I had been living in my new home for almost two months now and working at an auto repair shop so I could pay my own rent. My home was located in a very quiet neighborhood in the small town of Shady Oaks, Nevada. The largest building near our town was a government testing lab about five miles outside of Shady Oaks.


I had woke up every morning at 7:30 and ate breakfast. Then I would feed my dog, and begin my drive to work. I punched in and walked to my station. Walking past my boss’ office I could see through his window that he was napping face down on his desk. I continued to my station. I began to work on a car, which was to be picked up later that afternoon, along side my best and only friend in town. In my shop there were only four employees and the boss. John was assisting me in repairing a car, another had called in sick, and the last was a new guy who was working on an engine outside.


I could hear the sound of a car pulled into the parking lot and began walking to serve the costumer, but I had spotted the new employee leaving the boss’ office and going to the parking lot. “Let him take care of it” John insisted. I turned back and continued working on the car. Minutes later John and I heard a woman scream. We rushed from our work to the parking lot to see what had happened.


We rushed through the shop garage and saw our co-worker attacking the woman John quickly ran over to her and pulled him from her. Her body fell lifeless against the car, and John wrestled to attempt to control our co-worker. I backed up shocked and stunned. I bumped into the large stomach of my boss and fell forward. I looked back to see my employer shreds of skin removed from his face as if it had gone through a grater. I would have gotten up and ran but I was paralyzed with fear and could only sit and wait to die.


A gun shot roared and he jolted back with his body limp against the wall. I looked back and saw John holding a hunting rifle. He had managed to take care of our co-worker and retrieve his rifle from his car all while I was on the ground cowering in fear. John had gone hunting every Wednesday and Saturday for as long as I had known him so it didn’t surprise that he had his rifle now. I hurried up and followed John to his car he started the engine and we drove.


“What just happened.” I said with a shaky voice trying to wipe the blood of my former boss from my shirt. “I don’t know but I’m not staying around here to find out.” John replied. He began to get out his cell phone and dial numbers. “Hello….Are you okay….Stay there I’ll be there soon” he hung up. ‘Who did you call” I looked at him wondering how he could be so calm as to remember to return a phone call. “We have to get my grandmother from her apartment” he said never taking his eyes off the road. I didn’t really want to risk my life to rescue someone who I have never met before, but I didn’t want to let down my closest friend either, so all I replied with was a simple “okay.”


While driving we could see groups of people running through the streets franticly screaming and crying. We got downtown and witnessed the true devastation that these monsters had caused. John and I saw these zombie monsters fisting on citizens of the town, Women children anyone who couldn’t get away from the destruction. Looking out the window I wondered how far this had spread. My mother father and younger brother lived in Vegas, which was about a three hour drive from Shady Oaks. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I had no service.


The car came to a halt. I looked up thinking that we had hit something, but I only saw a herd of the monsters blocking Main St. I looked over at John who was looking down biting his nails. John only did this when he was seriously worried about something. I didn’t say a word.” We’re gonna have to walk.” he said to me still looking down. “I don’t have any guns like you they will eat me alive if I go out there unarmed” I replied. “There is a hardware store about a block back maybe there’s something there” then put the car in reverse and drove to the hardware store.



We did a quick scan of the parking lot. There was no one there just deserted cars and bodies. We got out of the car and walked to the door. The store was dark except for a few emergency light scattered around the store. “I’m gonna go check the power tools” this made me think of all the zombie movies I’ve watch were the group splits and someone dies. I didn’t remember this until I was already alone in the power tool section of the store. I slowly crept up the lane. I could hardly walk with my legs shaking so violently. I scanned the shelves for something that would do the most damage. I reached up to grab a store catalog, thinking it would be easier to see what was there instead of wondering around a dark probably zombie infested store.a box of nails fell .


I bent down to pick them up and saw I man wearing a blue vest standing in front of me. I got up and ran towards the back of the store. I burst through the doors of a room labeled employees only, and tripped over a stack of boxes. I slid until I hit the wall. The monster came through the door moaning with outstretched arms. I couldn’t see much so I felt around the floor. I picked up a nail gun and began to fire over and over until it was empty. The monsters body fell forward into the boxes I had tripped over. I got up and ran back to the front of the store grabbing the box of nails on the way.


I got to the front of the store where John was waiting at the checkout counter as if I was going to pay for my items. “That’s it I’m leaving. You can go save her your self.” I exited the store. “Why? What happened?” He said as he followed me through the door. “I almost died twice today and I won’t make it three by going with you.” I opened the driver side door. John opened the passenger side. “C’mon I need you to help me. You can’t leave anyway I have the keys.” I got out of the car and began to walk away. “Fine then leave, but don’t call me when you’re about to be eaten alive. I kept walking not looking back at him.


There was I scream in the distance I looked up and saw a woman running towards us from across the street. Behind her was a group of five monsters. John and I starred at her as she continued to get closer. She ran past me and kept going, and I followed her just as quickly. John was already at the door holding it open for us to run inside the store. We made it inside and began barricading the door with anything we could find. John and the woman sat against the door to add more weight against it. There was loud banging at the door “There are more boxes in the back” I said running to the employees only room.


I grabbed as many boxes as I could carry and began running back to the door. Halfway through the store I realized that the zombie from before was not there anymore. There were no doors besides the front door for him to leave from either. He must still be in the store somewhere. I stopped worried he might attack again. I looked around the isle, but there was nothing there. I continued to run.


Turning a corner I slipped and fell on my back dropping the boxes. There was a quiet moan coming from behind me. I quickly rushed to my feet looking for the nail gun again, but only remembering that I had left it in the car. I looked on the shelves around me. I was in the lumber isle of the store. I grabbed a random 2x4 and swung as hard as I could at the monster’s neck. The wood stopped half way through. I grabbed another and swung again. It was a direct hit to his head, which had went flying into the opposite shelves. I starred for a moment then grabbed the boxes and ran back to the others.


“What took so long?” John asked still sitting against the pile. “I got caught up with something.” I said adding the boxes to the pile. The banging stopped. I peaked through the glass to see if they had left. The group had spotted others in the parking lot and went after them. “We have to get out of town.” The woman said. I looked at John, Who was starring at the ground. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys. He held them for a moment the tossed them to me. “You two should take the car, I’ll catch up when I take care of thing around here.” He then began moving the object from the door one by one. I’ve never seen him with a more serious look before. Once all the objects were gone he opened the door. “I’ll distract them while you run to the car.” I looked at him. “Are you sure about this? You could take the care and I’ll wait here for you to get back.” I held out the keys to him. “No it not safe here.” Then he ran out the door, screaming and yelling like a mad man trying to get the attention of the monsters.


They turned from their meal and began to chase him. He ran to the opposite side of the parking lot. I grabbed the woman’s hand and ran to the car. I started the engine, but didn’t drive. I watched as the zombies chased him to a fence towards the side of the store. He jumped and began to climb. One monster grabbed his leg and began to tug. Then soon after the rest caught up and began to also rip him from the fence. He came down and the monsters began to eat him alive.


“let’s go before they see us.” the woman said. I blinked and drove.