I'm almost out of gas when I stop just outside Back Mountain, Pennsylvania. Not too many Zs, so I drive right through. Then I finally run out of gas. I see a gas station about 4 blocks up the road so I get out and push. Luckily it's not uphill. The Zs get pretty close but its nothing I can't handle.

This is a beautiful town. Or at least it was. Lots of trees and small shops. I push my bike up to one of the pumps. Take off my helmet and hang it on the handle bars. Shoot. There's no way for me to get the gas. I turn around and look into the street. There's some cars but that's not what i'm looking for. I walk over to the pile of cars and start pushing things around. Nothing. Down the street there's a mechanic shop. That should have what I need.

I walk over, it's only about a block away. I garage door is half way open. I look under and it doesn't look like anyone's inside. I roll under and look around. No one. I see several containers of gas but they're all empty. I search and search and up on a shelf I see one. I put one foot on the lowest shelf and begin to climb up. I shake the container and hear fluid moving inside. I grab its handle and swing it down as I jump onto the floor.

I carry it with me as I go into the main part of the shop. One by one I check the isles for any Zombies. Its clear. I holster my gun and look on the shelves for a manual car fuel pump. I find one so I grab my container of fuel and head back to the gas station.

I open the screw top of the container and of my gas tank. As I pour it in, I notice a few zombies circling the corner. Nothing to worry about but as I set the container down, I notice more. Then more, and it's gets to be too many to handle. I shove the manual pump into my bag and hop on my bike. As soon as I get my helmet on, I speed off. As I ride I hear the groans of the Zs behind me and I feel so thankful that I found some gas before they showed up.

I stop about a mile outside the small town. I take my helmet off and catch my breath. I look back at the horde of Zs slowly coming toward me from the distance. Clearly I can't go that way anymore. I see another way with a sign saying Philadelphia. I have two options. And let me tell you, i'm not going back where I came from. I pull my map out of my back pocket. I find Back Mountain on the map and estimate the distance from there to Philadelphia. Its roughly 120 miles. At the speed I drive, I should arrive there in about 2 hours. I have a few hours until sundown so I should be okay.

As I drive south on Interstate 476, I pass by hundreds of destroyed industrial buildings and cars. This is a morbid world. I see peoples belongings scattered all across the road and think, what would I being doing right now if there hadn't been an apocalypse? I would have just finished high school. I would have gone to college and started a career in Sports Medicine. That's what I wanted to do and that's what I had been preparing for my whole life. But now that dream is gone and the only things that come to me when I sleep are nightmares.

As I drive up the ramp, with the river to my left, I look straight ahead hoping to find somewhere to stay overnight. Not many Zs outside but I know they're out there somewhere. I pull up to a pawn shop. I park my bike in the alley next to it, right behind a dumpster. I grab my bags and walk to the front of the store. I push my face against the glass to see inside. I see two Zs. I crack the door open slightly and bang on the window. When one gets close enough I stab it right in the ear. The other one follows and I do the same.

Pushing the bodies aside as I open the door, I check behind the counter and in the backroom but the place is empty. I shut the front door and push a table filled with old jewelry in front of it. I clear a spot behind the counter and set up my sleeping bag, along with the small, portable radio I had found a few days ago. I take off my boots and stretch my legs. I look around. There's all kinds of old posters and instruments lining the walls. There's one section of glass cases built into the wall that is completely empty. Based on the weapons are not loaded notice above it, I can guess what might have been in there pre-apocalypse.

I open my bag and take out the blanket along with some Ibuprofen because my head is killing me. I'm almost out of water so I take small sips to wash the medicine down. I eat a third of a can of peaches and some tuna. I have more food but if you get used to eating big portions you starve faster, and I really don't want that. Adjusting the station for the radio I pick up something. I fiddle with the antenna hoping to make it clear. It's music. I can't believe there's someone out there right now broadcasting music. Out of all things. I turn the volume up a little louder but not too loud. I take out my book and get into the sleeping bag, along with the blanket. That's the quickest i've fallen asleep in three years.