Chapter 1

Jessica pressed against the wall behind her, a thin bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. Her brown eyes were fixed on the scene before her, their dark depths seeming to dance with sheer terror.

'How…?' she whispered to herself. 'How could something like… this… happen?'

Faces pressed against the glass of the window, their shredded and bloody hands scratching at the glass. She tried to relax, trying to convince herself that they couldn't get in.

Jaydon slowly walked outside the old, seemingly abandoned city. His large, tattered up black cloak flew behind him in the blustering wind, a gloved hand tightly holding an old revolver.

As if to prove her thoughts wrong, the glass shattered as a zombie pounded against it. Jess let out a scream as the creature began to pull its way in, baring its blackened, chipped teeth. She trembled, and tried to reach for a chair beside her to use against the zombie if it got too close.

Jaydon stopped as he reached the edge of the city, turning slowly. He'd faintly heard a scream from within the city. No...that's impossible. I searched that house already, and it was empty. His eyes constantly darted back and forth between the forest nearby and the nearest house, where the scream seemed to have come from.

The zombie was halfway through the window now, its bruised and scratched-up face sending shivers down Jessica's spine. The living nightmare reached out a battered hand. Her stomach lurched as she noticed two of its fingers were missing. The zombie's hand didn't even look like one. It was just bone and bloody flesh, clotted and stiff.

She screamed and flinched away, grabbing the chair and smashing it into the zombie's destroyed body. The impact didn't even do anything; it just made the monster angrier, and it began to haul itself towards the cornered girl faster.

Jaydon finally made his mind up, turning and sprinting quickly. The sight of two grotesque, disfigured creatures shambling towards the house gave him a horrendous feeling, which he fought off. Carefully aiming down the sights of his revolver, he fired once, then a second time, clearing a path to the smashed in window. He vaulted into the room, slamming the barrel of his revolver into the zombie's head, then fired at it, the barrel pointed into the ground.

Jessica watched the stranger beat down the threatening creature. Her whole body shook with fear, and her hands rose to her face as she fought back tears. She eventually brought herself to look up at her savior.

Jaydon quickly stretched a gloved hand out to the stranger. "THERE'S NO TIME FOR FORMALITIES! JUST FOLLOW ME!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, desperacy lining his voice.

Jess immediately sprang to her feet, grabbing his hand. She tried to steady herself as she made her way over to him, carefully stepping over the limp and unmoving body of the zombie that had been about to kill her. "Th-thank you," she whispered, her voice shaking with terror.

Jaydon pulled her quickly to her feet, turning and sprinting towards the woods he'd been running towards before, not saying a word until they reached the edge of the woods.

Jessica glanced at him. "I can't believe this is happening…" she whimpered as she ran beside him, struggling to keep up with his speed. She had never been much of a runner. "I thought these kind of… horrors… were reserved for cheesy Hollywood movies…. not real life."

Jaydon slowed down as he ran, both due to noticing her struggle and from being somewhat winded himself. "Well, believe it. It's happening whether we like it or not… Do you know how to use a revolver?"

He glanced back at her, getting the first real glimpses of what Jessica actually looked like. She had long, brown hair and dark brown eyes.

Jessica blinked. "I… I'll figure it out…" she decided.

Jaydon slowed down a bit more, pulling a second revolver out from a fold in his cloak and handing it to her. "Nah, we can stop so I can teach you. I'm a bit winded anyways."

Jessica took the gun, and examined it for a moment. Her eyes fixed on a nearby zombie. She pointed the revolver at the lumbering creature, and gave an experimental pull of the trigger. There was a bang as the bullet was fired and connected with the zombie's head.

"There we go." She glanced at Jaydon, quite pleased with herself. "I told you I'd figure it out."

Jaydon shot her a little play glare. "I never said you wouldn't. I just wanted to help."

So much for that… he thought.

"What's your name? Now that we have some time to talk while we walk." He slowed down to a walk, looking at her.

"My name's Jessica," she replied shortly, smiling at him as she tucked the revolver into the pocket of her jacket.

Jaydon smiled warmly at her, relaxing at finally having a friendly face to talk with. "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Jaydon."

"Nice to meet you as well."

She looked around, examining their surroundings. "Do you think zombies are attracted to noise? The gun made a pretty loud noise when I killed that… thing…"

"I would honestly be very surprised if they weren't. Noise means humans, humans mean food for those cannibalistic demons…" He sighed. "I have some quieter weapons back at home though. That's where I'm taking you."

"If that's the case, then we'd better get going," she decided, quickening her pace. "Those zombies may be here soon, if they heard that gunshot."

"They probably will be."

He started running again, albeit more slowly so that she could keep up with him.

"Hope you know how to use a sword."

She waved the revolver in front of his face, amusement sparkling in her chocolate-brown eyes. "If I can figure out how to use this, I can manage a sword."

He chuckled, his own amber eyes flickering with excitement. "I suppose that's true."

He continued running, beginning to parkour along the tree branches within the woods to ease his own travel through the woodlands, along with to keep his travel quiet.

Jessica remained on the forest floor, but easily kept her footsteps light and quiet as she was much lighter.

"How much longer have we got to go?" she asked between breaths.

"About a mile. Need a break?" he asked gently.

Jess raised her chin with confidence. "No. I'll be fine," she told him.

Jaydon smirked, leaping down from the trees and rolling on the forest floor a little ways in front of her. "Alright, whatever you say."

He kept running, weaving between tree after tree, until a small house could be seen through the foliage in front of him.

Jessica peered through the low branches that she pushed aside to clear her path, her eyes fixing on a house. "I assume that's where you live? Or rather… lived."

Jaydon chuckled, popping out of the bushes and walking over to the house.

"That's right. Quaint little place in my opinion."

"It's quiet here. Better than where I lived, that's for sure," she decided as she walked beside him.

He smiled, walking up the squeaky wooden porch and reaching his hand out to the wooden door.