Chapter 1
Manresa Castle; Washington:
I dashed down the one of the castle's wide hallways and up the stairs to a tower. Gunfire echoed behind me and I vaulted over a small gate onto the castles wall. I ran, and didn't look back. I can't believe this. They gave me a gun! And expected me to shoot things! I couldn't do it. I tried, I really did, but all I could see was Adam's disappointed face as I missed again and again. I couldn't do it. I can't. I'm worthless. I finally stopped running and looked around. At some point I had entered a courtyard. Huh. I didn't remember this being part of our base. I looked back and saw Adam waving frantically at me from the gate I had jumped over. My eyes widened and I ran further away.
Eventually, I had to stop. I panted and slumped to the ground. I was in some sort of dining hall, but it didn't look like our dining hall. It was filled with people though, so I didn't question it too much. I closed my eyes for a moment, and leaned my head against the wall. I sat like that for a few minutes, until I heard rustling. I opened my eyes and scrambled back against the wall, trying to find an imaginary door to escape from. The people who had been roaming the room weren't actually people. No wonder Adam was trying to get my attention. In my fit of inadequate-ness, I had stumbled upon the part of the base that was overrun by zombies. I'm dead. I curled in a ball as the horde surrounded me, and peeked through my trembling fingers. Goodbye Adam, Red, Barney, Jess, I wish I had gotten to say goodbye. That one word sounded so sweet and pure. We took it for granted. We took life for granted. We didn't value anything to its true worth. Why?
Suddenly a face I recognised came into view, and pushed the other zombies away. Max. Tears trickled down my face and I sobbed. I uncurled from my tight ball of rejection and slowly stood up. "M-Max... Oh my god, what did they do to you?" I took a shaky step forward and reached out a trembling hand towards his face. His eyes looked a little faded, and his ginger hair not as vivid as it was when he was alive, but other than that, he still looked like the Max I had known and loved. We all thought he had abandoned us, and had run away when he went on that supply run. But whoever would have thought he had been in the same building we had been the whole time? I laughed to myself, and walked up to Max. I held out my arms, leaving my chest vulnerable, and looked him in the eyes. "Make it quick." My voice no longer trembled. I could feel adrenaline coursing through my veins like electricity, sending every single one of my nerves on high alert. It's funny how when you're about to die, you feel the most alive. Max walked forward, and cupped my chin in his hand. The gesture was so human-like, that I had to remind myself what was going to happen next. He trailed his fingers down my neck and I braced myself for the moment he would strike. He moved his head so it was positioned over my neck, and he softly bit down on my pale skin.
