DeadZone

Chapter One: Respect

Kent could feel a growing sadness inside of him. He only just met Victor. But he knew that people died in this day and age. And he knows that his death is inevitable. It's only just a matter of time until it happens. Kent then walked back to the cabin and surveyed the area around it. Checking for any possible signs of intruders or Remnants. But fortunately, there was nothing that could pose a serious risk or danger to him. So, he entered the cabin and sat down on a chair. He reached for his back pocket and pulled out a weathered map. He dragged his finger along a road on the map, he stopped when his finger landed on a location named "Zeroton". This was the place Kent was headed in the first place. As he was able to gather intel on the possibility of an operational Helicopter in the town. If the rumours were true, that helicopter could be his ticket out of Michigan. He was desperate to get out of the state for one reason and one reason alone. To look for refuge. Kent was on the hunt for a refuge for survivors, a place where all are safe and secure. Fed, trusted, and respected. To him, respect was a foreign word nowadays. You can rarely get any kind of respect now. Either someone you meet betrays you,
never had any in the first place, or once all seems well, they die. Just like Victor. But who knows? Maybe Victor was planning on killing or harming him. But, Kent will never know now. Victors dead, he needed to move on. Kent rolled up the map and shoved it back into his pocket. He stood back up and headed outside.

"Alright." Sighed Kent.

Kent looked down the road that lead all the way to Zeroton. And started to walk down the seemingly endless road. He saw a rusty road sign that he could barely read.

"Infection Zone Ahead, please turn back for
your own safety"

There were signs like that one located all around the state. They were warnings that tons of infected people were gathered there. Naturally or forcefully.
Kent knew that he needed to travel through it. But he didn't know if there still were any infected. The sign has been up for almost three years.

"If there is still an assload of infected up ahead, I don't think my trusty old M9 will do the trick." Said Kent.

"Not to mention my ammo supply for the M9 is very low. I got three mags or so." Muttered Kent.

Kent sighed, as he continued to walk down the barren road. Within the cracks of the concrete he walked on, shrubbery and plant life flourished and creeped through. Above him, birds glided across the grey skies. It felt like Kent has never seen a blue sky since the old world. The sky seemed to stay grey when the dead rose. Almost like the god up there knew what happened. And feels bad. But seeing how bad the state of the world is in, Kent doubts a god even exists. Or if there was one, he left as fast as a high school student running from their problems.
As he kept walking, he came across a highway. The metal railings along the sides were torn and rusty. There were some abandoned and run down cars scattered across the highway, like they were chess pieces on a chess board. Kent decided to search some of them, as they could have useful supplies inside. He slowly approached one of the cars, and opened the door. Inside was an oil filter, a dirty looking water bottle, and a small switchblade that looked to be decently worn. The water bottle was useless, as the water looked tainted. But the switchblade and oil filter were beneficial. Kent once saw someone attach an oil filter into the muzzle of their pistol to act as a suppressor. It may slightly obstruct his accuracy when aiming down the sights, but it would silence his M9 for the most part. Firing a non-silenced gun when nearby people and/or Remnants would be risky, as it would give away your position. So Kent grabbed the oil filter and twisted it onto the muzzle of his M9. It fit perfectly. He then grabbed the switchblade, retracted the blade, placed it in his pocket, and continued to search the cars. Unfortunately, all he found was either tainted water, rotten food, and worthless junk. So he gave up and kept walking on the highway.