"We heard gunshots." Gabriel surveyed the area behind Cap and Alex. "What happened sir?"

Alexander took a step closer to Cap, like a shadow to its owner. His mind was still plagued by questions. Ever since the outbreak, the undead were predictable. After being infected, the virus would penetrate the body's natural defenses seamlessly.

From there, the infected would experience loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, high fever, and then their last moments would be filled with extremely violent hallucinations.

After death, they would return, completely transformed, husks of their former selves with but one desire; human flesh. They were slow beings, easily outsmarted. The problem arose in their numbers and from the beginning, they had that advantage.

The outbreak was sudden, way too sudden.

Cap stood firmly erected, the piece of leather still in his grip. He raised it to show the rest of his squad and parted his lips. "In any case, we shouldn't talk about this out in the open. We don't have that kind of luxury. Let's finish up here and get back to base," He paused momentarily and his eyes inspected the nearby fence that enclosed the farm. "They're definitely coming here after those shots."

Cap further instructed the team, leading them into the large farmhouse, grass green, and walnut brown in color, carefully inspecting the place before closing the doors behind them.

In the corner of the farmhouse, behind a small counter, two corpses laid rotting, telling a terrible truth, a doleful story. Alex's eyes widened at the sight, there was no doubt about it.

"This...this is horrible." He said, paralyzed by the thought of what had happened.

A small child, a girl, about five years of age, cuddled up closely under a woman. She held her tightly like if the world depended on it and staring Alex directly in the eye was a gun, enclosed in the woman's limp left hand.

The woman's face, now rotting away, still displayed a great sadness, a depression that could only be known to a mother; one that could only be brought about by the loss of a child.

A deep voice came from behind, startling him with the words it brought. Those words, abolishing any form of sympathy, commanded something that went against the human conscience.

"Take the gun."

Alexander rotated his body and raised his neck, staring into the face of the one called Cap. His breath hitched and his eyes searched desperately for any joke in the words but there was none.

Cap was serious.

"Take the gun Kane." Cap repeated, a thicker layer of seriousness this time.

"How can you just-" Alex started.

"You either own your emotions or they own you. Whatever happened here, happened. Leaving a gun behind just because your little heart is weak is stupid. So, take the gun." Cap interjected, turning his back to Alex and walking back over to the group that laid what they found onto a white towel on the floor.

"Update me on what you found." was the last thing he heard in the background before his mind drifted further and further away from reality.

Take the gun?

How can...

They...

Take the gun??? How on earth do I just take the gun? She had to kill her own daughter and then herself...how do I just take the gun? HOW?!

What if that was my family...mom...dad...G-

"Kane! Kane, we have to go!" a voice tugged him back to reality, Nathan waving his hand in the direction of the exit.

While Alexander had been in a dazed state, he didn't notice that Cap had retrieved the gun himself and that the group had taken note of what they had foraged. They now stood at the door ready to leave before more of the undead surrounded the outskirts of the farm.

After closing his eyes and shaking the thoughts from his mind, he jogged towards the others before they left through the door. Looking back at the bodies one last time, he swallowed the bolder in his throat and sighed. "I hope you're at peace," he muttered, closing behind him not only the door but also the devastating story of a hopeless family.

➽~➽

Alex sat quietly in the largest storehouse, awaiting the meeting to commence. Everyone that was apart of Cap's group was there, except for Olivia and the doctor who had been catering to her needs.

Chatter reverberated around the steel walls, the group within restlessly speculating the matter for such a meeting. Alex could hear their whispers about him and he knew they strongly believed the meeting was about their newcomer but he knew full well of the shocking news that would burden their minds in a few moments.

Cap walked to the front, his stride demanding their undivided attention. The chatter vanished instantly and all eyes glued to his enormous figure.

"Everyone, unfortunately, I have to be the bearer of bad news. On a supply run today, the newcomer Kane and I encountered an infected person. He was different though," these words caused an uproar, the group puzzled at his statement.

They turned to each other and spat countless questions as an uneasy feeling held them all captive. He raised his right hand and silence fell over the room.

"Shooting an infected in the head should kill them and negate the whole transition but it was useless against this one. Even more disturbing was its movement. Not the usual staggering, no, this one could run."

"That's impossible!" a blonde lady retorted, the fear grabbing at her throat.

"Yeah what the hell are you saying Cap? Zombies can't run can they?"

More voices went forth, all using doubt as a mechanism to tackle the fear that now dug deep into them and claimed home.

Alex could hear the trembling in their voices, the level of despair rising exponentially. Over the past three months, they had gotten accustomed to the slow stagger and dull movements of the undead.

They had become well versed in the killing of the infected and now something threatened to unroot everything they had learned and force them to reconsider what they thought to be impossible.

"Yes, I know it seems impossible," Cap started, raising his hand once again. "But this is the reality of the situation. The zombie population seems to be mutating so effective immediately, no one is allowed to leave the base. Is that clear?"

Alex's mind wandered off once again. He arose and walked away from the storehouse in the heat of the meeting, his feet heavy with each step. His heart felt void as he made his way towards the weapon's pile once again.

He could see her face; the deep indentation on both of her cheeks, the bright shine of her white teeth when she smiled. He could smell her favorite perfume, a soft lavender that floated around any room she entered.

Her laugh was atrocious, the thought of it made him chuckle slightly. Her snort and a catch for breath, tears running from her eyes. He always told her he would give her money to buy a new laugh and that would always make her die of even more laughter.

His hand brushed over his shoulder, the spot she would playfully punch every time she lost to him in his favorite game, 'Age of Warfare'. Her tender voice, uttering those words, the words he now heard like a broken record replaying in his head, that gentle "I'll beat you next round! Promise!" even though she had no real chance of victory.

He scrutinized every inch of the room, searching high and low and leaving no stone unturned. He had to find it. To fail her even after death was not acceptable.

The room was formerly used to account for and record all the contents of the storehouse, evident in the large logbook that listed everything that had been stored there over the past year. It was like a matchbox; all the weapons crammed into it but still had a sense of organization to them.

Alex probed the section where the knives were situated, scanning over them with careful precision but even so, he could not locate his only treasure.

Where is it? Come on please!

Where is it?? Why can't I find it?!

I just keep failing you huh?...

He raised his fist and slammed it into the wooden table that held the knives on display, grabbing his face tightly with his left hand, trying his best to hold back the tears that congregated, but they were too persistent.

A few knives jerked up, some falling behind the table, their stainless steel crying against the concrete.

His hand slid down his face and covered his mouth. He opened his eyes slowly and shook his head left to right, biting his lower lip under the veil of his hand. His hand then wiped against his eyes, cleaning away the salty tears as he lowered his body into a crouch.

Upon crouching, a smile played on his lips, his eyes averted the fallen knives and locked onto the one he had been searching for.

The handle was azure, her favorite color and so was the stainless steel blade. It was custom made just for her, 'G.L' engraved into the handle. On the blade was a logo; a small champagne glass with a rose inside of it. Under the logo was the name "Midnight Kiss", written in cursive, the restaurant she always dreamt of opening.

Alex caressed the logo, a cocktail of happiness and sorrow poured out over him.

His body bounced with a slight laugh.

"Midnight Kiss huh?"

➽Two Years Ago➽

The cold air of the night circled them, gracefully dancing against their skins. The moon was full, its glorious light shining down on them as they cuddled closely. They sat on the bareness of the earth, looking down at the city lights from the cliff they met on 8 months ago.

Her nest of golden hair rested on his shoulder, his hand wrapped around her body and drawing her closer. Her teeth beamed in the moonlight as she stared up at him, her knight in shining armor. She was finally his princess and him, her prince.

"Why are you staring at me?" Alex laughed, knocking her forehead with his in the most gentle way possible.

"Can't I stare at what's mine?" She replied, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Yeah you can babygirl." He said, turning to her and slanting his head to the right. His eyes were drawn in by hers. In them he found peace, he found a joy that no one else could ever offer.

He clasped her face with his left hand and drew closer to her lips.

"Can I k-"

Before he could finish his question, she bit her lip and pressed them against his. Time came to a complete standstill and a warmth flowed over them despite the cold midnight air. In that moment, everything was perfect and nothing mattered at all. Not tomorrow, not yesterday nor an hour from then. All was well with their world.

The moon showered their bodies with its luminance as their lips blessed each other with a feeling one could not simply describe.

They completed each other.

That first kiss.

That Midnight Kiss.