[IC] The Dead and the Dying

[Sol Grim]

Dallen ignored her comments and kept moving forward, following parallel with what he figured had to be the main street pipeline. His thoughts were still of Ava. Could he have saved her? Was her death his fault? He punched a brick and kept moving. He hesitated, then saved himself. But if he had stayed back for her, there was absolutely no way he would have made it out. He paused halfway down the line to catch his breath and think.

"This way," he said. They continued on for about an hour, stopping only when Dallen noted 'RMS' etched into one of the underground pipes. It was the school's initials, so he found the nearest man hole ladder and headed to it. "Maybe you two should stay here this time..." He started to say it, but he didn't want to be in control of their choices and their lives. So, rather, he let them do whatever they wanted. Everyone has their own choices to make.

Dallen climbed up the ladder and opened the man hole, and after taking a quick look above ground, he exited. He came out with the baseball fields to his back, a few dumpsters and a back alley leading to the school in the front. He was near a gated over side entrance, and the undead were sparse but around in random places. Dallen led the way over to some steel pipes that ran along the side of the building, then started climbing them up toward the roof.

"Stay there!" was all he said. After he scaled the top, it was only moments later that he re-appeared and opened one of the doors from the other side. They all locked one way.

They would enter a hallway, the doors all around them were locked as well. Dallen started walking toward the end, where he thought he saw people. The hallway was long, but by the end of it they peered out the windows of the double doors. The school's courtyard was there, in the middle of it was a small group of survivors. They were all students, just kids.

Dallen opened the door and began to approach, but as soon as he was spotted they became defensive. One student aimed a .357 at them, he looked old enough to be a senior or higher.

"We're not infected," Dallen said. "I'm just looking for my daughter."

"How did you get in? Is there more help coming??"

"Who are you?"

"Can you help us?"

They asked a million questions, all of them completely ignoring what he was saying. They must have been in shock, all of them having to stay here for the past three days. It was clear that they had been stuck here, but were there more of them?

"Kelsey Larson, she's my daughter," he started. "Have you seen her? Are there more of you here?"

He started his own questions, and quickly everyone was getting nowhere fast. Until, Ethan Hall came from a different hallway and out into the courtyard. He heard Kelsey's name, and then stepped up.

"Yeah, Kelsey's alive," Ethan said. He was also one of the older ones, and he dressed like a street thug with baggie clothing and pants, a beanie on his head. "You her father?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you, please. Where is she?"

They walked down another hallway. Ethan held a pair of the school's master keys with him as they went, going in different door after different door, locking everything up behind them.

"The Principle locked the school down," Ethan told them. "By the end of the first day, it was impossible to get out. A lot tried..." Dallen lit up a smoke. "...can I get one of those?"

"Kelsey..."

"Anyway, we stayed," he continued. "We have every room with the infected locked down, that's including the cafeteria. There's too many of 'em in there. No cafeteria means no food, it's been three days. We're getting weak already. The plan was to try to make it out there, but none of us have it in us to leave yet."

He opened the last locked door, it led to the school library. It was a three story room, with large spaces and high shelves filled with books. A few adults were in the room, teachers that had given up hope. Other students were huddled around the large center of the room, most of them covered in blankets and towels.

"Kelsey?" Dallen said loudly, disrupting the silence. His daughter turned to him, her face pale and weak. "Daddy?" she spoke, her voice horse and dry. Dallen ran to her and hugged her, tears forming in his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

"You found me Daddy, I knew you would," she said softly. "Not hurt, just hungry. We all are."

Dallen stood. There was a large open window at the front of the library, it overlooked the courtyard and the entrance to the cafeteria. The entire place was already boarded up, curtesy of the woodshop students that still lived.

"Do you have a camp?" one of the teacher's butted in.

"How many are in the cafeteria?" he asked, pulling out his brown bag from his coat and giving it to his daughter. Inside she would find candy bars and some fruit.

"It was packed, the first place to go," Ethan answered. "Everyone stuck inside the school, we all got trapped. But...I know the place. I'm the one that locked the dead rooms, made the safe rooms. I can tell you from personal experience, you won't survive the cafeteria. From the food alone, oh!" No one laughed.

"Elizabeth, I need your help," he said. "We need to clear the cafeteria."

"Whoa, whoa bro, I said you WON'T survive the cafeteria, did you not hear me man?" Ethan said. "I'm pretty sneaky, but that place is full of them."

"We came from the court house," Dallen said, shifting his words to everyone. "There are survivors there. We have enough food to last us at least six months. I only have until 10 am tomorrow to get back there, then they close their doors for good. I came for my daughter, but if you all help me get the food from the cafeteria and we bring it back to the court house, they will let you all in as well. It's safer there, here you won't last a month."

"How do we clear the room?" Ethan asked.

"I saw a few vans outside," he replied. "We get one working and move it to the back doors leading to the cafeteria. We then use noise to lure the infected out into the courtyard, while we sneak in and take the supplies to the vans. They're school vans, they should have the keys here somewhere..."

"I'll do you one better, I got a schoolbus," Ethan stated. "Still, there will be lurkers that don't get lured out..."

"We take them out ourselves, hand to hand to avoid any more noise. Get them in the brain, it's how we kill them."

There was still confusion and nervousness with the group, but most of them didn't have a choice. They all had the hour to get ready, to be by the doors inside the hallway. Ethan volunteered to bring up the vans, while Dallen and Elizabeth would fight off any dead so the others could load up and go as fast as possible.

[moonfaerie]

Displeased with the response, Elizabeth narrowed her gaze at Dallen first then stared down at Erin. The girl stood beside her staring after the man with a hurt expression and hung her head; she was sad he'd ignored her. Feeling herself bristle, Elizabeth squeezed her hand and gave it a gentle tug to usher her forward. The little girl obliged and walked beside her, remaining quiet until they reached the ladder.

Dallen went first. After determining it was safe when they didn't hear his death screams, they followed after him. Rolling her eyes as he ordered them to wait, Elizabeth found her patience running thin and wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Cupping her hand against a dusty window, she leaned forward trying to catch a glimpse of who or what was on the other side. At first all she saw was an empty room, but she suddenly jerked back in surprise and clutched her chest.

A face, half-eaten with maggots crawling out of its mouth, snarled and snapped its jaws at her. It was followed by others of the same, drawn to her movement. Stepping in front of Erin she held out an arm to keep her safe behind in case the window broke as they pressed against the glass. It wasn't long after Dallen appeared to open the door. Gesturing for her to go to him the little girl ran, waiting at the door for Elizabeth to join them.

Walking through the hallways, Elizabeth found herself apprehensive of place. A shiver crawling up her spine, she quietly told Erin, “Stay by me.” With an affirmative nod, she followed close behind, occasionally stepping on her heels while trying to find the right distance and whispering an apology for it. They made it to the courtyard where a bunch of survivors were gathered, but were forced to stop when one of them aimed a gun at them.

As the barrage of questions flooded from the students, Elizabeth had one of her own as she exclaimed, “How the hell did you kids get a gun?!” While it was useful, maybe even necessary for their survival now, that didn't explain how they had access to one in the first place at school if none of them had been able to leave. It meant one of them most likely already had it. It was a thought that made her uneasy.

Catching wind of the conversation Dallen was having with one of the students, Elizabeth looked over at them. “Not that impossible," she remarked, arching an dubious brow at Ethan. "We were able to get in. And you all managed to get a hold of a couple guns somehow.”

Feeling a tug on her skirt, she turned her attention to Erin. “He's not here,” she told her.

With the boy leading Dallen around to find his daughter, it was the perfect opportunity for them to search for her father as well. They arrived to the library which had Elizabeth whistling in awe. The only time she'd ventured to her high school library was when she was forced during class, but hadn't been nearly anywhere as big. Erin looked pleased when she saw where they were as she said, “Daddy loves books. I'm sure he'll be here.” But the smile was soon replaced with troubled concern when she didn't see him anywhere in there, either.

“Are there any other places with survivors?” she asked the boy. Erin's eyes widened when she heard the question; she was afraid of the answer.

But he and Dallen were in the middle of something. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. Now that Dallen had found who he was looking for, Elizabeth figured from that point on it would just be her and Erin. The two of them about to leave the room to continue the search for Erin's father on their own terms, she paused when she heard her name before whirling around to face Dallen.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, but quickly ceased when she realized he was serious. Groaning as he turned around to make a speech to the rest of them, she continued shaking her head as he and Ethan began discussing a plan. “Uh, how about no?” she finally said. “This is stupid.”

It was one thing for her to go back to the lobby to save a little girl's life who would have otherwise died without them. But these people were perfectly capable on their own. They weren't stuck or stranded and by the way they were waving their gun around earlier, she couldn't say they were defenseless either. They were hungry—and she couldn't help but think that was due to their own stupidity.

“Why would you even want to go back there?” she wondered incredulously. If they could keep the doors open for twenty-four hours then they could keep them open indefinitely and welcome in people who needed it. If anything, that just showed her what kind of people they really were. Then again, the majority of them had been willing to let a little girl die. “No,” she stated. “I'm just here to find Mr. Lee. I'm not doing shit.”

Erin gasped in shock. “That's a bad word,” she chided. Elizabeth apologized though it didn't change her mind. Going in there with just the two of them was suicide and this wasn't something she was willing to risk her life on.

[Sol Grim]

"Fine, I'll do it myself," Dallen said.

Kelsey took everything out from the brown bag, keeping a chocolate bar for herself but giving out all the rest to those around her. Not everyone got something, but the idea of getting out of here was now all they could think about.

"Mr. Lee was in the cafeteria..." a blonde girl in a cheerleader outfit stated. "I saw him...I don't know if he made it, but if he was in there..."

"Thanks, that's enough," Dallen butted in. The dumb blonde didn't even realize that she was basically telling everyone that he was dead. She half smiled, until she realized what she had just done. She began apologizing to Erin, but again Dallen stopped her. "You never know, there's always a slim chance. He could be hiding in there, I'll find out." He again turned to Elizabeth. "Lets go find Mr. Lee."

Whether or not she would talk her way out of this one or not, Erin seemed to agree with the plan. Over the rest of the hour, the school bus was brought around the back of the building and backed up to the exit doors. Loud speakers were hooked up to the other side, the amaerican anthem playing from them on a loop. The doors to the cafeteria were opened, and floods of the dead came out and into the courtyard. They continued on and out the other side, following the noise.

Everyone met up in the art classroom, it was just outside the side entrances to the cafeteria. Dallen motioned for everyone to wait for his signal. Before it started, Dallen turned to Elizabeth away from Erin. "Just get on the bus with us, we'll take you wherever you want to go. It'll give her a chance." Then Ethan opened the cafeteria doors and they went inside.

The kid with the gun from before, the quarterback of the football team, knealt next to Elizabeth as Dallen and Ethan left. "To answer your question before, this gun is and has always been mine. These streets are rough lady, but don't worry. I can protect you. You'll be thanking me if you stay close."

...
Ethan ran to the back storage room as quickly as he could, all of the walkers in the room either were already outside or making their way out. His nerves raced through him as he started picking up supplies. Another kid with them ran back and told the others that it was time.

The back doors of the school were opened, one of the teachers ran ahead and took the driver spot of the bus. The kids all poured in taking seats as fast as they could, a few staying behind to load it with food crates. Beans, rice, spagetti, fruits, vegies, and anything else one could think of. The older kids ran back and forth, loading as much as they could until...

"Daddy..." Erin said. She had somehow ran past Elizabeth on her own to get a closer look. The man was on his way out of the cafeteria as he turned at her voice. He still looked himself, save for the bite at his neck. His eyes were pale, but he was otherwise recognizable. He let out a sharp scream into the air, it was so loud that the entire horde of walkers turned to face them all. "Daddy?"

"We have enough, lets go," Dallen said.

The driver tried to start the ignition of the bus, but it stalled. Again and again he tried, as the horde came at them all.

"Fuck! What do we do!" Daryal shouted. He fired a few shots that all missed save one, though it only struck a walker's chest.

Dallen pulled his glock out and kept the first wave of them at bay, taking the majority of them down with single shots. "Get on the bus!" He yelled to Erin, hoping Elizabeth was watching her as he took down a few more.

"It won't start!!" the cheerleader freaked.

The other kids all had baseball bats from the gymnasium. They started fighting back, clocking one here and smashing another one there. Ethan took out his first, though it slipped on a chair before it got to him. He smashed in the brains, not even thinking about what he was doing in the moment. One of the other teachers was grabbed, and when some other students ran in to pull him back, they were all sucked in to the chaos.

"Back up, get that thing started!" Dallen yelled. He was using his extended security baton, smashing heads left and right.

A few more students were swallowed in the horde, their deaths all agonizing and horrible. Finally the bus started up again, as the driver yelled "Lets go!"

The few remaining got in, as the bus just barely sped away and down the street...

[moonfaerie]

Hearing the news of what happened to Erin's father, Elizabeth felt the color draining from her face. Checking to see the girl's reaction, the full reality of it hadn't sunk in just yet. “No,” the little girl said, her voice wavering as it started to sink in.

When Dallen addressed her, cruelly giving her a little bit of false hope, Elizabeth shot a glare in his direction. “What are you doing?” she hissed, but Erin had taken to his side, believing that her father might really have been hiding in the cafeteria just as she'd been hiding in the lobby. He'd gotten a little girl's hopes up just so she would join him in his pointless cause—and she was furious. When Erin wasn't looking, Elizabeth balled her hand into a fist and punched Dallen without restraint in the shoulder. He should have known better than that.

The only reason she went along with it was for Erin—because she wanted to know. She deserved that much, but Elizabeth felt the need to awkwardly remind her that they might not find what they expected when they opened the doors. Even though told her that she understood, the way she excitedly waited by the door gave the impression otherwise.

When they met up at the cafeteria she didn't have anything to say to Dallen. When he pulled her aside to talk to her, she scoffed at what he had to say. After what he just pulled with Erin, she didn't trust him one bit and he had some nerve trying to use her again in an attempt to make her go along with it. “Because a bus full of high school students and a court house full of people who wanted to let her die is her best chance?” she hissed keeping her voice low so no one else could hear her. “Fuck you.” She considered the conversation over when Ethan walked past them to open the doors and stepped away from Dallen.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly until Erin noticed something. “Wait!” Elizabeth called out, but failing to catch her in time as she ran ahead. Dropping the contents in her arms as she went after her, the girl suddenly stopped and called out to one of them. Horror flashing in Elizabeth's eyes as Erin called to what was once her father, she slowly edged forward closer to her trying not to make any sudden movement that might make it attack. After unleashing a piercing scream that hurt her ears and getting the attention of the entire horde on them, they had to move quickly.

“Erin!” she yelled. The girl turned to run towards her, tears steaming down her face. Taking off as fast as they could, their feet pounded on the pavement as Elizabeth was practically dragging the girl along with her to escape.

“Lizzy,” Erin yelled so she could be heard over the loud choir of the dead. “The bus-”

“We're not getting on the bus,” she told her. Rounding the building of the school where the manhole cover was they'd crawled out from, she urged the girl to go first. Reluctant to do so after seeing the way that Ava passed and not wanting the same to happen to Elizabeth, Erin still did as she was told only to be followed behind shortly after. The noise of the buses kept the attention of the dead just long enough for them to make their escape.

[Sol Grim]

Dallen clenched his fist when he noticed Elizabeth took Erin down into the sewers again. What the hell was wrong with her? He didn't care what happened to her, but the little girl. He knew now that he should have never let her leave the court house. There was no way they would survive.

The bus sped around a few corners, quickly making its way back through the barren streets and toward the court house. One of the students quickly felt ill, and he moved toward the front of the bus. He pulled up his sleeve to confirm the bite wound he had, a chunk of flesh missing from his skin. Tears swelled his eyes, but the others were too preoccupied to notice.

"Daddy, why did she leave us?" Kelsey spoke about Elizabeth.

"Everyone has their own choices to make," was all he replied.

"OH MY GOD!! HE'S INFECTED!!" the cheerleader screamed about the boy sitting next to her. It didn't take him long to turn, as he pounced on the blonde girl and chomped down on her face, peeling her cheek off with a single hard bite.

Panic quickly rose in the bus, as Daryal opened up fire on the infected. He fired through the kids body, a stray bullet crashing into the back of the bus driver's head and killing him instantly. The bus flipped, just a block away from their destination. The impact dazed Dallen, as he slowly came back to his senses. A ringing sensation boiled in his mind as he tried to find his daughter.

Ethan opened up the back of the bus, as the front was soon becoming a massacre. The kids turned so fast, one after the other. Everyone piled up, trying to escape. Kelsey was unconscious, so Dallen lifted her up and carried her out, following Ethan and Daryal to the entrance to the court building.

"Let us in, come on let us in!!" Daryal screamed, running out of ammo.

Just before the dead were on them, the gates opened up and let them in, closing again behind them. They entered through the elevator, back up to the 32nd floor where the others were. Those from the security room were also there, as Riley and Lucy embraced Dallen. He shoved them off, laying his daughter on a couch and trying to wake her up.

"You found her..." Lucy said, startled.

"Glad you made it back man, but we have a new problem," Riley informed. "No rest for the wicked."

Kelsey opened her eyes. She was banged up, but okay. After getting her some water, Dallen went back to see what was going on. Everyone around him looked packed and ready to go, as if they were leaving.

"It hasn't been 24 hours yet, what's going on?" he asked.

Judge Williams came forward. "You're lucky you showed when you did, we would not have been here at the 24 hour mark," she said. "Steven found a radio broadcast from the military, Steven..."

"The military has been fighting this the whole time," Steven spoke up. "The cities that are overrun, like Mecha city, are to be bombed sometime tonight. I over heard the transmission, then it was all static again."

"We've got trucks ready to go, we leave in the hour," Briggs told them. "Everyone."

"Where are we going, Daddy?" Kelsey asked.

"Wherever we have to..."

[moonfaerie]

“I don't like it down here,” Erin stated, furrowing her small nose up as she looked around them. Even though there was nothing else they could do, she just wanted to make her feelings known. Talking about her likes and dislikes seemed to calm the girl down. It was something Elizabeth had noticed during her time together with her and tried to use it to her advantage.

Agreeing with her, she said, “I don't either.” Looking down by her side at the little girl as they strolled through the sewers—something she never thought she'd be doing in her life—she said, “You know what else I don't like?”

Putting some serious genuine thought into the question, the girl eventually gave up as she had no idea. “What?” she asked curiously.

“Broccoli,” she replied, bending down with an overly exaggerated face of disgust.

Even after everything, the little girl laughed. “Broccoli's the worst,” she agreed. It didn't take long for the merry banter to stop though and the little girl fell quiet again as she stared down at her shoes. As much as she tried, Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't be able to take away the pain Erin was feeling from losing both of her parents in such a short amount of time.

With no idea where they were going, they took twists and turns through the labyrinthine passages until they saw a light at the end of one of the tunnels. Motioning for Erin to stay where she was while she went to check the area. Keeping her distance, Erin took a few steps forward as Elizabeth beckoned her forward with a wave of her hand. It reminded her of playing red light green light during recess.

When she didn't see the threat of the dead in the tunnel or in the immediate vicinity around it, she called Erin over. Her running footsteps echoed through the tunnel and Elizabeth helped her climb down. Once they were out she took the time to look around at her surroundings. Unfortunately, she still didn't have any clue where they were.

“I'm hungry,” Erin finally said, lowering her head as if the declaration was a shameful one.

Even though she had no idea how she was going to fight her way through those things to find some food, she was going to try. “Then lets get you some food,” Elizabeth said. Taking her hand, the two of them cautiously proceeded forward.

[Sol Grim]

The radio crackled to life.

"-Does anyone read- -Any survivors read this frequency-"

Steven rushed over to the radio and grabbed the mic. "-yes, yes, we're survivors here, over- -we are at the court house"

"-It's Tyler-" the voice replied. "-I found help- -with the military, at a checkpoint-" After pleaing with the military men he was with, together they found the frequency.

"-We over heard they were going to bomb the city, can you confirm, over-"

"-They're still evacuating the city, get to the Mecha City bridge, we have helicopters- Their orders are to hold the bridge until backup arrives, but yes, I'm thinking backup is bombing the city.-"

"-How long do we have...?-"

"-Hours, if your lucky. Get here now...I have to go, something's up...-"

Everyone quickly sprang into action. The vehicles in the garage were loading with supplies and people, and quickly they all moved out, leaving the court house building for good.

DAY 3 - 5pm

The convoy rushed through the city. They had trucks, a few shuttle buses, and a few cars. Judge Williams was in a Ford truck with Briggs driving and leading the group, Steven was with them in the backseat. Dallen and his daughter, as well as Ethan, Riley, Lucy, Buck, and Daryal were all in one of the buses.

"I don't like buses, Daddy," kelsey said, staying as close to her father as possible.

"Remember that song your mother used to sing to you," he said cooly. "I'd love to hear it."

Kelsey smiled just thinking of her mother. "She was lucky to have died before...I don't want to get eaten alive, Daddy, please..."

"Nothing like that will ever happen to you," he assured. "We'll find the military and get out...we'll be okay. Sure you don't want to sing that song?"

"I'd love to hear it," Lucy added.

"Yeah," Riley agreed.

Kelsey wiped her tears and cleared her voice. "It's stupid...but okay." She hummed the melody of a soft lullaby as they wizzed past street after street. She sang in the most beautiful voice, soft yet powerful...

lullaby

youtube.com/watch?v=CdeOCZ6MA9Q

The others remained quiet as they drove on. The sun was beginning to set, and darkness and shadow was seeping already through the skyscrapers and buildings. The undead would start to come out in droves, snarling and running for the convoy. Each vehicle had someone firing back at them, clearing some of the way. They just had to make it to the bridge.

"We have a problem," Briggs said over the comms that were connected vehicle to vehicle. "There's too many."

Kelsey continued to sing, shutting her eyes and mind from the horrors surrounding her...

The horde covered the streets from shoulder to shoulder. The convoy turned to another road, but the deeper they got into the city, the more of the infected would come out. So much so that they started to run them all over, which worked for awhile. Slowly they rammed through the dead horde, using four wheel drive to pass over body parts and debris in the road.

"The others!" Lucy yelled, looking back at the convoy.

The dead swarmed those behind them, all of them. Their vehicles couldn't make it through and they got stuck. The infected smashed through the windows, tore into the people inside. None of them had a chance.

"We keep moving forward!" Briggs demanded.

They did, all night taking the only paths that were allowed to them. Eventually, the Mecha city bridge could be seen in the distance. It was up, blocking anyone in or out of the city. The military's firepower could be seen, fighting back the dead at one of the checkpoints. There were still hundreds upon hundreds of living people, all at the base of the bridge, all trying to get to the other side. The backup of vehicles stopped them in their tracks, though luckily there were no more dead around them.

"We go on foot from here," Briggs said.

The group got together, only a few firearms between them. They marched up the darkening beach line, Dallen holding Kelsey's hand the entire time.

"We made it!" Daryal exclaimed.

"...Not yet," Ethan replied.

The group walked all the way over to the bridge, where they were met by the other survivors of the city. Behind them were signs of a great battle, one that looked like the military had won. The barricades were holding for now, but behind them the undead pushed against continuously, trying to get through.

"Why aren't they letting us through yet?" Buck asked.

"Too many people, they've been letting us in section after section," a random person next to him answered. "Been here for nearly a day...They're just making sure none of us are infected."

The bridge would go back down after about thirty minutes, letting the next large group of people through. Then it would rise back up, as the military did their necessary check ups. The group made it close to the front, all of them staying together, hoping to get through the next time.

The barricade fell, the undead pressing against it caused it to tumble. It all happened so fast, as they began pouring into the checkpoint. A siren sounded from the bridge, just before they were to lower it again. A few military officials looked over from the raised bridge, down on the people below.

"Let us in! Let us in now!" Buck screamed with the others as panic started to arise.

The dead reached the survivors, tackling whoever they came across first. Others ran forward, and very quickly people were not only getting attacked from behind, but others would get trampled over and stomped to death. Dallen lifted Kelsey into his arms, not knowing what to do.

The military got the order to shoot to kill, everyone. Then evacuate. The tiny bit of hope in the crowd's minds was shattered, as they opened fire upon them, killing as many as they could. Judge Williams stared wide-eyed, as she was shot down multiple times, falling to the floor dead.

Daryal ran, pushing people out of his way the best he could, but he was caught. They swarmed him, ripping him to shreds from all sides, all while he was still standing shoulder to shoulder. His screams were muffled from the chaos around him.

Buck fired back, shooting a soldier in the head and dropping him, but his attacks were pointless. The soldiers continued to fire, and he got overwhelmed just as everyone else did around him. The bullets didn't kill him, but brought him wounded to the ground, where he was trampled to death.

Briggs forced his way back through the area they had come, blasting anything in his way with his shotgun. Dallen followed him, carrying a frightened Kelsey with him, her face burried in his shoulder. Briggs led them out, protecting them until he ran out of shells. They reached a beach side bar, as the man used the butte of his weapon to crack the door open.

"Get in!" he yelled.

A walker pounced on Dallen, though he held its head back and pushed it off. Ethan swung his baseball bat and cracked the things hard, slumping it to the floor.

They entered the bar, shoving a large jukebox over to the door to block it. There they layed low, hearing the mayhem surrounding them.

"Daddy..."

Dallen looked down at his little girl, her eyes coming in and out of focus. She was shot through the chest, and was dying.

"No, Kelsey!" He pleaded. He ripped off a portion of his sleeve and attempted to help, but she was already gone.

Before Dallen could scream, Briggs tackled to him and held him close. "We have to be quiet, brother!" he said, holding the man tightly. Dallen's face filled with tears, as he tried to fight back, but Briggs held him tightly. They stumbled to the floor, where Briggs still held him as the man cried into his shoulder.

Ethan sighed with defeat, tears rolling down his cheek as well. He knew now more than ever, that they were all going to die.

[moonfaerie]

The two of them ran as fast as they possibly could with those things chasing behind them. Both of them gasped for breath and she could hear Erin whimpering in fear behind her. The transition onto the sidewalk was easy for Elizabeth, but Erin's foot caught on the edge and she tripped. “Lizzy!” she cried out frantically. Stopping to turn around, she saw their pursuers not far behind them. Racing back to help, she picked Erin up just as one of them reached out to grab her. Mere millimeters away from grabbing her, the thing fell over and bought them a little time as those around it tripped over the body.

More of them ran out of the allies, Elizabeth shrieking in terror as they managed to jump out and surprise her, barely missing her as she jumped out of the way and out of their grasp. Erin screamed too though being smaller and faster she was able to dodge more easily.

“Come on,” Elizabeth managed to say between breaths, making sure that Erin was ahead of her. Her lungs were burning for air, but she couldn't stop because those things wouldn't. If those things caught up to them, with Elizabeth between Erin and the danger, she would be the one to go first giving the little girl a chance.

They needed to find somewhere to stop for even a few seconds to catch their breaths. Though Erin was doing a good job at keeping up, and was even surpassing her, Elizabeth could see she was getting tired. At the first building she saw, she yelled, “There! Go! Into the church!”

The little girl ran as fast as she could to the building with the tall steeple and stained glass windows. Emerging from its hiding spot, one of those things charged in Elizabeth's direction. Unable to turn around, she had to go through it. Picking up a trash can lid, she used it as a shield bumping into it and shoving it aside. She didn't stop until she reached the church. Together they shut the doors and she locked them. “Find something,” Elizabeth said as she pressed her weight against it. Searching around the pews, Erin found a cane in the umbrella stand and returned with it. Slipping it through the handles. If she could have moved one of those large wooden pews in front of it for an extra barricade then she would have, but unfortunately she wasn't strong enough for that.

“We made it,” Erin said happily, celebrating their temporary success.

Not feeling the same excitement, she tried to muster as much enthusiasm as she could not to worry the girl. “We did,” she said with a strained smile. Luckily Erin didn't notice as she ran to look around the building. “Stay in sight.”

The colored light from the windows dimmed as the numbers blocked the sun. Not a religious person herself by any means, she found it ironic either way that she would end up in a church. Picking up one of the choir books sitting in the pews, she flipped through it reading the lyrics to old hems she'd never heard of. “Lizzy! Look! Food!” she heard Erin exclaim. Closing the book and setting it down, she went to join the girl at the front where she pointed to a collection of boxes full of boxed and canned goods. There was a sign near them that read 'Food Drive Donations'.

Searching the boxes, she picked up a small tin of fruit and tried to open the tab herself. Smiling at her attempt, Elizabeth couldn't stop thinking about this little girl was so strong. Had she been stuck with any other kid they would have probably been crying, fighting, and arguing with her right now. But Erin was so well-behaved and even after the recent loss of her parents, she was pressing on.

“Let me,” she said, holding her hand out for it. Erin bounded over to her and held it out to her. She pealed the lid back with ease before handing it back and watched as the little girl happily ate it, fruit juice dribbling down her scraped chin.

[Sol Grim]

"The Lord opens his doors to all," came a voice from the back of the cathedral. He was Pastor Leroy Book, the man who ran this church and delivered its sermins. His hair was frizzed out into an afro, and he wore a clean black and white suit. "Welcome, for I have been expecting you." He came up closer, a friendly smile across his face. "Please, eat your fill. What's mine is yours, in the house of God."

He carried a rifle with him, it slung behind his back. He simply took a seat near by, though kept his distance for their comfort. "I'm Pastor Leroy Book. Everything's going to be all right, you're safe now...if you would please, grab a crate of food and follow me. The bombs will be falling tonight."

He would take them down into the underground of the church, a large safehaven that was built as a fort in the civil war. A long staircase led them down, deeper from the surface. He locked the doors behind them as they entered, it was a large cavern built in stone. There was only one exit other than the way they had come in, and it led to the sewers.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable," he said. "The bombs can't reach us here."

Behind him was a table with a radio on it, the current channel was broadcasting a military frequency. The voices sounded to be in panic, as if they were in some fight somewhere else in the world. He turned the radio off.

There were sleeping bags set up, and a few small beds. There were also people, about a dozen. All of them looked ragged and dirty, almost as if they were homeless. Most slept on the beds or bags, others read. Another was cooking food over a propane grill, eggs and bacon...and there was enough for everybody. Erin and Elizabeth would find themselves welcomed by all of them, though the sense of misery and low moral loomed through the room.

[Axel Steel]

His head whipped at the sounds of gunshots coming from the opposite direction. He knew those things would be attracted to the noise, so he took this as his chance to find somewhere to actually hide other than a dumpster. Thank God that none of the walkers stumbled across them, his heart ached as he looked down to his baby brother curled under a pizza box and black trash bag. There was little light inside which made it hard to see, but also meant that they wouldn't be seen from the outside. Lifting the lid a tad he poked his head out short and quick to ensure that the alley was clear. A quick glance to the left, then the right before pulling back into the dumpster like a turtle preparing to move.

"C'mon Jr" He whispered as he woke the 4 year old up from his slumber. Sleepy eyes opened and rubbed. Axe smiled at his cute younger sibling. He began to wonder if the toddler had any idea as to what was going on. Three days ago, he was in school learning the alphabet, now he slept in dumpsters and abandoned cars not knowing if he'd wake up tomorrow. Axe felt the tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Where's Momma?" he asked the question once more. A smile still across his face hiding the sorrow that filled Axe's heart. "Momma's somewhere safe" "With daddy?" Axe gave a nod. "And with Yaya and Gwint and-" All Axe could do was smile. His ears had gone deaf to the toddlers words. He couldn't get mad because they baby didn't know the truth. He wasn't sure that he could ever break the news to him. Their mother gave birth to 10 kids and of them all only 2 are alive, well alive and not hungry for flesh. Even when she knew what her babies had become, even after he begged her not to do it. She still opened the door with open arms, ready to embrace her family for one last time.

Another round of gunshots brought him back to reality. Putting a finger to his lips, he signaled it was time for the quiet game. Giving another peek outside he quietly opened the dumpster and exited first with a nailed 2X4 clutched in his hand. Ensuring that the area was safe, he reached in with one arm and pulled Jr up and onto his back. He moved quicker than usual. The gun fire echoed over the city and drowned out his footsteps. He took a knee down behind a pickup truck before leaning out to check the street over. They needed food, water, even normal people just to hold a conversation with would've been nice. He was thinking more for jr than he was himself. They'd had a run in the night before where they were ambushed by a walker. It was just one that had trapped jr in a closet. That was the first time Axe had killed a walker. Jr didn't seem shaken up by it, but who knew what the toddle processed in his mind.

He moved in the other direction of the bridge where everyone was gathered. He'd already been there. Yes it was safe away from the walkers, but then there was the danger of the crowd wanting to escape the city as well as getting shot by one of the military soldiers so there was no point in going back. Their best bet was to find a place that they could hole up in. Somewhere where the walkers couldn't possibly find them. Unfortunately he knew of no such place. There was the sound of an explosion. They were dropping bombs. Where they trying to get the walkers into one part of the city? Or was this a desperate attempt to end it all? Bomb the whole city and leave nothing. Maybe they could live underground, he began to think. Nah, too dark and there was no telling what could've been down there. He took a right down one street and a left down another. He'd gotten word a while back about a church that opened its doors to those in need. He wasn't sure if anything was left of it or if it was true, but they traveled too far to turn back now.

He could hear a voice calling out. Was that the pastor? The church was still there, his heart felt a bit of relief. That was until he heard a low moan and the sound of feet shuffling. The hair stood on the back of his neck and his legs became jelly. It came from right behind them. He didn't know how close the walker was nor what was going to happen. What it took jr? No, he wouldn't let it. Saying a quick prayer in his head, he lunged forward behind a stack of wooden pallets removing Jr from his back and clutching him all in one move. The moaning grew louder as the shadow began to creep around the corner from whence they came. His current position did not allow him to go on the offensive. The shadow began to grow as the walker grew closer to stumbling across them. Axe squeezed his eyes and held Jr closer. If it came down to it he would tell Jr to run, run to the church as fast as he could. Don't look back, don't come back. He was pretty fast himself even if weak. He'd deal with the walker and if worst came to it, run as fast as he could before it was too late.

Another set of explosions crackled in the air thus gaining the walkers attention and pulling it away from the boys. Axe gave a sigh of relief as he thanked God. Standing up still clutching his brother like a baby, he ran to the doors of the church filled with thankfulness to the sight of people and food. "Please, help. We aren't bit or infected. Please, he needs food, water." Axe spoke revealing the toddler from his arms.

[Sol Grim]

"All of the boats are already gone," Riley said, peering out the window of the beach side shop they were hiding in. He was with Lucy and Steven, and they all just stayed low and quiet as they watched the massacre outside.

Before long, the military was gone from the bridge, and everyone left behind was either dead or dying. The horde was too large to stay at the one place, and so, as the bombs dropped deeper into the city, they shuffled and spread out to the beach. From their angle, they could see the tavern that Dallen and the others were in. The trio made there way quickly and quietly to them, just before the horde surrounded the area.

Ethan let them in, and immediately Lucy saw the body on the floor covered in a sheet. It was a small body, and her and Riley knew that it was Kelsey. Before words could be said, the bombs started rumbling closer. The military had begun dropping napalm into the streets, as it quickly filled up all in its pathway, scorching everything.

"We can't stay here," Briggs said. "We make for the ocean, now!"

Dallen was unmoved, simply kneeling over his daughter's lifeless body. Lucy and Riley came to him and tried to lift him up. "Come on, Dal," Riley said. "Don't give up, not yet."

"Yo, if we don't go now, we'll be stuck here!" Ethan yelled, watching the doors as the dead pressed against them.

Dallen nodded, got up, and grabbed the fire axe that was hanging on the wall. Ethan pulled the doors open, and Briggs shot the way through. The group ran past the undead and onto the sandy beach, heading toward the water. A jet flew by overhead, the napalm dropping immediately after. All of the buildings at sea side exploded, taking up the attention of the undead as the group jumped into the ocean. There they waited, and sunk in deep enough to avoid contact with the fires. Moments later it was done, and everything was on flames.

The group stayed and stared up at the chaos, but their time was short spent as more walkers came toward them. These ones were slow, as they had trouble with the sand of the beach.

"Do we swim to the other side?" Steven asked, coughing as he swallowed in sea water. The other side was no easy task, as it was miles away and daunting to even comprehend.

"I don't know if I can make that," Riley added.

"We have no choice," Briggs told them all.

The dead were still after them, now entering the ocean with them but not being able to stay afloat. The undead would sink to the bottom, though they wouldn't stop in their pursuit. The group swam toward the other end.

[moonfaerie]

The sudden voice surprising them both, Erin squeaked as she ran behind Elizabeth, peering out from behind her at the man who introduced himself as Leroy Book. Becoming wary of other individuals after her run ins with others, the woman stared at the him warily at first before deciding she had no reason to distrust him yet. Giving Erin a reassuring nod, the little girl stepped out and cautiously stepped towards the pastor. “I'm Erin,” she said, introducing herself. “That's Lizzy.”

Picking up one of the heavy boxes, Elizabeth just grunted a hello as she adjusted it on her knee. What he said finally sinking in, she suddenly exclaimed, “Bombs? What bombs?!” This being news to her, she tried not to panic for Erin's sake, but if she were to be honest, she didn't see how she could possibly make it out of this alive. Keeping a clinched jaw to stifle any emotion from getting out, it was hard not to think of her son—where ever he and his father were. Despite their differences and the animosity between them, she hoped they were both still alive and he was keeping him safe.

Hearing a sudden voice, the three of them stopped to find another survivor seeking solace in the church. The box of canned goods heavy in her arms, she glared at the new arrival in frustration as it meant she had to stand there a little longer. Erin on the other hand was a bit nicer and stood on her tiptoes to reach into the box in Elizabeth's hands. The girl grabbed something before running towards them, offering whatever it was she grabbed in her hands. Elizabeth couldn't see what it was. “Erin,” Elizabeth barked. Once she'd handed the food off she came running back to her.

Leroy welcomed the two of them in the same manner and gestured for them. “This is like something out of a movie,” Elizabeth commented, looking around at their surroundings as Leroy led them deeper into the church to a staircase leading underground.

Erin hesitated at the top of the steps. “A scary movie,” she whimpered before jogging to catch up to them.

When they finally reached the bottom, Elizabeth was surprised to see there were more people already in there seeking shelter. Dropping the box on the floor, she shook her arms to work them out before stretching them. Glancing over to the other new arrival, she softened when her gaze moved to the toddler in his arms. “What's your names?” she asked. Erin stood watching beside her, interested in the answer as well.

[Sol Grim]

There would be plenty of food and water for Axe and his little brother, for Elizabeth and Erin, and everyone else. As introductions were being made within the church's underground, the bombs fell on Mecha city overhead. The entire area shook violently as they all had no other choice but to wait it out. When it was finally over, and the surface was completely on fire, Pastor Leroy Book moved over to the table in the room and picked up the radio.

"-Kenjen, it's Leroy, copy?-"

There was a slight pause. "-...Leroy, good to hear you're still alive...-"

"-I told you there would be others in need, we're on route to you-"

"-Copy that-"

Once the people were calmed that they were still alive, Leroy spoke to all of them. "People hear me! God has brought you to us, as he has told me to wait for you. There is still a light, and we shall find it together! There is a passageway that leads through the sewers, and outside the city. I have arranged safe passage to the mountains, where a group of good people await. They have more food, supplies, everything we shall need to get through this dark time. When you are ready and able, please follow me to the carts!"

They would go even deeper underground, to an old passage where a few golf carts awaited them. The drive through the tunnels would be a long one, long enough for them to sleep if need be, or simply rest. For the extra people, a few of the carts carried a storage crate behind it. It held a good number of them per one, though the ride would be slightly uncomfortable.

Leroy sat in the passenger cart of one, and behind him in the pull storage he turned to face the newcomers. "Forgive me if I was brief before," he said to them. "But now we are safe. There is no more to fear."

...

"Help!" Riley fell further underwater. He tried desperately to stay above it, but his sides were aching. They had been swimming for an hour now, the bright blazes from the burning city still shining over the water they swam.

Dallen and Lucy pulled him up, the three of them now back padalling together as one. Lucy tried to speak, but her exhaustion was becoming to high. Same with Dallen, however his mind was elsewhere; his daughter's death was still fresh in his mind. The constant wave and lack of oxygen kept his mind sharp enough to at least focus.

"Yo, what if the sharks are infected, too?" Ethan spat out.

He was ignored, as the rest continued to swim toward land. What they left behind was covered with the undead, and the flames from the napalm. It was either make it, or drown.

"Hey, hey something's out there!" Steven yelled.

Ethan almost freaked out, until they all noticed it was a small fishing boat. Their morale was raised slightly as the boat came up to them, a single asian man in a dark overcoat was in control.

"You all picked a bad time to go swimming," he said, then helped them in. "I'm Kenjen, how's it going?"

While the others caught their breaths, Ethan slapped a big hug on the man.

"I'm with a group at the ranger station, up there in the mountains," he told them, trying his best to point it out in the distance. "We watched the bombs fall, but luckily for you guys one of our own spotted you with thier binoculars. Don't give up hope, yet." He gave Dallen a friendly nudge, but the man gave him a cold glare that made Kenjen uncomfortable.

"He just lost his daughter," Lucy told him.

"I'm sorry," Kenjen said, and the rest of the trip was made in silence.

[Sol Grim]

The trek up the mountain path was made with ease, as Kenjen had a jeep parked close by the shore. The group took in one last look at the destroyed city on the other side of the bay, the flames still burning bright. The ranger station sat halfway up Mt. Charleston, it was a large log cabin with a small parking lot in the front of it. There were a few outhouses by it, as well as a larger cabin just behind it down the dirt path. The larger cabin was an old motel, three stories high, and it held the majority of the people here.

Most of the group were soaking wet and missing some clothes, so the first thing they all did was dry off. There were fresh clothes and warm towels waiting for them in the bathrooms of the station. Dallen and Briggs were the only to want to keep their clothing after they dried, as the rest happily changed into the random employee outfits of the lodge, sage green color shirts that read: Ash Tavern.

"Welcome to the ranger station," Kenjen said as they all came back out. "Let me show you around." The station itself was self explanatory, as there wasn't much inside the cabin but a bathroom, loft area, and a small arsenal that was locked behind a desk.

"We could use those guns," Briggs said upon seeing it, and after they all had lost their weapons to the sea.

"We will, but your safe for now," Kenjen replied.

He led the way back outside, down the short dirt path and through the tall trees, to the motel tavern. There were a few covered hot tubs and outside dining areas, but it was currently too cold out for their use. "There's a small town a few miles down the path," kenjen informed. "Everyone came up here, but we still have some supplies down there we need to get."

"How many people are here?" Lucy added in.

"Let me show you," Kenjen said and opened the doors to the tavern. The place was bursting with life, as people were all around on the inside doing various activities. Some drank at a bar, others ate or sat and talked in the dining area, where there were sets of large, long tables. A fireplace was going strong in a corner, where others were drinking tea. Everyone paused to notice the newcomers, but then quickly went back to their activities.

"We have enough supplies to last awhile," Kenjen said. "Give us a good head start, anyway. This mountain is full of game, too, so there's that. Plenty of space for all of you. All we ask, is that you pitch in. Give back, but we'll get more into that stuff tomorrow. Feel free to rest, take any room that doesn't have a marker on the doorknob. We have at least 30 open rooms. We can all hold out here together, until the military finds a solution to this."

"The military tried to kill us," Dallen said.

"It was chaos," Briggs added. "We were at the bridge. The infected got through, then they started shooting everybody."

"...we've been here for the past couple weeks or so, watched the whole thing from here," kenjen said. "We have guardposts, if those things get to us we have an evacuation plan. Basically, if you hear bells, it's time to go."

"You have power, so what about the news?" Lucy asked. "Anything?"

"The grid shut down yesterday," he answered. "Before it was just a lot of confusion, but this thing wasn't worldwide. It affected Mecha city and those around it, but things moved so fast. As far as we can tell, though, the disease isn't on this mountain. Please, make yourselves at home, I have word that more people need my help in getting here, so I might be out for a few days. If you need anything, talk to Gwen over there." He pointed her out through the people, then made his leave with others in his group.

Dallen went to the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a pack of smokes from the machine that was busted open. "Hell yeah, lets get wasted!" Ethan said, joining him. They all eventually joined, realizing that they all needed a drink.

"Booze won't last with us around," Steven added as they all downed a shot together.

"It's okay, we've earned it," Briggs said, smiling for the first time since leaving the court house building.

"I'll go find us a room," Lucy said to Dallen, she tried to kiss him but he wasn't in the mood. She left, asking one of the many people for directions.

"These people are lucky," Ethan said. "Very lucky."

"Yeah, I don't think they realize how bad things are," Steven said. "I mean, everyone knows what's going on...but, to actually see the dead. To actually have to run for your life...I still don't feel very safe here."

"That's because you're not," Dallen added in, pouring the guys another round. "Just be ready."

The rest of the night was peaceful. The people here were nice, feeding them and engaging in conversations. Eventually, they all grew tired and went to their rooms. Dallen was the last of his group to stay up, still drinking casually. He opened a new bottle up, not planning to stop until he passed out.

[moonfaerie]

Everything happened so suddenly that Gwen wasn't entirely sure what to make out of the situation. The mandatory company retreat she'd been forced to attend been a blessing in disguise. Leaving the day before it all went down, she expected to be suffering through dull talks and team building exercises—not that it would have saved her life.

There were other people there with them for various different reasons. When the news broke that they wouldn't be able to get back inside the city, people with family and friends were distraught. Some of them left trying to get back home while others, like herself, stayed behind. With nothing to go back to, she found she was more use helping Kenjen, who was the only one to rise to the occasion and take charge.

Gwen was sitting with a couple of people from work she'd been attending the retreat with, leaned back leisurely in her chair while sipping on her drink, when Kenjen approached them and told her what was going on. Taking another look over at the new arrivals, she'd noticed them when they'd entered but hadn't paid them any mind. Now she was remembering their faces. “Got it,” she told him. Since they didn't look like they needed any help at the moment, she stayed where she was for the time being.

As the night went on and the crowd began to disperse, Gwen stood to took her leave as her own group started going their separate ways. Her gaze noticing one of the newcomers still at the bar by himself, she thought it might be best if she introduced herself before she went to bed.

Making her way over to the bar, she shook her head when the bartender asked if she wanted anything. She didn't plan to stay that long. “Hey,” she said. Gwen gave him a crooked smile as she leaned against the bar. “Kenjen said you might need help.” The woman held her hand out to him for a friendly shake. “I'm Gwen,” she told him. “You need anything, let me know.”

[Sol Grim]

It took a moment for Dallen to react to the woman, his thoughts still shedding at his mind over his daughter's death. Not only hers, but he got Ava killed as well, and he also felt somewhat responsible for the others along the way. All he ever wanted was Kelsey's safety, now he had no direction. The only thing left was survival. These ranger station people probably weren't going to make it. He was able to snap out of his thoughts, and after he wiped his eyes of tears he took her hand in a friendly manner.

"Dallen," he replied, now turning his attention back to the bottle of booze in front of him. The bartender, Blake, cleaned the last bit of spilt drink from the counter top, slapped his dirty towel over his shoulder, and headed out for the night. The fact that he was still bartending four days into the apocalypse told Dallen how much these people really believed things would get back together. Maybe they would, eventually. Who knew, but the chances seemed very slim that this thing was only based in a single city.

"I don't need anything," he added. "But, thank you." He took another shot and lit up another cigarette. Just before the girl would turn away, he couldn't help but to let it all out. He was trying so hard to hold himself together, but the liquor and the emotions rose too high. "My daughter was killed, just a few hours ago." He took a deep hit. "I left her back there. I have to bury her..." Even his head ached at the task he had just set for himself, knowing it to be a suicide run. "I failed her. I failed everyone..."

...

The tunnel from the church led out to a large open under passing, just under the highway. They were met there by Kenjen, who now drove a van to fit everyone in. The area surrounding them was quiet, and the burning city could still be seen from the distance across the hills.

"Kenjen, you are a true friend to the church and god," Pastor Leroy Book spoke as they met and embraced. "This is the last of them, the last to survive the city that now belongs to the dead." He spoke of Elizabeth, Erin, Axe, his brother and the few others that made it to the safety of the church during the attacks. "Come, we still have to travel up the mountain. By morning, we will reach our destination."

Kenjen knelt down when he saw the young ones in the group. He offered a friendly smile and handed them over some baked cookies. "Just a taste of what's to come," Kenjen said, then they all piled into the van and were on their way.

...

DAY 4 of the APOCALYPSE
Morning

Briggs, being the only amongst the group that seemed to have any experience with firearms, suddenly found himself appointed as head ranger, at least for the time they would all be up here. The real rangers weren't even on the mountain for the weekend, as they were all somewhere else when the outbreak occurred. The mountain, instead, was filled with party people, skiiers, tourists, and the locals. None of them seemed to know what was to be done, yet they all stayed together for the time being. Be it through fear, or whatever it was that kept them all here. The former court house head security guard gave out the weapons amongst who deemed most responsible, and also set out some watchpoints to keep everyone safe.

By the time Kenjen drove the van of the church group up to the station, Dallen awoke from his drunken state. The morning sun pierced and blinded his eyes, his headache growing by the second. The commotion around the lodge was that kenjen was back, and he again brought more survivors.

"Dallen," Ethan shouted from the staircase, he was already looking out the window as the newcomers were getting out of the van. "You'll never guess who just showed up."

Dallen cracked his neck, then his interest forced him outside into the cool morning air. He instantly saw Elizabeth's red hair, then couldn't help but to break a smile when he saw Erin still alive and well with her. His original reaction wanted to scold her for abandoning them before, but seeing them safely here put all that away.

"Erin?" Dallen said, kneeling down to give the girl a hug. "You made it out." He hugged her, giving Elizabeth a nod as he did. There was a lot more to her than he originally thought.

[moonfaerie]

Reaching an arm around, Elizabeth massaged her aching shoulder. Her entire body was sore from pushing herself and running for survival. Erin was slowing down too and she could tell the girl was in just as much agony even if she wasn't saying anything. Still, following the group up through the dark tunnels wasn't nearly as taxing as trying to survive in the city. She couldn't help but think of all the people who decided to stay behind in the courthouse. Had any of them made it out before the bombs dropped?

When they emerged just under the highway, she was surprised by just how prepared the preacher seemed to be. There was even a van waiting for them at the highway. A protective hand resting on Erin's shoulder as she looked like she wanted to bolt towards the man with cookies, the girl waited anxiously until Elizabeth gave her the signal to go ahead. Running forward, she happily grabbed one of the cookies and enthusiastically thanked him.

During the ride up the mountain, Erin fell asleep against Elizabeth, her arms wrapped around the woman's waist. Stroking her dark hair, she turned her gaze to stare out the window at the trees passing by. With the city destroyed, she hoped that meant whatever happened had been an isolated incident. It worried her that she still hadn't been able to find a working phone to try to contact her ex. She found with each day that passed it grew harder for her to stay focuses as her anxiety increased. Elizabeth knew she wouldn't be able to stop until she reached them and heard his voice—or his gurgling gibberish sounds since he hadn't been at the age where he could properly speak.

Waking Erin up just before they arrived at the station, the girl had a new burst of energy that the woman envied. If only a nap could make her as refreshed. Exiting the van with the other survivors, it wasn't long before she heard Erin gasp and felt her hands tug on her skirt to get her attention. “Lizzy,” she exclaimed. “Look!”

Turning to see where she was pointing, her initial instinct was shock. She never expected to see Ethan again. After what happened to Ava, she thought the same thing would have happened to him. “Holy shit,” she mused in awe. As annoyed as the bastard was, she had to say it was nice to see a familiar face. He wasn't the only one either as Dallen appeared to join him shortly after. A scoff of amusement as she never expected to be reunited with them again, she was still wrapping her mind around the coincidence. When he knelt down to her height, the little girl ran forward to give him a hug.

“The church was scary at first 'cause of the tunnels,” she told him. “But I got to eat cookies and peaches, so it was okay.” Erin looked over her shoulder towards Elizabeth as she added, “And Lizzy was with me.”

Elizabeth had to admire Erin's positive outlook. Even after losing everything and seeing so much death around her, she was able to find and hold onto some good. As Dallen acknowledged her with a nod, she returned it with a half smile of her own. She was surprised he was still alive too. He was crazy as hell, proven by the stunt he'd pulled back at the school. But it seems they both made it out alive.

After their initial hellos, Erin went back to Elizabeth, standing close to her leg as she shyly watched all of the new people around them. It looked like this place was still functioning like normal rather than the strict regime she'd experienced at the courthouse. These people appeared to just be biding their time for now rather than fighting for survival which gave her a bit of hope. “Are the phones working?” she asked, her gaze moving to anyone that might have an answer. Erin stared curiously at her wondering why she needed a phone.

“Dunno,” Ethan replied. Since there wasn't anyone he would call he hadn't tried to use it. “But there's one in the lodge at the front desk.”

She looked at Erin. Though she didn't want to leave her, she knew Dallen had a daughter of his own somewhere—he'd worked hard to save her at the school. So if anyone could be trusted with her, he could. “Stay with Mr. Larson until I get back, okay?”

Giving a nod of understanding, it was combined with the expression of disapproval as she didn't want to be separated either. But she didn't talk back and instead went to stand beside the man as she was told to do, taking his hand. When Elizabeth was out of sight, the little girl looked up at expectantly at him with her big brown eyes.

[Sol Grim]

Dallen felt a few different emotions pass through him. He almost broke down in front of everyone, Gwen being the only one to notice him pull himself back together. "Come on," Dallen told the little girl. "Tell me all about it." He led her into the lodge, where pies and bread sticks were being cooked. "You have to try the cinnamon sticks, I think you'll like them."

...

Hours later.

A coloring book and crayons were gifted to Erin, found from Gwen when they first made sure this place was safe. Dallen sat a few tables down, drinking some coffee as Gwen sat on the couch beside him.

"Do you remember our conversation last night," Gwen asked with a half smile. "...you kinda blacked out in the middle of it..."

"Then no," Dallen replied, watching over Erin as she continued to color something in the pages of her book.

"Heh, I know seeing that little girl over there makes this harder for you," she said, and also caught Dallen's full attention now. "You said you wanted to go back and bury your daughter...I just want you to know, I'll help you. I'll go with you."

Dallen took another glance at Erin, a smile forming at his lips. "That means a lot," he said to her. "Thank you Gwen. But no, I've led too many people to their deaths already. Besides, Erin's alive, and she's here. Right here, right now. Going back will just get me killed." He did want to, but he was also a realist. He had dealt with the undead first hand, and he knew his chances of survival would be slim if he were to go back. Kelsey would want him to live.

"Okay, I think you've made the right choice," Gwen ended with, as Lucy walked into the lodge fresh from a bath. Gwen put her hand on dallen's in a friendly gesture, then got up and left him alone. Lucy's first impulse was jealousy, but she quickly tried to shake the feeling away as she didn't want to become the immature one in the group of survivalists. Instead, she went over and started eating with Riley.

Everyone seemed to be in or near the lodge at mid-day. It was the perfect opportunity for a group meeting, and so Kenjen and Pastor Book took to the front of the room, beside the unlit fireplace.

"Everyone, please gather around," Kenjen spoke clearly, as the people gathered together.

"Pick it up, people!" Leroy shouted to a few lagging behind.

"Everyone, it's been a few days since this thing all started," Kenjen began. "We're tired, but we're alive. We've all lost people, none of that is anyone here's fault. This is bigger than that. Here, we have a chance. I know a lot of you are already anxious to leave, but we've been scouting. There's nothing out there for miles. We need to stay here and stay low for a while, then start to rebuild if necessary. If anyone wants to leave then, then I won't argue with you. For now, we have enough supplies to last us up to the winter. We'll have to scavenge when winter comes, but we'll have plenty of time to do that."

"Jobs are being appointed out to everyone," the pastor spoke in. "Security, farming, healthcare, and whatever else we need. Please work with us, we're all in this together now."

"We need more runners," kenjen continued, himself and Gwen being the only two good ones. "Gwen spotted a hospital 18 miles out. She said it looked untouched from the inside. The one thing we lack here are medical supplies, so we need to send a team to get them. Right now it's just Gwen and myself. Any takers?"

"I'll go," Dallen said after a slight beat. It was either hide away in a room and cry over his daughter, or spring into action for those that were still alive. He didn't want to lead anyone, but he would help and follow if for anything, just to keep himself busy. He didn't even know what would happen to himself if he dwelled on the recent horrible events.

"Me too," Lucy spoke up, she wanted to help, but she also wanted to prove that her help was needed. She was even more athletic than Dallen was, and if he could do it, so could she.

"I wanna go too," Steven added.

"No," Briggs butted in. "I need you here with me. We've got a lot more security measures to clear up before I sleep comfortable at night here. They only need a small group."

Steven shrugged, looking over to Ethan who shook his head against the act.

"Count me in," the former bartender of the lodge spoke up. "I'm Blake, I was the bartender here when things were...normal. Closed bar until I return, heh." He wasn't much of a runner type, as his idea of a workout was going up and down the stairs in his house. His intentions were, however, for Gwen. The pair had just met at the lodge, but he felt a connection with her that he felt strong about. He had feelings for her, and felt less like a man when she would go out and scavenge by herself. This time, he wanted to prove to her that he could be a viable member of the group.

Kenjen nodded to everyone as they joined the runner group. Everyone else would pitch in, one way or another. Briggs was already in charge of security, with Stevens and Ethan helping him out. Others were to help in building up a fence that had been previously knocked down during some storm long ago. Most of the woman would have duties in the kitchens, or with the fish that the fisherman brought back. The skiiers would recon the entire mountain slope, making sure no signs of a threat would enter the ranger station.

"We head out in an hour," Kenjen ordered.

[moonfaerie]

Spotting the phone sitting on the front desk, Elizabeth rushed to grab the receiver. Holding it up to her hear, the only thing she heard on the other end was silence. “No,” she muttered, reaching out to repeatedly press the switchhook. “Work. Fucking work!” With no dial tone, Elizabeth angrily slammed it down in frustration before she leaned back against the wall. Warm tears left streaks down her cheeks as she slid down to the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she sobbed as she buried her face in her hands. The uncertainty of her son's fate mixed with recent events left her completely devastated; she stayed there like that for a while.

Kenjen eventually called a group meeting. Everyone starting to gather in the front near where Elizabeth was, she had little choice but to pick herself up and join in. Reunited with Erin, the girl ran to her and proudly held up a page from a coloring book to show her. Her choice of color was unique and while she didn't remain in between the lines all the time, she did for the majority. “It's for you,” she said shyly. She looked nervous, almost afraid of Elizabeth's opinion.

“I love it,” she praised the girl, taking her into a one armed hug. She lit up and hugged her back. “I wish I had somewhere to put it where I could show it off.”

The smile on Erin's face briefly faltered and her voice wavered as she said, “Mommy used to hang them on the fridge.” Glancing down, she could see the sadness etched on her features. She wiped her eyes with a balled up fist before looking up at Elizabeth and forcing a smile on her face—something Elizabeth wished she wouldn't do. She was just a little girl and she was sad. They should have been the ones being strong for her, not the other way around.

Wanting to say something to make her feel better, Elizabeth didn't get the chance as the meeting started. Erin instantly went quiet, paying close attention to what everyone was saying. For the first half of it, Elizabeth paid more attention to the little girl before she finally tuned in to what everyone else was saying.

This place seemed more reasonable than the courthouse and, for anyone else, she could see the appeal of staying behind. But Elizabeth had somewhere she needed to be—even if she didn't quite know where that was. She hadn't spoken much to her ex since they moved away as every conversation she had with him seemed to turn into an argument. If she had to, she would search the entire world.

As people started volunteering to help look for supplies, she could feel something tugging on the hem of her skirt. She arched a curious brow at Erin. “You should help,” she whispered.

The woman scoffed in response which made Erin frown. Seeing the disapproving look the little girl gave her made her shift uneasily before she finally asked, “Why me?” Like Briggs had said, they only needed a small group and it looked like they had plenty of volunteers.

Pleased that she was being listened to, Erin said, “'Cause.” It wasn't the best defense, but it was all she needed. “What if they need it?” Feeling as if that was all the more reason why Elizabeth should elect to stay behind, she was almost frustrated that she couldn't bring herself to say no to that face.

“Well, what about you?” she countered. “I can't just leave you here by yourself.”

“I can color with Pastor Book!” Erin exclaimed. Looking over at the people who had already volunteered, she added, “And Dallen looks really sad, too. He needs someone with him.”

“Dallen?” Since when was she on a first name basis with the lawyer? And what did he have anything to do with either of them? Though the excuses were flimsy, Elizabeth had already seen that it meant a lot to Erin for her to offer her help for some reason. That little girl had a lot of faith in her for some reason that she couldn't pinpoint. While she may have managed to get them out of a handful of scenarios already, she truthfully had no idea what the hell she was doing. Right now her main focus was to keep both of them alive and find her son. Everything else was an inconvenience, but until she had a more stable plan to execute she needed to make herself useful somehow if she was going to stay there—though she'd would have rather been gutting fish or helping the security team. Still, she joined the runner group.

With Kenjen giving them an hour to prepare, Elizabeth used that time to take a shower and change her clothes into something more suitable. Glad to escape the skirt and high heels she'd been sporting since her court-date, she was relieved to be back in tennis shoes and blue jeans. Once she was dressed she met with the others, Erin there with her new coloring book in order to see her off. Leaning down to give her a hug, Erin said, “Keep 'em safe,” in her ear.

“I'll do my best,” Elizabeth told her though if shit really hit the fan then there wouldn't be anything she could do. Satisfied with that, Erin waved goodbye to the others before running over to Leroy until they returned.

[Sol Grim]

DAY 4

Dallen gave a wave back to Erin, as Lucy took him to the side with a stressed look on her face. The two hadn't spoken to each other much, and things felt like they were going a little too fast. She felt she knew Dallen enough to know that he was just keeping himself busy. She knew he was defeated inside and was just wearing a mask to the others.

"You should stay," Lucy told him. "You just lost your daughter Dallen, you need time to grieve. Stop putting others before yourself, let me go instead. I can hold my own with these runners."

"It's been four days since this all started," Dallen began. "In four days, Mecha city was destroyed. If the dead come here, everyone will die. The only chance any of us have is to gather what we need now, that way we can be better prepared. There's no time to grieve."

Kenjen and Gwen set a large sheet of paper down on the hood of the van they were going to take. Gwen drew a rough outline of the hospital she spotted a few days ago, marking the entrances.

"Mercy hospital, four stories high and built like a fort," Gwen stated. "It's surrounded by trees, no other large buildings around it. When this all started, the news said people were being evacuated from there, as well as the county it belongs to. Trumble county."

"I've been there before," Blake added. "Just a normal hospital. It's a small residential area."

"If it was evacuated, that would have been just a few days ago," Kenjen said. "There's a good chance it's still stocked with supplies. Everyone gets a backpack, fill it with as much as you can carry. If you have any questions out there, Gwen's a doctor!"

"-Nurse," she corrected him. "And I was still in school, but I'll help if I can."

"We have two teams, team A and team B," Kenjen said. "I will control team A, Elizabeth and Lucy, you're with me. We enter here." He pointed it out on the map. "Gwen, Dallen, and Blake, you enter here. Go in, stay together, and clear as much as you can. We meet back here." Again, he pointed it out. It's 18 miles out, so we should get started."

They all entered the van together, with Gwen driving and Kenjen in the passenger seat. The rest piled into the back, and they were off.

The drive was relatively quiet. Some were busy with their own thoughts, while others just didn't want to speak out with all to hear. Lucy sat next to Dallen, but she said no more to him. Instead she just stared out the window at the farms and the trees pass by.

"There's a lot of places out here we still can check out," Kenjen said as they passed a small town. "Those places might have to be another day, though."

They were still on the mountain, driving away from the ranger station. The mountains in this area were massive and had many open areas. So large that little towns and businesses were built amongst them. The farms were off in the distance, down the slopes and closer to the flat grounds. The view was beautiful, but the sun was at its peak in the sky and the harshness of its heat reigned down on them all.

When they arrived, the van was parked atop a hill overlooking Mercy hospital. It was eerily quiet and the building appeared to be empty, with only few abandoned vehicles still left in the parking lot. The group all got together with their team of three, and they headed out. The plan was to scavenge for thirty minutes, then head back to the van.

Kenjen led Elizabeth and Lucy down toward the back entrance where the emergency room was. The double doors were wide open, and inside was dark and dank. Lucy took to the rear, she carried a handgun and stepped carefully as they approached. Kenjen also held a gun in his hands, going slow as to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. He hadn't dealt with the undead yet, but he knew how fast they were. He knew how one could turn into many in just a few moments, as was seen on the news broadcasts early on.

"So, Elizabeth, is it?" Kenjen asked. "That little girl, Erin, is she yours or...I mean, regardless, she completely trusts you. I can tell."

They entered the hospital emergency room, keeping their voices at a whisper and their toes quiet. They could see that the initial room was completely emptied, and so were the hallways the branched out from it. Lucy jumped behind the counter and started opening up some medical cabinets, tossing a few things into her backpack as Kenjen talked with Elizabeth.