• It was a cold night, any living thing could feel its chill, if there was anything in the city still left alive. It's been 2 years since that day, since governments started failing, since the millitary and police force were hard pressed to defend the citizens but failed miserably. Since the dead started walking, hunting, feeding on those poor living souls....

    I walked in the shadows ever alert to the slightest hint of sound. Watching, scanning for anything which could prove a threat. So far nothing, only the fires. Fire. Unnatural Fire! Ah how they still burn so brightly, even after 2 years they burn. For some unfathomable reason they still burn as if they too were alive and only their will kept them from burning out. I continued walking for several blocks when I saw them. They were several of them, 7 maybe 8. The only weapons I carried with me were a pair Desert Eagles, a 12 gauge hunting shotgun, and a Fire Axe. I checked my duffle bag for any useful distraction. I only had some medical suplies, food, water, ammuntion, and some explosives, best to save them though. I had 3 options: 1) open fire with my pistols or shotgun, in which case any zombies in a 3 block radius will hear and give chase or 2) Fight them head on with my fire axe, in which case there is a medium to high chance of me getting bitten and turned into them or 3) walk around.

    I looked at the time, I didn't have time to waste. I went with option two. With a run and a leap, I swung my axe at the first zombie lopping his head off Had to keep going on the momentum I was building, ran to the second zombie chopped him in two I had to hurry she needed me I can't just abondon her, ran to the third zombie took out his legs then his head I will find you Annie, Daddy will come to keep you safe. By now the remaining zombies noticed what I had done to their fellows and decided to do something about it. I ran in a circle around them darting in every now and then to chop at their legs, crippling them. When they were all on the floor crawling to get to me then I started chopping heads. All in all that took about 10 minutes.

    I kept walking in the shadows for several more blocks when I came upon a hotel. I pulled out a scrap of paper from my pocket and looked at what I had written in it. The name matched that of the hotel I was looking at. Then I heard gunshots coming from the fifth floor. I quickly looked around and noticed that zombies had heard the shots too. I quickly ran inside the motel lobby closed the doors and locked them and barricaded them as quickly as possible.

    Right then I heard a ding behind me and there...there she was bleeding profusely on the elevator floor. She hadn't notice me yet as she was busy trying to bandage herself up. I took two steps when she grabed her gun and pointed it at me, but before she squeezed the trigger I said,"Wait its me!" She stopped and said,"Daddy?!"

    I answered,"Yes Darling its me, I told you I'd come back for you."

    She got up on uncertain feet," Is it really you? I thought that New York was-was..."
    "It was."
    "But then how did you..."
    "I drove through it all, just to get to you."
    "But aren't you...but how?"
    "Like I said I drove."
    Right then we heard a crash from behind me, "Look we have to move, is there anyother escapes around here?"
    "Yes we have to get to the top floor!"
    "Ok then lets go."

    I picked her up and she said,"Dad I'm not a little girl anymore!"
    "No you're not, but you are wounded. Grab my gun and shoot anything that comes close by, ok?"
    "....Ok, you got it."
    So I ran up the stairs with her in my arms, I was pretty tired by the time I reached the last floor. I ran to the last door and opened it. I set her down and locked the door. "Alright lets take a look at that wound you got. How did it happen in the first place?" I said as I gingerly lifted her shirt and removed the bandages to see the gapping cut. I was relieved but also worried. The cut didn't seem to be from one of those creatures and it didn't seem too deep. But it was several hours old.

    "I went out to get some supplies from a store down the block, when I met a survivor. I asked if he needed help, he said he did. I went to help him when suddenly he pulled out a knife and did this to me. I cried out and shot him before he could do anything else."

    I thought about the situation, Annie was hurt, those things were breaking the barracaids down by now, and time was of the essence. What to do, what to do. "Ok Annie everything is going to be okay. I'll be right back there is something I need to do ok? I won't take long, I promise. Here take my shotgun just in case."

    "What about you?"
    "I said I'll be right back, just trust me okay?"
    She looked at me searching my face for...something I don't know,"Ok I trust just don't take too long."

    I ran back to the door, duffle bag in hand. I went around quickly setting up trip wires around the last 4 floors as I could hear them making their way up the stairs, As I went to the door I reached in and grabbed the last explosive and made the final trap. I quickly ran out the door and back to my daughter. "I'm back, like I promised now to patch you up." I set about quickly taking out medical supplies, weapons and ammo.

    First I disinfected the cut to the best of my abillities,(BOOM!!) "What was that dad?"
    "Nothing hon, don't worry and let me concentrate."
    I continued working as steady as can be given the circumstances, cleaning the wound, sewing it up, and then finally bandageing it up, all the while the explosions could be heard.

    "How's that feel," I said.
    "Better," she answered.
    "Ok thats good to hear now about getting off this building."
    "Oh yea, almost forgot, we are going to have to jump."
    "What?"
    "Dad please trust me okay? There is another building across this one. It's lower but I'm pretty sure we'll be okay."
    I thought and said,"Are you up for it?"
    "Don't have a choice."
    "Ok, then lets jump."

    I got the stuff together, and prepared to jump when I heard an explosion behind us. "Quick Ann jump." We both ran as fast as we could as zombies started to shamble after us at an alarming pace. We got near the edge and jumped... after a few seconds of free falling we hit solid ground. I landed with a grunt got up to check on my daughter when I noticed the motel was on fire. I guess one of my explosions must have hit a gas valve or something flammable to make the building catch on fire. I quickly made my way to Ann, and picked her up. She didn't seem to be hurt that bad just a little winded.

    After she got her air back, "Where to now?" she asked.
    "On my way here to this city, I passed an outpost, they seem to be handleing the situation well. Thats where I got most of my supplies. I say we head there. Unless you got an idea."
    "Nope."
    "Alright it's settled then, we go to this outpost at daybreak."
    "Oh and dad, one more thing."
    "Yea hon what is it."
    "Thanks, for comeng back to me."
    "Yea no problem, you're my daughter it's my job to take care of you."
    "All the same thanks." We went down a couple of floors and holed up for the night. I made sure to secure everything, As I went to lay down on the couch I still notice the hotel was burning. I was just starting to drift to sleep when she asked, "Why did you take 2 years to get here anyways?"

    I turned around to face her, "The car ran out of gas, had to go on foot. Plus I was near enough New York when it happened that my car had radiation on it."
    "Oh...did it work?"
    "Not sure, but those I met on the road who passed by said they saw gaint shadows and heard chilling screams near that site."
    "Oh, well ok dad see you in morning."
    "Ok hon try and get some sleep."

    Morning came and with it a new promise of better times.