I know, I know. I should be working on The Way, but writer's block has showed up once more along with some…personal problems…and I'm waiting and working until it subsides. So, to give everyone something to read, I decided to do this – it's a few themes dealing with the characters and their interactions. This'll give me a chance to flesh out the characters more and screw around with ideas while giving you, my lovely readers, something to read.

Reviewing is nice, but for this drabblefest I'm not really expecting it.

#01 – Air

He can feel the bile burning his esophagus, creating an acrid lump where it's being blocked by a thick, muscular tongue until the Smoker is finally shot and he collapses to the pavement, spewing the thin contents of his stomach and sucking in great lungfuls of smoke-laden, oxygen-rich air.

#02 – Apples

"I don't know 'bout the rest of ya'll, but I could go for some real food 'stead of all this prepackaged stuff. Fruit, maybe, or some nice crawfish."

#03 – Beginning

Otto doesn't bother wondering how the Infection started – deep down, he knows it doesn't matter anymore. It'll never end.

#04 – Bugs

One thing Charlie can't stand about this new, apocalyptic world is the roaches – the little things scuttle through every safe house they stay at like they own the place, and they do.

#05 – Coffee

Cassidy never thought she'd miss that black water that they served while the judges deliberated, but then again she never thought she'd be killing zombies or trekking through Louisiana with three complete strangers, either.

#06 – Dark

"You know, with all the streetlights out…I never knew it got this dark."

#07 – Despair

Sometimes even Dave can't cheer the others up and they spend hours sunk into their own separate depressions, only rousing themselves to fire at the Infected charging right for them.

#08 – Doors

"Thank god Hunters can't open doors."

#09 – Drink

"Are you two absolutely insane? You're really going to get drunk in the middle of the apocalypse?"

#10 – Duty

Sending a bullet into the head of the Smoker strangling Otto, Dave doesn't know if humanity will ever be the same again when – if – they rebuild. However, he does know that he'll try his best to keep as much of it alive as he can.

#11 – End

"We're all going to die. I know it."

#12 – Fall

While balancing on the roof of the battered ice cream truck and throwing pipe bombs into the screeching Horde, Dave can only think of three words: don't fall off.

#13 – Fire

"Yeah, that's smart. That way, you'll have a flaming Hunter on you tearing your guts out."

#14 – Flying

She doesn't want to be like them – doesn't want to succumb to the Infection and become a mindless monster – but Charlie still wishes she could move and jump with the same predatory grace the Hunters have.

#15 – Foot

"Are you kidding me? I change my shoes and still get blisters?"

#16 – Grave

Dave can't put the makeshift marker on the hastily dug grave – he's clutching his dog tags with both hands and can barely look at the small mound of earth covering his former friend.

#17 – Green

"Why do they call it the 'Green Flu' anyway? It's not like we've met a Hulk infected – oh wait…there's Tanks. But wait, they're not green, so what the hell?"

#18 – Head

"Charlie, for the last time – go for the head, not the crotch. It's not funny."

#19 – Hollow

Cassidy would rather they don't find out about her preferred choice of ammunition; it's better that they simply think that she's particularly lethal.

#20 – Hope

Nobody goes out and openly says it, but all four of them believe that there's something out there other than the Infection.

#21 – Lost

It's only when he realizes he has no clue where they are that Otto wants to join the group again.

#22 – Metal

Charlie wonders if the Hunters know what bullets are – do they recognize the flying bits of lead anymore, or are they too far gone to know anything but attacking and death?

#23 – New

Boomer, Smoker, Jockey, Spitter, Witch, Hunter, Charger, Tank, Common – with so many different kinds of Infected to deal with, the Survivors can only hope that there won't be any more kinds to deal with.

#24 – Old

"Survive – what are we going to do? Shoot things and run like this until we're killed, o-or get old and die? I can't do that…I'm sick of running scared like this…"

#25 – Peace

The only time they relax fully is when they're asleep, the howls and screams of the Infected reduced to muffled, barely-audible noise beyond the steel safe house door.

#26 – Poison

As he dies a bandage around Cassidy's shredded hand, Dave can only hope that the rusted fence they just climbed won't give her lockjaw.

#27 – Pretty

"Who knows, Charlie…if you actually acted like a girl and wore makeup, you might be somewhat nice-looking."

#28 – Rain

"The rain's not so bad, but the Witches are."

#29 – Regret

He knows that there's no way he could have prevented things happening the way he did – and no way he can change them – but he feels the guilt like a bullet in the flesh over his heart. He could have followed them.

#30 – Secret

Otto wonders if he should tell the others what he saw.

#31 – Smell

The air is heavy with the stench of human decay, and yet the only time Cassidy complains about the smell is when they pass a stand of rotting fruit. Charlie thinks they're beginning to get used to the smell.

#32 – Snow

They decide that the safest place to go would be North; the cold winter months that would soon be coming to places like Canada would – hopefully – be enough to freeze the Infected in their tracks.

#33 – Solid

Dave's form is soaking wet with the rain, but reassuringly free of racking sobs. She appreciates that.

#34 – Spring

They barely notice the beauty of the nature around them, unfurling in extraordinary beauty as if to counteract the horror of what they've seen and done so far.

#35 – Stable

When Otto manages to go an entire day without accidentally shooting something other than a zombie, Charlie realizes that he's not as Z-shocked as when he met them.

#36 – Taboo

"Necrophilia's still illegal, yeah, but they aren't dead, right? I mean, it's not like I'm going to try anything. I'm just saying – oh shut up, Cassidy."

#37 – Ugly

"That Boomer reminded me of an old boyfriend – I broke up with him after the second date. He was even worse when he was naked."

#38 – Welcome

When Otto suddenly shows up at the safe house, he gets a curse from Charlie, a dry remark from Cassidy, and a sucker punch from Dave.

That's it for now. I'm trying to make headway in the next chapter of the main story, so bear with me please. In the meantime, have a great night.