AN: Okay, chapter 1 finally written and Beta'd :D Thanks to RulerofFire and for helping me out on this one. After a long and fruitful 4th of July weekend chapter 2 is almost done as well (along with Confessions, if anyone cares about that here...) so yah, I'm gonna stop talking now cus half of you probably don't read my commentary anyway :)

Oh yah, the parenthesized italics are Zoey's thoughts, enjoy!

CHAPTER 1

I looked down at my grimy body. My clothes were covered in blood and swamp shit. My shoes and socks were soaked through and squished every time I took a step. I felt like one of those goddamned clowns at that twisted carnival.

I stepped carefully through the swamp, sweeping my AK-47 left and right before me. I cursed silently when I heard the unmistakable cry of a Witch.

I tried desperately to quiet the sloshing in my shoes, but after a few precious moments of fussing, I found the best way to do it was simply treading lighter - so I gave up trying. I looked around for the Witch, hoping I could tiptoe around her and get to the (hopefully) nearby safe house (shack).

My (barely there) luck held and I found her sobbing beneath the bridge to the safe house.

Almost there, almost safe.

. . .

Shit

My blood ran cold as I heard the sick laugh of a Jockey somewhere nearby.

"Jockey!"

Did I really just hear that? I couldn't believe it. There were real, actual people here. I was elated. So much so, that I dropped my guard to run toward the location of the voice.

I didn't even hear the laugh, and so my next utterance was a scream as the Jockey pounced on my face and steered me blindly through the muck.

"Shit, damn back humper's got someone!" Someone with a Southern drawl yelled. I presume he started running, by the sloshing and yelling of two or three other voices. Their blazing guns and the distant screeches made me guess that a Horde was fast approaching.

I fought wildly against the Jockey, trying desperately to move to where I had heard the voice. I didn't even know if I was going the right way.

And then, just as quickly as it started, the Jockey's ride was over. I looked down to see it fall in a heap beside me. A man who appeared not much older than me rushed to my side and steadied me as I swayed violently. I was shaking hard. "I thought I was alone. I thought I was done for . . ."

"It's alri', yer safe now. My name is Ellis, some people call me El. But I really prefer Ellis 'cus El kinda sounds like a girl's name. But if you prefer ta call me El, I guess you can." I couldn't pay attention to all that he said. My attention drifted when I noticed the Witch a few feet away from us, teeth bared, claws ready, growling and standing up.

"Y-You got a gun, Ellis?"

He looked confused. "A course, why?"

I turned him by the shoulder to face the Witch. "Use it."

I pulled out my pistols as I had dropped my AK during my adventure with the Jockey. Slowly backing up, I aimed at the Witch. "One," I said.

"Two" he answered.

"THREE!" We let the bullets fly. She screeched and came flying at me, claws outstretched, and knocked me down into the swampy mess. I struggled to get air from under the water while shooting at her.

And then she stopped, falling limply off my side as Ellis stooped down to save me yet again.

I moaned when his hand brushed my leg and noticed it was nearly torn open. "Shit!" I swore, great, now I was the dead weight.

I was sitting up, my legs outstretched uselessly before me. Ellis was still crouched next to me. "Damn, that bitch did a number on ya, didn't she?"

I flinched when he started sliding his arm under my legs and around my back. "Easy there, it' alri', I gotcha." He smiled with such and innocent sweetness I couldn't help but trust it. So I let him carry me bridal-style to the safe house and set me down on an old creaky couch in the middle of the room.

He picked up a pump-action shotgun with some ammo off a nearby table and handed them to me. "Okay, I'ma go out ta help my friends. Then we'll be back 'n someone'll patch up that leg. You alri' in here, Darlin'?"

"I'll be fine. Thank you, Ellis." I mustered the most sincere look I could manage through the pain.

"You sure? 'Cus I could-"

"No. I'm fine. Go." I cut him off. He nodded and ran out the door we had just come through, closing it loudly behind him.

Damn, that was close. If they hadn't been there . . .

You would've found a way out. You always do. And I could've helped you if you would have let me.

That's a lie and you know it. I was done for until they came. That Jockey was my death sentence.

No attachments, no regrets. Remember Bill? Louis, Francis? How much that hurt?

Fuck this, you don't exist. I'm talking to myself. They'll keep me sane again. You'll go away

Nobody will keep me from you once they're dead again.

"No!" I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head violently. I looked up and noticed that Ellis and his group were rushing around the ramp, making a mad dash for the safe house. I hauled myself up to sitting. My hand brushed a med pack on the floor next to the couch and I tore it open, revealing it's contents. I took out a sterile set of tweezers and focused on my leg, which now just felt numb.

Dead.

Shit.

I used the tweezers to gingerly spread apart the skin around the wound and examined it as best I could, plucking out small bits of leaf and twig as a man in a white suit burst into the safe house. He was followed quickly by a large man, a somewhat short woman, and Ellis shooting straggling zombies.

"Ow, FUCK!" I swore. I struck a muscle hard with the tweezers when I had turned to see the other survivors make their way through the door.

All of them jumped and swung around. I found myself staring wide-eyed into the barrels of four guns.

One dropped quickly, revealing Ellis's relieved face. "It's alri', guys, this is the girl I saw out there." For some reason his voice made my head pound.

The large man and the woman hastily dropped their guns, and white-suit lowered his weapon only enough to spot my injured leg, then dropped it the rest of the way hurriedly "Oh, damn someone fix that!"

I was confused. My mind was slower and groggy and the edges of my vision grew blurry. I looked drowsily at my leg. I t was gushing blood from where I had hit it.

"Fuck." I murmured before collapsing back against the cushions. The last thing I saw was the woman rushing to me before my eyes drifted closed.