"Go to the military checkpoint, go now!" Ethan spoke to his wife over the phone. "I'll be there as soon as I can!"


He was in the sheriff's office, a small brick building that stood alone on the winding road leading up toward the mountains. When he hung up the phone he buried his head into his hands and sighed, things were getting far worse. The military was now evacuating people from the entire state, claiming for all residents to go to the checkpoints.


His partner lay across the floor, blood scattered everywhere around him. Just moments before the bitten officer attacked Ethan, forcing him to shoot. Ethan sat in silence with his head buried, contemplating what had just happened. He knew it was the disease that made his partner go mad, but now he was dead. Slowly the deceased partner started to move along the blood stained tile floor.

There was only one other living person in the sheriff's office, a man who was sitting on a bench behind steel bars, held as a prisoner. He wore a black suit and tie with a white undershirt, a dark overcoat over top. His hair was slicked back and his face was handsome and seemingly young, though he was much older than he appeared. 

His name was Dallen Larson, arrested for murdering his wife and the state attorney she cheated on him with. He was to be held here until they could transfer him back to the city but numerous complications since then have kept him put. 


"You should try the head," Dallen said calmly. Ethan's partner rose to his feet once again, a shriek coming from his mouth as he stood and stared at them with blank eyes. Ethan aimed his gun again and hesitated. The partner hadf already taken three shots to the chest. As the infected officer rushed forward, Ethan fired a bullet into his skull and it fell limp to the floor. Ethan kicked his arm to make sure it was dead. "See! Now we're both murderers."

"I'm not a murderer!" Ethan replied while he reloaded his weapon. He had already prepared a large rucksack of weapons and ammo from the station, placing it in the trunk of his police vehicle outside. Even he knew it was time to leave, the transport was over a day late which never happened. "You're the murderer, I was just defending myself. Something was wrong with him, you saw!"

"Something was wrong with the people I murdered as well," Dallen admitted, a sly smile spread across his face.


Ethan's phone rang and he quickly picked it up, though the line was full of static on the other end. He could hear that it was Sarah and she seemed to be going through something similar, again. "Sarah...okay, I will meet you there!" The line went dead.

"Sounds like something bad is happening," Dallen stated. "You should take me with you. Don't leave me here, officer...Hall." He had to look at the man's badge on his uniform to remember his name.

"Someone will come for you, I need to look after the residents..." he started, knowing that things were getting far worse than he ever imagined. He was going to get Sarah and the others, then head to the military encampment to get them all out. This man, however, he didn't trust. His conscience was fighting an inner battle as he knew time was of the essence. 

"No one is coming," Dallen said, still calm though a little agitated. "I'll starve here, it will be on you. Then you really will be a murderer."

"Shut up and turn around," Ethan gave in, putting handcuffs back on the man through the bars. He opened the cage and released him, taking him and placing him in the backseat of his cruiser. "Don't make me regret this." Then they headed for the Parson's house, just beyond the hill.

....................


"Stay in the car!" Johnny shouted. He and Sarah had just run up on the entire accident, having been running through the fields. He picked up the largest rock he could find and walked out in view of the people in the crashed vehicle. Holding the rock in one hand and motioning for Sarah to stay behind him with the other. 

Across the road stood the infected, and it started walking faster once it saw him. Organs and chunks fell from its chest as it lopped forward with each step, its mouth open and screaming a chilling tone. Johnny rushed in and smashed the rock as hard as he could across its temple, bringing it toplling over to the pavement. From there he started smashing its head in with the rock, over and over just as he had done moments ago with the broken bottle. When its head was mush he backed away and began to vomit.

"Fuck, what the fuck!?" he mumbled between heaves. He continued to vomit until he was finally done, then almost vomited again from vomiting. "We need- we need to get out of here." 

Johnny walked over the crashed car after he was finished and sat on the side of the hood, taking in breaths and wiping away blood and sweat. "I think I got it, it's not moving anymore," he said, mainly to Sarah. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, then lit up a smoke and regained himself for the moment. "You two okay? You can relax, I'm famous..."


The chilling scream the infected had let out moments earlier was repeated from another, as the sound echoed from within the fields. They were being pursued by the walkers, all of them now. Slowly the undead pushed through the wheat and corn, their direction in movement seemed to come from the noise and screaming. 

"We don't have time, we're meeting the sheriff at this house down the way," Johnny explained through the glass of the window, speaking louder than he wanted to and pointing in the direction he intended. "Does your car work?" If not, it would be a walk but was doable.