Ethan helped his wife lift herself up the latter from the floor as Johnny aimed at the door they had just entered, expecting it to suddenly burst open.  

"Johnny!" Ethan yelled back to him as they made there way up, and it snapped him out of his trance.

He followed them to the roof, immediately going over to the front to look down.  Dozens of walkers roamed toward them, all clunking together as they reached the fire building.  Johnny remembered the feral from before, he looked over all the undead carefully trying to spot one.

"We can't stay here long," johnny said.  "There are ones that can climb.  Fast ones."

Ethan took his wife aside from the others and away from the front of the building, where she nearly callapsed.  He sat with her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Ethan," she started.

"It's not your fault," he quickly said.  "How could it be?  No one was prepared for this.  If only we had known...if only the military could have warned us!"

"How long does she have?" Johnny asked, keeping his finger close to his holstered glock.

"Shut up Johnny!" Ethan yelled back at him.

"There were more of us," Sarah said.  "This place wouldn't let us in, so we camped...some others couldn't...so they attacked each other.  I went with a group and we ended up where you found me.  Even they attacked each other...you can't trust anybody anymore Ethan."

Ethan nodded, then rubbed her hair to calm her down.  

"Thank you James," he said.  "If you guys don't mind, we'd like to be alone for what little time we have left."




"You're not bad for a girl," Dallen told Reena as they reached the jeep.  

The ignition wouldn't start at first, but just as the horde barely touched the back of the vehicle, it started up and they were off.  He spun the jeep onto a dirt path and sped past them all, making his way back across the small town they were in.  

"How far are we going?" he asked.  "This thing's almost out of gas."





Sarah spit out a chunk of blood from her mouth.  Her body started shaking afterward, as Ethan hunched over her and held her tight.

"She's still fine!" Ethan yelled.

"James," said Johnny.  "You did good, but that was really stupid.  If I'm ever stuck like that, do yourself a favor and stay away.  You don't owe anyone anything.  Luck runs out."

He turned when he heard a honking horn off nearby.  

"They're here.  And they brought the rest of the infected."

The jeep pulled up over the hill, with walkers slowly trying to keep up far behind it.  

"We're gonna have to make a clearing so they can come in and pick us up...Ethan, umm..."

"Just leave us here," Ethan said.  "Just go."

"I just risked my life for you man, after you socked me in the face which I can forget about.  I'm sorry about your wife, but she's turning."

"...he's right," sarah muttered.  "It hurts...please Ethan.  Go with them."

"No!" he yelled.  "I can't."

"You have to," she said.  She put her hand out to him, looking at his sidearm he had buckled away.  "Let me end it.  I don't want to turn into one of those things."

He gave her a defeated look, tears swelling at the eyes.  There had to be another way.

"We don't know if there's a cure yet!" Ethan tried again to convince them.

"It's to late," she said.

She reached and grabbed the gun, and he let her.  The horn from the jeep blasted the air again, this time much closer.

"I love you.  Go."

"We're gonna have to jump!" Johnny told them.  "Come on!"

Ethan nodded and got up.  He backed toward the others staring at his wife the whole time.  She had a smile on her face, in the midst of everything that had happened.

"Now!"

Johnny grabbed Ethan and jumped down, he hit his ribs hard on the frame but made it nonetheless.  Dallen stood outside and opened fire onto the horde nearest them, making a clearing enough to escape.  He swung back into the driver seat and pressed the pedal.