*3 Years Later*
It's been 3 years since the apocalypse started. It spread from my home, all around the state, then the country, and that's as far as any of us know. No one's left to deliver news like they used to. It's been 3 years since I left that night, running off into the woods, and running until I collapsed in a grocery store in the next town over. It's been 3 years since I've been back. And here I am. The town is vacant and quiet, like a ghost town. All of the buildings are diminishing, crumbling slowly. All of the cars and things left out on the street have been rusted over and broken. It was completely silent. I walked forward, keeping a good grip on my pistol, and watching out for any signs or life... or undead. I looked around as I past my mother's old office building, the old cafe we used to go to for birthdays and special occasions, and my mind was flooded with memories. I passed the ditch that my parents died in. I know it wasn't safe, but I walked down to our car, which was still laying there in the grass, rusted over, and covered in brush. I ran my hands down the window, looking in to where I sat that night. I moved to the back, and saw that there was no supplies left in the back. Not that I'd expected there to be. I looked around me. The building I needed to get to was the tallest tower in the city. In there, I can find out where the military group went. If I'm lucky and I find them, I'll join them. It's almost a guarantee to survival. The hard part is gonna be crossing the city to get to the building. Might as well start now. I took another look at the car, then began walking. It was gonna be a long trek.
I continued walking for a half hour or so, when I heard something. A strange ticking noise. I stopped dead in my tracks. I listened once more. The noise grew louder, as if it was coming closer. I hide behind a car and watched out. I had a suspicion. I grabbed a bottle from the scraps next to me, and threw it away from the car. Sure enough the noise got closer, until out came a Clicker from inside a garage. Clickers, are like Infected (AKA RUNNERS), but they've been infected for so long, that they've gone blind and follow sounds. While they're easier to stealth around on, if they've caught you, you've got to be one badass fighter to get away from it. And here I was, ten feet from one. I picked up another scrap and threw it as far away from me as possible. The clicker went running. But there were two. One of them had heard me and was now running for me. I pulled out my pistol as quickly as I could, and shot for its head. It fell to the ground. The other clicker ran towards me too, and I shot it down. That was close. Just then, I saw a huge group of runners coming towards me. More than I could handle by myself. I gasped, then took off running, there wasn't much I could do, so I just ran and ran and ran. Finally I saw a little gap into an old warehouse. I would have to climb under the wall, but I could do it. I picked up my pace and slid, and crawled and squirmed under the wall. I quickly pushed dirt and rocks up against the entrance. I found the nearest window, opened it, and shot the runners like dogs. Within minutes, they were dead, and I was safe. I closed the window and sighed. I looked around. I was in a big empty warehouse, that had electricity. Electricity is very rare nowadays. I walked to the center of the room in awe. Sudden, there was a sharp pain in my lower back. I screamed out in pain, until all I could manage to get out was a soft, deep groan. I fell to the ground, which was cold and refreshing compared to the hot end of summer heat outside. I felt a freezing blast zip through my body, until I couldn't feel anything. I felt like I could just stay there forever and melt into the floor. I sighed as the room got darker, and darker, and finally, was gone.
I woke up in a bed. I hadn't slept in a bed since the apocalypse started. It had a mattress and a comforter and sheets you could just cuddle up into. And the pillows were soft and fluffy to support your head. I was so relaxed for the first time in a long time. I sat up and looked around me. I was in a bedroom, with a vanity and a couch right by a huge window, and a bathroom with a tub. Where was I? I got out of the bed to feel quite a draft, which didn't surprise me. All of my clothes had been removed. I was bare. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. My reflection had changed since I'd last seen it. My brown hair was now grown out, down to my lower back, and my body had thinned out, but filled in more. It was the first time I'd realized that I'd grown up. The thought scared me. I shivered and went back into the bedroom. I grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around myself. I walked over to the door and opened it. It brought me back out to the main warehouse area I was in yesterday, but I was a level up, looking down upon the room. "Look who's up. I thought you might be dead." A voice teased. I looked around. "Who are you?!" I called to the voice. I heard a laugh. "Come find me" it whispered. I felt uneasy, but began to run. I ran until I found stairs. "Hello?" I called. "I'm still here" it said back. I followed the voice downstairs. I stopped. "Are you down here?" I asked. "Maybe." It laughed. The voice was near. "Show yourself." I said sternly. "Mmmm I don't know." It mocked. "SHOW YOURSELF." I demanded. "If you insist." It said. Immediately after the words were said, a young man stepped into the light of the warehouse. He was blonde and handsome, with dark eyes. He was tall and muscular, walking with caution. He had a stern face, but had a careless grace to him. He was intimidating, but beautiful. He walked over to me. I stood up a little taller to seem fearless. He must've sense my fear because he walked until he was close enough to reach me. "You scared?" He asked. I shook my head. He smirked and moved until he was right behind me. He pulled at the sheet around me until it dropped to the ground. "What about now?" He whispered. I clenched my fist. I could take him. I could. He captured me. I have all the rights to. He laughed and stepped away. He began circling me, pulling out his gun, observing me. "What's your name?" He asked. I watched him and just shook my head. He put the gun under my chin. "I said - What's your name?" He stated. I didn't know this man. I couldn't trust him. So I blurted out what came to mind. "Blaze. My name is Blaze." He nodded. "And how old are you, Blaze?" He asked. "19." I answered truthfully. "Well Blaze, you're gonna be my partner for a while." He said. "HA. Says who? What makes you think I'll team up with you? I don't even know you." I laughed. "I'm Ross. I live here. I'm 21." He explained. I nodded. "Nice. But I'm still not teaming up with you." I mentioned. I started to walk away when I felt hands on my thighs. They slowly moved up to my neck. He then put his gun up by my neck. "Listen, Blaze. This city has changed since you've last been here and you'll never make it out there. You want to survive? You need me. Now you do exactly as I say or I'll make sure you don't survive. And that won't be the Infected's doings. Are we clear?" He threatened. I gave in. "We're clear." I croaked. He let go of me and said "Your clothes are in the bathroom. Rest up, we've got a long night ahead of us"
