Oh my god, I thought as I got closer to Atlanta. The road was blocked by thousands of cars to what was supposed to be a safe place, which with all the abandoned cars I assumed was not. When I saw the dead walking around the cars I knew, knew that everything that I thought was safe and normal was completely gone. There were no government safe havens anymore or government for that matter. Just us, and I had not seen another living person for 4 days now.

I turned the other way and started to think hard. I had to survive, my son had to survive. I kept driving looking for a somewhat safe place to park for a while and re-plan. I needed to take stock of what I had in the car, figure out where I was going and how much gas I would need to get there. I pulled over onto the shoulder of the empty interstate and looked around intently for any signs of movement at all. "Tucker, are you hungry baby? No answer. I looked back and bless him he was asleep, well that made getting things figured out a little easier.

We had been on vacation when all this started visiting Georgia's state parks, so I guess we were in better shape than most, if there was anyone left that is. I got my notebook out and started to make a list. I am a huge list maker if I can see it on paper I can make it work, I just have to have a plan and we could survive this.

The Cooler – nothing in it but a few drinks and bottles of water. I had thrown out the spoiled food ages ago and dumped the water.

I had two duffel bags of food, not a lot really, but should last us for a few weeks considering it was food meant for three.

A tear rolls down my face and I just wipe it away and keep going. I have to be strong for Tucker that's what he would want.

My hiking backpack – rope, two water bottles, trail mix, a flashlight, matches and an extra change of clothes for Tucker.

Turners hiking backpack – a hatchet, matches, flashlight, water bottle, trail mix, beef jerky, and our three ponchos.

A duffel of camping kitchen supplies – A Dutch oven, frying pan, kettle, two large spoons, three plates, 3 bowls, 3 mugs, 3 spoons, more matches, and some canned heat.

A tent (small could be considered a backpacking tent).

Three sleeping bags.

Three fishing poles, a tackle box and one net.

A canoe strapped to the top of the car.

Mine and Tucker's duffle bag – just clothes and shoes.

Turner's duffle held the same.

And the maps.

I took those; the hatchet, trail mix, and a bottle of water for when Tucker woke up, and went back to the front seat and shut the door. I feel terrified every time I have to get out of the car; out in the open where anything could attack at any time, I am always scared I won't see something coming that it will jump me before I know what's going on and leave Tucker trapped all alone in the car.

I looked over the maps at the parks we had been too. It had to be a rural park, nowhere else was going to be safe. Anywhere where a lot of people lived and died was a no go. I was no fighter, but I could live off the land. I knew how to fish, preserve fish (smoke), I also knew what plants were edible and how to cook and preserve them. So I needed a place had a good amount of water and fish life, with plenty of vegetation.

I knew just the place. The 1st camp ground we visited here, it had a huge lake of water and plenty of plants what were edible. In fact in the middle of the lake was a decent sized island with tall trees and lots of plant life, we had lunch there while canoeing the lake that day.

I knew our safe place, now we just had to get there. I had the gas; I just hoped none of the roads were blocked.

I cranked up the car and started on my way. "Mommy" "I am right here Tucker, are you hungry?" I hand him the bag of trail mix and a sippy cup of water. "What do you say tucker?" "Thank you" "That's right you are such a polite boy, I am proud of you" encouraging him made him puff up and smile. "We are going to another safe place, this one will only have me and you in it, remember the 1st camp we visited? " "Yes" "well that's where we are going; we can fish and pick all kinds of plants …." "Will daddy be there?" "No honey, daddy is off fighting the monsters remember?" I just couldn't think of a way to tell him otherwise, he is only 3 and with myself all at odds over it I couldn't think about it myself much less explain it to him. "yes" He started eating his food in silence.

We got there and it was close to night fall I had not seen many if any dead at all the closer we got so I knew I had made the right decision. It was so close to being night time I decided to find a place for us to sleep. The car is not an option, if the dead came and beat in the windows we would be done for. There were trees everywhere though and I am thinking those are the places to be. I found a dense pack of trees near the camp entrance I parked there, and observed intently for a moment looking for any and all sounds and signs of movement.

Everything was quiet and still. I got out and shut the door, I would only get Tucker out at the last instant, I was terrified he would wonder off. That was my worst nightmare. I looked at all the trees and found one decent for climbing. I got what I would need that night out of the car; a sleeping bag, (Tucker and I could fit on one together) rope, (so we wouldn't roll off the tree at night), my hatchet, left over trail mix and some water. I climbed the tree quickly and set everything there, then climbed back down to get Tucker. I unlocked and opened the door and instantly Tuckers arms were around my neck. I got him out of the car and held him tight for a minute "remember Tucker don't talk unless you have too, the monster's will hear us if you do" he just nodded. It broke my heart to have to stall his talking, he loved to talk was friendly to everyone and was a good natured person in the making, but in this world the wrong scream/noise at the wrong time could get you killed. It kills me every time I have to enforce his fear of real monsters, but they are not just nightmares and shadows for him, they are real, and his fear is what protects him. "Do you need to potty before we go up the tree?" He nods, I walk over to another tree and he does his business.

"Ok you need to hold tight to my back ok? I need you to be a big boy; I have to use both hands and feet to climb the tree." He nods; I help him up onto my back and make darn sure he's on good. Then I get a scarf out of the car and tie it as tight around us as I can just in case his grip fails. "Ok Tuck, you need to hold extra tight." The climb up went great, Tucker held on perfect. "You did great Tucker now are you hungry again?" I hand him some trail mix (I am trying to get it all eat before it turns bad, at this point any waste should be prevented), and water.

I ate a little and drink a little, the trail mix ash in my mouth and the water stale to my lips, grief haunted the very food I ate. I set the empty bag on another branch and started to fix us a place to sleep. There was a branch not far above us that gave me an idea. I untied Tucker from my waste and sit him close to the tree itself and tied him to it the best I could with the scarf. "Be very still tuck ok, mommies fixing somewhere for us to sleep. Don't move or you might fall out of the tree and get hurt" He stayed very still. I got my rope that I had which is sort of stretchy and extremely durable. (We always had some rope with use when we went camping; it had a hundred different uses) I had quite a bit of it so I tied one end around the upper branch and brought it down underneath the branch we were on, I repeatedly wrapped it like that until I came to where I thought my feet would end, and I tied it as tightly as I possibly could. I moved and pushed and pulled as hard as I could to make sure that rope wasn't going anywhere. It ended up almost like a crib in a way. I put the sleeping bag in on the branch that we were on. I went and got Tucker and positioned us into the sleeping bag then tied the scarf around us and the branch below us as a double precaution. Tucker snuggled close to me and I held him tight thinking about the hell we had been through before the camping trip and now, I don't think I could push myself forward without Tucker to care for. Sleep came swiftly and deeply after I felt we were safe in the tree.

A/N: This is my 1st fan fiction. Been a reader forever but a writer never lol. My grammar is severely lacking (never been great with it) so if you see anything that needs to be changed or doesn't sound right a review would be great. Also I am trying to make this as realistic as possible, the surviving, the methods used all of that I want to be realistic not fictional, so suggestions and thoughts on that would be great too.