SO! I messed up with last weeks upload and didn't upload the full chapter and on top of that I have somehow managed to delete chapter 25... so what I am going to do this week is upload the final part of chapter 24 and try to get chapter 25 up later in the week for you all to enjoy!

Chapter 24.5

Nanako's POV

Thank god Misuzu was quick to respond.

Clutching the radio tightly in my hand, I fought to organise the words in my head before I spoke them, not wanting to just spout out gibberish.

"Misuzu… did a group leave for a supply run already?"

There was silence for a moment before I heard the response.

"Ah yes, Tatsu took a group out to gather supplies… why what's wrong?"

I took a deep breath and exhaled, swallowing hard before answering.

"You need to get everyone upstairs right now"

"Nanako? what's going on, you're starting to scare me…"

"Misuzu! everyone, upstairs!" I cried into the radio "there's a hoard heading right up towards Karuizawa!"

"A WHAT?!" Misuzu yelled back at me, clearly startled by the news.

"You heard me… a hoard… heading up this way… Tatsu and his group might have missed it on their way into the city" I was rooted to the spot as I watched the horde ambling in the distance, the hand holding the binoculars to my face was trembling with fear.

They were still a fair distance away but I had this awful feeling I wouldn't make it back to the pension in time to avoid them.

"Nanako… you need to head back right now!" I could hear the fear in Misuzu's voice as he half walked, half ran from wherever he was.

"I… I don't think I'll make it back Misuzu…" I shivered "I'll try… I promise"

"Nanako please! just hurry back!"

"I'll try… Now get everyone upstairs and armed… please… tell the others I love them so much"

I let go of the button and stuffed it back onto my belt, turning the volume down as I willed my feet to move. Finally my feet remembered what they were meant to do and I began to run through the foliage, stumbling and swerving, heading back down towards the main town.

All I could think about as I rushed through the foliage was everyone else… who had gone on the trip to the city? who was at the pension? had anyone else gone out into Karuizawa… was Ritsu safe?

My heart pounded in my chest as my feet pounded the earth beneath them, willing myself to move faster to push harder and get back to the others. I had a contingency plan of course; if I couldn't make it back I had a few choice places picked out to use as a hiding place until it was all over and I had my rifle and a knife so I had some sort of defence… though really, if I had to take on a horde I'd likely die.

In the distance I could just make out the yells and screams of the zombies and I knew my time was running out. I slowed to a walk, crouching low as I came to the edge of the woodland, using a tree as cover as I checked out the surroundings. Panting softly, I looked left and right, trying to decide whether to make another run for it… well until my eyes landed on the first arrivals.

Snarling faces, dripping blood, deformed stature… they'd arrived and I wasn't making it back to the pension… not now.

Time for plan B.