Surviving The Nightmares

Year One; Day Twenty-Three

As fate would have it, hundreds of miles apart in completely different conditions at almost the exact same time, the waters of both Ashley Miller and Lynda Scott broke. New life was on the way. Destined for greatness. Linked by the hardships they would soon face.

"Lynda? Honey are you okay?" The old lady asked.

Yesterday, Lynda was picked up and taken in by an old couple and their grandson, Jason, who was a soldier and had narrowly survived the Battle of the Coast. They had a small cottage up in the mountains, out of the reach of the four-legged monsters but still well within the realm of the more vicious, sadistic, two-legged monsters.

"My water just broke! I got a baby on the way! Annie, I don't have a clue what to do." She told the old lady. Annie ran up to her and told her to breathe as she was laid on a bed.

"I've pushed out my fair share of babies honey. I know what I'm doing." Annie said. "Jason, I need a clean towel and get a pan of water and be ready to warm it up. This is gonna take a while." Jason got all the stuff ready and before he had a chance to sit down his M4 was put in his hand.

"Go outside and keep watch." The old man said. "I saw some headlights a few minutes ago. Maybe nothing but just be sure." Jason checked the clip and counted the bullets left.

"I got six rounds left Pap. Ain't gonna do much good if bullets start flying." Jason said.

"It'll do. If they're unarmed all you'll have to do is wave it in their face. If they get in, your Mam's armed and I got your sidearm. We're old but we're tough. Go on ahead."

In the final moments of labor a couple cars pulled up to the cottage. The contractions were getting more intense as the child was being welcomed into the world. Outside, shouting was heard.

Jason worked the action on the rifle and aimed it at the men who stepped out of the car.

"Get the fuck out of here!" He shouted. "We're all armed and we will kill you! Leave!" In response the men opened fire. Jason dove behind the cabin wall, straight through the door. He poked his head out and returned fire. He fired and scored a headshot. Lynda was screaming in fear and pain. Her screams were drowned out by the gunfire. Jason's rifle barked again but he missed. He cursed under his breath.

The old man ran to the opposite side of the doorway with Jason's sidearm and opened fire on the bandits outside.

"I may be an old man!" The old man shouted. "But I'll kill all you young punks!" The pistol barked and killed two more until it jammed. The old man's life was then cut short by a shotgun blast that tore a crescent of flesh from his body, from his shoulder to his jawline. He fell back, blood spurting from the wound and covering his face and clothes. He gurgled a moment and fell silent.

Jason screamed in rage and opened fire. Firing blindly, hitting only the darkness behind their attackers. When the rifle clicked empty, he threw it. He picked the sidearm up, stood and fired it, screaming with every bullet that cut through the air until he himself was cut down by the gunfire.

Lynda held her black haired beauty of a child in her arms as the bandits raided the house taking all their food and water and leaving nothing but the corpses of Jason and the old man. They drove off, leaving Lynda and Annie to their fate.

Over Annie's cries, Lynda gave her child his name under her breath and in a whisper as she was both exhausted and terrified.

"Zack. Zack Scott. My beautiful child. My perfect baby."

As this was happening, Ashley was sitting at work talking to Riley when the ground suddenly became wet with amniotic fluid. Riley stopped mid-sentence as his jaw dropped with Ashley's and they looked down. Ashley smiled a little.

"My little Adam's on his way!" She couldn't fight off the excitement as it flooded her body. She immediately informed the nearest Doctor and she was prepped for delivery. They put her on a gurney and wheeled her into a room and she was transitioned onto a bed. Riley stayed with her as long as the doctors allowed it.

They were left in the room for a while until her labor began. She literally glowed with excitement and she smiled at Riley.

"You excited?" He asked.

"Yes!" She said, smiling ear to ear. "I just... I just wish that my husband was here to see this." Her smile faded.

"I'm sure he'd be proud of you Ashley. From what you said he seems like a good man. Brave too. Fought the Nightmares at the coast you said? Very brave man."

"Riley... I want you to promise me something." Ashley said.

"I know where this is going. Shut up. You're going to be just fine. If there was a problem they would have told you."

"I'm not worried about that." She said. "He's not going to know his father." She began crying. "My baby boy isn't going to know his daddy. I'm not an idiot. I know Mitchell is dead. He was a low ranked infantry man. I saw the numbers, they were wiped out. Adam needs a man in his life, one he can depend on and I want you to be that man, Riley. I know this is asking a lot, but please! I don't trust anyone else."

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah... Alright Ashley, I'll do it. I'll help you raise him. I'll help raise little Adam Miller with you."

A few hours later, the blonde haired beauty, Adam Miller was born into this confusing world.

They are the first children born into a world ruled by fear of the monsters that stalk the highways and corpses of cities around the planet. All men and women are born with a purpose and this was true for Adam Miller and Zack Scott. They were of no exception to this rule.