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Part One: Before the Beginning of the End

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The traveler walked down the desolate and barren road. It was getting close to nightfall and he was in the open. He cursed under his breath as he thought of all the things that could happen to him if he got stuck in the night and then quickly corrected himself for cursing. You know better, he thought to himself, keep your flesh under control or it will end up killing you. He laughed at that last thought and gazed further down the road.

He spotted three or four abandoned cars up ahead. He almost swore again. A perfect spot for them to hide, he thought. It’s not that he was scared; he wasn’t even close to being frightened. It had been a few days since he had seen any action, these days that was a miracle. The traveler put his hand into his jacket checking for the machete that was securely fastened inside the custom fitted scabbard he had made himself. He then swung the twelve gauge shotgun that was hanging from his shoulder strap to his left hand. Most people preferred to use two hands when handling such a powerful weapon but over that last few years the traveler had learned to compensate for the kick with only his one arm. It was safer it left his right hand free for the machete in case he got surrounded.

Well here we go. He walked up to the group of cars carefully studying for any hidden predators. He came up to the first vehicle, a minivan, something a soccer mom would drive. Not much soccer playing these days, the traveler thought to himself. He looked into the windows not spotting anything when he heard soft muttering. He spun around 180 degrees quickly his shotgun ready to decimate anyone that stood within range. A small shape was on the ground curled into a ball. He walked forward slowly his shotgun leading the way his right hand wrapped around the handle of his machete.

“Hello” the traveler spoke. The shape stiffened up turning its head. It was a young girl, tears stained her cheeks she was holding her stomach.

“Help me?” She asked removing her hands from her stomach. Blood stained her hands and was dripping from a deep wound in her abdomen. “They tried to get me but I got away.” Blood was coming from the corners of her mouth as she talked dripping onto the concrete a small puddle had started to form.

She had been bitten. The traveler could feel the tears start to form in his eyes. These were always the hard ones. “Please,” she said as she stood up struggling to her feet, one of her intestines was starting to slip from her wound, “Help me.” She put one of her hands on the barrel of his gun.

“Lord, forgive me.” The traveler said as he reached into his coat and brought out his machete. With a quick motion he brought it down on the hand that was grabbing his gun. The girl screamed in pain as her hand flew off and blood spurted from the stump where her hand used to be. Her cries were not human. They were those of anger and hunger. The girl was gone and the beast had taken over. She glared at the traveler her eyes were bloodshot and more blood was coming from her mouth.

The traveler pointed his gun at her when he sensed something from behind him. He never checked the other cars. He ducked down and rolled to the side just as the creature was about to take a bite out of his neck. He brought his twelve gauge around pointed it up under its chin and pulled the trigger. Gore sprayed from the back of its head as it dropped down dead. The girl was almost on him but a third one had appeared from the other side of the minivan. The traveler spun around with his machete across the third ones neck decapitating it as he quickly ducked just as the girl was reaching for him. He grabbed her bloody stump with one hand, grabbed her legs with his other one and threw her to the ground, losing his weapons in the process. He stood up quickly and before she could get up to get a bite out of him he brought one of his steel toe boots down on her face, once, twice and kept doing it until she stopped moving.

He looked down at the creature below him. The face was barely recognizable as the girl he had seen just merely minutes ago it actually more resembled a hamburger patty before it was cooked. He felt like crying, he hadn’t cried in years. He kneeled on the concrete beside the girl and began to weep. He brushed some of her blonde hair to the side out of the gore and then closed his eyes.

“Please God, welcome your daughter into your arms,” he prayed “Let her life in the next be better than this one.” As he prayed he felt the familiar breeze brush against his face, he let out a sigh of relief as peace came over him. He wiped his eyes and got up to retrieve his equipment. He was tired. Tired of walking, tired of fighting and tired of never sleeping in the same place more than once. He bent down to clean off his machete in the grass on the side of the road. It seemed like he had been doing the same thing forever but it had only been three years since it had started.

Three years is that all? He asked himself. He looked down the road and then up at the sky. It was going to be dark soon he couldn’t go any further today there were likely more of them up ahead he was actually really surprised that more hadn’t showed up all ready. He walked over to the minivan and opened the side door. At least I get to sleep on some sort of cushion tonight. He crawled into the furthest back seat and laid his machete and 12 gauge on the other back seat. Also, he took off a small backpack that he always wore under his jacket so he couldn’t get grabbed from behind, and took out a bag of Fritos that he had found in an abandoned Safeway a couple days ago, as well as his little portable compact disc player he had received from a friend.

The traveler lay out on the seat putting the headphones over his ears and pushed play. The hard pounding music relaxed him as he took a handful of Fritos and put them in his mouth he reached into his backpack and took out a special treat. He popped open the can and took a swig of the warm liquid. He sighed and closed his eyes. As he fell asleep he thought of the day the chaos started. A day when friends still lived and questions were still unanswered. The day when Hell invaded earth and humanity would never be the same again.