I sat on the roof of the medical room. Then I hopped down. I’d finished my guard duties for the day.
“Sir” Max said. “We may have a problem”
“What?” I asked.
“We’re low on ammo. Most of what we have is 9mm”
“We need to save guns for emergencies and use mostly melee weapons until we get some ammo”
I turned off my radio and headed to my office. I turned on the AM radio.
“This is Lieutenant Michael Williams of the U.S. Army” the guy on the radio said. “There appears to be a slight evolution in the virus. Some of the zombies can run. They’re rare, but be aware. Newer evolutions also turn fat people who get infected into some sort of super zombie. Given the status of the outbreak, the military will begin doing airdrops on various locations in the world. They will contain guns, ammo, melee weapons, medical supplies, electrical and mechanical parts, food, and water”
“Airdrops” I muttered.
I walked outside. I heard the hum of a motorcycle. I grabbed my machete and walked outside. Tristan was back. Tristan had gone on a two month supply run. Since the stores had been picked clean of all the useful stuff, toys and books still being the most common things in stores. Tristan had gone out for more.
“The one place we haven’t gone is my house” I said.
“Are you saying we should go there?” Max asked.
“Yeah. We should see if my parents are still alive”
“What if we don’t find them?”
“We’ll check other places. I’ll bring a team”
January 23, 2019

I assembled my team today. I brought Maggie, Max, and Tristan. I placed Tommy as the leader until we got back. We packed up our stuff in the truck. Two kids stood guard. I got into the driver’s seat, started it up, and drove off.
At my house, we came to the front door. The window was still broken. We climbed through it. I knocked on my bedroom door. Silence. I came in. Empty. My bedroom looked exactly as it did before the outbreak. I grabbed a blanket and my radio. I grabbed my CD’s and a few books. I put them in the truck. I came back in to find the body of the zombie that had bit Tim six months ago. I dragged it outside and burned it. We scavenged the house. We then headed to the “Bearrista Coffee Shop”. Nobody was there. A few zombies were, though. We pulled out our Machetes and crowbars and killed the zombies. We grabbed some food, searched the building. But before we left, I found a note. It was from my mom.

Sam, I probably don’t have much time left. The military just arrived in town. Several employees have been infected. Zombies roam the streets. I am hiding in my office. Your dad left to pick you up. I am writing this on June 2, 2018. Hopefully, he will find you.
-Mom

I looked at the note. Then Maggie burst in.
“Sam” she said quickly. “Zombies are outside. It’s almost dark.”
Tristan and Max helped me drag freezers and trash cans to the office. I hung a curtain over the entrance. We’d made a good barricade. I used Tristan’s hammer to pound some nails into the curtain. We unfolded two chairs. Three of us would sleep while one of us would stand guard in three hour shifts. We would keep the lights dim. I was first. Then Maggie. Then Max. Then Tristan.
January 24, 2019
At 6, we all got up and snuck out of the barricade. We all lined up by the door and discussed plans.
“Where should we head next?” Maggie asked.
“My grandma and grandpa’s house” I said. “That’s the last place they would go.”
We snuck out to the truck. Two zombies came, but we quickly killed them. Maggie and Tristan climbed into the back of the truck. Max climbed into the passenger’s seat, and I climbed into the driver’s seat. I started it up and drove off. But a tank blocked the road. I got out and climbed up onto the tank. I climbed in and pulled out my Beretta. I searched it. Nothing. I climbed into the driver’s seat and looked at the fuel gauge. It had a little bit of fuel. Just enough to drive it out of the way. I started it up and almost crashed. I dinged a tree, ran into a car, then flipped. It sent a soundwave across the city. I climbed out quickly and bolted to the truck. A zombie pounced on me, then bit me in the shoulder.

I grabbed my Beretta and shot the zombie. I rolled over and ran at the truck. I climbed in.
“YOU’RE BIT!” Tristan yelled.
I started up the truck.
“I have something to admit” I said as I drove forward.
“What?” Maggie asked.
“I’m immune”
Everyone looked confused.
“Yeah” I said. “When the terrorists invaded the school, I ran away to find a hiding spot. Tristan was with me. A terrorist ‘almost’ shot me, but the bullet skimmed my leg. I saw green ooze on my leg when I arrived in the MU, and I knew I was infected, and truth be told, I was scared. But when I didn’t turn, I realized I was immune.”
“So, you won’t turn” Max said.
“I might, due to a very small amount of the virus getting in me when I was shot, and this bite is enough to make everybody turn, but it’s unlikely”
Then in the rearview mirror, I saw a horde of zombies chasing us. I turned and went to the highway.
In Memorial City, where my grandparents live, I headed to their house. I parked in front of it. We all got out of the truck and entered. A zombie came at us. I shot it. I pulled out my AR-15 and began searching. I  then heard barking. My dog, Riley, came out carrying a deer carcass. I grabbed a leash and tied it to her collar, which was on the counter. I put her collar on her and let her lay down.
“Guard her” I told Maggie.
Maggie looked confused.
“Guard the dog” I said.
I aimed my AR-15 down the hallway. I kicked open a door. Empty. I kicked open all the doors.
“The house is empty” I said.
“Check the backyard” Tristan responded.
I looked out into the backyard.
“Empty” I told him.

When we got back to the colony, it was almost dark. But it was empty. No guards on duty, no people in sight, tents all torn up.
“Crap” I said.
I walked in and checked my office. Empty. But a kid walked up to me. Michael.
“What happened?” I asked him.
“Men came. Shot everyone then burned them” Michael said.
“Where’s Tommy?”
“dead”
“Megan?”
“She left. They took her”.
“Come on, Michael”
Michael and I packed up the supplies and left.
“Where are they?” Tristan asked.
“I think I have an idea”

Downtown Jonestown, CA
I drove through the city. Zombies stumbled after us.
“What do you think they took her for?” Max asked.
“Can’t say it with Michael around” I answered.
Pretty quickly, we came up on an abandoned factory.
“This is it” I said. “This is a rescue mission. Not a supply run. We come in quietly, get Megan, and get out”.
We got in. Two guards shot at us. Max aimed his Winchester 70 and shot one. I ran up and climbed onto the ledge.I pulled out my Beretta and shot him in the leg. I finished climbing and shot him again. This time,in the head. Max and Tristan followed me. I kicked open a door. Max and Tristan and I looked around. Megan was tied up.
“What did they do to you?” Max asked.
“They were planning to execute me” she said.
I pulled out my knife and began to cut the rope.
“Anything else?” Max asked.
“They… I don’t want to talk about it”
I finished cutting the rope. Megan got up. Then, Tommy entered the room. He started clapping.
“You Traitor” I told him.
“Me?” He asked sarcastically. “Traitor. No. All I did was betray you”
I pulled out my gun, but Tommy shot me in the stomach.
“RUN!” I yelled. Then I passed out. My last sight was my group running away.
I woke up overlooking an outdoor area of the factory. I was tied up.
“You won’t get away with this” I told Tommy, who then smacked the stock of his shotgun into my head.
“Drop him” Tommy ordered his men.
His men pushed me into some sort of arena. I struggled to stand up. Then my back cracked, and I fell to the ground. I saw several zombies running. They were the mutated ones Lieutenant Williams had spoken of over the radio. I grabbed a knife right next to me and stabbed one in the head. I kicked another one away as a third one bit me in the shoulder. I flipped it over and ran as fast as I could. I climbed on top of a blue container, the kind they carry on eighteen wheelers, where I found a lead pipe. A runner jumped up to the container. I smashed it in the head. I lost my balance and fell backwards. I picked up the pipe again and swung at the third one. The last runner got on and grabbed me. It jumped off. I was almost dead. I could tell. I picked up a rock and smashed it several times.
“Bravo” Tommy said.
Then he turned a crane over to the center of the arena. It had another container. He dropped it. It opened up and several zombies I had never seen before came out. I jumped back up onto the other container and grabbed the pipe. A green one with massive blisters launched at me and spit acid at me. I fell over and grabbed the pipe. I kicked it and hit it multiple times. Then gunfire came.
“I think you have proven yourself” Tommy said. “But can you handle this?”
I grabbed a knife as a gate opened up. A massive zombie wearing torn clothes all over, about ten feet in height, emerged.
“This” Tommy said. “Is the Big One”
It charged. I sprinted away. It came at me. I dove as it crashed into the fence by Tommy’s post, which almost knocked him over. As the Big One charged, I climbed up onto another container. It couldn’t get me. I looked at Tommy. I threw the knife. I aimed for his head, but it skimmed his ribcage. He fell. The Big One took notice and ran at him. I set down my lead pipe. I jumped on the Big One, then lept onto Tommy’s post. I took one last look. Tommy was dead. I jumped onto the other side of the fence. I ran away. I made it to the garage, where I grabbed a machete. I took cover behind some boxes.
“I just saw someone move” a guard said.
“Lets check it out” another said.
They came over to me. I killed them both. I grabbed an M16 and a Beretta from one guard and ran. I made it to a Toyota Camry and climbed in. I jump started it, which set off the car alarm. I drove away as several guards burst in. I spoke over the radio.
“My name is Sam Long” I said. “I’m in a group with Tristan Skov, Max Fury, Michael Jameson, Maggie Lane, and Megan Lowe. If you can meet me 10636 Howard Street, that would be great.”
I sped over to the location I said, which was my house, and I parked. I rushed inside and sat down. Then I saw three figures walk up to me. Max, Tristan, and Maggie.
 

I sat in my bedroom. Max, Tristan, Maggie, Megan, and Michael sat in front of me.
“What happened to Michael?” Tristan asked, I could tell he was curious.
“I killed him” I said. “He tossed me unarmed into an arena. I killed three runners and a strange green one with tons of blisters. Tommy thought I had proven myself, so his men shot the rest. Tommy opened a gate on the other side of the arena, introducing a super buff zombie he called ‘The Big One’. I grabbed a knife and ran at the gate opposite of the one it had came out of. I dodged it at the last second. It ran into the wall, which shook Tommy. It caused him to fall, hanging onto his post with one hand”
“What happens then” Megan asked.
“I threw a knife at his head. It skimmed his ribs and he fell down. As the Big One grabbed him, I jumped on it, then onto Tommy’s post. I jumped onto the other side and escaped.”
“Nice story” Michael said.
“On a scale of one to ten, how painful was it?” Max asked.
“Fifty” I said. “In the condition I was in, if you high fived me after the runner pulled me off the container, I’d probably die” 
I laid down on my bed. Maggie noticed my bite. She grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around my bite.
“What about the bullet?” she asked.
I lifted my shirt.
“Eek. I can’t remove that” she said. “Just rest”
I slowly drifted off to sleep. In the morning, Max shook me awake.
“Come on man” he said. “We’ve got an airdrop”
We all ran out to the airdrop. I used a crowbar to open it up. It had an MP5, a hammer, and a first aid kit. It also had some 9mm ammo. We grabbed it all. Back in the house, we discussed where to go.
“Things are getting worse in the cities” I said. “We should leave the cities and head to Utah or Colorado”
“Isn’t that a bit too… far?” Max asked.
“Nah. we’ve gotta do what we gotta do”
“Let’s go”
We all grabbed our stuff. Max had recovered my stuff from Tommy’s base, except for my Glock and my Machete. But I’d picked up an arena machete. I’d also grabbed a Beretta from a guard. We all walked out to the truck.
“Let’s say goodbye to California” I said.
We drove over to Michaelstown Middle to say goodbye to it. The fires had stopped. The colony was almost completely gone. Some of my office and the storage room remained. I grabbed a remaining six pack of Pepsi from my office. We all drank it. We grabbed cloth and propane. We all made molotovs.
“This colony was burned by an a**hole named Tommy alongside his men” I said. “Michael survived, Megan was captured, and everyone else was killed. We burn this colony on this day. Terrible things happened here, and we must move past this”
We lit our molotovs.
“3” I yelled. “2...1…”
We threw the molotovs in unison. I watched as the last of the colony burned. I got into the truck, where everybody was waiting. Then we drove off.

February 9, 2019

I drove on the highway. We were approaching Red City, Colorado. We’d been on the road for around ten days now. We were extremely tired, and the fact that we ran into a graveyard of cars didn’t help.
“Well, crap” Tristan said.
Maggie grabbed a map out of the backseat and handed it to Max. Max hadn’t even looked at it when he saw an exit about a hundred yards ahead.
“Hey” Max said. “We could push for that exit”.
“But the cars” Michael said.
“We move them out of the way” I said.
Then I saw a zombie.
“Just a sec” I muttered. I grabbed my machete and stepped outside.
“HEY UGLY!” I yelled.
The zombie stumbled at me until I hacked it in the head. I climbed back inside. I slowly drove forward until the next car. I drove it off the side of the road. We kept smashing cars until we reached the exit. I turned onto the exit and drove another ten miles until we reached the town gates. Three men with M4’s opened the gates and let us in.
 

We all entered the colony. Houses surrounded us. I parked on the side of the street. A man led us to the town office.
“Why are we here” I asked the man.
“You must speak to John, the leader” the man said.
“JOHN” Tristan yelled.
John walked out.
“Who is your leader?” he asked.
Max pointed at me.
“Are you the leader?” John asked.
“Yeah” I gulped.
“How old are you?”
“Thirteen”
“Son, where are the adults?”
“There are none. There were some back at my old colony in California, but it got raided by some men who were doing dirty work for a bum named Tommy”
“What happened to Tommy?”
“I killed him”
“What did they do to the colony”
“My ‘apprentice’ Michael survived, Megan here was captured, and she doesn’t want to say what they did to her”
“Where were you when it happened?”
“Out on a supply run with Max, Tristan, and Maggie, who are all here with me, alongside Michael and Megan”
“Hmmm… I will lead you to your house”
John led us to my house.
“So, which one of you is Tristan?” he asked as we walked.
I pointed at Tristan, who was about 5 feet 3 inches, blonde, and wore glasses. Tristan was fifteen.
“So, what’s your name?” John asked me.
“Sam” I answered.
John led us over to a two story house.
“Here it is” John said.
Over the next hour or two, we got settled in. I drove the truck up to the house and loaded all of our stuff. Luckily, John let us keep our guns.
In the house, we explored. I claimed an upstairs bedroom with a computer, a large closet, and a Queen Sized Bed. It had a window overlooking the street. On the other side of the street, I could see the wall and John’s house. I set my backpack next to my night stand. I put my Glock 19 on the night stand and set my AR-15 against the wall. I left the room and looked around. Max entered a room across the hallway. I walked in. Max looked around.
“This is the nicest house I’ve been inside in a long time” he said.
“Yeah” I responded. “But John said we could bring our weapons outside the walls for supply runs, hunting, and target practice”
“Nice”
I left his room. I checked one large room at the end of the hall. It had some old arcade games, a recliner, a TV, a treadmill, and other stuff. I turned on the TV. There was just static. It had a shelf right next to it that had DVDs and video games. There was an Xbox One right next to it. I walked back to my bedroom. I noticed a shelf under the computer desk. It had Computer Games including Dead Space, Battlefield One, Dying Light, Dead Island, and others.
I grabbed my Glock 19 and went outside. I holstered the gun and walked around. My clothing was pretty bloody, so I figured I’d buy some new ones. I walked over to John’s house.
“Hey John” I said.
“Yeah” John responded.
“Could I borrow some cash?”
“Sure”.
John handed me fifty bucks. I walked back to my house and climbed into the truck. I drove around town to a clothing store. I walked inside. The stock was pretty limited, so I didn’t have much choice. I eventually found a camo T-Shirt in my size. I bought it and left.
Then I saw Max running up behind the truck. I got out.
“What is it, Max?” I asked.
“Michael is playing Grand Theft Auto 5”
“Let’s go”
We got into the truck and drove home. When we got inside, I saw Michael playing it. The TV remote was on the ground, so I picked it up and turned off the TV. I turned off the Xbox One.

February 10, 2019

Max and I stood guard.
“Geez” Max said. “Think about it, the nightmare is over”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Because we found a colony. There’s no more ‘we might die tomorrow’ going on for us”
“Meh. I miss the freedom. And besides, we still need to go outside occasionally. We can’t let civilization soften us. That’s why most people didn’t survive.”
Then we heard a helicopter. Multiple. That brought me back to that horrible day that started it all. But these ones were getting close, but they weren’t lowering. They were military. They dropped a massive package in the middle of town. Then they landed. Right in the middle of the street. Several soldiers got out. One opened up the package. It contained a Barrett M82, which we didn’t have in our arsenal. Then they spoke.
“Hey survivors” he said.