Zantanium

Supplies

I didn't know what time Murphy switched places with captin. I had woken up to Murphy messing with our bags, I raised up looking at my brother with a look of hate as he continued to rummage through his bag

"What are you doing?" I asked annoyed, he looked at me and sighed "we're going to need to get some supplies, and a place to rest" I look at him and then back to Ringo "is it safe?" I asked looking outside to see a abandoned city. "Yeah captin checked it out, it's a total ghost town" I looked at him with a concerned expression "a whole town is wiped out?" He nods his head while Ringo wimpered in my lap. I began petting his soft fur, the only thing that managed to soothe me was the feeling of something alive breathing.

Murphy left the truck to catch up with Captin who was jogging towards us. Ringo clawed at the window, I opened it as he jumped out towards captain and I followed.

"What's the report cap?" Murphy asked looking at the sweating man. He looked at Murphy at me while catching his breath, holding up his finger to give him a minute.

He had appeared to be in his late 20s but even I was more in shape and he was a swat cop.

When he had managed to catch his breath he began to speak "there was none but the stores are loaded, we gotta stock up on non perishable food and water, I'm not sure how long this will last before the power and water shut down." Me and Murphy both nod in agreement and once again we all piled into the truck and drove into the town.

The sun was shinning but Murphy was right when he said the town was deserted, cars we're destroyed while some were burned, stores had broken windows while others looked brand new, we all sat in silence as if we were paying respects of a passing funeral, that's what that town felt like.....a passing funeral.

We drove down a couple of streets looking for a shelter, we drove until we came across a house down a long narrow drive way. Captain stopped the truck and hopped out.

"What are you doing? " Murphy asked, captin pressed his finger to his lip silencing my brother "I'm looking to see if those cannibals are walking around" he whispers before walking slowly down the drive.

When he got close to the house he looked around and then up the stairs and onto the porch, he stood beside it with a gun in his hand and his shield in the other. Me and Murphy sat with dying anticipation as Captain slowly opened the door.

Nothing. Nothing came out but that didn't mean it was safe, captin made a waving motion and me Murphy and Ringo got out of the car and repeated Captains footsteps. When we reached the porch we all walked slowly inside, it smelt of decay and wet paint, Ringo and me walked slowly through what appeared to be a kitchen.

"I think someone died in here" I say while sneering my nose at the stench. "No kidding" Murphys voice echoed throughout the house. "Hey guys come check this out" Captain calls from one of the rooms.

I walked over to where Captain and Murphy were standing, inside the room was a set of bunk beds and documents pinned to a board. "What is this?" Captain asked picking up one of the papers "looks like research" Murphy answered

"They knew about this" I said sliding my way into the room and picking up a paper. "These people knew an outbreak like this was gonna happen" I said waving the flyer around. "Maybe they can help stop it" Murphy says enthusiastically

"Not a chance" Captain says from the hallway, "why not?" Murphy says curiously "because they killed themselves, both of them are dead in their bathroom" Captain says removing his helmet, his thick brown hair was messy and his face was red and flustered.

"We can't leave them there" I say trying to squirm past Murphy "not a chance steph, you don't need to see this" he says sympathetically, Captain looks at me and nods his head "we're gonna need a shovel and two trash bags"

"Trash bags?!" I exclaim "These people are dead and you wanna put them in trash bags!" Murphy looks at Captain who is now looking at me with wide eyes before putting back his blank expression

"Stephanie I don't know if you know this, but there is flesh eating zombies out there so I don't think we have time to stop by the funeral parlor to pick out caskets"

I sighed in defeat as he shut the door, hiding the bodies from me. "So what's the plan?" Murphy asked walking back into the living room, "Well since there's only three of us I think it would be best that we all go together, Stephanie and Murphy. You two can gather food supplies while I grab the trash bags and whatever else" we all nodded in agreement and began walking towards town.

When we got into the store me and Murphy started running down the isles grabbing whatever we could. We got to the hygiene section when my brother shoved me forward. "What?" I asked looking at him confused, "I just thought you being a girl and all might need to get girl things" he says uncomfortably.  I tried to hold back a laugh as my brother walked away leaving me to get the things I needed.

My duffle bag slam full we all met back, Murphy had gotten bandages and cleansers while Captain had gotten the trash bags and matches. We all left the store after turning the alarm off.

"Stephanie, do you have a weapon?" Captain asked looking me over as we walked back to the shelter, before I could answer my brother chimed in "she don't like weapons so no she dont" he stated, I couldn't tell how he meant it but it didn't sound right.

"Well you're gonna have to have one, hopefully this won't happen but if you're by yourself using the bathroom or whatever and me or Murphy can't get to you then you'll have to have a way to defend yourself" he says chewing on some beef jerky a luxury he had picked up on the way out.

"I agree with Captin on this one steph" Murphy says holding the metal barrel of his gun.

Murphy was right, I didn't like weapons, I wasn't into violence but I guess they had a point, so I shrugged my shoulders and we walked towards a pawnshop.

The bell above the door dinged and we all froze, any noise could be critical. We heard a bang in the back, Ringo began barking and I bent down and put my hand over his mouth in an attempt to silence him.

Captain walked forward with a gun in hand, he held it up as the banging got closer, I began to shake.

As the banging approached we all got a close up of what these things were made of. This one was a lot more decayed, it's skin was stating to peel as it made hissing and groaning noises.

Captain began to back up and aimed the gun at its head "I'm sorry pal" he said before pulling the trigger.

The bang was loud, the ringing in my ears blocked out all sound but I could see the body of the zombie, captin looked at it and took off his helmet in respect. This wasn't easy for him either.

We walked around the store, looking out the windows to see if the bang had awoken the others. My breath was rigid and my heart was beating loudly.

Murphy pulled my arm and walked me over to the guns case, "Alright we don't have much time so you need to pick one" he says looking for the keys to open it. I felt a lump grow in my throat as I picked up the cold metal barrel of a gun. I never knew the names but quite frankly the only name I was giving it was redrum, read backwards spelt murder.