Tali: Since the entire thing's written and the chapters are relatively short, I'll likely post them a lot faster than I would normally. Plus, I love hearing from everyone. Feed my ego! lol

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It turned out I was right. The rednecks killed the guys. They at least had the decency to do it away from me, but it didn't change things. I was taking a bathroom break between suitors and saw the van parked outside. I stared at it in horror, noticing the blood smears on the side that hadn't been there before. I watched through the tiny window as they unloaded everything, all of our belongings that we'd struggled so hard for. I waited until everyone was sleeping or distracted and then I dressed and left. Nothing they could do to me would be worse than what had already been done.

It wasn't safe traveling after dark, especially not on foot. The zeds could hide easier in the dark but I didn't feel like I had any other choice. It was either stay with the rednecks and allow them to subject me to who knew what else for who knew how long or get the fuck out and take my chances with zeds.

I hugged myself tightly as I walked, refusing to think about what had happened in the last 24 hours. In the AZ, After Zombies, you learned not to get too attached to people and today was a perfect example of why: they could either turn on you or be taken away in a moment. I was lucky enough to have both.

It was still hot, even as late as it was, and before too long I was sweating. I was sorely tempted to take off my jacket but refrained for the time being. I didn't have a weapon yet so I needed to have my hands free for any zeds I might stumble on.

The rednecks had marked giant red exes on doors of the buildings they'd already raided so I avoided those, knowing that they would likely be trashed, the scent of humans luring the zeds. Plus, there'd be nothing there for me. I walked for hours, following the signs on the highway just anxious to get away from the tall buildings and all the concrete. My stomach growled as the sun came up but I kept going, looking around myself carefully.

It was getting hotter the higher the sun got and there were also fewer red exes. I finally stopped around noon, crawling over a fence into a gated community. This could either be really smart or really stupid. Either the zeds were kept out or kept in.

I carefully crept across the once manicured lawns that now resembled small jungles towards the first house, a gaudy colonial style home with a porch swing hanging on one chain, the seat rotted through. I felt my heart rate pick up as I carefully picked my head up and peeked through a window.

The inside was decorated nicely enough, a thick layer of dust over everything. I didn't see any trace of looters or people in general. I straightened up and carefully circled the house. Still nothing. The backyard had a rusty swing set and the skeleton of a dog chained to a doghouse. I sighed, a little sad that the people hadn't had the decency to set the dog free to give it a chance before they deserted it.

I rubbed a clean spot on the window in the back and peeked in at a gourmet kitchen. I'll bet they had plenty of shit I could use. I froze, however, when I saw a pair of legs showing from behind a kitchen island.

My heart rate picked up even more and my palms started to sweat. I swallowed hard and crept around to a window where I could see better. It was a woman, or it used to be. All that was left now was a mummy wearing clothes. The dust around her was undisturbed but it still unnerved me.

I stared at her for a full five minute before deciding that it might be worth the risk. I moved back to the back door and reached out, trying the handle. To my relief and consternation, the door opened.

I stepped inside, my heart hammering in my chest so loudly I was sure anyone or anything nearby would hear it. I looked around the kitchen and saw a conveniently located broom. It was flimsy, sure, but it would do in a pinch. If I was lucky, someone in this house was into sports. I was lethal with a baseball bat.

As hungry as I was, it was more important that I secure the house first. I crept quietly from room to room in the massive building, clearing every room quickly. There were a couple of other skeletons but nothing living. It had all long since rotted away. I didn't find a baseball bat, but I did find a hockey mask and a cricket bat. Interesting combo, but I'd take it. I grabbed a backpack out of what looked like a teenage boy's room and headed back to the kitchen. First things first. I'd eat, then I'd hole up in a room and sleep for a little while and figure out my next move.

I held the bat tightly as I made my way back towards the kitchen. I was parched so the first thing I went for was the bottled water. Rich people always had bottled water. These rich people had gallon sized jugs. I dragged a couple upstairs before finding some canned meats, vegetables and soups and grabbing a can opener. Nothing was bloated or rusty, so I felt pretty safe to eat them though they were some past their expiration dates.

I barricaded myself into the master bedroom, dragging a large dresser over in front of the door after double checking under the bed and in the bathroom and closets. I sat on the floor and enjoyed my little meal, sighing with contentment as I ate Vienna sausages. I used to hate these things but now, they weren't too bad. I would have loved some crackers or something but this was good, too.

I drank some water and then crawled into the bed to sleep, fully clothed, my bat at hand. You never knew what was going to happen.

I woke up hours later, completely disoriented. I didn't usually sleep that deeply or that long but it felt nice to sleep, content in the knowledge that for now, I was safe. I stretched, groaning as sore muscles were stretched to the point of aching. I rolled out of the bed and made my over to the window. The sun was starting its trek across the sky, so now was a good time to start walking.

I ate another meal of Vienna sausages and canned veggies washed down with some water before dragging the dresser out of the way. I pulled my bag back on and grabbed the bat and the mask and made my way back downstairs.

Everything was silent, just like before. I pulled the mask on anyway as I crept around nervously. I found some car keys and felt a grin spread across my face before I realized with no electricity, I'd be hard pressed to get the car out of the garage and then out of the gated community. I sighed and left the keys where they were. I put as much in my bag as I could reasonably carry and set out through the back door, leaving things pretty much as I'd found them.

I shimmied over the fence again and set out down the road, avoiding the interstate this time. There was no telling how far the rednecks would go in their search for me. It was dangerous to walk alone in the first place; walking down city streets was bad, too. I made my way quickly through the neighborhoods, following signs to a state highway. It was getting late and the sweat was starting to trickle down my spine when I finally reached the highway. I climbed up in a tree to eat lunch, sipping soup straight from the can as I scanned the horizon through the branches.

I froze when I saw an RV moving towards me. It couldn't be more than a mile off. I clutched the can of soup tightly, my heart hammering in my chest. I watched as it got closer, kicking up dirt behind it. I quickly stuffed my things back in my bag and climbed a little higher in the tree awkwardly holding onto my bat and letting the can of soup fall to the ground below the tree.

I watched, my heart in my throat, as the RV got closer. It slowed down as it came over the hill and finally stopped beside my tree. My heart was pounding so hard I was convinced someone would hear it but I didn't dare to move. I heard a car door open and slam shut then the sound of boots on the gritty pavement.

"You look like you could use a ride."

I didn't move or make a sound, holding my breath. He didn't sound like a redneck.

"I know you're up there. I saw you from a ways back. The metal reflected the sun. Plus, tree leaves don't move that way on their own and there's no wind."

I silently cursed my can opener but refused to say anything aloud. Who knew what kind of person this guy was.

"Look," he sighed "I know I'm a stranger and all that shit, but there's a shitton of zeds heading this way and you know they can climb. You've got to decide who you want to take your chances with: fifty of them, or one of me."

"How do I know you're not lying about the zeds?"

"Just look over that hill and you'll see them in a bit. I'll wait in the car." I heard the crunching footsteps moving away from the tree and the door opening and closing again. This guy had to have some kind of super eyesight to see me from so far off. I watched the direction he'd come from and sure enough, saw the cloud of dust signaling something coming towards me. There were only two things that could be coming this way from that direction: rednecks and zeds. I decided to take my chances with the stranger.

I dropped my bag to the ground and dropped down behind it, landing on my feet as gracefully as I'd ever be, scooping it up and moving quickly towards the RV. I could see now that there was a small mini-van being towed behind it. I opened the door and swung in, turning to see my rescuer.

He wasn't that old, probably mid twenties, with a shock of longish dark reddish hair and bright blue eyes. He offered me a friendly smile.

"Edward."

"B."

"Just B?"

I nodded. "Just B."

"Ok then. Where are you headed?"

I sighed. "Anywhere but here."

"Hey, me too." He put the RV in drive and started off down the road.

Neither of us talked for the next few hundred miles and I even managed to doze a little. He finally pulled to a stop in front of a Wal-Mart. I looked at him warily, one eyebrow raised.

"We're stopping?"

"We're stopping. I need to restock some shit."

"Now? It's nearly dark."

He shrugged and stood up from his seat, making his way into the back of the RV. I turned then and saw it was filled with boxes and piles of stuff. I could see canned goods, bottles of water, clothing, toiletries, medicines, weapons, pretty much anything you might need to survive an apocalypse. I watched with interest as he pulled on some sports padding and a football helmet, grabbing an aluminum bat in one hand and a shotgun in the other.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just wait until morning?" I asked nervously.

"It might, but I plan on spending tomorrow getting as much gas as I can from those pumps." He motioned to the abandoned gas pumps back near the road.

"You want me to come with you? I'm pretty good with a bat."

"Sure." He motioned to a pile of pads beside him. I crawled into the back and started suiting up. I pulled them on quickly, feeling restricted somewhat but not really caring that much. Safety first. He handed me a helmet and I pulled it on and nodded. "Let's do this."

He grinned and swung out of the van, shutting and locking the door behind us. We walked up to the doors, prying them open and making sure they closed behind us. My heart was pounding in my chest and I paused.

"Hey Edward…why don't we drive in here? Like, bring the Bago in?"

He paused for a moment and studied me. "You know, I never thought about that before. Next time."

I nodded and we each grabbed a cart, setting off on a weird shopping/looting journey. We were both as quiet as we could be, making a bee-line for the beverage aisle and stocking up on whatever bottled water was left. I grabbed some powdered drink mixes and tossed them into my cart as we then made our way towards the pharmacy section. I watched in fascination as Edward just arm swept everything into his cart, shelf by shelf.

"You really take everything?"

He nodded. "This shit is gold in some places. You never know who's going to need what."

I held up some Vagisil medicated wipes and he grinned. "Some women are still getting yeast infections, so yeah."

I laughed and copied him, gathering everything I could: toothpaste, tooth brushes, razors and shaving cream, anything and everything that was in the pharmacy section. Our carts filled quickly and we took them out to empty and then returned to refill them. It was getting darker now so we moved with a greater sense of urgency.

We were going back for our third load when we heard their voices. Soft, wheedling, coaxing.

"I can smell you. You smell so good…so ripe."

My heart was hammering in my chest and I looked around wildly. Edward held up one hand, motioning pointlessly for silence. We looked around us, our grips tightening on our weapons. We couldn't see them in the dusk and that was incredibly dangerous. They could be anywhere, waiting until it was really and truly dark.

Edward waved his arm from the elbow to catch my attention. My eyes snapped to him and my heart was pounding. He made a fist then released it, all five fingers splayed for a moment before he pointed to the RV. I nodded and he slowly put the fingers down one by one. We started making our way towards the RV then, the soft soothing voice still talking.

"You know it'll just be easier this way," it was saying. "Don't try to run away, you'll just get tired before you die."

Edward slid the key as quietly into the lock as he could, twisting his wrist twice to unlock both doors and pulling his door open seemingly in one movement. I wrenched it open, hurting my shoulder in the process, and threw myself into the passenger seat, barely clearing my feet before slamming the door shut behind me and locking it. A split second later a bloody ashen face was pressed against the window, nail-less fingers clawing at the glass and leaving bloody smears.

"Drive," I gasped.

Edward nodded and fumbled with the keys, finally getting them in the ignition and pulling away. I watched in the last light of day as the zeds that had found us chased us. One jumped onto the minivan we were towing and started to crawl along the top of it.

"We've got a cling-on," I announced, my voice sounding much firmer than I felt.

He nodded. "Buckle in."

I quickly pulled the seatbelt around me and fastened it, grabbing on to the handle as he started to swerve on the road. A few of the zeds had finally given up and weren't chasing anymore. It wasn't that they were tired. Zeds didn't get tired. They just managed to lose a foot or something. It was hard to run with only one foot and the rotting flesh of a zed didn't really stay together that well after a few months. The life span of a zed was actually pretty short, if you could just stay out of their reach. I kept my eyes glued to the side mirror as best I could through the gore spread across the window.

"Anything yet?"

I shook my head. "Nothing on this side, though we did lose a couple."

He nodded, his jaw clenched. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and increased his speed and his swerving. I was a little nervous about the minivan snapping off the trailer hitch.

I had a sudden flashback to high school, a bunch of kids crammed into a car and driving up and down "the strip" on Fridays and Saturdays, laughing and talking and singing to music, eating and driving recklessly. We used to call this kind of driving "Batman driving."

All of those kids were dead now. One way or the other.

I shook myself slightly and returned my focus to the mirror, sighing with relief when I finally saw a body flying off the top of the RV. I was a little alarmed he'd made it as far as he had but at least he was gone now.

"He's off." I watched as the other zeds diverted their path towards their fallen comrade. All they'd heard was a body hitting the ground. It would take them a bit to figure out it wasn't one they wanted to eat and by then, we'd be long gone.

We sat in tense silence as Edward continued to drive faster than was safe, though now he was traveling a straight line. His knuckles were white and his jaw was still clenched.

"We can slow down now," I offered after about thirty minutes.

He nodded and gradually slowed down, finally pulling into a small gas station on the side of the highway. It was surrounded by a whole lotta nothin'. I felt simultaneously safe and exposed.

"We'll camp here for the night," he announced, putting the RV in park and killing the engine. He unbuckled and stood up, moving into the back of the RV. I followed him and started to pull off the sports gear as he did the same. "We'll need to organize the shit," he muttered, motioning to the boxes that were now sprawled all over the cabin area.

I nodded and stowed our protective gear in the cab and turned to help. He flipped on the lights and pushed up his sleeves before squatting and beginning to go through the items.

We worked in silence, organizing by type of item: food, pharmacy, water. Everything had a place to go. The cabinets in the small galley were stuffed full of cans of food and bottles of water, the stove was full of water, and the cabinets in the small bedroom in the back were full of the pharmaceuticals that had been carefully organized. The small storage area under the dining table was crammed with camping and fishing supplies and even what looked like a tent or two. Every available storage area was crammed with stuff. I raised my eyebrows at the fact that half of the small bedroom was piled high with clothing.

"Clothes?"

He nodded. "You don't ever change your clothes?"

I shrugged. "Once in a while, sure, but it's easier if everything smells the same."

He nodded and started to clear off the half of the bed that was covered. The floor on either side was already piled high, creating a veritable tunnel for sleeping. I opened the bathroom door and peeked inside, grinning when I saw the shower was stuffed with toiletries. There were mountains of toilet paper surrounding the toilet.

"You look really prepared," I commented, shutting the door and turning to him.

He grinned and nodded. "It makes surviving some easier if you've got shit you need or shit other people want so you can trade for what you need."

He motioned to the bed. "Do you want to sleep in shifts?"

"How do you usually do it?"

"I'm usually alone so I sleep with a gun beside me."

"Oh." I shifted from foot to foot, nervous. With the guys, we'd always slept in shifts, piled together for warmth and comfort. I didn't know this guy. I'd only met him a few hours ago.

"I promise I won't bite," he said finally. "I've gone this long without sex, I can control myself. I don't promise not to wake up with a boner, but that's going to happen if you're there or not."

I laughed softly and took a deep breath. "Ok. We can sleep together, weapons close by."

"Of course."

We crawled onto the tiny bed fully clothed, not even taking our shoes off, and adjusted ourselves to get comfortable. It was awkward until Edward suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest. I stiffened.

"Sorry, but it'll just be more comfortable this way. If it isn't, just push me away. I'll behave."

I nodded and relaxed a little. The temperature was warm with all our clothes on but I hadn't touched skin to skin with anyone in a while, not until the rednecks, and I really wasn't interested in revisiting those memories.

It took a while, but we both finally drifted off to sleep, secure in the safety of our locked Bago and deserted location. It wasn't a deep restful sleep, but it was sleep of a kind.