Chapter One: Old Friends

As the engine died down I knew I wouldn't have any luck getting gas. All of the pump handles were laying on the ground. Still…I couldn't complain much since the old car had carried me across three separate states during my attempt to get out to sea. It might have been a stupid hope, but I was hopeful that maybe if I could make it out to sea I could find someplace that wasn't taken by the dead. I shook my head and grabbed my “acquired” hiking backpack and the kilij I had bought as a kid and had grown to rely on often now. I pulled the blade out, inspecting it to make sure it was still sharp enough before finally grabbing my canteen and getting out of the car, I’d seen first hand what happened when you didn't keep your sword sharp and I’m brave enough to admit I couldn't eat for a week without having to keep it down by force of will when I saw the results of that failure, and I’d worked in a morgue before the outbreak.

I walked slowly and carefully to the entrance of the station, somewhat surprised that most of the windows had stayed in one piece. Then again the doors were missing so it wasn't like the dead had to force their way in. As mindless as they usually seemed I did have to admire that they almost always seemed to be able to go directly to the best spot to get in, at least often enough that I wondered if there was still some higher brain functions that worked or if it was just instinct. I shook my head and shrugged. I could have inner debates about the brain activity of zombies later. Plus I always did think too much.

I walked down the familiar isles seeing the remains of the carnage that had taken place. There had been some workers here when the doors were broken off, a couple I knew and a few were unfamiliar to me. I sighed as my heart felt like it dropped out of me for a moment, seeing the remains of a dear old ex-friend. We were on poor terms when I left for the chance for better work at a hospital out of state, but I still never stopped caring for her. Maybe more than I should have, though I still did have a few bitter feelings about the end myself. Our falling out was part of the reason I avoided growing to people since I left. I muttered my condolences to nobody in particular before moving the medicine isle and grabbing a few bottles of pain killers and cold meds.

Thump. I barely heard the noise until it repeated itself moments later. I frowned and debated with myself for a moment. The world was dog eat dog now and I shouldn't allow myself to feel the urge to help, but I couldn't ignore it either. If it was someone hurt I could treat them or put them down one and if it was a zombie I’d kill them to give my former friend revenge, though I bet she would of scoffed at the idea. Carefully I walked across to the other side of the store, doing my best to not make any noise before realizing the sound was coming from the cooler in the sandwich shop. I sighed…there was no telling how many of the dead were in there. I knew that nobody could be in there alive. The store was too dusty and the bodies inside too decayed for anything to have passed through alive recently.

I frowned knowing full well I was going to open the door, if only simply for the sake of my own curiosity. Muttering that I was an idiot under my breath for the hundredth time today I unsheathed my sword and grabbed the handle, pulling it slowly as I used my foot as a prop to keep whoever was inside from opening it faster than I’d like. Once I could see inside I couldn't help but to frown. It was another friend, the main sandwich girl who actually bothered to joke with me at times. She was probably the only one on that part of the store I managed to actually see eye to eye with. I always called her “Brat” cause it was close to her actual name, so often I actually forgot her real name. She was on the floor crawling against the door until I looked down at her in her green shirt and black slacks and frowned. She looked up at me with her emerald eyes and moaned hungrily before frantically reaching for my leg. I took a step back and lifted my sword, bringing it down swiftly, cutting though her neck so quickly that I managed to cut her long flowing blond hair off too. Closing my eyes I muttered a prayer the God she worshiped then shook my head and looked over the place one last time before going to the broken down cooler and grabbing a few of the remaining bottles of water.