*skrrrrrrt*

"We are going to have a stop here"

It's been 3 hours, we stumbled upon a lonely diner and a shop beside it, there's no sight of humans that can be seen, but there are parked cars that can be seen. I parked the car in the parking lot. We went outside and looked around.

"Do you guys think the virus spread outside Great Adam City?" Kristy asked

"I... Do not know" Jayden replied

Kristy and Jane went inside the diner while the 3 of us entered the shop. There are still products on the shelves.

"Hell yeah, free food" Glenn said

"Hey, you too, help me carry these shelves to the truck and throw it to the container of the truck. We want unlimited food right?" Glenn added

Damn this guy, we agreed and carried the shelf to the truck, after throwing the products inside, we just threw the shelves to the ground. We just did it one by one until all there was no more.

We went inside the diner, it was a mess. There are plates and food scattered around the floor and on the tables. The people might have been in a rush. We got ourselves some food from the counter and went to a clean table and started eating.

"This food is tasty, been so long I tasted something good" Jayden said after taking a bite

"This diner... it reminds me of the good old days. Do you remember when we used to go to Binnie's for burgers after school?" Jane said

"Yeah, those were the days. Back when we were young and things were normal." I replied

"Those days are gone, but we can't dwell on them. We need to move on." Jayden said

Kristy looked outside the window

"Do you think there's anyone else out there? Or are we the only ones left?" Kristy asked

"Who knows? We've barely even left the city. It's like the whole world's gone quiet, the military who came to Great Adam City probably evacuated some people" Jayden replied

"Or maybe an infected got evacuated and might bit the other people who evacuated, crashed and alerted the people who are in this diner" Glenn said

"And I hope not because if an infected person gets transported to Ascendancy City, that will be a huge problem because they might infect the people there and spread again. Ascendancy City is our only hope and a place to stay" I said

All of them went quiet

"Oh yeah, let me know if guys saw or found a metal cutting saw. I want to put a hole in the container of the truck. It is very dark there and boring, the gasoline also reeks" Glenn said

We all nodded, oh yeah. I remember Glenn is good at these kinds of jobs. I remember he powered up his dad's car again because the car stopped working. We finished our food and took a rest.

"You said metal cutting saw right?" I asked while standing up

He nodded, I looked around. Employees Room, Back Kitchen and a Storage Room, hmmmmm. I'll go to the Employees Room, I might find something more useful than a saw. I opened the door, it is not locked. I went inside, it is a very small room.

I went outside and headed to the back kitchen door, I turned the knob door, still not locked. I entered inside, full of boxes of products the diner sells. I am not going to report this to Glenn, might make us work again carrying these things to the truck. Now the last one, I turned the doorknob of the Storage Room. It won't budge, I tried again, it doesn't work.

"Jayden, may I borrow your axe? I need to open this door" I asked Jayden

He stood up, went over to me and handed me his axe. I readied myself, I ordered Jayden to back up. I swung my axe to the door as strong as I could. I kept hitting it and hitting until I made a hole. I reached my hand inside and unlocked the door from the other side.

*Thud*

A body with blood on it landed on the ground. I looked inside the storage room, the room was full of dead people. Normal people and different ones. The room is splattered with blood.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Looks like this answers where the people who stayed here went and the cars outside" Jayden said

I looked around the room for something useful, I saw a metal cutting saw on a shelf.

"I am not going in there with a lot of body inside, one of them might wake up and bite me" I said

"Just go get the gun and shoot them" Jayden said

"Good idea but a waste of ammo" I replied

I gave him back his axe

"Kill them one by one while I go get machete" I said to him

He nodded and slashed off the head of the body on the ground. I approached the 4 and picked up my machete.

"Oh shit, help me!" We heard Jayden shouted

I looked behind, there is a hand touching his axe. There's an infected guy trying to get closer to him. I ran to the guy and kicked him away and bumped its head on the table. I suddenly felt someone touching me coming from the cabinet.

It pushed me to one of the tables, I raised my machete to his neck to prevent him biting me. His mouth is near to my face growling, fucking disgusting. I heard someone come running and kicked the guy on top of me, it was Glenn with Jane's machete on his hand.

Glenn grabbed my hand and started pulling me with the back of my jacket.

"We got to go!" He shouted

"But there's a saw in there" I replied

He stopped and stopped pulling and let go of me.

"Well, I need that badly"

He went back and started slashing the infected. Jayden joined in, there are more infected coming out of the room. They might have awoken already. Kristy and Jane ran outside back to the truck.

I joined in, slashing them one by one. Jayden slashed one of the infected on the ground, but it was halfway sliced. I helped him by kicking the axe downwards. I swung my machete upwards below the neck, it is stuck. I carried him with all my might making him bumped to the table behind us.

The result is disgusting to see and even still moving.

"Damn Johnny, that's the second time you did that. Just slash their necks and try not to make a mess" Jayden said to me while swinging his axe to the last one.

Glenn did the finishing blow to the one I just attacked. The storage still has bodies inside it, might not wake up because some of them have a very big wound because of the bites of the infected. Their head might even come off.

Glenn went inside and started slashing their heads off. He got the saw from the shelf and went back outside again. We went outside of the diner, he tested the saw, the saw is working.

"It's a good thing it's the saw with the battery" he said

He excitedly went inside the container of the truck and started sawing the sides of the container. It was very loud, I said to the others to go to the front and hear the news on the radio. I turned on the truck and started tinkering with the radio.

*Turn*

*Static sounds*

*Turn*

*Static sounds*

"Uhhhh, something's not right. There are people talking on the radio like yesterday but today, it's quite" Jane said

*Turn*

"He tried to beat the shit out o-"

*Turn*

"Nevermind" Jane said

"Hello everyon-"

*Turn*

"This is the president speaking"

"Okay, here it is"

"My fellow citizens, the time has come to face the truth. This is not just a virus. It is … pause … we call it The Undead Virus"

"Undead Virus?" Kristy muttered

"We have called it a virus. We have called it a pandemic. We have tried to find an explanation, a scientific name that would give us a sense of control, a sense of hope. But the evidence is undeniable. This is not a virus… pause… not in the way we have ever known. It is… pause… it is something more. Something… pause… something ancient, something primal, something terrifying."

"We are not fighting a disease. We are fighting a… pause… a transformation. This… pause… this scourge, this affliction, it is a… pause… it is a curse. A curse that steals away the humanity of its victims, leaving behind… pause… empty shells. They are no longer the people we loved. They are… pause… They are… pause… They are The Undead"

"The scientific community has confirmed what we have been witnessing with our own eyes. This virus is not just a biological weapon. It is a… pause… it is a transformation. A transformation that strips away our minds, our souls, leaving behind… pause… a hollow echo of what we once were. They are driven by hunger, a primal hunger that knows no bounds, no mercy. They are unstoppable."

"This is not a time for fear. This is a time for action. We must be brave. We must be strong. We must be united. We must… pause… we must fight for our survival. We must fight for our families. We must fight for our nation. We must… pause… we must fight for our humanity."

"We will find a cure. We will find a way to defeat this curse. We will find a way to rebuild. We will find a way to… pause… to rise again."

"We will not let them win. We will not succumb to darkness. We will not be consumed. We are human. We are strong. We will… pause… we will survive."

"Our scientists, our military, and our researchers are working tirelessly to find a way to destroy the undead, a way to contain this virus. But until then, we must rely on our ingenuity, our courage, and our will to survive. There is no single method, no magical solution. But we have learned some vital lessons from those who have faced the undead and lived to tell the tale."

"Firstly, remember that the undead are not invincible. They are not supernatural beings. They are creatures of flesh and bone, albeit corrupted and twisted. They are vulnerable to the same weapons and tactics that we have used against our enemies for centuries."

"Fire. Fire remains the most potent weapon against the undead. It burns away the flesh, it destroys the virus. If you have a flamethrower, a molotov cocktail, or even a simple torch, use it without hesitation. Remember, fire is your friend. Use it wisely."

"Secondly, aim for the head. The undead, like all living creatures, are vulnerable to attacks on the brain. A well-placed shot to the head, a sharp blade aimed at the skull… pause… these can bring a swift and decisive end. But do not underestimate their resilience. They can endure wounds that would kill a living person."

"Thirdly, be prepared for the unexpected. The undead are not predictable. They are relentless. They are unpredictable. They will surprise you. They will attack when you least expect it. Always be vigilant. Always be ready to defend yourself. Always be aware of your surroundings."

"We are fighting for our future. We are fighting for our families. We are fighting for our humanity. We will not give in. We will not give up. We will survive. We will rebuild. We will… pause… We will prevail."

"My fellow citizens, the time has come to say goodbye. This virus, this plague, this… pause… this curse, it has changed our world. It has challenged us in ways we never imagined. It has pushed us to the brink. But even in these dark times, we have shown our strength. We have shown our resilience. We have shown our humanity."

"We have fought bravely. We have stood together. We have mourned our losses. We have mourned our losses. We have held onto hope. And for that, I am proud. I am proud to be your President. I am proud to be a part of this nation. I am proud to be a part of this fight."

"I know that many of you are out there, scattered across the land, facing the darkness alone. But know this: You are not alone. We are with you in spirit. We are with you in heart. And we will never forget you."

"My message to you, my message to all survivors, is simple: Never lose hope. Never lose your humanity. Never stop fighting. We will find a way. We will rebuild. We will rise again. We will… pause… we will survive. And when that day comes, when the darkness is vanquished, we will remember this moment. We will remember this struggle. We will remember… pause… We will remember the strength and resilience of the human spirit."

"For now, farewell. May the stars guide you. May your hearts remain strong. May your hope never fade. This is not the end. This is not the end."

"This is why I voted for Charles Miller for president! He cares about his people! He cared about us!" Jayden shouted

"Nah, don't say you're the only one here who voted for him, we also voted for him" I said with a big smile

*Zzzzzzz*

I suddenly hear a familiar sound of a saw cutting a metal just near behind me, I could see sparks flying. We suddenly get out of the car.

"What are you doing!" I shouted

"What? I want to make a hole in the front so that we don't need to shout at each other" Glenn replied

He continued sawing, we went to the back of the truck. We saw the 2 big hole shaped rectangle of the truck container, it is like a house windows. We waited for him to finish his job.

"It is finish now, this would give us fresh air and light" Glenn said

We went inside, started the truck reversed and back to the road again. I tinkered the radio again, finding some music to entertain us. A classical music, no choice.