# Chapter 1 “Hunter?” [[_Alaina Cross|Alaina]] asked, calling across the school courtyard. *She came? God i haven't seen her in years.* [[_Hunter Graves|Hunter]] thought. The pair hadn't seen each other since sophomore year of high-school. “Lainey, god it's been years,” Hunter remarked, catching Alaina's embrace. She wore a long sleeved black shirt, with a V neck. The neckline was low enough to draw the eye, but not revealing. The fabric was cut on the sleeve, leaving holes exposing her lacy undershirt, also long sleeved. Her shirt was cut below her ribs, exposing that white lace shirt that was tucked into her tight jeans. It was rebellious, like her. “It has! It's so good to see you.” She pulled away and smiled, deep brown eyes sparkling. “How’s life been? I know it's been like 4 years.” “Well, i got a great job at [[Eli's]], he’s a good boss.” Eli’s was the local Madison gun store. Lovely spot in Georgia, not far from the interstate, right off of 441 north. The numbers had mostly stayed the same since the civil war, main difference being checkpoints at the [[The Dixie Confederacy|Dixie]] border. “Nice! I’ve been game hunting with my dad, selling the meat and helping my dad process other's game.” “You?” Hunter chuckled, Alaina was very much the alternative girl of his old friend group. “Oh shut up Graves.” she grinned, pulling Hunter’s arm across her shoulders. *I could get used to this.* They were fairly close in high-school, till Lainey had to move to Macon. Though it was an hour drive, her father wouldn't let her come to meet Hunter. He was a hard man, didnt always like his positive attitude The pair walked into the gymnasium together. On the second year reunion of their high-school. “I’m so glad I got to come. I didn't know you'd be here.” Hunter said. “Yes, you too. Glad I got away for a night.” They spent most of that night together, chatting, playing giant jenga, and toward the end, dancing. They’d gotten carried away with old acquaintances, Lainey had started to dance among friends. After an hour or two, she stood alone, swaying and dancing to the music. She caught his eyes, smiling when she noticed him watching. She walked over. “Whatcha looking at Hunter?” “You dance like no one’s watching.” Lainey tilted her head. “And you still talk like you’re trying not to feel anything.” For a second, neither of them moved. Then, she held out her hand. “Come on.” He took it. Her fingers were warm. Familiar. They drifted to the center of the floor, where only a few other couples swayed gently. The world dimmed around them as the music wrapped them in its slow, steady pulse. Hunter placed one hand on her waist, tentative, cautious. She stepped closer, easing his hand a little further in. Their other hands stayed joined between them, like a tether to something old and still unfinished. “You’ve changed,” she whispered. “So have you.” They moved together, just barely brushing. The rhythm didn’t matter. He couldn’t even hear the lyrics anymore. Just the beat of her heart where their chests almost touched. And for a few slow minutes, the years between them melted away. ___ “How many?” Hunter shouted over the generator noise. *Damn thing. Wish I'd gotten solar.* It was a diesel generator, very reliable, till an injector busted, and the oil caught fire. “God Graves, at least 50!” “Fuck. I’ll go out and cut the generator.” “I wish we had solar.” “I didn’t know the world would end like this.” Hunter pulled the steel bar from the door, and rushed outside. The generator was ridiculously loud at this point, ear-splitting. *God almighty.* The [[Slackjaws|Slackjaws]] were pulling on the fence, as if trying to climb, the corpses stunk to high hell. There were enough to threaten the integrity of the high fence surrounding the fire department. Lainey and Hunter had escaped the city, drawing closer to Eatonton. The city of Madison had gotten overrun in just a week, most people had already left for the sanctuaries in Macon. “Hunter!” Lainey shouted from the other side of the building. Hunter took off, pulling his gun as he ran. “Alaina, whats wrong.” She pointed to the back fence. *Oh fuck.* The slackjaw’s had managed to topple the back fence, now walking over each other toward us. It was midday, which allowed the slackjaws to see much easier than at night, as far as they could tell. They’d not been at the VFD a day before the generator failed, drawing many more undead overnight. “Start the truck,” I called, tossing the keys to Alaina. “What about you?” She called back as he crushed the skull of one corpse. Blood splattered the pavement. “Just start the truck. Wait 30 seconds, I’ll be there.” She took off, to the diesel truck I’d jacked in our escape. Lainey had booked a hotel room for the reunion, being it was an hour away, and at night. However, the outbreak of the slackjaws hit the nation very quickly. So they’d stayed put, before visiting her family home. Nobody was there. *Fuck what did i get myself into.* The slackjaws weren't quick, but they could sure get overwhelming. Hunter shouted to draw them all toward him, and drew them toward the generator behind the building. He cranked it, busting through the window above the thing, into the laundry room. Hunter burst into the garage, the even chug chug chug rumbling from its engine. Lainey had already opened the large door out front, so Hunter hit the button on the wall for the front gate. “The skins are out back, I had to bust a window.” “Thank god you're safe, no bites?” “No bites.” Hunter replied as Lainey shifted into drive. *Fuck. I need to be more careful.* “Where do we even go?” Alaina asked after a couple minutes. “Man I wish I knew. I doubt Macon is pretty.” “Reckon your family went there?” “Nah they'd go to Athens if anything. My grands live there.” “That works for me.” She said, turning onto 441 north. Hunter was surprised at how empty the streets were. *Like a ghost town.* Only the occasional car parked in the middle of the highway. “Hey stop here.” Hunter said, pulling his gun from his holster and opening the door as the truck stopped. He approached a hatchback, with all its windows intact. “Ain’t been raided yet.” He pulled out a slightly rusted pocket knife with a glass breaker on its back, and busted the window. There weren't any slackjaws, but the driver seat was full of blood. *I'll avoid that.* He opened the center console, cash. *Useless. This one will be a bust.* He pulled a duffle bag in the back seat, opening it to reveal a couple photos, 2 hatchets and 2 machetes. The photos were of a small girl and her mother, with their heads crossed off with sharpie. *Jesus. I’ll leave those there.* Hunter hopped back in the truck, “Well, got us a couple hatchets and machetes. Nothing else good.” “Man we should have looted Eli’s.” “I happened to pick you up instead.” Hunter chuckled. “It's a fairly nice duffle too.” “Good. If we're gonna raid more places then we need to carry shit.” The two of them weren't romantic, but were close in high-school. *Glad we got to reunite.* The night the week before, when the world ended, the two got to catch up. Life, school, Hunter even asked about relationships. *That was a dumb move man.* But fortunately for Hunter, Lainey was single. Not that it mattered anymore. Hunter had even gone to drop Alaina off at her hotel, and after the outbreak that night, he picked her up for breakfast. At this point the power grid had crashed, leaving no electricity, social media and all forms of signal had died. The only solace was the truck still had battery, and the 10 gallon tank in the back helped. It would at least get them a couple hundred miles in an emergency. Alaina slammed on the breaks, and Hunter heard a loud crash on the hood. “Fuck!” She pulled the truck over, Hunter could see tears start to fall. He grasped her hand, then slipped out the door. The front of the truck sustained no damage, thanks to the steel push bars. The slackjaw was now missing it's legs. “Lainey, it was a [[Slackjaws|skin]] .” He said, walking back over. She was on the curb, face in her hands. “I thought I killed someone.” She said, looking at him. “I don’t know what to do anymore.” If she had makeup on it would be running. *Not that she needs it.* Hunter sat down next to her, arm around her waist. “I just want it to end.” She said, pulling closer, leaning on his shoulder. “We will figure it out. We will be fine.” Hunter lied. *I wish I believed that.* “In a bit we can go raid that school.” Hunter pointed down the road maybe a quarter mile. In the distance smoke filled the air, but it must have been miles away. “I’m glad to be here with you of all people.” The pair sat for 10 minutes before pulling into the elementary school. It was a small one for a school in Oconee County, brick outside and lots of windows, some shattered from vandals or raiders, or refugees. Glass shards coated the ground like gravel. “What all would be here?” Lainey asked, tears dried. “Well, there's bound to be food stored in the cafeteria kitchen. As well as medical supplies in the nurse's office. I just hope it ain't already raided.” “Don’t look like it was. Least not from here, guess the damage is from vandals.” “That was my guess as well. Here, grab the machetes, I’ll make a list.” Hunter wrote as Alaina opened the rear passenger door. “I’ve got medical supplies, canned goods, not sure what else.” Lainey looked at him, then at her checkered converse. “What?” Hunter asked, adding toilet paper to the list. *God, it’d be hell if we don’t stock up on that*. She looked up again, face slightly pink now, “Tampons.” *Oh, shit.* “Yes. I didn’t think of that. I’ll add it. Just added toilet paper too.” *Man, I wouldn't wanna be a woman in all this.* “Man as much as I’ve loved this country, the world is over. I would never do this shit otherwise.” “Yeah.” Hunter said grimly, “They aren't coming back.” The pair walked around to the emergency exit doors from the office, Hunter slammed his weight into the crowbar Lainey had lodged between the doors. After 3 strikes, they broke through. The office looked ransacked, a shelf across the room was toppled and papers laid everywhere. “Someone's been here, it looks like.” Lainey said, chuckling lightly. **Prepare for reaper virus, infection spreading**. One memo read, another titled, **[[07i Interlude#USCDC PLAN OF ACTION|]USCDC PLAN OF ACTION]]**, It was dated to the day the world ended. Hunter grabbed both, then flicked on his flashlight. “Anything good L?” “Nah. Cash is useless, and no meds or anything are here.” The pair got about 3 doors down the main hall when they heard knocking. Lainey stayed silent but pointed to the next door on the right. Hunter nodded, taking the crowbar from Alaina and prying open the classroom door. The sight in front of them was disturbing. “Oh my god.” Lainey said, covering her mouth as she left the room to gag. Bodies, lined up facing the wall. Huge holes through their skulls. *Children.* Brass littered the floor. The knocking came from the opposing corner, looked like a closet. Hunter readied his axe as he opened the door. Sure enough, one of the brainless corpses stumbled out. It was fast, but Hunter’s swing ended its pursuit dead in its tracks. The axe sunk into the child’s head, squelching as he removed it. The creature let out almost a yelp in pain as blood spattered the walls. *That’s a first.* “Clear.” Hunter said to Alaina through the door. Emerging himself next. “God.” Lainey said, clearing her throat. “God above Hunter. What happened here.” “I wish I knew.” Hunter passed Alaina in the hall, she took his hand before quickly dropping it and looking away. *Well we are getting somewhere.* The pair arrived at the nurse's office within 15 minutes of entering the building. Nothing was disturbed but 2 cabinets. “Whoever ransacked this place only came for speed and an epipen or 2.” Alaina commented, both of them shoving everything they could get into their bags. “Odd pair.” Hunter said, inspecting the label on some aspirin. Then his hand brushed something sticky. Purple syrup coated part of the counter. “Cough syrup too. The good shit.” Silence befell them, quietly gathering everything they could into their bags. *Medicine and Ammo, money in the apocalypse.* Lainey had said it once, years before, it stuck with Hunter, he wished he could go back to his home, but it wasn’t safe. “I’m tempted to leave some in case other scavengers come by.” Lainey said, rolling a bottle of aspirin in her fingers. “I would be that, but i don't trust that any other person would leave anything. We need to take what we can get. I want to be good, but nobody else will.” “You’re right.” She said. *Good intentions.* “Bathrooms are next, need toilet paper, hand soap, and well…” He trailed off, sheepishly. Alaina grinned, “We’re adults, I don't know why we can't act like it.” “Guess we’re still kids at heart.” *Never thought I’d be raiding a school bathroom for some shitty toilet paper.* Hunter busted open a janitorial closet, inspecting its contents. *Yeah. The shitty stuff of my youth.* He wasn’t happy about the quality, but it was toilet paper after all. *God, one day this may be as valuable as ammo.* “Find any?” Lainey asked, leaning on the door frame. “The shitty kind from when i was in elementary.” He said, showing her a length he pulled from a roll. “That’s funny, actually,” She squatted and unzipped her duffle bag. She tossed a roll of toilet paper over. “What the fuck?” Hunter said, feeling its thickness. “Same stuff that I remember from school.” “We went to the same school”, he said, lightly tossing the roll at her head. She giggled, before cutting it off and chuckling instead. “I want in.” “It’s the girls room.” She flipped her hair in mock disgust. “Then I identify as a woman.” Hunter said, tossing 3 rolls of 1-ply over a stall door. They exited the room as the plops sounded in the toilet. After raiding the woman’s bathroom, the pair headed to the teacher’s lounge. It was pretty useless, stale coffee, outdated assignments were half graded, half-eaten bags of cashews. *Of all the nuts they took the soft peanuts. Yuck.* The back door to the principal’s office was just off the lounge, door cracked open. “Hey Hunter, you’ll wanna see this.” A corpse laid on the floor, 3 bottles of cough syrup and vodka lay empty at his side. As well as Ritalin and 2 epipens. The man looked, odd, for a dead man in this age. *He’s intact, but he’s dead.* “I don’t understand, no bites, no head wound, he’s intact.” “Well, he left us a gift,” Lainey smiled, gesturing to the bottles of alcohol in the desk drawer. [[02 Induction]]