Chapter One

Stefan's POV

I sighed running my fingers through my tangled hair, listening to the loud music filling my ears. It was easier to ignore problems; well that's what I thought anyway.

I glanced over at Bella who was jumping up and down excitedly. I pulled the ear buds out to hear what she was saying. "-We should totally go to St Joshua Hospital!" she screamed, her voice was unbearable.

"Why?" I asked rolling my eyes looking at her tousled brown hair, and large chocolate eyes. She grinned opening her mouth to respond but Matt held out his hand speaking easily "Nah, I don't think so, I hate hospitals."

She frowned running her tongue along her lower lip staring at his mouth "But-"

Matt shook his head "Nope." He said then gave her a smile "I say we go to the tattoo parlor."

I shut of the music looking over at him; he was also shutting off his music tugging the ear buds out of his ear, Leon doing the same. "I don't know, a place to go." He sighed pocketing the player "I can't sit still anymore." I nodded solemnly. I needed to move my legs, to be free of this small cramped room; Matt had written so much on the walls, over lapping old things. No one knew exactly what he meant.

I shrugged "I guess it couldn't hurt, but it would be safer in here." Matt snorted, he was such an optimist. Or a pessimist, who didn't care about his own life or the life's of the others around him. "Until what, they bomb the city? Destroying everyone? Nah, I'll pass." Nope, Matt was just cocky.

Leon spoke next "I think we should, sooner or later they will." Bella frowned, used to being pampered by her 'vampire' boyfriend, now she was trapped in a world of men, who didn't give a damn about what she had to say. She looked as she was about to cry.

I shrugged "I don't care." I said sighing; I needed to feed off of something. I had watched one to many vampires kill themselves by drinking from the infected. They seemed fine, at first…but after a couple hours the blood started filling their veins turning them into the thing they feared most. They became infected. But not like the horde, or even the special infected, they were faster and stronger; they roamed alone and drank from the horde. Their eyes gleamed red and they were able to speak, even trick non infected individuals.

These were the things even I feared. Granted I feared for my lost lover I feared for my older brother. But even more, I feared for the lives of the ones around me, Matt, Leon and even Bella. I wasn't sure if I could fight off these things, let alone a bunch of humans.

I glanced over at Matt who was jabbering about something trivial. He always added 'dude' after every other sentence. His striking red jacket, white jeans and cowboy boots, all streaked with blood and dirty. He managed to keep a bang of hair in front of his right eye, never pulling it back. Countless times I told him to move it; vanity wasn't worth getting killed over.

And it almost killed him too. He hadn't seen anything coming up behind him, and it had bitten him. I was scared to death that Matt, would become like them. But I waited, I convinced everyone to let him live. The infection raged in his body, he had become ill…but one day he stood up, slightly weaker than before. But he ate and talked, just like everyone else.

I couldn't believe it, Matt had forced the infection out of his body, and he had survived. But that was almost two weeks ago, and he's still kick' in. I began to notice that he had obtained some of their 'faults' if you will. He was very sensitive to loud noises and didn't sleep much. He could hear better than the average human, but not as well as I could. He was always the first to aleart us that a Boomer was near. Whatever he was able to do to stay remotely human, is beyond me.

"Earth to Stefan!" Bella yelled waving her hands in front of my face "I was talking to you, you know." I sighed cocking an eyebrow "What?"

She sighed looking away "Never mind, I can see that you don't care."
Matt grinned "That's right, dude. He doesn't" then he and Leon exchanged grins and slapped each others hands "Burn!" they both cried out bursting into laughter.

I sighed, that was one of the things that those two did often, neither of them like Bella, they thought she was crazy. But I didn't know if she was sane or not. But she was awfully stupid. Not like she didn't get good grades, but she was dimwitted. She didn't think before she did things, I can't count how many times she'd been bitten. But she was immune, so it didn't matter.

She always complained, about everything. Telling us tales of how her boyfriend…Edward I think would kill all the zombies in no time flat. Once she said that some guy named James bit her, and she almost became a vampire. I had to bite my tongue to refrain from telling her that you don't become a vampire by just getting bitten. That's when I stopped believing she was telling the truth,

I fingered the ring on my forefinger; Matt always thought it was ugly. That I should just get rid of it, I always refuse. This is my only protection from the sun, if I lost this I'd travel at night. And at night, I would have to face the vampire zombies…I have yet to come up with a name for them.

I cleared my throat "Are we going or not?" I asked glancing over at him. Matt nodded rifling around the sleeping bags grabbing his shotgun. Leon grabbed his pistols and his health back strapping it to his back. Bella moved slowly picking up her crowbar and the machine gun she carried in case of emergency. She brushed the dark hair out of her face then looked up at me "Aren't you going to get ready?" she asked. I nodded slowly picking up the semi-automatic rifle. I quickly grabbed some extra ammunition and loaded the gun.

Matt grinned looking over at Leon "Ready dude?" He asked, this question was meant for everyone. I nodded; Bella muttered a soft 'yeah' and Leon grinned right back at him. Matt swung the safe room door open the foul stench rushing in from outside. I loud screech sounded and a single infected ran toward him. He frowned shoving it back shooting its head swiftly.

We started out moving slowly so Bella wouldn't fall. She'd gotten us into a lot of trouble that way. Every time she'd fall, she'd loose grip of her weapon. Or she would fall onto a car, sending alarms going everywhere. I sighed, at times like those Matt almost went crazy. I still was scared that one day he would snap and join the infected.

Matt broke into a jog, Leon next to him. It always happened this way, those two would move faster only waiting if something would make noise. I was always stuck with Bella, I was always glad that she didn't talk much. The way she moved though, she got tired easily, slowing her pace even more. I could tell she liked Matt in some way, I suppose the way he looked had something to do with it.

But Bella seemed like the type to want someone…deep. And Matt defiantly wasn't deep. In fact he was shallower than a kiddy pool. He'd sell her out in a heartbeat if it meant saving his own life. I sighed; I didn't know what to think about him. He and Leon seemed to get along well, but there was a look in his eye that just told me…something was lurking beneath the surface, something bad.

Bella frowned stumbled catching herself on a parked car. I bit my lip and seconds later a loud siren filled the air. Matt's head snapped back and he looked toward it "Shit, Bella!?" he cried his voice whiney, he didn't like the noise. Bella frowned "Sorry!" she yelled over the noise making Matt flinch.

Leon frowned "Whoa there Matt, you need to focus." He said the shriek of the horde filling the air. I looked up to see them climbing the fence growling, I lifted my gun showering them with bullets they began dropping like flies. Leon kicked one sending its head flying off its body; he claimed he could do that, even before. Matt muttered something angrily lifting his weapon up pumping it blowing the heads off of nearby zombies.

Bella swallowed swinging her weapon blood showering everywhere. I heard a shriek come from the distance. I knew something was up, and it was a Hunter. "Hunter!" I yelled putting another clip in my rifle pulling the trigger again showering the horde of infected with bullets. Leon frowned looking back at me shoving one away "I don't hear one." He called Matt looked over at him "Dude, you're deaf. I can hear it."

Something hit me full force knocking me to the ground. That's it, I thought. I had no idea if I was immune, like Bella was. I felt its sharp claws tear through my shirt and flesh gore flying everywhere. My mouth felt dry and my arms where pinned behind my back. There was nothing I could do now, I'd been scratched. I felt its teeth sink into my neck. Even worse, I'd been bitten.

"Dude! I told you there was a Hunter around!" Matt screamed, only now had I realized I'd just passed out. There was no more pain in my chest, it had healed nicely. I didn't open my eyes just yet I just lay there listening. "I'm sorry I should've believed you…" he sighed; his voice sounded…ashamed. "It's all my fault…Stefan." He swallowed harshly "He'll turn into one of them."

"Don't be too sure about that, dude. I didn't turn." He said slowly "And he may be like Bella, immune." I opened my eyes to see that Bella was sitting next to me crying softly. I rolled my eyes, if anyone got hurt that was the first thing she'd do. Matt glanced over at me "How ya feeling?" He asked moving over to my side crouching down. I realized that my shirt now hung in tatters around my body, but the wounds the Hunter had given me were now healed. I looked up at him "Good."

He grinned slapping my back "That's it Stefan, keep on trucking, dude." I smiled standing up looking over at Matt. "Thanks." I said slowly and he nodded. He unzipped his jacket handing it to me "Here, you need this." He said. I nodded again "Are you gonna be okay in just a T shirt?" I asked and he nodded.

I shrugged slipping the jacket around my shoulders zipping it up. I grabbed my rifle and we all advanced foreword. This time we stuck together moving toward a low skyline. I frowned, great. We'd have to edge along the bridge now. It was broken down the middle and barely standing. "Be careful." I said looking at Bella "You don't want to fall here." She blushed and nodded "I won't," She assured me.

Leon went first, then Matt, then me and last Bella. She turned a scary white color and grabbed my arm. I sighed, she could be a chicken some times but she knew how to get things done. And as much as I hated to admit it, she was a pretty decent fighter. As we edged to safety Bella gave a feeble shiver looking up at me with her large brown eyes. "Carry me?" she asked her voice thick. I sighed scooping her up in my arms edging along carefully.

As soon as I got to the other side I set her down gently turning to walk away. She grabbed my arm pulling me back "Stefan…" she said slowly looking at me. I frowned "What?" I asked feeling long sleek canines push out through my gums, great…just great. "You're eyes." She said slowly "And your face…it's all tight." I swallowed and made the mistake of opening my mouth. What was I supposed to do? I clamped my mouth shut and she blinked "Were those fangs?" She asked

I stayed silent. She grinned "You're a vampire!?" she asked grabbing my hands pulling me closer. I didn't say anything she grinned happily. "Oh please bite me!" she sang happily. "When I see Edward and I'm just like him he'll be so happy!" she said pulling me closer. I frowned "I'm not a vampire." I said focusing on compelling her. She frowned "You're not?"

I shook my head "No." She frowned looking over at Matt and Leon who were both very far ahead. I sighed "We're going to have to run to catch up with them." I said grabbing her arm beginning to tow her toward them. She nodded breaking into a clumsy run. I kept hold of her hand breaking into a hunters run towards Matt and Leon.

As soon as we reached them Matt looked up and grinned happily "Dude! That was fast!" he said punching my arm in a playful manor he looked over at Leon who nodded "Maybe you are immune." He said happily. I smiled nodding "Maybe I am." I said, it had been good to run again. I only wished that I could have run faster. Matt stopped "Boomer." He said simply scanning the area. I looked up to see the obese infected move toward us. I smirked, that was the only good thing about Matt almost getting killed. He could always find a Boomer.

I was easy to get rid of it, a simple flex of the finger and it was down. Matt grinned "Good shot." He said and continued on, I almost sighed with relief when I saw the red door of the safe house. I rushed inside Matt and Leon on my heals. Bella sighed following after us. It was getting dark, and I needed sleep. I closed the door locking it, helping them pile things up by the door, as a safety precaution we always took. I tossed the semi-auto rifle down throwing myself on the sleeping bag on the floor, left by someone else. As I drifted off I could hear Matt's voice "Tired?" I smiled nodding closing my eyes drifting off into a grateful sleep.