AS THE DEAD RISES: Book 1 & 2 [COMPLETED] {EDITING}

This Isn't So Bad

A few months later

Jiro's POV

An undead fell as my arrow pierced through its head. I walked towards the dead and retrieved my arrow. The dead is getting grosser and grosser each day. This one's really rotten I don't even know how it is able to stand.

"You know, you can stop doing that" Ethan said behind me.

"Stop doing what?"

"That! Target practicing on the dead" he answered. "You're really putting yourselves in danger. You know that."

"Yeah, sure." I said. "I have nothing to lose."

"Ever thought of me, losing you?" He said.

"Stop being so cheesy" I said.

"You know you like it."

"I.Don't."

"Sure. Anyways, where'd we go next?" He asked me.

"Uh, we?"

"Yes, we. I'm coming with you" he smiled like a puppy.

"Okay? But yeah, I have no place in mind. You?"

"There's a camp up north. We can check it out" he said.

"I don't think we should" I answered. "It's dangerous you know?"

We continued walking in the forests and more undead kept on coming unto us. I placed another arrow on my bow and shot the nearest one. Ethan threw his spear unto another one. I still don't get why he kept on using that spear. I mean you're only hitting one undead at a time which is very terrible when you're overwhelmed by them.

"Nice shots as usual" he praised me.

"I think you need to lose that spear of yours" I suggested.

"Uh, no" he answered.

"I mean it's just a suggestion but if-"

"Aww...you're concerned about me" he said smiling like an idiot.

"Ugh, never" I said and continued walking.

"I know that you like me though" he proudly said.

"Never in your wildest dreams asshole" I answered and shot another undead and retrieved my arrow afterwards.

"You know, shooting and retrieving your arrow is a tiring work" he said while walking.

"As if you don't do the same with your spear" I sarcastically answered.

"Mine's a different thing" he defended.

"Definitely not." I said with a smirk.

After a long walk. I've noticed a tall wall a little bit far from us. This must be the camp he was telling me about. Wow, he just tricked me in going to this direction.

"See what I told you about?" He asked excitedly. "We'll be safe in there considering that they'll accept us."

"Walls make people weak, you know that" I told him as I walked away.

"No it doesn't! Being out here does not make you strong neither" he said. "Being with a group is much safer, Jiro. Trust me in this. Just this one."

"How about...no?" I said as I continued walking away from the camp.

"Please?" He pleaded. "We'll leave when things go south."

Why should I listen to him again? Ugh, I knew from the start he'd be a burden but I never thought he'd be this heavy to carry. I don't even know why I stuck with him. I mean we're totally not close and I don't really like him. Maybe just a little. As a friend. As a friend.

"Fine, it's all of your fault if this doesn't work out and get yourself killed" I answered.

"Who are you?" A voice interrupted us. "What are you doing near our camp?"

We faced them and we saw three people armed. A female with a gun. Two men, the first one's carrying a bow just like mine and the other one with a machete. They look harmless but you can still feel some fear inside.

"Uhm, we...we are Ethan and Jiro and we were thinking if you could at least take us in?" He introduced.

"We do accept people inside but we have a protocol" the guy with the bow said. "I'm Axel, the other dude is Tom, and this woman is Lacy. We kind of lead this group."

"Oh, nice to meet you." Ethan greeted. What a suck up.

"We need your weapons before you go inside" Lacy said.

"Absolutely not" I said. "What if we are walking inside a death trap? No thanks."

"What my friend means is that how can you assure us that you won't hurt us the moment we enter your camp?" Ethan calmly asked.

"We won't." Axel answered. "We've encountered a lot of people just like you before and I guarantee you that you'll be safe in here."

"Yeah sure very believable isn't it" I sarcastically said.

What? Is it bad to be skeptical about this thing? We've been parts of other groups before and they approached us like this the same way they did to us.

"Come on, Jiro" Ethan pleaded. "Aren't you tired walking around aimlessly in this forest?"

"If you are, then join them" I stated even though my heart feels so heavy when I said it.

"Please? You agreed a while ago" he pouted.

"Ugh! Fine!" I angrily said. "Don't come back crying to me when they hurt you."

"Your weapons please" Axel said.

I reluctantly gave them my bow and arrows and Ethan gave his spear.

"That's all?" Lacy asked. "No knives? Guns?"

"No" I answered.

"Wow, you rely on these ones so much" Tom said as he held my weapon.

"Yeah, we kind of rely with each other to" Ethan said with a smile.

"Sweet" Axel said with a fake smile. "Anyways, this is the only gate where you can enter and exit."

When we approached the door, two archers are looking out for us on the watch tower inside the camp.

"That's Shirley on the left and Sharon on the right" Axel said and sent some signal to them to open the door. "Sharon's one of the new entries I told you about. She's sweet but fierce when it comes to battle."

"Axel, here, handles the fighters or the first line of defense if I may say" Lacy began. "They eliminate any dead beings outside the walls and serves as the protectors of the camp. They also train new people if you want to join."

"Yeah, what she said." Axel said with a smirk. "I do need to check your abilities first before I accept you though."

"This is so cool" Ethan said with a cheeky smile.

"Thanks. Lacy handles the food production here and they ration and distribute it equally to the people." Tom said. "Thanks to us, the supply runners, which is headed by yours truly. We are the ones who found these foods. We go out there for a few days and return here at camp bringing everything that we got."

Well, this isn't so bad?