Day 1:

I woke up feeling horrible. I have no idea where I am except it is hot and I feel like I have a major hangover. As far as I can tell the only things I have on me is a landmark block, 1 can of food, 1 bottle of water a torch and a bandage. I am completely naked. The bandits must have stripped me while I was unconscious.

I need to find shelter and establish a place for me to survive in, I have no map, so it looks like I must draw one to get myself sorted. I get up off the ground and start running north. Maybe I can find a forest near a town with water supply.

As I run, I see a backpack on the ground. I pick it up and open it up to see if there is anything valuable in it. I find 2 rolls of tape and a compound bow. Jackpot. There are birds' nests everywhere so if I clear them out, I have food and feathers for arrows. It should take the walkers out of my way. As I run, I keep finding birds' nests and I clean them out completely.

Along the way I collect grass, wood and stones. I can make myself a place to sleep with the grass and the wood and the stone I can use to make more things. I guess the tape I found will be useful after all. It would be better if I can find some rope. As I run, I come across an area that is completely burned. The stench is horrible. I should be careful, because if there are walkers here, they could still be burning and burn me in the process. Trust nothing.

I run through the burned area and I slow down at the start of what seems to be Greenland. Not forest, but there are enough trees to at least make a small camp fire with the wood. I can also make myself some food and boil some water to keep me going. Maybe I can make some small boxes to store my things in as I raid houses. No doubt there will not be much left. Hopefully I can find a pot and a grill. People have already cleaned out bigger places when the breakout happened. I am hopeful that I will find something though.

After walking about an hour, I find a rather big town. I can establish a small dwelling here. It seems like other survivors had the same idea, yet the town seems to be empty. Maybe they also got infected and now roam the streets aimlessly?

I walk a little more careful and try to be as quiet as I can. I don't want to draw more attention to myself. I should pick a place, empty it and establish a safehouse for me there. I don't think there are survivors in this town so I might as well settle myself here. I cross the street and walk up to a double story house. I always wanted to live in a big house. This should suffice.

I knock on the door to see if anyone is in there. Walker or survivor. I must know what I am getting myself into. No answer. I walk to the window to have a look inside and I see the remains of a survivor on the floor. It is unclear if the person is dead and might be a walker or maybe committed suicide and has decomposed till there is nothing left. The stench will be horrible. Lucky the person is laying on a carpet. I bet if I roll the corpse up in the carpet, I can throw it outside and relieve some of the smell and the remains.

Before I head inside, I craft myself a small stone axe and I run to the closest tree. I start chopping it for wood, so I can make myself arrows. I will need to craft arrows if I want to take the walkers down. I see small stones everywhere; I can sharpen those, and they will be the perfect arrows. Sharp enough to break through and kill. I need to get the walkers in the brain otherwise, I am not going to win this war.

I crafted myself about 30 arrows to get me started with. It should be enough to clear out the house. I walk back to the house and crouch. If I open the door and a walker comes out, it won't be able to grab me immediately. I will have bought myself enough time to put an arrow in its head. I turn the knob as quietly as I can and start pushing the door open. The moment the door, I can't stand the smell. My stomach starts to rebel against the smell, and I am left with dry heaves. My stomach is empty so nothing will come out anyway. It takes me several moments for the heaves to stop racking my body. I need to try and get a cloth for the future to keep the smell out. It's awful.

Once I have gathered myself, I turn back to my mission. Capturing the house. I open the door a little more and listen for footsteps. I hear nothing so I walk quietly into the hallway. Once I am at the door to the room with the unidentified corpse, I put an arrow through its head. Rather safe than sorry. I sneak further through the house. When I entered the kitchen, I see a walker slumped against the wall. I aim my bow and hit it in the arm. Suddenly it jerks to life and the most horrible sounds comes out of its throat. The smell is overwhelming, but I must keep it together. I aim again and this time I hit it in the throat. Close, but not there yet. I walk back a few paces and aim down again. Bullseye. The last arrow found its target. The walker lets out its final groan and collapses on the floor. I take a small breather before I continue. My heart is hammering in my chest and I am breaking out in cold sweat. The anxiety is killing me.

I look around the rest of the house and find no more walkers. I go back downstairs so I can get rid of the walkers in the house. I decide to do the one in the living room first. I step closer to it to pull the arrow out, but my luck runs out and the tip breaks off. There goes one useless arrow, nevertheless it was worth the risk. I pull the corpse on the clothes to the centre of the carpet and start rolling it. The entire task is revolting, and I must stop often to gather myself from the dry heaves. Will I ever get used to the smell? I doubt it. Only time will tell. After about 20 minutes of struggling, I finally have the corpse rolled up and I am dragging it outside. Maybe I should leave it close to the entrance, to ward off other walkers and warn others of impending danger if they want to break in and steal my stuff. Going back inside, I head for the kitchen to see how I am going to get this walker out. I suppose I can grab it by its clothes and drag it out. I can also unroll the other walker and use the carpet again. I stand there contemplating my options for a moment until I decide to drag it first and if I don't get anywhere, then I will use the carpet. It shall be known as my death mat.

I grab hold of its shirt and start the process. For a dead half way decomposed and rather thin, it is quite heavy. I am tired and struggling to drag him out alone. I wish I had someone to help me, but so far, I am alone in this world.

Eventually the corpse is outside with its buddy and I go back inside to search for literally anything I can use. I find a nice t-shirt and a jacket that should keep me going. I find a pair of jeans, but it is too small. I'll have to just make do until I can find proper pants. I find a first aid kit in the bathroom and canned food that still looks good in the kitchen. It's about 3 cans of food, but hey, it's 3 meals which means I am okay for 3 days food wise. I find some bottles that are empty in the trash which I can use to fill up with water. In the kitchen I find a pot. Might not last long with fire, but maybe just long enough for me to boil drinking water. I can keep one with clean water and the rest can be on standby until I need them too.

After my search for useful things, I head into the garage to look for wood. I want to board up the windows so if something or someone gets too close, they can't get inside through the glass or see too much of what is going on inside. I have no luck so I wonder if I shouldn't chop down that tree from earlier, so I have wood to board the windows with. I don't know how long it will take me though. I can also use the extra wood to repair holes in the wall if something bad happens.

It's my crappy luck that houses aren't as strong as they should be. Houses here are made of wood, when I have gathered the resources, I can reinforce the walls with concrete, and I should be covered. Concrete will keep most things out because it is rather strong and sturdy. My biggest problem is that it is weak, whilst wet. I must make sure when I put on the concrete layer, that there is no sign of danger, so the integrity of the concrete is not compromised.

I head outside, back to the tree that I was busy with earlier and start chopping some more. 2 hours later and this bloody tree is almost cut through, but it is starting to get dark. I prefer not to be outside at night. The moon seems to fuel the walkers and instead of the steady walking, they break out in a full-blown marathon runner.

With the sun setting, I retreat into the house I picked for me. I close the blinds as best as I can and hope that it will suffice. I don't dare light a fire. I don't need fire anyway, because it is not that cold. I have nothing I really need to cook except the water, but I still have a water bottle full of water. Since the power is out, I can't even boil the water on the stove. How funny is it that humanity is dependent on electricity to be productive?

Once I closed all the curtains as best I can, I start shoving the couch against the front door. Hopefully it should keep the walkers from just getting inside lightly. I don't really want to sleep upstairs for the fear of being attacked by either walker or human. I am not going down without a fight, but I need to sleep as well. I don't trust humans. I can trust walkers, because they will always bite you and be out to kill and turn you. Humans are unpredictable. They might be your friend. They might be your enemy disguised as your friend. They might just plainly be your enemy. I won't risk sleeping upstairs in the bed until it is safer for me. Maybe I should look around for a key. If I can find the house keys, then I would be so much better off. I wonder if those corpses might have been the owners here.

I move the couch back a little just so I have enough space to sneak out of the house. I crouch and go up to the 2 corpses and look for pockets. No luck. They don't have pockets. Maybe I should check inside again. I go back inside the house and shove the couch against the door again. I scan the walls for a place they might just hang the keys, but I have no such luck. Looks like I won't be able to lock the house as I had hoped.

Going into the kitchen I look around for a can opener so I can sit down and eat dinner. After dinner I can really check out the house for usable. I have all night. I might as well make it a useful night. I find a can opener in one of the drawers in the kitchen and sit down by the table and eat my dinner. It's not the best dinner ever, but it will keep me alive and my stomach from attracting walkers.

After dinner I walk upstairs to the bedrooms. In the main bedroom I grab a couple of pillows and a blanket to sleep under. Looks warm and comfy. In one of the rooms I find a flashlight that still works which means I can light up the place when I really need to. I won't keep this light on permanently. In a room that looks like it belonged to a teenage boy, I find a shelf full of video games and another shelf with books. At least I have some entertainment when I am alone. In the bathroom I open the cabinet under the sink and find soaps, towels and some cotton wool. It is useful to absorb. If I ever get scratched, I can clean the wounds with the cotton wool. In the main bedroom I find nothing but personal items. Nothing in here is of much use, but the clothes I can scrap them into cloths and make bandages out of them. The clothes don't fit me anyway. All over I find paper, items made from brass and a box full of lead fishing weights. I can use this to make bullets for guns. If I can find a way to melt and mould this, I would be good with self-defence. In one of the cupboards I found what looks to be like a medicine cabinet. I grab the pain killers and I find some left over anti biotics. I can use these in case of an emergency.

Once I finished gathering all the things that deems itself to be useful, I head downstairs to chill on the couch. I listen to the sounds of the night and my soul takes a breath. I survived day 1 all by myself. I am hoping that I keep surviving the days to come.

Day 2:

I woke up on the couch where I fell asleep in the early morning hours to the sound of footsteps on the porch. I lay as quiet as possible where I am taking a few minutes to gather myself and get used to my surroundings. It's been a quiet night for the most part, but every single noise wakes me up. I guess it's better to be alert than asleep and dead. As I lay there I listen to try and figure out if it is a walker or human. I hear no grunting noises, but unfortunately that is nothing to go on. For all I know, it's voice could be gone for some reason. I don't know if they just grunt when they see people who are alive or if it is a general thing.

By the entrance I spot my unlit torch I woke up with. I can use that as a weapon if needed. I turn onto my side and sit up as quietly as I can. I go down on my hands and knees and creep to the nearest window. Being very careful not to be seen, I try to see what is outside. It's very hard to stay out of sight, but I must if I want to survive. I manage to see a shadow. It looks like a human. I sneak a quick look out the window and immediately back down again. It seems to be alive, because it was bent over the 2 walkers I dragged outside the previous day. I raise myself a bit higher again to see what is happening. This can either be friend or foe. Trust no one. I see another person there and it looks like they are investigating these 2 dead walkers. My heart beats faster and so loud in my ears, I worry that the people outside will hear it.

By the door is my backpack with the stone axe I carved. I can use that to defend me if needed to as well as the unlit torch. Whatever it is, if it's dangerous, I will kill it. I am not willing to take chances. I sit back down on the floor and almost jump up when I heard a voice from the outside speaking. I can't hear it clearly, but parts of what is being said still comes through to me.

"Do you think …... in here?"

"...know"

"...think someone...there?"

I hear footsteps on the porch and now I can hear the whole conversation.

"There is only one way to find out."

"How do we test it?"

"Knock and listen maybe?"

"What if it's a foe?"

"Then we kill it before it kills us."

"I hope we don't need to. We kind of need the man power. Would be cool if it's friendly because then John can assign me less night shifts."

"Stop moaning. At least you are security. You don't have to do the scut work like I do. I am still on curfew, cleaning duty and room confinement."

"That's your own fault. You wanted to be a cowboy and put the scout team in danger with your loud noises. This is a probation run so let's do it smoothly."

I creep as quietly as I can back to the front door with my axe in my hand. The anxiety is killing me. What are they going to do? What is going on? Do they have a safe settlement? Why do they need man power? I have more questions in my mind, but I hear a knock on the door. What the hell should I do? Answer?

"Any survivor in there?"

I start to tremble not knowing what to expect. The door handle starts turning.

"The door is blocked by something." says the one to the other.

"Should we break the door down?"

"Are you crazy? You will attract walkers from all over!"

"What do we do then? Leave it as it is? Go to the next house?"

"Knock once more and if there is nothing, assume it's dead and move on."

Once more I hear a knock on the door. This time it is louder than the previous one.

"Is there anyone inside? If there is, please make yourself known. We are armed, but we are not here to fight." the one outsider calls out.

"H..H..Hello?" I call out.

"Hello survivor. Are you alive?"

"Y..Yes."

"Are you armed?"

"Y..Yes."

"We are armed as well. We are not here to do you harm, we just want to scavenge the house. We are friendly. If this is your house, please identify yourself and make it clear that this is your house. We will tag the place so no one from our group touches your house."

"How do I know you aren't lying?"

"You don't so do it anyway."

I hesitate to answer wondering if this would be a good idea. I have even more questions now, but there isn't a lot of time to ponder.

"Who are you guys?" I call out.

"I am Ghosted and my friend here is Fudge. What is your name?"

"IceTiger."

"Is that your alias or your real name?"

"Alias."

"Is this your house?"

"Y...Yes. No."

"What? I didn't get that."

"No, it isn't my house, but yes I live here."

"Okay. If you are interested, you can join us, or we can leave you alone if you prefer."

"Who are you guys?"

"We are a survivors camp. All the people who are alive can join the camp. You will have to work to earn your keep though and you will have to adhere to the camp leader and his rules. Our camp is called Dam Duikers. There are other camps similar like this which is like ours, just in different areas. It's a no harm to the living policy."

"How do I know it's the truth?"

"Like I said, you don't so try it anyway. There is nothing I can do or say that will proof to you otherwise unless you experience it for yourself."

"I don't know..."

"Look we scout often. If you want, sleep over it. This is a large town. This will take more than 1 day to clear out and scavenge for useable things. We will be back here till the place is clear. If you change your mind, you can meet up with us. Just call out for me or Fudge but try not to bring walkers with you. On the last day that we finish here we can come back and tell you we are done if you haven't joined up with us by then. Just be warned, that we will leave nothing behind where we scavenge. Do you need any specific supplies? We will bring you some of it back and leave it by the door to give you a small surviving chance and because the rest of it, we are taking with us."

"Can you bring me some food?"

"No problem. We have a lot of food at our camp though. Just saying."

"Thanks."

I go back to the window to see both leave. Both are average in height. They are dressed in jeans and t-shirt. Both have helmets on with a light on top. Both have backpacks, vests that looks bulletproof, holsters with pistols in and both are carrying compound bows. I don't see any vehicles, but I kinda expect that because where will they get petrol and they are paranoid about attracting walkers. I go back to the couch I was sleeping on and sit down replaying the whole scenario in my head.

What if they end up killing me? What if they are psychopaths? What if this is really what they promise it to be? Will I survive on my own? Can I have a bed? Should I go with them? Will they bring me back some food? Where is the camp? What is the leader like? What work will I have to do?

I found no answers to my questions. Maybe I should take a leap of faith and try. If I die, I am going to heaven to be with my family, which isn't that bad. It's just the fear before I get killed that will suck. If I get enslaved at this camp and treated like shit, I can always escape and endure life on my own. If I can't escape, I can commit suicide and be with my family. If I don't go, then I know I am on my own and I have no guarantee I will stay alive. If I get bitten and I turn, then I will be dwelling the earth until someone puts me out of my misery. If things are as good as they promise and everything works out perfectly, then I will be sorted until I die an old aged death in my sleep. I can rebuild my life again. My soul can take a breath. I think I should risk it. I gather everything I think I might need in my backpack and move back the couch. I open the front door and step out onto the porch. I close the door behind me again and start to wonder how on earth will I know exactly where these 2 are?

"GHOSTED? FUDGE?" I shout

No response. I head to the sidewalk and look up and down the street. No sign of any sort of life. I tighten my grip around my axe and turn left. I walk down the street and try again.

"GHOSTED! FUDGE!"

No response. I walk a little bit further down the street and try again. No response. Should I go back and wait for them at the house? Will I get ambushed here in the open? Was it just a trick to get me out of the house? I turn around to walk back and almost walk right into the grip of a walker. I scream and backtrack a few steps.

"Fuck off!" I shout

I completely forget everything that I am supposed to do and drop my axe. I take a few steps back again and trip over something and fall hard on my back. I can't breathe. I can hardly move. Fuck this is it. This is how I go down. The walker drops down to its knees and lunges at me. I skid back a few centimetres and try to get it off me. It tries to bite me in the leg, but I kick it as hard as I can in the face. There is a bone chilling crunching sound as my foot finds its face. The walker moans an angry moan and stumbles back. I skid backwards further and look around for my axe. It's to my right close to the walker. I turn onto my stomach and crawl towards it. The walker has recovered and goes for me again. It gets onto its knees again and grabs me by the arm. I struggle to crawl forward to grab the axe and shake the walker off my arm. Multitasking was never my strong suit. Its nails are biting into my arm. Lucky the jacket is in the way so he can't scratch me, but it's about to bite down on my arm anyway so it's over. The walker jerks my arm up to its mouth and just as it is about to bite down a sound of something moving swiftly in the air passes by and penetrates the walker's shoulder. It knocks the walker off its feet and the walker falls to its side. I scramble away from the walker and grab my axe. The walker is still alive, so I run over to it and hit it hard on the neck with the axe. The axe cuts through the neck and decapitates the walker. The body of the walker slumps down onto the ground and the head rolls towards me. I back away a few more steps and turn around so see who saved my bacon. It's the 2 guys I saw previously.

"Thanks!" I call out.

They walk towards me at a brisk pace. I stay where I am and watch them approach. I try to catch my breath and steady my hands. I am shaking all over. This is the first time in my life I have ever killed anything.

"So you ventured outside of your hidey hole. You looking for us or what?"

"I uh I was looking for you yeah."

"So now you found us. What's up?"

"I uhm...I uhm..."

"What is it? We haven't got all day."

"I uhm...was wondering if the...uhm...offer is still standing to join you?"

"Yes, it is. Why? You want in on it?"

"Y... Yes."

"Ok cool. So, I am Ghosted and this is Fudge."

Ghosted is slightly taller than I am with curly black hair. There are stray hairs that is slowly going grey with age. He has a short cut up front but a ponytail at the back. His eyes are a swamp-like green. He is shaved clean but there is a hint of stubble along his jaw line. I can see the deep aged wrinkles in his face. He looks to be about 45 give or take. He has scars all over his arms. I wonder to myself what he used to do that made those scars on his arms. He is wearing a white t-shirt with what looks to be blood stains between the words 'Metallica' written on the shirt. He is wearing blue jeans and what looks to be like black combat boots. He is well built with a lot of muscle that makes him almost look bigger and fatter than he really is. He makes me think of a 70's or 80's rock fan.

Fudge is as tall as I am and is completely bald. He has a moustache. Also swamp green eyes. He is wearing glasses. He looks a lot younger than Ghosted. I don't see as much wrinkles on his face so he must be around 30. Maybe a bit younger. Are they related? I can't tell. He is wearing a plain black t-shirt with black jeans and white trainers. He has a watch on his arm and a bracelet in what I presume to be silver. He is quite skinny, but you can also see a lot of muscles on him. He looks like he can do some damage even though he isn't that big.

"Hi I am IceTiger." I say and extend a hand to formally greet them.

Both shakes my hand and looks a little confused at the formality.

"Have you brought anything with you that is useful?" Fudge asks.

"I don't know if it's useful to you, but it looked useful to me." I take off my backpack and open it.

Inside my bag is the unlit torch, 2 bottles of drinkable water. 1 can of food. The 25 arrows of which a few is broken. Probably broke when I fell on them. 1 first aid kit. A can opener, a flashlight, 3 bandages, pain killers, anti-biotics, soap and the lead and brass. Ghosted breaks out in a loud and unexpected laughter.

"What is so funny?" I ask.

"You. You seriously brought soap with you? For what?"

"Just because the world has gone to hell, doesn't mean you should smell like it either."

"Dude, you should smell like that otherwise you will be a magnet for walkers. Why do you have arrows, but no bow?" Ghosted asks with a curious frown

I look down at my feet and kick at a pebble in the street.

"I forgot my bow at the house." I reply

Ghosted breaks out in another bout of laughter and Fudge joins him.

"You are new at this aren't you Tiger?" Ghosted asks between the laughter.

"Yeah. Sorta."

"No worries. We can teach you. You can soap our shirts." Ghosted says and laughs again.

"Piss off. I survived. I got knocked out and woke up in the middle of nowhere with nothing and now I am here."

"As did we all." Fudge says with a smile.

"How long have you been doing this?" I ask.

"About 4 weeks now." said Fudge

"Ok so if you also woke up like I did, do you remember how you got there?"

"Nope. You?"

"No."

"Anyway, let's get a move on lady. We got houses to loot and walkers to kill. You still coming with us? We can use the extra hands to carry more home. You can just stay behind us, and we will hand you everything we want you to bring back with us." said Fudge

"I am not that useless."

"Without proper equipment, you are." said Fudge

"I told you I have a bow."

"Had. We aren't going back so you have no weapon except for that weakly crafted axe of yours." said Fudge

"Why aren't we going back?"

"Because you already got all the useful stuff in the house. I didn't say you were stupid." said Ghosted

"True. What if I go back and fetch the bow?"

"Rule number one: Nobody leaves each other's side. Where we go, you go and likewise the other way around. Even if you just want to take a piss. Whenever the is a disagreement about where we are going, there is to be voted. If it's 1 vs 1 then you go neither way and go somewhere completely different. Got that?" asked Ghosted

"I guess. Rather organized. So, can we go fetch my bow?"

Both looked at each other for a second. The look they share seems to speak a lot of unsaid words. The silence grew and so did my impatience.

"Seriously. It's not that far out of the way and then I would be more useful. I can also defend myself then and if something goes wrong, then I can be of use." I said.

"She has a point." Fudge said to Ghosted.

"Let's vote on it then. All in favour of fetching the bow, raise your hand." said Ghosted

I raise my hand and look around. After a few seconds of hesitation, Fudge slowly raised his hand as well.

"2 against 1. You lucked out brother." said Fudge.

So, they are brothers then, or are they just calling each other brother but they are not of the same blood?

"Fine. Let's go get the bow." said Ghosted.

We make our way down the street from where I came from. Ghosted and Fudge is following silently behind me. When we get to the house, I push open the door and go inside. Everything seems exactly as I left it. I keep my axe close to me in case there are any surprises. I feel uncomfortable and shifty about the situation. I walk into the kitchen, then the living room and then head upstairs. I find the bow on the floor in the room where I found the pillows and blankets. I pick it up and head downstairs again. Ghosted and Fudge is on the porch looking at the area we are in. When I approach them, they head out into the street. I close the door behind them and go to them.

"I uh never thanked you guys for saving my bacon." I said

"It's all good." Fudge said.

"I told you we weren't the bad guys." Ghosted said.

"We don't blame you for your scepticism though." Fudge said.

"So, when we loot the houses, you will cover the rear. You close the doors behind us and make sure nothing catches us by surprise. I will cover the front and left flank and Fudge will cover the front and right flank. Any questions?" asked Ghosted.

"No. I get it. Watch your arses."

"Smart lady. If you keep learning this quickly, we might be able to use you." said Ghosted with a smirk.

We walk down the street to what looks to be like a supermarket. It's rather big and dark.

"Right so here we go. We grab what we can that looks edible or useable. You follow as I already told you. When we are too full to move, you will carry what we give you in your bag. Once we get to camp, we will kit you with a proper duffel bag. Keep in mind what is yours. You can keep that." said Ghosted.

"Okay." I reply.

We walk all the way to the doorway of the super market and stand still. I keep the back covered and glance over my shoulder often to see when they are moving forward. I hear the familiar swift movement of the wind again and by the next sound, I know the arrow has found its target. A thud can be heard. I hear them step forward and I pace behind them slowly. In the right corner at the back I see a walker. I take an arrow and aim my bow and arrow at the walker. I draw back the wire and let go. A brief whooshing sound and the arrow finds its target. The walker groans alive and I grab another arrow. I aim again and draw the wire back. Whoosh and the arrow hits again. The walker is stumbling off balance but doesn't lose its destination. I grab another arrow and aim again. This time the arrow hits the walker right in the eye and it drops to the floor with a thud.

"Good." whispers Fudge.

The dance of arrows and walkers continues until the supermarket is strewn with the dead. The smell is horrible. I try hard not to wretch. Firstly, I don't want to lose what little food I have in my stomach and secondly, I don't want the guys to perceive me as weak.

"I can hear your stomach flipping. If you barf, go to a corner or a trash can. I don't want to step into it." said Ghosted.

"I am fine." I lied.

"Yeah right. Tell that to someone who will believe you." said Ghosted as we started walking between the shelves.

"Let me give you a tip. Firstly, I was watching you waste arrows on more than 1 walker. Always aim for the head. That is the only way to kill them. If you have a weak stomach, get yourself a scarf or something to cover your nose and mouth until you get used to the smell." said Fudge whilst inspecting items on the shelf that he stuffs into his bag.

"Tiger turn around. You earned a snack." Ghosted said with his hand towards me.

I turn around and take the bar of candy from him. It's a cereal bar with berries in it. I used to love these things growing up. I thank Ghosted and continue to guard the back. I don't know how long we spent in the supermarket, but we only covered about 40% of it and our bags are full. There is literally no more space. I feel like I am carrying a mountain and I struggle a little to breathe. I am horribly unfit if I struggle this much, I think to myself. We make our way to the exit again, trying not to step on the dead. On our way out we don't find any more walkers, but we are far from done here. We can bring back so much stuff. Maybe we should grab a trolley and fill it up.

"Guys. Why don't we grab a trolley each and fill it up as well? This way we can take more stuff?" I asked.

"Because the noise of the trolley will attract walkers." answered Ghosted.

"True if we take them just as is. If we head in to the hardware section, we find something to oil the wheels with so that the wheels won't make a noise. We keep on the grass and sand on the outside and no noise will be drawn to us." I said.

"That's not the worst idea Ghosted. We can get more done sooner. Just imagine how happy John would be with the loot. The stockers would also have some relief." said Fudge.

"You are a smart cookie, aren't you?" asked Ghosted.

I smile at Ghosted not being sure if he is being sarcastic or sincere. We turn around and head back into the supermarket looking for the hardware section. On the expedition to search for the oil for the wheels we find a handful of walkers along the way which Fudge and Ghosted takes down as soon as they awaken from their deadly sleep. When we finally reach the shelves, we grab what we are looking for and head back to the front of the store for the trolleys. Each of us finds a trolley in great condition and start oiling it. At least the trolleys are not made of metal so the noise will be a lot less than I thought. We make our way through the store, grabbing anything we can use. Once the trolleys were stocked, we looted almost the whole store.

"Looks like we got most of it." Fudge said.

"Actually, I think this is not the end of it." I said.

"Why do you think that?" asked Fudge.

"I used to work in retail and know for a fact that somewhere here has to be a store room where they put the stock that hasn't gotten to the shelves yet. There is always extra reserves in the back which is used to restock the shelves every day."

"A walking Wikipedia. John will like you." Ghosted remarked.

"I don't see you coming up with good ideas so maybe drop your attitude towards me?" I reply.

"Chill dude. When I am sarcastic, I don't mean it in a nasty way. I don't have an attitude."

"I am chilled. You just seem to be bitchy which makes our very first encounter seems like you were faking it because you wanted someone to do scut for you."

"I was sincere. It's not my problem that you are a sensitive snowflake."

"I am not sensitive. I just don't like the crap that you throw my way."

"Chill out the both of you. We have got to start making our way back before it is dark. Tiger, Ghosted is just being Ghosted. His sarcasm is as part of him as the bones in his body. You will get used to it. Just ignore him. Ghosted, you are being sarcastic and pissy and she is our new fledgling. Do you want to scare her off and lose the power you wanted? Play nice. We still need to get her through orientation and medicals. You will have more than enough time to be sarcastic to the lady." said Fudge.

The rest of the way out was spent in silence. We didn't speak. Each of us focused on pushing our load out and trying not to draw attention to us. Outside we head straight for the grass, only to realize the grass covers the noise, but slows us down even more. We have to push harder than normal to get the trolley to move as fast as we need to. After an hour of walking I sit on the grass whilst Fudge relieves himself in a bush and Ghosted keeps watch.

"How long still till we reach camp?" I ask.

"About 40 minutes' walk east still. We are almost there." replied Ghosted.

I get up from the ground when Fudge returns and we make our way east, pushing our load the rest of the way. When I look up after about 20 minutes' walk, I can see the walls of a camp come into view. It isn't high, but it is high enough to keep out people and walkers. The entire camp is about 2km in length. I can't see how big it on the inside is, but from what I can see it isn't a small camp. We reach a custom-built draw bridge. The walls around it made from concrete and as far as you can see the walls are concrete, lined with barbed wire and metal spikes. On the walls you can see people walking up and down. Some has bows. Some has guns. At the entrance is 2 guards with what looks to be sniper rifles. A deep trench has been dug in front of the spikes and I can see traps and what seems to be land mines. We stop and Ghosted takes 2 steps forward.

"Oi, let us in. We bring fresh supplies. Ghosted and Fudge has returned from duty and also brings a fledgling." Ghosted shouts.

"Why are you bringing us more mouths to feed? You know we are understocked." shouts the soldier from the tower back.

"I brought us fresh blood because we need the power! You know as well as I do that, we need people to stock and besides, the lady helped us bring much more supplies than we bargained for."

"Is that so? Where are these so-called supplies?"

"Are you blind? Has staring down a gun barrel all day rotten your brain so much you can't see 3 overstocked trollies?"

"Is that what they are? They looked like mounds of garbage."

"Piss off you bullet licker. It's food and other stuff. On top of that we have 2 full duffel bags and a full backpack."

The soldier laughs at his remarks and signals someone to lower the draw bridge. When the bridge lowered to the ground, we make our way through to the other side. The second we step off the bridge, it gets closed behind us again. I look around and I see so much activity. There are people operating the draw bridge. Children playing and sitting at desks looking to be doing homework of some sorts. I see people walking around, some carrying things, some of them looks like they are coming from some unknown location. I see clothes hanging outside drying and women washing clothes in a bucket. I see what looks to be farmed land where crops are growing. Mushrooms, Corn, berry bushes, yellow flowers, red flowers, Aloe Vera plants and some weird sort of cactus tree. I see Gazebos set up with people that seems to be handing out requested items to people. It looks like they are handing out rations. In front of us is a large building which looks like a factory or used to be a factory rather. Ghosted winks at me to follow him and the 3 of us go to the Gazebos where the people are handing out things. Almost like a flea market.

"Jenny! We brought you a small present!" Ghosted shouts.

"Coming in a minute." a women's voice comes from nowhere.

Out of a garage comes a middle-aged woman with bright coloured clothes. She is tall and a bit frisky. She has trainers on and for some unknown reason, is wearing lipstick. Her hair is tied back in a bun and she is wearing a golden necklace with a cross pendant at the end of it. Her clothes are sweat stained and dirty, but somehow manages to still be bright. She has long nails that looks like she can scratch holes into you. Her smile is bright and friendly. She walks up to Ghosted and gives him a quick hug. Ghosted doesn't return the gesture. He just stands there and waits for her to let go before speaking again.

"Right so I brought you some supplies to stock the closet with. We shall be bringing more tomorrow, but this should keep us running for a day or so." he said with a wide grin.

She looks over to the trolleys and then squeals in excitement. Her squeal makes me cringe and take 2 steps back.

"Oh goodness how happy am I to see this. Let me see what you have brought me."

Jenny walks over to the first trolley that Ghosted has and gives it a brief glance to see what is there. She motions for Ghosted to follow her into the garage. After about 10 minutes they return and Ghosted tells me to follow him and Fudge takes my bag.

"Don't worry I will only take out what is ours. I remembered your stock." said Fudge.

I nod and follow Ghosted. Ghosted takes me into the main building. The entrance seems to be a massive sleeping quarter. Dozens of cots have been placed here. Most of them has been cornered off with sheets, separating one from another. They seem to be makeshift rooms. Some bigger than others. I can see that there are lockers as well. It seems to be 4 lockers per person. 2 at the top. 2 at the bottom. Some has more.

"Ghosted. Why are some of these rooms bigger than the other or have more lockers?" I ask.

"Because those are the families. Believe it or not, some families have made it together alive. Other families have been split up in this mess. All children are placed with adults as well, even if it's not the kid's parents. They must make do with foster parents."

"Makes sense. Are there many children with such situations?"

"In my personal opinion yes. It seems like parents has sacrificed themselves for their children. Noble cause, but they didn't stop to think if there will be someone alive out there that is willing to take the kid in."

"I get what you mean."

We walk all the way to the other side and go into another part that is significantly smaller, but also houses a few people. Most of them seems to be sick or injured so I assume this might be a sort of a hospital for the people. Drips are hanging on coat hangers or actual hospital drip hangers. Against the walls are cupboards with windows in them where you can see the sort of supplies inside of them. The place smells like rubbing alcohol. We walk between the people until we reach a small office with a bed in it. A guy is sitting at the desk dressed in scrubs working his way through some papers. Ghosted knocks on the door.

"Hey doc. I brought in a fledge. Can you look her over so we can get her through to the next round?"

"I am a bit busy at the moment. Can it wait? I must amputate a leg otherwise the gangrene might spread." the doctor asks.

"It won't take long doc. Look at her. She doesn't have much to examine." Ghosted said pointing at me.

"I can wait." I said whilst glaring at Ghosted.

"You do realize you will be sitting for hours in an isolated room with absolutely nothing in it until she is finished right?" asked Ghosted

"Can I have a book to read?"

"I guess."

"Then I will wait."

"Good that is settled. Isolation room take her to the library to get a book and then I shall see you later." said the doctor.

"Whatever. Your funeral." said Ghosted.

We walk to a staircase and walk up 6 flights of stairs. By the last step I am so out of breath that I pant all the way. Ghosted seems to not be affected as much. I see drops of sweat on his forehead and his chest is rising and falling a bit faster than normal. Ghosted opens the door and walks into a room about half the size as the hospital ward. Against all the walls is bookshelves loaded with books.

"Pick whatever you like, but don't take years."

I walk towards the shelves and read the labels. Fiction. Romance, comedy, fantasy, horror, drama, detective, etc. I stop by the detective novels and see what title grabs my attention. Eventually I pick 2 books of the shelves and walk back to Ghosted.

"About time. I was falling asleep here. Come on let's lock you up."

"Why do I have to be isolated though?"

"To check for any infectious diseases or bite and scratch marks from walkers. We do not want you to turn and kill people."

"How long does isolation last?"

"Until the doctor clears you for duty."

"How long is that?"

"Depends. If she finds something, you have to wait till it is out of your system. If you are scratched or bitten, we see if we can cut it off if it hasn't spread yet. If it's small and you are lucky, we stuff you full of anti-biotics and you are good to go within 2 weeks. If you are clean, then the next day you will be let go and go on to the next round where you will be orientated. If you are completely infected and there is no hope for you, we take you out on a sunny walk and clip you in the field."

"Clip me in the field?"

"I shoot you in the head."

"Oh..."

"Don't worry. By the looks of it, you aren't there in that sort of danger."

We walk in silence back to the staircase and go all the way to where we came from. We walk past the doctor's office to an area that looks like a prison. Inside is a bed, a toilet, a sink, toilet paper and folded blankets and pillows. It seems like this area is completely empty which means this will be a rather lonely night. Ghosted keeps walking and stops at random at a cell.

"Take this one here. It hasn't been used in a long time which means the mattress is softer than the other ones. This is your reward for helping." he said with a smile.

"Thanks." I said walking into the cell.

"Fudge will be here soon with your bag of stuff that you can keep. We have got to unload the load that we brought with us. Sweet dreams princess." Ghosted said locking the cell and walking off into the distance.

I look around in my small confined space. There isn't much to do. I can't see into the other cells. I start to unfold the blankets and make the bed. Once the bed has been made, I plomp down onto it with my book and get lost in the fiction world. Minutes seem to have turned into an hour or 2 because suddenly I jump up with a yelp when someone knocks with a pipe against my cell door. I look up startled and see that it is Fudge accompanied by someone I don't know.

"You scared the living shit out of me Fudge. What do you want to do? Kill me before I turn old and grey?" I asked quite upset about the jump scare.

"Girl, you need to chill just a little. We ain't doing you no harm. We just made sure you ain't dosing off and turning bat shit crazy on us. You ain't bit are ya?" said the guy.

"Sorry about that. I thought you might appreciate your backpack with some supplies. I added some food and water for the night. Inside is a pair of pants that should fit you better than those clingy pants. I also have some socks and if you tell me your shoe size, I can see to get you a pair of shoes." said Fudge.

"Thanks. My shoe size is 8. I am not crazy or going to turn either. I haven't been bitten and I am quite sane thank you very much." I said answering both guys in the same breath.

"What they all say. Bitches be crazy." said the guy.

"Brad don't call her that. A little more respect and a little less swearing would be nice." said Fudge.

"Whatever man." answered Brad and rolls his eyes.

I walk to the door of the cell and Brad unlocks the door. Fudge gives me my bag and I take it and sit down on my bed with the bag.

"Thanks. I appreciate what you are doing for me." I said opening the zip of the bag.

All the contents are still in the bag except the broken arrows. All arrows have been taken out of the bag. I take out a bottle of water and start drinking. I finish the water in one breath, only realizing then that I haven't drank anything for most of the day and I am thirsty. There are about 4 more bottles of water in the bag and I drink half of another bottle. Fudge and Brad has left already, locking the door behind them once again. Inside the bag I also find a sandwich and 2 bananas. The can of food that was in there is still there too with the can opener. I take out the socks and pants. I change into the new black pants and they fit better but the problem is, this one is too big. I shall have to ask for a belt. I put on the socks to keep my feet nice and warm. I lay back onto the bed again and open the book to start reading again. Whilst I disappear into the fictional world again, I nourish my body with the sandwich. It is the best sandwich ever, but that's what it feels like if you have lived of scraps of food the previous day. On top of it I still don't know what happened to me, so I don't know when the last time was, I ate something before I was passed out. How long have I been out anyway? I don't have any way to tell. I can't remember a thing from the past. It is as if someone wiped the harddrive of my brain, leaving me with a blank emptiness. By the time I finish the book, it is pitch black and I can hardly make out what I am reading anymore. I have no idea what the time is, but what caught my attention was the sound of footsteps in the hall. I look up from the book and a dark shadow emerges out of nowhere. Soon the dark shadow turns into the doctor I met earlier. She is accompanied by 2 other men. She walks straight up to my cell and smiles at me.

"Hi there. Sorry that it has taken that long. We uhm ran into a small complication. I am Doctor Mc Comrick. I am the chief of general surgery. I will be doing your examination today. Don't worry about the men at my side. They are just a safety precaution, which is there for my and your safety. If you are not yet familiar with the rule, then I will explain it to you. All citizens of camp Alpha 17 are to be accompanied by 2 security guards when entering sensitive areas such as the supply rooms, the hospital, isolation chambers, the private offices and the scavengers vault." said Dr. Mc Comrick.

"Hi. I am IceTiger."

"Nice to meet you Miss or is it Mrs. IceTiger?"

"Miss."

"Ok Miss IceTiger. So for privacy the 2 men will be stationed at the door facing forward and with their backs toward us for privacy whilst I do the examination." she said and unlocks the door.

The doctor walks into the cell and the 2 men do as she described. Both men are tall and strong. Both have pistols in holsters. The doctor brings in a small bag with medical equipment and a writing pad. She sets down the bag and opens it. She takes out her stethoscope and looks at me expectantly.

"Can you please take off your jacket and shirt. I want to listen to your heart and lungs. Afterwards I will test your iron levels to see if it is normal. Once that is done, I will take your temperature and I will prick your arm with a needle and draw a small amount of blood. My reason for doing so is to look for any abnormalities underneath my microscope and also so that we have a base sample to compare with in the future if needed. I will then ask you to strip completely to examine your physical health. I need you to answer some questions for me as well." she said.

I take off my jacket and shirt and the doctor comes closer to me. She listens to my heart and lungs and make notes on her notepad. She pricks my finger and tests my iron level and scribble down some more notes. She ties a piece of rope to my upper arm and searches for a veign. She takes out an alcohol wipe and cleans the bend of my arm. Out of her bag comes a rather thick needle with a IV line. She finds a veign and sticks in the needle in it drawing 3 veils of blood. She takes out a syringe and fills it up with blood as well and lays it aside. In between she scribbles down more notes. Once she is done, she asks me to strip completely and looks through every inch. She questions every single scar and any mark that looks like it doesn't belong there. I also had to identify a dozen freckles.

"You may dress yourself again. I am relatively satisfied. Now it's just to test the blood, which I will do in a few minutes and get back to you immediately. So now I need some information from you." she said.

I start to dress, and she waits for me to finish. Once I am done, she sits on the toilet with her notepad on her lap.

"Age?"

"22"

"Blood tipe?"

"O+"

"Good. We need those. Any recent surgeries?"

"I don't remember."

She writes down a few lines with a furrowed brow.

"Do you know your weight and height?"

"I don't know my weight, but I am about 1.6 meters tall."

"No worries, I can weigh you in my office. Any medical conditions I should be aware off?"

"No."

"Have you had any form of trauma recently?"

"I fell pretty hard and it knocked the wind out of me, but otherwise no."

"Why did you fall?"

"I was tripped by a walker."

"Did it cause any of the wounds on your body that has been identified?"

"I am not sure. I don't think so no. The scabby knee was where I tripped and fell. I don't think it had a chance to hurt me."

"I have seen 2 scratch marks that I am concerned about. I would like to examine them."

"Okay. Go ahead."

She takes out 2 cotton swabs and swabs both scratch marks on my arm.

"Right so in general I am happy with what I see. I will quickly go examine these samples, then I will return with the verdict of what is to happen. I would like you to accompany me to my office so I can weigh you and you can just stay with me so I can give you your results. Have you taken any fluids today and eaten?"

"Yes I have."

"Well you look a little dehydrated so I would suggest you drink more fluids."

"Okay."

She gets up and packs up all her equipment. She closes the notepad and puts it in the bag as well. The doctor walks to the door and motions for me to follow her. She walks ahead of us and the 2 guys follow me behind her. I feel uncomfortable, but I don't make my anxiety clear. It's just protocol after all. Once we are in her office I get onto the scale and she notes my weight. She motions for me to sit down whilst she examines the samples, she took from me. After what seems to be forever, she looks up and writes down some more notes. The doctor gets up from the examination table and sits behind her desk looking at me with the notepad on her desk.

"Ok so a couple of questions more. Have you been sick recently?"

"No."

"Vomited?"

"No."

"Any fever?"

"No."

"How long have you been here?"

"In this place or do you mean like in general?"

"In general, please."

"This will be day 2."

"Do you remember anything from before these 2 days?"

"No. Is that normal?"

"It's fine. Some remember. Some don't."

"Why?"

"Don't worry about that now. Let's just finish here first. Any pain?"

"Yes. My knee hurts a little where I fell."
"That is to be expected. Have you been sexually active in the last 2 days?"

"No. Where would I find the time? I am trying to survive."

"Are you feeling healthy and well in general?"

"Yeah I guess."

"Are you uncertain?"

"A little. I mean I wake up in the middle of nowhere with no explanation. I was naked. The world has gone to hell. I have been attacked by walkers. I have killed for the first time ever. I guess I can be as good as expected under circumstances."

"Look, it can be a little confusing and traumatic at first, but there is nothing to worry about. You will get used to it. Just give it a chance. So, looking at the overall results, I am happy with what I see. As I said I would recommend you take in some more fluids to be sure that you don't dehydrate. Furthermore, you seem healthy in overall aspects and I found nothing that concerns me. I would however like to keep you for overnight observation and measure your temperature through the night. I will also start you on a broad spectrum anti-biotic drip just to make 100% sure you have no underlying infections or diseases. It won't take that long and if all goes well, we can set you up in camp. Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"Not really no."

"Okay medically I am inclined to tell you what side effects the drip might have. You might experience the following symptoms: Nausea, headache, constipation, mood changes, rash, irregular heartbeats, asthma attack and lastly allergic reaction to the medication."

"Sounds extreme. Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, but if you refuse treatment then you will not be able to stay on as you are a risk for the community. The side effects are usually minimal, and some effects are in the worst-case scenario. You might experience nothing. You might experience something. Every patient is different. I also need you to sign a document giving me permission to share your results with the camp leader and his assistants. It will only be them and me that has access to the files. It is so I can give you a clean bill of health so you can go through orientation. Afterwards you will be teamed up with a mentor and you will be taught the ways of survival. Your skills will be tested, and a role will be assigned to you. You only get pardoned from your duties if you are severely injured, disabled or ill. You will only be pardoned if you get a medical certificate from me that states, I deem you unfit for work. If you are for example injured, you will be excused from physical duties, but that might not excuse you from administrative duties. Administrative duties include keeping stock count, helping me do filing, briefing the scouts on needed supplies, writing out memos to the camp members, etc. So be warned, it isn't just laid back here."

"Jeez. It doesn't sound like I get to rest."

"You do. Everyone here works in shifts of 6 hours. You also get 1-hour lunch. You are then free until your next shift starts. You can sign up or volunteer for other duties in your off time and you will be rewarded and compensated for your time. Make sure to rest though."

"Okay."

"So that concludes my part of the briefing. Please sign the document." she says handing me a piece of paper.

I read it and sign at the bottom. I hand her the permission slip back and she gets up from her desk. Doctor Mc Comrick walks over to one of the supply closets filled up with drips and takes one out. She walks to the door and motions for me to follow. We walk back in silence to the cell that is mine and opens the door. The 2 guards station themselves at my door again and the doctor sets me up and get me ready for the drip. Once she hooked me up to the drip I lay back on my bed. The doctor walks out again and locks the door. I lay there and stare at the drip. Waiting for it to finish. Tiredness overwhelms me, but I fight to stay awake. In about 2 hours the doctor returns and takes off the drip. She measures my temperature again and walks to the door but turns around and faces me.

"Okay so we are done for the night. I recommend you to sleep now. We will be back in the morning and if all goes well then you will be free to roam around."

She doesn't give me a chance to reply and she closes the door behind her. The lock clicks into place and I am left with silence in the dark. I take my backpack out from under the bed and open it again. I find the half full bottle of water and empty it. I get up to relieve myself and then climb in bed underneath the blankets. I toss and turn for quite a while until I drift off into an uneasy sleep. My soul takes a breath.