For the sake of the readers, I want to explain three things about this story that is, in my opinion, needing to be said. I began writing this in the hopes of making a story that represents accurately the world that has been depicted in The Walking Dead (graphic novel). Not the story of Rick, but the story of a group of survivors that take on a similar, but at the same time, different route. Here are the three things I believe should be explained.

This story will depict actions that most people would find disgusting. I will only hold back details I think would be so offensive as to allow for a ban of publishing. Will likely include Dismemberment, Rape, Disemboweling, Beheading, Mutilation of many, many body parts (possibly including genital.). I might well detail (to some extent or another) more positive aspects of life, such as sex (of any and all kinds. I will warn homophobes now, I am not against having homosexual relations in my works.) and the gift/curse that is child birth. This warning is here for POTENTIAL future scenes.

This story will depict the way a mind could break under stress. Anyone who has read even a hand full of chapters into the graphic novel would understand, as much as that is artistic rendering, it is also pretty accurate. For every person who is willing to live in a world where every day could be your last, and people are turning against each other, many more will opt out. I should mention this means that depiction of suicide might be pretty common as well. That sorta fits above, but I figure I will just leave it here.

Finally, the cast of this story may change rapidly and without second thought. My writing this is not some story I planned from beginning to end. My reason for this is not just because I want to emulate to some degree the way Robert Kirkman writes The Walking Dead, but because I my self write in a way that, if I know the end, I lose interest. Trust me, it makes for a poor moment when you stop writing a story simply because YOU are not going to be surprised.

If I do post this on a site, I would love to get feedback. I know I may not meet the infamy of The Walking Dead. I do not claim to be a better writer, and I do not claim The Walking Dead as my own. I do claim any and all characters in my story, as I will not be using any characters for the series. This story shall be Rated M. I may post this story in Arcs. Several chapters per arc. Again, feedback and criticism will make my day. Also, feel free to give me some ideas. Just don't be hurt if I don't use them, I probably won't. And if I do, it might not be in the chapter after you give me an idea.

I hope those who read this find themselves happy, yet disappointed as they read, watch people they liked die, and the people they don't like live, watch everyone suffer through the life long nightmare, and perhaps, if I work hard enough, I will truly be able to reach a level where people might feel I collaborated with the amazing man that is Robert Kirkman. Thanks Robert, for working on such a great story!

The day was supposed to be like every other. Adrian was supposed to go to his dead end job, waiting tables at a restaurant that was flagging, then go to the store and pick up some food to take home to his shitty little apartment, and spend the rest of his day wondering what the hell went wrong with his life. But no, the day wasn't going to be that simple.

He sat on the side of the street, watching the paramedics go about their business at the lovely little accident he had ended up a part of. Life never really wanted to play out easily for him after all. His crappy Honda had decided the breaks were shot the moment he needed them most. Downtown Tacoma wasn't that bad traffic wise, but they had some crazies that just did the dumbest shit. Three cars up, some asshole who figured nine in the god damn morning was a good time to get fucked up stumbled out into the street and promptly got nailed by the first car. Breaks screeched, cars hit each other, not in the least his own car.

It wasn't more than a fender bender, but him and the four other drivers, as well as a couple of passengers had to get out of the vehicles and discuss very politely among themselves about the insurance problems, as well as the person who was hit. The blood alone made it clear to call the police, and at least the drivers were all smart and stuck around. It wasn't too much later, but Adrian knew for a fact he was late for work. "Fuck if I care anyways, the job sucks." He muttered to himself, looking around, and pulling the blanket the paramedics had given him around him.

Adrian had thought he was pretty much alright, but the paramedics had given him a check-up, and said he was exhibiting signs of a minor concussion. He would have called bullshit, but his head did feel like it was a little heavy, and he had nailed his forehead to the driving wheel rather hard. He decided that his medical knowledge wasn't equal to that of an expert and kept him mouth shut. Besides, the paramedic was just trying to help, why be an ass?

The first thing he saw wheeled into the EMT vehicle was a body bag. He cast his eyes down, feeling suddenly guilty about the joking thoughts. Someone had just died, and he was making jokes about his job? This wasn't making his day any easier. That would explain the crying from over there. As much as he felt it was out of place, too soon, he sighed and allowed himself to feel that his day was at least better than the stiff. It didn't make him feel better thinking like that.

It wasn't long before one of the police officers who came to the call came to Adrian for a statement. "So, Adrian? Any chance you saw what happened?" The police officer asked, bringing him to attention. It was a woman officer. Women always brought out the better behavior in him.

"I was just heading to work. I noticed someone stumbled out into the street a little ways ahead, and not a couple moments later, I was recovering from a face plant into the steering wheel." Adrian managed, talking too much seemed to be aggravating his headache. Lovely. "Um, the person who was hit, died huh?" It was a stupid question, who else could have died?

"Yes, after being hit by the car, the man smashed his head of the street hard enough to kill him. Thank you for the information. I'm going to need information to reach you, in case we need to talk to you again. Please wait for the paramedics to dismiss you before you leave the scene." She was surprisingly polite, which made Adrian feel a little better. Sure his wasn't the best at charming his way into a woman's pants, but it did seem he got preferential treatment form women. The few friends he had always joked it was because they thought he was gay, even his last girlfriend joked about it sometimes.

It wasn't long before the paramedics came and asked him to come with them to one of the ambulances, where they sat him down.

Adrian opened his eyes. A grogginess he hadn't know in a long time keeping him from simply rising and getting to the morning routine that had developed in the last couple of weeks. He reached up, rubbing his eyes to get them from blurring, then sat up carefully from the bed that he had occupied. He took a moment to realize he was naked, then cast a wary glance to his side. Good, she was still asleep. A split second of desire warped his mind before he shook it off. He naked body was wrapped up just enough to keep the most tempting parts of her from being exposed. Nikki was a good girl, and he had to admit, she was great for sex too. But this was going to be one of those rare treats anymore. He was lucky he even got to sleep in a bed.

He gently removed himself from the bed, making sure not to wake the beautiful redhead. They had met four weeks ago, the day everything changed for both of them. It was hard not to become connected after that. Her green-gray eyes had utterly blown his mind with they way they worked with the light smattering of freckles. No wonder he was glad he had this chance with her. He found his discarded clothing along and threw them on, giving a sour look at the mirror when he saw himself in his ratty clothes.

He had a head of wild, shoulder length brown hair, which he promptly pushed down and out of his way so he could see more clearly. It didn't make it look any better kept, but who would care anyways. The small growth of facial hair that barely counted as a beard and mustache existed around his lips, and on his chin, but he had been pretty adamant about shaving off all the extra last night before bed. Light gray eyes that took a chance with grayed colors of varied shades at times stared back at him, and he couldn't help but grin. His eyes had a way of making everyone think they knew how he felt. They seemed to act like mood rings, though the honest truth was that they are completely random about their color changing.

He stopped admiring himself in the mirror quickly and then went to the nightstand at the side of the bed, picking up the Glock 17 9mm handgun, as well as his belt and holster, a lovely gift from a gun store that had seen better days. He got down, looking under the bed and then pulling out the duffel back he had grabbed a week ago to carry supplies in, and quickly went into it, grabbing a couple of clips for his gun, and tucking them into his jeans pockets. Tight fit, but it would do.

Standing up and turning to the door, he had never noticed Nikki rolling over and sitting up. Her beautiful breasts completely exposed to him. He gazed for almost a full second, knowing he was turning a little red, but enjoying the view, before looking to her face and giving a winning smile. "I didn't wake you did I?"

Nikki just glared teasingly at him for a couple seconds before shaking her head. "You did, but it's okay. Why are you up and dressed already, we won't be leaving for another couple of hours!" She didn't so much as attempt to cover herself, though her nipples hardened from the chill air.

Adrian shook his head. "I always wake up before everyone else. You also know I like to take a quick look outside to see what our situation is before we move. No surprises right?" His gaze wavered a little, temptation to not just gaze, but to caress, suck, bite... He shook his head, hard, and moved with purpose towards the door to their room.

"Don't just leave me here!" Nikki shouted, though it was obvious she was trying to stay hushed, and also lacked an actual ounce of anger. "You worry us all every time you do this, and one of these days, you won't come back!" The concern was real, but it wouldn't stop Adrian.

"I wouldn't feel right if I didn't. It's like a ritual for me. Besides, I will come back. I have every time before, and I always will. You guys worry far too much." He chuckled, then opened the door. "I would suggest getting dressed before the kids come tumbling in to get you. You know how much they love you. Hell, I'm sure their father would 'love' you too, if you gave him the chance." With a wink, he was out the door.

The group had found a wonderful place to stay. A motel that had more than enough rooms, with no occupants, unwanted or otherwise, with a couple of stocked vending machines with water, snacks, and other small things. It was nice considering their lack of food and water when they arrived. They had barricaded the four flights of stairs leading to the second floor of the motel, a three building motel with four flights connecting them all, with excess furniture. It had worked wonders, but a hand full of uninvited guests were staggering around the parking area.

The crisis had begun four weeks ago. Incident reports all over the world of people drunkenly stumbling into traffic, or attacking people, biting people, eating people. A lot of emergency visits to the hospitals because of illness, or being attacked by a crazy person. That night had been the true beginning. A number of the dead suddenly got up and started attacking people, all around the world. It spread quickly, at least in Tacoma, within a week, the entire Western Washington area was pretty much deserted as far as any local could tell. Eastern Washington stopped broadcasting shortly after. As far as anyone in Adrian's group could tell, the world had gone silent. But they were heading east all the same, hoping for some sign that the world hadn't come to an end.

The people who got back up, they were corpses, that wanted nothing more than to eat you and everyone else. They felt no pain, they didn't bleed, and they didn't stop, unless you destroyed their brain. It was a terrible curse to bare, but even worse to deal with. Adrian saw at least a dozen of the walking corpses wandering aimlessly about the parking area. The next step was to check the barricades, and to make sure he didn't wake the dead from their lovely little stumblefest.

Adrian looked to the side of his room, grinning as he picked up his crowbar. A weapon as much as a tool, he had smashed a number of dead heads with his trusty friend. It was awkward for him, admitting that he actually enjoyed beating the walking corpse's heads in. It allowed him to tell this turn of events to fuck off. He never let that make him lose focus on survival, and he made sure to make a distinction between the dead and the living, but he still enjoyed the release it brought him.

It wasn't that hard to check each barricade, and they were in fine order, though one of them had a walking corpse behind it, mindlessly stumbling about. That was fine, he would just have to take care of the bastards as he was sweeping the parking area with Jeffrey in a little bit. They still had three perfectly feasible exits, and the dead didn't exactly walk all that fast.

His next order of business was to check the time. Of course, that would require a working clock, and that meant going back and asking Nikki, not that that was a problem or anything. He silently berated himself for forgetting his watch. The world was falling apart, and he couldn't keep all his shit together. Maybe he and the world were finally coming to terms?

He popped open the door, taking in the scene without a single thought. Nikki was standing in front of the mirror, dressed in a pair of form fitting jeans that looked like they hadn't suffered almost a a week without a wash. Her blue T-shirt couldn't quite say the same, but it still hugged her body pretty well. She wasn't a thin girl, with a frail looking body, but she wasn't a fat one either. A good healthy weight, and a build to match, it was stunning to Adrian. Her red hair was about as long as his. The worst part was how, he admitted, he wondered how long it would last.

"I forgot my watch. What time is it?"Adrian asked, before Nikki could even begin to say anything. He wasn't against coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist though, giving her a quick kiss on her exposed neck. Admittedly, he felt like he was bribing her, but he didn't exactly feel guilty.

"Seven Twenty-Three." Nikki stated, acting as if she wasn't enjoying the little bit of attention he showered on her with the request. He let go of her, almost grudgingly, thanks to memories of the night before. Adrian just nodded a little as he stepped back towards the door.

"I'll wake everyone up, we have a little more than a dozen of the fuckers out there, so I figure the faster we fix the situation, the better." After a quick pause, he turned back and grinned. "See, I do a good deed in the morning." And he was back out the door.

Adrian went about going from door to door and waking everyone up, quietly. First there was Karen and Mike, a pair of twins who had been thrown into hell during a family vacation in Seattle. Both had dirty blonde hair. Karen's was long, well past her shoulder blades, and pulled back in a bun. Mike was military grade short, though he wasn't a soldier. The same pair of sea green eyes, and a rather lithe build, as well as face, finished the twins off pretty well. They had just turned nineteen, the vacation had been their gift from their parents. They were perpetually attached at the hip, and only split when they absolutely had to.

Jeffrey was next, along with Malcolm. Jeffrey was an interesting older gentleman, light brown hair cut only a couple inches long, spotted with a little gray. Intense gray eyes that spoke volumes about his thoughts, and a clean shave, and well as a formidable physical build and a stern, sharp featured face, finished the image. Malcolm was a black man in his mid-late twenties with short cut black hair. He was tall, easily six foot three, with a build that put any of the other men in their group to shame. Malcom had deep brown eyes, his face was gently defined. Both these men were softer than they looked, and they were often the ones to clean up the walking corpses, along with Adrian.

Margret was an older woman, easily forty, but she was energetic and willing to do what was needed. Her hair had almost completely grayed, a hereditary trait, and was curly all around her head down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a sky blue, her face was soft, and her form was a little plump. She was the sweetest lady, or the worst hag, depending on what she thought of you. Luckily, nobody here was actively on her bad side.

Phil and Rachel were a married couple, with their two children Stephanie and William, who were stern and narrow faced. Phil had short, dark brown hair that he hid under a cowboy hat he had decidedly adopted recently. His eyes were a light brown, and he was lanky and tall. Rachel was a homely woman, with curly blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. Stephanie married her father's and mother's features perfectly to make an adorable twelve year old girl. William took solidly after his father, lanky and narrow faced, his eyes light brown, his hair just short and dark brown.

Adrian finished waking everyone up and telling them to stay quiet, then joined up with Jeffrey and Malcolm and gestured towards the farthest staircase. "We might want to clear that one and then clear the parking area. We can had Mike and Phil hold the stairs while be clear the area, then keep an eye out while everyone else packs up and loads up." The nods of agreement didn't surprise Adrian in the least. He wasn't a decided leader, but both these men seemed to think he had what it took to at least give the best advice when it came to surviving and combating these bastards. "Also, there is on the third stair case, I think we should make sure to take that one out quickly. Could be a problem if anyone forgets to get it."

The three grabbed both Mike and Phil, explaining the plan, and then began clearing the stair well. It was quick work, and grabbed the attention of only a couple of the walking corpses. Adrian went down first, and fast, with his crowbar ready, Jeffrey right behind him with a baseball bat, and Malcolm followed with a fire axe.

The work was swift, Adrian bashed the first walking corpse in the head hard, and heard as well as felt the skull give underneath. He didn't hesitate, as the corpse fell to the ground, he repositioned himself and swung hard into the same victim's face, smashing it in. He then moved on.

Jeffery batted the next one in the knee, and watched as the corpse was taken clean off it's feet. Jeffrey shifted and brought the bat down on the head of his first, then moved on to another after he was certain the brain matter was crushed. His second was done quickly as well.

Malcolm had an easier time finishing, but prying the axe out of a skull was a little difficult. Luckily, he was built like a small train. The fire axe split skull after skull like it was wood. As quick and methodical as they worked, the caution was there.

The area was cleared out in little over a minute. Adrian looked up to the motel second floor and shouted to start loading up the van, then started his watch. The white van they had been using to carry their supplies, as well as the two cars and a truck they used to transport themselves were safe, Malcolm was making sure they stayed that way.

It wasn't too long before everything was loaded up in the van, including the newly acquired water, soda, juice, and snack food. Sadly, that was all there was for food in the van, and it was looking rather desolate. Adrian simply shook his head, staring at the mess they were in. "Let's get out of here, and try to find something more sustaining than this."

They shut the back of the van, then moved to their vehicles. Malcolm drove the van, accompanied by Margret. Adrian, Nikki, Mike and Karen hopped in one car. Phil, Rachel, Stephanie and William kept the other car, and Jeffrey had the truck to himself. Hadn't always been that way, but nobody wanted to dwell on the people they had lost already. It was a rough month they had been through.

The engines started, and the vehicles started to roll. The group of survivors moved along the road, heading east.

I would like to thank anyone and everyone who decided to read this, and I will also thank anyone and everyone who decides to leave a review or comment. This is just the first chapter, I know it's slow, maybe a little detail heavy, but I promise, it will pick up as time goes. I'll be keeping track of both the number of days since the outbreak occurred, as well as a list of characters, and their status at the bottom of each chapter. If that happens to bug anyone reading, you can simply skip that section. I might well make the number of days start getting shaky as time passes, to represent a lost of track, who knows. I hope you all enjoyed the start. And I know, it was very tame, with little graphic violence or sexual scenes, I figure the violence that is inflicted on a zombie doesn't need to be overtly graphic. This also symbolizes that they are already starting to get used to them, so no worries, as more of the flashbacks occur for Adrian (and possibly others) you will more than likely get some grizzly scenes there, as well as in the future.

Note: This is not an erotic story, for those who might think it might end up like that. If there are any rather graphic sexual images, you will more than likely not get me to sugar coat it with words like 'member' or 'well' or other different ways to say 'cock', 'penis', 'pussy' or 'vagina'. If you have a problem with these words, honestly, grow up or get out. Thank you!

Characters

Adrian – Alive

Nikki – Alive

Karen – Alive

Mike – Alive

Jeffrey – Alive

Malcolm – Alive

Margret – Alive

Phil – Alive

Rachel – Alive

Stephanie – Alive

William – Alive

Days into the outbreak: 28

Again, thank you! I'll be working on more chapters as time allows. I'm not sure, but they might be longer than this one. Who knows, I sure as hell don't.