We exit the store each with new backpacks. We had split everything we had found equally just in the case we split up. We walk down the empty parking lot and onto the street. We continue down the road and after making it farther into town we start seeing more and more zombies.
I look ahead at a group of living dead not facing me, Mick, and Cass. We all stay quiet and turn down an alleyway, when we exit we are face to face with a gas station. There has to be some sort of map in there. I think to myself. Mick signals for us to be quiet and head to the gas station across the street. We quickly scurry across the street and by the doors. I pull on the handle and the door flys open. I quietly walk into the small building with Mick and Cass following. I hurry over to the desk and look to see if there is any type of map on it. All the desk has on it is empty candy boxes. A feeling of dysphoria washes over me. At that moment a zombie rushes out of the bathroom and tackling Mick.
"Shit!" I say and run over to him.
The zombie and Mick struggling on the ground I try to push it off. But as soon as I touch it it pushes down on Mick and takes a large bite out of his left bicep.
"No!" Mick yells.
I hurry and cuts the zombies head off and push the body off of Mick. He groans and looks at his bicep and tears come to his eyes.
"I'm so sorry." I say sorrowfully sitting by the wounded Mick. I look up and Cass is standing by us.
"It won't be long." Cass says nervously running a hand through his hair.
"Kill me." Mick says to me.
"What?" I ask him my voice breaking.
"I don't want to turn into one of those awful things. Kill me." He says holding my hand tightly.
"I can't."
"Please." He begs me.
"Mick I will not kill you, I will wait until your heart stops beating the puncture your scull before you turn. But I will not kill a living person. Especially my friend." I say pushing a price of hair out of my face.
"Okay, just don't leave me here. Bury me, please." He asks then groaning once more.
"Okay, Mick." I say holding his hand as he takes his last breath. I then take my knife out and stab him in the head.
"God." Cass says putting his hands over his face.
"Come on let's find a damn map." I say and walk around the isles.
At last I find a map and it's a map of Kansas of all it's hot spots. I pick up two and hand one to Cass.
"Help me carry him." I say to Cass and pick up Micks feet.
Cass nods and picks up his upper body by gripping under his shoulders. Since there wasn't much in the small gas station we decide to then. We carry him quietly outside and into the grass by the gas station. I run back into the gas station and find small hand shovels. I grab a couple and run back outside.
"Here." I say and hand a shovel to Cass.
"Look it's nobody's fault Keigen." Cass says to me.
"I know Cass. But he wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me. Okay? So let's just bury him like he wanted us to." I say and start digging.
"Alright." He says and starts to dig.
By nightfall we have him buried.
———
We start to walk down the dark road out of the south side of town near the gas station. I carry Micks bags in my hands as we walk silently. Then unexpectedly Cass laces his hand in mine. I look up at him in the moonlight. His gorgeous jaw structure and dark hair. And his striking blue eyes that when I look into makes my insides melt.
I look around and listen vigilantly for any signs of life or the undead but come up empty handed. I look back at Cass and we stop in the middle of the road. We look at each other then he leans down and lightly kisses me.
"It's not your fault." He whispers to me.
"I know." I tell him closing my eyes.
He hugs me and I hug him back. We continue down the road hand in hand and soon decide to stop. We set up a small camp off the side of the road. Our sleeping bags next to each other, and our bags against our heads. Unable to sleep I decide to take the first shift. As Cass falls asleep I listen to crickets chirp. I stare at the sky.
It's clear out and all the stars are shining bright above, since the apocalypse started the stars have been coming more and more visible. Due to the fact we aren't putting as much pollution into the air. For a couple hours I don't hear anything. But the I hear a twig snap near by. I look to my left and see a dark figure coming toward us. I quietly stand up with my machete in hand and walk toward the creature.
By the way it's limping and groaning I can tell it's a Z. As I walk up to it it starts to make a chomping sound with its teeth. As soon as I get close enough I cut it's head off and it falls to the ground. I quietly walk back to where Cass is sleeping and sit back down next to him. I only see two more Z's through out the night until I start to get tired and wake Cass. As I fall asleep next to him I think of how grateful I am that he isn't dead too.
I stumble through the woodland hearing my name called.
"Keigen? Keigen? Where are you?"
"I'm over here!" I call out to the voice.
It's a familiar voice but I can't put my finger on it. I continue to walk through the woods to find my childhood suburban house. It's white exterior and small garden standing out against the creepy dirty forest. It's dark out and I walk toward the house.
"Keigen?" I hear the voice call out from inside the house.
"Jack?" I ask walking toward the doors.
"Aaaahhh!" I hear the voice yell from inside.
I burst through the front door and run upstairs to my now sixteen year old brothers room. I open the door and see my brother laying haphazardly on the floor.
"Jack!" I yell and run to him.
He the sits up and growls.
"Jack?" I ask and just then he tries to bite me.
"Jack no!" I yell at him.
"Why weren't you here?" He says in a monstrous voice.
"What? I'm sorry!" I say crying.
"Where were you?" He asks standing up.
I don't move standing in place tears falling down my blemished cheeks.
"I was trying to get to you!" I say crying.
"Look what happened to me! You didn't get here in time! You could have saved me Keigen!" He yells.
He comes after me and I run out of the room. He follows me out of the house where I'm greeted by my zombified mother.
"Mom?" I say crying.
"KeIgEn!" She growls.
I run out of the yard past her into the woods. I'm then greeted by Mick who is also a zombie.
"You promised me Keigen! It's all your fault I'm like this." He yells at me in a groggily voice.
I run past him tears streaming down my face.
"I'm sorry Mick!" I yell back at him. I continue through the woods where I'm greeted by Cass.
"Oh Cass!" I yell and run to him. I then notice once I'm closer he is also dead.
"No!" I scream and drop to my knees.
"You killed us Keigen!" He yells at me.
I look up and my brother and Muck are standing next to him. My mother next to Jack.
"No!" I scream crying.
"All you do is get people killed Keigen!" Jack yells.
I start sobbing unable to control my breathing. They all start yelling at me. I cry into my hands as Cass and Jack continue how I got them killed. Mick shouts at me too but about how if he had never met me he wouldn't be in the ground near a gas station. And my mom saying how if I had been with her instead of off having fun with my friends she wouldn't be dead.
"I'm Sorry!" I scream.
Just then I'm broken out of the night terror by Cass shaking me.
"Keigen?" He asks bent over me.
"Mmm." I groan.
"Keigen?" He ckntinues to shake me.
"What?" I ask sitting up.
"You were yelling in your sleep." I look at him and then at the sky and notice it is morning.
"What happened? Are you okay?" He asks me.
"It was nothing just a bad dream." I say standing up leaving him in the ground.
"What was it? It seemed pretty bad." He asks standing up.
"Oh just as reoccurring night terror about the Scooby-Doo haunted house." I say thinking about a strange dream I had as a kid.
"Scooby-Doo haunted house?" He asks giving me a perplexed look.
"You know at Kings Island?" I say sort of asking if he knew what I was talking about.
"Oh um okay. Must have been bad." He says still confused.
"Yea odd." I say and gather my things.
He does the same and we prepare for another day of walking.