New Jersey and Utopia both leaned against the cars that were all parked in a straight line on the shore line.

It was early August, almost two months since New Jersey found Michael laying on the very same dock he was walking down right now.

Late afternoon had set in and the sky looked a dim pinkish orange as the clear dark blue water kept washing up and down on the black jagged rocks around them. it was actually the first calm day since the hurricane that had taken place for the last week or so...it had been so bad that the three of them stayed in doors and didn't even know if this might be the big one...the one that ended it all.

The damage had been pretty bad, what was left of the rotting city was now an empty waste land, everything seemed deserted and left over from the heavy rains.

The only good thing that had happened from it was the zombies...most of them were now gone.

What was left of them were slow ones, the type that were slowly rotting away and shuffled instead of running after them

Michael still couldn't believe he was still alive.

First he had been bitten, the death sentence to just about everyone else in the world.

But Jersey explained to him that back when he was in his small group near the riffle range, one of those thing got a hold of him while running towards shelter...it sunk it's teeth into his lower leg and then was shot.

Jersey said he never panicked so much in his life, he screamed and cried out as he dragged himself inside.

Everyone was in a fuss as they rushed around and tried to help him stop the bleeding, then one of them told him the truth...he was gonna change.

Jersey told Michael he never really knew what a gift life really was until he thought he was gonna die.

He thought about how young he was, and how there was still so many things he hadn't seen or done yet in his short lifetime.

He wasn't ready...so he waited.

And waited, and waited.

And before he knew it...he was the last member alive from his group, and he never changed.

He had no idea why it didn't happen...in fact while he was running around on his own in the city for a few weeks he got hold of some CB radio, he heard a preacher that was further down East...must of taken over one of the stations or something over there once everyone died.

But he said he also was bit, and didn't change...there were only a few people, maybe just a handful in this whole world that just didn't change for some unknown reason.

But Jersey said the second time the preacher talked was a week later, he said over the station that he got bit again, and died only a day later.

Jersey told Michael that twenty to one, if they got bit again...there luck wasn't gonna hold up.

Once Michael got better he met Utopia, a young girl...maybe eighteen at the most.

Pretty, with long blond hair and a cute smooth face. She had worked as a streetwalker around city ever since she ran away from home when she was eleven.

She said she was holding up fine until this whole thing had started, she saw her boyfriend and even the girl she was staying with get killed.

She went around, place to place...until she met up with Jersey...and here they were now.

The place where they had taken Michael was an underground bunker that was closer to the freeway on the edge of the city.

The only place set back enough for no one to see...and back roads to drive back and forth on.

They went out twice a week...for fresh water or food.

While they ran around the city they broke into stores and got clothes and amino...anything they needed they took.

But on one of the trips they took something a little extra, while looking around in some empty garage, Jersey found a mint 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500, and ever since then...they drove their runs with that.

They were smart enough people, fighters almost and strong willed.

Utopia turned out to be a sweet girl, and her and Michael got along fine.

They had plans and worked out things together for the past few weeks they had been living together.

Michael was lucky to have met such nice people...they were like him, and just wanted to find a new way of life.

During the night they would all sit together and have a few beers and talk about what they were gonna do.

The whole time Michael felt uneasy...since he knew Ana and the others were alive somewhere.

He told them about to boat and how there were islands.

New Jersey said that wasn't his first choice since Utopia and him were set on going down to the county near Philly...but they told Michael if he needed to go back to one of the islands, they would be happy enough to bring him back.

The night before the storm started, Michael laid awake, sick in the stomach of thinking about what could of happened if the bullet would of killed him.

Why did God give him two more chances to live?

He didn't know.

But the storm kept them from going out for two whole weeks, they held up okay but afterwards when they drove out...they saw the damage of what was left behind.

Jersey used the CB radio and all he heard was dead air.

They walked towards the docks and saw all the over turned boats, and the ruins of what used to be left of the bus that exploded back in June along with CJ.

Everything seemed to calm and at ease.

So Michael stood on the edge of the dock, the very same place where Ana had last seen him.

They could check the islands, see if Ana and the others made it.

He could be with her again, and tell her it was all just some awful dream.

But could he?

He wanted to be with her more then anything...but from the looks of everything around him, and what Jersey and Utopia said...the chances were low.

He knew he wouldn't be able to take it if he knew she was dead.

So he took a deep breath in, and wished to God that she was alive somewhere, and even if right now she thought he was dead...that's how he wanted to leave things, the truth was...he was scared.

So he turned around and never looked back.

He reached New Jersey and Utopia, who were now wearing sunglasses from the blasting orange sun and he gave them both a stern look.

"I think it might be better if I come along with you guys...maybe the way things ended back in June is the way I wanna leave them."

Jersey nodded and then walked to the car door and let Utopia in, then walked to the other side with Michael.

Before letting themselfs in, Michael looked at Jersey.

"If it was you...would you go back"

Jersey looked at him

"I don't think I could...because the truth is, no one could of lived through that storm...even if they were on an island...better keep them alive in your mind."

Michael then nodded, trying his best to hold back the tears and got inside the car.

Jersey started it up and both drove down the empty freeway...they were going as far as they could away from this awful place.

And never turning back.