...and the horse you rode in on.

Coming back into the store part of the gas station, we take a second and relax, leaning up against the counter and catching our breaths. I check my gun, looking at the clip and counting. Sliding the clip back in, I look over and Jacob. He's bent over, hands on his knees breathing hard, and coughing. He takes out his inhaler and takes a hit. Standing back up, he looks at me and gives a thumbs up.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks Matt."

"I'm glad you didn't start any fires this time. We need that stuff out there"

Getting off the counter, we search the place and find a utility door, which happens to be locked. Two thoughts went through my mind, either find the keys, which could be anywhere, or break it open. If I broke it open, then we could attract more. But with the little party we had outside, I'm sure it wouldn't matter now. So I took out my rifle, pumping out a few rounds into the door knob and opening the door slowly, letting my gun enter first. I take out my flashlight and shine it. As it pans across I hear a noise to my left, immediately uncovering the shroud and see one. Standing there, looking at me directly, he starts to take a step, and I squeeze the trigger. Dropping to the floor, you could tell he was the employee working there when the infection hit the city. I slowly make my way towards the body, and search it for keys. Jacob, right over my shoulder with his gun, I can hear his nervousness and look over at him...

"Will you fucking relax? He's dead, look!"

Turning the body over, exposing the hole in his forehead, and point.

"See? He's done, and he ain't getting up any time soon, so chill the fuck out and put the gun down."

Finding the keys in his pocket I pull them out and jingle them a bit, giving a sign of relief for once. Grabbing the gas cans from the shelves, we step out of the room and gather everything. Filling our pockets and Jacobs back pack full of cigarettes, food, and water.

"Hey wait a second, wasn't there a car outside?"
Jacob says with a thumb over his shoulder and eagerly wanting to take off the heavy pack.

"Was there? I didn't see anything..."

Jacob takes off the backpack and heads outside, with me behind him. We look and the parking lot is empty, along with the filling stations.

"No cars man, what are you talking about?"

Running behind the place he yells for me and I hear a door open. Coming around the corner I see a black four door parked. Jacob sitting the driver seat giving me a thumbs up. I give him my middle finger and motion him to come back. Grabbing more supplies now, we load them into the car and clear out the area once more before we leave. As we open the doors and get in, my radio beeps.

"Matt, this is Mike, what's going on over there?"

"How's Delta?"

"Echo"

We had a code word set for just in case something happened like before. If for some reason he was captured by more pirates, as we call them, then try to use our radio, either by using it them selves or using one of them, then we had two code words. Echo being good, and Charlie being bad.

"We are fine, found some supplies, gas and a new car, might be a bit cramped though seeing that it's a four door sedan. Oh and Jacob didn't blow up the gas station this time around. So were good, how about you guys, where are you and what's the situation?"

"We are about 5 miles down the road from our starting point, and found a clinic. It had some patients, but they are checked out now, so it's all quiet. We're gathering some med supplies together and will be heading back shortly."

Turning the car on, we put our seat belts on and begin to move.

"Alright sounds good, see if you can find a truck, this small shit ain't gonna work. Oh and be careful on your way back, we ran into some zombies not too long ago and there could be more"

Changing the channels one by one, Jacob is searching for something to come up, hopefully an evac broadcast.


"Yeah will do, we'll see you in a bit. Over and out."

Eventually shutting the radio off, we slowly drive down the streets, going around the block a few times searching for who knows what. I get up out of my seat and sit on the door, hanging out the window and planting my elbows on the roof, gun ready. As we come around the next corner, I spot a group of ghouls staggering about the neighborhood in search of more victims. Jacob stops, and pulls my pant leg. As I slide back in the car, I look at him and say...

"Two choices, drive through them, and go. Or...drive through them and shoot while we go."

Looking at the horde ahead of us, he ponders on the choices, and looks at me.

"How about we stop, get out and shoot the fuckers?"

I look at him with a surprised look and take a second. I get out and tell him to open the trunk. As it clicks open, he joins me behind the car and I hand him a rifle and a few magazines. I sling mine around, switching off the safety and walk to the drivers seat. He comes to the window and looks at me:

"What are you doing? I thought we were going to stand here and shoot?"

"Well you have the shooting part right...get in."

I open the sunroof and point up as he gets back in.

"You stand up, in the sunroof, and shoot. They can't reach you well enough to grab ya, and I'll make sure none try to pull a fast one"

He stands up and gets comfortable as we slowly start to move towards the crowed of flesh eating undead. I honk the horn for a couple of seconds, grabbing their attention, and they begin to turn around towards our car, and start walking towards us. As soon as the first step was taken, Jacob begins to open fire on them. One by one, they drop to the ground, some taking a few more shots than others because he misses a couple rounds. Eventually he runs out of ammo and some of them are still standing, barely. He ducks back in and and yells for me to get out of here, but I decide to have some fun of my own.

Stepping out of the car, I raise my gun and aim. As the shells drop to the ground, everything seems to slow down around me. Seeing the brain matter, skin, and skull fly up and explode out of the top of their heads, they slowly fall down before me, their blood pouring out. My gun suddenly jams, and without hesitation, I pull out my pistol and continue my onslaught. Walking up to them now as they make an attempt to grab and bite me, I put the end of my gun to their forehead and pull the trigger.

Looking into their eyes, you see nothing but the look of rage. But you know that they are hollow inside, and know not what is going on. It's saddening kind of. They used to be real human beings. With a mind of their own and a heart. But now they are reduced down to primal instincts and nothing matters anymore. I guess that's why it's easy to just kill them. You know that they are no longer a real human being, just mindless, staggering killers that stop at nothing until they are stopped themselves.

As the final one drops, I let down my pistol, and see myself shaking a bit. Feeling this sense of loneliness all of a sudden. Like nothing around me matters anymore, and that all this is just not worth fighting for, as if all hope is gone. When you lose a loved one, you lose a part of yourself, and sometimes don't know what to do after that. They say you should just move on and let them rest in piece. Well when you abruptly lose everyone and everything around you, something happens. You breakdown, and you give in to the pain. So their I am, standing, with my hands shaking, pistol moving back and forth, I drop to my knees, my gun falling with me. My hands moving to the top of my head, I take a deep breath, looking down around me, and suddenly become enraged. Punching the body near me I begin yelling...

"YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I NO LONGER HAVE A FAMILY! WHY I HAVE NO HOME, WHY EVERYONE AROUND ME IS DYING, AND CRYING FOR HELP"

I get up and kick another body near me, hearing the skull crack a bit more...

"BECAUSE OF YOU, I NEARLY LOST MY ENTIRE LIFE!! THIS WHOLE CITY IS DESERTED BECAUSE OF WHAT REASON? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW! WHY DID THIS EVEN HAPPEN?! HOW COULD IT POSSIBLY HAPPEN TO ME?"

Jacob being hesitant to come near me, he slowly gets out of the car and makes his way towards the front, watching me with fear...

I switch my empty clip out of the rifle and put in a brand new one, locking and loading it. Switching to full auto, I point the gun at the body and open fire. Round after round penetrating the flesh, blood flying everywhere as the body begins to get pulled apart from the lead storm of rage. I stop for a second, and look ahead of me, seeing nothing again, just deserted buildings, cars, and streets. Just getting me even angrier.

"FUCK THIS CITY, FUCK YOU, AND FUCK EVERYTHING ELSE. IF I DIDN'T CARE SO MUCH ABOUT AMMO I'D SHOOT MYSELF AND END IT RIGHT HERE AND NOW"

I turn around and walk swiftly pass Jacob going to the trunk and grabbing a gas can. Coming back I start to pile the bodies altogether, letting them pile up until there is no more to build with. I tuck the gas can in the middle of the pile and get some distance. Jacob finally realizing what I am about to do, runs quickly behind the car and yells...

"Matt! NO! We need that gas!"

"Shut up, we can get more, AND watch these fuckers burn!"

I aim at the red gas can, and pull the trigger. I see the bullet leave the barrel and fly towards the pile. Not even a second later, the bodies explode and a huge flame erupts, sending body parts and fire everywhere. Not moving a muscle, I stand there and give one more parting word...

"THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS" As I point my index at the flaming group of dead bodies, looking at Jacob.

He puts his hands up a bit at his chance, not wanting to say a word, and asks if he wants me to drive. I put my hand up and walk toward the passenger side, and get in. Running over, he jumps into the seat, turning the car on and begins to drive away from the fiery mess.