Dallen laughed a bit as he rested his eyes. "Don't worry kid, once we get out of here, you're on your own," the man said. He wasn't one for groups anyway, and the thought of babysitting a couple of twins nerved him. His plan was just to get out of the city, wherever that led him next he didn't know.

When he opened his eyes next, he realized he actually had slept from pure exhaustion. Whether it was hours or only a few minutes, he felt fresh enough to continue on. He got up in the dark and stretched a bit, then opened the door. "Come on."

The sounds from above had seemed to stop, as they continuously walked for hours on end. At the next subway entrance he decided to try his luck by going up. Maybe it was better now, though he really had no idea where exactly they were. He led the way up the stairs cautiously, only to be blinded by the beaming light of the sun. He waited a moment to let his eyes adjust, then went up.

They were just outside of the city, at one of the last stops before it turned into the countryside. The view of it all was a lot to take in, as a few buildings were toppled over one another. Fires and smoke filled the skyline, but all seemed relatively quiet. Where they currently were, there were numerous abandoned vehicles with no signs of the owners. All piled up and empty. Dallen checked a few until he found the keys still inside a jeep. He fired it up and began pushing a few cars out of the way to make a clearing.

Suddenly a sound could be heard from above, and he looked up to see it was a military helicopter with a trail of black smoke following behind it. It swerved out of control and soon went down somewhere beyond the treeline. This told him the military was still somewhere in the area, and if wanted to loot the chopper he had to get there first.

"Follow the I-15 until you get to the 215," Dallen told them. "That'll take you to the rural areas leading out of the city. Same area that helicopter just went down. Goodluck."

He slammed his foot on the gas and headed for the helicopter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm Ethan," the former history teacher told the new face he saw. "That girl sleeping is Raven, and that's Johnny." He sat down next to her and immediately felt his body lump into the soft cushions. "Don't worry, we're good people. Just trying to make it out of this thing alive."

Johnny got a sense of relief from what Reena had shown him. He knew she was stocked, but it was far better to see it as such. Before he could say anything else, he heard a line of gunfire that didn't seem to stop. It was coming in the direction of the entrance, where all the cars were backed up. It kept on, though it was far enough away for now.

"Some bad people might get in," Johnny told her. "Some desperate people. We might have to fight for this place to stand, sooner rather than later. I'll take up watch, you and the others should get some rest if you can. We're gonna need all our energy tomorrow, I feel."

With that, Johnny went up and posted himself on the second floor of the barn. He could see just over the trees in all directions, so he nestled next to a slab of hay and waited. Nothing ever came as the rise of the morning sun showered over the grass. The gunfire had eventually stopped in the night, and all was back to silence again, save for the crickets. Johnny found himself taking five minute breaks with resting his eyes, all night, and somehow, he still felt fresh in the morning.

The musician hopped down and went back into the farm house, wondering how everyone else had fared the night. Everyone seemed to be up, or just waking up. Ethan walked over to him. "I need to go try to find my wife," he said.

"I don't think that's the best idea right now," Johnny told him. "There was a gun fight out there all night. We could be walking into a warzone. We should eat, gather our weapons, then come up with a plan. We need some of us to stay here and protect this place, who knows what's out there."

Head shooting up at the sound of gun fire Reena looked outside, eyes wide before looking back to the male inside. "I'm bringing the horses in. Don't need to put up with them getting shot, won't find another source of transportation out in this hell hole." With that she began walking out, keeping her head low yet she couldn't help but notice how almost all her animals were uneasy. Animals that were used in police work were uneasy in their own home. "The situation that bad huh."

One by one the barn began to stock up on animals. "If something happens just let them out. Best chance for them to run away for us to get em later." She was about to deny the offer, she knew this place better than anyone, least anyone here. Yet Jhonny was already up in the hay loft. "Theres a flash light in the trunk up there, tell me when you need to switch."

Telling the others what was going on Rena decided to settle in the barn. She was used to sleeping in there, crossbow on her lap she snuggled into a pile of horse blankets yet she could only sleep for moments at a time.

----
The smell of food wafted through her senses in the morning. James taking control of the kitchen found himself some eggs to cook. Thankful for the act she sat down, elbows on her knees as she heard the words spoken. "Listen, I understand you need to find your family, I'll help you with that. I promised I would check up on the petersons today anyway. First things first I'm going to show you whats what on my property. I got about 11 archers out here, wait one sec."
Standing up she moved to her office, going through her documents till she pulled out a few maps of the area and top view of her own stable. Speaking as she moved she took up the table, turning off the TV she began to take over the table. "Aright, I have five animals. Epona, Vader, Gandalf, Roach and Azazel the mule. You best ask if your taking them out but they are the best way to get around here since the roads are blocked. Never go alone, always take someone who knows what there doing so ether me or James."

Pulling out a pen she began to circle points, saying what barn, farm, stable or store was there. "Listen, I'm stocked encase of emergency, I have food, I have horses and a few weapons cause I enjoy hunting. People know this and if they are desperate enough than we might end up seeing them on bad terms."

James was at the back, trying to find some appetite yet seeing the grim look in everyone's eyes was causing him to feel full. "Didn't you say that everyone is going crazy. Bet Tom Thumb is empty. Has gear, food, we can pack up some horses grab the saddle bags and pick the place dry. Get everything we can before its taken apart."

"There, there Gandalf," Johnny said to the animal as he pet it along its side. "I'm on your side, wise one."

Johnny saddled up the horse and leapt onto it, only to immediately fall off the other side and eat dirt.

"Ah, what the hell Gandalf! What's with your horse Reena!?"

Ethan smirked as he looked to Reena. "Sounded like a good plan on paper..."

Johnny gave it another go, this time with success. He trotted Gandalf around the group as he attempted to get a feel for it.

"Okay, so we go raid this guys place," Johnny started, while simultaneously trying to regain control of the horse. "What if he's there and tries to kill us? Do we just...kill him?"

Ethan got on one of the other horses with relative ease and waited for the others.

"We should at least try and see what happened at the entrance blockade," Ethan suggested. "If I'm to find my wife, that would be a good starting point. We could also see what we're up against, if anything."

"What's that!?" Raven suddenly blurted out coming down from the porch. She pointed to the sky, which revealed a long trail of smoke just beyond the trees.

"Looks like trouble," Johnny said.

"Someone could need our help," Ethan added. "It's a large fire. Maybe a sign? It looks like it's on the way."

"I'm thinking...trouble," Johnny said again. "Fuck it, whoevers coming, lets get this over with while we have daylight."

It took him a brief moment, but he finally got the horse moving in the right direction.

@Sol Grim@Always

Reena couldn't help but laugh when she saw Jonny fall off Gandalf. "You aright, hes a big guy so that must have hurt." Big was right, the silvery grey gelding was a percheron, a full scale draft horse of sheer muscle that looked like he was ready to charge into war. Yet he was a gentle giant, she trusted 4 year olds riding the wizard like beast. "Its cause you didn't have your foot all the way in the stirrup, jump a bit he'll stand still for ya."

yet first thing was first, tending to her animals she began to wrap their legs in thick bandages, Gandalf being the slowest and largest target she took his leather padding she had on his driving harness to provide some kind of armour as well as Vader and Epona. "There, its like riding a bike, pull the reins one way they go, pull the other way they will follow, kick to go and pull to stop. If you say follow they will just stick close to the heard."

James on the red coloured mule Azazel simply stared at the sky, baited breath as he began to feel a bit off about the smoke line. "I'll go with you to find your family, not a fighter but Reena would take me hunting so I kinda know how to track. What about you guys?" It was wise to not travel in a mass of numbers, too large of a target that would attract attention and they wouldn't be able to move nearly as fast.

Reena still on the ground stood next to Vader. A hot blooded stallion with a nasty temper. Least thats what they said when they sent him to her under the name Beauty for training. "The smoke is coming from town, might as well go to tomb thumb. And Jonny, you so much as point that gun one one of these folk who still have a good head on their shoulders I will leave you for dead. Don't need to add to the body count if we can help it."
The voice she used had left no room for arguments, yet seeing the girls at the back, eyes wide in worry she realized she didn't have enough animals to take them with. Only animal left was Epona yet the mare could use the rest. "Hold on a sec"
Entering back into the house she mentioned for the rest to follow. "Hold the place down, keep an eye out for anyone showing up. If you think its bad than go here." the place was old, rebuilt several times, opening the door to her own room to show case a computer set up from competitive gaming and gear a convention would kill for she opened a walk in closet. Rummaging through cloths only to reveal the carpet moved to show a celler door. "Hide in there if it gets bad, don't try to run and this will be the first place I look if you aren't in sight, understand?"
Opening up her gun locker she handed a 10mm and a heavy sniper riffle. "Use these only when absolutely necessary, kay."

Moving back outside she found James holding the stallion. With a steady stride the woman practically climbed the towering mount with the ease as if she was jumping into bed. "Listen to James, kid knows who is who. Just keep him safe please." The blond simply rolled his eyes at the words as he turned the mule away. "Come on, theres a few houses around the blockade as well. Maybe they found someone willing to take them in."

Watching them go Reena turned to Jonny, mentioning him to follow. "By the way, if Gandalf won't go down that way, don't force him. Horses know when a predator is around before you do." Clicking her toung she asked Vader to go forward, the animal giving a few bucks and thrashing his head at the amount of fabric draped over his hide. "Yeah, yeah, you'll thank me for it later you little shit."

Taking him down the trails the red head found herself looking over her shoulder. "So, Jonny right, been saying your name correctly? What did you do before this all happened? Kinda wanna know who has my back." Her ears keen for gun fire she seemed rather relaxed in the saddle, ducking from the low hanging branches she began to lead them off the main trails into the woods and away from the public paths. Still with the smoke overhanging in mind.

"Yeah," Johnny said. He paused for a moment to think about how he should answer the question. This girl just accepted him and a few strangers into her home, but he felt being honest would put her off a bit. He knew he was a fuck up in life, but she didn't need to know that. She needed someone who would have her back, and he would. "Uh, I was unemployed. Nothing special. So, you run this whole place by yourself? I mean, besides the help from James. Doesn't it get lonely?"

He had gandalf moving right beside her, calm and steady now. He pet the animal as he trotted along, enjoying the rising sun as it showered its light through the fields.

--------------

Ethan was following James to the entrance, also riding along side the kid.

"So what grade are you...were you in?" he wondered. "I teach high school students down at Mellington High. My wife does too. I hope you get to meet her, she would like you. She always liked hardworking kids."

Alex and Kiley hopped on the motorcycle and watched Dallen speed off. "Alright. Let's hope the way to the farms is clear. Also hope they are still alive." Alex and Kiley rode for a good while going slow and looking at all the horror caused. Massive pileups, numerous wrecks, obliterated buildings. The worst though was the endless amounts of bodies trapped in immovable ovens and inescapable tombs. This was all they could see just outside the city, but once they got farther out it was not as bad. Still though, the images would always be in their memory.

"Do you really think it will be better farther out?"

"I hope so. Whatever these things are they most likely got destroyed in the bombings. I just hope it wasn't a widespread disease." As Alex finished his sentence they pulled up on another roadblock. Long lines of cars trying to get somewhere, but when they finally reached the front all that was there was a single 'body' ripped apart by what appeared to be teeth and hands and lying beside it was a automatic rifle covered in blood and guts. Looking far down the road bodies were lying as if they had been running either from or towards something. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure but we need to check it out."

"What! Why?"

"Think about it. If there were people here they ran from something. We need to follow to see if someone is in danger." Alex revved the engine and speed down the road constantly looking around to make sure they weren't waking up something the shouldn't. They finally stopped when they could see in the distance a few of the things surrounding a couple of houses.

@Sol Grim

Brow raised at the words Reena shrugged her shoulders, accepting the answer for now. "Guess life is getting to be hard on everyone now a days. Let me guess, its why you smell like a pot head to am I correct." She couldn't help but smirk at that, shes been taking in kids in the "troubles teen" system to "get the on the right track." Its how she got James, "sorry, but weed is a pretty strong scant, also its used in pain killers for horses with a cannon bone fracture so I really don't care."

Vader calming down with the hides on his back, saddle bags thumping at his sides the Red head found herself ruffling his mane. "Thats a good boy, see not so bad." Yet she couldn't help but laugh slightly at the words from the male next to her. A light thing, not in mockery but just in the sense. "No no, not at all. Yeah, I own that place now, its hard work but people come to see me. Vader here is actually named Beauty, he's a national jumping champion that supposedly went crazy on his rider and I been asked to work with him. I fix horses with people problems and people come with their horses. I also train kids so I get plenty of visitors."
Leaning back in the saddle the woman began to relax, yet the tapping crossbow on her back made her quick to realize that it was never a good idea to just zone out right now.
"Not to mention I'm kinda a nerd, I..I kinda go to comic con and Pax every year and went overboard.soooo, well lets just say I get lots of company online...." Rubbing the back of her neck she felt the tips of her ears turn pink. What would people think of her once they realize that she is one of those people who would put a few hundred hours in a game while playing for around 13 hours at a time?

Coming into contact with the concrete she pulled off her crossbow, back straight she began to look around, mentioning for Jonny to do the same. James was right, the place was loaded with scavengers trying to pack up their bags and get as far away from here as possible. "Stay close, and if someone asks who you are just let me do the talking."
The stallion starting to get hot headed when his hooves hit the pavement, Reena found herself squeezing his sides with her legs. Her quiver bouncing with the high stepped trot. "Easy boy"
Easier said than done when a car sped past not even feet from her. Lucky Johnny was on the easy tempered draft, but Vader? The ebony beast went right up in a rear, her seat sliding slightly as she hung on. "Easy by, calm down, easy." Her voice soothing she took him into the parking lost, the yells coming from inside other shops she went to the back, dismounting as she tied the horses down. Taking the saddle bags she helped Johnny with the one across Gandalf. "Aright, get in and get out, look for water, medical supplies and weapons aright? Those are gonna be the first to vanish, be careful."

With that she opened up the back door, there was probably seven other people inside ransacking the place. Shoving each other out of the way yet paying no mind to the new comers. They were just trying to get supplies and leave before something real dangerous was about to show up. "Poor Tom, probably didn't stand a chance protecting this place."
Going through the isle way she began filling her bag with bandages, flash lights, batteries, anything that she knew was going to become scare later. Her mind flashing she went to the font desk, sliding over it to find the hunting knives. Stocking up she was already putting a few on her belt, finding her partner to hand him two as well.

She didn't speak, only work. Pain killers, water, a few emergency food rations. she was fast, making far better time with Johnny's help. Every few minutes checking in on her horses in the back to make sure no one made off with them.
At the front area her saddle bags becoming slightly heavy she was packing in a small water purifier when she felt someone grab the back of her head. Slamming it into a shelf.
Pain, sheer pain ransacked into her skull, too dizzy to stand as she fell in a heap of boxes and cans. A groan escaping her she tried to get up only to find someone grabbing her arm. She recognized that face, black shaggy hair, cowboy hat, brown eyes and a smug smirk. "Oh shit"
It was her ex, David Smith, cattle ranchers son who she kicked to the curb and he never really been civil with her since. "Oh shit is right, everything hit the fan and your trying to get Tom out of business." Something warm was running down her face, he probably gave her a bloody nose, everything was cloudy, if he wasn't holding her up she would be swaying.
"Tom's not here, every man for himself." Thats all she could think off yet as the male nodded she felt a fist in her gut causing all the air to escape her lungs. It was what she needed though in a sick twisted way, she woke up, the dizziness gone for only a moment she grabbed a cane beans and smashed in the side of his skull with all her strength. It was enough for him to let her go, scrambling away only for him to pull her back, her head slamming into his face with on instinct, clouds running through her vision again.
Grabbing her bag she was top heavy for a second as she began to run to the back. Blood straining her shirt she fell slightly, crashing through a basket of dog treats she reached for her cross bow only to find that for some stupid reason the bolt wasn't in it. "Come on come on"
She was trying to pull back the string. A full 130 draw though was proving to be difficult for shaking hands. "Come on" she just needed to load it, just point it at the ass hole and he would leave! Thats all she needed!

-----

James looking up at the question he shrugged his shoulders. "Was gonna try my senior year again next year. Dropped out because of some stupid shit, got into trouble, landed me in juvy." He kept looking around as they road, any signs for anyone. Reena's words in his head of how she reminded him to keep his senses sharp. Anything could happen.
Oh how right she was.
"Thats how I came here actually, I was in the system of rehabilitation or whatever. They said that some time on a farm would be good for me. Honestly I thought my boss would be my worst nightmare since she works with a place for "helping troubled youth" though that changed when I found out she just called me a "shit that needs his ass kicked." Laughing a bit at the memory he turned them through a trail again, leading them through the near by woods of the main roads.
"Honestly shes more like a mother than my actual one. Least she never forgotten me somewhere, actually shes been one to pick me up whenever I called her saying how my mom was drunk or some other stupid thing and I was stuck at some crazy crack house." It was true, the red head was far more like family than his real one was. Taking him with her to conventions so he could meet his favourite actors or play new games, getting him registered to try again at school even though he previously dropped out. She really helped him clean up, even taking the time to home school him so he was ready for a new year. "Guess all that work was for nothing, I was actually gonna try this time to. Least I could do for all the shit she put up with."

Nose catching the smell of smoke he dismounted, handing Ethan the reins as he moved about, low to the ground. "Someone was here, old camp fire, maybe from last night."
Moving around he began to kick up leaves, dirt, anything to uncover something. "Lets see here...Ha! How old are your kids? Did they take vitamins or something?" He was hoping he was right, holding up a old cartoon vitamin that turned to chalk in his hands he kept looking around. Least he didn't feel useless. "We're pretty close to the main road to, if this isn’t them than we can at least track them. Its someone's kid and I'm betting a mom would feel better with a group."

"Six and eight," Ethan said. He wasn't sure himself if it would be them, as nothing he saw could justify it, but he followed through the trees on path anyway.

The large, thick smoke they had seen from the farm earlier was just beyond the nearest trees now. The brush was thick, so Ethan dismounted and tied his horse's reigns to a low branch. He pushed forward, and on the other side of the brush he saw a crashed helicopter. Smoke still rising from it, he raised his shirt over his mouth and approached.

"You! Hands up!" yelled a voice.

Three men in military fatigues came seemingly out of nowhere. They rushed the two and brought them to the dirt, spreading there arms and legs. It happened so fast, Ethan had no time to think.

"Where's all the gear you stole?" the man asked.

"They have horses!" the furthest one said.

"Check 'em."

"Gear?" Ethan was confused. "We're just looking for my family. We-"

"Shut up!" the man stepped on one of his hands, bringing Ethan to silence. He cringed from the pain.

"Nothing," the man called out. "They're clean. What do we do with them?"

"Kill them."

"Wait!" Ethan suddenly found his voice again. "He's just a kid! Let him go, please!"

The man aimed his AR-15 at James and laughed.

"It's a new world stranger," the man said. "There are no kids anymore. No women, children...it's just us and them. It's nothing personal, it's just survival."

A crackle of gunfire rang out through the trees. Ethan buried his face in the dirt and tensed up his body, expecting the worst. When the gunfire stopped, he looked up and saw all three men lying on the ground. Two were instantly dead, but the third was gurgling up blood as he stared up to the sky. A man in a black suit walked by, coming out from the trees. He stood over the dying man and aimed his rifle down at him. He fired off a single shot to the downed man's head.

"Get up," Dallen said.

Dallen began collecting the weapons, handing a rifle to Ethan and one to James as they stood. The last weapon he slung over himself.

"They're coming," Dallen told them. "You have a place to hide?"

"We're...we're looking for my family," Ethan stuttered, accepting the rifle. "They might be near."

"They're dead," Dallen said bluntly. "You will be to if you don't listen to me. We need to find shelter for now. There's to many of them coming this way."

"The military?"

"The dead," Dallen said.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny huffed, smelling himself in the process.

"I picked this biker jacket up on the way," he informed her, pulling out a small bag of weed from one of the pockets. "How'd that get in there!"

He laughed a bit when she told him she was a nerd.

"You didn't have to tell me that, I figured as much," he joked.

He followed her to the point of interest, staying near the back and taking as many supplies as he could while trying to avoid any confrontations. He loaded the horses up a first time when he heard the commotion going on inside. He went in to see Reena on the floor, a guy standing over her. He raised his glock and aimed it at the man.

"Move and you're dead," Johnny said. "Time to go, Reena."

Another guy came from the side isle and tackled Johnny. The handgun went sliding across the floor as the man started punching him on his sides. When the attacker raised a fist into the air, Johnny quickly brought his legs up and wrapped them around the arm and his head. His right hand controlled the man's other arm as he squeezed with his hips, pulling tighter and tighter until the guy was beginning to black out.

"Goodnight," Johnny said, as the man went limp.

He tossed his body aside and stood, only now being faced with the same guy from before. This time, he had picked up Johnny's gun and aimed it at him.

"Shit."

@Sol Grim

Looking at the fallen chopper James found himself thinking the sight was..well kinda cool. It was like an old movie, yet he couldn't just go and act like his old classmates, he would actually like to survive another day of this.
It happened way too fast, he could hear Azazel screech for a moment. Attention taken for only a second the kid didn't stand a chance against the men that pinned him. His blood was so cold, his heart pounded almost painfully against his chest. What were they gonna do? What was going on?

Looking over to see the barrel of a gun he found his breath stopping in a sound of fear. Eyes wide he actually felt tears stinging them for a second. "Come one man, please, you don't have to do this! I swear I won't tell anyone anything!" Yet the words fell on deaf ears as he heard the familiar snap that Reena had done right before a kill. "Come on please!!"
This was it, this was as far as he was gonna go. If he decided to go with Reena, would he have lasted a little longer? "Mom" it was a pathetically tiny whisper of a whimper. yet they were his last words, he left his mother for dead, he deserved this.

His heart couldn't have given another beat when he heard the string of gun fire race over his skull. His body tensing up he kept himself as close as he could to the ground, his face back in the dirt to hide till it was all over. Yet as he waited for death, nothing came, only a gentle breeze.
Shakily he began to move, eyes meeting with the gaze of some guy who looked late for a meeting. Eyes cold as though he were beyond done with everything.
His legs unsteady James stumbled a bit, he's never been that close to death. The shock leaving him he bent over and threw up, kid didn't even have a chance of holding in his breakfast. The stress of everything was starting to get to him, and if he didn't toughen up soon he was not going to last.

"Shelter? Why? Are there more of these guys?" Worry in his voice he looked back at the corpses. Roach and Azazel thrashing a bit he began speed walking to the animals. "Easy guys, come on, its over." His moves slow he grabbed the halters under their bridal, reaching to rub a small spot on their neck as he shushed them down. "Don't worry, your gonna be okay boy."
He was not as fond of humans, but horses and mules? He was quick to baby them. The look in their eyes was something that he gained a soft spot for and in turn he was actually pretty good with them.
"There's a few houses, lets see here..Guess closest place is Jake's place, hes kinds of a junk guy. he's closer than the barn back home though."
He was worried of course, the dead, the dead gapping maws and grabbing hands. They were here? "How did they get here?"
They couldn't stay at the barn, they might have to leave to higher ground, under ground, an island. Something, anything, but if they were coming they had to get out. "What about the others? We left the girls back at the barn."

----
Just as she got the bolt in Reena heard the click of a pistol, Johnny having David in his sights she was about to slide backwards with her load only to find that her team mate was taken out by another member. "Johnny!" It was all she could say when she felt a hand grab her hair, slamming her away as he grabbed the gun that slid on the floor. "Don't worry sweet heart, I'll make sure to treat you just like old times."

Head still spinning she stumbled for her crossbow. Hands grabbing hold of the life line only to see David pointing the same weapon at her partner.
Adrenalin pumping through her veins she let loose the arrow. A life for a life, she realized she couldn't do anything else as she watched the man's body collapse like a cheap puppet. Spitting out some blood on the floor she kept her head down as red droplets splattered the ground, yep, that was her nose.
"You aright?" She was panting and in way too much pain. Still she went over to the body, grabbing the arrow and pulling it out with a sicking sound. "Crap, this was my ex, his dad knows me."
She had no idea he would do this, she had no idea that David would come here at all. "fuck, why did he do this! What gotten into him!? I mean, yeah he was an ass hole but he would never try to kill anyone!" She was grabbing her hair, getting it out of her face only to pull at it in frustration.
Bitting her lip she began to work, grabbing the gun and shooting David in the head. "Can't let them know that a crossbow done it. Lead his dad straight to me." She was shaking slightly as she held out the weapon, shes never killed anyone before, least not a living human being. "Come on, your right, its time to go."

They reached the safety of the houses. Dallen opened up the basement to one and they went inside. There was a small wooden window that peeked over the overgrown grass outside, which was the only source of light in the room.

"I saw the herd coming from the quarry a mile back or so," Dallen told them. "I think all those people went out there to form a plan. They all drove there, some of them must have been infected and no one knew it yet. They've been following the gunfire up to this area. Probably be here shortly."

"Then why are we staying here?" Ethan asked. "Shouldn't we...get the hell out of here!?"

"You'll get tired eventually, these things don't," he replied. "They'll keep coming until they find you. Best thing to do is wait it out, let them pass. They'll move on down the line to the next poor soul. Maybe release the horses, let them chase after them."

"We have others!" Ethan said. "If we just let them pass by, they'll just move on to them. We have to warn them!"

-----------------------------

Johnny trotted alongside Reena as they moved on down the trails. He was relatively quiet, wondering if the girl with him would be able to handle what she had just done. It wasn't an easy thing to kill a man. He remembered the first time he gunned down a rival gangster in a shootout. At the time it was kill or be killed and the guy deserved it, but he still couldn't shake the kid's face from his mind.

"I wasn't exactly unemployed," he eventually told her. "I was a drug dealer. A nobody. The day this happened, yesterday, I was being raided by police. I only escaped because of what's going on now, found James, and here I am."

He looked off to the side, unable to look the girl in the face when he told her. Something caught his eyes as he did, though, and he pointed off into the direction.

"Those are your horses!" he said, pointing to the two James and Ethan were on. They were tied up outside a few houses.

He made his way over and dismounted, pulling out his glock as a precaution. The basement door suddenly flung open and Ethan was there.

"Saw you coming," Ethan said. "We, uh, went to the smoke in the sky and found this guy Dallen. He saved our lives."

"What are you doing in there?" Johnny wondered.

Dallen made his appearance known by coming out. He looked beyond Johnny and Reena and saw a group of birds flying off in the sky.

"They're here," Dallen said.

@Sol Grim

She couldn't think on it, the face he made, the sound of his body hitting the floor. No, she could not think about it, a chill running down her spine, a cold hand gripping her throat. It was her ex, it was his hand she was sure of it.
Turning over the side of her saddle she began to dry heave, only to brush it off and keep riding. Let it pass Reena, you never killed a person, it will get easier, it will pass. Don't think about it.

That when she heard Johnny explain what he done before. How he was a drug dealer, looking at the male she found herself trying to hang onto that information. "So, you know how to deal with people of the worst kind? Murderers? Thats right, think of how to survive. Giving a sigh she looked ahead. "You saved me back there, can't judge you for what you done before. Your skilled in things I'm not, so long as you don't point that gun at me your gonna be fine in my book."
A small laugh of culty escaped her. Guess she was taking the idea of killing someone better than most, but that still was not good. "If we met before all this happened, I would have told you to get the fuck off my property. Now, well I just can't wrap my head around how you do all this."

------

Moving down the steps, James began to feel lost, the phone in his pocket turned silent he flipped it open only to find no messages. Right, Reena knew he was alive, no need to text him. His throat was dry, his body hurt, yet he could not bring himself to rest, his belly empty yet he could not eat.
"What about Reena and Jonny? They went to town!" the moment he heard about the herd he shuddered, he could see Roach and Azazel, both horses looking nervous, sweat eating their flanks yet under their training could not bring themselves to leave. He needed to find Reena, she was a survivor but could she last out there?
Just as he was about to go out though, he saw the fire red hair in the distance. A strong hand keeping Vader back, Gandolf dwarfing them both. Without another word he ran up, only to be beat by Ethan as he sung the door open.

Without waiting he ran up and hugged Reena as she dismounted. "Reena what happened to you? Theres a herd of them coming this way. We need to hide," Reena could feel the fear leaving the kid. Returning the hug she patted his head, only for the information to click.
"Jhonny get down"

Without another word she began tearing off the tack, her horses thrashing, dancing about. "What are you doing?" Reena did not even look back. "If faced with a situation where you can't protect your horse, you let em go, try to find them later, they have a better chance of surviving than we do."
Vader was the first to be untacked, the stallion moving a bit yet staying in range she done the same with the others. Only when she smacked Roach on the rump and yelled at them to go did they charge off. Kicking up dirt and making their way down the hills. "They know how to use their instincts, hopefully we can find them again one day. Come on, if what this guy is sayings is true than its best to get down now."

She grabbed her saddle bags, throwing them over her shoulder and taking off the water canisters from the saddles. "Good thing we found supplies."

James found himself sitting in the basement again. His eyes glued on the tiny window while he kept quiet. Reena working on her crossbow, making sure it was not damaged when the guys threw it. She looked like a mess, with a bloody face and cloths hair in tangles with a few leaves or twigs, it was not even a weekend and yet she already looked the part for the end of the world.

Johnny helped in freeing the horses, realizing there was no choice at the moment. He patted Gandalf gently and gave a nod, as Reena made them all run off.

"We'll find them," he assured her, as he grabbed his stack of supplies and followed into the basement.

Dallen stayed closest to the window, motioning for everyone to stay silent. After a few minutes, the first shadows passed by. The sound of the roamers could be heard just outside next, which got louder as more came. One by one the dead walked by, some faster than others. Dallen watched their feet shuffle across the grass. They were as silent as a mouse inside the basement, so Dallen was confident they would get through this.

Johnny stayed quiet near the door to the house, thinking about the special infected he had come into contact with the night before. That fiend could smell them, if there were any in this group. He wanted to tell the others about it, but couldn't at the moment. He just held on to the door and waited for it to end. Couldn't be to much longer now.

"Heellp!!!" a woman's cry rang through the air from the outside.

A gunshot followed. Then another. The momentum of the horde seemed to slightly adjust, now heading directly into the bulk of the few houses. A few more gunshots and screams were heard. Dallen gave everyone a stern look and still motioned them to be silent. Whoever was out there was now on their own.

"Oh my God, run!!" the woman's voice screamed. Another, higher pitched female voice screamed in agony.

Ethan raised an eyebrow and immediately moved over to the window beside Dallen, who shot him an unerved look. Ethan's face turned to worry as he peeked outside, just in time to see the woman run into view.

"Heelp!! Anybody!!"

Ethan's eyes shot wide open as he saw the woman, his wife. The dead were on her trail as she wobbled toward an outhouse, blood trailing down one of her arms. She entered the small unit, closing the wooden door to be met with walkers rushing it. They clawed and scratched the weak wood, as his wife let out a helpless bone chilling cry.

Ethan ran over to Johnny and went for the door, but a confused Johnny stepped in front of him. "What are..."Johnny started.

"That's my wife!" Ethan yelled.

"You can't..." Johnny began again, but Ethan ran out of patience already and socked him a good fist to his face. Ethan slung the inner door open and rushed outside.

"Here!! Here!! Over here!!" Ethan screamed to the dozens of undead surrounding him.

He ran across the field, firing his rifle at any walkers that were to close. He kept at it until he ran out of ammo, then using the gun to push and bash them away as he drew closer to the outhouse.

"Sarah!! Sarah it's me Ethan!!" he yelled.

"Ethan!!"

He shoved off the few at the outhouse door, but with the horde now surrounding them he had no choice but to enter with her and close it back up.

"You found me?" she said, tears welling down her face.

"I knew I would," he said, breathing heavily. "Where are the boys?"

She broke out even harder in tears, as the walkers again began to claw at the wood.

"They didn't make it," she said through sobs, barely being able to speak from utter fear. "You should have stayed away."

She lifted her arm and showed him a large piece of her flesh was bitten off. Ethan's heart sunk into his chest.

A few walkers entered the house that they were all under. Dallen ran over and shut the door, locking it tight.

"Now we have a bigger problem," Dallen said.

@Sol Grim

It was terror, silent fear that ate at James as he kept focused on just breathing, looking at Reena, Dallen, they both seemed so calm in the situation as he just watched the shuffling feet pass by. He hoped Azazel was okay, that mule was hardy, stubborn. He was sure his partner would make it out okay.
Screams started to carry over the dead. A whimper escaping him he was met with a hand over his mouth, Reena covering him to keep everyone silent. They couldn't help, she was going to die and they couldn't help. Tears stung at his eyes as he pulled his knees to his chest, no, don't think about it. Just don't there is nothing you can do.

Hell broke loose when Ethan ran out, "don't!" He reached out for the man only to be left behind. The guy was already outside, his blood running cold when he said that it was his wife who was out there. "Oh no.." If they stayed on the trail they could have found them! If they just look for a little longer than they could have found them in time!
Everything was falling apart, they began trying to get inside. Dallen slamming the door shut, Reena grabbing her cross bow looking through supplies she began to wrap a cord around the door to keep a bit more resistance. "We have to get out of here, they'll just keep pouring in, we have a better chance outside. James, get your gun."
He could only nod while he grabbed the weapon, trying to figure out how everyone else could stay calm in this situation. "The window" the red head was working fast, tearing apart the straps on the saddle bags, thick leather hide and wrapping it around her arm. "We can shove the saddle bags through the window, offer some protection as we mush our way through to give some time. If I go first and use my bow it would use the least amount of sound and attract less."

Reena was on overdrive. Adrenaline pumping through her veins as she tried to find a way to figure something out. "We can't go back for Ethan, him and his wife are gone."
"We can't just leave them!" The voice of James hurt her, the helplessness of trying to do something, to save someone and have no more power to do it. "Its ether we help them or loose everyone here. James I'm sorry but we just can't do that."

"Than I'll go myself. If I can reach them I can get them to the old fire station. Theres a platform up there, no stairs remember? They had a ladder they let kids use to climb up. The smell of other people would get them moving after a few hours, days maybe, but we can do it!"

Reena was about to say no. She could not loose that blond again, no the kid was too important, he was just a kid! Yet he refused to budge. "what if something happens? Something is going to happen!"

"If I hadn't gone that route to help him find his wife this would not have happened! He saved my life I have to help him! Moment I'm outside I'm going after them."

Johnny shook the cobwebs off as he sat up, hearing the plan that was being put together as well as the horde that was banging against the house.

"Kid, I like you, but what your trying to do is suicide," Johnny told him. "You're gonna at least need my help."

Dallen sighed and rubbed his head. He didn't care about the man in the outhouse, however they were right about getting out of here now. It was just a matter of time before the place was overrun and it would be to late. He helped Reena shove the supplies through the window and then shook his head in agreement, as if he was trying to convince himself to help.

"I have a jeep with more supplies parked on a trail to the east," Dallen said. "I'll go out with her, start a diversion. Get to my jeep, then lead them all away so you can get the kid. I'll double back and pick you up from the fire station."

Before anyone could agree or disagree, a walker started banging at the door from within the house. There was no more time left. Johnny gave a quick nod and then grabbed the door, swinging it open again. He gripped his pocket knife as the walker came stumbling in, then stabbed it deep into its temple.

"Go!" Johnny yelled, and Dallen was off.

The lawyer rushed out of the house, taking a few walkers down with his AR-15. He got outside and took out a few more with direct headshots.

"Move, move!" he yelled to Reena, as he scooped up one of the supply backs and slung it over his back.

A walker got to close to him and pressed him against the wall. Dallen gripped the undead by the throat, while struggling with his rifle as another walker approached. He grabbed the second by the throat as well, keeping them just barely off of him. He could smell there horrible breath, the jaws just being inches away from his flesh.

"Girl, help!" Dallen pleaded as he used all the strength he had to shove the walker on his left toward Reena, hoping that she'd be able to take it down. This gave him a free hand, and he used it to clench the other walkers throat more fully. He lifted the infected up and smashed it down to the grass, then used the butte of his rifle to smash its brains in.

They moved off to the side, firing at the bulk of the horde to keep them at bay. It was working, they all began swarming in Dallen and Reena's direction.

"Reloading!" Dallen yelled as he quickly changed a magazine. Within seconds he was ready again, popping headshots one by one as they slowly drew the horde away and toward the jeep.

"You ready, kid?" Johnny asked.

Johnny led the way out the opposite direction of the house. The first thing he saw lying against the house outside was a pitchfork. He picked it up and swung it at the nearest walker, knocking it back into a few others. They ran around the house and back toward the outhouse. He stuck another walker direct in the face with the pitchfork, then used the limp dead body as a puppet to keep back a few others as they got by them. He then let go of the weapon and moved on, pulling out his handgun and running next to James.

"Go get him, I got you covered!" Johnny yelled.

"I love you..." Ethan told his wife, both of them filled up with tears. He thought it was the end, but as the wooden door cracked a bit further, he heard a few gunshots ring out to take out the walkers. Moments later the door swung open, and immediately he lifted his wife and ran outside.

"She's bit!" Johnny said, immediately noticing.

"So what, we'll deal with that later," Ethan said, wrapping her good arm around his shoulder. "I'm not leaving her here to get torn apart. Get us out of here!"

Johnny nodded.

"James, stay at their front I'll watch the back," Johnny said. He raised his glock and took out two more.

@Sol Grim

Patting Johnny on the shoulder right before she left, Reena nodded. "Watch out, both of you" she didn't want to loose James again. But there was little one could do in this situation.

Reena did not say much, only run after the other male. Thanking the gods that she had a hunting knife on her belt. It was obvious that she had some skill with killing, her time skinning her own kills coming into play while she stabbed the dead with no more force than was needed. One being pushed to her she used her weight, piercing the creature in the eye and ripping the blade from flesh.
"Reloading

Nodding her head at the words she brought her crossbow, one after another falling in heaps. "How much further!?" Her voice calm while adrenaline pumped through her veins, she kept trying to keep her breathing normal. Another arrow sent flying, bending to pull out a bold from a walker's skull.
She didn't see a end, not from where she was, they just kept coming.

James did not waste time in running to the small enclosure he saw Ethan rush to. His heart beating easier to see him with the woman only to fall when he realized she was bit. "Oh no..." No, this was wrong, she was supposed to be okay!
"Come on!"
It was all he could bring himself to say when he heard Johnny. He just started running, the gun in his hands firing at the hord, each shot causing his shoulder to jerk back painfully. Though he only made sure to put one foot in front of the other. Jumping back to see one on the ground he stomped on it with all his weight. Brains and crimson splattering the street.

Turning the corner he began to go faster at the sight of red brick. It was relatively empty, the horde still having yet to reach it. "This way!!"
He practically slammed into the door. The iron creeping open with a groan, his path memorized from the few times Reena brought him out here. A ladder at the end of the hallway. "Come on, its just up here!" His muscles screamed yet he put the weapon over his shoulder, using al he had to climb up as fast as he could. Looking around to make sure that those things were somehow here.
"Its clear"
Turning the kid held out a hand. Offering help to the woman who was injured. He had to find something that could help her. Something, anything. "We can take a breath up here, don't worry."

Ethan helped his wife lift herself up the latter from the floor as Johnny aimed at the door they had just entered, expecting it to suddenly burst open.

"Johnny!" Ethan yelled back to him as they made there way up, and it snapped him out of his trance.

He followed them to the roof, immediately going over to the front to look down. Dozens of walkers roamed toward them, all clunking together as they reached the fire building. Johnny remembered the feral from before, he looked over all the undead carefully trying to spot one.

"We can't stay here long," johnny said. "There are ones that can climb. Fast ones."

Ethan took his wife aside from the others and away from the front of the building, where she nearly callapsed. He sat with her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ethan," she started.

"It's not your fault," he quickly said. "How could it be? No one was prepared for this. If only we had known...if only the military could have warned us!"

"How long does she have?" Johnny asked, keeping his finger close to his holstered glock.

"Shut up Johnny!" Ethan yelled back at him.

"There were more of us," Sarah said. "This place wouldn't let us in, so we camped...some others couldn't...so they attacked each other. I went with a group and we ended up where you found me. Even they attacked each other...you can't trust anybody anymore Ethan."

Ethan nodded, then rubbed her hair to calm her down.

"Thank you James," he said. "If you guys don't mind, we'd like to be alone for what little time we have left."

"You're not bad for a girl," Dallen told Reena as they reached the jeep.

The ignition wouldn't start at first, but just as the horde barely touched the back of the vehicle, it started up and they were off. He spun the jeep onto a dirt path and sped past them all, making his way back across the small town they were in.

"How far are we going?" he asked. "This thing's almost out of gas."

Sarah spit out a chunk of blood from her mouth. Her body started shaking afterward, as Ethan hunched over her and held her tight.

"She's still fine!" Ethan yelled.

"James," said Johnny. "You did good, but that was really stupid. If I'm ever stuck like that, do yourself a favor and stay away. You don't owe anyone anything. Luck runs out."

He turned when he heard a honking horn off nearby.

"They're here. And they brought the rest of the infected."

The jeep pulled up over the hill, with walkers slowly trying to keep up far behind it.

"We're gonna have to make a clearing so they can come in and pick us up...Ethan, umm..."

"Just leave us here," Ethan said. "Just go."

"I just risked my life for you man, after you socked me in the face which I can forget about. I'm sorry about your wife, but she's turning."

"...he's right," sarah muttered. "It hurts...please Ethan. Go with them."

"No!" he yelled. "I can't."

"You have to," she said. She put her hand out to him, looking at his sidearm he had buckled away. "Let me end it. I don't want to turn into one of those things."

He gave her a defeated look, tears swelling at the eyes. There had to be another way.

"We don't know if there's a cure yet!" Ethan tried again to convince them.

"It's to late," she said.

She reached and grabbed the gun, and he let her. The horn from the jeep blasted the air again, this time much closer.

"I love you. Go."

"We're gonna have to jump!" Johnny told them. "Come on!"

Ethan nodded and got up. He backed toward the others staring at his wife the whole time. She had a smile on her face, in the midst of everything that had happened.

"Now!"

Johnny grabbed Ethan and jumped down, he hit his ribs hard on the frame but made it nonetheless. Dallen stood outside and opened fire onto the horde nearest them, making a clearing enough to escape. He swung back into the driver seat and pressed the pedal.

@Sol Grim

James kept watch, nodding his head when Ethan asked to have a moment, lump in his throat that he tried to keep down. The dead kept shuffling in waves, a sicking thought entering his mind, they could have been there, they could have been torn apart. The house they were in was already swallowed by the things.
He could hear the cracking voices and breaking souls behind him. Johnny explaining how he should never try that with him, the kid just shook his head. "I really don't give a fuck, if there's a chance you can make it out and I have an idea, than I'm taking it. My mom left me to save her own ass, I'm not going to do that."

Hearing the jeep he turned back, watching it come closer to view. "Ethan, come on we have to go." His own voice betraying him he hesitated for only a moment, looking back at the woman that Ethan called Sarah. "I'm sorry..." He was sorry he couldn't help, he was sorry that he was always one step behind. Reena trusted him to be able to help her and he failed.
He was sorry.
A few tears falling from his face, he jumped, her face forever haunting him.

------

"Been hunting my whole life, ain’t much different." The red head just leaped in, crossbow aimed at the ready, she been keeping her quiver full by pulling the bolts from their bodies, but how long was that going to last with hordes like these? Shes gonna have to start making her own again. "Not that far, red building just down the street, we'll probably find a car when we're out, can stock up from there."

Keeping a stance in the jeep, ready to launch herself out on a moment's notice, Reena looked up to see James and Johnny, the pair jumping off the platform followed by Ethan. "You guys okay?" Looking up, waiting for the woman to follow, she found her heart sink a bit. Listening to what seemed to be the end of her life, looking to Dallen she shook her head, it was time to go. And not say a word.

The ride was quiet, at first it was chaos as they escaped the horde but now, no one spoke a word. James kept his head down, sitting next to Ethan and unable to look the man in the eye. It was tearing him apart, and it worried her, no, it scared her. The kid was going to have to change and change painfully fast is he was going to survive out here.
"Over there"
Just as she said, a car sat abandoned on the road. Jumping out she held her crossbow, her steps that of a hunter, trying to listen for any signs of movement. A breath escaping her after a few moments she looked inside, abandoned, a child's car seat in the back. A sight that now, made her a little sick.
Finding a gas tank in the back she filled it from the car, transferring it to the Jeep. "That horde is going to be moving downhill, did you notice? Gravity just pushes them around when wind shown up. Guess we can go up, lay low for a few days, than come back to the barn and restock. Figure out a plan and work from there. I have a back up generator there, might have one last hot shower."

The road was empty, the only sound was given from a few cows in the distance that broke out from their fields, poor souls would be food soon. Head turning up from the sounds of birds she gave another sigh of relief, birds meant safety. Least for now. Turning back to look at the group, Reena noticed James rummaging through the saddle bag, producing a bottle of water and offering to Ethan as a piece offering, still unable to really say much. "Before we really start working together, Dallen, that your name right? How you get so good at all this? Ex military or something? Johnny can tell you, I like knowing who has my back and you seem to know what your doing."

Ethan shrugged off the water, not paying much attention to the notion. He went back to staring out the window.

"I'm a lawyer," Dallen told her. There was a slight pause as he let that sink in for a minute. He smirked, then decided to tell her the rest since he was actually impressed with her. "I was a marine before." He hated talking about his past, but in the current stage of things none of that even mattered. He figured it was best to let them all know his expertice.

"Let me help you," Johnny told Reena, as he got out of the vehicle to hold the gas canister for her. "Listen, things are only gonna get worse here on out. We get back to your place, we might be staying there for awhile. A bunch of strangers. We have to fortify, and maybe get ready for the winter." Johnny put aside his original thoughts, of leaving and trying to survive this all on his own. He realized that if they were going to survive, they needed people. They needed each other. "We have to look after each other, from here on out, I have a feeling we're going to meet some unpredictable people. Dallen, for one. I'm not so sure about him...then again, maybe he won't stay."

It wasn't much longer when they reached the farm house with the others. The area seemed calm and composed, a break from what they had already been through.

Ethan found a room to himself, while Dallen and Johnny began pulling out all the supplies and putting them in the house.

"So, does this mean you're staying?" Johnny asked Dallen.

"No," he replied. "It means I'm staying until I'm not. For now, I suppose."

"Then where?"

"I don't know," Dallen said. "Maybe the coast? Find an island."

"Are you so sure this thing is world wide?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"If it wasn't, we would have heard by now."

When they were done loading, Johnny stepped outside and pulled out a sack of weed he had stored in one of his coat pockets. he turned an empty coke can into a pipe with his knife, then tried to smoke his worries away.

The blonde girls eyes flickered open, being blinded by the light, and she closed them once again for about a millisecond. Opening them her vision was still a bit blurry, and across from her, where the other couch stood, through her eyes all she saw was a brown blur. She blinked a few more times till the shape became visible. It was a couch,' how could it be a couch?' Aly wondered as she shook her head. That made another question click in her head,'Where was she?"

Alyssa sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes off and took a better look around. This time she got a full view of the room. This was definitely not her room, and wasn't any room that she knew of. But at the same time it was familiar. It was the same room that she saw in her dream. 'How did she get here?'She thought to herself.

She let out a load yarn as she stretched her arms out. She tried to think of how in the world this would be possible. There was no way she could of been carried here over the night. The only place she knew this from was her crazy dream. Maybe that dream wasn't a dream? She wondered to herself.

She shook the thought out of her head. It was crazy for her to even think that. It was impossible for there to be the 'man eating' things that were in her dream. It had to be dream. Even though this she still wasn't positive about it. It all seemed somewhat to realistic to be a dream.

The more and more she thought it seemed realistic, the more the cold reality hit her in the face and she began to believe. The fear within her of it prevented her from looking out of the window, as she thought that she might actually see one of them through it, and prove her suspicions right. There was one flaw, 'if it was real where was Reena and the others?' She wondered. Despite this her mind was absolutely convinced about what was going on now and knew it had to be true.