Don't Fade Away

Chapter 1

I shudder as I make my way through the empty streets, hoping to find some sort of protection for the night. I could faintly hear the moans and hisses of walkers, wanting nothing more than to sink their teeth into my flesh. This sound I have become so familiar with, that hearing it no longer scares me, only motivates me.

Let me explain. A little over a month ago, a deadly virus spread across the world. It caused people to turn into monsters, tearing apart and eating every living thing it could find. This involved people.

Most people ran, hoping to run away from something that would always chase them. In a few days, the number of walkers (zombies) had multiplied. At this point, people knew that it was too late, so they gave up. Some just let the walkers tear them apart, while others committed suicide.

My dad had committed suicide while I was out gathering supplies. When I came back, I saw the gun in my father's hand and the bullet hole between his eyes. I was in immense pain for days, knowing that the only person I had left in the world was dead. Over that time, I was contemplating wether or not I should keep going.

In the end, I knew that my dad would want me to keep going, so I did. I had just turned 15 a month before the outbreak, so I had no clue what to do. I still don't.

So, it was just me. I had learned how to scavenge and hunt for food, find fresh water, make and use weapons, and most importantly; survive.

This is why I'm here now. I have been searching for a place to stay for the night, hoping to find somewhere small and secure. Walkers can't climb or swim, so I like to look for places with stairs or ladders. They're definitely the safest places.

Since I live in Atlanta, Georgia, the walker population is very high. Every corner I turn, there are walkers. I've learned to stay quiet and move quickly, but that still doesn't change the fact that they can smell me.

I walk behind an old building, immediately spotting the horde of walkers before me. Luckily, their backs were facing me, but I didn't have much time before they smelt me.

I duck behind a dumpster, scanning my surroundings. On my left was the area I had just come from, and to the right was an empty highway. If I decide to run that way, I would be out in the open. Finally making my decision, I start to inch my way out from behind the trash can towards the highway.

I move painfully slow, my heart frantically beating in my chest. I had dropped my gun a little while back, but it was too late to try and find it. I suddenly feel something tickling my foot. Looking down, I find a huge grey rat looking at me with it's red eyes. Surprised, I accidentally bang my elbow against the side of the dumpster. I scare the rat away, thank god, but I knew that the walkers had heard me.

I panic, "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

I know, that wasn't the best way to handle this situation, but hey, I'm still a kid. Sort of. I hear them shuffling towards me, so I do the only thing I can think of. I run.

Zooming past the walkers, I manage to make it halfway across the highway when I see them come into view. I prepare to run to the other side when I notice that another swarm of walkers were waiting for me there, too. Time seemed to stand still. I knew that I couldn't outrun them; I was done for.

That was, until I heard the glorious sound of a running car. That's ridiculous, I've tried to use at least half of the cars in this city and none have worked. And yet, the noise seemed to be getting louder and louder. In the distance, I see a little black speck growing bigger with every passing second. And it heading in my direction. Great.

Too flabbergasted to move, I stand there gawking. Maybe the person in the car can give me a ride. By now, the walkers were inching closer, growling and hissing, craving the taste of human flesh.

I shake my head, slightly disappointed in myself. I should have been more careful. I should have watched where I was going. My parents would be ashamed in me if they knew that I had failed them.

The car suddenly stops, it's tires screeching on the hot pavement. A few seconds later, a guy comes out of the car, looking furious. But I was beyond listening to him.

He was tall, that's for sure. He was around 6'0", basically towering over my short 5'5" frame. He looked strong with some muscle, but not overly muscular. He was around my age and had blonde hair that was tousled and messy, as though he had styled it that way. The one thing that struck me the most about him was his beautiful blue eyes, which clashed with his black lip ring, making him look pale.

I suddenly snap out of my daze, but he seems to busy yelling at me to notice. "-and you're here in the middle of the fucking road practically asking to die! You're lucky I didn't fucking hit you with the goddamned car, or we both would have been goners!"

Rage suddenly fills me, causing my vision to go red. Unable to think clearly, I start screaming at him. "Then why the fuck didn't you? You had every chance in the world, and you didn't. So don't you dare blame me for this. I couldn't even move because if you haven't noticed, we're kind of surrounded by walkers!"

The walkers were now closing in on us. Not even bothering to ask, I get in the passengers side of the guy's car. He glares at me but soon follows, locking the doors once he gets in. Not wasting any time, he immediately starts driving, running over a few walkers in the process. And then we were off.