Set in America. Warning for blood.

Being on the run was tough, but necessary. Sirius was used to it, the running and fighting and hiding. He lived off of the thrill of the chase. Lucky for him, the zombies were persistent.

Sirius wasn't alone, however, he had his friends with him — three other people who he'd encountered during his travel, three people who had been fighting for survival like him, and they'd figured it was best to work as a team rather than fend for themselves individually.

Just five minutes earlier, they'd fended off a vicious zombie rampage, which had not been pretty — none of them had gotten hurt, fortunately, but the carnage was brutally tough to witness. The attack had come out of nowhere; not even their expert tracker had been expecting it.

Sirius wiped away the sweat from his face with a raggedy cloth, staring absently at the strewn bodies. These people hadn't been in control of themselves, so it was hard to kill them. He hated the act of killing, but when it came down to it, he did it. He'd slaughtered so many zombies by this point, so it almost came naturally to him.

"We need to keep going," said Peter grimly, checking his watch, which was designed to locate hordes of zombies. "There's another pack headed in our direction — they haven't caught our scent yet, but if we don't move…"

"Right." James yanked his knife out of a zombie's chest and made a face. But at this point, there was no sense in cleaning it, as he'd need it again soon. "Let's go."

They found an empty car on the side of the road, presumably abandoned, but it was the first shelter they found and night was coming. They found a key in the ignition but the car wouldn't start. Remus opened the glove compartment and discovered some snacks stowed away — a bag of chips, a rotting banana, and three bars of chocolate. They sat in the car and split the food amongst themselves.

Peter kept glancing at his watch, but there was no zombie activity nearby — the nearest pack was about twenty miles away, and they were moving slowly.

They took turns keeping watch. Peter volunteered first, followed by Remus and then Sirius. They agreed to let James have a night off, as he'd killed the most zombies.

It was pitch black when Remus woke him. Sirius sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily. "What time is it?"

"Past four," was the whispered reply. Peter's watch was thrust into his hands. "Peter's watch died and we don't have any batteries. You'll need to be careful."

"Dammit," Sirius swore, but there was no way they could risk searching for batteries, not when they were already vulnerable. "Fine. Don't sleep right away, though, I might need backup in case they surprise us. Or at least wake James."

"Okay, I'll stay. Let James sleep," Remus said, ever the selfless saint.

Only a few minutes passed before Sirius's ears picked up the sound of crunching leaves and heavy, ragged breaths. "Do you hear that?"

"I do." Remus frowned, drawing his blade. "Get ready. We're about to have company." He forcefully knocked on the front window of the car, where Peter was asleep. Both James and Peter woke with a start.

"They're here," Remus informed them brusquely. "From all sides, seems like. Get ready."

James and Peter dove to the other side of the car. Sirius readied his sword.

They were outnumbered by a lot, but luckily the zombies were slow and Sirius mowed down the first line with ease.

But the second wave wasn't as easy. He and Remus fought side by side, stabbing and dodging and slicing. A zombie could only die with a stake through its small heart — or in this case, a blade.

"Die, you mutated freaks!" Sirius shouted as he scythed down a zombie.

But it wasn't so simple. Sirius found his back against the car, zombies bearing down him and Remus, their bloodshot eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"This is the end, and there's no going back." Sirius gripped his sword tightly, staring down the advancing horde. "I'll see you in heaven, hopefully."

Remus didn't try to deny his words. "We'll die together," he vowed.

"Love you, mates!" James's voice sounded from the other side of the car, and just like that, they accepted that it was over.

Until a truck came roaring from the other direction, its headlights burning into the night, and the zombies howled, scattering.

The truck halted a little way away and the back opened, a torrent of people spilling out of the truck in enormous numbers — and they were all armed. "Get them!" they shouted and charged.

Sirius grinned. "I guess our trip to heaven will have to be postponed."

Sirius stood in the middle of the new carnage, gazing at zombie bodies for the second time in ten hours. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl approaching him. She had dark red hair and pale skin.

"Nice work," she said, her voice sending shockwaves through Sirius — not just because it was the first time he'd heard a woman's voice in months, but also because he recognized the face.

"Lily Evans? Is that you?"

"In the flesh." She stepped through the sea of bodies to his side. "I was the one driving the truck, by the way. You're welcome."

"How did you know we were here?"

"Luck, I suppose." Lily shrugged. "We figured a truck was the best way to travel around —"

"'We'?"

"Me and the others." She gestured to the other fighters. "It was just me and a couple of others at first, but we picked up some people along the way. We're headed to Canada." She flashed him a smile. "Would you and your companions like a ride?"

"They're my brothers," he corrected automatically, a smile forcing its way up to his lips. "And yes, we'd love a ride."

"Perfect." Her eyes wandered. "Where's James?"

"He's gone with Peter and a few others to get batteries and supplies. Why?" He suspected, but he wanted to hear it from Lily herself.

"I think...I think we need to have a talk," she said, almost shyly. "I've...missed him."

Sirius grinned broadly. "Thinking of doing more than just talking?"

"Maybe, I'll let you know."

1062 words

Sorry if there are any inaccuracies. Have not seen a zombie movie in a while.

Written for:

Assignment 4, Study of Magical Objects Task 2 - Write about someone travelling (time and space acceptable)

Auction - I just left my shelter and - holy crap is that a zombie? (Other beings or mutated creatures will be accepted). (10-1)

Founder Says, Salazar - 8. "This is the end, and there's no going back."

Build a Better Breakfast - 14. Flaxseed