p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Being outside his car at night gave him an idea of just how quiet the world had gotten. He hadn't even realized before just how noisy things had been – pre-apocalypse there was no such thing as total silence. Busy streets, people talking, and the general sounds of human life had constantly filled that void. It was almost frightening, this newfound silence. It served as a constant reminder of how alone he was. How alone most survivors were. How much of the human race had been wiped off the planet./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And yet, life continued on. Crickets were chirping, loud as ever, and every so often a bat passed overhead. These creatures didn't need humans to survive. In fact, they were probably thriving without them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Eddie scratched his arm, staring blankly ahead. There were a few vehicles scattered here and there down the road, but they looked trashed. He didn't have much hope of them holding any gasoline. Regardless, he pressed onward./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The first car he came across was a smashed-up Nissan Altima. All four of its windows were completely obliterated. A few shards of glass hung from their edges like jagged teeth, daring any brave soul to reach their hand in there and try not to get cut. Luckily, what Eddie needed wasn't from the car's blood-stained interior. He popped open the gas door and took a whiff. Only the faintest ghost of gasoline smell greeted him. As he'd figured, the car was drained./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He continued his trudge down the long road before him. A forest green pickup truck was his next target. This one had a walker inside. It banged weakly on the window as Eddie checked the gas tank. Again, nothing./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I might really be fucked this time./span He couldn't go much farther without risking losing his way back to his car. And there wasn't another vehicle in sight the way he was headed, anyway. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"This is terrible. I'm gonna have to leave my car behind./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Sighing deeply, he decided to turn around and head back. If nothing else, he could at least spend one more night sleeping in the car before he had to leave it. It was probably the last decent night's rest he'd ever get./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The walkers that had been following him were enthusiastic to see him turn around. Their rotting arms reached outward as they stumbled down the otherwise-empty road. Shifting his gas can and tubing to his left hand, Eddie pulled his knife from his right pocket and glanced down at it. He couldn't run from them forever./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The first walker went down easily. One stab to the forehead and it collapsed to the ground. The others, seemingly a bit less decayed than the almost-skeletal first one, put up more of a fight. One of the monsters managed to catch hold of his wrist while he was driving his knife downward. It opened its mouth, flashing its yellow teeth as it attempted to snap them shut on his skin. He elbowed the thing in its gut, knocking it back a step, then stuck the knife right into its eye socket. It crumpled into a bloodied heap and he stepped over it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A few dropped walkers later, he was alone again. His car came into view, a hunk of darkness in the mist. He crept toward it. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"At least I'll have one more safe night, /spanhe thought as he rested his hand on the driver's side handle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The door popped open quietly. As he leaned into his car to hit the trunk button again, he noticed something out the passenger window. Off the road, a short way into the woods, a large vehicle sat butted up against a tree. Partially obscured by underbrush and fog, Eddie couldn't really tell what kind of vehicle it was – just that it was large and rectangular. Judging by the size of it, it probably had a sizable gas tank./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He pulled back out of the car. Maybe he wasn't so fucked after all./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Carrying his siphoning gear over to the other side of the car, he squinted into the forest. From what he could see, the vehicle looked to be an old, beat-up RV. There didn't seem to be any sort of camp set up around it, nor did he see any lights on inside of it. He decided to approach it cautiously. Survivors had snuck up on him in the woods before./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Up close he could confirm that it was, in fact, an RV. Its blinds were all pulled down. It was stained with blood along the tires, and a few bullet holes littered its side. It had obviously seen a lot in its day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Unlike the other vehicles, he couldn't see inside the RV to check if it was empty. He decided to creep around to the front and peer in through the windshield. No living thing presented itself to him there. The RV looked abandoned. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It's gotta be abandoned. It has to be. I need this gas./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He tiptoed back around the vehicle, to the gas door near the back. Setting his jug on the grass, he popped the door open, unscrewed the gas cap and took a sniff. The smell of gasoline assailed him. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Fuck yes./span He quickly fed his tube into the tank and drew one end to his mouth. Kneeling beside the RV, he listened hard for any alarming noises for a brief moment. He heard nothing. Only a faint autumn breeze caused any disturbance around him, rustling the multicolored leaves in the trees all around. Still he was wary, and his hands trembled as he clutched the plastic tube./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Wrapping his lips carefully around the held end of the tubing, he sucked just hard enough to draw some fuel into it. Then he quickly detached his mouth and let the precious gasoline drip into the jug. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"All right. We're getting there. /spanHe shook the tube dry, then lifted it to his mouth once more. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Just a little more and I'll be good to-/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Two wiry arms seized him from behind. He cried out, dropping everything as he struggled in the grip of the stranger holding him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A knife blade prodded the soft skin of his throat. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"His/span knife blade. He froze, staring straight ahead, unable to move without the blade jabbing at him. "P-please don't kill me." he squeaked to the unknown person, his voice cracking. "I just needed some gas. I thought this thing was abandoned. If it's not, that's – that's fine. I'll leave right now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The attacker leaned in close to him. He could smell dirty leather and unwashed flesh on them, a chokingly strong scent./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You made a big fucking mistake," a harsh, feminine voice hissed in his ear. The knife tip poked at the tender flesh of his throat once more. "Trying to steal from me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm sorry, I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry." He tried to turn his head a little, just far enough to see the person holding him. He couldn't turn enough. Her grip on him was too strong. "I didn't know it belonged to anyone. I swear."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman had him in an unbelievably tight hold. It was as if he were seatbelted in, with no way to unlock himself. He could feel her every breath on his neck, sending a shiver of sheer terror through him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Please don't kill me, man." he whimpered. "I'll give you whatever you want."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The knife eased from his throat. The woman shoved her hands into the pockets of his jeans, digging around inside them. He tried to quell his shaking as she fished around his baggy front pockets./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman huffed. "You don't even have anything besides this knife. Which I'm keeping."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He swallowed. "It's all in my car."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Where's your car."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He raised his right arm slowly, gesturing back to the vehicle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman grabbed him and threw him to the ground. She had him pinned before he could even recover from the blow, her hands pushing both of his wrists down into the dirt. From that angle, he managed to get a good look at her. Her skin was sallow and pale, contrasted by a mane of greasy brown hair and two piercing brown eyes. The leather he smelled was from her jacket, a filthy black layer over a stained gray undershirt. All of her clothing, down to her dirt-caked jeans, hung off her emaciated frame. She looked as if she hadn't eaten much of anything in quite a long time./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Her wide, searching eyes glared down at him. He stared hopelessly up at her, wondering if he was going to die right then and there. He probably was, he reasoned. And it was his own fault. He should've checked more thoroughly to see if anyone was living in that RV. He was no better than a looter./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Give me the keys to your car." the woman growled./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""They're in the ignition." Eddie turned his head as much as he could, glancing up at the RV's open gas door. "But I'm out of gas. You can't get anywhere in it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She climbed off of him. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she hadn't opted to slit his throat right then and there. As he attempted to clamber to his feet, the woman shook her head. "No, you're staying right where you are."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A clunky, workboot-clad right foot was the next thing he saw from her. It stomped downward, right between his legs. A mangled cry fled his lungs as she ground her boot heel directly into his balls./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seemingly satisfied with his incapacitation, she tucked a hunk of hair behind her ear and then headed for his car./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"And yet, life continued on. Crickets were chirping, loud as ever, and every so often a bat passed overhead. These creatures didn't need humans to survive. In fact, they were probably thriving without them./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Eddie scratched his arm, staring blankly ahead. There were a few vehicles scattered here and there down the road, but they looked trashed. He didn't have much hope of them holding any gasoline. Regardless, he pressed onward./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The first car he came across was a smashed-up Nissan Altima. All four of its windows were completely obliterated. A few shards of glass hung from their edges like jagged teeth, daring any brave soul to reach their hand in there and try not to get cut. Luckily, what Eddie needed wasn't from the car's blood-stained interior. He popped open the gas door and took a whiff. Only the faintest ghost of gasoline smell greeted him. As he'd figured, the car was drained./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He continued his trudge down the long road before him. A forest green pickup truck was his next target. This one had a walker inside. It banged weakly on the window as Eddie checked the gas tank. Again, nothing./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"I might really be fucked this time./span He couldn't go much farther without risking losing his way back to his car. And there wasn't another vehicle in sight the way he was headed, anyway. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"This is terrible. I'm gonna have to leave my car behind./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Sighing deeply, he decided to turn around and head back. If nothing else, he could at least spend one more night sleeping in the car before he had to leave it. It was probably the last decent night's rest he'd ever get./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The walkers that had been following him were enthusiastic to see him turn around. Their rotting arms reached outward as they stumbled down the otherwise-empty road. Shifting his gas can and tubing to his left hand, Eddie pulled his knife from his right pocket and glanced down at it. He couldn't run from them forever./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The first walker went down easily. One stab to the forehead and it collapsed to the ground. The others, seemingly a bit less decayed than the almost-skeletal first one, put up more of a fight. One of the monsters managed to catch hold of his wrist while he was driving his knife downward. It opened its mouth, flashing its yellow teeth as it attempted to snap them shut on his skin. He elbowed the thing in its gut, knocking it back a step, then stuck the knife right into its eye socket. It crumpled into a bloodied heap and he stepped over it./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A few dropped walkers later, he was alone again. His car came into view, a hunk of darkness in the mist. He crept toward it. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"At least I'll have one more safe night, /spanhe thought as he rested his hand on the driver's side handle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The door popped open quietly. As he leaned into his car to hit the trunk button again, he noticed something out the passenger window. Off the road, a short way into the woods, a large vehicle sat butted up against a tree. Partially obscured by underbrush and fog, Eddie couldn't really tell what kind of vehicle it was – just that it was large and rectangular. Judging by the size of it, it probably had a sizable gas tank./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He pulled back out of the car. Maybe he wasn't so fucked after all./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Carrying his siphoning gear over to the other side of the car, he squinted into the forest. From what he could see, the vehicle looked to be an old, beat-up RV. There didn't seem to be any sort of camp set up around it, nor did he see any lights on inside of it. He decided to approach it cautiously. Survivors had snuck up on him in the woods before./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Up close he could confirm that it was, in fact, an RV. Its blinds were all pulled down. It was stained with blood along the tires, and a few bullet holes littered its side. It had obviously seen a lot in its day./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Unlike the other vehicles, he couldn't see inside the RV to check if it was empty. He decided to creep around to the front and peer in through the windshield. No living thing presented itself to him there. The RV looked abandoned. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"It's gotta be abandoned. It has to be. I need this gas./span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He tiptoed back around the vehicle, to the gas door near the back. Setting his jug on the grass, he popped the door open, unscrewed the gas cap and took a sniff. The smell of gasoline assailed him. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Fuck yes./span He quickly fed his tube into the tank and drew one end to his mouth. Kneeling beside the RV, he listened hard for any alarming noises for a brief moment. He heard nothing. Only a faint autumn breeze caused any disturbance around him, rustling the multicolored leaves in the trees all around. Still he was wary, and his hands trembled as he clutched the plastic tube./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Wrapping his lips carefully around the held end of the tubing, he sucked just hard enough to draw some fuel into it. Then he quickly detached his mouth and let the precious gasoline drip into the jug. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"All right. We're getting there. /spanHe shook the tube dry, then lifted it to his mouth once more. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Just a little more and I'll be good to-/span/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Two wiry arms seized him from behind. He cried out, dropping everything as he struggled in the grip of the stranger holding him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A knife blade prodded the soft skin of his throat. span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"His/span knife blade. He froze, staring straight ahead, unable to move without the blade jabbing at him. "P-please don't kill me." he squeaked to the unknown person, his voice cracking. "I just needed some gas. I thought this thing was abandoned. If it's not, that's – that's fine. I'll leave right now."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The attacker leaned in close to him. He could smell dirty leather and unwashed flesh on them, a chokingly strong scent./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You made a big fucking mistake," a harsh, feminine voice hissed in his ear. The knife tip poked at the tender flesh of his throat once more. "Trying to steal from me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm sorry, I'm sorry, God, I'm sorry." He tried to turn his head a little, just far enough to see the person holding him. He couldn't turn enough. Her grip on him was too strong. "I didn't know it belonged to anyone. I swear."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman had him in an unbelievably tight hold. It was as if he were seatbelted in, with no way to unlock himself. He could feel her every breath on his neck, sending a shiver of sheer terror through him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Please don't kill me, man." he whimpered. "I'll give you whatever you want."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The knife eased from his throat. The woman shoved her hands into the pockets of his jeans, digging around inside them. He tried to quell his shaking as she fished around his baggy front pockets./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman huffed. "You don't even have anything besides this knife. Which I'm keeping."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He swallowed. "It's all in my car."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Where's your car."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He raised his right arm slowly, gesturing back to the vehicle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The woman grabbed him and threw him to the ground. She had him pinned before he could even recover from the blow, her hands pushing both of his wrists down into the dirt. From that angle, he managed to get a good look at her. Her skin was sallow and pale, contrasted by a mane of greasy brown hair and two piercing brown eyes. The leather he smelled was from her jacket, a filthy black layer over a stained gray undershirt. All of her clothing, down to her dirt-caked jeans, hung off her emaciated frame. She looked as if she hadn't eaten much of anything in quite a long time./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Her wide, searching eyes glared down at him. He stared hopelessly up at her, wondering if he was going to die right then and there. He probably was, he reasoned. And it was his own fault. He should've checked more thoroughly to see if anyone was living in that RV. He was no better than a looter./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Give me the keys to your car." the woman growled./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""They're in the ignition." Eddie turned his head as much as he could, glancing up at the RV's open gas door. "But I'm out of gas. You can't get anywhere in it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"She climbed off of him. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she hadn't opted to slit his throat right then and there. As he attempted to clamber to his feet, the woman shook her head. "No, you're staying right where you are."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A clunky, workboot-clad right foot was the next thing he saw from her. It stomped downward, right between his legs. A mangled cry fled his lungs as she ground her boot heel directly into his balls./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Seemingly satisfied with his incapacitation, she tucked a hunk of hair behind her ear and then headed for his car./p