Early one morning Tony is out in nearby woods collecting firewood. All was quiet. The sound of birds chirping in the distance occurred every few minutes. Other than that there's silence. For him it's peaceful because it shows there is no sign of danger. He carries the wood back to a nearby farm where he has called home for the past few weeks. It was just a grandpa and his granddaughter. The woods he is in are the same ones where the granddaughter once saved him when he was at the end of his rope. 

The dead were surrounding him. He managed to fight most of them off but weeks of not eating and barely getting any sleep caused him to fall over as one undead with half a body crawled over to him ready to sink his infected teeth into his flesh. Tony tried his best to hold it back but it slowly started to over power him. Suddenly a pitchfork drove right through it's skull killing it in the process. As he stared up at his savior he sees a girl with red hair standing over him. In that moment, it was as if something awoke inside of him. She stretched her hand out toward him and carried him back to the farmhouse where he passed out from starvation and exhaustion. When he awoke his arms were tied to a bed frame. He tugged on the restrains a little until he heard a voice at the door. It was an elderly man with his apparent savior peeking over his shoulder. They didn't speak much. They only laid down some ground rules. In exchange for hard labor Tony was allowed to stay and so he did. He worked on doing chores the man wasn't able to do anymore and went out to scavenge at places he suggested. Over time they grew comfortable enough to the point where he learned the girl's name. Cindy. They eventually become good friends but regardless he was still required to remain in the barn.

Once Tony returned he deposited the wood he collected in a pile near the farmhouse. The barn didn't have any animals which is why the dead haven't wandered too close to it. No noise no dead. From the house the grandpa can be heard calling Cindy to wake up

"Cindy it's time to wake up and do your chores." he announced.

After that silence returned. Tony overlooked the fortifications he made to the farm. He tried his best to make it safe but he knew better. Even if it looked safe and felt safe he didn't believe it was. 

The dead have overwhelmed military so how could a few wood defenses protect anything, he wondered, fixing the pile of wood. If I suggested we'd leave the fun would they hear me out?

The silence was broken once again by the sound of a window being opened behind him. As a cool breeze hit his face it soon became evident to him exactly who opened it. It was her. The same red hair and eyed girl who saved him a few months back.

"Good morning!" she cheered. "I see you've been up for a while."

"Morning Cindy." Tony replied.

"See any interesting things out there on your patrol?" She asked.

"Nothing to report." he responded. "It's quiet again."

"That's good." she beamed. "Breakfast will be ready in a bit."

"Thank you." he answered.

As she head off to help with breakfast, Tony walked over to the barn her grandpa let him stay in. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. He stood in front of a wall where some weapons were hanging. Most of them were melee weapons with the exception of an Ithaca 37 shotgun and a Colt Python. Tony lays down on a mattress and dozes off for a few moments until a bell starts to ring. In the distance Cindy can be heard calling him.

"Tony time for breakfast!" she called out.

Her grandpa responds "He isn't a dog Cindy."

"I know that," she replies. "But maybe he's too far to hear me calling."

Tony rises from the mattress then heads over to the house. While eating he notices the portion sizes have decreased.

"Looks like we'll have enough fire wood for the winter." Cindy's Grandpa comments.

"In that case I'll go on a run." Tony responds.

"You've picked every place within a few miles clean." he points out. "How far do you plan on going?"

"There's a nearby diner I haven't checked." Tony replies, before eating a spoonful. "The place was locked pretty good.

"Can I come?" Cindy asks, hunching over the table toward him.

"It's too dangerous." Tony quickly shuts down.

"But if you cleared everything to that point then it should be safe right?" Cindy rationalizes

"The diner isn't cleared." He explains. "The windows were boarded up. Who knows what's in there."

Cindy looks down sadly at her plate.

"I'll try to bring back a new book for you." he adds hoping to cheer her up.

Cindy's face lights up as she exclaims, "Really! That'd be great!"

Tony gulps down his plate then says, "I'll head out right now then."

He excuses himself then heads back to the barn to pack. As he walks down the trail leaving the barn he turns back and sees Cindy waving goodbye at him.

"Be safe!" she shouts.

He waves back then heads into the woods.

-Timeskip-

The sun was maybe half an hour till setting. Tony cleared the diner and packed some canned food in his bag. There was more than he expected and more than he could carry. As he leaves he spots a book besides some broken plates on a nearby counter. After dusting it off he places it in the bag. As he walks back to the farm night has already settled. While navigating back he begins to think about Cindy.

With some time to spare he walks down there road to explore any new places to scavenge. While passing by a run down gas station he hears cluttering coming form within. He cautiously approaches with knife in his hand. He finds a glass bottle outside and tosses toward a broken window then hides behind a gas pump. When the glass breaks he can hear whispers coming from inside and chip bags rattling. 

"Is anyone out there?"

Instead of making his presence known all Tony could think about is the potential food in there and how Cindy was running low on food. 

From the station emerges a boy with dark hair and brown eyes. Tony's body twitches as he recognizes the guy. 

"Ben," he calls out emerging from behind the gas pump. 

Tony," stutters the boy, stumbling backward a bit. "You're still alive?"

"Apparently I'm harder to kill than I thought," Tony responded. "What are you doing out here?"

"Things didn't work out at the school," Ben responds. "Just like you said they wouldn't." 

"Figures," Tony responds. 

"Hey you got a place," Ben asks, throwing a bag of chips at Tony. 

"I got a small shack down the road," Tony responds, opening the bag of chips. "Why you need a place to stay?"

"Nah but I have found something that could be interesting," Ben responds, opening a bag of his own. "There's this farm I stumbled upon earlier. I staked it out for like an hour and only saw a girl and her grandpa.  You and me could take it. If it's just them two we get a place to crash and something else." 

"Given that the world went to shit I don't see why not," Tony nods his head. "Now its all about survival." 

"Right," Ben chuckles. "C'mon help me finish packing all this shit and then well go."

Tony Help Ben fill his backpack and then they start heading back to the farm. While on their way back they continue chatting and as they get closer Tony starts trailing behind. 

"You know I thought you would've been dead by now," Ben says. "Who would've thought you would've-"

Tony pulls out his knife and drives it straight into Ben's neck. He wraps his arm around his neck and pulls him down to the ground. Ben tries his best to fight him off. His hands desperately scratching Tony's sleeves but to no avail. 

The last thing he manages to say in a raspy voice was, "Why?"

Tony pulls out the knife from his neck then stabs him in the head to prevent a reanimation. 

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Cause it was easier having you carry your shit here," he sighed, standing back up. 

He checks Ben for any additional supplies before stripping him of his backpack. While heading back to the farm he starts to think about how Ben discovered the farm. How he stumbled upon them and it was only by mere luck that Ben continued to scavenge instead of moving in on the Farm. He could've came home to the aftermath of everything Ben could've done. 

She's innocent to this new world. he thinks. She hasn't seen what horrors it has. Maybe soon I can teach her how to defend herself properly from the dead...and the living. 

As he continues walking a low growl can be heard. He looks all around and sees someone limping towards him. Calling out to them was pointless. He already knows it's not human. He pulls out a knife and heads towards the body. After stabbing it in the head it falls over to the ground. Even more growls can be heard and soon the sound of footsteps increase around him. He pulls out a timer then cranks it to 15 seconds. He tosses it away from the direction of the farm. The alarm starts ringing and the footsteps start to diminish. The alarm stops after he manages to sneak away. Suddenly a shot is fired from the direction of the farm. Suddenly it's as if he gets tunnel vision. He sprints as fast as he could towards the farm. As he approaches he hears the sound of Cindy calling him.

"A couple came from behind the farm" she informs him, when he arrives beside her. 

"Get inside, turn off the lights, and go to your room," he orders, reaching for the knife at his side. "I'll get your grandpa but you need to stay inside and stay quiet."

"What's going on," she asks, a hint of fear in her voice. 

"Just get inside," her orders, as another shot get fired. 

He makes his way to the back of the house where he finds her grandpa stumbling backward away from three of the dead. Wasting no time he rushes over, knocks one of the dead over, stabs the other, then pulls the last one by the shoulders down to the ground. He goes to stab the one he knocked over before then finishes the last one. 

Before the grandpa could say anything Tony helps him up and whispers, "There's a group of them heading this way. If we don't make any noise they should pass right through."

He helps him inside and sets him down on a chair in the kitchen. Then goes to check the front of the house for any sign of the herd. After everyone settles down there's no choice but to sit in silence. Eventually one stumbles by followed by two then three then more. While inside the house is as quiet as can be out side the growling continues to grow. Sitting on the floor to prevent her bed springs from creaking, Cindy covers her ears. She's dealt with the dead before but only when she ventured out. She found Tony that day and from then on she gained a new friend. Weeks of just her and her grandfather blended together. She remembered it was just suppose to be for the summer but her parents sent her earlier back when some form of pandemic was going on. They said she'd be safer where there aren't that many people. That they'd come for her when they could. The country needed them to help solve some sort of crisis and her dad was the leading expert on it. But they haven't come and each day seemed to only get longer. When Tony came around she had someone to talk to. At first she was nervous but with time she eventually opened up to him and him her. Though there was still a lot she doesn't know about him there seemed to be nothing but time for them to get to know each other. In their isolated paradise.

But that paradise wasn't isolated anymore. They came. More than she ever saw. On the farm. Where she ran, skipped, laughed, played. They weren't inside but it wouldn't take much for that to change. A single sound. A sigh. A ding. Then they'd know they were inside and nothing would be able to stop them from getting in. 

In the living room Tony is staring through a crack in the curtains and the horde that has formed outside. At first he doesn't much of it until he spots one suddenly stop and look up at the house. He holds his breath wondering what it saw. No sound was made. There was no indication that there were people inside. His heart thumps in his ears as it starts walking toward the house. Tony gets up from the couch and carefully sneaks over to the front door to peer though the peep hole. Through it he can see the zombified woman with a dirty torn up sun dress stumble up the steps and onto the porch. It looks around then to his surprise reaches for the doorknob. It softly rattles as it's trying to be opened. 

You remember people lived in these, He theorizes, trying to find an explanation for what he's witnessing. How is she doing this? What else does she know or remember? 

He expects it to return to the horde but despite its failed attempts to open the door it starts poking around. 

She knows she can't get inside, he thinks, slowly reaching for his knife. So what is she trying to-

His heart skips a beat as all throughout the house everyone heard the door bell ring. She starts banging on the door almost as if she knew she'd need help from others to break down the door. With more on the way Tony rushes over to Cindy's room and waves for her to follow. 

"We gotta go," he whispers, grabbing his backpack. "Now."

She rises from the floor and follows him toward the back where they find her grandpa staring out at the horde. 

"Is there a clearing ," Tony asks, pocketing his knife and grabbing one from the kitchen. 

Before the grandpa could ask why the front door breaks down and the horde begins to flood inside. With no other choice the three of them open the back door then make a break for the nearby woods. 

Night time is a dangerous time to travel but it might be our only option, Tony thinks, pulling Cindy behind him. She fucken knew she'd need help breaking down the door. She knew about the doorbell and the doorknob. Why was she different?

"Where are we going?" Cindy asks while tightening her grip around Tony's wrist.

"Back to the diner," He exhales, frantically searching the area for a familiar landmark. "Damn it Tony think. What was the way back?"

"At night the woods are different than the day," Cindy's Grandpa speaks up. "You haven't traversed them so you don't know. I do. There's an abandoned barn not too far from here. I used to go hang out with a couple friends back in the day. We should stumble across it soon. Keep heading straight."

They soon arrive at an old wore down red barn. Tony breaks the lock then waits a couple seconds before opening it. Upon hearing no growls or clawing he opens it then searches the barn. Once Cindy and her Grandpa settle in he steps outside then begins to close the door.

Cindy immediately pushes against the door and protests, "You can't go back there. It isn't safe."

"I have to go make sure we won't followed," He whispers. "Those earlier shots could've attracted more than what we saw back there. Stay here Stay quiet."

He shuts the door then does his best to retrace their steps to head back to the farm. He manages to take out a few stragglers along the way. 

Back in the Barn, Cindy is sitting against the way trying to catch her breath but remain quiet as possible. 

"Cindy," her grandpa groans, lighting a small candle.

She looks over at his shaking hands. While making her way over she notices his shirt stained with blood. He notices her staring then lets out a heavy sigh. From his belt he pulls out the Colt Python. As he starts to hand it toward her she shakes her head and tears begin to flow out her eyes. She knew. Tony told her. You get bit or scratched it's only a matter of time. It varied how long each person took to turn but what was consistent was a very high fever and bones seemingly made out of glass that ache with each movement. Pure agony before death then the reanimation. She knew what her grandpa was asking her to do. Not only to prevent him from becoming a threat but to prevent all the agony that came before it. At his age the fever alone would make it unbearable. With her hand shaking she starts to reach over to the revolver. 

Outside Tony struggles to catch his breath while leaning against a tree. He searches for the path he left but the moonlight doesn't give him much to work with. His legs start to ache from all the walking he did but then he hears the echo of a gunshot. Gathering the last of his strength Tony heads as fast as he could toward the sound. He eventually finds the barn and opens the door to Cindy's hand trembling as she's holding the revolver over her grandpa's lifeless body. She quickly turns to look at Tony then rushes to him dropping the gun. She nearly knocks him over when wrapping her arms around him and buries her face in his chest. He holds her as begins to sob uncontrollably. He closes the barn door then sits down and continues to hold her. The night is filled with her silent cries. House pass by and she eventually falls asleep. It is only then that Tony notices the piece of paper in her hand with his name on it. 

 While still holding her he unwraps it and reads it.

"Hey kid. If you're reading this then that means things didn't end well for me. You know when Cindy first brought you home I wanted to shoot you rather that run the chance you were some danger. I then thought about what would that do to Cindy. Shooting you would've just eliminated all her trust with other people. I took down the radio when it first started. I didn't want her to know what the world has become or was becoming. Her parents went to check on a nearby military outpost but that was about a few months before we met you. I never brought it up but I think deep down she knew they were gone. When she first encountered you she had several questions. That's when I had to tell her. When you woke up I could tell that you no longer had the will to live. I guess that's what today's world does to you. By asking you to stay my hope was Cindy would learn to survive the way you did. An old guy like me in a world like the one we are living in would just hold back the rest of the group. I was going to suggest you guys to go find shelter somewhere else but part of me didn't want to part with her just yet.

She stayed up as long as she could waiting for you when you would go on runs and she would be worried whenever you overdid it. Remember when you fell asleep for three days after a run? For those three days I couldn't get her to leave your side. I assigned her some meaningless chores so you'd have an excuse for her to stay at the farm instead of going on the runs with you. You bringing back books brought her joy because it meant while being out there you were thinking of her. Don't beat yourself up over this. I got it a few days back when I came to check on this barn. You were out and she was taking a nap. Looking back it kinda looks stupid leaving her alone in that house. Who knows if someone would've came along. Do dying wishes still get granted? I hope so. My wish is that wherever you go wherever you may end up wherever you may take her that you take care of her. You're probably undermining yourself but I know you will take care of her. You could've left any time you wanted but I think you fell for her. You try not to show it but I noticed how you would always lean outside her window when coming back from patrols. The one thing your generation struggled with, even before the world went to shit, was your hesitancy to tell each other how much you love them while they are still alive. Tell her while you still can because who knows maybe you'll be the one leaving a note next. Take care of her please and if you ever hurt her I will rise from the dead and hunt you down haha. Thanks Tony. Over time you went from being a stranger to someone I considered a son. Goodbye."

The paper lightly shakes as tears slowly drip from Tony's eyes. As exhausted as he is, Tony continues to hold Cindy.

 "What now?"

He looks down at her glistening eyes, not knowing if he woke her up or she never went to sleep.

He gently wipes the tears from her face and whispers, "I'll take care of you."

They manage to get some sleep and in the morning, Tony digs a grave for her grandpa with a shovel they found in the barn. then they bury her grandpa. They then walk back to the farm and salvage any supplies that they could. The walls they once stayed in were all torn up. They came home to a wreckage of knocked over shelves. The dead did a lot of destruction just by storming by. While doing his final check in the rooms he notices Cindy taking out her teddy bear to pack more clothes. He takes a step back but a light crunch from beneath his foot. On the floor among the broken glass he finds a picture of Cindy as a young girl. In the picture she's holding the bear while sitting on her grandpa's lap in front of the fire place. The christmas tree in the background makes him wonder if the bear was a gift of some sorts.  Once she leaves the room he sneaks in then packs the bear in his bag. After exiting the room he finds her sitting on the porch. He takes a seat next to her and they sit in silence for a while. Once Cindy stands up the two of them head into the woods. They walk in silence into the unknown. Along the way he reaches out into his backpack and shows her the bear. She grabs it then holds it in one hand while holding his hand in the other.