• Chapter One: Dangers
    Kendra April 2011 Oklahoma

    Kendra looked over her shoulder. She was behind Nick in the back seat of their vehicle. In the front seat, there was Jack and in the seat next to her was Lydia. They were in an H2 Hummer with a trailer attached to the hitch. Inside the closed trailer they had a tent, blankets, as much food as they could find, water, at least ten containers of gasoline, matches, and various other survival things, along with extra sets of clothes for each of them. She knew that Nicolas had been a military captain with the Marines. As for Jack and Lydia all she knew was that Jack had been a fellow doctor and colleague to her Justin; and that Lydia had once been a detective. She sighed as she thought of Justin. It was only three months since he had turned into a Walker and she had, had to end him.
    Her cousin had been staying with her when it happened. The girl had lost all reason. Her only responses were to sound, movement, and possibly even scent. Then her only response had been to kill, to eat everyone. Kendra had, had to kill the girl as well. But it had been way too late it had turned out that she had bit other people and the virus spread and spread over the state and then eventually over the country. The virus took a day to spread from person to person. It started with coughing, progressed to a fever, and then the coughing turned to wet hacking as blood came up and they died. It all happened within twelve hours. Then within the next twelve hours they would turn, reanimate, and kill mindlessly.
    Kendra had been told that her cousin’s mother had married into the family and that back several thousand years before something similar had happened within their family lines. It started with a Madsen and only ended when every last Walker had been wiped out. It had been all thought to be a legend, something so fantastic and impossible that the mother had never given it much thought until her daughter turned on her, bit her, and transformed her. Kendra hadn’t allowed the mother to turn at all; she ended the woman’s suffering within minutes of the hacking beginning. She was a cop and she knew that it was against the law to kill people unless she was on duty and there was a real threat to your own life. She hated doing it, but with the epidemic the government was thrown out the window and chaos erupted all over the country.
    Kendra dragged herself out of her thoughts and memories as Nick plowed through a horde of the dead. She gave a humorless smile as they reached the edge of the city and Nick turned onto an open highway, going the wrong way considering there was absolutely no traffic heading into the city. They were trying to get to the south where there would be more country and less of a chance of running into the Walkers.
    “Don’t look so pale, Kendra.” Nick teased, his eyes lit up with a smile in the rear view mirror. Kendra rolled her eyes and kicked the back of his seat.
    “The dead are absolutely repulsive.” She told him, no humor or kidding in her voice. Her tone was flat, empty, and emotionless. It had been ever since her Justin turned. She closed her eyes for a moment. She allowed herself nothing anymore. She was a ruthless force, determined not to allow anyone else with her to be killed by the dead. Nick shrugged when Jack looked at him in question about her attitude. She leaned her head against the window and just looked up at the clear, blue skies. She sighed in envy at the birds that flew over the tree tops.
    “If only I could be so free from this world.” She whispered to herself. Her voice was so soft that even she had barely heard it. She had a very slight southern drawl. She had only moved to Colorado in search of reprieve of the intense southern heat; however she did love her Louisiana. She sighed softly and then drew herself back from the reinforced windows. She kicked the back of Nick’s seat and he grumbled in inquiry.
    “How much longer is it until we get to a gas station? I have to pee.” She muttered. He rolled his eyes and then pulled into the very next gas station he saw. Both he and Jack stepped out of the car to secure the entire area. She grabbed her metal baseball bat and then headed into the bathroom while Lydia gathered any and all bottled water and good food. She used the restroom and then switched off with Lydia. They all took turns maintaining the security before they finally were back in the car, with more water and different varieties of snack foods. When one was on the run it was hard to gain weight and maintain weight so junk food was really no problem.
    She settled into the driver’s position with Lydia behind her, Nick beside her, and Jack beside Lydia. She smiled and then patted Nick’s hand before she pulled the car back onto the open road. Within a couple hours they were reaching the boarder of Texas. Jack muttered something about having always wanting to have visited Texas and that it was a shame he had to under such circumstances. Kendra looked at Nick and told him to go ahead and radio for other survivors. He complied and then released the button. He set the walkie talkie down and waited for something to come across. When nothing did he just said that he’d try again later. Kendra just focused on the road. She turned smoothly on to a country road. It was getting dark and they’d have to find somewhere to rest for the night. It was always easier to secure an area when it was daylight out. It seemed that once it got dark the Walkers got more and more active, and that wasn’t good.
    Kendra kept taking more and more roads, taking them far off the main stretches of the road systems. It made it easier to avoid Walkers if they were far out into the land, away from the civilization. She finally turned onto a drive that led up to a very nice ranch house. She told the boys to take the perimeter while she and Lydia took the inside. She grabbed her metal baseball bat from the back seat along with all of her other weapons meaning her fully automatic 12 gauge shot gun, her M4 Assault Rifle, and her Barnett Ghost 400 CarbonLite Crossbow with her four arrows that she kept on her at all times. Of course she had a few extra within the trailer; she liked having one on the crossbow and three with her.
    She went in first after having strapped her crossbow to her back. She held the baseball bat at the ready as she tested the door. It was unlocked and she heard movement inside. She sighed and then opened the door and flicked on the light. She saw a Walker on the opposite end of the room come toward her and she ran at it and bashed its skull in. She knew it was dead when it stopped moving. She picked it up by the back of the shirt and dragged it out of the house. She really didn’t want to smell it all night. After they checked the rest of the house they had only found one other Walker. The guys outside had found three Walkers that had once been children in the barn. They had taken them out very silently, as not to draw attention to themselves. She sighed and they brought in some food and water along with blankets. It may have been a home at one time, with beds, but she didn’t feel right at all, sleeping in other people’s beds, especially when they had just killed them. She shook her head and sat on the couch.
    “I almost feel bad for them.” She whispered to herself, the agony over what she had done to her Justin flying back into her mind, slamming into place and lodging there, never leaving. Tears prickled her sapphire eyes. She closed her eyes, letting the sounds of human feet and human breathing wash over her. Then Nicolas came over and touched her shoulder with the lightest of touches. She looked up at him, the tears falling silently down her cheeks. He understood. He had lost his girlfriend to the disease too. However there was one major difference. Justin had been Kendra’s fiancé; she knew true loss of loved ones. He knew that his family was alright, all holed up in a military bunker. The only person that he had lost was his girlfriend, and she hadn’t truly been family. Justin and Kendra’s wedding had only been a week away. And still, those decorations and flowers sit within the abandoned house in Colorado.
    “You know I’m here if you need me, right, Kendra?” Nick asked, his voice soft, comforting. Kendra nodded slightly and gave him what was supposed to be a reassuring smile and only ended up being a sad, pain filled smile. He sighed and then moved away to get her some water and a blanket. Soon enough the light was out and she curled up on the couch. She was a light sleeper and would wake to any and all foot-steps. After everyone had settled down for the night she lay there, staring at the blank television screen, thinking about her Justin and forever wondering if she could ever move on.
    Within her mind she could still see Justin’s face as the fever overtook him and he died. She cringed back into the soft couch and she rolled over and cried herself to sleep.


    Kendra awoke the next morning to the birds singing in the early morning light. She stretched and yawned then got up to use the restroom. After she was done with that she was about to get breakfast when she heard voices and feet shuffling outside. She grabbed her shot gun and walked out of the house to come face to face with two men and a woman. They were raiding their Hummer and trailer for supplies. She took aim and walked toward them.
    “Put everything back and I won’t be forced to shoot you.” She spoke in a clear voice filled with power and authority. They complied and then she motioned to the house. “Go in there.” She spoke, and they complied again. Nick had just woken up and was running his hand through his hair when they all walked in. He looked genuinely taken by surprise and it was extremely hard to take someone like Nick by surprise. Kendra shrugged slightly.
    “They’re survivors.” He spoke with utter disbelief; his voice was barely a breath. Kendra nodded with a grin.
    “I found them out at the hummer trying to steal our things; not that one could blame them.” She explained; a smirk on her face as she lowered her weapon. Each of them held at least one gun and a pack full of ammo, food, water, and clothes. She introduced herself as Kendra. Then everyone else introduced themselves as they came out of their respective sleeping spots. Kendra learned that the taller of the two men was named Eric and the other was named William. She also learned that the woman’s name was Julia. She offered them breakfast and they graciously accepted. After a while, Kendra just had to ask.
    “Would you like to travel with us? We are trying to get to Louisiana where there is more wild life and also less chance of walkers in the marsh areas.” She offered. Eric just looked over his companions for a moment before he nodded.
    “Thank you, we accept you offer. We would love to travel with you. We have our own car and our own stores of gasoline.” He didn’t want them to think that they had to supply everything; he had always hated imposing, even when the world was normal, now it was just that much worse. Kendra smiled at him, blushing slightly when she noticed that he was practically staring at her. She looked away from him and concentrated on the map and the route that Nick was suggesting. She nodded.
    “That should be fine, Nick. I just really want to get out of all of this, I could use a break. Every day it’s just Walker after Walker.” She sighed and he tousled her hair. She smacked his hand and he grinned. She rolled her eyes at him and then started to help with packing everything up, including more blankets, pillows, ammunition, food, and water. Everything they could find within the house. It was the same way every time they stopped. They broke “camp” quickly and then they were back on their way, winding out of the many, many roads they took in. This morning Lydia drove with Eric driving behind them. Kendra sat in the back behind the passenger seat which held Jack. She relaxed and looked up at the roof of the vehicle. She rested her hand on the seat and accidentally laid it over Nick’s hand. He reacted quickly and held her hand. She looked at him and he was smiling. She could see it in his eyes. He loved her more than anything and she was still very, very hung up on Justin. Why couldn’t she just let it go? She sighed almost silently and just allowed him to hold her hand. She looked out the window and let her dreams take her.
    Kendra was trapped in a room. It was a room that was very familiar to her but she couldn’t make it out. She saw a crouched figure in the corner beginning to feed on the person under it. She felt a metal bat in her hand. She took a step forward and the figure turned around. In horror, she watched as her cousin came at her. She took the bat and swung quickly taking the head of her cousin and bashing her into the wall. She took the end of the bat and brought it down to the skull, cracking it open to see the blood and brain matter spill out onto the floor. Kendra gagged and then made her way over to the other person. When she looked down what she saw was her Justin, her Justin barely clinging to life. A strangled scream ripped up her throat and cut through the closed off room.
    Kendra jolted awake and Nick was there, automatically soothing her. He pulled her across the seat toward him and he gently patted her hair, while making ridiculous calming, soothing noises. She felt the tears prickle her eyes and she cried into his chest and his jacket was ruined, she knew, but she didn’t care. He just kept being there, soothing and calming. She sniffled and then withdrew from him with an apologetic smile. She wiped her eyes and he asked what happened. Kendra’s only response was to shake her head, letting her chocolate brown hair fall around her face.
    “I don’t want to talk about it.” She muttered and then leaned against the door, looking out at the birds flying again. She wished she could fly, high above the world and forget it all. But constantly being faced with the Walkers she really had no escape from any of it, not really. She desperately missed her Justin and all she actually wanted to do was to join him no matter where he was. She only wanted him to come back to her. However, she knew that, that was completely impossible and it was an absolutely ridiculous thing to wish or want. She should just forget and settle into being with Nick. Nick was an honestly great guy and he was being hurt by her but he understood, if not entirely. He had let the conversation drop and she rolled her shoulders, trying to keep herself from crying once more. Lydia was focused on the road, but in the rear view mirror, Kendra could see her looking back in question. Kendra shook her head and Lydia gave a soft sigh. Jack had looked back when Kendra had started awake with a strangled cry. He knew she was fine, and that it was just a Justin thing. He didn’t question because he knew it wasn’t his place.
    Kendra watched the clouds in the sky. She really didn’t want their concern anymore; it would only invite unwelcome thoughts and memories. She was honestly trying her very best not to allow any of it to hit her anymore. She wanted to be completely emotionless about all of it but she knew that, that was a seriously impossible feat. She watched as the clouds rolled off out of the plains and up the mountains. Or were they moving the other way? It wasn’t like it actually mattered. She yawned and then stretched slightly. She wouldn’t fall asleep anymore, not until she forgot again. She didn’t want the unwelcome memories invading her blank and endless dreams.