Everyone has a different idea of how the apocalypse is going to go. Ask them. Some will say they are hoarding toilet paper like it is gold, others will swear guns and ammo is where you need to be prepared. Even more will have stockpiles of fish antibiotics, but no one is ever prepared for the reality of a disaster. Canned food will only get you so far if there is no way to get anymore when it is gone. You can prepare, and think of scenarios from dawn until dusk, but you are never ready for the day the world will end.

By her reckoning, it was August 25th. It was probably a fairly close guess. The world had been without communication, power, and other niceties for almost a month now. She sighed and glanced out the window between the boards she hastily nailed in place. The stench was unbearable. There were rotting corpses, and then there were ones that were still managing to crawl along. She wasn't keen on the idea of moving on, but her supplies were getting low. The truth was, not everyone was dead because of the infected. Illness took so many. With no water, no corpse disposal, people got sick, and once they died, they made things worse.

She pulled her hair back into a tight braid and tucked it into her shirt. She wore things that were as close to her body as she could get them. She had learned that anyone or anything that could get a grip on you, could get a bite out of you. She was thankful for her training on the police force. Even if she hadn't stayed on the force long, it was coming in handy now. Her body guard experience did more for her right now though. She began gathering her weapons, yes guns and ammo were nice to have, but the ammo would eventually run out. She was actually very glad that the death toll had risen so quickly, it kept looting to a minimum. The last she heard before official broadcasts stopped, the death toll was at about 80%. In a city this size, it meant there were about 100,000 people still alive.

That was a fairly large number, but when you take into account that there would be many women, and women with children who would be holed up and unlikely to venture out, that number decreased significantly. There were of course gangs, and large groups to be concerned about, but if you traveled quietly it would likely be as safe as it could get.

She made sure she not only had her gun, but a large knife as well. She knew the next stop on her destination, she needed to hit a military surplus store. They would have things she could use, if she was lucky no one else would be there and she could hole up there for a while.

She slipped out the door of what had once been her home, keeping her back against the rough wooden exterior. She wanted to keep things from sneaking up behind her as much as possible. She slipped a mask over her nose and mouth to reduce the amount of contaminants she breathed in. This wasn't going to be easy. She jogged from one building to another, her eyes scanning around her, including the ground. She didn't want to risk being pulled down and swarmed.

She drew in a sharp breath as she pressed herself against the porch of her neighbors house. There was a small group of three or four of the dead making their way down the street in the opposite direction she was heading. She forced herself to take slow calming breaths so as not to give herself away. Once they were past her she continued on her way, keeping her eyes out for both the dead and the living. It was the living she feared. The dead were predictable, the living were not.

The journey towards the store she had in mind was taking far longer than she thought. She had been on short rations, so her body was getting more and more exhausted as the day wore on. Just a few more..."SHIT!" She thought to herself. There was about 5 things heading straight for her. She glanced around, but there was really no where to hide. She pressed her back against the brick of what had once been a bank. She tried the door, but it was locked from the inside. That would be no refuge for her today. She inched slowly along the building, her eyes wide as her path brought her closer to the group. "This is stupid Ray. Five against 1. Today is not a good day to die." she told herself. She drew her knife. You had to take out the brain, she hoped she wouldn't have to shoot. It might bring more attention this way than she could handle.

Her foot slipped on a discarded soda can and it skittered noisily along the concrete. It had the unfortunate side effect of drawing the attention of the group. She clenched her jaw, adjusted the grip on her knife and prepared to fight.

Marko's zombie apocalypse was going to plan as much as any apocalyptic event could go, meaning it had gone to shit. In the beginning, it had seemed so wild and fast - panic had a way of doing that he supposed. Now a month was like two years of apocalypse time. Chief, man's best friend whimpered as they traipsed through city streets littered with bodies of the dead, debris and trash alike. Taking the sights in took some getting used to, everything had changed and Marko was next to sure nothing would ever be the same again. Unlike most others who holed themselves up and inevitably turned or were lucky enough to be shown the mercy of a bullet to the head, Marko and Chief took to the streets, rather than having any one base of operations they traveled light and took only what they'd need to the point of the rucksack being strained and ready to tear. The supplies were mainly canned and dried food, rope, matches, a heavy duty torch and a sturdy knife all included in the inventory.

Chief barked as he stood to attention, the German shepherd was in good condition generally and appeared to be healthy and ship shape. A quick hand gesture silenced the dog as Marko crept towards the wall, hugging it with his back and peaking around the corner. His right hand was tracked with dirt, blood and dust, gripped tight in it was a hatchet, metal head and wooden handle. He had looted a 9mm handgun but was down to his last few bullets - he didn't like using guns or anything that made too much noise unless it was a last resort. A quick glance at Chief cracked the solid expression on Marko's face, a thin smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth, grip tightening on the hatchet. He'd save his last two bullets for when all hope was lost.

At first glance, the man had only seen five or so of the infected their interest gauged. Marko looked back to Chief again, ready to move across to the next alley when the sound of a tin can pottering down the street immediately grabbed both of their attention. This time, even Chief was having a look to see what was going on down the road. It was then he spotted another one, pushing themselves up against the wall much like him, knife in hand. This one was alive. Marko was conflicted, he wasn't sure if he should risk his life to help a total stranger especially when they were already doing just fine on their own. He pressed the back of his head against the bricks of the alley wall before peaking around the corner one more time.

The collective noise that came from the group of infected was like nothing on Earth, a clear calling of the hungry probably loud enough to attract others. One thing he'd learnt over the last month or so was that these things appetites' were insatiable.

"Alright Chief, c'mon." Marko muttered, staying low to the ground as he made his way slowly to the back of a burnt out car, his four legged companion following closely behind. Bringing his gaze to street view he spotted her once again and with his free hand attempted to signal her. It was no good however, she couldn't see him. The man looked to his dog as if for the answers while trying to formulate a game plan. His free hand had now made it's way between Chief's two ears, scratching his oily fur. You could do with a wash, buddy He thought to himself, shuffling along the edge of the car. The infected had began to close around the stranger and Marko decided now was the time to strike. Like a mouse, he crept to the group swinging his hatchet high into the air before bringing it down into the skull of one of the Zombies with a satisfying thud. "You okay!?" He shouted over all the commotion, bringing his axe down on another of the infected, this time caving the skull with the butt of the handle, it took a couple of good smacks but this was turning out to be a nifty weapon, so Marko thought at least.

Ray hated being cornered, and she closed her eyes as the sound the dead made washed over her. It was in that moment she realized that she was unlikely to make it out of this alive. The dead closed in on her blocking her view of anything but them. She stabbed her knife into the temple of the first creature. It wasn't as easy as the movies made it look. Knives didn't like bone. You had to work at it to make it slide through an area that was not well protected. She had to push with her free arm and one leg to pull the knife free. The knife didn't escape unscathed either, she looked at it, and the tip had been broken off during the struggle.

She saw another zombie fall and then heard a voice shouting asking if she was ok. "Peachy. Just out for a stroll amongst the local wildlife." She joked as she turned to the side where another was coming upon her. She was fortunate that the positioning was right for an eye strike. The knife slid in easily, but the serration caught as she tried to pull it out. The zombie fell, taking the knife with it. She was not happy that her next resort might have to be a loud weapon. She took a quick look around and it seemed they were down to one. She was about to ask her rescuer for help when she was forced back against the building as the last creature standing lunged at her.

She pulled her leg up between them, and was managing to hold it off but just barely, it's teeth were snapping less than an inch from her face. She used the leverage the wall gave her and pushed it farther away wincing as its decaying hands grabbed at her pant leg. "A little help please." she said holding it away from herself.

"Peachy. Just out for a stroll amongst the local wildlife."

Marko smirked as he examined the street up and down, no more of the infected seemed to be coming their way. A couple of stragglers, probably deaf loitered, swaying as they stood. Chief began to bark wildly which brought the man's attention back to the woman, now disarmed who appeared to be locked in a hand-to-hand struggle for her life. "Picturesque, ain't it?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm before she could ask for his help.

The German shepherd continued to bark savagely, approached Ray and the infected incessant gnawing and the clacking of teeth, a vicious growl emanating from deep within the rotting throat of the walking corpse. Marko was close behind and quickly, holding the hatchet in both hands, brought the wooden handle around the creatures throat, pulling it back away from Ray. He could feel his feet go from underneath him as he slipped on litter before he landed on his back. The infected came crashing down with him, luckily for the young man he had the stinking cadaver in a position where he could keep himself from being bitten and ultimately turned. For a brief moment he pondered on how quickly the tables could turn. This infected was a large man in a previous life and his weight prevented Marko from any kind of maneuver that might free him. "Kill this fucking thing!" He roared as the undead being thrashed, Marko could feel the air being taken from him and began to feel winded. Chief had stopped barking and instead was now positioned as if about to pounce, teeth born and ready to rip infected flesh, a low growl with ears at attention.

Marko began to think of a lot in these moments, his view shifting between the grey skies, his dog and his last hope. He wondered if she would return the favor or leave him there to be crushed. "Help." He uttered, there was no strength left in his voice for any more shouting. He had himself trapped but could not let up the force being brought down on the infected's neck without risking being bitten.

The minute she was free she sank to her knees to retrieve her knife, that unfortunately meant she was having to put her foot in the face of the one she stabbed through the eye. The sound a knife makes as it slides free from a human body is nauseating. She yanked it free and turned back to where he was struggling with the corpse. She heard him yell for her to "Kill this Fucking thing" What the hell did he think she was trying to do? She was actually trying to make sure she didn't injure him instead.

Ray had to get between the dog and the man. She put her hand on the creatures forehead turning it so she could stab down through the ear. She slid the knife out then put her hand on its shoulder and hip and started pushing to get it off of him. "I appreciate the back up man." She said as the now completely dead body slid off of him. She stood up from her crouch and offered him her hand to help him up.

"I appreciate the back up, man."

It was instant relief as the corpse - now dead weight, fell from his body. Marko gasped for his breath as he sat up, lightning fast much like someone who had just awoken surprised having been unconscious only moments before. That was how it had felt, Marko looked around as began to feel the blood flow correct itself and start flowing back to the brain. "Ya... Likewise." He managed to mutter, eyeing Chief before watching Ray as she brought herself back to standing. He clasped her extended hand and pulled himself up before running the thumb and index finger of his left hand on a furrowed brow, the grip of right hand loosening and a clang filled the street as the axe head hit the ground followed by the shaft. "Shit." Marco examined the woman, "What were you doing out here, anyway?" He asked as if there was an answer other than surviving. "You're the first person I've seen in a while-" His mouth gaping he paused for a second, "Living, that is."

The muscles in his thighs had a strange spasm and Marko's arm extended as if looking for a support before he dropped, sitting now on the road next to the pavement. "I need a minute."

His vision was a little blurred and strained but he knew it was from the struggle and was probably nothing to worry about. Marko gave himself as best a quick visual confirmation as he could. No bites. He sighed with relief. As he ran his hand through his hair he could feel it greasy and matted, looking at Chief he'd bet the dog was cleaner than either of they were, he found it funny but a nice shower wouldn't go amiss. Oh the humanity!

She Shrugged as he looked her over wanting to know what she was doing out here. "It was time to move on from my previous place. I know of a few places around here likely to have a few supplies, with as fast as this thing hit, I am betting the looting was kept to a minimum." She said. Her eyes widened with worry as he said he needed a minute before sinking to the sidewalk.

She leaned over him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Deep breath, sounds like the air might have gotten knocked out of you.. Just breathe deeply and it will pass." She crouched down so she could make eye contact. "Feeling a little dizzy?" She wanted to know as she slid her hand down his arm to monitor his pulse. "Don't rush, and don't try to talk, just nod." She glanced down at her watch monitoring his heart rate. "Have you been short on rations? drinking enough water?" she asked.

It was likely that the physical exertion with lack of food or water was leaving him far more exhausted than normal. If that wasn't the case, it was likely the adrenaline. If you weren't used to it, it could really play hell on your system as the rush vanished.

"Cities gone to hell." Marko mustered a response when she explained herself to him. "Fuck it. World's gone to hell." He corrected himself. Her hand on his shoulder was comforting, reassuring. He took slow, deep breaths like she had told him and almost instantly began to feel better.

"Feeling a little dizzy?" It was almost as if her question brought on the dizziness and general nauseous feeling, but he was sure he was only just noticing it as she said it. "Don't rush, and don't try to talk, just nod."

"Yeah-" Marko cut himself off, sighed and nodded his whole head made a quick jerking movement as he examined her hand running down his arm. There was a strange look on his face until he realized that she must just be checking his pulse or something. The man smirked as she checked her watch and it was almost as if he hadn't heard her other questions, Chief sat idly by watching, "You a nurse or what?" He questioned her, his tone open and friendly almost inviting. After all, she was doing him a solid here or that's how he saw it at least.

The loitering infected had picked up on the scent of living flesh, fresh blood and were beginning to scan their surroundings. One or two making their way towards the small group. Marko noticed them although he was sure Ray had seen them first. "We got to get going." He asserted, a cold rush coming over his body. The threat of imminent doom enough to bring him to his feet with a little assistance from the lovely lady. He was going to ask her name, but decided against it. What did formalities matter at a time like this? If they were still together and alive twenty minutes from now he could make introductions. Once on his two feet, he scraped his axe from the ground and made his way to the alley he had first spotted Ray from. Marko's pacing seemed a little off but generally he appeared to be okay. He snatched his rucksack from the alley and leaned against the corner wall, he looked back over to Ray. "Any ideas?" He asked as he spotted a few more infected turning onto the block, the group had time for now.

She nodded a little as he said the whole world had gone to hell. She couldn't agree more. She was just damn happy that when the shit hit the fan she had been home in Seattle and not in LA, or New York. She was almost certain she wouldn't have survived nearly as long there. His pulse was a little on the fast side, but nothing outside the range of expected given what they had just experienced. "You a nurse or what?" he asked and she shook her head. "Nah, just had more than my fair share of first responder training.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her first instinct was to unsnap her holster. She was going to have to retrain herself. Her gun could no longer be her primary weapon of choice. It was no longer practical. She helped him to his feet as he started to get up. She agreed completely, they needed to get out while the going was good. She watched him head off in the direction of the alley, and she followed behind him, moving almost sideways as she watched where he was going and behind them.

She stopped with him and leaned out of the alley taking in how far away the dead were. He asked her if she had any ideas and she stopped for a minute trying to think about where they were on a map. They could go up... but he had the dog. Dogs didn't do so well with ladders. She rubbed her head trying to think. "Alright..." She sighed softly, and glanced out again. She saw a couple of small shops, that if they could get in and block the doors, they could probably find a way to get past these.

"Here's what I am thinking." She said quietly. "Let's make a run for one of those shops over there... If we can block the entrances we should be safe for this group to pass us by."

"Okay." Marko replied, the plan seemed solid. At least, it was a plan. Scanning the street he spotted the shops that Ray must have been talking about. "How about that one, there!" He pointed over at the middle of three shops in a row, one of the metal framed glass doors was slightly ajar. "Look, it's open." He added, not waiting for an answer but proceeding while the streets directly ahead of them were still clear. Marko sneaked out from the alley, crouching behind cars, hydrants and just about anything else that would block his movements from any group of stragglers. Occasionally he would check behind him for Ray, making sure she was nearby. It seemed evident Chief and himself had come across a new ally, coincidence? Perhaps.

Once at the door, Marko took a breather, Chief lay down near him tongue extended. The dog's panting was a reminder to Marko that he was getting pretty thirsty himself. Squinting he rubbed at his eyes with one hand while the other peeled the door open, he was getting a headache, probably from dehydration. There was a creak as the door opened and a rustle from inside, Marko was cautious until a bird flew from behind some shelves up into the rafters of the ceiling. "Fucking bird, scaring the shit out of me." He muttered, barely audible not really intended for anyone. Marko muttered away as if his words were falling upon deaf ears, not fully acknowledging he was no longer alone.

Carefully and with caution the shop was cleared. "You find anything to secure that door with?" Marko looked around but the shop was mostly looted already, must have been a hot spot for survivors. "Broom handle, tire iron?" Marko approached the doors only to close them fully, they'd be securely shut if he could find something to fasten the handles with. Two barks brought him over to Chief who was standing proudly over a sturdy chain that was just lying on the floor. A couple of the links were warped but it would most likely hold them fast he thought. "Good boy." He praised Chief, rubbing him. "What do you think of this then?" He asked, holding up the chain, scanning the floor space for their new companion.

Ray was slightly taken aback, it seemed that he was in support of her plan she thought as he took off running across the street. She had to give it to him, he was good at using the obstacles in the street as cover. She dashed out of the alley behind him, staying at least one car behind him at all times. She stayed in her last place until he opened the door, then she made the last dash slipping in right on his heels. It was as if they had been working as a team for quite a while. She went one way, he went the other as they cleared the shop to make sure there were no survivors.

She hadn't had much luck with finding anything to secure the door, so she was instantly relieved when he picked up a chain. She saw him do it as she slid from an aisle finishing up her last check. "Well, if it wasn't for the fact that the world was over, I would say Lady luck was with us." She said as she sauntered over to them. She knelt by the dog but looked to the side of him as she held her hand out. "You are a good boy. Yes you are."

She turned her attention to the man. "Well I suppose we should get the doors closed and settle in, at least for the moment."

Now that there was some notion of security to the trio's hideout, Marko felt he could relax a little and actually even began to feel better. Irritating stomach discomfort and pains started and his headache subsided. Stalking the isles he found an old canvas jacket lying among a pile of junk. Upon examination, it appeared to be in quite good shape. Marko knew that if you didn't have anything leather, canvas was your next best shot at preventing zombie chompers penetrating your skin. They could break every bone in his arm for all he cared once they didn't turn him.

Marko wouldn't have admitted it but he got a little bit of a fright when Ray seemingly appeared from nowhere behind the aisles. He snickered at her comment and a thin smile crossed his lips as he watched Chief soaking up all the attention.

"Well I suppose we should get the doors closed and settle in, at least for the moment."

"Yeah." He agreed, slinging the chain through the handles and getting it tight as best he could. Without a padlock it would have to do. He checked the doors and when they barely budged he made his way back over to Chief, Ray and his rucksack. "So you're a cop then, right?" He eyed her, a mischievous yet innocent look plastered across his face. "First responder, yeah?" He reminded her, just in case she had forgotten about their conversation on the streets. Chief whined, lying down with paws over the face when Marko pulled a tin of dog food from his bag, the label had been torn off but it was Chief's favorite. He realized he was running low though and would have to find more or find something else for Chief to eat.

Marko was silent as he dished out Chief's food before pulling out two more tins. He tossed one towards Ray, "Hey! If it's good enough for Chief it's good enough for me." He gauged for her reaction before smirking looking down at the similar tins also lacking labels. "I'm just goofing with you." He paused until he had pried his tin open with his hunting knife, "Just beans."

Ray was impressed he caught that part of the conversation, he was pretty out of it. Truth is she had been a cop once upon a time, there was just too damn much red tape. She left the force and went private sector. "I was once. I was private sector when Shit hit the fan though. Pretty much same thing, but with better hours, better pay, better equipment and less bullshit." She said. "Can't say the training hasn't been useful that's for damn sure."

Ray sat with her back to a wall as they settled in to wait. She caught the can and just shrugged as he talked about it being good enough for him. "Hey, I'll give it to you straight, The shit in a can of alpo looks much better than the shit in a can of spam." She looked over at the dog and then back to him. "You know, if you need to stretch his food out, you can feed him green beans. Not a lot of calories, but it is filling. I used to work with a guy who ran a couple different K9's. He would give them green beans before a long search. It fills their belly without making them groggy." She said as she opened her own can of beans.

Marko couldn't hide that he was impressed, ex-cop and a background in private security this was a kick-ass broad. "Looks like you're right, lady luck must have been shining on me, meeting you." The rest of the meal was silent other than Chief's sloppy eating and the sound of the infected piercing the walls of their shelter. It wasn't an awkward silence however, Marko would even say that those didn't exist anymore. This silence was different, reflective more than anything else as well as allowing some time to think - that was good for any man, woman or child facing the hellhole they called Earth.

"I hadn't heard that one." He told her in regards to the green beans, "Thanks." He added. Marko called Chief over when he was done eating and the two played for a while, it had been a long day on both of them but so was everyday now it seemed. Eventually Chief got tired of the attention and left Marko, picking his spot to lie down and sleep closer to the woman. "I didn't get your name." He sparked conversation, "I'm Marko."

The shop was just about bare. The canvas jacket was probably the best find for Marko, next to the chain that secured them in.

She laughed as he said that Lady Luck was with him when he met her. "You say that now. I know quite a few folks who might disagree." She laid her head back and closed her eyes listening to the howls. She was playing a mental game with herself, one she played often. She tried to count the infected by the sounds she heard. She could usually get it right to within one or two.

She lifted her head when he asked her name. "I'm Ray. I'm mighty glad that you and your dog were out here today. I thought for sure I was a goner." She said quietly. She hated admitting that. For years she felt practically invincible. Run through enough shit, and everyone starts feeling that way. Now, though, She knows that she is as screwed as the rest of them if something goes wrong.

"I'm mighty glad that you and your dog were out here today. I thought for sure I was a goner."

He could sense a sourness to her tone as she said it. Not that Marko thought it was anything against him, the opposite in fact, he presumed that Ray had some things of her own she had to work through. "It's kind to be kind." He was paraphrasing and he knew it, but it felt appropriate to say, or something along those lines. Marko watched Chief, snoring quietly near Ray and decided it might be a good idea to get some sleep himself. "Here. Ray. I think I'm going to turn in myself." It didn't take long, Marko used his backpack like a pillow and the jacket he'd found to try keep himself warm.

Despite how exhausted he was, Marko found it hard to fall asleep that night. But eventually to the humming of a lamp post outside, the sound of the infected and his companions breathing he drifted off into the land of nod.

Ray nodded as he said he was going to turn in. She envied his ability to stretch out and at least appear comfortable. She was more restless than he was. She got up and started to prowl the aisles. There was so little, but she had time, she picked up everything, and searched it for something useful. She didn't find a whole lot, it was pretty picked over. There were a few odds and ends, mostly small personal items. She sighed sadly as she even found what looked to be an abandoned wedding ring, she felt for the former owner, but she still slipped it into her pocket. These tiny valuables could be worth something in trade, someday.

She settled down after making another round. She didn't know what she was looking for, she just needed to move. She settled down and leaned back against the wall her hand resting lightly on her gun as she finally drifted off to sleep. She woke as the sun started shining in her eyes, she must have slept more than she thought, because guessing by the sun, it was probably 8 or 9 am. The first thing she noticed though, was the silence. There was no sound. Perhaps that meant that the infected had moved on.

The streets were quiet, the infected that had been around the shop and general area had moved on to another part of the city like a great hive mind when there was nothing to feed on here. A few stragglers remained but they were harmless once Marko kept his wits about him - he believed. He found it crazy what a month could do to infrastructure made by humans, without maintenance they really couldn't stand the test of time. Sure; looting, panic and the damn infected didn't help the situation but Marko felt now more than ever that an appropriate term for any built up area would be the concrete jungle.

"Holy... Shit." He uttered, catching an infected falling from the top of a high skyscraper. The fall seemed to take forever and Marko was mesmerized. Once the body had gone behind buildings blocking his line of sight he made a vocal gesture to Chief and the two continued stalking the streets.

Every car, van and truck they came across had been cleaned out of anything of much use. Most of what was left was a whole load of nothing. Marko approached a black, beaten up Volkswagen, the driver seat door had been pulled from it's hinge and the interior was in a general state of disarray. "Well, no biters anyway..." Marko looked down at Chief who was examining his own surroundings, "Alright." He slipped himself into the driver's seat. The vehicle wasn't going anywhere but he'd give it a good once over for anything useful.

"Bingo." He muttered, the word grabbing Chief's attention who was now also interested. Marko pulled a bottle of pills from the glove compartment and squinted as he read the label, "Oxycontin, huh?" He slipped the pill bottle into his jacket pocket. "I suppose we should get back or she'll be wondering if we're coming back at all."

-

"Shit!" Marko hissed, "I think I'm stuck bud." Chief groaned, already inside the shop having being passed through the small open window by Marko. He pressed his palms firmly on the wall and began to pull, it seemed hopeless until like a bullet he flew through the window and crashed onto the floor.

Ray woke fully to find that she was once again alone. She sighed and shrugged. She had hoped to travel with Marko for a little while at least. She groaned as he sore body complained about the movement. She stretched as she stood knowing that if she didn't start moving she was going to feel worse. She took advantage of the light and took another look around the shop they were in.

She was about to leave when she spotted Chief slip through the door. She raised an eyebrow watching Marko struggle through the doors. She was about to head over and open the door when he landed on the floor. "You could have knocked." She said with a smile walking over and offering him a hand up.

"So, my original destination is about a mile from here or so. I want to get into the old Military Surplus store. It wasn't real popular before all of this, but I am expecting to find biters inside. If it's got supplies all the better. Most folks wouldn't think to take the purification tablets, and some of the other stuff, so there might be a few things left we can use. Best case... it's got a lot." She shrugged. Call her an optimist. She had to be or she would have quit long before now.

"Fuck." Marko muttered as he lay there for a moment, Chief pattered over to him and sniffed around. He brought himself to his feet, patting himself down as Ray approached. He laughed at her comment about knocking and looked back at the cramped window he'd come through. "I didn't want to leave the doors unchained for biters. I would have had to have chained it from the outside." Pausing, he brought his attention back to the window, "I see the point you're making though." As he rummaged through his jacket pockets he was reminded of his find, "Oh, hey! Check this out." He spoke, holding out the pill bottle for her to take and have a look at. "This is some good shit." He teased, leaving her with the pill bottle. "Can never go too far wrong with some strong painkillers. Shit's better than Morphine." Marko had made his way to the check-out counter of the shop, rummaging behind it for anything else they might have missed, "Could always trade those for other supplies too, nearly a full bottle..." He winced, cutting his finger on some deformed metal, he shook out his hand and sucked on the cut before getting back to rummaging, "Maybe thirty?" He asked, "I didn't count." He added, his gaze drifting from the counter's shelves to Ray and back again.

The shop like many buildings had a musty smell to it. Almost like damp, surprisingly though there was no smell of rot. "Weird." He uttered.

"So, my original destination is about a mile from here or so. I want to get into the old Military Surplus store. It wasn't real popular before all of this, but I am expecting to find biters inside. If it's got supplies all the better. Most folks wouldn't think to take the purification tablets, and some of the other stuff, so there might be a few things left we can use. Best case... it's got a lot."

Marko was surprised at himself. The military surplus store, why hadn't he thought of it? "Okay. Let's get ready, I'll follow your lead." He told her, a reassuring smile as he took his hatchet from the dusty and filth ridden floor. "C'mon Chief!"

Bark!