Reunion

     I awoke several hours later, the smell of smoke thick in the air.  I feel lightheaded, standing now an impossible task.  Looking around I am alone on the rooftop, hidden behind a pile of junk.  I lay there for what seems hours before I get up and begin to look for everyone.  I hobble towards the main rooftop to find nobody there.  I begin to panic, Did they leave to flee to a new place?  Did something happen that I missed?  "Kat..." It was a whisper, one that only I heard.  I needed to move on, regardless of what had happened to the others.  I scour the rooftops for my equipment, tossing empty boxes over the roof, panicking as time went on.  "Where the fuck is my stuff?!  I cant re scrounge for everything, oh this is bad."  I'm losing it, the first tendrils of fear begin to trickle in my mind.  I hurry to the next rooftop, hoping my equipment was there.  What seemed like hours later I finally uncover my backpack, as well stocked as I had left it.  The only thing missing was my rifle, but I still had my shotgun, so I was happy.  Strapping my equipment down I realize my ribs weren't hurting as bad as they were before.  It mush have just been bruising, after all it has only been around a week here.  But I leave the bandage on, I never thought to bring a spare set of clothes.  And my shirt had been cut off to asses my wounds when I first got here.  Looks like Ill need to make a stop somewhere and get some more clothing before I head to the mountains, I thought.  Its getting close to wintertime and the last thing I want to do is climb a mountain without a shirt.
       Guilt kicks in as I leave the rooftops and head towards the hotel.  Kat will be so worried if you just up and leave.  Looking back, I come up with a way to ease my conscience.  Looking for a pen and paper in the hotel room I begin to write a note for Kat.
             Kat,
   I woke up on the rooftop alone, I waited for what seemed like an eternity.  I assumed the worst, but hope you get this note.  I will never forget you and with a heavy heart I must say goodbye.  If you ever decide to come to Alaska after all of this, look me up.
                  missing you already, -Chris-
     I set the note on the desk between the two beds, in plain sight should she come back.  "Goodbye, Kat.  I hope you survive all of this"    I wander down into the streets, Daylight begins to shine in the empty town as I look for a clothing store.  As I make my way across town I find what I'm looking for, Walking through the shattered display window I make my way to the men's section, grabbing a few shirts as I make my way to the jacket racks.  Along the way I hear a thump towards the back in the supply closet.  Not alone I thought, I need to hurry.  Grabbing a thick looking jacket I make my way to a corner and begin to put my new duds on, my chest sore, but nothing to worry about.  after getting re dressed I strap my equipment down again and make my way towards the Rockies, wondering how I'm going to make the last half of my journey.  Along the way I came towards the subdivision Kat said she had lived in, hoping to find a bike or other form of transportation.  Taking the first set of wheels in sight I grab a nice looking mountain bike and pedal onwards.
        

       Several undead dot the land around me, reaching out with dumb hands as I speed past them.  Their moans carry all around, but no swarms to speak of.  Riding through the subdivision I see the slaughter was thick here.  Bodies all around just laying there, some have been filled with bullets, others simply smashed up.  Most likely by a lot of improvised melee weapons.  As the houses spread thinner, I come to the end of the neighborhood.   The main road leads me to a dark and ominous tunnel.  Too dark for my liking, but its a straight shot.  I'm going to need a miracle to make it through here, or I'm hiking over, Thinking as I stop and weigh my options.  Either take my chances in what I'm calling the death tunnel, or take my chances falling off a cliff to my death.  Either way there is a chance I could die, but that's been a possible outcome every day so far.  Thinking about every scenario I realize there are cars blocking the tunnel, and I think to myself.  "Those cars have batteries, and they also have lights.  I can light the tunnel up, car by car making it an easier trip than a romp in the dark.  I test my theory by finding the closest car and looking inside, making sure there was nothing to bite me as I reached for the lights.  Turning the key in the van, I hit the brights, illuminating the tunnel in a nightmarish angle, casting shadows everywhere.  "This could take longer than I planned..."  My thought process was cut short my the sound of shuffling.  I drop to the ground and wince.  I hit my soft spot.  Looking below the car I see a pair of feet, blindly stumbling around a few yards ahead.  But before I could figure out what I was going to do, I heard something behind me that sounded familiar.  The sound of a gun being loaded.  And I felt like the barrel was pointed towards me.

  -No.  Fucking.  Way.-
      I'm stricken completely stupid, there is no way in hell that of all people left in the world I would be at the guns end of someone I knew.  Someone from Columbia.  "Holy-fucking-shit.  Chelle, is that really you or am I just going fucking insane?"  I shake my head, wondering if it was just a hallucination.  She drops her gun, just in as much shock as I am.  "How the fuck did you make it this far?!  I... we thought you were dead.  I don't know how many times I tried calling you, not to mention going by your work and finding it to be a slaughterhouse."   This is too much.  I'm going to wake up soon.  And I'm going to be let down.  I poke my ribs, nope.  I'm awake alright.  Just another fucking coincidence.   Getting up, I explain that the tunnel is a no go.  Too crowded to drive through and no light source.  "Were just going to have to find a road that isn't as clogged up.  If there is such a road.  Come on, we have a camp of sorts set up."  She heads away from the tunnel and towards a side road.  And on the road is a bus, one that had been plated, and decked out to handle this apocalypse.  I'm stunned.  "Wow, did you do that all by yourself?"  It was all I could say. It looked to be one hundred percent zombie proof.  Even the doors had been reinforced and altered to where it opened from the inside out.  That way if the bus had been swarmed they couldn't push their way in.  She looks back and laughs, "Me?  Hell no.  Our old group were among the original survivors, but between the undead and a few unforeseen accidents.  Its down to me, my family, Joe, and Nikki.  Well and a few meat shields."  the last part was a whisper.  I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.  "Just remember one thing.  I am no meat shield, Id hate to take you down with me"  an evil grin cracked across my face, Just like old times.  She leads me into the van and everybodys eyes fall on me.  Some know who I am, but even the ones who don't are happy to see another living face.  I feel someone hugging my leg, its Chelle's daughter.  They look ragged, but they're alive. Suddenly, memories of before the outbreak begin flooding in.  Those long nights spent with the old gang, Plans for the future, and at the time a mock plan for the zombie apocalypse.  I look towards the group of familiar faces, they seem like they have seen a ghost.  the silence hangs above us like a fog.  Finally I step forward and say something to break the ice.  "Man, you guys look like shit.  You call this surviving?"  Smiling as I finish my last sentence, the bus suddenly came alive with conversation.  It seems like, despite the nightmare we were in, I had found a safe haven.  With people I trusted, people with a plan.
  After swapping stories with them about how I had made it here to meet them, and how they came to this particular town, we got down to business.  We need a plan.  And they were ready to follow me to Alaska.  "Well ladies, we need to find another route.  any suggestions?"  As I finish my sentence we gather around a map of theirs, circles and x's all over the central and mid west.  Ill ask later.  But for now, lets find a route home.