~November 1st~

The pungent smell of burnt tires and human flesh clings to the air. Sirens and car alarms blaring loudly over the sound of gunfire in the distance of the late evening. "Where could they be?"

Leaning on a wall of a construction building I looked through one of the dirty windows. Outside are parked cars and crashed ones, trash and blood everywhere, but the streets are strangely absent of soul-less corpses and actual humans.

Just yesterday Katara, Naga, and I came here to visit her son Tenzin and his kids. We're both visiting from Alaska; a cold and ice filled state with Eskimos and tribes, to California; a hot place filled with shirtless assholes.

We decided to take a quick detour through a park just to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery. While there, some random guy had fell out, people thought it was a heart attack until he rose up and bit someone face off.

That's when panic quickly set in, people running against each other, pushing and shoving. Even trampling on a defenseless woman, so with my quick thinking, I put Katara on Naga's back and told her to run I'll find them.

Technically it's been twenty-four hours since we've been separated, no progress has been made. I'm lost, alone, and hungry.

Searching around the half built building I found a chest of tools containing several types of screwdrivers, hammers, power tools, and wrenches.

With my limited selection, I choose to take two screwdrivers, a flathead, and the nail gun. It runs on batteries and I prayed that it's fully charged as I stuff my pockets to the brim with nails.

Pulling the black bandana I have wrapped around my neck over my nose and mouth, I slowly opened the door and took my leave back to the park. Hopefully I can find something that will lead me to them.

The two or three minute jog there is incident free, now for the hard part. Getting past zombies without drawing attention to myself. I seen movies and t.v. shows on how to survive the zombie apocalypse.

One wrong move and I'm dead.

There are a few bodies carelessly stacked together on the ground with gunshot wounds to the head, others a not so graceful death or re-death. At least someone have the decency to move them.

Holding the nail gun close and looking over my shoulder every ten seconds. 'So far so good.' I made it to the lake where some kids were feeding the ducks. Bad thing; all the bread is gone. Great thing; there's no blood on the ground they were standing on. Maybe they escaped unharmed. Maybe.

As I made my way to the western side of the entrance, that's when I heard it. A low growl almost a snarl that's not to far behind me probably a few feet away. Over a small amount of time it grows louder in front of me and from the sides. A few zombies were in hiding, waiting to ambush me, even the ones stacked together presumed dead arose in thoughts of a meal.

Assessing the situation there too many zombies here to count, so I picked up my pace to a sprint. Since they're slow it's easy to dodge the bloody and broken hands reaching out to me. Almost too easy.

Until a male zombie stepped in front of me bites scaring his neck, coagulated blood drips from its mouth, his stomach is ripped open; blood, organs, and other bodily fluids spilled out onto the pavement with the smell of death strongly sticking to him.

Reaching into my back left pocket I pulled out the screwdriver and stuffed it right in his eye. Small spurts of blood left his eye socket then he fell limp to the ground.

I dropped three more with my spare screwdriver and five others blocking my exit with the nail gun, though it took me twelve tries to kill them, right now is not the time to dwell on the wasted ammo, I must continue pushing forward.

Upon the exit I almost jumped out of my skin at the sight of a horde of maybe twenty or thirty so zombies shuffling in a random direction, staring back at me.

"Fuck."

The growls and screeches is intense, sound as if they're about to swallow me whole. My jog turnt to a full sprint, I don't care where my legs took me as long as it's far away from here and I'll be damned to look back.

I took several lefts and rights when I came across residential housing. My lungs burn and my chest feel constricted, even the zombies I passed didn't give me a second thought, they all knew they won't be able to catch me no matter how long they chase- no, walked after me.

I slowed back to a jog, looking around the street it was empty compared to the few stragglers mindlessly standing about or limping off to some place unknown, neither zombie noticed me, so I took refuge behind a black truck. My throat is dry and tight, it hurts breathe now that my lungs are properly taking back oxygen.

I peeped around the edge of the jeep making sure the coast is clear then to a red brick house in front of me. The night is about to wash over soon so I took the time to look around outside of the house to find a way in.

The front and back door is locked, so are all the windows. That only saved the basement door that soon opened after a few hard tugs.

I was greeted with a creaking resistant from the doors along with emptiness and light. 'Where's there lights means electricity, electricity mean hot running water.'

Closing and locking the door the best I can behind me, there are no sounds emanating from inside the house. It's a regular basement of old manageable junk here or there, a water heater with pipes going in and out the house.

Still it's quiet, too quiet for my liking, something is going to jump out the shadows once I let my guard down.

Making my way to the bottom of the stairs that I assume leads to a kitchen, I banged on the walls loudly and waited.

Nothing.

Just few minutes that's packed into an hour nothing came out or made a noise. Just to be safe I carefully and slowly creeped throughout the house.

I looked thoroughly in the cabinets and refrigerator finding several varieties of canned foods, bottles of water, processed meats, and juices.

I took a bottle of water to quench my immense thirst. The cool water left a pleasant shiver down my spine and the canned food staved off my hungry for now.

With my short break out of the way I searched the rest of the house the living room is well furnished, was well furnished. The sofa cushions are thrown about, the coffee table is flipped along with the t.v..

The one bedroom in the back is the same, clothes everywhere and other valuables. The bed is tossed carelessly to one side of the room. Whoever was here either left in a hurry or I'm not the only person who decided to break into a person's home and take what I can.

I made my way to the bathroom to clean myself up. I took off my bandana, I can finally breathe in untainted air, not fresh mind you, but better than the unnameable stench in the outside world.

Stripping off my navy blue jacket that's covered in dried blood and dirt, my jogging pants, and boots also suffered the same fate. My hair is in disarray, different dark brown strands of hair is out of its ponytail or sticking up.

Personal looks is the last thing I'm concerned about. Hygiene is number one priority. I tested the water flowing from the bathtub faucet, the warmth of the water nearly sent my sensitive and sore nerves into deep state of bliss.

Happiness ran through me knowing I can bathe tonight but quickly disappeared when my thoughts went to Katara and Naga. God knows what their going through right now, they probably haven't eaten or drank anything and I have the nerve to enjoy a bath and act like the world is fine.

Katara; worked with my mother as a full time doctor at a local hospital. She helped delivered me during birth and was my Mix Martial Arts instructor until she retired from old age. Basically she's my godmother and her son, Tenzin and his family are my second family.

Internally sighing I turned off water and just used a warm wet rag to clean my hands and face.

In my reflection I ran a hand over my tribal tattoo on my left shoulder, it's a half crescent moon with water lines turning into a wave. It always reminds me of home.

At the tender age of 5 my father and I use to go deer hunting, I'm able to track anything that leaves a footprint, but with so many people in one place this has became a needle in a haystack situation.

If it was just Katara missing, I could've find her no problem with Naga; a white Great Dane that has a nose strong as a bloodhound and big enough to be ridden as a racehorse.

With her nose and my hunting skills we're able to find anything that could've been missing for years.


Once I finished cleaning myself up, I went in the living room to look out the window, the street lights are still on, the end of the world isn't here just yet.

I tried watching television from the turned over flat screen. Three fourths of the screen is busted, only showing distorted white streaks. The viable one fourth of the t.v. shows a few colored bars along with a stretched high pitched noise.

Every channel have exactly the same thing. The high pitch noise and colored bars. 'Great.'

I fixed up the three seat sofa cushions to lay down and get some rest that doesn't come easy. Zombies moaning and groaning outside, banging on parked cars.

I'm ready to put this day behind me but for reasons unknown the sounds only got louder in my ear, I know I checked this house, twice, looked in every nook and cranny. Even places I know a person can't fit just to be sure.

Regardless I opened my eyes, the floorboards creaked, but I didn't make a move. It's dark, and I don't know if it's a human or zombie so I waited until I saw a silhouette by the window.

Making small movements to lift my bandana over my face, it's a woman by the shape, in her hand was something long and she began to fiddle with it, with a small click a very bright and blinding light shone through the darkness.

"What the hell you're doing in my house? Just because the world is in a crisis you think you break into someone's home?"

She's an elder woman with graying hair, dressed in a cop uniform, "Face the wall and put your hands up. Now!" She pointing a gun at me.

Complying to her demands I let her frisk and cuff me. She radio into the police station to see if there's room for me to be put in a cell. I honestly couldn't care less about the law, right now I need to make an escape.

With the lady cop distracted, I threw my head back as hard as I can and heel kicked her in the stomach.

While she kneeling over in pain I ran through the dark house, with gunshots following behind me.

In the back room I ran full speed to the window ahead of me. Ignoring the blinds and curtains, I forcefully kicked it open. I don't care that there's glass pieces in my leg, my brain haven't registered the pain because this is better than catching an unsuspecting bullet.

Getting through the window was tricky. The rugged edges got caught on my jacket and hair. I can feel the glass cutting into my skin, a few of them is not deep enough for stitches, just enough to bleed.

As the gunshots ring through the early morning it's a sure way to get zombies attention. I'm out in the open world, again, and running is ten times harder with my arms behind my back and a limp in my run, but no matter how much pain I'm in, nothing will stop me.

I ran for miles through several different blocks still stranded in the residential housing area. 'If I wasn't handcuffed and she didn't have that gun I would beat her into the ground.'

The adrenaline had finally left my system, I'm tired and the pain made itself more aware. Looking up at the sky the sun is peeking over the horizon.

I want to try my luck again with another house. This one is white with a black porch. Smashed pumpkins remains covers every inch of it. The outside so far is free of zombies and I hope the same for the insides.

Walking back to the front door I tried the knob it's locked. Looking through the window I don't see or here movement. 'Good nobody home.'

Going to the back door it's unlocked, facing the door I nudge it open with my boot. It's a nice style home. The kitchen is fairly clean, and nothing is thrown about.

Once I locked the door I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Starting to search the rest of the house, the living room is empty but there's covers and leftover food on the floor. 'Whoever is staying here will be back at any time I should go.'

But I froze on the spot, the pitter-patter of bare feet on hardwood rings in my ears. 'Two people? No, three!' I came face-to-face with two females and one man.

The female on the left is short with long blonde hair and brown eyes.

The man in the middle have short sandy blonde hair with the same brown eye color, taller than all three of us put together, and is made of pure muscles, like he's been hitting the gym once he came out the womb.

The last person is a female on my right a tall brunette with jade green eyes.

None of us moved, the quiet standoff is intense where I can hear my heart drumming in my ears over my own breathing, my palms are sweaty and I won't be able to put up a good fight with my hands behind my back.

On my right side is a little table stand no higher than my hip with a lamp sitting on top of it. So I kick the underside of it at the tall brunette across from me.

"Asami move!" The man pushes her out of the way, the table and lamp crashed into the wall behind them. He ran at me swinging wildly. Trying to avoid getting hit is hard.

Trying to keep an eye on him and the girls behind me is several tasks in itself.

I saw an opening, he swung high, I went low, kicking his left leg from under him while he trying to regain his balance I moved to kick him in face.

I my boot was close to coming into contact with his cheek but I got pushed by the blonde. "No, Gabby run." But she didn't move, instead I got stared down.

I grabbed on the edge of my handcuffs in my right hand and pulled. As the man beside her started to stand, he ran past her to tackle me. I side stepped him and ran to the girl bumping her out my way, now the brunette blocked my path.

Strong arms wrapped around waist, then lifted me into the air to toss me against the wall, but I kicked my legs up and pushed against him.

As I squirmed around his grip is loosening, once I got free he pulled my jacket over head. Giving one more strong pull a metallic pop was heard.

The lock mechanism broke for the cuff on my left wrist, shedding my jacket off the rest of the way I used the ruff edge of the broken cuff as a weapon.

I swung with my right, he dodged it but got caught with my left and pushed him over the arm of the sofa. Again I made a run for it, I took on the brunette swinging at her, she dunked under my arm and my fist went into the drywall.

Her right fist hit my gut, the pain is sharp but quick pulling my fist out the wall and elbowed her in the face. The backdoor is in my sight. I could taste freedom, but it left quickly as the same strong hands pushed me into the table.

He's leaning over me, getting hit three times in the face, I caught his hand and headbutt him. Flipping out positions my left fist rained down on him.

The brunette pulled me off, small traces of blood run down her lips. Her right hand went to my throat while the left went to my right arm, holding onto my makeshift weapon, then the door swung open stopping our fight.

*Clunk*

Something hard hit the side of my head and made my vision blurry. Falling to my knees everything sound muffled, through my haze I swore I saw a familiar face, "Katara."

Then my world went black.