two bedroom apartment. He looked at me and spoke "It's safe" before he tured to stare openly at a brown leather rechining chair in one of the corners of what I thought would be the living room.

"I enjoy the simple things, Hayley. This is one of them" he said before lowering himself into the chair.

He looked so comfortable, I thought that I would leave him there for a moment to relax. He seemed like he needed it. I looked around the room. The place was a dump. Garbage everywhere, stacks of pizza boxes in everycorner. The smell was even worse, like rotting fruit, meat and dairy products mixed together on a hot summers day. I gagged a little. "Where do you want me to start? I've seen it all, kid" the man said from his chair.

"Well, What the hell is going on here? What were those things out there? Why were they trying to kill me?" I waited for him to speak "oh....and I don't even know your name but thank you again for saving me."

There was a long pause between us and I yeard to reach for my guitar. I actually looked over at it for a second before plopping down on the couch. What a mess...

They hadn't heard the other survivor when they went in the building.
"Well, What the hell is going on here? What were those things out there? Why were they trying to kill me? Oh....and I don't even know your name but thank you again for saving me." Hayley said.
"Don't worry about it. But it's not simple, Hayley. There's a lot of....plot holes."
He took a deep breath as he leaned back in the chair, gently sliding in a fresh magazine in the Glock. Suddenly, he heard an ominous noise from outside, coming up the stairs. He snapped back into action. He leaped from the chair and opened the door, holding the gun up to a second young-ish looking woman with an M16-style rifle on her back.
"Who are you? Why are you following me?"

I hardly had time to hear anywords come out of his mouth. The man stood up so fast already gun drawn. I managed to somehow grip my dad's empty shotgun in my hands and point it at the door behind the man that had saved my life. I had no idea what I was doing but if he needed help for anything I wouldn't be sitting on my ass on that dirty couch.

The man pulled open the door, the wind from it opening made me shut my eyes. I saw a woman standing there in the doorway. A gun pointed right back at us. I lowered my gun first because I knew this woman wouldn't harm us, I didn't know why but I just knew. Both didn't let up still pointed loaded weapons right in each others faces. "Who are you? Why are you following me?" The man growled.

I lifted my gun back up just in case, I was following the mans lead. Who was this woman...

Walking towards the first of the 3 doors the man had his baseball bat ready to swing he quickly pushed the first door open it was empty he kicked the second door open again empty the 3rd door was slightly ajar he extended his bat out in front of him and nudged it open and there it was a can sitting in a bath looking pretty calm and sleeping.
“Hey little guy what you doing in here?”
the cat stretched its limbs out waking its self up and it looked up at the man opening its eyes,
looking into the cats eyes the man stumbled back, it had pure black eyes and looked almost demonic, The cat started hissing and launched at the man quickly holding the bat in front of his face the cat hit into the bat and he pushed it across the room and the cat landed in a sink.
The man span around and leapt out of the room closing the door behind him.

A horrid sound of screaming and scratching was coming from the other side of the door.
The man just sighed and grabbed his back pack and left the room and started climbing up the stairs until he reached the top and found himself on the roof he walked to the edge and sat down feet dangling off the edge.
“Isn’t there anybody still alive out here?”

“This is an emergency broadcast any remaining survivors make your way to St John’s hospital there is an evacuation centre there we are here to help, we will be leaving in 20 days good luck.”
The announcement was heard all over the city it was so loud it rattled windows and would leave a ringing in any ones ears that was near the speakers on the streets.

Before the woman in the doorway could say anything a loud droning of speakers crackled and burst into the room. It was so loud that I had to drop my gun and press my hands firmly over my ears. A mans voice spoke over the moans and cries of the city. "This is and emergency broadcast. Any remaining survivors make your way to St John's hospital. There is and evacuation center there, we are here to help. We will be leaving in 20 days, good luck."

The voice died off and the city seemed silent for a few seconds before the moans and cries returned. 20 days? 20 days seemed like a life time to some but with all this shit going on, people killing people, it seemed like we didn't have enough time to get there. Plus St John's hospital was on the other side of town, right near my family home. I had forgotten about my dog, Steve, I had left at home while camping. My beloved golden retreiver that I had grown up with. He was my best friend. I hoped he was okay. Maybe I would find him, hopefully I would.

When I regained myself and picked up my empty gun I looked to see the man and woman still standing in the same positions. Guns still pointed at each other. We needed to get to the hospital...now.

The two walked off into a hotel. I contemplated wether to follow them or just stay alone. I turned around and saw 3 or so fleshless zombies sitting on a car eating, well something. That was a good enough reason for me. I quickly manuvered my way through the apartment building hoping i was going the right way, and then just as i turned the corner i watched him lead her into a room.

He closed the door and i slowly tip toed my way over and brought my hand close to the door knob but before i knew it the door was yanked open and the man snapped at me quickly saying, "Who are you? Why are you following me?" I lifted my gun up and was about to start explaining. As i opened my mouth the loud crackle of the speakers echoed through the room. "This is and emergency broadcast. Any remaining survivors make your way to St John's hospital. There is and evacuation center there, we are here to help. We will be leaving in 20 days, good luck."

I know we need to leave now. "Look ill explain on the way." I said waiting for an expression or some kind of response.

Danny jumped when the loudspeaker came on. It slowly processed in his head as he brought his gun down and peeked between the boards nailed into the windows, trying to find the source of the voice. He couldn't find it.
"Fucking shit."
He ignored the woman and sat back down in the La-Z-Boy, rubbing his eyes with his empty hand. He took a deep breath and drew a map from his pocket, which was wrinkling and beginning to tear. He studied it a bit, laying his Glock in his lap, and looking along the lines of the local map. He shook his head.
"St. John's isn't here. There's St. Sebastian and St. Francis, but no St. John. I think the hospital might be in the next town, in Reddick. I think they copied a message and are blasting it in the cities around Reddick, whoever they are. Might be military, might be anyone. Either way, we should hunker down tonight and head out in the morning. I own...." He thought about the statement. His language was very important. He was to set an example, even through proper grammar based on present situations. "I co-owned a gun shop downtown. We can go there tomorrow and maybe hit a supermarket for the trip, if there's anything left worth getting."
He bit his lip. He was thinking and stood silent for awhile, then looked back up at the other two.
"I hope we won't kill each other before we get a chance to learn names."

Sami lowered her gun and watched as the man pulled out the old map. The man, who ever he may be, seemed to know what he was doing. "Maybe i should follow his lead." Sami thought to her self as she listened to him go on about Reddick and gun shops. Generally Sami agreed with the man he seemed sensible, and expirienced to top it off. there was a long pause and for awhile you could almost feel the pain that people were in. "I hope we won't kill each other before we get a chance to learn names." The man said finally breaking the silence. "Well, i'm Sami." She said as she tucked her hands in her pocket.

I smiled at the girl "Well I'm Sami" she said.

"I'm Hayley" I spoke back to her lowering my empty gun and sitting myself back on the could "Hayley Johnson."

I looked around hearing the cries and moans of the people in the streets. I stood and looked out a crack in the window. Those crazed people were gathering around the speakers in the streets. It was horrifying when they somehow pushed the huge speaker over and started gnawing on a woman who was taking refuge ontop of the speaker. Oh god! "My questions are still unanswered. What the hell is going on here?"

I pushed myself away from the window and sat down on the couch still holding my empty gun in my hands. The man looked at Sami and Sami looked back at the man. They knew...and I wanted to know too.

"I'm Hayley" The girl replied "Hayley Johnson." she said.

Sami stepped into the room and sat down on the bed. Screeches and moans were heard all around.
"My questions are still unanswered. What the hell is going on here?" Hayley said breaking the silence.

Sami looked at the man, and then at the ground. "Well, lll put it like this. One day 3 people came to the hospital in critical condition, high fever infected cuts, nothing to weird. Then they went into a coma, and were what i call, Reanimated. Eventually that hospital was the host of the virus and then, it spread, and now more then half the population is well a zombie." Sami said as she got up and shut the door. "How those people got that disease is open to debat, could be from pets or rats or hell, maybe even a bad hamburger." Sami chuckled at the thought.

Danny shook his head. It wasn't that simple. Nothing was that simple.
"Sorry to bust your bubble, but that's what they wanted you to think. I was there. I was in the hospitals, with my daughter. She sprained her wrist on her bike, and we were going to get it checked because we thought it was broken. There were public health warnings. Sick newscasters disappeared without a trace, military presence escalated. Then it evolved into contained rioting. But right from the beginning you knew this was different. It was happening in small towns, market towns, spread through the midwest and the east coast. And then it wasn't on the TV any more. It was in the street outside. It was coming in through your windows. It was a virus. An infection. You didn't need a doctor to tell you that. It was the blood. It was something in the blood. By the time they tried to evacuate the cities it was already too late. Army blockades were overrun. And that's when the exodus started. Before the TV and radio stopped broadcasting there were reports of infection in London and Ontario and Mexico City. We didn't hear anything more after that, mainly because the power had gone off for good. Power stations were bombed because they didn't want any secessionist groups to have their lights on. They didn't know those guys, that Defense Initiative, they're in Louisiana. God knows if they're still alive."
Danny suddenly remembered he still had a half-empty magazine in his Glock. He drew it out and reached into his duffel bag, retrieving a box half-full of .357 Sig Sauer rounds and began loading them into the magazine, one by one.
"The hospital turned us away. They were trying to help refugees from Reddick at the time, people that got out of the riots and were trying to explain what happened before the news stations could even figure out what was going on. I helped Jenna with her wrist and she was okay for awhile, and we went about our lives as usual. I went to work the next day, and then it came here. I had the television on in my classroom and we were watching it all happen downtown. They thought it was a race riot. Thought some homeless black boy got beat up and it all escalated from there. They were wrong."
He sounded very somber as he closed the box and put it back in his bag, slamming the magazine up through the magwell and retracted the slide halfway, again confirming there was one in the pipe.
"There's not a whole lot left we can count on, but if there's someone leaving in 20 days in Reddick, then we've gotta see if they're the real deal or not. There's a chance that it could be slavers, or other marauders desperate for some food, or anyone else, but it's the only chance we have. Maybe my guns can help even the odds. I'm not even really sure yet."

I looked as the man talked and how he talked about his daughter...something had happened to her. I decided not to ask as he checked all his ammunition. If we were going to make it to Reddick then we were going to have to stock up like this man said. I still didn't even know his name. Again I decieded not to ask. I had to trust these people...I missed my family and dog all of a sudden. I stood "Let's get some rest tomorrow is going to be a big day. If it helps we can do watches" I looked at Sami and the man, "I'll take first watch."

The other bed rooms were disgusting, just like the living room. I paused, a body. I tried not to scream and I ran out into the living room "I thought you said this place was safe!" I paused and pointed to the last bedroom on the left "There is a body in there!"

Never seeing a dead body in real life was horrifying, even when I saw them in movies I wanted to leave. Oh man this was going to suck. I held my empty shotgun to my body. I missed my family. How could all of this have happened over a week?

Sami felt guilty when the man explained his story. She should have kept her mouth shut. It was awkward after he had finished his story, but it made sense. Seeing the man reload his gun, Sami did the same. Hayley proposed to go on watch first, and Sami wasnt planning on arguing, she liked her sleep. But if she wanted to survive she had to contibute.

Sami heard Hayley screech as she explored one of the room. She quickly ran out and freaked out about a body in one of the rooms. Sami got up and sighed, "Your going to see a lot more of those." She said simply while she walked into the room. The stench was terrible and the body wasnt so good looking either. She turned back toward the man. "What should we do with the body?" She asked.

Danny dropped his map when he heard Hayley scream. He brought his gun back up and chased after her, noting the body in the bed. He gently led Hayley out of the room as she continued to squirm at the thought.
"What should we do with the body?" Sami asked.
He walked up to it slowly. He began noting small details, such as the small revolver in his hand and the crucifix in his other. Danny walked up to the edge of the bed and picked up a picture on the bedside table. He knew this guy.
"This man was a student of mine. His name was Todd Seyton, he had a brother named Mark, who was another student of mine. I taught them both World War II. Todd did this project on Charles de Gaulle that I never forgot about; he put these funny pictures in, of things like Captain America in a fistfight with Hitler, and Cartman from South Park to get some point across. It was funny; he was a funny kid. He wasn't too popular though. His brother was really athletic, and I always thought that got him down sometimes. He was a good kid; he made an A in World War II."
As he said this, he retrieved the pistol, which he recognized as an Astra Terminator, the shortest .44 Magnum revolver in the world. He checked the load, and there were 5 unspent rounds in the cylinder. He would have to dig around for more, or just wait for his visit to the gun store. Danny smiled at the memories of his student and covered him with the blankets on the bed. He noticed there were three there, two of which did not necessarily match the style of the bed. Maybe he got sick and was trying to keep himself warm after the power went off. Danny grabbed the top two blankets, which were not stained in brains and blood, and brought them out to the girls. He wrapped a blanket around both of the girls, knowing how cold it was. As he did, he glimpsed the orange plug of the tube magazine to Hayley's shotgun.
"Hayley, do you know how to use that weapon?"