Before all this started, Remy had been a rookie cop with The LAPD, West Bureau, Pacific Division. He had only ever been on a serious case two times that involved shooting his gun. Around him, the forest was deadly silent, save for a few whistling birds that were up high in the treetops. He walked through them, looking for the town he knew was nearby.

What he had just stumbled upon reminded him of a gruesome movie; something he would never imagine seeing for real, even in his line of work. On the forest floor, lay three rotted bodies of adults and two children, a boy and a girl. The man had obviously been turned somehow. His face was distorted, nose smashed in, one ear missing and long trails of blood going down his cheeks.

On closer inspection, he realized those blood trails were deep claw marks. Had the man done it to himself or had one of his companions done it while fighting for their life? The man looked like he was in his 40s. He had a fit body, seen through the tattered and bloody clothes he wore. His skin had the sickly pale, almost green/yellow look some of the creatures took on. The bulging of his eyes would have made a man with a weak stomach puke in the bushes. Both were popped out, hanging by only a thin strand of tissue. One was half deflated, blood and ooze dripping from it.

The world has changed..

When he saw the news on the television, he hadn't believed it at first. That had been a month or so ago and somehow he was still alive. He no longer considered himself a rookie, though. He was just a freelance guy, trying to make it in a world gone mad. The blood and grime on the corpse's face almost matched the amount that clung to the cop's face.

Subconsciously, he started to pick at the blood on his skin, being reminded of how he needed to wash soon or he would attract unwanted attention.

Looking at the next body, he sighed. It was a lady. She did not look like she had turned. She was young, not much older than him. Her red hair laid around her head almost like a halo. She was nearly in perfect condition. He bent down on his knees and looked closer. What had killed her? This was when he realized she was not a redhead at all. The red he had mistaken for her hair was her blonde locks soaked through with blood. He gently nudged her to the side and sure enough she had a bullet wound in the back of her skull. The whole back of her head was completely gone, leaving a gaping hole that her mass of blood soaked curls hid.

Remy stood, checking to make sure he was still alone. The blood alone would be sure to bring danger to him soon. Confident that he was safe, he looked at the last adult. It was an aging man. He was the only body who held a gun. From the angle of his body and the way he was holding the gun, not to mention the fact that this man was missing most of his face, he had committed suicide.

After shooting his turned son, the lady who hadn't been infected and--

He looked at the children. His face fell. The girl had turned. Her eyes were wide open and black as midnight, one of the sure signs of the undead creatures. Some had blood red eyes, some had midnight black eyes. Other than her eyes, everything else on her looked normal. She had been freshly turned before the grandfather shot her down. Her skin only had a slight blueish hue to it. Blood still trickled from her gunshot wound in her forehead.

This happened recently.

He wondered if he had been quicker, would he have been able to make it in time to save this family before their infected companion turned on them. He would never know, but it would always lay heavy on his heart.

The boy was the same as the lady. Untouched, except for the gunshot to his chest. He had bled out. He could see it all in his head now. As a last resort, the grandfather felt their only escape plan would be to put a bullet in each of them. It was sad, but it happened a lot.

He crouched down next to the smallest. The little girl looked 4 or 5 years old. Placing a palm on her forehead, he closed his eyes for a short moment. He couldn't cry for her, though he wanted to. He feared if he cried, he would never be able to stop and that was no way for a cop of the pacific division to act.

"I'm sorry little one. I hope your soul can finally be free."

The infection was spreading over the nation. In the beginning when there was still media coverage, they called it a virus. Nobody knew the cause of it or who was responsible. It did the unthinkable. When someone was infected, they would die, usually in a horrible, painful way. The biggest problem was that they did not stay dead. Nobody was safe from the inevitable. The world was dying, and they would too, eventually.

Those left uninfected tried to run, hide or fight back. Officer Jeremy was a fighter.

Alone in the world, the blue-eyed man had no idea how his story would end. He wanted to believe that the calamity would stop, and the survivors could be able to move on to a virus free world.

But, so far, there had been no pots of gold at the end of any rainbows.

---

After leaving that scene, knowing full well that he would be in for a fight soon if he lingered, Remy ran, crouched into a low pose, with his shotgun at the ready. He didn't see any signs of the undead. He mentally crossed his fingers, hoping he could make it to the town marked on his map. He stopped running after a few yards and no sign of life or the undead. Looking around at the tall, dark imposing trees, their canopies shielding him from all light, Remy sighed.

Leaning his shotgun next to him, he pulled his map out of his pocket and fought the urge to roll his eyes. He felt like a sorry excuse for a cop. He couldn't even read a map properly. Where was this damn town? He squinted at the squiggly lines, though it was useless.

He needed to make it to this town soon. His supplies were dangerously low and he could use with a change of clothes, hopefully something that would help protect his body more than the pair of torn blue jeans he wore and ripped tee-shirt. It had once been white. Now it was red and brown from dried up blood and guts.

Joshua took a knee, the leaves and twigs crunching beneath him, now confidant that he was a good distance from the city. He looked behind him, he couldn't see the skyline anymore and that was good enough for him. He looked forward, taking off the hat he had on and setting it down next to him. He took a deep breath though his nose, smelling the surrounding area, he smelled nature, rotting flesh, and freshly upturned dirt. All the while, he was watching the area intently, once he smelled, he listened, he could hear distance moving, rustling of leaves from a slight win, and distance gunshots. He knew he was home free, at least as home free as you could get right now.

He stood up, quickly checking his equipment before moving out and leaving the area he'd been sitting in. He remembered looking at a map back in the city, that a small town was just beyond the woods on the other side. He felt the town would be easier to scavenge than the city, as it wouldn't be crawling with tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of infected along with the bands of trigger happy humans that also roamed the streets.

"Well now, if I'd of kept that damn map." He laughed, stepping off into the thickening woods ahead of him.

Keep moving.

You have to keep moving.

They had been running since they escaped the city's boundaries. Like their hometown it was overrun with the infected. They had barely been able to scavenge enough food to last them the day before Chris had to slam the baton into an infected face. Her own now sported the dried blood spatter, like red freckles across her nose and cheeks. Her button-down took the most of it, adding to the dirt already there. Tony appeared in a similar state, the poor man.

“Don't stop 'til you're safe, love,” her granddad's voice reverberated through her thoughts. Keep moving. You have to keep moving.

She was used to the woods and running fast to escape something. That was usually the cops, or a fire, though, not the walking dead. It was impossible to keep quiet running through the woods as they were, but with gunshots sounding nearby they didn't much care, so long as they weren't eaten. Tony was different, he used to spend so much time indoors that suddenly having to adapt in the recent circumstances was difficult for him.

They ran until the gunshots faded away, then slowed. Walking quietly through the undergrowth, their chests ached from the adrenaline still igniting their blood. Chris carried her grandfather's rifle on her back, the stolen police baton extended in her hand.

Beside her – for she was afraid to let him out of her sight – Tony grasped his crowbar. “We need to get out of the woods,” he whispered, stating the obvious. Chris nodded. “I think this is a nature reserve,” he said. “There's a town on the other side.”

“How do you know that?”

“...Google maps.”

You might as well have a chip in your brain, she thought. The shit you remember. “All right. Keep moving.” She knew she didn't have to say it, but hearing it aloud could be comforting. Though he never said it, Tony found a great deal of comfort and reassurance in his best friend's determination. The way the world was turning, they needed every bit of comfort they could get.

Saturday, 04/05, 2012
0712 hours
Cosmetic surgery Clinic ( breast reconstructive surgery )
Latitude:34.058423°
Longitude:-118.411448°
Century City, Ca, USA
“Beverly Hills”

"Doctor Zimmerman, Your wife is on the phone, she says it’s urgent, Sir” The intercom spoke out. It was karen’s voice that came over the intercom as she was LVN acting as the receptionist for the center as the others were in surgery.

“ Fine...John, can you close up for me, please?” Dr. zimmerman asked

“ Yes, Doctor” John said as he started close up procedures and began to place the sutures on the left breast as the Dr left the room.

Music played in the background for the CD player / Radio as usual as john quickly finished up to send the patient to the recovery room. It was almost at the two hour mark for the surgery and the morning was far from over. After john was cleaning up he decided to use the male shower instead and take his time.

“John!, John!” Karen yelled

“ What!... I’m in the shower” John yelled out

“ Dr Zimmerman left us...John he just left us and said good luck”

“What?!” john turned the shower head off and grabbed for his towel as karen entered the bathroom “ John, what are we going to do?”

“Awhh... I don’t know. Maybe do my job and go to work. Have you ever tried that karen?”

“Your such a fuckin ass” Karen rolled her eyes

“ Do you mind?, I would like to get dressed in peace, please”. John retorted back with sarcasm

“ Fine, then you can die here and I will not feel sorry for your ass after I leave!”

John held his wet towel, then tucked it in so that was snug around him. “ What are you talking about?” John asked but a little bit more concerned.

“Mrs Z called about an emergency and then Dr. Z changed the waiting room T.V. to the news about “scatamo” or something like that.

“ scatamo.... you mean where your field of vision is blurry and dark?”

“ NO!.... AUGH!!!” Karen “ YOU get dressed and I’ll be right back”.

John began to get dressed and had at least his scrub bottoms, underwear, socks and wife beater on before karen appeared again. “ What does S-C-A-T-A-N-A mean then Mr. military man” Karen crossed her arms against her chest and pursed her lips with a “um-hum, yeah”

“SCATANA is a military term used for National Defense..... September 11th was the last time that it was used, Shit!” John grabbed his shoes and ran out to the waiting room that was empty.

John watched the T.V. as news report kept changing and the world seemed to slowly decay. “ Go home Karen” He ordered “ Ok, but what about Ms Diaz in recovery?”

“When she wakes up... nevermind, wake her up and get her out the door, NOW!”

“Ok..Ok..” Karen said as she turned to walk down to the pyxis meds machine. John tried to call his Neighbor but all he got was a busy signal. “Damn it”
But then his phone rang and he answered it “ Hello? “ “ John, oh my god you finally answer the phone, I’m on my way to your house with a friend that is hurt bad” “ Jenny, I’m leaving work now--” the phone cut off “Damn it” john cursed again “ John Ms diaz doesn’t look that she can drive” Karen said “ Ok, you go HOME, riots are statin but other weird things are
going on. Don’t stop for anyone, got that?” John reinforced to karen.

John ransacked the office for just about everything that he could take and put into his Land rover. He couldn’t see out the back and had to use only his side mirrors. While going through his bosses desk he found a 9mm pistol in the company safe with a holster.

After using the freight elevator and helping Ms Diaz who was wrapped in a blanket and could barely stand, let alone walk to the land rover. John was met by another tenant from the building after placing Ms diaz into the vehicle. “Can you help me? I need to get home. “ The man asked “Nope, sorry” john answered “ Then I’m sorry that I’m going to take your vehicle then” the man said as he pulled out a knife. “ Don’t do this, please” John said “ I’ve got kids at home and a wife, I’m so sorry about this” “Me too” said john as he displayed the pistol “ look for someone else...good luck”.

John’s drive home as filled with close misses, overturned cars and people shooting at random people. I normal one and a half hour trip turned into four hours to get back to home. Ms Diaz moaned and cried in her sleep all the way.

Saturday, 04/05, 2012
1149 hours
Blackwell’s Ranch
Latitude:34.440090°
Longitude:-118.306973°
Santa Clarita, Ca, USA
“soledad canyon”

Dear End of the World Journal,

It’s Olivia. Duh, who else would still be keeping a record during a time like this? That's a thirteen year old girl for you. Last time I talked about how we were going to drive to the next town over, remember? Susan didn't tell me the name of the town or I can’t remember. The name isn't important, though.

Everyone is dead. It happened so fast. I remember it so clearly and I doubt I will ever forget it. Susan is usually a very reserved type of person and I don't think I've ever heard her use harsh language, but when we got to that road block, I heard her say a curse word for the first time. I’m not going to repeat it, because even though my family is dead, I remember how father and mother told me not to repeat bad words. I might be thirteen and I can think for myself, but I still want to honor the things I was taught.

It wasn't the worst word she could have used. I've heard worse words coming from Daniel and the other guys, but it was enough to make everyone stop what they were doing and look up, seeing the road block, too.

“We have to get out and move those cars,” Daniel said. He groaned because out of the five adults, only he and Susan had any strength left. They were married once, but I think before all this started, they had a divorce. The other adults were Natalie, who was seventy years old and had arthritis, Jackie and Jed. I think Jackie is fifty and his brother Jed is much older, but I’m not even sure how old. I do know that both of them were a little on the odd side. Susan told me that Jackie had some sort of cancer, so his body was very weak, and that Jed was just so old, he couldn't do much at all.

They wouldn’t let us kids do much, even shoot a gun, even though I told them I knew how to. There were five others older than me, Jill, Ryan, Tim, Amanda and Tracy. I don’t know their exact ages, but I think they were between 14 and 17.

Daniel made them get out to help and told me to stay in the car with the children. There were five of them, all from an orphanage we came across a few nights ago. I don’t know all their names, because some of them won't even speak, but two of them said they were called Cho (a Chinese girl) and Aldo (I think he was Russian). They were between 4 and 8 years old.

When Daniel, Susan and the teenagers got out to push the cars to the side, Natalie, Jackie and Jed insisted on trying to help, despite their handicaps, so they got out too. There was no sign of un-dead, so everyone seemed almost too relaxed.

Olivia stopped writing in her journal. The redhead wiped a tear off her cheek. She crawled out from the porch she had been hiding under. She was alone now and had somehow managed to climb over the roadblock and get to the small town she was now in. There had been a few of the slow moving undead, but she was quick enough to skirt past them. She took Daniel's gun and extra ammo. It had been all she could grab, before those things were on top of her.

She hadn't known them long, but was very sad that everyone was dead.

"What am I going to do?" She looked beyond the few houses in the town, toward the looming forest. Those things were probably roaming around out there, not to mention the town.

"I want to call out for the living, but I'm afraid only the dead will answer."

Joshua looked up from a deep daze, he could hear movement closing in, or at least moving in the same direction as he was. He looked behind him, watching the still woods as he stopped in his tracks. He could hear the footsteps advancing to his right and he swore he saw clothing. He dropped to a knee, grabbing the quick-release straps on his assault pack and yanking on them, letting the pack slowly move down his back onto the ground. He picked it up and moved to a rather large tree stump which was cleanly cut down instead of the ripped and torn trunks from natural tree falls. He set down his water and ammunition slings as well, now only with his webbing and holster.

He grabbed some dirt, rubbing it on his face and hands as he took his knife and Glock out. The people weren't any farther than 50 meters away from him and he couldn't tell if they were infected wondering the forest or unsuspecting humans, trying to get out of the city. He moved slowly and methodically, avoiding creating any sounds that were out of place. His knife and Glock were positioned in front of him and at his side respectively, ready to lunge his knife out or pull up the Glock and pull the trigger quickly.

Joshua stood at an average 5'9 and was a fairly lean build. As of now, he had one a German camouflaged field jacket, a pair of average blue jeans and tan combat boots. His face was covered in a layer of mud, the only really distinguishable feature on his face being the whites of his brown eyes. He had on a camouflaged hat, turned back with the bill facing his back, protecting his neck from any dirt or bugs running down his shirt. He moved closer to whoever was walking, he could start to see clothing move between the trees only a dozen meters or so. It was hard to tell if it was one or two people, the trees broke up their image enough to having Joshua confused as to just who he was looking at.

Now the people or persons he was watching would sooner or later feel his eyes burning deep into their backs, maybe even an impending sense of danger would over take them depending on just how they had been the past few days in terms of human interaction.

Tony's legs started aching a mile back, but the way his best friend kept marching through the forest undeterred had him afraid to say anything. He wasn't an athlete, and far from the type of person to take morning jogs. Though she was shorter than him, Chris was much stronger, and she could hike for days. Maybe once upon a time he had been jealous of her stamina, but not now. Now he just wanted to keep up. If he said it hurt to keep going, he knew she would stop and insist he take a break. They needed to get out of the forest now, not later.

Every now and then she would seize his arm and take off again. “Keep moving,” she would say. Sometimes he wondered if she knew she was saying it, or if it was just habit now. He knew she wasn't aware of the time she muttered, under her breath, her grandfather's mantra. She whispered it to herself as she jogged, and sometimes in her sleep. Tony obliged, fumbling over tree roots and thick undergrowth, until Chris finally slowed down again. Her eyes darted about, her fingers restless around the baton. He could see the odd, tiny bead of sweat trickle through the dirt and blood on her brow.

“Do you feel that?” she whispered. Feel what? The hot air, the itch of dry blood on his skin, the throbbing ache in his calves? But he didn't think that was what Chris meant, and he was inclined to think she was hallucinating. “Something's watching.” She turned in a slow circle, stepping as quietly as possible and scanning the surrounding area. Tony suppressed a shiver, thoughts stuck on the way Chris said “something”. If it was another of the undead, why couldn't they hear it?

Then she stopped, dropped the baton and pulled the rifle over her shoulder into her hands. “Don't move,” she said into the trees. Tony inched closer to her and froze; he couldn't see what she was aiming at, or who. “If you try to kill us, I'll shoot you. If you're infected, I'll shoot you.”

Mercy sunk into a crouch as she slunk down behind a solid wooden fence panel, she tilted out from behind it warily, her eyes scanning what she could see of the town in front of her. Her eyes focused on a road blockage to her left. How many people lived here? Her brow furrowed into a frown as her eyes drifted to the house nearest to them, she could see from here that the windows had been boarded up; glass glittered in the grass beneath the windows sending occasional flickers of light up the dirty cream walls of the house. Her eyes softened as she pulled her gaze away from the house, settling it on the rusted frame of a child’s swing. How many survived? The thought caused a swirl of dread to constrict her chest. She inhaled sharply in surprise as Tamashii’s hand slid onto her shoulder, causing her to jump violently.

“Focus” Tamashii murmured sternly, crouching low as she moved around Mercy crouching next to her. Her eyes firmly set behind them making sure nothing could sneak up on them; she tested her grip on the hilt of her knife. Mercy tapped her shoulder and the pair moved through the gap in the fence running low and fast over to the house. Mercy edged forward careful to stay low as she passed the boarded up window, she didn't trust herself not to react if rotting arms surged through them. Tamashii stuck close behind her, knife raised defensively. “We take this slow” Tamashii instructed. Mercy ran her tongue over her lower lip nervously; she could feel her palms growing damp as she peeked around the side of the house. Taking a deep breath she slid around the corner of the house her eyes darting around the clearing in front of her, there was an untamed hedge to their left that she prayed was too thick to be harboring any animated corpses, and in front of them a black car had haphazardly smashed through a defiant garden fence.

Mercy lifted her bow a little higher pulling the bow string taut as she approached the car, sinking down onto her knee she bent down looking underneath it, a shiver running down her spine as she did. “Clear” She breathed to Tamashii, lifting herself up she moved to crouch next to the car bonnet, a layer of dirt had dulled the shine of the metal. She turned her head slightly watching Tamashii move up next to her and peer anxiously through the car window. Tamashii’s eyes flashed around the car, the tension in her shoulders easing when she was sure it was empty. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the interior of the car, dried blood stained the two front seats she shifted to her left so she could see in the back of it, the back window had been kicked out from the inside, the broken glass lay dented on the closed boot of the car. Tamashii lurched forward against the car suddenly, her arm curling around the back window and into the back of the car. “Ash?!” Mercy hissed under her breath, jumping up in surprise. Tamashii carefully pulled her am up and out of the car, grasping something in her hand, she took a step back and revealed what she had found. She was holding the strong wooden handle of a moderately rusted metal headed hammer securely in her clenched fist. Mercy rolled her eyes, exhaling in relief as she did. “Jeez, you scared me” She huffed in annoyance, her eyes drifting back to the street in front of them, as Tamashii studied the hammer for damage.

Mercy frowned as she saw movement across the street from them, a flash of orange through the dreary grays and browns of the buildings around the town. She lifted her bow, readying herself as the figure moved she couldn't be sure whether it was a living person or a corpse, her eyes narrowed as she squinted against the light trying to make out which it was. Tamashii looked up at her, looking in the same direction she was looking, she instinctively ducked behind the car. “What are you doing?” She snapped at Mercy, resisting the urge to grab the other woman and pull her to the floor. “Watching” Mercy answered tersely. There is bound to be more than one...unless Her eyes scanned left and right of the fiery haired individual she couldn't see any more movement. “What if it’s a person Ash?” She whispered after a moment, hope clinging to her words as she released the tension in her bow and slung it over her shoulder holding the arrow separately. Tamashii lifted her head just enough so she could see the car's bonnet, before looking back over her shoulder uneasily. “We can’t risk making any noise we should-Mercy!” Tamashii started to say, her voice hitching up an octave as Mercy hopped up and slid over the car bonnet. Tamashii’s heart jumped against her ribs, a prickling sensation spreading across her fingers as she watched Mercy glide over to the house’s porch leaving a gaping hole between the two of them.

Mercy edged up to the raised wooden porch of the house, careful not to go to close to the hatched bottom she couldn't see into the darkness below it. Can’t be too loud...please be a person, not one of them She licked at her lower lip again before peering round the corner, leaning out so she was visible, she slid the arrow under her arm and took a deep breath cupping her hands over her mouth, breathing out into them and creating a high pitched bird whistle that she hoped would be enough to make a human stop and think. Tamashii had just slid over the car bonnet herself when Mercy’s whistle reached her ears, she froze and dropped into a crouch the other side looking across the street anxiously.

Sunday, 04/20, 2012
0500 hours
Blackwell’s Ranch
Latitude:34.440090°
Longitude:-118.306973°
Santa Clarita, Ca, USA
“soledad canyon”

keying the mike again

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

static...

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

""CQ CQ CQ DE ST8RMR Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo ST8RMR K".

static..

" Negative contact with all stations, Sierra Tango Ate Romeo Mike Romeo, 73, SK

"Damn it... " John spoke out loud to himself.

" Do you think that --" Ms Diaz said

"NO!.. I mean No... I know that people are still alive but maybe just can't get to a radio" John snapped

" You know that if you would stop getting upset and listening to all those far away people that your head wouldn't be as fucked up john" Lucy told him " Come... your blood sugar is dropping because your getting cranky again" Lucy held her hand out for john to take and slowly he did.

" Your right... maybe another day.." he replied Yeah.. maybe" John turned off the HAM radio and went back to the other chores of checking his fence line with the dogs and watching out from stranger that would steal things.

It wasn't but two days ago that he started to put up Crosses of people (undead) on the edge of his farm and pull everything into and behind locked doors. Fuel wasn't a problem yet but in the months to come it will be. John used heavy black lien cloths to mask light source at night in the stationary rail cars. Which was driving lucy up the wall with John's " the way you need to act because this is WAR speeches". She knew that he was serious about everything but then again where would she go?. He saved her live and healed her up and even removed the chest tube and make a field expedient occlusive dressing. He had a several vehicles like he was prepared for a war but with whom?.

John spent most of the nights up, welding plates to the cab of his 5 ton 6x6 wrecker truck, Lucy thought that thier were others like him but was he crazy?. John would go on these crasy "raid parties" and sometimes bring back nothing but fresh blood and old with ... god know what else it might be on the vehicle. John would tell lucy that others would either shoot first or hide from John as he called out to them.

John needed help but would he talk advice from a woman?

Hours later Lucy brought a plate of food to john

" John, I'm going out with you tomorrow to look for survivors "

"No.... it's too dangerous" John said with his back to here as he continued to turn the wrench " If I don't go john,..I'll..I'll"

" You'll what kill yourself?" Smirked John with a laugh, wiping grease.

Lucy took the plate and began to turn it over..

"Whoa, whoa, whoa are you crazy?" John said as he rushed to get the plate. " Do we have a deal?" Lucy sternly warned him...
John thought for a bit.

"Made it," Remy said in a hushed whisper, as he broke the forest barrier and stumbled into the small town. It was probably one of the smallest towns he had ever seen. Only one public school, a store that had everything called "Marty Mart's", a gas station, one fast food place that looked like it had not been in business fifty some odd years before the outbreak, and a scattering of 30 or so houses, half of which looked long abandoned even before the undead came.

He breathed a sigh of relief when at first, he did not see any undead, but he soon noticed two people peering around one of the house's porches. At first, he wasn't sure if they were alive or dead, but on closer inspection, he could tell they were still on his side of the team. Team Living. 'What are they doing?' he wondered. He held back, not wanting to cause alarm, because they did look armed.

---

"Ah, don't hurt me," Olivia pleaded, her green eyes wide in fright. She looked out from behind the porch at the two people, holding her gun up in a shaking hand. "I may look young, but I really know how to use this." She bit down hard on her lower lip, causing it to bleed. "This house is clear... I was just hiding for a while so I could..." She trailed off. They wouldn't care that she liked to keep up the habit of writing in her journal. It made her feel normal in a abnormal world.

They seem distraught, might as well stand up. Might just start spraying into the trees.

"You can chill, if I wanted you guys dead you'd have been dead already."

Joshua bit his lip and smiled a little to himself.

"Not that it was a threat, just a statement."

His Glock and knife were in his hands, finger sitting out of the trigger guard and knife being held loosely by the handle with his thump, index and middle finger. He sighed to himself as he watched the two, he had a feeling neither had seen him, and they he could have scampered away to his gear without much of an issue and been on his way. However, a group was something that would work in his favor. If he could join up with them, even for a few days, his chances of not dying would go down. A few extra eyes to stay up at night, more hands and backs to carry supplies, and a few extra trigger fingers never really hurt.

"The weapon can be lowered, I'm obviously at the disadvantage." He said, not wanting to take a step back or forward, as to not sudden try to dodge rounds from whatever firearm she was wielding.

Thank you... Mercy thought, relief flooding her face when the girl spoke to them though she felt a sharp tug in her chest as she watched fear flood the girl’s expression. She took a step to the side moving out from behind the porch , instantly lifting her hands so they were visible when she saw the gun clutched in the girl’s hands. “Ok, ok take it easy. We’re not going to hurt you” She called over to her, lifting her bow and the grimy arrow above her head. “Look I’m going to put these down, ok? Please don’t shoot” She called over before crouching down slowly and putting both items on the floor in front of her, she stood up again slowly holding her hands up so the girl could see they were empty, a warm smile tugged at her mouth momentarily as she tried to catch the girls gaze.

Tamashii ran a hand into her fringe clutching at her hair as she watched Mercy step out from the cover of the porch; the girl was holding a gun! Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears; she had lowered her free hand down to rest on the hilt of her gun as she also stood up, though it was obvious she was coiled like a spring, she didn’t make any sudden movements. She’s just a girl... She thought, though her hand remained where it was. She chewed her lower lip, taking her eyes off of the girl to scan the buildings around them carefully and quickly; she refused to believe for one second that this girl was alone. She narrowed her eyes inspecting the street between her and them, it seemed too...empty here, her eyes drifted to rest on Mercy stood in the open 7 metres away from her, she swallowed a lump in her throat, struggling to keep her mouth shut, her knuckles had turned white where she was holding onto the hilt of her knife so tightly, she couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched and not just by the girl across the way.

OK take it slow, she’s obviously scared Mercy looked at the girl with inquisitive blue eyes as she spoke about the house before trailing off. “That’s good...it’s ok, you don’t have to tell me why” She said calmly with another smile, she had to raise her voice to speak to the girl she licked at her lower lip nervously before speaking again. “...I’m Mercy” She called across. “And behind me is my friend Ash. It’s just the two of us; we’re not here to cause any trouble...we came this way looking for some supplies” Mercy told her, surrendering the truth of their arrival openly, resisting the urge to look away from the girl to inspect the houses around them, she was still close enough to the porch that she could dive for cover if she needed it, though the odds of not being shot in the process were pretty slim. She was watching the young redhead carefully trying to judge the best way to speak to her; she didn’t want to offend the teenager especially as she was pointing a gun at her. Don’t freak her out, stay calm... “Can I ask what yours is?” Mercy asked. “This isn’t the time to be exchanging names” Tamashii hissed through her teeth, her voice was sharp and there was anger present in her tone. “We’re being watched” Tamashii added, glancing around cautiously. “How many of you are there?” She demanded glaring at the youngster, Mercy visibly cringed as Tamashii spoke she took her eyes off of the girl for the first time, looking at the houses either side of her as if expecting to see people appear from the windows.

Combining post soon

The two had been running back and forth to the truck, gathering food and other things that would help them back at the farm. John was placing thing in the bed of the stake body truck that was 26 ft long and high enough as they could defend easily without being worried.

It was still close to morning and not to much movement around the houses, looks that alot have been abandoned or picked over but for john and his new friend this was going to be hard work.

They both avoided using guns and used only bats and clubs unless the dead began to number quickly but then again one would never know if something was going to change within seconds, this was a harsh world now.

Instead of moving the big truck they were choosing to empty out home and leave items in the street, so they began to move around to a new area. In the far distance the two could see someone and holding a weapon of somesort.

signaling his partner, they began the task of doubling back and walking down the alley as they then find some dead in the alley coming up from behind. This was bad as the home team didn’t feel that they had the advantage.
Three shots were fired.

"You are being watched by me," Remy said, stepping out from the cover of the woods. His police pullet proof vest was snug around his dirty white tee-shirt. He dropped his duffel bag that held his other supplies, but left his pistol in his hand. The redhead looked at him with wide eyes and then turned her attention back toward the two ladies. "Though I am not part of this girl's group. Just another passing through." What were the chances of four strangers all arriving at the same time to this small little "in the middle of nowhere" town? Were all the locals dead? Where were the undead?

Olivia sighed heavily. "Look lady, I am alone. Believe me if you want to, but that is the fact." She bit down on her lower lip and then slowly lowered her gun toward the ground. "I've documented everything that's happened to me in my journals." She shrugged off her backpack and kicked it toward the women. "The red notebook is the most recent one. Go ahead, look at it." She glanced over at Remy and raised an eyebrow. Was he a real cop or had he taken the vest off someone?

"I'm sure we are all here for the same reason. Can we not point weapons at each other and focus on the important things at hand."

Three gunshots went off from somewhere nearby. "Like who is shooting and how many undead are going to be attracted by the sound?" He put his duffel bag back on, and looked around, his eyes wary. "There's two coming this way. Slow movers." He reached into his bag and pulled out a baseball bat he had found a while back. It was grime and blood covered, obviously well used.

"Where there is two, there are five or ten or 100 more coming," Olivia murmured. "Though this is a small town, so the population has to be small, right?" She squeezed her gun in her hands. She would shoot as a last resort. She did not have anything to use as a melee weapon. "The house is clear should we use it as cover?"

Mercy

Mercy lowered her hands to her sides, looking from the red-head to the newcomer. He was holding a gun but he wasn’t aiming it at anyone, she looked back at the red-head as she sighed heavily and spoke to them lowering the gun so it faced the floor. I was right...I hate being right She looked down at the backpack that was kicked towards her, she sighed to herself bending down and picking up her bow which she slung over her shoulder and held the arrow tightly between her fingers. She stepped forward and picked up the girls backpack passing it back to her. “I don’t need to see them, I believe you” She told her, her blue eyes reflecting the honesty of her words. She turned back to see Tamashii still holding her pistol up at the man, even after his reasonable comment. “Ash, he’s right” She backed him up, her expression stern as Tamashii looked at her.

Mercy chewed her lip, she hastily poked the hammer into a side of her rucksack, holding her bow and the arrow with her spare hand. She moved over to the red-head so she was further away from the slow movers her eyes focused on the space between the ‘safe’ house and the house next door cautiously. Who fired those shots? “We should go and see who fired those shots...what if they need help?” She murmured, her eyes drifting down the street she could see movement at the other end. “Or have supplies?” She added. “We’re really low on supplies...” Mercy murmured.

Tamashii

Tamashii’s almost instantly pulled her pistol from its holster holding it up at the new guy, by the time he had stepped out the barrel was aimed at him and her finger hovered over the trigger. She took a step back moving closer to Mercy, noting his bullet proof vest her shoulders visibly tensed. Shit, I knew it! She listened to what the guy said, but the paranoid part of her brain wouldn’t allow her to lower her gun. People had said that before...then when her back was turned...she swallowed a lump that had formed in her dry throat.

Tamashii’s hands shook a little as she looked at Mercy, with a grunt of disapproval she lowered her weapon as well. “Fine, any funny business and I won’t hesitate” She grumbled aiming it more towards the man wearing the bullet proof vest. She spun round as she heard three shots echo around them, instantly leaping towards Mercy and looking down the street. “Judging from past experience, a lot” Tamashii commented, looking in the direction the guy was looking her eyes fell on the two figures moving toward them, her nose wrinkled as she studied them quickly taking in their blood stained grimy clothing and their pale rotting appearance, it was something she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to seeing. She watched the guy pull a grimy baseball bat out of his duffel bag looking at the red-head as she spoke. She’s right... She bit her lip trying to think fast, she saw Mercy pull her bow off of her shoulder and knock an arrow holding it loosely for the moment. “Maybe...but these things seem to be covering a sh-eet load of land, can’t trust it’s just the locals left” Tamashii answered, holstering her pistol and walking back over to where she had been standing before she picked up the hammer she had found earlier, testing its weight in her hand.

Tamashii looked up at the baseball wielding man, her hazel eyes guarded. “Good plan, right here is the deal. If we want to get out of this we need to work together” She announced, contradicting how she had acted a moment before. The house would be safe...but what if they horde in this direction? She looked at the dark haired man again; the two slow movers were dangerously close clearly attracted by their smell. Though Tamashii questioned how alluring sweat and dirt could actually smell... “You...vest guy, help me take these two out. You take the one on the left I’ll get the one on the right” She told him, moving over to Mercy she passed her the hammer and flexed the blade in her other hand.

Tamashii lurched sideways as the slow mover lunged at her; she narrowly avoided its arms as they swung wildly trying to claw her. She pulled her arm back and plunged her knife into the side of its skull with a sickening squelch. She pulled back with a small grunt pushing the creature away from her, shaking her blade free of rotted flesh and brain gunk as she moved back over to Mercy and the red-head. She looked thoughtful at what Mercy had said. “They could have loads of supplies but they are going to be swarmed really soon after spraying those shots...” Tamashii looked over at the vest wearing man. “What do you think, worth having a look? You look as though you move fast. We could track forward and take a look whilst these two keep the house clear” Tamashii suggested. Her stomach knotting at the thought of letting Mercy out of her sight at the same time she figured it would be safer this way.

Collab with Joshua15555.

Chris did not lower the rifle at the stranger's request, but at Tony's. She kept it aimed on the stranger for as long as it took him to explain himself and for her to check him over for visible undead-related injuries. When Tony quietly urged her to think carefully, she slowly lowered the gun. She knew how Tony would be looking at this situation; another person to watch their backs, help them achieve their goals, regroup with humanity, and all that crap. But this wasn't a damn video game.

He picked the baton up from the leaves and offered it to her. “Who are you?” she asked the stranger, taking the baton from from Tony's hand and wrapping her fingers tight around the handle.

"Joshua." He stated, letting out a breath as he stepped forward, putting away his knife and Glock. However he didn't strap the pistol in, he simply set it on safe and let it sit in the holster, his hand resting on it, ready to be drawn if he needed to. He watched her carefully as he took a few more short steps forward.

"Now that I said who I was I'd like for you to tell me who you two are. Seems only reasonable." Joshua said cautiously.

She kept the rifle in her hand, its strap dangling in the undergrowth of the woods. "Chris. This is Tony." She gestured to her friend, who waved at Joshua.

"There's a town on the other side of these woods," Tony blurted. She tapped his thigh with the end of the baton and shot him a glare. Excellent, she thought, now he knows where we're going. Tony shut up then, biting his bottom lip as if the rest of their plans were going to fly out of his mouth if he didn't stop them.

She faced Joshua again and pulled the rifle onto her shoulder. A sign of good will, but nothing stupid. If he attacked them, she knew exactly where to hit to disable him, at least long enough to get the hell out of the woods. "Give me a reason to trust you. A good one."

"I can't really, and it's pretty foolish to try. Just because you trust me, what stops you from stabbing me in the back? Not a lot." Joshua said, stopping his slow advance. He really couldn't find a reason, he was going to the town and ransack it and keep moving towards the inner United States, to get away from the highly populated coast.

He had a point, but Chris would rather keep someone she trusted and might have a use for alive, with their back intact. She chose not to tell the stranger this. If he wouldn't cooperate, she wouldn't mind leaving him behind. For now, with Tony's stupid puppy dog eyes threatening to work on her any minute, she would let this guy off. She waved her hand, letting Tony pick up the conversation.

"Hello," he said, smiling sweetly. Like an idiot. "Are you heading to the town too? Would you like to come with us?"

"I wouldn't mind a group until we get there. When we arrive we can reconsider if we want to keep moving together. Can I head over and grab my gear, it's not far from here." Joshua said, watching the previously silent Tony.

Tony nodded, like an excited child, and turned to grin at his best friend. She fought the impulse to roll her eyes and nodded too. "We'll come with you, then to the town," Tony said, already walking towards where Joshua had come from. Chris followed him closely, eyeing Joshua all the while.

"You guys can wait there, not I don't... trust you, its a personal thing." Joshua said, waving his hand away from them, still walking to his gear. The guy seemed too friendly, too quick to trust. He'd have been just like the female, Chris, with someone like himself. After a little longer he arrived at his gear, he threw off the leaves and picked up the assault pack, throwing it on his back and moving back to return to Chris and Tony, provided they had listened to him in the first place.

More than happy to leave this guy to his business, Chris put out an arm and stopped Tony. He halted immediately, of course. She kept one hand on his arm and one on the baton, eyeing the trees. By the time Joshua came back, she gave him a quick once-over and nodded in approval. Whatever he had in that pack, she'd figure out if it posed a threat to her and Tony later.

She started towards the town at a quick pace and Tony followed.

The yellow house with white trim was a two story with a wrap around porch much like others in the area. The area was more upper middle class, people that would use the route 14 to get to Los angeles within the hour and still have peace quiet and horses.

In this sub tract these homes didn’t have as much land but was still around 500-750k range. Pools and adult toy trailer littered the driveways.

After securing the back door with a kitchen chair, the pair move to secure the inside.

“ You stay here and wait, stay out of sight unless they come through the back door, got that?!” He instructed her.

a quick search upstairs and using a lamp cord as a trip line from the top of the stairs makes john relax a bit more.

Motioning the woman from afar to lay low and to crawl slowly to the other side of the room.

John saw that several dead were attracted by seeing them and gathering on the porch, no time to exit the front... better to wait for a bit then exit via the roof maybe.

"No problem," Remy said. He was quick on his feet, swinging the bat over and around, until it made a sickening crunch against the head of what once used to be a woman. The thing crumbled to the ground in a heap. He looked down at it for a brief moment, saddened at the loss of life.

He looked over at the three ladies and couldn't help but think of what he had been through so far. He had started out with a small group that he had traveled with since he left LA. A couple nights ago there had been several undead come out of nowhere. The van they used crashed into them, rendering it useless.

Remy and his two other able companions were quick with dispatching the undead, but they had made a fatal mistake. One of them had left the van door wide open, leaving inside a few of their group who were unable to fight for various reasons. They were so focused on taking down the undead that they did not notice the one who went straight for the open van door. The three inside were infected before Remy could even turn around.

His only thought when he turned away from his fight was to get to the van and save the people inside. He had thought the others could handle the few that were left. He was wrong.

It was over before it even started, he thought as he let out a soft sign.

"Be careful," he said to the little girl and the woman who were going to stay behind. He reached into his pack and pulled out a sheath that held a sharp six inch blade. He handed it to the child, feeling a grimace of guilt that someone so young should have to fight. "Guns only as a last resort."

He turned to the other woman and nodded. "Let's go."

Joshua returned to the small group and was greeted by silence, and the overall common understanding that they needed to get to their objective. He enjoyed such unspoken decisions, no lengthy debate, no possible confrontation, it was a group knowing what to do next without even uttering a word. His knife and Glock were stuffed away in their respective sheath and holster and his hands rested on the straps of the backpack.

He pondered a number of thoughts as the group walked to the ever nearing treeline, where which a number of dilapidated houses and precious few vehicles are varying types lay, Joshua could smartly assume if most of them weren't already damaged beyond repair, they were most certainly drained of all their fuel by now. He walked a bit faster than the other two, wanting to be the first to the treeline.

He stopped, dropping to a knee, only a few meters from the overgrown yards of the housing project. He looked around, scanning the local area and watching for anything that didn't belong, along that didn't feel right. He couldn't see anything, though he could smell a change in the air, it wasn't anything he could point it, it felt like a mixture of things, none good.

"Infected are most likely around here somewhere." He mumbled to himself.