"Keep movin', we're almost there!"

Two pairs of boots clapped against the concrete floor, echoing through the old warehouse complex. It was dark in here, and it'd be nice and quiet too if not for the moans of those monsters still in pursuit. It'd been a day now, running with no end in sight to the crowd of walkers' physical limits. The two survivors hadn't risked firing another shot, or splitting up to draw the undead away from each other. They were so tired, exhausted and just about ready to give up... But they were too close to home to give up now!

The smaller of the two rushed ahead with the last of her stamina and jumped up to climb on top of the shipping crate. "You're like a damn mountain lion! Kate, gimme a hand!" The young man called up. They were coming for him, he could hear the cries for his blood getting closer and closer with every passing second.

"I gotcha!" The girl assured him, throwing her arm down as the man jumped to narrowly grab his hand and pull him to safety. She wasn't all that strong, but the adrenaline rush from being chased by flesh-eating monsters made sure she went beyond her normal ability. With Matt safely slumping over the top of the shipping crate, Kate sat down and cradled her rifle between her arms and knees. They were both breathing heavily after all that running - both hoping they'd never have to do something like that again.

"Hey.. M.. Matt.. I thought you Army types.. had more stamina.. than that..!" Kate panted, forcing a tired laugh.

The blonde-haired man waved his arm tiredly at her in dismissal, "Yeah, yeah! ...What about you, Miss 'Track Champion'? Where the fuck was your speed?!"

"I was letting you keep up..." Kate chuckled weakly before motioning to Matt's radio. "Gonna let them know we're home, or do you like it up here with the zombies swarming around us?"

"Ugh, I told you to stop calling 'em that." Matt sighed, pressing in his receiver.

"Well that's what they are~" Kate mocked the soldier as he began to speak into the radio. The girl should be in college if not for the outbreak... And here she was with a military grade bolt-action, and an ex-Operator as a travelling partner! She watched the undead pushing themselves against the large shipping crate, hoping that they'd be out of here very soon.

"...Okay. Copy that, it'll be another five minutes or so before we show up. Those fireworks better do their job..." Matt spoke into his radio. Seconds later, the dusk sky outside flashed, followed by a few loud pops and bangs. The undead stopped paying attention to their unreachable meals in favor of following the pretty lights and the sounds they made. In a zombie's mind, there must be something to eat in that direction, no?

Matt and Kate jumped down from the cargo crate and ran for a different warehouse, one that was visibly fortified with barbed wire and sandbags. They were home. Safe, warm, and alive... It was strange. Kate was the only civilian here, the others were all army buddies from the same Special Forces unit. How fortunate that she'd fallen in with such good people in this world that was going to hell...

----------

It was getting colder and darker. The damnable highway never ended. The cars were parked for miles and miles, the people who were once seated in them were either dead or undead by now. Looters must've gotten everything of value, unless the poor people took their things as they ran but failed to escape. What was it now, a month?

"A whole month, today... I'm still thinking I'll wake up and this will all be a terrible nightmare..." Sarah sighed in defeat, walking with her beloved James as Simon the Police Sergeant and Jake the 'Delta Sniper' led the way. There was a gas station not far off - it should do for the night. Anything was better than being outside. "But of course, it's not a total nightmare," Sarah added, grinning at James and flicking her loose red hair back away from her face.

"...Well, we best do our thing, Simon." Jake murmured as he unhooked his army-grade tomahawk and passed it to the ex-police officer. He'd then take out his hunting knife. That gas station might be the difference between getting swarmed at night, or having a peaceful rest before going at the road again tomorrow.

The 'different' humans were at the back of the formation, usually speaking to each other with their minds. Well, if they had anything to say... They weren't very talkative, but Nine-slash-'Zoey' was really becoming human.