Just submitted my thesis today, so it is time to publish another chapter again! Finally that stupid thing is over, well, at least for now.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope it's a good one.


Demi's POV:

I had no idea how long I had been wandering around in this forest now, but the sun was already starting to set, which couldn't be a good sign. I ran my hand through my dark blonde hair and sighed. It felt like I had been walking around in circles for hours now. Desperation started to hit me.

Quickly I thought back of the others. That first shot had terrified me. I couldn't hear what they had been saying in that hallway, all I knew was that it sounded heated. It made me feel a little nauseous, really.

But that shot... It must have been one of the strangers who had done that, as none of us owned a gun of any kind. After that more shots had been fired, and I felt the consternation. At that point I was pretty sure at least one of my friends had perished, and it made me sick.

The sound of the shots had drawn the attention of the undead, a few minutes after the first one I saw them coming over the hill. At first there had been just a few, but then the next shots drew more of them to the house. I didn't know what to do. There was no way I could warn them, if there was even anybody left to warn. My thoughts were spiraling and I came to a terrible conclusion.

My friends were probably dead.

Olivia, Ben, Victor. Even Nick. The strangers had killed them, and now they had signed their own demise by attracting zombies to the house. By the howls of it they never would have been able to make it out alive. It was then I decided to run for it. There was a ladder next to the balcony, so I could easily escape from the house without anyone seeing me.

And that's what I did.

I had grabbed my jacket and climbed down the ladder as soon as I could. The creatures hadn't spotted me yet, so I had gotten away fairly easy. I made a run for the forest that went up the mountains, behind Ben's house. I figured it would be the higher, the better. And it wasn't like I had many other options.

Now here I was, wandering through the forest, all by myself. I had no idea where exactly I was, all I knew was that the altitude was changing, meaning I was probably not far from the top. Aside from a few deer I had not seen anything, living or dead. It made me feel relieved, but it also made me panic. I was all on my own now, unprotected and not knowing what to do. A big lump formed in my throat and I tried to swallow it, together with my tears.

I sat down on a rock nearby a small river and took off my jacket. It had been a warm day today, and sweat was oozing down my back. I tied my hair into a ponytail and decided to take a sip of water from the river. I kneeled down at the side, cupped my hands and tried to drink as much water as possible, being completely parched.

After my thirst was lessened I washed my face, washing the sweat and dirt away. The water was cold and refreshing, and I instantly felt better.

Well, physically, at least. Mentally was a whole other story.

I took a big breath, trying to calm myself down, but it didn't work. The faces of my friends flashed through my mind. Olivia, with her big blue eyes and cheeky smile. She had been my very best friend ever since I moved here, and now she was gone. And Ben, with his messy sandy blond hair and his sapphire eyes. I was under the impression we just started to warm up to each other again, but now he was gone for good. A tear rolled down my cheek. It wasn't supposed to go down like this.

And then Victor. If I closed my eyes I could see his face, his sparkling hazel-brown eyes and the short beard he had grown ever since this thing started. We had formed a tight friendship during the time we stayed at Ben's house. I was surprised to find out how nice he actually was, and what a good team we were. During my time with Ben I never thought much of his best friend, but he and I turned out to have quite some similar interests.

I couldn't believe I was never going to see any one of them, ever again. Tears sprung in my eyes again as I hung my head. What was the use of moving on when they were all gone? I didn't want to face this world without them. My life had been tough so far and I had survived so many things already, but without my friends, my family, I just wanted to give up.

A rustling sound woke me up from my thoughts. Immediately I sat up straight, scanning the area around me to find out where it came from. Please don't let it be a zombie, I prayed to myself. I wouldn't have the strength to fight it. The strength, nor the willpower.

But it wasn't a zombie. By the looks of it, it was a human, coming in my direction. But was it a friendly one or one that wanted to cause me harm? I held my breath and narrowed my eyes, trying to determine the intentions of this stranger by its appearance, but the sunset was blinding me. I tried to shield my eyes from the sunlight to get a better look at him.

It was a young African-American man, from what I could see. I was guessing he was in his late teens, a couple of years younger than me. He was wearing a dark green vest, with underneath it a white shirt, and beige shorts. Then all of a sudden he pulled out a knife.

"Woah," I threw my hands up in the air. "Please put away the knife."

He gave me a questionable glance and pointed it at me. "Whatcha doing in the woods, all by yourself? You bit?" His knife made me nervous.

"No, no, I'm not bit or anything. I lost my group. I think they perished…" My voice trailed off, and the boy withdrew his knife.

"What happened?" He asked me.

I looked down. "We were staying at a house down the mountain, but we were raided and overrun soon after. I was able to get away, but my friends… I think they got killed. I was hoping to find them in these woods, hoping they had gotten away as well, but I fear the worst."

The boy eyed me, seemingly not sure whether to believe me or not, but then he extended his hand.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I'm Noah, and I'm here with my father. We're searching for my uncle, we believe he went to a camp nearby. You can join us if you want. He's catching dinner a little further down the road."

I shook his hand, sending him a grateful smile. I still wasn't sure if this kid was to be trusted, but it was a much better alternative than strolling around these woods alone, especially now darkness was starting to set in.

"That would be great. I'm Demi."

"So, Demi. Where are you originally from? I couldn't help but notice your accent is not from around here." Noah's father, Tyler, sent me a smile from across the camp fire he had set up. I smiled back at him.

"I'm not from around here, no. I was born in the West, 2000 miles from here. I came here for work, and well, part of me came for love, as well." The thought of the latter made my smile fade away.

We were eating roasted fish, fish Noah's father had caught earlier. The scent of it had made my stomach rumble, instantly reminding me of how hungry I actually was. The camp fire also did a decent job of keeping us warm. Although it had been quite hot during the day, in the evening it had cooled off, making it chilly. Suddenly I was very happy with my jacket.

"We're not from 'round here, either," Noah remarked, before taking another bite. "We drove here for a camping trip with my uncle, but we ended up in the middle of the apocalypse," he continued after he had swallowed his last piece of fish. "We been to my uncle's house, but by the looks of it he fled the place. He has to be here somewhere, though. Right, dad?"

The older man nodded at his son. "We'll find him." Then he rested his gaze on me again. "The world has gone to shit, Demi. Noah told me what happened to your friends. You can accompany us to the camp if you like. I think it's best if we all stick together. We can use all the help we can get against these biters." A deep frown appeared on his forehead.

"How much do you know about all this? The apocalypse, and these things?" I asked him.

"I know they're hungry for anything that moves. It's not just humans, they eat animals too. A few days ago Noah and I saw them take down a cow," he pondered. "And a bite, a bite kills. Even if the bite itself isn't fatal."

"We seen it happen," Noah added. "A guy was bitten on the arm. Few hours later he developed a fever, and died. How much do you know about them?"

I was silent for a moment. "Well, I know they're undead, they died and came to life again. And I encountered a police officer who shot them in the head, killing them for good. So aiming for the head, the brain, more specifically, is important."

"You know, Demi, I think the three of us will make a great team," Tyler responded to what I just said.

He handed me a small folding knife. I inspected the knife, unfolding it, and carefully touched the tip of the blade. It was razor sharp.

"You know how to use it?" I slowly shook my head in denial, my eyes still affirmed on the knife.

"No, not against them. I mean, I can cut vegetables, but that's about it."

Tyler smiled. "Let's change that."


I loved Noah from the beginning, even named my new kitten after him (though it's a girl), and I was heartbroken when he died. It was so cruel! Let's just hope my kitten will live longer... She's adorable. Wish I could post a picture of her, but I'm not sure how that works.

Oh well. Let me know what you think so far! The story is pretty pre-written already but sometimes suggestions make me change the whole thing.