Civilization… Or at least, civilization's remains. It really doesn't matter, few houses and something that could be called an asphalt road at least twenty years ago,make my face bright with a wide smile.

After another three days of walking trough the forests, we finally reached the edge of woods. Unfortunately our little break in foresters hut, didn't helped us that much. of course we got food, water and even fairly comfortable place to stay for one night but after few hours of walking exhoustion hit us even harder than before.

So, summarizing last three days would be pretty simple: bugs, heat, burns and bruises everywhere. I have to admit that Anna was handling it very bravely, or she didn't have any strength left for complains.

From the other side, I am totally crushed. Yep, crushed, that's the word. Apparently walking dozens of kilometers under rather harsh circumstances, isn't the wisest thing to do when half of your chest has a colour of ripe plum.

But I can't complain, at least swelling came off a little bit, so it is less painful to move. But don't worry my friends, do you remember that little bullet wound on my left arm? Guess what? Yep, it got infected.

Excellent, fucking excellent. But it is not that bad, at least not yet. It is little swallen, hot and there some fancy fluids dripping between stitches. You see, the trick to not get your wounds infected, is to keep it clean and don't strain it. As you probably understand, last few days weren't exactly good for healing.

So, now it's obvious why I am happy after seeing few ruined houses.

While fighting with bushes and tall grass, we are getting closer to village. Looking at this few houses from a shorter distance makes me notice that buildings are not in such a bad shape as I thought.

The village, I guess five houses, plus few more sheds and barns around, deserve that name, it's clearly deserted. You may ask, how I now that? I guess there are few details that you would be aware of, if you would spend as much time on traveling trough zombie infested land, as I did.

So, it s time for a little lesson, how to not get killed while approaching unknown buildings.

First step look at windows and doors, if they are not blocked with anything, house is probably empty. What if all entrances are barricaded? Well, you will probably get shoot.

Step two, even if windows are not blocked take a good look at them, you have to determine one thing, they are clean or not? You may think that it is funny, but trust me, you don't want to enter house with clean windows.

Humans are wierd creatures, even apocalypse is not able to change many of our habits. One of them is to keep place we are living in clean. You may think that there are more important things than house cleaning when zombies are roaming around and I have to admit that, you are surely right. But trust me, if you have to live in some house, shed or even cave, you would spend every moment free from trying to stay alive, on keeping your place clean and comfy. It is habit that was hammered into our heads by generations of mothers.

Long story short, stay away from clean windows.

Lets assume that house you want to get in , have unblocked, dirty windows, it is save to enter, right? Unfortunately, we can't be sure yet. What if there is someone, who don't give a fuck about cleaning, living inside? This is were we get to the step three, checking the building's surroundings.

What do I mean by that? It's pretty simple, look for signs of human presence. Still no clear enough? Ok, ok let me explain. First example, shotgun laying one the bench next to door, yep you should run, or its even too late and your head will be smashed by axe from behind.

Second example, there is clear path going from house's doors to nearby water well and by clear I mean there is no grass or weeds growing on it.

Thrid example… oh come on, you should get it right now.

So, if you went trough all three steps and house seems ok to you, it is safe to enter? Hmm… I wouldn't say that it is safe, but it's definitely safer than charging straight in. But it looks like you forgot about something, what if previous owners are still inside, but in rather zombish form? Well, if something will go wrong, you will end up eaten.

After, going trough my tree steps routine, we walk in to the village. It's kind of obvious the previous inhabitants had hard life even before this whole apocalypse started. Houses are not that bad, there are signs of rather sloppy repairs, probably made by old owners personally, but other buildings are in full " let's check which one collapses first" mode.

There is one thing that worries me, I haven't seen single zombie yet. It's not that uncommon to find totally deserted settlements, but in most cases there are at least one of two walking corpses outside.

If you think about it, it makes sense that there are no zombies outside, few isolated houses on the edge of woods, probably never looted. There was obviously no reason for dead to go outside houses where they died from sickness.

As we move closer and closer, it becomes more obvious that we are first visitors since apocalypse begun. I am making some plans how to loot houses around in safest possible way, when wild idea appears in my mind.

I calmly walk to the nearest house, than I stop few meters from doors.

"You better stay here and watch for trouble, yell if you see something."

As usual, I don't much of a response from Anna, she just nods and turns around in order to watch rest of village.

I take off my backpack and grab my pickaxe which was attached to it. Without my protective gear which I had to leave in the pick-up truck inside thee forests, my body feels unnaturally light. I try to stretch a little but my chest together with wound on my arm reminds me that I am not in the best shape right now.

I take few last steps and I stop right in front of wooden doors. I take a long breath and I open them rapidly. Long screeching noise of rusted hinges fills air around me.

Few long seconds of waiting and I am able to see person walking at the end of dark corridor. It seems that this person was already very old and sick when apocalypse begun. Her, becouse I can see clearly that zombie was an old women, movements are really slow, I guess turning into zombie doesn't make you younger.

With the right timing I swing my pick axe into her head, satisfying noise of breaking skull can be heard and little moan made by me, I am definitely not in the best shape.

***

Clearing whole village took us longer than I thought, two painful hours full of zombie elimination. Rest of houses went almost as smooth as the first one, with one exception when not one but two moving corpses charged on me, from one of the houses.

It's not like I wasn't ready for this, but it was clearly to much for my injured chest. A little stunned by intense pain, I almost missed my second swing, it was first time in while since I was so close to being eaten.

But like I said, village is now 100% zombie free, I can guarantee you that. Anna was standing on the watch as asked her, my little zombie slaughter festival, didn't left any impression on her.

To be honest, I should be pretty content with what we achieved today. Firstly, I am still alive and Anna too, that's pretty surprising outcome. Additionally we left that forests and secured shelter that will serve us at least few good days. We still got some smoked meat that we took earlier in woods and we found few jars of pickles and honey that should be alright to eat.

As you can see, things looks pretty good… or not. If you compare my situation from two weeks behind, to that shithole I am in, right now, you will understand.

Back then I got everything, guns, medicines, food and what is most important, I was free from any obligations.

Looked at me now, I got rifle that is good for hunting deer, but it lacks when comes to shooting at people. Oh I got double barrel too, the only problem with it, is that I don't know if it will fire or it explode in my hands. I lost all that funky equipment that made me at least a little bit more resistant to zombies teeth.

Don't you even try to laugh at me, I am not done yet. In addition, right side of my chest looks like it was hit by sledgehammer and I can fell that my left arm is swelling more and more.

But don't worry, everything I just said is only a minor inconvenience, my main problem is girl sitting beside me.

As you should already understand, her presence in my daily life of zombie apocalypse survivor is definitely threat. I know it is too late for such a thoughts, but it is obvious truth, as long as she stays with me, chances that I will meet with unpleasant death are raising.

Of course, I am the only one who is responsible for such a situation, there is no denying, but don't worry I already have some solution. No, no, no you sick bastards, I am not going to kill her. I have spend to much effort to keep her alive, it needs to be solved properly.

The first thing that have to be done is to tell her about my plan.

We are currently camping inside one of the houses we cleared earlier today. Inside the house, we found old wood stove, first try to light it ended with failure. After a short investigation we found out that bird nest clogged the top of a chimney.

Finally, when we get rid of all smoke that filled the room and after quick eviction of winged locators, we were able to light up the stove properly.

Of course, we wasn't looking for the way to warm up ourselves, incoming summer was already doing great job with that, way too good if you ask me. With little help of steel pot, which I found in another house, Anna managed to cook some kind of stew.

Unfortunately, smoked venison didn't gain anything after that process, but something that looked like a weird type of deformed carrots, which were growing in remains of vegetable garden, made stew almost tasty.

So, right now I am in pretty good mood, my stomach is full, few smelly pillows taken from the old sofa made wooden floor almost comfortable and earlier accident with stove made all bugs run away. You won't be able to imagine how good it feels to lay down while there is nothing buzzing around you.

There is only one problem, I need too talk with Anna. While I am enjoying my little rest, she is trying to make some tea. It's mostly hot water with honey and a little bit of wild herbs which were growing near the house, but it has to taste pretty good, which is not a surprise seeing how much honey she added.

"We need to talk."

Her attention is immediately shifed from her brew to me.

"I think I know some place where you could stay."

Oho, she have that "what the fuck are you talking about" look on her face.

"I mean, you can't stay with me. I am simply a solo player and your presence by my side is a huge hindrance for me."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Ok, I am maybe a little bit to straightforward but there is no point to sweeten things.

"Do you understand that?"

After a short second, she gives me a single nod. I have too admit it went far better than I thought. Alright, it's time to get some sleep…

"What kind of place is it?"

Or, not. It looks like sleeping have to wait. I guess she deserve a little explanation.

"Don't worry, it's nice place, safe and well prepared, I was one of the people who build it."

Yep, you heard it right, I also had that kind of episode in my survivor career. Anna looks pretty surprised too.

"But how?"

Ech.. it looks like it is going to be a long night for me.

"Ok, I will tell you about it, so listen carefully.."

***

Whole thing started in the summer of the second year of apocalypse. After my little experience in military kind of shelter, I spend whole spring roaming around country, gathering experience and gear. I had also few nice and few unpleasant events involving other survivors, but luckily I managed to survive it all.

When summer begun, I was already doing pretty well as a survivor, so I decided to look for some more fancy gear and to visit few fun places.

After a small trade with other lone survivor, we both had guns and were rather reasonable, so our meeting ended peacefully, I obtained information about some mansion on the outskirts of a town I was nearby.

There was mansion which once belonged to some mafia boss and it was filled with many kinds of useful stuff. Unfortunately it was also filled with zombies, mafia boss was pretty clever man and when people started to suffer from mysterious fever, he summoned all of his pawns together with their families. As you probably already understand, it didn't helped at all.

Survivor who traded this story for few cans of tuna, swore that it was true and nobody has looted mansion before.So, whithout further hesitation I headed to check put if my trade would pay off for me.

I could tell you about, how cleverly I managed to enter mansion and how I looted it, but it's not important to this story. The one important thing is what kind of gear I found inside.

So, besides of variety of guns and drugs, there was one rifle that caught my attention. It was called SWD or simply Dragunow. Raised on dozens of videogames I couldn't resist to take that beauty with me.

And this is the point where story really begins, because after I left mansion I heard loud noises of gunfight. I was in rather playful mood and still pretty stupid so I decided to check out what was happening.

When I arrrived at place, gunfight was already going to it's end. It was rather simple scenario, convoy of cars was ambushed on petrol station. Unfortunately for survivors in convoy, attackers were obviously better equipped.

Hidden behind their cars, people from convoy were trying to defend themselves with handguns an hunting rifles, when attackers were shooting viciously with their assault rifles. Outcome was rather obvious, with every minute defender were losing someone.

When it seemed that the fate of convoy was already decided, I got one of that funny moments when reason wasn't turned on. And I really wanted to try my new rifle.

I was already on good spot, roof of the nearby building which surprisingly wasn't taken by one of attackers. I guess they weren't much of thinkers.

So, I took comfortable position and started to shoot. First shot was a failure, apparently scope wasn't zeroed properly. Fortunately nobody noticed my miss, becouse gunfight was still pretty vigorous.

My second attempt was an introduction to a true slloughter. When thugs noticed that something was wrong, five of them were already dead. What a amazing gun, it was first truly military sniper rifle I shoot, it was really different from hunting rifles I used before.

Another five minutes was rather chaotic, my continuous elimination of attackers, heroic counter attack of defenders and terrifying screams of wounded.

When gunfight ended, I decided it was time to retreat, I didn't really wanted to meet with people from convoy. Who knows? Maybe I will get few grams of lead inside my head as a gratitude?

I was already ready to leave roof of the building using the same ladder which I climbed up earlier, when something totally unexpected happened.

Behind me, on the roof was someone else. I was dumbfounded for a second, that guy was literally a giant, seriously I felt small standing next to him.

Then using the moment of my infirmity he closed me in his bear hug. I was about to stab my knife between his ribs, when something felt strange, apparently he didn't want do harm me, he was just hugging me.

As it turned out later, bear man was one of convoy guys who noticed my little participation in their gunfight. His name was Boris and he was a truly stereotypical russian. His accent was so strong, that while you were talking with him, you almost felt like knowing russian.

Without any chances to leave unnoticed, I was obligated to go down and greet with rest of his group. One thing I have to admit, their numbers were really impressive, they got almost forty people, but gunfight reduced that number to thirty one.

It was the largest traveling group I have ever seen, no wonder they were attacked, dozen of fully packed cars looked very tempting to any thugs.

Without any warning, I was introduced as a savior to the rest of the group and I was welcomed warmly. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting after killing a few other humans, but I wasn't complaining, it was still better than bullet to the back of my head.

Next, I met the leader of the convoy, and it was another surprise for me, it was a women, in her early twenties. I was pretty shocked, I was expecting a middle-aged guy, probably a policeman, you know someone with aura of authority, but standing front of me was young women with a gentle look in her eyes.

The first thing she said to me was:

"Please, join us!"

Apparently my reason was still out of order, because I simply agreed without any hesitation.

The story after was pretty simple, we were traveling a lot, collecting gear and we found a perfect spot to build shelter. I have spend second winter in that place and when spring came I left to continue my solo travels.

***

"So, thats how it looks like. I am pretty sure that this people will take you in, of course not for free, but we will manage to find something to buy you in."

Look on Anna's face makes me think that my little story didn't helped. To be honest, it was quite the opposite, she looked more doubtful than before.

"I don't understand."

What she want from me? I was pretty clear with everything.

"About what?"

"If that shelter was such a good place, why did you left?"

I have to admit one thing, Anna is a quiet one, but she knows how to ask right questions, or at least the most uncomfortable ones. It takes me whole minute before I start my explanation.

"I don't really know how to explain that, but I don't feel that it was right way of living for me."

Ok, that sounds pretty good, almost reasonable.

"When I traveled alone, before I met people from convoy and even after that, I have seen things that couldn't be described by words. Truly terrifying things."

I let meaning off my words sink deeper in her thoughts before I continue my explanation.

"And all of that events I have witnessed, had one common factor. Human fear.

Listen very carefully right now, becouse what I want to say is pretty much the most important thing I have learned in past three years.

The most dangerous creatures are not the zombies, but humans powered by fear. They are able to do things that you couldn't even imagine, terrifying and abnormal things."

Whoa, I guess I went a little to far.

"So back to the topic, I left because people in that place started to being afraid of me. You see, I couldn't understand why all of them so desperately try to live like before apocalypse. Why they are pursuing something that is already lost.

I sometimes feel like I am totally different from other people, but I wasn't like that before people started to turn into zombies. Maybe I got some kind trauma or something, I don't really know, but one thing was clear to me. People in that place noticed that I was different from them.

I don't even remember when that change happened, but one day I noticed that respect and gratitude in their eyes, changed into fear. So, I left that place."

It looks like something that should be simple explanation turned into quite a speech. For this whole time when I was talking, Anna was staring at me in the way that, almost made me feel little uncomfortable. Let's hope that she will gain anything from my words.

" So do you understand now, why we need to find you a place to stay?"

One silent nod ends our conversation.

***

When I open my eyes, sun is already high on the sky, but it's not a big problem. The village which we are staying in, is so small and remote that there is almost no danger at all, in being a little lazy.

Night spend in decent conditions was miraculous for my injuries, of course it's not like I am healed or something. I mean that I feel much better, swelling on my chest is definitely smaller and my arm started to heal properly. I guess horse dose of antibiotics from my small supply helped too.

While trying to stretch my sore body, I notice that someone heated up left overs from yesterday's stew. Unfortunately taste didn't changed through night.

When mind finally decides to wake up, stew leftovers are already a history. Withy stomach pleasantly filled, I am able to notice one obvious fact, Anna isn't here.

I find her in little garden behind the house, it's the same place where she found those strange carrots. Good, maybe she will find something tasty?

I am planning to stay one more day in this place, just to take good rest before returning on the road. Unfortunately I can't spend whole day just laying around and doing nothing, there is some work for me too. All of sheds and barns needs to be searched, yesterday we only managed too check if there were any zombies inside, we didn't look for loot.

Outside look of the shed is not very promising, I am pretty sure that even before this zombie thing happened, it didn't look very impressive but three years without human hand turned it into pile of wooden boards with something that looks like a doors.

I am standing in front of shed and the only thing in my head is a question, do I really need to enter that place? Unfortunately my reason is stronger that unpleasant look of this place. With slow movement I pull door handle and… nothing happens.

What the hell? Yesterday it opened without any problems. I pull once more but I put more force to it.

"Open, you stupid piece of shit !"

Loud noise of breaking wood fills the air around me and world goes upside down, when whole board together with door handle leaves its the place in doors.

"Fuuuuck!"

Pain makes my vision go all white, unfortunately my fall is far from being pleasant, when handle broke my body twisted in the way that made my injured side, first part of my body to meet the ground. If that wasn't enough, there is a single pointy rock peeking from the ground.

Yeap, you should already understand that this rock hit perfectly in the middle of huge bruise on my side. So, situation looks like this:

"OHH MY FUCKING GOD!!"

Do you know that feeling when day hasn't even started yet and you know that it will be terrible? Yeah, I got something like this right now, with one difference, it's not feeling, it is like a obvious fact.

I only hope that we killed all zombies in area, because if there is one still alive, it will be charging in my direction. I lay on the ground for a good two minutes when I finally hear some steps.

So, there is still some zombie alive. With sluggish movement I stand up from the ground, I am pretty sure that my pick axe is somewhere here.

Oh, there it is, laying next to this fucking shed. With trusty weapon in my hands I am ready to face any walking dead on my way, at least I would be ready, but waves of pulsating pain flood my body one by one.

To my surprise not a zombie, but Anna appears from behind the shed. With asking look on her face, she walks up to me. Looking at her I feel almost obligated to explain.

"Handle broke, I fell on my side."

With a single nod she returned where she came from and leave me alone.

When she disappeared behind a shed, I decide to rest a little bit. There is single tree stump few meters away, it looks like a decent place to sit.

Waiting for a pain in my chest to get weaker, I look at shed and I notice that it was a pretty nice wooden building back in its best days. With hand made decorations carved on the boards and wooden tiles on the roof, it surely was pride of its makers. It's shame that it ended like this.

It almost got me in decedent mood, when suddenly one thought strike my mind.

"Hhahahahhahaa… oughh."

In burst of unexpected laugh, quickly ended by new wave of pain, I realize one thing.

If it wasn't Anna but zombie, who came a moment before, I would probably end up killed by a fucking shed.