Takiko woke up with a start and froze immediately, concentrating hard to blend out her thumping heartbeat and listen to any sounds indicating that she was not alone this morning. It had happened often enough, but this time, she was lucky. With a sigh, she sat up and glanced around. As usual, even the sleep that she got didn't seem to be able to do anything about the fatigue that had settled in her bones. She had managed a few days before, to get herself a car again. It wasn't her first one, she had had a few over the last few weeks, but it was the first van she had found with an almost full fuel tank. And until now, at least, she had managed to find enough other easily accessible cars to get more fuel from. That wasn't a given, since a lot of cars one found where completely empty, driven until they couldn't go on any longer, and Takiko had yet to find out how to actually get fuel out of a gas station without electricity.

The inside of the back of the van was lit up with dim light, sunlight that was filtering through the curtain she had put up behind the front seats. The back windows she had covered with some kind of black plastic sheets and a whole lot of tape, both of which she'd found on her way, after waking up in the morning once to find one of the creatures staring at her through the window. Not exactly the best way to start a day, with a heart attack. So she'd made sure it wouldn't happen again.

She crawled out of the sleeping bag she was using and rolled it up, folding it as much as possible, wrapping it up with some thread and securing it to her backpack. She had already lost about half of her things once because she had needed to flee in a hurry, without any time to pack up what was lying around. Again, something you didn't do twice. When that was done, she turned around to the provisions, which were stacked in a laundry-basket at the side of the van. She had made sure to pack a good deal of those as well, of course, but big water bottles and cans of food weren't things she could lug around easily if she needed to be fast. She grabbed one of the smaller cans now and quickly opened it with her knife. She was glad she had something to eat that would actually fill her empty stomach, but every morning she kept thinking about hot showers and bread and scrambled eggs and even though it always made the taste of the canned food, which mostly wasn't really that bad, fade, she couldn't stop the thoughts from resurfacing in her mind all the time.

A shower, she knew, was wishful thinking. A hot one even more so. But a bath... that was possible. She'd already done it several times, heading out of the city and finding herself some creek or lake or whatever that looked clean enough, or at least cleaner than she herself, to get a bath and scrub herself clean for once. In those part it was unlikely to meet any of the creatures, sicne there wasn't anything to lure them there. And she was sick of always running around full of dirt and sweat. It had been worse the first weeks after all of this had started, but she had grown kind of used to it by now. And she wasn't actually meeting any people anyway. And those one might meet didn't care, either because they were kind of dead or because they were in the same situation.

But a bath was in order now, she decided, and pulled a map out of her bag, searching her current location, in between bites, a small town a few miles from the suburbs of Chicago. It wouldn't take long to get to the city anymore, but then again, she wasn't sure whether she could just drive right in. It was a big city and the last bigger one she had seen had streets clogged up with left behind cars. And once inside, the chances of getting that bath would be shoved far away for a long while, she guessed. She stared at the map. She had not expected to come back here like this. She had always wished to come back someday, but after that huge fight with her parents over the choice she'd made concerning university, she had sworn herself not to come back until they apologized and accepted it. And now she was back to search for them. To see whether they were even still alive.

Takiko wasn't sure what she was expecting to find. The first few days, when electricity had still worked remotely properly, she had managed to call them a few times. Later they had send messages from time to time. The last time she had heard of them had been weeks, probably months ago, though. It was likely they had moved somewhere else, but they had never told her about any plans of the kind, so she decided to go where she was most likely to find some hints as to their whereabouts. More than once it had crossed her mind how unlikely it was that they were still alive and waiting for her somewhere, but she wouldn't give up until she had proof.

Finishing her breakfast, she got up, peeking through the curtains to make sure the street was clean of creatures, before taking up the drivers seat and starting the car. The map was lying on the passengers seat, folded so tha she could see the exact way she had to drive to the little forest she was heading for. It had a small lake marked in it and wasn't too out of her way, so she really hoped it would be usable and spare her a longer drive that might make her need to get some more fuel. After another glance outside and into the mirrors, she started the car, backed out of the parking lot she had used and got on her way.

Dean breathed slowly as his hands gripped the wheel of an old pickup truck he had managed to acquire a few months ago. About 30 yards from the trucks position was an old convenient store with two gas pumps in the front. The truck had about a quarter of gas left in the tank. Dean knew he had to fill the tank now if he was going to make it to Chicago, but he had been sitting in the drivers seat for about half an hour, pondering how to go about this. When Dean parked near the convenient store earlier he had seen movement inside the building, and waited, hoping whatever was inside would come out, but so far nothing has left or entered. He felt so anxious and tense, and checked his watch. It was 11:30 am. He wanted to just close his eyes and sleep until everything was back to normal. It was a childish wish but a wish he hoped for everyday.

Dean crossed his arms on the steering wheel and lay his chin on top, gazing at the convenient store, and wondered what was keeping him from going in. He had faced the monsters plenty of times in the past, but it's difficult to get used to seeing those type of things. Especially since they aren't always the same. Dean's eyes grew weary, it had been at least 26 hours since he last slept, and who knows how longer since he had a full nights rest. He sat up straight, rubbing his eyes, and began to set a timer on his watch. "Ten minutes" He whispered to himself before glancing at the convenient store once more. Since this dreadful lifestyle began, Dean followed a certain rule, and that was to never take more than you need when ransacking a place. Not only was it unethical to grab everything but it also wasn't wise to carry a lot with you considering the burden of carrying so much stuff and the time it takes to grab it all. Ten minutes should be more than enough. With the push of a button on his watch the timer began to count down.

Dean quickly jumped out of the vehicle and hopped onto the bed of the truck where his gear lay. He grabbed an angled flashlight that could clip to his belt, an empty backpack, a baseball bat, and two empty gas cans before jumping out of the truck. He slung the empty backpack over his shoulder and began walking towards the convenient store, gently placing the empty gas cans beside one of the pumps. Dean slowly approached the double doors of the convenient store plastered with outdated advertisements. The lights were off in the store so it was too dark, and he couldn't see anything inside, but he could certainty here shuffling and movement. Dean had been in this situation numerous times and found it best to make your presence known immediately, as to avoid anything sneaking up from behind, it was easier to deal with the threat right away rather than trying to sneak by it. Dean kicked open one of the doors and placed two of his fingers in his mouth, then let out a very loud whistle that echoed throughout the surrounding area.

He heard the shuffling come to a stop and braced himself, gripping the baseball bat. As he stared into the darkness of the store his heart began beating at a much faster rate. Dean couldn't shake the feeling something was staring right back at him from the darkness. He could hear items falling off of the shelves as something began to move inside of the store and towards the entrance. Dean planted his feet and prepared to swing the baseball bat with all of his strength, but he stopped himself, and only let out a sigh of relief as a deer emerged from the darkness. He locked eyes with the animal for a moment before it sped off with great speed past him and outside, into the forest. Dean turned on the flashlight clipped to his belt and stepped inside of the convenient store, cautiously walking around, double checking to make sure that the deer was the only thing inside the store, and it seemed it was. Dean decided the building was clear and walked at a much faster rate through all of the aisles, shoving various foods into his backpack as well as other misc. items such as batteries, duct tape, and junk food. Afterwards he hopped over the counter and grabbed matches, band-aids, candy and a few cartons of cigarettes. Dean didn't smoke but in the past traded them for food and shelter. He never really got into cigarettes, but wondered if they would ease his stress in a time like this. It wouldn't really matter what they did to his body at this point, it wasn't very likely his cause of death would be due to cigarettes.

He looked for a device that controlled the gas pump and found two buttons labeled one and two. Dean hit the second and checked his watch. "5 minutes" He said to himself silently, and hopped over the counter and towards the gas pump labeled 2. He turned off the flashlight and dropped all his stuff, then kneeled down and opened the empty gas can. As Dean pumped gas into the cans he looked around and couldn't help but feel nervous. Being surrounded by a forest on all sides made him feel very uneasy. He felt like numerous monsters were watching him from behind the trees, it was an awful position to be sitting in. As the second gas can seemed to be full Dean placed the nozzle back into the pump and grabbed his baseball bat, placing it in his backpack and slinging the bag over his shoulder. He walked towards the truck, carrying a gas can in each hand. The weight of the two cans along with the bag hanging on one shoulder caused Dean to walk somewhat awkwardly to the truck. As he arrived, he practically shoved everything into the bed of the truck and immediately entered the drivers seat.

Dean lay his head back onto the seat, and let out another sigh of relief. He couldn't help but close his eyes and probably would've fallen asleep if the timer on his watch hadn't gone off. Dean pushed a button on his watch, ceasing the repetitive noise, and breathed heavily. He reached for the glovebox and pulled out a standard travelers map of the United States, placing it on the steering wheel and marking an X on his position with a red marker. As Dean analyzed the map, he decided it would be easier to cut through the forest and onto a freeway which would take him directly to Chicago's suburbs. Dean tossed the map onto the passengers seat and gazed at the convenient store one last time as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small and seemingly old photograph of a mother and her son. "Almost home" Dean thought to himself, and started the engine, driving back onto the road before turning onto another road that led through the forest and eventually to the freeway.

The cold wind cut into Ryan's face as he stepped out of his house in a small village right next to Chicago. Pulling his hood over his head to be at least a little more covered from nature, he put his bag, containing everything he needs for at least two days of survival, on his back. Tinned food and fresh water, along with a couple of chocolate bars should by all means be enough to satisfy his needs in the upcoming days. As means of defense, he had a katana and a pistol. Despite lacking the physical strength needed to properly handle these weapons, he has trained with them in the the last few days. Right now, he was hoping that the training was enough, because he knew he could only rely on his strength. Putting his mind to work by analysing mutant anatomy turned out to be a waste of time, as those creatures are so varied, you cannot have a tactic that defeats them all. Go for the head? He saw quite a few without a head...

The neighbourhood was clear from the creatures, at least for now, giving him time to properly look at his map and make up a plan. Chicago, his destination was about 30 minutes of walking away. Going through the forest however would effectively half the travelling time, but it was a lot more dangerous to go that way of course. He decided to take the risk anyway. He heard that there were fortified houses in the city where he could finally rest safely. He could barely sleep in the last few days, waking up to every little noise with a small heart attack. He would've given anything for a good sleep.

Eerie silence followed Ryan's steps as he made his way through the forest. All wildlife was long gone from there. He could remember waking up to the pleasant noise of small birds chirping to each other and falling asleep to the characteristic sounds of crickets. He felt very melancholic, which could be blamed on the soothing music he was currently listening to. Using his katana to cut himself a way should the vegetation get too thick, he managed pretty well for himself despite a few small wounds caused by pointy branches. Every now and then he looked at his compass to make sure he kept the direction, ensuring he doesn't get lost.

After the designated 15 minutes, he found himself outside of the woods. Noticing a sign saying "Welcome to Chicago", he knew that he arrived to his destination safely. He didn't encounter anything at all on his way - neither living nor dead, a fact surprising for him.
"This was easy...too easy..." he murmured to himself.

Emma clutched her pale fingers around the street lamp that had been one of many that lit up the streets of Chicago all that time ago. She wished she could imagine what it must have been like... All those people passing by without a care in the world, merely pondering simple things like what store to shop in or if their last job interview had went well. Emma wished she could imagine everything the way her parents had seen it. They had told her stories as a child but nothing was as good as being there to live it. If she had just been born at a different place and time she could have been able to grow up in playgrounds with masses of happy, carefree kids. It was rather unfair that she and whoever else had survived had to be born into Hell itself. She stared down the vacant street, watching the breeze push some dead leaves across the concrete. Was this it? Was her life simply a cat and mouse chase between her and the silhouettes that hid behind the emptiness? Was she even alive if there was no one to acknowledge it?

Her parents had been the only people she had ever truly known. She would have given anything to have them back. Even in a world as morbid as this one, death came as a shock to her. Everything and anything could be so easily stripped away. One moment they existed. The next, they were gone and Emma was alone. Although unpleasant at times, it really wasn't all too hard for Emma to get accustomed to being the only one around. Whenever she had been given the opportunity to group with people, she had previously shied away from it. It was hard to trust people nowadays. Survival was tough and the temptation of building upon the small amount of items one already has was strong. People stole from each other and even killed each other for things that would once be considered silly to kill someone over. To be truthful, Emma was scared. As unpleasant as life had become, Emma did not want to leave it. Death scared her as much as living did.

Silence was pretty scary too. It consumed the skeletal remains of Chicago and Emma's mind. It made her feel small, staring down the foggy, empty street with only the slight sound of the wind to keep her company. She had to unhinge her small hands from the cool metal pole, adrenaline rushing through her veins, making her heart beat hard enough to break right through her rib cage. It was too quiet. Emma felt too exposed. Tingles went up her spine, making her shiver. She wanted to bolt inside somewhere and hide. There could be a variety of creatures out here that could rip her throat out no questions asked. She let her hand fall near the gun in her belt and took a deep breath. Cautiously, she began making her way forward. She needed to scope out for some more supplies and running for cover was not going to be of use. She blew blonde wisps from her eyes as she paused by a old storefront. After cleaning the glass of the foggy window with the fabric of her jacket, she peered inside, cupping her hands on the sides of her eyes. It was a book store. The corners of her lips twitched upward. Words once written by people would be the closest thing to company she was going to get. She ascended a staircase into the old bookstore, failing to hear the emission of a low growl from behind her in her distraction.

It didn't take Takiko long to reach the small forest she had made out on the map in the morning. One of the few good things about the whole situation, was that, as long as you stayed away from the bigger cities, the streets were absolutely deserted and you didn't have to care about any speed limits. Some days, maybe weeks ago, she had lost track of time since it didn't really matter anyway, she had collected a few cds in some houses and cars. It wasn't something she would keep around once she had to go on by foot, but the radio obviously wasn't working anymore, and the silence was sometimes unbearable. She had no idea when she had last spoken with anyone. She kept singing along to the songs, to make sure she still had a voice at all, which was stupid, of course, she knew that. But when you're on your own for so long, you develop certain habits that don't make much sense, not like there was anyone who'd care about it.

She slowed down once the asphalt street ended and turned into a dirt road. It was strange to see how peaceful and untouched the woods looked. The sun was shining through the leaves, lighting them up and sending webs of shadows dancing over the floor as a bit of wind rustled through them. It always seemed all natural at first, as if nothing had ever changed, but after a while, especially once you get out of the car. Because the silence is overwhelming. No birds are singing anymore, no animals creeping through the bushes. And when you do hear some rustling, or twigs breaking, you'd better run or get a weapon. So when Takiko arrived at her destination, she checked her boots for the knifes she had secured in there, and grabbed the gun she kept on the passenger seat as well as the map, which she stuck in the back of her jeans. Turning off the engine, she looked around, at least as far as she could see from her position in the drivers seat. She hadn't put on the safety belt to begin with, she had decided early on, that she would much rather die if she happened to have an accident, than be injured, unable to move and ending up eaten or turned into one of those creatures. Up until now though, she hadn't been in any situation like it, obviously.

Takiko opened the door with one hand, holding the gun with the other. She kept the safety off, she had never used a gun before all of this had started, and she was still a horrible shot, even more so at a distance. There was no sign of any movement, but she kept on listening a little longer, before she stepped out onto the dirt road and away from the van. With her gun raised, she swung around once, then went to the back of the car and opened one of the two doors, to grab her backpack from where she kept it easily reachable by the backdoors. She didn't dare leave it behind, never did. Putting it on, she carefully closed the door again, making sure not to make too much noise. It seemed safe at the moment, but that didn't mean there were none of the creatures lurking around close enough to hear the noise and come to get a meal.

Gun in hand, she pulled out the map and took a look at where she had to head, before putting it in a pocket at the side of her backpack, where she could easily reach it, should she need to take another look. Her eyes trained on her surroundings, she slowly crept off the road and into the underbush, while carefully trying not to make too much noise as she headed for the lake.

Slowly, Dean's eyes opened as he came to. Blood dripped from his forehead as he recalled driving through the forest, too exhausted to realize he was about to ram straight through one of the creatures. But he didn't, at least, he didn't think he did, he turned the wheel and made a sharp turn, or at least remembered turning. His vision was somewhat blurred, he was beyond dizzy and his left arm was in severe pain. It took him a moment to realize the truck had seemed to flip, because he was upside down. "Fuck" He whispered to himself, his mind was racing, he tried to process the situation but it only made his head hurt even more. Incoherent noises could be heard from outside the driver door, turning his head Dean saw what was most likely the creature he regrettably avoided running over, laying beside the driver window repeatedly slamming it's fist into the glass and screaming at the top of it's deceased lungs. He wondered why he didn't turn the thing into roadkill. Slowly Dean unbuckled his seatbelt and awkwardly fell out of the drivers seat, then began crawling through the truck and towards the glovebox. He could hear the window begin to crack from the creature's relentless pounding and frantically opened the glovebox, pulling out a sawed-off shotgun. The creature had eventually broken through the window only to receive a shotgun blast to the face. Blood gushed all over the inside of the car as well as Dean.

Kicking open the passenger door Dean crawled out of the truck and struggled to get to his feet. He looked around the forest and grunted as most of his inventory was spread around the immediate area. He began limping towards an army green bag which was laying on the ground inches from a lake. His left arm was still in severe pain, so he held the sawed-off with that hand and picked up the bag with his right, practically dragging it back as he limped back to the truck. Dean slowly sat on the ground and pulled the bag onto his lap, opening it to reveal a variety of boxes of ammunition, a hunting rifle, and a pistol. He hated using guns and preferred close combat but he wasn't in any state to engage a creature like this. Dean pondered what to do next, and actually considered putting a bullet in his brain. It was a causal, common thought that inhabited his mind on more than one occasion lately. He merely grabbed the bag so he would have something to defend himself with, it wasn't smart to use guns in a situation like this but there wasn't any option. He couldn't help but wonder once more why he didn't just plow the creature with his truck, something like that should be instinct by now, a habit, it certainly wouldn't have been the first time he ran over a creature. It could've been because he was half asleep at the time and wasn't thinking. Or, maybe he just wanted it to be a person. Maybe for a moment he wanted to live in a world where it's a good idea to avoid running over somebody on the road rather than speeding up.

Dean observed the forest in front of him and to his dismay, he could see two creatures making their way through the trees and towards him. It wasn't a surprise to see them considering a weapon, but he couldn't help cringe at the sight of those things. Dean pulled out a box of shotgun shells from the bag and loaded the sawed-off before taking aim. He waited a moment, allowing the pair to come within range, then fired the shotgun once more.

Freezing at the sound of a shot being fired nearby, Takiko raised her own gun and carefully looked around. She was still in the forest, but according to her map she should be getting to the lake soon. A gun being fired could only mean there was another survivor nearby, of course. But it also meant there were the creatures around as well, and they would be getting more, lured from the sound. When there had still been more survivors, Takiko wouldn't have headed for the direction the sound had come from, after all, you never knew what was waiting for you there. But now, that she hadn't seen anyone for weeks, she had the feeling she should go and try to help out if her help is needed. She had just decided to head into the direction she had thought the sound had come from, when another was fired. She had been right, she was getting closer. The backpack was hindering her a little, it wasn't too huge, because lugging that kind of thing around wouldn't do you any good should you have to run, or climb or hide. But in direct combat, even the smaller one wasn't too practical. She made off at a run, though still trying to be careful nt to make too much noise, wouldn't want to have the creatures change their mind and have a go at herself.

It didn't take long and the trees were getting lighter, which meant she was getting close to the lake, so she slowed down, gun up and ready for use. Se kept to the trees, not wanting to walk around in the open and get shot by another survivor because he, or she, had thought her to be one of the dead creatures comeing to get a meal. Takiko crept closer to the end of the trees, could already see the water and the sunlight reflecting off of it. Sadly, her bath would have to be put on hold, she thought for a second, then heard some heavy, rattling breathing a few feet behind her and twigs snapping as something made its way though the forest behind her. She whirled around, raised her gun and shot. It was strange to react, take aim and pull the trigger out of pure instincts. Or at least it had been in the beginning, Now, Takiko only wondered about herself sometimes. She had done hand-to-hand combat, took classes of all kinds of martial arts, but guns..., she had never thought about ending up always carrying one around and actually using it so often. But in that moment, she was just happy that the creature had been far enough away to spare her from its gory blood getting all over her. Now that she had shot as well, the other survivor should be alarmed to her presence, so maybe it was a good thing? She turned back around, continued her way towards the lake, still keeping to the tree trunk, just to make sure.

A few more steps and she was out of the trees, blinking as the sunlight hit her eyes with full force as she left the shadows. She looked around. It wasn't hard to find the one who had fired those shots earlier, after all a truck turned upside down wasn't too hard to miss. She stared for a moment, taking everything in, and at the same time still a little afraid to be mistaken for one of the creatures. The cars passenger door was open, a lot of the things that seemed to have been inside where strewn around the area, some she could even make out floating in the lake. Then her eyes wandered to the persong sitting in front of it, an army green bag on his lap and a sawed-off shotgun in hand. The next thing she noticed was the blood on him. It dripped from his forehead and arm. Without thinking much, probably doctor-instinct kicking in, she hurried on towards him as fast as she dared. She kneeled down beside him, her eyes going to the head wound. She didn't touch him yet, though, as her eyes kept on going over him, searching for a bite wound. He seemed to be younger than her by a few years, though she couldn't be sure, of course. "Are you alright?" she inquired, which, of course, he wasn't after such an accident, but after not having spoken to anyone for so long, she might've lost a bit of her social skills. His head wound was bleeding a lot, though, which was normal for headwounds, but you never really knew how bad they actually really might be. She raised her hands, but stopped before getting too close to his head. "May I..?" she asked, wanting to take a closer look at the wound.

John was walking casually down the old forest road. Step by step upon the hard asphalt below him. All around him was an unsettling blanket of grey death. It consumed the trees all around him, destroying visibility. It is a plague upon this world but alas, it will not leave. The world before has been long gone now. All that is left is the forsaken ruins of civilization. Any memories of this world will die with the survivors. The human race will cease to extinct. This eerie train of thought is only a fraction of what circles his mind in his waking days. Similar thoughts would traverse his brain every day but it doesn’t seem to faze him. In a metaphorical way, he always saw the world as a lifeless ghost town where the spirits refuse to move on. The only difference now is that this metaphor is now literal.

The road carried on and on, showing the same road and the same trees at every mile. John kept walking in spite of this. He doesn’t why he’s going to Chicago, heck, he doesn’t even know why he’s still living. Death has been an old friend of his for many years now. His fear of it is absent and empty. Sometimes he thinks that Lady Luck is playing a cruel trick on him, or his survival instincts could still be raging on. He once thought that it’s just him being scared of becoming a coward. He thinks about this all the time and none of it. If his feet take him to Chicago, then his feet he will follow.

In the distance, the fog started showing a silhouette of something. It looked like some sort of building; it had no second floor but has a very wide structure. Could be some sort of shop, considering the fact he’s in the middle of nowhere. As he got closer to the building, it started to appear from the fog more bigger and visible. A sign then popped out of the fog. It was covered in dirt and blood and only a few key words were still distinguishable. It read “24 hour convenience store”. It thought it was about bloody time that something would appear out of this fucking fog. He then proceeded towards the store in the search of a ride and maybe some supplies.

John was about to walk into the store but he stopped suddenly in his tracks. He slowly looks behind him to see the trees on the other side of the road. He looked towards them with a cautious look in his eye. He felt like something was watching him from that fog, something ghostly and lifeless. He felt like he was staring into the cold abyss of lost souls as he looked towards those trees. He sometimes feels as dead as the ones who watch him. He just went back towards the store and walked right in. he knew it was empty because if he there was something in there, then he would have been dead already. If the creatures of the fog wanted you dead, then you’d be dead already. He started scavenging through the shelves and counters for anything valuable but it was all full of worthless, rusty shit from the old world. He cursed in anger of his misfortune and proceeded to the back room. It was as quiet and ruined as the main shopping floor. Everything looked like it had been raided. He probably wasn’t the first desperate soul to come through here. He was walking around the room slowly, just taking in the desolation, when he feels a small metallic prod from the bottom of his feet. He moved his foot away slowly and looked down in curiosity. It was a set of old and rusty keys. He picked them up to inspect their specific purpose. They looked like they belong to a vehicle. There was an old Volkswagen logo on one of the keys. At lease he knows what it belongs to now. He places the keys in one of his pockets and went out the side door of the building.

As he leaves the side door, he is greeted by the worn out whiteness of an old Volkswagen van right in front of him. On the side of the vehicle was the logo of the convenience store on it. It must have been a delivery van for the store. The van had patches of rust and stained old blood around it. He’s not even sure if it is still driveable. He walked to the front of it and opened up the hood. He started fiddling around with the innards of the vehicle, just checking to make sure if it is fine. Surprisingly it was an alright shape considering the environment it is in. He then closes the hood and steps inside the vehicle. The seats and the counters were lined with a thick layer of dust that danced in the air as John made himself adjusted in the vehicle. He stuck old key into the ignition with hopes that the vehicle still works. He turned it once: Nothing but a stutters and coughs. He turns it again: The same thing but more rougher. He then closed his eyes and slowly turned the ignition. The engine then spluttered back to life with a great big roar. The car started to shake with life and noise was vibrating with rebirth. He then starts setting his backpack onto the passenger seat but was eventually met with a great horror.

Out of nowhere, with sheer force on the windscreen, a blood drenched creature jumped onto the windscreen right in front of him. Fear jumped started his instincts into fight or flight. The creature in front of him was drenched in blood with a disgustingly mangled body. Its jaw was by part of its mouth and there were boils scattered over the body with pink, fleshy rips tattered on its body. It’s damaged clothes represented the chilling fact of its former humanity. It was one of the most disgusting and horrifying things known to the remnants of man, and they now rule this world. It gave a massive ear-trembling scream, as if it was a war call. John’s instincts voted for flight and he quickly switched to gear one and ramped down the accelerator. The sheer speed of it moving caused the creature to lose its balance and tumble over the roof of the vehicle. In his side-door mirror, he could see the creature lying on the ground, temporarily dazed. He then switched to reverse gear to ram the creature over with the back of the van. All that was heard was a mass thud and a dying groan. He moved the gear stick and continued pulling out onto the road, driving towards Chicago.

He didn’t know whether or not he was right to kill the creature or if he should have just left it be. Quite frankly, he didn’t care. He was a man who liked to get even. It wasn’t a personal thing, more of a natural thing. Men have been known to naturally seek revenge and he was in this small race of men. He’s just glad really, to have found some sort of transport. He looks at the fuel gauge and notices that it has a near full tank. This van must have really been abandoned to have a full tank. He knew that it was more than enough to get him to Chicago. What he’ll find there, he doesn’t know but with the shithole that the world is in, he’ll just have to wait and fucking see.

As the second creature fell to the floor, Dean couldn't help but think about the situation he was in. All the surviving, and fighting, it suddenly felt pointless. It made him mad. He made such an effort to stay alive and this is how it ends? The idea of putting a bullet in his brain surfaced once more, but this time a much more serious thought and solution. He couldn't help but think of his mother. He'd give everything to see her again. It only hurt to think about it but there wasn't much else to think of at a time like this. Dean heard footsteps coming from another direction, but didn't even bother reloading the gun. He didn't care anymore, he wasn't sure if it was because how drowsy he was or how helpless his situation now was, but he just didn't care.

His mind wandered as he gave up hope, to the point where he didn't realize a girl had kneeled beside him. For a moment he thought she was a hallucination, but head wounds don't cause those, or. Maybe they did. Dean watched as the girl looked him over, as if she was searching for something. He was still contemplating whether or not she was real, until she spoke. Dean jumped at the sound of another voice. She is real! What were the odds. She raised her hands and began reaching for his head before stopping herself, and asking for permission. Dean couldn't find the words to say, he was still coping with the fact another survivor had found him, in the middle of a forest, located who knows where. Thinking about it made his head hurt more, he grimaced, and nodded to the girl.

Ryan was disappointed. He looked through the first few houses in the suburbs of Chicago, only to find nothing useful. The fact that he wasted a ton of time to no avail also angered him a little. The time it took to search one building was a lot longer than he wanted it to be, because he had to check his every corner in fear of a hungry mutant that might be waiting for him behind it. He also had to sneak between houses, even though seemingly there weren't too many creatures outside. He made a mistake earlier when he decided to attack a lone creature. While he did kill it, its grawls attracted many more and he was forced to run, something he was trying to avoid. Fortunately they gave up as soon as they lost sight of him. He knew he wouldn't always be that lucky however.

His stubborness was put to test as he pondered whether he should continue searching or not. The houses he saw so far where all unfortified and undefended, only one of them had a simple fence. He knew spending a night inside one of those would be suicide. Putting his bag down next to him as he was sitting on a bed in the latest home he looked into, he took out a chocolate bar to boost his spirit. The bed was quite comfortable and for a moment he felt obliged to just lie down, have some sleep and call it a day. A good ten minutes of rest never killed anyone, did it? he said to himself. Suddenly however, he heard shooting from the woods he came from. Immediately jumping up and putting his bag back on his back, he pulled out his pistol from its sheath and ran out.

Slicing two creatures on the way, Ryan quickly arrived to the entrance of Chicago. The sounds of the shots became louder and louder as they guided him to his destination. His mind was racing with the possibility of meeting fellow survivors, finally. The feeling of doubt was there of course, but he overlooked that for now. As he was about to reach the presumed place, the shooting stopped and deadly silence paired with growls occupied everything again, halting him in his tracks. "What if the survivor died?" he thought and started to blame himself for not arriving earlier. However, he decided to still move on and check out what happened.

He noticed a car and two people, one lying seemingly unconscious and the other one trying to help him. They must've been ambushed, he thought. He also saw numerous creatures closing in on them, knowing that he has to act now. Not thinking much, he jumped into the action with a well-placed shot on one of the mutants.
"Keep doing what you're doing, I'll hold them back the best I can!" he shouted to the two, not even introducing himself. Shooting another two bullets, he drew his katana and stood ready for the creatures. Using a safe moment, he plugged in his earphones and turned up some music to add to the vibe.

Takiko grew panicked as she carefully prodded at the headwound, trying to find out how deep the wound really was. She used her shirtsleeve to wipe the blood away, though that didn't hold out long, since this kind of wound tended to bleed badly. She glances around and saw more creatures getting closer. Cursing, she turned to shoot at them, though most of the bullets didn't hit their target. She really was a horrible shot, even though one would think she'd have to have had enough practice by now.

She turned back around, looking at the injured guy. He seemed to be losing consciousness, obviously because of his headwound. He had barely managed to react to her presence, exept flinch and nod at her. She would have to move him to properly treat his injuries. He needed to rest and something to eat, since he really had lost a lot of blood. But even though Takiko was strong, she didn't think she'd be able to carry this guys dead-weight all the way back to her van. While shooting all the creatures coming for them. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to calm herself and put together some proper thoughts on how to proceed. First, she needed to do some first-aid for both the head wound and the arm, he couldn't afford losing any more blood, since there was no way they could they could replenish it without him being awake and able to eat.

She was just about to get the first aid kit from her backpack, when she heard a shot right behind her. Takiko whirled around, her eyes wide and going even wider at what she saw. Another survivor. And one willing to help and hold the creatures back until they would be ready to move. She didn't answer his words, just grit her teeth and did as he said, trying to ignore the sounds to be heard from behind. When she turned back around, she noticed another first aid kit lying on the ground a few meters from them. It must have been thrown our of the car when the accident happened. She got up and ran over, grabbing it and hurrying back, kneeling back down again and spreading it open on the grass. Her eyes went back to her patients face.

"Stay awake!" she told the guy, not loud or agressively, just stern and clearly audible, so that even his damaged brain, that likely wanted to shut of, would hear and comprehend the words. She reached out, taking both sides of his face in her hands and looking at him, trying to catch his eyes. "You have to stay awake, okay?" she repeated. It was important for him not to lose consciousness now, because with a head injury like that it ould happen that he would not wake up again. She let go of him and grabbed one of the knifes in her boots, pulling it out to cut off his shirtsleeve and reach his injured arm better. With quick, trained motions, she started to clean up both wounds as best as she could at that moment, then carefully patched up the headwound and bandaged the arm. She looked up. "You still with me?" she asked him, trying to make out his condition. Then she glanced back to make sure their knight was doing alright.

The sight of his own blood surprised Dean, he wasn't even aware he was bleeding until the girl wiped his forehead with her sleeve, leaving quite a red stain on her shirt. The constant ringing in his head made the gunshots sound as if they were miles away. He felt like the entire situation was some sort of dream and he had already died, but you shouldn't feel pain when you're dead. Dean looked up, trying to space out and ignore the pain in his body. He looked towards the sky, the lake next to them meant there weren't as many trees around, leaving a perfect view of the blue sky above them. In a different context the view could be beautiful. The combination of the sleep deprivation, dizzy head, injuries and loss of blood left Dean completely drained of all energy. He felt so tired, but not in a sleepy way, if that makes sense. In more of a weak way, he just wanted to rest.

He turned his attention back towards the girl, still unable to process the fact she was here. Just being in the presence of another survivor was a nice feeling, but the way she was looking at Dean made him feel uneasy, she seemed very worried. Was his condition that bad? He wanted to sit up and ask her some things but couldn't bring himself to it. "Maybe it's because of the creatures," Dean casually thought to himself. More gunshots could be heard but the girl wasn't shooting this time. He could hear shouting and assumed the she had a friend with her but that didn't seem to be the case, because she had gotten up and ran away. He felt confused, and wasn't sure what was going on at the moment. "Maybe somebody was following me," Dean whispered to himself as he now lay alone. His head didn't hurt anymore, and neither did his arm, they both felt numb. He couldn't help closing his eyes and try to rest. The thought of his mother resurfaced as he attempted to sleep, if he awoke, it would probably be as one of these creatures. If he didn't, well. Than he didn't.

"Stay awake!" the girl shouted. Dean's eyes popped open, the girl had returned. The sharp pain in his body came back in a moments notice, he suddenly felt somewhat awake, as if he had just woken from a nightmare. She gently grabbed his face and told him once more to stay awake. The moment was bittersweet, her hands felt warm but not in a sense of heat, in a sense of life, it was a nice feeling but, why did he need to stay awake? She pulled out a knife and cut open his sleeve, revealing a large gash on his left arm. He was taken aback at the sight of the injury. As the girl tended his wounds Dean attempted to look around, trying to analyze the situation. More gunshots were being fired as what seemed to be another survivor fended off a large amount of creatures with a katana. "Fuck" He whispered to himself. They were making way too much noise and needed to get away from the area. These two people were in danger and risking their lives to help him. This was his fault, he felt like a helpless idiot.

"Yeah" Dean said to her "You shouldn't have come though, you two need to get away from here." He slowly sat up and began to load his shotgun. He spoke quickly in a panicking tone. "You guys really need to leave here, there's gonna be too many, like, there's just gonna be too many and it's bad you guys have to please go, I don't have anything to repay you for helping me, you can have this bag, it's got ammo and thing but just please go. Don't die here with me."

There was not much planning involved in Ryan's decision to defend the other two survivors. If he would've hesitated, he might've just arrived too late. He was not the self-sacrificing hero type, but he was willing to expose himself to danger for the sake of others. Until a certain point, that is. As the number of creatures to slay or shoot down kept growing, he felt that he has crossed this point. However, bailing out right now was not an option. Betraying the two when they basically placed their lives on him was far worse than just letting them fight for themselves. So he kept on going.

The creatures came constantly, mostly in small groups, fortunately for Ryan. The smaller their mobs are, the easier it is to deal with them. Sometimes he felt that he was thrown into some sort of bizarre game where he's the playable character, having to fight until he's overwhelmed. The difference was, there was no respawn. If it's game over, there's no waking up. Or there is, but that's worse than dying. For a moment, he thought about all these relentless monsters being fellow humans once. He knew that he must not feel remorse for killing them despite this fact, as he actually does them a favor by doing so.

Despite not having a huge arsenal, Ryan managed to master the katana and the pistol, the two weapons he had and was constantly switching between them for close and longer range combat respectively, making sure he was using them for maximum effectiveness. Some of the shots caused more gore than others and after a few minutes his clothes were starting to get bloody. While he would be disgusted of that in regular days, he didn't have the time nor the luxury to complain right now. Despite all the hazards, he held pretty well, not allowing the creatures to get close to the survivors, even if the only way of keeping them away was to draw them away from them and to him. He played a dangerous game, but so far it paid off.

Slowly but surely however, he was getting exhausted. He missed more and more shots and eventually ran out of bullets. He glimpsed back to the pair. The girl looked very worried rightfully so, as the guy was struggling to stay awake and alive. The situation seemed hopeless. Suddenly, the guy, with a very desperate voice, asked him and the girl to get away from him and let him die. Even though at that point it most likely would've been the most logical option, Ryan refused to leave. Not after this last 15 or so minutes. However, they needed to get away quick indeed. Despite only using the katana for a while now, he has already made enough noise to wake all the creatures up in the proximity. They couldn't hold them all back.

His mind was racing, trying to think of a plan to get them all away. They could most probably get away with the truck next to them and there was enough space to house the injured guy until the girl, who was seemingly a doctor, could cure him more effectively. But how could they get him on the truck while still fending off the creatures? Even though he wasn't fat at all, but he was practically dead weight and it would surely take both of them to carry him, unless he can stand up and go by himself. Still, this was the only available option he could think of.
"You're right, we can't stay here anymore, but I won't let you die here. We go together. If the truck is still functional, we have a chance. You - Ryan pointed at the girl - could help him get on it while I hold the creatures off. Once that's done, I get on too and we're gone." he presented his plan.

Takiko was truly relieved when she finally heard him talk. Until then she had merely gotten a few looks from him and it was never a good sign if the patient wasn't able to talk to you, especially when said patient had a head wound caused by a car accident. With the brain you never knew what would happen. But he seemed to be awake again and was enough so, to sit up, move a little and to think properly. Not that she would listen to him, even if their knight would decide differently. She had long ago given up on finding any survivors so wasily like this and now she had found two of them. And she was certain she could safe the injured one. As long as they managed to get away from there and not be bitten. She turned around and gasped at the sheer numbers of creatures having collecting in what little time it had taken her to take care of the wounds. She wouldn't have thought that there would be so many of them in this forest, though she guessed it was the close vicinity to the city that had the things roaming around here. Maybe she'd been lucky not to have taken that bath, even though she still wished to get one. After all, she had added blood to the dirt and sweat.

She turned back around and looked at the guy. "I share our knights opinion. I've patched you up for now, I'll need to stitch up both wounds when we have the time, but this should stop the bleeding, which is most important. You'll be fine as long as we can get away from here." She glanced at the truck and sighed. "The truck won't get us anywhere, I guess." Takiko turned to look at the other guy. He didn't look like he had a lot of muscles hidden somewhere. She looked at her patient. "I'll help you up. Do you think you can even remotely walk, if I support you?" she asked him then raised her voice for the other one to hear her properly as well. "My van is parked not far from here. A few minutes north, through the forest." she gestured towards the direction she'd come from. She glanced at all the equipment strewn about. "Is there anything we need to take with us?" What she meant was if there was any important memento he needed. A photo or something. Because she herself wouldn't leave that kind of thing behind if she had the chance, not in times like these, where you neede something to hold on to, to keep going.

Dean gave a stressful sigh. It was situation's like this he spent so much time and effort trying to avoid and now not only has he failed at that but he's dragged two others into it all. It was obvious the two didn't want to abandon him so arguing about it would only waste time and get them all killed. "Yeah, I can" he said to the girl in an exhausted tone as the two stood up. She was saving his life, he hated having to slow her down. The sound of gunshots ceased so it was safe to assume their knight had exhausted his ammunition.

When the girl asked if there was anything that needed to be brought Dean looked around the area at all of his equipment and items. His head started hurting once more and he suddenly felt sick. He couldn't keep his eyes from watering up. He very much wanted to say yes. He wanted to search through the wreckage for his belongings. Things older than the creatures that inhabit the world, things from his normal life. But it would go against many rules he created for himself and practically lived by, rules and habits that had brought him this far.

He had specifically planned beforehand, a long time ago, what to do when it came to the things he needed to survive and the things he didn't want to lose, but he wasn't prepared to go through with his decision. "Um, yeah. My backpack." he said with uncertainty in his voice. There were plenty of other things he considered far more valuable than what was in his bag, but he had to ignore those thoughts. "I'll come back soon, for other things." They were right next to a lake, that could be a landmark, it had to be on a map or guide or something. Even so he didn't really think it was likely he'd find his way back here, but again he had to ignore those thoughts.

Dean dropped the shotgun back into the green army bag. "There's a bunch of guns and ammo here" he shouted to their knight "Can you buy us just a little more time?" Hopefully it was enough to hold back the creatures for a short moment, although it was impressive how long the guy had held back the creatures already. Dean began moving towards his backpack with the support of the girl. It was a few yards from their position, laying in the grass. His body must have had an adrenaline rush earlier when he woke up in the truck, because he could now feel the full extent of his injuries and it was taking everything in him just to move a short distance. He very much wanted to give up and collapse. The only thing stopping him from doing so were his saviors. "I'm sorry for putting you two in this position" Dean whispered as they approached the bag.

The place was covered in cobwebs, bookcases strewn all over the floor. Barely any of them were still left standing. She moved forward over squeaky floorboards, taking note of the holes in the floor. The front desk had blood splattered over the side. It wasn't fresh thankfully. Emma didn't bother trying with the light switch but she knew she could get quite some warmth out of this place by using some of the books for a fire. She surveyed the area, taking a blanket and a book or two. There wasn't much else that was useful. A small fireplace was located in the back of the room. She began to toss a couple books inside it.

When she was done with that, she set down her bag and began to search through it for a match. Emma paused hearing a dim growling noise suddenly. Was that her stomach or ...? She slowly stood, picking up her bag and taking out her gun. She stared out the window. Nothing seemed to be there. That was when a gigantic figure burst through the window, shattering the glass. Her eyes widened and she felt her heart nearly burst out of her rib cage. Adrenaline rushed through her and she jolted backward, shoving a bookcase at the incoming figure. She didn't take time to take in the details of it's appearance; she just kept moving. The creature roared, letting Emma know she had hit him with the bookcase. She shot a couple bullets at it while it was winded but the skin was thick and it was going to take more. Nothing in this room could provide anything of use here. Emma moved up a small staircase and aimed her gun swiftly at his eye. She shot at it and watched as it stood up on its legs and screeched in agony. It was so dim in the library it just looked like the silhouette of a mass reaching from the floor to the ceiling. Emma didn't waste her time. She darted around it and through the shattered window. Pain shot upper her leg as a hole in her jeans was torn. A piece of glass had torn it and scathed the skin. Emma cursed under her breath and quickly did a scope of the area. Her eyes set on a gas station and she began running toward it. Sure enough, the creature broke through the book store, toppling down pieces of the brick that held it up and began chasing after her with impressive speed.

John continued to drive down the main road at a fair pace of 50-60 miles per hour. There were barely any delays on his side of the road. Abandoned old cars and the occasional fallen tree were mostly swept to the road leading out of the city. It reminds him during the week of the outbreak. On the news were piles of cars trying to scrap themselves out of the city, thousands of people desperately trying to live but were still following the mundane rules of the road. Their caution for safety was a factor in their own ultimate demise. He then turned his eyes back to the road and just kept staring into space. His eyes show a weary deadness that tells an unfortunate story. His one hand grabbed tightly onto the steering wheel was calloused and reddened. They were jaded, spent and filled with a life full of unforgettable experiences. The fog ahead started showing more buildings and fewer trees. These were clear signs of a suburb ahead, which also means that Chicago was approaching closer and closer by the mile.

The suburb looked like most of villages and towns that he passed by. Some of the buildings were barricaded with poorly designed barriers, cars were abandoned and discarded like candy bar wrappers, bits of luggage from the cars were scattered all over the road, with some of the lighter objects dancing a tango in the wind. He looked around for any sign of the creatures but it seems quite quiet. This made John drive with unease. They could be hiding in the buildings, peeking from the windows like little children waiting for Santa Claus. His state of alertness was momentarily interrupted by the fuel gauge on his van blinking. Shit, thought John. He was so sure he had enough. He either underestimated the distance or overestimated the van. Both way, he needs fuel and he needs it fast. He starts to pull up into opening of one of the suburbs. In front of him were a few abandoned suburb houses, arranged in a semi circle. He knows that in most suburbs there is always one person with a second car that they barely use. Hopefully there’ll be fuel in it because he doesn’t want to spend the night here, it’ll be his last.

He puts the van into neutral, puts the handbrake on and exits the vehicle. There was no point in locking it, considering the fact that most people in this world now have bigger problems than car thieves. He looks around at the houses around him. They were all normal looking, like all the others but there was one house that did not look anything like the ones before. It was a house on his near right. The windows were barricaded heavily but they had deep precision and weren’t five minute jobs. There were spikes set up on the front lawn and top floor windows even had tiny holes big enough to put a rifle of some sort through. This wasn’t some random pussy of a civilian; this was a man with experience and training. Was he a cop? A soldier? A prisoner even? It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that this place could have gas but it also could have death inside. Some people aren’t always prone to share. He continues to walk slowly up the old path up to the door. He reached the front door, it was barricaded but it looked like it can open. It was now or never. With great tense and caution, John begins to open the door slowly.

“Don’t move!” came a mysterious male voice from behind. All John could feel was the cold metal of a gun barrel poking at the back of his head. He then places his arms up slightly and slowly to represent that he has no weapons in his hands. The oddest thing was, he is now face with possible death but all he can think is how the stranger managed to get behind him with out so much a peep. If he is to die there and then, a curious look at this stranger could give him a little bit of peace in his final hour. With his back towards the man, John waits anxiously for the gunman to reveal himself.

Willie waited a moment before doing anything else, he wanted to see if the man was willing to try something. Nobody else was spotted during lookout but even so they needed to get inside as soon as possible. If this was some type of distraction and this guy had a friend watching and waiting in the distance, being outside wasn't safe. It wasn't fun having to be so cautious but these days caution is what keeps you alive. This man looked like trouble, but even if he didn't Willie wouldn't dare let his guard down until he was sure he wasn't a threat. "Belle!" He shouted, and immediately a woman opened the door, pointing a glock at the stranger. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she didn't look a day over thirty, the way she trained her pistol on the man showed she had definitely used the gun countless times. Belle began patting the stranger down with one hand and aimed her gun with the other, should he try anything. "Sorry bout' this" Willie said to the man. This wasn't the first time he and Belle had to pat down a someone and even so things sometimes turned out pretty bad. Belle finished and held in her left hand a Beretta M9 along with a standard army knife.

Willie gently pushed his carbine into the strangers back. "Let's go inside man," Belle stayed outside for a moment, observing the area to make sure nobody was coming, then followed the two inside, closing and locking the door behind her. Willie lead the guy to their living room, motioning him to take a seat on a couch. He and Belle both lowered their guns and were now facing the stranger. This was the first time Willie looked at the man up close, apart from watching him walk up to their house through a pair of binoculars. He seemed dangerous, his eyes told a not so pleasant story. The stranger looked like he had been through a war, both physically and mentally. "My names Willie, and this is my partner Belle. Sorry we had to pat ya' down'an what not. I'm sure ya know how things can be now'days." Willie took a seat on a couch opposite of the stranger, a coffee table lay in the middle of the two with an assortment of ammunition, canned foods, and silverware sprawled all over. Belle walked into the kitchen, placing the stranger's weapons on the counter and picked up a pair of binoculars. She began to observe the neighborhood, in case the stranger had any friends. The house looked like it had been occupied by the two for quite some time. There were clothes, bags and equipment scattered about. The place looked lived in and somewhat cozy, even considering the dangers of living in the suburbs.

Willie turned on the safety on his rifle and placed the stock on the floor. He held the barrel of the rifle with one hand and rubbed his chin with the other, observing the guy for a moment. "What brings you to our doorstep stranger?"

Takiko was relieved to find her patient was even remotely able to walk properly. She would not have known how else they would have had a possibility to get out of this alive, since neither she nor their knight was going to leave the injured guy behind. She wasn't sure when things had come to this, but it seemed enough time of solitude and running away had passed for survivors, or at least some of them, to want to help each other, instead of saving their own skins as it had been like in the beginning. It was a sure sign, that they were getting less and less and Takiko wasn't sure whether it was something to be happy about, since they were hepling each other out, or sad, because their situation had worsened so much that this necessity arose.

She shook those thoughts off though as she helped her patient get to his backpack. She had just wanted to offer that they could come back later to collect the other things, sometime when she had properly tended to him and his wounds had started healing, so that there would be no risk in this, when he said it himself. So she just nodded and concentrated on supporting him. Moving seemed to be difficult for him and was growing an alarming shade of white in the face, especially since he had already been really pale before, from all the blood loss. They had to hurry and get him to her van, where he could rest and she could sew his wounds close and bandage them properly.

Takiko turned her head to look at him when he whispered his apology, then shook it and gave him a small smile. "No need." she told him earnestly. "This was our decision. I don't know about our knight, but for me, it's actually the closest I will ever get to getting to do my job." They reached the bag they had been making their way towards. She made sure he was able to stand upright and bend to pick up the backpack, slinging it over her shoulder, where it joined her own. It was heavy and would be hard to move with, but her patient was barely able to walk the way it was, so she wouldn't let him carry any more weight, it would slow them down more if he wore it, than when she would.

"Good, how are you holding up?" she called over to their knight. "We're ready to leave and..." she looked over the growing number of creatures, "we should defintely hurry before even more of those things come to get a bite of as well."

That would be suitable too. Ryan said when the girl mentioned that her van is parked near and they can escape by that. The injured guy could barely walk, so she needed to be with him. Especially if they planned to go through the forest. But first, they needed to pack up everything they wanted to carry with them, as it was unlikely that they will revisit this place anytime soon. Ryan still had his backpack on him and that was all he needed. He knew he had to make a final stand to give time to the two to get to that van. Even though his morale wasn't at its highest, he still felt a strange sense of warmth in his heart. The fact that the girl called him a "knight" just added to it.

Already turning back towards the creatures with his katana up, he stopped when he heard the guy telling him that he has guns and ammo in his bag. "Why thank you! This will surely help..." he said and rushed to the bag, searching through it. The guy didn't lie, it had a few guns and plenty of ammo inside. Thinking about what would be best for the situation, he finally settled on the hunting rifle. All right. This thing kicks like a mule and makes hell of a noise, but it punches hard and this is what matters now." he explained his decision to them. Knowing that he doesn't need to get up close and personal anymore, he stayed close to the pair and covered them from there. Taking careful aim before each shot, he did his best to keep his hands steady even in this moment of excitement and fear. Despite being lackluster for the first few shots, he managed to make most of the upcoming ones count.

Soon enough, the girl called over to him, signalling that they were ready to go. "Finally...let's move!" he responded.