It's not easy being in an Apocalypse. Especially if you were already in a bad situation before the damn thing happened. My name is Reagan 'Ray' Winters. I'm almost 17. I have ratty reddish brown hair and big grey eyes. I wear a tattered, blood stained hoodie and regular shorts that fall to my knees. My weapons are a crowbar and a shotgun that I keep on my back. Anyway, before this whole thing happened I was living an actually pretty shitty life. My parents were just about to get a divorce and I was caught in the middle of it. Mama wanted me to stay with her, while Pa wanted me to stay with him…Hey, that was a tough decision to put on a kid who lived her whole life with both of her parents…

'Ray! Get yer ass down here!' Pa shouted from the living room.

I stumbled down the carpeted staircase quickly, almost falling down. I rushed in to see my father standing stiff and straight. I quickly walked up to him.

'Yeah, Pa?' I asked him sweetly.

'Ray, yer Ma said that you was getting' into fights with the boys at school again, is she right?'

I looked down to my feet, which were grimy from me walking around barefoot.

'Yes, Pa.' I said glumly.

Pa broke out into laughter and scooped me into his arms. He rubbed his nose against mine and set me back on the floor.

'That's mah girl! Teachin' them bastards what's what.' He chuckled.

I giggled as he set an enormous hand on my head, ruffling my hair a bit. I looked over to Ma. She did not look pleased. I swallowed.

'Joseph! Your daughter should not be beating anyone at all!' she scolded Pa.

I flinched when she emphasized 'your daughter'. I swallowed again, holding back tears.

'I didn't mean anything like that at all!' Pa said.

'Well it sure as Hell sounded like it!' she retorted.

I covered my ears and ran into the back yard and leapt over the fence. I ran towards the forest that I liked to play in. I hated it when my parents fought. Ma always said to never throw the first punch, but Pa said to be sure as Hell to throw the last one. No matter what I did, Ma just scolded me and demanded that I acted more like a civilized lady. It wasn't any better at school either. I was bullied a lot. And sometimes the boys would try and do bad things to me. I never let them, of course…

As I ran into the forest a loud sickening BANG! erupted from the neighbor's house. I gasped and tripped to the ground. I ran over to the big house next door and peered into one of their windows. Inside was Mr. Corners. Lying on the floor was Mrs. Corners, her throat looked like it was ripped out. I screamed and Mr. Corners slowly turned. His once friendly eyes now were yellow and milky. His skin seemed cracked and was gray. I fell from the window and ran into my house. Ma and Pa were still arguing.

'Ma, Pa! The Corners are-'

'Not now, honey.' Ma snapped, silencing me.

'But, you gotta-'

'I said not now!'

I rushed up to my room and pulled my shotgun out from under my bed. The one I got when I was six. I pushed in the shells and ran down the steps to the backyard. Mr. Corners groaned as he stepped into our yard. I readied my gun and nearly dropped it when I see Mrs. Corners exiting their house. Except she was different, her skin more blotchy and her neck elongated. Her mouth was wide open and she screamed at me. The noise was…inhuman. I stumbled and fell on my rear when she spat a fountain of green slime in my direction.

'Ray! What the hell?!'

I twisted around and widened my eyes at my Pa. Ma held onto his arm, fear on her face.

'Pa get back!' I shouted.

But Pa rushed forward and throws his arms around me. Mrs. Corners shot another round of the vile goo and it landed on Pa. He cries out in pain. I gasped and pulled back from him. His whole back was burned and flesh hung off of him. It then hit me. She was spitting acid! I pulled Pa as hard as I could toward our house. He shoved me into the grass and rushed towards Mrs. Corners. She screeched and shot more acid at him. He tackled her and they struggled.

'Ray, get inside!' Ma screamed, pulling me into the house.

I struggled to get away, but she pushed me through the door and locked it. I pushed her as tears filled my eyes.

'Why would you do that?! Pa's still out there! What were those things?!' I screamed.

Ma put a finger to her lips and then hugged me. 'Stay here, baby, I'll be back soon.'

Ma opened the closet door and pulled out her emergency gun. 'Quickly, go hide under your bed. Now!'

Hesitantly I did as she said and rushed up into my room. I listened as Ma slammed the door shut. I gasped every time a shot was fired. When suddenly… silence.

It seemed like forever since I got under that bed. I could hear groaning and hissing coming from outside. But I didn't dare move.

'Dear Lord,' I breathed 'Please help me.'

I crawled out slowly from my bed and went over to my closet. I changed into a grey hoodie and navy cargo shorts. I slipped on my tan hiking boots and grabbed my backpack. I put in my first-aid kit and space blanket. I then crawled to the bathroom where I slipped in my toothbrush and comb. I then put in all the pill bottles I could. I wasn't sure what I was doing, just goin' by instinct I guess. I then ran down the steps, quietly of course. I ran to the closet and pulled out two handguns and tons and tons of bullets. I dumped them into my bag. It jingled when I sat it on my back. I then went into the kitchen and grabbed my metal water bottle. It's supposed to filter water from wherever you get it. I walked to the back door and peered out the peek hole. I almost screamed when I saw Ma and Pa's bodies being feasted on by the creatures. I fell back and silenced the sob that begged to be let out of my throat.

I stood up, remembering what Pa would have said: 'You forget what ever Hell happens. You just push through it.'

I nodded and threw a fist in the air. I knew what I had to do.

Now is a completely different story. I am currently in a SafeHouse. It's not well stocked, but I managed to get a few nights sleep in it. I yawn softly and look at my bandaged arm. I got it pretty cut up from falling while running from a pack of Hunters. I got them all riled up when I accidently shot at a deer. I guess I scared away their meal. But enough about that.

I walk over to the one grimy window in the SafeHouse. Outside is unusually calm.

Hmm… strange…

I push it out of my mind and lay down into one of the sleeping bags and fall asleep.

Ellis steps out from his hiding place he was damned tired of sittin' there doin' nothin'. He curses under his breath and sighs.

"Hey, Overalls shut up!" Nick hisses.

"Hey, Ro, when we gonna get movin'?" Ellis ignores Nick and looks to the only woman on the team.

Rochelle turns her pretty coffee eyes on the Hillbilly. "As soon as Coach gives the okay." She explains.

Ellis sighs again and goes back into his hiding place. A sound of footsteps makes him lift his head. Coach leans in next to Rochelle. His bald head glistening with sweat.

"Good news, I saw a SafeHouse." He says.

"Is there bad news?" Nick question.

Coach nods. "There's a Witch a few feet away from it."

Nick curses and rubs the back of his neck. He hated those bitches. They were so loud and they packed a lot of damage.

Ellis sits up. "So she's gaurdin' the place? Geez, sounds like the time an' Keith-"

"Not now Hick!" Nick says.

"Hey both of you knuckleheads shut up!" Ro orders.

The two obey. Coach clears his throat.

"Okay here's the plan: Nick, you and Ro head around the Witch and be quiet about it. Me and Ellis'll head towards her, just for safety. Once you get close enough to the House give us a signal and me and Ellis will use our last rounds to cover us."

Everyone nods uncertainly but quickly get into position. Ellis, surprisingly, is silent the entire time he and Coach creep up to the Witch. She sobs and moans and Nick uses all of his willpower not to shoot her just then and there. Ro grabs his arm and they freeze. The Witch sniffs and shifts her position so that she faces the House.

"Do we still move in?" Ellis asks softly.

Coach nods his head and the two continue forward. Ro and Nick tip toe to the House. When Nick touches the door, Ro waves her hands and Ellis and Coach use their remaining fire on the Witch. She shrieks and roars, swiping at them with her long clawed fingers. Finally she falls to the ground, dead.

Coach and Ellis rush to the House door, panting. "That sure was fun!" Ellis chuckles.

Nick groans and shoves the door open. The Crew quickly follows after but stops when they hear a gun click.

"If you know what's better for you, you would turn around real slowly."

I point my shotgun at the intruders. They slowly turn around and I get a good look at them. Three men and a woman. The woman is African-American with caramel colored eyes and her hair pulled up. One of the men is big and burly with no hair at all. Another man wears a dirty white suit and has slicked back hair. The last seems to be at least a few years older than me, wearing overalls and a red cap over tousled tawny hair. I stare at them with no expression at all.

"You're Survivors…" I breathe.