<<set $d22ta = true>>"How's the leg looking?" I ask.\n\nRoy growns, wondering how to respond. "Well, it's definitely infected, but I'm not sure what with. I have some antibiotics, so we should be okay."\n\n"Does it still hurt?" I ask Stanley.\n\n"Nah," he replies, but his wincing gives him away. "It just stings a little. I'm sure it'll be fine soon."\n\n<<display d22t>>

"I'm fine. How're you?" I manage to reply.\n\nHe laughs out loud. "Good to see you're manners are still intact!"\n\n<<display 'part15'>>

<<set $d22tb = true>>"You guys knew each other before this?"\n\n"Yeah," Roy says. "I helped Stanley to the hospital last week, and before that he was good friends with my father."\n\n"Oh, yeah," Stanley says, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. "Greatest fire-chief this city ever had. He'd never admit it, though."\n\n"Just like you'd never admit to being the best police detective the city ever had," Roy adds with a grin.\n\n"Ah, that was years ago," Stanley groans, waving the comment away.\n\n<<display 'd22t'>>

"Give me a minute," I say.\n\n"No problem," Roy answers. "Just tell me when you're ready to go."\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

<<set $d16 = "Stanley">>"I'm with Stanley. We trust them for now," I decide.\n\n"Thank you, Kerry," Stanley mutters, coughing again.\n\nRoy rubs his forehead. "Alright, I'll go with the majority," he sighs. "Things could go sour no matter where we go, I suppose, and if they do, I'd rather be with people I trust<<if $d10 eq "Stanley">>--" he checks himself, looking at me again, "or at least people I know." Is he still mad about me using Stanley as a distraction in the park? Stanley seemed to be okay with it because he didn't want me making unnecessary risks for his sake, but Roy must've taken it to mean that I was some kind of coward.<<else>>." He looks at me. My stunt in the park -- using Roy and myself to distract Dan and Kim from Stanley -- may not have made Stanley too happy, but it seems to have won me Roy's favor.<<endif>> "Besides," he continues, eyeing Stanley's leg, "we need somewhere to take care of that bite."\n\n<<display 'part38'>>

"We'll be up in a second!" I yell up to him.\n\n<<display 'part55'>>

<<if $d10 eq "Kerry">><<set $d10 = "yourself">><<endif>>Thank you for playing\n"JUST SHORT OF THE DEAD" by Tom Gould\n\n__SOME OF YOUR CHOICES:__\n''Pathfinder'': You chose to take the <<print $choice1>> through the park.\n''Naivity'': You <<if $d09 eq true>>told<<else>><<if $d14 eq true>>told<<else>>did not tell<<endif>><<endif>> two strangers where you were headed.\n''Distraction'': You used <<print $d10>> to distract an assailant.\n''Mercy or Murder'': You <<if $d11 eq "E">><<else>>did not<<endif>> put a dying man out of his misery.\n''New Friends'': You agreed with <<print $d16>> and <<if $d16 eq "Stanley">>trusted<<else>>didn't trust<<endif>> Eric's crew.\n''Shout Out'': You yelled at <<print $yellAt>> in order to calm a fight.\n''Groceries'': <<print $store>>\n''One Shall Pass'': You saved <<print $choice2>> at the cost of someone else's life.\n\n\nIf you'd like to see more "Just Short of the Dead", let me know at ''thegouldenway.deviantart.com''. If enough people would like a second episode, I'll start production, and you will be able to carry over your decisions with the letter assigned to your ending.\n\nBased on how you played, this is the letter you will input into the next episode to carry over your choices: <<display 'End'>>

"What's going on?" I manage to ask.\n\n"Haven't got a clue," he replies. His forehead wrinkles as he questions, "How long have you been asleep?"\n\n<<display 'part15'>>

<<set $weapon = "axe">>"Let's go," Roy says, pulling us away from the sight. We continue down the path, him helping Stanley, and myself a few paces ahead, wielding the axe. "One more thing," he calls out.\n\nI turn.\n\n<<if $d09 eq true>>"I know we don't really have to worry about either of them anymore," Roy continues, "but just for future reference, I think you should be more careful about who you reveal your plans to, okay?" It takes me a moment to remember, but then I realize that I had told Dan and Kim that we were headed to my apartment. There aren't too many apartment buildings nearby, so, if they //had// survived, they could have come after us.\n\n"Alright," I respond, nodding.<<else>>"I know we wouldn't have to worry about either of them anyway," Roy continues, "but just so you're aware, I think it was smart not to tell them we were headed to the apartments." I suppose he's right. There aren't too many apartment buildings nearby, so, if they //had// survived, and if I //had// told them, they might have come after us.\n\n"Thanks," I respond, nodding.<<endif>>\n\nFinally, exiting the park, we quietly [[trudge toward the gate of my apartment building|part31]].

"Do I look alright?" I manage to reply.\n\nHe chuckles. "Honey, 's'long as your not eatin' people, I think you're just fine."\n\n<<display 'part15'>>

I walk over the Stanley and Roy. I hadn't noticed before, but in the light, Stanley looks significantly weaker than he did in the park. The whites of his eyes are yellowing and his skin is a sickly pale. Roy is still kneeling on the ground, doing what he can to clean and dress his leg properly.\n\nThey see me returning and both of them look up.\n\n<<display 'd22t'>>

"How is Stanley?" I yell up to him.\n\n<<display 'part55'>>

"Is everything okay?" I yell up to him.\n\n<<display 'part55'>>

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" I yell above the ear-splitting scream.\n\nThe woman, still screaming, figures that the gun must be irreparably jammed and throws it at Roy, who catches it, releases the safety, and points it at the two strangers.\n\n"She asked you a question," he says, calmly.\n\nThe man raises his hands and the woman's voice halts in fear.\n\n"Why don't you try asking them now that they've come to their senses, Kerry?"\n\n<<display 'part34'>>

"I'm ready to go, Roy," I say.\n\n"Yeah? You're sure?" he asks.\n\n[["Yup. Let's go."|part46]]\n[["On second thought, give me a minute."|d22te]]

I turn to face everyone. <<if $TalkEric lt 3>>[[Eric]]<<else>>Eric<<endif>> is standing by the window. <<if $TalkAlexia lt 3>>[[Alexia]]<<else>>Alexia<<endif>> is sitting on the arm of the grey couch. <<if $TalkEmmett lt 3>>[[Emmett]]<<else>>Emmett<<endif>> is sitting on the grey couch in front of the coffee table. <<if $TalkRobert lt 3>>[[Robert]]<<else>>Robert<<endif>> is sitting in a bean-bag chair beside the kitchen. [[Stanley and Roy]] are on the brown couch, with Roy still working on Stanley's leg.

<<silently>>\n<<set $TalkEric = 0>>\n<<set $TalkAlexia = 0>>\n<<set $TalkEmmett = 0>>\n<<set $TalkRobert = 0>>\n<<set $d22qa = false>>\n<<set $d22qb = false>>\n<<set $d22qc = false>>\n<<set $d22wa = false>>\n<<set $d22wb = false>>\n<<set $d22wc = false>>\n<<set $d22ea = false>>\n<<set $d22eb = false>>\n<<set $d22ec = false>>\n<<set $d22ra = false>>\n<<set $d22rb = false>>\n<<set $d22rc = false>>\n<<set $d22ta = false>>\n<<set $d22tb = false>>\n<<set $d22tc = false>>\n<<endsilently>>"Yeah," he says. He's quiet for a moment, then he takes the rifle from his back and leans it against the wall. He retrieves his medical bag, unzips it, and pulls several pieces of equipment out. "Let's take care of that leg now."\n\n"'Bout time," Stanley says. "Feels like it's on fire." The bite looks swollen and, by the color, I'm certain it's infected with something. Roy fills a syringe with a clear fluid.\n\n"I'm going to give you something for the pain, alright?" he says. "It might make you a bit woozy."\n\n"Sure thing, Doc," Stanley says. Roy injects him with the fluid, wipes off the punctured skin with a rag and roots through some more of his supplies.\n\n"Listen," Roy says as he starts tending to the bite. <<if $yellAt eq "Roy">>"I want to thank you, Kerry, for stepping in back there. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have someone with a little sense to cool me down.<<else>>"Kerry, I want you to know that I appreciated the support back there with Robert, and I want to thank you for stepping in to try to cool me down.<<endif>> I don't usually lose my temper like that, but these last few days have just been... really bad."\n\nStanley sighs. "You could say that again, my friend." He leans back in the chair, trying to get comfortable. We're all quiet for a while, not sure what else to say. Stanley breaks the silence with a suggestion. "Why don't you try talking to these guys, Kerry? Get a feel for 'em, you know? That'll give you somethin' to do while Roy's busy."\n\n"Just let me know when you're ready to go," Roy says.\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

__Chapter 6: The Store__\n\nAs we're walking along the sidewalk toward the shopping center, Eric turns to Roy and me. "Hey," he says, "I'm real sorry about the other three up there."\n\n"You don't have to be sorry," Roy says. "You're the only one coming with us."\n\n"Right." He looks forward. "I just don't want them getting hurt out here."\n\n[["You won't be able to shelter them forever."|d23q]]\n[["They're lucky to have you."|d23w]]\n[["That's probably best for now."|d23e]]

"Yup," I say. "Let's go."\n\nRoy finishes dressing the bite on Stanley's leg and stands up.\n\n"Here," Stanley calls to him, offering his glock. "Take this with you." Roy gratefully accepts, holstering the gun in the rear of his pants.\n\n"Don't worry," Roy tells him, looking at Alexia, Emmett, and Robert. "You've got these three to protect you while we're gone." His sarcasm is palpable.\n\n"'Protect me' my ass," Stanley chuckles weakly. "I could probably kick all their asses with one leg."\n\nWhile Eric prepares a few bags for us to bring, Stanley motions for Roy and me to come closer. "You two watch each other's backs, alright?" he whispers. "You're just about the closest thing to family that I've had for a long time, so stick together."\n\nRoy and I nod, but Stanley looks unconvinced, as if he doesn't trust that we've understood the full capacity of his statement. "You two," he starts before breaking into another coughing fit. "I want you two to promise me you'll look out for each other out there, alright? Save me from some of my worrying."\n\nWe both nod again, a bit more slowly. Stanley sighs and smiles. He looks so tired. We back away quietly to let him rest.\n\n"What was that about?" I ask Roy as we head to the door.\n\n"It's probably the medication," he says. "Some people handle it well. Stanley's probably one of the more tolerant patients I've seen. I've heard people say some pretty crazy stuff while they're under the effects." He looks over his shoulder at the old man on the couch. "But it's always stuff they mean, deep down."\n\n"So all that... about family?"\n\nRoy nods. "He means it. Let's not let him down, alright?"\n\nEric hands us each a backpack and opens the front door. Armed with two handguns and an axe, the three of us [[exit the apartment|part47]].

"Well, now," Stanley chuckles as Roy sits him down on the brown sofa. "Sounds like you've got this planned out pretty well."\n\n"It sounds more like a bunch of people who don't know what the hell they're doing," Roy mutters. They don't hear him, but something tells me he wouldn't care if they did. "Have you filled the tub with water?" he says, loud enough to catch their attention.\n\nTheir only replies are a few confused expressions, so Roy walks into the bathroom and we hear the drain close, the faucet turn, and the water begin running.\n\n"We need to store as much water as we can before the supply is cut off," Roy says as he returns to the living room. "It won't be particularly clean right out of the tub, but I'll show you how to purify it later. Someone be sure to turn off the faucet when the tub's full."\n\n"That's smart, Roy," Eric smiles. "We could use that brain of yours on our run, and that axe of yours, Kerry."\n\nRoy looks at him, ignoring the compliment. "Who are you sending from //your// group?"\n\n"Well," he thinks, looking from Robert to Emmett to Alexia, "who wants to go?"\n\nThe room goes quiet.\n\nRoy groans. "Are you serious?"\n\n[[(Glare at Alexia)|d18q]]\n[[(Glare at Emmett)|d18w]]\n[[(Glare at Robert)|d18e]]

<<set $d10 = "Roy">>"Well," I look at Roy. "He has medicine."\n\nKim looks at Roy, who's standing right beside me with his medical bag still slung over his shoulder. "M-m-medicine?" Kim stutters. "G-give that t-t-to m-me."\n\nRoy's movement is slow as he removes the bag from his shoulder and prepares to hand it over. But another gunshot rings out, and part of Kim's face is suddenly missing. He collapses to the ground, dead, and I see Stanley holding his pistol, still pointing at the body.\n\n"They have a gun?" asks the panicked voice of Dan from above. Kim's [[axe|part29b]] has fallen to the ground at my feet.

Roy looks back to Robert, then to me. Robert's smile keeps widening, even past the point where it looks human. Eric is standing beside our party of three with a worried look. The silence becomes so dense, it feels like the room will collapse, but then...\n\n"Fine," Roy mutters. \n\nI turn to Eric and Robert. "Give us a minute, please?" I plead with a rushed smile, tugging Roy over to Stanley, away from Eric and the others.\n\n"What the hell are you tryin' to do, boy?" Stanley hisses at him between coughs. Roy doesn't have an answer.\n\n[["He's needlessly antagonizing these people."|d21q]]\n[["That Robert guy is such an asshole."|d21w]]\n[["These people are completely incapable."|d21e]]

I can see in Stanley's face that he's just lost every shread of respect that he may have had for the three of them.\n\n"So that's it, then," Roy sighs, dumbfounded. "They're all useless."\n\n"Hey," Eric steps in. "I'll go, okay? They've had a long day."\n\n"Breaking news, kid," Stanley coughs, "we've //all// had a long day."\n\n"So much for 'no freeloaders'," Roy mocks. "Right Robert?"\n\nRobert eyes him. "What did you just say to me?" His eyes are ablaze with anger. He doesn't look as fit as Roy, but something tells me that beer-belly is hiding how threatening he really is. They both look like they're almost ready to kill each other.\n\n[["Back off, Roy!"|d19q]]\n[["Back off, Robert!"|d19w]]

"I'm not so sure," Roy groans. He looks to his right, toward the pet store. "Maybe we could try there."\n\n"Where?" Eric asks, surprised. "The pet shop?"\n\n"Why not?" Roy shrugs. "They've got food and water, too."\n\n"Sure, they have food, but it's for dogs and cats," Eric retorts.\n\n"It's nutritious," Roy grins. He's enjoying Eric's disbelief, I think.\n\n"Listen, Roy," Eric says. "You're a smart guy, and I respect your intentions, but we need people-food."\n\n"No, Eric," Roy argues. "What we //need// is to survive."\n\n"Listen," Eric hisses, pointing in the direction of the apartment. "Those people are like family to me. I'm going to get them food I know for a //fact// is good for them. You do whatever the hell you want. You coming Kerry?"\n\nRoy and Eric both look at me, each fully expecting me to side with them.\n\n[["Roy's right. We should try the pet store."|d25q]]\n[["Eric's right. We should try the grocery store."|d25w]]\n[["I'm not getting into this. You guys decide."|d25e]]

Soon we reach the shopping center. Ten or so different stores from clothes to electronics, groceries to pet-products, are all lined up beside each other in a neat strip. The parking lot is almost empty, and the remaining cars are parked haphazardly.\n\nEric points to the entrance of the grocery store. The automatic doors hang crooked on their mechanical hinges, unable to close. "We can start here," he says.\n\nI hear banging and crashing inside. There must already be people in there. Of course there are. Who wouldn't go to the grocery store first? I look through the large windows, trying to make out the figures moving inside. One of them is man being attacked by a corpse. He manages to shoot it through the head before it can sink its teeth into his throat. That's good for him, but I can see several more people and corpses rushing around in there.\n\n[["There are armed looters inside."|d24q]]\n[["There are corpses inside."|d24w]]\n[["We could probably take them on."|d24e]]

<<set $d10 = "Kerry">>"I am," I say. Dan looks at me and smiles.\n\n"You don't look like the carrying type," he says.\n\n"Well, I'm not," I admit. "The recoil surprised me and I dropped the gun down the hill."\n\nDan lowers his rifle. "Are you serious?" he laughs. Even Kim cracks a smile. Suddenly, another gunshot. Dan's face is locked in his mocking smile as he drops to the ground, dead. It takes Kim a few seconds to comprehend what's happened. He looks from his friend's body to Stanley, who's aiming his pistol right at him.\n\n"Don't do anything stupid," Stanley says, his voice becoming very cold. Kim must have snapped, because he just yells and rushes at Roy and me with his axe. Stanley fires again and Kim collapses inches in front of us, clutching his stomach, writhing in pain. The [[axe|part29a]] falls at my feet.

<<set $d10 = "Stanley">>"Well," I look at Stanley. "He has a gun."\n\nKim wheels around to face Stanley, his face dissolving into panic. "Who?" he yells. "Wh-who has the g-gun?"\n\nStanley freeze, not saying anything. Kim continues his frantic interrogation, his back to Roy and me. I stand up, slowly, <<$weapon>> in hand. I raise it carefully, then, just as I emerge from the cover of my tree to stike him, a gun fires. It takes me a moment to realize that Kim is dropping to the ground with a hole in his head. As he collapses to the ground, I see Stanley with his gun raised, still pointed at the lifeless Kim.\n\n"They have a gun?" asks the panicked voice of Dan from above, but I quickly jump back to the tree before he can begin his retaliation. Kim's [[axe|part29b]] has fallen to the ground at my feet.

I pick up my coat. The source of the buzz might be in one of the [[pockets|part60]].

''Just Short of the Dead: Episode One'' by Tom Gould

I walk over to Robert, who's scowling at Roy from across the room. When he sees me, he makes an annoyed huffing sound. "<<if $yellAt eq "Robert">>Here to yell at me again, Princess?<<else>>Glad you talked some sense into that guy. I'd hate to have to put 'im down,<<endif>>" he grumbles.\n\nI try my best to ignore the statement.\n\n<<display 'd22r'>>

<<set $d32w = true>>I open my bag and search through it. There's nothing but useless papers and a phone charger. Wait a second. Could my phone still be on? I look around again. <<display 'part59'>>

<<if $weapon eq "no">>I move toward the door and reach out to unlock it. Before I do, I hear a snarl from the other side. It must be someone taking advantage of the chaos outside, I think. Either that, or a wild animal. That'd be weird. I should have some sort of weapon, just in case.\n\n<<display 'part06'>><<else>><<display 'part07'>><<endif>>

<<set $d11 = "W">>"That's not our place," I say. Who knows? He could be making peace with his maker or something. Besides, he //did// try to kill us, and he's dying in a few minutes anyway. There's no use in speeding up the process.\n\n<<display 'part30b'>>

<<set $d11 = "Q">>"Don't waste the bullet," I say. Stanley and Roy look at me, slightly taken aback by the harshness of the statement, but they know as well as I do that every bullet counts.\n\n<<display 'part30b'>>

"Who are you people," I choke through my sore throat.\n\n<<display 'part53'>>

"He's not worth it," I tell him, trying to pull his attention away from Robert.\n\n"'Not worth it'?" Robert yells in protest. "Princess, let me assure you that I am indeed 'worth it'." I don't think he knows what he's saying, but it bothers me anyway. It infuriates Roy, though it seems anything would at this point. He could push right past me any second if he wanted to, but he doesn't.\n\n"He's not," I whisper, trying not to be heard by Robert, whose mocking only makes the situation worse.\n\n<<display 'part43'>>

<<set $weapon = "screwdriver">>I grab the screwdriver. This'll do, I think. I turn toward the door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

"PUT THE GUN DOWN!" I yell above the ear-splitting screaming.\n\nShe obviously doesn't hear me, and after trying to pull the trigger several more times with no result, she figures that the weapon must be irreparably jammed and throws it at Roy, who catches it, releases the safety, and points it at the two strangers.\n\n"Thank you," he grins.\n\nThe man raises his hands and the woman's voice halts in fear.\n\n"Have anything you want to ask them, Kerry?"\n\n<<display 'part34'>>

<<set $d11 = "E">>"Yes. We shouldn't let him suffer," I say.\n\nStanley nods. He points the gun at Dan and fires one more round into his head. He stops moving. Everthing is still for a moment.\n\n<<display 'part30b'>>

"Who is it?" I ask. No answer. Just another loud bang. It sounds like someone is throwing their whole body against the door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

"Hello?" I stutter. The only reply is another loud bang against the wooden door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

I turn to my desk. There's a [[stapler]] and a [[heavy paperweight]] on top. There's also a [[toolbox]] on the ground.

I try to bring the axe down on the girl with the gun but it gets caught on the door. This stupid box is too small for melee combat.\n\nOf course, that causes her to panic even more. She's become almost ferociously panicked, and, still screaming, she figures that the gun must be irreparably jammed and throws it at Roy, who catches it, releases the safety, and points it at the two strangers.\n\n"Calm down," he repeats. "We're friendly."\n\nThe man raises his hands and the woman's voice halts in fear.\n\n"Friendly?" the guy says, nervously. "That axe-wielding woman implies otherwise."\n\n"We were all just frightened," Roy retorts. "Have anything you want to ask them, Kerry?"\n\n<<display 'part34'>>

I open the toolbox. Inside, there's a [[hammer]] and a [[screwdriver]] from when I tried to add my own shelf to the office. Anyone who's seen the hollow punctures and stripped off paint on the wall can tell you that didn't work.

"EVERYBODY, CALM DOWN!" I yell above the ear-splitting scream.\n\nClearly they aren't listening. The woman, still screaming, figures that the gun must be irreparably jammed and throws it at Roy, who catches it, releases the safety, and points it at the two strangers.\n\n"You heard the lady. Calm down," he repeats. "We're friendly."\n\nThe man raises his hands and the woman's voice halts in fear.\n\n<<display 'part34'>>

"Coulda fooled me," I choke through my sore throat.\n\n"I know," the leader says. "I apologize for all this, but you know how these situations bring out the worst in people." <<display 'part53'>>

"Please, calm down," I tell him, trying to pull his attention away from Robert.\n\n"Yeah, buddy. 'Calm down'." Robert adds. "Princess here doesn't want you gettin' hurt." I start to question his sense of sight. Roy looks like he could tear Robert apart. Hell, he could push right past me any second if he wanted to do it, but he doesn't.\n\n"Please," I whisper, trying not to be heard by Robert, whose mocking only makes the situation worse.\n\n<<display 'part43'>>

"Let's go," Roy says, pulling us away from the sight. We continue down the path, him helping Stanley, and myself a few paces ahead, wielding the axe. "One more thing," he calls out.\n\nI turn.\n\n<<if $d09 eq true>>"I know we don't really have to worry about either of them anymore," Roy continues, "but just for future reference, I think you should be more careful about who you reveal your plans to, okay?" It takes me a moment to remember, but then I realize that I had told Dan and Kim that we were headed to my apartment. There aren't too many apartment buildings nearby, so, if they //had// survived, they could have come after us.\n\n"Alright," I respond, nodding.<<else>>"I know we wouldn't have to worry about either of them anyway," Roy continues, "but just so you're aware, I think it was smart not to tell them we were headed to the apartments." I suppose he's right. There aren't too many apartment buildings nearby, so, if they //had// survived, and if I //had// told them, they might have come after us.\n\n"Thanks," I respond, nodding.<<endif>>\n\nFinally, exiting the park, we quietly [[trudge toward the gate of my apartment building|part31]].

<<set $weapon = "stapler">>I grab the stapler. I've always wondered if these could be lethal, but I've never actually used one as a weapon. This'll be a first. I turn toward the door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

<<set $choice1 = "woods">>"The woods," I reply, and the three of us head down [[into the trees|part25]].

<<set $choice1 = "path">>"The path," I reply, and the three of us head up the [[dirt road|part25]].

"That isn't necessary," Stanley says from behind, still against the tree. "Just let us go and we'll back off."\n\n"We're not trying to keep you away," Dan says. "We want whatever you've got."\n\n"What?" Roy asks. "We don't have anything." I can almost feel him ready to strike the moment the gun is aimed away.\n\n"Y-you got a g-gun," Kim says, "I heard it. Wh-who's the one with th-the gun?"\n\nNobody responds. Dan looks at me, demandingly.\n\n[["I am."|d10aq]]\n[["The security guard."|d10aw]]\n[["The paramedic."|d10ae]]\n

I hear them whispering to each other.\n\n"KIM!" Dan suddenly yells to his companion. "Get down there! I'll cover you!"\n\n"B-but," Kim argues. Dan cuts him off with a few curses and commands him again. This time, he nervously obeys. I can hear him trying to get his footing on the steep hill. I peek out. He looks like he's about to trip with each cautious step, but he manages to keep his balance all the way down to us. When he finally reaches level ground, he turns to Roy and me. He's wielding an axe. Stanley is still hiding by the rock, but Kim's put his back to him.\n\n"Wh-what do you h-have with y-you?" he asks, his eyes looking me over.\n\n[[(Show weapon) "I have this."|d10bq]]\n[[(Look at Stanley) "He has a gun."|d10bw]]\n[[(Look at Roy) "He has medicine."|d10be]]\n

<<silently>>\n<<set $d17e = true>>\n<<set $d17 = $d17 + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>"How do you know there'll be any supplies left?" I ask.\n\nEmmett grins. "The way we figure, there were so many corpses chasing people outta the city that there's no way anyone left behind could've hit //every// store. We'll find whatever ones haven't been looted clean and get what we can."\n\n<<if $d17 lt 3>><<display 'part40'>><<else>><<display 'part41'>><<endif>>

<<if $choice2 eq "Eric">><<if $d10 eq "Stanley">><<if $d16 eq "Stanley">><<if $d22 eq true>>A<<else>>B<<endif>><<else>><<if $d22 eq true>>C<<else>>D<<endif>><<endif>><<else>><<if $d16 eq "Stanley">><<if $d22 eq true>>E<<else>>F<<endif>><<else>><<if $d22 eq true>>G<<else>>H<<endif>><<endif>><<endif>><<else>><<if $d10 eq "Stanley">><<if $d16 eq "Stanley">><<if $d22 eq true>>I<<else>>J<<endif>><<else>><<if $d22 eq true>>K<<else>>L<<endif>><<endif>><<else>><<if $d16 eq "Stanley">><<if $d22 eq true>>M<<else>>N<<endif>><<else>><<if $d22 eq true>>O<<else>>P<<endif>><<endif>><<endif>><<endif>>

<<set $weapon = "paperweight">>I grab the paperweight. It's heavy. It'll have to do. I turn toward the door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

"GUYS!" I yell as loud as I can.\n\n<<display 'part23'>>

<<set $d11 = "W">>"That's not our place," I say. Who knows? He could be making peace with his maker or something. Besides, he //did// try to kill us, and he's dying in a few minutes anyway. There's no use in speeding up the process.\n\n<<display 'part30a'>>

<<set $d11 = "Q">>"Don't waste the bullet," I say. Stanley and Roy look at me, slightly taken aback by the harshness of the statement, but they know as well as I do that every bullet counts.\n\n<<display 'part30a'>>

<<set $d09 = false>>"We're trying to get away from the corpses," I plead. \n\n"Aren't we all?" Dan says in an amused voice.\n\n"W-we can't j-just let th-them g-go," his friend stutters.\n\n<<display 'part28b'>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $d17w = true>>\n<<set $d17 = $d17 + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>"Where do you plan on getting the supplies?" I ask.\n\nEric turns to me. "You're a resident," he says, "so I assume you know the shopping center near here."\n\n"Of course."\n\n"We were going to try there."\n\n<<if $d17 lt 3>><<display 'part40'>><<else>><<display 'part41'>><<endif>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $d17q = true>>\n<<set $d17 = $d17 + 1>>\n<<endsilently>>"What kinds of supplies are you trying to get?" I ask.\n\nRobert sighs as he goes over the list in his head. "Oh, food, first-aid, guns, ammo, batteries, and whatever we think we can use to improvise."\n\n<<if $d17 lt 3>><<display 'part40'>><<else>><<display 'part41'>><<endif>>

We don't make a sound, but <<set $d09 = false>><<display 'part28b'>>

<<set $d11 = "E">>"Yes. We shouldn't let him suffer," I say.\n\nStanley nods. He points the gun at Kim and fires one more round into his head. He stops moving. Everthing is still for a moment.\n\n<<display 'part30a'>>

"We need to get out of here!" I yell as loud as I can.\n\n<<display 'part23'>>

<<set $d09 = false>>"Leave us alone!" I plead.\n\n"W-we can't j-just let th-them g-go," his friend stutters.\n\n<<display 'part28b'>>

<<set $weapon = "hammer">>I grab the hammer. This'll do, I think. I turn toward the door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

<<set $d09 = true>>"We're just trying to get to my apartment," I plead.\n\n"Apartment?" Dan repeats, as if he's making a mental note.\n\n"W-we can't j-just let th-them g-go," his friend stutters.\n\n<<display 'part28b'>>

"We need the food," I say. "Come on."\n\n"I know," Roy sighs. He motions for me to follow, and we walk [[through the grocery store doors|part51]].

<<set $d10 = "Roy">>"The paramedic," I say. Dan looks at Roy, then back to me.\n\n"The paramedic?" he chuckles. "Are you serious?" Even Kim cracks a smile. "Isn't that against some sorta doctor's oath or some--"\n\nSuddenly, another gunshot. Dan's face is locked in his mocking smile as he drops to the ground, dead. It takes Kim a few seconds to comprehend what's happened. He looks from his friend's body to Stanley, who's aiming his pistol right at him.\n\n"Don't do anything stupid," Stanley says, his voice becoming very cold. Kim must have snapped, because he just yells and rushes at us with his axe. Stanley fires again and Kim collapses inches in front of me, clutching his stomach, writhing in pain. The [[axe|part29a]] falls at my feet.

I glare at Robert. He sees me and suddenly becomes defensive.\n\n"Don't gimme that look, Princess," he grumbles. "I been savin' these assholes from the dead all night. I deserve some down time."\n\nEmmett roles his eyes. Robert notices Emmett's lack of appreciation.\n\n"You think I ain't done a good job keepin' you alive?" he yells at Emmett. "Why don't //you// go if I'm so damn useless?"\n\nEmmett quickly points to Alexia. "She's a lot louder than me. She'd make a good distaction." He starts laughing as Alexia tries to hit him for his cruel suggestion.\n\n<<display 'part42'>>

My fingers tremble as I try to start typing. Just as I hit the "I" key to begin the text, the screen goes black and the turn-off animation plays. I stare in absolute horror as my phone dies in my hand.\n\n"No," I mutter. I can't even work up the anger to scream. "No," I mutter again. The despair is starting to choke me. "No," I sputter, one last time, just barely loud enough for myself to hear.\n\nI let the phone drop from my fingers and onto the cold floor. I can't charge it any more now that the electricity's off. I can't use it for anything.\n\nI can't help feeling like I'm becoming more isolated than ever. It's ironic. I used to treasure isolation. Being antisocial was the only way I was comfortable. Pushing people away when they wanted to be near made me feel happy, but now... now that there are no people left to push away...\n\nGod, I think I need a hug.\n\n[[END|results]]

I reach into the inner pocket and pull out my cell-phone. It's still alive but just barely. I turn on the screen to find a new text message waiting. Are cell-towers still operational? I open up the message and read it.\n\n//"We love you Kerry. Please stay safe. Home is okay."//\n\n"Home is okay"? My family is alive? I quickly look to the "from" box to identify the sender's number and start scratching it into the wall at the head of the bed. Ten digits. The most beautiful numbers I've ever seen. My vision is beginning to cloud from the tears I can't seem to control. How can I respond? What should I start with?\n\n[["I love you, too."|part61]]\n[["I'm safe."|part61]]\n[["I'm at my apartment"|part61]]

<<set $d22eb = true>><<set $TalkEmmett = $TalkEmmett + 1>>"Where were you before all this?"\n\nHe sits up straight and starts thinking. "Well, I've been up north for some time, doing a bit of work here and there. Eric sends me money every once in a while, but I try to get by on my own."\n\n<<if $d22qc eq true>>"That's where you go to school, right?" I ask him. He looks at me like I've just said something I wasn't supposed to.\n\n"Yeah," he says after a pause. "I'm a junior in architectural design."<<else>>"What kind of work?" I ask.\n\n"Oh, little things like architectural design," he says.<<endif>>\n\n<<if $TalkEmmett lt 3>><<display 'd22e'>><<else>><<display 'd22ed'>><<endif>>

<<if $d22ta eq false>>[["How's the leg looking?"|d22ta]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22tb eq false>>[["You guys knew each other before this?"|d22tb]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22tc eq false>>[["So, do you guys have families?"|d22tc]]<<endif>>\n[["I'm ready to go, Roy."|d22td]]\n[[(Back)|part45]]

<<set $d22ea = true>><<set $TalkEmmett = $TalkEmmett + 1>>"So, what do you do around here?" I ask.\n\nHe smiles and motions to his work on the maps. "Well, I make maps and plans. So far that's all I've had to do." I look at the map on the table. It's the shopping center. It's actually really accurate.\n\n"Are you drawing this from memory?" I ask.\n\n"As a matter of fact, I am," he says proudly. "We can't see it from the window, but we saw it on our way to this building, so I've been doing my best. Does it look right?"\n\n"Yeah," I say. "Yeah, it looks great." I look back at him. "I hear you're good at sneaking around, too."\n\n"Yeah, well, I'm pretty quiet when I walk, so the corpses don't notice me too easily. Still, I don't like being around them."\n\n<<if $TalkEmmett lt 3>><<display 'd22e'>><<else>><<display 'd22ed'>><<endif>>

He looks back to his maps. "If you don't mind, I'm just going to get back to these," he says.\n\n"Sure thing. I'll talk to you later."\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

"We can't let him go alone," I say. "We have to go after him."\n\n"Yeah, I know," Roy says, shaking his head. "Let's go." He motions for me to follow, and we both walk [[through the grocery store doors|part51]].

I glare at Alexia. She sees me and suddenly becomes defensive.\n\n"Do I really strike you as the kind of person that'd last two minutes out there?"\n\n"You could act as bait," jokes Emmett. She shoots him a look that almost makes me flinch.\n\n"Why don't //you// go?" she asks, demandingly. "You're fast and quiet."\n\n"I'm the brains," he retorts with a grin. "Robert's the one with the military experience."\n\n"I already saved your sorry asses tonight," Robert says. "I deserve a little down time."\n\n<<display 'part42'>>

<<set $d22ec = true>><<set $TalkEmmett = $TalkEmmett + 1>>"Do you have any family?"\n\n"Yeah," he says. "I've got my older brother, Eric, over there. My parents live in Georgia, so I don't really see them too often." His face becomes tense. "I hope they're alright. They're doctors, so they might've been higher priority if their evacuation went better than here."\n\n"Yeah, let's hope so," I say, unsure. I can't help but doubt his optimism.\n\n<<if $TalkEmmett lt 3>><<display 'd22e'>><<else>><<display 'd22ed'>><<endif>>

I glare at Emmett. He sees me and suddenly becomes defensive.\n\n"I'm more of the 'brains-of-the-operation' kind of guy," he says with a grin on his face.\n\n"Is this a joke to you?" Roy asks, losing patience.\n\n"What? No," Emmett's replies, his grin giving way to a more sober expression. Robert starts to chuckle at his sudden change in attitude. Roy notices and shoots him a look.\n\n"Hey, I been doin' my part all night," Robert says when he sees Roy staring at him. "Take the girl if you want something loud and fatal with ya." I assume he's talking about Alexia's screaming.\n\n<<display 'part42'>>

"What are you doing?" I ask, but he doesn't answer. He fires. I feel the bullet flying over me just before it hits a corpse right in head, sending it flying backward. I hadn't seen it sneaking up on me. I look back up to Robert, speechless.\n\n"I'm saving your ass, Princess!" he yells back as he picks off a few more shambling corpses from the window. How is he that accurate? Finally, a hollow click signals the last of his ammo. "Get up here before more show up! Electricity's out so the elevator's not working. You'll have to use the fire-escape to--" he turns to see something in the room behind him. "Shit! How're you still--"\n\nSuddenly he's gone, the gun falling from the window and hitting the ground with a metallic clank. Something's wrong up there. I run over to the alleyway with the fire-escape to find the lowest ladder still folded up. It looks just loose enough to be reached if we [[jump|part56]].

<<set $d32e = true>>I look at the axe against the wall. There's no reason for it to be a culprit. <<display 'part59'>>

"Yeah," I mutter. "I guess I am." If I hadn't locked my door, whatever happened on that floor that turned everyone I knew into flesh-eating monsters would have surely gotten to me while I was asleep, and I would never have seen it coming.\n\n<<display 'part17'>>

"I don't feel lucky," I mutter. How can I? I was just chased by people I used to know. People that had been turned into flesh-eating monsters by some disease while I slept soundly in my office.\n\n<<display 'part17'>>

Suddenly, a group of people emerge from the broken doors of the grocery store, arms full of canned goods and bags of food. A van pulls up beside them and they start piling in just as the swarm of corpses pursuing them appear. Before the van can leave, another, smaller car pulls up. Its passengers exit, two of them killing the corpses with well-placed headshots, and two more pulling the van's doors open, entering after the looters.

<<if $d17q eq false>>[["What kinds of supplies are you trying to get?"|d17q]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d17w eq false>>[["Where do you plan on getting the supplies?"|d17w]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d17e eq false>>[["How do you know there'll be any supplies left?"|d17e]]<<endif>>\n

"These people are completely incapable," I say. Roy was at least right about that.\n\n"Listen, you two," Stanley whispers. "If we want to stay here for any amount of time, we need to play nice. Do you understand that?" Roy and I nod.\n\n<<display 'part44'>>

__Chapter 2: The Street__\n\nI follow him out and see that two of the six glass doors are shattered. Probably by a hit-and-run driver on his way out of town earlier in the day. I wonder if anyone has actually made it out of the city, or if the exits are all closed off. No point in going with the crowd now, I think. That'd just get us killed in some accident.\n\nWe stand on the sidewalk for a few moments, merely taking in the intensity of the street's condition. I run my fingers through the long black mess of hair on my head. It's oily, and I realize I haven't bathed in a couple days. That's disgusting. I try to distract myself from my lack of hygiene by looking around the road. The crowds have died down but there are still people running east. To the west -- our left -- I see the hospital, or what used to be the hospital. It's a smoldering wreckage, flames pouring out of every window. It makes sense, I suppose. If people get infected by something this bad, someone brings them to the hospital. If the infected die, come back, and bite other people, the disease spreads like... like fire.\n\nSuddenly, I hear Stanley yell in pain. I look down. The faceless one he'd shot in the torso had followed us out the shattered door and sunk its teeth into his ankle. Blood pours from the wound as it tears the flesh and muscle apart. I [[stomp on its head|part19]].

It's still writhing as I lift my foot for [[another blow|part20]].

I lean into the desk. It screeches across the floor until it hits the wall. That'll have to do. I turn to see the crowd behind me is only 40 feet away. The next layer of the blockade is a [[file cabinet|part13]].

I grab the file cabinet and pull it away from the door. It tumbles over, out of my way. I look back again. They're only 20 feet away now. I have to move fast. The last thing blocking the door is the [[water cooler|part14]].

As the wooden door swings open, I find myself standing face-to-face with Ms. Greggin. But her lips are pulled back in a snarl, her eyes are blank, she's pale, and she smells awful. It takes me a moment to identify the scent.\n\nRotting flesh. Like day-old roadkill.\n\nI step back in shock as her mouth opens wide. What is she trying to do? I shove her back as I try to make sense of it all but there's no time to think. She's lunging at me like an animal after their prey. I lift the <<print $weapon>> and bring it down [[on her head|part11]].

<<if $weapon eq "stapler">>A loud click rings out as it collides with her skull. She seems dazed but not for long. I hit her again and she stumbles backward out of my office.<<endif>> <<if $weapon eq "paperweight">>Her skull makes a loud thud as the paperweight collides with it. She stumbles backward out of my office, dazed.<<endif>> <<if $weapon eq "hammer">>The hammer punctures her skull, causing her to stumble, dizzied. I pull with all my strength until the squishy interior gives way and the hammer is free. I kick her backward, out of my office. She's still standing, but she looks dazed.<<endif>> <<if $weapon eq "screwdriver">>The tip of the screwdriver slides off her forehead, redirecting the blow to her shoulder where the tip buries itself inches deep into the base of her neck. Her mouth opens to bite my arm as I try to pull it out, but before her teeth reach my wrist, I kick her away, and the added force frees the screwdriver from her shoulder. She looks dazed as she stumbles backwards out of my office.<<endif>> I take the opportunity to run out, passing her just as she regains herself and reaches toward me.\n\nI run down the narrow hallway toward the exit, still clutching the <<print $weapon>>. When I reach the metal exit door, it's blocked by several pieces of furniture. I turn to see Ms. Greggin -- or whatever that thing is -- hobbling toward me. She must be less than 60 feet away. But she's not the only one. Not anymore. Each office and cubicle she passes seems to spawn another one. So many familiar faces, twisted into violent, emotionless husks, and all coming for me.\n\nI need to clear this triple-layer blockade to get out. First, the [[desk|part12]].

I point and scream, "Look out!"\n\nStanley looks down just in time to pull his foot out of the thing's reach. He points his gun down and quickly fires two rounds into its chest. It stops moving.\n\n"Come on," he says. "We need to find somewhere safe. I searched the building, but I guess you're the only one left. You're lucky you locked that door of yours when you did."\n\n[["I guess I am."|d06q]]\n[["I don't feel lucky."|d06w]]

Stanley looks toward the big glass doors leading to the street. "Well," he says, patting my shoulder, "we'd best get moving. No use staying here." He walks ahead, and I [[follow|part18]].

I tear the water cooler away from the door. The crowd is almost breathing down my neck when I turn to see Ms. Greggin's heel snap, twisting her ankle until the skin rips. She plummets to the ground in a bleeding heap. I don't even have time to get nauseous at the gruesome sight. The rest of them start tripping over her, giving me just enough time to run through the door and into the staircase.\n\nI run down the stairs until I reach the first floor. As I slam through the door to the lobby I see someone hunched over something on the ground. The "something" on the ground is one of my coworkers, I think. I can't tell who, though, because the "someone" hunched over him has eaten his face. The hunched-over one spins around and, seeing me, stands up with some difficulty and begins walking towards me. Before I can raise the bloodied <<print $weapon>> in my hand, I hear a gunshot, and bits of the thing's brains explode out the side of its head. It falls, lifeless, to the ground.\n\nI turn to the origin of the gunshot. Stanley. Stanley's alive. He sees me standing frozen and probably still sporting a serious bedhead. He runs over, panting.\n\n"Are you alright?" he wheezes. He looks exhausted.\n\n[["Do I look alright?"|d05q]]\n[["What's going on?"|d05w]]\n[["I'm fine. How're you?"|d05e]]\n

There's a crash outside. Stanley and I both turn to see cars trying to push their way past all the abandoned vehicles polluting the street. They don't get far, and only end up making the jam worse.\n\n"Listen," Stanley mutters, turning back to me. "There's some kind of disease goin' around that makes people die and then come back as cannibals or something. That's all I know. The military said to stay in the cities, but nobody's listening. It's becoming a riot out there."\n\nI can't seem to wrap my head around the whole concept. Undead cannibals? What could have caused something like this? I have too many questions and not enough words to form them. Suddenly, I see my [[faceless coworker|part16]] crawling across the floor toward us. The remains of its jaw opens to receive Stanley's heel.

"That Robert guy is such an asshole," I say, trying to let Roy know I'm still his ally.\n\n"Listen, you two," Stanley whispers. "If we want to stay here for any amount of time, we need to play nice. Do you understand that?" Roy and I nod.\n\n<<display 'part44'>>

"He's needlessly antagonizing these people," I whisper. "If we want to stay here for any amount of time, we have to play nice."\n\n"Are you listening, Roy?" Stanley asks. Roy nods.\n\n<<display 'part44'>>

I walk over to Eric. He's squinting as he gazes at the fiery city through the window. He sees me and smiles. "What is it?" he asks.\n\n<<display 'd22q'>>

<<set $yellAt = "Roy">>"Back off, Roy!" I yell. He looks at me as if he was expecting me to be on his side.\n\n"Better listen to your girl, Roy," Robert sneers. This seems to set Roy off, but I step between him and Robert before he does something he can't fix.\n\n[["He's not worth it."|d20q]]\n[["Worry about him later."|d20w]]\n[["Please, calm down."|d20e]]

<<set $d16 = "Roy">>"I'm with Roy. They could be dangerous," I decide.\n\n"Thank you, Kerry," Roy mutters.\n\nStanley lets out another cough. "Fine," he sighs, "but before we decide to leave this well-fortified safehouse they've invited us into, we need to do something about this leg of mine. It's killing me."\n\n"Right," Roy agrees. "I'm not saying we leave immediately. This place seems great. But we need to be sure we can trust the people here before we make any decisions."\n\n<<display 'part38'>>

<<set $d22tc = true>>"So, do you guys have families?"\n\nRoy stops moving.\n\n"Are you okay?" I ask him quietly. When he doesn't answer, Stanley leans forward and puts his hand on his shoulder. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.\n\n"I let them die," Roy finally chokes. "I drove up to the house just in time to see those corpses--" he pauses, hands trembling. "If I'd been just a little faster, I could've saved them. My sister, my mother, my grandfather. I could've saved them all."\n\n"I'm sorry, Roy," Stanley says softly. "Must be almost twenty years ago that my wife and baby girl got in that car wreck." He looks at us. "My kid... she'd be about your age now, I think." He clears his throat. "I can't pretend that it's the same as what happened to your family, Roy, but I do know what loss feels like." He leans back into the sofa, letting out a shaky sigh. "It's a bitch."\n\n"Yeah," Roy mutters, managing to keep the tears at bay. "It's a bitch." He looks from Stanley to me, then recomposes himself. "Everything else aside, I'm glad I found you guys."\n\n"I'm glad you found us when you did," Stanley says. "I'm sure Kerry is, too. Without you, she would've had to carry me all the way here!" He laughs, trying so hard to brighten the mood. Roy and I can't help but join him. His optimism really is contagious.\n\n"What about you?" Roy asks when our laughter calms. I turn to him, questioningly. He rephrases. "What about your family."\n\nMy family. I haven't talked to them in so long. I don't even have their phone number. I'm surprised I hadn't thought of them until just now.\n\n"I don't know," is all I can say. They both look at me, then back to each other. They don't want to pry.\n\n<<display d22t>>

"We could probably take them on," I say quietly.\n\n"Take who on?" Roy asks. "The several people carrying guns, or the corpses crowding most of the aisles?"\n\nEric seems confident in the lackluster plan. "I think we could do it," he says. "Get in, get food and water, and get out, fighting our way through if we have to."\n\n<<display 'part49'>>

"No deal," I say, shortly.\n\n"Come on, Kerry," Stanley groans from behind.\n\n"Listen," Eric says. "I'll let you guys talk to each other about it, alright? We'll be back in our room, if you decide to join us."\n\n<<display 'part37'>>

"I wasn't sleeping," I say. That's a lie, and I know it, but I've gotten pretty good at keeping a straight face when I lie to Ms. Greggin. Honestly, lying to her is usually the easiest way out of her interrogations.\n\nShe huffs. She doesn't believe me? No. She simply doesn't care. In her eyes, I must look pathetic. Her piercing stare screams, "You're lack of drive is dragging all of womankind down with you." Obviously, she doesn't say that out loud.\n\n"I'm docking you an hour's pay," she says, grinning as though she's trying to pick a fight. "I think you need some extra incentive to finish this project. Remember. You're the one who took it on."\n\n<<display 'part01'>>

"I'm sorry," I say, rubbing my eyes with my palm. "I've just been up for so long."\n\nShe huffs, clearly disappointed with my reason for dozing off, but what other reasons are there? I won't try to sugarcoat it. Pleasing her seems impossible even when I am wide awake, anyway.\n\n"I'm docking you an hour's pay," she says, grinning as though she's trying to pick a fight. "You took on this project. Failing to finish it on time does not give you the right to use company hours to sleep."\n\n<<display 'part01'>>

"I'm sorry," I say, wiping my eyes with my palm. "It won't happen again."\n\nShe huffs, clearly expecting some more ellaborate apology, but I'm too tired to bother trying to please her. It's impossible even when I am wide awake, anyway.\n\n"I'm docking you an hour's pay," she says, grinning as though she's trying to pick a fight. "Just to give you some extra incentive not to let it happen again. You took on this project. I want to see you finish it."\n\n<<display 'part01'>>

<<set $d10 = "Stanley">>"The security guard," I say. Dan looks at Stanley without moving his rifle, then his eyes return to me.\n\n"The fat bloody guy?" he chuckles. "Are you serious?" Even Kim cracks a smile. "He doesn't look like he could shoot if his life depen--"\n\nSuddenly, another gunshot. Dan's face is locked in his mocking smile as he drops to the ground, dead. It takes Kim a few seconds to comprehend what's happened. He looks from his friend's body to Stanley, who's aiming his pistol right at him.\n\n"Don't do anything stupid," Stanley says, his voice becoming very cold. Kim must have snapped, because he just yells and rushes at Roy and me with his axe. Stanley fires again and Kim collapses inches in front of us, clutching his stomach, writhing in pain. The [[axe|part29a]] falls at my feet.

__Chapter 1: Some Z's__\n\n"Kerry!"\n\nMy body jumps at the sound of my name, waking me up from the first real sleep I've had in days. I turn to see my boss, Ms. Greggin, standing in the doorway to my small office. She's a very tall and very official woman. I've heard some people call her "beautiful", but not in this building. In here, to all her employees, she's the incarnation of evil itself.\n\n"Kerry," she repeats, noticing that I'm awake. "I'm not paying for overtime if you're sleeping through all of it."\n\n[["It won't happen again."|d01a]]\n[["I've been awake for so long."|d01b]]\n[["I was just resting my eyes." (Lie)|d01c]]\n

"That sounds alright, I guess."\n\n"Great," Eric says. He almost looks excited.\n\n"Hold on," Roy interrupts, looking at me. He turns to Eric. "Can we have a minute?"\n\n"Sure thing," he says. "We'll be back in our room, if you decide to join us."\n\n<<display 'part37'>>

"How do we know we can trust you?" I ask them.\n\nEric looks to Alexia, then to us. He smiles. "You don't, but you're welcome to come anyway. I'll let you guys talk to each other about it, alright? We'll be back in our room, if you decide to join us."\n\n<<display 'part37'>>

Roy holds Stanley steady as we march down into the woods as fast as his leg will allow. I'm a few feet ahead of them, <<print $weapon>> at the ready. I hear leaves rustling off to the left and prepare to strike.\n\nIt's just a squirrel. I sigh. Suddenly, I hear a gunshot. I look to the right. It came from the dirt path, which is up a pretty steep hill. I can't see the shooter, but I see a corpse flail as it topples down the hill, bursts through some bushes, and lands at my feet. There's a hole through its head. It's not getting up. I quietly step over it, eyes still locked on the path above.\n\n"C-can I have th-the g-gun, now, Dan?" a voice stutters from out of sight.\n\n"You can't even talk straight, Kim," another voice replies. "How're you going to handle shooting?"\n\nThey continue to exchange dialogue. I motion to Roy and Stanley to stop moving. They do, and then they hear the voices.\n\n"Who the hell is that?" Stanley says in a low voice.\n\n[["Probably just some passers by."|part27b]]\n[["Probably not friendly."|part27b]]\n[["Probably more people trying to get to safety."|part27b]]\n

I walk over to Emmett, who's drawing maps on large sheets of paper on the coffee table. He's hunched over them, looking very serious. As I sit at the table beside him, he looks up. "Hey," he says.\n\n<<display 'd22e'>>

Roy holds Stanley steady as we walk along the path as fast as his leg will allow. I'm a few feet ahead of them when we encounter the first of the corpses. I hold the <<print $weapon>> up and <<if $weapon eq "screwdriver">>drive it into its eye. It falls, but once again, the screwdriver is stuck, lodged in whatever organs it's punctured, and I'm forced to let go as the corpse topples off the path and down the hill into the woods.<<endif>><<if $weapon eq "hammer">>drive it into the front of its head, which splits on impact. It falls, but the hammer is still stuck it the punctured bone, and I'm forced to let go as the corpse topples off the path and down the hill into the woods.<<endif>><<if $weapon eq "paperweight">>bring it down as hard as I can, splitting its skull on impact. The force of the strike dislodges the paperweight from my grasp, and it drops off the path with the toppling corpse, falling down the hill and into the woods.<<endif>><<if $weapon eq "stapler">>bring it down as hard as I can, but the plastic exterior splitters and the hinge breaks, sending half of the stapler to the ground. It's even more useless as a weapon now. I drop the remaining pieces and push the dazed corpse aside, sending it toppling off the side of the path, down a hill and into the woods.<<endif>>\n\nNow, I'm unarmed. I continue to lead until we encounter the next corpse, which I shove off the left side of the path to meet its friend at the bottom of the hill. We don't need to kill them right now, I think. We just need to get them out of the way. Another corpse. This is the last one. I move to [[push it|part27a]].

I open the [[door|part10]].

I turn the [[lock|part09]].

"Let's go," I say to the both of them.\n\n"Right," Stanley winces as he puts weight on the wounded leg.\n\n"We'll get to that apartment and do a better job on that leg," the paramedic says.\n\n<<display 'part24'>>

<<set $d10 = "Kerry">>"Well," I answer, "I have this <<print $weapon>>."\n\n"A <<print $weapon>>?" he repeats, confused. He begins raising his axe, impatiently. "I d-don't have time f-for--"\n\nAnother gunshot. Part of Kim's face is missing. He collapses to the ground, dead, and I see Stanley holding his pistol, still pointing at the body.\n\n"They have a gun?" asks the panicked voice of Dan from above. Kim's [[axe|part29b]] has fallen to the ground at my feet.

She struts away like a peacock. Silently, I hope she trips on those stupid high-heels, but she won't give me the satisfaction.\n\nI turn back to my computer. This project. This stupid project. I thought I'd be able to work over Thanksgiving Weekend. I thought I could make use of the holiday by taking on the extra work, since I haven't talked to my family in years, and I don't really have any friends to celebrate with. Of course, as my luck would have it, the deadline was moved to //before// Thanksgiving, so I only have two more days to finish a week's-worth of work. So far, I've been working non-stop for nearly 60 hours, consuming nothing but Pop-Tarts and coffee, and I'm all out of both. I'm running on fumes.\n\nA chuckle from behind me makes me jump again. I turn around to see Stanley, our big, old, Italian security guard. I thought he'd had some sort of accident last week and had to go to the emergency room. I didn't think he'd be back so soon, but here he stands in the doorway of my office with a ring of keys in hand. He must be locking up for the night. Is it really that late already?\n\n"Well, well, if it isn't Batwoman. Staying in tonight, honey?" he says with his usual sarcastic grin. I don't talk to him much, but whenever I do, he has some wise-ass remark to offer.\n\n[["Why do you care?"|d02a]]\n[["Yup. Back already?"|d02b]]\n[["Ugh. Don't remind me."|d02c]]

I walk over to Alexia. She doesn't seem to notice until I'm right next to her, then she turns, gives a short smile, and then looks back at her phone.\n\n<<display 'd22w'>>

A thudding. A strange, eerie, echoing thudding penetrates my dreamless exhaustion. What is that? I silently wonder, not really caring enough to fully wake up. The thudding continues. It gets louder and more piercing with each eruption. Each explosion.\n\nExplosion? My head shoots up and my eyes open wide. Those are explosions. I peer out my small office window to identify their source. I see the road below. It's full of cars stuck in a massive traffic jam and people running in panicked droves. They're trying to get away from something, but what? Some of them opt to abandon the road altogether, escaping into the park across the street from my building.\n\nAnother explosion. It's far off to the left. From this window, that's west, I think. What's west of here? My apartment? No, that's about half a mile north, across the park. The city exit? No, that's east. That's the direction everyone's running. Then it hits me. The hospital. They're all running away from the direction of the hospital. But why? I try to reposition myself to get a better look out the window, but it's too small to allow for the angle I need. All I know is that something terrible is happening and I've managed to sleep through the beginning.\n\n<<display 'part04'>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $d03a = false>>\n<<set $d03b = false>>\n<<set $d03c = false>>\n<<set $d03 = 0>>\n<<endsilently>>I turn back to the computer. I want to force myself to keep working, but my body refuses to obey me. My arms won't even carry my fingers to the keyboard. Fine. I guess there's no use fighting it now. I'm done. My head collapses into the papers strewn across my desk and I instanly [[fall asleep|part03]].

<<silently>>\n<<set $weapon = "no">>\n<<endsilently>>A bang. I freeze. Something just hit my door.\n\n<<display 'part06'>>

<<if $d03a eq false>>My [[coat|d03a]] is hanging on the office door, which is still shut and locked.<<endif>> <<if $d03b eq false>>My [[cell-phone|d03b]] in on my desk, probably almost dead.<<endif>> <<if $d03c eq false>>My [[bag|d03c]] is on the floor beside my chair.<<endif>>

I reach toward the [[doorknob|part08]].

[["Hello?"|d04q]]\n[["Who is it?"|d04w]]\n[[(Open Door)|d04e]]\n<<if $weapon eq "no">>[[(Look for Weapon)|d04r]]<<endif>>

I look to the paramedic. "What about your ambulance?" I ask. Was he just going to abandon it there in the street?\n\n"It's empty," he says, his eyes looking to the ground. "My crew ran out on me when everything started. I don't blame them. They have families." He looks back at me. "Let's just get to that apartment so I can do a better job on this leg of his, huh?" He smiles.\n\n<<display 'part24'>>

I turn to Stanley. "Are you sure you can walk?" I ask.\n\n"I'll be fine," he says, wincing as he puts weight on the wounded ankle.\n\n"Let's just get to that apartment so that I can do a better job on that leg," the paramedic says.\n\n<<display 'part24'>>

"There are corpses inside," I say quietly.\n\n"There are corpses everywhere," Eric points out. "We'll just get in, get some food and water, and be out before they can get us. They're slow and stupid, right?"\n\nRoy frowns, unconvinced. "I think--"\n\nBut, almost as if on cue, a teenager comes running down one of the aisles, chased by three corpse. Eric, Roy, and I watch as he nears the other end of the narrow aisle, but suddenly, two more corpses shuffle to block his way. They're too close for anyone to help him now, and we hear him scream as he's torn apart.\n\nEric turns back to us. "Maybe we could clear some of them out first?" he suggests.\n\n<<display 'part49'>>

"We don't either," I choke through my sore throat.\n\n"Good," the leader says. <<display 'part53'>>

"There are armed looters inside," I say quietly.\n\n"I'm sure they don't want to fight," Eric insists. "We'll just get in, get some food and water, and be on our way. We won't bother them."\n\nRoy frowns, unconvinced. "I think--"\n\nBut, almost as if on cue, a woman in a green coat passes by the man who'd just killed the corpse. Eric, Roy, and I watch as the man notices her carrying two big bottles of water, points his gun at her, and demands that she put them into the carriage beside him.\n\nEric turns back to us. "Maybe we could strike first?" he suggests.\n\n<<display 'part49'>>

<<set $d09 = true>>"We're trying to get to my apartment," I tell them. No use it lying, I figure.\n\n"Is that so?" Dan says, making a mental note. "Well, it's a shame you won't make it there." He looks ready to fire.\n\n<<display 'part28a'>>

<<set $d09 = false>>"Don't point that at me," I tell Dan. He just keeps smiling, amused by my attitude.\n\n"Only way I'm going to stop aiming at you is if you're dead, girl," he replies.\n\n<<display 'part28a'>>

I climb through the open window and into the hallway just in time to see Eric yelling and running into apartment 489. I go after him, arriving in the doorway and freezing at the sight that greets me.\n\nEric is bent over Alexia on the ground. Her throat has been torn out. Blood stains her clothes and pools around her. Her eyes are wide open and blank. Emmett is in the corner, a traumatized expression on his face. Robert and Stanley are nowhere to be seen.\n\nThen I hear a cry further down the hall. An unarmed Robert appears out of the next room over, slamming into the wall outside the doorway, turning around just in time to catch a big, old, Italian security guard corpse before it bites him.\n\n"Stanley," I hear myself whisper. I need to help. Need to help Robert. Stanley's dead. I can't...\n\nBut then Eric yells from the room in front of me. I turn to see the corpse of Alexia reaching up to grab him behind the head. She'll pull his face into her diseased jaws if I don't help him, but Stanley will completely overpower Robert in just seconds if I don't help //him//.\n\nIt feels like the world has almost stopped turning as I try to decide between two lives. My hands grip the axe tighter and tighter with each slowly passing second. Do I [[save Eric|d31q]], or do I [[save Robert|d31w]]?

<<set $d22wa = true>><<set $TalkAlexia = $TalkAlexia + 1>>"So, what do you do around here?" I ask.\n\n"I'm good with guns," she says. It takes all of my strength to keep from laughing. Wasn't she panicking with a safety-locked gun just a little while ago?\n\n"Are you any good at shooting them?" I ask.\n\n"Shut up," she says, smiling. She knows what's going through my head. "I forgot the safety was on. Truth is, I'm not exactly a pro at firearms. I've got great hearing, though. I'm the only one who actually heard the elevator, and I can hear those dead guys moaning from floors away."\n\n"That's impressive," I admit. "That'd be useful during the supply run."\n\nShe shivers at the suggestion. "I'm not really that great at sneaking," she adds. "You wouldn't want me out there. I'd just get you killed." She looks back to her phone, but her face is more intense than before.\n\n<<if $TalkAlexia lt 3>><<display 'd22w'>><<else>><<display 'd22wd'>><<endif>>

<<set $d22wb = true>><<set $TalkAlexia = $TalkAlexia + 1>>"Does that phone still work?"\n\n"No," she admits. A few seconds pass before I realize that's all she has to say.\n\n"What are you doing with it, then?"\n\n"I dunno," she answers, as if that settles it. I can tell that further questioning would be a waste of time.\n\n<<if $TalkAlexia lt 3>><<display 'd22w'>><<else>><<display 'd22wd'>><<endif>>

<<set $d22wc = true>><<set $TalkAlexia = $TalkAlexia + 1>>"Do you have any family?" I ask.\n\n"<<if $d14 eq false>>It's not really any of your business, is it?" she says. She's probably not happy about my tone in the elevator, but<<else>>"They're dead," she says, shortly. "I got them killed while we were trying to sneak away."<<endif>> I see a tear hanging in her eye.\n\n"I'm sorry," is all I can think to say.\n\n<<if $TalkAlexia lt 3>><<display 'd22w'>><<else>><<display 'd22wd'>><<endif>>

She looks like she could use some time alone.\n\n"I'll talk to you later," I say. She just waves and looks back at her phone.\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

<<set $weapon = "no">>I go to push the corpse away, but suddenly, it grabs me, and I almost fall off the path with it. Before I know it, Roy's right beside it, trying to pry it off with his bare hands. But the corpse is strong. Too strong. It's mouth opens and inches toward my neck when a gunshot rings out around us and the corpse stops moving. Stanley, whose only means of support is the tree he's leaning on a few yards away, has managed to shoot the thing through the head. Roy pulls it off of me and lets it fall.\n\n"Thanks," I say, quivering from adrenaline.\n\n"You're a damn good shot," Roy says. Stanley smiles and keeps his gun in hand, just in case.\n\n"Lucky we're on this path," he says. "I have a clear shot at anything that you can't--"\n\n"HOLD IT!" I hear from in front. I turn to see two young men, the shorter one holding an axe, and the taller one holding a hunting rifle aimed right at Roy and me.\n\n"Well, well," says the taller one. "I thought I heard some commotion on the path." His lips curl into a disturbing grin. "What'd I tell you, Kim?"\n\nThe shorter guy -- Kim, I suppose -- nervously raises the axe. "Wh-what're they d-doing here, Dan?" he stutters.\n\nThe taller one -- Dan -- looks hard at me.\n\n[["Don't point that at me."|d09aq]]\n[["We're trying to get to my apartment."|d09aw]]\n[["We're getting away from the hospital."|d09ae]]\n

"So, what floor were you guys headed to?" Alexia asks.\n\n[["The tenth floor."|d14q]]\n[["Why does it matter?"|d14w]]\n[["It's not really any of your business."|d14e]]\n

<<set $d09 = false>>"We're getting away from the hospital," I tell them. That's true enough, I suppose.\n\n"Is that so?" Dan mutters. "Trying to escape the dead, I guess, huh? Too bad it didn't do you any good." He looks ready to fire.\n\n<<display 'part28a'>>

"I don't know," I reply in a whisper. "Probably--"\n\nBut another gunshot cuts me off. Dirt explodes behind me as the bullet misses my head by mere inches. Before it even registers, I'm watching Roy drop Stanley behind a rock just in time to dodge another bullet. Then, he darts toward me and grabs me by the torso, pulling me behind a nearby tree.\n\n"Hey, down there!" yells the shooter. His companion had called him "Dan", I think. "I know you're there. Show yourselves!"\n\nObviously we don't move.\n\n[["Leave us alone!"|d09bq]]\n[["We're just trying to get to my apartment."|d09bw]]\n[["We're trying to get away from the corpses."|d09be]]\n[[(Remain Silent)|d09br]]\n

__Chapter 4: The Apartments__\n\n<<silently>>\n<<set $d13q = false>>\n<<set $d13w = false>>\n<<set $d13e = false>>\n<<set $d13 = 0>>\n<<endsilently>>I pull my key out and unlock the gate, opening it for Stanley and Roy. We walk up the cement stairs and through the big glass doors to the lobby. It's completely empty. No people. No corpses.\n\nMy apartment is on the top floor -- the tenth floor. I see the [[staircase|part32]] off to the right, but the lights are still working, so we might be able to take the [[elevator|part33]].

I move over and grab the handle on the heavy metal door to the staircase.\n\n"Hold on," Roy calls. "I don't think he'll make it up those stairs."\n\n"Not unless you guys plan on carrying me," Stanley chuckles. He sounds like he's getting weaker.\n\n"Yeah," Roy smiles. "And I don't know about you, Kerry, but I'm not //that// strong."\n\nI look back to the [[elevator|part33]]. It seems like the only way we're getting up to my floor.

I press the call button on the elevator. To my surprise, it dings almost immediately. Stanley readies his gun and I raise my axe as the doors slowly roll open.\n\nNo dead inside. That's a good start.\n\nWe sigh and relax our weapons. I let Stanley and Roy in before I enter and press the "10" button. The doors close and I hear the familiar whirring of the mechanics as they raise the elevator up the shaft. The sounds are almost comforting.\n\nSuddenly, we stop, much sooner than I was expecting. My eyes dart to the sign above, which indicates what floor we're on. The "4" is glowing. Someone stopped us. I hear the doors starting to open and I raise my axe.\n\nOn the other side wait two people -- not corpses. A tall, German-looking fellow in a sweat-soaked shirt, and a short Italian woman in pajama-bottoms and a fur coat stand before us. The woman starts screaming immediately, causing everyone to panic: Stanley draws but drops his glock, the German guy raises a knife, Roy drops Stanley and prepares to tackle whoever attacks first, and the Italian girl repeatedly pulls the trigger on her pistol, which is apparently still safety-locked.\n\n[["WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?"|d12q]]\n[["EVERYBODY, CALM DOWN!"|d12w]]\n[["PUT THE GUN DOWN!"|d12e]]\n[[(Attack)|d12r]]\n

He hoists Stanley up, one arm over his shoulder, and the three of us [[walk into apartment 489|part39]].

__Chapter 5: The Crew__\n\n<<silently>>\n<<set $d17q = false>>\n<<set $d17w = false>>\n<<set $d17e = false>>\n<<set $d17 = 0>>\n<<endsilently>>First, I notice that the living room is relatively small, but without most of the furniture it looks quite spacious. What remains are two sofas, a coffee table in front of them, and a few lamps. The electricity's still working, but the the lamps are almost completely unnecessary due to the abundance of orange light flooding through the windows, compliments of the street lights and fires coloring the city outside. There's a door -- probably to a bedroom -- on our left, and there's a small kitchen to the right of the entrance separated from the rest of the room by an empty bar.\n\nThen, I notice the four other people in the room. There's Eric, the tall, German-looking guy from the elevator. He's standing by the dark-brown sofa to the left of the room, leaning against the wall beside one of the two windows. The dry sweat staining his white shirt indicates that he's been doing most of the heavy-lifting. Alexia, still in her fur coat and pajama-bottoms, is holding a phone in her hands as she reclines on the arm of the grey sofa opposite the door.\n\nEric sees that we've decided to join them for now and introduces us to the two others: his brother, Emmett, and his friend, Robert. Emmett looks a lot like Eric with his short blonde hair and dark blue eyes, but while his brother is well-built and has a clean complexion, Emmett is a lot thinner and has an unkempt look about him. Robert sports a thick black beard. He's weaing a lot of paramilitary gear, has sunglasses mounted on his head, and holds a shotgun on his lap. The only thing that doesn't match his commando-look is his beer-belly.\n\nEmmett looks at us with a raised eyebrow as if to examine our worthiness. "Are you guys here to help us get supplies?" he asks.\n\n"No freeloaders, you know?" adds Robert in an uninterested voice.\n\n<<display 'part40'>>

They both look at me, then they follow my worried glare toward the oncoming threat.\n\n"That'll have to do for now," Roy says as he finishes covering the wound. He helps Stanley back to his feet. "Do either of you have somewhere safe we can go?"\n\nI look across the street, across the cars and wreckage. The park. "My apartment," I say. "The building is just across the park!"\n\n"That's perfect," Roy says, supporting Stanley and preparing for the half-mile hike.\n\n[[(To Paramedic) "What about your ambulance?"|d08q]]\n[[(To Stanley) "Are you sure you can walk?"|d08w]]\n[[(To Both) "Let's go."|d08e]]

As my foot comes down one more time, its skull cracks and begins to ooze red. Stanley yells in a mix of agony and relief. I feel like I'm about to vomit, but can only manage a few dry-heaves. I haven't eaten in so long.\n\nSuddenly, a car door slams behind us. I turn to see a soot-covered paramedic exiting an ambulance, running toward us with a bag of medical supplies. His expression is simultaneously calm and urgent.\n\n"Here, sit down for a second," he says in a rushed tone. "I'll do what I can for that wound. Traffic isn't going anywhere anyway. Might as well try to do something useful." Stanley does as he is instructed, and the paramedic goes to work on his ankle.\n\nThen, Stanley seems to recognizes him. "Hold on a second. Roy?" he says, sounding pleasantly surprised. Hearing his name, the paramedic looks up at Stanley's face.\n\n"Mr. Ronnisi?" he responds.\n\nStanley chuckles shortly. "No need for formalities, boy. 'Stanley' will do. How've you been?"\n\n"Just fine," he replies, hollowly, hurriedly doing what he can for Stanley's ankle as the sounds of car alarms, fires, and [[pained groans|part22]] fill the air.

<<set $Gordon = "You told Eric to shoot and assailant.">>"Shoot him Eric," I gasp as the man's grip tightens. "Shoot him, now!"\n\n<<display 'part52'>>

Its jaw finally releases. Its movements become slower as -- I suppose -- it dies. [[One more blow|part21]] should do it, I think.

<<set $Gordon = "You told Eric to drop the gun.">>"Drop the gun, Eric," I gasp. "Do what he says."\n\n<<display 'part52'>>

"They're lucky to have you," I say.\n\n"Still," Roy adds, "you can't keep them away from this forever. You might be able to control what they see to some extent, but eventually they'll have to deal with something you didn't plan for."\n\n"Right," Eric mutters, almost to himself.\n\n<<display 'part48'>>

<<set $d13e = true>><<set $d13 = $d13 + 1>>"Why did you stop the elevator?" I ask.\n\n"It's been pretty quiet for a while," the girl says. "I heard the elevator moving and figured it could have been someone who could help us."\n\n"That's quite the gamble," Roy says. "Could've been a wandering corpse, or someone looking to take what you have."\n\nThe two strangers look at each other, then the guy looks back at Roy. "Yeah, well, we'll remember that," he says. It sounds like he's speaking more to his friend than to us.\n\n<<if $d13 eq 3>><<display 'part35'>><<else>><<display 'part34'>><<endif>>

"You won't be able to shelter them forever," I say. "They'll need to learn to take care of themselves."\n\n"She's right," Roy says. "You might be able to control what they see to some extent, but eventually they'll have to deal with something you didn't plan for."\n\n"Right," Eric mutters, almost to himself.\n\n<<display 'part48'>>

<<set $d03a = true>><<set $d03 = $d03 + 1>>I grab my coat and pull it on. It'll be cold out on a mid-November night.\n\n<<if $d03 lt 3>><<display 'part04'>><<else>><<display 'part05'>><<endif>>

Pained groans?\n\nI turn toward the hospital in the distance. Those things -- those walking corpses -- are spilling out of every connecting street and flooding the main road. As far as I can tell, there are hundreds of them. I don't doubt that they were after the crowds that had been trying to escape the city, but now they're headed right for us. I turn to Stanley and Roy.\n\n[["They're coming!"|d07q]]\n[["We need to get out of here!"|d07w]]\n[["GUYS!"|d07e]]\n

<<set $d03c = true>><<set $d03 = $d03 + 1>>I grab my bag. It doesn't really have anything useful in it, save for my cell-phone charger.\n\n<<if $d03 lt 3>><<display 'part04'>><<else>><<display 'part05'>><<endif>>

<<set $d03b = true>><<set $d03 = $d03 + 1>>I grab my phone. No reception, as usual, and almost dead. I look at the time and date. Have I really been asleep that long?\n\n<<if $d03 lt 3>><<display 'part04'>><<else>><<display 'part05'>><<endif>>

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__Chapter 3: The Park__\n\n<<if $choice1 eq "path">><<display 'part26a'>><<endif>><<if $choice1 eq "woods">><<display 'part26b'>><<endif>>

<<set $choice1 = "no">>"So, Kerry, this is Roy," Stanley announces as we start working our way across the densely packed road. "He's the guy that picked me up after my accident last week."\n\nRoy smiles. "I thought I told you to take it easy, by the way. What the hell are you doing at work?"\n\n"This is Kerry," Stanley continues, grinning as he evades Roy's question. "She works in my building here."\n\n"Nice to meet you," Roy says.\n\nWe emerge in front of the park. The corpses are getting closer. To the right, I see the dirt path that I usually take through the park. It has three straggling corpses already wandering along it. I doubt that we could outmaneuver them on the thin path, but I could probably take them on with my <<print $weapon>>. Alternatively, to the left, there's the wooded part of the park. I can't see any corpses in there, but there's plenty of brush and trees to get in any pursuer's way, so we could avoid them if we spot any.\n\n"Which way?" Roy asks, seeing both options. "The [[path|c1a]] or the [[woods|c1b]]?"

<<set $d13q = true>><<set $d13 = $d13 + 1>>"Who are you people?" I ask.\n\nThe two of them look at each other, then back to me. The elevator door begins to shut, but Roy's foot is in the way. It beeps with disapproval and rolls open again.\n\n"I'm Eric," the German guy says. He motions to the girl beside him. "This is Alexia. We were with our friends on our way out of the city, then this all started. Traffic pretty much stopped cold, so we figured we ought to find somewhere to hunker down. Wait this all out, you know? This was the first place we found." He looks at Roy and Stanley, then back to me. "Can I ask who you are?"\n\n"I'm Kerry," I reply. "This is Roy and Stanley. I live in the building. We were trying to get to my apartment. I guess we had the same idea. Wait it out."\n\nEric smiles. "Great minds think alike, I guess," he says.\n\n<<if $d13 eq 3>><<display 'part35'>><<else>><<display 'part34'>><<endif>>

"That's probably best for now," I say. "They don't really look too capable."\n\n"I don't know," Roy says. "The way I see it, you might be able to control what they see to some extent, but eventually they'll have to deal with something you didn't plan for."\n\n"Right," Eric mutters, almost to himself.\n\n<<display 'part48'>>

<<set $d13w = true>><<set $d13 = $d13 + 1>>"Is it safe here?" I ask.\n\nThe man looks down the hallway and points at the stairway door at the end. I peek out of the elevator to see the barricade he's built against it. It looks solid.\n\n"When we found that this floor had been abandoned, I spent an hour or so moving all that furniture from all the open rooms," he says. That explains the sweat staining his t-shirt. "There's that barricade there, then the one on the other side. Both stairways are shut tight. Only ways up or down now are the elevator and the fire escape."\n\n"After that was done," the girl continues, "we did one more sweep of the rest of the rooms and got rid of any dead that were still walking."\n\n"Damn," Stanley says, "you people are pretty efficient!"\n\n<<if $d13 eq 3>><<display 'part35'>><<else>><<display 'part34'>><<endif>>

I duck. He fires. I feel the bullet flying over me just before it hits a corpse right in the head, sending it flying backward. I hadn't seen it sneaking up on me. I stand and look back up to Robert, speechless.\n\n"Nice moves, Princess!" he yells as he picks off a few more shambling corpses from the window. How is he that accurate? Finally, a hollow click signals the last of his ammo. "Get up here before more show up! Electricity's out so the elevator's not working. You'll have to use the fire-escape to--" he turns to see something in the room behind him. "Shit! How're you still--"\n\nSuddenly he's gone, the gun falling from the window and hitting the ground with a metallic clank. Something's wrong up there. I run over to the alleyway with the fire-escape to find the lowest ladder still folded up. It looks just loose enough to be reached if we [[jump|part56]].

"They're coming!" I yell as loud as I can.\n\n<<display 'part23'>>

I drop the <<print $weapon>> and retrieve the axe.\n\n"Kim?" yells Dan from the path. "Kim, are you okay?" Now I hear //him// start marching down the hill. Surprisingly, he's less graceful than his friend, and ends up toppling down the steep incline. The lands next to me and Roy, still clutching his hunting rifle. Seeing his dead friend beside him and me holding his axe, his eyes go wild and he rushes to his feet. He aims at me. Roy's hands have grabbed my arms, about to throw me out of the way.\n\n"I'll kill you," he mutters through gritted teeth. "I'll--"\n\nStanley fires from behind and Dan drops the rifle, clutches his stomach, and falls to the ground, writhing in pain.\n\nI stand up. I find that I'm shaking uncontrollably. I've never had a gun pointed at me before. Roy runs over to Stanley and helps him to his feet, then the two of them rejoin me.\n\n<<if $d10 eq "Stanley">>"Thank you, Kerry," Stanley starts. I turn to face him, not expecting any gratitude. I'd pointed Kim at him as an attempted distraction. Was he actually okay with that? "I'm just glad you didn't take any stupid risks for my sake," he clarifies.\n\nRoy looks at me and feigns a grin, but I can see right through it. While Stanley is glad that I wasn't reckless, Roy is disappointed that I pointed the finger at the security guard who'd saved my life.<<else>>"You shouldn't have put yourself on the line like that, Kerry," Stanley says, almost scoldingly.\n\n"It was reckless," Roy agrees, although he's grinning, "but I'm glad I stuck with you guys."\n\nI smile back, and I realize just how long it's been since I've smiled. I guess Roy's happy that I kept Kim from paying attention to Stanley, but the security guard seems too worried for us to appreciate it.<<endif>>\n\nRoy takes a moment to bend down and pick up Dan's rifle. He checks to see that it still has a few rounds left, then slings it over his shoulder with the strap. Then he repositions Stanley to keep balanced and prepares to continue through the woods. I look down at the still-writhing Dan. His blood is black.\n\n"He's been hit in the liver," Roy explains, seeing the blood. "He only has a few minutes left."\n\n"Should we finish him off?" Stanley asks.\n\n[["Don't waste the bullet."|d11bq]]\n[["That's not our place."|d11bw]]\n[["Yes. We shouldn't let him suffer."|d11be]]\n

<<set $weapon = "axe">>I pick up the axe.\n\n<<if $d10 eq "Stanley">>"Thank you, Kerry," Stanley starts. I turn to face him, not expecting any gratitude. I'd pointed Dan at him as an attempted distraction. Was he actually okay with that? "I'm just glad you didn't take any stupid risks for my sake," he clarifies.\n\nRoy looks at me and feigns a grin, but I can see right through it. While Stanley is glad that I wasn't reckless, Roy is disappointed that I pointed the finger at the security guard who'd saved my life.<<else>>"You shouldn't have put yourself on the line like that, Kerry," Stanley says, almost scoldingly.\n\n"It was reckless," Roy agrees, although he's grinning, "but I'm glad I stuck with you guys."\n\nI smile back, and I realize just how long it's been since I've smiled. I guess Roy's happy that I kept Dan from paying attention to Stanley, but the security guard seems too worried for us to appreciate it.<<endif>>\n\nRoy picks up Dan's rifle, checks to see that it has a few rounds left, and slings it over his shoulder with the strap. Then he walks over to Stanley and repositions him to keep balanced as we prepare to continue along the path. I look down at the still-writhing Kim. His blood is black.\n\n"He's been hit in the liver," Roy explains, seeing the blood. "He only has a few minutes left."\n\n"Should we finish him off?" Stanley asks.\n\n[["Don't waste the bullet."|d11aq]]\n[["That's not our place."|d11aw]]\n[["Yes. We shouldn't let him suffer."|d11ae]]\n

"It's us, Robert!" I yell, but he still doesn't respond. He fires. I feel the bullet flying over me just before it hits a corpse right in the head, sending it flying backward. I hadn't seen it sneaking up on me. I look back up to Robert, speechless.\n\n"I'm not blind, Princess!" he yells back as he picks off a few more shambling corpses from the window. How is he that accurate? Finally, a hollow click signals the last of his ammo. "Get up here before more show up! Electricity's out so the elevator's not working. You'll have to use the fire-escape to--" he turns to see something in the room behind him. "Shit! How're you still--"\n\nSuddenly he's gone, the gun falling from the window and hitting the ground with a metallic clank. Something's wrong up there. I run over to the alleyway with the fire-escape to find the lowest ladder still folded up. It looks just loose enough to be reached if we [[jump|part56]].

<<set $d22rc = true>><<set $TalkRobert = $TalkRobert + 1>>"Do you have any family?" I ask.\n\nHe makes a low, humming sound as he considers how to answer. "Not really," he finally says. "I had my aunt and uncle, but they didn't last long. They both had medical conditions that we weren't ready to deal with."\n\n"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."\n\n"Don't be," he says. "Shit happens." A few seconds of awkward silence pass before he adds, "I'm sorry about the scuffle with your friend there. I've just been through enough shit for one day, you know? I'm sure he has, too."\n\n<<if $TalkRobert lt 3>><<display 'd22r'>><<else>><<display 'd22rd'>><<endif>>

<<set $d22rb = true>><<set $TalkRobert = $TalkRobert + 1>>"You said you've helped these guys tonight?"\n\n"Yup," he sighs. "Their car broke down in my neighborhood, but they weren't prepared to handle the dead that were parading the place. I had to leave my house to help them, and when I got back, I found it was overrun. As a last resort, I lead the retreat toward the city. Of course, the military had already failed to secure the city's perimeter by the time we arrived, so we were forced to find a place we could easily fortify while waiting for a secondary evac."\n\n"You sound like you distrust the military," I say.\n\nHe huffs loudly. "I got shot during my first tour. Healed just fine, but they didn't think so. Got 'relieved from duty'."\n\n<<if $TalkRobert lt 3>><<display 'd22r'>><<else>><<display 'd22rd'>><<endif>>

<<set $d22ra = true>><<set $TalkRobert = $TalkRobert + 1>>"So, what do you do around here?"\n\n"Me?" he asks, then he smirks. "I'm the babysitter." He's still gripping his shotgun on his lap.\n\n"That's a nice gun," I say. "Does it work?"\n\nHe laughs. "Of course it does, Princess! Why would I be carrying a gun that doesn't work?"\n\n"Can you shoot?"\n\n"Of course I can shoot."\n\n"Then why won't you come on the supply run with us?"\n\nHe eyes me and recites his excuse. "I've already saved these assholes once tonight. I don't think I should have to do it again. Besides, I'm out of shells."\n\n"We have other guns."\n\n"I'm sorry. Not happening, Princess."\n\n<<if $TalkRobert lt 3>><<display 'd22r'>><<else>><<display 'd22rd'>><<endif>>

<<set $yellAt = "Robert">>"Back off, Robert!" I yell. He looks at me, the fury still burning in his eyes.\n\n"Better get control o' your girl, Roy," Robert sneers. This seems to set Roy off, but I step between him and Robert before he does something he can't fix.\n\n[["He's not worth it."|d20q]]\n[["Worry about him later."|d20w]]\n[["Please, calm down."|d20e]]

He looks back to his gun. I think I've overstayed my welcome.\n\n"I'll leave you to it, then," I tell him as I move away.\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

<<set $d14 = false>>"It's not really any of your business," I answer.\n\nAlexia seems a bit surprised at my lack of trust, <<if $d09 eq true>>but I've already come close to endangering us once by giving out information like that. I don't plan on doing it again<<else>>but I'm not exactly in a trusting mood, today<<endif>>.\n\n"That's fine," Eric says. "It's obvious you guys were headed further up, so be careful, alright? It got really bad near the top."\n\n<<display 'part36'>>

<<if $d22wa eq false>>[["So, what do you do around here?"|d22wa]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22wb eq false>>[["Does that phone still work?"|d22wb]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22wc eq false>>[["Do you have any family?"|d22wc]]<<endif>>\n[[(Back)|part45]]

<<if $d22qa eq false>>[["You seem like you've been doing all the work for these guys."|d22qa]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22qb eq false>>[["Sorry for causing you all this trouble."|d22qb]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22qc eq false>>[["Do you have any family?"|d22qc]]<<endif>>\n[[(Back)|part45]]

<<if $d22ra eq false>>[["So, what do you do around here?"|d22ra]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22rb eq false>>[["You said you've helped these guys tonight?"|d22rb]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22rc eq false>>[["Do you have any family?"|d22rc]]<<endif>>\n[[(Back)|part45]]

"Worry about him later," I tell him, trying to pull his attention away from Robert.\n\n"'Later'?" Robert yells in protest. "Princess, if he keeps on like this, there's not gonna //be// a 'later'." I don't know exactly what he's implying -- and the pompous delivery of the threat makes me think he doesn't either -- but it bothers me anyway. It infuriates Roy, though it seems anything would at this point. He could push right past me any second if he wanted to, but he doesn't.\n\n"Come on," I whisper, trying not to be heard by Robert, whose mocking only makes the situation worse.\n\n<<display 'part43'>>

"Yup," I reply, yawning. "I didn't know you were already back from the hospital?"\n\n"Oh!" he smiles, this time more genuinely. "I didn't think anyone would've noticed me missing."\n\n"From here or the hospital?" I jokingly ask. "Did you sneak out?"\n\nStanley laughs at the thought. "Nah, it was just a little fall is all. I was just fine, to be honest, but someone called an ambulance, then the paramedic insisted that I let the doctors check for a concussion." His face becomes more serious as he notices the bags under my eyes. "You look like you've been here since I left."\n\n"Almost," I tell him with a guilty grin. "Just the last couple days."\n\n"Days?" he says, surprised. "You best be sure you sleep sometime before Christmas, you hear?" He looks both ways outside my office, as if checking for eavesdroppers. "I won't tell that Greggin woman if you catch some Z's tonight, alright? I'd hate to see a young kid like you kill herself over some project." He winks and pulls my office door shut behind him as he continues making his rounds. I lean back and lock it.\n\n<<display 'part02'>>

"Ugh," I moan. "Don't remind me."\n\nHe chuckles again. "Nah, I figure the moon'll do enough remindin' for you." He motions toward the small window on the wall. He's right. I can see the full, bright circle staring at me. Just the sight is making me lose my grip on consciousness. "How long've you been up, exactly?" he asks.\n\n"I don't know. A couple days?" I tell him.\n\n"Days?" he says, surprised. "You best be sure you sleep sometime before Christmas, you hear?" He looks both ways outside my office, as if checking for eavesdroppers. "I won't tell that Greggin woman if you catch some Z's tonight, alright? I'd hate to see a young kid like you kill herself over some project." He winks and pulls my office door shut behind him as he continues making his rounds. I lean back and lock it.\n\n<<display 'part02'>>

"Why do you care, Stanley?" I snap. I'm really not in the mood for this.\n\nHe puts his hands up, feigning surrender. "Woah, calm down, honey! I just gotta know if I'm locking your office or not."\n\n"You're not. I got it." I lean back in my chair, turn the lock on the door, and throw it shut in his face.\n\n"Just be sure to sleep sometime before Christmas, you hear?" I hear him yell through the thick wooden door before lumbering off.\n\n<<display 'part02'>>

<<if $d22ea eq false>>[["So, what do you do around here?"|d22ea]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22eb eq false>>[["Where were you before all this?"|d22eb]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d22ec eq false>>[["Do you have any family?"|d22ec]]<<endif>>\n[[(Back)|part45]]

<<set $d14 = false>>"Why does it matter?" I ask in reply.\n\n"Uh, no reason, I guess," Alexia says. She seems a bit surprised at my lack of trust, <<if $d09 eq true>>but I've already come close to endangering us once by giving out information like that. I don't plan on doing it again<<else>>but I'm not exactly in a trusting mood, today<<endif>>.\n\n"That's fine," Eric says. "It's obvious you guys were headed further up, so be careful, alright? It got really bad near the top."\n\n<<display 'part36'>>

<<set $d14 = true>>"The tenth floor," I answer.\n\nRoy looks at me with a "why'd you tell them that?" expression, then he looks back to them, awaiting their response. <<if $d09 eq true>>I suppose that's the second time I've potentially put us in danger by sharing information, but what harm could it do here?<<else>>I guess I should have kept my mouth shut like before, in the park.<<endif>>\n\n"The tenth, huh?" Eric ponders. "That's not good."\n\n<<display 'part36'>>

I jump as high as I can, but I can't reach it.\n\n"Let me try," Eric says. He's the tallest of us. He jumps, his hand missing the ladder by inches on the first try, but he grabs it on the second hop and pulls it down. He immediately climbs up and starts running to the fourth floor.\n\n"Hold on a second!" Roy calls after him, but he doesn't listen. I climb up next, but before Roy can follow, a few corpses appear from further down the alley. Roy sees them and knows he won't be able to climb up before they reach him.\n\n"Help them until I get rid of these guys!" he yells as he starts running. They follow him out of sight and I look up, seeing Eric ducking into a window to the fourth floor. I clutch my axe tight and start running up the metal steps after him, then climb [[into the window|part57]].

<<if $d13q eq false>>[["Who are you people?"|d13q]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d13w eq false>>[["Is it safe here?"|d13w]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d13e eq false>>[["Why did you stop the elevator?"|d13e]]<<endif>>\n<<if $d13 eq 3>><<display 'part35'>><<endif>>

__Chapter 7: The Room__\n\nWe arrive at the base of the apartments within minutes, but unlike when we left, the street lights are out. Only the faraway blazes still engulfing parts of the city light our way do the doors. Before we can enter, one of the fourth floor windows opens. It's not apartment 489's window, but Robert's head pokes out of it.\n\n[["Is everything okay?"|d29q]]\n[["How is Stanley?"|d29w]]\n[["We'll be up in a second!"|d29e]]

He doesn't respond. He just pulls out the rifle we'd gotten in the park and aims it right at me.\n\n[["What are you doing?"|d30q]]\n[["It's us, Robert!"|d30w]]\n[[(Duck)|d30e]]

But Eric just stands there, holding the gun up at us. He won't drop it, but he won't shoot. It's as if he's afraid he'll miss at just a few feet away. As if he //knows// he'll miss. Hold on. Is he squinting?\n\n"You asked for it," the man hisses into my ear. "Say--"\n\n"Enough!" booms another voice from behind.\n\nMy captor releases me immediately and I fall forward, gasping for air. I look behind me to see two men. The one who'd been holding me has dark brown skin and stands at least a foot taller than Eric. The one who'd commanded him to stop has lighter brown skin and a short black beard.\n\n"Now," says the second man, the one in command. "Will you please let my friend go?"\n\nRoy considers for a second, then, with a slow sigh, lets the man go. He stumbles forward and catches his breath, then, rubbing his throat, he starts walking away from us to avoid further harm.\n\n"Then, no harm done, right?" the leader grumbles. "We don't want any trouble."\n\n[["We don't either."|d28q]]\n[["Coulda fooled me."|d28w]]\n[["Who are you people?"|d28e]]

He motions to himself and his friend. "I'm Aaron. This is Gordan." He points past aisle 1 to the open area where the produce is... or was. We see the man Roy had been holding, still rubbing his throat. "That's--"\n\nBut then the man's panicked scream cuts Aaron off. A corpse has shambled out from behind one of the displays. Before any of us can react, it's lunged at the man who's first instinct is to push it away, but as he extends his arms to do so, one of his hands slips into the corpse's mouth, which closes tight, piercing his skin and causing the bones to crackle. Blood pours from the wound as the man draws his gun with his other hand and fires twice into the thing's brain. He continues to scream in pain as the corpse drops to the floor.\n\n"Tony," Aaron mutters as he looks at the man. "Oh, no."\n\nWe watch as the man -- Tony -- begins crying. He has every right to, I suppose. His hand was almost bitten off. But then he raises the gun once more. Is the corpse still alive? No. He sticks the barrel into his own mouth and pulls the trigger, sending parts of his brain and skull out the back of his head.\n\n"What the hell?" Roy cries out. "Why would he do that? I'm a medic. I could've helped him!"\n\n"Because," Aaron says with sadness in his voice, "the bite is a death-sentence."\n\n"A 'death-sentence'?" Eric repeats, confused.\n\n"It poisons you... brings you back when you die," Gordon adds. "The only cure is an injection." He taps his forehead and smiles. "A lead injection."\n\n"The bite kills?" Roy mutters, almost to himself. Then he looks up with a look of utter terror. "Stanley!"\n\nEric turns to him and immediately understands. "They're in the room with him. We have to go, now!"\n\nWe grab our things and [[run out of the grocery store|part54]], leaving Aaron and Gordan to mourn for their friend.

"Damn it," Roy says as we watch Eric vanish into the chaos within. "Now what?"\n\n[["To hell with him."|d26q]]\n[["We can't let him go alone."|d26w]]\n[["We need the food. Come on."|d26e]]

There are even more people in the store than I had originally seen from outside. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to catch Eric dashing into aisle 2: canned goods.\n\n"There!" I yell to Roy. We start after him, but as we round the shelves to enter aisle 2, Roy stops and pushes me back to aisle 3. He puts his finger the his lips and points toward a man holding Eric at gunpoint by the canned foods in the next aisle over.\n\n"We need to help him," Roy says in a low voice. I can barely hear him over the commotion around us. "Take your axe and the gun and go down aisle 3. I'll head down aisle 1 and we'll surround him." He hands me the gun, which I tuck into my coat, and then he quickly runs past the end of aisle 2, not drawing the man's attention. He nods to me, and we both start sneaking down our respective aisles. I pass by bread, peanut butter, condiments, and finally arrive at the end of aisle 3. I peek out toward the man. He's got his back to me, standing a few steps into aisle 2, still pointing his gun at Eric.\n\nI finally see Roy peeking out of the end of aisle 1. He locks eyes with me and puts up his hand, motioning to himself, then to the man. He's going to try grabbing him. He makes a gun with his figures and pulls it from an imaginary jacket. I understand. I place the axe against the shelves as carefully as I can, then grab the gun from my coat. I'll be plan B. He lifts three fingers: a countdown.\n\nThree, two, one...\n\nRoy jumps out from his aisle and grabs the man around the neck with one arm, his other arm extending to immobilize the man's gun. As the man twists to try to loosen Roy's grip, I ready the gun in case he manages to escape, but suddenly, two hands grab me from behind, locking me in the same hold that Roy has on his captive: one arm around my neck, the other bending my shooting arm, but unlike Roy's captive, my arm gives way and I drop the weapon. Eric, who's still standing by the canned goods, picks it up as it slides over to him. He aims it at my captor.\n\n"Drop it," says the man holding me when he sees Eric lifting the gun. "Drop it, or the girl dies right here. And you," -- I assume he's talking to Roy now -- "drop my pal."\n\n"You first," Roy says, not letting go.\n\nNobody moves. It's a stalemate.\n\n[["Shoot him, Eric."|d27q]]\n[["Drop the gun, Eric."|d27w]]

<<set $store = "You avoided taking sides.">>"I'm not getting into this," I tell them. "You guys decide."\n\n"Gee, thanks for the help," Eric huffs. But before Roy or I can respond, he's already darted into the grocery store.\n\n<<display 'part50'>>

"What do you mean?" Stanley asks, coughing.\n\n"I think everyone had this idea that, the higher they climbed, the safer they'd be," he says. "Just about everyone in the building raced to the rooms on the tenth, some occupying rooms that had already been vacated, and some invading the ones that hadn't. Lots of violence broke out, and the dead showed up during the chaos, which ended up spreading to the ninth and eighth floors pretty quick." He points to the ceiling above him. "You can even hear some stragglers pacing around up there on the fifth."\n\n"We're just lucky we sectioned this floor off when we did," Alexia adds. She keeps talking but I've stopped listening. What Eric said. The whole tenth floor. It's all gone? Lost to the dead? I think about all my possessions, everything I've worked for in the few years since college, all strewn about in a sea of corpses. My room torn to shreads. Nothing left to call "home".\n\nMaybe I could go up there and fight my way to my room, I think. Maybe I could...\n\nBut then I realize something. Something that I'm sure has been in the back of my mind for some time now: I don't have anything worth fighting //for//. There's nothing in my room that I can't live without, and definitely nothing worth risking my life for. Was that seriously all my life could be boiled down to? A room with nothing worth keeping?\n\n"Listen," Eric sighs, pulling me out of my thoughts. "<<if $d14 eq true>>I think we got off to a bad start, but it seems like you guys are okay.<<else>>I understand that you don't trust us, but I think we can chalk all that up to a bad start, right?<<endif>> We have some friends in apartment 489 over here. We were planning a supply run before we heard the elevator. Maybe you could stick around and help. Obviously we'd share the spoils."\n\n[["That sounds alright."|d15q]]\n[["How do we know we can trust you?"|d15w]]\n[["No deal."|d15e]]

__Chapter 8: Rotten Night__\n\n<<silently>>\n<<set $d32w = false>>\n<<set $d32e = false>>\n<<endsilently>>It's late. Roy's taking care of the bodies tonight. He wouldn't let me help him. Told me I should rest after what I'd been through. Haven't we all been through this by now, though? Why did he have to damn me to lie curled up on a bed, in the dark, alone with my thoughts?\n\nWe didn't get much food from the store, except for the half-bag of canned goods that Eric managed to collect before being held up. It won't last long, so I guess that means another supply run soon.\n\nEmmett hasn't spoken much. I can't blame him. He just watched people die in front of him<<if $choice2 eq "Robert">>, and one of them was his brother<<endif>>. I keep wondering if we even had a chance of saving Alexia, but a voice in my head keeps trying to push the thought away. <<if $choice2 eq "Eric">>I feel terrible about Robert. It was a sad death for a sad man. Then there's Eric, he's been awfully quiet, too. I think he understands that someone else died as a result of him living. That's got to a pretty sobering reality.<<else>>I feel terrible about Eric. It was a sad death for a good man. Robert's been keeping quiet all night, too, though there's a maturity in his eyes that wasn't there before. I think he understands that someone else died as a result of him living. That's got to be a pretty sobering reality.<<endif>>\n\nAnd then there's Stanley. Could he have been saved. Could I have done something differently back at the office to stop him from getting bitten in the first place? Without him, I would be dead right now, an oblivious pile of scraps in an unlocked office. Without him I wouldn't have found Roy, or even Eric's crew, probably. Would they have been better off without us? Would Stanley have been better off without me?\n\nI scream into my pillow as the guilty thoughts pollute my mind. I can't get them to leave me alone long enough for sleep to take me to dreamland. Honestly, nightmares would be just fine, too. Anything that isn't reality. Just for a little while.\n\nBut then, there's a buzz.\n\nMy head pops up and scans the room. The sound does not return, and I don't see anything moving. <<display 'part59'>>

My [[coat|d32q]] lies on the floor, my <<if $d32w eq false>>[[bag|d32w]]<<else>>bag<<endif>> sits next to the beside table, and the <<if $d32e eq false>>[[axe|d32e]]<<else>>axe<<endif>> stands against the wall.

<<set $choice2 = "Eric">>For reasons I don't think I'm fully conscious of, I choose to run into apartment 489 and pull the pale hands of Alexia's corpse off of Eric. He rolls away from her, unscathed, and I hear the sound of Robert screaming in pain as my choice takes its toll. Trying to ignore his cries, I swing the axe, plunging it into Alexia's face. She stops moving. Robert stops crying. Emmett starts whimpering.\n\n"Kerry!" I hear from the hall. Roy emerges in the doorway. He looks in and sees me, covered in blood, just about ready to collapse. His eyes look so innocent as he forces himself to ask, "Where's Stanley?"\n\nI can't even bring myself to answer. He looks down the hall to see what I can only imagine is a terrifying, gruesome sight, then he just stands there. Completely motionless for what feels like forever. Then, he pulls out the gun -- Stanley's gun. He walks out of sight. Two gunshots echo through the fourth floor, marking the beginning of a [[terrible night|part58]].

Roy relaxes a bit. Alexia looks at the gun still gripped tightly in his hands.\n\n"Could I have that back?" she asks.\n\nHe looks at her for a moment, then bends down to retrieve Stanley's gun before returning hers, safety-locked. She takes it and follows Eric back to apartment 489.\n\nWhen he thinks they're out of earshot, Stanley whispers -- or rather, wheezes -- from behind, "I say we give 'em a chance."\n\nRoy looks at him hard. "Did you forget what happened in the park with those two crazy people? How do we know these guys aren't the same?"\n\n"For starters, they aren't demanding all our shit," Stanley says, very plainly. "They're inviting us to stay with them in a fortified environment and to have a chance to get some food in us when they go for supplies." He and Roy look at me, now. Their eyes are asking for my opinion.\n\n[["I'm with Stanley. We trust them for now."|d16q]]\n[["I'm with Roy. They could be dangerous."|d16w]]

"To hell with him," I say. "If he has a death wish, we shouldn't interrupt."\n\n"Nicely said," Roy laughs, "but his friends might not like it if we come back without him." He motions for me to follow, and, resentfully, I join him [[through the grocery store doors|part51]].

<<set $choice2 = "Robert">>For reasons I don't think I'm fully conscious of, I choose to run past apartment 489, down the hall toward Stanley and Robert. I raise the axe and plunge it into Stanley's skull. He falls, freeing Robert, and I hear the sound of Eric screaming in pain as my choice takes its toll. Trying to ignore his cries, I pull the axe out of the corpse's head and swing again, and again, and again. I don't want to see Stanley's face. I don't want to see his familiar features perverted by whatever he's become. I don't want him to be recognizable at all. I don't...\n\n"Kerry!" I hear from behind. I turn to see Roy. He looks at me. Sees me, covered in blood, just about ready to collapse. His eyes look so innocent as he looks down at the body I'm standing over.\n\nNo one says a word. What is there to say? Roy looks into apartment 489 beside him to see what I can only imagine is a terrifying, gruesome sight. With nothing else left to do, he pulls out the gun -- Stanley's gun. He walks into the room. Emmett starts to whimper as two gunshots echo through the fourth floor, marking the beginning of a [[terrible night|part58]].

<<set $store = "You voted to loot the pet store.">>"Roy's right," I tell Eric. "We should try the pet store. It'll be safer than--"\n\n"Forget it," Eric huffs, and before either of us can stop him, he's darted into the grocery store.\n\n<<display 'part50'>>

Eric looks like the sort who has a lot to think about.\n\n"I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing," I say.\n \n"Sure," he leans back against the wall. "Just let me know when you guys want to go for the supplies."\n\n<<display 'part45'>>

<<set $d22qb = true>><<set $TalkEric = $TalkEric + 1>>"Sorry for causing you all this trouble," I say.\n\n"Don't be," he says, smiling. "It's been too long since we've seen anyone other than us and the dead. Temper or not, I'm just glad to have people to help us out."\n\nI hear my stomach growl. "Yeah, I haven't eaten in a while," I confess. "I'm looking forward to getting something while we're out."\n\n<<if $TalkEric lt 3>><<display 'd22q'>><<else>><<display 'd22qd'>><<endif>>

<<set $d22qc = true>><<set $TalkEric = $TalkEric + 1>>"Do you have any family?" I ask.\n\nHe looks a bit surprised at the question, but ready to answer anyway. "Emmett's my younger brother," he says. "He's been going to college up north for a while. He came to visit me for Thanksgiving break. Arrived just before the dead, thank God. My parents live on the other side of the country, on the East Coast. They were working at a hospital when everything started, so I'm gonna bet they didn't make it." He looks over at Emmett, who hasn't heard him. "Don't tell Emmett. I don't think he's considered it yet."\n\nI nod. "Alright."\n\n<<if $TalkEric lt 3>><<display 'd22q'>><<else>><<display 'd22qd'>><<endif>>

<<set $store = "You voted to loot the grocery store.">>"Eric's right," I tell Roy. "We should try the grocery store. How long is pet food going to sustain seven people?"\n\n"Thank you, Kerry," Eric says, and before Roy can argue, he's already darted into the grocery store.\n\n<<display 'part50'>>

<<set $d22qa = true>><<set $TalkEric = $TalkEric + 1>>"You seem like you've been doing all the work for these guys," I say.\n\nHe laughs softly, his eyes wandering around the room. "I can neither confirm nor deny that statement," he jokes. His smile fades. "In all seriousness, Robert helped us out of one hell of a jam earlier, but he lost a lot in the process. As for the others, I can't ask them to do much right now. I've always been good at powering through shit-storms, but it all sort of sticks to these guys."\n\n<<if $TalkEric lt 3>><<display 'd22q'>><<else>><<display 'd22qd'>><<endif>>