Hello everyone, it's me Lukas, AKA BloodStarGeneral.

I'm here today with my new Project: The Dead of Night.

It's my first Walking Dead Fic and I am really excited to be bringing it to you.

Without Further Ado, Let's get this show on the road.


Disclaimer:

Real Fast, I don't wanna take up too much of your time, but I just need to state this before we start.

I do not own the Walking Dead. I might watch the show, read the comics, and play the games, but I DO NOT own Walking Dead itself. The closest I get to that is my collection of DvDs and Merchandise.

No, Walking Dead was created by the wonderful Robert Kirkland. The show is owned by AMC, and the Games are owned by Telltale and Square Enix.
I own my characters and that is it. Are we clear? Great.


The Dead of Night

Chapter 1: Pilot

Lee's POV

Another quiet day in the forest.

If this was the old world, then this would be a blessing to me. I've never been a fan of crowds. I'd much prefer solitude. In the quiet, I could blissfully take in my surroundings and contemplate whatever I felt like. I could feel the rush of a slight breeze at my back, the texture of the terrain under my feet, the warmth of the afternoon sun. I could let my mind take me to worlds unknown and waiting to be explored. In a sense, that's what I'm doing now, because this is the new world.

And in this new world, silence comes at a price.

At any moment, one of "them" could come. It could make a lot of noise and attract more of "them". I could be surrounded and let with no choice but to fight. I might lose and be eaten. Even worse, I might turn into one of "them".

I can't let my guard down. Doing so would leave me vulnerable to an attack. While I might feel a bit more at ease in the silence, I'm still as vigilant as always.

I have been circling around a steep hill in the mountains for quite some time now. If I said I knew where I was going, I'd be lying. I don't really have a goal in any of this. Survival is my only priority right now. Food, water, shelter. That's all I need. Luckily, I have enough food and water to last for a while. What I'm looking for is a shelter. In the beginning of my travels, I would stay in a house-any house-that didn't have anyone living in it. As I moved further through the forest, houses became harder and harder to find. I relied on makeshift shelters. At first, I built flimsy barriers against the elements, but with practice, I became able to make a decent place to sleep. Still, I look for abandoned houses and stay in them every chance I get. the extra protection is worth it.

I noticed a hillock that had less foliage and more grass than usual. So I decided to investigate. Sure enough, I found a trail which turned out to be a driveway. I followed it up. At the top of the hill was a small cottage. I breathe a sigh of relief. I don't have to sleep under the stars tonight, I guess, I think to myself.

The cottage was more astounding than I had realized. It had running water, courtesy of a well pump in the backyard. It had electricity, courtesy of a few solar panels on the roof. I was ecstatic. I hadn't had a warm shower or used a stove in months. I quickly checked the surrounding areas. No immediate signs of life. After that quick check-up, I try the back door made of glass. Of course, it's locked. Fortunately, I have a handy dandy baseball bat to get through these situations. I break the glass just enough to fit my hand in, being extra cautious about not getting cut. I can't afford to get an infection.

Inside the house was a treasure trove for a survivalist. Medical supplies, canned goods, not to mention air conditioning and a bed to sleep in. I take off my backpack and relax for a bit. My restlessness gets the best of me, though. I rummage through the place, looking for everything I would need for another trek. I took at least three hours just gathering up supplies. By then, the sun was about to set. I decided to stay at the cottage for the night. I mean, who wouldn't?

I cook a dinner-a quick pasta. While it was cooking, I decided to do some hygienic touchups. I cut my too-long hair to a much more manageable shoulder length. I use a hair tie to pick up the rest. I'll need that. I put my filthy clothes in the wash. I also shave, making sure not to cut myself. I found a women's razor to do just the thing; you can't be picky in times like these. After I eat, I take a nice, long, hot shower. I let the water cascade all over me, taking in all the warmth I can handle for as long as I can handle.

Finally, I decide to spoil myself and look for some nightwear to sleep in. I look in every closet. Eventually, I find a loose-fitting T-shirt and some shorts to slip into. I go back to the laundry room to get my now-dry clothes (after I threw it in the dryer shortly after finishing dinner) and put them on the floor near the bed I decide to sleep in.

Before I go to sleep, I write in my journal. I keep it to follow the passage of time, to fend off boredom, but mostly just to keep myself sane. I haven't talked to another human for so long. For once, I want to hear something that's not a guttural scream or a growl.

The passage reads thus:

Day 194: Today I found a cottage nestled in the woods. It is a dream come true. Running water, plenty of food, medical supplies, electricity, all the amenities of the old world. I'm seriously thinking of staying here for a bit longer than my usual stops. It's not like I'm in a rush or anything. I haven't seen one of "them" in over a week as well. It seems like luck is on my side this week. I hope my lucky streak continues.

When I get finished writing, I turn off the lamp that was on the desk I was writing on. The world goes dark around me. I jump into bed, letting the sheets envelop me in their comfort. If anyone was around to see me, they'd probably see a shit-eating grin on my face. I was happy. I could feel much more relaxed than I had been in a while. No walking corpses, no loud animals, no worries.

If only it were ever that easy...

Delilah's POV

I was clearing out my zombie traps when I heard it. A loud crash of breaking glass from the direction of my current base. Well shit, I thought. I flinched as I mentally berated myself for the language.

Words like that should never come out of your mouth, young lady! Where did you even learn that? That's what Mum would say if she was here.

I sneaked back to base, praying that it was a zombie. Them, I could deal with. Survivors were the real trouble. And of course it was one of them. Shiiiiiiiiit. He's got all my supplies! I thought as I spied on him through the windows. He didn't notice me, but that was normal. I had survived by being unnoticeable, before and after the zombies. Especially after. As a little twelve-year old girl I certainly wasn't getting by on charity, since that was only reserved for useful survivors, so I had to be good at running and hiding.

The guy was going to sleep, thankfully. I suppose I could just sneak in, take what I can, and sneak out, but... I've spent a long time making this place safer, damn it! He's probably not even going to stay, so why should I let him drive me out? With strengthened resolved, I slipped in through the broken back door, making a mental note to patch that up later. I sneaked into the room he was in, my room, and did my best to loom over him with my minimal stature. For a second, I considered just hitting him over the head as hard as I could with my bat, but it was only a light aluminum kid's thing, not really a prime one-shot weapon. And I definitely couldn't take him in a fight. Maybe I could try to trick him with the 'sweet kid' act? Nah, that'll just make me look weak and useless.

Finally, I decided to just wing it. "Hey, Jerk face," I said, poking him with the bat. Not the best or most intimidating start, but it would do.

Lee's POV

I was startled when I felt something nudging me...is what I'd like to say, but I never managed to fall asleep before I heard a jostling at the glass door. I lay in the bed motionless, hoping that my enemy wouldn't be trying to kill me automatically. I mean, whoever lived in a place will all these technologically-advanced systems must know how to reason with others, right?

The person came into the bedroom almost instantly. I peeked my head out just enough to see who it was. I almost laughed out loud when I saw who it was. Good thing I didn't. I don't think she would've liked me much. Her bespectacled face revealed a countenance of someone trying to look as intimidation as possible. Needless to say, it didn't work. She looked like a pre-teen, 14 years old at the most. She was wearing all black, I guess to conceal herself in the night. Pretty smart, I noted. Maybe she could be of use. That is, unless she wants to kill me.

"Hey, Jerk face," she said nonchalantly.
"Who, me?" I answered back just as nonchalantly.
She gave me a look of pure annoyance. "Would you please leave?"

I was about to retort when a large peal of thunder went off. Following immediately was what seemed to be quite the rainstorm. I jumped off the bed and ran toward the nearest utility closet. I moved too fast and abruptly for the girl to stop me. She needn't worry, though. I wasn't about to do anything hasty.

"What do you think you're doing?" She rasped through gritted teeth.
"Fixing your door. I broke it, and now it's going to get all rainy."

I found a roll of duct tape and headed toward the door. The girl tapped me on the shin- a bit jarring. I grimaced, then turned around to face her.

"What the hell? You're not even going to explain why the fuck you're here?" She spoke, then turned red with embarrassment. She must've realized what she said. She must've also been taught not to use those words. It was really, really hard to take her seriously this way. Because of that, I ignored her and started taping up the hole. But before she started to take batting practice with me, I started up a conversation:

"How long have you been here?"
"Why would you want to know?"
I asked something else. "Are you all alone?"
"Why do you care?"
"Well, it's not safe to be alone. At least, not in the world we live in now."
"I can handle myself. Besides, you're all alone, too."
"That I am. But I'm a grown-up. I can man-"
"Shut up!" She yelled while simultaneously hitting me over the head with the baseball bat. I groaned with pain. "Stop treating me like a kid! Take me seriously!"

"Fine, fine." I said, trying to keep my composure through the pain. Damn, she hit me hard. "How about this? How about you come with me? Yeah, you have this nice place, but wouldn't you want to feel safer by having someone around who has your back. You've managed so far, but you're going to run out of places to scavenge through. Trust me, there's not that many houses in this area. What do you say? You want to come with me?"

The pitter-patter of the rain was the only thing keeping the room from being totally silent. She seemed to be in deep thought. She was taking this seriously. After all, any decision made in these times could mean life or death. I waited patiently for her answer, building a contingency in my head. I've been fine on my own, but I don't know if she could do the same. Maybe I was just lonely from not seeing another human being in so long.

The rain made this situation particularly tense. I couldn't shake the foreboding sense of danger heading our way...

Delilah's POV:

"What do you say? You want to come with me?"

This guy... must be a total idiot. He's inviting a twelve-year old along with him? Sure, I know I can be useful, but how could he know that? He can't. I absentmindedly tapped the bat against my shin as I thought. Still, having a big'un around may help out. And really, he's a pretty smart idiot to survive alone for so long. And to notice that I'm starting to run low on places to loot.

"Yeah, okay!" I said with a big smile. If I was going to travel with him, I may as well start getting him to like me, and that started with being adorable. I was a master at the adorable act, not that it had helped when no-one was willing to take in a 'dead weight' like me.

I practically skipped back to my room, stopping a few times to gather up some cleverly hidden supplies that the guy had missed. Oh yeah, I never got his name! I realized as I packed my backpack and the spare. I put most of the food and medical supplies in my back, as well as some of the tools I had found (not that I knew what they were called or what they did) and a change of clothes. In the other bag I put the rest of the tools, food, and medical supplies. They were pretty heavy, but it wasn't too bad. I checked that I could quickly dump the bag off my back, just in case there was and emergency, before I headed back to my ally.

"My name's Delilah! What's yours, mister?" I asked.

Lee's POV:

I didn't really know what got into me when I asked her to join me on my travels. I was always a loner by nature. Keeping to myself was never hard for me to do. While I did have friends, I never really interacted with them in any meaningful way. Of course, if I ever needed anything or didn't know how to do something, I could call on them to help. So asking a little girl-one who looks like she couldn't last thirty minutes-to join me was insane.

Even more insane was the fact the she gladly accepted my offer. While the thing about the supplies was true (I took most of the supplies I assumed would be in her area), I had no idea why she would leave a place with electricity and all the comforts of the old world. Hell, even I wanted to stay for longer than I usually stay at any one place. Well, it's our loss, I guess.

Well, I could also look at it another way: she had managed to survive alone for some time now, surviving off of whatever she could find. There had to be something she could be useful for. At the very least, if we ever encountered a group of insane cannibals up in these mountains, I would have a good bargaining chip.

The future bargaining chip gleefully packed up everything she could into a medium-sized duffel bag. Apparently, there were a few key items I didn't check for or find. After a few minutes of rummaging around, she came back to the glass door, where I stood watching the rain.

"My name's Delilah! What's yours, mister?" She asked.
"The name's Lee."
"Cool name."
"I know." Actually, my full first name is Ashley, but that confuses people and doesn't sound as cool. She doesn't have to know that, though.

"Well, are we going to go?" She asked.
"You want to go out in this weather?" I pointed out the glass door, where a torrent of rain pounded down. "And at night, no less?"
"Good point. Should we go to sleep?"
"Probably. You go to sleep first. I'll keep watch."
"Watch for what?"
"Them." A quick nod. She understood what that meant.
"Oh. OK!"

And with that, she was gone. After a few minutes of running water and sloshing, the house was quiet. Delilah seemed way too eager to leave. I didn't know what that was about, but that wasn't what was bothering me. It was the outside. The weather was bad, and I had a feeling that someone-or something-was coming this way. And now I had to watch over a preteen. This was going to be a long night. I kicked my feet up on a chair and watched as droplets of water raced down the glass door. Needed to be comfortable, after all.

End Chapter 1


That is where I am leaving it for now, I hope you guys enjoy it.

Now real Quickly, I am opening this up to OC's. If you would like to submit one please PM me and I shall send you the form, the rules, and answer any questions you may have.

This saves me having to deal with OC Apps in the Review Section. (Which is just the worst.)

So, Like I said, PM me and we will go from there.

Anyway, I have some more writing to do, so I should probably get to that. Don't want to leave you guys hanging for too long, ya know. XD

Leave a Comment and Like this story if you can, there is sure to be more zombie action on the way.

Ciao.