Earlier in the outbreak...

I wipe my running nose, my own aunt who has raised me left me. Maybe I'm not good enough for anyone. Not my parents, not Crawford, not even Aunt Jane. I look onto the roads ahead from the roof top I climbed onto. Yep I'm pretty screwed from what it looks like. As far as my eye could see, it was only the dead that roamed the once busy streets. How was I suppose to travel across Georgia to Atlanta alone. Savannah was gone now, Aunt Jane was gone, everyone whom I grew up with was missing. I look to the west where my old school used to stand, it was burned down during the riots just like half the city including me and Jane's apartment. I had nothing here. I look back at Crawford one last time and headed down to an alley swiftly. I need to get to a car.

I looked to the left into a empty street where the roamers were surprising avoiding. I tip toed in the alley. I looked at a car that had the window down and the key still in. I reached down through the window and unlocked it. Idiot. A loud car alarm sounded from it and I saw the wreckers in the alley way next to me fill the once empty street. I yanked the door open and closed it shut turning the key then rolled up the windows. The car alarm stopped but that didn't stop the dead, they surrounded my car knocking on the windows. Turning on the car is as far as my knowledge goes. I couldn't drive through anyways because my path was block by the bodies. I was stuck. Then, as if someone was looking out for me, a church bell rang loudly, drawing attention away from me. The wreckers looked away from me and followed the ring through the streets.

I laughed silently to myself and most of the dead left leaving only around three clawing at my car. Now to figure this thing out. I looked at my feet were the pedals were, I jammed my foot on one making it quickly lurch forwards, then I quickly stomp on the one next to it making the car brake causing me to fall forward and hit my head on the wheel. The horn honked loudly.

"Well Dakota, you found the horn."

I tried again putting my foot on the gas slowly this time. I was sorta stuck on something so I pulled the stick down to the R. I guessed that was the reverse and I backed out, slamming into a dead man while at it. Oops. I turned the stick back to the D, drive I'm guessing and moved forward. Some wreckers tried to follow me but I was to fast.

I drove for awhile, the steering was a little difficult but I got a hang of it. I was a couple hours out of the city then I heard a cough from the engine and then the car stopped. I ran out of gas. I opened the door and walked out, kicking the door out of frustration and stopped and looked around. A big build board caught my attention. It had a star and a map. A blank space on the edge read ' You are here.' I was around 30 miles from Atlanta. I looked out to see a gas station was about 40 yards away all by it's self.

I hiked over to it. I grabbed my hammer from my belt and walked to the door. A wood plank and nails were placed on the right of door, and a blood stain. I covered my mouth that was hanging open by the horrid sight. I walked in to the opened door. A wrecker jumped at me almost instantly, I hesitated then crushed her skull in with my hammer. She crippled to the ground on top of my foot, I dragged her out threw the door and far away from the station. This could be my lucky break, I shut the door and a little bell chimed. The store was stocked with supplies, water, food, some basic medical supplies, everything I needed. I sat down on the floor and giggled to myself. I needed this.

I finished nailing the front door shut but kept the back door available by only locking it. I found a gun and ammo under the counter. Aunt Jane taught me how to shoot even before this. She was a cop, and a part time painter. She always told me how important self defense was. I guess she was right. I stayed at the gas station for a long time. In about a week, the weather got chillier and rainy, I caught a bad cold. I had medical supplies but it kept progressing and got worse. It got so bad I sat next to the medicine throughout the day just in case. My lack of sleep didn't help either, I spent hours alone not being able to sleep because my vivid dreams. I only had myself to give me entertainment.

After another week of sickness I decided I had something more than a cold, maybe a full on flu. I didn't know what medicines to take so I just took some pain meds. I got really weak, defenseless and one day a group came into my gas station catching me off guard.

I aimed my gun at one but there was so many, mostly men. I was still sick when they came, I was so weak and they just took the place away from me.

"Get away this is..." I stopped in my sentence to cough, "It's claimed."

"Claimed! Ha!" One said sharply.

"What are you going to do about it? Cough on us?" a man with brown hair hissed.

"We need to get this sickling out of here," a large man with gray hair chuckled at me. They all laughed.

"I'll do it." I turned and looked into the corner, a older woman looked down to me. I coughed into my sleeve. They all look a little shocked but then allowed her.

She dragged me out into the main road. She looked around nervously for a second and looked back at me biting her lip, "Alright, you need to take this every night to get better," she handed a pill bottle that was hidden under her sleeve. She also handed over a water bottle. "You scram okay?" I nodded, I tried to thank her but I couldn't let words out my throat was too raspy.

"Get away from here go, and what ever you do, don't go to Atlanta." I nodded. There goes my plans. The women turned away from me and I slowly got up and walked down the road ahead. I now have totally lost everything.