Deceased

Chapter Two

I wake up early in the morning. The sun is just starting to rise, and the air is chilly. I dully eat half of another can of corn beef hash and store the rest. I pack up anything of value that I can carry, swallowing the bile that rises in my throat when I look at the empty sleeping bag and other items carelessly strewn about.

I feel almost numb looking down the ladder at a straggling biter wandering aimlessly in circles, it's jaw snapping and head twitching. Shaking my head in disgust, I quietly fill an old can with pebbles like Alex had taught me months ago. Shaking the can a little, I launch it as far as I can, watching it soar through the air until it hits the concrete, buildings away, the pebbles spilling out of it and creating even more noise. The biters' head snaps towards the direction of the sound and from its mouth springs something between a hiss and a moan. It takes off towards the can in some kind of drunken jog.

Like people, the biters differ in how fast they are. Which isn't too surprising considering the fact that they were once human. That is, until they were infected, deceased, and then risen again.

The only person I ever wanted to rise again was Christ I think to myself. Lord, where are you now?

Some biters are just walkers, depending on any injuries they may have acquired. Although, a few of them I've seen with no injuries that would prevent them from running, still walk.
Those lazy mother flowers. I laugh a little at myself for that thought, remembering the words my cousin and I would come up with to replace the curse words when we were younger.

Some walkers chase at a clumsy jog, which is pretty tiring when you already want to drop dead. Kidding, of course! Making dead jokes in a time like this is really the only thing that keeps me alive. I start down the ladder being sure to make as little noise as possible.

The biggest threat are the biters that I swear must have once been Olympic runners. Those suckers sprint and you'd better pray that you have the strength and endurance to outrun them. The only advantage is that they're still pretty clumsy and are obviously not intelligent enough to strategically capture their prey.

I make it to the bottom of the ladder, glancing quickly to where I threw the can. Only a couple biters stand snapping their jaws insanely, probably confused as to why they weren't eating yet when the noise had led them to that spot.

"Poor things," I mutter sarcastically.

I walk at a brisk, but near silent pace. My body aches in places I never knew existed, and I internally reprimand myself for being so lazy the past few months.

The rooftop was my home for the last six months. I only had to really leave it about twice a week for a quick supply run. When I met Alex one day, also collecting supplies, we were trapped by a horde of at least thirty biters. I didn't trust him at first, but he saved my life quite a few times before the day was done.

That's more than you did for him I think, fighting against the wet droplets forming in my eyes.

Stop thinking like that. Focus.

Honestly, I'm unsure exactly where I'm heading. The thought of staying on that rooftop, alone again, was far from appealing. Besides, Alex once told me about how he had heard about some settlement about 300 miles away. He had been heading towards it before we met. I hadn't wanted to take the chance, though.

"You know, there's a place about three hundred miles from here. I heard that they have plenty of food and water, as well as strong walls, nice places to sleep, and good people," Alex states, looking at me over the little fire pit with warm brown eyes. "Perhaps we could find it. You know, find somewhere safe that we could settle down in."

I hesitate, choosing to stare into the fire instead of those eyes. "I- I don't know. I mean, I think that we're fine here. We still have plenty of food and water in the houses and buildings around us," I say gesturing to our surroundings. "Besides, this place is just as secure, if not more, than some community on the ground three hundred miles from here. That's if it even exists," I add.

He goes silent for awhile and I wonder if the topic is a done deal. I take a bite of the food I was eating before he brought up the community. While I'm chewing he says more, choosing to also look only into the fire.

"Amber, as much as you'd like to, we can't just stay here forever." His voice takes on a darker tone when he adds, "Besides, a community could help keep us safe. There are plenty of people out there who only want to hurt people. People like us. There's always safety in numbers is all I'm saying."

"Well, what if this place doesn't even exist? We get our hopes up and travel three hundred miles to find nothing. Or worse yet, we find it and it's a trap. What then, Alex?" I add trying not to raise my voice, "We are perfectly safe here."

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry I even brought it up"

Parts of me now wonder if leaving would have been the right thing to do. He had brought that subject up with me a little over a month ago. Perhaps if I would've listened then he'd still be alive. Now I'm heading to some place that might be the death of me.

Alone.

Here's chapter two of Deceased! Let me know how you guys like it, what'd you like to see happen, what you think of Amber, etc etc. If you like the story so far be sure to vote/comment/follow. Thank you!