Well here we go, I just got some inspiration for this story and decided I should write it before I loose the idea. I have been reading and watching far too much zombie related things.

So yeah I decided to make up my own wee story, and what not. It's sort of connected to the Walking Dead since it's near the same place and some of the characters may be in this. I do not know yet. But either way, yeah welcome to my story. Enjoy and review! :')

Walking beside the Dead

The angels no longer see us, and God can no longer help us. Just prepare to walk hand in hand with the dead.

I thought I told him not to point that thing at me

The room was dark, apart from the splinter of light that escaped past the long draping curtains that cascaded down to the floor. My head was spinning as I stumbled out of bed. The events of last night flashed before my eyes as painful and embarrassing reminders, drinking two nights in a row never did seem like a smart thing. I trudged towards my full length mirror opposite my bed and gazed at my reflection. My shirt seemed to have disappeared, and my pants where barely on I must have been too intoxicated to even get to bed quick enough. I looked at my face and noticed a slight slice just below my right eye, nothing unusual there I probably did it too myself in my sleep never could stay still for long. My auburn mainly red hair was still up in the messy bun I had it in last night, although saying messy was a slight understatement considering the lack of containment of the said messiness. I turned round abruptly as I heard my door slowly opening, wow was that a bad move my sight blurred in and out of focus and my head started pounding just bit more.

"Hell, I ain't going to drink for a while..." Even my voice seemed strained, how long have I been out for one night couldn't have made me this bad. I looked up and saw my dad standing at the door leaning against the frame; he seemed to be nodding disapprovingly however the noise coming from his throat sounded like laughter so I guess he wasn't that mad about it.

"When did my little girl grow up?" I let out a strained laugh; I never was a little girl even at the age of five I was acting like a twenty year old always taking care of my reckless yet amazing mother. My dad always was the more attentive parent he taught me everything I knew, how to fight, how to work and how to live in this hell hole we had to call home. Some weird bungalow in the forest basically secluded from the rest of the town. Perfect if I was like my brother who loved the woods, not so much if you are me and like to go out for a laugh and a drink. "Anyway, we got a bit worried about you. You've been out for at least three days, we thought you had caught that illness going round had you locked in here..." Illness that must've been what Pete had. Hell he must be worse than me then, "That was until we heard you moving and then grumbling and what not. Oh and it seems that Pete got a case of it he left after the night out, you might want to check in with him. You know see how he is doing." I smiled at my dad as he nodded and moved back along the hallway, guess poor Pete has been worse off than me. Although I have no idea why I was stuck in bed that long, I didn't even drink that much guess that old guy actually did spike my drink.
I slowly made my way over to my wardrobe and flung open the doors, I didn't really need to dress fancy all considering it was only Pete I was going to see and well I don't really need to look all pretty to see him, he's like a brother to me. I quickly grabbed a pair of white ripped jeans and a black tank top; I could already tell it was far too warm outside after all we are in the forest in Georgia, close to Adam's Park, we stayed away from the other neighbours... most of them were annoying anyway. I decided to not take a jacket with me considering I would more than likely die of heat the closer I got to the town... wait where is Pete anyway. I looked over my room in search of my phone only to be confronted with a tidy room; I have not tidied my room in so long it feels like it is new. I jolted over to the desk beside the window and opened the first drawer, there lay my baby blackberry. I flipped open the contacts and scrolled down until I found Pete. The noise of the dial tone at least told me that his phone was on.

"Hey... short ass..." The sound of Pete's strained and slightly in pain voice erupted through my phone speaker, he really did not sound well.

"Hey Patty cake heard you weren't feeling too good, tell me where you are staying, I'm coming up to visit..."

"No, Ashley I don't... want you to come up here and get... this..."

"Pete you really think that you saying no will stop me? Come on I'll wear I protective mask if that helps?" I laughed when I heard him muffle a slight chuckle, and then there was some slight hesitation and heavy breathing I guess he was considering his options. "Pete?"

"Okay... ugh but just you okay? I'm up at that fancy hospital... you know the one they opened a few years back?" I remembered how we used to make fun of all the snobby people who went to it just because they had the cold, so for Pete to be up there he must have caught something serious.

"Yeah course I remember, I'll see you soon bud okay?"

"Sure sure see you soon Ash." And with that he hung up, I looked round my room and then made my way out the door and down the corridor. Seriously something must be up if Pete is in that hospital... hell even if Pete was ill. I haven't seen him sick since Primary school. I made my way into the kitchen to find my dad sitting with a cup of tea and my mum reading a book, they were an odd couple that didn't really show much affection but you always knew it was there.

"Hey, I'm going to go see Pete for a bit I won't be long okay... where's Nate?" Both my parents' heads snapped up and they smiled at me, they seemed to be happy that I was back to my usual annoying and independent self.

"That's okay, and he just went into town a bit with his friends most of them have come down with the cold as well." I laughed at the fact that my seven year old brother was allowed to just dander out into town by himself when I wasn't even allowed to when I was eleven, even now when I am twenty I have to explain where I am going. "Oh wait would you mind picking him up in a few, he just text me saying that Luke isn't feeling too good either." What the heck is going on out there?

"Yeah sure, I'll go see Pete first and then get Nate at Luke's house... tell him he best be ready or I'll boot him." I then grabbed my cars keys of the hook and made my way out the front door, the light assaulted me instantly and the heat was somewhat scorching my skin, but not too much. I jumped towards my beautiful baby truck it wasn't much just a black Ford Ranger pick-up truck, but I loved it like it was any of those silly race cars. I started the engine and put it into gear, and then I was off along the lane into a scorching oven that would more than likely heat this car up like a sauna. I kept my eyes on the road at all times normally when I was driving, but doing it now seemed like asking a dog to speak. The things that seemed to just spring up here and there kept catching me by surprise. Cars abandoned at the side of the road, things flung out of doors and then people just sitting down at the side of the road. And occasionally a drunken guy staggering along or lying face down on the pavement, it was an episode of how clean is your house and Cops on duty all in one. The weirdest thing I saw was a police car left in the middle of the road with a creep in the back banging his head against the glass trying to get out, no way was I stopping to help him. Last time I tried that I ended up in a prison cell for an entire night, for obstructing some nonsense about police action or whatever.
I could see the hospital just a few turns ahead; however the closer I got the less I actually wanted to be there. Police cars lined the entrance, and the army seemed to even have their own little corner of the hospital parking lot, seriously is this some stupid pandemic or what? As I drew closer I noticed one of the policemen moving out from the others to slow my car down, as I hit the brakes I couldn't help but notice the look in the other's eyes, seriously since when did cops look scared out of their minds?

"Alright Sid, what's going on up here?" I turned to look at Sid as he leaned on the side of the door, I had pulled the window all the way down so as he could stick his head through slightly, the look on his face matched the look on the others, which made the scene in front of me that much more frightening.

"Well if it ain't little Ashley Thornrose, we don't know much yet just that some people have got a bad case of some sort of flu, and them oh so important military officers up there aren't saying much either..." I looked back up to the place that seemed to be swarming with men in black body suits and carrying feisty looking guns. They looked like scuttling little ants swarming around their nest. "Why you up here anyway, heard you were sick too?" He seemed to have backed up a bit now and was looking me over dejectedly as though I would cough on him at any moment.

"Nah just got a bit too happy with the festive fever and had too much to drink, I'm here to see Pete actually he apparently got himself admitted here..."

"Ah yeah, he's here not looking too good though you sure you want to go on in?" I smiled up at Sid, he was a good friend of mine since I did give his son swimming lessons and also was a baby sitter now and again, and he was like a second dad as it were.

"Yeah he hasn't had anyone else up to see him yet so I guessed he'd need to company, anyway tell Jamie I'll see him this Thursday if you and Sally still plan on going out." I turned back to the steering wheel and looked at the other officers as they now seemed to have relaxed a bit seeing that it was me, also the fact that I knew most of them anyway.

"Well do Ash, tell Pete I'm thinking bout him will you, though he'll probably make some joke about it, knowing Pete." I laughed and nodded as Sid raised his hand telling the other to let me through, I beeped my horn as I drove past. As I got closer to the Hospital I turned into the closest parking space I could find away from the military nest, as soon as I parked I turned off the car and hopped out, after making sure it was locked up tight I turned and faced the entrance, only to be confronted by a bulky black chest with the words 'FBI' slapped across it in white. I let out an exasperated sigh and looked up at the man who was standing in my way.

"Can I help you, or do you plan on just standing in my way?" Once I looked up I was met with cold grey eyes that seemed like they could do with some sleep, the man looked like he was about to keel over and snore at any minute. He looked to be around in his forties and as though he still had a kick in his step, perhaps bad mouthing him wouldn't be the best thing to do. "I need to get in, please let me by."

"You infected or are you just visiting?" Why are am I being categorised already, is that not for the actual doctors to do not some stick in the mud military poof.

"I'm visiting do I need to write..."

"Follow me." I watched dumbstruck as the man turned his back on me and started walking towards the double doors of the hospital, my body finally moved into action as I started following this Captain Grumpy into the hospital. We soon reached the front desk and I was greeted with a warm smile from Catherine a close friend of my mum, I practically knew everyone around here since it was such a small town and I was down nearly every day. "Who are you h-?"

"Hey Cat, um you know where Pete is... he apparently came here?" I smiled at Cat as she laughed at my bluntness towards Cpt. Grumpy; Cat was always the nice one at the hospital while the others normally just looked down at me when I got caught in fights. They always said that I should be more mature since I was twenty years of age, none of them seemed to care about the fact that I didn't tend to get into the fight unless my friend was being hurt first. I wasn't an easily aggravated person but if my friend is in trouble or some kid was about to get mugged then I am obviously going to step in.

"Hello Ashley, yeah he's in room 12A just down the hall a bit... what am I saying you know your way around." I nodded at her and started walking down towards the doors until a bulky figure walked in front of me and slammed through the doors first, I grunted in aggravation as I carried on walking behind him. I finally overtook him though as his lack of knowledge around the hospital became evident, I soon found the room Pete was in and peeked through the window in the door. My eyes almost dropped out of their sockets, my body reacted instantly and I jumped through the door. Pete was lying in a standard hospital gown with a large bandage covering his upper chest and it looked like his right arm was handcuffed to the bed, I moved over to him and could see that the state of the bed and bandage was nowhere near to appropriate. I moved over to Pete and began unravelling the bandage on his chest, while Pete simply moaned in protest.

"What the hell you think you are doing!?" I stopped abruptly and glared at mister silent and patronising, my mouth slammed open when I noticed just how he was positioned. His gun was pointed directly at Pete and his finger was on the trigger, I growled in my throat and stared pointedly at him. "I said what-"

"I fucking heard what you said, but if you do not get that gun away I will ram it so far down your throat you won't know what hit you," His face changed from aggravated to shocked in a second flat and his gun lowered, a lot slower than I would have liked. "Now I am changing the bandage on him and the gown since he has been bleeding and no one seems to have given him the time of day, so if you wouldn't mind standing outside." I ushered for him to leave, which he seemed instantly reluctant to do although after some heavy brooding he left only to stand outside the door. I moved over to the drawer at the side of the room and found some new bandages along with some pyjama bottoms.

I moved over to the bed and looked over the damage done; it looked like someone had taken a nasty swing at him with their nails they had gotten pretty deep as well. I went over to the tap and filled a cup full of water and then lifted the towel beside the sink and walked over to Pete who had now seemed to have stirred a bit. "Hey Pete, looks like someone got you good huh?" I laughed as I continued to clean the wound on his chest, but something wasn't right. His chest wasn't moving. I looked back up to his face, he was moving and shaking... but why wasn't he breathing? "Pete a-"Suddenly his hand clamped down on my wrist and his eyes snapped open, I stared horrified as I looked into pale... white eyes. It looked like he was sleeping and his eyes had gone to the back of his head, but he was moving and was getting dangerously close to my arm, I yanked my arm away from his grasp and backed away to the wall. "Pete what's wrong with you?" The only response I got was a gurgled groan and then more violent shaking, I watched as the man I had called brother struggled against the handcuff on his arm until his hand had been torn of completely. My breathing seemed to have stopped and I stood paralysed as I watch Pete leap up on the bed and then jump towards where I was standing, my body yet again acted on its own and jumped to the side and into a cabinet.

This entire time I hadn't cried out. It was as though my voice had left me to deal with this on my own; I hadn't a clue as to what was going on or what had just happened all I knew at that moment was that this thing was no longer Pete. I had just watched it tear its hand of and act like it was nothing, Pete cried even when he got a paper cut. The thing now noticed that I had moved and made its way towards me slowly and cautiously, I looked around to find something to defend myself with and found nothing but a stupid glass vase.
I grabbed it and held it closely to my chest as though it was metal armour and would prevent the thing from getting any closer to me, although it didn't even take notice of my new weapon as it leapt at me yet again. I lifted the vase and smashed it down on its head, it stumbled back slightly and seemed to stumble but only for a moment and then it was on attack yet again. I was flung back and landed on my back while pushing with all my might to keep this thing from getting any closer to me. When I looked up I found dead eyes staring right back at me... it looked as though it was trying to bite me? I knew that my muscles wouldn't be able to keep this up forever; I looked up and pushed with all my might until the thing was pushed back a bit. I flipped us both over until I was on top of it and had it trapped, I looked around quickly to find any sort of weapon, and came up with a trainers sitting beside me. I clawed onto it quickly and slammed it down onto the things head with all the strength I had in me, I felt the thing beneath me falter for a moment but that wasn't good enough. I hit it again and again and again. I didn't stop until I felt nothing underneath me; I didn't stop until I knew it was dead.

My body went limp and I collapsed to side and pushed myself against the wall, my emotions seemed to have left me as I looked at the body of my best friend and almost brother. I felt sick to my stomach, Pete's face was no longer even recognisable, nothing of Pete was left, and when I looked into its eyes I knew he was dead. But I had finished him of. How could this have happened, it couldn't be the cold could it? How could something like that make people go like that? I mean he wasn't even breathing, will everyone go like this?
It hit me suddenly, "Oh my god, Nate." I stood up instantly and ran towards the door, only to find it unguarded by Cpt. Grumpy I looked round the hallway and found it empty. I stepped out and stopped when I saw a long trail of blood going along the ground, unwillingly I followed it. I came to a stop when I turned the corner and found Cpt. Grumpy standing in front of a person lying on the ground with only half a body. I couldn't stop myself when I felt myself gag, instantly Grumpy looked up and pointed his gun at me. I felt sick to my stomach and then I felt angry, I thought I told him not to point that thing at me.