It didn't take long for the world to fall apart, apparently.

The three of them continued their journey along the road. They were back to walking as they had finally put a good amount of distance between the three of them and those things. The fact that it was daytime did little to quell the feeling of anxiety that Ponyboy felt. How could there not be a single car or person in sight? Off the road, a ten-foot-tall chain link fence that had several strands of barbed wire at the very top, stood and ran the entire length of the road.

Another thing that ran the whole length was a deep, long ditch. Any car that had the misfortune of going off the road into it wasn't getting out. Far beyond the fence were the tiny dots of houses, one lined up after another. Even though they were a great distance away, you'd never think that anything out of the ordinary was going on.

"How did all of this start, Dally?" Ponyboy asked, wanting to understand.

The older greaser took a deep breath before shaking his head.

"At first, they said it was escaped prisoners on the loose. Then they said it was some kind of chemical spill makin' everybody go crazy." Dally then lit up a cigarette for himself. "They tried to sound like they knew what they were talkin' about when they really didn't know a damn thing."

"So, no one has a clue?" Johnny quietly spoke up.

"They think the first incident happened the night you killed that soc." The memory of that caused Johnny to slightly shutter. "Yeah, that was it." Dally started to remember. "It was at that broad Cherry's house."

"Cherry Valance?" Pony felt his voice go higher as he said her name. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." The white-haired greaser snapped. "Who gives a shit?"

Dally then began to explain that over on the west side of town, police, firefighters, ambulances were constantly having to handle something or another. Everything under the sun kept having to be called to deal with seemingly non-stop havoc. The greasers had actually gotten a kick out of it at first. The socs, with their mustangs and fancy houses were finally having their rich, privileged, upscaled lives disrupted.

It didn't last, though. The chaos quickly began to spread to the east side.

"Buck Merrill and a couple of guys tried to round those things up and put them in the back on trucks. Like they knew what they were gonna do with them." Dally said while he rolled his eyes at Buck's stupidity. "They had about ten or twelve of them in the back of this panel truck. Buck then drove back to his place. He opened the door to let another one in. That's when they came spilling out of there. Like god damn cockroaches."

"Is Buck-" Pony began.

"Dead? Oh, yeah. Some of those things made it inside of Buck's place, started comin' after us. Guys started firing in every direction, bullets tearing up the whole place. I saw one of those things take eight shots to the chest and kept on coming. The damn thing had to be dead, but it kept on coming. Until it took a hit in the head."

Dally stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Ponyboy and Johnny. He needed to make this perfectly clear to the both of them.

"The only way to stop one of them is to get it in the head."

XXXXXXX

Back at the house that once belong to Joseph and Barbra Curtis, the rest of the gang was held up. The whole house was covered in darkness, as if it were hiding in the shadows of the gnarled, old trees that bent over it. It was the fall, so orange, and brown, and yellow leaves blanketed the front yard. Thick clumps of weeds had completely overgrown an old flower bed beside the front porch. It was an old house, no one had lived in it for quite some time, so it was unkept and needed a lot of work. However, their cousin had insisted on keeping it in the family, so the house still had electricity and running water.

It was the best possible place to hide until this...whatever it was, was contained, and it was safe to go back.

Inside in the living room, Two-Bit and Steve sat listening to the radio. Along with them were Sandy and Evie. They had been on a double date with Sodapop and Steve at a diner when it suddenly became overrun. The girls couldn't even go back to be with their families. They had no idea if they okay or not.

Places were starting to be quarantined; the whole town was getting ready to be put on lockdown. No one in, or out. No way was Sodapop going to just stay put with his kid brother out there. Johnny was with Pony, so Darry and the rest of the gang didn't need much convincing on getting the hell out of there. The only one who wasn't completely on board was Steve.

The distant chirp of crickets and occasional rustle of wind seemed amplified in the otherwise silent house, making Steve shift in his seat. His hands gripped the arms of the chair, as though that small movement might keep him grounded, keep him sane in the face of all the chaos outside.

Suddenly, the broadcaster on the radio continued informing the public.

"Scientists are focusing on the phenomenon of the trancelike state that seems to characterize the assailants. They say that it is clearly a behavioral disorder, but what could have caused such an accelerated and dramatic condition? We've heard speculation on everything from the ozone later and chemical weapons, to voodoo, mysticism, and organisms from space."

"I'm sure that's what it is." Steve sarcastically answered while lighting up a cigarette. "The invasion of the body snatchers."

"Sounds like we got out just in time." Two-Bit muttered to himself. Fortunately for him, his mother and little sister had gone to Bixby to visit Two-Bit's aunt. They were safe, at least for the time being. On the other hand, Steve's dad and stepmom were back home but Steve didn't even seem to care about their well-being, which to Two-Bit was very sad.

Outside on the porch, Sodapop was sitting on a rocking chair. He had a shotgun by his side and his knee was bouncing uncontrollably. Why wasn't Dally back with them yet? Darry then walked out to join him, a shotgun of his own in hand.

"Soda." Darry began. "Why don't you come inside-"

"I should have never let you talk me into splitting up." Soda snapped, worried beyond belief. With the way Dally drove, especially in that T-Bird, they should have been here by now. Multiple scenarios were now playing through Sodapop's head, all of them bad.

Darry ran his hand through his hair with frustration.

"The truck didn't have enough gas to get to Windrixville and back."

"There's a station along the way. I know there is, I remember."

"We couldn't take that chance."

Soda continued staring at his shoes as his face twisted with anger.

"This is your fault, Darry." His older brother's mouth opened, about to tell him that wasn't fair, and that it was only going to make him feel worse, but Soda kept going. "If it wasn't for you, Ponyboy would be with us right now!"

"Does reminding me of that make you feel better?" Darry demanded, growing angrier. "Getting that off your chest makes you feel better?"

"What would make me feel better is crackin' you across the jaw." Soda snapped back at his older brother as he jumped up out of his seat and got right in Darry's face. Fortunately, Two-Bit heard the commotion and quickly got in between the brothers before anything could go down.

"Fellas," Two-Bit tried to reason. "I have vodka. And lots and lots of weed."

At this, Sodapop and Darry couldn't help the small smiles that formed before they both began to laugh. It quickly made the tension begin to dissipate.

"It's nice to know you brought the essentials, Two-Bit." Soda managed to relax a little, taking a deep breath as he sat back down.

"Yeah." Darry agreed. "We could get attacked in the middle of the night, and not even care."

"I'm sorry, Darry." Soda apologized, his voice now just barely above a whisper. Seeing that the brothers had calmed down, Two-Bit headed back inside.

"It's okay." His older brother then took on the other rocking chair right next to Soda. "I'll wait with you."

The atmosphere between them, though tense just moments ago, had softened. The crisp autumn air was filled with the sound of rustling leaves and the occasional gust of wind, which carried the faint scent of woodsmoke from distant chimneys. It was almost peaceful if not for the looming sense of dread that hung over them all like the shadows of the gnarled trees surrounding the property.

Soda leaned back in his chair, staring out into the dimming horizon, but his mind was miles away, fixated on the whereabouts of Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally. He felt the weight of responsibility bearing down on him, despite knowing deep down that Darry had made the right call. Still, the guilt gnawed at him.

"You think they'll be alright?" Soda asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Darry sighed, leaning his shotgun against the porch railing before turning to face his younger brother. His strong, usually composed features were strained with worry.

"Dally knows how to handle himself. He won't let anything happen to Pony or Johnny. He'll get them back here. Safe."

Soda nodded, though the pit of anxiety in his stomach remained. He knew Dally was tough. Reckless, sure, but always had a way of making things work out. Yet this situation wasn't like anything they'd faced before. This wasn't just another gang fight or cops hot on their trail. This was something far worse. Something unnatural. Soda's knee bounced again, a nervous habit he couldn't quite control. Darry noticed but said nothing. He understood that helpless feeling well.

He felt it himself every time he thought about Ponyboy out there, and the thought of what might be happening in town made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. No matter what though, Darry couldn't afford to lose his cool now. Soda needed him to be the steady one—the rock, like he always had been since their parents died.

Back inside the house, Steve, Two-Bit, Sandy, and Evie were sitting around, doing their best to pass the time. The radio continued to crackle on in the background, the broadcaster's voice growing more distant as static began to take over.

"Why do they keep acting like they know what's going on?" Steve muttered, his cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. "They're just as clueless as we are."

Two-Bit shrugged, leaning back against the wall, a grin plastered on his face that barely hid the underlying anxiety. "I dunno, man. Maybe they're just trying to keep people calm. Or maybe they've just lost their damn minds."

Steve chuckled, though it was humorless. He hadn't stopped thinking about Ponyboy and Johnny since they left. Sure, he acted tough, but deep down, Steve was just as scared as the rest of them. It didn't help that the girls were there, looking to them for answers, for reassurance. Sandy sat close to him, her eyes constantly flitting to the door, as if expecting something, or someone, to burst in at any moment.

Sandy, sitting beside Two-Bit, rubbed her arms, her voice shaking as she spoke.

"Do you think our families are okay?"

Two-Bit's easygoing demeanor faltered for a second. He glanced at her, unsure of how to respond. He wasn't used to being the voice of reason or comfort, but now, everyone was looking to each other for solace in this nightmare. "I…I'm sure they're fine," he finally said, though even he didn't sound convinced. Evie leaned into Steve, her eyes wide and full of fear.

"What if we can never go back home?"

Steve felt the weight of her words but didn't know how to respond. The truth was, he had no idea if things would ever go back to normal. Everything they knew was being ripped apart, and there was nothing they could do but wait and hope.

Back on the porch, Darry and Soda sat in silence for a while longer. The sky had started to darken, and a cold breeze rustled the trees. It was the kind of quiet that felt unnatural, like the calm before a storm. They both jumped slightly when they heard the creaking of the old porch door behind them.

It was Two-Bit, stepping outside to join them again, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he glanced between the two brothers.

"Any sign of 'em yet?"

Darry shook his head, his eyes scanning the road once more. "Not yet."

"They'll be back. You know Dally, he's too damn stubborn to let anything stop him." Two-Bit stated while he took a seat on the porch steps, lighting another cigarette, the glow from the lighter briefly illuminating his face.

Soda nodded, but his eyes stayed fixed on the empty road.

The minutes ticked by, and the anxiety was palpable. It felt like the world had stopped turning, as if time itself had been suspended while they waited for a sign.

XXXXXXX

Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally came across a Texaco. This was good, Pony thought. They were getting closer to his grandparents' house. However, inside of the gas station the cashier was dead on the counter, bloated and almost blue. Dally punched the wall in frustration. He had been hungry but was in no mood to eat now. Dally then kicked over a trashcan, the contents spilling over the floor as he removed the bag and handed it to Ponyboy.

"Fill it up with as much as you can." He instructed.

Pony nodded as he began filling up the bag with as much junk food and colas as he could without risking the bag tearing. Dally on the other hand had opened up the cash drawer and was shoving money into his jacket pockets.

"Uh...Dally?" Pony questioned.

Dally smirked.

"You never know."

Johnny and Ponyboy couldn't help but grin at each other before the sudden sound of horrible moans caused them both to jump. Two of those things walked out of the back room and were now coming straight for them. One of them was a man, the other a woman.

"Shit!" Dally cursed.

He quickly pulled out his gun and slammed it right into one of their heads, knocking it backwards away from him before pointing at it, shooting it right in the head. As that one dropped, the second one was making its way towards Pony and Johnny. Pony quickly pulled the gun out his waist band and aimed it right at its head, just like Dally had told him.

Ponyboy looked at her, right into her lifeless eyes. Deep, disgusting veins were bulging up all over her face, her skin was yellowish. She looked as bad as the mortician back at Jay Mountain. He could hear both of his buddies yelling at him, yelling for him to kill it but Pony was frozen, unable to pull the trigger.

As he stared down the sights of the gun, Ponyboy's heart pounded harder than ever. The woman's lifeless eyes and decayed skin were unnatural, terrifying, but there was something human left in her, wasn't there?

She was still a human being. She could have been somebody's sister, a mother, a wife. Someone who'd never asked for this.

How did they know these people were not sick, or-

BANG!

The woman collapsed in a heap to the ground as Dally had just shot her in the head. Blood had sprayed all over Pony's face, which he quickly wiped away in disgust. Dally power walked over to Ponyboy, the older teen now looking very pissed.

"You need to get this though your head, and quick." Dally stated. "If one of these things come at you, or any of us. You. Shoot. On. Sight. Got it?"

Pony nodded.

"I got it." He muttered.

"This ain't a game, Pony. You freeze, you die. You see one of them coming, you don't wait to check if there's somethin' human left in there. You take the shot. Right in the head." His voice was deadly serious, and Ponyboy felt the weight of Dally's words settle like ice in his gut. He nodded, the gravity of what he'd seen and done pressing down on him as he swallowed hard. "Let's go." Dally then directed.

Both Johnny and Ponyboy followed Dally out of station, and they continued the walk to their destination. As he walked, Ponyboy stared at Dally's back, trying to convince himself that Dally was just as horrified as they were, even though he wasn't acting like it. Pony then looked up at the sun for a moment, as if he was amazed that it was still there.

Sometimes he had dreams like this. Just him and Johnny and Dally, all alone in an empty world. They could go anywhere they wanted, do anything they wanted, and take anything they wanted.

Except the dead bodies never factored into any of Ponyboy's fantasies.