Adrian and I have been clearing out the zombies around the “community” all morning. We aren’t like those stupid movies and shows that just let the damned build up around us. Others are helping of course and we have people inside the fence ready to shoot any zombie the gets too close. I have made it clear to everyone though, we do not use guns unless we are seconds away from dying. This is a rule because the noise attracts more zombies, duh of course. Also, we need to save our bullets; we have enough to last for years but come on no one knows how long this will last. Now I know I said we have people ready to shoot the zombies even though there is a rule against it but their guns have silencers and the ONLY guns that have them.

It was my turn to warn Adrian. “Behind you, Adrian! Behind you!” But he turned too slow and the zombie was on him. I ran to help him. Yuck, I stepped on a half zombie’s head and got brains on my new (hand-me-down) shoes. Somehow Ardian moved his was under the zombie. Ugh, this boy is so getting yelled at after I save his butt. I paused for a second as a zombie came after me and kicked him in the chest, then proceeded to stab him in the head and watched his body fall to the ground. “HELP! Help me dang it!” Adrian yelled as I was still running toward him. Man, we should stay closer together my legs are tired, I thought. Yes, even as my boyfriend was close to dying I was worried about how sore my legs were. Finally, I got to him and kicked the zombie in the head. Instead of being the sweet caring girlfriend we all know I am (ha ha) and helping Adrian up, I turned and stomped the crap out of the zombie’s head. I turn and say, “Are you done being reckless and stupid or do I need someone else to help me clear the fields while your slow butt trains more on how to kill something with less brain function then a rock.” Yup, there is my sweetness. Adrian frowns, offended, and walks back towards the gate. “Fine, I’ll clean up the 50 bodies myself!” I yell as he keeps walking. I know there is 50 because each day everyone rotates on who kills 25 zombies, we have to kill 25 or we don’t eat lunch. Yes, silly rule but people love their food and even I help, the founder of this place, because it is fair. As I start cleaning up the rotten bodies I hear shuffling. “Adrian?” I say, almost a whisper. I look up and the people that were suppose to watching me were talking and I was too far away for them to hear me. A zombie walks from behind a house and groans at me. Crap, I think. I draw my sword ready to take the damned thing out and a dozen more are followed by it...

After I had cleaned and burned the zombie bodies, while taking out 12 more I might add, I walk into the mess hall and sign off on how many I have killed for the day. I try to get out in the fields and clear some every day since I have no real chores like everyone else. After I grab some food I find Adrian and sat next to him. “I am sorry I messed up today and left you to clean up” he says with his head down, ashamed. “It’s no big deal really. I am sorry I was rude after I saved your butt” I push him playfully, trying to make him feel better “and the clean up wasn’t too bad I got 12 more after you left.” Suddenly, he sits up and looks at me in alarm. “You what? Oh my god, I can’t believe I left you out there by yourself,” rule number one never go anywhere alone, “I am such an idiot it would have been my fault if you died!” I do a little, kind of awkward laugh, “It’s fine, I wasn’t alone, the guards were watching.” He huffs, kisses me, then says “I am so sorry.” and leaves. Romantic couple aren’t we?

Later that night I decide to go for a walk, I know, I know, never go anywhere by yourself. I might as well be that dumb blonde in the scary movies that run up the stairs instead of out the door but I needed to clear my head. Our town is safe, no zombies have gotten in but we like to keep everyone armed and together just incase. I was told two days ago, on Monday, that I needed to come up with some ground rules since the place has been holding together for two months since the zombies came from hell and more people are being brought in. I’d say that we have roughly 50 people now and 35 houses. We keep six to a house and everyone has a buddy they leave with.

We have been putting up more fences around other houses beyond the fences, and no there is not really “fields” we say that because there is a field of zombies. The houses that we are zombie proofing and putting fences around have to be cleared out of supplies and zombies first. We take the supplies and store it in a huge garage and 10 people control what we get. The town has decided not to use money; we simply just get what we work for because everyone would rather have that then classes and be downgraded. Plus it is a lot easier than money, in the mornings you wake up at 7am sharp and clean your house and everyone cleans the streets. (The place was trashed when we cleared out the homes when we first got here). Then, you go to the mess hall and sign off on what you did then get your food. Between 9am and 2pm, people take their turns killing 25 or more zombies and eating their lunch.

Everyone gets dinner for free, no work needed. I stop in front of the medical center, it really says “medical center” on the building. The flowers in the makeshift garden have started growing more and tomorrow morning some will have blossomed. They have it so easy, I thought about the flowers, they will grow and bloom as long as there is sun and water. They don’t have to worry about zombies. I was jealous of the flowers, they had nothing to lose. The medical center is obviously where the sick and injured go. We, thankfully, have 6 doctors and 2 vets to stay there. The doctors are currently teaching the vets more about the human body then the animal body. They are the only ones who don’t risk their lives in the fields because we need them.

I keep walking down the street, all the lights are off promptly at 9pm. We use generators and propane tanks to fuel everything and need to save everything we have.
The lights do not get turned on during the day because we open the curtains for light. If we do turn them on they are a loud on for 15 minutes every hour. I know it sounds stupid but I mean we have a lot of supplies but I don’t want to get stupid with it. We may be here for a long time. You must be wondering how we get our supplies, well we go on raids around the houses and other cities around this small town. We send 15 to 20 people for a raid. Every two get a minivan and a list of things the have to get, we never run out and we are always over stocked. I’m a planner, we need to get the stuff before others do or before it goes bad. If the raiders find others on the trip they pick them up or offer aid. Anyone is welcome to our “community” as long as they cause no problems, I have no issue with shooting troublemakers, they are worse than the damned.

I walk up to the gate, tomorrow I will be going on my second raid. Adrian will not be going, we don’t go at the same time incase one of us dies or gets bitten. Of course we were not the only ones who founded this place, there is a few other, but Adrian and I are the main ones. I am scared, these people we have are well-trained thanks to our five military people but I will be 30 minutes away from the town and away from Adrian. I take a deep breath and head back to my house. I crawl in bed next to Adrian and fall asleep. The next morning at 5am, I am already up and ready for the raid. I wake my 14 other raiders (which I found are NOT morning people) and we head out early so we can be back by 2pm.

The trip was quiet as I rode next to my best friend Alex. We became best friends after I had the idea to bar up her house she let us stay in. She is one of the other founders of our town. 30 minutes later, we arrive in another small town that I didn’t pay attention to the name to. Alex and I are to get clothes for the kids back in the town. We have ten kids ages 7-13. Five boys and five girls. The kids are required to go to our makeshift school. We are always getting lucky, we have 2 teachers, elementary and highschool teacher. We don’t want our kids being street smart and book stupid now do we?

As we look around some of the houses I hear something. I stop and Alex bumps into me, not saying a word because she heard it too. We walk around the main floor, refusing to get trapped up stairs. We open windows so we have an escape route. Rule number two, when in doubt know your way out. Here, let’s get the rules out of the way:
Rule 1: Never go anywhere alone
Rule 2: When in doubt know your way out
Rule 3: Always travel with a weapon
Rule 4: Headshots only, shooting at their feet won’t help
Rule 5:Don’t be stupid and think you can take a lot on your own

That’s all I have right now. I hear the noise again and head to what I assume is the kitchen. Five zombies stand in front of us moaning and groaning. We turn around to head out so we have more room to fight but there is three more behind us, now we fight. I pull out my sword and Alex pulls out her gun. I cut one zombie’s face in half and Alex splatters one’s brain all over the wall. One of the damned gets Alex to the ground, I try to get to her but one knocks me my sword out my hand and it slides across the floor. Great, now I am defenceless, I thought. I punch the zombie and my hand sinks into its face. I don’t it even felt that. It comes after me again and I’m not ready. Somehow I am on the floor in an instant and I cannot get him off me.

This is how my life ends, I will die right here. Alone and away from Adrian, I think, I love you Adrian...
I wake up soaking wet, I have been sweating in my sleep and my bed is grossly wet. I look around as Adrian, my boyfriend of 14 months come in and says we need to leave, there is zombies, actual zombies. I am confused, wasn’t there already zombies? Did zombies get in the town if so we should be able to handle them, why is he freaking out? Then it hit me, I had dreamed of the future. I saw how for this point on would play out and I knew how I was going to die. This was my time to change how I would leave this world and I was ready to live.




To be continued...