I would like to thank Ruby Lydia, Olowosoyo Temitope Glory, Horlahh Biblion, Jibola Coker, and Sara Piesse for beta reading and helping me improve!

Chapter 1

The night sky over Southern California was clear and speckled with stars, a rare sight with the usual glow of city lights. A warm breeze rustled through the trees as the cacophony of crickets filled the air. It was a peaceful night, concealing the chaos that had consumed the world over thirty years prior.

Rick Stevens sighed, trying to enjoy the drive despite the context. He was headed home after a long day running his successful fitness clothing brand, GymPaladin.

Rick had been into fitness since he was a young boy. When he was just barely starting to walk, he saw his father doing pushups one day, and he decided to join him. As he got older, his father showed him numerous other exercises to get stronger, such as burpees, pull-ups, squats, lunges, planks, dips, and mountain climbers. He continued getting more and more into fitness, as well as getting stronger and eating healthy foods. Once he reached his teenage years, Rick started using weights. He also became inspired to create a fitness apparel brand of his own. Rick chose the name GymPaladin, as he loved going to the gym, and the term “paladin” reminded him of a knight who was renowned for his heroism and chivalry.

Rick had built the company from the ground up since graduating high school, managing to tune out the dystopia around him. He founded the company at age 18, initially focusing on crafting and distributing his own line of fitness wear. At first, Rick had manufactured the garments in the garage of his parents’ house using only a sewing machine and screen printer he had purchased with savings from working as a cashier at his local grocery store. It did not take long for the brand to become the leading manufacturer of fitness apparel in the world. As a result, Rick expanded the company’s products to include fitness apparel, sportswear, accessories, and more. He did not expect his brand to become a smash hit so quickly, but he was grateful to be making a positive impact in the fitness industry.

Now 23, he had a loving wife named Sally and lived in a penthouse in Ivriasey, seemingly untouched by the zombie apocalypse.

The young man ran a hand through his brown hair, green eyes focused on the dark road ahead. He knew he should feel grateful for what he had, especially compared to so many others. However, he could not shake his unease. The zombie threat was manageable for now, but there was no telling when another major outbreak could occur. All it took was one small mistake or encounter with the undead.

The headlights of his sleek sports car cut through the night as he continued driving. He reached for his phone to let Sally know he was on his way, but frowned when he saw there was no service. Pocketing the device, Rick figured he must be in a dead zone. He would have to wait until he got closer to Ivriasey.

Without warning, a decaying figure shuffled onto the road directly in Rick's path. He slammed the brakes but not soon enough. The sickening thud of impact cracked the windshield as zombie parts scattered across the asphalt. Rick's car swerved off the road, the front right wheel clipping a telephone pole. The airbag exploded in his face.

Rick groaned, his head spinning and heart pounding. That could have been so much worse. He groped for his flashlight and medical kit, shoving them into his backpack. No bites or scratches, he confirmed with relief. Unfortunately, the car was disabled. The front right wheel had hit the pole hard enough to cause significant damage.

Stepping outside on shaky legs, Rick surveyed the damage. The tire rim was bent beyond repair. He would have to walk the rest of the way home.

Leaving the damaged car behind, Rick cautiously followed the road on foot. The destroyed zombie made him jittery, and he kept glancing around for more. Coming upon a battered station wagon, he rifled through the trunk to find a damaged tire iron and a damaged pistol with ammo. It was not much protection, but it was better than nothing. Gathering all the items, Rick loaded the ammo into the pistol before he placed the loaded gun into his backpack. He then took the tire iron before closing the trunk and continuing onward.

The young man attempted to search the trunk of the first car he encountered. It would not open. No matter how hard he tried, he could not get the trunk open. Rick then searched the rest of the car but only found assorted pieces of trash. Therefore, he decided to continue walking.

With how late it was, Rick was unsure whether he would make it home before he ran out of energy. In that case, the young man might have had to resort to asking someone if he could stay in their home for the night.

Rick inspected another car, but only found a dull kitchen knife and a baseball bat snapped in half. He chose to leave the items behind, feeling he was better off with the tire iron.

The young man passed by a few more cars, but they were either totaled or had their contents smashed. Therefore, he continued walking.

Miles passed without any shelter in sight. Rick's feet ached, his stomach growling. He regretted skipping dinner earlier that night.

With how far he was from home, he considered bedding down in the woods for the night. Just then, a dirt road appeared, leading off into the trees, past a wooden fence. Too exhausted to think better of it, Rick followed the winding path. He hoped it might lead to a house where he could rest awhile.

After walking along the dirt road for a few moments, the sound of dragging footsteps in the distance made his blood run cold. Rick tightened his grip on the tire iron as three zombies emerged from the trees ahead. Rotting flesh hung off their bones, clouded eyes glowing with predatory hunger.

One lunged at Rick, who swung with all his might. The tire iron caved in the zombie's skull, putrid matter spraying Rick's face. He gagged, losing his balance as another zombie grabbed his arm. Panicking, he smashed its head repeatedly until it collapsed.

However, the third zombie tackled Rick from behind. He crashed to the ground, the undead creature snapping at him with primal viciousness. Rick shoved its face away, kicking wildly. The young man backed into a boulder as the zombie closed in on him. Cornered, he closed his eyes, fearing it was the end for him.

Gunshots split the night. The zombie went limp, its head exploded by an expertly fired round. Rick squinted towards the source, making out a tall, muscular figure approaching with a smoking rifle. The man looked to be in his sixties but was built like a tank. His face was weathered yet kind.

"Are you alright there, son?" the man asked gruffly, offering a hand to help Rick up.

Rick nodded, still catching his breath. "Yeah, thanks to you. That was close."

The man gave a good-natured chuckle after helping Rick to his feet. "Reckon it was. Names Graham, Graham Spencer. What brings you all the way out here at this hour?"

Rick introduced himself, explaining his car accident and need to get home.

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"I see. We cannot have you wandering these woods at night. How about you come back to my cabin and rest up? I insist," Graham offered warmly.

“I would greatly appreciate that,” Rick stated gratefully. “Thank you very much, Mr. Spencer.”

“Anytime, Rick. You can call me Graham,” Graham replied.

Rick smiled. As they walked, he learned Graham was ex-military and had lost his family when the outbreak first hit. Rick's heart went out to him.

The young man was impressed by the number of medals Graham won during his time serving the military. “Everything you accomplished while you were in the military is impressive if I must say.”

Graham beamed with pride. “It felt good to accomplish something like what I did in the military. There is a big scar on my chest from when I was saving one of my fellow soldier’s lives. With or without the scar, I am glad I was able to save my fellow soldier from certain death.”

“The military sounds like a hard lifestyle,” Rick said.

“Yes. As hard as it was, being in The Army taught me a lot of valuable lessons in life. You must work hard to get what you want in life. Another one of my fellow soldiers told me that the most important things in life are not given, they are earned. I served in the military about a decade before the zombie apocalypse started. The Army experience was a blessing, as I was taught how to defend myself in case something like this happens,” Graham elaborated.

Rick placed a hand on Graham’s shoulder. “I am sorry to hear about what happened to your family, Mr. Spencer.”

“Thank you for your support, Rick,” Graham responded.

“Anytime, Graham,” Rick replied.

Graham nodded before he asked Rick, “Do you have a family, Rick?”

“Yes. I have a wife named Sally. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. I have no doubt she is freaking out right now that I have not arrived home yet,” Rick explained.

“I hope your wife is okay. The last thing I would like is for your wife to suffer a similar fate like that of my family,” Graham stated.

“I hope so too,” Rick replied as he got out his phone. He still did not have any service. “It does not help that I am unable to see any response from her due to the lack of service.”

“Do not worry Rick. You should have service soon,” Graham assured.

Rick nodded thankfully.

The men walked for a little bit longer before they came upon a huge cabin. It had to have been the nicest cabin Rick had ever seen in his life.

“Wow! This cabin is big!” Rick said in awe.

“I like the outdoors. While I have an assortment of weapons, I do not use them for hunting. Only for defending myself,” Graham said before a thought came to his mind. “I hope you have service now.”

Rick looked at his phone and saw that he had service. The young man saw that he had a message from Sally asking where he was.

Rick typed a message explaining what had happened and that he hoped to be home in the morning. Sally responded after a few minutes telling him to be safe. Rick responded back saying he would be okay and that he loved her. His wife said she loved him too and wished him a good night. Rick wished her a good night as well before he put his phone away.

Graham then asked, “How is Sally doing? Is she alright?”

Rick sighed. “She seems to be fine. However, because I am not home with her, I am worried about something happening to her.”

The military veteran nodded in understanding. “I hope she will be okay.”

“Me too,” Rick said in agreement.

The two men headed inside the cabin. Graham turned the lights on to reveal the nicest and most organized cabin he had ever seen.

“What do you think?” Graham wondered.

“This is the nicest cabin I have ever seen. I have seen many cabins in the past, but none like this. To say I am impressed would be an understatement,” Rick stated.

“I appreciate it. Thank you,” Graham replied thankfully.

After looking around for a moment, Rick noticed the couch in the living room. “I can just sleep on the couch,” he said.

“Are you sure about that? I do have an extra bedroom besides my own if you would like to sleep there instead,” Graham explained.

“That would be nice. Thank you,” the young man replied.

“You’re welcome. Right this way,” the older man said as he led Rick up the stairs.

Graham grasped Rick’s shoulders as he noticed the young man was wobbling a little bit from exhaustion.

Once the two men reached the door to the extra bedroom, Graham opened the door and Rick peered inside.

The room was the nicest cabin bedroom he had ever seen. While Rick had stayed in many cabins over the course of this life, he never remembered staying in a cabin with that much luxury.

“What do you think, Rick?” Graham wondered.

“This is a nice room. Thank you, Graham,” Rick said appreciatively.

“Of course, Rick. If you ever need anything, just let me know,” Graham stated.

“Thank you very much Graham. You have no idea how grateful I am for this,” Rick said.

“I was just making sure you did not suffer a similar fate than that of my family. When I saw the zombies attacking you, I knew I had to do something to prevent you from getting killed,” Graham elaborated. “Before we go to sleep, I would like to ask you a question.”

“Sure Graham. What is it?” Rick wondered.

“Have you ever used a gun before?” Graham asked.

Rick shook his head. “Not once. While I have a pistol loaded with ammo in my backpack, I did not use it when I was being attacked by the zombies. I feared something would happen if I even tried to use the gun when I did not have any experience.”

Graham nodded in understanding. “I can see why. There was the possibility you could accidentally shoot yourself, and I am sure you would not want that to happen.”

Rick nodded.

“Since you have never used a gun before, I can offer you some advice on how to use a gun,” Graham offered.

“If you can, yes please,” Rick stated. “I know it is getting late but I would like to know how to use a gun so I can defend myself.”

Graham nodded before he offered Rick a seat at a table in the room. Rick and Graham sat down in chairs across from each other at the table as the young man was listening attentively.

“You mentioned you have a loaded pistol. I would advise not having any guns loaded when you are not using them,” Graham explained.

“Oh. Sorry,” Rick replied as he opened his backpack and got out the loaded pistol. Taking care not to accidentally fire it, the young man set the pistol on the table before he and Graham unloaded it together.

“No worries Rick. I understand you have never used a gun before, so you did not know,” Graham said in comprehension.

“I appreciate it. Thank you,” Rick stated, placing the unloaded pistol and the ammo into his backpack.

“No problem. As important as that is, the most important thing about guns is to always point the muzzle in a safe direction. Never point a gun at something you do not intend to shoot. This is especially important when you are loading and unloading guns. It prevents any injuries from occurring when there is an accidental discharge,” Graham explained.

Rick nodded.

“Another thing to remember is to treat every gun like it can fire at any time. The safety on a gun is just like any other mechanical device; it can become inoperable at the worst possible time. Sometimes there is the mistake that the safety may be off when it is on. Never handle a gun carelessly and assume it will not fire because the safety is on. While it may be a supplement to proper gun handling, it is not a substitute for common sense,” Graham continued.

“Okay. When you do not intend to shoot, I assume you should keep your fingers away from the trigger, as well as when you are loading and unloading?” Rick asked.

“Precisely. Otherwise, you could risk the gun firing at any time, with or without the safety on. This can even happen when you do not touch the trigger,” Graham confirmed.

“Got it. Anything else you would like to let me know about guns?” Rick wondered.

“Yes. Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond it. The moment you fire a gun, you can never take the shot back. You will have no control over where the shot goes or what it will hit. Never fire until you are certain what the gunshot will strike. You never want to hit anything that you do not intend to. Firing at a movement or a noise without being certain of what you are shooting at constitutes disregard for the safety of others. No target is important enough to not take the time before you pull the trigger to be certain of your target and where your shot will stop. I noticed you also had the correct ammunition for the pistol. That is good. Never use the incorrect ammunition unless you want to destroy the gun and risk personal injury. You also want to make sure the barrel does not have any obstructions. Just a small amount of debris such as mud, snow, excess lubricating oil or grease in the bore can cause dangerously increased pressures, which can result in the barrel bulging or even bursting when fired, which can cause injury to the shooter and bystanders,” Graham explained.

The military veteran looked at the clock. “I apologize for keeping you up so late, Rick. We can talk about guns more after you get some rest.”

“You are all good, Graham. Thank you for taking the time to tell me how to properly use a gun,” the young man stated.

“Of course, Rick. I will see you when you wake up,” Graham said.

“See you then, Graham,” Rick replied as Graham left the room and closed the door.

After the lesson, Rick collapsed into bed. His lingering adrenaline was replaced by relief and comfort. He was safe and could finally get some rest. Finally allowing his exhaustion to take over, Rick fell into a deep sleep.