Its been almost 2 hours now since I had left the house. The only place that ever felt like a home to me. The only place that has ever felt secure.

I pick up speed as I sprint across an open bridge. Scraps of paper lay scattered all over the pavement, floating around with faces on them of the lost or dead. I stopped and placed my hands on my knees panting. I walked over to the side of the bridge and closed my eyes.

I could feel where the .17 HMR had been pounding into my back while I was running. My whole body felt sore and weak.

I was actually surprised I hadn't encountered any infected during my escape. The only trace I saw was a few bodies lying in alleys, but I made sure to move by those quickly.

I got up again and started to walk briskly down the rest of the bridge. The Big Ben looked to be only 3 miles away now. I'd probably be there by the late afternoon.

I got down across the bridge to a 4-way intersection. There were more scattered papers lying around, and a few cars standing stranded. I walked up to an old Chevy pickup and tried to look into the dusk covered window. I wiped away the dust to get a clearer look.

A skeleton lay in the driver seat, with the skeleton of an infant in the backseat. They must've been stupid enough to try to stick it out inside their goddamn Chevy.

Fuck.

I had walked for another 30 minutes looking into abandoned shops and restaurants before I heard the footsteps. Fast, agile, skittery footsteps. The footsteps of the infected.

I shouldered my rifle and ran into a crashed window of a store, hiding behind the register, my rifle laid across the counter.

I waited for a few minutes as I heard the footsteps get closer.

A young girl, who couldn't be older than 20, came running into the middle of the street. Her dress was in shreds, and her hair was knotted and unwashed. She looked around wildly, and I first thought she was infected, but then I saw the fear on her face. She stood still for a minute and then picked up running.

I got up quickly and shouted after her. "HEY!"

She stopped on a dime and spun around, looking at the store, until her eyes found me. She stayed perfectly still at first, her gaze locked into mine.

"Who are you? Please dont hurt me!" She said, begging, almost crying.

"Jesus, I'm not going to hurt you." I got up and started walking out of the store. She jumped again and looked like she was gonna run. I stopped walking and put my hands up defensively. "You can trust me." I said comfortingly. "I'm just as in danger as you are."

"I don't trust anyone anymore." She said defiantly. I kept walking, slowly. "Well, that doesn't help either of us now, does it?" I said, shrugging.

She seemed to relax as I got closer. She pushed her arms into her sides, as I approached her.

I pushed out my hand. "Sean Tiller. It's a pleasure."

She stared at my hand for as second and then eyed my rifle. "Dont worry, I'm not going to do anything with that thing except kill infected."

She put her hand out too and grabbed mine. She shook it firmly, saying "Kate. Kate Bansen."

"Its nice to meet you, Kate."

"So what are you doing here?" She said pulling her hand away.

I sat down on the pavement. "Well, my house got attacked so I had to get out." She then sat down and looked at me. "First time?" She asked.

I looked up, "Excuse me?"

"First time being attacked?"

"Yeah..." I said looking down again.

She nodded again, understanding.

"Well, what about you?" I said. "Where are you from?"

She pointed down one of the streets. "I've been staying down the street at an abandoned homeless shelter."

"Alone?"

"No, with four others."

My heart jumped.

I stood up, saying, "There are others?"

"Yeah of course! You think we would be the only 2 people left in all of London?"

"Well, I just never thought to look. We have to go there! What the hell are we doing just standing here!?"

She got up too and shook her head. "No, we cant. We cant go back."

I looked at her disbelievingly, "Why the hell not?"

"Because they all got infected."