Jaimie and Reuben had been only been driving for a minute when they saw another one of the creatures. It stood out on the road, not moving until it heard the car's engine. It turned it's head to look, then started running towards the speeding car. Reuben didn't slow down.

"Uh, dad, we're going to hit that-" Jaimie cut herself off when a tremor ran through the car. The creature had hit the front bumper, and flipped up onto the hood of the car, where it gripped on. Jaimie looked back, and she saw it's legs hanging down over the back window, smearing it with blood. It's shins were obviously broken.

"Is it still on the car, Jaimie?" asked her dad, eyes unmoving from the road. Jaimie screamed when a loud thump came from the top of the car. Reuben looked up, and instantly regretted buying model with the moon roof.

"Daddy, get it off!" Jaimie screamed. Reuben had an idea. There was another of the creatures chasing a woman on the sidewalk. Reuben swerved the car behind the creature, and slammed the accelerator. The running monster flipped backwards over the windshield, and rammed into the one on top of the car, dragging it off. The creatures were left in a heap on the sidewalk.

"Dad… That lady, it's Niece! Slow down!" said Jaimie. Reuben didn't answer, but he did swerve back onto the street, keeping from hitting her. He sped past and took the ramp onto the freeway towards the city. After a moment he turned and looked at the expressionless Jaimie.

"Do you understand why I did that?" he asked her. She nodded as her eyes welled with tears. He looked away. "Then you understand why it was necessary." She nodded again. "Good," said Reuben as he passed the sign that said, in big, bright letters, "Welcome!".

"I thought you said there was rioting here… a few minutes ago," said Reuben.

"There was, you should have seen some of the footage. Oh, God…" said Jaimie as they stopped looking at eye level and started looking on the ground. There were so many bodies it would have taken days to count them all. The sheer amount of death that had occurred in just this small spot was enough to send a shiver up the most hardened soldiers spine. Instead of a shiver, it sent vomit up Jaimie's esophagus. She threw up all over the car, but only at first. She leaned down out of courtesy and finished on the floor.

"It's okay, honey," said Reuben to console her. The smell of vomit hit his nose, and he cringed. "It's okay. Oh, shit!" He said as he saw a horde of the monsters come out of the side streets, directly in front of them. It seemed as though they had simply appeared out of thin air, the fashion in which they showed themselves. There were none, then a hundred. However, it didn't matter how they did it, only that hundreds of very hungry cannibals were now running full speed at the car. Reuben turned tail, and sped off.

"It's okay. We're good, they won't catch up," he said.

"Dad," said Jaimie, after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know what they are?"

"No," he said. It wasn't until this moment that Reuben realized that Jaimie totally relied on him to keep her alive. He was more than just a father figure now. He… he couldn't think about that right now. It was too much.

Reuben drove for a long time, hours on end, until they were well out into the countryside. He was hoping the… infection was isolated, and that the next urban area he came to would have heard and be prepared to defend. Defense, that was all that mattered at this point. He looked at sleeping Jaimie. He would defend her until death.

"Hey, Jaimie, wake up," he said, a while later.

"Whatzit… Hmm?" she said sleepily.

"I think I found a place where there aren't any things." Reuben had come upon a gas station-McDonalds rest stop type thing, the kind where there's one on each side of the highway. They were at least a hundred miles from any urban development, the infection wouldn't have spread to this place. He pulled into the parking lot, and got out. Jaimie unbuckled her seatbelt and started to follow.

"No, stay in the car," said Reuben.

"What, so I can be alone and helpless when one of those things attacks?"

"Fine, come." They walked through the dark parking lot towards the rest stop building.

"Dad, why are the streetlights off?"

"I don't know. The lights inside the building are on." They arrived at the door. Reuben pulled his gun out of his pants, and held it up. He pushed the door open and aimed at nothing in particular. Three people inside screamed.

"Woah, man, put the gun down! There ain't any of those things in here!" said one of them, a man. "I'm Ben, and these are Carrie," he pointed at a women, "and Len." He pointed at the other man. "I guess we're all lucky to be here." He pointed again, this time at a television above the counter of the McDonalds. On it there was an old episode of some sitcom.

"Yeah, real breaking news, suddenly everyone who loves Raymond is back from the dead," said Len sarcastically.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jaimie.

"Didn't you see someone get bit?" asked Carrie in return.

"Yeah, so what?" said Reuben.

"Didn't they get back up as one of them?" inquired Ben.

"Oh man… Is that how people become them?" asked Reuben. He had a very distraught look on his face. He dropped the gun. Len dove for it and aimed it at him.

"Are you bit?" he screamed from the ground.

"Len, calm down!" yelled Carrie.

"Dude, cool it," said Ben. Jaimie sat, quaking, and staring intently at the gun.

"No. I am not bitten. Please give me my gun," said Reuben very calmly. He didn't especially want to startle Len.

"This gun is freaking mine, now. I'm getting out of here." Len stood up and reached into his pocket, pulling out his car keys. Without another word, he ran out the door.

"Godammit. You know, I didn't like that guy when I met him here. Now what do we have to fight those things with?" said Ben. "Look, the news is back!" He said. The announcer appeared on the screen.

"The danger is growing. Attempt at all costs short of loss of human life to move towards the closest military presence. Repeat-" The television dissolved into static.

Hello, everyone. Sorry about the wait in between chapters, but in the middle of writing my computer crashed, so I lost my rhythm, and I'm afraid I needed some time to regain it. Thanks for your support. Also, I'd like to know why I've gotten 48 hits… but 3 reviews. I need your feedback, guys!