Rosey was already a little tired. Yesterday's marathon left her with hurting feet, sore legs, and aching lungs. But it made the idea of another run, if needed, dreadful. She had to run a few times before then, but never that hard. The pushing of her limits that day gave her a great workout. Although with her recent "diet", weight was far from what she was worried about.

Pequod was humming a chipper tune quietly as she walked. He seemed to be in a better mood than she was. She never thought she'd envy a plant in such a way. Of course, he did ride in her backpack. That probably gave him more reason to have a good mood. Occasionally though, he'd suddenly go quite. She looked back a few times to make sure he was doing alright. He'd notice every time and give her a happy "hello" kind of hum. It honestly pretty cute; just what she needed to keep her going. She was thankful she had him around.

Rosey checked her watch. Only two hours had passed. It felt like longer. Were they even making good time? Rosey sighed and stopped near a broken-down car. "Ugh, this is going to take forever…I wish I had a bike." Pequod kazooed a question. "What? You don't know what a bike is?"

"Uh uh," He shook his head.

"Well, a bike is a kind of like… this car. But it has two big wheels and a handle bar instead of a steering wheel. And usually, you have to peddle it. But some bikes can run on their own. We called those motorcycles or… motorbikes. I used to have a bike. It was a small pink one with glitter and frillies and stuff. It got ran over by a semitruck when I left it on the road." Rosey laughed. "I cried for days because it was broken up so bad. My parents promised they'd get me a new one." Rosey giggled again and scratched her head. "They never got around to it it though… I was ten then, basically a kid. But I'm grown up now…"

Pequod kazooed a bunch of words which Rosey didn't understand. So, she didn't answer them. "I still wish I had one though. It'd make us go faster."

"Hmm." Pequod sighed and turned his head to their right where another lone house stood. Something was there on the deck. He leaned in and squinted at it. It was just next to the front door. The porch was devoid of chairs. It looked something like two wheels and a big handle on top. Was that what she was looking for? Pequod began wiggling and making excited noises.

"What is it, Pequod?" She asked turning her head. He was trying to point at something with his head, but she didn't get what his head motion was supposed to be. "What? What is it?"

Finally, after all the exaggerated movements he took to shooting towards the thing he was pointing at. Rosey ducked. She took it as he saw something threatening. "Is it zombies? Already?"

Pequod shook his head. "uh uh!" Then pointed once more at the house's direction with his head.

Finally, Rosey peaked over the grass to look at the house and saw the big splatter near the door. And just bellow it… a bike. Rosey had to laugh. "Hah! This is great! Good catch, Pequod! We'll do way better now that we have a bike! I hope it's still ridable." Rosey ran towards the house and ran at the foot of the porch. She looked at the car beside the house and noticed it was in better shape than the rest. "Huh, maybe we can take this instead. And load up the bike in the back when we run out of gas. It'll be much safer in this thing than on the bike…"

Suddenly she heard something bagging around in the house. Then an argument at the door.

"Wilbert, no!" an old woman's voice cried, "It's not worth it!"

"I've had enough of these zombies! If they want on my property then they can go through me!" An old hunchbacked man with a shotgun came kicking the screen door open and pointing his shotgun at the field then at Rosey. "Whut in tarnation!"

"Wait! I'm human!" She cried, throwing her hands up.

Pequod tried to see what was going by looking over her shoulder. The old man screamed in horror at the little head over Rosey's shoulder and Pequod screamed back. They took turns screaming at each other then fainted together.

Rosey watched in shock what had just unfolded. The old lady finally came out, a worried expression on her face but she quickly relaxed when she saw Rosey.

"Oh, thank goodness! It's just a girl! Why, we hav'n't had any guests in these here parts in years!"

The old man started rousing and sitting up. "Whuzzat?"

"Wilbert, get up!" The old lady said, kicking him a little. "We have a guest for pete's sake!"

"Harriet, get back!" the old man said, trying to get his shotgun. "That ain't no person! She got an alien head on 'er back!"

"What? No! No! I'm not an alien!" Rosey assured. She took off her bag and presented Pequod who was shaking in his pot. "This is Pequod! He's a peashooter! A plant! Not an alien." Pequod nervously turned back and forth then swallowed hard. Both old timers looked at each other in surprise then at the moving plant. "We came from Suburbia! I didn't realize you were still here. I just wanted your bike…! But, since you're here; I'll just go."

"Now, wait here jus' one minute," Harriet said as she started climbing down the stairs slowly. "You cain't jus' go on yer own lahk this. That's poor hospitality!"

"Doh, let 'er go, Harriet!" Wilbert grouched as he put the shotgun down against the door frame. "She's a teenager, she can fen' for her-self!"

Harriet turned around and scolded him. "Now, Wilbert, we can't jus' let'er go lahke this! She's on her own with a… plant thing and no trans-por-tation! She maght git hurt!"

"Feh!" Wilbert threw his hand at her and turned around to go back inside.

Harriett smiled and motioned her to follow. "Come on in! We'll fix you somthin' nahce and see if we can help."

Rosey looked at Pequod then began to follow her in. Wilbert had stopped to looked at the splatter above the bike and grunted dismissively then went inside. Harriet held the door for Rosey to go inside then clapped her hands together and rubbed them. "Now, is there somthin' I can fix you? Some coffee of tea? I got some leftover casserole in the fridge."

"No thanks," Rosey replied. "Maybe… I can trade some stuff for the bike? I have some food. Some water."

"No deal! We got all the food and water we need until we drop dead!" Wilbert spat.

"Wilbert! Don't be rude! She's tryna' be polite. Somethin' you cou' learn a thing 'r two about!"

Wilbert started mumbling and sat down. A cat jumped up and lay across his lap. He didn't seem to mind. He started stroking the cats back and ignored Pequod and Rosey.

Harriet set a glass of water down. "Ah trust you won't say no to some water, am ah right?"

At this point it would be rude, and somewhat illogical, for her to say no. Rosey excepted the glass and sipped it. "Pequod? You need any water?" Rosey had taken him out of the bag and set him at her feet. He looked up at her and shook his head. "Okay, if you're sure." He was still shivering in fear. Something was off to him. Everywhere he looked were dead plants. A vase with some wilted flowers. A frame with flowers pressed flat and pinned on paper. Some of the plants on the windowsill were dried and uncared for. It was a plant nightmare. To make his matters worse, the cat was staring at him.

"You said he was a plant?" Harriet asked staring awkwardly at him. "Well, uh… he sure ain't like any plant ah've ever seen before."

Pequod was staring at that cat in complete and utter fear. It was licking its lips. He wasn't sure what it wanted, but he hoped it didn't want to eat him.

"Pequod… well, he's a product of the mind of Crazy Dave. Have you ever seen those magazine articles about the guy with a thick beard and a pot on his head, claiming the zombie apocalypse was coming?"

"I don't rightly know. We nevah get them magazines. Wilbert only ever gets the newspapers from the gas station."

"Well, I thought it was all a scam, but after I ran all the way from California to meet him, I found out he's a bit more of a genius that anyone gave him credit for. I found Pequod in his house after he abandoned it a long time ago. I guess he grew from a seed while I wasn't looking."

"Grew from a plant seed? How 'bout that, Wilbert? I told you them magazines mighta had some valuable information. Ah know we live in the old days, but times change and so does the news."

"If it was worth mentionin' on the news, it'd be on the paper! Them magazines got nothin' but youngins' fashion sense and ce-lebrity gossip!" He grunted and kept petting the cat.

Pequod looked away from the cat for one second and saw yet another thing that horrified him. Rusted, old gardening tools. He moaned and murmured while imagining what they could have been used for. What horrifying things they did to the plants around the house. The neglect they gave, the cuts they made, and maybe even the leaves they fed to the cat. Could that cat have a taste for plant leaves? Did it want to chew on his stem?

"Well, he and I met just yesterday to be honest. I thought I'd seen everything when the outbreak happened. But then four corns came and rescued us. They took us to the farm two hours or so away."

"Corn?" Harriet laughed. "What next? Cherries? Jalapenos?" Harriet laughed and Rosey chuckled. Wilbert was stoic and cranky as always.

"I wouldn't be surprised. But that leads me to what I'm doing now. I'm trying to get to Neighborville. It's north, about a three-day hike."

"Neighborville?" Harriot echoed. "Well, I… can't say rightly ah've heard 'a the place… but if you know where it is, then I won't tell you it's a waste 'a time."

"Thanks," Rosey smiled, unsure of what else to say. "So, that's why I was in your front yard. I was hoping to have something that would cut the time down a little."

Pequod made a weak and quivering sound as the cat jumped down and approached him. he looked around for something to save him, but Rosey hadn't noticed, and Wilbert was starting to fall asleep. He had half a mind to cry for help, but the cat stopped and began sniffing the air. It was slowly approaching him now. Pequod gulped. He thought about getting Rosey's attention, but he wasn't sure if this cat was a real threat yet. It began sniffing him. Pequod braced for what was probably going to be its first strike, but the cat started to brush up against him. Pequod was surprised by the somewhat friendly gesture. The cat then laid down and yawned. Pequod sighed in relief. Maybe… this cat wasn't so bad. Maybe it didn't eat plants.

Harriet hummed. "Now, that's a surefire way to do it. Although, it's a little rude to be goin' and takin' people's bikes without permission."

Rosey giggled. "Yeah, your right. I just didn't know there were still people around here."

"Well, we're still here," Harriet said, as she sipped her coffee. She set it down then leaned in, "But all of our neighbors left. Took all their thangs and jus' up and left. They suggested we do the same but… This was mah mother's home. I couldn' jus' leave it. And Wilbert didn't wanna leave neither. So, we stayed. We haven't got serious trouble yet. We thought it was maybe 'casue the zombies were in more populated places. But we have had a few here and there wander'in the yard."

"And then they met mah twelve gage!" Wilbert pipped in with a grunt. "Ain't no trespassers, dead 'r otherwise goin' get in this house without mah says-so."

Rosey cleared her throat nervously. "O-of course… thank you… for letting me in."

Wilbert grunted dismissively and began rocking in his chair. Harriet rolled her eyes and giggled. "Listen, sweetheart. Ah'd love nothin' more to help a fellow person in need. And a young'in at that, but… these are desperate times…"

"I didn't expect to get the bike for free," Rosey said leaning in. "Just tell me what you want. If it's not too far, me and Pequod can probably get it."

Pequod stared at the sleeping cat at the foot of his pot trying to roll over against him but not doing very well. He was curious about what this cat was trying to do. It managed to shove his pot over a little so it could sit up and stare again. Pequod inched his head closer to it. The cat leaned in to sniff his head again but was suddenly disinterested and got up to walk away. Pequod relaxed. At least the cat wasn't after his leaves.

Harriet smiled. "Well, it ain't very far. But Ah'm afraid it's dangerous. And Ah wouldn't ask if it weren't import'nt. But we got no one else to turn to."

"Harriet, no!" Wilbert said as he sat up. "I told you that there's no point and Ah mean it. We got enough medication for Atticus to last a little longer! We don't need no more!"

Rosey cringed a little. She had a gut feeling she knew what this was about. "Who's… Atticus?"

Harriet shed a few tears and began cleaning her eyes. "Our poor cat!" Rosey sighed internally. Of course, it was the cat. "He's been strong f'r us, but he got a fever and ha'n't been 'imself for a while. He's always uninterested 'n playin' and his nose is always hot. We cain't have 'im looked at because there's no vet in the clinic. We do have his prescriptions... But ah know a thing 'r two about animals and with the right antibiotics, he'll be himself again in a few days!"

"Harriet! Do you want this girls death on yer conscience? Just f'rget it and send 'er on her way!"

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to Atticus, are you?!" Harriet snapped, "He's the only company we got!" Harriet sniffed and apologized.

Rosey looked down at Pequod. He was teary-eyed. Like he was begging her to accept the errand. "You think we should help, Pequod?" Pequod nodded and waited for her to reply. "Okay… but we'll lose a whole day. Neighborville is a long way, and we aren't getting any closer. Even if we get a bike, we'll still be so far away…"

"We can help," Harriet assured. "If you do this f'r us, we'll give you a ride and cut the journey down f'r you. Then you can have the bike and go the rest 'a yer way!"

Now that made the deal sweeter. A whole chunk of the journey, cut down without walking or peddling? How could she refuse? "Deal. Where's the vet?"

Harriet smiled and Wilbert sighed. He stood up, and for the first time, decided to actually talk to her. "Come on. Ah'll show you on a map."

An hours later, Rosey found herself outside a lone veterinarian clinic. She was laying in a ditch of tall to scope it out. It looked clear so far. But being so close to the big city didn't bode well to her. After Suburbia, she was lot more nervous to encounter zombies. She had this bad feeling breathing down the back of her neck. It couldn't be Pequod, he didn't actually breath. So, it was definitely her instincts.

"It looks clear," Rosey said as she hid deeper in the ditch. She had her backpack in her arms and looked Pequod in the eye. "Okay, Pequod. In and out. Right? We'll make this super-fast." Pequod nodded in agreement. "Okay, good! Yes…! Great…" She wrapped the single strap over her body and peaked over to see the veterinary clinic again. "In and out… Easy." She took a deep breath. "Here we go… I'm walking there… now…" She fast walked passed the street. "There's no zombies here… There's no zombies here… no way… nope… No zombies…"

Rosey continued to pep talk herself until Pequod startled here with a frustrated kazoo. "Ahh! What?! What?!" Pequod started scolding her, but she still couldn't understand a word he said. "Look, I'm trying to concentrate, if you see a zombie then you can… make noise. But this is serious, we need to be quiet!" She hoarsely whispered.

Pequod was indignant. He'd facepalm if he had hands but he settled for a sigh and kept quiet. Rosey reached the front door and took a deep breath. It was dark inside. There probably wasn't any power. It didn't help Rosey's delicate nerves. She took a few deep breaths and shook out the chills running down her spine then reached for the glass door. It was locked.

"Oh, great!" She tossed her hands up and walked away from the door. "We came all this way and its locked. Great!" Pequod sighed and tried to suggest something, but Rosey was as ignorant as ever. "Got any ideas? I don't suppose this place has a back door…" Pequod agreed with an affirmative kazoo. "Alright, we'll try it." The back doors were locked too. "Darn it! Is there any way in?" She looked for some windows but the ones she found were sealed into the building. "Pequod, I don't like it, but I think we're just going to have to break the glass…"

Neither of them saw any more options. There was a good-sized rock int eh gravel parking lot she could use. she stretched her legs and arms and took a few breaths. "It's time for my world-famous fast ball…" Rosey hiked up her leg, winded back, and threw the rock at the glass doors. They shattered easily. And better yet, no alarms went off. "And that's a strike. Still got it!" Pequod cheered her on. "Thank you, thank you, I hubbly accept the MVP award…" She trailed off when she heard a familiar chant. She turned around and sure enough, over the road, on the hill, she could see some limping figures coming her way. "Shoot, let's hide, Pequod!"

She bolted into the clinic and took off her bag. Holding Pequod in front of her like a gun, she inspected the area and quickly reached for her flashlight. She illuminated whatever was in front of her and carefully searched the room for zombies. Then made her way to the hallway.

"You first, Pequod. Ready?" She said quietly. Pequod nodded. She stuck the flashlight and the backpack out around the corner and Pequod looked around. He didn't shoot, so that was a good sign. Rosey poked her head out and looked for herself then began making her way down the hall. "Okay, meds. Where would they keep those?" Rosey saw what looked like tile floor and a pharmacy sign. "That looks right."

Rosey tried to open the door. It was also locked. "Dang it, how many doors do they need to lock?! It's not like anyone would think to actually break the front door…" The chanting outside got louder. "Oh no…"

Rosey quickly dug out the plant food and rushed into another room. Then closed the door and placed Pequod in front of her. She realized she still hand the flashlight on and turned it off. Other than the zombies chanting, it was dead quiet. Rosey was breathing really hard, her heart beating out of her chest. She silently prayed they weren't smart enough to investigate a building with broken glass. Pequod vigilantly watched the door and the glass windows. She wasn't sure how much time had passed. She was too scared to move. She kept anticipating whether or not she'd need the plant food or maybe they'd go for the window instead of the door. She spent so much time with it she had finally realized she needed to take a breath. Having fresh air in her lungs, she realized the chanting was getting quieter and nothing had entered the vet yet. She waited, held her breath again so she could hear better. Then finally decided, it was time to move on.

"I… think we're clear, Pequod…" Pequod kazooed something quietly. Rosey picked Pequod up and wrapped the single strap over her chest again. "Let's go, buddy." She peaked out into the hall and the coast was clear. Turning on her light, she verified the hall was as empty as she left it then made her way to the pharmacy. "Okay, maybe there's a key somewhere. Like, the front desk!"

She made her way to the reception area and started digging around the front desk for any sort of key. The draws were locked, which she figured would happen, but the cabinets weren't. not that it mattered. All there was inside was unorganized office supplies.

"Well, I guess we're going it the old-fashioned way… again," Rosey sighed. She grabbed her flashlight and held it like a bat. "I threw a strike at the front. Now I'm hitting a home run…" She winded back then took a sharp breath in and slammed the flashlight into the glass. Another successful break. It was loud, probably unsafe, and not very smart, but it was her only option. "Got it! Okay, cover me, Pequod!"

Her flashlight went out. She beat it a few times for it to flicker back to life then started to fight it as she tried reading off medication names. She had a list in her pocket. "Come on you stupid thing! Okay…" She read them off then stopped at one she recognized, "This one! Okay, next…" It was a good day so far. She found all the medication she needed and had them packed in her bag. Rosey's spirits were high. She wasn't even sure why she was so nervous! The zombies didn't see her, the medication was all here, and once she got back, she'd have a car ride and a bike. Best deal she'd ever made so far.

Her tune didn't last. She heard something familiar. Something she felt a long time ago. Rosey's eyes went wide. Pequod was getting worried. He tried to get her attention, but she was locked in her nightmare. Those thudding footsteps. She never forgot how they sound. Whatever was out there, she blamed it for her nightmares. She blamed it for her loneliness. For the nearly wasted time in Suburbia. This thing was at fault. But it didn't make her angry, it made her terrified.

Pequod made just enough sound to get her attention again. He was trying to help her, see if she was okay, but he had no hands, no words to offer. He was a little peashooter and by the footsteps outside, that thing was very big. Rosey was visibly shaking, tears running down her face.

"I'm not going out there. I can't…" She left the bag, left Pequod, there on the floor and hid beneath a desk. She hugged herself and started to cry. She was desperately trying to not make any noise. There was a crashing sound. Whatever it was, just broke the door down. It had to have. Now, it was coming. Coming for her!

Pequod tried to get her to come out. He was quiet but sounded nervous. She didn't have to understand him to know he was begging. Rosey took a few deep breaths and hugged her knees close to her chest. The thuds were louder. It was inside! She heard something cackling. It had a bit of a squeaky voice. This was it; she was done for! No corn was going to save her now. It was just Pequod, and he was too small for whatever was going to come through that door. And she had just left him there. Rosey sobbed and tried to apologize to him. But she was too scared to make a sound.

There was a patter of little feet walking towards the door then a confused "Brains?" As soon as it turned the corner. She heard Pequod make a war cry then shot at it. she heard the high-pitched voice scream and Pequod's shots. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it sounded intense. And it ended soon. There was no doubt about it. She was sure that she had just left Pequod for dead. And that thing got him. But what she heard next broke her out of her sobbing.

Pequod trumpeted at her happily. She looked up, her eyes red and puffy, then peaked out from under the desk and saw Pequod bouncing in his pot, a single scratch across his face, but in one piece and a dead midget of a zombie next to him.

"Wait… what? That's what I was…" Rosey had never felt sillier. This midget was the case of all that ruckus? If she'd have known that, she'd have rushed out and kicked this thing so hard, it might as well have been her cousin's football during their elementary game four years back. What a hoax! "Um…" She sniffed and fixed herself. "Pequod, I… I'm sorry for leaving you. I was just…" She sat on her knees next to him, looking down and picking him up. "That sound. I heard it before my parents turned. I was scared that… It was coming back for me… But you beat it, so… I guess, as long as your around, I don't have to be scared anymore…"

She smiled but their moment was interrupted by the walls crashing down outside. Rosey looked up in surprise and saw through the pharmacy door the second wall coming down and then a large zombie bursting through. She screamed and shuffled back with Pequod and the backpack. So, this was the thing she heard. She knew it was too good to be true.

The gigantic zombie looked down at them and let out a mighty roar. Rosey screamed balled up to brace for the worst. Pequod knew it was all up to him again. He saw the plant food drop from the bag and leaned over as far as he could. He sucked it like a vacuum and managed to get the stick of plant food into his mouth and suck two of the three balls into his mouth then spit it out. He let out another war cry as the giant lifted it's arms up to slam it's club down on top of them, but it was met with a face-full of peas. The giant dropped its club and tried to cover it face but Pequod aimed lower and got it right where it wished he didn't. the stream of peas unrelentingly beat again its groin then its face again as it tried to cover its valuables, but it couldn't take it anymore and finally collapsed as Pequod finished off the energy from the plant food. It let out a moan-like roar and faceplanted into the ground with a big thud.

Pequod sighed and kazooed an epic one-liner. But Rosey was too ignorant to understand it. Having noticed it was quiet again, she looked up and saw the giant on the ground in front of her. She jumped back but realized the thing down for the count. She looked down at the proudly standing Pequod who had bested two zombies, large and small today. He was waiting for to acknowledge the feat, excited for her praise.

Rosey shook her head and scoffed as she sat against the shelves. "All this… for a dumb cat…" Rosey grabbed her lucky bandanna and started to clean her face. "I wish things were as simple as back in California. There were no smart zombies, big zombies, zombies that could shoot footballs, or robot zombies…" Rosey sighed and picked the backpack up and tried to pat Pequod's scratch. He seemed to not mind. "But I guess… if that happened then… I wouldn't have found you." Rosey smiled and examined the happy peashooter in front of her. He might have gotten scratched, but he was otherwise okay. "Whatever happens, I promise I won't do this again. I trust you, Pequod. Whatever we do. Whatever trouble we get into, you'll get me out of it. Right?"

Pequod nodded. "Uh huh!"

Rosey giggled and pressed her forehead against his. Pequod relaxed and closed his eyes. They stayed like that for a while. Rosey eventually set him down in the backpack and smiled. "Well, let's get these back to that old couple. They're probably nervous by now, right?" Pequod agreed. She zipped up the bag and gathered her missing items the left the vet. She looked back at the nearly collapsed clinic and shivered then took a breath and continued to walk back to the old couple's home. She only hoped that zombie pack didn't go their direction.