Chapter 1: Alone

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My entire group is dead and it's time to be on my own again. They were the first group of people I've let myself be around in what seems like forever, and now they're lying 80 miles back, being eaten, or worse. I'm still not sure how I escaped after going back in to find someone, anyone, to come with me. They were everywhere, the dead, surrounding every door and exit possible. As I ran around hearing the screams of my fallen survivors or getting a glimpse of a dead corpse, I kept my feet moving beneath me. I ran to the back of the compound and remembered the old cars they stored in case of something happening. Only, they never planned on this happening, how could they? The biters haven't taken over this area completely yet, so I lower the gun I've been using and pull out the knife I've had since the beginning. I have to get in a car and out of here as quietly as possible, this can't be the end for me, I'm just getting my life back. As my heart races with fear I know I can't go back the way I came in. I have to find another way out, even if I do get a car. I quickly come up with a plan. I know that it's not the best plan but it's the only one I got at the moment. I dodge an older biter, one who's bones are showing through the deteriorated skin, and slash it across the face with my knife. It stumbles a little but doesn't give up. I force the knife into the top of its head and it drops at my feet in a heap. I open the truck door quickly after yanking the blade out and find the keys to the truck sitting on the seat. I jam them into the ignition and it roars to life. I hack at the dead zombies arm I took out and it quickly separates from the body, already decayed away. I take a moment to look where I came from and the fire and biters are quickly approaching the room I'm in. I remind myself to slow my inhalation to protect my lungs and then I move on. I need to get this boarded up barn walls down and I'm going to use this truck to do so. I stuff the dead arm onto the floor of the drivers side and set it up so it pushes against the gas pedal. The truck roars its engine as it tries to move while being parked. I take a deep breath and throw the truck into reverse before jumping out of the way. I roll onto the ground and quickly try to get a glimpse at the truck.

"Wait up!" I think I hear someone call after the wall breaks free and the truck blows through the debris before hitting a tree with force. I turn to look to where the sound is coming from but I can't find anyone. The smoke is getting thicker and I squint to look past it. I heard someone, didn't I? I ask myself while trying to search through the haze.

"Who is that? Hurry!!" I call back moving closer to the flames to help any one who may still be alive. Two biters are suddenly closing in and I take my gun out and shoot them as quickly as I can. "Anyone? Come on! I can't wait much longer!" I call out again while continuing to move, only this time back over to the motorcycle that's stored between two cars. I find the keys and turn the bike on. It comes to life louder than the truck and I jump on in fear as the biters try to pile through the entrance now, the wood around the door becoming weak from the fire and the weight of the dead. I have to leave. I say to myself. I can't wait any longer. I regret leaving whomever it was behind but I haven't heard anything since the first call. Maybe it was just my head making it up, maybe I imagined it for my own comfort. Or maybe they're dead now. I push the thought from my head as quickly as it came in, I can't think like that, not yet, not until I'm out.

I put the bike into motion and it wobbles under my weight. I throw it forward and plow through the broken debris, gunning it away from the now lifeless home. I've only driven a motorcycle once, a few years before the breakout. It didn't go very far and I got pretty scraped up when I fell off of it. I still remember the blood flowing down my arm, the pain in my leg and the scrapes down my side. I still remember the anger my dad had when I walked in the door all bloody. I push away the memory when I swerve and focus on the dead grass ahead of me. I can't stop now, I have to keep going. I have to find somewhere safe for the night.

I look down at the gas gauge and deduce I have about another 130 miles or so left before I run out. I get to the highway and swerve through the abandoned trucks and cars. 30 miles later and I pull off and take a side road that soon turns to dirt. I travel another 40 miles and I run into a little old town. Its main road has one broken light and old buildings. I can't help but think that the light was broken even before the breakout. I drive straight through to avoid the biters and park the motorcycle. I put it behind a tree and cover it up with some branches and leave it before for now. I grab the knife from my belt and hold it close to me. I watch for some time before I make a plan. The town looks untouched. Off the beaten path, and I know how lucky I am to have found it. There's a pharmacy that looks the most intact. The windows are dirty but not broken. The door is shut closed and attached. This is the area I'll clear out first. I can move the shelves to block the windows and doors. I can sleep if I'm quiet, I think to myself.

I wait till sunset before I move. I want it to be as close to dark as possible without it actually being dark. I take the blade out of my belt where I put it back as I waited and it lightly rubs against the hammer I also have with me. I take a step forward feeling the comfortable weight of my gun against my back. I inch slowly forward, mimicking their steps and staying quiet. I make my way to the door and as I reach for the handle, 3 biters close to me must've heard me and turn my way. I wave my knife above my head and hit the first one hard. He falls down and I wave it across my face to hit the dead woman. It doesn't penetrate her brain enough but I knock her back against the other and they fall together. I jump on top and quickly take them out. Some biters farther away have now noticed the motion and are stumbling my way. I open the pharmacy door and bang on it quickly. There's no sound. I kill off 3 more biters before I go inside and shut the door behind me. I push a cabinet against the door as quick as possible. It reaches the door just in time as a few biters are now pushed against it, their shadows covering what light is left from the setting sun. I sigh. I'm stuck for now. I take a quick glance around. There's still plenty of food left that's edible and I make a pile on the floor after putting another shelf against the door for protection. I've managed to cover the front windows with multiple shelves and feel pretty comfortable with my sound traps to fall asleep for a bit. I light a few candles I found first, trying to warm myself up. My eyes are getting heavier so I blow out the candles and lay my head down onto the cold ground. I wake up to the sound of pounding on the door and windows. I peak through the towels I covered them with from behind the shelves and notice more biters then when I first got there. They've been here the entire night. Who knows when they will move on, or if they even will. I know the commotion they are making will only draw more here. With daylight peering in I decide to take inventory of the pharmacy supplies and medicines located behind the counter. I climb over it and scan through things I've never heard of. There's Lorazepam, Singulair, Accoloate, and hundreds more. I'm lucky to have found this place, but know this is going to take awhile. I grab an arm full of medicine bottles and sit on the floor. I begin to read the labels and decipher through things I think are important for to me to have by reading the descriptions. I make a pile for myself and a pile of things I will put away. I can't help but hope someone else will come along and find something they need. Hours pass and I have a pretty large pile of supplies. I know I need to get a bag to put them in. Something that when moving, won't make the loud noises of pills jiggling around. I move around the pharmacy looking for something. There's a door in the back that's kind of blocked off. I knock on it loudly and wait. A groggy voice begins to sound out and I put my ear closer. I want to know how many could be in there before I open it. I put my ear close to the door and suddenly it bursts open hitting me in the head. I fall to the ground and the biter stumbles out. It doesn't take long for it to spot me and stumble forward, ready to finally eat. I crawl backwards, dizzy from hitting my head and reach for my knife. Only it's not in my belt. I look to my side and see it over near my make shift bed.

"Shit!" I call out frantically. I pull out the gun and shoot it once in the head before it can eat at me. It falls to the ground and I move a few more inches back. "Shit, shit, shit!" I repeat as the noise outside gets louder. Whatever biters weren't at the front of the store, were about to be within moments.

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Hey all- I'm really excited for this book! Please leave a like or comment if you enjoy reading it! I promise Daryl will be introduced into the story soon!

P.S- Daryl will be in the story in a few chapters! Please stay put, it'll get good!

Q: Who's your favorite walking dead character?!

A: Daryl, obviously haha :P

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