The Walking Dead 365 Chapters 1-4
TDMshadowCP
Banned
Gone To Hell
Austin's Story 4/365
As I stepped crushing the orange leaves falling from the tree on top of my father's grave, Daniel, I still had the tears raining down. It was five days since I've seen my father, alive. I felt as if he was still here. With my mother and I. I stepped out of the graveyard and saw more police cars. I live in a suburb a block away from Greenville, South Carolina. It's calm here and all the years I've lived in Greenville, I've never seen more than two police cars in a day.
I got in my quiet neighborhood. Elderly people owned a house all around us. I'm the youngest one in my block so I don't really hang out with my friends after school ends. I go up the stairway get the keys out of my pocket and open the door.
"Mom?" I said but I didn't get a reply.
I went dashing in my room and looked at the calendar. Tuesday. My mother, Samantha, is a news editor for WABE in Atlanta. She comes back home at 7 pm on the weekends but it's Tuesday and she's suppose to come home at 4 pm. I try not to worry and open up my laptop.
I went on Facebook and checked what was going on in my friend's life. Nothing exciting.
Few hours passed and mother didn't come. I called her multiple times. No answers. It was getting late and I still heard the sirens. Something was going on.
I started watching the news if there was something going on. As I watched, the reporter was trying to give out the news, but seemed very nervous. They were losing signal, but I could make some of the words. The news reporter was saying some infection in Atlanta, and we had to hide from the people with the infection.
I heard my phone ring! I picked up the phone. It was mother.
"Austin? Are you ok?!" My mother screamed through the phone.
"Yes, Mom. Where are you?" I replied
"I'm driving back from Atlanta…" I noticed that she was losing signal.
"Mom what's going on back there?" I asked.
"It's… Do I hear sirens outside?" Even my mother noticed.
"They've been all around the city." I said looking out the window.
"Ok, Austin I need you to…." The signal was getting worse.
"Mom?!" I said worriedly.
Her phone lost signal. I went downstairs to lock all the doors. When I finished locking every window, and door I heard gunshots, followed by a scream. I went to my room and locked myself.
I waited hours. I started crying. I didn't know where my mother could be, or what's going on. I took a deep breath, I knew I couldn't just stay here. I grabbed my black bubble jacket, in the pockets there was a pocket knife. I forgot about it. It was my father's gift on my 12th birthday. I must have hidden it before when my father was alive. My mother wasn't really happy with my gift, but now it's useful.
I open my backdoor. I can see the red and blue lights of the police car! I was going to run out and scream help but what if the police officer shoots me? I heard more gunshots after waiting for hours in my room, but I also don't know if the police officer could help me. I peek over my fence. He's on the floor. I open the fence and walk toward him.
"Officer?" I whisper.
As I kneel to his body I notice he isn't breathing. I examine his body only to find a bullet hole by his chest. I flinched a little but then I see his gun. It's a small black one. I take it carefully. It feels wrong to hold it. I began to look in the car until something grabbed my leg!
It was the police officer!
"Officer? Are you still alive?" I said trying to pull my leg away but he didn't let go.
He moaned and rose up growling, looking at me with confusion and the started to get up on me!
"What's wrong with you?! HELP!" I screamed, but nobody came. I tried to close the door but his arms were preventing it.
I managed to get inside of the police car, but I can't close the door all the way because of his arms and he keeps on growling violently, I'm scared to open the door and make a run for it. The police officer let's go of my leg, giving me a chance to close the door but after a moment he's bashing his face into the window! I try to close the window but he stuck his head! I back up into the driver's seat. He manages to stick his arms and torso into the car. I grab the gun I took from him and aim at his head. I put my fingers on the trigger. I close my eyes and press the trigger…. Nothing? The police officer slides more into the car slowly trying to reach me. I press the trigger once, and again, and again! No bullets I think. I notice there's lights coming into my direction! It's a car. It goes into full speed and makes a right where the policeman's legs are. I flinch for a moment and open my eyes. The car took the policeman's legs off but he was still alive! Now he manages to get in the car! I start kicking his face, but someone opens the door behind me!
I got out quickly and I hear a shot. I turn behind me and it's mother!
"Austin! I told you to stay in the house!" My mother yelled.
"I thought you weren't coming so I left the house to check what was
going on!"
I yelled back at her.
I see my mother's eyes shed tears.
"I-I'm sorry, Austin. I thought I wasn't going to make it…" she says as the hugs me. I hug her back. We walk in the car.
"Mom? Where did you get this car?" I asked while sitting down.
"I had to take it. They took over ours." Mom said turning on the car.
"Who took over it?" I said as I closed the door.
My mother took a deep breath.
"People. Who rose from the dead." Mother said as we started driving.
I was in shock. I didn't know how to react, so I stayed quiet.
" I was driving back home." My mother started speaking.
" There was a lot of traffic. Until the moment people were getting out of their cars and running away from… The dead. I saw person get eaten alive!" my mother let out a cry. She stopped for a moment.
"So, it was like the police officer?" I asked my mom.
"Yes, the dead bite you and eat you. Whatever is left of you comes back. It's the bite that turns you into one of them." Mother said.
It didn't make sense. The police officer I saw didn't have any sort of bites only a bullet hole.
"There were some coming at me. I had to get out of the car and go on foot. Until I saw this car left with this pistol and some grocery bags."
As she said that she grabbed my gun.
"It doesn't have any bullets." I say
"It does. You just forgot to take the safety off." Mom says as she puts in a bag.
I look back of the car. There's about more than a dozen bags.
"But mom…" I say looking straight at her.
"The policeman that tried to attack me didn't get bit."
She stopped the car.
"Austin. Are you sure?" she said.
"I checked. It was a gunshot that killed him." I say
My mother looks at the road. I realize there were more dead people coming at us. My mom steps on the paddle.
"Where are we going?" I say after breaking a long pause.
"Columbia. There's has to be people alive." My mom says with little hope in her voice.
"Go to sleep." Mother says. "I'll wake you up when were there."
I settle on my side. I think. How the world has gone to hell in just a day. I don't know where it started. What if there's more dead people? I close my eyes, wondering what's going to happen.
Finding Hope
Ellis’ story 28/365
"We'll come back for you! Stay put!" Frank said while putting the remaining prisoners in a cell.
"We shouldn't have giving those assholes food!" Melvin said to Frank
"Hey, were leaving them behind, to the Walkers in the prison." Frank replied.
We were running to the exit of the prison, most of the Walkers were prisoners. Frank, Melvin, and I volunteered to stay in the prison. We thought if we stayed the Walkers couldn't get us. Yesterday some of the prisoners had a fight. One got stabbed and died, minutes later the prisoner started eating everyone. In a day the prison was infected.
"Ace get that Walker!" I commanded our guard dog, Ace. Ace is the only surviving guard dog in the prison. We learned that animals don't come back as humans, for some unknown reason.
Ace bit off the Walker's leg that was standing in the door. Melvin jumped and crushed the Walkers head. Frank kicked the door open, I squinted my eyes, it has been a while since I've seen the sun.
"Holy shit. guys get your guns out!" Frank screamed.
I look at the prison yard. It was full of Walkers. I loaded my daniel defense and started shooting heads.
"Guys, there's one cargo truck left!" Melvin pointed at the truck.
"Ace bark!" I commanded. Ace only barks when someone commands it, probably is because he knows what's going on. Ace started barking violently getting the attention of the Walkers. Frank, Melvin and I jumped over the handlebar of the stairs. We ran to the cargo truck.
"Does it have the keys in it?" I asked Frank who got into the driver's seat. "Yeah it does! Get in the back!" Frank replied.
" Ace come back!" I shouted. Ace was running towards us. Melvin and I were shooting at Walkers causing a safe path for Ace.
Ace managed to get into the truck.
"Frank let's go!" I shouted. We closed the doors and all we could see outside were the bodies that Frank ran over.
"Do you think it was worth leaving the surviving prisoners behind?" I asked Melvin.
"To tell ya the truth kid, they would slowed us down."
"Don't call me a "kid" Melvin" I replied quickly.
"You're right, you've been through all this shit with us. I guess you are now a man" Melvin said while smirking
"That's more like it." I replied."
"Alright Ellis get out and open the gates for us" Melvin said.
After a few hours we stopped in the middle of the road, it felt safe which was a rare thing to feel nowadays, even though there was a lot of abandoned cars. Frank, Melvin, and I were talking while Ace was looking around.
"Alright what's the plan?" I said to Frank and Melvin
"Well since were police officers we should go and find survivors" Frank suggested.
"Yeah, but have any idea where are we going to take them to safety?" Melvin asked Frank.
"Maybe the prison might be an option" Frank said.
" Are you fucking stupid? How are we-" Melvin started saying, but I spoke up.
"Melvin! Frank might be right, I mean we could have some people and we could wipe off some areas full with Walkers one by one."
Melvin just gave me hateful look, like always. Melvin and I weren't always friends. I guess the guy never liked me. Frank I know little about, but he doesn't mind me like Melvin.
"I guess since were going with Frank's plan then the closest city is Macon."
"Alright then let's go. Ace come back!"
The drive wasn't long as I expected, but Macon seemed pretty deserted.
We were passing by a drug store until there was a truck trailer blocking our way. We got out of the truck.
"There's a military car..." Melvin pointed out.
" And a helicopter apparently crashed into that drug store…" Frank said while staring at the roof of the drug store.
"If the Walkers can take the military we don't have a chance… " I said.
I felt devastated. Can there be actually hope? I whole entire army couldn't take care of this. How can we survive this now? Frank, Melvin and I with Ace get back in the truck.
"Have another plan that most likely is going to fail?" Melvin spoke.
"Let's go to Savannah we might find a boat or people who might have survived." Frank suggested
"I actually like that idea, let's go then." Melvin responded.
I took my backpack off and got out a piece of beef jerky. I gave a piece to Ace. I started eating mine.
I wondered about my wife and son. I hate myself for not being there, for them. I was a bad father, I was late to see my son when he was born. It was because of my job in the prison I really never went home. When I actually had the chance to it was midnight which my son and wife would have already been asleep. The last time I saw my son was in his 8th birthday, I didn't even know it was his birthday. I could see it in his eyes that he was disappointed. We lived in Atlanta and Macon is destroyed than Atlanta is… I hope wherever they are…. I hope they are safe and… Remember me.
Brothers
Oscar’s story 32/365
"Hurry up bro! These Biters are getting closer!" My younger brother Fernando shouted at me. We came from Chicago, Illinois. Things were fucked up over there. The cities especially. There were thousands of those Biters. We are trying to find our sister, Sofia, who we think she is in Florida.
"Are you done yet?!" Fernando said again while loading the pistol we found 9 days ago.
"Daniel Scott…" I read the tombstone. "How do you think he died, little bro?" I asked Fernando
"Ay, ya, yai you gotta be kiddin' me." Fernando replied. "Be careful though… He's dead and might of come one of the Biters."
Just as I thought. I started shoveling the grave. There were Biters all around Greenville. Fernando and I learned that if you have smell like a Biter then they would think you are one of them… To smell like one of them You have to open up their stomach and rub all the insides on your body.
"Alright, Fernando aim your gun at the Biter that's going to come out, ok?" I said to Fernando
" No sweat, bro…" Fernando replied. I can see it in his eyes. His eyes are full of fear. Can't blame the kid. He's 19 and was living with our parents. When I first heard the news I went to Chicago to get to Fernando and our parents. I was too late since the Biters took our parents with them. Sometimes he manages you break that fear away, but I saw it in his eyes.
"You don't have to do this… I'll just kill him with the shovel." I said.
"No! I can do this now! Don't worry!" My brother said.
"Fine, but remember. Don't make that bullet go to waste." I responded back to my brother.
I steadied the shovel as if I was going to throw a javelin. Like those javelins in the olympics. Good times. I threw the shovel and it got through the wood. I then put my foot in the shovel and pressed. A piece went flying off just when the Biter started growling.
"I can't see his face yet…" Fernando said.
" I know," I said steading the shovel again. "Let me just put the shovel right under here and.."
Another piece flew off. From a distance I could tell the Biters are filling up the graveyard.
"Ok! Now shoot him Fernando!" I shouted at my brother. The Biter was already getting out of his grave until my brother shot.
"Told you I could do it." Fernando said with a smirk.
I looked back at the Biter. He's still alive.
After the shot echoed the graveyard. I could hear growling coming from all sides.
"God dammit, Fernando!" I shouted at him.
I could tell he was frustrated. The kid isn't a total failure. He was hardworking. Our parents were old and since I left the house, Fernando became the man of the house. He would take care of our parents. He studied and worked and did all the chores. Our parents was the most important thing to Fernando.
"What's done is done! Kill it already!" Fernando shouted while he was looking out for Biters. I stabbed Daniel's head with the shovel, all his brains scattered. The I stabbed his stomach and started scooping out some guts. I rubbed them on my chest and some on my back. I scooped some more and started scooping it on my brother.
"I freaking hate the smell, man." Fernando said.
"Better get used to it, Hermanito." I said back.
We started walking South West. A bunch of Biters were there. Some of them stared at us, but then moved on. I still don't get them. Can they actually distinguish a human to a Biter? We walked out of the graveyard. The streets had a couple of walkers. Unlike the graveyard.
"Let's turn here." Fernando said.
"Holy shit. I think that's a police car." I said
We walked towards the car. There was half of a body in the car window
"Damn, just look at it." Fernando said. "I'll look inside the car." I told him.
I opened the door. Of course no gas. The Biter had a hole on his head. I looked at the back seats and there was a shotgun. I searched for more, but there was nothing left.
"Nice a shotgun… When's my turn to use it?" Fernando said with a smirk on his face.
I was about to tell Fernando to forget about it, but before I had a chance I heard a man's voice screaming "Elizabeth!". I looked at Fernando and he nodded. We went running towards the man's voice.
We saw a station wagon parked right next to an abandoned gas station. We saw a girl running away from Biters. Out of nowhere Fernando took out his pistol and started to shot Biters.
"Go! I'll cover you!" Fernando shouted
I ran towards the girl, I saw a man fighting off Biters with a crowbar. He was with a woman and a boy. I shot one Biter in the head and got to the girl. The girl was crying on the ground. Fernando caught up to me.
"We have to get in that gas station!" Fernando told the man with his family.
The man went to the gas station entrance and with a kick he broke a small hole, so his son could get in.
"Elizabeth, sweetheart come hide with you brother." The man told his daughter. The girl went running towards the broke glass and got inside.
The man started hitting more Biters in the head as Fernando and I were shooting.
"We have to run!" The Man screamed
"There's no where to run, we have to stick together!" I shouted back at him.
"Shit! I don't have any bullets left!" Fernando said.
"Honey, I-I think this it." The woman told the man.
"No, this can't be over!" The man said.
When things couldn't get worse. The Biters from the graveyard probably heard all the gunshots and started to come to the gas station.
"We have to run!" Fernando said.
"We can't leave them to die!" I told him. "They have kids!"
I shot more Biters that came towards us. There were hundreds of them surrounding the gas station.
"Dad! I found some gas!" The boy screamed.
"Adam give it to me, quickly!" The man said while running to get it. The man ran toward Fernando and gave him the crowbar.
"Please, watch my back! We'll take you with us!"
Fernando stayed with the woman and the kids while I went with the man.
"What's your name?" The man said while opening the gas can.
"Name's Oscar, How abo-" I was going to say until there were Biters coming closer.
I shot more of them until the shotgun had no more bullets.
"Alright, I'm done, Tess! Bring the kids! Hurry!" The Man shouted.
Tess and the kids came running. Fernando was behind them.
"Everyone in!?" The man asked.
"Yes! Let's go!" Fernando replied.
The man stepped into the paddle and ran over some Biters. I heard Adam and Elizabeth crying while their mom, Tess, was trying to make them calm down.
"Thank you. We wouldn't be alive without you." Tess said
"We have to always." I said "We don't want all humanity to go away."
"Actually, I think Adam saved us." Fernando said. "He was the one who found the fuel anyways."
I turned around to see Adam. He cracked a small smile, but still sobbing.
"Where are you guys heading?" The man said.
"Were heading to the south. To find our sister Sofia." I told the man.
"I'm afraid we can't take you to the south." The man looked at me. "We're heading West"
"But Daddy!" Elizabeth finally spoke up. "These men can help us."
"Don't worry, your dad is strong." Fernando said to Elizabeth
We were finally in the road. In a couple of minutes I saw a camp.
"Hey, stop there. There might be supplies." I told the man.
The man stopped the car. "Tess stay here with the kids, ok?"
Tess nodded at the man. The man, Fernando and I got out of the car and went sneaking into the camp.
The camp only had 3 tents. There was chairs and a dying campfire. I looked in a tent while Fernando and the man looked in the other tents.
"Empty here." I heard Fernando say.
I looked inside mine and there was blood inside. Behind the tent there was another way to get in, but there was a path of blood. Probably the people who died turned into Biters and crawled away.
"I found food!" The man said. I went towards his tent.
"Let's take them then. There's about 30 bags of food. You could have twenty and we could have ten if were going to different directions." I said to the man.
"No, we can't have this... What if it is someone's? What if-"
"Just take it, the tents are covered in blood. Whoever stayed in this place died." Fernando said. The man went to look inside the tents himself. He gasped when he saw the blood
"Ok…" The man began talking when he got out of the tent. "I'll take fifteen for my family and you men take ten."
"Why would you leave five behind?" Fernando asked the man.
"The people who stayed in this camp might be still alive… I'll just take fifteen and leave."
The man said.
We helped him get all the groceries in his trunk. When we got the last bag the man gave us 3 small backpacks and said "Thanks for helping me and my family. I hope you men good luck on finding your sister, and take these backpacks, so you could put the food in them"
"Thanks." Fernando said.
"Be safe, man" I said.
Before the man got inside the car he stopped and said "Make sure you leave five bags behind alright?". After that the man left driving.
"Where are you going?" Fernando asked me.
"Getting the bags… And I'm taking them all." I responded.
"Didn't you hear what the guy told us?" Fernando said.
"Yeah, but you saw all the blood. Those people are dead, or Biters." I said
I convinced Fernando to help me put all the food in the backpack until I heard someone talking. I pointed behind the tent to Fernando. I gave him the shotgun and he went behind the tent. I then saw someone unzipping the tent.
"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked while pointing a rifle at me.
"Look, calm down, we could share this food." I told the man.
"There were more than this! Did you take them?" The man shouted at me.
I saw the shadow of Fernando coming close to the man.
"Fernando! NOW!" I screamed the man quickly turned, but Fernando tackled him. The man dropped the rifle. I quickly picked it up.
"What's your name?"
"It's Derrick." The man said struggling to move.
"Were you part of this group?" I asked again.
"Yeah, I was." Derrick said.
"What happened to the people you were with?" Fernando said.
"Those dead things came to our camp last night." Derrick began to calm down. "We were sleeping and they got us off guard. I ran because there was too many of them. I came back and had to drag the bodies and bury them."
I looked at Derrick. He seemed like a normal person.
"Want to come with us?" I offered Derrick, he nodded.
"What? Why would you-?" Fernando started blabbering, but I stopped him.
"Remember what the man with the station wagon told us? Derrick is the last person of this group. It's his food, but we can't stay here. He's coming with us." I said.
Fernando stood up and let Derrick to stand up.
"Here." I gave Derrick a bright orange backpack. We got to the road and started walking to the south.
Never Again
Austin’s story 44/365
"When can I have my gun back, mom?" I asked. My mom was washing clothes with the other women that stayed in the parking lot.
"Until you're old enough, honey" She replied. "Go back with your friends and figure out what to do."
I nodded, it was about the millionth time I asked her for it, but she would always say "No.". I went back to our car. I thought that it was unfair that my best friend, Jake, could use a gun and go scavenging with the adults. He's sixteen, and I'm fourteen just two years of difference. There were other kids, but younger than me. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Little kids who never experienced violence are here now on this world. They still don't seem to know what's going on since all the kids go to the second floor of the parking lot.
There is this one girl about my age. She may be fourteen or maybe fifteen. Her name is Dawn. She's a redhead with pretty blue eyes. We never talked though, but I have played with her little brother, Noah. He’s very cheerful, which reminds me of me when I was about his age.
I saw people from our group coming with just a few cans in a plastic bag. The "guards" greet them and they go by the stack of food and place it in the can section. Half of those cans were the one's that my mother found when she found the jeep.
I got out of the car to welcome Jake.
"Hey, dude! How did it go?" I asked Jake. He quickly turned around pointing a gun at me. I dropped to the floor. Jake bursted out laughing.
"You're such a pussy, Austin." Jake said while giggling.
"It's a freaking gun," I stood up. " And a gun could kill me." I said in a serious tone.
"It was in safety mode anyways" Jake said.
"Did you have to kill Risen?" I asked.
"I didn't have a chance to, each time I saw one someone else killed the Risen."
Jake started to look around the parking lot. Then his eyes went to me and to his gun. Jake finally opened his mouth and said,
"I should teach you how to shoot a gun" Jake said with a smirk on his face. My eyes widened. I didn't know if I should.
"But the adults wont let us. My mom wont even let me hold my gun!" I told Jake.
"You dummy," Jake said giggling . "We're going to the Columbia Canal. We've haven't really searched in that area, so we could gather supplies and we could bring them back."
"And if we bring them back my mom would think I'm able to go out scavenging!" I said in an excited tone.
"Yup." Jake said "So, your mom took away the gun you found right?"
"Right," I said while searching my pocket from my black bubble jacket. "But at least I have this."
I showed Jake my pocket knife.
"Looks pretty sharp." Jake said. "So, when everyone goes to sleep try to find me at this exact spot, ok?". I nodded.
Jake walked away and waved good-bye. I was walking to my jeep until I saw a sheet of paper on the concrete floor. I kneeled down and picked it up, and began reading.
The world has come to an end,
Better grab a friend,
The blood of the innocent will run red,
It's the night of the walking dead.
Eyes so dull,
They show no soul,
Hearts not in check,
The city in a wreck.
Police, Swat, FBI,
No other place to hide,
When there is no one else to call,
May God help us all.
It was a poem. I knew it was Dawn's. I remember those few time I played with her brother. Noah mentioned that his sisters likes to write poems. I'm not a language arts teacher, but I'll bet this would get an A plus. I gently folded the paper and put it in my pocket. I opened the door into my Jeep. My mom was already there reading one of the books that the scavengers found weeks ago.
"How's the book?" I said while putting my chin on her shoulder.
"Read better." She said with a smile.
I read along with her for a while. It started getting dark.
I made a fake yawn. "Well, I guess is time to sleep." I said stretching my arms.
"Hmmm, you're right." mom said. She pressed the button to turn off the lights off.
"Mom."
"Yes, Austin?"
"How does it feel to kill Risen?"
For a moment there was silent.
"It changes you. It changes the way you look into life. If I didn't have to shot the police officer that was trying to attack you, I wouldn't have nightmares. I still have nightmares when I was trying to come back home from Atlanta. That's why I don't want you to give you the gun you found, Austin. I don't want the Austin I know to be some emotionless boy. I hope you'll never have to kill a Risen."
I stayed quiet. For an hour I stayed quiet. I stood up and checked if my mom was asleep. She was. I unlocked my door and closed it a gently and quietly as possible. It was completely dark in the parking lot. I did see very few people in guard. I went to the spot that Jake told me to meet him, and he was there.
"I thought you ditched me." He whispered.
"Let's go." I said
Jake nodded and turned around. I followed him until a corner with no guards or cars. We jumped over the parking lot.
"Ok so where's the cana-" I was about to say. Jake pulled me down to the ground.
"Shh." Jake said putting his finger on his lips, and then pointed towards the main entrance of the parking lot. There were most of the scavengers. You could them holding their light from their flashlights.
"I didn't know the scavengers were going out tonight." Jake said.
We stood up and I followed Jake and started walking in the ghost city.
"Do you have your gun loaded? " I asked worriedly. "You know when there might be Risen."
"Yeah, do you have your knife?" Jake asked.
"I do." I replied.
It was nice being able to get out of the parking lot. My mom wouldn't let me get 5 feet away from the parking lot.
It took us about three minutes to get close into the canal. Jake turned around and gave me his gun. I was kinda shocked. He just gave it to me as it was nothing. It was a bit heavy like holding a rock, but I could manage. There were Risen roaming around but it was all the way at end of the street. It still made me nervous. Jake sat down on the sidewalk and reached for his pockets. In one he got out a cigarette and in the other he got a match, he placed the tip of the match on the concrete and slid it downwards. The match was on fire and Jake placed it next to the tip of the cigarette.
"Lung cancer." I said.
He shrugged. "Want one?"
"No, I'm fine." I told him.
Jake stood up and grabbed a pebble. He put himself in a throwing position as if you threw a baseball and threw it at a Risen. Surprisingly it hit. The Risen quickly turned around and started coming into our direction. I got nervous and rose up the gun. The Risen was coming closer, each breath I took the closer the Risen came towards.
I threw the gun to Jake.
"Seriously?" Jake said grabbing the gun.
"I can't, I mean…. I can't shoot a Risen." I said. "My mom said when you kill one of them it takes a part of you that you can't ever take back, and I don't want to lose that part of me… Yet."
The Risen was already close to us.
"Come on! Shoot it!" I shouted at Jake. Jake stood up. He pointed the gun at the Risen. I saw how he struggled to keep the gun straight.
"You don't have to do it." I told him while tugging his shirt to leave. I widened my eyes. I realised I was so close on shooting. I completely forgot that sound attracts the Risen. "Jake don-".
I didn't get to finish my sentence. Jake shot the Risen. It did made a hole into the Risen's head. I felt few drops of blood land in my face. All the Risen at the end of the street turned around and started walking towards us. Jake still had a tense look on his face.
"Come on, Jake let's go!" I screamed at him. He finally turned around and we were running back to the parking lot. From a distance we could see some flashlights flashing towards our directions. In the corner of my eye I saw some Risen. This was going to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
"Who are you?!"
I heard a voice, it was a deep one. It was probably one of our guards. We finally got close enough so the guard could see us.
"Austin?! Jake?! Why the hell where you kids out there?" The man shouted at us.
"There's no time to explain!" I talked back to him. "Risen are coming from all directions!"
The man's face dropped when he saw beyond us. I turned around. There was about dozens of them! The man took out his rifle and began shooting. Cars turned on and people started getting out of their cars.
"Jake, call the others for me!" The man shouted at Jake.
"They went scavenging or something!" Jake shouted back. "They had most of the good guns with them!"
"Ok, you two tell everyone to get ready to get the hell out of here ok?!" The man shouted.
"You can take them all out can't you?!" I asked.
"All this ruckus is going to bring out more of them!" He said back. "Now do what I told you to do!"
Jake and I began running in the opposite direction. I knocked on people's cars most of them with a shocked reaction. I had to scream and tell them to get ready to leave. I got to the last car, which was ours. I knocked and my mother quickly opened her eyes. She started at me with a confused look and opened the door.
"Austin?! What's going on?! When did you leave the car?!" My mom began questioning me.
"Mom! We have to get the car ready! Risen are coming all over the parking lot and the scavengers left and we'll probably have to go!" I told her.
I was about to run look for Jake, because he had no one to take care of him, but my mom stopped me.
"Austin you better tell me now why were you out of the car." She said it the calmest voice in this type of situation.
"Mom, please," I said, but the suspicious look on her face made me say it.
"Jake thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to shoot a gun and kill a Risen. We also went to look for some supplies and prove to you that I could go scavenge with the others."
"Austin we talked about this!" My mom shouted at me.
"I know mom! Never again! I promise!" I shouted back at her. "Now, let me go find Jake!"
I was about to dash, but my mom grabbed me from my arm.
"No, Austin is too dangerous!" My mom said.
"Mom, you know Jake has no one. He only has me. He's my best friend. Please let me find him. Please!"
My mom looked at me. She nodded and took out her pistol and started shooting Risen that were coming.
"I'll give you five minutes, Austin!" My mom said.
I quickly dashed to look for Jake. As I ran around the parking lot I saw a bunch of people panicking and people running from the down from the second floor. I finally saw Jake. He was shooting at some Risen that were very close to him.
"Jake! We have to go!" I screamed. Jake didn't move a muscle I ran towards him.
I saw all the blood that he had in his face from the Risen. I also saw tears running down his face.
His gun finally ran out of bullets.
"Let's go." He finally said.
I ran with Jake behind me. Risen already came inside the parking lot. People were screaming with pain. I didn't dare to look and just looked at my jeep until I bumped into somebody.
I feel on the floor with the person. It was Dawn! I quickly stood up. Then a man picked her up.
"Thanks, dad." Dawn said.
Behind Dawn's dad I saw Noah.
"Dad! Mom! It's Austin! He has a big jeep! Maybe he can give us a ride!" Noah said.
I recognized Dawn's mom since she and my mom were always talking. I never seen her dad before.
"Can you really take us, son?" He said.
"Yeah! Follow me!"
We finally reached to the jeep. My mom was surprised to see all the people I brought.
"Oh, Tiffany!" My mom said. "Come on, let's all get in quickly!"
I sat right next to my mom. Dawn's family sat behind us and Jake was on the trunk.
"Dammit," Mom said. "This isn't going to take us more than two miles."
"Samantha, when me and Austin got out of the parking lot I saw a boat by the canal near by." Jake said with a broken voice.
My mom turned on the jeep. I looked at the window there were people being attacked. Defenseless, while other escaped… And we were one of them. My mom had to run over some Risen and we got out of the parking lot. I looked back. It was full of people running away and Risen coming in. I looked at the rear view. I saw Dawn and Noah hugging each other. Especially Noah. He looked terrified.
We finally got to the canal. Jake was right there was a boat, it seemed pretty big for seven people.
"Tiffany, Samuel, do you guys have weapons of your own?" My mom asked.
Tiffany didn't say anything, but Samuel showed his pistol.
We all got out of the car. There a few Risen, because the rest of them are probably eating some of the people in the parking lot. We got closer to the boat. Dawn, Noah, and Tiffany got in first. Then Jake, mom, Samuel got in. I pushed the boats towards the water and hopped into it.
"Has Austin ever paddled, before?" Samuel asked my mom.
My mother shook her head, she was looking around us.
"It can't be that hard." I said.
We paddled into the night. It was relaxing hearing the flow of the water. I looked at the moon. It was a full moon and it looked pretty. I looked at Dawn and Noah. Noah was sleeping in her arms and Dawn was just staring at the water. For a second the boat stopped.
"Why did it stop?" I asked.
"Probably a rock." Samuel said.
"I see it." Jake said. He pulled up his sleeve and put his hand it the water. He was pulling something. Then he was then one being pulled. As Jake fell into the water, Samuel put his paddle down and tried to grab Jake. It was too late. Jake was already in the water with the Risen that pulled him. Samuel quickly grabbed his gun and started shooting in the water. My mom grabbed pulled me away from seeing. I heard Noah crying. I pushed away my mom and looked at the water. The water wasn't clear anymore. It was a dark red water. It was the blood of my best friend. Gone. Never again, I thought. Never again.
Austin's Story 4/365
As I stepped crushing the orange leaves falling from the tree on top of my father's grave, Daniel, I still had the tears raining down. It was five days since I've seen my father, alive. I felt as if he was still here. With my mother and I. I stepped out of the graveyard and saw more police cars. I live in a suburb a block away from Greenville, South Carolina. It's calm here and all the years I've lived in Greenville, I've never seen more than two police cars in a day.
I got in my quiet neighborhood. Elderly people owned a house all around us. I'm the youngest one in my block so I don't really hang out with my friends after school ends. I go up the stairway get the keys out of my pocket and open the door.
"Mom?" I said but I didn't get a reply.
I went dashing in my room and looked at the calendar. Tuesday. My mother, Samantha, is a news editor for WABE in Atlanta. She comes back home at 7 pm on the weekends but it's Tuesday and she's suppose to come home at 4 pm. I try not to worry and open up my laptop.
I went on Facebook and checked what was going on in my friend's life. Nothing exciting.
Few hours passed and mother didn't come. I called her multiple times. No answers. It was getting late and I still heard the sirens. Something was going on.
I started watching the news if there was something going on. As I watched, the reporter was trying to give out the news, but seemed very nervous. They were losing signal, but I could make some of the words. The news reporter was saying some infection in Atlanta, and we had to hide from the people with the infection.
I heard my phone ring! I picked up the phone. It was mother.
"Austin? Are you ok?!" My mother screamed through the phone.
"Yes, Mom. Where are you?" I replied
"I'm driving back from Atlanta…" I noticed that she was losing signal.
"Mom what's going on back there?" I asked.
"It's… Do I hear sirens outside?" Even my mother noticed.
"They've been all around the city." I said looking out the window.
"Ok, Austin I need you to…." The signal was getting worse.
"Mom?!" I said worriedly.
Her phone lost signal. I went downstairs to lock all the doors. When I finished locking every window, and door I heard gunshots, followed by a scream. I went to my room and locked myself.
I waited hours. I started crying. I didn't know where my mother could be, or what's going on. I took a deep breath, I knew I couldn't just stay here. I grabbed my black bubble jacket, in the pockets there was a pocket knife. I forgot about it. It was my father's gift on my 12th birthday. I must have hidden it before when my father was alive. My mother wasn't really happy with my gift, but now it's useful.
I open my backdoor. I can see the red and blue lights of the police car! I was going to run out and scream help but what if the police officer shoots me? I heard more gunshots after waiting for hours in my room, but I also don't know if the police officer could help me. I peek over my fence. He's on the floor. I open the fence and walk toward him.
"Officer?" I whisper.
As I kneel to his body I notice he isn't breathing. I examine his body only to find a bullet hole by his chest. I flinched a little but then I see his gun. It's a small black one. I take it carefully. It feels wrong to hold it. I began to look in the car until something grabbed my leg!
It was the police officer!
"Officer? Are you still alive?" I said trying to pull my leg away but he didn't let go.
He moaned and rose up growling, looking at me with confusion and the started to get up on me!
"What's wrong with you?! HELP!" I screamed, but nobody came. I tried to close the door but his arms were preventing it.
I managed to get inside of the police car, but I can't close the door all the way because of his arms and he keeps on growling violently, I'm scared to open the door and make a run for it. The police officer let's go of my leg, giving me a chance to close the door but after a moment he's bashing his face into the window! I try to close the window but he stuck his head! I back up into the driver's seat. He manages to stick his arms and torso into the car. I grab the gun I took from him and aim at his head. I put my fingers on the trigger. I close my eyes and press the trigger…. Nothing? The police officer slides more into the car slowly trying to reach me. I press the trigger once, and again, and again! No bullets I think. I notice there's lights coming into my direction! It's a car. It goes into full speed and makes a right where the policeman's legs are. I flinch for a moment and open my eyes. The car took the policeman's legs off but he was still alive! Now he manages to get in the car! I start kicking his face, but someone opens the door behind me!
I got out quickly and I hear a shot. I turn behind me and it's mother!
"Austin! I told you to stay in the house!" My mother yelled.
"I thought you weren't coming so I left the house to check what was
going on!"
I yelled back at her.
I see my mother's eyes shed tears.
"I-I'm sorry, Austin. I thought I wasn't going to make it…" she says as the hugs me. I hug her back. We walk in the car.
"Mom? Where did you get this car?" I asked while sitting down.
"I had to take it. They took over ours." Mom said turning on the car.
"Who took over it?" I said as I closed the door.
My mother took a deep breath.
"People. Who rose from the dead." Mother said as we started driving.
I was in shock. I didn't know how to react, so I stayed quiet.
" I was driving back home." My mother started speaking.
" There was a lot of traffic. Until the moment people were getting out of their cars and running away from… The dead. I saw person get eaten alive!" my mother let out a cry. She stopped for a moment.
"So, it was like the police officer?" I asked my mom.
"Yes, the dead bite you and eat you. Whatever is left of you comes back. It's the bite that turns you into one of them." Mother said.
It didn't make sense. The police officer I saw didn't have any sort of bites only a bullet hole.
"There were some coming at me. I had to get out of the car and go on foot. Until I saw this car left with this pistol and some grocery bags."
As she said that she grabbed my gun.
"It doesn't have any bullets." I say
"It does. You just forgot to take the safety off." Mom says as she puts in a bag.
I look back of the car. There's about more than a dozen bags.
"But mom…" I say looking straight at her.
"The policeman that tried to attack me didn't get bit."
She stopped the car.
"Austin. Are you sure?" she said.
"I checked. It was a gunshot that killed him." I say
My mother looks at the road. I realize there were more dead people coming at us. My mom steps on the paddle.
"Where are we going?" I say after breaking a long pause.
"Columbia. There's has to be people alive." My mom says with little hope in her voice.
"Go to sleep." Mother says. "I'll wake you up when were there."
I settle on my side. I think. How the world has gone to hell in just a day. I don't know where it started. What if there's more dead people? I close my eyes, wondering what's going to happen.
Finding Hope
Ellis’ story 28/365
"We'll come back for you! Stay put!" Frank said while putting the remaining prisoners in a cell.
"We shouldn't have giving those assholes food!" Melvin said to Frank
"Hey, were leaving them behind, to the Walkers in the prison." Frank replied.
We were running to the exit of the prison, most of the Walkers were prisoners. Frank, Melvin, and I volunteered to stay in the prison. We thought if we stayed the Walkers couldn't get us. Yesterday some of the prisoners had a fight. One got stabbed and died, minutes later the prisoner started eating everyone. In a day the prison was infected.
"Ace get that Walker!" I commanded our guard dog, Ace. Ace is the only surviving guard dog in the prison. We learned that animals don't come back as humans, for some unknown reason.
Ace bit off the Walker's leg that was standing in the door. Melvin jumped and crushed the Walkers head. Frank kicked the door open, I squinted my eyes, it has been a while since I've seen the sun.
"Holy shit. guys get your guns out!" Frank screamed.
I look at the prison yard. It was full of Walkers. I loaded my daniel defense and started shooting heads.
"Guys, there's one cargo truck left!" Melvin pointed at the truck.
"Ace bark!" I commanded. Ace only barks when someone commands it, probably is because he knows what's going on. Ace started barking violently getting the attention of the Walkers. Frank, Melvin and I jumped over the handlebar of the stairs. We ran to the cargo truck.
"Does it have the keys in it?" I asked Frank who got into the driver's seat. "Yeah it does! Get in the back!" Frank replied.
" Ace come back!" I shouted. Ace was running towards us. Melvin and I were shooting at Walkers causing a safe path for Ace.
Ace managed to get into the truck.
"Frank let's go!" I shouted. We closed the doors and all we could see outside were the bodies that Frank ran over.
"Do you think it was worth leaving the surviving prisoners behind?" I asked Melvin.
"To tell ya the truth kid, they would slowed us down."
"Don't call me a "kid" Melvin" I replied quickly.
"You're right, you've been through all this shit with us. I guess you are now a man" Melvin said while smirking
"That's more like it." I replied."
"Alright Ellis get out and open the gates for us" Melvin said.
After a few hours we stopped in the middle of the road, it felt safe which was a rare thing to feel nowadays, even though there was a lot of abandoned cars. Frank, Melvin, and I were talking while Ace was looking around.
"Alright what's the plan?" I said to Frank and Melvin
"Well since were police officers we should go and find survivors" Frank suggested.
"Yeah, but have any idea where are we going to take them to safety?" Melvin asked Frank.
"Maybe the prison might be an option" Frank said.
" Are you fucking stupid? How are we-" Melvin started saying, but I spoke up.
"Melvin! Frank might be right, I mean we could have some people and we could wipe off some areas full with Walkers one by one."
Melvin just gave me hateful look, like always. Melvin and I weren't always friends. I guess the guy never liked me. Frank I know little about, but he doesn't mind me like Melvin.
"I guess since were going with Frank's plan then the closest city is Macon."
"Alright then let's go. Ace come back!"
The drive wasn't long as I expected, but Macon seemed pretty deserted.
We were passing by a drug store until there was a truck trailer blocking our way. We got out of the truck.
"There's a military car..." Melvin pointed out.
" And a helicopter apparently crashed into that drug store…" Frank said while staring at the roof of the drug store.
"If the Walkers can take the military we don't have a chance… " I said.
I felt devastated. Can there be actually hope? I whole entire army couldn't take care of this. How can we survive this now? Frank, Melvin and I with Ace get back in the truck.
"Have another plan that most likely is going to fail?" Melvin spoke.
"Let's go to Savannah we might find a boat or people who might have survived." Frank suggested
"I actually like that idea, let's go then." Melvin responded.
I took my backpack off and got out a piece of beef jerky. I gave a piece to Ace. I started eating mine.
I wondered about my wife and son. I hate myself for not being there, for them. I was a bad father, I was late to see my son when he was born. It was because of my job in the prison I really never went home. When I actually had the chance to it was midnight which my son and wife would have already been asleep. The last time I saw my son was in his 8th birthday, I didn't even know it was his birthday. I could see it in his eyes that he was disappointed. We lived in Atlanta and Macon is destroyed than Atlanta is… I hope wherever they are…. I hope they are safe and… Remember me.
Brothers
Oscar’s story 32/365
"Hurry up bro! These Biters are getting closer!" My younger brother Fernando shouted at me. We came from Chicago, Illinois. Things were fucked up over there. The cities especially. There were thousands of those Biters. We are trying to find our sister, Sofia, who we think she is in Florida.
"Are you done yet?!" Fernando said again while loading the pistol we found 9 days ago.
"Daniel Scott…" I read the tombstone. "How do you think he died, little bro?" I asked Fernando
"Ay, ya, yai you gotta be kiddin' me." Fernando replied. "Be careful though… He's dead and might of come one of the Biters."
Just as I thought. I started shoveling the grave. There were Biters all around Greenville. Fernando and I learned that if you have smell like a Biter then they would think you are one of them… To smell like one of them You have to open up their stomach and rub all the insides on your body.
"Alright, Fernando aim your gun at the Biter that's going to come out, ok?" I said to Fernando
" No sweat, bro…" Fernando replied. I can see it in his eyes. His eyes are full of fear. Can't blame the kid. He's 19 and was living with our parents. When I first heard the news I went to Chicago to get to Fernando and our parents. I was too late since the Biters took our parents with them. Sometimes he manages you break that fear away, but I saw it in his eyes.
"You don't have to do this… I'll just kill him with the shovel." I said.
"No! I can do this now! Don't worry!" My brother said.
"Fine, but remember. Don't make that bullet go to waste." I responded back to my brother.
I steadied the shovel as if I was going to throw a javelin. Like those javelins in the olympics. Good times. I threw the shovel and it got through the wood. I then put my foot in the shovel and pressed. A piece went flying off just when the Biter started growling.
"I can't see his face yet…" Fernando said.
" I know," I said steading the shovel again. "Let me just put the shovel right under here and.."
Another piece flew off. From a distance I could tell the Biters are filling up the graveyard.
"Ok! Now shoot him Fernando!" I shouted at my brother. The Biter was already getting out of his grave until my brother shot.
"Told you I could do it." Fernando said with a smirk.
I looked back at the Biter. He's still alive.
After the shot echoed the graveyard. I could hear growling coming from all sides.
"God dammit, Fernando!" I shouted at him.
I could tell he was frustrated. The kid isn't a total failure. He was hardworking. Our parents were old and since I left the house, Fernando became the man of the house. He would take care of our parents. He studied and worked and did all the chores. Our parents was the most important thing to Fernando.
"What's done is done! Kill it already!" Fernando shouted while he was looking out for Biters. I stabbed Daniel's head with the shovel, all his brains scattered. The I stabbed his stomach and started scooping out some guts. I rubbed them on my chest and some on my back. I scooped some more and started scooping it on my brother.
"I freaking hate the smell, man." Fernando said.
"Better get used to it, Hermanito." I said back.
We started walking South West. A bunch of Biters were there. Some of them stared at us, but then moved on. I still don't get them. Can they actually distinguish a human to a Biter? We walked out of the graveyard. The streets had a couple of walkers. Unlike the graveyard.
"Let's turn here." Fernando said.
"Holy shit. I think that's a police car." I said
We walked towards the car. There was half of a body in the car window
"Damn, just look at it." Fernando said. "I'll look inside the car." I told him.
I opened the door. Of course no gas. The Biter had a hole on his head. I looked at the back seats and there was a shotgun. I searched for more, but there was nothing left.
"Nice a shotgun… When's my turn to use it?" Fernando said with a smirk on his face.
I was about to tell Fernando to forget about it, but before I had a chance I heard a man's voice screaming "Elizabeth!". I looked at Fernando and he nodded. We went running towards the man's voice.
We saw a station wagon parked right next to an abandoned gas station. We saw a girl running away from Biters. Out of nowhere Fernando took out his pistol and started to shot Biters.
"Go! I'll cover you!" Fernando shouted
I ran towards the girl, I saw a man fighting off Biters with a crowbar. He was with a woman and a boy. I shot one Biter in the head and got to the girl. The girl was crying on the ground. Fernando caught up to me.
"We have to get in that gas station!" Fernando told the man with his family.
The man went to the gas station entrance and with a kick he broke a small hole, so his son could get in.
"Elizabeth, sweetheart come hide with you brother." The man told his daughter. The girl went running towards the broke glass and got inside.
The man started hitting more Biters in the head as Fernando and I were shooting.
"We have to run!" The Man screamed
"There's no where to run, we have to stick together!" I shouted back at him.
"Shit! I don't have any bullets left!" Fernando said.
"Honey, I-I think this it." The woman told the man.
"No, this can't be over!" The man said.
When things couldn't get worse. The Biters from the graveyard probably heard all the gunshots and started to come to the gas station.
"We have to run!" Fernando said.
"We can't leave them to die!" I told him. "They have kids!"
I shot more Biters that came towards us. There were hundreds of them surrounding the gas station.
"Dad! I found some gas!" The boy screamed.
"Adam give it to me, quickly!" The man said while running to get it. The man ran toward Fernando and gave him the crowbar.
"Please, watch my back! We'll take you with us!"
Fernando stayed with the woman and the kids while I went with the man.
"What's your name?" The man said while opening the gas can.
"Name's Oscar, How abo-" I was going to say until there were Biters coming closer.
I shot more of them until the shotgun had no more bullets.
"Alright, I'm done, Tess! Bring the kids! Hurry!" The Man shouted.
Tess and the kids came running. Fernando was behind them.
"Everyone in!?" The man asked.
"Yes! Let's go!" Fernando replied.
The man stepped into the paddle and ran over some Biters. I heard Adam and Elizabeth crying while their mom, Tess, was trying to make them calm down.
"Thank you. We wouldn't be alive without you." Tess said
"We have to always." I said "We don't want all humanity to go away."
"Actually, I think Adam saved us." Fernando said. "He was the one who found the fuel anyways."
I turned around to see Adam. He cracked a small smile, but still sobbing.
"Where are you guys heading?" The man said.
"Were heading to the south. To find our sister Sofia." I told the man.
"I'm afraid we can't take you to the south." The man looked at me. "We're heading West"
"But Daddy!" Elizabeth finally spoke up. "These men can help us."
"Don't worry, your dad is strong." Fernando said to Elizabeth
We were finally in the road. In a couple of minutes I saw a camp.
"Hey, stop there. There might be supplies." I told the man.
The man stopped the car. "Tess stay here with the kids, ok?"
Tess nodded at the man. The man, Fernando and I got out of the car and went sneaking into the camp.
The camp only had 3 tents. There was chairs and a dying campfire. I looked in a tent while Fernando and the man looked in the other tents.
"Empty here." I heard Fernando say.
I looked inside mine and there was blood inside. Behind the tent there was another way to get in, but there was a path of blood. Probably the people who died turned into Biters and crawled away.
"I found food!" The man said. I went towards his tent.
"Let's take them then. There's about 30 bags of food. You could have twenty and we could have ten if were going to different directions." I said to the man.
"No, we can't have this... What if it is someone's? What if-"
"Just take it, the tents are covered in blood. Whoever stayed in this place died." Fernando said. The man went to look inside the tents himself. He gasped when he saw the blood
"Ok…" The man began talking when he got out of the tent. "I'll take fifteen for my family and you men take ten."
"Why would you leave five behind?" Fernando asked the man.
"The people who stayed in this camp might be still alive… I'll just take fifteen and leave."
The man said.
We helped him get all the groceries in his trunk. When we got the last bag the man gave us 3 small backpacks and said "Thanks for helping me and my family. I hope you men good luck on finding your sister, and take these backpacks, so you could put the food in them"
"Thanks." Fernando said.
"Be safe, man" I said.
Before the man got inside the car he stopped and said "Make sure you leave five bags behind alright?". After that the man left driving.
"Where are you going?" Fernando asked me.
"Getting the bags… And I'm taking them all." I responded.
"Didn't you hear what the guy told us?" Fernando said.
"Yeah, but you saw all the blood. Those people are dead, or Biters." I said
I convinced Fernando to help me put all the food in the backpack until I heard someone talking. I pointed behind the tent to Fernando. I gave him the shotgun and he went behind the tent. I then saw someone unzipping the tent.
"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked while pointing a rifle at me.
"Look, calm down, we could share this food." I told the man.
"There were more than this! Did you take them?" The man shouted at me.
I saw the shadow of Fernando coming close to the man.
"Fernando! NOW!" I screamed the man quickly turned, but Fernando tackled him. The man dropped the rifle. I quickly picked it up.
"What's your name?"
"It's Derrick." The man said struggling to move.
"Were you part of this group?" I asked again.
"Yeah, I was." Derrick said.
"What happened to the people you were with?" Fernando said.
"Those dead things came to our camp last night." Derrick began to calm down. "We were sleeping and they got us off guard. I ran because there was too many of them. I came back and had to drag the bodies and bury them."
I looked at Derrick. He seemed like a normal person.
"Want to come with us?" I offered Derrick, he nodded.
"What? Why would you-?" Fernando started blabbering, but I stopped him.
"Remember what the man with the station wagon told us? Derrick is the last person of this group. It's his food, but we can't stay here. He's coming with us." I said.
Fernando stood up and let Derrick to stand up.
"Here." I gave Derrick a bright orange backpack. We got to the road and started walking to the south.
Never Again
Austin’s story 44/365
"When can I have my gun back, mom?" I asked. My mom was washing clothes with the other women that stayed in the parking lot.
"Until you're old enough, honey" She replied. "Go back with your friends and figure out what to do."
I nodded, it was about the millionth time I asked her for it, but she would always say "No.". I went back to our car. I thought that it was unfair that my best friend, Jake, could use a gun and go scavenging with the adults. He's sixteen, and I'm fourteen just two years of difference. There were other kids, but younger than me. It's kind of sad when you think about it. Little kids who never experienced violence are here now on this world. They still don't seem to know what's going on since all the kids go to the second floor of the parking lot.
There is this one girl about my age. She may be fourteen or maybe fifteen. Her name is Dawn. She's a redhead with pretty blue eyes. We never talked though, but I have played with her little brother, Noah. He’s very cheerful, which reminds me of me when I was about his age.
I saw people from our group coming with just a few cans in a plastic bag. The "guards" greet them and they go by the stack of food and place it in the can section. Half of those cans were the one's that my mother found when she found the jeep.
I got out of the car to welcome Jake.
"Hey, dude! How did it go?" I asked Jake. He quickly turned around pointing a gun at me. I dropped to the floor. Jake bursted out laughing.
"You're such a pussy, Austin." Jake said while giggling.
"It's a freaking gun," I stood up. " And a gun could kill me." I said in a serious tone.
"It was in safety mode anyways" Jake said.
"Did you have to kill Risen?" I asked.
"I didn't have a chance to, each time I saw one someone else killed the Risen."
Jake started to look around the parking lot. Then his eyes went to me and to his gun. Jake finally opened his mouth and said,
"I should teach you how to shoot a gun" Jake said with a smirk on his face. My eyes widened. I didn't know if I should.
"But the adults wont let us. My mom wont even let me hold my gun!" I told Jake.
"You dummy," Jake said giggling . "We're going to the Columbia Canal. We've haven't really searched in that area, so we could gather supplies and we could bring them back."
"And if we bring them back my mom would think I'm able to go out scavenging!" I said in an excited tone.
"Yup." Jake said "So, your mom took away the gun you found right?"
"Right," I said while searching my pocket from my black bubble jacket. "But at least I have this."
I showed Jake my pocket knife.
"Looks pretty sharp." Jake said. "So, when everyone goes to sleep try to find me at this exact spot, ok?". I nodded.
Jake walked away and waved good-bye. I was walking to my jeep until I saw a sheet of paper on the concrete floor. I kneeled down and picked it up, and began reading.
The world has come to an end,
Better grab a friend,
The blood of the innocent will run red,
It's the night of the walking dead.
Eyes so dull,
They show no soul,
Hearts not in check,
The city in a wreck.
Police, Swat, FBI,
No other place to hide,
When there is no one else to call,
May God help us all.
It was a poem. I knew it was Dawn's. I remember those few time I played with her brother. Noah mentioned that his sisters likes to write poems. I'm not a language arts teacher, but I'll bet this would get an A plus. I gently folded the paper and put it in my pocket. I opened the door into my Jeep. My mom was already there reading one of the books that the scavengers found weeks ago.
"How's the book?" I said while putting my chin on her shoulder.
"Read better." She said with a smile.
I read along with her for a while. It started getting dark.
I made a fake yawn. "Well, I guess is time to sleep." I said stretching my arms.
"Hmmm, you're right." mom said. She pressed the button to turn off the lights off.
"Mom."
"Yes, Austin?"
"How does it feel to kill Risen?"
For a moment there was silent.
"It changes you. It changes the way you look into life. If I didn't have to shot the police officer that was trying to attack you, I wouldn't have nightmares. I still have nightmares when I was trying to come back home from Atlanta. That's why I don't want you to give you the gun you found, Austin. I don't want the Austin I know to be some emotionless boy. I hope you'll never have to kill a Risen."
I stayed quiet. For an hour I stayed quiet. I stood up and checked if my mom was asleep. She was. I unlocked my door and closed it a gently and quietly as possible. It was completely dark in the parking lot. I did see very few people in guard. I went to the spot that Jake told me to meet him, and he was there.
"I thought you ditched me." He whispered.
"Let's go." I said
Jake nodded and turned around. I followed him until a corner with no guards or cars. We jumped over the parking lot.
"Ok so where's the cana-" I was about to say. Jake pulled me down to the ground.
"Shh." Jake said putting his finger on his lips, and then pointed towards the main entrance of the parking lot. There were most of the scavengers. You could them holding their light from their flashlights.
"I didn't know the scavengers were going out tonight." Jake said.
We stood up and I followed Jake and started walking in the ghost city.
"Do you have your gun loaded? " I asked worriedly. "You know when there might be Risen."
"Yeah, do you have your knife?" Jake asked.
"I do." I replied.
It was nice being able to get out of the parking lot. My mom wouldn't let me get 5 feet away from the parking lot.
It took us about three minutes to get close into the canal. Jake turned around and gave me his gun. I was kinda shocked. He just gave it to me as it was nothing. It was a bit heavy like holding a rock, but I could manage. There were Risen roaming around but it was all the way at end of the street. It still made me nervous. Jake sat down on the sidewalk and reached for his pockets. In one he got out a cigarette and in the other he got a match, he placed the tip of the match on the concrete and slid it downwards. The match was on fire and Jake placed it next to the tip of the cigarette.
"Lung cancer." I said.
He shrugged. "Want one?"
"No, I'm fine." I told him.
Jake stood up and grabbed a pebble. He put himself in a throwing position as if you threw a baseball and threw it at a Risen. Surprisingly it hit. The Risen quickly turned around and started coming into our direction. I got nervous and rose up the gun. The Risen was coming closer, each breath I took the closer the Risen came towards.
I threw the gun to Jake.
"Seriously?" Jake said grabbing the gun.
"I can't, I mean…. I can't shoot a Risen." I said. "My mom said when you kill one of them it takes a part of you that you can't ever take back, and I don't want to lose that part of me… Yet."
The Risen was already close to us.
"Come on! Shoot it!" I shouted at Jake. Jake stood up. He pointed the gun at the Risen. I saw how he struggled to keep the gun straight.
"You don't have to do it." I told him while tugging his shirt to leave. I widened my eyes. I realised I was so close on shooting. I completely forgot that sound attracts the Risen. "Jake don-".
I didn't get to finish my sentence. Jake shot the Risen. It did made a hole into the Risen's head. I felt few drops of blood land in my face. All the Risen at the end of the street turned around and started walking towards us. Jake still had a tense look on his face.
"Come on, Jake let's go!" I screamed at him. He finally turned around and we were running back to the parking lot. From a distance we could see some flashlights flashing towards our directions. In the corner of my eye I saw some Risen. This was going to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life.
"Who are you?!"
I heard a voice, it was a deep one. It was probably one of our guards. We finally got close enough so the guard could see us.
"Austin?! Jake?! Why the hell where you kids out there?" The man shouted at us.
"There's no time to explain!" I talked back to him. "Risen are coming from all directions!"
The man's face dropped when he saw beyond us. I turned around. There was about dozens of them! The man took out his rifle and began shooting. Cars turned on and people started getting out of their cars.
"Jake, call the others for me!" The man shouted at Jake.
"They went scavenging or something!" Jake shouted back. "They had most of the good guns with them!"
"Ok, you two tell everyone to get ready to get the hell out of here ok?!" The man shouted.
"You can take them all out can't you?!" I asked.
"All this ruckus is going to bring out more of them!" He said back. "Now do what I told you to do!"
Jake and I began running in the opposite direction. I knocked on people's cars most of them with a shocked reaction. I had to scream and tell them to get ready to leave. I got to the last car, which was ours. I knocked and my mother quickly opened her eyes. She started at me with a confused look and opened the door.
"Austin?! What's going on?! When did you leave the car?!" My mom began questioning me.
"Mom! We have to get the car ready! Risen are coming all over the parking lot and the scavengers left and we'll probably have to go!" I told her.
I was about to run look for Jake, because he had no one to take care of him, but my mom stopped me.
"Austin you better tell me now why were you out of the car." She said it the calmest voice in this type of situation.
"Mom, please," I said, but the suspicious look on her face made me say it.
"Jake thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to shoot a gun and kill a Risen. We also went to look for some supplies and prove to you that I could go scavenge with the others."
"Austin we talked about this!" My mom shouted at me.
"I know mom! Never again! I promise!" I shouted back at her. "Now, let me go find Jake!"
I was about to dash, but my mom grabbed me from my arm.
"No, Austin is too dangerous!" My mom said.
"Mom, you know Jake has no one. He only has me. He's my best friend. Please let me find him. Please!"
My mom looked at me. She nodded and took out her pistol and started shooting Risen that were coming.
"I'll give you five minutes, Austin!" My mom said.
I quickly dashed to look for Jake. As I ran around the parking lot I saw a bunch of people panicking and people running from the down from the second floor. I finally saw Jake. He was shooting at some Risen that were very close to him.
"Jake! We have to go!" I screamed. Jake didn't move a muscle I ran towards him.
I saw all the blood that he had in his face from the Risen. I also saw tears running down his face.
His gun finally ran out of bullets.
"Let's go." He finally said.
I ran with Jake behind me. Risen already came inside the parking lot. People were screaming with pain. I didn't dare to look and just looked at my jeep until I bumped into somebody.
I feel on the floor with the person. It was Dawn! I quickly stood up. Then a man picked her up.
"Thanks, dad." Dawn said.
Behind Dawn's dad I saw Noah.
"Dad! Mom! It's Austin! He has a big jeep! Maybe he can give us a ride!" Noah said.
I recognized Dawn's mom since she and my mom were always talking. I never seen her dad before.
"Can you really take us, son?" He said.
"Yeah! Follow me!"
We finally reached to the jeep. My mom was surprised to see all the people I brought.
"Oh, Tiffany!" My mom said. "Come on, let's all get in quickly!"
I sat right next to my mom. Dawn's family sat behind us and Jake was on the trunk.
"Dammit," Mom said. "This isn't going to take us more than two miles."
"Samantha, when me and Austin got out of the parking lot I saw a boat by the canal near by." Jake said with a broken voice.
My mom turned on the jeep. I looked at the window there were people being attacked. Defenseless, while other escaped… And we were one of them. My mom had to run over some Risen and we got out of the parking lot. I looked back. It was full of people running away and Risen coming in. I looked at the rear view. I saw Dawn and Noah hugging each other. Especially Noah. He looked terrified.
We finally got to the canal. Jake was right there was a boat, it seemed pretty big for seven people.
"Tiffany, Samuel, do you guys have weapons of your own?" My mom asked.
Tiffany didn't say anything, but Samuel showed his pistol.
We all got out of the car. There a few Risen, because the rest of them are probably eating some of the people in the parking lot. We got closer to the boat. Dawn, Noah, and Tiffany got in first. Then Jake, mom, Samuel got in. I pushed the boats towards the water and hopped into it.
"Has Austin ever paddled, before?" Samuel asked my mom.
My mother shook her head, she was looking around us.
"It can't be that hard." I said.
We paddled into the night. It was relaxing hearing the flow of the water. I looked at the moon. It was a full moon and it looked pretty. I looked at Dawn and Noah. Noah was sleeping in her arms and Dawn was just staring at the water. For a second the boat stopped.
"Why did it stop?" I asked.
"Probably a rock." Samuel said.
"I see it." Jake said. He pulled up his sleeve and put his hand it the water. He was pulling something. Then he was then one being pulled. As Jake fell into the water, Samuel put his paddle down and tried to grab Jake. It was too late. Jake was already in the water with the Risen that pulled him. Samuel quickly grabbed his gun and started shooting in the water. My mom grabbed pulled me away from seeing. I heard Noah crying. I pushed away my mom and looked at the water. The water wasn't clear anymore. It was a dark red water. It was the blood of my best friend. Gone. Never again, I thought. Never again.
Sign in to comment in this discussion.
Comments