Socks POV:

I sat down on some crates. As I sighed, it sure gets boring keeping watch. I mean Jooice is also on watch but he fell asleep a while ago. Everyone else is sleeping in the back. I looked at the roof thinking of what life was like before this all happened. "Is it like this in other places?" I pondered. "What about ally? Tbvg... and oof are they all ok? I hope but I can't really talk to them.." I heard some low growls outside. "Great I should go deal with that" I got up and walked over to the door. I opened it and walked outside seeing the 2 walkers. "This isn't worth using any ammo" I thought pulling out my axe and chopping a zombies head, I then did the same with the other. "Alright I should get back inside." I thought feeling the cold air hit my skin. "It's becoming fall, soon it will be winter..." I thought walking inside. I closed the door behind me. The whole diner was quiet. I imagined what this diner would've looked like before this happened. Full of people, families, I just can't believe this all happened. I walked back to the crates and sat back down.

I thought about when this whole thing started. I was excited to have my friends come to my house, it was going to be perfect.

(Flash back)

I drove around town in the van I rented for this whole thing. "I really hope it won't be awkward between everyone." I said getting closer to the highway. I looked to my right and saw someone chasing someone, one seemed to be bleeding and a lot slower. I pulled out my phone and called the cops before driving away.

I arrived at the airport waiting for everyone to land. Once everyone did we drove off.

(End of flashback)

Maybe if I decided to do something when I saw that person getting chased. This wouldn't have happened. I sighed silently as my eye lids started getting heavy. I slowly drifted away to sleep.

(Blaza POV)

I slowly woke up to some sunlight in my eye. It was day now, and I seem to be the first up. I check around the cafe, inside and outside for any zombies. Which we are clear for now. I went back inside and checked our rations. We were low on water and food. I grabbed the empty bottles and went to fill them when. *eletrical noises* everything turned dark.

Laff woke up to the noise as I tried to turn on the tap. "Great... the power and water is off.."
I sighed looking at the group. Laff walked up to me. "Did the power box blow or something?" He said as I looked at him. "No... I think the water and power is out." I try to turn on the tap and no water comes out again. "Well... that means we are going to have to find another source of water..." laff said sighing. "We're also low on rations." I said. "Well it seems we're going to have to split up again." Laff said sighing.

(An hour later)
(Laff POV)

"Alright mates, we are out of power and water, and we are low on food." I said. "But luckily we have a plan!" Blaza said. "So we are going to have to split off into 3 groups, one for finding a generator at the hardware store, one for finding food, and another to find a source of water, also someone will have to stay here to watch the base." I said. "Well how do we decide who goes with who?" Muffin asked. "We choose I guess?" Blaza said looking over at me.

(After deciding)

"So it's settled, me and Nadwe will go look for a source of water, Jooice and muffin will go look for food, and socks and blaza will go find a generator, leaving Oompa here to watch the base." I said as everyone nodded in agreement. "Alright then, we should get going soon."

(Jooice POV)

I was getting ready to go when someone walked beside me, it was muffin. "You almost ready? Laff and Nadwe already left and socks and blaza are too." He said. "Yeah I'm just making sure I have everything. What about you? Do you have everything?" I asked as muffin checked his bag. "Yup I do" muffin said smiling, I picked up my bag and nodded, "let's go then." I said leaving the cafe as muffin followed behind.

(Nadwe POV)

I slowly walked towards the woods, me and laff both agreed that we would have a better chance of finding a river in the woods. Sure it's turning winter soon, we will hopefully be able to get enough water stored up to be good for winter. But if not, we can always break the ice and boil it. I thought to myself as we got closer to the woods. "Hey laff?" I said looking over at him. "Yeah Nadwe?" He responded. "Do you think, that ally, tbvg, and oof are still alive?" I asked as he thought for a minute. "It depends mate, by what it sounds like the virus is only here. But who knows it could've spread by now." Laff said which made me think. "Well I hope their still alive..." I said as laff nodded.

We continued walking further into the woods. Doing some small talk. Until we saw a river. "Ah yes water!" I whisper shouted. "We should make sure this is drinkable" laff said grabbing a bottle. Then proceeding to fill the water. "You got any glasses or anything?" Laff asked as I grabbed a glass bottle. "I got this." Laff proceeded to break the bottle, he used a chunk of glass to examine the water. Looking for any bugs or bacteria. "Seems pretty good." He took a small sip. "Tastes alright. May be best to boil it when we get back." Me and laff started filling all of our containers with water, until we were almost done. Some small growls came from the forest. We both set down the water we were gathering as we looked at the forest.

A few zombies walked out. "We can take them." I said grabbing my bat as laff grabbed my shoulder. "No we should go while we have the chance mate" he said as I nodded grabbing the water and walking off. Laff following behind me.

Socks POV)

Me and Blaza walked through the city, as smoke stacks and fire filled some areas. These people are getting worse than the zombies. I thought to myself still walking. I make sure I have my axe in hand, i don't want to use my gun cause it will attract people, or worse more of the undead. I look over to Blaza he seems worried. "Hey Blaza are you okay?" I ask quietly not wanting to attract zombies. "Yeah it's just, the hardware store is probably full or the undead, humans, or it has nothing left in it." Blaza said as I thought about it. "Yeah, let's just hope it's still the same."

We continued walking through the streets, a light rain started pouring. "We should hurry socks, it looks like a storm is coming..." Blaza said as I noticed the sky. "Yeah we should..." I said before starting to walk faster. Eventually the hardware store came into view. It seemed empty. But as we got closer it had windows boarded up, and lights were on, on the inside. "Looks like some people are here." I said looking inside, no one was there. "Maybe they are on a supply run?" Blaza asked. "Yeah... let's take this chance to get the generator." I said as Blaza nodded. We found a window with a weak board. We tore it off and climbed in and looked around for a generator.

We walked through the store. "This place is huge, but also yet a good base." Blaza said looking around as I nodded. "Must be a large group who cleared this..." I said looking around. "Socks I found the generator" Blaza said as I walked over to him. "We should've brought the car... now we have to carry this around." I said looking at the generator. But at that moment we heard a car pulling in. "Shit...
Blaza hide" I said running off to hide as Blaza did the same. A group of people walked in. "Alright we got some food and water, we should be set for a while." A female voice said. It sounded familiar but I decided to ignore it.

After 10 minutes another voice said. "Hey, guys the board on this window are gone, someone is here!" The other voice sorta whisper shouted. The group ran around the building. Until I heard someone infront of me. I held my breath as the crates I hid behind moved. I was prepared to get hurt when I heard. "Socks?" I look up to see TBVG. "Wait TBVG? Your alive!?" I said jolting up and hugging him. I felt his arms form around my back. As ally and oof walked over. "Socks!? Your alive?" Ally asked in a state of shock. Oof just stood there mouth open, not able to say anything. Blaza recognizing the voices walked out of his cover and when he saw them he ran in for a hug. "YOU GUYS ARE ALIVE!" Blaza said tears filling his eyes.

Blaza POV:

My eyes were full of tears but I didn't care as I hugged oof. He flinched but hugged back. After that I wiped my eyes. "Geez Blaza never knew you would've missed me that much" oof said looking at me. "When did you guys get here!?" Socks asked looking at the group. "Around a week ago, when we heard on the news about the nuke and supply drop, we finally decided to come here." Oof said.

(Flashback)

The three walked up to the wall seeing the military at the border aiming their guns and LMGS towards the city, shooting any zombie that comes near the gate. As the three got closer a guard, guarding the border walked up to them. "Hey you don't have access to be here, leave or I will have to escort you out." He said. "But our friends are in there!" TBVG said as the guard scoffed. "You think this is the first time I heard that? Last time we let a group in a giant explosion happened that attracted to many zombies." The guard said before moving us out. "Well that's not gonna work." Ally said as the three all stood there, thinking about what would they could do. As oof looked over and saw a weak point in the fence by the looks of it, a small security building. The three snuck around but as they were about to leave, they heard something from the security building.

"Yes don't worry, we won't let anyone out or in... so what about the message? That was to give them hope that they can escape, even though we will gun down anyone who tries, the protesters? What are they gonna do?" The voice says as the 3 couldnt believe it. "They are going to kill anyone who comes out...." TBVG said shocked as the 3 stood by the weak point deciding if they wanted to go in. The snuck into the quarantined area as mutiple bullets were fired at them as they ran and took cover. Eventually they had to reload so the 3 were able to run and make their escape into the city.

(End of flashback)
Still in socks POV:

"So the military lied about letting us out?" I ask horrified by what they said. "Yup they were planning on killing everyone." Oof said looking at the 2. "...." Blaza was dead silent probably upset at the manner. "This puts a screw in our plans." I say in shock about all this. As Blaza looked at me. "We have to focus on surviving now, we should move the group here, it's smarter and safer here, if you guys are fine with this?" Blaza asks as they all look at us 2. "You serious? Of course you can!" Ally said smiling, as the new plan was set.

(Jooice POV)

I was walking through the aisles of the grocery store looking for any food. As I heard muffin. "Jooice! I found some Cheerios!" Muffin shouted as I ran over. "Shush muffin, remember there's zombies...." I said. "Oh sorry Jooice..." Muffin said as we continued searching, not finding much besides some beef jerky and some seeds. "Maybe we will get lucky at another store...." I said as muffin nods but then we heard a car and then people enter the grocery store. "There's someone here... FIND THEM!" an aggressive voice shouted as I looked at muffin. "Okay muffin follow me and be quiet..." I whispered as muffin followed. We snuck around the store as around 5 men searched the place with full rifles, the best gun I had was a pistol. With muffin only having a bat. We saw a dude coming towards us, unaware of us as I use a cloth and cover his mouth until he was knocked out and grabbed his rifle. "Here take this pistol" I whisper
Giving it to muffin as we keep sneaking around, eventually finding and exit and running off. After get far enough away we took a minute to breath.

"We made it out alive..." muffin said happily. "We did, but we have no food...." I said sadly as muffin nodded. "Maybe the other groups found some?" Muffin said as I nodded. "Yeah we should head back anyways just in case."

the two deciding to head back to base would be better than rather standing out in the open. As they start traversing through the city back home.

(Laff POV:)

Laff and Nadwe returned home with the water they found, and were planning on filtering it, but socks and Blaza weren't back with a generator yet, so now laff was working on making a fire while Nadwe was getting pots ready. Oompa was still keeping watch. Not wanting anyone to come in. "Hey laff I got all the pots, is the fire almost ready?" Nadwe asked as I looked up at him and nodded. "Yup it should be ready soon." I say as we set up the filter system as the fires slowly starts coming to life.

We finally get the water filtered as muffin and Jooice come home, now all that's left is socks and Blaza...

(TBVG POV:)

We slowly pulled up to the diner in the 2 cars, as I looked up from the drivers seat seeing Oompa on the roof staring at the cars, but when socks got out he waved at him. The plan was for us to grab everyone and get out of there. As I see Blaza, Ally, and socks get out, I signal oof to drive to the back, going to collect the stuff from the back room.

Ally POV:

I decided to go in with socks and Blaza. As everyone was shocked to see me. "Wait Ally since when did you get here?" Laff asked confused as I looked at him. "A week ago I think..." I say confirming in my head a week. As I continue chatting with everyone something feels off. "Hey guys isn't only Oompa outside?" I acknowledging the footsteps as the group looked over as gunshots fired through the diner absolutely obliterating the glass and walls as everyone took cover as I hear a shout. "FUCK IVE BEEN HIT!"
A voice shouted.

Jooice POV:

As I was ducking down from the gunshots I felt a bullet rip through my shoulder as I shouted in pain. "FUCK IVE BEEN HIT!" The group didn't even have time to react as the gunshots erupted through the building. As TBVG and oof joined us crawling on the ground. "Alright they don't know about the cars! Everyone slowly crawl to the back!" Oof said. Before providing cover fire for everyone, as everyone started crawling to the back. But as we did there was a loud scream. "AHHHH GUYS HELP!!" Oompa shouted.

"Guys Oompa we can't leave him!" Muffin shouted as the group looked back at him as he was shot both in the arm and leg. "MUFFIN!" Nadwe shouted as muffin laid there in pain. "G-GO!" He shouted in pain as we had no other choice but to keep going. As we managed to make it to the back, we sped off driving away from the once diner base.

Nadwe POV:)

I sat there in the back of the car shocked and stunned feeling a few tears down my eyes. Muffin was shot twice, once in the arm and leg, and I just left him. I thought guilty as laff patted my shoulder, he had been comforting me the whole drive to the hardware store. The repeat in my head of muffin screaming in pain as he was shot plays over and over again.

Oompa POV:

I felt my vision slowly regain as my breath was heavy. My head was in a bag and I felt like I was being moved. My body felt like it was beat. Then I remembered what happened. I was on the roof when the bullets started, I tried to help but I was grabbed and thrown off the roof and onto the ground, then I was beat with some baton. I remember as I groan in pain, my leg definitely broken. I felt like I was grabbed and dragged across the floor. As I heard someone else beside me. Eventually I was put into a chair. But the bag still on my head. I heard voices though. "The attack was successful, atleast 5 injured and 2 captured." A voice said as I tried to struggle. "It seems like this one has woken up." *another voice said.* "time to put him back to sleep." The first voice said and for the next 2 minutes Oompa felt constant punches and beatings until he passed out.

Muffin POV:

I slowly woke up my arm and leg in pain as I can't move but I can see, I'm laid on a bed in a cell, I try to move but realize, my wounds keep me from moving. But as I look at the bars I stare in horror. This is the police station... and there's 3 gears of swat gear by what I can see.

(Holy shit 3093 words, I really hope
Y'all like this, cause holy shit did this take so long to write, and I hope I can write more. Thanks for also getting this to 500 reads, that's crazy to think about. Anyways I hope I can get another book chapter done before Easter break ends. So see y'all next time!)